LATHAM ISLAND

LATHAM FISHING

From Dar Es Salaam, the place the most interesting, and maybe the most intresting in the whole of Tanzania, is Latham Island.
A tiny uninhabitated island situated some 45 nautical miles east of Dar Es Salaam, featuring spectacular reefs and drop off`s covering an area of approximately 10 miles.
The crystal clear waters that surround Latham host almost every species of pelagic game fish and reef fish in the Indian Ocean in abundant quantities.
These gamefish rich waters are accessible by high speed sport fishing boats in two or three hours of cruising in good seas or by high speed trolling for billfish which are often encountered en route to Latham.

The area is suitable for:

1) Full day Fishing
2) Half day fishing + Overnight Broadbilling
3) Half day ishing + Overnight fishing
4) Full day fishing + Overnight Broadbilling
5) Broadbilling

Latham does not offer a sheltered anchorage and only in calm weather it is possible anchoring there for overnigh trips. Best time of the year to attempt anchoring at Latham is November, mid December or end of Feb - March - beginning of April.

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SPECIES AVAILABLE

DOGTOOTH TUNA:
Latham Island, as of now, is the BEST area in the whole of Tanzania, if you are targetting trophy sizes Dogtooth Tuna.
Our Captain Jason Alexiou has been fishing this area since he was 16 years old and he has proven to be good at locating large Dogtooth Tuna, finding out during the course of his experiences several spots (in Latham, Mafia, South Zanzibar) which have provided the best and the largest Dogtooth Tuna in Tanzania and in the World, with several 100 kg plus Dogtooth Tuna being caught on his boats.

Thanks to his skills and the profuse knowledge of the area, he made achieve 8 Dogtooth Tuna World Records to the boats he was fishing from. 3 Dogtooth Tuna World Record are held by himself, 2 by our skipper Mady, 1 by our mate Benwad and 2 by our friends.
The average sizes, otherwise range from 30 kg to 95 kg.

The biggest Dogtooth Tuna caught at Latham was a 107.6 kg fish which is the present All TackleWorld Record and it was caught in 2015 on our boat (Boomerang - Capt. Jason Alexiou, Skipper: Maddalena Martinengo).
Several others 100 kg plus Dogtooth were caught on our boats, with every year catching at least 2 or 4 big dogtooth on this size range, despite our boats try not to target them as often in order to leave them "un-spooked" for special requets


Although Jason found these Dogtooth areas more than 20 years ago, being well aware of the vulnerability of these critters and of the large commercial interest they create, he limited himself to fish for Dogtooth Tuna only a few months a year and he showed these areas (which up to date were still unknown to most) only to a few close friends, managing this way to preserve these areas from being overfished.

The #Dogtooth Tuna, at Latham are not found every where but only in some small specific areas. there is 1 common spot, now known to most which has been targetted heavily in these recent years, by the various charters in the pursuit of the big dogtooth, based from our catches and dispate most of them actually did not manage to catch dogtooth tuna and are always referring to our ctches, when advertising for them, the fish have now become quite difficult because of the presence of various boats trying for them, but there are other nice litte spots still unknown to all which we will target once in a while, when feeling comfortable Thanks to Jason and Mady extraordinary catches and Dogtooth Tuna World records, the area of #Latham, which was then, unknown to most, has become very demanded and re-known as being one of the best destinations in the world for big GT and world record size Dogtooth Tuna, and let's hope that the large demand their dogooth catches and World Records have generated will not push fishermen and charter operators to overfish the area, ruining all the sacrifices made by Jason and Mady up to date to try to preserve these beautiful critters.

The best period for targetting Dogtooth Tuna is from September,October through to April.

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YELLOWFIN TUNA:
Yellowfin invade these waters in large numbers from August through to November and produce some unbelivable offshore action.
Catches of 600 or more kgs per boat per day are not uncommon in this period.
For big yellowfin up to 100 kgs September to end of October best period.
Best boat catch year 2000 for one day fishing: 970 Kgs.
Best boat catch year 2001 for one day fishing: 1040 Kgs. (Kelly II - Capt: Jason Alexiou Skipper: Maddalena Martinengo Mate: Habbasi, Bernard)
Best boat catch year 2001 for one day fishing: 1040 Kgs.
Best boat catch year 2002 for one day fishing: 1130 Kgs. (Kelly II - Capt: Jason Alexiou Skipper: Maddalena Martinengo Mate: Jasper Samaras, Habbasi)
Best boat catch year 2003 for one day fishing: 1478 Kgs. (Kelly II - Capt: Jason Alexiou Skipper: Maddalena Martinengo Mate: Habbasi, Bernard)
Best boat catch year 2004 for one day fishing: 1472 Kgs. (Miss Linda - Skipper: Jasper Samaras Mate: Jason Alexiou, Maddalena Martinengo, Ali)
Tuna are present basically all year round and sizes vary from 5 to 100 kgs.

WAHOO :
Another pelagic fish that is present in Latham all year round. They run in big numbers from July through to November and March to May.
During this period catches between 15 up to 26 pieces are to be expected.
Sizes vary from 10 to 40 kgs.

BROADBILL:
They are present in large number year round.
We catch them at night either trolling or by drifting.
Overnight swordfish trips are possible when the weather permits (Best weather: October to April).
A good night fishing can produce five or six broadbill.
It is more difficult to have a night without a strike than to to have a trip with double fish.
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SHARK :
Latham has a big and varied population of sharks especially when the yellowfin tuna are running,.
Frequently incidentally hooked while fighting another gamefish.
Species include:
Reef white tips to 180 kgs
Oceanic White Tips to 100 kgs.
Mako to 150 kgs
Scalloped Hammer head (IGFA all tackle record caught here)
Tiger shark to 520 kgs
Zambezi to 350 kgs
Silvertipto 190 kgs (All Tackle World Record caught here on our boat)
Black Tips and other species.

GIANT TREVALLY:
Big Giant Trevally are found here on the reef year round.
Sizes vary from 5 to 56 kgs.(Line Class World Record was caught on our boat)
The best period for Giant Trevally runs from October until May.
During this period it is possible to catch, up to 20/26 Trevally, together with other fish species.

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BIG EYE and BLUEFIN TREVALLY:
All species of Trevally caught here year round with lots of All Africa records set here.

Barracuda, Dorado, Bonito, Skipjack, Rainbowrunner, Kawakawa, Jobfish all are found here in good numbers and big sizes offering numerous chances of catching Records.

BILLFISH:
Tanzania is defenitely not a Marlin destination as its neighbouring country Kenya, except for the North Pemba Island and the Pemba Channel which are excellent billfish destinations during the season, but the deep bait rich waters that surround Latham also, attract a small number of Billfish which are caught year round. These include: Black Marlin, Striped Marlin, Blue Marlin, Sailfish, Broadbill and Spearfish

BLACK/BLUE MARLIN: September through to March.

STRIPED MARLIN: October through to March

SAILFISH: November through to March

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