Hooked On Gambia Homepage - Fishing in The Gambia - Gambia Fishing Trips - Boats & Equipment - Recent Catch Information - Top 10 Catches - Customer Charter - Price List - General Information on The Gambia - Website Map - Contact Us
Welcome to our Gambian angling report for 2004. This report shows what was caught by Hooked On Gambia anglers throughout the year. Enjoy!
The first couple of weeks this time last year proved to be pretty productive followed by a lull in the pre-Christmas fortnight. Here's hoping that as the fishing began to pick up towards the end of November more good fishing will follow. Watch this space.....
Date: |
Angler's Name & Country Of Origin |
Species & Catch Details |
| 30/12/04 | Andy Nicholls - England & Brian Hughes - Scotland | Another repeat customer for Hooked On Gambia, and Andy was looking to better his 12kg Red Snapper caught with us on 15th February 2004. His brother-in-law Brian however, was just trying his hand at fishing for the first time in many years, and what a result - a Captain Fish to 10kg caught on Mantel Reef on live mullet. Not to be outdone, Andy followed this up with 2 barracuda to 7kg caught bottom fishing with Bonga fillet. The boys also had a couple of Butterfish to 3kg as well as Angel Fish and even Frogfish (which are usually only found in the creeks). Well done guys! |
| 28/12/04 | Amerens & Joey Kant - Holland | After our Christmas break it was nice to get back in to the swing of things. Unfortunately strong winds meant a day up the creek and although the conditions were not ideal, the father & son combo still managed to land 8 Red Snapper, a Captain Fish, a Grouper and a couple of 'croaking' Frogfish. |
| 18/12/04 | Tom & Stuart Williams - UK | This time the guys did go to Barra and although the number of fish caught was a lot less than on the 16th, Tom & Stuart did themselves justice with 1 Barracuda (another first), a Thick Lipped Grouper, small Ladyfish and some Catfish. |
| 16/12/04 | Tom & Stuart Williams - UK | After a no show at Barra yesterday, and with the tides picking up and no wind, we sent the father & son combo out to fish some of the inshore reefs. And what a difference to the last few days .... 30 + fish landed! The biggest Butterfish were up to 6kg, and they also had Catfish, Mullet, Wrasse, Angel Fish etc. The guys also missed two big fish (a Captain Fish and a Barracuda judging by the marks on the very dead live bait). And, Stuart having only been Mackerel fishing with Dad before is looking forward to his next trip. |
| 15/12/04 | Dave & Val Hall - UK | Last day fishing for Dave & Val and Father Frank was nowhere to be seen - aaarghhhH! Neap tides meant that the best chance of a decent fish was going to be Barra again. Unfortunately Barra disappointed (no fish) so the two decided to come back in to Denton via the wrecks in the creek system. And, once again, the day was rescued at the death with a couple of nice Red Snapper a Grouper, Frogfish et al. Thank you both for keeping us entertained with your fishing travelogue, we loved having you! |
| 14/12/04 | Brian Grunnill & Maurice Deighton - UK | Last day fishing, and with fingers and toes crossed and a blessing courtesy of Father Frank (who just happened to be going out fishing himself), the boys found themselves back out fishing some of the inshore marks once again. Clearly, after landing only a few smaller reef fish, it wasn't the sandwich fillings either - Sorry Guys!!!! |
| 13/12/04 | Brian Grunnill & Maurice Deighton - UK | After a few days off the 'boys' headed back out to the reefs, but another pretty disappointing day ensued (a couple of Butterfish and smaller reef fish) and no big fish were tempted by the bait - or by the change in sandwich fillings either. Cheese & onion again tomorrow? |
| 12/12/04 | Dave & Val Hall - UK | Hoping that the pirogue fishermen hadn't been able to get out to reset their nets because of the wind, a trip out to one of the inshore reefs was in order (well, variety is the spice of life, and not just Val's curries!) Today the couple landed Butterfish, Wrasse, Angel Fish and, believe it or not Frogfish which are usually found in the creeks. |
| 10/12/04 | Dave & Val Hall - UK | The wind was down in the morning and the two of them decided that it was time to head over to Barra afterall. Although the bottom fishing was pretty unproductive, Dave & Val rescued the day by landing 4 Barracuda whilst trolling. |
| 08/12/04 | Dave & Val Hall - UK | As the wind was up again in the morning (courtesy of a mid Atlantic storm) Dave & Val headed up the creeks for a spot of wreck fishing. A Butterfish, 11 Red Snapper (to 2kg) and several Frogfish (which Dave informs us is like an Estuary Cod) later, they decided it wasn't worth going out to Barra sea fishing afterall........ |
| 07/12/04 | Brian Grunnill & Maurice Deighton - UK | Maurice & Brian set out hoping that they'd have a few more fish than yesterday. Well, a Thick Lipped Grouper and a good sized Jack Trevally (as well as the usual assortment of smaller reef fish, Angels, Doctor, Wrasse etc.) bottom fishing and trolling on the inshore reefs wasn't bad in spite of all the nets. And, yes - we'd love a copy of that photo Maurice when you do finally get back to the Isle of Arran. |
| 06/12/04 | Brian Grunnill - UK | OK- so maybe it wasn't Dave & Val afterall .... a very poor day all round. But as Brian say's 'That's Fishing'! Or, maybe it has something to do with the number of nets and longlines that have appeared around some of our inshore marks. |
| 05/12/04 | Dave & Val Hall - UK | After a
few years away from The Gambia, Dave & Val are back and it was a 'reel'
pleasure to see them both again! Now here's a lady who can fish
(former world record holder) and we're expecting great things.....
A day at Barra produced a nice Captain fish, Wrasse and Angel fish - a slow start but they've got a few more days yet! |
| 01/12/04 | Brian Grunnill - UK | Spurred on by the previous day's catch, Brian wanted another shot at the Cassava off Barra. And, another late start due to strong winds did not deter Brian who returned with a 5kg cassava and a nice Captain Fish of 7kg. If only the wire trace hadn't broken on the other much larger fish ...... but it'll still be there another day! |
At last the 'peak season' is with us and the bookings are looking healthy. So here's to light winds (preferably not Julbrew induced) and tight lines!
Date: |
Angler's Name & Country Of Origin |
Species & Catch Details |
| 30/11/04 | Brian Grunnill - UK | Brian's best catch to date this holiday with 2 Cassava to 15kg caught on live mullet bottom fishing off Barra, once the wind had finally dropped off. |
| 28/11/04 | Brian & Brian Evans - UK | Today just goes to show that no two days fishing are the same. Unfortunately the boys were looking for those big Snapper and didn't find them. |
| 27/11/04 | John Onions & Paul Sanders - UK | OK, so the last time these two went fishing was for Sticklebacks in their local stream as kids, but heh - an 11.5kg Red Snapper, 2 good sized Thick Lipped Grouper and an assortment of other smaller reef fish wasn't a bad result bottom fishing on one of the inshore reefs! |
| 26/11/04 | Brian, & Cheryl Evans, Brian & Tasha - UK | Not to be left out, the 'girls' joined the 'boys' for a days creek fishing, and who had the biggest fish????? Well done Cheryl who landed a good sized Ladyfish on her own fishing rod. The rest of the days catch included 8 Red Snapper as well as Frogfish and even a sea snake. |
| 25/11/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Squeezing in an hours fishing for ourselves we had a nice Barracuda trolling. |
| 24/11/04 | Brian & Brian Evans - UK | More Brian's and repeat customers and back out on the reefs again. A mix of trolling and bottom fishing produced a Barracuda, Grouper, a 7kg Butterfish, 9-Bones as well as an assortment of smaller reef fish. |
| 23/11/04 | Brian Grunnill - UK | Yet another day on the reef for Mr Brian and today's catch included another 2 Barracuda (trolling). |
| 22/11/04 | Brian Grunnill - UK | Reef trip produced a few more fish today with a nice Barracuda, Doctors, Wrasse (including the Brown Wrasse variety) Angel Fish and some Frogfish. |
| 20/11/04 | Brian Grunnill & Mike Parsons - UK | After a very warm Hooked On Gambia welcome back to Brian Grunnill, and blessed with light winds once more, we headed back to Barra. Even Mr Brian's special fish-catching sandwich fillings couldn't encourage a feeding frenzy. Nevertheless, the guys managed to whittle out a couple of nice fish on what was otherwise a very quiet fishing day in The Gambia. Mike landed a 5kg Red Snapper and Brian a Thick Lipped Grouper (1.5kg) both bottom fishing on lighter gear. |
| 18/11/04 | Mike Parsons - UK | The strong cross-offshore winds was going to make for a pretty uncomfortable day at sea, so we took Mike up the Bolongs for a spot of Creek fishing instead. Although the tide was a little on the slow side for the bigger species found up there, Mike still landed a couple of nice Red Snapper and a Butterfish. And, this being Mike's first trip to The Gambia, a good introduction to the peaceful Bolongs with their abundant birdlife. |
| 16/11/04 | David Williams - UK | As the tide's were getting smaller, we headed over towards Barra on the other side of the River Gambia before moving back to the inshore reefs off Bakau, landing a Stingray, Black Jotta (a member of the Cassava family) and small Barracuda. |
| 15/11/04 | David Williams - UK | Reef & Tarpon Trip produced a small Stingray, Pompano, Amber Jack and frustration. A couple of Tarpon were seen, but obviously weren't interested in taking the bait and several small Barracuda 'played' with the Rapalas but never made it to the boat. |
| 08/11/04 | David O'Hogan - UK | Reef trip produced a 'tail-walking' 9-Bones, a 5kg Stingray, some Butterfish and Angel Fish. |
| 03/11/04 | Robert & Richard Barr - UK | One last day at sea for the father and son combo and we were hoping for better things. This time the guys landed 2 Barracuda to 4kg (trolling) a couple of Thick Lipped Grouper, a Stingray (10kg), some good looking Butterfish (who are we trying to kid?) as well as the smaller reef fish on the bottom. |
| 01/11/04 | Robert Barr - UK | Another day another dollar, if only the fishing was as predictable. Today's reef trip produced some good sized Butterfish, Red Snapper (but not the monster that got away - again!) as well as the usual assortment of smaller reef fish. |
Hopefully with the bulk of the 'rains' behind us, we can look forward to a steady improvement in inshore and river fishing conditions. Already, the air temperature and humidity is beginning to drop and the mornings certainly feel a bit fresher. And, although Lady Rita has to come out of the water for her annual 'make-over' prior to the start of the peak tourist season, we'll try to keep you posted with some up to date fishing news ......
Date: |
Angler's Name & Country Of Origin |
Species & Catch Details |
| 31/10/04 | Robert & Richard Barr - UK | Reef trip produced 2 Barracuda to 3.5kg whilst trolling and a nice Cassava (5.5kg) as well as small Butterfish, Doctor Fish, Wrasse, Angel Fish etc. whilst bottom fishing with a mix of dead and live bait. |
| 29/10/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Suffering severe withdrawal from fishing ourselves we decided to head out to the reefs. Nothing much was happening around Cape Point and Mantel Reef so we headed on down the coast whilst picking up 3 Barracuda (again to 4kg) and thumb burn as we lost a monster Red Snapper whilst bottom fishing off Devil Reef there was just no stopping this one..........! |
| 26/10/04 | Hans & Kent Ljungberg - Sweden | Joined by his son, Hans wanted to go after the Tarpon, so with an earlier start we headed out towards the marks around Bakau. Even though we saw the Tarpon they were obviously not in a feeding frenzy but the Jack's were and provided some good sport. Kent then lost one Barracuda trolling but more than made up for it whilst bottom fishing on another nearby mark rounding the day off nicely with a nice sized Moray Eel, some Sorpion Fish, Doctor Fish, Wrasse, Angel Fish etc. |
| 25/10/04 | Hans Ljungberg - Sweden | Having spent 3 weeks on Lady Rita's annual make-over we were really looking forward to getting back out and catching some fish. We'd heard that the Barracuda were still running off some of the inshore reefs and that Tarpon had been sighted recently off the coast. Caught out by a big spring tide made bigger by the prevailing wind and rainfall upriver, we were unable to get under Denton Bridge for high tide for the Tarpon. However we still managed to get some trolling in and Hans landed 3 Barracuda to 4kg. |
| 02/10/04 | Ivan, Patrick & Trevor Hutchinson - UK | Whilst we were keeping our fingers crossed for the 3 guys from Bridlington, they were out having some fun around the inshore reefs. And, before the effects of the sun and heat forced an early finish, they landed 4 Butterfish to 7kg (the biggest we've seen this year!), Red Snapper, Thick Lipped Grouper, Doctor Fish, Angel Fish and Wrasse whilst bottom fishing and lost 2 Barracuda whilst trolling. |
With the end of August a bit of a wash-out (thanks not only to the weather but also a mystery flu virus that knocked us for 6), we are holding our breaths to see what September will bring! Rumor has it that the Barracuda have started making a reappearance along the coastline again so, providing the weather holds and we don't come down with anything else ......
Date: |
Angler's Name & Country Of Origin |
Species & Catch Details |
| 26/09/04 | Elaine Morris - The Gambia & Hooked On Gambia | More rain during the night meant that we weren't particularly optimistic about a day up the Creek however, a promise is a promise, and we did manage to whittle out a couple of Catfish, a big Frogfish and a nice 3kg Red Snapper not to mention another Creek Fishing convert! |
| 25/09/04 | Hooked On Gambia | After a prolonged spell of dirty water resulting from yet more rain, and upon hearing rumours of some big 'Cuda catches further down the coast at Tanji, we headed out to some of the inshore reefs close to Denton to see what, if anything, was going on. However after trolling for more than a couple of hours and only losing one big take we decided to call it a day. |
| 03/09/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Wouldn't you just know it - we finally manage to get out on the boat (albeit up the Creek) and 1 hour and a 5kg Sunpat later we are trying to outrun a storm. Having decided that Lamin Lodge was the closer option we got there just in time to witness one of the biggest squalls to hit this 'rainy' season. 3 hours later, we were back on the peanut wrecks, but by then the water was full of debris and it looked as though even the fish had given it up for the day! |
Well August has certainly brought some rain with it. Some of the local news stations are reporting that The Gambia has already had more rain this year than the whole of the 'rainy season' last year, and who was it who said that it normally rained during the night????? We've tried to arrange our fishing trips around the weather however, it has meant a couple of damp anglers from time to time. We overheard one angler saying that he really didn't mind as the rain was warmer than in Europe, however you were better prepared for it in Europe..... ah well, the joys of fishing in paradise heh?
Date: |
Angler's Name & Country Of Origin |
Species & Catch Details |
| 20/08/04 | Hooked On Gambia | With a window of 'dry' weather forecast for 24 hours, we headed out to the Reef and landed an 11kg Captain Fish, 3 Butterfish, a couple of Jacks and Angel Fish. |
| 19/08/04 | Tara, Clive, Chelsea & Dave - Footsteps Eco Lodge, Gunjur | Having enjoyed the hospitality of Footsteps Eco Lodge, it was our turn to act as host for the day and give Chelsea and Clive the opportunity to try out their new fishing rods. A Creek & Lamin Lodge trip produced 1 Butterfish (well done Tara!), 3 Red Snapper, Sunpats, a lot of laughs as well as one or two 'splashes' of rain - read here thunderbolts and lightning!!!!! |
| 14/08/04 | Tara Bliss (the UK contact for Footsteps), her 2 children Chelsea & Clive & Hooked On Gambia | Waking up to much better weather, we headed down to Kartung to fish the beach there. Even though there was still quite a swell running we still managed to catch some catfish and a Butterfish and introduce Tara and Co. to the pleasures of fishing. |
| 13/08/04 | Footsteps Eco Lodge, Gunjur & Hooked On Gambia | Time for some R&R, and we ended up being blown off the beach at Gungur. Impossible fishing conditions meant we only tried drowning 2 shrimps before packing up and heading back to the comfort of Footsteps - well there's always another day..... |
| 10/08/04 | Brian Evans & Clayton Guest - UK | Brian & Clayton decided to leave the girls for a few hours (safe in the knowledge that credit cards are not widely accepted out here) and headed back out to the mouth of the River Gambia. The 'choppy' sea conditions, aided with some ground baiting (courtesy of Brian who'd not being feeling well for a couple of days) still produced 2 Cassava to 7.5kg, a couple of good-sized Grouper, an Octopus and Frogfish. And to top it all off, the Dolphins were still very much in evidence, swimming right up alongside the boat enabling Clayton to get some really good photos. |
| 09/08/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Deciding last minute to have a couple of hours out on the boat ourselves we headed out to Barra. Unfortunately we forgot that we'd brought Lady Rita in on the mud rather than leaving her on the mooring and missed the best part of the tide whilst we waited for some water to float her off . Nevertheless, a Cassava to 5kg and the sight of 100's of Dolphins more than made up for it! |
| 08/08/04 | Clayton & Angela Guest - UK | Having spent years watching her children fish, Angela decided it was time to have a go..... Fishing in the main channel just off Barra in the mouth of the River Gambia, Angela & Clayton caught 5 hard-headed Catfish to 5kg and a Cassava - well done Girl! |
| 07/08/04 | Brian & Cheryl Evans - UK | For a change of scenery, Brian & Cheryl spent the day up the creek. Having missed the best part of the tide whilst we waited for the rain to stop, they still landed a Cassava to 3kg, small Snapper, a Stingray, Butterfish, 2 Grouper, a small Captain Fish, as well as Angel Fish, Jotta's and Sunpats. |
| 05/08/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Another exploratory beach session was a complete wash out. Weed in the water coupled with the recent rain water wash-off and no bites after 1 hour! |
| 04/08/04 | Brian Evans & Clayton Guest - UK | The great thing about The Gambia is the ease with which you meet new friends. Brian, accompanied by Clayton (who he met in the hotel) spent another day out on the reef. However the bigger fish weren't playing ball. Nevertheless, they had great fun with smaller Wrasse, Angel Fish, Grouper and Sunpats on the lighter gear. |
| 02/08/04 | Brian Evans - UK | Brian was eager to get straight back out to the reef and this time landed small Cassava, another 'thick lipped' Grouper, Butterfish and 2 small Captain Fish. |
| 01/08/04 | Brian & Cheryl Evans - UK | A very warm, if damp, welcome back to Brian & Cheryl who fished with us in February & March this year. Cheryl, determined to find her sea legs this time around accompanied Brian to the reef. 2 cassava to 7kg, a 'thick lipped' Grouper, Sunpats, Angel Fish and one very happy Cheryl. What a result - Well Done Cheryl! |
Thanks to our regular visitors who were wondering where we were, we're actually updating the website on a weekly basis again. So, what will July bring....? Well, June saw the return of the big Captain Fish, and our first trip in July did not disappoint. Read on for what else we've been up to........
Date: |
Angler's Name & Country Of Origin |
Species & Catch Details |
| 29/07/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Well, it just goes to show that no two days are alike when fishing in The Gambia. Pouring down with rain, a stiff breeze and after a couple of hours off Cape Point and nothing to show for it, we headed home. Our best catch of the day therefore had to be Dianne the 'Sheila' angler who we brought back in off one of the other boats. You looked a lot better once on dry land and we're sure the T-shirt will look great on Bob - THANK YOU! |
| 28/07/04 | Steve Sweet & Rob Ellison - UK | Steve a charter boat skipper from Lyme Regis chose The Gambia for a bit of a busman's holiday. We were absolutely delighted that the fish fed well off Cape Point, in spite of the damp start. And between them, they managed to land 4 Captain Fish to 15kg, a Stingray of 2kg and we mustn't forget to mention the bucket of 'Big Eye' livebait that Rob had so much fun jigging for!! |
| 22/07/04 | Ross Keightley - UK & Joel - Senegal | Undeterred by the lack of Captain's on the 18th, and encouraged by the sight of big Captain Fish at Bakau Fish Market, Ross was back for another go. Once again, the Captain's failed to put in appearance. Maybe they were aware that today was a national holiday in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the July 22nd Revolution and were put off by the very low flying Jet fighter (or flying gunship as Dembo called it)....? Nevertheless, Ross & Joel did catch some Butterfish (a first for Ross) which we hope tasted good cooked up for dinner! |
| 18/07/04 | Ross Keightley - UK | Having fished all around the World, Ross wasn't bothered with Barracuda or even Tarpon, but never having caught a Captain Fish, we headed out and anchored off Cape Point. Unfortunately, the Captain's weren't in an obliging mood (although we did miss 2 good hits). Fortunately, the Garfish were still around providing some good fun. |
| 14/07/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Hungry for some more Captain Fish action, we were back off Cape Point, and another morning session produced 2 Captains to 15kg and some great sport in the form of Garfish fishing. |
| 10/07/04 | Hooked On Gambia & Footsteps Eco Lodge (Gunjur) | We awoke to a very heavy downpour, but given that further work on our roof appeared to be holding this time, we headed on down the coast to Gunjur to enjoy the company of the staff at Footsteps Eco Lodge once more. Having moved the 5 or 6 cows on, we had miles of beach to ourselves and even a strong surf didn't prevent us from having a few casts. After landing several Catfish and only one Grouper we decided to make the most of the bath-like water and waves and go 'body surfing' instead! Who said fishing was all about catching fish?????? |
| 08/07/04 | Hooked On Gambia | After the blow on the 7th, the Captain's have dispersed and we only managed to catch small Reef fish. But heh - that's fishing for you! |
| 07/07/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Strong gusts of wind ahead of a weather front forced a day ashore. |
| 06/07/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Another few hours and another 2 Captain Fish to 11.5kg. |
| 05/07/04 | Neville (National Watersport Centre) - The Gambia & Hooked On Gambia | Now, we know that we say that we won't fish the same locations day in day out, but when the fishing is this good, and believe us fishing for Captain Fish is great sport (just ask Nev.), we were back off the Cape again. This time we landed 2 Captain Fish to 12kg and a small Cassava of 3.5kg. |
| 01/07/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Another hot day, but it was worth it. After just a couple of hours, again off Cape Point, we'd landed 2 Captain Fish to 16kg. |
Can anyone tell us where June has gone? We have obviously been enjoying ourselves fishing (as well as dodging the occasional downpour - just 2 to date) that the time has just flown! And for those of you who were aware of our leaking roof last 'rainy' season - for info. the remedial work didn't work!!!!!!
So, what has happened so far this month? Well, the highlight has to be one of a group of 9 Czechoslovakian's breaking the unofficial World Record for a Captain Fish caught on 15kg line on the13th! Unlucky for some, but not for our anglers it seems! Otherwise, the Tarpon have been moving in-shore (as to be expected at this time of year) and can now be seen rolling under Denton Bridge itself - not that it makes them any easier to catch. And, finally the water seems to have warmed up sufficiently for the Barracuda to make a reappearance. So here's to screaming reels!
Date: |
Angler's Name & Country Of Origin |
Species & Catch Details |
| 30/06/04 | Hooked On Gambia | OK, so Dembo redeemed himself, this time we bagged 3 Captain's to 11kg, another Butterfish and a few Angel Fish off Cape Point. |
| 29/06/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Another morning off Cape Point produced a giant 7kg Butterfish but little else after Dembo let a big Captain Fish go.....! |
| 28/06/04 | Hooked On Gambia | A very hot few hours up the creek produced Cassava and a Red Snapper. |
| 26/06/04 | Hooked On Gambia | After delaying our departure due to gathering rain clouds (we're obviously becoming 'fair weather' anglers) we missed the Captain's and 'Cuda's which fed at slack water. However a couple of hours off Cape Point still produced Wrasse, 'Thick Lipped' Grouper, Angel Fish and the ubiquitous Butterfish. |
| 21/06/04 | Hooked On Gambia | So, we needed a few days off.... as did the fish apparently, with only one Red Snapper being caught on the wrecks in the Creek system. |
| 17/06/04 | Neville (National Watersport Centre) - The Gambia & Hooked On Gambia | Clearly, they all want to see a bit of the action over at the Watersport Centre on the other side of Denton Bridge! And, not to be outdone by his colleague Terry, we landed a Red 'Cubera' Snapper, 3 'beautiful' Pink Snapper (to 3kg), and several Wrasse. |
| 13/06/04 | 9 Czechoslavakian's
(with a special mention for Mr Cerveny) |
OK - so we didn't put them all on our boat - but we did charter extra boats for the day. And, what a day!!!! Pompano, Angel Fish, Wrasse, Jack Trevalle and a whopping 38kg Captain Fish caught on board one boat. A new unofficial World Record and definitely a Gambia Record! Unfortunately, it wasn't caught onboard our boat so we can't enter it in our League Table of Top 10 Hooked On Gambia Catches - SORRY! |
| 11/06/04 | Karen Kamtan & Rautus Snallegamge - Holland | A great day on the Reef produced a 'thick lipped' Grouper, Ladyfish, Cassava, Angel Fish and lots of Butterfish. |
| 08/06/04 | Terry (National Watersport Centre) - The Gambia & Hooked On Gambia | After a day off, we managed another 6 nice Cassava - yup, you guessed it - in the Crocodile Pool, and they're getting bigger by the day! Terry's definitely hooked..... |
| 06/06/04 | Terry (National Watersport Centre) - The Gambia & Hooked On Gambia | 3 more nice Cassava in the Crocodile Pool - OK so it's easy fishing at this time of the year..... and Terry's hooked! |
| 05/06/04 | Terry (National Watersport Centre) - The Gambia & Hooked On Gambia | Back in the Crocodile Pool - and more (4 this time) Cassava's to show for our efforts. Welcome back to the magical world of angling Terry! |
| 04/06/04 | Hooked On Gambia | OK - so we're back from our relaxing weekend in Gunjur and back out on the boat. And, just to prove that you don't have to go to sea to catch good fish at this time of the year, we spent a few hours in the 'Crocodile Pool' - just under Denton Bridge itself. 2 Cassava's later and not a croc in sight. For those of you who have never been here, there are no crocodiles in the pool - Honest! |
As the peak tourist season draws to a close, the weather and fishing is beginning to improve (well it couldn't get any worse could it?) Over the next few months, the number of trips that we do will be considerably less than during the winter months, however we shall endeavor to keep you up to date on what we're catching as and when we do get out.
Date: |
Angler's Name & Country Of Origin |
Species & Catch Details |
| 31/05/04 | Hooked On Gambia & Footsteps Eco Lodge (Gunjur) | Anxious to make the most of our last day in Gunjur, we were back down the beach again, but 2 casts, 2 Sunpats and lots of weed later we gave up and headed home. |
| 30/05/04 | Hooked On Gambia & Footsteps Eco Lodge (Gunjur) | Another beautiful day in the company of staff and other guests at the Eco Lodge did not deter us from getting back down to the beach in time for low water turn. This time we landed Cassava, Captain Fish, Sunpats and Rays and converted yet more individuals into anglers! |
| 29/05/04 | Hooked On Gambia & Footsteps Eco Lodge (Gunjur) | Finally taking the time to go down the coast, we found ourselves beach fishing in Gunjur. Having got the tide times completely wrong on this, our first day, we only managed to whittle out a few sunpats, whilst the local fisherman were already sitting on bagfuls of fish on our arrival! |
| 28/05/04 | Hooked On Gambia | A trip to Barra (over the other side of the mouth of the River Gambia) produced 4 Cassava to 3 kg and Sunpats (also to 3 kg). |
| 22/05/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Back to the Reef again - only this time we only managed 3 Pompano (the largest weighing in at 6kg!) and a couple of Butterfish. |
| 21/05/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Another beautiful day on the Reef produced Cassava, Pompano, 'Thick Lips' Grouper, Butterfish and Angel Fish as well as a different species of the Snapper family apparently called Waarren in Wollof. |
| 15/05/04 | Hooked On Gambia | A day spent Butterfish bashing off Cape Point. |
| 13/05/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Seizing the opportunity of a 'longed for' gap in the weather we headed out to Barra to capitalise on the last of the smaller neap tides, resulting in 2 nice Cassava, a Catfish to 3kg and the biggest Sunpats (4kg) that we've ever seen. |
| 05/05/04 | Peter & Pauline Robson - England | One last reef trip for Peter (whilst the women went shopping) on his last day - it's just a shame that the 'reel ripper' ended up in a snagged line on the reef. |
| 03/05/04 | Peter & Pauline Robson - England | A better day for a Creek trip for Peter & Pauline resulted in a Red Snapper and more Sunpats. Dare we mention the 4 that they lost????? |
Here we go again ..... April has kicked off with strong winds and sea swell, and whilst we don't necessarily believe in the JuJu man, we may well have to pay him a visit to see if he can do something about the weather!
Joking aside, roll on calmer weather normally associated with the off-season period!
Date: |
Angler's Name & Country Of Origin |
Species & Catch Details |
| 30/04/04 | Peter & Pauline Robson - England | At last, out at sea, Peter managed to hook up a nice Pompano, Angel Fish and Doctor Fish before Butterfish Bashing on Cape Point. Thanks to the local fishermen, we couldn't get anywhere near Mantle Reef due to the number of nets dotted all over it!. |
| 29/04/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Whilst Rory had a lie in (well, it was his last day) we decided to drown a few Shrimp and Bonga. Even up the Creek, the wind kept holding us off the wreck marks, so undeterred we anchored up back under Denton Bridge and managed to whittle out a 1.5kg Grouper as well as Angel Fish, small Captain Fish etc. We think you made the right call Rory! |
| 28/04/04 | Rory Batho - England | With a small window in the weather, a trip to Barra produced a nice 15kg Stingray, Catfish to 2kg as well as a few Jotta's, before the wind picked up yet again! |
| 27/04/04 | Rory Batho - England | A planned beach trip became a dangle off Denton Bridge itself (in order to get some shelter from the wind). Nevertheless, Rory had some Cassava's, Angel Fish and Jotta's. |
| 27/04/04 | Peter & Pauline Robson - England | Forced in to The Creek again (due to strong winds) Pauline & Pete managed to whittle out a 1.5kg Sunpat as well as smaller creek fish. |
| 25/04/04 | Rory & Mary Batho - England | Another successful Creek & Lamin Lodge Trip for Rory (who fished with us back in November). This time, accompanied by his mum, Rory produced 6 Red Snapper to 4kg as well as 3 small Grouper and, yup you guessed it, more Frogfish! |
| 24/04/04 | Peter & Pauline Robson - England | Creek & Lamin Lodge Trip produced a nice 6kg Ladyfish, 2 Red Snapper to 2kg as well as the omnipresent Frogfish. Unfortunately, the two Captain Fish that were hooked up found refuge in the mangrove roots ...... |
| 22/04/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Another break in the weather, and back out to the reef again. Although, this time we only managed to bag a pompano and 8 Butterfish (the largest weighing in at 6kg). |
| 20/04/04 | Hooked On Gambia | At last a relatively calm day so we took advantage and headed out to the reef. The trip was very productive with a very nice 12.5kg Red Snapper, a couple of nice sized Pompano, Angel Fish and Catfish. We also lost 2 Barracuda that hit our live bait on the bottom! |
| 19/04/04 | Mark Long - Ireland & Yasmin Iqbal - England | Creek Trip produced some nice Grouper and Cassava as well as the usual Frogfish and even a Cuttlefish! |
| 16/04/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Desperate for a day out ourselves, we were also forced to head off up the creek due to the strong winds. Specimen fishing for the bigger Captain Fish that move around up there, we returned empty handed. |
| 14/04/04 | John Gladwin - England | Creek Trip produced very little in the way of fish, but Dembo & John appeared to have had a good day anyway. |
| 13/04/04 | John Whitten & Dave Harris - England | Reef Trip produced Butterfish, Pompano and a Jack until a fresh wind forced a return to the creeks where the guys had a Red Snapper and a small Tallapi. |
| 11/04/04 | John & Sue Gladwin - England | Creek & Lamin Lodge Trip produced 2 nice Ladyfish to 6kg as well as a selection of small creek fish. |
| 08/04/04 | Peter Gaunt - Wales | Creek Trip produced a selection of small creek fish. |
| 07/04/04 | Graham Webber - England | Creek Trip produced a 3kg Red Snapper, Grouper, Frogfish and other smaller creek fish. |
| 06/04/04 | Peter & Dan Gaunt - Wales | Reef & Creek Combo produced Butterfish, Pompano, Grouper, Catfish and the omnipresent Frogfish in the creek, |
| 05/04/04 | Mark & Tim Hudders - England | Creek & Lamin Lodge Trip produced a selection of small creek fish. |
| 04/04/04 | Peter & Dan Gaunt - Wales | Creek Trip produced a Grouper, a Silver Eel, small Captain Fish and several Angel Fish. |
| 03/04/04 | Adrian & Stephen Black - Scotland | With perfect conditions for reef fishing (at last) we were absolutely gutted (no pun intended) when the engine started making odd noises after only half an hour trolling round to Cape Point. We therefore aborted the day, agreeing that it was better to be safe than sorry, and headed back for Denton Bridge. |
| 02/04/04 | Adrian Black - Scotland | Yet another productive day in the creek. Adrian landed a 10kg Cassava (after a good fight on the lighter gear), 2 Red Snapper, a Jack Trevelle and a Grouper. |
After the strong onshore winds towards the end of February, things had definitely got to improve....
Meeting up with Pieter Strijker and his friends Bob and Joop on the 1st March in their hotel, we were surprised when they said that they would have 'calm' weather and would be able to get out and fish the reefs. This based on their experience of shark fishing in Ireland, when they were the only group of anglers who managed to get out and fish during a period of bad weather when all other fish trips were cancelled. And, yes, you guessed it, they were right. What's the saying about Dutch Courage?
Unfortunately, the Dutch weather appears to have left with them. With onshore winds making a reappearance towards the end of the month, only those with sturdier sea legs have ventured out to the reefs, whilst the fish appear to have moved back in to the creek systems for a bit of respite.
Date: |
Angler's Name & Country Of Origin |
Species & Catch Details |
| 30/03/04 | Bob Miles & Kevin Allen - England | Also spent the day up the Creek catching an assortment of small fish. |
| 30/03/04 | Brian Grunnill - England & Pete Sculthorp - The Gambia | Forced in to the Creek system again, the boys nevertheless had a very productive day landing a Cassava of 11kg, a Barracuda of around 4kg, plus Grouper, Tallapi, Frogfish etc. |
| 29/03/04 | Brian Grunnill, Tony & Tracy - England | Creek Trip (wind was too strong to consider going out to the reef) produced 2 Red Snapper, a good sized Tallapi (courtesy of Tracy), small Captain Fish, Garfish, Wrasse, Cassava, Sunpat and Angel Fish. They also managed to lose a Barracuda. |
| 28/03/04 | Jozsef Farkas, Ferenc Keller & Balazs Szabo - Hungary | One last trip up the Creek, before heading off for Dakar, the boys managed to land a Barracuda of 4kg and a Tallapi. |
| 27/03/04 | Gary & Frances Hipple - England | Creek Trip produced a Cassava, a Tallapi and an assortment of other creek fish. |
| 27/03/04 | Damien Ghee & Andrew - England | Creek Trip produced a 1kg Red Snapper, a Grouper, a Tallapi, Butterfish and the omnipresent Frogfish etc. |
| 26/03/04 | Damien Ghee & Andrew - England | Creek Trip produced a Red Snapper, a Grouper, a Tallapi as well as small Captain Fish, Catfish , Frogfish etc. |
| 25/03/04 | Alan and his lovely partner (apologies but we forgot to write down your names!!!) - England | Reef trip produced 2 Cassava to approx. 7.5kg, Butterfish and Catfish. |
| 25/03/04 | Damien Ghee & Andrew - England | Reef trip produced 2 Cassava to approx. 6.5kg, Catfish, Wrasse and other small reef fish. Congratulations to Andy who managed to hold on to his stomach for the duration. |
| 24/03/04 | Damien Ghee & Andrew - England | A morning's beach fishing in front of the Atlantic Hotel in Banjul only produced a couple of small Cassava. But we all enjoyed the après fish courtesy of the Atlantic's poolside bar! |
| 24/03/04 | Jozsef Farkas, Ferenc Keller & Balazs Szabo - Hungary | Gripped by Captain Fish fever, the boys headed back up the creek again, this time adding a couple of Stingray and a Red Snapper to a smaller Captain Fish. |
| 23/03/04 | Jozsef Farkas, Ferenc Keller & Balazs Szabo - Hungary | Creek Trip produced a Captain Fish of 5kg giving a good fight on lighter spinning gear, as well as a range of creek fish. |
| 22/03/04 | Jozsef Farkas, Ferenc Keller & Balazs Szabo - Hungary | After arriving in The Gambia late the night before, these intrepid hungarians had an easy half day on the reef catching some nice Butterfish and smaller reef fish. |
| 21/03/04 | Ray Omsworth & Alan Cunlisse - England | Released by their better halves to celebrate a birthday - as only anglers know how - Ray & Alan fished the reefs producing an assortment of small reef fish. |
| 20/03/04 | Chris Wilson - England | Reef Trip only produced small reef fish. The Cassava and Snapper obviously spooked off by the large number of boats there on the back of yesterday's good catch reports. |
| 19/03/04 | Brian Grunnill - England | Today's reef trip couldn't have been more different. Brian landed 4 decent Cassava off Mantel to 7kg as well as the usual Catfish and other reef fish. |
| 18/03/04 | Brian Grunnill & Phil Murphy - England | As nothing was happening on Mantel Reef the boys decided to go Butterfish Bashing off Cape Point. They also had a lot of Catfish and other small reef fish. |
| 16/03/04 | Chris & Cathy Wilson - England | Reef Trip produced 12 Butterfish (including Striped Butterfish), a small Snapper of 1.5kg, Angel Fish and other small reef fish. |
| 15/03/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Reef Trip produced Cassava, Striped Butterfish, Angel fish and other small reef fish. We did however loose 2 big snapper - much to our dismay! |
| 12/03/04 | Chris & Cathy Wilson - England | Half day creek Trip produced small fish caught on the peanut wrecks. |
| 12/03/04 | Brian Grunnill - England | Reef Trip produced a good looking Red Snapper of 6.5kg (he wasn't going to lose this one) as well as Butterfish and smaller reef fish. |
| 11/03/04 | Brian Grunnill - England | Reef Trip produced 3 Butterfish, Catfish, Shiny Nose etc. However, Brian did have 3 much larger takes, but lost them. |
| 09/03/04 | Hooked On Gambia | On the back of sightings of Tarpon on the 8th, we decided to go and see for ourselves. Unfortunately, they'd obviously been spooked the day before, because we didn't see anything. Nevertheless, we caught lots of Catfish, small Lady Fish and Jotta's and enjoyed the company of dolphins on our way back in. |
| 06/03/04 | Pieter, Bob & Joop - Holland | Creek & Reef Combo produced 3 Butterfish, a couple of Angel Fish and a Moray Eel. |
| 05/03/04 | Pieter & Bob - Holland | Reef Trip produced some decent Butterfish, Angel fish and other small reef fish. |
| 04/03/04 | Ian Boulton & Adrian Mills - England | Reef Trip produced 1 Grouper of 1.5kg, lots of Angel Fish, Wrasse and small reef fish known locally as "Brown Girls". |
| 03/03/04 | Pieter, Bob & Joop - Holland | Reef Trip produced small reef fish. |
| 02/03/04 | Pieter, Bob & Joop - Holland | Reef Trip produced 1 Cassava and small reef fish. |
| 01/03/04 | Brian & Cheryl Evans - England | Creek & Reef Combo produced 2 Cassava of 6kg and 8kg respectively. Finally, some nice fish for Brian & Cheryl on the last day of their 3 week holiday! |
February has got off to a quiet start, both in terms of the number of anglers in The Gambia, as well as the fishing! Maybe, it's the sand being blown down from the Sahara that is putting both off......
The 'word' back at Denton was that the Tarpon finally put in appearance at Dog Island during the week commencing 9th February, but only one hooked and 'landed' on the 11th (on the day we were doing a reef trip - typical!).
The spring tide on the evening of 21st February, coupled with a strong onshore wind, has resulted in all reef trips being cancelled on the 22nd of this month. The beach at Kotu obviously bore the brunt of the storm, with palm umbrellas being ripped up in front of the Kombo Beach Hotel and Domino's beach bar. And whilst sitting and watching the waves breaking over the reefs has been pretty spectacular, it is bound to affect the fishing for the next few days. Watch this space.......
Date: |
Angler's Name & Country Of Origin |
Species & Catch Details |
| 29/02/04 | Nicolai & Mette - Denmark | Creek Trip produced 1 Barracuda of 7kg and small creek fish. |
| 28/02/04 | Brian & Cheryl Evans - England | Creek Trip produced small fish only. |
| 27/02/04 | Ian Boulton - England | Creek & Reef Combo produced small fish only. |
| 26/02/04 | Brian & Cheryl Evans - England | Creek Trip produced 1 Barracuda (weighing in at 7kg at Denton Bridge), a couple of Butterfish, a Talappi and small creek fish. |
| 25/02/04 | Ian Boulton - England | Creek Trip produced 3 Barracuda to 6kg. A nice welcome back on board for Ian who fished with us in December 2003. |
| 24/02/04 | Brian & Cheryl Evans - England | Creek & Lamin Lodge Pleasure Trip produced small creek fish. |
| 22/02/04 | Brian Evans - England | Tarpon Trip (Dog Island). No Tarpon spotted on the day and fishing in the creeks on the return journey only produced small creek fish. |
| 21/02/04 | Dave Waters - England | Reef Trip - became creek trip due to high winds - produced 1 Cassava and small creek fish - including the omnipresent Frogfish. |
| 21/02/04 | Chris & Amat - England & The Gambia | Creek & Lamin Lodge Pleasure Trip produced Stingray, Angel fish and small creek fish. Most importantly, Amat overcame his fear of water. |
| 19/02/04 | Brian Evans - England | Creek Trip produced small creek fish and a Barracuda of c. 10lb. |
| 18/02/04 | Ian Boulton - England | Beach Fishing Trip off the Atlantic Hotel produced small Wrasse and Captain Fish until the wind (not Julbrew induced) forced him off the beach. |
| 18/02/04 | Andy Orchard - Webb - England | Reef Trip produced small reef fish. |
| 16/02/04 | Brian & Cheryl Evans - England | Reef Trip produced small reef fish, although Brian did lose a very big snapper after a lengthy battle. |
| 15/02/04 | Hoorbaye Family - Netherlands | Dolphin Watching - although the dolphins decided to have the day off, the family had a pleasant day out and caught some rays (sun rays that is...!) |
| 15/02/04 | Andy Nicholls - England | Reef Trip produced 1 Red Snapper (12kg) and small Ladyfish. Andy we got the jaws for you but unfortunately missed you at the hotel - so get your brother to contact us when he's out here and he can bring them back for you. |
| 11/02/04 | Herbert Ullanboom - Germany | Reef trip produced 1 Red Snapper (3.5kg) and 4 Butterfish. |
| 08/02/04 | Tim & Arnold - USA | Reef trip produced 8 Butterfish, Jotta's and - you guessed it - Frog fish! |
| 06/02/04 | Tim & Carol Enbom - England | Creek & Reef combo produced 1 Barracuda, 2 Angel Fish, 2 Lady fish and endless Frog fish. |
| 05/02/04 | B. Ord, D. Ord and J. Dobie - England | Reef trip only produced small reef fish, but a change nevertheless from the Beach Casting. |
January 2004 
2004 has got off to an unseasonal start with wind and rain jeopardising The Gambia's very own sunshine guarantee. The weather has had a big impact on the fishing with most of our customers preferring to go Creek Fishing where, sheltered from the Atlantic onshore winds, the water has been much calmer and the fishing more productive. The Barracuda have been conspicuous by their absence on the reefs (water clarity has been poor) and the 1st run of Cassava on the reefs cut short. Nevertheless, our anglers beat the odds in the first half of this month and still came back with fish. As of the 16th January, the Cassava made a reappearance, as did some big Snapper, providing a couple of purple days for Pete & Nick.
Date: |
Angler's Name & Country Of Origin |
Species & Catch Details |
| 29/01/04 | Dave Wallis - England | A couple of hours trolling in the Crocodile Pool just below Denton Bridge with nothing to show for it, informed us that the 'cuda had moved on - well it beats sitting around in the hotel waiting for your airport transport before flying home! |
| 28/01/04 | Dave Wallis - England | Creek trip produced 2 Barracuda totalling 7.5kg. |
| 27/01/04 | Hooked On Gambia | Creek & reef combo produced 1 Barracuda (5kg) and 1 Gambian Halibut (2kg). This is the first Halibut that we've caught on rod and line in 5 years fishing in The Gambia and Boy was it worth the wait. This fish has got attitude (and lots of teeth!) Photo to follow. |
| 26/01/04 | Bill & Steve - England | Reef trip produced small reef fish. |
| 22/01/04 | Ian & Chris Morgan - Wales | Creek & Reef combo produced 1 Barracuda (3.5kg), 2 Red Snapper, a Tallapi, a couple of large Angel fish, a Jotta and endless Frog fish. |
| 21/01/04 | Duncan - England, & Eric - USA | Reef trip produced small reef fish however it was easier on the head than driving across the Sahara desert guys! Yep, these 2 had just completed the Plymouth - Banjul Rally and still managed a day's fishing! |
| 18/01/04 | Nick Calvert - England | Reef trip produced 1 x 5kg Cassava. |
| 17/01/04 | Pete & Nick England | Creek & Reef Combo produced 3 Red Snapper to 14.5kg, 1 Black Grouper and 3 Angel Fish on the reef. |
| 16/01/04 | Pete & Nick - England | Creek & Reef Combo produced 6 Cassava to 10kg on the reef and Nick finally found his sea legs! |
| 15/01/04 | Nick Calvert - England | Creek Trip produced 1 Red Snapper, 3 Frog Fish and a suntan at last! |
| 15/01/04 | Allwyn Thomas & Karen Rees - Wales | Creek Trip (inc. Lamin Lodge) produced 1 Barracuda (4.1kg) and 1 Butterfish (3.5kg) and a suntan for Karen to go home with! |
| 14/01/04 | Pete & Nick - England | Creek Trip produced 2 Barracuda to 3.5kg, 1 Red Snapper, 1 Talappi and Frog Fish |
| 13/01/04 | Nick Calvert - England | Creek Trip produced small fish off the wrecks (inc. Frog Fish) |
| 12/01/04 | Pete & Nick - England | Creek Trip produced 2 Barracuda to 3.75kg |
| 11/01/04 | Mark, Paul & Carl - England | Creek & Reef Combo produced 5 Red Snapper to 2kg |
| 10/01/04 | Nick & Pete - England | Creek Trip produced 3 Red Snapper to 4lb |
| 09/01/04 | Mark, Paul & Carl - England | Creek Trip produced 1 Barracuda (3kg), 1 Cassava and 4 Red Snapper |
| 08/01/04 | Nick &Pete - England | Creek Trip produced 1 Barracuda (4kg) and 3 Red Snapper |
| 07/01/04 | Brad Paige - England | Creek Trip produced small Frog Fish, Sea Snakes and Shiny Nose |
| 06/01/04 | Nick &Pete - England | Reef Trip produced 2 Red Snapper and Butterfish |
| 05/01/04 | Mark, Paul & Carl - England | Reef Trip produced Red Snapper and Butterfish |
| 04/01/04 | Mr & Mrs Webb - England | Creek Trip (inc. Lamin Lodge) produced 3 Red Snapper, 2 Butterfish and good fun all round! |
| 03/01/04 | Syms Family - England | Reef Trip produced lots of small reef fish including Shiny Nose, Talappi and Ladyfish. Congratulations to the two girls on outfishing their Dad - we hope that he honoured his bet! |
| 02/01/04 | Mark, Paul & Carl - England | Reef Trip produced 3 Barracuda to 4kg |
| 01/01/04 | Brad Paige - England | Reef Trip produced 1 Barracuda (10kg) and converted a seasoned Pike angler to sea angling! |
To return to the top of this page click here.....
To return to our Recent Catch information page, click here.....
To see what was caught by anglers fishing in The Gambia in 2006 click here......, 2005 click here....... and in 2003 here......
Copyright 2003 - 2007 Hooked On Gambia