Bassas Da India – Jewel of the Deep -2

The author introduced us to Bassas da India in the previous article. A place that men spoke of with much reverence. A mythical place steeped in legend and history as the final resting place of many lost sailors’ souls as well as broken rods, reels and egos – claimed by behemoths that still roam its waters. The “Battle of Bassas” continues . . . The day dawned with a spectacular sunrise and a bent rod at around 4 am. I was soon joined on deck by the rest who were dreary-eyed initially but soon grasped the reality of exactly where we were on the planet. The Bohar wasn’t really a match for the heavy outfit as I was using a Shimano Kaibutsu 200 g popping rod and a Stella 18000 loaded with 100 lb PowerPro braid. After a quick photo we enjoyed breakfast while everybody prepared tackle and soon we were on our way, starting off with an early-morning popping session. The tide was pushing and it was evident from the lack of activity and working water that a dropping tide was prime feeding time for the inhabitants of the atoll, judging by the previous day’s action. A substantial reward Our main target species on the popper was GTs and to target them successfully you need current, structure and baitfish. The dropping tide at Bassas is responsible for a lot of current due to all the water rushing out of the lagoon over the rim of the atoll, resulting in current boils or “corkscrews” and a general choppy effect. This is prime GT hunting ground as a lot of baitfish are trapped in the outgoing current; this is when GTs use the structure to their advantage to ambush. We were using a variety of stickbaits and poppers and managed to raise a few bluefin kingfish and only one GT, but it failed to connect. We opted to go jigging and upon our arrival at the mark, Brent indicated a good showing at 25 m. Graham immediately connected and the bubble trail from the braid and speed of the run signalled a wahoo and a substantial one at that. The fight lasted for about 10 minutes with the fear of paying tax on everybody’s mind, but the moment belonged to Graham with the boating of a beautiful 25 kg wahoo and a heated reel to show for his efforts. Graham with another Bassas GT. Crystal-clear water beckons The jigging was relatively quiet with no further takes and we anchored for lunch as by then we were all in need of some “carbo-loading”. The sun was reaching its apex and it was a scorcher at 40 °C. We all looked at each other through stinging eyes, sweating like Coke bottles at a December braai. The deck hose usage reached irrigation levels and with no respite, the crystal-clear water soon beckoned. Brent suggested that we go for a swim, but with five sharks swimming around the boat his suggestion was met with more than one thought that his mind had left him. Armed with a false sense of security in my flipperless feet, Brent and I jumped in. We were in 18 m of water and the sharks lazily circled us while a big potato bass eyed us wearily from beneath. The water was crystal clear and donning a mask at Bassas will probably rival the best snorkelling on the planet. It was a spectacular sight, seeing all the marine life and it was evident that this was a pristine ecosystem. There was one oceanic whitetip that looked a little too curious as he blindsided us more than once. A few of the others joined us and everyone enjoyed the experience. Johan opted to lie flat on his stomach on the stern at water level with his head submerged to look at the sharks from above. This offered a good opportunity for a laugh. I grabbed his feet to push him overboard – I have never seen a man walk backwards on his ribcage at that speed! Explosive attacks The tide was dropping and we made our way to the atoll for the afternoon popping session. Casting in close quarters soon found its own rhythm with lures arcing towards the crevices that lined the atoll. It is in these crevices that the predators lie in ambush while others patrol the ledge. The current was picking up and soon we saw some action with especially Bohar snappers, bluefins and juvenile GTs chasing the stickbaits and poppers with enthusiasm. Being quite elevated and with all the lures in close proximity, everyone could witness the explosive surface takes and spectacular chases. Paul then landed a nice-sized speckled snapper on a stickbait that echoed the fact that you have not the faintest idea what will grab your lure at the other end. We then rounded a corner and Adrian saw a sizable fish patrolling the drop-off. This turned out to be one of the more memorable fish of the trip. The water erupted and left a gaping hole where his stickbait was last seen and in the bend of the rod it was evident that this was a proper fish. After a stubborn and powerful fight and some encouragement from all, Adrian landed a magnificent Napoleon wrasse of about 15 kg; still a baby as they can reach a weight of 190 kg and 2 m in length. Showing off its beautiful colours in the sunlight, everyone had the opportunity to see this fish up close followed by congratulatory handshakes and smiles as it was not a fish to be seen or caught every day. Bluefin taken on a Williamson popper. Just one more cast The action continued well into the late hours of the afternoon with a good species count, but the beast was still to be caught. We sought anchorage for the night and with a cold one in hand, witnessed another beautiful sunset at Bassas. It was a few tired and aching bodies that sat down for supper reflecting on the day and it was mentioned more than once that Bassas still had the potential that made it legendary. Ronin kept on fishing and was catching blackjacks, Bohar snappers and various reef species in quick succession. He really fished hard and had a trip boys of his age can only dream of. Inevitably the rod racks were charged with no measure of stealth and fishing went on late into the night on especially bait and dropshot. We all succumbed to the old fisherman’s vice of “just one more cast” and quite returned closer to sunrise than to sunset. A full night’s rest was still very far away . . . Paul and Ronin with a beautiful leopard grouper. Pit bull attacks The next morning followed a similar pattern to the day before with quite a number of fish being caught on stickbaits and poppers with Johan’s GT the biggest of the morning. His stickbait got attacked with the ferocity of a pit bull terrier and the telltale nodding of the rod indicated a nice-sized GT of 18 kg. It was nearly lost as the lure fell to the deck upon lifting out of the water and the straightened hook bore testament to their power. It is critical to use quality hooks and split rings when popping as GTs especially have been responsible for many hooks that resemble a toothpick more than anything else. Look for a thick-gauge, short-shank, extra-heavy hook with a wide gap and make sure that the split rings are rated at a minimum of 250 lb. I prefer the Blue Water range from Williamson in size 9H as they are slightly oval and have a tensile strength of 528 lb. A GT caught on stickbait. The beast was still out there We had a slow afternoon popping around the atoll and started trolling lures in the deeper water for the monstrous tuna. The general plan of attack was to find the shoal on the trolling lures and then start popping. We saw some bird activity and luckily the tuna were on the smaller side and not the 100+ kg behemoths that we have heard about. Popping for these monsters can have a disastrous effect on one’s tackle, irrespective of price or brand and a few anglers have been left with shattered rods, emptied reels and looks of disbelief. An example of this was when Brent hooked up to one on the previous trip three weeks prior. He landed a 30 kg tuna in 5 minutes and the next cast left him spooled on 80 lb tackle and with a broken rod. The shoal sounded and I opted for a Williamson rocket popper and the resulting surface commotion had the desired effect of drawing them up to the surface. We ended the day with a number of small tuna, some of which were lost to sharks, but we had fresh sashimi and luckily no broken rods. That afternoon we used the tender to go explore the lagoon and anchored off a coral bommie in about 5 m of water. The diving was incredible and offered a nice change of pace to a relatively quiet day, but the beast was still out there. Double-ups The next day Brent phoned in for a weather check and the news wasn’t good. A big front was heading our way and it was decided that today would be our last on the atoll as we still needed to cover the 450 km back to Vilanculos. The plan was to circle the atoll and focus on popping and stickbaiting. This was the only chance and we fished like it was our last day on earth. The fishing turned on in a way that I can hardly describe and we all knew that this was the reason why Bassas was so revered. We had double-ups on more than one occasion and the fish were chasing the lures as if it was their last day on earth. Double-up on GT and Bohar on stickbaits. At one stage, Graham and I got hit within a matter of seconds from one another. I landed a nice Bohar and he was battling a solid GT. Both fish were landed and released in record time as we both scrambled to get back into position to recast. The beast decides to eat Johan made a long cast over the ledge and was working it perfectly. To catch big GTs on stickbaits, a slow, long, sideways sweep with pauses works best, especially with a bit of slack line in between sweeps. The resulting action is extremely effective. We were all lined up casting off the starboard bow when we saw a huge, dark shape materialising from the deep. It was homing in on Johan’s lure like a Tomahawk cruise missile with flared pectorals and the meanest attitude in the ocean. With a contemptuous swipe of its massive tail, it attacked his stickbait and left a massive footprint in the water. I have a healthy obsession with and passion for this fish called Caranx ignobilis. Johan’s heavy popping rod bent double and he was nearly pulled overboard. Brent skilfully manoeuvred Pelagic away from the structure into the deep while Johan was holding on for dear life. We all knew this was the GT of the trip and after a few tense minutes we saw it stubbornly broadsiding below the boat. It wasn’t giving up that easily and Johan was leaning into it with his all. It was big, really big. Johan’s monster, a 44 kg GT. Finally it gave in inch by inch and after a proper battle the 44 kg GT was pulled on board. With cheering and congratulations going around, photos were quickly taken and we took time in reviving it. It gave one powerful kick and was on its way to roam again as king of the reef. It truly is an unbelievable feeling seeing it swim away strongly. The pandemonium continued with Paul landing a beautiful leopard grouper straight after and Mike his first Bassas GT after claiming the award for the most entertaining moment. He saw a cruising GT and shouted to Graham to cast for it. Graham’s cast was a little off target when Mike said, “No man, there!” His cast landed on top of the GT, it connected and a few minutes later he landed it, followed by disbelieving laughter from all. We landed a lot of fish that day that included GTs, a number of Bohar snappers, whitespotted rock cod, bluefin kingfish and speckled snapper, to name a few. Whitespotted rock cod. Another little highlight was when Ronin trolled a little 10 cm Williamson popper 5 m behind the boat when a big GT smashed it and broke his line within a second. The look of sheer panic and disbelief was priceless. With silent contentment and broad smiles we anchored for the last time. At sunset a few casts were made with light-tackle topwater lures more for the sake of reminiscing over the day than to achieve results and the kingies were still hungry. We enjoyed our last braai at Bassas and I decided to go for a push-over try in injury time. Night-time popping can be very effective and worth remembering in future when conditions allow for it. I landed a bigeye kingfish and a small GT on a big cup-faced popper and satisfied, made my last cast. Our voyage back took 36 hours on a calm sea and plenty of time to rest. We lost a marlin but managed to land a shortbill spearfish, but that was of no consequence as we all enjoyed our Battle at Bassas tremendously. Mike’s nominated GT. Will I go again? Most definitely! Not a trip to be ticked off your bucket list only once. Should you go chances are that it will probably reappear on your fishing horizon in the same way that it has done for countless voyages over the centuries. The enigma that is Bassas da India and joining the sweet sound of braid ripping through the guides, shattered rods and screaming reels would be the silent voices of the lost sailors cheering you on with every cast.

Bassas Da India – Jewel of the Deep -2

by Bertus Jansen van Rensburg - Photos: Bertus Jansen van Rensburg and Johan Meyer

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