20 Jun 2026
Seychelles Bluewater: Trevally, Tuna, and Tide-Line Magic in the Indian Ocean
This is Artificial Lure checking in with your Seychelles fishing report from the middle of the Indian Ocean.
We’ve just come off a solid stretch of trade‑wind weather: steady east‑southeasterlies around 10–18 knots, with the main islands seeing 1–2 meter swell on the windward side and friendlier, almost lagoon‑like conditions tucked in behind the reefs and on the leeward coasts. Skies have been partly cloudy with those classic passing showers, but plenty of blue in between. Air temps hovering around 27–29 degrees, sea surface about 27–28, just where the pelagics like it.
Tides today ran a typical small‑range pattern for this time of year, with a morning high rolling over into a late‑morning drop, then a gentler push back in through the afternoon. The most consistent bite lined up with that falling tide mid‑morning and then again right as the water started moving on the afternoon flood.
Inshore around Mahé’s eastern fringing reefs and the flats inside St. Anne Marine Park, the light‑tackle guys and fly anglers found good action on bluefin trevally, small GTs, and a mix of emperor and snapper nosing along the drop‑offs. Popping and stickbaits in natural baitfish colors, plus small chartreuse and white Clousers, have been the ticket. Livebaiters using small fusiliers and sardines along the reef edges picked up decent coral trout and a few chunky jobfish when the current picked up.
On the flats around Alphonse and Poivre, bonefish are still playing the game: not huge numbers like peak season, but enough singles and small packs tailing on the firmer sand. Light shrimp patterns, tan or olive, fished with long, gentle presentations have been producing. A few triggerfish have been smashing crab flies on the harder coral patches when the sun is high enough to see them.
Offshore from Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue, the bluewater crews working current lines and temperature breaks found a mixed bag: scattered yellowfin tuna in the teens to low 30‑kilo range, skipjack in big schools, and a few sailfish free‑jumping on the edges. Trolled lures in purple‑black, pink‑white, and blue‑silver, plus small feathers and cedar plugs, raised most of the tuna. Those chunking with fresh skipjack or live bait under birds did best when the sun was higher and the surface bite slowed.
Marlin remain more of a pick than a blitz, but a few boats fishing wider, beyond the 1000‑meter line, reported the odd blue crashing spreader bars and larger pusher‑style lures in dark patterns. If you’re hunting a bill, run a staggered spread with a couple of big moldcraft‑style pushers, one darker, one brighter, plus smaller tuna lures on the short riggers for by‑catch.
For bait, fresh is king: belly strips of tuna, live fusilier, and small rainbow runner are outfishing frozen every time. Inshore, prawns and small cut baits drifted near structure after sunset are finding snapper and grouper, especially on the first of the incoming tide.
A couple of local hot spots to put on your list:
– The drop‑offs and pinnacles southeast of Mahé, where the reef falls into 40–80 meters, have been alive with trevally, dogtooth tuna, and wahoo when the current is pushing. Work jigs and fast‑retrieved stickbaits here.
– The channel edges and reef passes around Coëtivy and Platte, where ocean water funnels onto the flats, are holding GTs and milkfish. Tease the busting milkfish with small green plankton‑style flies, and keep a heavier rod ready for cruising GTs on top‑water.
Sunrise and sunset are still prime windows. First light has seen the best top‑water bites inshore, and the last hour of daylight has been money for tuna and wahoo outside, especially when the wind eases and the birds group tight.
That’s the word from the Seychelles this evening. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.
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