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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.
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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.
Erwin Bursik Publisher
WHERETOFROMHERE?
WHAT came first, the chicken or the egg? To stretch this old adage a bit to fit our kind of scenario, what came first, the fish or the boat?
Obviously, the fish! What a question! If Hayden Grey hadn’t seen shoals of big fish hammering bait balls off Durban’s beachfront during the latter days of World War II in 1944, he would not have modified a Crocker surfski to attempt to get out beyond the surfline to try and catch them.
Man’s insatiable desire to try something new was fired up, and soon more ski-boats were being launched off Durban. Our “Snapshot of History” feature elsewhere in this issue carries more details of how a fleet of ski-boats developed in Durban thanks to Hayden’s drive.
These pioneers set a precedent that kickstarted offshore gamefishing off the entire east coast of South Africa.
With the start of this “sport”, albeit tainted with a degree of commercialism, an entire industry came into being, including boat building and the development of different tackle compared to what was used for rock and surf angling. This new kind of angling created a whole new challenge and excitement from the pre-war type of angling we used to engage in.
Boating in offshore conditions was – and arguably still is – the major driver of today’s marine industry in South Africa.
In my lifetime, and especially since my involvement in the sport began in 1960, I have seen tremendous changes in the evolution of craft capable of going to sea. More and more offshore anglers have been drawn to the ever evolving styles of “big game fishing” that have developed internationally, and which have driven incredible innovations in respect of tackle and the craft used to practise this sport.
One only has to take a stroll along the beach at Sodwana Bay prior to the launch during any of the major competitions that are held there each year, to see how far our sport has come. Look at the craft and take note of the arsenal of big game fishing rods and reels mounted in their holders ready for deployent. All to target the mighty marlin that frequent the seas off this part of our coastline.
The small boats and light tackle of yesteryear have evolved, and although there’s still a place for them, today the billfish fleet that launches from the beaches into South African waters displays the inordinate progress that has materialised in the minds of those playing the game and the equipment making this sport possible.
This progress is by no means limited to South Africa, as the sport of offshore angling has exploded worldwide, to the point that many must wonder, “Where can technology in our sport go from here?”
Rather than speculating on what the boats, tackle and practices will be like in 50 years’ time, I put myself in the minds of our forefathers in the ski-boating world and wonder what they would have said if one of the 30ft sportfishers of today, fully rigged to hunt marlin, had arrived at Vetch’s Beach around 1945, towed by a mighty four-wheel-drive tractor, ready to launch.
So much has changed in the last 80 years, and only the handful of“diehards” among us who have experienced the vast improvement of these innovations can fully understand and appreciate what has transpired. As with any industry, it’s worth reflecting on the reality of the past and wondering where to from here. What will a beach-launched ski-boat look like in 2090?
Tight lines.
Erwin Bursik
WHAT TO DO WITH THE SEALS?
Dear Editor
Millions of seals have made the West Coast their home (again) thanks to the very effective conservation efforts.
Much research has been done around this mammal,and we know that Robben Island got its name from the seals.In previous centuries this resource was utilised for both meat and fur,and many of the islands around Saldanha Bay and Robben Island were stripped of all the seals.Their numbers have now recovered spectacularly in many areas along the West Coast.
Seals and sea birds generally don’t share the same islands,and with the current explosion of the seal population,they are displacing some of the bird colonies.
The seal population is now becoming problematic,even up the Namibian coast.Previously,their territory ended at Cape Cross,but they are now well established beyond Mowe Bay with small pockets beyond the Kunene River.
With an estimated 1.5million to 2million seals along this coastline, some scientific studies put the amount of fish eaten by seals in SA waters at between 2million and 2.5million tons per year.That excludes the Namibian totals.
South Africa’s fisheries income totals approximately R8billion or 1% of GDP with the industry employing 28000 people directly,with another 80000 employed up- and downstream.Fishing accounts for 5% of the W.Cape GDP.
The SA 2016 figures for captured fish or total allowable catch (TAC) was 612 200 tons.Main species were:
Anchovies = 260 000t.
Hake = 143 000t.
Pilchards = 79 500t
Aquaculture = 5 500t
Inland waters = 900t.
Total values are as follows (2017):
Imports $424m
Exports $698m.
Net $274m or R4932m at exchange rate of 18:1.
Now here is the seal problem.
We catch 612 200tons The seals eat three to four times as much fish as the TAC – excluding the Namibian stocks. The numbers are staggering.
The seals have got to the point where they now kill the sea birds, including penguins,tearing them apart to get to the fish in the birds’crops.
I see a group of folk (Biodiversity Law Centre,representing Bird Life SA and SANCCOB),have challenged the Minister of Forestry,Fisheries and Environment with regard to regulations needed to protect the African penguin from extinction.
Should the DFFE not maybe consider the resurrection of seal culling? The
WELL DONE, RYAN!
SKI-BOAT magazine is inordinately proud to be associated with advertisers like Ryan Hansen of Durban Marine, who go above and beyond not for awards, but merely to help anyone they have the ability to help. Thank you, Ryan, for all you do for our industry and the sport in general.
additional revenue from this could contribute directly to the economy,as well as the improved fish stocks.Of course the seal lovers are going to have a massive problem with the penguin lovers and DFFE,and I don’t think many people have the stomach to try and argue for a logical solution when it comes to such emotionally charged matters.
DFFE manage our fish stocks by controlling the TAC every season.
At 45% of its original or pristine size,fish are regarded as optimally utilised.Below this number,the fishery is over-exploited,while above 50% is regarded as under-exploited.Is there
not an argument to be made for the same type of tightly controlled seal industry?
If 25% of the seal population was culled,that would allow the fish stocks to recover at about 500000t/annum, and if a moratorium were placed on existing fish quotas,then in five years, the pelagic fish stocks would be very near pristine.The knock-on benefits for the entire fishing industry are obvious.
The seal meat can be sold,as can the fur,while the fish stocks will rebound massively.
BRIERS VAN RENSBURG <briersvanrensburg@gmail.com>
TIGERSINAFRICA
Dear Editor,
Earlier this year five mates and I did a five-day fly in trip to Shakleton’s Lodge,on the banks of the upper Zambezi, Zambia.
We had intended to predominantly fly cast,but on arrival we discovered that recent unseasonal rains had raised the level of the river and brought down some dirty water,making the conditions for fly casting very difficult.This was confirmed by some flyfishing pros who had been flogging the water unsuccessfully for a few days before our arrival.
We decided to take the advice of our guides and attempt to
bag a few “striped dogs”on a drifting live bulldog bait before attempting to fly cast.Even with this strategy it turned out to be hard fishing,with only a few fish caught,but the fish that were caught were all decent 10lb-plus.
The 19lb “bus”pictured above was hooked early in the day with my line quite far out.The fish did everything I hoped it would do – it took off like a steam train,it tail-walked at least three times,and most importantly of all,it stayed connected until it was safely landed in the net!
What an incredible experience!
GEOFF COURTIS <geoffc@natalcaravans.co.za>
I’VE written extensively about bottom fishing in previous issues of SKI-BOAT magazine,covering topics from fishing various depths and upping your odds for various species, to fishing various structure as well as tackle and tactics,but in this issue,we are going to delve into targeting a few specific “trophy”species.
Now we all know that it’s a bit of a lottery as to what could pick up the baits that we send down,but as your knowledge and skills increase,you will be amazed at how specifically and successfully you can target certain species.
In particular in this article,we are going to look at the heavyweight king of our deep water fishery – the red steenbras and the gangster of our reefs, the greater amberjack.
RED STEENBRAS – “COPPER”
This is a truly magnificent,endemic species,with the fish attaining epic proportions,resplendent in their beautiful rust colouring adorned with bits of black and sometimes pink hues on their cheeks.They make seasonal movements from further south into our KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) waters,and arrive in limited numbers through winter and spring.
Targeting trophies of the deep
By Craig Stubbs
John Rance with a trophy copper caught in Eastern Cape waters.
The author with a beautiful amberjack caught in KZN using a KP reel.
They are creatures of habit,and some fishing spots are synonymous with consistent catches of coppers. That doesn’t mean that you can’t catch one if you don’t have that secret GPS mark,but knowing a few traditional hot spots definitely will help.
The number one rule you need to apply when fishing for coppers in KZN is:be patient.
They are few and far between,and although they can and will be caught when “general bottom fishing”,if you really want to tick this species off your local list,you will probably need to put in considerable time and effort and exercise patience.
Coppers prefer big structure rather than flat reef and,in particular,small to large pinnacles in 60- to 90m of water
surrounded by further reef.If you want to up the odds in your favour,you need to have your bait on or around that pinnacle for as long as possible.This means that,in most cases,you will need to fish “on anchor”.
I’ve written previously about how to fish on anchor and how to deploy and retrieve your anchor,so familiarise yourself with these techniques before you try them on the water.
When setting your anchor,make sure you are as close to the main pinnacle as possible.Once your anchor is set, check your GPS position and if you have miscalculated and are not exactly where you need to be,then retrieve anchor,recalculate and do it again until you are within a stone’s throw of your chosen structure.It really will be worth the effort,because,now comes the patience part.
Now that your anchor is set,I would urge you to spend hours on that mark rather than upping anchor after half an hour to race off to a new spot.
If the structure is right and coppers are known to be caught “in the area”, then patience and perseverance is going to pay off way sooner that driving all over the ocean trying to find them.
You could sit for many hours going up and down until you get that bite,or maybe it will not come at all on that day,but if you are in the right area and are patient,the bite will come at some stage.
35 fathoms (64m)
40 fathoms (73m)
55 fathoms (100m)
An example of the dropoff or ledges and associated pinnacles preferred by red steenbras.
the fish from the hook.
Barbless stainless steel hook attached to one or more sinkers with a total weight of 1-2 pounds. Hook fish through upper lip from top to bottom.
Coppers have big mouths and like big baits,and a nice size,lively mackerel is my number one choice,followed by a smallish flapped trawl soldier or a large sand soldier with a few cuts in its side and its fins trimmed off.
I would recommend fishing a single hook trace (generally a big circle or Jhook) on a heavy 1mm to 1.2mm monofilament hook snoot,and avoid a multiple hook trace which could scare off that wary copper.
However,if you have a few other anglers on the boat,having one guy going up and down with a multi hook trace doesn’t hurt,as this constant movement and excitement in the water will definitely attract that copper into the area where he may well find that well-presented bait of yours waiting for him.
Coppers can grow to huge proportions of well over 30kg,with the average fish ranging from 12- to 20kg with larger fish not being uncommon.
They are incredibly strong and stubborn fish,and,once hooked,will test you and your tackle to the max,so they truly are a deserved trophy to add to your list should you be willing to put in the time and effort to find them. Remember,the key to coppers is “patience”and “perseverance”.
Also bear in mind that these fish are under threat,and the bag limit is one per angler per day,with a minimum size of 60cm.If you catch more than your limit,or if you decide to release your catch,this can be done using the rig shown alongside.
GREATER AMBERJACK
In the last few years we have seen an explosion of the number of “ambers” caught in local KZN waters as anglers have adapted tackle and tactics to land some incredible fish of up to 40kg. There is a general consensus that they have always been here,and bottomfishing anglers of years gone by will tell tails of unstoppable fish that,in some cases,were mistaken for large sharks that could not be subdued.
Now,with anglers fishing stronger braided lines and using stronger terminal tackle,and with news spreading about “hotspots”,more and more ambers have been targeted and landed. The use of modern spinning reels with their incredibly powerful drag systems has also meant that many more of these fish have been boated.
Around wrecks there are many crevices and hideouts for baitfish, and so amberjack will be found all over the structure.
As shown above, amberjack will congregate mostly on the top of a pinnacle on the lee side of the pinnacle, because this is where most baitfish would be hanging out. The older fish would be hunting a bit lower around the bottom.
Anglers have gone even further by fishing big live- and dead bonito on heavy bent-butt or stand-up billfish tackle to get these brutes away from the reef,but I don’t really prescribe to this form of angling.I would r ecommend a more sporting approach by sticking to learning how to use a KP reel properly,or making use of a high quality spinning reel,should you haveone. Ambers can be found in water depths from around 30m all the way down to around 70m,although I’ve taken a few both shallower and deeper, and big reef structure in this range is where you will most likely meet with success.
They can be caught both during the day and night,and anglers targeting daga salmon at night often stumble across a few ambers,but earlier in the morning has always been a pretty productive period for me when trying for one.
This sounder shows an actual reading of amberjack working baitfish on the top of a ledge in 50 fathoms of water.
They really do like a decent rocky pinnacle,and given that they form loose schools and shoal together,they can often be “picked up”on the fishfinder as a solid marking a few metres off the bottom above the structure.Live baits are unbeatable for an amber,and my top three baits are a frisky live mackeral,a small live bonnie or a big live mozzie.
Bridle-rig them on a big circle hook and a fairly long,heavy mono leader of around 1- to 1.2mm in diameter,and send it down to that pinnacle.Once you hit the bottom,give it a few winds up as a bait.A few metres above the reef often gets the bite rather than one right in the bricks.
Hooking a big amber is one thing, but the real achievement is going to be getting it off the bottom.They really are hard and dirty fighters,and will make use of every ounce of their strength to pull you down onto the reef and cut you off.
Here’s one quick tip at this stage
which I’ve learned:they sometimes take a few seconds to “wake up”to the fight, so regardless of whether you are on the KP or the spinning reel,use those initial few seconds to get as much line on the fish as possible and move him off the reef.It’s almost as if they don’t realise they are hooked,or they begin by swimming up,but most of my good ambers have given me a few seconds of slack line before I’ve literally been pulled into the gunnels and found myself holding on for dear life with a now,very angry amber bucking and kicking as it tries to get back down.
That first minute or two after they start fighting is absolute chaos. Backwind,hold on for all you’re worth and scream in anguish if you must,but you have to make sure that you take advantage of every opportunity to get a metre of line back on the reel.
Once you have them off the bottom,then you can relax and slowly work the fish up,and although they will
continue to pull hard,you should have them beat.It’s those first few minutes when the majority of fish are won and lost,and it’s then,that you need to have your wits and strength about you,if you are going to land that trophy amber.
As anglers,we need to accept the fact that as technology,tackle and accessibility improves,so does our impact on fish stocks and species.By all means,go out there and target that dream fish,but both of the above mentioned species can be safely released if brought to the surface slowly.
Ambers seem to do very well when released and generally swim away and back down strongly.When they are found,one can often catch a few,so consider their stocks,and release fish where applicable so that other anglers can end up with bruised and bloody knuckles from those out of control KP handles,or a sore body the day after tussling with these beasts of the deep.
See you on the water!
Greg Botha sporting a huge 37.8kg amberjack. Russel Hand shows off a beautiful 31.1kg amberjack.
How to land leeries in KwaZulu-Natal
Article by Justin Paynter and art illustrations by Tony Fredriksson
ATRULY elegant looking species,garrick are large predatory fish which can reach 1.5m in length and occasionally weigh more than 25kg,however,in South Africa,a fish of 18kg is regarded as large.They are generally found in small,loose groups rather than large schools of fish.A fast growing species,garrick have a lifespan of about ten years.
This just one of the names that has been given to these fish,specifically because they are hard fighting but fair fighting fish.Also known as leervis or leeries, their scientifc name is Lichia amia.They are generally considered one of the more difficult species to catch,but generally if you hook one you’ll land it.
being caught in Moçambique.Spawning occurs along the central KZN coast from September to November.
These fish like shallow waters where they can target baitfish.They also tend to enjoy surging water,rips and the surf zone.By surf zone,I mean mid-break.This is where a wave has broken and it has created white aerated water before it reforms and follows the same process until it hits the shore.
The best place for ski-boaters to target them is just off the backline.
Garrick appear on the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative Red List because the population is judged to be at 14% of its pristine level.The current bag limit is two per person per day,with a minimum size of 70cm total length.
Garrick are found in the waters off the Western- and Eastern Cape and southern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) during the summer months.They tend to migrate up the coast chasing the sardines in the winter months,moving all the way up to the northern parts of KZN,sometimes even
This species is especially vulnerable because the fish are found in areas where they can be caught both from the shore and from boats.This makes them a target species for anglers using many different fishing platforms and unfortunately this puts them under huge pressure.
Anglers are encouraged to release garrick,but if you plan to release your fish,be careful not to touch their gills.One
Dave Hewison managed a bus of a garrick off Virginia, Durban North, which he released. This was his first one for the season. It’s going to be hard to beat.
notable recapture of a released garrick was made off Richards Bay on the Northern KZN coast,by Jonathan Booysen.He released a garrick in that area on 29 August 2009 and recaught (and released) the same fish on 18 July 2010.
My bottom line with tackle for garrick is:The lighter the better.As previously discussed,the garrick is a hard but fair fighter and won’t reef you.
My suggested trolling rods are the Kingfisher Couta Lite, the Dorado ski and the Grandwave boat rod.When it comes to trolling reels,I would recommend the Daiwa Saltist 40H.
However,if you want to break the conventional model that has worked for many years,I would strongly recommend moving over to a grinder setup.As I have stated in previous articles,this is the way of the future,and I can assure you that you will land more fish.
If you make the leap,the grinder setup I would recommend is a BG 4500 paired with a Saltist spinning rod.
Leader:
Again,the lighter the better,and 44lb Siglon is the heaviest Iwould go. Remember,the more pulls you want,the lighter you must go.I would suggest using a leader and not tying your hook directly to your line,as garrick have harder mouths than most fish and this creates friction on the line during the fight.I like to use a long leader,generally 3- to 5 metres long.I tie the leader onto my line and then the hook directly onto that.I don’t use a swivel as I want it to look as natural as possible.
Hooks:
In an effort to ensure the sustainability of these fish for years to come,I suggest using
a circle hook.This allows for a great hook up and and even better release.
These fish like to take a baitfish,scale it and turn it headfirst towards them before swallowing it.If you use a normal J or treble hook in your bait,garrick tend to swallow it and that makes removal of the hook nearly impossible.
Some anglers like to use a back to back hook.Yes,it gives you a great hookup,but again, trying to remove it is extremely difficult and in most cases you end up damaging and thus killing the fish.
Lures:
I have a few favourites:Yo zuri minnows,Halco 120,and Williamson 130.You can also use a Pulsator strip bait trace like the one you would use for catching snoek.
Other options to try are Ice cream plugs and a Halco Twisty.
Trolling:
When you’re trolling livebait for garrick,you should only have one motor just clicked into gear,and your speed should be around 1.9–2.5km/h.
Trolling speeds will vary when you’re using lures;the bigger the lure,the faster you can go. For a small lure your speed should be 8–10km/h and for bigger lures 10–16km/h.
Strip bait rigs.
Hooks and leaders.Lures and spoons.
Seth vd Berg caught this beauty trolling a live mozzie on a 5/O Mustad Demon circle.
Matt Swemmer with a stunning garrick caught and released off La Lucia on a Pulsator strip bait trace.
and
Ihave discussed targeting these fish from a boat on the sea because although many of them are caught in harbours and estuaries and that can be a lot of fun on light tackle,for me,navigating my boat through the surf trying to get these fish to feed is the most exciting part.Here are some helpful hints while skippering your boat in the zone:
•Ensure you are a confident skipper in the surf before trying to target these fish in this manner.
•Always have both motors switched on even though only one will be in gear when trolling.That way,if you do get into a sticky situation,you can quickly click the other motor into gear and either punch through or run away from the wave.
It’s great fun catching these fish,but boating them to release them is challenging.When you gaff a fish it’s easy to pull it over the gunnel,but it’s not as easy when you’re trying to carefully land a fish without injuring it.This is when tackle gets broken and we tend to lose fish.Over the past couple of years I have found that a large net works extremely well for getting the garrick onboard so you can get a photo and safely remove the hooks.
•The skipper should always be vigilant,constantly watching the swells,and never be distracted or get engaged with helping setting rods,clearing rods,baiting up etc.It only takes a split second for something to go wrong.
Kickstart your garrick season with a bang by putting some of these tips into action.It’s been an unreal last couple of years for these fish and this year is lining up to be another cracker.
For more fishing tips and advice, follow Justin Paynter on jt_paynter or saltwateroracle.
Justin with a beautiful garrick caught and released off Durban.
Tyler Dalton
Justin Paynter with a massive garrick caught and released off the containers in Durban while fishing for tuna.
IN an exciting development for the fishing community, husband and wife Francois and Rachelle Botha have taken over the iconic international fishing lure brands Iland Lures and L.B.Huntington Drone Spoons,along with exclusive distribution rights in Africa and surrounding islands.This strategic move aims to bolster the brands’presence in these distribution regions and enhance the fishing experience for enthusiasts and fishing professionals alike.
A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE
The original Iland Lures and L.B.Huntington Drone Spoons are renowned globally for their exceptional quality and effectiveness,and are often hailed as the finest artificial lures and trolling spoons available today.The combination of striking brilliance,unparalleled realism and natural in-water performance has made them a go-to choice for many anglers targeting gamefish like marlin,sailfish,’cuda,wahoo,tuna,dorado, Natal snoek and GT.
Exceptional high quality and innovative features set these lures apart.The exclusive use of lustrous nylon-fibre skirts ensures durability and unmatched performance,enabling the lures to withstand repeated attacks from toothy gamefish species.This resilience eliminates the frustration of cut-off skirts,allowing anglers to fish with confidence.
Iland Lures’extensive range enables anglers to target any gamefish species,with a choice of flasher and non-flasher series,octo (rubber) skirt options,and various skirt and head colour combinations.
Lures can be fished as is or with natural baits,and anglers are encouraged to consult their local tackle dealers for assistance in rigging the perfect setup.
These spoons were originally designed in the early 1900s by a fisherman for fishermen.Thanks to their impressive fishing record,Drone spoons are some of the most copied lures in existence.However,imitations haven’t quite got it right,and no other lure has the same erratic,strike-bringing action of the original L.B.Huntington Drone Spoon.
Bear in mind that Drone spoons must be fished with downplaners,inline trolling weights or wireline.
L.B.Huntington Drone Spoons come in a multitude of different sizes,with the most popular sizes being the range from 1,0 to 3,5.The spoons are available in any colour you can think of (subject to minimum order quantities),but there are a few standard colours that should satisfy even the most discerning anglers.
Standard colours include:
S Silver
S/SFS Silver with Silver Flash Scale
S/YFS Silver with Yellow Flash Scale
S/HPFS Silver with Hot Pink Flash Scale
S/BLFS Silver with Blue Flash Scale
S/PFS Silver with Purple Flash Scale
G/YFS Green with Yellow Flash Scale
BK/PFS Black with Purple Flash Scale
R/SFS Red with Silver Flash Scale
WHERETOFINDTHEM
Iland Lures and original L.B.Huntington
Drone Spoons can be purchased at the retail partners listed below.
Angling and Outdoor World
BA Tackle
Bilimoria Fishing Tackle
Campers Outdoor Centre
Fishing Pro Shop
Four Fish Trading
MH Fishing Tackle
Mias Angling (Randburg and Benoni)
NaNa’s Terminal Tackle
P&P Auctioneers
Pro Radio Marine
Sollys Anglers (all branches)
Tropical Dream Tackle
Wavedancer Tackle Shop
If you can’t find a retailer in your area,email the agents directly on <sales@ilandlure.co.za> or <info@dronespoon.co.za>.
You can also order the Iland Lure range online from <www.ilandlures.co.za>.
LOOKING AHEAD
As Iland Lures and L.B.Huntington Drone Spoons gear up for this exciting new chapter, the focus remains on quality,innovation and customer satisfaction.Anglers can look forward to enhanced availability and continued excellence in fishing lures that have earned their place in the hearts of fishing enthusiasts worldwide.Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a weekend warrior,these lures and spoons will elevate your fishing game to new heights!
For more technical information,please visit your nearest tackle shop,email the agents or contact Francois on +27 82 784 4001 if you need any help.
And when your Iland Lure or L.B.Huntington Drone Spoon delivers the goods on the end of your line,feel free to share your photos with them too.
25th Status Trucks Guinjata Bonanza
By Quentin Clark
THERE was perhaps a little more excitement than normal on the eve of the 25th Status Trucks Guinjata Bonanza on 2 June 2024,with many competitors seriously needing a break from the suppressed South African economy and national elections having just been completed.
When all the teams arrived safely in this little piece of paradise,they were eager to test their skills against some of southern Africa’s very best anglers. Leading up to the competition Whatsapp groups had been inundated with pictures of great fish being caught in the area,with several good size wahoo and ’cuda dominating the posts. Wahoo had won the competition on three previous occasions,with a mon-
ster of 37kg taking the main prize in 2014.
The weather had been fantastic for at least three weeks prior to the 2024 Bonanza,but,as usual,the apps showed this was not going to hold for our week of fishing.There were five fishing days in the end,but not all of them were great days at sea.
With a small piece of beach to work with,the launching got underway early
Photos by Justin Klusener
on the Monday morning and all the boats were safely launched.The competition was on!
The day proved to be very average by Guinjata Bonanza standards,and 120 fish were presented to the scales at the end of day,with nine species represented.The first day would set the bar for the biggest fish bonanza prize of two Yamaha 4-stroke motors,and weigh in was well attended as everyone eagerly
waited to see the benchmark while enjoying the free R&Rs on offer.
The species part of the competition is particularly competitive,as winning this section brings some serious bragging rights and puts you among the elite teams that have managed this feat in the past.This year was probably the most tightly contested competition, with constant position juggling between the top three teams.
On the first day Prime Zulu I emerged as the leader.Their 871.5 points gave them quite a comfortable margin over Queen Pine which was in second place with 629 points,and Uli Buli in third spot with 549.6 points. These three top boat scores would prove to be the three highest daily boat totals for the whole week,even though this was not the best fishing day of the competition.
Among the bag that Queen Pine presented,was a 26.1kg greater barracuda caught by Bok van Blerk who is no stranger to leading this competition and eventually winning it.
In the jetski division,Alister Franz on Chaval 4 also started the comp with a bang.His sailfish release on the first day contributed to his total of 175.8 points,well clear of Kevin Slayer Tait on
62.2 points.Kevin did,however,set the benchmark for the winning gamefish in the jetski division with a ’cuda of 7.7kg. Day two was by far the best day of the competition from a weather and
fishing perspective,with 249 fish brought to the scales .Two sailfish were successfully released by Paul du Toit Jnr on Uli Buli and Quintin Labuschagne on Let’s Go ,and a single marlin was released by Adam Atkin on Prime Zulu II,taking the species tally to 11.
Prime Zulu I managed to hang onto their overall lead,but the margin was halved as Uli Buli took the day with 397.6 points,edging out Queen Pine who finished fourth for the day behind S’ma Lekka.
The biggest weighed fish of the day was a 19.5kg yellowfin tuna caught by Malan Otto on Lucky Luke, leaving Bok in the lead.Byron Kaplan’s amberjack which scored 21 points on the release sticker,was also verified and topped the day’s big fish leaderboard.
On the jetskis Abri Botha’s 14.6kg yellowfin tuna became the new leading fish,while Alister won the day again and held onto his overall lead.Abri’s tuna put him in third place with Kevin Tait hanging onto second place.
Day three saw the veteran champions on Queen Pine rise to the top of the leaderboard,as their second place finish for the day,behind Lucky Luke,
was enough to move them from third place overall to first place,with Uli Buli ending up second and Prime Zulu I dropping down two places to third.
The race for the species prize was really hotting up now,with only 55.6 points separating first and third place.
Dave Bernie on Lucky Luke released the only billfish for the day – a sailfish.
The biggest fish of the day was Paul du Toit Jnr’s beautiful 18.7kg ’cuda,but it was still no real challenge to Bok’s greater barracuda.
In the jetski division,although Alister did not weigh any fish on day three,he had done enough the previous two days to remain on top,with Kevin Tait in second place.Abri’s yellowfin had also held on to its leading spot.
The traditional Wednesday night function sponsored by Wildebees Live was particularly well attended,with Millennium Meat sponsoring prego rolls for everyone.There were free R&Rs on tap and Team Po10sea kept everyone’s spirits up with copious shots of Potency as the night’s entertainment continued.
Ordinarily this might have led to a slower start on Thursday morning,but
with the competition so close,the boats and anglers were on the beach early and raring to go.
Unfortunately the weather started to turn,and only 78 fish were scored,with no billfish being released.
Once again there was a leaderboard shuffle as Prime Zulu I found their mojo again and topped the day,moving back up to first place. Uli Buli hung on in second place and Queen Pine was forced back down to third place again. With a miserly 78 points between the top three boats,Friday would be the decider.
Nine of the ten biggest fish recorded on the Thursday were all released and the tenth place was the only fish weighed – a 10.7kg ’cuda caught by Cameron Sim on Blindside
Alister was back in form in the jetski division,and although he did not win the day,he hung onto the overall lead and produced a 17.4kg ’cuda which was the new leading fish in that division.Pieter Bootha on his jetski Rooies produced four species which gave him 132 points,winning the day and pushing him into second place overall ahead of Kevin Tait.
Prize for top boat in the species division: Uli Buli Biggest fish: Queen Pine (26.1kg great barracuda; Bok van Blerk)
Top ski-boat angler: Paul du Toit Jnr
Biggest fish on a jetski: Alister Franz Top lady angler: Melissa Griffiths
1.
2.
3.
4.
TOPTENSKI-BOAT ANGLERS
1.Paul
2.Adam
BIGGESTFISH - SKI-BOATDIVISION
PLACEWEIGHTFISHANGLERBOAT
1.26.1kgGreat barracudaBok van Blerk Queen Pine
2.21.2kgGiant kingfishMike Rich Dr Sangoma
3.21.0kgAmberjackByron Kaplan Prime Zulu I
4.19.5kgYellowfin tunaMalan Otto Lucky Luke
5.18.7kgKing mackerelPaul du Toit Jnr Uli Buli
6.18.2kgKing mackerelAdam Atkin Prime Zulu II
7.18.0kgGreat barracudaMark Bristow Prime Zulu I
8.17.5kgYellowfin tunaKelvin Stokes Shamwari
9.16.1kgYellowfin tunaChris Myburgh Reel McCoy
10.15.0kgAmberjackPaul du Toit Jnr Uli Buli
TOPTHREEJETSKIS
PLACEBOATPOINTS
1.
2.
3.
BIGGESTFISH - JETSKIDIVISION
PLACEWEIGHTFISHANGLERBOAT
1.17.4kgKing mackerelAlister Franz Chaval 4
2.14.6kgYellowfin tunaAbrie Botha Escape
3.12.0kgGiant kingfishPieter Bootha Rooies
On Thursday evening the weather apps indicated a possible blow out and there was a lot of speculation as to whether the fleet would launch on Friday.However,it turned out to be great day and those who had not called it off the night before had a very pleasant day’s fishing.
The top three were certainly all out there and doing their best.
Uli Buli and Prime Zulu only managed seventh and eighth place for the day respectively,while Queen Pine topped the scoreboard for the day and, with that,managed to take the lead and the title.Brett Bartho caught the two biggest fish for the day,but Bok van Blerk’s barracuda remained unchallenged,putting them in first place for the biggest fish and the species section.
With the rules of the comp only allowing one first prize per boat, Queen Pine walked away with the two Yamaha 4-stroke outboards for the biggest fish, while Uli Buli took first place on the species prize list with Prime Zulu I taking the second prize.
The top angler on day five was Melissa Griffiths on Bubezi,with 53.5 points which was enough to secure her the Top Lady Angler prize.Ethan Forte took top honours in the Junior Angler category.
The top angler prize deservedly went to Paul du Toit Jnr who has been a fierce competitor for several years and worked really hard for this honour. Paul’s 202 points was a massive 74 points clear of the rest of the field.
Fish on the jig were relatively slow, and only one dorado and prodigal son were caught all week.
In the jetski division a similar situation evolved,with Alister on Chaval 4 taking first place in the species competition and having the biggest fish.Alister received the biggest fish prize while Pieter Bootha took the first place prize in the species division.Kevin Tait walked away with the second prize in the species division.
The general consensus among the competitors was that this was one of the best Bonanza competitions ever, and that’s quite a compliment considering some of the past comps.Maybe it was because we normally have either a lot of ’cuda or a lot of yellowfin in the water,while this year 154 yellowfin tuna and 153 ’cuda were presented at the scales.This is the normal total for one of the species,but not both in the same year.
But it’s not just the fishing that makes a comp great;it’s the vibe,the camaraderie and adventure that make this competition unbelievable.None of this would be possible without the fantastic sponsorship that the competition draws from a long list of loyal and valuable sponsors.Our sincere thanks to all of them.
See you all next year for the 26th Bonanza.
GUINJATA
By Daryl Bartho
IT was with great excitement and a sense of hope that the Queen Pine team (Daryl Bartho,Brett Bartho, Brad Arthur,Bok van Blerk and Cassie Badenhorst) departed for Guinjata on voting day,all set to compete in the 2024 Guinjata Bonanza.
We decided to push through to Macanete that night.After a few cold 2Ms,a bit of banter and a good night’s sleep,we were back on the palm-fringed road at 4am.Our 16-hour journey through to Casa Madeira – our home for the next ten days – gave us plenty of time to discuss various game plans!
As we crested the last dune,we were greeted by a glassy,deep blue ocean and familiar palm trees.The excitement was real for all of us.
A scurry of unpacking quickly ensued,followed by a quick phone call to Dolf at Cowries restaurant to order some pizzas.After an easy launch,we were smashing pizza and taking in the beauty of Guinjata by sea.It wasn’t long before we found frothing patches of frigates and bonnies.Brad was itching to get the Squiddy wet and was immediately bending on an impressive yellowspot kingy.
The next three days were a blur of screaming reels,stocking up on bait,
and scouting.This is the life!
With an abundance of frigates and bonnies,there was plenty of action on the live baits,and almost every livey resulted in a solid fish.Interestingly,the water down south prior to the start of the competition was the cleanest I’ve witnessed in years.We decided to pull Halcos while scouting,and caught shoal ’cuda on almost every reef.
To stay competitive in these multiday species competitions,it’s vital to have a flexible game plan and as many productive fishing spots as possible.For the past ten years,we’ve been relying on all the scouting we had done many years ago while holidaying around
Bok van Blerk with the winning great barracuda which weighed in at 26.1kg.
Brad Arthur with a decent yellowspot kingfish which added to the team’s species tally.
GAME PLAN
Guinjata.We all agreed that we need to plan another trip next year before the competition to find a few more honey holes and locate a few more reefs with less traffic and pressure on them.
Consistency is also key in a competition of this format.In 2023 we thought we had the game plan to win us the double (winning both the species and biggest fish categories),but we were pipped by 100g when Grant Campbell on Dr Sangoma caught a solid great barracuda that relegated Brett’s GT to second place.
Our main focus is always on winning the species side of this brilliant tournament,but we know that if we
fish the right areas with the correct baits,we’ll also be in with a chance of landing a possible winning fish.
Sunday afternoon was spent finetuning our setups,making traces,and getting all the necessary fishing licenses and boat permits sorted.Then it was off to the briefing where Brett Padoa and his hardworking committee welcomed everyone and ran through the rules. Only one more sleep now!
MONDAY
Day 1 dawned with the familiar buzz of nervous energy and the hope of an action-packed day. Queen Pine was ready! Bait,ice,freshly cut pineapple
and boat lunch loaded,now all we had to do was find the fish.
Our game plan was to get some points on the board as early as possible. We opted to run north and try get the amberjack out the way early.We hadn’t tried for AJ at all in the buildup to the comp,so we were hoping they would be active early.
After a few drifts and very little showings,we decided to move on.It’s tough when the game plan doesn’t start as planned,but we quickly re-assessed things and decided to work the inshore line for ’cuda while also jigging.It wasn’t long before we had a nice ’cuda in the hatch and some kingfish on the jigs.
Daryl Bartho and Cassie Badenhorst with two solid ’cuda to add to the weight and overall score.
Brett Bartho with a blacktail kingfish that was caught on dropshot.
The dipping terns revealed the bonnies’position,and we managed to get a few decent fish on the light spinning set ups.Cassie then hooked up on what we hoped was a decent green jobfish and,sure enough,the master had a lovely fish at the boat after a solid fight. Lekker,Oom!
We made our way further south and put a sexy spread of baits out for the great barracuda.The showings were good,and it wasn’t long before the first reel started peeling line,then the second,thrid and fourth – a quadruple hookup!
Brad was first to have his fish boatside – a small greater,but still a multiplier and some weight to help our score. Next to have their fish at the boat was Brett with a decent greater of 8.2kg. Cassie’s fish was a bit more stubborn and gave a decent fight,eventually tipping the scale at 12kg.
At first we thought Bok was playing for the crowds when we saw the way he was fighting his fish.There were even a few chirps about him loosening the drag to make things a bit more dramatic,but that all stopped when we got our first glimpse of this impressive fish. Suddenly everyone was focused and there were shrieks of excitement and high fives all round when the 26.1kg fish lay safely on the deck.
It’s been a long time since we’ve boated a beast of a greater.The last big one weighed 27.8kg and was caught many years ago on our boat Gone Fishin’
Our day had gone from average to awesome.Day 1 goal achieved:solid points with five species and,hopefully, a chance of a winning fish.
Position: Second, 242pts behind Prime Zulu 1 with Uli Buli in third place.
TUESDAY
We ran north again in the hope that we could try mirroring our first day’s tally, and we soon found some yellowfin tuna working the shallows,as well as a few bonnies.We ventured just north of Praia da Rocha in search of some bigger fish, but blanked there,so we decided to head back to home reef.Thankfully we puzzled a greater there as well as another ’cuda.
It was a frustrating day,but we still managed four species and 230 points. Position: Third, 256pts behind Prime Zulu 1 and Uli Buli.
WEDNESDAY
This time we decided to stay local and focus on a few of the reefs closer to home.Brett managed a decent bonnie on a Slidog stickbait at Island Rock,but it seemed as though the bite had slowed dramatically,so we decided to head back to Paindane.
The frigates were frothing up the water nicely south of the main reef,so
we opted to focus on that area.It was the right plan,and we managed to get a ’cuda and a few decent kingies on the sand.Bok was on fire with his Squiddy! Strangely enough,we also caught two bonefish on the Squiddies,and we decided to put them in the luna tubes to try for a GT or greater.
Cassie landed a small GT worth some decent points on the pinnacle, and we seemed to be on track again.We swam one of the bonefish in the hope that a GT might inhale it,but there was no bite.We upped lines and raced back to home reef where a decent greater decided that the bonefish on the menu looked perfect for lunch.
With the greater out the way,I called Grant on Dr Sangoma who gave us the heads up that they had landed some AJ at the home reef deep.We took the hint and raced there to try our luck at getting another species.The current was also reversing out there,and the fish were holding on the southern edge of the reef.We did a few drifts,but had no joy despite the decent showing.
I then decided to scale down and dropped a smaller Squiddy on the 8000 set up and managed to land a small amberjack which calmed the nerves slightly.With a bit of perseverance,a slow day turned out to be a solid scoring day in the end with six species and some good weight.
Position: First, with Uli Buli 49.6pts back from us and Prime Zulu I only 6pts behind them.
THURSDAY
We knew we need to have a good day to stay at the sharp end of the species side of things.Our first plan was to run south to try tick off a few tuna,’cuda and,hopefully,an amber or two.
The jigging on the amber marks was dead slow and we didn’t get even a bump.Maybe they weren’t biting so early this year – another reason it’s important to scout the area a few days before the comp.Had we tried jigging early,we would have figured out that the amber bite wasn’t happening and we’d have saved a lot of time and energy on the competition days.
Plan B didn’t seem to work either. Trolling for the abundant yellowfin that boats caught in the south on previous days proved fruitless for us.
Before long,we were off Legogo Hole.The water had changed from crystal clean prior to the start of the comp, to a terrible green colour with a lot of suspension in it.How the two ’cuda managed to see our baits at the Hole still baffles me.
The water colour and slow bite forced us to run all the way north again,and the current was still reversing hard.A stop at Island Rock produced an impressive bluefin kingfish on a Roosta Popper for Cassie.The day was slowly slipping away from us,and our tally for the day wasn’t looking great.It was to be our worst scoring day,with us only managing to weigh in three ’cuda and the bluefin kingy.
There was a possibility the final day would be a blowout,and we were worried that we’d been snookered by opting not to weigh in all our fish on previous days.
The species side of the competition requires teams to gamble a bit when it comes to daily weigh-ins.We had left at least one of the “easier”species in the bank for the final day,but that wasn’t going to help if we didn’t get to fish.
Position: Third and 126pts behind Prime Zulu I and Uli Buli
Team Queen Pine at the first day’s weigh in, very proud of their haul.
FRIDAY
The alarm buzzed,and Brad and Cassie headed down to beach control to put Queen Pine on the launch list for the final day of fishing.When they returned to the casa,they were less than hopeful about launching,as the NE that blew through the night was still gusting 1520 knots,and the bay was a bit messy. Nonetheless,we had Queen Pine ready and decided to head down to the beach,hoping the wind would ease and the sea would settle enough for the weather committee to give everyone the thumbs up to fish.
There was a slower than normal amount of activity from the Dr Sangoma casa,giving us enough time to place the chicken our gillie,Mafuta, had organised for us in one of the hatches aboard Dr Sangoma .We thought it was only fitting to pay them back for the bananas we found on our boat on day one shortly after launching. We thought they could do with an extra crew member,especially after Magic Mike hadn’t been very successful on the jig! Sadly,they found the stowaway while packing their boat lunch while the tractor patiently waited to push them in.
We were stoked that the weather committee had given us the go-ahead, and we found ourselves flying up north in the Butt Cat 660 XL that softens any sea bump.To start with we put out a spread of lures to try to trick a few tuna.We had five yellowfin in the bank, so it was vital for us to max out on these on this final day.
The first three fish that came in were all bonnies,and we only had one of them left to weigh.The tuna were eluding us! To rub salt in the wounds, our mates on Sma’Lekke had already boated three yellowfin in the same area
we were working.
We stuck with the game plan all the same,and continued to troll the area;at least the terns had us hopeful we’d get a few yellowfin.The pieces of the puzzle finally started falling into place after a triple strike of yellowfin on the Halcos! We boated another two yellowfin shortly thereafter and a few bonus live bonnies which were kicking furiously in the luna tubes.
Two of the bonnies were upgraded in the shallows shortly after heading further south,and a pair of healthy ’cuda were on the deck.Next on our list to catch was a kingy.How hard could that be? Insanely tough,it turned out,and we couldn’t persuade even a yellowspot to help with our species and points tally.We decided to convert the final few bonnies to a greater or two,and thankfully one decent fish stuck.We placed it in the hatch to chill with the two lovely ’cuda.
The day was rapidly coming to an end with a buster south westerly on its way.We decided to spend the last hour at Paindane to target the kingfish we desperately needed.
Halfway through our second drift, the SW hit us,whipping up the sea surface in seconds,but Team Queen Pine wasn’t giving up yet! We were changing jig colours and sizes,hoping for a kingy that would measure.It seemed only the short yellowspots and tropicals were keen on our offerings,and it was nearly time for that last drift before surfing our way home to make the weigh-in.
We had some leftover bait that Brett had cut up as chum,and I decided to bomb the lot overboard and then throw a drop shot into the mix.Sometimes it takes a smaller,darting soft plastic to entice the strike.
Midway up,I felt that familiar knock
but no hookup.I threw the bail arm of the Saltiga open again,hoping to get another shot at the fish that didn’t stick.We had literally minutes to get back to the beach,but knew there wouldn’t be too much congestion at the backline as most of the boats had decided to call it a day after the westerly hit.Five jerks and I was vas! This was definitely a weigher;now just to get it to the boat.
The fish pulled some braid and gave the telltale head shakes of a yellowspot kingy.A few anxious minutes passed, and then we saw that the fish was in fact a green jobfish and not a kingy.It didn’t matter;it was a weigher and another species.
High fives all around,and Queen Pine was hopping home to make the weigh-in on the shorter last day.We had five species and some decent weight; now it was just to see how the other boats had fared.
We desperately wanted the “double” after so nearly securing it last year. Grant from Dr Sangoma reminded me a week after last year’s comp how close it was by sending me a photo of six segments of a naartjie on a digital scale showing 100g.It was too soon,Ratty, too soon!
MISSIONACCOMPLISHED
In the final tally we got our double! Bok’s 26.1kg great barracuda was the biggest fish,and we ended the comp in first place in the species division,193.4 points ahead of Uli Buli
Winning is great,but for us,it’s the friendships and camaraderie that bring us back every year to this iconic competition.Without Brett Padoa,his reliable committee and the generous sponsors,this competition wouldn’t run,so we thank you for all the long hours,and for making Guinjata our highlight on the fishing calendar every year! Also a big shout out to Cassy at Casa Madeira who always works overtime to make our stay there extra special,and for whom nothing is too much trouble.
To all the anglers that make this pilgrimage up north every year,thank you. The healthy competition for bragging rights among the top boats for the species side of the competition makes for some nail-biting fishing.This clearly shows when a team is seen high-fiving each other or giving big man hugs when a small 5kg jobfish or kingfish is landed when scores are tight!
This competition not only caters to serious anglers;it also delivers on the fun and value aspect.If you haven’t fished this competition before,do yourselves a favour and get your entry in for next year.I promise you won’t be disappointed.I’m definitely going to be training on my Tiagra 50 for next year’s Wednesday night function.I’m coming for you next year,Deon!
Double category winners again!
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The Bottom Discrimination function enables the fish finder to predict whether the seabed is rock,sand,mud or gravel.With Furuno’s TruEcho CHIRP, you’ll see greater detail and target separation for baitfish,gamefish,and seabed structure.
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CHIRP with Accu-Fish and CW Bottom Discrimination.
CHIRP Medium frequency.
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Example of Heave Compensation display on a Furuno SCX-20.
PRESIDENT’SREPORT
OUR selectors have been hard at work recently and we would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the following anglers on their selection to teams representing SADSAA and South Africa at various tournaments.
•71st International Billfish Tournament, San Juan, Puerto Rico 12 to 14 August
Protea team:Robin Vermaak (Capt, WP),Sam Botha (Mpumalanga) and Mark Beyl (Zululand)
•EFSA European Species Championship, Weymouth, England 9 to 13 September
Allen Ford (Capt,Border),John Luef (Border),Jacqueline Luef (Border), Ian Pienkie (EP) and Ockie
Theunissen (S.Gauteng).
Chris Schorn,
SADSAAPresident
Well done to the father and daughter fishing together!
•International Fishing Championships, Jebel Sifah, Oman
25 to 29 September.
We have selected two teams for this new tournament.
Proteas:Robin Vermaak (Capt,WP),Mario Els (Gauteng), Pierre Botes (N.Gauteng) and Riaan Claassens (Limpopo).
Reserve:Brendan Davids (WP)
SASACC:Andre Opperman (Capt,S. Gauteng), Rudi Moolman (Zululand),Piet Wessels (WP),and Anthony Illing (S. Gauteng).
•83rd International Light Tackle Tournament Association Tournament, Dominican Republic 13 to 19 October
Charles du Plessis (Natal),Mark Cockcroft (S. Gauteng), Wade Martin (S. Gauteng). Res:Henry Gouws (Gauteng)
•32nd FIPS-M Trolling Big Game World Championships, Mexico 23 to 30 November
Jaco Hendriksz (Capt, Gauteng),Gavin van der Merwe (Mpumalanga),Wessel Grimbeek (S. Gauteng), Henry Gouws (Gauteng). Res:Janes Wasserman (Gauteng)
On our local circuit we still have the Light Tackle Billfish Nationals coming up later this year,and for this we selected two SADSAA senior teams.
•Light Tackle Billfish Nationals, hosted by Northern Gauteng, at Sodwana 7 to 11 October.
SADSAA White:Jan-Hendrik Hendriksz (Capt,Gauteng) Stiaan du Plooy (N. Gauteng) and Leon Orsmond (S. Gauteng).
SADSAA Blue:Candice Coetzer (Capt, EP),Alain Kahn (Natal) and Alta Matthews Griquas).
Reserve for both teams is Johannes van der Walt (Mpumalanga)
• Heavy Tackle Billfish Nationals, Sodwana Bay 9 to 18 November.
SADSAA Seniors:Gavin Heale (Capt,Griquas),Jean Schoonhoven (Zululand),Jan-Hendrik Hendriksz (Gauteng) and Michael Fourie (S.Gauteng).
SADSAA Masters Gold:Henk du Plessis (Capt,Zululand), Sam Botha (Mpumalanga) and Handro Swart (Mpumalanga).
SADSAA Masters Green:Pieter Jordaan (Capt, Mpumalanga),Dave Martin (S.Gauteng) and Chris Barnard (N.Gauteng).
We wish all our teams tight lines and fair seas.
Keep up to date with all the SADSAA news by visiting our website www.sadsaa.co.zaor our facebook page @sadeepseaanglingassociation
JUNIORSINACTION
WE hosted two Junior Nationals in June –Bottomfish and Gamefish,and were incredibly impressed with the youngsters.
2024 SADSAA JUNIOR BOTTOMFISH NATIONALS
Fifteen junior anglers from four different provinces representing five teams (Eastern Cape,Natal, Western Cape,Zululand and Barbarians) travelled to Richards Bay for the 2024 SADSAA Junior Bottomfish Nationals held at Meerensee Boat Club from 16 to 21 June.
This would be the first time the new bottomfishing rules were used at the Junior Bottomfish Nationals,and what a success it was! The new rules require three anglers from different teams to fish on a different boat each day over the four fishing days of the five-day tournament.
Junior anglers targeted 23 different species during the tournament,with a daily maximum for each species.Each species caught was worth a specific number of points and then the quantity of each also scored points,with a minimum fish length per species.
The new bottomfish rules enable anglers to catch,identify,measure,and then release fish, removing the requirement of killing and weighing the fish to contribute to their daily points tally.
Jethro Doman from Natal excelled,catching 11 different species and 44 fish in a single day! Despite so many fish being caught in the comp, only ten came to the scale,with five of them pending new records.
After a week of hard fishing,the boys from Natal (Matthew Shepard – capt,Jethro Doman and Matthew Thompson) took gold.Barbarians (Brayden Kane – capt – Natal,Gerhard Oosthuizen – Zululand and Willam Nel – Zululand) came second and Western Province (Luke Truter – capt, Hugo Bester,and Mickyle Vermaak) third.
The top angler was Jethro Doman from Natal, followed by Luke Truter from Western Province and Matthew Thompson from Natal.
Congratulations to Zululand Deep Sea Angling Association and Merensee Skiboat Club for an excellent tournament.
Gold medal went to Natal.
Silver medal went to Barbarians.
Bronze medal went to Western Province.
All the anglers and skippers at the 2024 Junior Bottomfish Nationals.
Above: The U16 Gauteng team with a 14.2kg cobia caught by Ruben Hendrikse.
Left: Ruben Els with his record 29.2kg wahoo.
Right: Josh Lingenfelder was thrilled to tag and release the first sailie of the comp.
2024 JUNIOR GAMEFISH NATIONALS
Southern Gauteng Deep Sea Angling Association hosted this year’s Junior Gamefish Nationals from Sodwana.Twelve teams entered – seven U19 teams (SADSAA,Free State, Gauteng,Barbarians,Southern Gauteng,Natal and Zululand) and five U16 teams (Gauteng,Southern Gauteng Blue, Southern Gauteng Pink,Free State and Zululand).
Local skippers were only too willing to assist,and the juniors had the opportunity of fishing on some very impressive craft.This was a great experience,as many of the anglers got to experience for the first time what it’s like to fish off larger vessels and to fish with outriggers and varied angling options.
Fortunately,the weather played its part,and the anglers got to experience five full days of fishing with Monday producing the best fish of the week at the scales.
The Southern Gauteng U16 Blue team propelled themselves into first place on day one in their division when they brought in a 20.72kg ’cuda and a new Junior South African Record wahoo of 20.80kg,caught by Josh Lingenfelder on Kit Kat
This record lasted for about 15 minutes,when the Gauteng U19 team arrived with an even more impressive wahoo.Well done to Ruben Els and his team who caught a new Junior South African Record wahoo of 29.20kg on Kraken.This fish also put the Gauteng team in first place and set the benchmark for the rest of the U19 teams.
The mornings on the beach were fresh,and although Tuesday morning greeted us with two hours of rain,the anglers got to enjoy sunny skies and pleasant seas for the next four days.The catches slowed down,but each day still produced fish and smiles on the junior anglers’faces.
Wednesday produced the first sailfish of the competition.Josh Lingenfelder was again the angler,this time on Fishaholic.This fish further extended the Southern Gauteng U16 Blue team’s lead.Wednesday also saw the Gauteng Barbarians bring out a very impressive prodigal son (cobia) of 14.20kg,caught by Ruben Hendrikse on Maestro
Thursday was a very quiet day at the scales but an impressive kingfish (giant trevally) was caught and released by Kaylee McLaren of the SADSAA U19 team.This fish would have been over 20kg,had it been brought to weighin,but in the spirit of conservation,SADSAA and the organisers require all kingfish and billfish to be released.
Teams were all giving it their best and it wasn’t until Friday,the last day of the competition,that we got to see some major position jumps.The Southern Gauteng U19 team fishing on Real Passion got a double hook-up on sailfish and did a great job of successfully catching and releasing both fish.Well done to Sheldon Kruger and Marco Forte.
Marko Siemansof the Gauteng Barbarian side also released a sailfish on Sick Leave
The U16 Gold medal winners were Southern Gauteng Blue,who won by quite a margin over their competitors. Silver medal was claimed by the Free State team and the Gauteng team took bronze.
In the U19 division only 11.57points separated the top two teams.In the end the Southern Gauteng team claimed gold over silver medal winners,Gauteng.The Barbarian team took bronze.
Congratulations to all the anglers,skippers,managers and organisers who made this competition so memorable.
Southern Gauteng was tops overall, taking gold in both the U16 and U19 divisions of the 2024 Junior Gamefish Nationals.
BOATBUILDING
By Rob Naysmith
IAM one of those fortunate boaters who has lived through much of the evolution of ski-boats in South Africa.Not only the evolution in terms of design,which included that of the “radical”catamaran and tri-hulls,as on-thewater experience was gained,but also the evolution of manufacturing methods which included the introduction of resins, epoxies and fibreglass.
Our early ski-boats were wooden craft,most built by craftsmen following plans,both local and from across the seas,with a few slight modifications to suit local conditions. Many kit boats found their way to our shores to become the forerunners of some of the most popular boats around today.
Each of these boats took many months to build,including selecting the best timber,measuring and re-measuring,sawing,chiselling,drilling and using the best glues possible,with copper nails and brass screws,all affixed by hand.
The eye of the boat builder was most crucial,as was his knowledge of carpentry,the properties of each wood type and knowledge of how each boat would react on the water.
There was no second chance.
Then came the constant maintenance – scraping down, repainting,making sure the hull remained water-tight.
Back in the day there were no buoyancy requirements other than having sealed bulkhead compartments.
Next the array of synthetic products arrived which changed the face of boat building almost overnight.Glass fibres soaked in resin produced a boat building material that
could be moulded into any shape or form,with a durability way exceeding that of timber.
Now boats could be reproduced as an exact copy of a proven hull,time and again.Production materials were now freely available and the production time of a new boat became a fraction of what it was,driving down costs substantially.We had arrived in the era of ski-boat mass production.
Without getting into too many of the technicalities of synthetic materials,in boat building we use three basic products: fibreglass,resin,and gelcoat.On their own each one is fairly useless for this application,but once combined,they become an almost indestructible medium.
Resin relies on the fibreglass for strength,fibreglass relies on the resin for its shape and rigidity,and the resin and fibreglass mixture relies on the gelcoat to protect it.It’s way more complicated and calculated than that,but the principle remains the same.
Years back we measured the strength of a hull by how solid,thick and heavy it was,because that indicated lots of resin and glassfibre had been used.We were happy with that.
Then a few clever people sat down and did some calculations on the materials,knowing that resin is hard,brittle,has little inherent strength,cracks easily under pressure and yet constitutes the bulk of the weight.
The secret lay in giving the fibreglass just enough resin for it to meet design standards.The concept of infusing the resin into the fibreglass under a vacuum environment was born.
GYPSKI BOATS FOR SPORTFISHERS
Earlier in 2024 I was approached to build a Gypski that could be housed on the front of a charter sportfishing vessel,to be used as both a tender and a fishing ski-boat.As the Gypski would need to be raised and lowered to the water by an onboard crane,the total weight was a major factor.The weight of the twin 20hp outboards was non-negotiable,so the reduction in overall weight had to come from the boat itself.
The only way to meet these demands was to step into the 21st century.Well,more like take a moon jump.
I knew of the resin infusion concept,had read many articles on the process,and salivated over a few boats built using this method.I also knew the guru,one of the pioneers,Chris Scarrott of Aerontec – suppliers of the latest and most advanced boat building products in South Africa.
Chris jumped at the opportunity with a passion I’ve only ever seen in a fisherman during the shad run.He popped over to our factory at Down South Marine,looked at the moulds we would use for the boat,and drew up a list of materials required for our project.He explained the advantages of the resin infusion method with such enthusiasm that I was sold before he had finished explaining the process.
Our first task was to modify our moulds to accommodate the vacuum process.That was probably the most difficult part of the project.After a week or two we had completed our mould modifications to Chris’s standards,then came the polishing,waxing,polishing and waxing … for days.
Finally,the big day came and the colour-matched gelcoat
was sprayed into the hull mould.I used this opportunity to try out a new gelcoat strengthening additive along the keel area in place of a stainless steel keel strip.
While allowing the gelcoat time to cure,we cut the different fibreglass laminates into the required panels,using the same material lay-up as in all previous Gypski boats.Then,one by one,each laminate was laid down in order and snugged into place.
These laminates were then covered with Green Aeroflow mesh,a specially designed resin distribution material plastic mat which allows the resin to flow freely through the fabric in the mould.We also laid the resin feed tape to direct the incoming resin in a predetermined direction.
This was followed by the carefully calculated placement of infusion connectors which determine the points at which resin will enter the mould,be drawn along the feed tapes, under the Aeroflow mesh mat and infused into the fibreglass.
Then came the vacuum bag which was sealed air-tight around the rim of the mould,along with vacuum tubes through which the vacuum is applied.
The resin feed tubes were then connected to the infusion connectors and each line clamped to adjust the flow.
The last test before the resin was released was to check the vacuum integrity,which must hold a stable maximum vacuum pressure of 1 bar at around 90% for at least the calculated time from the start of the infusion to the gelation of the resin;in this case 60 minutes.
With the calculations complete for various gel times and
1. Gelcoat and dry packing
3. Resin path flow design and layout
2. Structural reinforcement
4. Vacuum drop test
flow rates for each resin batch,the flow pipes were opened.
As the process began and the first batch of resin entered the mould,it felt like we were conducting an orchestra –holding flow on one area,increasing flow on another,bringing in the next resin batch before the first was exhausted,and all the while making sure that the entire project was fully injected before the first resin mix began to cure.
Basically,the resin enters along the keel area and works its way along the hull to the chines.The keel flow is then halted and the chine flow is opened for the resin to flow up the sides towards the vacuum tubes.
Our calculation on injection time before the cure started was 40 minutes,with a further 60 minutes for complete cure before vacuum release.So,there it was – we had just produced a complete hull in only a few hours as opposed to days with the hand-lay process.
The following morning,we removed all the infusion consumables,mesh materials,mats mesh,tubes,taps,cover,recyclable pipes,vacuum bag and seals etc.The time had come to feast our eyes on our first attempt at leaping into the future.
The result was way beyond what I’d expected.The internal finish was excellent – no fibreglass burn patterns,no resin unevenness,no air bubbles,just absolutely beautiful.As she majestically rose out of the mould,the quality was undeniable.The boat had a stunning finish and vastly superior strength compared to a hand-laid product.
But the big test was still to come:Had we achieved the necessary weight reduction?
A hand-laid Gypski hull weighs in at around 76kg;our new resin infusion method of Gypski production resulted in a hull weighing an uncredible 31.3kg! Not only an impressive weight reduction,but also a three-fold increase in structural strength.
At the time of writing,we were nearing completion after just two weeks,and I cannot wait to find out her new total weight.Suffice it to say that we have far exceeded our production goals.
However advanced the process and result,there are still some points of caution to take note of.
With a lifetime of boating experience behind me,one aspect I’ve learned is that a boat must have a suitable weight to perform comfortably.Many times while navigating stormy seas on the long run back from the Cape tuna grounds,I have filled my fish-box with water to add weight for a more controllable ride.
Vacuum infusion produces a super-light boat which is perfect for calm seas and carrying heavy weights,but it will be tossed around in bad weather if it doesn’t have a load.
My overall impression of the vacuum resin infusion technique is one of amazement.We were able to produce a superior product that was lighter and stronger than previous Gypskis with a beautiful internal finish,all with a massive saving in production time.
We will still have a few modifications to make once she’s tested on the water,but she will definitely be super easy to handle,very fast and ultra-light on fuel.
5. Start of the resin infusion
6. Resin infusion is complete
7. The finished hull – high quality, strong and very light
8. Topdeck structure being put in place
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.
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.
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.
This stunning amberjack, weighing ±35kg caught and released during February 2024 off Richards Bay earned Nick Isabelle a Gold Meritorious Award for his outstanding catch. He wins this issue’s great prize for
Catch of the Month Catch of the Month
Carmen Breedt has been awarded a Gold Meritorious Award for this 7.3kg snoek caught on 22 June 2024 off St Lucia.
Stiaan Smit has been awarded a Gold Meritorious Award for this 22kg great barracuda caught on 8 April 2024 off Premeiras, Moçambique.
Arno Neethling has been awarded a Gold Meritorious Award for this sailfish weighing ±40kg caught and released off Bara, Moçambique, on 21 June 2024.
Geoff Courtis has been awarded a Gold Meritorious Awardfor this 8.64kg tigerfish caught in the Zambezi River, Zambia.
SNAPSHOTOFHISTORY
IN the July 2024 issue of SKI-BOAT we launched this new feature highlighting some snapshots of the history of skiboat fishing off South Africa.We’ve had feedback from a number of readers who were astounded at the small size of the motors that were used back then.
The two extracts from old copies of Natal Fishing News shown below feature a few more of the boats and trailers that were used back in the 1940s and ’50s.
The article opposite highlights talk of the Durban Municipality building a ski-boat base and slipway near Vetch’s Pier,and although the base was established,the slipway was unlikely to ever materialise due to the area’s landscape and conditions,but it’s still a popular launch site.
Readers are welcome to email us old photographs of interesting catches,old tackle or other fishing accessories that they think would interest other anglers.
MYFIRSTCOMPETITION
by Corlia Viljoen (14)
THIS year when we went to St Lucia during the June school holidays it was different to our usual trips because we competed in the Snoek Derby.
We couldn’t wait for the competition.We had made matching teamwear ,and I was part of Team LegaSea.It was my first fishing competition and I think it went very well.
The first day we got up at 04:50 so we could get in the line to launch as soon as possible.We wanted to be on the sea before the other boats!
During the previous holidays I just wanted to see dolphins,but this time I hoped that the dolphins would stay away because we didn’t want them to eat our bait.We needed that bait for catching the biggest Natal snoek so we could win the competition. It was really fun being on the boat;we had delicious snacks and listened to music.
After a while,the fish started to bite! We caught seven fish but only two
were snoek.I was so happy,though,because I caught my first prodigal son.
We beached at 14:00 and rushed to the ski-boat club because we didn’t want to be late for weigh in.After the weigh in,we got everything ready for the next day’s fishing,packed our boat packs and went to bed early.
On the last day of the competition we were full of hope that this would be the day we caught the biggest snoek.We went to catch livebait first,and after that we caught six fish and all of them were snoek.Some of them were really big, the biggest being over 7kg.
At the prize-giving they finally announced the winners and we were second with the heaviest bag,and our biggest snoek came third.We won a lot of prizes and four of our boat’s snoek were among the top 20.
Unfortunately,the Snoek Derby was over,but it was awesome to be a part of it.I really enjoyed it with friends and my family,and the fishing part was the best.I can’t wait for the next fishing trip!
ON GUARD
Lubrication is crucial to fishing reel maintenance
IT’s every angler’s worst nightmare…
It starts with a bite, then a tug, and before you know it, fishing line is stripping off your reel faster than you can say, “Zzz, Zzz, Zzz!”
Suddenly, the spool jams, the rod bends under the strain, and the line
goes tighter than a guitar string playing The One That Got Away.
Your mind frantically searches for a solution as the nylon rapidly reaches its breaking point.
Then ... the line goes slack.
In disbelief, you stare at the water, glance down at your reel and sob:
“Why? Why now?”.
But, let’s face it – you do know why.
Your reel jammed because maintenance sucks, and very few people want to spend their time cleaning and servicing their fishing gear.
However, reel maintenance shouldn’t take more than a minute or two.
REGULAR MAINTENANCE
Although reels are typically manufactured with grease as their primary lubricant,if you’re a saltwater fisherman you should be oiling your reel every second or third outing as a preventative measure.
That said,corrosion protection is arguably the most essential part of fishing gear maintenance.Aside from lubricating and safeguarding against rust,it’s just as critical that your chosen maintenance oil be safe to use on sensitive plastics and nylons.
This is why Q-FISH is specially designed to lubricate moving parts, form a long-lasting barrier against corrosion,clean components when applied, and – most of all – remain 100% plastic and nylon safe to avoid damage to sensitive components.
Here’s what a basic maintenance routine looks like…
1) Carefully rinse your reel after every saltwater outing,and remember that most fishing reels aren’t waterproof. They contain gears and bearings that need to be looked after and which are commonly destroyed by water.
That’s why you need to rinse your
reels gently. Rinse the reel under a slow but steady running tap.Don’t use high pressure which could force salt, water and dirt into the reel’s housing.A strong stream of water can also displace lubricants. Never soak the reel in water.
2) Once you’ve rinsed your reel,let it dry or give it a blast with compressed air.
3) Apply small amounts of oil on all non-greased threaded sections,and to areas where you want to displace moisture.
4) Finally,spray some Q-FISH on a rag and wipe down the reel’s entire housing for overall corrosion protection.
NOTE:
A total strip-down of the reel should only be carried out by a professional or per the owner’s manual.That’s when the reel should be thoroughly cleaned and greased,and new gears or bearings fitted if necessary.
Until then,you should apply oil regularly to prevent corrosion,drive out moisture,and maintain the reel’s operation and performance.
A COMMON QUESTION FROM SCEPTICS: Is
Q-FISH just Q20 rebranded?
WE love getting this question.Why? Because scepticism is a good thing, especially in the multipurpose oil market,where brands often make big statements about their product’s “unlimited”uses.
As South Africa’s oldest and most trusted multipurpose oil for 70+ years,we’ll never give you false advice,so we can unequivocally tell you that Q-FISH and Q20 are entirely different products.
At the crux of it,Q20 is a solvent-based oil;in contrast,Q-FISH is a premiumgrade mineral oil.
As you know,more and more items are made from plastics these days,but unfortunately,some plastics – typically the cheaper kinds – react poorly to solvents.This is why a mineral oil that’s 100% plastic-,nylon- and polymer safe is generally safer when lubricating your fishing gear.
However,aside from being safe to use on reel housings,rods,rubber seals and rubber grips,Q-FISH also boasts excellent corrosion protection that will safeguard your gear from rust and salty water for extended periods.This feature makes Q-FISH perfect for protecting tackle,boating equipment and outboard motors.
Q-FISH is available at leading outdoor and angling stores nationwide. Contact Rick on 078 097 8028 for trade enquiries.
IT’SLOVELY, BUTNOTTODAY!
By Fransien Myburg
ATlast it was time for the 2024 Snoek Derby at the St Lucia Ski-Boat Club! We had been counting the days – three families consisting of six adults and ten,yes TEN,children on two boats:Team Aqua-Joy and team LegaSea.We had one job:Catch the biggest Natal snoek and win!
On day one I was part of team LegaSea and we were the first boat on the water.We headed straight to catch livebait and then to Big Hill.The livebait wasn’t in the water long before the reel started screaming–Carmen was fighting a fish.When it came closer to the boat we couldn’t believe our eyes:it was a snoek! Excitement fill the boat.
Yes,man,we have to do it again! We were almost over the reef and there it was – another strike.This time I fought the fish,and as it came closer to the boat we saw it was a ’cuda.Yikes! A few Rapala Lips began to show.On any other day it’s awesome to catch a ’cuda,but this time we had one thing on our minds:Catch snoek (AKA queen mackerel).
I always flick some kind of rig while we drift,and Noah gave me his rod. “Fransien,I’ve got a good feeling about this rig,”he said.After throwing the rig for hours I finally got a strike – and missed it! My Rapala Lip grew,but I would not give up that easily.
Meanwhile,Joany caught a tuna.Also great on any other day,but NOTTODAY!
Noah took his rod back and soon he was on! His feeling about the rig was right! It was a huge silver fish – and then the fish came off.It had bent the hook and split ring open! We wanted to cry! You know,nothing makes a fish grow bigger than almost being caught! Rapala Lips littered the boat;we felt so sorry for Noah.
We put new hooks on the rig and let it out; the water was perfectly clear below the boat and we could see the reef and livebait under us.On my third throw I caught a huge queenfish! It wasn’t a queen mackerel,but there was no Rapala Lip this time because it was my first big queenfish.
We caught five species that day and our snoek was in third place.
The next day we were busy,busy,busy in the backline throwing spoons,but didn’t get even one hook-up! Rapala Lips deluxe! But luckily not for long.It was Carmen’s birthday and when she finally caught our first fish,it was a snoek!
Then there was no stopping us and we caught four more! I even caught one on a spoon and felt so good about it – second day in a row that I got a hookup while throwing a rig,and another personal best.
In the end,Noah caught the third biggest snoek for the derby, Aqua-Joy took third place with the heaviest bag,and we finished in second place.Seven of the anglers in our two teams scored among the Top 20 heaviest snoek of the comp!
What a privilege to fish this fantastic event with our children.
