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48kg Amberjack by Tyler Botha of Shelley Beach

48kg Amberjack by Tyler Botha of Shelley Beach

The Botha family down the south coast of Natal, led by Dad PJ, have a phenomenal record of catching outsized Amberjack. Sons Tyler and Greg make up the formidable team on the good ship Watt4.

Check this out!

A 48kg Amberjack by Tyler Botha aboard his Dad's boat Watt4. The fish was taken deep off Shelley Beach somewhere.
A 48kg Amberjack by Tyler Botha aboard his Dad’s boat Watt4. The fish was taken deep off Shelley Beach somewhere.

Tyler breaks the magical 100lb mark with this monster Amberjack taken last week.

And the very next day, his Dad PJ and brother Greg back it up with a brace of fish weighing in at 30kgs and 26kgs respectively.

30kgs and 26kgs Amberjack by PJ Botha and youngest son Greg. Aboard Watt4 and somewhere off Shelley Beach, Natal, South Africa
30kgs and 26kgs Amberjack by PJ Botha and youngest son Greg. Aboard Watt4 and somewhere off Shelley Beach, Natal, South Africa

Along with the huge yellowfin tuna taken the week before, way out off Shelley Beach, these fish mark some of the most noteworthy fish ever taken off Shelley Beach. And the fact that these fish mark the advent of two new sport fishing opportunities bodes really well for the fishing off Shelley Beach. Not only do you have the gamey yellowfin and other pelagics on Protea Reef (and sharks),  and the super exciting backline fishing for couta and snoek, the vaste variety of bottom feeders…(and many more) but now you can also go super deep and take on these denizens.

To get out there, get in touch at umzimkulu@gmail.com and lets put a package together for you. In a week on the coast we can get you out deep chasing monsters, catching shad for live baiting garrick and kob from the side, and patrolling estuaries for rock salmon and kingfish.

http://umzimkulu.co.za tells more…

For more fishing adventure options, check out our Trips and Travel section.

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March/April ‘Cuda report plus spearfishing

March/April ‘Cuda report plus spearfishing

The ‘Cuda have made their annual pilgrimage to down south and some great catches are filtering through.

The first real action was by Happy Hooker who got two proper fish, nice and early on. Way down off Seaprk somewhere. Then the Niteshift got one in the same place the following weekend. Story and video here.

Matt Wainwright then got a live mackerel down the gullet of a nice fish. His fish came in at 15kgs.

But Dave Phillips off Durban has been having the most fun. On his ski. On his first submission he flashed us his first ‘Cuda of the season. A really nice fish seen below. Then a few fays later, Dave banged it out there for another ‘Cuda and three Natal Snoek! The Snoekies couldn’t resist Dave’s little Mydo SS Shad spoon.

Hopefully this weather will improve and we can expect some more ‘cuda action this April.

And then over to the spearos, who have also been seeing a few.

‘Couta in the news underwater too…report by Jason Heyne

The diving conditions have average this week with one or two day’s being excellent. Wahoo, ‘couta and snoek are the main fish on the menu this week and rumours have it that the garrick are off the kei.  Well done Wickus on getting fish of the week a new HUC club record Queen Fish at 10.47kg. As always dive safe and straight spears

Send your catch photos and stories to The Sardine News and contribute to the collection of goings on fishing, surfing and diving wise up and down our coast. Click here to submit online, or email umzimkulu@gmail.com anytime.

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More about the Mydo SS Spoon that Dave Phillips has been using at https://thesardine.co.za/mydo/

For your online marketing requirements, we have space for a few more content partners…see our marketing stories at https://thesardine.co.za/the-sardine-news-app-store/

 

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Nicky Momberg Yellowfin Tuna 77.7kg makes it two in a row off Shelley Beach

Nicky Momberg-Yellowfin-Tun

Nicky Momberg Yellowfin Tuna 77.7kg makes it two in a row off Shelley Beach

Nicky Momberg Yellowfin Tuna 77.7kg makes it two in a row off Shelley Beach.

77kg Yellowfin Tuna at Shelley Beach
77kg Yellowfin Tuna at Shelley Beach

Unbelievably another outsized yellowfin tuna by Nicky Momberg on Nitro. And I get the very rare chance of apologising for reporting that it was a charter boat that caught yesterday’s fish of 101kg’s. Nope, it was Nicky Momberg! On the good ship NITRO.

Congratulations again to Nicky and his crew.

Thank you to Craig from The Tackle Box in Shelley Beach for the photos and weight details of today’s remarkable yellowfin. Maybe the lucky boat Nitro will go out tomorrow and make it three in a row. A hat-trick that no-one would believe without photos that’s for sure!

And here is yesterdays groundbreaking fish all over again…crew in full glory…historical moment for all Shelley Beach deep sea anglers…dreams do come true.

100kg Yellowfin Tuna off Shelley Beach
100kg Yellowfin Tuna off Shelley Beach

Here’s to hoping these fish might have recently made KZN a place to come and show off their size. These are huge fish, double the size of anything anyones come with before.

At this stage, these fish were reportedly caught on lures trolled with 80lb gear.

STOP PRESS!

This in from Nicky Momberg, on the fish he caught the day before – the 101kg yellowfin tuna…

“Thanks a lot. Was on a Pulsator Marlin Magnet Kona and we got it on the 1800 meter mark.  Took 1h:45 to land it.  Was my dreamfish for the past 10 years I’ve been fishing there and knew the fish would be there one day”

You can get your Pulsator tackle right there at the base. The Tackle Box have the best location ever for a tackle shop. Loads of parking. And just on the hill overlooking the launch, as you turn in from the north entrance. Signs everywhere.

Keep tabs on things at The Sardine News here…https://thesardine.co.za

Or Facebook page here…http://facebook.com/thesardine.co.za/

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Saving the Seas: Marine Reserves are the only way

Marine Reserves are the only way out of this mess

Saving the Seas: Marine Reserves are the only way

Marine Reserves: Dr. Callum Roberts even features in this classic Attenborough style documentary, by National Geographic (written and presented by Joanna Sarsby), called…

“Deep Trouble“.

The script follows Dr. Roberts’ comprehensive summation of the state of our oceans, in well…”The Unnatural History of the Sea”. A thoroughly disturbing, but very well presented book, that Roberts’ takes us through history with. Back to when there was 100% of the ocean life still living. And traces the demise of our marine fauna and flora, through the ages, and into our current technological and destructive fishing practices.

You can watch the whole documentary below, or click this link – https://youtu.be/gmt_eRXBZrw?t=2549 – to get straight to the point, in the movie, of what we can do to save our ocean and it’s residents.

Facebook itself has shown to be a great platform where you can air your views and concerns, and assemble people into more unified collections. This impetus can be channeled into momentum and public voice.

As our new president and team ( and hopefully whole new government soon one day), have to pick up the pieces of wanton destruction caused by Zuma and his cronies and their fiscal shenanigans, perhaps it’s time to start putting real pressure on the decision and policymakers. For Marine Reserves. And to bring back the highly qualified Ezimvelo. The decision to hand over the thankless and huge task that Ezimvelo was doing so well (the policing and maintaining order on our shores), to the totally inexperienced and non-cohesive DAFF officials, was a government level budget decision, as the coffers were being emptied so very effectively by the government.

AT the moment, it is literally a free-for-all as the DAFF crew just don’t seem to be able to find purchase with their new task at all. Many places have not even seen an official since Ezimvelo were fired. Without reason. All those years experience now totally wasted.

So even though we have the semblance of a Marine Reserve ideology and policy and have a few dotted up and down our vast coastline – without effective policing, what good are they?

Bring back Ezimvelo! Give us more Marine Reserves!

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Post by The Sardine News

 

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100kg Yellowfin Tuna by Nitro off Shelley Beach

Mustbyt Charters of Shelley Beach hauled in the biggest yellowfin tuna ever seen in Natal today

100kg Yellowfin Tuna by Nitro off Shelley Beach

For years down on the lower Natal South Coast, a few lucky (skilled) anglers got to wear a special jacket, from Shelley Beach Ski-Boat Club. It was awarded to club members who brought home a yellowfin tuna of 100lbs or more. Only very few qualified for the honour.

There was a similair bench mark set in Durban, where very few tuna over 30kgs every made it back to base. But recently, a 50kg yellowfin tuna was weighed in there, setting a brand new club record.

And two years ago, Captain Duarte Rato fishing out off Bazaruto, got a 72kg fish. Bigger than he had ever encountered up there in Mozambique, by double almost. Also in the shallows.

Dave Phillips and I were fishing the Umzimkulu a while ago, and he noted this increase in size of yellowfin caught off Natal, over the last decade. Dave got his own 32kg fish off his ski, off Durban, and noted that many fish in this size range were being encountered. Right in the shallows too.

100kg Yellowfin Tuna by Nitro off Shelley Beach
100kg Yellowfin Tuna by Nitro off Shelley Beach

We both had to agree, there have been many more bigger yellowfin up for the fight, along the backline reefs and deeper too, over the last few years. Right in our home waters, this is happening.

Ok sure, Richards Bay get some big sickles. But nobody would believe anybody, who said they saw a 100kg tuna anywhere near Protea Reef back in the eighties or nineties. But they have been seen in the past, and Brian Mackenzie once lost a 2 metre long yellowfin tuna, right under the boat, when I was 15 and fishing aboard Allison Anne. Off Port Shepstone. Denise Milton, also down at Shelley, once reported a shoal of tuna over 100kgs. None of us believed her.

The thing is, we have been stripped my many, many fish, on Protea Reef, and surrounds, over the past three decades. We were always stuck with Daiwa Sealines and Penn Senators. Slow retrieve and terrible drags. None of our tackle would have been up to a 100kg tuna back then.

But nowadays, everyone seems to have a few International W’s or their ilk, packed with line, and tied up proper. Stick a Kona on one of these outfits, and you are actually in with a chance.

So, either the big yellowfin have read the Sardine news about the mackerel and bait proliferation we have experienced on the south coast over the last decade or so. Or, they have been here all along, but now people finally have the tackle to stand up to the beasts..

Muchos Respect!

Keep tabs on things at The Sardine News here…https://thesardine.co.za

Or Facebook page here…http://facebook.com/thesardine.co.za/

And check out the Umzimkulu Marina if you want to get in on action like this.

 

 

 

 

 

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