Frustrated in the Solomon’s.
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Destinations
Forum Name: Solomon Islands
Forum Description: Solomons destination and travel info, advice and trip reports here
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=67983
Printed Date: 29 Jan 2026 at 2:00am
Topic: Frustrated in the Solomon’s.
Posted By: M@CC@
Subject: Frustrated in the Solomon’s.
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2011 at 5:00pm
|
I have read and enjoyed Capt Asparagus reports from the Solomon's, where I am currently residing. However I am on a remote Island called Nendo (aka Santa Cruz) Island this island is nearly closer to
Vanuatu than the main Islands of the Solomon's, infact it is so far away it does not show up on a lot of Solomon Islands maps . If Capt Asparagus was in the western area of the Solomon Islands I'm falling off the eastern Edge! I was very excited about fishing here and brought a fair amount of gear with me. Unfortunately I am boatless here, which is disapointing, however imagine my delight when I was down at the wharf and saw some sizable Blue trevally smashing the resident swam of bait fish at the wharf (this school just does not move and it is massive). Imagine my further excitment when on my first case with a popper I was smashed by something, loading up the brand new T'Curve Revolution travel rod, only for it not to stick.  .I have since been down numerous times and only had one more bite but nothing I have thrown every thing i have at them(Stick bait/poppers/softbaits/metal lures etc etc), it sure is amazing watching those trevally though, dam things. I have been advised I need to try before the sun comes up, that is the next plan. I am lead to believe also that the outter Reefs here a teeming with GT's , I guess thats what happens when there is no commerical fishing of any sort. To add to the frustration I was at a village the other week and a Canoe was paddling in is looked like it was going to sink, see pictures below for why, he had only been 300-500m off shore, handline/nylon wire trace, piece of mackeral or simliar, took him 2 hours to land it. (I still don't know how he did). Sitting on the most untouched fishing mecca on the face of the earth and no Boat!  PRICELESS.This place is stunning.     |
Replies:
Posted By: Catchelot
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2011 at 5:08pm
|
That was fantastic Aron have you thought about catching some of those bait fish with small hooks and flicking them out, perhaps letting them swim around as live baits?
Loved the marlin in the canoe - priceless  ------------- "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau |
Posted By: silvershark
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2011 at 5:10pm
|
Cluster Photo's look like heaven, warm and clear water, you already know the answer to the fishing - do as the locals do - Start making a dugout canoe. Keep the posts coming mate.
Good luck. |
Posted By: M@CC@
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2011 at 6:46pm
|
Yep working on the canoe, the NZ$ goes a fair way here , As I have heard it is not quite as easy as it looks , using the canoe. You wouldn't read about it but I only brought big hooks to catch big fish, will be buying some smaller hooks to try the live baiting. At least dinner is looking good tonight ($70 Solomon Dollars for 6 Crays) Hmmmmmmm  Thats $15NZ
|
Posted By: straks007
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2011 at 6:53pm
| You are living the dream brother |
Posted By: M@CC@
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2011 at 7:00pm
| NEARLY!, JUST SORT THE BOAT ISSUE OUT AND I WILL BE! |
Posted By: Whizz
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2011 at 7:47pm
| Awesome..... Thats what I love about the more remote the better!!! |
Posted By: Telecaster
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2011 at 9:01pm
| You should mail-order an arancia IRB, packed down into a crate with a 25hp tiller steer outboard. Just make sure the marlin bills don't puncture it! |
Posted By: Capt Asparagus
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2011 at 9:02pm
| Heaps of baby blacks like that marlin up there. I can imagine your frustration with the lack of a boat! Do you have a small spin set at least to play with the fish inside the lagoons? Catch a pile of the little trevallys and sweetlips, you'll be the locals' bestest buddy! :-) |
Posted By: Telecaster
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2011 at 9:02pm
| Or buy two dugouts and connect them together with some wood, make a transom in the middle to hang an outboard off. |
Posted By: M@CC@
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2011 at 10:36pm
| Thanks Captain I haven't given that a go yet, yep got a spining set the trusty Sol 4000, what is the trick with the lagoon fishing as its quite shallow, what type lure would you suggest?, I've got a spool of 20lb which floats a bit better so that keeps me off the bottom, just not sure on lure, cheers Aron. |
Posted By: Capt Asparagus
Date Posted: 15 Jul 2011 at 11:37pm
OK, for fish of small size like small sweetlips which the islanders love, goatfish, small trevs, you want small silver jigs or 3in soft plastics. that is a little 3in sp got that little fish. Little red bass like these will also take SPs, but if you have some small poppers, they are also very effective. ....,...or small poppers like this for red bass, trevs or coral trout around inner lagoon bommies. The fish you can get on small silver lures near or off beaches can be pretty substantial though, even big barracudas will troll along 10ft off the beaches looking for an easy meal. If you have any 3-4in SPs, they are also very good flicked around bommies....   ....up to quite decent fish like these....  on the little poppers. That is using 20lb braid and 40lb trace on those lures, and set a heavy drag as it is really load and load stuff to keep them outa the reef. However, for shallow stuff... the small SPs or 7gm or less silver jigs are the go.  Hope those help.... :-) cheers mate, tight lines, Stu. |
Posted By: random
Date Posted: 18 Jul 2011 at 10:24pm
|
There's some great fishing just down from Ndendo on the reef islands (from memory, been a while) and some awesome blue marlin and sail fish to be had at the sea mount to the north. Its a bit of a mission, and I know you dont have a boat, but its worth it if you can find a ride. I think the RAMSES police from NZ head down there every now and then, maybe hitch a lift? My lasting memory of Ndendo is the red betel nut spit everywhere, and the big red whacked out smiles that go along with it
|
Posted By: M@CC@
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2011 at 11:47am
|
Thanks random, I hope to get to the reef Islands at some stage, I have heard some amazing fishing stories about there. Yep I was hoping to catch a lift with the RAMSI boat, but that is the one that is out of action at present. Things haven't changed here, mate, still heaps of betel nut spit and those big smiling faces
|
Posted By: skidder
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2011 at 10:47am
Cannot be too remote...you have internet access. ------------- Knockers - need I say more..... |
Posted By: M@CC@
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2011 at 9:51pm
| Try Google 'ling' it, you maybe quite surprized how far away it is from almost every thing, as for the internet, it is a trial location, so i'm pretty lucky to have it and be able to keep in touch with fishing back home, its a good thing most of the locals don't have computers/knowledge of internet useage because it tends to go down pretty quick. |
Posted By: Capt Asparagus
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2011 at 10:38pm
|
In the western provinces, the internet and phones were knocked out for 3 days because a gecko got into a box of electro-bits, got fried and shorted everything out. It's a whole different world up there! :-) lol |
Posted By: random
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2011 at 12:17pm
|
I cant wait to get up there again. Have been held up with weather in Cairns, but set sail for 8 weeks in the western sols on monday. Thanks for the tips on fishing spots Stu, pulled up the charts for Manning strait yesterday. It looks like we may spend a fair ammount of time there chasing fish on those seamounts. We'll definatley head to Lola as well. |
Posted By: Capt Asparagus
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2011 at 12:28pm
| Lola truly is a jewel. Hell, if you are exploring the Manning Straits area, and need someone to come along and help with your knots and stuff, lemme know! i'd LOVE to get back over there! :-) Pretty remote area over there, stakka crocs but also masses of mangrove jacks, huge sandflat areas too, so be prepared for a lot of bonefish if you want them too. |
Posted By: tas-tackle
Date Posted: 09 Aug 2011 at 11:30pm
|
Cluster what about one of those porta-bote.. 4hp motor will get you out to the reefs etc... http://www.tackletour.com/reviewportabote.html ------------- http://postimage.org/" rel="nofollow">  http://www.tas-tackle.co.nz |
Posted By: The Fish Man
Date Posted: 11 Aug 2011 at 9:30pm
|
wow that i call catch thanks for these pic old man and lovely angel --- http://www.fishjumanji.com/miami-tours - Miami Tours .. http://www.fishjumanji.com/things-to-do-in-miami - |