Big Game from 6-15 April 2007

[Alex]

Hi! I will be on vacation in Malta as from 6 to 15th of April 2007. I am planning Big Game Fishing and looking for providers and for those who want to share costs. 2-3 fishings full day. Shall be pleased to receive your comments. Thank you. Alex

[skip]

Hi Alex, it's a little bit early in the season for the big game I usually go for, Bluefin or Albacore.

Contact Fishingmania http://www.mol.net.mt/Fishingmania/index.htm or http://www.fishingmalta.com/trips.htm Aquatica

Skip

[Alex]

Hi! Thank you very much for your reply. To be honest I didn't really believe that anyone would reply to my message and, therefore, haven't visited this web site for a long time. I will check the links that you have provided me with. As to Fishingmarina, I already contacted them and received a reply as follows:

-----Original Message-----
From: "" <fishingmania@keyworld.net>
Subject: Re: Big Game Fishing

Hi
High season for game fish is June and July, April I would recommend offshore extreme bottom fishing for grouper, big eye red bream, belt fish, and scorpion fish and so on. Price full day (8hr) all included 165 Maltese lire per boat 1/2 day 150 Maltese lire (5hr). On booking we ask for 10% deposit and 30 days before charter date full amount must be paid. You will get full refund due to bad weather and reapers.
I can offer you to take you out full day for the price of 1/2 day. (150 ML).

Regards
Chris Camilleri
Skipper

===========

Baiscally, that email confirms what you've mentioned. April is a bit too early for bluefin or albacore in Malta. 150 maltiese lire is about 300 British Pounds, which is not that cheap, in my opinion, to try my lack if the season is still early. How much have they charged you when you were fishing there, if I can ask you? I just did 2 days fishing in Mauritius and 8 hours daily rate for myself as one a whole only one fishermen in the boat was about 195 British Pounds (12,000 Mauritius rupees), which is expensive, but cheaper than in Malta, as I can see... 

I will be in Malta on those days anyway, but also thinking that in August I shall go to Lanzarote, Gran Canaries, and try to fish there and later, in December, to Phuket - I found couple good boat owners there and saw good photos of dolphinfish, sailfish, sharks and marlin on their websites.

By the way, I used to live and study in Msida, Malta for about one year, but at that time was not really interested in Big Game Fishing. I understand that you live in Malta and assume that you should know a lot about big spicies that can be cought there. You've mentioned albacore and bluefin. What about sharks? Have you ever fished for sharks there? What about yellowfin, sailfish and others?

P.S. Please excuse me for my English, I am Russian and English is not my native language. 

[Alex]

one more photo. 26 bonitos. each about 10kg

[Alex]

Skip, I am slowly discovering this forum. Understand that this forum is your idea. If so, thank you, very interesting place. I am really enjoying it. I can see that guys here were talking about swordfish fishing in Malta. That would be great! Do you, by chance, know who or which company can organise such swordfish fishing? Do you organise fishing trips by yourself?

Below is a photo of a hammerhead shark that some other guys caught in Mauritius when I was there.

Thank you. Alex

[skip]

Hi Alex,

From what I've heard Chris is a very good skipper and will usually bring you back with some results. He has all the equipment (electric reels etc) for deep bottom fishing, something I've never done myself. With the price of fuel going up to around $5.20 for a US gallon of gas here, running a boat isn't cheap and prices have gone up.

The price he quoted was for the boat, not per person and he usually recommends not more than 4. You might get some takers at Lm 37.50 per person for a whole day, but they would have to be interested in bottom fishing. I know I plan to go out with Chris some time this year.

Yes this forum was my idea, as a couple of buddies got me interested into Sport Fishing. Never tried shark fishing, and looking at those photos, those are some big ass 130lbs reels!!

Skip

[Alex]

Hi, Skip! thank you for your reply. I agree that it would be good to assemble a company of some 2-4 persons. Are you in? What about April? What would you want to try? Day fishing or night fishing with lights for swordfish? Do you know anybody else who may be interested to join and share costs? LML 37.50 is not that much for another unusual experience....

Alex

[Alex]

By the way, what about shark fishing in Malta? When I was there I saw souvenirs made of cat sharks. Did you see anyone fishing sharks? Apparently, there should be plenty of sharks! See the link below:

http://sharks-med.netfirms.com/

Alex

[Alex]

another good link!

http://www.national-aquarium.co.uk/marinelife/sharks.asp

I think that fishing a shark in Malta could be a good idea!

Alex

[busumark]

what we catch most here are dogfish with bottom long lines and commercial fisherman catch some blue shark on their long lines whilst fishing for tuna and swordfish. i have never heard that someone caught a shark while trolling. i only saw the fin of a shark twice. but if you are lucky you can catch a bluntnose sixgill shark (murruna) if you try bottom fishing. once we caught 2 one 70kg and one 60kg. see my profile photo

[Alex]

I understand that you are talking about this kind of shark:

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/BSixgill/Bsixgill.html

In Mauritius we tried fishing for sharks on small bonitos (skipjack tuna), while they were still alive and we did it on a very low speed. Kind of dead speed trolling. 3 our of 5 bonitos were bitten by barracudas. I think the same slow trolling for sharks can be tried in Malta...?

P.S. Can you pls attach you profile photo to a message so that it can be enlarged?

[Alex]

You said dogfish. I think I was wrong when I said cat sharks. Most probably it was a dogfish. They were selling their dried heads with open mouthes on the open Sunday tourist market near main bus terminal in Valetta. I checked the Museum's web site and see that there are many different types of dogfishes. Which one did you caught? I assume that it was Spiny as the Museum's website shows Mediterranean is the place of habitat only for Spiny.

Black Dogfish
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/BlackDogfish/BlackDogfish.html

Chain Dogfish
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/ChainDogfish/ChainDogfish.html

Roughskin Dogfish
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/RskinDogfish/RskinDogfish.html

Spiny Dogfish
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/SpinyDogfish/SpinyDogfish.html

Smooth Dogfish
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/SmoothDogfish/SmoothDogfish.html

[busumark]

we catch mainly gulper shark,longnose spurdog, nursehound, smooth hound, and bluntnose sixgill shark(photo). you catch them most with bottom lines. but you can try deep fishing with electric reels

[Alex]

Thank you for the photo. Looks great! It looks like that shark has no back fin? I need to check how all other fishes that you've mentioned look like. Have no idea how they can look like...

This morning went to a local fishmarket and took photos of some of the fish they sell there. Can you pls have a look at my album and say which one (photo nr.) do you catch in Malta?

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2096171430&code=26406473&mode=invite&DCMP=isc-email-AlbumInvite

[busumark]

we catch fish no 5/9/11/15. i think fish 11 is albacore