REACH FOR THE SUN

2023 Durban Ski-Boat Club Festival

DURBAN is known for its sunny skies and fabulous balmy weather all year round, but unfortunately that wasn’t the forecast for the long weekend at the end of April, during which the 2023 Durban Ski-Boat Festival was held at the Point Water Sports Club.

The mood among the anglers on the ocean and the crowds on the beach was still bright and cheerful, but after a sunny start, grey clouds covered the skies and strong south-westerly winds meant the first day’s fishing was called off early due to dangerous sea conditions.

However, fishermen are nothing if not tough and determined, and the “washing machine vibes”did nothing to dampen their spirits.

Just after lunch on the Saturday,the crowds surged around the scales,watching as one beautiful fish after another was brought in to be weighed.

There was great jubilation among the onlookers when Russell Carsten’s fish pulled the scales to a very respectable 23.14kg, eclipsing all the previous fish weighed.No doubt Russell was hoping his luck would hold and he would be the lucky angler to walk away with the Seacat 520 with two 70hp Yamaha motors and a trailer, all worth R690 000.

However,that was not to be,and not long after Russell’s beauty was weighed,Linden Naidoo walked up with a properly fat fish that created ripples of excitement among the audience.Everyone held their breath as the numbers kept climbing on the scale,finally stopping at a very solid 26.08kg.

Gabi Stow showing off her 9.78kg queenfish.

Smiling like they just won a boat... Linden Naidoo and his teammates, Brandon, Bryce and Breece Samigan and Balan Govender with Bill Harrison from Natal Caravans and Marine.

Russel Carsten took second place with his 23.14kg cuda.

Now it was Linden’s turn to hold his breath,hoping his luck would last.

With the wind predicted to rise again on the Sunday,the fleet set out early,eager to see if anyone could best Linden’s great catch which had been landed off Umdloti at 10am on Saturday.

The catches on the Sunday were not as good as those the day before,and when weigh in closed at 2.30pm,Linden could finally let out a sigh of relief that he was still top of the leader board.

Over 200 boats entered the 2023 festival,with many of them being the old faithfuls who make the event what it is. Although anglers don’t need an excuse to get out on the water,no doubt part of the reason they participate is the opportunity to win a share of the R1.3-million in prizes that was up for grabs,and with the top 15 ’cuda winning prizes, along with other prizes for the ladies’and juniors’divisions and various species prizes,there was plenty of opportunity to walk away with some swag.

The DSBC Festival is blessed with incredibly loyal and generous sponsors,who clearly feel they get value for money being involved in this event,with Alan Gouveia noting that this year they had people phoning the committee saying they wanted to be part of the festival.

One of the most loyal sponsors is Natal Caravans and Marine which has been a supporter of this event for 20 years now.At the prizegiving function Bill Harrison of Natal Caravans and Marine remarked that they see the festival as an opportunity to give back to the anglers who support their business.He clearly recalled Hilton Kidger approaching the company for sponsorship for the first time back in 2003.

Entries for the 2024 event will open in November,so keep an eye out in Ski-Boat magazine for further details.

In the meantime,the 2023 winner,Linden Naidoo,was happy to share the story of how he and his crew won their boat-worthy fish ...

Linden Naidoo with the winning cuda weighing in at 26.08kg.

A dream come true

By Linden Naidoo

MY passion for fishing started at a very early age,and I enjoyed rock and surf fishing which was taught to me by my late grandfather.My passion for fishing grew even more when I accompanied my friend Balan Govender on his deep sea trips. Balan has been very instrumental in teaching me the ropes and it’s through his perseverance that I am now a skipper.

Preparation for the DSBCFestival started a month before the competition when I invited my close friends Brandon,Bryce and Breece Samigan, and Balan to join me in fishing the event.The four of them became equally invested in our preparation and Brandon made us our unique shirts which we wore on day one.

Balan,who has almost 30 years of experience on the water,together with Kirsh from Cast Away Bait & Tackle,got busy sorting out traces and a variety of fresh baits which included wala wala,bonnies and the golden mackerel.We also collected intel on where the fish were feeding and which baits were working best in the weeks before the competition.

On the Saturday morning I made my way to the Bluff Yacht Club extra early to prepare my boat, Elzar II,for our launch,and when the rest of the crew arrived around 5am we headed towards the basin to carry out the radio check.

Anxiousness and excitement began to creep in as we busily began tying up a few last minute special traces.With the strong south-westerly blowing and big seas to contend with, we made a collective decision to fish north.

There was no time to try for live baits,so with our cooler boxes stocked up with fresh dead baits we headed north. When we approached Umdloti we put out a spread of different baits,waiting patiently to see which would get the attention of the “crocs”.The water temperature was 23 degrees and we pulled our baits along the 22m line.

Thirty minutes into our troll we heard soothing music to our ears — the sound of a screaming reel.Balan was closest to the rod and he set the hook.With adrenaline pumping,I took over the wheel.In the meantime Brandon,Bryce and Breece started pulling in the other baits to avoid any entanglements.

To our dismay,the wire on the trace broke and we lost the fish! Disheartened by the loss,we slowly began to reset the spread,changing baits to the magic mackerel.When we continued trolling,we had a few laughs about the “croc”that got away.

Twenty minutes later,while we were deep in conversation,the sound of a screaming reel caught our attention.I jumped up and set the hooks.“What a screamer!”I yelled to the crew.

After two solid runs the ’cuda was under control,with Balan at the wheel skillfully manoeuvring the boat closer to the fish so I could retrieve the line faster.What a beautiful sight when the ’cuda came to the surface.

The pressure was on,so I nursed it carefully towards the boat,making sure not to lose it.Balan stuck one gaff into the side of the fish,and Brandon gaffed the fish in its mouth.With the ’cuda secured and adrenalin pumping,we hauled it onto the deck.

The anglers on nearby boats who had witnessed this fish being brought aboard were in awe and there was great excitement on our boat. Our eyes were the size of golf balls, barely able to comprehend the size of the “croc”.

With this possible contender safely in the hatch,we continued trolling.

Soon afterwards we saw an angler on another boat giving his ’cuda the “anaesthetic”,and began to wonder whether their catch was bigger than ours...

At approximately 11.20am the radio call from base came in informing all the boats that fishing was being called off due to the inclement sea conditions,and that we had about two and a half hours before weigh in closed.

As we made our way back to the Durban Ski-Boat Club,the south-westerly was pushing hard,but we didn’t mind the spray drenching us because we were so overwhelmed and excited.

Balan beached the boat and I battled to carry the fish from the boat to the scales.At the scales I was notified that the weight to beat was a 23kg beaut.My fish was duly hung up,and I stood in awe and amazement watching the scales stop at 26.08kg!

I threw my hands in the air,full of joy. Unbeknown to me,the spectators had gathered behind me and suddenly gave me a round of applause.This memorable moment confirmed that my fish was the one to beat for the day.Having the fish on the podium,even if it was just for a few minutes,was overwhelming for me and history in the making.

With a bounce in my step,I hurried back to the boat to give the crew members the exciting good news. Balan was very emotional, and shared that he had fished this competition many times, but this was an epic day for him.We headed back to the Bluff Yacht Club, happy to end our day on a very high note.

DAY 2

On the Sunday,we launched at 5am and,because of the heavy sea conditions and gusting winds,we decided to fish close to Durban and to target species.

We headed to Blue Lagoon to target snoek,and it didn’t take long for the snoek to take our bait.Brandon hooked a specimen that gave a beautiful display of speed and fight,but unfortunately the hooks pulled and that fish was lost.

We continued trolling but had no further luck,and with the sea conditions changing and winds picking up,we decided to call it a day.

Those that braved the water and brought their fish to the scales that afternoon caused a lot of anxiety among the contenders, including me.I paced nervously to and from the scales with knots in my tummy, just waiting for cut off time.

Eventually I was called up to the stage to be told that I had caught the biggest ’cuda and was the winner of the 2023 DSBC Festival.A prestigious moment indeed!

Thank you one and all

By Hilton Kidger

WHAT a weekend it was,with 220 boats and 640 anglers competing for R1.3 million worth of prizes — the largest offshore festival of its kind in Africa,and fished by the best fishermen,fisherwomen and fisher kids in the world,supported by great music and top-class fellowship.

Every sport has its fair share of camraderie,but it is hard to beat the enjoyment of anglers when they get together and share fishing tales.It’s fascinating how quickly a guppy becomes a world record ’cuda.Thank you to all our participants this year — you did not disappoint!

At this year’s festival members from 30 clubs gave it a full go — the largest turn out by clubs ever — with anglers coming from far and wide across the country.

One group from Vryheid who left at 2am on Friday morning had to be guided in by satellite communication and laser beam reference points as they made their way towards the Tugela and then onto the Umgeni and finally the DSBC.I understand their electronic equipment was geared towards Bulldust-fontein Dam somewhere in the Freestate,and their automatic pilot,called “Klippies and Coke”,kept them confused.Thankfully I understand they made it safely home!

Well done to all those who crossed the mighty Tugela. Two particularly well known reprobates — Les Harley and Shaun Barker from Mapelane Ski Boat Club — even brought passports with them to cross the Tugela! It was a worthwhile trip for them,and Les won some excellent prizes for the prodigal son he caught.Typical of his generous nature, he gave this prizes to nine-year-old Kade Owen who was fishing on Clinton Barclay’s boat, Devocean.What a gesture, Les!

The compliments we have received from so many of our participants are incredible,and we have passed them on to our staff who really stepped up to the plate once again.

The Durban Ski-Boat Club thanks all the anglers and their families for the fantastic support.It was our privilege to host and entertain you,and we can’t wait to welcome you all back next year.Put it in your diary now:last weekend in April 2024!

Our very generous participants also made countless contributions to the NSRI,with over R14 000 in donations coming in.

We’re also very grateful for the support from our tractor drivers and the CMH Group drivers who gave up a long weekend with their families to make our weekend so pleasurable.To Lizzie van Huysteen,and Kelly and Cara Gray,a big,big thank you.The Gray family have been at every comp for over 20 years,and their contribution is immeasurable.

To Grant Wessels,(our GM),Lynda Lavery and Jackie Kruger — our first line of defence in the office — as well as Roxy Wise and Mike Crofton and everyone on their team, please take a bow and accept our thanks.

Finally, to our sponsors, thank you so much for believing in us. We hope you will be with us again next year.

Before I finish off,I must share this message I recently received by sea-mail from the ’cuda head honcho,Inkunzi Cuda,a bull of a fish:

“We came from Moçambique to Durban because you kindly invited us on holiday.You said there was an abundance of shad,silky,live maasbunker,bonnies and many other specialities — all for free.You even arranged for passport control to let us out of Mozam and into KwaZulu-Natal without formalities.

“Your kindness even went further in that you said the best waiters in the world who would serve us great delicacies,offering them at different depths.There was no discussion about hooks!”

Sea you next year!