My one big Kob in Port St. Johns

My one big Kob in Port St. Johns

My one big Kob in Port St. Johns by Sean Lange, many years ago…

When I got there I could feel it already.

Out the car, gawkers all round, and there I see it – a bunch of huge Zambies, milling around, lolling around – frolicking really, out in the middle of the clear Umzimvubu River.

I have started to shake already, trembling with fervour, before I even find out the truth.

It’s KOB! They were so big they looked like Zambezi Sharks!

I had a small MYDO SS Spoon but I knew it was the wrong lure. It was meant for fast-moving fish like Garrick or shad, not lolling kob, in the middle of their love dance. No, its got to be slow and sensual, if you want to bag one of these ultra-sensitive fish.

So, I chose the biggest plastic I have, tied all new leaders – an Albright special even, and clambered back down the embankment.

The guy on my right was vas on a fish as I tried to cast to the horizon. The fish were far away. Bad luck came the guys way. After a solid 20 minute fight, the huge Garrick he was manoeuvring skillfully was a couple metres out and on the surface. It would have gone 20kgs plus – a huge fish. And then I was reminded why we never sell our MYDO lures without the very best rigging. The split ring, split. Garrick gone!

Then the shoal, or another one, surfaced towards the river mouth, and the crew belted across the rocks like dassies running from fish eagles, leaving me alone halfway up the channel. Where I stayed and enjoyed the moment. All this action. I had certainly heard all about it, but never witnessed this first hand.

Port St. Johns is hot!

I could not believe my ears, eyes or anything when I went double with a real solid strike. And sheeez this fish had some power. it swam around like it never knew it was hooked, but eventually took off for Perth, the long way round. Luckily I was all-new with some power equipment, and my 20lb braid with new knots gave me super confidence.

Local dude Damian was now my coach and he was guiding me right and left as I tried to tire the evidently large fish. It was miles from me and my braid was dangerously close to the rocks so often as the fish ran up the channel, and then all the way back. I had stopped all the other guys from fishing. Many thanks to those considerate fellows.

So I hopped, skipped and jumped down towards the mouth in a high speed off-road chase, and finally caught up to it. The super-light stick I had, with the new braid, did wonders in keeping the line taught as I climbed up and down, a metre at a time…those rocks are treacherous!

The fish went the other way again and again, and really was irritated now, and was shwoing its real strength. It really went and went and went, and then in the distance, it came up, and I saw it. KOB!

45 Minutes later…

We cooked up a storm at place where we have been staying whilst doing some marketing work in the Port St. Johns area. I wasn’t actually there fishing. In the end, the fish fed so many grateful people. It was delicious. Ten meals at least!

But.

I will never take another kob like that one. It was my kob of a lifetime. We all deserve one. And that is the point here.

One each!

Will hopefully leave some behind to spawn.