Why Using a Catamaran is the Best Option for Fishing in Seychelles?

December 10th 2019 in Adventure
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About your next Catamaran Fishing Trip in Seychelles

Seychelles is a group of islands located in the Indian Ocean’s South-Western part. The total land area covered by the islands is of 455.3 square kilometers. A large area of 1.374 million square kilometers off the Indian Ocean is covered by the exclusive economic zone of the islands. Mahé is the biggest island of the group and is also the capital of Seychelles with an area of 148 square kilometers. Even with such a big collection of islands, Mahé contributes about 1/3rd of the total land area of the archipelago. Two of the major islands, as of significance in population and size, are Praslin and LaDigue at the distance of 33.6 km and 48 km from Mahé, respectively.
Luckily, the archipelago is located just outside the cyclone belt. However, they do receive rains for most of the year which makes big game fishing favorable as it helps in balancing the water temperature.

Seychelles has a lot of fascinating history and a stunningly charming beauty. It is as famous with the seamen and tourists today as it was centuries ago, thanks to its ample natural reserve and the government who has worked proactively in preserving it.
In the present day, tourism contributes to more than half of the GDP of Seychelles. It was boosted after the completion of Mahe’s airport which was inaugurated in 1972 by Queen Elizabeth II. The inauguration of the airport was a kick-start to the now flourishing tourism of Seychelles. Establishment of water-sport activities, casinos and robust advertising campaigns was successful in attracting traveller from all around the world. And gradually, people were made aware of the tranquil atmosphere of the Islands, the sandy white beaches, flourishing fauna, lush greenery and overall everything else too. It didn't take long for Seychelles to become one of the most sought after tourist destinations of the world.

The weather in Seychelles is humid and rainy all year long as the Islands are south of the equator.
This makes Seychelles the perfect destination for big game fishing as the water around the islands and drops off is always of favorable temperature for fishing.

That said, Seychelles islands make one of the most famous destinations for tourism and seamen alike. Seychelles islands obtain a significant portion of their collective income via the tourism sector. To ensure the safeguarding of their abundant natural resources, the government of Seychelles have been consistent and punctual in avoiding degradation from mass-tourism or even fishing. They have a very proactive outlook on preserving their natural resources and work for it continuously.

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Catamaran Fishing Trips in Seychelles

There are a total of 115 islands that are part of Seychelles; most of them are not permanently inhabited. The best spots for big game fishing are found on the outer islands and beyond them. For fishing in the inner islands, small boats and lodges are perfect but for big game fishing on the outer islands or drop off or beyond that, a catamaran is the best option you can choose. A catamaran is very useful when you want to go beyond what boats can go, to fresh and abundant fishing spots at the drop-off or farther.

Even on the inner islands like Coetivy, Platte Island, Alphonse, etc. taking a catamaran to fish is a good decision as it has more balance than common boats.

Fishing from a catamaran allow you yo go where other boats cannot go! Your satisfaction is our priority and we are always doing our best for optimizing your fishing experience.

Our customer base is made up of experienced fishermen and as are the tourists who understand the advantages of a catamaran over any other boat.

This is because catamarans are a very stable type of boats and have natural buoyancy which makes them unsinkable! Moving around on the flat decks of catamarans are much more safer than on any other type of boat.

Our catamaran offers a large jigging space on the background of the boat. On the front of the boat, the central master have verb removed so you guys can cast without any problems!

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Why we prefer to avoid using "Center Console" during our catamaran fishing trip

For doing fishing from Mahé or Praslin, it’s easy to find one center console. When it comes to organize big trips outside the Inner Islands with our « non sail catamaran », it’s a total headache. Since last year we are almost stopping to offer that option to our clients.

I will explain you why we don t like to use center console:

  1. The catamaran we use is specially designed to fish directly from it. We removed the main mat to provide an XXL space allowing to accommodate 6 fishermen without difficulty.
  2. Regarding navigation -> Bringing one annex behind the catamaran for over more than 150 kilometers is a risk in case of formed sea. Other agencies already got center console flow because of the sea...
  3. About navigation -> Towing an annex at the rear of the catamaran slows the speed from 3 km to 5 km / h. On a crossing of 10:00 hours, we lose an average of 3 hours of navigation because of the schedule.
  4. Concerning the fishing -> In case of formed sea, the annex is ​​a real headache for all the crew. Rope in the propellers, damage to the catamaran, damage to the tender...
  5. About logistics --> A towed tender increases fuel consumption. Our shipments are far away and the fuel is not unlimited. In the areas where we go fishing, there is nothing. You can not get fuel to recharge the tanks. To give you an idea, on an expedition of 10 days of fishing, we travel on average between 700 and 1200km.
  6. Regarding logistics --> In the interior islands sector, the use of an annex is less risky. You should know that the cost of an annex will be around 950 - 1250 euros per day. A considerable sum on a 7-day fishing session.

Important:

We have been working on site for over 5 years. And this question comes up very often. Our interest and provide a quality trip by eliminating all the problems that can affect the success of your trip.

Level of movement on fishing areas:

We are passionate and unlike some fishing agencies where everything is just timing and business, we do not watch the clock. We always do our best to optimize travel and optimize your fishing time. The big crossings take place at night. We understand the concern of our customers who save all year round to pay for this type of service and we always do their best for them.

About the fishing, we perfectly know our fishing spots and we don’t have to run when we choose to focus on one specific area. Fish are there and we are not the guys who will spend 3 4 hours cruising out on the blue!

Take time to check as much videos as needed concerning our catamaran fishing expedition trip: Our boat have:

2x 54 hp diesel, generator, inverter, water maker, air conditioning, fishing platform with flood lights for night fishing, ray marine 12 inch fish finder, wash down pump, cold plate freezer, over 60 miles license (life raft, satellite phone, etc.)...

The experience and excitement of going on a big game fishing expedition on the Seychelles islands on a sailing catamaran is our speciality! The experts fishermen will choose a catamaran, because it's the best option.

Fish you can catch during our Catamaran Fishing Trips in the Seychelles

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Waters of Seychelles have set the bar for a world record in cases of Pacific Bonito and Dogtooth Tuna, Marlins, Giant Trevally... The outer islands are also popular because of saltwater fly fishing.

You probably might have heard about the different kinds of fish that are attracted to the water around the islands due to their temperature being favorable by the fish. For big game fishing, we suggest you should keep reading to make well-informed decisions. Some of the breathtaking trophy big game fish you can catch from our catamaran are black marlins, blue marlins, giant Trevally, dogtooth tuna, blue Trevally, yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi, sharks and amberjack...

The main fishing techniques we are practicing during our catamarans fishing expeditions are the following: Jigging, popping, casting, live bait fishing, trolling, bottom fishing...

If you want to be ready, you can check our blog article about: « Which Fishing Tackles Should I Bring to the Seychelles »


Fishing Black Marlin during our catamaran fishing trip in the Seychelles

Trolling

Trolling for black marlin can be considered as the most selected technique to catch the fish. It is advised to use 5-7 lures simultaneously for trolling black marlin in Seychelles. Trolling for black marlin on the inshore as well as outer islands is very fun and easy to do with the added help from our expert team of fishermen and skippers. The main advantage to use this method is that it allows covering more ground in a single day and chances of catching a black marlin are increased.

Live Bait Fishing

Another popular technique to catch black marlin is live bait fishing. Drifting a live bait to attract a black marlin is another effective method to ensure your catch. Fishing with attaching live bait to two rods with a small lead and another bigger sinker to get deeper to these deep water fish. By using a slow troll or controlled drift, it gets considerably easy to get your bait in the zone. With using a small yellowfin tuna or a bonito black marlin can be lured out to a more favorable zone.


Fishing Blue Marlin during our catamaran fishing trip in the Seychelles

Trolling

Trolling is also a great method to catch the blue marlin. The fish generally thrives at a depth of 250 ft or deeper so it is important that your line should be long enough to reach such depths and also afford the weight of the fish. Blue marlins usually weigh around 150-500 lbs, our team can help suggest you lines that can handle those weights. These kinds of lines are classified generally as the 50 to 80 lbs line cast. you can use a downrigger to keep your line on a consistent depth.

Live Bait Fishing

You can also catch a big blue marlin using a live bait. Live baits can be divided into two groups for catching a blue marlin- natural rigged and large. Dolphin fish or bonito come in the larger baits whereas mullet and barracuda come in the natural rigged bait. Of course, the types of baits is a matter of personal preference of the experienced fishermen, yet our team is always ready to help.


Fishing Sailfish during our catamaran fishing trip in the Seychelles

Trolling

Trolling for sailfish using plastic lures is a good option to catch one. An advantage of this is that you can troll plastic lures faster than dead or live baits and they also prove better when you need to cover a larger area. Soft head lures like Moldcraft Super Chugger is advised by us.

Live Bait Fishing

You can use a mullet as a live bait to catch a sailfish. It can be slow trolled to bring the fish up in the zone and catch it more efficiently. There are a lot of other baits for sailfish as well. One of the most sought after is small Ballyhoo rig. Some fishermen like to break the beak off to rig it easily. Our team can also suggest you market places where you can buy them pre-rigged. One more is the belly strip or "Panama strip" which is made with the belly of a bonito tuna. We can also target them using switch and bait fishing technique.


Fishing Giant Trevally during our catamaran fishing trip in the Seychelles

Popping

The giant Trevally is a fish that is most attracted to large poppers. You need to cast them as far as you can and reel them in with longer sweeps by the rod to keep the popper kicking out of the water Keep popping including pauses so that the fish has more chance to strike, you don’t want to miss your chance.

Jigging

Jigging for giant trevally is also very fruitful as it is a deepwater fish. To get your jig deeper, use a metal weighted one, it reels up faster with jerky movements that attract the trevally. As the jig gets higher up, drop it down again and repeat until takes occur.


Fishing Blue Trevally during our catamaran fishing trip in the Seychelles

Casting and Popping

From our experience, the best technique to catch a blue trevally is casting and popping. Casting a huge, colourful popper that makes a “pop” sound attracts the blue trevally and makes it attack the popper with a big bite. The blue trevally is a physically demanding fish which also demands attention and patience, thankfully, our team is here to help you with it. You will need a rod that can handle around 8kgs of weight easily. The chances of catching a blue trevally increase when you cast your popper farther away.


Fishing Dogtooth Tuna during our catamaran fishing trip in the Seychelles

Jigging

Jigging is probably one of the best option when you want to target dogtooth tunas during your next fishing trip. This fishing technique is one of our speciality! Jigs between 200g and 400g are strongly recommended if you are looking for serious jigging action. High-speed jigging using the various butterfly and metal jigs and lures has seen an increase in pop.

Live Bait Fishing

Live bait fishing for dogtooth tuna is one of the traditional methods to catch the fish. Rainbow runner and skipjack tuna are a dogtooth’s favorite quarry. Luring by running baits on down rigs can be the most effective method. Another skip bait option also allows fishermen to witness the tuna rise from the depths of the ocean and bite the bait on the surface.

Trolling

You can also catch a dogtooth tuna with trolling it by lures, especially with the plugs that dive deep while trolling. This technique is also often used by big game fishermen.


Fishing Yellowfin Tuna during our catamaran fishing trip in the Seychelles

Casting and Popping

The best fishing technique to catch yellowfin tunas is probably casting and popping. Casting a huge, colorful popper that makes a “pop” sound attracts those monsters out of the blue! Be careful, when you are targeting that fish, always use a PE10 fishing rod with at least 400m of line.

Trolling

For trolling a yellowfin tuna, you can try cedar plugs and plastic skirted lures made for trolling. plugs that can be trolled fast are also great to use. If you’re confused, go with the colors white and blue in combination and also green.

Live Bait Fishing

Sardines and anchovies work well for live baiting a yellowfin tuna. Pacific mackerel and even a live skipjack will work well for medium to bigger sized tunas. Squid are also preferred by the yellowfin tuna, try with whatever is available in the area as they are not picky eaters.


Fishing Amberjack during our catamaran fishing trip in the Seychelles

Jigging

Using vertical jigging to catch amberjack can be considered as the most effective method. Working your jig along with the reel and the rod improves the presentation of the jig to attract the amberjack to attack and take a bite at the offering.

Live Bait Fishing

With live bait fishing for amberjack, you can never go wrong as they are not ‘picky’ for what they’ll eat. Live baits work perfectly while trying to catch amberjack as well as lures and dead baits. Live baits generally include squid, mullet, cigar minnows, etc.


Fishing Wahoo during our catamaran fishing trip in the Seychelles

Trolling

Speed-trolling in a zigzag pattern using 4-5 bullet-shaped lures that wash out fast at high speeds, is a very effective technique to catch wahoo. When you catch a wahoo, let more of your lures pass through the same water from different angles. You may also find them switching tastes to ballyhoo, in that case, switch to slow trolling.

Jigging

It is traditional to always keep a jig stick ready when wanting to catch wahoo in Seychelles. Expert big game fishermen also swear by this method. When in case your trolling rod is off, let the jig take the wheel. Wahoo generally attacks lures in groups. Be careful, Wahoo are cutting the leader quite often. When you are jigging in the Seychelles, we always recommend to bring at least 30 – 35 jigs!


Fishing Mahi-Mahi during our catamaran fishing trip in the Seychelles

Trolling

Most of the time mahi-mahi are caught on trolling lures as rubber skirts dropped for sailfish or a marlin or feathers for tuna. They are ready to eat a lure much larger than the lures made for them in the first place.


If you want to discover more articles about jigging & popping in the Seychelles, we would like to recommend you reading both our articles: Fishing Partners for buy your fishing tackles:

🇫🇷 FRANCE → PecheXtreme

🇪🇸 SPAIN → Navigator Lures

“ The Greatest Experiences Start Where the Road Ends ” YFS
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Credit: Guillaume BENOIT (YFS Team)

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