fishing for Alungi

[Gogo]

Gaffer posted a superb chart related to the area where Alungi tend to call each year for breeding. That chart is a bathymetric chart which shows the different depths of the seabed. It is the counterpart of topograghic land charts which show the heights of mountains with high values while bathymetric charts show the depthest sea areas with high values. The lines on the charts are contours which join areas of same depth and so indicate the slope or gradient of that area. The closer the lines the greater the slope. In fact southwest of Filfla the slope is very steep between the 100 metre to 500 metre contour while that South to south East is more smooth.

In may opinion indicating certain contour lines as 100, 350, 500 metre or what so ever as ridges which as far as I know are elevated areas in respect of surrounding terrain is incorrect. Why not the 200, 400 and 600 metre contours?

The point for us fishermen is that Alungi seasonally are naturally attracted to low depth waters for breeding where squid and other bait fish is more abundant than open deep waters. This year Alungi seem to have gathered mostly South and Southwest of Fifla so the best fishing ground as righly indicated by Gaffer is between the 100 and 500 metre contour where there is a steep slope.
To the South and Southeast although the area is bigger due to the smooth slope, catches have been sporadic. Maybe the seabed has been so extensively trawled that fish bait has been drastically reduced.

Just my opinion which may differ from others.

Gogo.

[The_Gaffer]

Thanks for this Gogo.  I meerly pointed out the 200mt, 350mt and 500mt ridges as these ridges are prominantly showed up on the navionics marine charts, and to serve as a guidline for the novice angler.  The quest is always to seek the alongi or (predators) between these ridges.

[windpower]

I agree with Gogo's interpretation of 'ridge'.

Contour lines are not ridges but lines joining areas having the same depth similar to ISOBARS for air pressure.  To have a ridge one must see a shallow contour having a much deeper contour very close on each side giving the indication of a sharp drop on both sides.

In Hydrographic terms there are the following definitions:

RIDGE.
a) A long, narrow ELEVATION with steep sides.
b) A long, narrow ELEVATION often separating ocean basins.
c) The major oceanic mountain systems of global extent.


SUBMARINE RIDGE:
An elongated elevation of the sea floor, with either irregular or relatively smooth topography and
steep sides which constitutes a natural prolongation of land territory.

[yogi]

anyone fished any alongi recently ? tried some trolling this week but was too choppy plus no fish

[benri]

Went out yesterday but only landed 2! Most probably it was my last trip for the season as they seen to have moved out!

[shanook]

heq brian i wasnt there so u couldnt find them LOL. Well done mate.

[The_Gaffer]

You did well Brian. I was out on Thursday and not one strike till 10am, then we went swimming!

[shanook]

any mermaids around Joe

[The_Gaffer]

nothing Tony, no splashes, no biurds, no surface activity whatsoever.  There was though something to look at, at il-Hofriet, but not mermaids, these gals has legs!

[shanook]

oh even better..pity that alungi have moved its a bit too early...... mosy probably try further out where it is a bit colder and deeper...

[benri]

i tried further out Tony and towards the SE of filfla too but it was just as bad. The 2 I caught were between the 2nd and 3rd.

[shanook]

@benri if u go again there are two BIG deep holes near the third ridge have a go between them and aroud them u can have nice currents around them. bring food from below and cooler waters

[benri]

yes I tried that spot too but it was dead

[Pauline Tuna]

Dear all people and Alungi lovers.....plse note that alungi are still being caught, true not in a numerous amount, though last week friends of mine had catches of 6, 7, 4, 2, 3........your theory described up here is true indeed, tough somethimes I believe that the moon makes a good difference in catching this fish, as when the moon is shining the more small fish comes to the surface at night and leading to albacore to come forward and catch / feed.  I have to add that never a year is like the following one.  Fish may stand at an area in a particular year as small fish will be more present......dolphins gives an example were small fish are present. One have to bear in mind that this fish comes to our waters to feed and spwan....important to note that they do not stand at the area.....every day has its own schools of fish as once fish do their spawning they keep going for their own journey......