Fish and fishing technique
WAHOO/BLACK KINGFISH
(Acanthocybium slolanderi)
Black kingfish also known as wahoo
Kingfish, wahoo, raite or banana tuna
can measure up to 2 m 50 and weigh up to 83kg. But its common size is 1 m 70. It feeds on small fish and lives between 0 and 12 m of depth. Very fast (up to 80 km/h!), it bites all types of bait. Its sides are characterised by vertical blue stripes.
Caution : always use a steel fishing-leader as its jaw is capable of cutting through the thickest nylon lines.
SWORDFISH (Xiphias gladius) and blue MARLIN
These are pelagic fishes of the tropical and temperate seas which can exceed 5 metres and weigh 500 kg. Their long mouthparts are used to stun prey. They feed on squid and fish. They can reach 110 km/h at top speed.
The swordfish and marlin characteristics of speed, strength, weight and their iconic silhouette make them a target of choice in the world of game fishing.
Fishing at night with lighting is the most commonly practiced technique; It is to approach these fish with caution, dragging a bait (e.g. a squid) deep down at low speed.
BREAM DOLPHINFISH (Coryphaena hippurus)
It is called bream dolphinfish or Polynesian mahi-mahien. When adult it can measure up to 1m50 for 20 kilos and up to 2m for 40 kilos. Its speed can exceed 50 knots. We can note a morphological difference between the male and the female: The male has a bump on its forehead which gives its head a square shape, whereas the female has a round head and a smaller and slimmer body. This difference can be observed easily because these fish move frequently as a couple.
The bream dolphinfish migrates over great distances. Carnivorous, they feed on flying fish, squid, mackerel, pelagic crustaceans, and zooplankton. Its colour aspect is very bright and composed of different colours (blue green) Its ability to radically change its colour within a few minutes explains why it is sometimes referred to as the cameleon fish. Its body colour can go from yellow brown to blue to white with the appearance of blue, black and red hues... Noteworthy is its ultimate cameleon trick to turn yellow when it dies(!)
This pelagic fish skims the surface and the waves among the floating debris that attracts other fish it feeds on. It is often fished alongside flying fish, squid and fishing lures.
YELLOW TUNA
It is a fish of the scombridae family Like all species of tuna, it is declining because of overfishing. Indeed the flesh of this fish is highly sought after, notably by the Japanese market, for the making of sushi and sashimi, even though red tuna is still preferred in this country. It is characterised by its long pectoral fins, its white line running along its back and the absence of spots.
Bait: calamari, billfishes, bonito, but also big sized lures, green/white, blue/white or white/red feathers.
SAIL FISH (Istiophorus platypterus)
This is a pelagic fish called sailfish, Sailboat or cosmopolitan yacht; It owes its name to its dorsal fin in the shape of a sail. In addition to this feature it is remarkable with its Midnight blue colour, and the vertical streaks on its flanks.
Like the swordfish it can reach speeds of up to 110 kph, making it the world’s fastest fish. Its size (it can measure up to 3 m, but more generally between 1 m 50 and 2 m 50 weighing 30 kg to 40 kg) and its strength makes it one of the most sought after fishes by game fishermen on the high seas.
Its diet is mainly composed of Octopus. It accepts the following bait: Squid, fatty fish and lures.
BONITO /SKIPJACK
( Katsuwonus pelamis )
The striped belly skipjack is regarded by connoisseurs as the best of all tuna, superior to common tuna and all other species.
Notable for its black longitudinal stripes on its sides, this highly migratory fish is the most fished fish species after the anchovy and the Alaska pollock.
Small bait size recommended: fish swimmers, spoons and flies. Option: train of three white feathered hooks.
BARRACUDA (Sphyraena barracuda)
The barracuda (also called "great Barracuda") is a carnivorous fish that can grow up to two metres. Its stretched out silhouette is characteristic with its two widely spaced dorsal fins, and a lower jaw with hooked shaped teeth.
They live in isolation or in shoals near the reefs, but also appear in the open seas.
Careful: the barracudas are generally edible, but their flesh may from time to time contain a toxin, ciguatera.
These fish are voracious predators that hunt by surprise followed by sudden rapid accelerations. They are attracted by all that glitters. Thus in the presence of a school of barracudas a steel line and a simple hook will do the job as bait.
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