What I Know So Far

It’s hard to find information here on Vava’u. No one will give you a very good answer to your question. Mostly answers consist of an eye brow raise or head nod. So it’s been tough but I am starting to figure out how it works here. Most of what I know I figured out on my own. But this is what I know of know……….The best time to go fishing is when it is high tide at dusk. High tide is always better. Most the fish begin to feed in the shallower water at this time. Bait works the best. Fresh cut bait in strips. I did catch a trevally on a small piece of fish. It doesn’t need to be much on the hook just a decent sized slice, not the whole fish. If fishing with bait you want to have a decent amount of weight so the current won’t pull it to shore. Be prepared to loose tackle that gets caught on coral, because there is A LOT of coral here. However fishing with bait isn’t the most fun way of fishing and catching fish on lures is always more exciting. A man told me to use lure that sink a little bit. So I have been try some jerk baits that I have, they don’t dive deep, only about four feet. As of now I have not caught a fish on a jerk bait yet. All the fish I have caught on lures have been on top water baits. Poppers work well but it’s hard to get good action from them with a lead leader. (Lead leaders are a must here because everything has teeth that will just cut through fluorocarbon or monofilament line) My go to lure out here is a small spook. It seems to work the best with the lead leader. I like to bring it in as fast as I can as long as I can keep the “walking the dog” motion going. Reel in fast. If you’re not using bait reeling in faster is better. It is great fun to see the wake of the fish casing the lure. Most places around the island are good for fishing if you can get to the water. When a Trevally hits, HOLD ON. They are known to be the one of the best fighting fish there are. Make sure the drag is set to a good resistance. Keep it a little loose so the fish can pull out line, but not too loose or it will pull out all your line. There is no better feeling then having a fish pull out line. If there is a sudden strike, it is probably a barracuda. Trevallies tend to line up behind the lure and chase it. Snappers don’t make much of a hit. Still tons more to learn, but I am getting there. Any questions?