Hi lads,
Thought you might enjoy a couple of pics from last week's long-awaited trip to the beautiful and far-flung islands of Vanuatu.
The trip was booked and paid for more than three years ago for my 50th, but COVID happened and it was postponed pretty much continuously, until finally happening last week.
Even then, our Friday AM departing flight was cancelled the afternoon prior, so we had to buy new tickets to Australia (as the direct flight only goes once a week from NZ), then another set of tickets from Brisbane to Port Vila (the capital of Vanuatu).
We got there eventually, which was a huge relief after all the years of anticipation.
If you're not aware, Vanuatu is part of Melanesia, pretty much smack in the middle of the central-west Pacific between the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and Fiji.
There are 83 volcanic islands that thrust up from the deep ocean so starkly, that just a few metres off the beach at the place we stayed dropped into 220m (~720ft) of water. Snorkelling over the edge was like going off a cliff! Apparently, US subs used to use the marine canyons as hideouts when pursued in WWII.
It was a bucket list trip for me (that I committed to ticking off after an accident a few years ago), but it was my wife's first fishing trip.
The target species was one of the strongest fish in the ocean - the mighty dogtooth tuna.
We stayed at Trees and Fishes, which partners with OceanBlue fishing charters. They run three or four Edgewater 31.8ft centre consoles, with two 300hp Mercurys on the back.
Trees and Fishes only hosts 16, so each room gets a boat and guide to themselves for four, six-and-a-half or eight hours each day, depending on the package. We were on the six-and-a-half hours per day, alternating between AM and PM.
Fortunately, we had a terrific local guide named Harry, who put us straight onto fish on day one. It was an auspicious start, with my first fish being a 'resort record' 30kg (66lb) wahoo, taken on a livie.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/38/3590-060324005129-386612089.jpeg)
Next up, Debbie caught her first proper fish - an 8kg (~18lb) dogtooth. Not a bad start to her fishing career. There were guys at the camp who'd spent four years unsuccessfully chasing dogtooth!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/38/3590-060324005129-386611568.jpeg)
I was next with a 10kg (~22lb) version that pulled far more line than its relatively diminutive size would indicate. They get up to and over 50kg (110lb+) in Vanuatu.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/38/3590-060324005130-386641427.jpeg)
That was it for day one. Day two was a washout with no fish taken, despite plenty of sign.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/38/3590-060324012007.jpeg)
Debbie had some quality time reading by the pool on day three, while Harry and I headed way out wide, chasing pelagics in the 1300m+ (~4300ft) deep blue.
We were soon onto a series of huge schools of ~10kg (~22lb) skipjack tuna, being worked by terns and gannets, who were in turn being worked by frigates.
We took around eight casting poppers and stickbaits on PE3, which made for terrific sport and some blistering runs.
Then... I saw a barrel of a yellowfin - the guide estimated 60kg+ (130lb+) - get completely airborne before hitting my popper on re-entry.
The PE3 rig was no match and I watched 200m of braid disappear into the depths before it broke like a gun going off.
Skippie workups move incredibly fast, so we were chasing, casting, chasing, casting and using the full 600hp inbetween.
At one point, we saw two huge objects emerge in the middle of a workup and project skywards to about 8ft in the air, before snapping together and drifting back to the depths. It took the closing to realise they were whale mouths, and they were taking whole bait balls from beneath in one enormous mouthful! It was epic.
I switched over to a PE8 popper rig and, shortly after, had another aerial assault in the midst of a boiling workup.
Taking a yellowfin on topwater has been a life goal for some time, but I really didn't think it was a possiblity, given how rarely I've ever heard it happening. Now I had one on, I'd totally underestimated how much leverage a good fish can put on you when you're using a 9ft popper rod!
It took a good 20mins+ and a significant hematoma in my groin from the rod butt to finally boat the fish, but boat it I did - ~55kg (~120lb).
(https://alantani.com/gallery/38/3590-060324005130-386641260.jpeg)
It was my fourth yellowfin and very slightly smaller than my PB, but without question the most satisfying. I doubt it'll ever happen again, but I'm grateful it happened once.
All in all, a fantastic trip to an incredible part of the world - highly recommended if you're looking for your next big adventure.
Hope it was of some interest.
All the best, Justin
another great report amigo Justin, I could felt the adrenaline !
Thanks Alex - glad to take you along!
Thanks Justin, you always give good reports, much appreciated, glad you & your wife had some good fun together, cheers Don.
:) All nice looking fish !!
Nice. Next time we go to Australia I will have to go. I looked at it last year but it did not play out.
Todd
The almost mythical dog tooth Tuna, thanks for the write up
very nice!!!! wahoo is my favorite!
Thanks lads - I like to think anticipation is 4/5ths of satisfaction, but maybe sharing is half of it... :d
Excellent write-up. Now all I can think of is fishing and not working!
Doggies! And some nice tuna popper action, too! The big skippies are a cool fish in my opinion. The jumbos get so fat- someone described them to me as "watermelons with fins" :).
Vanuatu has been on my list for awhile now. We got a lone smaller dogtooth in the Solomons, and that just whetted the appetite. So many cool species and wonderful sights in that neck of the planet.
Looks like a wonderful trip. Thanks for sharing.
-J
Great report and trip, Justin —-
Glad your wife went also, and glad your health is back to near normal.
Best, Fred
Quote from: foakes on March 06, 2024, 04:13:02 PMGreat report and trip, Justin —-
Glad your wife went also, and glad your health is back to near normal.
Best, Fred
Same, here Justin. Feels good to see you up and at them. Dominick
Nice post Justin !! Great pictures to !! Nice Job. John Taylor
Thanks Dominick/John - hope you're both keeping well!
On a somewhat related topic the US coast guard is patrolling those islands and is cracking down on illegal fishing there. I guess they've been somewhat successful p
Epic trip mate. Well done. YFT on topwater, that's great stuff - we had a crack at the same in New Caledonia over christmas, however whilst it was an incredibly beautiful place the fishing was dead slow :fish
Did you eat any of the dogtooth tuna? How is it? Does it compare to yellowfin? bluefin? albacore?
Thanks Logan - it's definitely at the top of the best-ever list.
Am wondering where to from here though! :-\
(Champagne problems!)
Maybe the Chesterfields? One of my surgeons has been there a couple times and the stories he tells inspire both awe and fear.
Sorry to hear New Cal didn't produce.
An amazing place to spend some time though, so I hope there were some other highlights?
Hi Bill - yes, all the pelagics went to the kitchen and were doled out to staff and locals, as well as being served at dinner to the fishos/guests.
We had dogtooth sashimi, which was light and delicate - 'melt in the mouth', but really mild in flavour.
Not a patch on yellowfin sashimi, which we also had one night, but still very much appreciated!
There's a lot of ciguatera in Vanuatu - particularly at present, for some reason - so resident fish like GT, coral trout etc were never on the menu...
I'd never even heard of a Dogtooth Tuna before.
Wouldn't want to Lip one of those!
Thanks for sharing,
Steve
I can,t even describe to you how this excites me. Any game fish after my lure sometimes sets my knees wobbling. For years Yellowfin tuna have been our prime target and we only get them occasionally. Sight casting at them often goes something like "YES please take it, NO NO rather not you too big". :o
The heaviest casting tackle I can use is also 9 ft PE8 but I do not want to hook Tuna over 50 KG.
I once hooked and we landed one of 70 kg on a light 9 ft Yellowtail rod with a Tranx 500. We had to take turns on the rod. The Tranx got some damage to the idler gear but otherwise survived.
You absolutely need assistance from the boat to achieve that.
Thanks for sharing!
Wow Justin!
Jeez Cornelis - a 70kg yellowfin on a Tranx?!
That's epic.
I'd have to agree though, a boat would be required!
When the first one hit the PE3 gear, it felt like there was nothing I could do but watch the spool empty.
Was heartbroken when it broke off, but I focused on being grateful for even having the experience.
Next thing ya know, the universe gave me another shot...
Hey Daron, haven't caught up in ages - hope you've been keeping well!
All the best lads
Quote from: redsetta on March 06, 2024, 01:48:06 AMTaking a yellowfin on topwater has been a life goal for some time, but I really didn't think it was a possiblity, given how rarely I've ever heard it happening. Now I had one on, I'd totally underestimated how much leverage a good fish can put on you when you're using a 9ft popper rod!
Taking a YFT on poppers is one of the common ways of fishing for them in the Gulf of Mexico. However, using a 9 ft rod isn't common or recommended. I actually prefer casting a lure such as a Halco 130 for GOM tuna. Halco's are a mainstay in the Gulf.
That's good to know David - thanks for the insight.
I take it you sight cast for them in workups?
Quote from: redsetta on March 28, 2024, 12:48:48 AMThat's good to know David - thanks for the insight.
I take it you sight cast for them in workups?
Sometimes sight casting but more often blind casting around floating oil rigs in very deep water (3000-9000 feet), usually at night.
To quote Daron, 'Wow'!
Damn what a trip. Better you than me on that pig yft on the long popper rod. They do that in Panama too. I've been considering Fiji as a bucket list expedition for reef jigging & a shot at dogtooth so thanks for sharing another option!
Quote from: akfish on March 14, 2024, 12:41:28 AMDid you eat any of the dogtooth tuna? How is it? Does it compare to yellowfin? bluefin? albacore?
Love my Dogtooth Sashimi!
This is a Tongan fish-or was-much like Albacore but not as dense.
(https://i.ibb.co/s6M661k/Dogtooth-Sashimi.jpg)
Justin,
Thanks for the write up and a successful trip.
I'll probably never make it to Vanuatu, but your report took me there!
Quote from: redsetta on March 28, 2024, 12:23:10 AMJeez Cornelis - a 70kg yellowfin on a Tranx?!
That's epic.
I'd have to agree though, a boat would be required!
When the first one hit the PE3 gear, it felt like there was nothing I could do but watch the spool empty.
Was heartbroken when it broke off, but I focused on being grateful for even having the experience.
Next thing ya know, the universe gave me another shot...
Hey Daron, haven't caught up in ages - hope you've been keep well!
All the best lads
One thing I never understood with these fish is that when you hook them on the surface, they remain there for the duration of the fight. When they come up to eat your bait, they take it and take of straight to the depth, you pull you behind off to get them up and then they see your face (or the gaff) and take of straight to the bottom again ;D you start all over.