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Marine extreme spinning with Aleksandr Stafievskii.

Many anglers dream of ocean fishing. Our conversation will be more like “repetition is the mother of skill” for experienced anglers, and adriaticnature believes that for those who want to participate in a fishing adventure it will be a unique opportunity to get advice, tested by a large number of sea trips for trophy fish with excellent results, from one of the best Russian (and not only Russian) fishermen and travelers Aleksandr Stafievskii.

We don’t have to introduce our interviewee to people who are fond of sport fishing. However, let’s say a few words about Aleksandr for those who got interested in fishing not so long ago.

Back in the early 2000s, Aleksandr, one of the first “public” fishermen, began to get romantically-minded spinners hyped up with his amazing articles-reports in the Rybolov-Elit magazine about his fish scouting trips for large taimen to Siberian rivers. At that time, only locals were familiar with fishing for taimen, the vast majority of European fishermen in cities knew almost as much about catching taimen as about catching tuna with a spinning rod.

Having cut his teeth on freshwater trophy fish, including catfish, pike, pike perch, nelma, as well as taimen, Aleksandr began to conquer the oceans. Since then, he has had dozens of sea fishing trips in various parts of the world.

(Dogtooth tuna. Photo © Aleksandr Stafievskii)

While traveling, he set up the site with a forum, which was the first site in post-Soviet states dedicated to sea fishing adventures. If you go to this site today, you can get a lot of practical information collected by fishermen over the last 8 years of travelling…

Nowadays, Aleksandr is involved in organizing such adventures, and adriaticnature can safely recommend going on a trip with him. Besides, he starts his own line of sea spinning rods.

adriaticnature talked with Aleksandr about sea adventures and preparation for them.

It’s worth mentioning that we set aside the issues of trolling, fly fishing, and coastal fishing. We talked about offshore fishing with a spinning rod and about vertical jigging.

Hi Sasha! Thanks for taking the time to talk, weve been trying to find a moment for this conversation for a long time, considering your work and fishing schedule. Of course, I have a lot of questions, lets try not to go into unnecessary detail and talk to the point.

First things first. Many anglers who want to go ocean offshore fishing simply have no idea how to approach it. They usually don’t have time to study the issue in detail.Besides, its not that easy to study the issue without a live teacher.Even when fishermengo with their families to the seaside in the tropics,in a best-case scenario, they go fishing with some strange people offeringfishing tours, using strange tackle and thus having strange results. It often results in confused impressions and a further lack of understanding of the process. Tell us how to prepare, what we need to understand, what anglersshould buy if theyare going to fish on tropical seas on a fairly regular basis.

Hello! OK. Let’s keep to the point: of course, you shouldn’t start to experiment with fishing on the ocean on your own. In this case, you’ll probably waste time, make stupid mistakes, and eventually go “the way of the samurai” in vain.

It’s better to go on the first trips with an experienced angler who can explain and teach the basics.

There’s another option. You can employ the services of specialized operators with a sound and proven reputation. They don’t specialize in some kind of resort “adventures”, which are offered in hotels.

(Long-nosed emperor. Photo © Aleksandr Stafievskii)

After choosing the place where you’ll travel, and the people with whom you’ll go, which is important as well, the question of tackle arises inevitably. It’s good if you can rent it, but if you take it not from your friends and for free, it is rarely of decent quality, even in case it’s the best fishing and tour operator. Of course, I went through this stage myself. Before my first trip to Seychelles, I prepared my own casting kit and rented a vertical jigging kit upon arrival. And now it’s safe to say that the rented kit was very far from ideal.

Talking about the same first trip to Seychelles. I was very surprised when I booked the tour and nearly said goodbye, and the operator informed me that our group would have a guide. Our group? A guide? At that time, I considered myself more than an experienced angler – taimen, nelma, Volga catfish, trophy pikes of the North caught with spinning rods. I thought that it was some kind of scam. I thank luck that we had the guide on that first trip. Moreover, the guide was competent, South African Bruce. Firstly, he bent all the knots for us, at that time, we didn’t know how to properly link the shock leader and the main line; secondly, he showed us various fishing techniques. We had almost no stickbaits, so we thoroughly studied popper fishing. And, thirdly, most importantly, he showed us the basics of vertical jigging, which has a lot of nuances and peculiarities. What can I say – he did almost all of the fishing for us.

In order to be ready for your first ocean trip, you need at least two tackle kits. The first one is for casting, it’s called a casting kit “on the sea”, although, of course, the rods are designed for fishing using fixed-spool reels for poppers and stickbaits.

On the whole, spinning rods designed for fishing with poppers and spinning rods for fishing with stickbaits are different. But if you have to choose a “versatile” rod, I recommend purchasing a spinning rod for fishing with poppers, since you’ll use mainly this type of lure when you go fishing for the first time. If desired, you can add animation and stickbaits with the help of a “popper” rod. That’s not a problem at all, for example, a tip of a spinning rod isn’t too hard (and this is the main argument of fishermen who are against versatility). When you become more experienced, start to understand the fishing process better, you’ll most likely buy a specialized rod for fishing with stickbaits with a “softer” action, with a softer tip. You’ll need the other tackle kit for deep-sea speed jigging.

And, of course, you’ll need lures. For beginners, I recommend taking at least five poppers, five stickbaits, and a dozen jigs on a trip. Although you’ll most likely run out of jigs, even if you take more, for example, fifteen. When I went ocean fishing for the first time, I took a dozen surface lures and a dozen jigs. So, I lost 12 jigs and exchanged a couple of jigs for poppers from my friends. My friend lost 15 jigs on the first day of fishing in Seychelles before lunchtime, and the abyss was overrun with sharks by the way. So, you should be prepared for the fact that you’ll probably lose a dozen metal jigs during the day.

(Blacksaddled coralgrouper. Photo © Aleksandr Stafievskii)

When you choose tackle for sea fishing, you face one problem: it’s rather expensive. Anglers demand higher standards of tackle; it has to be durable and reliable. And companies that produce such fishing tackle (mainly Japanese companies) are well aware that people who are fond of sea fishing are well-off. Of course, this fact influences the cost as well. In this case, you won’t be able to save a lot of money. When buying budget-friendly tackle, a fisherman risks both losing the most desired trophy at the most crucial moment, and being left without tackle after it breaks down in the middle of the Indian Ocean, for example, where there are apparent problems with fishing stores (I mean there are no fishing stores at all).

There are not so many reels to choose from. The reels are produced by either Daiwa or Shimano. Fortunately, there are more rods. There are spinning rods on the fishing market, and new models appear. You can buy them for a fairly reasonable price.

Summing up. A beginner angler who wants to go fishing in the tropics should choose, firstly, a place for fishing, considering the opinion of more experienced anglers. Secondly, it’s better to go on your first trip with an experienced angler, or employing the services of an experienced tour operator. Thirdly, you should take at least two spinning kits and a set of lures. Then you’ll get peculiarities of such fishing, and if you get interested in such fishing, you’ll understand what kind of tackle and lures you need.

As one of my friends said, the way to the Sea, sea spin fishing, is very close to the mindset of a Russian fisherman. There is courage, recklessness, and an exciting struggle with real trophies. And the mere fact that an angler has an opportunity to see a colorful variety of fish is worth going on such a trip. Trophy sizes, strength, and speed are strikingly different from European freshwater predators. If a person is a fan of trophy fishing in freshwater, catches salmon, taimen, catfish, large pike, then tropical sea fishing is a great choice for sure.

As for the fans of “light”, going on such a trip is a matter of expediency for them. But I have some friends that are fond of catching various groupers and many other colorful predators with bakuchi, inchiku, and other lures. But I think that light is a story for another conversation.

(Rubby snapper. Photo © Aleksandr Stafievskii)

After yougave such a detailed answer, I still have several questions. You’re absolutely right saying thatan angler must first choose the place where he will go sea fishing. But taking a look at the map of the world, you understand that this question is not easy to answer. What criteria should an anglerwith no travel experience consider to understand where to go? What can you suggest and advise on this issue?

The question is really debatable, and the answer depends on the information we have from the get-go.

You can catch fish in any part of the World Ocean. And you can catch a real trophy even in the places where you don’t expect it at all. However, there are places with a priori more fish, and it’s obviously easier to catch a trophy there.

At first, we should probably mention the places with which we have a fixed transport communication. First of all, these are European countries with a developed tourist infrastructure, which have sea shores. But in these seas the main “spinning” trophy fish are either tuna or amberjack. So, there’s the so-called target fishing. In the case of tuna, it’s mainly casting, in the case of amberjack, it’s mainly jigging.

And the tackle for catching these fish species differs from the one you use to catch tropical predators. As far as I know, the Spaniards, Italians, partly Croats and, I hope, Montenegrins, catch tuna with spinning rods designed for fishing with stickbaits and with stickbaits themselves, and poppers aren’t number one lures. I don’t quite understand why this is so. For example, when catching tuna in tropical waters, the basic rule is as follows: if you can’t see fish, use a popper. You do this so that the predator could hear the sound from afar, and swim to the surface. If you see fish, you can use a stickbait. Perhaps, I don’t know much about the peculiarities of fishing in European seas. That’s why I’ve already mentioned spinning rods for fishing with poppers, as regards tropical seas.

Now, let’s get back to choosing a place for trophy fishing. There are many such places for sure. But you should understand what goal you are pursuing. Understandably, most people would like to travel as close as possible, spending as little money as possible on the trip. However, in the case of trophy sea fishing, this approach is quite difficult to implement.

Closer and cheaper means Europe or Turkey, but there are much fewer fish here and fishing is of a pronounced seasonal nature. Although, there is seasonality everywhere, including the tropics, but here the season lasts much longer. So, “close and cheap” is a desire that can only be welcomed, but is unlikely to be implemented. Moving closer to the ocean is a solution.

If a person wants to combine trophy fishing and sea adventure, they should aim at remote exotic countries. In Africa, for example, this is Madagascar, Cape Verde, Tanzania. If we choose very distant lands, then you can go to French Polynesia, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Australia.

(Shark. Photo © Aleksandr Stafievskii)

If you want to combine fishing and rest – the family is on the beach, and the fisherman is on the sea, then, of course, it would be better to choose countries that are comfortable for Europeans, including Russians, with a more convenient time zone. And in this case, the best options are Maldives and Seychelles. Both have a well-developed tourist infrastructure, there are tour operators specializing in sea fishing, who can organize it at a high level, and, what is important for us, there are large fish in abundance.

In my opinion, there are fewer fish in the waters of Maldives, and more fish in the waters of Seychelles, but nevertheless there is fishing in both places. The choice is obvious for me – I choose Seychelles.

A flight is comfortable. I prefer Emirates Airlines. You don’t have to go far into the wilderness – you can simply fly to the main island, board a catamaran or boat right there, and put out to the ocean for fishing. There is a fairly wide choice of offers, and you’ll surely find one that meets your budget and other wishes. Besides, you can choose an option for a group of people. There may be two, three, five, or even ten anglers in the boat.

Anyway, what are the geographical names of Maldives and Seychelles usually associated with? Five-star hotels, white beaches, Creole women sunbathing in the tropical sun. And such a pampered life, or rather such a vacation, costs a fortune. Of course, it’s expensive, but if you are going to catch fish and that’s your goal, the cost of the entire trip can be reduced to a fairly reasonable budget.

I went fishing to many places, including Cuba, Cape Verde, Indonesia, Madagascar, Australia, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and Oman. Now I can’t even recall the full list of the seas, on which I fished. But, again, if you want to travel conveniently, without spending much money, and have a guaranteed result, you should still go to Maldives or Seychelles.

What can I add? There a lot of places with a lot of fish, but rather bad service and boats, including Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, and so on. Yemen. According to the reviews of the fishermen who have been there, the sea of ​​Yemen is a fantastic place for sea fishing. However, the living conditions are a camp on the sand with a minimum of amenities, and, to be precise, with no amenities at all. Boats are far from being the best. But the biggest problem is that there is a war going on in Yemen, and the chances of getting into a mess are high. Anyway, you should think about your loved ones. And when you leave for a fishing adventure, you must at least come back home.

(Yellowfin tuna. Photo © Aleksandr Stafievskii)

When you answered the first question, you were talking about rods for popper and jig fishing, including more or less budget-friendly ones, and reels produced by well-known Daiwa and Shimano. However, I would like to analyze this advice in more detail. A beginner fisherman who got interested in ocean offshore spin fishing will probably have the following questions right away: what models and sizes of reels should be considered? What characteristics should spinning rods for fishing with poppers, stickbaits, and jigs have? Which manufacturers should be preferred? After all, the choice is still more than wide.

Again, there are two top spinning reel manufacturers in the world – Shimano and Daiwa. And trying to find out the best manufacturer is a waste of time. Some people like that Shimano reels move smoother, that the friction brake works better, smoother. On the other hand, many guides in different countries prefer Daiwa reels, explaining that they are much easier to maintain. Of course, we’re talking about the “top” reels in the lines of these manufacturers, namely Shimano Stella and Daiwa Saltiga.

But if you disassemble these two reels, Stella will have more parts than Saltiga. And, perhaps, now I’ll tell you about French guides working on the island of Madagascar, who prefer Daiwa. When I asked them why, they explained their choice as follows: they maintain the reels themselves, they don’t have a lot of spare parts on the island and, as their long-term practice shows, Shimano reels are more “demanding”. I choose Saltiga as well. However, the choice of reel is up to you. It depends on your preferences, and trying to find out which reel is the best is like choosing the best car – Toyota or Mercedes.

The size of the reel is a rather important question. The sizes differ in the marking for the above-mentioned manufacturers. The size that is used in sea “ocean” fishing for Daiwa is 6000 – 6500, for Shimano it’s 18000 – 20000. I use Saltiga, size 5000, for “light” spinning rods. As for Stella, the line capacity of the spool is the same for 18000 and 20000 models, one reel is “slower”, the other is “faster”. The slower model is more often used for jigging and is considered to be more powerful, faster reels are used for casting. Daiwa reels also use markings to specify slower and faster reels. “H” (“high gear”) means high or fast gear, “P” (“power gear”) means reduced gear.

There is a more budget-friendly alternative to Stella and Saltiga. This is Shimano Twin Power of SW series (“salt water”). However, the maximum size produced today is 14000. So, it makes sense to use it, like Saltiga 5000, with lighter spinning rods and with lighter lures.

(Eightbar grouper. Photo © Aleksandr Stafievskii)

The “line” length on the spool is approximately the same for “fast” and “slow” reels. For ocean fishing, you’ll need 200-250 meters with a breaking load of 80-100 lb (Libres) – this is the minimum length you’ll need for sea fishing. It will be enough to cope with large fish that are trying to swim deeper after biting a popper or stickbait, or trying to escape racing on the water surface of the ocean “over the horizon”.

The length of the line is especially important not when you fish from a small boat – in a small boat, you can always quickly start the engine and chase the fish swimming away. It’s important when you fish from a large catamaran or boat, which can’t chase your fish, since at the same moment there are usually several more people who are catching fish next to you, and they can hold a trophy at that moment as well. Anyway, a large water craft is more inert and less mobile.

The main depths where we jig fish are from 40 to 110 meters. The line isn’t submerged straight down – we often fish in places with currents or adrift, and if you fish at a depth of about 100 meters, such conditions can “take” 150 meters from the spool. And, at least, another 50-70 meters of the line should be in stock in order to react to the bite of the fish attacking the lure, which will try to swim either deeper or to the side.

The main lines for ocean casting are #PE8 – #PE10, for jigging – #PE5 – #PE6. Lines of smaller diameters are used when jigging for one simple reason – they sail less and the lures sink faster to the bottom. Nowadays, due to the development of technologies, the lines are so strong that if your jig got hooked on the bottom and you use #PE6, you’ll hardly break the line with your hands or with a spinning rod. You’ll have to reel it on some kind of stick, which must be in the boat.

The lighter reels (14000 for Shimano and 5000 for Daiwa) will fit about 200 meters of #PE6 line. I use #PE10 line for casting. I prefer #PE8 and #PE6 in the same casting when catching tuna, when long-distance casting into a moving “cauldron” is required. But you should understand that #PE6 line remains #PE6 only when fishing in perfect conditions, and it will most likely cope with all the loads. But when you catch in a school of rushing tuna, every time the line touches the sharp fins of fish it will most likely cause unpleasant consequences. So, it’s not only about the breaking load. The diameter itself is of great importance as well. Because damage quickly turns #PE6 to #PE3, and #PE8 to #PE4 or 5.

(Crocodile needlefish. Photo © Aleksandr Stafievskii)

Again, if you want to fish on the ocean, you need to have at least two fishing kits, the so-called “sets” – for casting and for jigging. We’ve already mentioned that in case casting a popper rod is enough to start with, it differs from a stickbait rod, it’s shorter and stiffer. Extra stiffness is needed in order to “pull” large poppers with large “cups” – the front parts of these lures, which look like a cup – through the water column.

Sea poppers can weigh over 200 grams, the main “working” range is 100-150 grams. Popper rods are 220-240 centimeters long, the main test for casting lures is in the range from 180 to 250 grams.

Stickbait rods are generally longer, they are 260-280 centimeters long, they have a softer tip. The latter enables you to “play” the stickbait better. When fishing with these lures, no pulling is required; the stickbait should be set in such a way that it slides on the water surface. The stickbait rod test is generally slightly smaller than the popper rod test, but this is a controversial statement since there are so many of them designed for different purposes. But, basically, I use spinning rods with a test of 110 to 210 grams.

However, I must say that going on serious sea fishing with one casting rod is risky, to put it mildly. Any force majeure can happen, whether it is a breakdown during transportation, a bite of a large fish that can “put” a rod on the board of the boat, a large fish diving under the bottom of the boat, and bending your spinning rod to a critical point, breakage of rings during an unsuccessful cast, or something else… You go far away, pay pretty much money, and in the end, you’re left without a rod. Of course, it’s not the result that fishing should end with. I’m sure you must have a spare spinning rod on a sea trip.

(Rusty jobfish. Photo © Aleksandr Stafievskii)

Sea jigging rods are completely different from the “jig” rods familiar to a “freshwater” angler, which means sensitive spinning rods for fishing with soft plastic lures. Fishing with sea rods takes place in a plumb line, dealing with large fish requires a short lever, that’s why spinning rods for jigging are very short. Such a length helps to comfortably control the play of the jig as well. They are usually about 170 centimeters “high”. And their main difference from the freshwater ones is that when developing and manufacturing “coastal” spinning rods, the manufacturer strives to achieve maximum sensitivity, “sonority”, adding a large amount of “coal”-graphite to the material of the blanks. And sea rods don’t have such a task. As my friend said, the sea spinning rod must bend up to the handle. These rods can be characterized as powerful “parabolic” rods. And manufacturers add more “resin” – composite materials to the blanks of these rods.

As for the brands, there are “top” manufacturers of ocean fishing rods, such as Carpenter, Seven Seas, Daiwa, Shimano, Jigging Master, and others, as well as quite budget-friendly ones produced by Japanese companies and manufacturers from other countries. Again, such spinning rods don’t require high sensitivity. The following three criteria are important: their weight, durability, and flexibility. The weight of the rod naturally affects the price – the cheaper it is, the more resin there is in the blank and the heavier it is. But such a spinning rod will perform its functions, and, of course, the cost of the rod won’t affect the results of fishing.

In order to make the process of choosing sea rods for beginner anglers easier, we’ve developed our line of sea jigging rods, currently represented by two models, but nevertheless covering the weight range of the main lures used. Besides, casting rods are currently being developed. We’ll make them aiming at the same goals – providing a beginner angler with budget-friendly and high-quality tackle.

(Giant trevally / GT. Photo © Aleksandr Stafievskii)

Tell us please, at the beginning of our conversation, you suggested that beginners should take at least five poppers, five stickbaits, and a dozen jigson their first trip. Can you recommend any specific lure models, colors, and other characteristics?

Poppers can be divided into so-called “striking” ones, with a large “cup”, and planing ones, which have a small “cup” and which “strike” more on the surface. If we talk about my personal preferences, then, of course, a lot depends on the fish I’m currently trying to catch. However, we can try to approach the issue more universally.

If you fish on the reef, then the number one poppers for me are Sebile Splasher, Patriot Design Big Cup, and Halco Roosta. The best weight of the poppers for me is about 115-175 grams. When it comes to tuna fishing, Halco Roosta Popper 195 is the best.

As for stickbaits, they may be floating and sinking ones. And it makes sense to take both types of lures on a trip. As for the sinking stickbaits, I really like Tailwalk Gunz Gritter model – it’s very easy to handle and it catches fish steadily. As for Roosta Popper, it has a very good value for money. As for floating models, there is a great variety of them. There are high-quality and expensive ones produced by Japanese manufacturers, there are very good Indonesian ones. European and Russian masters make very decent models of lures as well. Russian masters are Vyacheslav Kokorin (GT Hunter) and Aleksandr Chadin (SANEK). One of the European masters is Drasko Klacar (Bertox), with whom adriaticnature talked recently.

If you fish on the reef, and your main goal is GT (giant trevally), then the best size of stickbaits is 200-240 mm. And if you catch pelagic predators, for example, yellowfin tuna or sailfish, then the best size is 180-200 mm, in my opinion.

As for the colors, when it’s sunny it makes sense to use lures of natural colors. When it’s cloudy, it rains, or it’s late in the evening, multi-colored and bright “acid” lures work great.

The most common jig weights are 230-270 grams. Lighter jigs are used when fishing in relatively shallow waters, heavier ones – at depths of more than 100 meters. The most versatile models, in my opinion, are Hot’s Drift Tune and Atelier Tsuru Jig.

(Dogtooth tuna. Photo © Aleksandr Stafievskii)

Tell us please about hooklink materials, fittings and necessary accessories one shouldtake on a sea trip.

One of the main differences between sea fishing and freshwater fishing is the obligatory use of a hooklink – a shock leader. The material for the shock leader when fishing with casting is mainly nylon, when fishing with jigging – fluorocarbon. The shock leader is used for several reasons. First, it is believed that sea fish, especially such as tuna, sailfish, GT, see very well in clear water and are skeptical of the braid itself, metal hooklinks and other fittings. The second important point: if you fish in the reef zone, the fish rushes into the reef, and the shock leader helps protect the line from rubbing and cutting off the corals. I pulled out my largest grouper weighing over 70 kilograms from a depth of about 12 meters, and I was shocked when I saw that an absolutely ragged shock leader withstood this fish. If there was just a line instead of a shock leader, it wouldn’t have happened. And the third thing: at the last stage, when the fish is brought to the side of the boat (and this fish is usually large and “raging”), it’s very unpleasant to take a line in your hand, even if you wear a glove. That’s why before lifting the fish on board, they take a thick shock leader that doesn’t cut hands.

Casting requires nylon with a breaking load of 140-170 lb. There are different opinions about the length of the shock leader. Sometimes the turns of the leader don’t fall on the spool of the reel. In this case, it is supposed to fly better through the rings. In my opinion, it’s better when a couple of turns fall on the spool and an overhang for casting on a spinning rod is provided. I try to ensure that the knot connecting the shock leader and the line falls on the finger when casting. In practice, it is almost impossible to get the perfect length – you have to cut something all the time, tie it up – that’s why, the option with a couple of turns on the spool is the best, I think.

When jigging, a longer (from 3 to 5-7 meters long) fluorocarbon shock leader is tied. Such a length is explained by the fact that as a rule, fishing takes place near the bottom, near the “fractures” of the relief. After an attack, fish often try to hide in corals or dive into the depths. The bite occurs at the depth of 100 meters, and there is a slope next to it, the fish rushes there and cuts the line at this slope. Why fluorocarbon instead of nylon? Because fluorocarbon is more resistant to mechanical damage, nylon is softer (that’s why it’s used for casting), fluorocarbon is harder.

(Two-spot red snapper. Photo © Aleksandr Stafievskii)

As for accessories, you must have a knot tier. Tying complex knots on thick lines and shock leaders with your hands is just archaism. The use of a knot tier ensures both high quality of the knot and high speed of the process. You will also need special scissors to cut the braid and shock leader, trim the tips. Be sure to take a special lighter with flame protection for the knot. You’ll need power pliers, a ring spreader – I prefer Owner products to spread rings with a maximum load of 250 lb.

Split rings should be used with a maximum load of 220-250 lb. I usually put the 220 lb split rings at the place where the hooks are attached to the lure (trebles or singles), and 250 – at the point where the lure is attached to the shock leader. Poppers should be attached to the shock leader through a solid ring – split + solid, and it’s better to use a swivel + split ring connection for stickbaits.

Tell us please, what fish species should we expect to catch, when traveling to Seychelles or Maldives?

If you fish in the reef zone, then the main fishing targets are snapper, jobfish, grouper, barracuda and, of course, the most coveted trophy – GT weighing up to 50 kilograms.

If casting takes place over great depths (50-100 meters), then you can count on catching all possible pelagic predators, first of all, such as yellowfin tuna weighing up to 100 kilograms, wahoo, sailfish. I would like to mention his majesty marlin, and if we talk about the weight of the latter, then our team members managed to “lift” two fish weighing 300 and 400 kilograms. I should point out again that both fish were caught with sports casting tackle using casting with stickbaits! There were no powerful trolling rods with multiplier reels.

(Indo-Pacific sailfish. Photo © Aleksandr Stafievskii)

As for vertical jigging, in addition to all the pelagic predators that attack jigs in the water column, in the bottom layer you can catch all kinds of bottom fish, mainly groupers, and also provoke the most coveted “jig” trophy – dogtooth tuna – a strong rival that can weigh up to 100 kg. When using the technique of “slow” jigging – a slower game with jigs smoothly gliding in the water column – you can count on catching all kinds of sea predators, as well as on the largest representative of the wrasse family – Napoleon wrasse that can weigh up to 200 kilograms. We caught fish weighing up to 50 kilograms using sports tackle. In addition to jigs, Napoleon wrasse can also be caught with various types of inchiku and bakuchi.

Please say a few words about safety precautionsto be observed when fishing in the tropics.

The biggest danger in sea fishing comes from hooks. You must keep in mind that fishing often takes place at a considerable distance from places where you can get qualified medical care. We need to protect ourselves and others as much as possible. If you stick a treble of 4/0, 5/0, 6/0 size out of 46 or 51 sea wires into someone, then at this point fishing will be over for everyone, as you’ll have to start a rescue operation. That’s why I strongly recommend either using hooks with pressed “barbs”, or buy “barbless” hooks, which initially have no barbs. Because hookpulls can be neglected, and in fact there are not so many of them as it might seem, but you should take care of your health. And if something went wrong and the hook got stuck in any part of the body, then the barbless treble can be easily removed without turning the process into a serious medical procedure.

(Sun protective clothing. Photo © Aleksandr Stafievskii)

In this regard, it’s also important to wear sunglasses when fishing. Firstly, they protect the retina of the eye from burns, and secondly, they enable you to see fish well – as a rule, today all sunglasses for fishing have a polarizing effect and remove glare from the water surface, and thirdly, most importantly from a safety point of view, they protect eyes from the hooks.

The permanent and primary protection in the tropics is sun protection. You can easily get a serious skin burn. Special sun-protective clothes, including bandanas, “buff” masks, special long-sleeved T-shirts, are obligatory. If you wear shorts, you should also wear special knee socks. And you also need to have a sun cream with a sun protection factor of 30-50 units.

Vaccinations are not required in the “right” tropics such as Seychelles and Maldives. Vaccinations are needed when traveling to South America and mainland Africa.

As protection from injury, you need special gloves that protect you from burns from the line and shock leader, as well as from spool and reel handles rotating at high speeds. Knee pads are advisable. When rolling or if there is an aggressive bite of fish, you can be tossed down on board, and you fall down to your knees, as a rule. Any sports knee pads can be used, but the lighter and thinner they are, the better, since you go fishing when it’s hot.

What would you like to wish adriaticnature readers?

First of all, I wish the readers stay healthy! I hope all the Covid restrictions will be removed and we’ll be able to freely move around the world in search of the fish of your dreams!

(Ocean landscape. Photo © Aleksandr Stafievskii)