Giant African threadfin (capitaine)

A big, silver to bronze fish with a rounded snout that overhangs the mouth, a large forked tail, two separate dorsal fins, dark pectoral fins, and four long, free 'threads' (feelers) under each pectoral fin. The largest of all threadfins.

10–50 lb.

About 6½ ft (200 cm) and about 165 lb (75 kg).

Shrimp, crabs and small fish found by feeling the bottom with its threads.

Patrols sandy and muddy bottoms along beaches, lagoon mouths and estuaries, often in murky water; big fish stay in the sea while smaller ones enter estuaries.

Found from Morocco & West Africa and Gulf of Guinea & Central Africa. Shallow coastal waters, surf beaches, river mouths and estuaries from Senegal (and Mauritania) to Angola, including Guinea-Bissau's Bijagós, Sierra Leone, Gabon (Port-Gentil, Sette Cama) and Congo.

Shallow coastal waters, surf beaches, river mouths and estuaries from Senegal (and Mauritania) to Angola, including Guinea-Bissau's Bijagós, Sierra Leone, Gabon (Port-Gentil, Sette Cama) and Congo.

Surf to about 180 ft.

3–40 ft along beaches, lagoon mouths and channel edges.

Year-round; dry-season months (about November to April along much of the coast) bring clearer water.

Early morning, late afternoon and night.

Moving tides at lagoon and river mouths.

Calm surf and steady weather.

Live mullet, shrimp, crabs and fish fillets.

Soft plastic paddle-tails on jig heads, diving minnows and lipless plugs worked near the bottom.

Heavy 9–11 ft surf spinning rod, or a medium-heavy 7 ft rod from boats.

5/0–8/0 circle hooks for bait.

40–65 lb braid.

60–80 lb fluorocarbon.

Cast live or cut bait into the troughs along beaches and lagoon mouths, or bounce soft plastics slowly along the bottom from a boat; capitaine fight with long, heavy runs.

Fish where a lagoon or river mouth drains into the surf on the outgoing tide — capitaine wait there for shrimp and small fish.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

One of West Africa's best eating fish — firm white fillets, grilled, fried or in stews.

Big fish are heavy and slippery; sharks and stingrays share the surf.

Gabon's coastal parks (such as Loango) and many lodges are catch-and-release for sport anglers; commercial fishing is heavy along the coast. Licensing is handled country by country and is usually arranged through the charter boat or lodge; national parks and marine reserves (such as Loango in Gabon and the Bijagós in Guinea-Bissau) have their own rules, often catch-and-release.

Release big breeding fish; keep a smaller one for dinner if the rules allow.