New Caledonia looks like an anglers paradise. The main island stretches for 200nm and is surrounded by reef, which forms the barrier to the worlds largest natural lagoon. New Cals reefs are similar, if not identical as the famed Great Barrier Reef of Queensland, Australia. There are the inlets and passages, drop offs, and ledges, boomies and tide rips which all smells of great fishing. When flying into Noumea, a quick look out the window will quickly get the blood boiling.
New Cal, had been in the back of my mind for some time, and with some planning and research, we were finally about to sample its fish ability, but what really interested me, was that it was central pacific, ie we had access to many other locales that were only a stones throw away…for us that is. With in 600nm to the south we have got, Norfolk island, and the Wanganella banks, to the west, the chester fields and associated banks, East, is The loyalties and Vanuatu and traveling to the north would place you in the Louisiade Archipelgo or the Solomon islands. Not bad for a two and a bit hour flight from Auckland or Brisbane, nor forgetting the fact that, Noumea, unlike other pacific islands, boasts the infrastructure of a small cosmopolitan city, so, in my mind it was the perfect base.
In all, we did 7 trips, ranging from 6 to 15 days in length. Our plan for the first season was to explore and cover as much territory as possible, focusing mainly on the long range opportunities available.
Trip 1, Ile De Pins
This trip was hampered by weather with two depressions east and west of us, so we sort refuge in the ile of pines which lies off the southern tip of NC. The island remains in the lagoon, but to the south is some interesting structure, however due to weather we only made it there on two occasions. The first day, we let go a little blue of 300lbs, so I figured this spot needs a bit closer look. The rest of the trip was spent reef hoping and snorkeling and visiting the island.
Trip 2, Chester field reefs
We departed late in the afternoon and ventured WNW. The following day provided 3 bites with 2 tags of blue marlin, and we were just straight lining it in the middle of know where. After 4 days of visiting a number of banks and reefs catching a few fish, we made it to the chester field islands, where there are some low lying sand quays with a small amount of vegetation and reef. This provided ideal protection and close at hand was the fishing. The first morning we found school yellowfin in abundance as well as the blue and black marlin. For the next 4 days we raised 18 fish, 12 shots for 5 fish. Which I consider fairly poor, but the sheer numbers of blues and blacks was a obviously a good sign. So, we would definitely visiting this area again!
Trip 3 & 4, Loyalties
Known for their beauty, the loyalties are out to the east of the main island. This trip was dissapointing, as once we got to Lifou, a cyclone had formed over Vanuatu and was moving in our direction. We got 2 days fishing in, raised 5 fish for 1 tagged. When we returned, the weather was much kinder and we headed to Walpole island, to the south east, tagging a small blue on the way. From Walpole to Lifou, runs a ledge and a number of banks and high spots. These banks were very rewarding, with enormous schools of large yellowfin tuna busting the surface all day. The skippies were very hard to catch as the yellowfin were on their tails! We discovered this after we had 3 treble hook ups with 60 to 80kg yellowfin and decided to switch to baits…only to have yellowfin fight over the skipping tuna and scad! Its amazing, most people I know would have been absolutely wrapped catching 70kg tuna, all day. But all we wanted was marlin! We caught our biggest fish here, letting go a 500lb and 700lb blue marlin.
Trip 5 & 6 South Bank
The 1st trip we had excellent weather, and fished the south bank, the tide was really pushing here, so I was extra happy about the weather and nil swell! Once we got to the banks we caught small black marlin, a large blue and sailfish, with a couple of yellowfin thrown in for luck, our best day here, was 3 bites for a 450lb blue.
The 2nd trip the weather wasn’t so kind but we still ventured on, discovering that I had been right with weather and tide predictions…. this bank was not a place to be when the trades were blowing! The water was green and for 2 days we saw nothing, but once back on the ledge, heading home, we let go our first double header of blues and another sail.
Our last trip was with the ITM fishing show and we decided to head back out to the west and see if the marlin were still about the chester fields. Some tag info has seen fish move from SE Australia, up the coast and north to the solomons/Vanuatu. So the chester field reef structure is one of the points they pass, so, if the tuna are still there, I expected we may still see some fish. My other field test, was for swords on a bank we had driven over earlier in the year.
Well, to my disappointment, we only saw 1 marlin. The tuna were still there however, but in much smaller numbers, and the water wasn’t the colour we had previously seen. Never the less, we found what looked like a good spot for doggies, and spent a day fishing it, weighing a 60 and 81kg fish and with every pass raising and getting bites from the largest doggies I have ever seen. We caught some amazing underwater action on our tow cams, so make sure you do not miss the ITM fishing show.
We then ventured south and the weather gods came right and we fished for swords for one night, getting 2 bites and putting a 100kg fish in the boat. Robbie lewis fought the fish for 4 hours on 15kg tackle, from 0400 to 0800hrs. Needless to say we spent the rest of the day resting and snorkeling at one of the near by reefs.
Moving on, we fished a small seamount, with more yellowfin, huge rainbow runners, and dog tooth we couldn’t get off the bottom with 80lb spectra! This pinnacle comes up to 69meters and is loaded with fish life! But still no marlin….
In all, the marlin fishing wasn’t the greatest we had seen, but, we moved around and sampled some great fishing all the same, and lets face it, its not all about marlin! Some spots we never made it to, for instance up the northern end of the island, but they will be waiting for us next year!
Good fishing
Tom |
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