Feature Archives - Page 12 of 50

Posted on August 30, 2017September 1, 2017 by Sean Lange — Leave a comment

Guinjata Kingfish

Guinjata Kingfish

Guinkata kingfish in the early morning – working at Guinjata in Southern Mozambique, left me with many indelible memories. Fortunately, as it turned, as kids, we grew up with two ruffians named Ralph and Greg Jones – and it was this very same Ralph, that I was now working with – fishing together with Seabound Charters! Our Dads had fished together in the seventies, our Mom’s ratted us all out together. We had fought and ambushed each other daily…and here we were, fishing for marlin together, 40 years later!

We were running three boats back then, this was a good ten years ago (2007 odd), Ralph Snr, Ralph Jnr and then me. Launch time was set at 7am each day. This gave time to skirt the beach with a spinning stick each morning, before getting into the shorebreak. This particular morning, I had found a shoal of angry baby kingfish, that were being sucker punched by my little red fly – tied half a metre in front of my dropshot.

The Mydo dropshot got the rig way out the back and presented the fly in mid to top water as it dragged through the shorebreak, about 10 metres out. Bang on literally every time. I was having such a blast and this particular morning, had caught and gently released about 30 of the beautiful little kingies. Glorious.

I almost never noticed the little kid sitting up the beach watching me.

But eventually he approached me with a defiant posture and gait, and blurted out in Portuguese – “Se você deixar um peixe mais, eu chamarei a polícia”.

Translated means…

“If I let one more fish go, he would call the police?!?!”

Estimated 60kg GT released in southern Mozambique. Just a few clicks north of Guinjata

To fish the crystal clear and warm waters of Mozambique, browse the Tips and Travel menu item at the top of the The Sardine News.

Posted on August 29, 2017August 29, 2017 by Sean Lange — Leave a comment

Possible final sardine report for 2017

Possible final sardine report for 2017 – although you never know! Sometimes the sardines only come in September and later?!

Sardines have still been spotted along the backline, sporadically this last week of August 2017. With some huge fish harassing them. And now it turns into a fishing report! It’s not just dolphins anymore, there are all sorts of predators – yellowfin tuna,

And now this turns into a fishing report!

It’s not just dolphins anymore (still plentiful, whales too), there are all sorts of predators – yellowfin tuna, garrick and snoek that are on the take right now. As the almost great 2017 sardine run runs out, the fish are getting active. Visible in flashes along the backline, smashing at baitfish all over the place. Especially since it’s spawning time right now too. So – take a photo and just chuck em back, especially now when the populations are in this vulnerable state.

On the lower south coast – shad are still easy targets – the piers at Margate and Uvongo being useable and consistent. DAFF have been maintaining a presence.

Watch out an angry garrick doesn’t smash your shad spoon in the thick of a good bite. When the shad are on, the garrick literally swim along the shore break to ambush – sometimes right in front of your eyes! Three or four at once! Keep that big stick at hand!

The serious guys who fish the early hours, are difficult to keep tabs on, but speaking to a few of them, in the usual carparks they haunt – it’s been a slow but consistent season for kob off the beach. Pink plastics seem to be the go down in Port Edward, but at Port Shepstone, it’s still the milky white. There are surprisingly few anglers throwing plastics (just even for daytime fish) and many good sessions are going by without being noticed.

Jason Heyne’s weekly spearfishing report shows the same garrick and kob trend. But some big king mackerel up north, between Sodwana and Vidal, are also indicative that the sardine run is well and truly done and dusted.

Len Mathews sent in this pic of his mate fishing at Cape Vidal yesterday – a lovely couta caught on a Mydo Baitswimmer #3.

A lekka Sodwana couta caught with the help of a Mydo Baitswimmer #3 provided by Len Mathews

A special thanks to Fishing’s Finest in Pretoria for this year sponsoring the Sardine News Sardine Report for 2017. Check their cool site and store at http://fishingsfinest.co.za

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Sean Lange — Leave a comment

Craft Shop for Fishing Tackle in Margate

For Mydo fishing tackle in Margate, head in to The Craft Store

Craft Shop for Fishing Tackle in Margate

Mydo Lures are happy to announce that their availability of their fishing tackle in Margate, South Africa, is on the increase.

The Craft Shop, an institution down on the lower south coast of KZN Natal, has been stocking a locally focused range of fishing tackle in Margate and boating items, for decades. They even got outboard motors for sale!

And now they stock The Mydo too!

The fishing tackle section of The Craft Store is run by angler Mervyn, who has the backup of Mnr. Steyn, with many years of fishing and boating the south coast waters. The Mydos available at Craft are – the lively Luck Shot jigheads, the SS Spoon range and Mydo Baitswimmers. Each lure with it’s own application suited to the fishing challenges and opportunities that the south coast beat has to offer.

The boating section inside The Craft Store, is thorough. From lifejackets to propellors to fittings to…everything you need for safe boating and your seaworthy certificate.

Prices are great and the service is excellent!

Mydo Lure Pouch: Can fasten lure on rod for safe travels and fishing

The original baitswimmers love their new packaging

MYDO Lure Pouch used to protect almost anything

BTW – The Craft Shop is a full on hardware store actually. That also features an art department and more. It’s a bit of an all-in-one place. Just make some time to make a visit by and get through all those aisles!

To get to The Craft Shop, follow this easy map…

You can get in touch with The Craft Shop via Facebook too…where you can see just why they are such a huge hit with the people of the KZN Natal South Coast.

https://web.facebook.com/craftshopmanaba/

Or just pop right in!

Posted on August 24, 2017 by Sean Lange — Leave a comment

Fish Eagle 0 Fish 1: tight game down on the Umzimkulu

The Fish Eagles of the Umzimkulu wake lodge guests at the Umzimkulu Marina, each morning. Don't worry though, they start at a reasonable hour - fishing time!

Fish Eagle 0 Fish 1

Our two resident fish eagles, a pair that have been living and breeding here on the lower Umzimkulu River, for decades it feels, were circling over head. The colours of the afternoon showing no sign of the impending cold front. The sun was out. The river had swelled magnificently since the mouth started closing.

And there were fish about. As I edged along the bouncy noisy floating jetty at the Umzimkulu Marina, a bunch of mullet were startled by something 50 m down towards the mouth. The blue-tailed guys were jumping for joy (according to science), and there were kingfish-like smashes going on, sporadically, all over. The perfectly calm water making it so much easier to see fish and movement.

Then one of my favourite things – a turtle! It popped his head up down where those mullet were having a panic from before. I cast one near him, kingfish and all sorts tag turtles when they hunting, but remembering a turtle ate my lure twice before in this river, I quickly cranked away.

Enjoying the scene, cast after cast, things looking good for putting in some real fishing time. And I really am looking for a garrick, to round off my winter estuary season.

And there came the fish eagle. Locked on target. Heading for the grunter bank in the middle, a hundred metres in front of me. Picking up speed and lowering trajectory he came in like a missile. Swooping in, the flaps came on and the the highly adapted landing gear came out.

Bang! Splash! Chaos!

The fish eagle literally came to a dead halt. Whaaaaat. We have twice seen the fish eagles here kill huge otters. And eat them all day right in front of us on Dead Man’s Island. So this was unbelievable!

As much as the eagles wings were flapping like crazy – the huge bird went right under for a second. But it came back up and the battle waged on. It looked like the fish eagle was still in the game at one point. The birds wings took for a moment, and I saw the huge back of whatever it was on the bottom end, being dragged up and out of the water. Huge, like 10kgs or so. But then a violent twist and huge splashing brought the eagle tumbling back down into the water.

The eagle came back up thrashing. And then it just let go!

Fish Eagle 0 Fish 1

The fish eagle then flew off into the sun, and found a rad spot on a huge tree. And let out a huge fish eagle cry. But it sounded like laughter. And when it’s partner joined in with a chorus – it also sounded very high spirited – like – “Hey man how big was that fish dude!” Whaaahaaahaaahaaa…

True fish eagles! Having a blast down on the river in the afternoon.

Brown water in KZN: Andrew van Biljon and another baby kingfish about to be released back into the Umzimkulu

Dejan Vujevic and his Umzimkulu Rock Salmon

Sharene Berry kob killer on the Umzimkulu River

Umzimkulu River rock salmon fishing spot

Come and join us down at the Umzimkulu River…get in touch on umzimkulu@gmail.com or check out our river fishing packages at the following link:

Umzimkulu Estuary Fishing

https://thesardine.co.za/product/umzimkulu-ambush-5-days/

Posted on August 19, 2017September 1, 2017 by Sean Lange — 2 Comments

Max Mogeson’s first Rock Salmon

A few weekends back we had a huge influx of fishing mad kids down at the Umzimkulu Marina. Including a chap named Max who took the right ride out to rock salmon alley, on the Mad Mullet. He caught his first rock salmon – and so he brought it home and cooked it for his Mom.

With a magnificent turnaround in weather conditions, the fish in the Umzimkulu came alive this sunny 19th August 2017 morning.

Fishing brothers Liam and Jarrod Gallagher were up at crackers loading the Mad Mullet with her powerful new 4 horse Yamaha. Their mate Max Mogeson made up the three anglers and Brian Lange was at the helm.

After getting the boat back to seaworthy after the recent rains nearly flooded The Mad Mullet, the lucky anglers left the Umzimkulu Marina in high spirits. Liam had netted a live mullet so they headed straight for rock salmon alley.

It wasn’t long before Jarrod was jammed up against the gunwhale as a serious rock salmon came to fight. He was actually a bit too serious and ended up winning hands down.

Live bait gone.

And so they switched to lures and trolled along the northern channel towards the river mouth.

Bang the rod went again. So Max was given a go at his first gamefish. It worked him hard and he had tired arms and deep breath by the time it was flapping on the deck.

Being his first rockie, Max was allowed to take it back to base for a braai.

And a big thank you to The Sardine News correspondent and photographer Tracey Saayman for always being on the spot.

Max Mogeson's first Rock Salmon — Max Mogeson’s first Rock Salmon. Max is on the left, Liam and Sienna Gallagher on the right. Max says he will throw them all back from now on – but this rock salmon was delicious on the braai in foil and garlic butter!

Then the next crew of kids got all excited and Calum and older brother Kyle Saayman headed across in their little boat – Unsinkable 2. They had been schooled in the art of fishing awith a sardine head and soon Kyle was fighting his first rock salmon too. Jack Russells Chelsea and Satch were unfortunately on the boat too, and they cannot control themselves with rock salmon, or any fish for that matter. So they jumped on the lively fish. The fish jumped back at them and a dorsal spine went straight through the pontoon. Calum jumped to stick something in the hole, the dogs came back into the ring, Kyle grabbed the injured fish and someone fell onto one of the rods and smashed two of the eyes. Chaos!

There was no ways that rock salmon was going to make it back into the water, and it also became Mom’s lunch!

[peg-image src=”https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ShusV9ax2wc/WaefklL7RPI/AAAAAAAAK0k/c9f6k7HcqB86cftaHZiU3shV27cMARJ6QCCoYBhgL/s144-o/FullSizeRender-1.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/105055692697822421688/6460307644026744497#6460307641292506354″ caption=”Kyle Saayman and his first rock salmon. Caught in the Umzimkulu Estuary on his boat Unsinkable 2. Using a sardine head as bait…” type=”image” alt=”FullSizeRender-1.jpg” image_size=”768×1024″ ]

They also promise the next ones will go back…

And a few pics from recent weekends at the Umzimkulu Marina…http://umzimkulu.co.za