Khorfakkan jigging trip with Cap Ali 08 Sep 2024

This was a planned trip with Capt. Ali. A long-waited trip as the previous trip was canceled due the captains holiday trip. We were six as usual. A friend joined from my home for this trip. We drove together to Khorfakkan and reached at 0430 am. We started off the boat at 5 am. The plan was to start jigging at 110 meters. Captain said it should be fast jigging. Some of us were fast jigging and some slow jigging. As usual I was high pitch jerking with Poseidon high pitch jerker with Shimano Ocea jigger 4000HG reel spooled with 1.5 PE sunline braid.

On the first drift fellow angler got a belt fish. as he landed the belt fish I got a strike. The fish fought initially and then followed the line. Resistance was occasional. I was thinking it could be a long tail tuna as it was following the line. But it was different. As the color of the fish was visible it was a nice Malabar trevally. Took a picture of it. 

We continued jigging captain got a Trevally in the same location. We moved again to the next spot. With no fish we moved to the submarine. The captain was fast jigging and got a nice Amberjack. We were jigging and another fellow angler got a huge Hammour. It is not common to get large groupers in Khorfakkan. 

The weather was getting better, and captain slowly moved to slightly deeper like 150 meters. We did not find any strikes. Then we moved to do some bottom fishing for Pinjalo snapper. The captain insisted that it was not productive previous day. But however, the group wanted to try for Pinjalo. We tried bottom fishing with squids for an hour. We had zero catch. I was joking that I should get at least a sultan Ibrahim. As I reeled my last drop of squid I had a sultan Ibrahim. The fish was saved for fry, but friend was saying should try sashimi. He mentioned it is a very tasty fish for sashimi.

I was feeling seasick and started resting. The group continued to try for some top water activity. Although there were birds there was no activity. We returned to shore quite earlier than planned. Overall, a productive morning session on jigging, 

It was fun jigging after a long time. Enjoyed the trip. Thanks to the sea.

Fishing trip to Ras al Khaimah on 23rd June

 

On Wednesday Captain Aziz put a message that he is doing a sharing trip on Sunday. It was a full moon day. I immediately put my name in – This was a much-awaited opportunity. Previously I have been to Ras al Khaimah shore fishing few times with no luck. So, I texted the captain what jig should I carry. He advises 80-120 grams. Water depth is 50-70 meters. This is completely different to Dubai and Khorfakkan. So again, needed to shop few jigs in this range. My grappler and Poseidon jigging rods were able to support this range. I paired them with Ocea jigger 1000 and 2000 F custom respectively. The braid was 2 PE and 20 pounds leaders with just two meters length.

We reached the port around ten to four and the trip started on time. We went around 25 miles and only two of us were jigging. Some were squid with squids and few squids on jigs. I was asked to expect sherries and barracudas on the trip. When the first guy got his fish, it was a small Koffer. It was on squid and me jigging. I wanted to try jigging at least an hour before moving to bottom fishing. Then I got a strike and reeled in. It was a beautiful red grouper. 

The second strike was different. Got a Barracuda. Line was damaged. I cut short the leader. I was afraid to drop now but we continued. I was getting sherries. As we went through the day, I got my first Macroona fish. later found another red grouper. In the last one hour I also started adding some squid to my jigs just to try for some large grouper or Hamour which like lumpy baits. I did get a strike and the reel screamed for few seconds and lost the fish.

I straight went to Ajman market for cleaning the fishes. Found few restaurants ready to grill and fry fish. picked three sherries and got it fried. Fresh fish is so much different and tasty. Thanks to the ocean such a great fishing trip

Fishing Adventure in Khorfakkan: Chasing Amberjack and Pinjalo Snapper

Planned trip. Weather was great. Capt Ali advised us to be on boat at 4am. Plan was to jig for some time and reach the casting area for tuna. The previous day huge, long tail tuna top water activity was seen and the capt wanted us to have some casting fun. 

Previous trips were of mixed outcome on jigging. Amberjack was not seen couple of trips. This time I decided I use only Deepliner spy which has always got me amberjacks. On the very first drift my reel was screaming and fellow fisherman said it is an Amber. I was using 1.5 PE line, so my drag was low. I could clearly see the drag was not good enough. However I dint want to increase the drag without checking so continued the fish fight with slightly loose drag. 

Later we moved many miles to the casting area. We waited for few hours for top water activity. During the wait I dropped up to 450 meters. I had missed strike. When the top water activity started fishermen started trolling with long lines and we just could manage to cast safely. We left the casting area. 

We had seen some get a Pinjalo snapper in the previous week on some other boat. So we insisted we do some bottom fishing. Capt was not convinced as the season had not started. But however the team was sure to try. Well when you drop squid atleast sultan Ibrahim is going to strike. To our surprise we got about six Pinjalo snappers. I managed to hook two. The trip was great. 

We reached the shore by around 4PM. Although a hot day it was an excellent fishing day. Thanks to the ocean

King Fish Hits again ! Deep sea fishing trip - Abu Dhabi

 

A few angler friends set up a trip in Abu Dhabi. This trip was primarily to hunt for King fish or the King Mackerel. I am always shy of sharing casting trips due to safety concerns. however these were very experienced anglers so was excited to join the trip. 

During the last trip in Khorfakkan, I was using my Ripple fisher Aquila 82-4 rod casting very light Rapala sinking lures. the casting distance was not so great. the group suggested me to get some heavy lures. But i was carrying a Daiwa outrage boat casting rod which can cast light lures. however i picked few hardcore sinking lures up to 40 grams. 

On the drive to Abu Dhabi me and fellow angler were discussing about new moon day. He has strong idea that full moon is not as productive as new moon. I will talk about this later on the catches of new moon at two different locations.

We left the port at 630 am. We reached out first location island near by and did not see any top water activity. I would have started jigging waiting for the top water activity to start. however, the Captain had different idea. he wanted to go around the island and see if any activity around. when we reached the other side we saw some birds. wow that's the sight  we wanted to see. 

As we reached closer we saw some frenzy. we started casting. one of the angler got a King fish. I was excited t cast and retrieve fast as the king fish likes to attack. I had two misses in the first sport. we saw another frenzy closer and when we moved there  I got hooked to a small size king fish. There was no fight for a Shimano stradic 3000 reel but the happiness was immense to get a king on the boat.

We kept moving to frenzies and were getting atleast one fish in each frenzy. midday the frenzies slow down. i wanted to fast jig with a long profile one to see if any king which may be in the bottom will take them. after a few drops found no strike. 

Later we moved away around the island and found some frenzies. we casted into them and got few more kings. the learning for this day was that if you cast right into the frenzy there is a high posiblity of the fish taking them. any where around does not produce desired results.

All round we caught forty three king fish and one of the best trips I have made. 

Thanks to the sea ! another great day.

Capping off the Year with Epic Angling Adventures: A Thrilling Tale of Tuna Triumphs and Marlin Hopes

 

As we embarked on our final fishing expedition of the year, the anticipation was high, fueled by memories of incredible trips throughout the seasons. Our group of six anglers, although reduced to five due to unforeseen circumstances, embraced the challenge with enthusiasm, even as the trip's cost edged slightly higher. The silver lining? Increased space between anglers during jigging, promising a unique experience.

The captain's reassuring call the previous day, confirming favorable weather conditions, set the stage for what we hoped would be a memorable journey. With the possibility of targeting marlins in mind, buoy deployment with live baits became a tantalizing prospect, reigniting the excitement for landing the elusive black Marlin that had eluded us on a prior trip.

Setting sail slightly behind schedule, our first task was to secure live bait from local fishermen. However, a twist of fate led us to pivot, dropping two buoys with dead Bonito provided by the captain before heading to our designated jigging location.

Situated at a depth of 160-220 meters, the serene sea and mild winds welcomed our crew. With minimal currents, the stage was set for an extraordinary angling experience. Armed with my trusty Evergreen Poseidon Slow pitch jerker 603-6 paired with an Ocea jigger 4000 HG, I opted for a 290-gram seafloor control arrow, a proven choice in recent trips.

As the jigging commenced, the thrill of a strike reverberated through the boat. Swift actions and strategic decisions unfolded as we reeled in long tail tunas, marking a promising start to the day. Worries of tangled lines were cast aside as each angler successfully landed their catch, a stark contrast to our recent outings.

Drifting for another round, I secured an average-sized long tail tuna, adding to my tally of four in the morning session. Intrigued by the prospect of underwater activity around buoys, we discovered evidence of Mahimahi indulging in a half-eaten Bonito, adding an unexpected twist to our adventure.

Returning to our jigging location, the captain suggested targeting red snapper with a slow jig. Adapting to the change, I switched to the Deepliner VB 250 grams, reeling in a Belt fish amidst the challenge. A brief break for food and rest reinvigorated our energy for the next phase.

Resuming our efforts, I switched to a fat jig from AliExpress, resulting in a much-needed nap that rejuvenated me for the subsequent angling endeavors. The remainder of the day unfolded with a series of successes, including landing a total of nine long tail tunas, contributing to a collective count of twenty-four tunas among all anglers.

While my personal best weighed in at 10 kgs on PE 1.5, the pursuit of a 25 kgs longtail on the same setup remains a tantalizing goal for future trips. As the year comes to a close, this adventure stands out as one of the highlights, offering a glimpse into the exciting possibilities that the next year holds. Grateful for the wonders of the ocean, we eagerly look forward to more thrilling exploits in the coming year.