Tag: mike stubbs

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Another huge couta catch

Another huge couta catch down on the KZN South Coast

Another huge couta catch

And another huge couta catch by ‘unidentified for now‘, Shawn Posthumous and Mike Stubbs, down on the lower south coast of KZN, South Africa, a few years back.

We don’t have too much detail on this fish, but here is a gallery on other fish these two talented and dedicated anglers have logged with The Sardine News, the past few years.

 

Another huge couta catch down on the KZN South CoastMike Stubbs really enjoying the south coast fishing this time of year.Mike Stubbs and another worthy king mackerel...Yellowtail...by Mike StubbsMike Stubbs again, this time off the Sandspit with a huge daga salmon

Both anglers are highly competitive and as a team are just about invincible.

To get in on some of this huge couta action, buzz me on umzimkulu@gmail.com. We have a wide choice of boats and fishing grounds on offer. And great accommodation at The Umzimkulu Marina, when available (you can fish the Umzimkulu River for Rock Salmon right there at night and go out to sea for couta during the day). Many other options. The season runs through August and even into September some years. But May through July are the hottest months statistically.

Don’t forget your Mydo Baitswimmers for targeting croc couta…click the image below…

Click for the Mydo Catalogue
Click for the Mydo Catalogue
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Bass season in KZN kicks off

Bass season in KZN kicks off

Just before the huge low pressure that blasted through this past week, the barometric pressure was sky-high…and the bass were on the feed. This is typical bass behavior in early season,when the high pressure / low pressure systems battle it out for supremacy, every few days. This happens through the whole of August and then mellows into September and October, our best bassin’ months.

Bass are starting to nest and become territorial and aggressive now. If you consistently work a good drop-off or underwater feature, an angry bass will take offence soon enough.

Here is Mike Stubbs again, with his first bass of the 2014 bass season in KZN…

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Musselcracker by Mike Stubbs and other KZN South Coast stories…

 

Musselcracker by Mike Stubbs and other KZN south coast stories.

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Musselcracker by Sardine Correspondent, Mike Stubbs…

Check out this tasty Musselcracker caught by Mike Stubbs off Saint Michaels. On a shallowish reef, a fresh sardine fillet bait coaxed the musselcracker to bite. The deep sea fishing has been really good…reports of yellowtail off the deeper spots behind Protea, geelbek all over, and the odd amberjack in the mix.

Sharks are still everywhere, as soon as the geelbek start feeding, the tax man pitches up. You can see them on the echo sounder, swimming up and down the water column waiting to ambush your prized salmon on the end of your line. It’s a matter of getting one or two, up lines and move somewhere else, repeat the maneuver.

Off the side it’s been a bit quiet, the shad only making early morning appearances…and the garrick are staying shy for the moment. Daga salmon at night is the in thing to do right now – grab a paddletail and patrol the channels behind the shorebreak…

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A great catch by Saturday’s charter crew on the Niteshift. These guys (shoes shown above) drove down on Friday night, fished The Block until morning, got on the boat at first light, returned after the fishing through the entire low tide…and drove back that night?! Now that’s commitment!
Young Nathan Boddly from Paddock spent a weekend at Fishin's Cool Fishing School, learning to tie knots, untangle overwinds and pose with other guys fish!
Young Nathan Boddly from Paddock spent a weekend at Fishin’s Cool Fishing School, learning to tie knots, untangle overwinds and pose with other guys fish!

Fishin’s Cool Fishing School is about to fire up again…stay posted for more information regarding times and tides and slots available.

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Welcome to Mike Stubbs – new Sardine correspondent and photographer

Welcome to Mike Stubbs: Sardine Correspondent and Photographer

Yellowtail...
Yellowtail…Mike spends time in both salt and fresh water…

As of this month, Mike Stubbs is joining us a writer and photographer, covering various aspects of the fishing world, as he travels around the South African tournament calendar.

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Stubbs catches freshwater and saltwater fish the same…and on all sorts of tackle – this tiger fish on a fly!

 

Rosy Jobfish...
Rosy Jobfish…out in the deep…

Aswell as being dialled in an in the know, Mike is handy with a GoPro camera, as can be seen by this video of a tiger shark being subdued and released…

 

Meet all of our correspondents and contributors here…

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Violence on Protea Reef!

The first drift yielded not a touch on our awesome spread of live baits. Until we reached the southern pinnacle on Protea Reef, off Shelley Beach. Funnily enough the first beating was taken on a plug with the drag set to 8kg’s the yellowfin swam around the boat as if it was still hunting. Only when it went right around us and behind the motors did it take off. Mike Stubbs and I wrestled the rod between the other sticks with the huge Finnor spinning reel smoking and screaming blue murder. The hooks pulled out on that blistering run and all of a sudden the bait sticks started screaming.

We were three sticks away dancing around the boat each with his own set of problems. Luckily mine came off and I was able to help gaff and boat the fish my Dad (Brian Lange) and Stubbs were fighting.
The moon was silver bright and we never needed a light as the sun disappeared in a sky of red and the fish went wild. Free jumping and swimming tuna all around the boat but the bigger ones were just being so violent as rod after rod screamed.
I was beaten up by a monster eventually handing the rod to Stubbs who in turn gave ot to my Dad until the line parted.
We hooked and battled many big tuna and luckily a few small ones which were easier to boat.
Protea Reef is an incredible place but very difficult to fish with a 3 to 4 knot current prevailing, huge sharks and jagged reef – not to mention the outsized fish. Even though the yellowfin seldom get over 35kg’s here, they fight double as hard in the shallower waters and tackling up is the only solution.