Cabo Verde Charity-Cup May 2008

»And the reminder is also not lied«

Finite the „the waiting period between the fishing-exits “past; this time it passed still more slowly and toughly as otherwise, in addition the bad weather and a lot of stress in the work. To all evil there were only flights over Lisbon (6 hours of waiting) – Sal (overnight accomodation) – Sao Vicente. I mean, to come nowadays (with a pure flying time of seven hours) to the Cape Verdian islands it is unreal and unnecessary. I wanted to use the time in Lisbon senseful this time and rented myself a leader with a taxi. My advice: You have to take a look at this wonderful city.

Before I start, some words to my weight-estimations: Of course I know that it is nonsense to make weight estimations for released fish. So, please don´t take it bad. It are only estimations, made with a high dos of adrenalin and hormones.

1. May 2008, finite, the whole travell-stress is passed, I arrived in Mindelo. My clothes throwing in an edge, preparing one of my 80lb rods and the ring bells and Ferdi, my skipper arrived. Really, he managed it to organize a half day-exit this afternoon. We will try a new fishing-katamaran this afternoon.

On the bank of San Pedro, we got our first visit from a marlin with about 150 kilo); after some jumps he throwed the line of the boat-rod. After about 10 minutes, we lost another Marlin (about 90 kilo) after some jumps – the hook got out, not a good start? Then, we can catch the third one. A fish with about 150 kilo. Dayquote: 1:3.

2. May and my first day on Ferdi´s „Bibiche“, we start at 08:00 in the morning: At about 09:00, at the bank of San Pedro the first attack – hookup; during getting in the other rod´s, a second marlin follows the lure: immediately some meters Free Spool – catch up fast again – there he shoots up again. My 80 standup whistles. First, I fight the standup Marlin, then the other – one after the other! Both are bigger fish between 180kilo and 200 kilo. After that, like cutted – no more fish for the rest of the day, Dayquote: 2:2.

3. May and the second day on the „Bibiche“: Today, our Charity-Cup starts: Three boats from Sao Nicolau and we are the only one who starts from Sao Vicente. Very early in the morning we start the pass to Sao Nicolao. The passage is (like always) hard and stressy. Only, after passing the bird-isle „Raso” we got the first strike: We can catch two wonderful wahoos. Our dinner is saved.

Near „Tarafal“ we get a marlinstrike – so that we don´t arrive with empty hands we take the fish (365lb) with us. On the afternoon we get two strikes; unfortunately the fish don´t hang. Dayquote: 1:3.

4. May and the third day on the „Bibiche“: Today we want to overbid the 511lb Marlin from Heiko on his boat Black Marlin. He caught the fish yesterday.

Unfortunately, the fish don´t want too: It seems that they are not really hungry – seven strikes but only one blue marlin with about 90 kilo.

We can hook a big fish during „playing with the lures“, but he discharge himself after some nice jumps. Heiko catches his second big marlin with 520 lb. – he overbids hisself. For him it is his 230th marlin. Dayquote: 1:7.

5. May, my fourth day on the „Bibiche“ and the last day of the tournament. We catch one from 4 Marlin. Dayquote: 1:4.

On the evening we celebrate the winner honour with a big dinner. The organisation-team, the crews and all the helpful people are invited. Heiko really earned our appreciation and the cup! It is really hard to bite Heiko here in his area „Sao Nicolao“; he knows his hunting grounds, has a full control of his boat and we shouldn´t forget Robertos (magical) special-Ilander – in this combination, Heiko is nearly unbeatably. Catch of the four boats: Albatros, Striker (both from Sal), Bibiche and Black Marlin on four days 23 Marlin. Three we got in: 520 lb., 511 lb. and 365 lb; the other 20 between 80 and 180 kg released. 

In the whole we had a fantastic tournament. The joy about the three marlin and the donations was great with the recievers. The recievers were: The local red cross, hospital and the Fishing-cooperative Tarafal!

6. May and our fifth fishing day on the Bibiche: The tournament is over but we have very strong winds, so we have to stay at Sao Nicolao. Unfortunately, the conditions get more badly, we have „green water“. Today we could hook only one marlin, an this only shortly. Dayquote: 0:1. Heiko stayed at home. We could save a big turtle from a fishing-net

7. May and my last fishing day on the Bibiche. With the first cock-cry we start. After passing Sao Nicolao we felt the whole power of the Cape Verde Winds – high and rolling waves and a very sharp wind made the passing to an agony. Today no fish, Dayquote: 0:0.

8. May and the first fishing day on Didiers new boat – a very good equipped boat! We can catch three from nine (about. 120 kg, 180 kg, 250 kg); the biggest marlin we take in the boat. With a little bit luck, our dayquote could be better, Dayquote: 3:9.

10. May third and last day with Didier: Two from six hooked marlin about. 120 kg and 230 kg. Dayquote: 2:6.

11. May and the first day with Skipper Calu on his Nha Crêtcheu: In the morning we can catch only one from three Marlin (about. 120 kg). The following two hours nothing, then a Marlin monster comes arrow fast scarcely under the water surface of right at the back and takes my briefly running lumocoloured Pakulalure. During the attack he shines in a bright blue – a really magical sight and moment, I will never forget it! After the crashstrike, the fish takes over 600 Meter of the line during his first run and dives deep. He don´t jumps.

Laboriously and with a very high effort I can take back only about one Centimeter of the filling on the spool. Then, from one moment to the other, the angel of the line gets flat and the monster is on the surface. Calu shoots back the boat – we get the boat near the fish, about 10 Meter away. Now, I can take back some of the doubleline – suddenly, the fish tilts on the site in our direction, the powerful tail whips away; water squirts in our boat; the fish tracks away, rotates itself in the learder and dives perpendicularly in the depth. After two hours, I hang like an fastened boxer in my standup-tackle. Now, nothing moves, about 600 meter are missing from my reel. I can´t get any meter back to my reel. What to do? Together, we try it with gloves; after nearly three hours the line brakes with a loud bang. Our tendency is on an absolutely low point. We make a cut and drive back. With intension I don´t want to give an weight-estimation. Dayquote: 1:4.

12. May and the second day with Calu. This day will get one of the most successfull of my life: We reached a (also for the Cape-Verde-relations) sensational Dayquote: 10:13!!! 

The weights from the marlins are between 120 kilo and 150kilo; one with 180 kilo. The other boats catch fantastic too – on the evening, there is a flagparade in Mindelo.

13. May and the third day with Calu. Today, it is not so good like yesterday; we can reach a Dayquote: 3 : 12 – but only small fish between 70 kilo and 120 kilo.

14. May, fourth day with calu and my last fishing-day here this year. Yesterday, there were a lot of small fish, so we try little lures. That works: Dayquote: 3 : 4. Calu wants to tease one more marlin (my 30th) on the lures, my plane leaves at 07:00 am. He circles around a bird-swarm. I want to drive back, because it is 04:30 am.

The guys take the last lure in and: „Peng”! In the last Minute we catch a nice wahoo. At 17.15 we are back in the Marina.

Together I had 13,5 Exits 74 strikes und 29 Blaue Marlin! The first week was (compared with the second week) not so good. Caused in strong winds and green water, we caught „only“ 6 Marlin. In the second week we caught 23 Marlin.

The average-weight in the two weeks (I write from my fish and the fish from the other boats I heared) was about 130 kilo (about 300lb). The best lures were: Williamson Diamond Advocate, Black Bart Hawaiian Breakfast, Willliamson Big Blue Cavitator, Black Bart Abaco Prowler, Williamson El Dingo und Pakula Sprocket Lumo who is in the mouth of the monster Marlin …

Stephan Kreupl, May 2008