Fishing EC Magazine January 2016

FISHING EC BAIT DEMO

CATCH COMPETITION

TIDES

JANUARY 2016

FISHING CIRCLES

Circle hooks

RASSPL

Border Blacktips Kiwane Results

ALCOCK’S New Book

KAYAK CORNER

E FRE Y COP

Brett Armstrong You can read the magazine on our website, find it on www.issuu.com or download the ISSUU app and read it on your phone.

ASE PLE ONE E TAK

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ISSUE: 25

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CONTENT

Fishing Circles 04 Border RASSPL Kiwane 08

Alcock’s New Book 15

Kayak Corner

FEATURES Bait Demo

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Prawn tail circle hook bait for rock and surf scratching.

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 Justin Du Preez Shane Smit The Alcock’s 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.

Happy New Year to all our readers, contributors and advertisers. I don’t know where 2015 went, it just flew past so quickly.

I am sure it should be a good season for 2016 during these warm months.

Swimming prawns should start making an appearance and you will notice that by all the chases up rivers and the young prawns scattering.

If you can make it to the Wild Coast estuaries you will deffinately be in for some fun on light lure angling.

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

Justin Du Preez with a nice size Bronze Bream.

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Scratching With Circles Using Circle Hooks Words/pics: Justin Du Preez

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ention circle hook and edibles and most fisherman cringe. Well in my opinion the best hook to use hands down. Once u figure out what to do with it.

The advantages of using circle hooks far out weigh the disadvantages. Firstly once hooked the fish stays hooked. The hookup is nearly always in the corner of the mouth or jaw. This is great if you releasing our catch as there’s less damage to the fish’s mouth Now guys ask how to rig our bait and how do you strike the fish on Now there’s two ways you can utilize the hook and this depends what you are targeting really. Bigger fish like Kob and Cracker, Pignose, Poensie you need to have the hook well exposed, as these fish will swallow the bait instead of nibbling at it.

For this the dangle method is great as the hook is totally proud to turn into the corner of the mouth for a good hookup. When you get a bite simply let the fish start pulling you flat and lean into it. Do not wack the hook as you would with a normal J-hook.

The smaller nibbling reef fish you can rig as per normal with soft baits like chokka blob, worm, prawn, redbait etc. I like to use a fixed trace for this so that when the fish pulls the sinker it helps set the hook you FEC | January 2016

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Justin with a large Stome Bream (Moonie).

A Pignose Grunter caught on a circle hook.

simply just lean on it and enjoy the fight.

Hook sizes and makes are very debatable I choose the Mustad demons and Eagle Claw circles. Small circles also work well when drifting prawn in rivers or swimming small mullet.

Bait Demo: See one of Justin’s circle hook bait demos on page 24.

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Border Blacktips Kiwane Results

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Words/pics: Shane Smit

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he Border Blacktips held our 5th league competition on the 28th of November at Kiwane, considered by most as an anglers paradise on a good day. We managed to attract 72 anglers on the day which is considered a low turnout for us but nevertheless fun was had by all! Weather on the day was pretty good and we were also all greeted by a warm working sea so a good days fishing was on the cards. The fishing stretch was from Chulumna mouth to Hamburg mouth with some good fish coming out early. Member Stuart brill managed the biggest of several kob caught with

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a 6.5kg specimen also earning him top edible for the comp. Mr. Brill was on fire early on also landing a meneer 4kg bluefish netting him 2nd heaviest edible on the day aswell! Angling both left and right of the Kiwane mouth seemed good so anglers were split up quite nicely. The big fish never did show up on the day but a respectable 14kg spotted gully from member Derek Nicholson took heaviest non-edible with a 5kg sandshark by member Julian Maastrecht in 2nd. There were a number black Steenbras and other juvenile fish caught at Kiwane on the day which is always a good sign as to the abundance of fish life

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at this relatively un-fished stretch of coastline. 3rd heaviest edible to 6th was made up of some good gully edible specimens namely some White Steenbras,blacktail, black Steenbras and rockod. All in all there were a total of 284 fish caught comprising of 20 different species with a total weight of 240kg ALL released to fight another day. A big end of year thank you must go to the Kaysers Beach Social Club for hosting us for our prizegiving aswell as all our sponsors for which none of these awesome comps would be possible without them!

Our next competition will be at “close to town� venue Winterstrand on the 6th of February! Do not miss this one!

I would like to wish all our anglers and their families a very festive season and a happy new year, stay safe wherever you may find yourselves this holiday.

Remember that anyone can enter any of our comps, for more information and pre-registrations drop me a mail at shane.rasspl@gmail.com FEC | January 2016

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ALCOCK’S

Launch new book

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ver 20 years ago my Dad published a book on lure fishing which was a huge success. As a result of all the new fishing techniques the Alcock family decided to write an updated version for the modern day. It’s purpose is to help the fisherman / fisherwoman choose the correct lure, rod, line and reel when targeting specific species of fish. There are some fantastic photos of fish caught over the last couple of years and what lure they were caught on. The proof is usually in the pudding and this is the case with these photos.

The book is easy to read and has a couple of entertaining stories of some of our fishing experiences over the years. It ties in fantastically with the 5 Fish Africa DVDs that the Alcock Brothers have released.

As we are nearing the end of winter I would like to inform the book readers that this winter the fishing has been phenomenal with huge Leeries coming out of the Swartkops, lots of small Leeries as well. Sundays River and Gamtoos have had unbelievable Kob runs with plenty of Grunter coming

out on drop shot as well and because we own a tackle shop we can see how few people actually fish in the winter time because of the cold temperatures and short daylight hours. However, now that days are getting longer and temperatures rising we see the guys getting into the swing of things so my advice to you is to target the fish that move into your area over the spring time. Lead Heads and drop shots have been fantastic this winter. Now the surface action begins because of the warmer water and as most fishermen love surface strikes this will bring more people to the water.

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FEC | January WIN A COPY ON OUR CATCH & WIN PAGE 2016

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CORNER K A Y A K FISHING

Words/pics: Brett Armstrong

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he silly season is here, which means lots of time to fish. It’s a great time to hook up with some family or friends on the kayaks at your local pond or beach.

Come on guys, the mornings are awesome at the moment, you could launch really early and have your first fish on board by 05h00, what a better way to start the day, getting a breathtaking sunrise with some mates and getting lunch while your are about it.

Product Review – Railblaza Base Mount For more information on the amazing range of Railblaza products contact Nigel at Wild Coast Kayaks at nigel@fishingec.com.

For me, Railblaza are the best products around. Serious quality, versatility and ease of use are just some of the advantages of this successful brand. Whether it is for a fishing rod holder, GoPro pole or even a drink holder, the star port system is a great add on for your kayak. There is a host of accessories available with so many multifunctional purposes. This month, I will be highlighting the Base Mount, which I use for my Fish Finder and a second base mount I use for my Bait Board for my River Kayak. Refer Photos.

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The Bait Board just unclips in 3 seconds and the Fish Finder unit can be remove very easily as well. What better way to protect your expensive accessories when transporting your kayak. Railblaza is the only way and items can be interchanged if necessary. Do yourself a favor this Christmas, treat yourself to some Railblaza bliss and get hooked up.

Plastic vs Fiberglass Decisions/Decisions!

One of the most commonly discussed point is around whether you should have a plastic or a fiberglass kayak. So here are some interesting points and myths I need to clear up: Myth 1: Plastic can’t be repaired and fiberglass can. Wrong, plastic can be repaired, just look and see how many people offer plastic repairs and rebuilding in your area. Fiberglass of course can be repaired, but it is better if a specialist does it.

Myth 2: All plastic kayaks weigh too much. Well yes most of them do, but this should not be a deal breaker. There are so many other things to also consider, for example, does it have a good rudder system, does it have enough storage.

Myth 3: Plastic can’t be broken. We not entirely true, but it is really hard wearing and can take much more of a pounding than fiberglass can.

Myth 4: Plastic color fades. In today’s technology and materials, plastic contains UV protection components so this is drastically reduced. Fiberglass also fades over time if constantly exposed. So protect you kayak and minimize the impact of the sun.

Nigel Louw spinning lures from the Fluid Bamba on Gonubie River.

So back to the real point of which kayak is better. Essentially you have a few important points to consider, namely: - Will you mainly be fishing in the ocean off the main sand beach, or mainly in the river. For me in the river plastic is certainly a great way to go, for many reasons.

- If you are finishing mainly in the ocean, this is where it gets complicated. Traditional kayakers will tell you stick to fiberglass it’s the only way to go. Well, that may have been true a couple years ago, but now many people are looking at the newer plastic kayaks coming out and saying, that will work just as well in the ocean and may even be more practical for me than the narrower fiberglass models.

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PLASTIC

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FIBREGLASS

NAHOON POINT TO GONUBIE POINT RESERVE

- Take the Fluid Bamba for example. Unbelievable kayak for the river, but it also would be one of my top three kayaks available for the ocean. Hardwearing, versatile, very stable and more space than you can ever imagine. Refer my previous articles on this kayak. A great kayak for all purposes.

- For me, if you were living in KZN troling all the time and speed was an issue, then for sure, buy yourself a Stealth Pro Fisha or Fisha model, fantastic kayaks for sure. But in our waters, bottom fishing is the norm, so why do we need speed?

- The concept of weight of the plastic kayak really only comes into play when you consider that plastic kayaks are “generally” heavier, but not to heavy to easily manage to take off your roof with a friend.

You should be fishing with at least one person from a safety point of view. So this should not be an issue really. So concluding this point, I would actually not have a problem, and I may even consider at some point changing to a plastic kayak in the ocean at some stage should I be happy in general with overall feel and kayak itself.

Nahoon Reef/Bats Cave and Gonubie Fishing As a point to emphasize once again regarding fishing in these areas off your kayak, please find out and understand the exact areas you can and cannot fish in, namely the sanctuaries, which are protected by law.

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.

Renew you Fishing Licenses As many people are merely seasonal fisherman at this time of the year, it is common to forget that you need a fishing license to fish anywhere, and yes even off a kayak, this is the law. It is not expensive at all and can be purchased from any post office, although I find the Beach Road Post Office in Nahoon seems to always have the forms. The authorities will be out in force this season, FEC | January 2016

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so if you don’t already have a license, do yourself a favor and get one today as it will definitely spoil more than just your day if you get caught without one. And don’t fool yourself and say we going to the deepest Transkei to fish, surely there are no authorities there. Think again, many people have been target there, so do the right thing.

Kayak Club for East London East London kayak fishing enthusiasts have a club under which we operate, namely, Kayak Fishing EC. We have a very informative 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 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.

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 message Brett on 071 883 8769 and request to be added to the list.

Remember: Safety first and always respect our environment.

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TARGET LINE

Freshwater club results comp 9 Words/pics: Carl Henn

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n Sunday 06/12/2015, Target Line Freshwater Angling Club had its 9th club competition for the season, this time a day comp at Nahoon Dam, in East London.

On the way to the dam, there was thick mist rain on the road. It was clear that the sun was going to play hide-and-seek with us.

The wind was only a slight breeze, but in the end of the day it turned to a gale force wind.

Fishing was tough, strong head-on winds made getting decent distance a problem in this shallow water. Some angler however managed to fish out the wind and weather, and made fantastic catches. The barbells were on the quiet side and plenty of small carps came out, but there were a few beauties landed including a new club record carp of 6.465kg by Master angler Anthon Henn as well as a muddy of 0.621kg

by Senior angler Adriane Domoney. The juniors unfortunately hit blanks and only one Lady angler managed to land fish.

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Here are the results of the competition: Seniors: 1 Martin Piek 2 Adam Barnard 3 Richard Ackerman

12 fish 3 fish 3 fish

22.373kg 9.839kg 9.437kg

Masters: 1 Anthon Henn 2 Chris Engelbrecht 3 Jack Sutton

4 fish 4 fish 1 fish

12.280kg 5.932kg 2.880kg

Ladies: 2 Petra Piek

5 fish

10.345kg

Here are the standings after 9 competitions:

Seniors: 1 Martin Piek 167pts 2 Adriane Domoney 148pts 3 JJ Koch 117pts

Masters: 1 Chris Englebrecht 2 Anthon Henn 3 Andy Warren

160pts 146pts 111pts

Ladies: 1 Petra Piek 102pts 2 Lezanda Engelbrecht 84pts 3 Jackie Domoney 50pts

Juniors: 1 Liane Husselmann 2 Nikita Moodley 3 Jordan Barnard

70pts 45pts 20pts

This was the last comp for the 2015year, but not the last of our season. Our next club competition will be in January (with the venue still to be decided) and many fish are waiting to hit our scale.

Club Management, Members, main sponsor, Target Line, and myself would like to wish all anglers a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year for 2016.

For any enquiries on how to join our club, 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. 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. Feel free to compare prices and test their service.

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X TIPS O B T I A B

THE

PRAWN TAIL CIRCLE HOOK BAIT

This a nice bait for scratching in the gulies to find Bronze Bream and other species.

Words/pics: Justin Du Preez

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You need a circle hook and a pink prawn or swimming prawn tail.

Peel the shell off of the prawn tail.

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Insert circle hook near tail end.

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Exit circle hook at front end.

Sponsored by SPARGS MALL BEACON BAY 043 711 7700

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Bend the tail over and squash into shape.

Cotton on with some latex cotton.

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CATCH & WIN Angler: David Britz Species: Garrick Location: ?

Bait: Spoon Size: 6kg

Angler: Wayne Breetzke Species: Spotted Gully Shark Location: Gonubie Bait: Mackerel Size: 16.1kg

Angler: Joshua Frachet Species: Stone Bream Location: Morgan Bay Bait: Sand Prawn Size: 2kg 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 | January 2016 26 - BaitFEC used - Size/Weight

December Winner Angler: Daniel Carr Species: Spotted Gully Shark Location: Bonza Bay Bait: Shad/Mullet Size: 17.4kg

Daniel wins himself an asortment of Triton lures. Sponsored by Bilimoria Fishing Tackle + an Alcock’s book.

Angler: Kenny Brown Species: Kob Location: Port St Johns Bait: Blood Worm Size: 88cm

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.

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TIDE CHART January 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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