TACTICS
Beating the odds in South African waters By Capt. Ryan Williamson FTER many years of successfully targeting billfish along the southeast coast of Africa, from Cape Town to Kenya, I have analysed the four basic methods of directly targeting the blue-, black- and striped marlin found in these waters. These methods are: Live bait trolling; Dead bait swimming or skipping; Pitch baiting; and Trolling with konas. All of the above are proven methods that have been used across the world wherever these top predators are found. Each method has its dedicated proponents who swear their method produces the most and/or biggest specimens. Arguments unfold during discussions between marlin charter captains as well as among recreational ski-boat marlin anglers who primarily fish the marlin-rich waters of the north Kwa-Zulu-Natal coast. Fishing around the Cape Verde and Great Barrier Reef islands for a few seasons prior to the onset of Covid-19, provided me with a great deal more hands-on experience on the water. It also gave me ample opportunity to debate at length with a great number of the world’s top marlin captains who ply their trade at these two premier destinations. These conversations have firmed up much of what I’d already concluded. My current thinking when it comes to targeting marlin in South Africa and Moçambique, especially the Bazaruto archipelago is this:
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SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 9
