Squeezed out for a mornings trip this weekend. Winter is very clearly here now and it was pretty cold outside but I did manage a few of these small Bullet Tuna…
Sitges
Author: alinasitges
Fishing mad
Lockdown Again…
And at what is normally a great time of year. Sat at home on the balcony right now looking at a cloudless sky, not a breath of wind rustling the trees and undoubtedly a mirror calm sea, with a boat fueled up and ready to go all just 10km away. Some mental inspiration for when we open again…
Sitges
Enjoyed a really calm morning out at sea today. Pulled the usual small trolling lures and a little past the drop off three rods arched over at the same time and I landed these two..
Was on the lookout for debris in order to cast for them but spotted nothing. I did see splashes everywhere – several small Whales, not sure what type, and dozens of Dolphins, many of them coming to ride the bow wave… all is well out there…
Sitges
Sneaked out this morning as it was all a bit of a calm before the storm moment… Found lots and lots of these small Tuna everywhere from 3 miles out to the horizon but sadly not the Dorado I was looking for.
Offshore I found plenty of debris in the water but only baby Amberjack beneath it. Fishing small jigs and surface plugs was good fun… for a short while.
Seems like the weather is cooling down nicely again right now though and hopefully weed-beds will soon start gather on the surface. As always, that´s when we´ll meet our arch nemesis again…
Sitges
Rainbows, a sign of good luck…
After a busy August took a few hours by myself this morning with a trip to the horizon…
No monsters but seemed to be small fish everywhere, Amberjack as soon as we left the harbour then different Tuna species…
Tuna Tour
Not exactly fishing but swimming with them, so “fishy “all the same… http://www.tuna-tour.com is an amazing experience I would recommend to anyone.
Is now an annual pilgrimage and for a brief hour is worlds apart from anything else you´ll ever do this year. Is like entering an alien world, floating in space, being surrounded but monsters, each with the grace of a ballerina, passing inches by you, with hardly a flex of their muscles.
Sitges
Out for a quick evening session today. Much like the weekend we found lots of fish hanging around marker bouys – small Amberjack, small Tuna and best of all, lots more of these Dorado. All seemed a little bigger than they would normally would be in August so October is looking really promising now, they should be a great size by then…
Sitges
Back on familiar, home territory today. With the boat all refreshed with a new engine Kate, Olivia and myself set off early today. Was a breezy day with a pretty rough sea but we did well, eventually losing count of the fish we caught, Amberjack, Small Tuna and best of all… lots and lots of Dorado.
Oliver Allen… where are you
Sao Miguel Island, Azores
Somewhere new this year.
“Awesome” just does not do justice to the place and the views on the island are literally mind blowing…
We also went fishing, on a boat run by Filipe from azorseaadventures.com from a small village called Vila Franca do Campo.
Was initially nothing more than a day out at sea where we enjoyed seeing the wildlife… turtles, several whales, countless gulls and even more dolphins.
We also did a little fishing, dragging 4 lures around.
Nothing happened for a few hours but we saw plenty bait balls being smashed into on the surface. All the while, as we ran up to them it was seemingly always dolphins in on the party. “Too many dolphins...” is not something we say too often.
Filipe worked the boat really hard and pursued flocks of birds endlessly, often doubling back through them. At one point he muttered something on the lines of “They are here, I know they are here….“
He wasn’t wrong.
Both port side rods arched over and massive 80W reels screamed as line was pulled from them.
Much of what happened next was a blur, grabbing pictures seemed a distant thought vs. fighting the fish but heres Kate hooked up…
After 2:30 we had my fish through the door and into the boat, a 109kg (240lb) Big Eye Tuna and after a 3:30 fight Kate landed hers, 117kg (258lb), more than twice her weight.
This was truly a day beyond our wildest dreams and I was so proud of Kate.
We all have our favourite holiday destinations… Shell Island, Cuba, Nefyn, Sitges, Abersoch etc. There´s a new one of the list now, a tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean that´s like nowhere else on Earth.
I´ll be back…
Sitges Harbour Wall
On Friday night I had a few spare hours so took a walk down the harbour wall before the sun went down and was fortunate to get a small Bluefish.
Looking for more I had an early start this morning, well before the sun started to rise.
First cast with a Lucky Craft Gunfish and this guy crashed into it on the surface. As per usual, a great fight and lots of leaps skywards.
Sitges after Lockdown
My long awaited, first trip out this morning now that lockdown is over. Unfortunately it seems I´m too late for the big Blue Fins passing by but did manage this small Little Tuna. Happy days are back…
Sitges
Am suspecting Spain to go into virus lock-down soon so had a final trip out to sea before my fishing opportunities close. Was really hoping to see Tuna but unfortunately they just don´t seem to be here yet so dropped some sabikis to the bottom in order to see what small stuff was around. All seems well down there as I found it alive with the usual culprits… Red Bream, Scad, Blotched Pickerel, Red Gurnard, Bogue, Mackerel and my very own Arch Nemesis – the Greater Weever…
Winter is over
That was the thinking Oli and myself had in deciding to start 2020 with a quick trip down to Adlington Canal. With hailstones blowing sideways we didn´t last long but taking a small Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow for a swim kick started the year for me. Now, back to BCN and out into the sea…
Sitges
Out in the sun on a really calm sea this morning. More Bonito & Little Tuna around, all taken on small Williamson trolling lures…
Sitges
Has been extremely windy these last few days but I managed to get out this morning. Sea clarity was quite poor and I couldn’t find any Dorado but did manage this stonking Bonito which was too long to fit in the fish box. Gonna eat well tonight…
Sitges
Slippy fingers…
Tom came out with us today but boy did we have an angry sea. Holding the boat steady and catching anything in 2M swells proved to be pretty tough but we did well I guess and came back with fish on the deck. Luck certainly had a part in it…
Sitges
October. By far the best month for both the weather and the fishing here in the Western side of the Meditteranean.
Slipped out for a quick session this morning (work in the afternoon) and just lost count. As I recall… Amberjack no more than 500m from the harbour entrance, a substantial 6lb Dorado next around the 1km mark then out at sea too many small Tuna to remember. Bonito, Little Tuna, Small BFT everywhere.
Easy. Just like this…
Tomorrow is not a half day at work. Its a full day off work. Lets see what comes…
Sitges
Out again this morning but not in the calmest of seas. Pulled around some small Williamson trolling lures which tempted 6 Amberjack & a solitary Mackerel. Also tempted 4 Dorado casting small jigs at buoys & floating debris. They’re getting bigger..!
Sitges
A pleasure to be out on the boat this morning as September & October really are the nicest months of the year. Found the sea to be alive with Dorado everywhere there was structure, debris, buoys etc.
Sometimes I can catch them…
Sometimes it just doesn´t matter….
In the next month these should almost double in size, from 1.5 to 3kgs. Roll on October…!
Sitges
Summer is drawing to a close over here, its mid September now but the fishing is hopefully coming to a peak. Took a ride out this morning and along with a couple of small Tuna the Dorado are here – not big yet but as we get to the end of October they should be twice the size. All on the same lure today – a multi coloured Williamson…
Sitges
One thing in this picture is really cool but it´s not the strange dude in the shades…. Trolling, Summer, Sitges, Tuna.
Cuba
We made our way back to Sata Lucia again and it was still the same wonderful place we left two years ago. After the first taxi ride up to La Boca it took Kate just 10 minutes to land our first big Barracuda of the trip. We next had a trip out on the catamarans running from the hotel beach and quite soon it was 2/0 with an even bigger fish…!
Across the week I launched most of my lures towards the far bank of the estuary and lost count of the casts I made. Loira’s dad had just one cast and launched himself to the far bank too… In the end I was finally rewarded with the one you see on the rocks in the pictures below.
It’s not only about fishing here though, it’s the experience of being somewhere really special.
Adlington Canal
A visit home isn’t really complete without a trip down to the canal. Whilst everyone was asleep on Sunday morning I was getting in some practice for Cuba and manged three of these freshwater Barracuda on a small, boring coloured Rapala X-Rap. In a weeks time hope to be telling tales of their saltwater cousins…
Sitges
Coming along for the ride…
We found this little guy way out at sea today, a hell of a lot further from home that he should have been. He took a rest with us for a while, tagged along for the ride back then left, laving a little luck my way in the form of this Bonito. First proper fish of the year and we’ll eat well tonight…
Sitges Easter Weekend
Weather Gods were seemingly unhappy with my plans for the well anticipated start to the fishing season, a full week chasing Tuna, and threw 40mph winds at us turning the sea into the same consistency and colour as that what we normally see off Blackpool…
Still, there’s always something biting deep in the harbour…
Next weekend must surely be better…
Adlington Canal
Sneaked in a couple of quick sessions during this weekends trip back… but could only stay as long as I could feel my fingers. Freezing temperature, a howling wind and horizontal drizzle weren’t too encouraging and it really was as cold as it looked. No blank though with a couple of usual sized Pike, both on small Rapala X-Raps.
Sitges
Back out this Friday morning after some great days over these last few weeks.
Was neither cloudy or sunny and it felt like a final day before the season here finishes, winter draws in and we have that long wait till Easter.
Had several small Tuna along the way… also had another Dorado casting at floating debris… missed something big that arched a rod over as we passed more debris (likely another late season Dorado)… but all is well…
Bullet Tuna
Heading home
Follow the arrow
Little Tuna
Big Stella
Childs play right now…
Sitges
Had a great day at sea yesterday with perfect weather and plenty of fish. One of the first up was the nice, round small Bluefin you see above
Then by lots of fortune, miles offshore, I found a tree…
Was full of life below it and I had several Wreckfish, a new species for me…
Bit best of all 6 really nice Dorado caught spinning a small baitfish lookalike casting lure…
Here are a couple…
I eventually moved on but before coming home took a final drive past and sure enough the rod closest arched over for the biggest of the day…
Sitges
Had a long day out in the sun today and it was great just to see these small Blue-Fin Tuna smashing into baitfish, flying out of the water, going totally airborne and cartwheeling through the sky.
They are the same age fish we caught earlier in the summer – but when they were much smaller – this is how fast they pack on the pounds and mature.
Underwater they seem to be almost made of metal…
Sitges
Stayed close to the shore this morning as the sea was pretty choppy. Didn’t need to go far out anyway as there were fish, baitfish and seagulls diving everywhere. Had a few Scad and 20 to 30 of these chunky Amberjack, all caught by either trolling or spinning small metal lures.
Adlington Canal
More from the canal this week… it looked a windy day but here is Oliver with another nice Pike taken on a spinner-bait…
Sitges
Back at it today making full use of the seasonally kind warm weather. Pulled 4 rods all with small Williamson trolling lures and got pretty much the same as last few outings… Amberjack, small Tuna and a very lucky Dorado…
Arch Nemesis
Impossible to catch for someone but thankfully not for me..! It has been scorching hot these last few days and there are plenty of nice sized Dorados about right now – I had 6-7 this morning along with some small Amberjack and small Tuna.
Tuna caught casting Halco Twistys. Dorado caught on small Williamson trolling lures, modified slightly, with double instead of single hook.
Adlington Canal
Got taught a fishing lesson from Ollie, with his biggest Pike to date. Yo-Zuri crystal minnow worked out top lure of the day…
Porth Dinllaen
No golfing for me…! To a detour on my way back from Worcester to what used to be my favourite peg on the North Wales coast. Same lure, a Lucky Craft Gunfish got them all…
Sitges – End of the summer
Daytime temperatures have dropped from the madness of August, its a little cloudy too but offshore the water temperatures usually peak at this time of year. Warm water means only one thing – Dorado – so I took a long anticipated run out this morning.
Sweetest spot was finding a floating log in the sea – fish lurk underneath floating debris like this. I just knew that as soon as I passed it one of the trolling lures would be hit and sure enough, the nearest rod arched over and the first Dorado of the day was on and soon in the boat.
Circled back and cast a small, silver Halco Twisty past the log, pulled it back fast and sure enough, first cast, I was on with the second one..!
Ended the day with three Dorado and dozens of Little Tuna and baby Bluefin Tuna – so many I lost count – and there ain´t many days I can say that…!
Arch Nemesis
He lives in Sitges Bay…. And he´s back.., Hopefully for the rest of the summer. Caught this small one today and some very small Tuna – similar to what we caught on Sunday…
Same but Different
They all look similar but 4 different species trolling on Sunday… Bonito, Little Tuna, Mackerel & Baby Bluefin Tuna.
Sitges
An early start today and a little luck with three of these small Bluefin, all caught on small trolling lures…
Sitges
A good day for Kate and me with 6 Baby Bluefin Tuna, 1 Little Tuna and a Dorado. And calm seas and a sunny day…
6 out of the 8 fish caught today came on this dark purple lure
Baby Bluefin
Dorado
Sitges
Am not quite sure which of these two is the lure, and which is the fish…
Abersoch
Land of mountains, wonderful scenery, big islands, old boats & shipwrecks, big ideas, a suitcase full of lures and very small fish…
Cape Rachado, Malaysia
It was Tropical Thunderstorm season when I arrived and unfortunately the sea had the same clarity as that off Blackpool. Nothing caught but the scenery was just amazing…
Sitges
Was windy and quite choppy today but on the basis that “if it’s blowing we’re going” set out to see what I could find… Tuna, Mackerel and 7 baby Amberjack all taking on small trolling lures. Arch Nemesis was nowhere to be seen but I suspect he’s around, laughing …
Sunny August
Little Tuna
Amberjack
Spanish Mackerel
Sitges
Caught the World Record Amberjack today, the smallest ever caught whilst trolling …
Sitges – Harbour wall
Took some lures for a swim in the sunshine this afternoon, not hard to guess what we didn’t catch…
Cuba – La Boca
On the North coast of Cuba, at the South East end of where the Cayos start I fished at La Boca which is a little inland from Playa Coco, reputedly one of Cubas finest beaches…
Only used 1 lure, a 49g Halco Rooster 135 popper which took some serious Barracuda and a first for me, a nice Jack Crevalle.
And with my helpers that day. The local guy that landed the fish for me ate well that night…
Me
Lots of reasons to start this but none more so than a place to remember those fish I catch, ……. 😉
