Large dogtooth Tuna have been my biggest adversary for years, the most frustrating sport fish I have encountered on jigging tackle. They are a true test of patience, luck and of course quality tackle preparation! Numerous large dogtooth captures are a real rarity, recently we were lucky enough to experience some world class dogtooth jigging with DropCast operated by Andrea Traverso in Vanuatu.
Logistically these trips are incredibly difficult. Safety, fuel, gear and getting the permission to fish these remote spots require a heap of preparation; even on this trip our rod tubes didn’t get on the internal flight to Santo and our flight back to Sydney was cancelled altogether!
We spent 9 days with Andrea, experiencing the best that Vanuatu had to offer, catching in excess of 100 Dogtooth Tuna, along with GTs, Napoleon Wrasse, Wahoo, Dolphin Fish, Sailfish, Blue Marlin, Coral Trout, Bar Cod, Ruby Snapper, Yellowfin Tuna, and just about anything else that eats a jig or top water lure.
A nice Napoleon Wrasse for Adam on a stickbait (we were fortunate enough to raise a couple of these, a real treat in these waters!)
A sailfish for rob on a stick bait that performed some nice acrobatics at the boat
A 200-250kg Blue Marlin for Piet, which jumped on between spots. Caught on an Aloha Smashbait
Coral Trout
Wahoo, caught while trolling between spots
The highlight of the trip was two days of crazy action jigging Dogtooth Tuna. Rob started the run of big fish with a 45kg model, with Jay following up on the next drift with a 65kg fish. Rob followed up with a 75kg beast to round out the day. Not to be outdone, the next day Andrew took out first place with an 88kg monster class fish! Adam and Jay followed up with two 50kg models. During all this madness in between these big fish the usual momentous bust offs occurred, sometimes with 4-5 anglers all losing large dogtooth at the same time! A truly unbelievable couple of days of fishing!
The following days saw many more 30kg plus doggies on the deck (including another 52kg model for Andrew), as the boys cruised the islands of Vanuatu.
Some other highlights included:
Dogtooth on an trophy hunter profidgie
Amberjack
Gt on the jigs
A GT finale for the group, casting topwater lures at fusilier schools, just before pulling into the wharf at the end of the trip.
In addition to the fishing, the scenery was spectacular, with much of the action happening alongside towering volcanic islands, draped in lush green rainforest. Where not released, the boys were glad to donate the majority of fish caught to local communities, many of whom still survive on a subsistence basis, travelling short distances in handmade dugout canoes.
If you are interested in an incredible fishing trip to experience the Vanuatu archipelago, look no further than DropCast fishing.
‘Amalu’, Andrea’s boat is a purpose built 46 Cresta, perfect for jigging and topwater fishing. Andrea and crew will go above and beyond to ensure you are well catered for during your trip. Trips of this calibre are incredibly special. I have done enough of them now to realise the preparation, excitement and disappointment that can occur and I know a fantastic operation when I fish with one. This trip to Vanuatu with DropCast operated by Andrea Traverso was a true trip of a lifetime.
Tackle used for the trip:
- Ripple Fisher Ocean Ridge Spin Rod
- JigStar Twisted Sista Overhead Rod
- Jigstar Grommet Double Ring and Grommet
