Ski-Boat May 2024

Seacat 565

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2 x

Seacat 520

2 x Yamaha 60hp 4-stroke motors, hydraulic steering, galvanised breakneck trailer.

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CENTRE CONSOLE

4-stroke

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Gamefish 450 CC

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Seacat 510 Blast

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motor,

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T-Cat 16 FC

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CENTRE CONSOLE Yamaha 100hp 4-stroke

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CENTRE CONSOLE Yamaha 60hp 4-stroke motor, galvanised breakneck trailer.

Yamaha 70hp

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CONTENTS

May/June 2024

Volume 40 Number 3

COVER:GOTCHA!

Hailey Harris shows off the beautiful 10.9kg green jobfish she caught off Santa Maria,Moçambique.Photo by Branden Brodell.

FEATURES

5Farewell,My Friend

Obituary for Dick Pratt — by Erwin Bursik

9Landing a Giant

Port Alfred gives up two big yellowfin — by Colin Fletcher

15Where to Fish

Part 14:Angling around Algoa Bay — by Wayne Gerber

24Small Boat,Big Heart

Two Oceans Marlin Tournament report —by Helen Fenwick

35Balancing Act

How are our linefish supposed to be managed? —by Bruce Mann

46Species Hunting in the Red Sea

2024 IGFA El Gouna Red Sea Championship report — by Martin du Plessis

55Exotic Egyptian Flavours

Ali’s El Gouna’cuda cutlet spice — byMartin du Plessis

DEPARTMENTS

4Editorial — by Erwin Bursik

6Postbox

3050lb+ Q-Fish ’Cuda Club

41SADSAA News

45Kingfisher Awards

51Subscribe and win

53Bell Reel Kids

59Mercury Junior Anglers

622024 Mercury Junior Winner

62Ad Index

63Business Classifieds & Directory

64Rapala Lip — Last Word from the Ladies DOYOUPREFERANEZINE?

Macintosh software and hardware.

SKI-BOAT Magazine, ISSN 0258-7297, is published six times a year by Angler Publications & Promotions cc, Reg. No. CK 88/05863/23, and is distributed by On the Dot, as well as directly by the publishers to retail stores throughout South Africa.

• Copyright of all material is expressly reserved and nothing may be reproduced in part or whole without the permission of the publishers.

• While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this magazine, the publishers do not accept responsibility for omissions or errors or their consequences.

Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers, the managing editor, editor, editorial staff or the South African Deep Sea Angling Association.

EDITORIAL

Erwin Bursik Publisher

HISTORICALGUIDE TOTHEFUTURE

IN recent months I have taken a foray into the annals of ski-boating history while researching the beginnings of Durban SkiBoat Club and, in essence, the start of skiboat fishing in South Africa.

I was looking at two specific aspects, the first being how, when and where ski-boating/fishing from small boats in coastal waters started, and secondly the men who initiated this “pastime” and in reality created the base for today’s national, provincial and club structures that exist along the entire South African coastline.

Today there are approximately 400 ski-boat clubs in South Africa, supporting nearly 10 000 registered ski-boaters. The dedicated committee members at these clubs not only spearhead our sport at club, provincial and national level, but also support the incredible base of a valuable national “marine industry”, as was proved by two independent economic surveys.

Our form of offshore angling, i.e. ski-boating, has evolved substantially since the first “ski-boats” were launched after the end of World War II and the first structures for this stand-alone sport were established with the formalising of the Durban SkiBoat Club (DSBC) in 1952.

History reflects that it was this committee of dedicated men that set the fundamental base for the national association we have today – the South African Deep Sea Angling Association (SADSAA).

My research showed that Hayden Grey, the first chairman of DSBC, formulated many of the basic rules and regulations relating to offshore boating, boat safety and fishing that we still rely on today.

My main reason for this editorial is not only to look back at where we’ve come from, but also to give tribute to all those dedicated committee members from that day to this. Countless men – and, more recently, ladies – have dedicated incredible amounts of time and resources over the last 80 years to raise the sport of deep sea fishing to the incredible heights it is at today.

Unlike many of South Africa’s other major sporting codes, where financial remuneration is key to those who control and administer the sport, deep sea angling does not pay the executives of clubs, provincial- and national associations. The men and women who have given many years of their lives to this cause – some serving over 50 years as committee members – provide their knowledge and expertise purely for the love of the sport.

All these dedicated ski-boaters, past and present, who have given their time and personal expertise for the betterment of the sport of deep sea angling in South Africa, deserve recognition and also an immense vote of thanks for getting the South African Deep Sea Angling Association to its high level of service to us, its members, and the sport of deep sea angling as a whole.

So often I hear anglers ask, “What does SADSAA actually do for us?” I almost never hear SADSAA members ask,“What can I do for SADSAA?” – or for that matter, their provincial association or club, to enhance the entire sport of offshore boating and angling.

Generally we’re all quick to complain about things, but not many of us are prepared to put up our hands and do the hard work that’s required to produce the end result we want to see. The next time the call goes out for people to join the club committee, please consider sharing your time and talents, or – at the very least –make sure you thank and support those who do.

Erwin Bursik

FAREWELL,MYFRIEND

Dick Pratt 21.08.1943 – 15.03.2024

By Erwin Bursik

ATRUE friend is one who seldom asks for anything,yet provides unflinching,unending support and loyalty to those he considers his mates.This was Richard Basil Alban Pratt – Dick to all who knew him,especially in South Africa’s deep sea angling fraternity.

I enjoyed the honour of being his mate for over 40 years until his passing on 15 March 2024.

In 1983 I was introduced to this senior Barlows executive in my office at Huletts Corporation.It took all of 30 seconds for the two of us to realise we shared the same passion – deep sea fishing.

With both of us becoming involved in the South African ski-boat angling associations representing our respective provinces,a bond was soon formed.This bond soon developed into an exceptional friendship which was cemeneted through all the time we spent together while fishing,hunting and travelling.Those times were interesting and enjoyable and resulted in memories I will always treasure.

Dick’s resume with regard to deep sea angling is more than impressive.He first got involved in the sport in the mid 1970s,and while representing what was then Southern Transvaal,he became SASBA treasurer and was very instrumental in the amalgamation of the association with the South African Game Fish Association (SAGFA).

SADSAA was duly created and in 1996 Dick was appointed President for a number of years,and thereafter National and International Tournaments Director until he “retired”a few years ago.

Dick was a highly accomplished light tackle gamefish angler,obtaining both Springbok and Protea colours fishing in tournaments in East Africa and overseas.

He was a true diplomat,and this facet of his character ensured that no matter what aspect of deep sea angling he committed himself to,he brought with him a structured,calm and successful way forward for our national association.

On a personal level,Dick and I undertook an annual hunting trip to Anib Lodge in Namibia for the last 20-odd years, which involved two days driving each way.“What do you two ‘Ballies’talk about on these trips?”we were often asked.The answer was easy:“SADSAA!”inbetween the mandatory snoozes slotted in among the driving shifts,of course.

Over the 40 years we were friends,Dick somehow managed to calm my agressive nature to the point that we hardly ever had a disagreement and certainly never ever came to verbal blows.

I personally held Dick in the highest possible esteem,and my association with him and Jackie,his wife,greatly impacted mine and Annie’s lives for the better.

Dick,thank you,Mate.I will never forget you.Rest in peace,free from pain and trauma.In the red dunes of the Kalahari in July,this year’s hunting party will toast you and your memory.

HOLIDAY OFALIFETIME

Dear Editor,

In 2019 we booked a bucket list fishing trip with well known captain Brad Philipps at the Billfish Inn in Guatemala,Central America.A few days before we were due to leave South Africa,Covid-19 and lockdown arived and our holiday was off.Brad recommended we put it on ice and promised they would make it worth the wait once everything was safe again.

We waited and waited,and at last in 2023 it happened.And was it worth the wait? Absolutely!

We have never had such a fantastic holiday and fishing trip.On our arrival at the airport after flying to Atlanta and then to Guatemala (a total of 21 hours) we received a fantastic welcome,the accommodation at the Billfish Inn is absolutly five star,and the food made by chef José was the best!

The next day it was time for what

we went there for – the fishing.Our boat, Decisive ,a 40ft sportfisher,was fully kitted out with all the best tackle, and Capt Brad Philipps and deckhands Henk Fereira and Omar were friendly and handled the fishing in a worldclass manner.

After reaching the clear blue water we started fishing a bit differently to the way do at Sodwana.We put out four teasers without hooks,and the other rods had ballyhoo baits.When a fish came up,the ballyhoo bait was placed –not thrown – in the water and released to float back to the fish.When the fish took the bait,the reel was left completley in free spool until it was time to set the small No 7 circle hook.Perfect hookup!

I have been fishing on and skippering my own boat, Bill Rider,for a long time,but I learnt a lot from them.

Once a billfish is hooked,the way they handle the fish and the boat is

incredible.

Sailfish are caught on 25lb line and a small 20- to 30lb reel – all stand up. Once they get it to the boat the fish is released with such minimal stress that it hardly seems affected by the experience.On one occasion my wife,Tina, had a sailfish on and I was trying to keep a bait in the water for a possible double hookup.When her fish was released,as soon as it swam away it went straight for my bait and ate it! The same fish was caught twice in short succession.

In only three days Tina and I caught and released 23 sailfish and 46 dorado (bycatch) between 8- and 16kg.

According to our captain our score was not good.“The fish are very much off the bite,”he said.

We had three magnificent days of fishing and the most amazing food made on the boat for lunch.For the next two days we stayed at their place called Casa Philipps in Antigua.If you visit them this is a must;it’s the most beautiful place in a really historical town.Make sure you take your wife with as it will be a real spoil visiting the old places,the chocolate factory,the leather factory,the wine estate,the restuarants etc.

We can highly recommend a trip to Guatemala and to the Billfish Inn with Brad,Cindy,Janine and Henk.The last two are also from South Africa,and you can imagine our suprise when we arrived in a Spanish-speaking country, got out of the car and were greeted in Afrikaans!

Feel free to contact me if you require any further information. DR

UN - BILL - IEVABLE

Dear Editor,

Earlier this year,while fishing off Inhaca on aboard Happy Days skippered by Poal van Niekerk,we hooked a marlin in about 300m of water.The angler, Mike Pennington,was ready in the standup harness,and the fight lasted about 25 minutes with many runs and frantic jumps from the marlin.

Unfortunately it was tailwrapped and dead on arrival,so we boated the fish,a nice blue marlin of 80.5kg.

It had a crazy looking bill,though, and its right pectoral fin was white and the top part of its tailfin was also deformed.Every thing else was normal. Could it be a freak ?

JACQUES POTGIETER <shamrock@swazi.net>

SKI-BOAT asked Julian Pepperell, a global expert on billfish, whether he had ever seen anything like this. He pointed us to an article he wrote for the July 2000 issue of Bluewater Boats & Sportfishing magazine, and we have reproduced part of that article below.

He also had this to say: “Since then, and despite seeing a number of other marlin with previously snapped off bills weighed at tournaments, I have yet to see another example of a bill actually in the process of regrowing.”

Here’s an excerpt from Julian’s article in Bluewater Boats & Sportfishing magazine in response to receiving a letter from an angler.

“The note from Adam Tolhurst of Wallalong (New South Wales) enclosed some photos of a remarkable fish he had tagged – a marlin with two bills! The fish was a black marlin of about 45-50kg, and the photos show two wellformed bills of nearly equal length on an apparently healthy marlin.

I can assure Adam that this is a very rare observation.

In all my years of examining marlin at weighstations, I have only come across one “forked-bill” marlin. This was also a small black marlin which had a stumpy, forked bill, not nearly as well formed as the one on the marlin Adam caught.

In examining the forked bill, it was unclear how it had happened, but it was reasonable to surmise that the bill had been accidentally split by an impact when the fish was quite small, somehow resulting in two growing tips.

On the other hand, marlin with broken bills are not uncommon, some having snapped off as far back as the base of the bill. Most of these had long since healed over, and while I am often asked if marlin can regrow bills, there is never any evidence of regrowth.

That is, with the inevitable exception of one proven case. During the Interclub tournament at Port Stephens two years ago, a black marlin of about 70kg was weighed in, which had previously been tagged. About two-thirds of its bill had been broken at sometime in the past, but in this case, there was a new, pointed bill growing from the old “scar”, although still only about half its full length.

Tracing the tag via a call to NSW Fisheries revealed that the fish had been tagged at the same location exactly 12 months earlier and, as luck would have it, the original tagger of the fish was one of the tournament officials, John Ambrose.

John specifically remembered tagging this fish and recalled that it had a freshly broken bill at the time, although the crew did not think that this had happened during the fight. Here, then, was a clear case of a bill starting to grow back again, at least within a year of the injury.

Interestingly, the marlin was estimated at about 40kg when its bill was originally broken; not an adult, but certainly not a baby either.

APOLOGIESMARCO!

In the March 2024 issue of Ski-Boat we ran a photo of Marco Yzelle on our Kingfisher Awards page announcing his fish as that issue’s Catch of the Month. However, the caption announced that Barne Yzelle had won the prize. It turns out Barne was just the proud dad who sent in the photo.

Congratulations, Marco. Enjoy your lovely new Daiwa Saltist reel courtesy of The Kingfisher.

Port Alfred gives up two big yellowfin

JASCOMAT, come in for Running Wide.”

“Go for Jascomat. ”

“We just landed a giant!”

Let’s rewind the clock 18 hours.

The beasterly easterly had been crank-

By Colin Fletcher

ing for two weeks, and the coastline around Kleinemonde where I grew up fishing was cold and miserable.

Cabin fever had set in properly, and as soon as the weather gave us a gap I seized the opportunity and made my

way to the rocks. This particular spot was nothing more than just that – a spot. Nothing special, just somewhere to wet a line and enjoy the sound of the breaking waves while soaking in the evening sun.

Colin Fletcher with his 50.2kg yellowfin tuna landed off Port Alfred.

After admiring the sunset,I decided to pack it in and slowly head home.

I passed a few familiar faces and shared greetings.Around Smelly Corner, I met Dave Duncan and Megan McCallum – great family friends who are keen on their fishing.

“We want to head out deep tomor-

row to make the most of the weather but are struggling for crew.Are you in?” asked Uncle Dave.Without a second’s hesitation,I gratefully accepted the offer.

Not much sleep was had that night, and when morning came I was up with intent.I love heading out deep in

search of warm water,because it is something different from the traditional fishing in our area.A fresh double shot of Masterton’s Morning Patrol coffee and some oats porridge,and I was off.

After a short walk,I met Uncle Dave and Megan on the side of the R72,and we were soon joined by their friend Andrew Thomas.Everyone was in high spirits as the weather was holding well. We made a short trip to Port Alfred to top up supplies,and then headed for the Port Alfred Marina.

The mouth was dead calm,making for a straightforward exit followed by a smooth hour and a bit’s trip filled with conversation,anticipation and preparation peppered with stories and jokes.

Running Wide, Uncle Dave’s Supercat 38 Custom Sport,is the most comfortable gamefishing platform I have ever fished on.Built by Supercat in South Africa,it is powered by two 100hp Suzuki DF100B motors.The twin hull design is incredible,and the hulls cut through swells like a hot knife through butter.

But back to the fishing…

We hit warmer temperatures around 28 nautical miles offshore,and the first task was to look for life.We spent around 20 minutes searching the horizon for birds that looked to be flying against the wind or making an effort to follow what we hoped to be tuna under the surface.

From the flybridge,a promising group of birds was spotted around half a mile away.As we neared,we saw more and more birds,and proper excitement kicked in.Time for action! As we passed through the back end of the flock of birds,the familiar and dreamy sound of a Tiagra 30W shattered the droning of the motors.Uncle Andrew was first up and got settled in on the rod.After a 29minute fight,a 42kg tuna hit the deck.A beautiful yellowfin indeed.

“You’re next,Col,”said Uncle Dave.

After taking photos and dropping Uncle Andrew’s fish in the hatch,we got the lines straight back out.A hard hour of trolling,picking up and looking for birds went by painstakingly slowly, especially as I knew I was next on the rod.

All of a sudden I heard a shout from the flybridge:“Fish are busting ahead,I just saw a big splash!”I felt that warm feeling in my chest that comes when the adrenaline is just about to kick in, and the second I heard that reel screaming my heart went ballistic.

On,Dad! It’s game time!

When I tightened the drag on the Shimano Talica 50 and the fish didn’t slow down,I knew I was in for a proper boxing match with a proper fish.

As the line peeled off the spool,the tuna began to dive.Megan got the fighting harness setup,and I tied myself to this fish for good;if it wanted to go

Dave Duncan, Andrew Thomas and Colin Fletcher celebrate Andrew landing this 42kg yellowfin tuna off Port Alfred.

More jubilation from Dave Duncan, Colin Fletcher and Megan McCallum after Colin brings home his giant.

down,I would be going down with it.

The harness made a massive difference,taking some of the weight off my arms and allowing me to fight the fish with my knees,leaning back and forth as I cranked in the slack.

After ten minutes I got its head pointing towards the surface and made back a good amount of line,only for it to be lost again in a fraction of the time as the fish dived again and again and again!

Eventually,the tuna started to circle as it neared the surface.When I saw

colour for the first time I realised how special this fish was,and after some clinical gaff work from Uncle Dave and Uncle Andrew the fish was finally on deck.

Elation swept over us all when we realised this was the biggest fish to be landed on Running Wide to date – a yellowfin tuna tipping the scales at 50.2kg and the experience of a lifetime!

After a few photos we popped the fish onto the ice and continued the search for life.Two hours later,after trolling with no luck,we packed it in,

satisfied and counting our blessings. Back at the ski-boat club we were greeted by wide eyes and congratulations for a successful day out.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Uncle Dave and Megan for the amazing experience.That day could not easily be repeated,especially in our part of the world.

To watch the video from this trip, visit Colin’s YouTube channel: East Cape Hunting <https://youtu.be/FHzola DZgNw?si=LZrMxr_6OaauuX9S>.

Running Wide heads back to Port Alfred after a successful morning hunting tuna.

Part

14:Angling around Algoa Bay

Larry Keogh with a fantastic 76.4kg yellowfin tuna.

By Wayne Gerber

WHEN you’re talking fishing around Algoa Bay,there are two things synonymous with this area – chokka (calamari) and big kob.

We have one of the most stunning coastlines which has a unique beauty of its own,with its beautiful rolling sand dunes along the Woody Cape area in the north of the bay and sandstone cliffs off Cape Padrone.The ocean around here explodes with its bounty and has the most unique and diverse range of species found along the South African coastline.

The shallow reefs to the north of the bay are known as “The Bushes”,but they have now mostly been incorporated into the Addo Marine Protected Area (MPA) which was promulgated in 2020.

The Bushes reefs are home to Scotsman,poenskop (Black Musselcracker),dageraad,red Roman and by far the greatest number of basterman (soldier or santer) all around South Africa’s coastline.We are also blessed to have some great tuna fishing offshore, and some spectacular specimens have been caught over the years.The Port Elizabeth club’s current yellowfin record stands at an impressive 102kg, and this year we are already up to a 76.3kg fish.

The controlled fishing area in the northern sections of the bay still holds some good fishing and,with the spill

over from the restricted fishing areas of the MPA,there are some good specimens of dageraad and kob and some beautiful red romans among other species in this area.

Due to the odd shape of the MPA care must be taken to ensure you stay in the areas where it’s legal to fish. Unfortunately most of our historical kob grounds have been swallowed up by the MPA restricted zone,but there are still some good specimens to be found in and around the Sundays River mouth area.

Beautiful yellowbelly-,catface- and brown rockcod are found in this area, and although ours are not the largest, they certainly can be plentiful at certain times of the year.

Our waters also shelter red steenbras and geelbek that are found everywhere from the shallow reefs and warmer water all the way out to the deeper reefs on what we commonly call the south-west grounds,up to depths of 80m.Good class linefish such as dageraad and Miss Lucys are also found all the way from 12m depths up to these 70m deep reefs.

We also have the amazing Bird Island area where some of the best yellowtail fishing is to be had.These fierce warriors or reef donkeys putting up an awesome fight and,pound for pound,I rate them as the strongest fish in the sea.They are certainly not gentlemen, and will happily bang their heads on the reef (and in the process injure

themselves) to cut the line,rather than give up.

They are beautiful fish to boot,and by far my favourite fish to target.They usually enjoy a livebait or a mix of a whole pilchard and a strip of chokka, and if you can keep your squid alive to use as bait then that would be first prize.

Our fishing area extends all the way up to Boknes,Cannon Rocks and includes Port Alfred,but to concentrate on the area we fish predominantly we will,for the sake of this article,stick to the Algoa Bay area.

Algoa Bay or Port Elizabeth (now officially Gqeberha) has two deep sea angling clubs,but only Port Elizabeth Deep Sea Angling Club is affiliated to the national body,SADSAA.The email contact for any enquiries is <denise@pedsac.co.za>.

For anyone wanting to fish these areas,it must be noted that only club members may launch out of the Port Elizabeth commercial port,as it is governed and managed by Portnet and their rules and regulations apply.There are,however,temporary and seasonal December memberships available for visitors to the area.

The next area that is very popular for our anglers is called the Rye Banks. This set of reefs 12 miles east-south-east of the port is frequented by a lot of the local boats from all clubs.It is not a long run in Algoa Bay fishing terms,and is a set of immaculate shallow reefs or

Wayne Gerber with a 23.6kg kob. Bag limit for kob is one over 1.2m and four between 50cm and 1.2m per person per day.

Allen Ford, a current Protea captain, with a fierce-fighting yellowtail, rated by the author as, pound for pound, the strongest fish in the sea.

Wium with another beautiful kob.

COORDINATES AND TARGETS

Sundays River Mouth

Kob

33°44’ S 25°53’ E

Bushes 1

Linefish

33°43’ S 25°55’ E

33°43’ S 25°59’ E

Bushes 2

Linefish

33°44’ S 26°05’ E

Bushes 3

Linefish

33°44’ S 26°07’ E

South West Grounds

Carpenter, geelbek, Miss Lucy

33°56’ S 26°03’ E

33°55’ S 26°06’ E

Rye Banks

Carpenter, red romans

34°00’ S 25°53’ E

Mixed

33°58’ S 25°51’ E

Yellowtail

33°59’ S 25°51’ E

Crayfish Banks

Carpenter

34°18’ S 25°46’ E

Agulhas Current

Tuna

34°31’ S 25°46’ E

Sardinia Bay

34°03’ S 25°28’ E

Sheena Gerber with a lovely poenskop aka black musselcracker which she released. The bag limit for poensies is one per person per day, but most of the anglers in this region release them.

Pia Berg with a lovely basterman/santer. Bag limit is five per person per day, with a minimum size of 30cm total length.

The most commonly fished area is on the deeper southern side where some good quality carpenters and romans are found,along with the odd geelbek that frequents the area in the autumn to winter time.

The geelbek usually make their appearance from March through April and May,and used to be prolific in earlier years.Some very good size fish are still to be found after a good southwesterly wind with some long rolling ground swells.The banks also holds a

basterman.

The Western Grounds are,as the name suggests,found on the western side of Algoa Bay and start from the point at Cape Recife stretching all the way up to Sea View.A myriad species can be caught there,including poenskop,romans,Scotsman,Miss Lucy’s, kob,geelbek and rockcod on the shallow and midwater reefs.Hake (stock fish),gurnards and the odd kingklip are found on the deeper shale and muddy bottoms.Carpenters are a pest at the

best of times,but some really good quality carpenter can be found on the deeper banks which we commonly refer to as the Crayfish Banks.

Take note that there is an MPA in front of Sardinia Bay which protects a few shallow water reefs and the shallow water reef fish.In the deeper waters there are pretty good stock fish to be found,and although it’s not a great fighting fish,it surely is one of the best eating fish in our waters.

Our deeper waters,all the way up to 120m,can be found up to 22 miles offshore,after which you hit the continental shelf drop off and the Agulhas current.This is where our tuna area starts, but they are not limited to this area and have been found as close as one mile off Cape Recife.

Tuna frequent our waters almost all year round,and we have some amazing tuna at times,with most shoal fish being in the 20- to 25kg range.The larger gas bottles all the way up to a 100kgplus are usually found in late autumn and early winter.

The tuna fishing is hard work,as they are usually far off shore – up to 40 miles – and one always needs to take the sea conditions into consideration as the warm Agulhas current sweeps around the corner at Bird Island.The edge of this current is where most of our tuna fishing is done and is the most productive.

Port Elizabeth also has an area we call The Canyon which is very popular with the locals.As the name suggests,it is an area where the ocean floor drops from 200m all the way down to over 1000m deep.

This obviously causes some challenging sea conditions but also brings great rewards.The area holds a number of pelagic species such as dorado,marlin and,recently,even some wahoo.

The weather patterns seem to be changing generally,and in this part of South Africa we are getting a lot more of the tropical conditions in our offshore current area.I believe this is the reason we’re also seeing a change in the species we find in the area.

TACKLE

The most popular reels we use for bottomfishing are KP or Scarboroughs,and grinders in the shallower waters.Some anglers still prefer multipliers,but I only use those when I am targeting either yellowtail or yellowfin.My preference is KP or Scarborough in the deeper water from about 50m.I like a grinder on the shallower reefs and,as mentioned,a multiplier on the stronger,bigger fish.

The most popular line,of course, would be braid,and we mostly use 50lb line on our grinders,possibly going up to 80lb when targeting yellowtail.

I can only tell you what I use,so

please don’t take it as gospel.I use a 60lb fluorocarbon bite trace on the shallow reefs and 80lb fluorocarbon when I fish deeper.My leader line is monofilament,predominantly 80lb and up,but I do use 100lb on the yellowtail.

My sinkers are 6- or 8 ounce on the shallow reefs up to 35m,and I’ll then switch over to a 10- or 12 ounce sinker when fishing deeper.However,I sometimes go as heavy as a 16 ounce sinker when fishing deep due to the strong

current and tide we have from time to time.

Hooks? Well,that depends on each angler’s preference,but I use circle hooks – 7/0 mainly – and 12/0 Kendal round hooks for stock fish and deeper water species including geelbek and kob.

I pair my KP 7.5 inch reels with an 8ft Kingfisher Poseidon dorado rod for reef fish and the Poseidon geelbek rod for the kob and geelbek.These rods have a great action and I enjoy fishing them in the deep.I also like an 800010000 size grinder on a 7ft Okuma jigging stick or flick stick for the reefs.

For the yellowtail I use a Maxel Transformer 60 multiplier reel on a CT Craftsman Power Rap rod.The rod is high specialised,but the equivalent would be a Jigrex,I guess.These rods are short – 1.2m in length – and are built to put huge pressure on the fish to pull them away from the reef.Yellowtail are dirty fighters,so you need to bully them back.

The tuna rods are standard,as used anywhere in South Africa,with the Tiagra 50w being the go-to reel.Most of our tuna are caught on the troll,with a few exceptions,and when the stars align and the weather and current play along,we have caught some beautiful tuna on bait as well.

Marlin are not as prevalent here as they are on the east coast but we do

have a couple of them around and they’re caught fairly often.Our biggest marlin caught in these waters was a black marlin caught in 2005 which weighed in at a hefty 425kg.It was caught when it decided to eat a 27kg yellowfin that had been hooked by an angler.

So yes,when I say we have a wide variety of fish,I mean we have the best of both worlds – bottoms and game fish – and we are spoiled for choice in Port Elizabeth.

Allen Ford shows off a solid Scotsman. Bag limit is one per day.

Stephan Goosen proudly shows off his 5.8kg dageraad. Bag limit is one per person per day.

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Two Oceans Marlin Tournament, 10 to 16 February 2024

By Helen Fenwick

AS many people who have fished the Struisbaai area know,after local commercial fisherman Traill Witthuhn landed a striped marlin there 19 years ago, Meirion Williams sowed the seed of the idea to hold an annual marlin catch,measure and release competition. Meirion thought it would be of value to investigate the numbers and sizes of the marlin swimming in the Agulhas area.

Of course,it is never the work of just one man,and others like Gawie Bruwer,Hannes Schreuder,Gerard de Kock,Johan Jooste and Johan van der Walt were also instrumental in making the idea a reality.Testament to the success and support of the event is that 2024 saw the 18th annual running of the tournament.

The fact that so many of the original organising committee are still involved also speaks volumes.Andrew Perrins was approached to be the Safety Officer at the first tournament, and he has been involved in setting up aerials and manning the radios ever since,along with his trusty helpers,Trevor Brinch,Earl Fenwick,and various others over the years.For the past several years Andrew has come back from his current home in the UK especially to do his bit for this unique competition.

Another unusual aspect of this competition is that the rules were originally drawn up by the competitors themselves.It is strictly a catch,measure and release competition,

and the boat with the highest number of points wins,but in the event of a tie,the last boat to land and release a marlin is the winner.

Competitions like this cannot go ahead without generous support from the sponsors,and in this too the tournament is extremely successful.Once again our sincere thanks to all the loyal sponsors who see value in supporting this tournament.

Our thanks also to Suidpunt Deep Sea Angling Club for hosting the event.The theme for the 2024 event was “Island Life”and this added to the vibe of the event.

Each evening the anglers gathered at Suidpunt Deep Sea Angling Club and enjoyed the excellent food provided by Marinda and her staff.After a long and tiring day at sea the fun continued and “straf dops”and snuff sniffing were meted out for various misdemeanours.

It has become a tradition at every year’s opening function for Gawie Bruwer to honour a deserving angler for their contribution to fishing over the years.This year the award went to Mike Broderick and Uncle Ted Horn.

Most of the 17 boats that entered this year have fished this competition before,but 2024 saw two first timers,namely Maverick,sponsored by Airmar,and Loslappie

It was also great to see three lady anglers taking part this year.Ada de Wit and Monica Botha fished on Loslappie,and Tammy von Wildenrath fished on My Way

There were six days available for fishing the 2024 tournament,but the boats only managed to go to sea on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Weather conditions on the Monday were not perfect,but the crews set off enthusiastically,and before long reports of marlin sightings came over the airwaves.There were no hookups,however,until newbie Maverick called one in. Those of us listening on the radio waited anxiously as the fight continued for almost an hour.Finally,we heard that a striped marlin had been caught and released.

The angler,Jaen van der Berg,shared the excitement with us:“On Monday,the first fishing day of this competition,my biggest dream came true:I caught a striped marlin!

“All lines were in and ready for action while we were busy making a braai,and I saw the marlin in the spread.We left everything as the adrenalin kicked in.The marlin was on the longrigger.

“The deck was quickly rearranged,and everything was sorted out while I tried to get the marlin under control,”he said.

“The fight continued for 45 minutes with plenty of advice and support coming from the other crew members.The excitement was extreme!

“Finally,the marlin was brought next to the boat and the hook was removed.We also tagged it.

Thank you to the crew – JP Groenwald,Ron Penninkoff and Juan Needham – who helped me to shorten my bucket list.”

On Tuesday the weather looked good and the boats set off in the early morning with high hopes.As the day wore on and only “dorado marlin”were reported,everyone began to lose hope but then,with just a few minutes till lines up,two hookups were called in.Those boats were given an extra hour to successfully catch and release their fish.

One of the anglers,Andrew Pawson fishing on Multi , shared how he caught his bucket list marlin:“We prepared well for this competition and decided to target a striped marlin.Although we did the “livey”thing,having seen how suc-

cessful that was for John Graeme last year,we still had no success.

“It was almost lines-up,and we were in the zone where our skipper had caught marlin before,so we changed the size of the lures and looked for a stripey.Luckily the timing was right and the first fish of the day was in my slot on the boat.I was on and quickly realised that if this was a stripey,it would complete the ‘slam’for me – black,blue and a stripey.What a relief when the call came that it was indeed my target fish. Needless to say,I had all the advice from an experienced crew with the normal number of adjectives!

“The fight was tough but worthwhile,and we landed the marlin within the extra time.I have to thank my skipper and crew for the privilege.There really is no better feeling for me than to land a trophy fish like this ...well,maybe winning the Rugby World Cup again!”

The last fish of the competition – and the winner – was caught on one of the smallest boats of the fleet, SeaCat Andrew Hipkin told us all about the excitement:

“It’s my third year at this tournament,and up until late yesterday afternoon,I’d yet to see a marlin.Yes,we’d had strikes and near misses,but that’s not quite the same!

“As one of the smallest boats that enters the Two Oceans Marlin Tournament,we don’t have the ability to run to Alfards and the 45 contour,so we’ve had the same game plan each year:get live bait and try to keep them alive long enough to get plucked by a marlin.

“We’ve stuck to this year on year and only trolled konas when we were between spots.Yesterday we tried everything but couldn’t find a single live bait,so went all in on black as they say.We rigged a spread of five konas and that floppy floppy thing.

With 30 minutes to go,my two teammates were both suggesting lines up.Fortunately,I declined,and with five minutes to go we hooked into a black marlin.The exhilaration of that beautiful dark body leaping out of the water is all it’s cracked up to be! It’s a memory I hope I’ll carry with me to the day I die!”

The last marlin cught and released, SeaCat’s black marlin, 30 minutes before the end of the day.

Maverick’s striped marlin, caught and released on day one.

Multi with their striped marlin, caught and released.

Wednesday proved to have the best fishing conditions,but in spite of that no marlin were caught.

Inclement weather and rough seas on the following two days prevented any further competition fishing.

There was a great air of excitement as everyone gathered for the final event of the week – the prizegiving – not least because each boat received a pack of lovely prizes which the skippers collected at the end of the proceedings.

Special awards were presented to the skippers of boats which have entered the TOMT for many years in a row.Vleis Visagie’s Multi, Nuts Rupert’s Grace,Dudley Rosslee’s Dory, Mike Broderick’s Bad Co ,and Iaan Viljoen’s Kinda Magic

have all entered ten years in a row.Rikus de Beer’s Marco Polo,Andrew van Zyl’s Gwaza,and Gawie Bruwer’s Indigo have all entered 15 years in a row!

The results of the tournament are as follows:

1. SeaCat – Simon Hipkin,Smiley Bhungu,Ben Johnson, Chris Steyn

2. Maverick – Ronald Penninkhof,JPGroenewald,Juan Needham,Jaen van der Berg

3. Multi – Darius Steyn,Andre Pawson,Roelof Visagie,Dawie Theron,Ivaan de Jager,Henk Ackerman.

Well done to everyone involved.See you next year!

Team SeaCat, winners on the Two Oceans Marlin Tournament 2024.

Team Maverick placed second.

Team Multi, excited and celebrating at third place.

Dudly Rosslee’s tenth consecutive year at the TOMT. Gawie Bruwer, a skipper at the TOMT for 15 years.

Mike Broderick’s Bad Co has been competing for 10 years. Rikus de Beer, competed for 15 consecutive years.

Lady participants Ava de Wit and Monica Botha.

BALANCINGACT

How are our linefish supposed to be managed?

By Bruce Mann (Senior scientist recently retired from the Oceanographic Research Institute in Durban)

FOLLOWING several recent enquiries from the SADSAA environmental officers,I decided to share my understanding,after many years of experience,of the processes used to manage our linefish species in South Africa.Hopefully this will help ski-boat anglers to better understand and support the fishing regulations.

STEP 1 RESEARCH AND MONITORING

To understand the status of a particular linefish species,it is necessary to conduct research on that species.This may include a range of different aspects including life history studies (e.g.feeding biology,age and growth,reproduction,distribution,habitat preferences), movement studies (e.g.tagging,acoustic telemetry),monitoring of catch and effort,and fish length frequencies etc.

This stage is aimed at trying to understand each fish species in as much detail as possible.

STEP 2 STOCK ASSESSMENT

Once sufficient information has been collected on a particular species,a stock assessment can be conducted to determine the stock status (how many fish there are now) relative to its theoretical pristine or unfished level (how many fish there were before fishing started).

There are several different ways of doing stock assessments depending on the type and quality of data available.In South Africa,many of the earlier stock assessments were conducted using yield-per-recruit and spawner biomassper-recruit models.More recently,where sufficient catch and effort data exists (mainly from the commercial linefishery),these models have largely been replaced by age-based surplus production models.These are relatively complex mathematical models that require considerable training to understand and operate.

Basically,these models tell us is much fish can be caught without depleting the stock.

Of course,they are only as good as the quality of data fed into them,and all models make certain assumptions which need to be well-informed.

STEP 3 MANAGEMENT OPTIONS

Once the status of a particular stock has been assessed,recommendations are made on how best to manage that stock to ensure its future sustainable use.

In South Africa,a Linefish Management Protocol (LMP) was developed in the late 1990s to help guide this process.A simple framework was developed to categorise the stock status of a species or population.If a stock is above 50% of its unfished level it is considered to be underexploited;if it’s between 40and 50% it is optimally exploited;if between 25- and 40% it is considered overexploited;and if the stock is less than 25% of its unfished level it is considered to have collapsed.

Based on these categories,different management actions can be recommended.For example,in the case of underexploited stocks,more fishing and harvesting can be allowed.Optimally exploited stocks are at their desired or target level where production is at its maximum (sometimes called maximum sustainable yield) and current fishing effort and harvest should be maintained. For overexploited stocks,management intervention is required to rebuild

Bruce Mann with a large Scotsman recaptured in the Pondoland MPA.

stocks to their optimal level.In the case of collapsed stocks,drastic management intervention is required to protect the stock and enable stock recovery.

In the multi-species,multi-user South African linefishery,fishery managers only have a limited number of tools in their toolbox to assist them.Basically, these consist of size limits,bag limits, seasonal closures,closed areas (also known as marine protected areas or MPAs),effort limitations,gear restrictions and moratoria (fishing bans).To better understand each one of these management options,I will briefly go through them individually.

Size limits

The most common application of this option in South Africa is the use of minimum size limits.This is normally set at a size at which 50% of the fish population is mature,thus providing some fish with the opportunity to spawn before they are available to be caught in the fishery. It also protects the fish when they are growing at their fastest rate,as growth slows down after reaching maturity.

Another application could be maximum size limits to protect larger breeding fish,or a combination of the two (called slot limits) which allows harvesting of fish above a minimum size and below a maximum size to optimise both growth and reproduction.

Bag limits

In South Africa daily bag limits are used to limit an angler to a certain number of fish per person per day.While this regu-

lation may limit fishing mortality (i.e.the number of fish killed by fishing),it also serves to enable a fair allocation of fish between large numbers of anglers.

Closed seasons:

These are times of the year that are closed to fishing for certain species. These are normally set when a fish species becomes particularly vulnerable to fishing pressure.Most often this coincides with the breeding season of a species as many fish come together when they spawn.The closed season for red steenbras (1 October to 30 November) is an example.

Closed areas

These are specific areas that are closed to fishing for one or more species.In South Africa,these areas generally fall into MPAs which may be zoned into controlled zones (fishing allowed),controlled pelagic linefish zones (only pelagic gamefish species may be caught),controlled catch and release zones (all fish caught must be released) and restricted or no-take zones where no fishing or extractive use is allowed.

Effort limitation

This involves limiting the number of rods,anglers,boats,etc.that are allowed to fish.This tool has been successfully used to reduce the number of commercial rights holders that are allowed to fish in different areas around the South African coast.

Gear limitation

This involves limiting the type of gear

that is used for fishing.For example,in the South African linefishery a maximum of ten hooks may be used per line. The recent prohibition of using drones to fish is another example of gear limitation.

Moratoria

This is the most severe of all the management regulations and is normally only implemented as a last resort when other restrictions have proved unsuccessful,and the stock is below 5% of its unfished level.

The rule of thumb regarding moratoria is that they should be implemented for at least the half-life of the species being protected.For example,if the fish species can live for 20 years,it should be protected for at least ten years before the regulation is re-evaluated.However, as is the case with 74,once a moratorium has been implemented,it is very difficult to conduct a stock assessment as there is no catch and effort data on which to base such an assessment.

Normally a combination of the above-mentioned management options is implemented for each species to ensure its sustainable use.

STEP 4

IMPLEMENTATION OF REGULATIONS

Once a suite of management options is decided upon by the scientists and fishery managers and they have gone through the necessary public participation processes,these regulations are then gazetted into law under the Marine Living Resources Act (No.18 of 1998).

A map of all the marine protected areas in South African waters.

However,it is interesting to note that,other than the moratorium for red steenbras which was introduced in 2012 and subsequently removed following court action,the last substantial changes made to the linefish regulations in South Africa were in April 2005! Ideally,fishing regulations should be regularly reviewed and updated as the status of fish stocks changes.This is called adaptive management.

Like so many other aspects of life in South Africa,implementation of the law is where most of the problems arise.We simply do not have the capacity or manpower to enforce the fishery regulations,and consequently there is large scale abuse and blatant disregard of the regulations.

I personally feel that this is where we as responsible anglers should step in and self-police ourselves.If the fishing regulations are justified and based on good science (which most of them are), we should take it upon ourselves to stick to the regulations and encourage our fellow anglers to do likewise. Ultimately,we all stand to benefit from better managed fisheries.

STEP5

MONITORING AND RE-ASSESSMENT

This aspect completes the management cycle.It is here where regular monitoring of catch,fishing effort and

length/size of fish caught is required. This information is vital to enable catch trends to be tracked over time and to allow scientists to plug the data into their computer models to assess the status of the fish stocks.

Unfortunately,we have largely failed to implement successful long-term catch and effort monitoring programmes in the South African marine recreational linefishery.

However,this is not through a lack of trying! Some of the older KZN skiboat anglers will no doubt remember the catch cards introduced by Rudy van der Elst from ORI in the 1980s.This system was largely replaced by ski-boat inspections conducted by Natal Parks Board/Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife in the 1990s,which was then replaced by the boat launch register system implemented in the 2000s.

While all these systems had some merit,they were all plagued by various biases,the most common of which was the simple reluctance of anglers to complete them.

We all know the value of keeping good records for business management, understanding that without such information it is very difficult to determine how the business is doing.In the same way,we should be keeping good records of the time we spend fishing and the fish we catch.

Even if this was only done for fishing competitions (where such information is recorded anyway),it would go a long way in helping to inform more accurate stock assessments and ultimately better, more informed fishing regulations.

By law,commercial fishermen must complete a daily catch and effort register (commonly known as the “blue book”) which is captured onto the National Marine Linefish System (NMLS) database.

Currently,most of the stock assessments of linefish species caught in South African waters are based on commercial catch and effort statistics.

I sincerely hope that this article has helped to explain how fisheries management is supposed to be done in South Africa.As anglers,it is ultimately up to us to ensure that we use our linefish sustainably and responsibly.

I wish you all tight lines and remember:“Limit your catch don’t catch your limit.”

For those who would like to have the current regulations available at the push of a button – along with more interesting information on our linefish species – please download the ORI Fish App “Marine Fish Guide for Southern Africa”available on Google Play Store or the App Store for only R200.The proceeds go to the ORI Cooperative Fish Tagging Project.

IT recently came to my attention that there is a misunderstanding or incorrect perception out there among our members of exactly what SADSAA’s structures are and how we function.I felt it may be worthwhile to take some time to try and clear this up a little.

In a recent meeting that I had with one of our member associations,there were several times that it was stated that the SADSAA Action Committee was not doing a good enough job and that our decision making was less than satisfactory and that,as an executive,we should be more pro-active and forthcoming.

I took this criticism to heart,as this organisation is extremely important to me on so many levels.I guess that,as the elected leader,I have the right to feel that any complaints levelled at the organisation as a whole are also aimed at me,so I felt compelled to take some time to try and explain what it is that we,as an Action Committee (AC),can and cannot do.

WHATTHEACTIONCOMMITTEEDOES

Chris Schorn, SADSAAPresident

Let me start by saying that we are NOT an executive,and we do not have executive powers.There are many organisations,such as SADSAA,that do have an executive (Exco) or management committee (ManCom) and the powers that each of these organisations has varies from council to council.

As the AC of SADSAA,we are tasked with the day to day running of the association and with guiding and assisting our provincial member bodies in whatever way they need. For the most part,we do not dictate to them as each of these bodies is its own entity with its own committees and councils.

The members of the AC,within its own deliberations, each carry a single vote,and this is how we settle many matters that come to our attention,but mostly we tend to agree on a course of action and move on.It is also the AC’s mandate to deal with those sporting bodies that sit above us and to take their guidance and instruction and implement it within our own structures as best we can.

We try hard to ensure that all items that are brought to the AC get a fair hearing and are referred to the Council for deliberation,discussion and possible vote if necessary.We do not,however,have the right to commit SADSAA to large debts or projects that go beyond what we need to run the association.

We can decide on the employment of staff,their salaries, their reporting structures,and the premises from which we operate.These are daily management tasks that are done as

and when they become necessary.

For the bigger stuff,once our Council has taken a decision on a topic – for example,hosting an international tournament – then it falls to the SADSAA portfolio holders to take charge of this and to merely run the day to day issus past the AC as they go about setting this all up.

The Council agrees to the project,but then stands back and allows the AC to manage the execution.

So,who is our Council,and who holds the major decision-making power within SADSAA?

Council is made up of the heads of each of our provincial bodies,of which there are 14.This Council has meetings twice a year,along with all the various SADSAA portfolio holders,to hear their reports,make decisions,and give guidance on matters which the AC,without executive powers, cannot move on.

It must also be noted that at the start of every Council meeting,the AC must present to Council all matters that it has dealt with in the intervening period and what decisions it has made,and these need ratification by Council.

If our provincial heads feel that the AC has erred,then they will and must guide us as to how we should rectify the decisions made and move forward.It’s all very democratic.

Please also note that none of the SADSAA portfolio holders nor any of the Council members are paid either by SADSAA or by the individual provincial bodies.Everything we do is done voluntarily,and sometimes our lives,our families and/or our businesses must take priority over SADSAA’s business.

This often leads to frustration from members who believe that in today’s fast paced world,answers,solutions, and decisions should be instantaneous,and they cannot understand the process that must be followed.I understand this frustration,but without a major change to our constitution and some major expense to SADSAA,and ultimately to our members,this is how it is and is unlikely to change.

What changes do we need to make SADSAA more competitive in today’s market?

I believe we need to consider bringing in professionals to do some of the work that we so proudly say that we stand for.This would include a marketing professional to help get our name out there;such a move would hopefully bring sponsors on board.We could also bring a professional environmentalist onboard,whose focus would be on the myriad issues that we face each day,some very regional and others of a more national nature.

We should also be looking to get more in line with the idea that we’re running a business and not so much a sport-

Martin du Plessis, Brad McLaren, Michelle Richards and Chris Schorn recently fished the 2024 El Gouna IGFA Red Sea Champtionship and held their own against some stiff competition. The year ahead offers South Africa numerous opportunities to show that it’s not just our rugby players who are world class competitors.

ing body,or we face the very real threat of becoming outdated and obsolete in the years to come.Let us look at how our major sporting franchises run their businesses and take the good and toss out the bad.

These are all issues that must come under the spotlight sooner rather than later if we are to change with the times and become even more of a force to be dealt with.Sports administration has become a science and is even offered as a university degree today.I wonder why!

I must also make mention here of how an affiliate member goes about bringing a matter to the attention of the SADSAA Action Committee and ultimately the Council.

They must first look to their club which,if it’s unable to deal with the matter,must then escalate it to their provincial body.If the province is unable to deal with the matter, they must escalate it to the Action Committee.The AC will then decide whether the matter must go to a council meeting.It is,sadly,a lengthy and time-consuming process if done correctly,but it means that the process has been followed and all have had a chance to have a say in the matter.

Communication is another area where we often take a lot of flack,and this failure is often because the provincial bodies or the member clubs are not passing on the information.At the recent meeting I mentioned earlier,a lot was said about this aspect,and we take note of it,but,for now,if the provinces are not distributing the information to SADSAA on time,we cannot be held responsible for this.

I hope that this sheds a little light on the workings within this association.Feel free to let me know if there’s any further need for more explanation.

UPCOMINGTOURNAMENTS

On to happier tidings,more directly fishing related.We are hosting two international tournaments in the Cape this year in April and May.

The first is the SADSAA Bottomfish International that will see Protea mens and ladies teams taking part,angling against some of the best that Europe and Iceland have to offer.A SASACC team will also be competing,making this a very strong competition,and we are excited to see our anglers gather up some silverware.This event will take place off Struisbaai from 26 April to 1 May.

In May we’ll hold the EFSA Big Game Tournament which is being hosted from the Atlantic Boat Club in Hout Bay.It is truly a feather in our cap that we get to host this on behalf of EFSA,and we look forward to four days of some of the best tuna fishing the world has to offer.

The dates for this are 5 to 10 May.Again,we have Protea anglers taking on some of the best that Europe has to offer, and we wish all the teams tight lines and fair seas.

Elsewhere in this edition of SKI-BOAT magazine,there is a report on our team that recently fished the first IGFA Red Sea Tournament which was held from El Gouna in Egypt. Our team performed well,and we congratulate them on flying the flag high.

NEWLYSELECTEDTEAMS

Our selectors have been very busy lately,and the following teams have been selected to represent South Africa and SADSAA this year.Congratulations to all.

• Protea Team for the 83rd International Light Tackle Tournament – Dominican Republic:Charles du Plessis (capt),Wade Martin,Mark Cockcroft

• Protea Team for the 71st IBT Club Nautico – San Juan, Puerto Rico 2024:Robin Vermaak (capt),Sam Botha, Mark Beyl

• SADSAA Masters for the Tuna Nationals – Hout Bay 2024:Marius Coetzee (capt),Chris Schorn,Nishaad Ibrahim

• SADSAA Masters for the Gamefish Nationals – Umhlanga 2024:Justin Paynter (capt),Frank Sykes,Bradley McLaren

Until next time,we wish you all tight lines.

Keep up to date with all the SADSAA news by visiting our website www.sadsaa.co.za

or our facebook page

@sadeepseaanglingassociation

Kingfisher Award

Application Form

I hereby apply for the Kingfisher Award in the category:

Meritorious Fish Outstanding Catch

Tick the appropriate box and supply us with the following information. Please remember to print clearly.

Applicant’s Details:

Name: ...................................................

Address: ...............................................

Code: ....................................................

Tel No: ...................................................

E-mail:

Club (if member): ..................................

I, the undersigned, agree to abide by the rules of this award.

Signature: ..............................................

Meritorious Fish

Species: ................................................

Weight: ..................................................

Date of Capture: ....................................

Where Caught: ......................................

Skipper's Name: ....................................

Outstanding catch Category applied for (tick appropriate box):

3:15:1 7:1 10:1

Species: ................................................

Weight: ..................................................

Line class: .............................................

Date of Capture: ....................................

Where Caught: ......................................

Skipper’s Name: ....................................

Digital emailed photographs should be high-resolution.

YOUR favourite offshore angling magazine, SKI-BOAT , in conjunction with The Kingfisher and the South African Deep Sea Angling Association, is proud to offer all South African ski-boaters the unique opportunity to win awards for excellence in angling.

All deep sea anglers who achieve laid down standards of excellence will be entitled to apply for the KINGFISHER AWARD.Upon ratification by a panel of adjudicators,the angler will receive a handsome digital certificate,suitably inscribed.

The Kingfisher Award will be made for fish caught in two sections:

1) Meritorious Fish

This award is for a fish that’s a memorable achievement for the angler,if not

RULES:

There is no restriction on the number of awards which can be applied for. Award applicants must submit a photograph of the relevant fish with the application form and a photograph of the angler with the fish.

SKI-BOAT reserves the right to use the photograph as it sees fit.

Entries must be on the official form which is included in all issues of the magazine.

Entires must be received within 45 days of capture.

No witnesses of the catch are required. The award is made in the true spirit of sportsmanship and relies on the integrity of the angler to make a just claim. Aselection of award winners’names will be announced in future issues of SKIBOAT, along with relevant photographs. Award applicants should allow 30-45 days for processing of applications. There is no charge for Kingfisher Awards.

a personal best,and is not confined to the species listed below.

Tackle used is of no consideration here, the fish's weight being the main criterion.

2) Outstanding Catch

To satisfy the requirements for this award,anglers can catch any recognised fish species.As a guideline,the weight of that fish must equal or exceed the suggested weights below,or certain laid down fish weight:line class ratios.

Awards will be made in the following ratio categories:

3:1 – Bronze Award

5:1 – Silver Award

7:1 – Silver Award

10:1 – Gold Award.

Applies to IGFA line class 1kg ,2kg,4kg, 6kg,10kg,15kg,24kg,37kg and 60kg.

SPECIES: SUGGESTED

Kingfish (Ignobilis)

Garrick (Leervis)

King Mackerel (’Cuda) 15kg

Black Marlin

Blue Marlin 100kg

Striped Marlin 60kg

Prodigal Son 15kg

Sailfish (Pacific) 25kg

Spearfish (Longbill) 20kg

Spearfish (Shortbill) 20kg

Tarpon 45kg

Tuna (Big Eye)

Tuna (Longfin) 25kg

Tuna (Yellowfin)

Wahoo

Yellowtail 15kg

Email applications to:

angler@mags.co.za

RELEASED BILLFISH AND GT (Ignobilis) KINGFISH

With the strong trend towards releasing these and other fish, we have decided to amend the Kingfisher Award rules to provide for acknowledgement of all released fish. All we need is a photo of the fish being released or prior to release (e.g. GT held next to the boat) and the approximate weight of the fish which should fall in line with the stipulated weights set out above.

In line with this trend we will not be carrying photographs on the Kingfisher Awards page of any billfish or GTs aside from those that are released.

Fransien Myburg

has been awarded a Gold Meritorious Award for this 10kg prodigal son caught on 31 August 2023 off St Lucia.

Nikki Thoresson

has been awarded a Gold Meritorious Award for this 15.36kg yellowtail caught 2 December 2023 off uMdloti.

Samaarah Ibrahim

has been awarded a Gold Meritorious Award for this yellowfin tuna weighing 71kg caught off the Cape Point, WC, on 15 February 2024.

Anthony Singleton

has been awarded a Gold Meritorious Award for this black musselcracker caught off Port Edward, KZN, in December 2023.

a Gold Meritorious Award

outstanding catch. She wins this issue’s great prize for

This stunning 84.18kg yellowfin tuna caught on 1 March 2024 off St Lucia, KZN, earned Elsabè Baker

for her

2024 IGFA El Gouna Red Sea Championship

By Martin du Plessis

Our South African team living the dream. Martin du Plessis, Chris Schorn (Captain), Brad McLaren and Michelle Richards.

PYRAMIDS,ancient history,Egyptian culture,great food,unforgettable hospitality,calm turquoise waters, new memories,new friends and fishing – what more can you ask for?

The Red Sea and Egypt ticked off a significant milestone this year when they hosted the first IGFA tournament in Egypt in February – the 2024 IGFA El Gouna Red Sea Championship.

It was a successful event in all aspects,so well done to Egypt and El Gouna.This magnificent venue hosted what will be a regular event on our fishing calendars for years to come.

When we fish tournaments,we need to look at the total “fishing package”that’s offered.The event needs to be an allround experience and tick a number of boxes besides just fish and fishing.Accommodation,boats,skippers,crew,hosts, organisers,food,venue and fun are all part of the experience.

All these aspects – plus the incredible hospitality of the Egyptian people – were top notch.

A bonus for the South African team – Chris Schorn (captain),Michelle Richards,Brad McLaren and myself – was that our captain was there representing South Africa and flying the IGFA flag as he was elected onto IGFA Board as a trustee in 2023.

An added bonus was that Andries Maree and Mike Milligan from SASACC also travelled with the team.Andries and Mike were not only there in their roles as president and vice president of SASACC,but also as a motivation for the SA team and to help build relationships between South Africa and Egypt. Thank you,Andries and Mike for your support.

A great concept that distinguishes this tournament from others is that we fished for three days and spent two nights at sea on a live-aboard boat.

There was a “lines-in”time on day one,and a “lines-up” time on day three,but in between that,you could fish 24 hours a day if you chose to.Our most difficult task was trying to get Brad “Duracell-Bunny”McLaren to sleep! The lure of fishing 24 hours a day was tough to resist!

Being out at sea and living in the boat’s confines for three days resulted in strong bonds being forged between the team members,as well as the extended team.Thank you to Ibrahim (adjudicator),Ahmed (gillie),Ali Sambu (master chef,gillie and gaffer) and Captain Kimmou (skipper).That’s what we bank in this beloved sport – friendships and memories.

With slight language barriers and cultural differences,the common thread of a love of the sea and a passion to fish united us.The food was brilliant,and some great recipes were exchanged.

Elsewhere in this issue you will find one of the recipes we got to enjoy.

The extended team who spent three days together on the live-aboard — the Sea School family.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

At the last minute,the environmental authorities moved the fishing boundaries,and that meant we travelled much further on days one and three than initially expected.It was a great initiative to relieve fishing pressure on reefs close by,but meant that we reduced our fishing time on those days too.

The simple solution for next year would be to make the tournament one day longer.We only really figured out the waters and fishing on day two,and didn’t have enough time to convert those findings into a medal.

Having said that,all the teams were “in the same boat”,and well done to Scotland who pushed us to fourth and took the bronze medal by 3.4 points in the international category.That section was won by Saudi Arabia,with Egypt second.

The mixed species format – tuna,bottomfish,gamefish and billfish – made for an exciting tournament with the varied skills required within each team.This lends itself to a real team effort,involving us applying individual angler strengths to the various facets and working together as one to achieve our goals.

This format gives our SA anglers a shot at a Protea cap across facets within one team at one tournament.Very unique.The fishing was tough,though.When you have four fishing disciplines in one event and limited hours,you can fall into the trap of having too much choice and too much tackle, and then spend too much time “scratching”.

The big live-aboard boats presented another challenge as we South Africans are used to smaller,more manoeuvrable boats that are better at working reef structure etc.

Our first day was certainly along those lines – “scratching” with the big boat in foreign waters – but a solid team talk and strategy session after day one put us properly on track.

On day two we shined and “puzzled”the local waters with great results,figuring out the boat and getting around the challenges.Our team also gelled and harnessed the various skills and strengths that complemented one another.Most importantly,we were all willing to share,assist,work together, fish together and have fun together without egos getting in the way.

We operated like a well-oiled machine,and although we didn’t achieve that shiny gold that we set our sights on,we got very close.There was really nothing between the top four teams in the international catergory:

Saudi Arabia

Egypt A

Scotland

South Africa

.35,65 points

.34,10 points

.33,10 points

.29,70 points

SUSTAINABILITY

The focus of the tournament was on sustainability of the Red Sea resources,and the rules called for the release of most of the fish that qualified for score.Out of the 23 species on the score list,only four could be boated,and we were further limited to only boating three species per boat over the three fishing days.

I like the concept they introduced of catching three fish per species and weighing/measuring your top two.Keeping it to two fish per species (out of three) for the boat is great and prevents a team loading up on a single species.

There was also a bonus point system for certain species that,in my opinion,skewed the results and final scores. Fortunately SADSAA has progressed past this and,many years ago,realised the folly of categorising certain species.Simply put,why should a greater barracuda have 20 bonus points and a king mackerel (’cuda) none?

COMPETITIONRULES

Teams could choose to fish either 24kg line class or 15kg line class,with the lighter line giving you an additional ten points per fish.That makes sense,and anglers are then rewarded for their skills.

While socialising after the fishing,it was suggested that next year could see 24kg,15kg,10kg and 6kg being available for teams with their relevant sliding scale bonus points getting bigger as you go lighter on the line choice.That would certainly change team game plans and open up the tournament to some exciting strategies.We also chatted about possible species multiplication factors coming into play.

I would love this tournament to take on the scoring we are accustomed to in the years to come,namely:

Multiply score by one for one or two species

Multiply score by two for three species

Multiply score by three for four species

… and so on

The tournament and venue lend themselves to a species tournament and not a one point per kilogram scoring system which means one big “lucky fish”can win.

Having bonus points as you go lighter on your line,plus a species multiplication factor would truly test the teams and anglers.

Overall,this was a wonderful event at a great venue.The Egyptian hospitality and energy are very special,and they paid great attention to the smallest details.The SA team was well looked after and welcomed with open hearts,and we felt truly at home,even with the El Gouna staff at restaurants and hotel receptions.

We’ll be back in 2025 with a mission for gold!

MYDUBS!

by Oliver Sharp (13)

THIS is how my story goes:Last holiday,my dad who is a proper sea dog,looked at the weather the one night and said,“Tomorrow is the day we can go deep sea fishing.”

I have only recently cracked the nod,to join his crew and fish like a man.I am 13 years old and have a passion for deep sea fishing,but I had to learn the hard way before I got to join the crew.I had to help my dad wash his boat,get bait sorted,and help get sinkers and hooks,rods and reels ready.My dad said this is the way to learn before having the privilege of venturing out into the deep blue.

I was so excited the night before our trip because the conditions were looking good.We woke up at 4.30am and my dad’s crew arrived not long after that.

Down on the beach we launched the boat into the surf and we were off,flying over the waves like a dolphin. After a while we reached a point where

my dad told us to drop down our lines because the showing was good on the fish finder.

We all let our lines go and they went winding down till we felt them stop.It wasn’t long before everyone got a bit of a shake and a nibble.

Suddenly my line went stiff.I thought I had a shark maybe.I fought so hard,winding up the reel that I felt my biceps burn.I was so excited and,guess what:to the whole crew’s surprise,my line had dubs on it – two black steenbras (musselcracker)!

I felt like a champ,especially when I was made skipper of the day in the boat.I held my catch up and had a photo taken and everyone was cheering.

Later on that day when we returned to land,I learnt what walking on water felt like;I was bopping up and down with the ocean for ages afterwards!

I helped scale and gut the fish and,of course,wash the boat,then we got to prepare fresh fish and chips for supper which is my favourite meal of all time and everyone ate like kings.

EXOTIC EGYPTIANFLAVOURS

Ali’s El Gouna ’Cuda Cutlet Spice

à la Martin du Plessis

IT’S amazing what a boat galley can produce,as we discovered when we lived onboard our tournament vessel for three days while fishing in the El Gouna IGFA Red Sea Championship in Egypt in February 2024 (Egypt).

The full competition report appears on page 46 in this edition but,in brief,the South African team – Chris Schorn (captain),Michelle Richards,Brad McLaren and myself – were joined onboard Sea School by Ibrahim (adjudicator),Ahmed (gillie),Ali Sambu (master chef,gillie and gaffer) and Captain Kimmou (skipper).

As I’ve said many times before,if fishing was only about catching fish,I would have given up long ago!

This trip ticked all the other boxes that usually form part of the total memorable “fishing package”– friends,sunrises, memories,salt on your skin,sunsets,great food and happy hearts and souls.And,of course,boats,fish and fishing.

We were treated to Egyptian culinary delights throughout the fishing trip,with Ali popping in and out of a small 1.1m x 1.8m space with trays of beautifully prepared food at regular intervals.I love seeing a person living in their passion,and Ali was clearly passionate about cooking (and fishing).We connected immediately.

When a “rat ’cuda”followed Brad all the way from St Lucia, South Africa,to the Red Sea and jumped onto his mackerel

down-rigged with a 12-ounce,we all looked at each other and shared the same thought:It won’t weigh,so it’s dinner!

Ali didn’t hesitate to adapt his menu,and we were treated to a simple layered dish of boat galley oven potatoes,with finely chopped tomato,finely chopped hot red pepper (pips removed) and dill.

These layers steamed and fused together until the potatoes were “almost ready”,then they were topped off with a layer of ’cudacutlets.The final step was to grill the dish for 20 minutes.

The method of cooking was simple,and all the ingredients complemented each other superbly.A one-pot-dish that suited the tiny boat galley kitchen it was cooked in while bouncing around on the Red Sea.

The special part of the dish was the spice – a fine balance is required with spicing fish;it’s an art actually.Ali was spot on – enough spice to complement the fresh fish,but not too much to overpower it.I can usually work out spices and food combinations,but this was subtle and delicate and not obvious at all.

We were all still licking our fingers when I asked Ali to come out of his kitchen and share the secrets of his dish –especially the spice on the fish.

With the assistance of Ibrahim,who translated a detailed 45-minute chat with Ali,here are the secrets of the spice Ali has personally mastered and which has probably been in his

Ibrahim, Martin, Brad, Chris and Michelle gather for a delicious meal aboard Sea School

family for generations.

Other essential ingredients for the recipe (besides the list below),include potatoes,tomatoes,red pepper (hot),dill,a trip out to sea,a mackerel down-rigged with a 12-ounce,some Zululand “gees”,some team “gees”,a ’cuda converted (fresh fish),camaraderie and passion.

MAIN INGREDIENTS:

2 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

A handful of fresh coriander

A handful of fresh dill

1 2 teaspoon salt

1 lemon,chopped with peel

2-3 tablespoons of olive oil

2-3 tablespoons of water (add slowly to achieve correct consistency)

METHOD:

•Place all the ingredients in a pestle and mortar and grind,adding water as you see fit to create a paste that you can smear onto the fish.

•When you have a jam-like consistency,smear a thin layer of the spice paste on both sides of the ’cuda cutlets and let the fish stand for 30 minutes.

•Place the spiced fish onto the “almost ready” steamed potato bake.

•Grill for 15-20 minutes,remove from the oven and let the dish stand for 15 minutes before serving.

The trick with all fish is to let it rest.While resting,the fish juices are drawn out and then they naturally filter through the layers of the potato bake and mix with the water in the bottom of the pan,producing a very tasty stock that soaks and flavours the rice (accompanying dish).

The other trick is not to turn the ’cuda cutlets while grilling.

This gives you two flavours on each cutlet – a grilled/burnt flavour on the top of the cutlet and a steamed,soft flavor on the bottom (the side resting on the layers of potatoes,tomato,red pepper and dill).

Ali served the layered fish bake with Egyptian rice and a simple cucumber, tomato and dill salad.

No utensils are needed, simply enjoy the meal with your fingers around a communal table,together with plenty of banter,stories and laughter,finished off with a sunset over the Red Sea and one of Ibrahim’s special espressos.

Shukrun (thank you) to the family on Sea School ! What a treat this trip was.

The rat ’cuda that was destined to be dinner. Martin du Plessis compliments Chef Ali on the delicious meal.

FRIDAY,7 July 2023 was a lucky day for young Eliska Viljoen of Stoffberg,Mpumalanga.She went fishing off St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal,and landed a beautiful 7kg king mackerel (pictured below). That fish has now made her the lucky 2024 Mercury Junior Angler of the Year, and landed her the prize of a 2.5hp Mercury outboard motor courtesy of Rutherford Marine.

Eliska

If you’re under 16 and have caught any deep sea fish in the last six months, send a high res photo and all the details of the angler and fish through to angler@mags.co.zaand your photo will appear in SKI-BOAT magazine.

Your name will also be entered into the annual lucky draw to win a 2.5hp Mercury outboard motor courtesy of Rutherford Marine.

Our sincere thanks to Rutherford for their ongoing support of our next generation of anglers through their sponsorship of this feature.

Ballistic Eyewear

Boat & vehicle for sale

Club Marine Insurance

CRC Q-Fish

Durban Marine

Fish app

Garmin

Guinjata Bonanza

HIP Jerry cans

KZN Boat Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Lowrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Lowrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Mako sunglasses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

MDM – Raymarine

Mercury – Rutherford Marine . . .

Mercury – Rutherford Marine . . . . . .58

Natal Caravans & Marine . . .

Natal Caravans & Marine

Queens of the Ocean . . . . . . . .

Ricky Jacobs Marlin Jol .

Safari Fishing

Seaport Supply

.40

.57

Ski-Boat magazine rep wanted . . . . . .57

Solly’s Anglers’ Corner . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Stubbsea Charters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Supercat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Taylor Marine SA - Furuno . . . . . . . . .23

The Kingfisher

The Kingfisher

Two Oceans Marlin Tournament . . . .29

Vanguard Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Yamaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

is pictured above with her motor which she collected from Sunset Boats & Accessories in Middelburg.

RAPALALIP

Last word from the ladies

THAT’SNOTQUITETRUE ...

IKNOW many women have now joined the fishing clubs and are regular “crew”on their partners’boats,but I am NOT one of them.Well at least not yet,and hubby dear is still going to have to work a bit harder to change that.

So far his attempts have mainly involved cajoling me into watching hours (and hours) of YouTube fishing videos with him in the hopes that the great excitement that grips the anglers will somehow flow out of the screen and grip me too. That hasn’t happened yet.

Sure,it might be fun if that’s your scene,but it’s just not mine.I can’t picture myself standing barefoot in fish blood on a rocking boat,or handling any hooks,lures and smelly thrashing fish with my beautifully manicured nails.

And yes,some of the places they go to catch fish are stunning,and I’m happy to tag along if I can enjoy the hotel facilities in peace while he goes out fishing.However,in recent times our budget for hotels has shrunk and we’ve been settling for self-catering options.Even then I’m happy to tag along because it gets me away from most of the usual home chores and running around,and I can deal with having to prepare meals on my “holiday”.

One trip last year pushed things to a whole new level, though – CAMPING! “It’ll be fun,Honey,”hubby dear said. “Vidal has a beautiful beach and the whole crew is going,so we’ll all be together.John has a caravan we can borrow;you don’t have to stay in a tent.You can relax on the beach and have your peace and quiet while we go fishing.”

Against my better judgement,I said yes.

And indeed,Vidal does have a beautiful beach where you can relax and enjoy the peace and quiet IF the wind isn’t blowing at 40km/hour and IF everyone goes fishing.But that doesn’t always happen.

The first day was fine.We arrived in the afternoon,set up camp and “kuiered”around the fire ’till late at night,with plenty of liquid refreshments for everyone except John who no longer imbibes.He was nominated as the designated alarm clock because everyone else knew they were unlikely to wake up before the sun,which is apparently the only time you can go fishing.

At 4am the next day it started.Apparently you can’t just knock quietly on a caravan window or call softly at the tent door in order to wake ONLY the anglers.

“LOUIS! LOOOOOOUUUIS!! WAKEUP! IT’S FOUR O’CLOCK!”I hit my head on the caravan roof I sat up so quickly in fright! Louis (aka hubby dear) grunted,and grumbled but duly got up and started stomping around the caravan finding his clothes and boat lunch and fishing gear.

Reassured that the camp wasn’t actually on fire,I settled down and started to doze,but it turned out there were still other fishermen to be woken,and I heard John’s voice booming out various other names in an effort to rally the troops.

“They’ll soon be gone,”I told myself,but that wasn’t quite true.Apparently they needed coffee first,and it became obvious hubby dear had volunteered to make it.

In a previous life he was a barista,and he’d insisted on dragging the coffee machine along on our trip,so now there were five LOUD men clustered in the tent attached to our caravan,plotting exactly which spots to target first.

With my head buried under the pillow I began to plot murder.“They’ll soon be gone and then it will be quiet,”I told myself.That wasn’t quite true.

Eventually I heard coffee cups clanking and voices wandering off and vehicle doors banging shut and engines revving,and then ....silence.I took a deep breath and rolled over ...peace at last.

But only for a minute or two because then it was time for some other campers to be woken by their designated alarm clock! By 5am I was ready to kill the next person whose voice I heard.Eventually,though,they really did all leave.

I finally took a few deep breaths,consciously lowered my blood pressure and settled down for another couple of hours shut-eye.“You can relax,they’ll be gone all day,”I told myself. But that wasn’t quite true.

I had just dozed off when I heard a commotion outside.It sounded like Louis’s voice,so I thought I must be dreaming, but that wasn’t true either ...

“Hey,Honey,I’m back! The wind’s pumping down there and we can’t launch.What’s for breakfast?”

Needless to say,that was our last camping trip,and hubby dear didn’t even try to get me to go down to the club for a while after that.It might have had something to do with the reaction he got to his request for breakfast ...

But the campaign has started again.

I’ve tried explaining to him that when Saturday arrives,I have two options:One,spend hours (and hours) bobbing around the ocean on a (very) small boat,quite possibly NOT catching any fish.Or two,spend the day at leisure wandering around a market,enjoying a coffee date with my friends,relaxing with a book and drinking in the peace and quiet.

Is it really a question?

Of course when hubby dear comes home successful and beaming and smelling like fish,I’m happy to take the neatly filleted ’cuda or tuna and create a MasterChef-worthy dinner for us,but I’d rather not be involved in the process that gets my dinner into the fish hatch,thank you very much.

Hubby dear is definitely working the angles,though,and trying new ways to change my mind.I’ve noticed him leaving his copy of SKI-BOAT magazine lying on the coffee table open to articles on the Queens of the Ocean and CMI women’s fishing comps,and I can see what he’s trying to do.He also says there are some lovely BnB spots we can stay at if we go to St Lucia or Durban – there’s no more talk of camping.

Don’t tell him,but I may even agree to sign up for one of those if he’s REALLY well behaved,if only to get my hands on the goody bags and to have him run around me in an effort to be voted top gilly of the comp.But for now my beautifully manicured nails will be tapping away on the TV remote looking for more of those True Crime series!

YOURCHANCETO TELLATALLTALE

LADIES — are you an angling widow? Are you a frustrated crew member? Do you outfish the men on the boat and have to deal with their Rapala Lips? Do you bite your lip at the comments coming from chauvinistic male anglers? Or do you just have great support from the skipper and anglers around you who want to help you catch a new PB? We’re looking for new writers for our Rapala Lip column. All contributions are gladly accepted and they will appear anonymously if necessary to protect the writers from divorce suits, cold shoulders, banishments, cut up credit cards etc. Come on, ladies, share your fishing stories with us – you know you want to. Email them to <sheena@mags.co.za>.