Big Dogtooth Tuna rank right up there with some of the strongest and most difficult bucket list fish you have to catch, or target with a spear. It's in an elite group together with Big Giant Trevally and large Marlin. Its distribution is Indo-Pacific, Red Sea, East Africa to French Polynesia, north to Japan and south to Australia. Preferred water temp is 20 to 28 deg c. The IGFA world record Dogtooth Tuna, at time of writing, on rod and reel is 236 pounds, caught off Tanzania, Africa in 2015. The spearfishing world record is 240 pounds (109 kgs) off Austral islands, French Polynesia in 2019. The max published weight is 131 kg, with a max length of 2.48 meters. A monster!
Dogtooth Tuna are known for their incredible burst of speed, strength and will test your equipment. Don't bring a penknife to a gunfight!
We targeted them before, further north off Lazarus Banks, off Pemba, Moçambique where they are deeper, and therefore difficult to get close enough to get a good shot in. It's deep, and the current pushes you up to four knots. You get one chance, and then you get pushed, in a flash, past the spot they hang around in. Then you got to reset. Its extreme, and intense. Its a rush! They usually hang around the dropoffs, anywhere between 25 and 40m.
So that brings us further south, off Quelimane, just north of Beira. Its a 6 night offshore trip, and its as good an adventure as it gets.... Travel plans, Multiple flights, delays, overweight luggage, language differences, years of planning, equipment upgrades, hundreds of watsapp group messages, hours scanning weather patterns...... Then its up to you, and the preparation you put in, to get to this opportunity.
June and July are the choice months, and we booked 17 to the 24 July, a year ago.... Space is limited, so you got to plan early to get the best weeks. The Moçambique season is three months.
The shoal is 100 plus kilometers long, and situated 13 hours by yacht offshore. Pantaloon, Davide shoal, Fogo island and others, also known as the Primieras and Segundos.
The advantage of coming here is that these fish can be found between 20 and 25 meters deep, with little current. That gives you a half a chance. Your equipment needs to be the best, as it will be tested. Bungee float lines, double bouys, min 1.1m double inverted roller gun. You need to be an expierenced diver, because you will only find them at the bottom. If you going to target them with a rod and reel, you need minimum 80 pound tackle, with at least 27 kg drag. They are formidable fish.
Plan for days to get to Quelimane , and back. Usually through Maputo, Moçambique. A 6 night yacht liveaboard. It takes 13 hours to the first spot, and 13 hours back.
Its bucket list stuff, and a proper adventure. I'll guide you, and sort out the paperwork, recommend flights, equipment, the yacht, and everything else. June and July 2023 will fill up fast. Let me put a plan together for next year. Lets so this, i cant wait to get back there!