FISHING EC BAIT DEMO
CATCH COMPETITION
TIDES
MARCH 2015
SPOTTED GRUNTER
On Halco Hamma
TRANSKEI
Quality Catches
MONSTER COMPETITION KAYAK CORNER
Brett Armstrong
F C RE O E P Y
Results & Photos
FEC | March 2015
1
ISSUE: 15
2
FEC | March 2015
CONTENT
The Amazing Transkei 04 Monster comp 2015
FEATURES
08
Bait Demo
Toppie vs Young Blood 14
New Suzuki DF200A
24
How to rig a weedless paddletail correctly.
Catch Competition 26 Send us your photos and you could win.
Tides
Check the tide tables to make sure you fishing the right times.
28
16
20 Kayak Fishing with Brett Armstrong
Brett talks about the Railblaza priducts that he has outfitted his kayak with.
FEC | March 2015
1
2
FEC | March 2015
EDITORS
LETTER
MAGAZINE EDITOR Nigel Louw CONTRIBUTORS Natalie Devlin BLTBAA David Brits Nigel Louw Brett Armstrong
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 the summer season seems to be fading away already. Those early morning outings are getting darker and darker. There have been some good catches recently especially big Yellowtail caught offshore and some nice size Kob around the 10kg mark, which were taken on dropshot in the East London area. Don’t forget to send in your catch photo and details to stand a chance of winning a monthly prize in our Catch & Win gallery.
Nigel Louw Editor
ON THE COVER
David Brits with a Spotted Grunter caught on a Halco Hamma lure. FEC | March 2015
3
Transkei
Fishing at its best Words/pics: Natalie Devlin
4
FEC | March 2015
“
fright that I a h c u s t o g I nd the water a jumped into ! grabbed him
“
W
e recently visited the Transkei, home of the Wild Coast and besides it’s beautiful scenery we also managed to land some nice fish. My boyfriend and I decided to go to one of the spots we have wanted to spend more time at. When we got there at about 9am it wasn’t looking too fantastic and the wind had picked up. Brad decided he wanted to take a run and see what the other side of the beach looked like for dropshot. I decided to
stay where we were and try for a blue. I had on a 3oz sinker and. 1/O hook and a small piece of pink prawn. On my second cast I hooked a smallish Kob, I was
FEC | March 2015
5
6
FEC | March 2015
stoked as I had only ever caught Kob in the rivers before, so I kept him in a pool to show brad when he returned. Then another two mates came to join me. Warren threw dropshot slightly further up from where I was fishing and Jasmine joined me. The next thing I know I just get taken, I wasn’t sure what it was at first? My dray was fairly tight but it was taking line. At one stage Jazz asked me if I was sure I wasn’t caught in the rocks, until it shot off taking even more line. After a fun fight I managed to get him to the rocks below where I was standing and as I got to him, the hook pulled out of his mouth. I got such a fright that I jumped into the water and grabbed him! I picked him up as if he was a dog. I was pretty buggered after that but there was
no way I was going to loose him, I literally would have cried! He was just over 11kgs. Needless to say I put him in a bigger pool and released the first Kob. I was so stoked! When Brad returned he couldn’t believe it, he kept on saying ‘no ways’! Jazz got a small Kob after that but that was all that came out afterwards so I decided to call it a day. The following morning I decided to try my luck again and that’s when I caught my biggest blue, in the same spot as the previous day with the same bait and tackle. Brad was with me this time and again we couldn’t believe it. It was great fun but next on my list is to catch decent sized silver, hopefully photos to follow soon.
FEC | March 2015
7
MONSTER ANGLING
2015
Travis Victor celebrating as he landed the heaviest edible. A Leervis of 4.87kg
8
FEC | March 2015
RESULTS
COMP Words/pics: BLTBAA & Nigel Louw
B
LTBAA once again had a successful monster angling comp with just over 180 confirmed anglers participating in this event, with a total of 72 boats registered. Fair weather, as well as larger fishing boundaries going up to the harbour entrance saw the anglers reel in a total of 65 fish totalling 288.36kg’s of fish weighed and released. The event was well supported by both young and old, with spirits being high in anticipation of catching the big one. At 4pm on Saturday afternoon anglers made their way to their favourite fishing spots and fished all through the night in search of the winning fish. With R50 000 worth of prizes up for grabs, all were eager to do the battle for the duration of the event. Sunday morning dawned and it was all over and all the competitors made their way back to the club house eager to see who had won the event.
FEC | March 2015
9
MONSTER COMP RESULTS Heaviest edible fish: Travis Victor 4.87kg Leervis Heaviest fish junior: Dale Petzer 2.54kg spotted grunter Heaviest fish senior: Shane Bodill 39.69kg Diamond Ray Heaviest fish lady: Jo Styles 12.70kg smooth hound Over all heaviest non-edible fish: Brady Bodill 45.88kg Ragged tooth shark Heaviest fish bank angler: Josh Tweedale 4.70kg Spotted Grunter Total of 24 prize categories were awarded followed by lucky tickets draws. BLTBAA would like to thank all their sponsors as well as the participants for all their support.
Travis Victor with the heaviest edible. A Leervis of 4.87kg
10
FEC | March 2015
& PHOTOS
FEC | March 2015
11
12
FEC | March 2015
Richard Osner with a nice River Bream caught in the Monster competition on Buffalo River.
FEC | March 2015
13
GRUNTER MAYEM
TOPPIE vs YOUNG BLOOD Words/pics: David Brits
T
he day started like every other fishing story, 4:30 alarm, some coffee and off I went with my girlfriend’s toppie. We’ve been fishing the river quite a bit lately and been getting reasonable fish out in quite decent numbers. The morning before, I went out alone and drifted a few banks for grunter and picked up one Kob. I headed out to Spargs and bought myself a Halco Hamma to try throwing on the banks and pulling it off into the deep water for some Kob. Anyway we went
14
FEC | March 2015
out and stopped at our first favourite stop where we’ve been lucky a few times. The toppie casted into the deep water and I threw my prawn onto the bank. It was a matter of minutes and something picked me up. I got him in and it was a Grunter and released him quick. Not long after we changed spots, the toppie pulled in another Grunter which we also released. The amount of Grunter tailing was unbelievable so we headed up to our next spot. Our first drift here the old man got stuck into a
Kob which he later landed and kept for the pan. We did the same drift again and I got picked up and lost my fish. I took my other rod out knowing there a few Kob around and started throwing this Halco Hamma which the guys talk so highly of. Three casts later I went tight and the reeled screamed instantly. The old man said “heres a bus”. It fought strong and us thinking it’s a decent Kob had no idea what was lurking at the end of my line. A few minutes later we saw it was a Grunter. I told him that this is going to be a great story for all the boys. And here I am actually writing it. I landed the beaut and took a few photos and released him shortly thereafter. In a matter of 30 minutes we had landed 4 fish! The Halco certainly did the trick! Going to need a few more of them in the tackle box! By now the sun was out and we thought we’ve done well. So we headed back to wake up the youngsters and show them what they missed out on. Once again I out fished the “TOPPIE” FEC | March 2015
15
ght and i e w t h g i l latest s t i d e h c tor, aun l o s m a d h r i a k o u b Suz ent out i c fi f e l 00A e 2 F fu D r e d n i our cyl the new f
16
FEC | March 2015
F
ishing EC and Suzuki Marine Centre from East London attended the launch of Suzuki’s new DF200A outboard engine recently. Suzuki dealers from around the country attended the event. The launch was held at the Port Elizabeth Deep Sea Angling Club. We had an interesting presentation on the new outboard as well as some other products. Then following that came the fun part. We got to hop on the boats and see how these new outboards performed. There was one DF200A fitted on a Pazzaz boat and also a Butt Cat 830XL with fitted with 2x DF200A’s. The power of the outboards was very impressive and we even got the Butt Cat up on the plane with one outboard running. The new DF200A delivers the kind of impressive performance one would expect only from a V6 engine – but from just four cylinders. In addition to this, the new DF200A benefits from a whole host of high specification features, which deliver real customer benefits: - Direct air intake and Variable Valve Timing for higher thermal ef ficiency and exceptional performance. - 2,867cm3 “Big Block” displacement and a higher compression ratio for impressive acceleration and low-end torque. - Lean Burn Control Technology for improved fuel economy. - Knock, O2 and water detection sensors and systems to monitor and cotrol internal engine operating parameters and improve reliability. - Importantly, the new DF200A weighs just 226kg, over 12% less than Su zuki’s current V6 DF200 model.
FEC | March 2015
17
Team Suzuki and the dealers from around the country.
Suzuki’s proven Lean Burn Control Technology With the introduction of its Lean Burn Control Technology, Suzuki’s engineers have made fuel-efficient four stroke outboards even more economical. By taking full advantage of the computer control afforded by the 32-bit on-board ECM, the system is able to provide the precise amount of fuel needed throughout the rpm range. The inline-4 DF200A enjoys a significant improvement in fuel economy over Suzuki’s V6 200 horsepower outboard. In fact, Suzuki Factory Testing indicates a 19% improvement at top cruising speeds. For more information on these outboards you can contact Derek at Marine Centre on 043 730 7517 or email, marinecentre@lantic.net
18
FEC | March 2015
FEC | March 2015
19
KAYAKCORNER FISHING
With: Brett Armstrong
H
i everyone, how crazy have the conditions and the wind been this last month! But I must say, not without the odd beautiful day thrown in between. However, winter is somehow on the way early this year, you can tell by how dark those 04h30 launch times are. But there is definitely a chill in the air in the mornings now, strange how earlier winter seems to come nowadays.
20
FEC | March 2015
I have to say, it has been great to see how many kayak fishing guys are getting their sea legs and getting out there and joining Whats app groups and just having a great time. Over the last month it was also awesome to see how many kayak guys were out helping at the recent Triathlon events as additional water safety crew. They made such a positive impact on the safety and well being of the participant. So hats
off to you guys, you know who you are. But lets get back into the serious business of kayak fishing. Firstly, I have had the absolute pleasure of testing some new additions to my kayak, thanks to Railblaza. Railblaza make some of the most innovative and amazing products for your kayak. Everything from GoPro holders, Rod Holders, Extension poles, GPS holders, bait boards, with almost an endless supply of base mounts and extensions for every conceivable application. I fitted four base mounts in a few strategically placed areas on my Stealth Supalite, which hold all your devices. They are universal and interchangeable, so I can go from fitting my rod holder, then changing it to a bait board holder to then popping in my GoPro holder. It’s a matter of just pressing the release mechanism and you are good to go. The mounts actually lock in place, which is perfect and much more reliable then other twist in place versions I have used before. Besides the obvious selection of amazing attachments, the quality stands out straight away and you feel a sense of confidence in the product, which I can honestly say I have not experienced with the other brands I
FEC | March 2015
21
22
FEC | March 2015
have used. For more information on how you can get this product checkout www. railblaza .com and then send your order details through to nigel@fishingec.com. I would also like to take this opportunity to compliment a few of the guys I have met recently in the kayak fishing fraternity, the idea of catch and release seems to be getting more and more popular. Now, I do know that the majority of kayak fishing guys I know are very serious about conservation and it’s awesome to see how many of the new guys are serious about this as well. In addition to this I had some discussions with some guys about a few beach clean up excursions we are planning over the next few months. So watch this space for more information on this. It is also with great excitement that we are planning a long paddle and trolling excursion in April, so watch this space, imagine paddling with 30 plus kayak fishing guys along the coast for the day and back in the afternoon and having some lunch along the way. How cool will this be! Watch this space guys! In closing I would like to mention a Free App the National Sea Rescue Institute is bringing out for the paddling and small craft community. They are giving family and friends of people going out on South African waters another safety measure that they can use to be safe. “Safetrx is an international product with a solid reputation,” says NSRI CEO Dr Cleeve Robertson. “It has been successfully used in other countries around the globe and we are excited to announce the launch of RSA SafeTrx. Check it out guys and download it today. So, with those words, go safe, enjoy yourself and respect the ocean. Please continue to send your photos and questions to brettflip@gmail.com.
FEC | March 2015
23
X TIPS O B T I A B
THE
RIGGING A WEEDLESS DROPSHOT
Here are some tips on rigging the new Mad Mullet weedless jigheads with McArthy Baits paddletails. So far in 5 outings I havn’t lost one yet. You can wind it over the rocks which the Kob love.
Words/pics: Nigel Louw
1
2
Slice the belly of the paddletail to make it easier to rig and also it collapses better around the hook when the Kob bites.
Screw the paddletails head section onto the thread.
3
4
The paddletail threaded on the screw section. 24
FEC | March 2015
Now measure on the back of the paddletail where the hook should exit. This is important to keep the paddletail straight.
Sponsored by SPARGS MALL BEACON BAY 043 711 7700
5
Make a mark with the point of the hook where the hook will exit.
6
Now pierce the hook through the belly section.
8
7
The hook coming out the top where you marked the exit spot. Thats it all rigged adn ready. You can also slip the point of the hook under the plastic to make it even more weedless if there is seaweed in the water.
Mad Mullet jigheads and McArthy paddletails available at Spargs Beacon Bay. FEC | March 2015
25
CATCH & WIN Angler: Robin Brunyee Species: Black Steenbras Location: Kwelera Bait: ? Size: 7.6kg
Angler: Belinda Keun Species: Sole Location: Cintsa West Bait: Chokka & Prawn Size: 30cm
Angler: Kyle Busse Species: Bronze Bream Location: Hamburg Bait: Chokka & Prawn Size: 45cm
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) 26
FEC | March 2015
February Winner Angler: Tiaan Dorfling Species: Kob Location: Gamtoos River Bait: McArthy 5� Size: 10kg
Tiaan wins himself five packs of Mcarthy baits.
Angler: Phillip Schmidt Species: Yellowtail Location: Kei Mouth Bait: Squid Size: 20.5kg
Angler: Ferricio George Species: Garrick/Leervis Location: Swartkops Bait: Strikepro Tai Stick Size: 70cm
Email your entry to nigel@fishingec.com with the following details: - Anglers full name - Species - Location caught - Bait used - Size/Weight FEC | March 2015
27
TIDE CHART March 2015 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
FEC | March 2015
FEC | March 2015
29
30
FEC | March 2015