The calm after the storm

On Sunday 9^th July, we launched “Mitsufishi” off Richards Bay. After a great days fishing, we were keen to see if the fish were there again. We started off trolling some lures around the backline and it didn’t take long to get a few pulls. We did however loose quite a few fish near the boat when the hooks pulled. There were a lot of birds and bait shoals around, but there didn’t seem to be many fish around them. I saw a few birds hovering a short distance out. As we approached, the snoek surfaced and boiled a bit. We all threw lures at the fish. I went on but after a short run, the fish pulled hook. We had drifted out of range so I reversed towards the shoal. When we were in reach, Hansie and Werner cast at the fish. Werner hooked a good snoek and had a good fight before Hansie gaffed an 8kg snoek. Again, I reversed up to the shoal and Hansie got another nice fish. Before I could get back to them, they sounded and we were left to find another shoal.

Werner with a nice snoek

The bite slowed down and we spent the day milling around the area without too much action.

At about 4pm, we turned towards the harbour and trolled a lazy pattern through the area. Hansie saw a splash a bit deeper out so I turned towards it. We saw another and another. It was like someone threw a switch and the fish started splashing around us. We all fired lures in their direction and I managed to go tight with one. It was also about 6kg. With the fish onboard, we rushed towards the next shoal and as I throttled back, Hansie cast and hooked a snoek. The fish were very skittish and when a boat came close, they would vanish. For the next half hour we moved from shoal to shoal without another fish. By 5pm they had sounded again and we headed back home with 8 snoek for the day.