CASTING
Of course we do not offer Rodrigues as a 100% popper destination, but for sure there is a matter to find pleasure popping taking advantage of all of the opportunities.
The Black Marlin allows to 3 anglers to practice popping comfortably from the aft cockpit and also from the bow if weather enables it.
SPOTS AND FISH
You may find yellowfin tunas among chases, dorados and wahoos around drifting wrecks.
The Giant Trevallies and dogtooth tunas are on the banks offshore where bottom goes up to 40/45m from the surface (around Rodrigues and both banks).
All these species are regularly present all year long.
YOU WILL HAVE TO USE YOUR OWN TACKLE
To cast (popper or stick bait), you require your own tackle. It does not need to be over powered (Here no need for "tractor pulling" from the coral reef).
- You may use the same reel as for jigging, such as a Stella 20000, filled in with 80lbs, although a Stella 18000 is more comfortable for a quick reelling up.
- The rod will be proportioned but avoid too long rods. The ideal may be around 2.3m such as the Smith's Tokara 60.
- Among yellowfin tunas chases, prefer small poppers or stick baits between 75 and 100 g. For example, the Orion brand: CX 165, the Magic Pop, the Fraser, likewise with the stick baits such as the Big Foot or also the great Flapper.
- Looking for doggies and GT, big poppers and stickbaits will be useful to rise up the fish, (more than 150g for the more courageous). Still in the Orion brand: Cono Cono (the name of a shell of Rodrigues), Monster Pop poppers, and the Big Nambas or also the Tropic Plug as stickbaits.
- Light 100lbs monofilament for leaders for yellowfin tunas and 200lbs for GT and doggies.
- Swivels between 200lbs and 400lbs and split rings between 200 and 300lbs, 3/0 and 4/0 triple Owner ST 66 and for the biggest lures, the KG 120 6/0 Fisherman, for example.
The belt is also appreciated while popping, especially to handle big poppers.
TECHNIQUES
2 types of situations:
Fishing in blue waters
Generally speaking, do not set your drag tight, in order to avoid pull the hook up the tuna’s mouth. However, it is very deep and there is low possibility to break on the coral reef.
Fishing on Rodrigues’ continental plateau and on the banks (Hawkins and Eastern)
We must make the fish come up since we fish by depth between 40 and 45m.
- By nice weather, big poppers up to 200gr will then do the job to call on the fish.
- And if the water surface is rough, big sinking stick baits that will move under the surface may be successful; and even casting big plugs, letting it sink for about 40 seconds before pulling it up. The plug will then arrive by the bottom and work horizontally, remaining then longer in the strike zone.
THE CAPTAIN’S ADVICE
While reeling in big poppers, make 2 seconds stops from time to time. Very often, strike happens while restarting.
Concerning stickbaits and plugs, even if they swim correctly while simply reeling them up linearly, alternating quick and slow movements, ''stop and go'', moving up your rod tip is successful to make your lure swim randomly.
We advise you not to use to hooks too concentrated in iron. Of course, they are resistant but they will be hard to insure good hook ups.
COMMENTS
All the possibilities above will delightfully complete your multi-fishing sessions (heavy spinning while trolling, baiting or live baiting and jigging).
Are you rather popper or stickbait?
