Mozambique

A tropical dream with great fishing!

Mozambique

A tropical dream with great fishing!

Tip

Size does matter! And that is why Bazaruto in Mozambique is well known! Here record size fish are being caught regularly. Black and blue marlin, sailfish, GT, dorado, wahoo, permit, pompano, yellowfin tuna, dogtooth tuna, king mackerel, jobfish, shark, trevallies, groups and so on. Too much to be true. You will be hooked after you have been here once.

Bazaruto is a remarkably productive 1,430 km2 seascape that is connected by a chain of five picturesque islands. These extremely fertile terrestrial and marine ecosystems harbour many rare and endemic bird, reptile and marine species, including over 2,000 fish species and iconic marine megafaunas such as whales, sharks, rays, dolphins and turtles. The flagship species, however, is the dugong as the Bazaruto National park is a stronghold for the last viable population within the Western Indian Ocean.

Two climatic systems, the Indian Ocean Subtropical anticyclone System of SE trade winds and the southern end of the East Africa Monsoonal system dominate it. Looking at it from the air it is easy to understand that what mainly contributes to its exceptional ichthyologic wealth is the big tidal amplitude that flows in a vast diversity of ecosystems that co-exist close together. With open ocean to the east, deep fast flowing water channels between the islands which feed the outer reef structure, sea grass meadows and intertidal flats to the west, in addition to coral reef and sandy shore ecosystems, the diversity of fish life is enormous.

The area is washed by the south flowing Mozambican current that runs between Mozambique and Madagascar, sometimes to strength over 3 knots. A very distinctive feature about the fishing grounds here, which utterly surprises new visiting anglers, is how shallow and close to shore most of the big Blacks are caught. Also the steep drop off that start just a few miles from the shore adds to the excellent fishing conditions. This of course provides very short run’s to the traditional fishing area´s and fishing in clear sight of the breath-taking scenery of the deserted beaches and exquisite sand dunes that make up Bazaruto´s windward coastline.

The Archipelago is one of the World’s best destinations for Giant Black Marlin and it also offers excellent Blue Marlin fishing. Broadbill, the elusive short bill spearfish and Striped Marlin are also present and in season one can expect double digit shoots at sailfish. The year round diversity of game fish such as GT, tuna, wahoo, dorado, king mackerel, giant kingfish, barracuda, queenfish, jobfish and a long list of other species make this an extremely exciting and versatile location. Also the archopelgo is situated in “the shadow” of the big island of Madagascar which it protects the area for large swells coming from the ocean.

The Bazaruto Archipelago, a unique fishing location. Fish Black, Blue and Striped Marlin between September and January each year along the stunning Bazaruto Archipelago coastline. Over the last 10 years the captain has built up a deep knowledge of how to catch these incredible fish, with numerous catches over 800lbs including two granders (over 1000lbs) with the average catch around 400lbs. Fishing with this captain promises to be an amazing adventure. You fish sustainable through catch & release from immaculate boats.

Due to the large number of species you can catch here also the types of fishing are extensive.

• Heavy duty trolling

• Light tackle gamefish

• Popping

• Jigging

Bazaruto seasons…This is pretty much a year-round fishery. Big game and heavy tackle fishing is at its best in the months September to April, but sailfish peaks in between May and September. Popping spinning, jigging and conventional light tackle game fishing for an array of species is excellent all year round. So pick your fish, type of fishing, total number of fishermen and send us an e-mail and we make you a comprehensive and obligation free quotation. This is an absolute bucketlist location to go fishing!

Lush tropical beaches, palm trees, pristine islands and impressive flora and fauna make Vilankulo a very pleasant place to enjoy your fishing trip and experience the best fishing and maybe some diving and coral reefs as well.

In order to stay at Vilankulo we offer three different lodges:

Vilanculos Beach Lodge
Villa la Mar Vilanculos
Vila do Paraiso

Vilanculos Beach Lodge

The lodge is constructed from natural indigenous elements of thatch and local hardwood simbire poles ,which have been combined in perfect harmony with plaster walls and wood frame doors and windows. The result is the relaxed yet stylish finish. The property extends right on to the beach and the lodge buildings are set back about 100m up the ridge, overlooking the sea.

The family Suite is built on stilts and offers a superb view of the ocean and the islands in the distance. It has two en-suite rooms, a comfortable open plan lounge as well as a spacious covered veranda perfect for those early morning cups of coffee or the late afternoon Sundowners. The air-conditioned rooms are large and comfortably appointed with mosquito nets, desk, arm chairs and electronic safes, coffee and tea facilities etc. The en-suite bathrooms boast open shower, double vanity, toilet, bidet, bath gowns, a hairdryer and all amenities.

Additionally there are 22 privately appointed Luxury Bungalows constructed on ironwood stilts with “majeka” (local thatch) roofs and beautiful mahogany floors. All bungalows have en-suite bathrooms with showers, mosquito nets, room safes, coffee and tea facilities, bath robes, a hairdryer and amenities. They are also all air conditioned for your comfort. The bungalows are set amidst lush indigenous gardens with private balconies - most with seaviews which offer exceptional views of the sunrise over the ocean- allowing guests to truly relax and soak up the idyllic atmosphere.

The spacious restaurant offers the choice of dining in doors, or out on the patio under well-designed,

attractive shade sails. For true outdoor dining, the option of dining under the palm trees or next to the pool is available. Traditional Mozambican, Portuguese and international fare is served and whenever possible fresh, scrumptious seafood remains the recommended plate of the day. Breakfast is a typical continental feast – fresh bread, jam, honey, a variety of cereals, yoghurt, fruit, cold meats and cheese with a delicious homemade pastry of the day beautifully crafted by our passionate kitchen team. You are also welcome to order from our a la carte menu for a hot breakfast.

The Restaurant serves breakfast from 7am to 10am and the last dinner request should be made by

20h00 pm. Should you require a breakfast prior to 07h00 please advise our staff of your request and

we will make the necessary arrangements. The pool area has incredible uninterrupted views of the Azure blue ocean as well as of the stunning Archipelago whilst our spectacular infinity pool offers a welcome retreat from the heat of the day. The pool bar, overlooking the gardens, pool and beach, offers a more relaxed atmosphere. A selection of drinks, shooters, and cocktails are available from this fully equipped bar. Our Sunset lounge strategically placed for optimum views of both the sunrise and the sunset is the perfect place to end the day.

The well-kept gardens are an appealing blend of indigenous bush on the slopes around the bungalows and pathways, and tropical lush green palms and lawns of the guest entertainment

areas. The rolling green lawns of the gardens around the main building, pool and pool bar are

peppered with palm trees, offering shade on the hot summer days. Scattered paved areas amongst

the trees offer quiet shaded areas for drinks.

Vila do Paraiso

Situated on the Beachfront 6 luxury thatched Villas self-catering or various catered options. Each Villa sleeps 8 people in 4 fully air-conditioned en suite bedrooms and has a beautiful deck with sea views, private plunge pool, Satellite TV, and a dedicated Villa butler to take care of your needs, surrounded by lush tropical vegetation.

6 Luxury 8 Sleeper thatched beachfront villa’s, each consisting of:

• Personal House Butler

• 4 en-suite bedrooms

• All air-conditioned and equipped with mosquito nets in each bedroom

• Livingroom with TV and Satellite

• Large deck with dining table plus private plunge pool

• Full catered or self catering options available

• Shopping service available for VDP guests (at an additional fee)

• Location is along the Mahaque beach- Vilanculos-Mozambique and only 10 minute drive from Vilanculos airport

Beach Bar and Restaurant

Set right on the beach with sun loungers, infinity pool and unmatched island views

Beach bar with friendly barmen who keeps stock of all local beverages and select imported wines and spirits

Restaurant with professional Chef who prepares meals or tailored menu’s for guests

Villa La Mar Vilanculos

Vila la Mar is a beautiful self catering lodge overlooking the islands. Nestled in the beautiful town of Vilanculos this property is 100 metres walk to the beach. Situated 1.8 km from Vilanculos Harbour.

This location is a beautiful self catering accommodation holiday complex on the shore of the small fishing town Vilanculos's main beach, in the Inhambane province of Mozambique. Nestled between various indigenous trees and palm trees, each of the 10 casa's provide a charm and level of comfort of their own. A communal pool and braai area make this property ideal for groups.

Casa 5 - Sea View Max Guests: 8

2 X double beds 4 X single beds in loft, deck, kitchen living room pantry 2 bathrooms with showers.

Separate tub and shower, Coffee/Tea maker, Air conditioning, Colour Television DSTV/ Satellite television, Full Kitchen, Balcony, Microwave, Non-smoking, Refrigerator, Sitting area

Casa 3 Sea View and Casa 7 & 8 Pool View Max Guests: 6

Sleep 6 - 3 bedroom 1 double 4 X Single, kitchen, living room, pantry 2 X bathrooms with showers, veranda. Separate tub and shower, Ceiling fan, Coffee/Tea maker, Air conditioning, Colour TelevisionDSTV/ Satellite television, Full Kitchen, Balcony, Microwave, Non-smoking, Refrigerator, Sitting area

Casa 9 - Pool View Max Guests: 7

3 bedroom 2 double (1 Double have a bunk bed on top, 2 X Single, kitchen, living room, pantry 2 X bathrooms with showers, veranda. Separate tub and shower, Ceiling fan, Coffee/Tea maker, Air conditioning, Colour TelevisionDSTV/ Satellite television, Full Kitchen, Balcony, Microwave, Non-smoking, Refrigerator, Sitting area

Back Houses Max Guests: 4

2 bedroom sleep 4, 1 X double bed 2 X Single beds - kitchen, living room, veranda 2 X Bathrooms with showers. Coffee/Tea maker, Air conditioning, Maid service, Full Kitchen, Balcony, Microwave, Non-smoking, Refrigerator, Shower only, Sitting area

Next to Villa La Mar there are two quality restaurants in case you want to at out.

So whatever location you choose to stay, the service and level of comfort will be amazing and you are just a few minutes away from the starting point for the fishing.

Local additional payments can be done in cash in Euro and US dollars as well as all major credit cards.

There are two boats available at this location.

Spanish fly

This boat is 25 foot Magnum walk around (built by Two Oceans Marine in Cape Town, South Africa) powered by twin 150 HP Yamaha engines. She is a fishing machine ideal for the Bazaruto Archipelago. Equipped with the latest gear; Garmin Plotter & depth sounder and Mallards 21ft stiff outriggers it offers fishing space for up to 3 to 4 fishermen depending on the type of fishing you prefer.

Veleiro

This boat is a 29 foot Nova Cat with a clean, open and practical deck which is an ideal trolling platform. She has been meticulously rigged with some of the best equipment available. She is powered by twin 150 HP Yamaha engines with a cruise speed between 21-24 knots. Veleiro is fitted with Garmin Echomax Chirp plotter & depth sounder, Mallards fighting chair, Schaefer outriggers and luna tubes. The boat offers space for 3 to 5 fishermen depending on the type of fishing you prefer.

The maximum number of fishermen per type of fishing per boat look like this:

Spanish fly Veleiro

Jigging 3 2

Trolling 4 4

Popping 3 2

With regard to the material being used you have to take the type of fishing into consideration.

Heavy tackle:

from 80 to 130 lbs either in the fighting chair or for the more daring fishermen it is also to catch them by stand up drill. Heavy tackle fishing will be done using artificial lures, dead or live natural bait and the exciting bait & switch technique.

Light tackle:

Due to the enormous diversity of pelagic inshore and offshore species on the Archipelago fishing light tackle for game fish is extremely productive around the Islands. It is, outside the Marlin season, one of the most popular choices for anglers visiting the area.

Depending on the quarry, this is normally done using 16 to 30 pound stand-up tackle, trolling or drifting, using both artificial lures and plugs & natural dead or live bait. Some of the most popular species targeted are; sailfish, wahoo, various species of tunas, dorado, kind & queen mackerel, GT ́s and other kingfish species, barracuda, prodigal son, job fish and others.

But also using light to ultra light casting gear and a vast array of artificial lures such as small poppers, spoons & stick baits to target more species than one can count.

Soft bait / paddle tail fishing can produce almost every sport fishing species imaginable. This extremely dynamic method can be done over sandy bottom, shallow and deep reefs, breaking waves and with ultra light, to light and medium tackle. Using bucktail jigs with the same kind of tackle can also be extremely rewarding.

Popping:

Popping is usually directly linked to GT fishing but it also produces a multitude of other species. This is certainly the most popular and exciting method used to catch the king of the reefs, the Giant Kingfish. This involves using big popping equipment loaded with minimum 50, but normally 80 to 130 pound braid and casting big poppers and stick baits, which provide the most spectacular strikes.

Other species regularly caught besides GT ́s when popping are; Yellowfin tuna, king mackerel, most members of the kingfish family, barracudas, blacktip sharks, green job fish, big groupers, various species of snappers etc.

Jigging:

By covering the whole water column this method target ́s all the different species of which the Amberjack, Tropical yellowtail, dogtooth tuna, Giant Kingfish and all other kingfish species are the most sought after. One can fish with medium jigging tackle and jigs up to 150grs in water up to 60 meters and heavy 80 to 130 braids in deeper waters all the way past 100 meters depth. Get ready for a lot of exercise but BIG rewards! Again, the species one can catch while vertical jigging is enormous and besides the already mentioned all species of tuna including big yellowfin, king and queen mackerel, prodigal son, barracudas, snappers, big groupers, jobfish and others are all are normally targeted.

When trolling for marlin all required materials are included. And if required it is possible to arrange fishing material for the other types of fishing as well up to a maximum of 4 people. The costs for that are included in the price. Most anglers however want to bring their own materials and are encouraged to do so. With regard to terminal tackle like jigs, poppers, lures, leaders etc you are advised to bring your own. Of course locally there are lures available as well but they have to be bought.

Season:

Mozambique has a tropical climate, with year-round warm temperatures. When you visit as a tourist and want to enjoy the best weather conditions, the best time to visit the Bazaruto Archipelago is during the dry season - which runs from May to November. These are also the cooler winter months. In the evening it can even get a little cold with temperatures dropping sometimes to 10° Celcius.

The warmest period during December and January, when the temperatures reach 32° Celcius on average. From February to March the average temperature drops slowly but there is still the possibility of the occasional downpours of rain.

The waters of the Indian Ocean are always warm and migrating humpback whales are in these waters from June to September, and the best time to see whale sharks is from October to early December.

But when you want to target specific species of fish you have to schedule the following:

Marlin and tuna from September till April with the peak from September till December. Sailfish is good from May till September and GT, jobfish and mahi mahi tend to be good year round. So you should really think about what kind of fish you want to target in order to schedule the optimal trip for your group.

Travel:

To arrive at this location you fly to Johannesburg in South Africa from where you take a direct flight to Vilankulos in Mozambique. That is the best and most desired route for our customers. Another option is to fly to Maputo and take a flight to Vilankulos from there. Whatever you like best we are happy to advise and assist with booking your flights.

In order to travel to Mozambique a passport is required as well as a visa. The passport has to be valid for at last 6 months after arrival in Mozambique and the visa can be acquired by the embassy of Mozambique in your country.

For the visum you require

• A passphoto

• A filled in registration form to be downloaded from the website from your local embassy of Mozambique

• A copy of your hotelreservation

• A copy of your flight itinerary or ticket

• Proof of payment of your visa

A visa is valid for a period of 3 months and for max 30 days. Upon request a proof of vaccination for Yellow fever has to be shown when you travel to Mozambique coming from a country with Yellow fever.

Visas are granted within six days for normal visas; two days for urgent visas and one day for very urgent visas.

Based on international agreements concluded by the Republic of Mozambique, envisaging the waiving of visa obligations, all foreign nationals using passports from Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius, Swaziland, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe are exempt from entry visas for Mozambique.

Prices:

Marlin fishing 1050 euro / day

All other types of fishing 950 euro / day

Soft drinks and water are included

Vilanculos Beach Lodge

Lodging B & B Between 200 and 575 euro per night per house

Half board supplement 40 euro pppday

Full board supplement 70 euro pppday

Vila do Paraiso

Lodging Between 250 and 450 euro per night per house

Peak season 15 December till 5 January 600 per night per house

Breakfast 20, lunch 25 and dinner 40 euro pppday

Villa La Mar

Lodging / self catering Between 200 and 250 euro per night per house

Locally 1 % tourism tax is to be paid additionally

So as an example for 4 participants we have the following

5 days marlin fishing times 1050 euro 5250,-

7 nights lodging in self catering lodge Villa La Mar 1400,-

Total cost is 6650 euro excluding flights, food, tips

If you have 3 participants and a higher budget

3 days marlin fishing times 1050 euro 3150,-

2 days popping, jigging 1900,-

7 nights lodging in Vilanculos Beach Lodge 3150,-

Total cost is 8200 euro excluding flights, food, tips

Bring private special medicines in ample supply (in the original packaging) or ask the doctor for an extra prescription in case of emergencies. It is advisable to bring your own travel pharmacy with regular medicines.

Travelers taking medication prescribed by a doctor or specialist may need to carry a medical certificate. This applies to medication that are in the group of opiates (such as certain sleeping pills, ADHD medicines and strong painkillers). Apply for the certificate in time.

Dengue, chikungunya and zika may occur in Mozambique. These diseases are transmitted by mosquitoes that are mainly active during the day. Malaria can also occur in some areas. Malaria mosquitoes mainly bite in the evening, at night and in the early morning. Wear protective clothing and use insect repellent on uncovered skin, preferably with DEET. Also use a mosquito net to sleep under.

Rabies occurs in Mozambique. Contact a doctor immediately if you are bitten by a mammal (e.g. a dog, cat, bat or monkey). Water (for drinking, ice cubes, brushing teeth, washing vegetables, etc.) should be boiled first or come from bottles. Use powdered or canned milk. Make sure that the milk is diluted with pure water. Only eat well-done meat and fish, cooked vegetables and home-peeled fruit.

Vaccinations are not compulsory for Mozambique, except in certain cases for yellow fever. However, a DTP and Hepatitis A vaccination is recommended. For travelers who have visited a yellow fever area before arriving in Mozambique, or even just made a stopover there, a vaccination certificate at most 10 days old is required. Children up to 1 year of age are exempt from the vaccination.

Antimalarial drugs are also recommended. Protection from mosquito bites is always important. If you have a fever or flu-like symptoms during or after a stay in a malaria area, always contact a doctor immediately.

As an average tip you should apply 10 % of the costs.

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Mozambique

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