Bigeye scad, locally known as mushimas, is one of the Maldives’ most significant fish. This fish inhabits shallow reefs and inshore seas. In the Maldives, bigeye scad is used as bait and consumed in various ways.
Bigeye scad is used as bait to catch powerful and fast-swimming fish. In many parts of the Maldives, this valuable fish is used to catch billfish, wahoo, and yellowfin tuna.
First, small, thin wooden rods with 15-pound monofilament line are used to catch this fish. As bait, our fishermen use small rooster feathers or other small lures. These lures are sometimes used with a small lead weighing between 5 and 10 grams. A minimum of 50 large eye scads will be caught before venturing out into the open sea to fish.
Once the bigeye scads are caught, the fish are transferred to compartments or holding tanks on the fishing vessel, where water is continuously supplied to keep them clean and fresh. Some fishermen keep holding tanks (built with fishing nets) in the harbour near their anchored boat to relocate fish into before going out to catch predatory fish in the open sea.
After heading out to the open sea with these live baits, they prepare the fishing line to land the big fish, such as wahoo, yellowfin tuna, or sailfish. Handline monofilament fishing lines ranging from 100 to 200 pounds, which are attached to octopus or normal hooks, are used in this method of fishing. Live bigeye scads are typically rigged through the back, forward of the dorsal fin, and thrown into the sea.
The fish will swim freely. This bait is used to target wahoo near drop-offs and reefs. It’s not necessary to send the bigeye scad deeper because wahoo live near the surface (in the upper water column) and like warm water.
For sailfish, the hook is inserted through the back and forward of the dorsal fin. Normally, all live bait fish have their hooks rigged through this point. For sailfish, the monofilament line is typically 150 lb, and the fishing boat is kept at a very slow speed.
To capture yellowfin tuna, fishermen go out into the open sea a little further from the island and use 80 to 150 lb monofilament line. They sometimes drift the boat and maintain a slow speed after deploying the bait.
Another interesting information about bigeye scad is that it is caught in the lagoons or shallow areas of the islands and served as a popular fish meal. The fried fish is served with rice and garudhiya (a transparent fish broth). Another dish that uses this fish is dhonriha, a coconut-based curry with a strong taste.
