MAKING THE MOST OF THE MALDIVES Part Two

 Moving forward from the earlier installment, this is a photolog from the concluding half of our recent Maldives trip. The weather wasn't being kind and we were buffeted by strong winds from all directions as the days wore on. The pictures shot under gloomy skies tell all. None the less, everyone perservered given the unpleasant conditions and still managed to have moments of fun...

  

Like on all trips for big fish, the Poseidon range of jig rods from Evergreen are the prefered choice by us and friends alike. The light physical weight makes them angler-friendly and is critical when on long hard trips. They also possess unparalleled strength for their size and nothing comes close on the market today. Available in different spinning and overhead configurations, they have all corners covered. Here's the Spin Jerker and High Pitch Jerker, chosen for deep work...

The new FCL Labo FT Jig did well to score this Nassau Grouper from the deep, was hard work getting it up from 150m though...

Here's a nice Bluefin Trevally taken on a Shout! Shab Shab jig worked with the Golden Mean Earthshaker rod...

 

Black Jacks hit hard and fight hard, if only they'd grow a little larger. Shab Shab again...

The FCL FT jig with another hard fighting Black Jack from the depths...

Shout! Width jig scores with this Rock Cod...

The very beautiful Yellowfin Grouper is always a bonus catch. They fight pretty hard too! But on the Poseidon High Pitch Jerker PE-2.5 used to work the Shab Shab jig it didn't really have much of a chance...

The new HR series jig from FCL Labo seen here with a deep dwelling Sea Bream specie...

Rock Cods love Shout! Widths, safe to assume..

FCL HR Jig, picking on some one it's own size?

 

The largest GT of the trip went about 20kgs, taken on a FCL CSP 200S cast into shallow sheltered reefs. After hooking up the whole place went berserk as a few larger fish, with one well into its thirties smashed the others' poppers as they scrambled to get a cast in. Miraculously, none stayed connected for more than 5 seconds!

Back to jigging then. Another deep denizen, a very lightly hued Nassau on the Shout! Slide Actor jig...

Golden Mean Earthshaker bears the grunt of a fast fish...

A much welcomed Amberjack that took a Shout! Shab Shab and would spark a mini frenzy of sorts...

Here's another taken on a Geecrack Long Gun jig and Earthshaker as well...

And a smaller juvenile on an Andaman jig...

A short fat Amberjack on the Shab Shab...

What they lacked in size they sure made up for in numbers, and the Shab Shab jigs were making a killing...

Here's a real minor! On a Fisherman Shot Gun jig...

The new Shout! Flash jig also did well to trick one too...

Next morning we made a bee-line for the nearest island for a few hours. This we particularly enjoy...

First blood. A cute little Banded Trevally taken on a DUO Ikakko...

Followed by a Coral Cod, also on the Ikakko...

This one's a nicer Banded Trevally on the ultralight KG Lights outfit. These fish hug the shore as they patrol the beaches for a feed. And they hardly refuse well-placed lures...

The DUO Ikakko in any natural colouration is hard to beat in these gin clear waters...

Bluefin Trevally hunt the shallows in packs of three to five when young but tend to be loners after they attain a certain size. Small ones like these push each other out of the way to get to your offering. The Zaltz series of rods by Majorcraft is another rockfish creation suited for these conditions...

When you find a curious school of Bluefin Trevs the most exciting way to catch them is definitely with small poppers like this DUO Poco Poco...

Even after you land and release one, if the pack hangs around it wouldn't be hard to hook a second...

With the shallow reefs you can be sure to find many Cod species but the most common would have to be the Honeycombs around here. They go after Poco Pocos with wild abandon too...

 

This small Spotted Snapper gave a good account of itself in the shallows...

With Honeycombs it was pretty tough to get around them in order to stand a chance at other species. The Poco Poco sure got their attention...

Another nice little Snapper on the diminutive DUO popper...

Many Triggerfish species call these reefs home too, but the most beautiful would have to be these small Picasso Triggers...

With midday approaching we'd thought the chance of encountering some Bonefish was rapidly diminishing. Luck would have it that a long blind cast out wide would be met with the tell-tale munching followed by the short and sharp runs as the hooks found their mark. This was a nice Bonefish and it was carefully allowed to tire before being beached...

Under the glistening noon sun, the chrome DUO Ikakko caught this Bone's eyes. The hook was crushed by it's powerful jaws but thankfully stayed pinned...

After a short revival, watching it swim free would be one of the greatest joys...

Walking along, we spotted another shore-hugging Banded Trevally. The Ikakko was placed in virtually millimetres of water and we watched as the fish came up to meet it. Before long the hook was set and the KG Lights rod was bent over...

Banded Trevally are the perfect sight fishing target. They don't spook easily and go hard like any other in the Trevally family...

Like all others on the shore, they absolutely love DUO Ikakkos...

Darts are a widespread species that roam the sandy flats and beaches. And they do just as their name suggests, darting in and out between waves to chase down prey in the shallowest of waters...

The biggest Honeycomb Cod of the day took some nifty rod work to avoid the sharp corals from where it was hooked to eventually having it beached safely. Ikakkos ruled the day as always...

After lunch it was back to the popping. This small GT fell to the ever-effective FCL SPP Tuna lure...

The SPP Tuna by FCL Labo achieves tremendous distance for its weightclass, therefor being able to cover more prospective ground. This nice GT couldn't say no to the long sweeps which made the lure swim with frantic pace with adequate pausing in between...

It was on a roll with another smaller GT shortly...

And went on to add another to the tally. Rigged with single hooks, once they found their mark they almost never dislodge mid-fight. The SPP Tuna was phenomenal...

As the day drew to a close, we hit a few drifts with the jigs. You never tire of seeing these magnificently marked Nassau Groupers from the deep, especially when bathed in the yellows of the evening sun. Fisherman Andaman was the jig of choice...

 

The sole Yellowfin Tuna of the trip was boated on the last drop. It took a Shout! Shab Shab jig midwater...

Hainanese Chicken Rice on a Maldivian Safari Boat? You better believe it!

After dinner it was out with the mini IMA Guns on the ultralight gear. Reef fish like this Emperor go hard for their size and are great alternative fun to the heavy stuff...

The spotlight had attracted a school of Big-eye Scad under the boat. They were fun on the light stuff as well and had no qualms chasing down IMA Guns...

As day broke the next morning the Green Jobfish were back to entertain...

The Evergreen Temujin 'Spider' makes short work of the Jobbies despite allowing the angler to have some thrills...

As the first jig had hit the bottom and the first cranks were made, this tough fighter latched on. The Long-nose Emperor is an impressive fish to look at, with its uniquely long snout - all the better to suck down Fisherman Andamans with...

A feisty little GT on the Andaman as well...

 

A pair of deep dwellers on Shab Shab and Andaman respectively...

While jigging we were plagued by sharks. Many jigs were lost and this was a common occurance. At least this time the angler got his Geecrack Long Gun jig back. Note the straightened hook...

Here's a notable catch on topwater lure. This Long-nose Emperor shows off his aggressive side by going after the FCL SPP Tuna...

 

The GTs on this reef were frustratingly small. This guy liked the Mangrove Studio Searoom stickbait...

The fish were few and far between. Only the most natural lures like the Searoom drew a few strikes...

It was also notable that small and light poppers also drew a response throughout the week. Here the Fisherman Crazy Swimmer does it job...

Reef Sharks like SPP Tunas too...

More enthusiastic GTs hit the deck courtesy of the ever-consistent FCL CSP175...

And another on popper, this time the El Toro...

A slightly better Giant Trev on the CSP175, just slipping into the double digits...

Another typical smallie to follow on the CSP175...

And another El Toro victim...

With an El Gaviota victim thrown in...

Back to jigging. Black Jack. FCL SL jig. Poseidon High Pitch Jerker.

A wasted Amberjack on the Shout! Shab Shab jig. Sharks making their presence felt...

Another Trevally on the FCL SL jig, this time a Giant Trev...

Shout! Width jig accounts for this nice Amberjack...

 

And a nice Green Jobbie on the Shab Shab to end the day's jigging...

Clouds filled the Maldivian skies throughout our week there. The shift of seasons in full gear, with the nasty conditions apparent. None the less, evenings were always magical...

Another morning and another GT. This guy went for the bright Fisherman S-pop popper and lifted spirits for our last two days onboard...

The original FCL Labo SPP swimmer never fails to produce on every trip and this was no different...

Two GTs in quick succession on the SPP...

They were hanging deep as well, as the first Shab Shab jig dropped shown...

In the Maldives, no jig is passed on by hungry inhabitants. These nasty little Triggers are super aggro...

 

Fisherman Andaman in glow colourway accounted for this Rock Cod...

A Banded Trevally liked the Shout! Flash jig...

The more parabolic actioned Poseidon Slow Jerker provided much thrills in the shallower drops...

The Shab Shab does this Black Jack in...

A tough battle resulted in this rare catch - a deep dwelling Grouper nudging 13kgs that managed to snag itself twice before hitting the deck...

Triggerfish never fail to astound with their tenacity...

 

A large Rainbow Runner on the Shout! Width jig...

The species list just kept growing, here with this Sea Bream...

And then with this Rosy Jobfish on an Andaman jig...

Followed by a Rock Cod on the Shab Shab...

And another stonker of a Rainbow Runner that managed to dislodge the jig during the fight!

A beautiful little Squirrelfish on the Bassday Nin Cas mini madai jig at night...

Ika on Ikakko.
Big aggressive Bigfin Reef Squid thought he'd have a go at a hapless little cousin...

Rock Cod chunks battered and deep fried. A slice of heaven!

Accompanied by freshly caught Lobsters in garlic butter. Couldn't be better...

A gloomy last day started off with a Toro munching Red Bass...

A decent first GT from the shallow reefs raised hopes. The prototype FCL Labo ZL-C popper got his attention...

 

And does well to put another GT in the boat...

The red FCL Labo EXT 81MH is the perfect all rounder. Handling most GTs easily...

A mid teens GT on the Fisherman Crazy Swimmer was very much welcomed...

As the trip drew to a close, we still managed to put a few in the boat. FCL SPP Tuna does well with the shy GTs...

SPP Tuna again with another GT...

And after this mid teens GT on the SPP Tuna hit the deck we hung up our gloves as we made our way back to the capital of Male...

A week of hard work. Tough yet rewarding.

One final sunset as we anchored within the sheltered confines of the harbour and readied to disembark for our flight home. Yet another Maldives trip comes to a close. This one was underwhelmed by the weather but as the pictures illustrate, all aboard still managed to have fun and shows that even at its worst, the Maldives never fails to put a smile on your face...

 

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