Wahoo are around in fair number as is reported by spearos up and own the KZN coast. The blue water has been coming right close in often, last weekend the water was a toasty 25.19 degrees. Just the way the Wahoo and Billfish like it. Yep, with the Wahoo come the Sailfish, and the Striped Marlin. The stripeys around here this time of year come in shoals.! And we can expect the second showing of dorado anytime soon. Especially with the recent downpurs and resulting brown water line.
Over to Jason…
Diving conditions have been average this week with one or two day’s being excellent. Autumn fish are here with shoals of 10kg spannish mackerel around and wahoo putting in an appearance . Saturday a light  southwest blows early switching to a light to moderate northeast later in the day with a negligible swell of 1.3m running. Sunday a light to  moderate offshore blows in the morning switching to a moderate onshore in the afternoon with the swell running at 1.6m. So    Saturday gets100 percent green light for a  dive with game fish switching on as the onshore starts to blow. Fish of the week goes to Luke with a slab of a wahoo and club merit fish goes to Garrett with a bus  Queen Fish. As always dive safe and straight spears.
Video: Croc couta caught off Southport – KZN Lower South Coast
Croc couta caught off Southport – KZN Lower South Coast. See the video after the story below…
It was a lekker early launch with little comparable drama as the Niteshift plowed her way over the sandbar, bashed a few waves, and got us out the back. Captain Brian Lange (my Dad) has done this before!
Soon we found ourselves sounding around for bait – there were very many other boats out there this Sunday 24 March 2018. Louis Posthumous, his son Shawn and Noel Allchin already had bait they were so early. And were slow trolling comfortably in position. Boats were up and down this normally quiet piece of water.
But the bait eluded us and for a while, and we wandered around the usual mackerel hangouts but got only little useless orange fishies and a few cigar shaped maasbankers, or karapauw if you are up north. But then our lady crew on board, Ansie van Biljon (she was meant to bring the luck too), had her rod buckled over as a whole shoal of mackerel jumped onto her hooks. A full and tangled line later the mackerel were swimming lekker in their new home. Our live bait hatch. Ansie went down again and straight away got into it on the way down. She pulled and pulled and next thing three tiny little bonito come flying through the air. Bang! This was our ticket.
We pinned the first one onto a Mydo #1 with two solid 5X trebles and a new trace, and as Dad dropped the anchor to hold us where the baitfish were, I let the bait out the back. The current was winding and I set the Mydo at 10 metres deep, and turned to work on the other two bonnies. But as soon as I started, the TLD 25 screamed blue murder and we sprang into action.
Ansie cleared the lines and tidied the boat. Good crew that she is. And my Dad fired up and jammed the boat into reverse to pop the anchor. It all worked for a change (most times when we try this, the anchor holds stubbornly) and next thing we were loose!
But the fish had taken a steam train run first off and the backing was in sight. And next thing, as we get into the backing – a crossed line! I just backed right off as my Dad got us going, let all the line go, to the spool, and then started again properly. I got all the line back on the first chase, but when the fish saw us, he bolted again. All the line off the reel, even though we were motoring after him. But we got the line back again. We had drifted about 3 kms so far, the current was so strong.
The second run tired the couta out and we closed the deal with little fuss, and the gaff went in!
Ansie caught some nice reds and a few barbel, and then the second bait screamed. Not quite as fast, but fast enough to get all excited again, pull the anchor a second time, and give chase. What a fight! It was too strong to be a couta, we realised after 10 minutes. It might be anything the way it darted around and ran so fast.
Then all of sudden there was a blacktip shark. Or spinner shark, as they spin their way into the sky in amazing leaps. We got away with a clean release,
Then a hammerhead took our third bait…and it was time to get back in the mouth before the tide dropped too low.
Ansie was clearing the reef of Julius’
King mackerel off Southport, Natal Lower South Coast
Southport has some cool little patches of reef scattered about the place. Perfect for couta
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With a bonito behaving beautifully on a Mydo #1 Baitswimmer, we knew we had a chance or three
Happiness is…
If you want to get in on this type of action, get in touch with The Umzimkulu Marina at the link below.
Fishing Addicts in Clairewood, south Durban, have recently taken delivery of the entire range of Mydo Fishing Lures. Other stockists of Mydos in Durban are Township Hyper up the hill in the Chatsworth area, and Danwood Fishing Tackle, in the north, in Tongaat. And Fisherman’s Warehouse slap bang in the centre of Durbs.
This is just in time for big ‘couta as the season hots up with the start of April. April has been the pattern for the big crocodile sized couta visiting our waters here in Natal. Well southern Natal particularly, as the bigger fish seem to like going the furthest south. Hibberdene to Port Edward. And even further – way down into the Transkei.
Fishing with Mydos will help you catch fish like this. Available at Fishing Addicts too now!
Team Mydo, fishing on the Niteshift, off Southport, on Sunday, got one of the first. At 25kgs it’s a lovely fish, taken using a #1 Mydo Baitswimmer rigged with a little baby bonito. Or jube-jube, as they are more commonly known by seasoned couta anglers in Natal.
The #1 has always been a favourite for fishing the 20m contours, where this fish came from. It takes care of the middle echelons of the water column. When fishing with live baits, it’s important to keep the little critters well away from each other. So one down deep, on a #2, 3 or 4, depending on wind and current. Then the #1 in the middle. And a float rigged bait right on top. Sometimes two. But fishing with these deadly live baits and having more than one rod per angler in the water, can ruin everything when the strike comes.
These fish empty a TLD25 two or three times. Fast. Before they start their never ending circles under and around the boat. You really have to be a polished team and real quick to give chase or you will be spooled. Sometimes the fish goes in the right direction and you can give chase leaving one or two live baits out. The floated ones are better for this because you can see where they are.
Mydos are rigged with serious 5X trebles that really hold on. Heavier wire on the droppers, and a nice long leader. The baitswimmers are designed for dead baits. They impart an action to the bait as it’s trolled along. Speeds of up to 6 knots are fine, if you have a nice fresh and strong bait like a ballyhoo (aka halfbeak).
For livebaits, either use some elastic to keep the bait in control and on the pin. Or use a Mydo Livebaitswimmer. This head has a powerful little hook up front, which you can delicately put through the top lip of your bait. This will keep him happy and swimming just the way you want him to. There are two sizes of Livebaitswimmer – the #1 at 0.7 Oz, and the #2, at 1.5 Oz. And there are 7 sizes of the Baitswimmer range.
1000lb Blue Marlin off Inhaca Island: Mozambiques first reported Blue Marlin weighing over a thousand pounds was taken recently. Captain Duarte Rato of FishBazaruto has been offering marlin fishing experiences, down off Inhaca Island, for the month of March of each year. This is the time the big blues make an appearance in good numbers in these wild waters.
Carl Jankowitz, who got a grander black last year too, off Bazaruto, was in the hotseat. But his years of experience in the chair and fishing with Duarte paid off, and his second grander came to the boat. Unfortunately, after 2 hours, the fish was tail wrapped, couldn’t move, and died on the disappointed crew. Who tag and release all billfish normally.
Also featuring in the video, is the hectic launch at Santa Maria. Between Inhaca Island and Santa Maria, it gets wild. Known as Hell’s Gate, this place is really mean in any swell, and is to be feared by most! But the excellent boat handling by the Captain of the good ship FourPlay, hops the crew through safely and out into the ocean.
Duarte tags and releases hundreds of billfish. He works with international partners who collate the data and formulate billfish management strategies worldwide. His tagging and DNA sampling that he does, is invaluable to these decision and policy makers.
April sees Duarte and the FishBazaruto crew back on Bazaruto Island, where he has an appointment or two with the seasonal striped marlin and sailfish, that will be runninng through those crazy waters any time now. Black marlin are still encountered in April, but mainly they are quite small. In fact, very small. Saltwater fly fishers absolute dream, as these baby blacks take to the skies with far more energy and speed than their parents. They are aggressive and take anything you throw at them. Such performances!
So whatever is on your menu? Billfish of all species and sizes. Seasonal appearances mean you can literally target the bill you are after, be it a sail, a stripe, a black or a blue. And in between an endless ruccous of ratchets screaming as the myriad of gamefish try compete with the bills for attention.
If this is your game, get in touch with Duarte via http://fishbazaruto.com, where you can see the many options available, as we tailor make your ultimate fishing experience.
Are you looking for a Holiday Home in Tofo? Check out Casa Frenzy…
Outside kitchen
Another comfy seating area that doubles as a sleeper, with mozzie net. Casa Franzy
Casa Frenzy – your Holiday Home in Tofo
Casa Frenzy is a fantastic house to host parties in. Your favourite Holiday Home in Tofo
Another colourful sunset saturates the scene on the way to Casa Frenzy
Shot by The Frenzy herself, from the backline way out off the front
Literally hidden behind the primary dune and in the bush
Casa Frenzy is a super cool and big enough house for diving and surfing families – who want to take a relaxing break in a Holiday Home in Tofo
Ideally situated on the shoreline only a few clicks north of the marvelous Praia do Tofo beach and partying town. Casa Frenzy is set snugly into the indigenous vegetation directly behind the primary beach dune. It’s a 100 meter walk and you are in the warm clear Indian Ocean. Swimming or snorkeling your time away.
Then you might be prepared to hit the deep blue, and jump with the whale sharks, mantas, and dolphins that Tofo has become internationally known for. The reefs and ocean life in Tofo are rich and fascinating. There are heaps of reefs and dive spots between far Barra in the north, and Manta Reef, in the south. In between these two extremes, must be 20 named scuba spots.
Enjoy this cool video by ArtSurfer, shot by Renske Massing, with underwater companion Zito, a little while ago – in December 2017.
More about the enthralling town of Tofo…
Loads of dive centres to choose from
snorkelling or scuba
surf lessons for beginners and advanced
Island trips and dhow travels
Beachcombing
sport angling
vehicle and boat rental
Inhambane City visits
nightlife
local and international cuisine
fresh seafood daily
fresh foods grown right in Tofo
Coconuts and cashews
Tipo Tinto Rum and 2M cerveja
There are really so many things for everybody to do in and around the Praia do Tofo area. The Inhambane Bay allures with it’s enchanted islands and purple blue channels. Complete peace and quiet and accessible to everybody in the family or tour group. The swimming and snorkeling at Barra is terrific and you may even become a close acquaintance with a little seahorse or two.
So click on over to our newly updated Casa Frenzy page and connect through the easy as form…
