FISHING EC BAIT DEMO
CATCH COMPETITION
TIDES
FEBRUARY 2016
KINGFISH
Areena River Resort
KAYAK CORNER
Brett Armstrong
BORDER BOY Gets Gold
WRIGGLESWADE Carp Comp
E FRE Y COP ASE PLE ONE E TAK
You can read the magazine on our website, find it on www.issuu.com or download the ISSUU app and read it on your FEC | February 2016 phone.
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ISSUE: 26
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FEC | February 2016
CONTENT
Areena Resort GT 04 Bradd’s First Leerie
FEATURES
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Bait Demo
Border Boy Gets Gold 12
Kayak Corner
Rapala knot and lure clips.
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Catch Competition 26 Send us your photos and you could win.
Tides
Check the tide tables to make sure you fishing the right times.
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22 Target Line
Freshwater Angling Club results after 9 competitions.
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EDITORS
LETTER
MAGAZINE EDITOR Nigel Louw CONTRIBUTORS Nigel & Michele Louw Des Schmidt Colin Botcher Brett Armstrong Carl Henn
CONTACT ADVERTISING: email: nigel@fishingec.com Mobile: 073 690 2606 Website: www.fishingec.com
Find us on Facebook Search: Fishing The Eastern Cape
No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of Fishing The Eastern Cape. The magazine is published monthly and cannot be held responsible for inaccuracies in articles. The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the editor. Fishing The Eastern Cape does not accept responsibility for advertising content.
Well it is February already and the year is flying, already see Easter eggs are on the shelves. February is also Valentines month so it is time to spoil your loved one. Have a look at our article on Areena River Resort. It is a great place to go relax and spoil him or her for a weekend getaway. Don’t stop spinning the upper estuaries yet as they are still alive with fish and rivers are also holding some good swimming prawn. Don’t forget to send in your catch photos for our Catch & Win page. You could be the next winner.
Nigel Louw Editor
ON THE COVER
Michele Louw with a GT Kingfish.
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recently took my wife Michele away for a weekend. It was just to get a break from the hustle and bustle. My choice of destination was Areena River Resort and chose to book the Wooden Chalets that are just a bit higher up river from the camp sites. I asked her if I must take a fishing rod with, but wasn’t really to worried about fishing as this trip was supposed
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to just be to de-stress and chill out a bit. She said yes take rods so I packed in two seven foot rods and a box of lures. On arrival we checked in and then decided to hire one of the double kayaks and have a slow paddle up river and drift while casting some lures. I wasn’t really focused on fishing and was more just enjoying the scenery and adjusting the kayak with the
Weekend Break At Areena Resort GT Kingfish Words/pics: Nigel & Michele Louw
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Michele with a GT Kingfish caught up river at the Areena Resort.
paddle while drifting. Then all of a sudden Michele’s rod is bending and she screams “What do I do, I’m going to drop the rod” my reply with excitement was “Geez that’s a good fish on there, Just hold tight and let the drag do all the work. She had cast the lure along the bank from the kayak and the fish absolutely smashed it and the drag was screaming. After quite a few minutes the fish started to get tired and we caught a glimpse of it. It was a Giant Trevally also known as the GT Kingfish. This was a great catch with it being about 40cm in length. This species is extremely strong for there size and she did very well to land it. This was also her first fish ever caught on a hard plastic lure. I was so proud. We took some photos quickly and then managed to safely release the fish. These Kingfish species are caught at the top of our estuaries during the summer months and are great fun on light tackle. After that species and that size 6
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I was now itching to catch one too. We carried on drifting a bit higher up and as we reached the big rocks and cliff I had a good hit on my lure. The fish was on and felt quite strong. My first thought was another Kingfish species, but it turned out being something different. It was a baby River Snapper which was probably only about 30cm, but it fought like a 60cm Kob. They are another species that are extremely strong for their size. The Snapper will ambush any live bait or lure that is pulled past him. After a few more casts and roughly 2 hours on the water we headed back and returned to our Chalet. We did a little bit of preparation in the kitchen and then had everything ready for an evening braai. The wind had dropped and it was perfect conditions. After lighting the fire we sat on the Balcony and watched the water while sipping a glass of wine. We heard some splashes and chases so Michele said I must go fish if I want, so I stood next
Fishing right from the braai in front of our chalet.
Nigel with a River Snapper caught right at the top section of the river.
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to the braai and cast a surface lure for a while. I had a lot of chases and hits, but only landed one little Leerie later on. It was almost the same size as the lure. That evening was really good with no wind, sitting on the bench in front of the fire and relaxing. I would highly recommend the Areena River Resort Chalets to anyone wanting an outing just to relax or to go fishing. The Chalet is very comfortable with everything you need. Lounge, kitchen, bathroom, one double bed room and one room with two single beds. The best part is it is so close to the water with fish activity and birdlife.
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Bradd’s First Leerie Words/pics: Colin Bottcher
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e took our kayak out and paddled to a decent looking spot on the river and set up our rods and put the live mullet out. It was great fun to watch the big swirl and splash as the Leerie smashed the live bait…. His eyes almost popped out his head and he was wild with excitement! The Leerie took off and reel screaming, he glanced nervously towards me as if to say THIS IS A MASSIVE FISH HELP. We’ve caught plenty in the rivers and he’s got his fair share but the speed at this Leerie was peeling line off his reel was a first for him. We were fishing circle hooks and he slowly tightened up and was solidly hooked. That’s when the fun started and idle banter as he was puffing and taking strain, was lovely to watch. It was going nowhere and no chances of getting snagged so it was great
to watch it give him a decent fight. He eventually landed it and the look of excitement and achievement on his face was priceless. He was super chuffed!! A couple of quick photos and a successful release. That fish definitely made his trip and he so proudly told anyone who would listen about his Leerie! Really great to see the youngsters learn and theexcitement and enthusiasm is very rewarding.
Angler: Species: Location: Bait: Size:
Bradd Bottcher Leerie Morgan Bay Live bait 42 cm FEC | February 2016
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Border Boy Gets Gold Gariep Dam International
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ight tackle boat(LTB) angling is a facet of angling that specialises in the art of angling with 4 kg line and is broken up into three divisions, estuary, off shore and freshwater. Out of the blue I received a phone call from Oom Gert Hattingh the president of SALTBAA ( South African Light Tackle Boat Angling Association) inviting both Kyle Schmidt (age 17 –U21 category) and myself Des Schmidt (skipper) to participate in the upcoming zone six international to be hosted at the Gariep dam against Namibia and Zimbabwe. This tournament alternates yearly between the different countries of which South Africa was to host it in 2015. The Gariep Dam is on the border of the Eastern Cape and the Free State, it is approxi-
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mately 100 km long. After a six hour drive we were confronted with a dam that was bordering on 50% of its capacity posing further obstacles as now there were many new islands and some partially submerged islands (crocodiles) that lay in wait to destroy our gearboxes. After a careful cruise around the dam we found our routes where it was safe to drive without unexpected surprises. The competition is hosted over five days of which the first two are practice days and the latter are competition days. The first day is generally set aside, searching for the correct spot to place ones ground feed, what this means to those that are not familiar with Light Tackle Boat Angling, it is a selected spot where the skipper will feed in the hopes of attracting the targeted spe-
cies. The Zone Six is a species competition where we had to produce 15 carp, 10 barble, 10 yellow fish and 10 muddies of which proved to be challenging as the yellow fish were spawning and the barble were in the shallows eating the yellow fish eggs. Day one the nerves are always on edge until the anglers break the ice and land their fist fish. Kyle’s angling partner for the Protea A side was Ruan Jacobs from Gauteng. Both Ruan and Kyle filled their quota of carp and barble quickly and they started catching bigger specimens of both species whilst returning the smaller fish. On returning to the scales Kyle took the day with the heaviest bag and his boat partner came second with myself been top skipper for day one. Day two was a bit more difficult as the barble FEC | February 2016
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did not want to play their part resulting in minimal and small specimens been landed. Carp once again were plentiful and saved the day. Ruan won the day with Kyle coming a close second with 6 kgs difference between the two anglers, putting our Boat Simply Wild once again in first place for day two. The scene for day three was set, as we knew we had already won the Festival and Zone six by taking the previous two days, the biggest challenge was now for 1st and 2nd places as both anglers are accomplished anglers and good friends. It was a “tough day at the office” with both anglers fishing their hearts out, the barble disappeared leaving them carp to fight over. They both landed nice specimens of carp up to 6kgs, Kyle managed to net nine yellow fish and Ruan three, which gave Kyle the additional point required to take the day. There was 9kgs difference between their weights for day three. Over all it was a bitter sweet day as in my eyes both these under 21 protea anglers were worthy of the 1st place. Once again Simply Wild took first place. The tournament was made up of two competitions, firstly the zone 6 international and secondly the festival competition. We managed to scoop ten medals in total namely – Kyle (netting 256.84kg’s) winning both the international and the festival with Ruan his boat partner (netting 232.12 kg’s) coming a close second for both. As a team (Protea U21 A) we won Gold for both tournaments, Simply Wild took top weight with me been the top skipper for both tournaments. Ruan managed to take Gold medals for the biggest barble, carp and yellow fish. Border was proud to field a total of seven anglers in both the international and festival tournaments. Marcel Kingsley-Wilkens ( Protea B ) finished 6th with 128.18 kg’s overall in the combine ranking list for both tournaments with Marcel’s nephew Caden Louw (SALTBAA under 16) finishing 8th overall with 107.16kg’s. Graham Kingsley-Wilkens skippered for the SALTBAA under 16’s and ended up 10th in the skipper ranking. Chris Eberhardt represented the Protea mens side 14
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and ended up 11th with 154.84 kg’s in the combined ranking list for both tournaments. To round it up, it was a tournament where we kindled some great friendships and created memories that we will cherish for years to come. I would like to thank all friends and family and especially Kyle’s sponsor Rapala VMC SA that assisted us, regardless how big or small your input together your support and friendship help us bring back the medals. Kyle Schmidt -VMC KID AND PROUD TO BE ONE.
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CORNER K A Y A K FISHING
Words/pics: Brett Armstrong
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ith the Festive season truly behind us now, hopefully you got to spend a lot of time on your kayak making memories and some new friends, and catching the odd fish. Crazy how quickly time flies! I am super excites as there is lots of fun to come during 2016, especially if you are into Kayak Fishing. It was great to see so many new guys on the water and hear of how many new and used kayaks were purchased in the last few months. Well done guys and girls and we look forward to seeing you on the water.
please find out and understand the exact areas you can and cannot fish in, namely the sanctuaries, which are protected by environmental laws and Regulations. Please guys, if you are not sure of where to fish, find out before going out, this is important for all of us and especially for you. You don’t need to be facing a huge fine or legal action, as ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law in this regard. Checkout our website for more details.
Product Review – Project Hobie Pro Angler 12 I am busy working on a new project involving the top of the line plastic fishing kayak from Hobie. This kayak will blow your mind. Watch this space in next month’s issue. You have to see it to believe it!
As a matter of notice, I need to again inform all kayak fishing persons that in East London kayak fishing enthusiasts have a club under which we operate, namely, Kayak Fishing EC. We have a very informative and interesting website (with more updates to follow) at www.kayakfishingec.co.za and a Facebook page with the same name, Kayak Fishing EC, and would like to encourage you to go and checkout our site and to also Like us on Facebook and then share/spread the news. The club is focused on both ocean and
Reserves and Sanctuaries: I really need to emphasize once again regarding fishing in the areas near Gonubie and Nahoon Reef areas off your kayak, 16
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Kayak Club for East London:
river kayak fishing, so there is something for everyone here. We have a host of information and galleries available on the website, so check it out and join us on the water. The idea behind establishing the club, was to try and somehow formalize our sport and be seen as a serious entity who operates within the rules and regulations and guidelines of our area. We wish to promote safety and a better understanding of our environment and natural resources. We believe this will go a long way in promoting our amazing region and the sport as a whole. We have a host of open days, competitions and breakfast paddles planned as well as away trips in the Transkei, Durban and the Western Cape. Everyone is welcome. It has been great lately with a constant number of kayak fisherman going out in large groups and having fun together on the ocean. There is always safety in numbers and lots of helping hands. Please join in – we really look forward to seeing you.
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Kayak Fishing – Safety requirements for the ocean: It is imperative that I take this opportunity to once again mention the importance of safety and what you are required to carry in terms of the national regulations in your kayak when fishing in the ocean. These are the minimum requirements, which are essential safety items as required by law under instruction from SAMSA South African Marine Safety Association www.samsa.co.za as well as some guideline from SA Kayak Fishing: - Have a fishing license from the Post Office for the specific category for skippering and fishing from a kayak. Kayak must be over 3 meters in length to go to sea (beyond the backline) - Kayak must have minimum 30% buoyancy, - You must wear an approved PFD (personal flotation device) - Carry a 10 meter rope as a rescue tow rope, - Pencil flares (check the date of expiry), - Bailing device (bucket or collapsible bucket) You can use your tackle box or a sponge, - You must have 750ml drinking water, - You must not exceed 1.85km from land (1nautical mile), - You can launch anywhere except if the launch site is restricted by Port Authority, Pri vate owner, Parks Board, or Municipality for which you may be asked to pay a fee, - A strong paddle leash, - Carry a cell phone in a waterproof pouch in case of an emergency, - Join your local Kayak fishing club, - Always check the weather forecast before going out at sea, - Make sure you can turn over and climb on your Kayak if it capsizes, - Never paddle alone always paddle with at least one person, - If your Kayak capsizes stay with it and phone for help, - Tell someone where you are going and estimated time due back, - Check your Kayak before leaving for cracks and leaks, - Make sure the bungs are in and rods and related items secured, - Know your own personal paddling capabilities and do not exceed them, - Don’t forget your fishing license and vessel license, - Obey any Parks board or municipality launch site rules, - A plastic whistle is also handy to have to attract attention, - A mirror to use for attracting attention (using suns reflection), - Display your name, license number and cell number on your kayak. This month’s tip on Fish Finders: If you fish in the rivers only, it is generally not necessary to get a state of the art fish finder, unless you are very serious about your fishing. If you frequently fish in local rivers, it’s a bit of an over kill, however, if you like exploring a lot of new rivers and estuaries, well then for sure, great idea to find holes and structure. However, ocean fishing, a fish finder is a great idea for sure, irrespective of where you fish, this is always a handy tool to have and optimizes you time and experience. Remember, the bottom of the ocean is forever changing, so understanding what is going on on the bottom is a fantastic way to fish. The fish finder also assist you in finding baitfish as well, this is certainly a huge advantage. It also helps you better understand water temperature and the bottom surface/structure should you want to FEC | February 2016
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anchor. For me a fish finder is really fun and helps you better understand your environment in which I am paddling and fishing in. The next question would therefore be whether you purchase a basic fish finder unit only, or a GPS combo unit/separate GPS unit. Well, for me, I use a 9 amp/12 Volt battery and it lasts ages on my GPS/Fish Finder combo unit, so battery life for me not an issue at all. My battery lasts at least 18 hours. But if you are going to use a really small battery, like a 2amp, this will not even last 4 hours on a combo unit. So this will be a problem depending on how long you fish. A separate hand held GPS unit is also good if you don’t want a combo unit, but you need to ensure it is mounted/secured carefully to prevent loosing it through surf or just dropping it overboard. But it is important to realize, catching fish is about respect-
ing your environment and fish, so catch and release is very important, don’t take undersized fish and never take more than you need, exercise good will and responsibly at all time. Tomorrow is another day. For more information on kayak fishing and related aspects, please do not hesitate to contact me at info@kayakfishingec.co.za. Also checkout our website at www.kayakfishingec.co.za. To join our Whats app kayak fishing EL group, please email us and we will add you. It’s a great way to meet new guys and plan fishing trips and chat about our amazing sport. Remember: Safety first and always respect our environment.
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TARGET LINE
Freshwater club results comp 10 Words/pics: Carl Henn
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n Saturday 09-01-2016, Target Line Freshwater Angling Club had its 10th club competition for the season at Wriggleswade Dam, on the farmer’s side. This the first comp for the new year 2016 with a hope of plenty fish to come. The morning started off very cloudy with the occasional drop or two. Not much of a wind to speak of, but just enough to make the policeman at the end of the lines, put thought in your mind……..was that a bite or not? 07:00, the siren howled, and lines went flying. There was a sense amongst anglers that today was not a 400m sprint, but more a marathon. Many anglers took their time to prepare their baits to perfection in the hope that this will be the winning recipe; while others had strategies planned and hoped all would work out. At the end of the day it was unclear which worked better; bait or patience. Personally I think that patience had the upper hand. Few anglers managed to overcome the odds, but there were some nice catches. Reaan
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Geyer (Master) landed 4 carp (13.92kg) and an eal (1.17kg) with a biggest carp for the day of 5.087kg. The rest of the anglers only managed to land carp as the results below would show. All-in-all it was a fantastic day with the weather finally coming around and leaving us with sun-tanned bodies. Here are the results of the competition: Seniors: 1 1 Martin Piek 2 Adriane Domoney 3 Carl Henn
5 fish 2 fish 1 fish
16.535kg 4.148kg 3.131kg
Masters: 1 Reaan Geyer 2 Anthon Henn 3 Richard Ackerman
5 fish 2 fish 1 fish
15.091kg 6.414kg 4.485kg
Ladies: 1 Jacky Domoney 2 Petra Piek
6 fish 1 fish
13.953kg 2.185kg
It has come to that part of the year where no more standings would be announced………..we do need some surprises to be left over for the end year function in March. Martin Piek has offered to host a fresh water angling clinic for all who would like to learn some tricks on how improve on your catches. This clinic will cover casting, netting, traces, bait presentation, and all the rest. If anyone is interested, the proposed date is 27/02/2016. Please book your spot in advance. For any enquiries on how to join our club or anything at all, feel free to call me on 073 857 2209, e-mail sales@targetline. co.za or targetlinefreshwaterangling@ gmail.com or join on face book at Target Line FAC, or send me a Whatsap message. See you all reel soon on the banks PS: Komani Gun Cellars ( Powered by Target Line ) in Queenstown, now also stock all your freshwater needs.
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X TIPS O B T I A B
THE
RAPALA KNOT & LURE CLIP
With all the lure action up rivers at the moment, here is a knot or clip that can help improve the action of your lure. Words/pics: Nigel Louw
ASSORTED LURE CLIPS AVAILABLE FROM SPARGS
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Sponsored by SPARGS MALL BEACON BAY 043 711 7700
TYING THE RAPALA KNOT
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CATCH & WIN Angler: Paul van Jaarsveld Species: Red Roman Location: Nahoon Bait: Squid Size: 1.15kg
Angler: Craig Tessendorf Species: River Bream Location: Tkei Bait: Flutterstick lure Size: Not measured
Angler: Bradley Birkholtz Species: Spotted Gully Shark Location: ? Bait: ? Size: 1.2m Send us your best catch picture and you could win an awesome prize. (Photo must be of yourself holding the fish and preferably still alive. Photos of gutted fish do not qualify) Email your entry to nigel@fishingec.com with the following details: - Anglers full name - Species - Location caught | February 2016 26 - BaitFEC used - Size/Weight
January Winner Angler: Chad Ikin Species: Kob Location: Gonubie River Bait: Live Mullet Size: 7kg
Chad wins himself an asortment of Triton lures. Sponsored by Bilimoria Fishing Tackle + an Alcock’s book.
Angler: Bradd Botcher Species: Leerie Location: Morgan Bay Bait: Live Bait Size: 42cm
Keep sending in your catches and stand a chance of winning a prize plus a copy of the new Alcock’s trolling and spinning book. FEC | February 2016
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TIDE CHART February 2016 Information supplied by the Hydrographer SA Navy The Hydrographer is not responsible for any transcription errors.
TO ADVERTISE WITH
CONTACT: NIGEL@FISHINGEC.COM 073 690 2606 28
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