Captain's Report July 2011 - MARLIN ‘GROUPIES’ TRAVEL THE GLOBE FOR THEIR SPORT

There is something about the deep sea fishing experience that strikes a chord with many people, putting them back in touch with their ‘inner hunter’.

Perhaps it’s because they get to eat a lot of what they catch – and so soon after landing it.

On board the Gwendolyn, Grandslam’s flagship, they carry everything needed for a world class sashimi - right down to dipping sauces and wasabi

I’ve often enjoyed tucking into a magnificent tuna that was swimming in the ocean only minutes earlier – landed and prepared for the plate in a matter of moments. It’s right what they say - you can’t beat fresh fish.  And it really doesn’t come any fresher than that.

As captain of the smaller, faster Wahooo my own favourite way of bringing a great day’s fishing to a close is to head for a secluded sandy beach and build a barbecue on a bed of conch shells.  It’s possible to snorkel in the clear waters while a few yards away on shore the day’s catch sizzles over the coals.  The aromas are fantastic and there can be no better way to wind down than with a plate of fish, cooked to perfection, accompanied by a nice cool beer.  It’s my idea of a perfect family day out.

Rest assured that scenario will be acted out repeatedly over the coming months, as boatloads of anglers hook tuna, groupers and snappers that flourish in the warm waters surrounding the islands

I must be feeling peckish while I’m writing this because I’ve just realised I’m giving the impression that everything we catch, we eat.  That just isn’t the case.  I reckon most of our clients have a more serious objective – to land The Big One.

And what better quarry than the truly magnificent blue marlin that are beginning to be in plentiful supply in the islands’ waters at this time of year.

Marlin are the kind of fish that command the total devotion of their fans, to the extent that many game fishermen are more than happy to travel the world in pursuit of them.

The average weight for these fish is between 300 and 450lbs and you must remember that they are perfectly designed for the element in which they exist. That’s an everyday weight for a marlin, and quite a handful for most anglers, as you will know if you have ever had one on the line.

But there are also some real monsters lurking down there, weighing in the region of 900lbs - the Mike Tysons of the deep – and these are real scrappers that require almost superhuman effort to land.

Get a hook into one of those and you’ll need to strap yourself into the chair for the ride of a lifetime, but I promise you it will be the experience you will never forget. The adrenalin gushes like an open fawcett – and that provides the ‘rush’ that keeps them looking for more.

Ironic, isn’t it, that it’s not just the marlin that get hooked!

Hunting – and landing – these magnificent creatures can be a real challenge, but on a boat like mine - with all the equipment necessary to land really big fish, we are never caught unprepared.

Happy fishin’ to you all.

Captain Kermaine Lightbourne

Master of the Wahooo

*Grand Slam Charters is the official weigh station for Turks & Caicos, recognised by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). Based on the island of Providenciales, Grand Slam is the only charter currently to hold this status.

THE PHASES OF THE MOON

New Moon – 1 July / 30 July / 28 August

First Quarter – 8 July / 6 August
Full Moon – 15 July / 13 August

Last quarter – 23 July / 21 August

THE BEST FISHING IS NEAR THE NEW MOON AND THE FULL MOON

Grand Slam Charters Captain’s Report - May / June 2011

One of the great things about game fishing is the lack of attitude in the sport. It’s a great leveller.

Veterans with impressive reputations for reeling in some genuine monsters are happy to share their experience and knowledge with total beginners – without being patronizing.

It’s part of the fun, and very satisfying when someone with a few grey hairs gives advice to a learner who goes on to make a good catch of his own. It’s the way life should be – giving back some of the pleasure you’ve received.

The same generous spirit goes for the captains and crew of most of the boats I know - everyone from the skipper down does all they can to make the game fishing experience one of those memories that adds up to a life well lived.

I think it’s particularly important to make sure youngsters have a good time when they’re out with me and the crew on Gwendolyn, the Grand Slam Fishing Charters flagship, but we get quite a few first time ‘seniors’ trying their hand, and of course a lot of them are very successful from the word go.

If you’ve got a really big fish on the line, you really need to know how to use the chair. That rocking motion you may have seen game fishermen do, is very important, raising the rod and pulling the fish towards the boat, then dipping it back towards the water.

I’ve seen experienced fishermen play big marlin like this for well over an hour – sometimes two or three hours - giving them line and letting them run just for the joy of it.

Then there are people like me who prefer to get their fish on the boat as quickly as possible, just to make sure they don’t go anywhere.

A lot of the fish caught on these charter days are weighed and released, to preserve stocks and protect the species, but April and May will be bringing some fish that are just too delicious to put back in the water.

Of course I’m talking about the yellowfish tuna that come in impressive sizes, and the big mahi-mahi. But the real fish to look out for are the blue marlin, which provide a great challenge.

If you’re lucky enough to catch one of the edible specimens, ask a member of the crew to prepare it for the grill. Just about every restaurant in the islands is happy to create a great meal from what you have caught, or let you use an open barbeque area to let you cook it for yourself.

I mentioned earlier that fishing is a great leveller, and so it is. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I offer some real bargains – just US$250 to join a party of six on a four hour deep sea fishing expedition, or only US$200 for a half day’s bottom fishing for big groupers and snappers, which are really good to bring back for dinner.

On the reef it’s also possible to catch barracuda and sharks, which are then returned to the water.

With a rod and line – and a great boat like Gwendolyn – there’s no reason to be bored in the Turks & Caicos.

Happy fishin’ to you all.

Codney Capron

*Grand Slam Charters is the official weigh station for Turks & Caicos, recognised by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). Based on the island of Providenciales, Grand Slam is the only charter currently to hold this status.

THE PHASES OF THE MOON

New Moon – 3 May / 1 June

First Quarter – 10 May / 8 June
Full Moon – 17 May / 15 June

Last quarter – 24 May / 23 June

THE BEST FISHING IS NEAR THE NEW MOON AND THE FULL MOON

Best place in the world to catch yellowfin tuna!

April 2011: Provo is predicted to be the best place in the world to catch yellowfin tuna (source: Florida Sportsman magazine)

GRAND SLAM CHARTERS CAPTAIN’S REPORT

They reckon that pound for pound the bonefish is the most powerful fish in the world, and I wouldn’t disagree with that.

They’re certainly fighters, and at times when other, much larger species like marlin make themselves scarce as they roam vast tracts of ocean – you can rely on bonefish to provide good sport.

In fact every day of the year is bonefish season.

Normally these feisty little guys – average weight 4-5lb, although they can come two or three times that size – are only seen in twos and threes.

But just after their spawning season it’s not unusual to see schools of 20 or more, and that’s something to gladden the eye.

It’s not for nothing that they have a reputation as fighters. The marlin might be known as king of the ocean, but the bonefish is certainly king of the flats, as a day out on Gland Slam’s new flatboat, Stingray, would prove to anybody.

In my opinion they’re the finest fighting fish to be found in shallow waters,  and as the experts say, there’s no better experience that catching a bone on a fly rod.

Sometimes they’ll give you a 45 minute fight.

They’re also great sport for specialist spinners like me – pretty much perfect. Just get a hook into one to see what they are capable of doing.

Suddenly the line snaps taught, and in the wink of an eye they are 60 or 70 yards away.

Bonefish are always plentiful in the summer time, and they make for very good sport, no matter what your age – from four to 90 - and the joy of the catch never leaves you.

It’s always exciting. It really is amazing to see – and experience - how that little fish can drive a line.

My fellow Grand Slam captains tell me that the big game fish have been amazing this year, and likely to get better, especially with the wahoos.

Maybe it’s because it’s getting colder in the other places but they are all landing here. It’s not unusual to produce up to 14 wahoos a day and always a nice yellow fin tuna or a big mahi mahi accompanying them.

Sail fish have also been making everyone happy with their beautiful dances when being  brought to the boat.

Before I sign off I have to take my cap off to the Turks & Caicos contingent who recently took second place in the International Billfish Tournament in Cuba – especially since the TCI were represented by Grand Slam’s very own Geoff Thomasson and Stewart McSwiney.

Well done to them both!

And as we always say here “Happy fishin’ to you all.”

Valentino Robinson

PS. You don’t have to take our word for it that big game fishing is a wonderful experience.

We’ve just received this comment from Kansas City businessman Tom Edwards:-

“We just returned from a great experience with Grand Slam Fishing Charters this past week in Turks and Caicos. It was a terrific experience. Our Capt and crew did a wonderful job of maximizing our terrific experience. We landed one Mahi and three Wahoo in a beautiful afternoon. We did get to pull in 8 (2 each)! The crew filleted what we wanted and we then had it prepared at Hemingways. What a great experience to catch and then enjoy fresh fish on the same day. Well done Grand Slam!!”

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