fishing ec bait demo
catch competition
tides
JANUARY 2014
light tackle estuary
Targeting species on small lures in the upper estuaries
Kob
Behaviour & Conservation
deep sea What to expect during summer
BRONZE BREAM Finding them Part 1
Somerset East 6.48kg Hen
f c re o e p y
record trout FEC | January 2014
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FEC | January 2014
CONTENT
Small lure fishing 04 Working small lures in the upper reaches of the Eastern Cape estuaries.
Bronze Bream
FEATURES
08
Bait Demo
PART 1: About them and where to find them.
18
Chokka and Pink Prawn combo bait.
Deep Sea What to expect during summer.
13
Annual Fishing EC Competition Results
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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14
20 The Perfect Storm
Why big Kob were caught in October. Information on there breeding and movements.
22 Somerset East
The beautiful landscape of Somerset East and the large trout which you can target in dams and natural streams.
24 Donalson Dam
Frikkie Botha experiences his record day at Donalson Dam with a combined weight of 26.49kg.
FEC | January 2014
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FEC | January 2014
EDITORS
letter
MAGAZINE EDITOR Nigel Louw
CONTRIBUTORS Jonathan Timm Dr Warren Potts Alan Hobson Tyrone Gower Frikkie Botha
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.
W
elcome everybody to the new addition of the Fishing EC family. The new Fishing EC magazine is now being distributed throughout the Eastern Cape and runs along side the popular website www.fishingec.com. The magazine is a free copy and is published monthly. One article that stands out in this months magazine is Alan Hobson’s 6.48kg Trout. He talks us through the fight and the beauty surrounding us in the Somerset East area. Another article about small lure fishing in the upper estuaries, this is a very exciting facet and is fast growing. Once you get those surface chases you are hooked. You will also be like a kid in a candy store when tackling up, there are so many little lures and soft plastics to choose from these days. Our aim at Fishing EC is to bring you some great articles and what’s happening with fishing in our areas. If you have any ideas about what you would like to see or if you would like to contribute then please contact us.
Nigel Louw Editor
ON THE COVER
Nigel Louw with a Bronze Bream caught at Beachamwood on the Wild Coast. FEC | January 2014
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Light Tackle Lure Fishing
Words: Nigel Louw Pics: Daron Parker
Fishing the upper reaches of our estuaries in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
have rips we t w e f t as PickIn our l nile Kingfish, d juve Kob an , a landed d u c Barra handle ream River B
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FEC | January 2014
W
ell with summer in full swing now it is time to get out those light tackle setups and rig them with some small lures. This is an extremely exciting way of fishing during the warmer months in the upper reaches of our estuaries. This is the time when you get those late afternoon, early evening spring high tides and the wind drops to a minimum. Surrounded by nature, perfect looking water with a splash every now and again as baitfish are fleeing from predators. I have been playing around almost in my
backyard, the Nahoon River causeway that is about 800m from my house. Most people will look at the spot and think there is not much fish there as it is so shallow, but it is very much alive with action now during summer. Best time to fish it is on a pushing spring tide about one hour before and after high tide. In our last few trips we have landed juvenile Kingfish, Pickhandle Barracuda, Kob and River Bream. Even on a day when I got my tides wrong I decided to put on a small Strike Pro sprat lure and have a throw in 40cm of water. The fish were small, but was still fun landing about nine Thorn Fish. Some anglers have hooked into River Snapper there, but I am still waiting to find one myself. The setup that I find works best is about a 7ft rod with a nice spinning reel matched with it, braid line tied to fluorocarbon leader and then your small lure on the end of that. Don’t be scared to try small lures, thinking that you not going to cast far enough. The fish hit your lure right on the edge most times as that is the deeper channel. They also are chasing baitfish
Kingfish
A 45cm Kob caught on a 3� paddle tail
River Bream
Pickhandle Barracuda
FEC | January 2014
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FEC | January 2014
right up against the edge. This spot is also very good for the saltwater fly fisherman, small flies like Crazy Charlies seem to work best especially if the Slipjack are around. Lures that have worked for me this season so far are the 4-inch McArthy paddle tails as well as some new 3-inch ones I have been testing. The other little lure that the Kingfish can’t leave alone is the Strike Pro sinking sprat, only about 4cm in length. The sprats you can retrieve so they just below the surface and Kingfish love that. Paddle tails can be retrieved fast for Barracuda, but for Kob you want to almost retrieve it slowly on the bottom. This is a bit tricky at the Causeway as it is so rocky, but you get used to reading the bottom after a few outings.
Nigel Louw with a juvenile Kingfish at the Causeway
FEC | January 2014
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Jonathan Timm with a good size Bronze Bream
fishing for BRONZE BREAM PART 1
This month we focus on identifying a Bronze Bream and where to find them in our waters. Words: Jonathan Timm Pics: David Drennan
B
ronze Bream also known as a Blue Fish or scientifically known as Pachymetopon Grande has got some similar looking family members. One is the Blue Hottentot that looks very similar to the Bronze Bream, but is a bit more streamlined. It is more of a deep-water fish and is caught out on the reefs. Another close relative is the Jan Bruin or Blue Eyed JB. They are not caught as often as Bronze Bream, but are often thought to be a Bronze Bream by some anglers. One way to see the difference is they have the blue ring on their eyes and really bad teeth which stick outwards a lot more from there mouth. Where to Fish The nice thing about fishing for Bronze Bream is that no matter how old or young you are there will be a spot for you to catch them. These fish can be caught in gulleys,
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FEC | January 2014
on flat ledges, or between parallel reefs. When fishing for Bronze Bream, always look for white water (with exception of targeting them in gulleys). These fish tend to prefer constant churning white water. This is not a hard and fast rule, but in my experience, these conditions suite their feeding habits. Always fish in washed out areas where masses of green weed are found, this can be observed at spring low tide. Bronze Bream are herbivores and this weed is their staple diet. As mentioned before, there are many places which hold these fish, and a long cast is not always needed. In the old days “when the sea was deep”, the old “ballies” used to fish with porcupine quills right at there feet. This type of fishing is still possible in some parts of the Eastern Cape when the gulleys and holes are washed out and can be the joy of
David Drennan with a Bronze Bream
young anglers on light tackle. With that said, some spots like shallow reefs require a long accurate cast, but the key here is to find where these fish are feeding and take note of every cast. Once you have caught the first fish try casting back in the exact same spot as 20 meters either side of the feeding shoal could be the difference between getting your next fish and standing like a “hoopoo� with a mouth full of teeth wondering if you had just caught the only sick or lonesome Bronze Bream in the sea. One ploy is to take note of the level of your line on your spool after casting and hooking FEC | January 2014
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FEC | January 2014
your first fish and make sure this is similar with your next cast. This will make sure you are casting the same distance every cast and making sure your bait is in the exact area where you know the fish are feeding.
k ke a loo a t l l i w e use onth w baits to , s p Next m u t e race s onze at the t the sneaky Br w and ho es to bite. lik Bream
IDENTIFICATION The photos below show the differences between these four very similar looking species.
Bronze Bream
Janbruin
Blue Hottentot
FEC | January 2014
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FEC | January 2014
DEEP SEA SUMMER TIME What to expect during summer.
Words/Pics: Tyrone Gower Because our seasons seem to be changing with August winds in November[gale force], it is difficult to anticipate when to arrange a fishing trip but like so many anglers we still make arrangements and follow the weather news like women put on make up. My wife says that if I dont stop fishing , she will leave me, I will miss her. She also said that if I dont stop drinking, I wont see her for two weeks, she will close both my eyes. Wives, we love you and know you enjoy the odd fish we give to mother in law. Brownies? Jokes aside, the West wind needs to start blowing and bring in the warm water and entice the game fish to our waters. December and January is normally a gamefish paradise for the Bor-
der boys as many gamefish have been caught during these months The East London Skiboat Club held their Commodores comp over December and Marlin, Dorado, Skipjack and Yellowfin were targeted by the boaters who troll for hours to hook that big one. Frank Krull, Arthur Kidson and Shaun Heyman have had much success in this comp with Marlin catches. We had a hook up on our boat lasting for three hours in a recent competition but got cut off in the props, a good sized Marlin. Kabeljou[Kob] seem to be thick in most areas and good catches reported. I have been told that Kob caught in the months with “R” in do not have worms but I make sure my months have the “R’ in like Maray, Jrune, Jury, Augrust, so no problems with worms. 2-3 kg is the best eating. Kei Mouth has been the the hot spot for yellowtail lately and anglers have been snapped up with estimated weights of over 20kg and some smaller have been landed. Salmon are also biting with fish in the region of 10 – 13kg landed, but remember only 2 per person! Seems like Kei Mouth is the place to be with so many species to catch. Just remember fishing permits and legal catches. The Authorities are checking quotas and sizes so release what you Don’t eat. FEC | January 2014
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5th Annual FISHING EC CHALLENGE RESULTS Words: Nigel Louw Pics: supplied
haga haga WINNING FISH Steven Rheeder with his 20.8kg Kob which took biggest edible and he won himself a Mozambique holiday.
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FEC | January 2014
T
his year was the 5th Annual Fishing EC Rock & Surf Challenge held at Haga Haga Hotel once again. The event took place on the 16th November and I was a little worried the week before when checking the weather report. Heavy rain and winds were predicted and it still looked that way when we woke up on Saturday morning at 3am. We setup the computer for registration and some anglers were already waiting. After registration we had 118 anglers entered. That is very well supported for the weather conditions we had, a big thank you to all who participated. Also a big thank you to all our Fishing EC sponsors who made the event possible. We had a quick read through the rules and then the anglers were off and getting ready to cast in at 6am. I took a walk along the rocks and found a few fish being caught in the early hours. After a long day in the rain and wind the anglers reeled up at 2pm and started the walk back to hand in there weigh cards by 3pm. While punching the data in to the computer from the weigh cards it was interesting to see what was caught. We had our biggest edible fish ever caught in a Fishing EC comp and that was a 20.8kg Kob caught by Steven Rheeder. What a magnificent fish and it is so great to see that it swam away safely to fight another day. All the fish caught in the competition are recorded on a weigh card and then released back into the sea. This is very important for competitions as you can clean out so many species in one day if all are kept. To give you an example there were 36 Bronze Bream caught and all released. I would like to also say a big thank you on Behalf Of Reach For A Dream Foundation. With the help of the sponsors and you the anglers taking part, we managed to raise R10000 for the charity.
Prize Winners: Heaviest non-edible - 24.1kg Spotted Gully Shark caught by Phillip Bam. 2nd Heaviest non-dible - 17.5kg Blue Ray caught by Anette Rheeder. 3rd Heaviest non-edible – 12kg Smooth Hound Shark caught by Luke Gernetsky. 1st Edible species – 20.8kg Kob caught by Steven Rheeder. 2nd Edible species – 6.1kg Silver Steenbras caught by Derek Nicholson. 3rd Edible Species – 3.2kg Bronze Bream caught by Andrew Gallow. 4th Edible Species – 1.6kg Baardman caught by Joe Jonker. 5th Edible Species – 1.3kg Blacktail caught by Justin Du Preez. 6th Edible Species – 1.3kg Pignose Grunter caught by Allan Jonker. 7th Edible Species – 1.2kg Black Steenbras caught by Anthony Davis. 8th Edible Species – 1kg Stone Bream caught by Wayne Gallow. Heaviest non-edible ladies – 10.8kg Blue Ray caught by Anette Rheeder. Heaviest edible ladies – 2.2kg Silver Steenbras caught by Thelma Jonker. 1st Heaviest fish junior – 1.1kg Stone Bream caught by Jordan Luck. 2nd Heaviest fish junior – 0.7kg Banded Galjoen caught by Matthew Luck. 3rd Heaviest fish junior – 0.5kg Stone Bream caught by Matthew Luck. Heaviest fish on dropshot – 2.7kg Kob caught by John Frost. FEC | January 2014
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fishing ec annual haga haga competition Great prizes thanks again to all the sponsors who participated
Derek Nicholson with 2nd edible species. A 6.1kg Silver Steenbras
From left: Mel Makowem (NTT VW East London, Nigel Louw (Fishing EC), Margi Coutts (Reach For A Dream and Gerhard Van Zyl (NTT VW East London).
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FEC | January 2014
Phillip Bam with the heaviest noned of the day. A 24.1kg Spotted Gully Shark.
Allan Jonker with a young Pignose Grunter
FEC | January 2014
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& n w a r P
Pink a k k Cho o b m Co
Tip
The Pink Prawn and Chokka combination bait is a good bait for targeting Kob or Pignose Grunter. If you fishing in a reef area you got a good chance of being picked up by a Silver or Black Steenbras too.
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FEC | January 2014
Don’t t hr away, p ow the shell of la and be ce it on top o the prawn at it in f with th your Chokka mer, th e chok is adds ka h sm can pla ce foam ell to the ba amit. You then b on you uil r hook too, also he d the bait on to lp and cre s keep it off t p of it. This h ates m oveme e bottom nt.
step 1 Slice 2 strips of Chokka, beat with chokka hammer and shell one Pink Prawn.
step 2 Place the two Chokka strips on the hook.
step 3 Cotton the piece of Pink Prawn onto the back of the hook.
step 4 You can fish the bait as it is or you can fold the tentacles up and coton them on about 1cm. This will leave them flapping out to the side also creating movement in the water.
FEC | January 2014
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Kobtober
the perfect storm Words: Dr Warren Potts Pics: supplied
Morne Lessing with a 36kg Kob caught on light tackle in Port Elizabeth
W
ow, this past October ended with some really remarkable catches of one of South Africa’s favourite coastal angling species, the Dusky Kob (Argyrosomus japonicus). Several huge adult fish over 30 kg were caught mostly between Sundays and Jefferys Bay. So why were so many huge fish captured in what is now known as “Kobtober”? I suppose that one clue would be to look at the biology and movement patterns of the species. Dusky Kob only mature when they are about 1 m long (about 10 kg) and about 5 years old. They spawn in the sea at depths of 30-40m and not in estuaries as many anglers think. Spawning happens between October and January in the Eastern and Western Cape and between August and November in KwaZulu-Natal. It seems that only some of the adult fish from the Eastern Cape migrate to KwaZulu-Natal for spawning and the rest remain in the region. Big female Dusky Kob can lay up to 4.2 million eggs. Unfortunately, egg and larval survival is very, very low
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FEC | January 2014
(< 0.01%), so that definitely never translates into that many small Dusky Kob. So why is October so good for catching huge Dusky Kob in the Eastern Cape? Well, it probably all comes down to their energy requirements. Fish need to satisfy their energy demands by eating and female Dusky Kob that are developing huge numbers of eggs for spawning in the Eastern Cape will need lots of food. On the other hand, fish that are returning from an energy sapping spawning migration to KwaZulu-Natal also need a serious amount of food to rebuild their reserves. After seeing all of these big fish coming out, many anglers may be thinking that the Dusky Kob stocks are quite healthy and improving. Unfortunately, I doubt that is the case. The last assessment of the stock in 1997 catagorised this fish population as collapsed and less than 5 % of what it was before people
started fishing. Since then, all of the shore angling competition data from the Eastern Cape and Border shows that this fish is becoming less important in their catches and the size of the fish captured does not seem to be getting bigger. This actually suggests that the population numbers are declining. So, I suspect that this brilliant “Kobtober” was not a sign of a population increase, but rather a “perfect storm” for catching large Dusky Kob. It was probably a combination of good sea conditions coinciding (particularly after all of the bad weather between July and September) with the arrival of a large adults returning from Kwa-Zulu Natal and the energy needs of a hungry group of large females getting ready to spawn millions of eggs in the Eastern Cape. For those anglers who did catch and release their huge Kob, the rest of us thank you for those millions of eggs and larvae that will hopefully grow up to bite on the end of our lines.
FEC | January 2014
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the oose as nl e k o r u b All hell mpletely disgr lo c ned acknow fish tur mined not to d. ter s hooke tled de a w e h at s edge th
â&#x20AC;&#x153;
â&#x20AC;&#x153;
New Zealand style olive Zonker Simpson
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FEC | January 2014
SOMERSET EAST RECORD TROUT
The famous pool on the Little Fish River in Somerset East mountains.
Words: Alan Hobson Pics: Glenn Cuthbert
O
ne develops enormous respect for your quarry in your fly fishing journey of life, no more so than trout in the Karoo. Here we fish pools within a dry riverbed. What makes the Little Fish River an unusual and unexpected venue is that fountain water that bubbles out the ground and collects in deep pools where there are rocky outcrops. These big holes were scoured by Hippo that roamed the Karoo many years ago. The complete paradox is that the river mostly flows underground until there is a rocky outcrop that pushes the water over the edge and a few hundred meters later the water seeps back into the riverbed and
Alan Hobson with the 6,48kg Trout
simply disappears. Because there are so few pools, the fish that survive and grow out deserve ones greatest respect, fish don’t grow big by being stupid. For the past few years’ anglers have been tormented by the occasional sighting and hook up of these “Karoo Lochnesses”. We set off to try our luck at enticing monster Houdini by building a twelve-foot leader with 12lb tippet. Glenn Cuthbert had very kindly agreed to take the camera whilst I had the first shot at catching “Nessie”. We quietly moved into position back from the water between the cliff and the reeds. I presented an unweighted olive New Zealand style Zonker Mrs Simpson but had attached tungsten putty on the last knot of my leader to get the fly down quickly. After dodging the algae pads, presenting between them a few times I saw a flash near the fly, but quickly realised it was not “Nessie”. On the lift I noticed a shadow move... the leader stopped and I struck. All hell broke loose as the fish turned completely disgruntled determined not to acknowledge that she was hooked. Then she thrashed her head from side to side trying to dislodge the hook, snorted and charged for the razor sharp rocky ledge. Moments of panic... she darted for the depths towards the reeds and then back at me. The banter between Glenn and myself best stay at the pool as the challenge ensued. She gave up rather quickly and I brought her to the net but messed up the first scoop, as she was just too big. Luckily she lay over a small ledge that allowed me a quick second attempt... and there she was 6,48kg of beautiful Nessie! Shrieks of sheer delight, disbelief, triumph and respect had me shaking from the rush for quite some time. A catch of a lifetime; wild fly-fishing in the Karoo at its best! FEC | January 2014
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THOMPSON DAM RECORD BREAKING DAY Words/pics: Frikkie Botha
I
recently fished Thomson Dam near Elliot to test some of the Getfish baits. I was only going to fish a day session, and I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too positive. A major cold front was passing through accompanied by heavy rains. My game plan was to get one decent fish. My rods were in by 06:00. I had two rods next to each other on a marker were I put out some Getfish Big Carp Mix and some feeding balls. With the other two rods I was fishing the Mouse Trap method. In short the Mouse Trap method is when you put your baits out in an area that is not pre-feeded. You only put out some feed (freebies) with the baits and by doing that you get the carp feeding confidently on the freebies and it will then pick your bait up without hesitation. The freebies normally consist of some chopped up boilies, seeds, maize etc that you spread in a circle around your bait. At about 06:20 I picked up my first bite. It was on one of the rods that I put on the feeding spot rigged with a Getfish Hemp boilie soaked in a new dip that I am testing. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exactly what I was after but
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FEC | January 2014
still a good start to the morning. The mirror carp weighed 5.60kg. I took the line back out and by 07:15 I was into my second carp and this time it felt like a decent one. The fish picked up a boilie soaked in Hemp oil with Getfish Big Carp Mix as feed. The fish kept me busy for a good half an hour and got stuck a couple of times on underwater structure. Eventually I landed the carp which was a mirror again and it weighed 8.89kg. It was a new dam record and also my PB at Thomson Dam. The fish was sacked for a while before I took a cou-
ple of photos and released it. I quickly baited up again and drop the bait in the same place. At around 10:00 the same rod picked up and I landed a 4.5kg mirror. Later on my wife and little girl arrived so I took them for a ride on the dam. As I was about 300m from the bank my alarm started screaming. I pushed the little 28lb motor as fast as I could to reach the bank. Not once did the alarm stop screaming and when I picked up my rod I could feel it was a decent fish. In all the chaos to get to my rod I never tide the boat to the bank and while I fought the fish it slowly drifted away. Luckily the wind pushed it back after a while. The fish once again picked up the same rod with a hemp boilie soaked in hemp oil. The fish weighed 7.50kg and was a beautiful mirror. I packed up at around 16:00 and was pleasantly surprised with the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fishing. It was by far my best day of fishing at Thomson Dam and the combined weight for the day was 26.49kg that gave me an average weighed of 6.62kg per fish. I hope to share more of my experiences in the future and tightlines till next time. W W W . G E T F I S H . C O . Z A FEC | January 2014
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catch & win Angler: Arnold Du Plessis Species: Bronze Bream Location: Cintsa Bait: Chokka/Prawn Size: +35cm Released: Yes
Angler: Justin Du Preez Species: Bronze Bream Location: Palm Springs Bait: Musselworm Size: 48cm TL Released: No
Angler: Malan Horak Species: Ragged Tooth Shark Location: Paradise Beach Bait: Mackerel Size: 73.2kg Released: Yes
Send us your best catch picture and you could win an awesome prize to the value of R500. (Photo must be of yourself holding the fish and preferably still alive. Photos of gutted fish do not qualify) 26
FEC | January 2014
January Winner Angler: Kieren Kelly Hempel (Age 6) Species: Kob Location: Gonubie Estuary Bait: 3â&#x20AC;? Paddletail Size: +40cm Released: Yes
Angler: Travis Moyes Species: Silver Steenbras Location: Wild Side PE Bait: Sardine Size: +35cm Released: Yes
Kieren wins himself R500 worth of Triton Spoons.
Angler: Timothy Du Plessis Species: Bass Location: Wriggleswade Dam Bait: Watermelon Jnr Fluke Size: +30cm Released: Yes
Email your entry to nigel@fishingec.com with the following details: - Species - Anglers full name - Location caught - Bait used - Size/Weight - Released (yes/no) FEC | January 2014
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EAST
JAN
TIDE CHART JANUARY 2014
Low Water
time
time
time
time
1
0328
1541
0927
2158
Information supplied by the Hydrographer SA Navy
2
0412
1626
1013
2240
The Hydrographer is not responsible for any transcription errors.
3
0456
1710
1059
2321
4
0540
1754
1144
----
5
0625
1837
0001
1230
6
0712
1922
0042
1318
7
0803
2011
0123
1409
8
0903
2115
0210
1513
9
1018
2249
0316
1642
10
1141
----
0504
1818
11
0031
1251
0639
1923
12
0137
1345
0737
2007
13
0221
1426
0818
2042
14
0256
1502
0853
2113
15
0327
1533
0924
2142
16
0355
1603
0954
2210
17
0423
1633
1023
2239
18
0451
1701
1053
2307
19
0520
1731
1123
2336
20
0550
1801
1155
----
21
0623
1834
0005
1228
22
0659
1911
0037
1306
23
0743
1959
0114
1352
24
0841
2111
0201
1457
25
1003
2258
0313
1639
26
1137
----
0505
1824
27
0037
1256
0639
1933
28
0143
1357
0743
2024
29
0234
1448
0835
2108
30
0319
1534
0922
2148
31
0402
1617
1006
2227
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High Water Day
FEC | January 2014
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