Fishing Adventures Andaman Islands Popper & Jig Fishing

"You did us again but in a good way, wow great fishing the GT's and Doggies were more powerful than you had explained. The accommodation is basic but for just fishing you do not need anything else. Will have to come back again."

"Had an amazing week fishing we just wished we could of stayed on for longer."

"The team at this resort worked hard each day to put us on the fish and you can not ask for any more. Please pass on my thanks to everyone involved. "

"On our week the fishing was slow as there was just no bait around, the guides seemed to struggle to find the fish. Also on our week the food and organisation seemed to fall apart, not what we would expect from such a club."

"I have been fortunate enough to have fished some of the top destinations in 6 continents and this is up there with the best. I have fished Oman with No Boundaries and whilst admittedly they have bigger G.Ts this would be my preferred venue. We fished on 'Rampage' a fast stable craft that gave a smooth ride and was an excellent fishing platform. Our crew Arjun and Dhillip worked tirelessly to put us on the fish, nothing was to much trouble. We were guided by Darran, the managing director, on 2 days and he knows the waters like the back of his hand. A very talented experienced angler.

The guest house is clean spacious and reasonably well equipt. It is set on the water front and there are stunning views across the bay. It is currently being extended to include the upper floor. Breakfast was basic but adequate but the packed lunch and evening meal were outstanding. I am a trained chef and I can honestly say I ate some of the best Indian cuisine I have ever tasted. A pre dinner snack was provided every evening.

A few tips if you are planning a trip here.
Change your currency before leaving Chennai. There are ATMs on the island, some work most don't depending on type of card.
Watch your weight limit. We flew with Emirates and whilst they were ok with excess weight Jet Air weighed everything including hand luggage and we had to pay 4500 rupees for 3kg.
If you are carrying duty free alcohol make sure you pack it in your suitcase before leaving Chennai or it will be confiscated.

If you smoke this also applies to lighters and matches.

Pack a good selection of GT ice creams, these consistently out fished any popper or stick bait in the shallower waters. "

"Fished in the beginning of April. Akshay's operation is top notch and very professional.

His team will run as far as needed to put you on fish. We had some very good days, lots of big GTs and Tuna.

Not only fishing is great, but we were treated like family by Akshay and his lovely wife.

You couldn't ask more fishing remote and pristine place like Andamans."

"I booked 5 days and six nights and had the best fishing trip you can possibly imagine. They hooked me up (pun intended!) with 2 other anglers to make the trip more fun and more affordable (Our single angler club).

The fishing grounds are extensive, and you get to visit (from the boat) many many of the beautiful Andaman Islands, most of which are uninhabited. The boat that I went on is a comfortable and fast 37 foot twin 225hp engined centre console, which provides access to remote islands & reefs that other local boats can't reach in a day trip. The charming couple who run the business, Akshay & Nargis, can't do enough to make sure that the trip is successful & comfortable from all aspects. They have a lovely easy manner about them. I'm a keen fisherman and have fished in many places in the world, but I have never experienced fishing action like this, by the end of my last day I was wishing for small fish, such were the aches in my weary muscles.

The guest house accommodation is clean and simple (which helps to keep the costs down) with staff on hand to clean and cook and do the laundry, small charge for laundry. The food is excellent home cooked authentic indian cuisine mainly based around fresh fish - no surprises there. A packed lunch and drinks are provided on the boat.

All in all I can't reccomend this outfit highly enough."

"I was looking for an extreme fishing adventure and I really found one.
The single angler trip was an amazing experience!

We caught some amazing GT's, Spanish Mackerel and Dogtooth tuna and fished on one of the most beautiful locations.

I would like to thank everyone again for the unforgettable fishing adventure, warm hospitality, delicious food and excellent service.

See you again in the near future for a new adrenaline rush."

"Great guides, pre-trip information and service from Sportquest!

Point-to-point flights (rather them booked in one go) made transfer a pain.

Very long transfer time (8 hours) despite availability at earlier connected flight.

Loss of 2 fishing days (due to weather).

Should/could be compensated by example free/offsetting days on the next trip."

"Take Rupees not Dollars, as I had to use credit card to buy food in airport and excess baggage charge for a faraway destination 15 kg is really not enough for essentials, tackle etc."

"The transfer flights from Chennai with Jet Airways had a reduced weight to 14 kg, which meant excess baggage charge.
The boat was brand new and well appointed. The host took great care to ensure good fishing and provided a great service despite it being a little wet and windy. We caught GT's every day, the tackle provided was top quality. "

"My apologies for taking so long to get back to you about my trip to the Andaman Islands last month. I have tried to complete the online customer feedback form but your site is currently offline - I’ll certainly try again later.
We were fishing with Andaman Angler and I have to say that Akshay, Arjun and Nargis run the best operation I’ve been fishing with yet (I fished with Nomad last year and with PNG Sportfishing earlier this year) for the simple reason that they remember that it’s not just about the fishing. They looked after us very well indeed and I’d really like to go fishing with them again soon. The weather was shocking blowing force 6/7 for the whole time we were there but I managed a 30kg GT on the first morning and then proceeded to empty the ocean using slow pitch jigging tactics. I loved every minute of it in spite of the bad weather.
Akshay said he still had a week free at the end of April 2018 when the yellowfin tuna run is happening and both Paul Clark and I are keen to return then. However, we can’t find anyone we know who is willing to go at such short notice. Is this something you might be able to help out with?
With regards feedback, my only gripe was all the excess baggage costs we were hit with. I managed to get to Cairns and PNG without incurring any additional baggage costs on international flights but we got hit at every stage on the way to and from the Andamans. Both Paul and I payed almost £300 in excess baggage fees. Unfortunately, I had a bit of a moan at Melanie about it from Heathrow. My apologies to her - I was having a very bad day. I don’t travel very well. Akshay thought that passengers on international transfers might be able to avoid excess baggage costs on the Chennai to Port Blair flights. It would certainly help your customers if you either used airlines that provide two hold baggage allowance on economy flights or gave clear indications of excess baggage costs on specific trips when people are booking. I’ve not met anyone on a popping or jigging trip who hasn’t travelled with a rod tube...

Thank you very much."

"Great holiday"

"Overall the trip was a great success but people need to be aware of a few points which need to be addressed in order for the trip to be even better.
The first one is that you need to pre-book extra baggage allowance for the internal flight before you go. The BA flight has a 23kg allowance but the onward flight is only 15kg. Luckily we knew this and Sportquest sorted this out for us before we left.
There is a 9 hour wait from arriving in Chennai to catching the flight to Port Blair. Ideally, Sportquest need to factor in a hotel for this. We very quickly sorted out a hotel on arrival for $20 each. This allowed us to have a beer and a few hours’ sleep in an air conditioned room. Trying to get some rest in a hot, humid airport terminal is not something we were prepared to do.
The accommodation in Port Blair was good. It didn’t look it from the outside but inside was all that you needed. Comfortable beds, air conditioning and great food. The accommodation is situated right on the sea front and is a 5 minute walk to the boat. The only criticism is that it is noisy. The Indians have a habit of honking their horns constantly! To be fair, once you shut the room down it was hard to hear the racket. The staff were extremely helpful and good natured. There is also a lady that is able to do laundry for a small fee. Beer was readily available but we took our own spirits.
The fishing boat we fished from was almost new and a fantastic vessel. The crew of Raman and Sushil were very good. Again very helpful and very knowledgeable. However, our kit and lures were not really right for the job. We needed stiffer rods for popping and bigger poppers. Our jigging kit was spot on. There are very few places in the UK that sell the kind of tackle you need and some of the kit they sell is not up to the job. This, along with their basic knowledge of popping led us to buy kit that was not really suitable. Our host in the Andamans recommended that anyone else going there get in contact with him before they go so he can advise on the correct tackle to take. Failing that, he hires some decent kit. He said he had sent Sportquest some questionnaires for anglers to complete before going but we never saw these. Some of the questions asked are what kind of fishing we would like to do.
Game fishing Asia is geared up for popping for GTs. We wanted to do this, but also some jigging and also wanted lots of species. We spent the first 3 days throwing a popper which is very, very hard work. I went to the gym for about 3 months before I went and this was only just enough. This coupled with the fact that it was rough for the first 4 days really took it out of us. After discussing this with Captain Raman we started doing some jigging, live baiting and some trolling, as well as popping. We ended up with 24 different species. I would definitely take some light jigging kit next time with 30-100 gram jigs. The crew caught lots of fish doing this whilst we were banging out poppers, very frustrating!
Our host suggested we move locations to Little Andaman as he said the fishing had been better. This cost us another $240 each. The fishing was better but they go there with nearly every group so my argument is that this should be factored into the price before we go.
Would I go again? Yes, definitely, especially now knowing what I know. I would probably hire a popping rod, take bigger 150-200 gram poppers, take some light jigging kit and mix up the fishing a bit more.
It was a fantastic trip in a beautiful part of the world.
"

"Trips to fishing grounds often too long.
5 and 6 wake up in morn. Too early 6 days in a row."

"I have just returned back from India after taking part in a group fishing trip to the Andaman Islands fishing for GT's and Dog Tooth Tuna.

The holiday was expertly organised by Sportquest and the trip went very smoothly and every small detail was taken care of.

I especially liked the greeting on my mobile phone from Sportquest when I arrived in the Andamans wishing me a great fishing trip which was very thoughtful.

I also liked the welcome home message on my return back to the UK and I dont know of any other companies that offer this level or personal service.

The service that Sportquest provide is exceptional and I have recommended this company to numerous people over the years and I look forward to booking another fishing holiday with Sportquest some time soon"

"After speaking to people on the trip, with reference to the moon phase maybe try a different moon phase as fishing was quite slow it was only the skipper and crew member hard work that put us on fish but he admitted it was tough fishing. But thats fishing still enjoyed the trip first time at this sort of fishing learnt a lot look forward to the next one. Thanks to all at Sportquest and your contacts in the Andamans

Kind regards Mike"

"Port Blair was disappointing rubbish everywhere. Guide was excellent. Fishing was good but not topclass. Ashki and Argen were amazing. Took time to explain the odd tackle misshaps etc."

"Lots of hits on the popping fish up 32 kg nice place .Nice people .I believe Paul has a the photos if no let me know and I will sort some."

"A great holiday to celebrate my 60th birthday, first time doing this extreme style of fishing and despite being physically arduous the rewards in landing a fish made it all worth while. A well put together vacation package by Sportquest, the knowledge and expertise from the skipper and guide helped our group catch a vast range of different sized and various fish species. Well recommended for anyone keen on fishing, especially if you like the battle needed to land those Giant Trevally!!!"

"It is a pleasure to fish with Akshay and Mohan — very helpful and with a good sense of humour. This was my second trip with them."

"I have never met anyone who worked harder for his clients than Ashkay of Andaman Anglers - he deserves unqualified praise.
The pre-trip information supplied was a little out of date. You recommended that we contact Terry at Jigabite which was a great idea, his knowledge is second to none and informed me to take 5 poppers and 3 stickbaits. Between the four of us we lost just one stick bait when a huge barracuda bit it off. Given the price of poppers I would suggest 5 lures would be amply sufficient. Jigs are a different matter - I lost 2 to bite offs, one when attempting to boat a silver tip shark which took my jig, and one in the bottom, so maybe 8 jigs would be OK.
Another issue was barbless hooks - used on trebles for poppers but not required for singles, and Ashkay said a complete no no for jigging - the pre-tour info suggested barbless hooks should be used in all cases.
Ashkay arranged a bird-watching excursion on the final morning which was very enjoyable, cost would be £30 for up to three people, I drafted a paragraph to advertise this for Ashkay and he seemed quite keen to offer this as an optional activity, managed to see some of the endemic species of the Amdamans. "

"A trip to the Andaman Islands a great trip for experienced anglers, the heat and humidity can be overwhelming at times, but that's what you expect. The fishing for the GT's is amazing, really strenuous, especially with the heat. I trained prior to my trip, and it paid off, no aching arms. The accommodation on the main Island is great, A/C and wi-fi for those who can't get by without it. If you are lucky enough to get over to Little Andaman for a few days, you're in for a real treat, welcome to the real India, very basic, but you're on a fishing trip, not a 5 star luxury retreat. The food at both hotels is really great, especially if you bring fish back. Wahoo curry is amazing, as are all the other dishes they serve up. One thing we all worried about prior to going was the dreaded 'Deli Belly'. None of us had any problems, due to the food being so fresh and tasty. Akshay and his helpers are amazing, always there to help, with any situation. I would recommend taking some light slow jigging equipment, as and when the popping gets a bit much, you can catch a variety of tropical fish, some small but some big ones too, you just never know what you'll catch on the light gear, I had a bonus GT on the light gear, which was amazing. Wahoo fishing on light spinning gear was a blast, medium sized Rapallas on light spinning tackle is a real bonus. Thanks SportsQuest for a great time."

"My trip to the Andaman's was excellent, all of the arrangements went very well and everything ran smoothly.
Akshay is an excellent captain and he was very helpful in making sure that my tackle and methods were appropriate as this was my first time jigging and popping. I managed to catch 13 GT’s and a number of other species including barracuda, wahoo and a shark during the week. The fishing was exciting and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip, I would certainly go again hopefully a bit later in the season when the big fish are about as I would love to catch a GT above 30kg."

"This was my 3rd trip to the Andaman's with Sportquest, and as usual the fishing, food, accommodation, and company were great. I'll definitely be going again.
On this trip, we hit a problem at the very end. While we were waiting outside of Port Blair airport, out flight to Chennai was cancelled. Obviously, this could have been a major issue, but 1 call to our boat skipper and 20 minutes later we were in a taxi on our way to a hotel. Then we called Sportquest and within an hour new flights and overnight accommodation were booked. We were seriously impressed with the speed that Sportquest resolve the situation. Its great knowing that you've got a highly professional and helpful team behind you while you're on your trip."

"So many highlight’s, one of catching personal best fish
The food on havelock island was honestly the best I have eaten. The location of the accomodation is superb.
Our guide Akshay was very open for us to try a few different techniques. Some worked and other didn’t but we had a laugh trying them.
As usual we brought way too much gear and left some behind for another trip.
My advise the first time angler fishing the Andamans is just keep casting poppers/jig, there where time when my arms and back where going to snap. Each time a kept on going and caught great fish. Listen to Akshay he really does know his stuff.
Cheers
Stu

"

"Dear Lisa, thank for the follow up and I’m pleased to say that all went well.

Akshay was well organised and everything worked seamlessly.

The accommodation is basic especially on Little Andaman but we knew it wasn’t 5* before going - so that was fine.
The food at both locations was exceptional and I certainly didn’t experience any ill effects ( tummy wise ) which I’d anticipated.

The fishing and guidance was also top drawer but I have to admit that I underestimated the physicality of ‘popping and jigging’ for 5 days.
Two of the other boys had been weight training and were better prepared.
Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, and was fortunate to meet like minded folk.

Akshay took numerous piccies so I can’t add to that much really.

The only point I’d mention to ‘improve’ is that there was no safety briefing on the boat in advance of travelling. Having worked in aviation for 40 years I maybe being a little picky but it’s paramount to an airline.
Given that we went out of sight of land and other maritime craft too, a bridging would be a useful addition. One of the other chaps also mentioned this when we were talking.

Other than that just a big thank you to you and all the team for organising, following up and advising.
Lisa, a great pick up on my itinerary too re the disconnect on the flight connections. Thank you.

Regards
Derek"

"Good fishing, food, boat and staff very good. The harder you fish the better, the fishing not as good if your unfit and you need to like curry. Mostly popping and jigging - some of the best popping in the world .If you come, bring a lite jigging setup as there's lots of reef fish and it will give you a break from popping.
"