Boy oh Buoy!

On Saturday 17^th December, Terence, Oom Andre, Willem and I launched “Boy oh Buoy” off Richards Bay. We were hoping to find a few dorado for Terence’s family from up country. At 4:45, we left the harbour mouth and headed for the pipe. On the way, Willem spotted a large flock of birds working a shoal of fish. When we got close enough, I fired a small spoon at them and went on immediately. It turned out to be a nice shad. Terence sent the jigs down to the bottom and pulled up a string of massive maasbanker. Almost every cast resulted in a shad and every down resulted in big maasbankers. It didn’t take long to fill the live well and soon we were off to the deeper water.

A good Tropical Yellowtail

Passing over the ledge, the water was 22 degrees and green with a reverse current. Not ideal conditions for dorado, so we continued deeper. In 100m, the temp went up to 24 degrees, so we decided to put out a few small lures. We came across a few birds that were hovering over an area and when we went through them, we went on with a fish that took quite a bit of line in a hurry. The bumpy conditions made it difficult for Oom Andre to fight but eventually managed to get a big skipjack tuna on the boat. We continued trolling, but things were very quiet. After an hour or two, we trolled shallower towards the 50m ledge. I found a good showing a few meters off the bottom, I stopped and the guys went down with vertical jigs. On the second down, Terence went tight with a good fish that had him pinned to the gunwale for a while with a very heavy drag. After an exceptionally strong fight, the fish came up and Willem could gaff it. It was a really good tropical yellowtail of close to 15kg.

Jono's Amberjack

Everyone scrambled to get their rods ready while I went to the top of the drift again. While the guys went down with jigs, I pinned a live bait and let it out some ways. I was still letting it out when the line pulled tight and line flew off the reel. I fed it a bit and went tight with a dorado. I made short work of the fish and had our first dorado of the day in the hatch. We upped lines and went to the start of the drift again. As the showing started, I let out another livie, hoping for a dorado. I had let the bait out a fair distance when it started revving and I felt a fish eat it. I fed it for a while before tightening up. The fish gave a few big head nods then took off on a strong run. I was feeling a bit under gunned but put as much drag on as I dared. Terence went to the controls and followed it for a while until I was vertical with it. Slowly but surely, I lifted the fish, still not knowing what it was. After about 15 minutes, I saw colour. It was a nice amberjack. Willem put the gaff in and hauled the fish aboard. Great! What an awesome fight, especially considering the light tackle it was on.

A good haul for the day.

We made a few more drifts over the showing, but the fish went off the bite. It seemed to be the effect of the easterly wind that had come up. I suggested we put the lures on again and troll along the current lines and see if we could get lucky. I trolled deeper to 300m and found the water at 26 degrees but with very little life so I headed shallower to work the temp break. It was almost home time and we were about to call it a day when another dorado grabbed one of the lures and soon we had two dorado in the hatch. After that, we decided to head home.

Early morning bite

On Saturday, our last fishing day at Vidal, John, Amanda, Tash, Kye and I launched. The previous few days, there had been a lot of early action from dorado by guys fishing with dead bait, so I decided to leave the early live bait catching session and focus on deadbait for a while. I rigged up 2 swimbaits and 2 stripbaits and trolled south along the same current line from the previous day. It took all of 5 minutes to get a double strike, but unfortunately pulled hook on both. I made another turn and went on. Amanda got a dorado in the hatch to open the account and trolling continued. In the next half an hour, we managed another 5 dorado from 6 pulls before the bite slowed. By then, I was pretty close to the bait spot so pulled lines and caught a few livies.

Kye with his first dorado

There had been quite a few fish on the point so I headed back there and set the spread. Things were very quiet, so I headed a bit south of the crowd and tacked deeper to see if the fish were out there. In 30m, we went on with a dorado and then again in 25m so I worked the area a bit. At one stage we were on to a dorado and when it was near the boat, I saw a big fin of a shark making a b-line towards the fish. I put the reel into freespool and let the dorado get away from the shark. When it had settled, we brought it in but unbelievably, the shark came in for a second try at the dorado. We followed the same protocol and this time it worked and the dorado was safely on board.

With the unsettled sea, Kye got a bit seasick and we decided to head back. We had one line left in the water when a dorado came swimming behind the motors. John threw a stick bait at in and went on immediately. The fish put up little resistance before being loaded. We headed back to the beach by 10:30 with a good haul of fish.

Dorado on the line

On Friday 9^th December, John, Chuck and I launched “Drifter” off Vidal. The live bait had been scarce off the point so I ran straight to bighill and found a good supply. There had been a few dorado on the dead baits in the morning, but by 7:30, it went dead so by the time I had livies, we missed the early bite. I decided to troll from the bait marks and see if we could find anything. The water temp had dropped 2 degrees over night and was sitting at 22. 

All the boats in the area were battling, so after two hours without a pull, I headed deeper to look for a temperature or colour break. I had just crossed over the 50m ledge when the far surface bait went away. Chuck hauled in a small skipjack that we released. In 75m, there was a current line so I trolled along it. Not long after, there was a big commotion on the surface and the long rod keeled over. I could feel that the fish was heavy, and there were some big head nods. I increased the pressure and the line angled to the surface where a big shark twisted out the water and luckily popped off the leader. About half an hour later, along the same line, we went tight with a dorado. While it was jumping, I could see a follower with it so I left one of the other lines in. sure enough, when it came into range, the second fish ate the bait and we managed a double. I let out another bait while the deck was being sorted out and just as I put the rod in the holder, it keeled over and we were on. Chuck took the rod on a deep fighting fish which turned out to be a 9kg yellowfin. 

Another dorado along the current line

The wind had picked up from the south and with the strong n-s current, I knew the sea was going to pick up quickly so we ran to the point and put out lines along a good looking current line in 25m of water. I worked the line for about half an hour and went tight with another dorado. Things seemed to be changing with the change in wind. Not long after, the close rod went away. While John was fighting that one, I saw a follower and flicked out a livie on a spinning rod. Almost immediately I went tight to a good dorado which gave me a hard time before I could boat it. The current line moved shallower and I just followed along the edge. In 18m, we managed another dorado on the live bait. Our time was a bit limited as Chuck needed to leave that afternoon, so we started pulling the lines. Just before the last line was in, there was a blue flash next to the boat as a dorado flew in and chowed the livie. Chuck had a quick fight with a shoal size fish before heading back to the beach.

I'll have another Double!

Chuck and his 1st Sailfish

On Tuesday 6^th of December, Chuck, Kyla and Tash launched “Drifter” off of Vidal. It was the first time the girls had launched through the surf and first time fishing for gamefish. There was a light NE wind and almost zero surf, so it was an uneventful launch. I didn’t even stop on the point and headed straight to where I got bait the previous day. After a bit of a run to Bighill, we managed to catch a hatch full of bait and set about slow trolling. There was a current line on 23m with some bait shoals on it, so I focussed my efforts there. We had trolled for about an hour when both far surface baits went away. Tash and Kyla took the strike and both caught their first dorado. I continued along the line and had another dorado eat a dead bait close to the boat. Chuck made quick work of it before trolling further. One of the boats next to us went tight on a sailfish so I tacked deeper to get out their way. When we were clear, I turned back to the current line and saw the far surface rod starting to load up. I fed it a bit then tightened up to a heavy fish. It bumped its head a few times and the line angled to the surface. I was pretty sure I knew what was about to happen and like a dejavu moment, a sailfish stuck its head out and tore up the surface giving us a great show. Chuck took the rod and had a good tussle with his first sailie before tagging it. Two sailies in 2 days… not bad.

Things went a bit quiet for an hour or so I moved a bit further south to get away from the other boats. This move seemed to work and we went away with a really nice bull dorado that gave Kyla a hard time before it was boated.

Chuck with his 2nd Marlin

With the lull in the action, a few boats left the area. The NE picked up a bit and the dorado went quiet. I decided to let one of the lines out further and a few minutes later, the reel went away. Chuck fought the fish which turned out to be a cuda of about 8kg. I repeated the exercise and again we hooked a cuda that Tash boated. One of the other boats also had two cuda pulls, so it seemed like they were in the area. I was busy setting another bait when the line pulled out my hand. I put up the drag, but the hooks missed the fish. I quickly rerigged and just as I got the rod in the holder, it keeled over and we were onto another cuda that Kyla caught. We fished for a bit longer without another pull so I suggested we head closer to the launch so that the increasing wind did not catch us far south. I stopped off the point and put out 4 lines. I was busy heading out to sea when the far rod keeled over and the reel took off. Looking back, I saw a marlin launch itself full length out the water and start greyhounding away from us. The lines were retrieved double time while I chased after it. Chuck had the rod and survived the first run. We managed to get on top of the fish after about 10 minutes and got a quick tip on the leader. The fish took off and made countless close range jumps, almost ending up in the boat a few times. After about 40 minutes, the fish made a last jump and lay quiet on the surface close to the boat. I swung the stern next to the fish and managed to grab the bill of a 70ish kg black and pop a tag into it. Chuck posed for a quick pic before reviving the fish and releasing it. What an awesome end to the day. Two doubles in as many days! That’s great fishing in anyone’s book.

Make Mine a Double

On Monday 5^th December, I launched “Drifter” off Cape Vidal. With me were John, Amanda and Chuck. The SW was pushing about 20 knots, but the surf was non-existent. I spent some time looking for bait off the point, but similarly to the previous weekend, there was nothing to be found so I headed south to the shallows at Bighill. We managed to find a patch of bait and filled the livewell with mackerel and maasbanker before setting 4 lines.

I had just started heading deeper when the far surface rod went away with an absolute smoker! By the time the rod was out the holder, a considerable amount of line was off the reel so I turned to chase the fish. Unfortunately, the rod shot straight and the fish was gone. It had bitten through the wire. Not a good start. I rerigged and continued deeper. At 30m, another reel went away and Amanda fought the fish to the boat. Before we could see what it was, it went on another run but got converted shortly after. The drag went up to sunset and changed hands a few times until it chafed through the leader. The lines went out yet again and on almost the same spot in the shallows, the far bait went off again with another smoker. I left the other lines in and immediately spun the boat around to slow the run and when the last line was cleared and the fish started to slow down, the fish bit through the wire again!

Chuck with his 1st Marlin

After losing 3 rigs, I regrouped a bit, making some new rigs and setting a new spread of livies. I tacked a bit deeper then back shallower and managed another pull. This time is was a dorado that found its way into the hatch. Finally! I turned deeper after setting new baits and as the boat straightened, 2 rods went away. John and Chuck boated 2 yellowfin of about 6kg each… not my favourite fish to catch. Things seemed to be looking up and in 30m, the surface bait went away. Chuck took the rod on a pretty heavy fish that took several fast continuous runs. After 20minutes, the fish was close to the boat. The line angled to the surface and I saw a big sickle tail surfing down a swell. I first thought it to be a sailfish, but then it lifted the short dorsal fin and I could see it to be a marlin. After some fancy boat driving, I managed to get close enough to grab the bill and get a tag into an estimated 60kg black marlin for Chuck. I was surprised that the fish came in so easily, but maybe it was a blessing considering the light tackle used.

Amanda with her 1st Sailfish

After releasing the fish, the lines went out again. I had been trolling a deep line, but had not had a touch on it so I took off the sinker and left it on surface. I was bust letting out the 3^rd line when the now surface bait went away. There was a commotion on the surface as a sailfish tailwalked out the back. Amanda took the strike and had a tough fight with a fish that was fowl hooked. After a while, I managed to get hold of the bill and lift it into the boat. The weather and sea were still unsettled, so we decided to call it a day. I was pretty chuffed with our double on billfish for the day.

Lucky Dip

On Sunday 27^th November, Terence and I launched AVANTI off Vidal. We fished for bait for an hour and only managed 6 livies. We decided to head south with some lures and see what was going on. It did not take too long to find a good current line and tent tight with a small skipjack which we released. There seemed to be some life on the line so I rigged up 2 livies, one deep and one on top. 

Terence with his pb cuda

About 10 minutes later, the deep bait smoked off and Terence fought a good cuda to the boat. I managed to get the gaff in and hauled a 14kg cuda aboard. Now the pressure was off so we could relax. 

A nice Kaakap

I reset the deep bait and minutes later went on with a small bonnie which went into the luna tube. I rigged up a heavy trace on a strong rod with 80lbs braid and pinned the bonnie. The rod was in the holder for about 2 minutes when the rod revved and then keeled over. The reel smoked off as on the surface as a marlin made a run for it. I cleared the other line and chased the fish which was heading for deeper water. Terence put some pressure on the fish and it made a u-turn and ran flat out shallower right on the surface, almost stripping the reel. I followed it with great haste and finally caught up with it. We thought it had settle, but it took off on a long run again. Eventually it was near the boat but when it took off on another run, the leader wrapped around the tail and parted off. Unlucky!

Fresh fish for supper!

I headed back to where we hooked the fish and rerigged. This time it took 20 mins before we got a pull. Terence battled a stubborn fish to the surface. It was a 7kg kaakap. Unfortunately they are now classified as a bottom fish so it was put away.

Things went quiet and we decided to head back early as there was almost no bait left. While I was retrieving the last line, the rod was pulled flat by a feisty dorado that snatched the bait! Awesome! It looked like every strike was a lucky dip as we never knew what they would be. After boating the fish, we headed back to shore and enjoyed the rest of the day on the beach.

First Sailfish of the season

On Saturday 26^th November, Tammy, Suzzie and Terence launched AVANTI off Cape Vidal. We were there for a quick social weekend and were hoping to get a few gamefish. There was a 10knot SW blowing but with the strong N-S current, the sea was a bit bumpy.

We stopped off the point and looked for live bait which seemed to be almost non-existent. After two hours, we had about 10 baits so we decided to rig them and try our luck. Working between 20 and 35m, the current pushed us south and off the slides, the two surface baits started revving. Something had to be scaring them. After a few seconds, the rod that I was holding bumped and I freespooled the fish before tightening up. The fish felt heavy and there were a few big head nods… I was convinced that it was a billfish. As I turned around to pass the rod off, a sailfish stuck its head out and took to the air. It went on a good run which gave

us time to clear the other lines and get Tammy settled on the rod.

The fish gave a great show and with that managed to get the leader around its caudal fin. This made it difficult to turn the fish’s head where we wanted it. We had the fish on the leader about 4 times before I could grab hold of the bill and put the tag in. After a quick photo, Tammy released her first sailfish. Well done!!

Tammy with her first Sailfish

The lines went out again, but without any success. We put on a few trolling lures and made out way to Oscar. Once there we pulled livies over the pinnacles but again no action. Out of desperation, I trolled shallower onto the 30m current line and persevered there for the last hour or so. Just when we thought it was over, the close surface rod went away. Suzzie took the strike and fought hard on a deep fighting fish. After a while, it was a bit much for her and Terence took over. He managed to get a nice yellowfin into the boat. After that, we packed up and headed back.

Garrick all around

On Saturday 24^th September, Henk, Tammy and I launched “Selfish” off Richards Bay. We were hoping to catch a few of the Garrick that were around. After trying for bait in the harbour for a bit, without any success, we headed out to the pipeline. It didn’t take long to catch a livewell full of shad and soon we were heading back to the pier.

Henk's garrick about to be tagged and released

One of the boats had already caught two fish, so I was pretty confident that we would get some fish. I rigged up 3 livies on spinning tackle and trolled around the point. The close shad was swimming pretty deep and started revving but nothing happened. The line angle came to the surface so we all thought the bait had come off the hook. Henk started retrieving to see what was going on when the bait went mad and there was a strong pull on the rod. Henk opened the baling are on the reel and fed the fish for a while before tightening up. The fish took some line before settling into the typical Garrick fight at the boat. The fish gave a great fight on the 6kg line and eventually I could grab it by the tail and bring it aboard where it was tagged and released. Not a bad start.

Good fight on 6kg line

The lines went out again and I made another turn. As I was approaching the pier, the far bait started revving and then got eaten. Tammy fed the fish and tightened up on another Garrick. The fish gave a good fight and after about 10 minutes, Tammy had her first Garrick of the season on the boat.

Trolling commenced but soon after, the dredger made an appearance and we were forced to move away from the pier towards the backline. The wind dropped totally and the fish went a bit quiet. After about an hour or so, while trolling through a small rip, the far bait revved and was taken. Tammy was busy feeding the fish when a big backline swell rocked the boat and caused the baling arm to clip over. Before it could be opened, the line took tension and the fish spat the bait. That happens... At lease there were still a few fish around.

I rigged up a fresh shad and about 10 minutes later it was eaten. Again tammy fed the fish but when we tightened up, the fish took a bit of line then spat the bait. On closer inspection, the hook had turned back into the bait and would never have hooked the fish. I guess that comes with the R&D of testing a new bait rigging style.

Henk and his garrick

We worked the area for about half an hour without another pull. I noticed that the dredger was packing up so we pulled lines and headed back to the pier. On arrival, the water looked awesome. There was a good rip and colour line formed by the outgoing tide. I quickly rigged up 3 baits and trolled along the colour change towards the pier. A few minutes later, I looked back and saw the close bait revving like mad. I ran to the rod and as I was about to grab it, the trip clip released and the rod flicked back as the reel freespooled. This flick caused the baling arm to bump against the rod holder and clip closed. The rod started loading up as I tried to open it under tension. By some miracle I got it open and the fish was still there. I fed it a bit then tightened up. The fish took quite a bit of the 6kg string against the light drag so Henk turned the boat towards the fish. I gained most of the line and finally had it around the boat. On closer inspection we saw the fish had 2 followers. This meant that the fish I was fighting put up even more of a struggle. The fish looked to be a nice one so I decided to take it for the Garrick Derby that was currently on at the club.

Tammy with a garrick

We each had a fish for the day so anything else was a bonus but knowing that there were a few fish in the water made us confident that we would get another one. Fresh baits went in and I trolled back up the rip. It was no surprise when we had another pull. Henk fed the fish but the line never picked up. He brought in the slack only to have the line suddenly take tension next to the boat. The fish had taken the bait and swam towards the boat causing the slack. Henk went tight and had a nice fight with another shoal size Garrick. He also wanted to take some fish home we boated his fish aswell.

It was about 1:30pm so we decided to fish until 2pm then head back. I rigged up the 2 biggest shad that we had and trolled through the rip again. The close bait revved for a while before being eaten. Henk fed the fish for a while, hoping that the fish would be able to get the big bait down. Unfortunately, it was a small Garrick and when we tightened up, missed the fish. With that, our day was over and we headed back. My fish weighed in at 12,5kg and the others were about 7kg.

Wish you were here

On Sunday 4^th September, we launched “My Wish too” out of Richards Bay. There had been a lot of Garrick around and Rey and Marnus were keen to get into the action. We headed out the harbour at 6am and headed to the pipeline. Every drop resulted in a full string of big mackerel. There were so many mackerel that the shad did not have a chance to get to the bait. Finally, after putting big chunks of bait on, we managed to get a few shad and headed north to groenkop.

The tide was going out and there were some beautiful rips forming. With the small swell, we could get pretty close to the backline and work the rips properly. The baits had been out for about 20mins when there was a big swirl just behind the boat. I ran to the back and picked up the close rod anticipating the strike. Moments later, the line started running off the reel. I fed it for a bit and then tightened up. The fish made a run to the backline taking a bit of line. Marnus took the rod and had a good tussle with his first Garrick of the year. With the first fish under our belt, the pressure was off.

I continued working north, but things were very quiet. After an hour and a half without a pull, we upped lined and ran back to where we had the first fish. The lines went out and about 20mins later, the shad on the spinning rod went away. Rey fed the fish and tightened up to his first ever Garrick. The fish took a bit of line then followed the characteristic Garrick fight at the boat. Eventually the fish tired and I could get a gaff into it. We ran up to the start of the drift and followed the same line. Not long after, the far bait went away but while I was still feeding it, the hook came out the bait and missed the fish. Unlucky. Again we ran up a bit and drifted down the same line. A bit further on, the mackerel on the spinning rod was eaten and again we were on to a fish for Rey. This fish was hooked in the gills and so we put it in the boat. The wind was picking up and the dirty water was being churned up so we decided to up lines. As we were clearing the lines, the far bait went away. Unfortunately, one of the other lines tangled with the line that the fish had taken and so we missed the hookup. Oh well, that happens. In all, it was a great day.

Picking Up Crew

On Saturday 13^th August, At, Hendry and I launched “Avanti” off Richards Bay. We had had some success with the previous weekend with a few Garrick and we were hoping to get a few more. We battled a bit for bait but eventually had enough to go and fish. We tried a bit on the point, but nothing happened. The dredger was also operating in the area, and we didn’t want to get into trouble, so we headed south into the backline. It was much calmer there and we could work the area a bit. After about an hour or so, the deep line went away. The fish took off and I kept feeding it. When I tightened up, the line shot straight into the backline and flew off the reel. Everything looked good when suddenly the fish was off. I reeled in the bait and it was in perfect condition… it must have wrapped in the leader. Unlucky!

We turned to work the spot a bit more, but after spending some time there, we didn’t have another pull. We were expecting a friend to arrive at about 11am, and we said we would fetch him at the club and then go fish some more. We trolled towards the harbour and I happened to be watching the rod tip on the close livie when it started revving. There was a swirl out the back but I could not make out what it was. It looked to be a hammer head from how it was tracking the bait. Hendry and I pulled in the baits and the fish followed them to the stern. Only then did we see that it was indeed a Garrick. It chased the baits a few times on the surface, but only half-heartedly took the one and spat it out before eating it. 

Juri fighting his first garrick

We upped lines and went to fetch Juri. He is a laugh a minute and was super keen to catch his first Garrick. At headed back to the same spot where we had dropped the first Garrick and on our first turn, the close bait was eaten.  The bait was on a really light bass rod so we were in for a good fight. Hendry fed and hooked up the fish before passing the rod to Juri. The fish took a lot of line and put up a good fight for half an hour. It was Juri’s first Garrick so we gaffed the fish for him. He was over the moon.

The wind had picked up a lot so we headed back to the harbour and saw a good colour line near the pier. We put out 3 baits and made a turn. Not long after, we had a pull on a Maasbanker, but got the head back. Moments later, the far line went away. I hooked up and passed the rod to Juri. This fish took a lot of line and kept him busy for a while before I could tail a really good fish. It was tagged and released in good condition and measured out at 12.5kg. That was the last pull we had so we headed back.

Dropping off crew

On Sunday 7^th August, we launched “Avanti” off Richards Bay. We had a few of At’s friends on the boat looking for a Garrick. Knowing there was not much bait on the pipe, we opted to look on the shallow reefs near the nets and within 20 minutes, we had a hatch full of shad. The guys needed to leave for Pretoria at 11am, so it was going to be a short session. 

We headed to 5 mile and ducked into the backline. I rigged up 3 lines and At trolled through the rips. It took about half an hour for our first pull. I fed and hooked up the fish which ran straight into the backline. I handed off the rod and was busy clearing the other lines when the 40 lbs leader parted. Bad luck. We were back at square one. About an hour later, on the deep side of a nice rip, the short surface bait went away. Again I hooked up and passed the rod over. The fish didn’t do to much and was quickly next to the boat. I grabbed the tail and lifted it into the bot where it was tagged and released.

At made another turn while I let the new baits out. On almost the same spot, we went away again. This time the fish put on a better fight and took some time for me to get hold of the tail. This fish was also tagged after a few quick pics, then released. We had high hopes for another fish, but by 10:30, the had been no more action and we had to head back to drop the guys off.

It was still early, the weather was great and we had some bait left, so we decided to fish into the afternoon. We made the short run to the south pier and I had just set the last line when the first one went away. I passed the rod to Hendry who hooked up onto a shoal size Garrick. It gave him a good rev on the spinning rod and finally I managed to tail the fish and get a tag into it. Trolling continued, but it had gone quiet. 

The wind had picked up a lot and we were battling to maintain position so we headed to the north pier to give it a few minutes. Just before 4pm, the deep bait went away. Hendry fed and hooked up a good sized fish that gave him a nice fight before I could leader it. After tagging it, it was released and we called it a day.

First Garrick of the Season

On Saturday 6^th August, Wayne, Lorenzo and I launched “Da Boys” off Richards Bay. We were hoping to get into some snoek and Garrick action. Our first stop was to get livies which proved very challenging and could not find a single one. I headed shallower to the shark nets and found a few showings. Wayne and I started getting a mix of pinkies and shad and soon we were heading up north.

Lorenzo with his first garrick

I put out a few snoek baits and slowly trolled north. As we were going, we saw a few birds dipping. I fired a small spoon at them and on the third turn of the handle, I went on to a snoek. It didn’t take long to boat the fish and we could follow the birds to get another one. Despite putting the lure right in front of the snoek, we could not get another pull. The action subsided and we continued north. We heard of some action a bit further north, so we changed to a few rapalas and feathers to get there a bit faster. A few minutes later Wayne went on with a snoek which also found it's way into the hatch.

The snoek had sounded and things were very quiet. We decided to head into the backline and look for a Garrick. There was a beautiful colourline in 4m of water so we spent some time working alone it. After about an hour, we had a pull and went tight with a small Garrick. We gave the rod to Lorenzo and he had his hands full with his first Garrick. After about 20 minutes, I put the gaff into the fish and hauled it onboard. We made another turn over the same spot and had a Garrick come charging in to eat a shad, but it turned off at the last second. It bumped one of the further baits o the way back, but never ate it. Sometimes they can be difficult like that. We spent some more time along the colour line but had no more pulls so we headed back to port.

Richards Bay Gamefish Interclub 2016

On the weekend of 30^th July, we launched “Avanti” with the Richards Bay Ladies team consisting of Tammy Hammond, Loraine Kapp and Petro Schutte. We were fishing the RB Gamefish Interclub. The weather was pretty terrible but everyone was really keen t wet a line. Our first stop was at the pipe where we caught a few livies. We quickly ran to the south pier to try fish for a Garrick before moving to plan B. The lines were just set when the deep line went away. Loraine went tight on a Garrick and after a bit of a tussle, the fish was next to the boat. I was busy reaching out to gaff the fish when the hook pulled! Talk about bad luck. We shrugged it off and continued fishing without any further pulls so we headed out to small high point. We drifted there a few time, but there was nothing, not even a showing. We decided to put out some trolling lures to cover some ground. It didn’t take long to get a pull. This time it was on a big deep diver way out the back intended for wahoo. I was pretty sure that’s what it was, but after a few minutes, the fish bit through the #7 wire! Again the lines went out and we trolled the area. Petro managed to get a small rainbow runner that was under the minimum weight and Tammy caught a jube jube that we kept for bait.

With nothing going on, we headed for Petingo hoping for a cuda or kingfish. The ladies worked jigs and live baits for a while but never had a bump so we put on a few cuda baits and trolled around for a bit. Just before lines up, we managed to get a pull and Petro released a nice bigeye kingfish.

Day two saw a late launch due to the weather being fowl. At 7:30 we all put to sea and managed to catch livies in record time. We headed south to where there were a few birds working and it didn’t take long to get a few pulls from snoek. Unfortunately a few fell off and the ones we caught were too small to weigh. With the sea being terrible, we headed to the harbour and pulled some livies around for Garrick. It was really quiet but finally we had a pull. The fish took off like a rocket when it ate the bait. Tammy fed it for a while before we tightened up… nothing! The shad came back in perfect condition! The Garrick must have swam into the line when it was chasing the bait and got tangled up. What are the chances of that? So our comp came to an end with a lot of good laughs and bad luck. We will be there next year to try again.

2016 Mapelane Junior Interclub

On Saturday 9^th July, we launched Tyron Gruar’s “Kaskasi” off Mapelane. We were fishing in the Mapelane Junior Interclub and I was the manager of the U/16 Richards Bay team. Hannes and Gideon Steenkamp and TJ Jacobs were in the team. After a bit of a wet launch, we headed for St Lucia swimming beach where we filled up on live bait and then headed for the 50m ledge.

TJ with a nice Wahoo

Gideon pulling a yellowfin

There had been a lot of small tuna around the previous week, so that was part of the game plan for the day. We put out 3 large halcos, a small kona and a smaller rapala then trolled north into the current. After about half an hour, we went on with a small yellowfin which was quickly boated. I happened to look at one of the lures that we had been pulling and saw some proper teeth marks on it. It must have happened in the last few minutes, as the lure was brand new. Trolling commenced and every half an hour or so we would get a pull from a small yellowfin. By the time we were at the northern tip of the reef, we had 6 small tuna. We were only allowed to weigh 3, so we needed to look for a different species. I suggested that we run back to a mark that we trolled over earlier that had some good showings and make a drift. Maybe for a cuda. Tyron came into the area and slacked off the speed to look for the showing. In the meantime, I put out 2 halcos just in case… As we were nearing the marks, the close lure went away at speed! Hannes took the rod while TJ started retrieving the other far line. Almost immediately, the rod was pulled flat and the reel smoked off as a second fish grabbed the lure! Unfortunately, Hannes’ fish pulled hook while TJ fought his. There were a few good smoking runs along the surface, leading us to believe that the fish was a wahoo. Sure enough after about 20 minutes, I gaffed a really nice one.

Richards Bay U/16 Day 1

Being a species comp, we needed to look for another species to double the points. But even though we tried really hard for a cuda, we never had another pull and headed back to the beach at 2pm. The wahoo weighed 18kg and the small yellowfins were between 4 and 6kg. Enough for 2^nd place for the day.
On Sunday 10^th, we again headed to the livebait spot and caught some bait but didn’t want to spend too much time as the day was shorter than the previous day. Again we headed to the ledge to troll for the yellowfins. Relatively quickly, we got out 3 weighables but then had a shark tax a tax us and take the best halco with it.

 We opted to look for another specie as the 3 yellowfins would not win us the comp. Tyron lined up the boat for a drift and while he checked the GPS, we let out a livebait on surface. While still freespooling, the reel took off and we went on to a better size yellowfin which unfortunately pulled hook at the boat.

Day 2 Mapelane Junior Interclub

With the drift line sorted, we ran to the top of the reef and drifted back. Knowing there were a few bigger tuna around, we put out a fluorocarbon rig with a livebait. While TJ was feeding it out, it was picked up but after a short run came off. On closer inspection, the flouro had been bitten off. Unlucky! We put on a piece of wire and made another drift. This time it took a few minutes to get a pull and after tightening up, the fish made a few good runs before it was at the boat where I gaffed a cuda. Now the hatch looked better. Unfortunately after a few more drifts we only got a shark.

At the weigh in, the 3 yellowfins weighed between 4 and 5kg and the cuda went 12,6kg. There were a few other nice fish that were weighed, and we ended up maintaining our 2^nd place. Thanks to everyone involved.

Tuff Tuna

On Saturday 28^th May, Wayne Ritchie, Lorenzo and I launched “Da Boys” off Richards Bay. The weather forecast was perfect and we were looking forward to a great day on the water. We stopped at the pipeline and looked for bait. There were very few showings around and all the boats struggled to find anything. There were a few shad and the odd Maasbanker but we had to really work for each of them. Finally we happened upon a decent showing and before hitting the bottom, went on with some bait. They turned out to be some really big mackerel which were finally able to move up north to look for some fish.

Wayne with a 20kg Yellowfin.

After a half hour run, I put out a few small rapalas and fillets and trolled north tacking between 15 and 25m. There were no showings or any signs of surface activity. At about 8:30, one of the cd7 rapalas was eaten and the reel smoked off. This was definitely not a snoek… Wayne took the strike while I cleared the other lines. The fish had a lot of line in the water by the time I had the deck clear so I slowly followed the fish to allow Wayne to put some line on the reel. The fish stayed on surface for a while before sounding. Initially we thought that the fish was a cuda, but it was becoming apparent that it was a yellowfin especially when we could see the tail beats on the rod tip. After 45 back breaking minutes, the fish was close to the boat, but it had no intention of coming closer. 

Lorenzo with a slinger

The long rod and big swell made it extremely difficult for Wayne to gain line on the fish and after an hour, he relinquished the rod to me. It seemed like a fresh pair of arms is what was needed and after another 10 minutes of circling, the fish came within range and Wayne managed to gaff a good size yellowfin. We could not believe that a fish could be that strong, but when we took a closer look, it all made sense. 

The fish had been hooked in the top of the head making it very difficult to fight. No matter, we had some fresh tuna steaks on the menu. The fish pulled a 20kg hand scale flat, so we were pretty chuffed.

Trolling resumed but without any more action. Lorenzo was keen to catch a few fish himself, so we stopped on one of the shallow reefs and sent down a light bottomfish rig. For the next hour, we had a ball with the many bottomfish species. We kept 5 fish for the pot and released the rest.

The wind started picking up so we decided to head back home. All in all, it was a great day on the water. 

Lekker fresh fish!

On Sunday 15^th May, At and I launched “Avanti” out of Richards Bay. We were hoping to get a snoek or so with the perfect weather conditions. We stopped at the pipeline and caught a few maasbankers and shad before heading north towards Dawsons. On the way up, I rigged up a few rods with small rapalas and feathers. When At throttled back, I let out the lines and we trolled north in the backline.

It was stone dead so we made a deep turn and saw a few shoals of redeyes on the surface. Knowing that these primo baits were in short supply, I upped the lines and spent some time filling the bait box. After a while, the shoals disappeared and we continued trolling. The radio was silent and no one had seen good fish yet so we sounded around in the shallows and found a small reef to try for some bottoms. We were in luck and managed some nice rockcods, including a yellowbelly, and some other species.

With some fish to eat, we slowly trolled south and about an hour later, we had a pull on the fillet on japan. I pulled in a snoek of around 4kg. Great, mission accomplished. I rerigged and At made another turn. Again we had a pull on the same bait but pulled the hook. After a few more turns without another pull, we headed shallower into the backline and were rewarded with another pull. This time it was a good snoek of around 7kg. It was getting late, so after another turn without a pull, we upped lines and headed back home with some Lekker fresh fish.

Air Jaws

On Saturday 14^th May, we left Richards Bay harbour aboard “Galavant”. We were looking to fish for marlin one more time to see if they were still around. On the way out, all the anchored ships were facing the wrong direction which indicated that there was a reverse current… not a good sign. We pushed on past the ships and in 150m, set the lines.

The water colour was horrible and to make it worse, the deeper we went, the colder it became. The temp dropped from 23 degrees in the harbour to 21,4 degrees at 750m. Just before deciding to turn around, far out to see, we could see a bit of a colour change. Finally there was a break and the temperature rose to 24 degrees and the colour improved dramatically. There were a few birds and flying fish around, so we felt a lot better about our chances.

A feisty Mako Shark of around 70kg

The day wore on without any action. Other boats fishing in the vicinity also saw nothing. At about 1pm, I was sitting in the fighting chair, watching the teaser off the starboard stern cleat when without warning, a blue and silver shape rocketed out the water with the teaser in its jaws, landing with a big splash. It was an agro Mako shark that seemed intent on destroying the teaser. This was like a scene from the Air Jaws documentary. It attacked the hookless lure a few times before fading off to the left short lure. This was a Marlin Magic Ruckus, so I was not keen to have a toothy critter bite it off. It popped the rigger and I wound like hell to avoid hooking it. Luckily the shark faded back to where it smashed the left long and got stuck. We cleared the lines in a hurry and Willis jumped in the chair. The Mako didn’t take much line and soon I had the leader in hand. As soon as I had a chance, I grabbed the lure and slid it up the leader so that if it did bite off, I still had it. On closer inspection, I saw that the hook was only through the skin of the jaw and that I small slice with a sharp knife would free the hook, so I very carefully made a small cut and the hook came out. The shark took off to parts unknown. It was not a marlin, but it did give us a bit of a show and made a rather uneventful day much better.

Not long after, we headed back to port hoping that the next trip would be more successful.

Fish of a lifetime!

After a very busy few months, I finally managed to get onto the water…

On Monday 2^nd May at 8am, Hein, Wayne and I left Richards Bay harbour aboard “Galavant”. There had been a few marlin and tuna around so we wanted to see if we could find anything that would bite. We opted to fish strait out the harbour behind the ships. On the way out, we stopped to troll over small high point but a large container ship had anchored directly on top of it so we headed deeper. At around 100m, we slowed down and set the lines. The water was a bit green, 24.2 degrees and no current. Wayne trolled deeper to look for some better conditions.

Hein and his first Blue Marlin

In 900m, we saw a few flying fish and a bird or two. A short distance away, there was a piece of floating debris so Wayne made a turn towards it. We passed by it but there was no growth on it so we just carried on past it. A few minutes later, without any warning, the right short rigger popped and the reel took off. I flew down stairs to clear lines. Out the back, a small blue marlin of around 60kg tore up the surface. Wayne kept the line running off the reel while Hein and I cleared the other lines. The fish had a lot of line in the water by the time the deck was cleared so Hein had a job to put it all back on the reel. The fish had done a lot of jumping and was pretty docile when it was near the boat. I took the leader and after a few photos, removed the hooks and turned it loose. This was Hein’s first marlin so we were all really happy that we could check that box for him.

Jono and Wayne with a massive Spearfish

The lines went out and trolling resumed. The surface activity slowed down and soon there were no signs of life so we headed a bit shallower to work the dropoff. The wind swung to the SW and puffed at about 5 knots. Being nervous that the wind would strengthen, we opted to stay shallow and not make another deep turn. After tacking over the dropoff for a while, we found some more flying fish so I made a turn into the area. I looked back and saw a splash on the left long. The rigger popped and the reel screamed off. A feisty bull dorado of probably 18kg bounced around the surface a few times but soon threw the hooks. I was busy retrieving the lure to check it when the centre rigger popped and the 130lbs reel started running at a constant pace. We all assumed that it was a second dorado so casually went about clearing the lines. The reel picked up the pace and at the same time, there was a big splash out the back. Wayne shouted that it was a billfish so Hein and I cleared the deck double time. The fish jumped again and this time we got a good look at it, but something was different about this fish. It looked like a massive spearfish… I took the strike and hopped in the chair. I had never personally caught a spearfish, so I eased the drag off a bit to prevent the hook from pulling. This meant that the fish could take a lot of line, which it did. Slowly Wayne backed up and I could put line on the reel. About 20 minutes later, the leader came up. Wayne came to assist and take the leader. With the fish at the boat, we could see that it was indeed a spearfish and a monster at that. We decided to load the fish for the record books, so I gaffed it and helped Wayne pull it into the boat. Only then did we see how big it really was! But something still seemed off… the bill and dorsal fins looked a bit odd, but no matter, we could worry about that later. I was just over the moon with my first spearfish!

Once in a lifetime fish!

We trolled for about an hour longer without any more luck, so we headed back to the harbour. The fish weighed in at 40,6kg. This is the biggest spearfish weighed in Africa. DNA samples confirmed that the fish is indeed a longbill and the first of its kind in the Indian Ocean. It is indeed a once in a lifetime catch and I'm glad to have shared it with a great crew.

Roaring Current!

On Saturday 5^th March, we launched “Seaduction” out of Richards Bay. We were hoping to find a cuda for the boys from Theunissen. Our first stop was at the pipe where we caught a couple of mackerel. With the live well full, we headed south to high point. On arrival, we put out 3 small bait lures to catch bonito for livies. It did not take long to get 2 small bonnies which I rigged up, one on surface and one deep.

There was no wind, but the current was probably the strongest I have ever seen it there. With both motors a bit above in gear, we were going backwards at 7km per hour! This proved to be a huge challenge, as there was almost no time to work the pinnacle. 

Every 20 minutes, we would have to up lines and run back to the pinnacle and look for another bonnie. When we had one, it went into the tube and we would run almost a kilometre north to rig baits. We were then swept over the marks in seconds. It took 2 attempts to get our timing right, but finally presented 2 baits over the showing and went away on the deep bait. Unfortunately, the fish missed the hooks and we got half the bait back. It looked like a knife had sliced it off.

Dewald with some sushi

We put out the bait rods and almost immediately went on with two small yellowfin which we bled and put on ice. Again the lures were put out and the search continued. Things went dead for a while but eventually we caught another 2 baits. They were rigged and trolled over the numbers. The bait lasted a whole 5 minutes before the reel smoked off. The lines were cleared and Christo took the rod. The fish went on a sudden long run then came to a sudden halt and there was only a heavy weight that could not be budged… obviously a conversion… Everyone took turns fighting the shark and after 45 mins, we had drifted so far that it was not feasible to waste any more time on it so we broke it off.

Christo fighting jaws

The wind had picked up in the past hour and now the difficult conditions were almost impossible so we abandoned the cuda fishing and put out the marlin lures and trolled north, hoping to make the run home shorter. After about an hour, I saw a strange shape coming straight towards the prop wash from the port side. When it was a few meters away, I saw that it was a mako shark. It stayed in the white water for a while before fading off and launching itself at the left short lure, completely missing it. Moments later, it exploded on the japan lure and the reel took off. A few seconds later, the fish was off as it bit through the nylon leader.

The current was relentless and after two hours, we had not made much head way so we decided to call it a day and head back.

Two Oceans Marlin Tournament

On Monday 15^th February, Tim, Ross, Gareth and I launched “Tyler” out of Struisbaai. I was invited by Brendan Davids to fish the Two Oceans Marlin Tournament, but adverse weather had resulted in the comp being called off for a few days. The Westerly wind that was blowing resulted in a sheltered bay just outside the harbour, so we decided to have a go at catching a Garrick in the afternoon.

Gareth with a tagged Leerie

Gareth had caught a few mullet for live bait and we had a few other rods rigged up with chisel nose plugs. We worked the southern point of the bay, but there was no action so we moved into the bay. While we were slow trolling, Tim was casting a plug off the nose. Gareth spotted a few dark shapes off towards the breakers and Tim’s next cast resulted in a few Garrick chasing the lure but did not connect. We worked the area for a bit and finally found them again. Ross cast his mullet into the shoal and went tight almost immediately. While he was fighting, my live bait was also eaten and we were hooked up to a double! Both fish were pretty close to the boat when mine threw the circle hook, but Ross managed to get his fish onto the leader where it was boated, tagged and released. Things were quiet from then on, so we headed back to the harbour.

Feeding the locals

On Tuesday 16^th February, the comp was called off again, but with the wind settling, we decided to make a midday launch and headed out to the 12mile banks. We put out a few marlin lures, and within a few minutes had a small yellowfin eat one of them. It was rigged up for a livebait, but unfortunately, after about an hour it was eaten by a mako shark. 

The lures went in again and trolling continues. There were big shoals of skipjack and small yellowfin that attached the swivels of the lures whenever we got near to them. Every now and again, there were bigger yellowfin that smashed the lures and we were kept busy for most of the afternoon. There was a lot of bait around, but no billfish so we headed back to the harbour.

On Wednesday morning the cold front came through with vengeance and the comp was again called off.

On Friday 19^th, he wind had finally subsided and all the boats put to sea. We headed out towards the 45’s but on route, the water colour got worse and worse so we made the call to turn around and head 5 miles back towards the Halfway House as the water looked good there. The lures went out and Gareth trolled the area looking for signs of life.

Ross with a WP Wahoo

After a while, the centre rigger popped and the reel ran for a bit. Ross took the strike and managed to bring a 12kg wahoo to the boat. This was an exceptionally rare catch for the area so everyone was very surprised to see it. The lines had just been reset when I saw a small marlin grabbing the left teaser. I shouted from the tower to get the pitch bait in the water, but the fish faded off as quickly as it appeared. At least we were in the right area. Some time later, we came across a big hammerhead cruising on the surface. Apparently also a rare sight. I was glad to see it, as from my experiences, the hammers and the marlin usually frequent the same areas. As luck would have it, we had just turned to work the area when Brendan saw a marlin come in on the left long lure. It followed the lure for a bit and when it finally attacked, it bill wrapped the leader and spooked without hooking up. Despite making a few more turns, the fish never came back.

Releasing a Mako Shark

I was up on the tower for a bit, when I saw a commotion on the left teaser. Through the foam, I could make out that it was a mako shark that seems adamant to destroy the squids. Brendan pitched a bait on the spinning rod and went tight with the fish. At about the same time, the right long came down and both lines ran to the same fish. After some commotion on the surface, the one leader was cut and Tim was left to bring the mako to the boat where it was released.

Again the lines went out and after a few tacks, the centre rigger popped. The reel ran for a bit, but then the fish as gone. We did not see anything, but on closer inspection, there were bill marks on the leader. It must have been a shy fish that was not keen to feed. The predicted front came through at 1pm and picked up to 20knots. We turned for home but kept the lures in the water. In the next hour or so, we caught two yellowfin and a skipjack before we upped lines and headed back to harbour. Unfortunately none of the boats competing caught a marlin, but considering the conditions…

Being a tourist...

The weather forecast for the Saturday (last day of the comp) was terrible and called a blowout. What was surprising was that on the Friday evening, the tournament committee sent an sms out to the competitors stating that the tournament was extended by an extra day and that Sunday was now also considered a tournament day. Unfortunately many of the upcountry teams could not take part as travel arrangements had been made months in advance, based on the dates supplied by the organisers. This was in my opinion a bad call and a bit short sighted. Never the less, a great time was had by all.

First 2016 Marlin

At 5am on Sunday the 10^th January, Frans, Deon, Barney, Annette, Andries and I launched “Trinity” out of Richards Bay. We were hoping to find a marlin for the first time anglers. The water was clean from the shallows so while we ran out, I put out a high speed lure… just in case.

When we were near the ledge, Frans slowed the boat down so that we could drop the riggers and get the lures out. I started retrieving the hi speed lure I had out and felt that there was quite a bit of weight on the end of the line. There was a fish on it. Deon took the rod and after a bit of an awkward fight on the heavy rod, he had a 7kg dorado on the boat. Not a bad start to the morning. 

Barney with his first Blue Marlin

We went about setting the 5 lures spread while Frans trolled deeper. We headed out to about 600m then turned shallower. There were a few interesting readings on the sounder at 250m to 350m so we headed back to that area. 

In 375m, I had just finished adjusting the left flatline Ruckus when a bill and dorsal fin came up behind it. The lure disappeared in a ball of foam as the reel took off. Everyone grabbed a rod to clear the other lines. The fish came flying out the water and started greyhounding away from us. The line looked as if it was melting off the reel and by the time everything was cleared, we were into the backing. Barney was on strike and was quickly fitted with the standup harness. Frans backed up the boat and most of the line was put back on the reel. The fish sounded for a short while but soon came to the surface where I could get hold of the leader. The fish was pretty tired and so it was tame on the leader. We took a few pics of the +-130kg blue before the hooks were removed and the fish was turned lose. Great stuff!

It was still early, so we were confident that we would have some more action. The spread was reset and trolling commenced. Frans went into the cabin to rustle up some breakfast so I took over the helm. I tacked over the area where we had found the showings, hoping to find more life. I was busy with the inward tack when Frans came out the cabin with a scrambled egg and toast breakfast. I scanned the area in front of the boat to check for other boat traffic so that we could sit down to eat without having a collision. 

Deon fighting standup

Deon's first Blue Marlin

I took one last at the lures when I saw a big splash on the centre rigger lure. As I shouted, the rigger popped and the reel smoked off! Breakfast was put on hold as everyone dashed for a rod and cleared lines. The fish started tailwalking in a big arc behind the boat and ended up running parallel with us. There was a big belly in the line which kept tension on the fish. Deon was the next person in the hot seat and got strapped in to the standup harness. After explaining the drill to him, he went to work putting line back on the reel. Frans backed up slowly and soon the reel was pretty full. The fish sounded and sulked down deep for a while, taking a bit of line as it went. Deon was taking a lot of strain and so I put the reel into low gear for him. After some moral support, Deon got a second wind and started to inch the stubborn fish to the surface. A short while later, the bird came out the water and I grabbed the leader. The fish behaved itself while we took some photos. Deon took the bill from me and turned his first marlin lose. We all guessed the blue at around 110kg. Just a bit smaller than the first one. What t great day!

The lines went in again and trolling continued. This time we were able to eat breakfast without and interruptions. The day wore on without any more action so we aimed for the harbour and trolled shallower. We were just passing over the 50m ledge when I noticed a movement to the starboard side of the long rigger lure. All of a sudden, a black marlin of abound 300Lbs came hurtling out of the water towards the boat. As I shouted, the fish jumped again, this time under the rigger line and landed just short of the flat line. With the distance and trajectory of the previous two jumps, we all expected the next jump to be into the boat and Frans had already ducked in anticipation. Luckily the fish decided otherwise and disappeared under the wake. Everyone was on alert, scanning the lures but unfortunately the fish never came back. Oh well, that’s how it goes. My congrats go to Barney and Deon for joining the marlin club.