Back to fishing in my S4 after super typhoon Mawar, Guam

By Terry Wilkison

Guam

The island was hit very hard by super typhoon (cat 4) Mawar. Going on three weeks and many people still do not have running water or electricity. The island went from a lush tropical garden to a brown barren wasteland overnight, many people lost there homes but fortunately there was minimal loss of life.

We live in base housing which is reinforced concrete. I was very thankful to be in a well built home, we took no damage from the storm. We did lose power for 8 days but I have a generator.

I prioritized the S4’s safety over my truck and left her in the garage, which speaks to how much I value that little microskiff!

On to a happier subject. I’m starting to get a handle on the fishing here. I’ve gotten into slow pitch jigging which is very productive. This past trip I caught two different species of coral trout, a long nose emporer and a green jack. Coral trout has been on my bucket list and I can’t wait to grill them up.

 

The S4 is proving itself once again as an amazingly versatile small craft here in Guam.

Fishing a full day costs me 20$ for 1 gallon of gas and ice. With the trailer setup it takes me less than 30 minutes from the time I hit the dock to home, including washing everything(boat, gear, flushing motor, transferring fish to cooler in truck and cleaning the fish bag in the s4).

The motorguide xi3 is a perfect match for the S4, the spotlock anchor ⚓️ feature is game changing.

Cruising along watch the sounder as soon as I mark fish I can hit the anchor button and immediately focus on getting my jig to the strike zone. I can’t emphasize how amazing this feature is. It also has heading lock so I can take a break from steering and just enjoy cruising along. There are some fishfinders (lowrance, simrad) that will interface with the xi3, they have an autopilot feature, I would highly recommend anyone setting up an s4 with a fishfinder to purchase one that does.

For power lithium is the only way to go. 12v 100ah is 26lbs and I have yet to run out of juice.