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Fishing Addicts stock the Mydo

Deep-sea Port Shepstone: Sean Lange 25kg couta on the Niteshift

Fishing Addicts stock the Mydo

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!
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.

These four shops stock Mydos in Durban…

https://www.facebook.com/fishingaddicts.Clairwood.Durban/

https://www.facebook.com/Township-Hyper-261941777199241/

https://www.facebook.com/danwoods.fishingtackle

https://www.facebook.com/FishermansWarehouseDBN/

You can find the entire dealers list here…

https://thesardine.co.za/mydo/

And if your local shop doesn’t stock Mydos, we will gladly sell you some through our online store. See menu above.

And…a gallery of couta caught on Mydos…enjoy!

Perfect King Mackerel Bait - The MYDO Baitswimmer # 4 rigged with a mackerelSome MYDO history in the makingJannie Griesel with his Mydo caught couta at Sodwana this last weekend.Dalleen_44kg_Couta_MYDOMarc Lange - Team MYDO fishes with traces made from MYDO components since the eightiesa Huge couta by Marc Lange - 35kg's, one of three over 30kg's Marc got this super fishing dayThis 32kg emptied the TLD 25 three times. Sean Lange. MydoSharene Berry and her first crocodileLouis Posthumous and team have been using Mydos for decadesLouis Posthumous at left, knows all about catching couta. Sean Lange. Brian Davey, the inventor of the Mydo. Tavis Oostingh. Marc Lange.

Next time you are in the area, pop into Mohammed at Fishing Addicts in Durban. Fishing Addicts can be found at the map below…

Fishing Addicts

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1000lb Blue Marlin off Inhaca Island

Inhaca Island-1000lb-Blue-M

1000lb Blue Marlin off Inhaca Island

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.

More on FishBazaruto.com here.

More fishing experiences and options here.

 

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Yellowfin Tuna time in Mozambique

It most certainly is Yellowfin Tuna time here in Mozambique

Yellowfin Tuna time in Mozambique

Fresh in from Bazaruto Island: Captain Duarte Rato has been hard at all February, and rounds it all off with a fantastic trip he got together with his Dad and his son. Spanning three generations, the effort was serious enough, but with the help of Duarte Jnr’s mom Gretha, those yellowfin were really in deep trouble!

An exerpt from Duarte’s uber cool post,just recently published on http://fishbazaruto.com…

“As all who fish with us know my Dad, Jose Duarte, is a true salt, a real old man of the sea who spent his life in the Ocean, mostly on commercial vessels. He took me to sea from a very young age and, from a very early stage in my life, when my friends wanted to be Doctors, or fireman, or engineers, I knew I wanted to be a charter Captain. My oldest son, Duarte, who just turned 5, as definitely inherited the passion of the sea from us. Or should I say obsession! The boy dreams fishing, watches fishing videos as opposed to cartoons, spends huge amounts of time looking at my BlueWater, Ski-boat and Marlin Magazines and, at five, can easily identify between a Blue, a Black and a Striped!”

Read the whole post and see the complete gallery…

Yellowfin Tuna Jubilee for three generations…

Quick Mozambique fishing report…

The yellowfin tuna have also made an appearance of Tofo recently. Acres of birds enjoying the feast of small sardine-like fishies all over the place right now. Judging by some of the smashes going on, visible over a few kilometres even, there were some big fish on the hunt. Voracious attacks on the surface!

In the backline at Tofinho were the bonefish again. They looked like they could have been spawning as every now and then one lolled over another and a flash of underbelly was occasionally seen. Very cool to see them all so tightly knit and floating along just shy of the waves. If they were not spawning, then I am not sure what they were getting up to?! And no, they were not lemonfish!

Along the beach at Fatimas the bonefish pros were baiting up with prawn and squid and getting a handful of foot longs each. These guys just seem to know exactly when and where these fish decide to show up. This was a few days ago, as a front came through.

The markets are overloaded with lovely gamefish like couta, kingfish and tuna. The weather has been crappy, but aytime the row boats get themselves out there, they bring back nice fish.

Catching Yellowfin Tuna in Mozambique

Well the biggest one caught up in these tropical waters here so far, has to be this 72kg monster, by Duarte and crew, taken on a marlin rig, a few years ago. This fish caused quite a stir, as on this same day, they were all over the place. These huge yellowfin tuna, out of nowhere! And on a mission to smash into everything they could. Luckily this fish held on right to the end. Quite a few got away!

This is the biggest Yellowfin Tuna caught in mozambique by anyone we know. Yes Captain Duarte Rato again!
This is the biggest Yellowfin Tuna caught in mozambique by anyone we know. Yes Captain Duarte Rato again!

At around the same time, bigger class yellowfin tuna were being encountered up and down the East Coast seaboard of Southern Africa. Even Durban got a fish over 50kg’s. A new club record for all the years of that clubs existence.

Traditionally, yellowfin tuna just don’t hang in these tropical and warmer waters at all. Once they reach sexual maturity, which is 35 to 40kgs, they shoot over the horizon and into the “tuna lanes”.

But, tuna, all of the species, are well known for their feeding patterns. They can stick to a regimen like clockwork, often traversing hundreds of kilometres in a day as they migrate between feeding spots. Feeding spots that these highly intelligent fish know are going to produce at those times. And they can change feeding habits and patterns, completely.

Bluefin tuna used to use False Bay as one of their spots. These fish were most likely Southern Bluefin, which we still get in quite prolific numbers, right off our coast. The Transkei Wild Coast regularly sees legal longliners from Japan, there are two of them, catching Southern Bluefin Tuna, within cellphone signal distance from shore. These ships are based out of Durban and can be monitored on any AIS app, anytime. They catch serious fish. Billfish and Southern Bluefin. but the Bluefin that vacated False Bay in the seventies – have never come back!

Weirdly enough, Bluefin started pitching up off Ireland a while back. After a very long absence. Local anglers were amazed to see these huge fish coming right up to them, as they plied their regular fishing techniques right offshore. Soon, these guys were posting online, questions on how to catch Bluefin Tuna. And sure enough, they caught quite a few!

So the influx of bigger tuna to these shallower and more tropical waters, could be seen as an adjustment to their feeding patterns. An adjustment to the adjustments made as so many variables have to line up for natural events like sardine runs to occur.

So tackle up this next season. Keep that heavy duty popper at the ready!

Or better still, a Mydo SS Spoon. Heavy duty…

https://thesardine.co.za/product/mydo-ss-spoon-tuna-127-4-6mm/

Drag UP!

More about The MYDO SS Spoon range can be found here…

https://thesardine.co.za/product-category/fishingtackle/mydolures/mydossspoons/

Catch us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/thesardine.co.za/

 

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Bazaruto Fishing News

The GT 's of Bazaruto

Bazaruto Fishing News

Fresh in from Captain Duarte Rato of FishBazaruto.com, right from Bazaruto Island and the Archipelago that surrounds it…news this 10 February 2018. Bazaruto Fishing news…

The GT’s of Bazaruto

Duarte and his team have been operating the Bazaruto waters since forever. Duarte actually grew up fishing Mozambique. He has been doing marlin and sport fishing charter trips, ever since he was in school in Maputo! Right in the most hectic times around here!

Duarte mainly targets really big marlin (I’ve heard him say – “I hate light tackle!”, a number of times). And he has caught them! Over a thousand pounds is the mark, and Duarte has had many fish over that size off the famed Bazaruto Island. Including one released this season. You can read all about that fish right here…

First time angler catches grander Black Marlin…

FishBazaruto work with the lodges and hotels in and around Vilankulos, to arrange all sorts of excursions. It’s not only about fishing around here. Get in touch via http://fishbazaruto.com to arrange…

  • Dhow and Island Picnic Trips
  • Ocean Safaris
  • Fat bike rides
  • Mangrove tours by canoe
  • Cultural experiences
  • Whale watching (winter time)
  • Snorkeling

Vilankulos Island Cruises and Snorkeling trips

The next time you plan a trip up to the Bazaruto Archipelago or Vilankulos, get in touch with FishBazaruto first to assist you in making the best arrangements and plans for your time here. Weather and tide are factors so the more in advance we can plan, the better.

Catch us on Facebook at…

https://web.facebook.com/fishbazaruto/

https://web.facebook.com/thesardine.co.za/

More about FishBazaruto…

Welcome to Vilankulos & the Bazaruto Archipelago, one of World’s best Giant Black Marlin fishing destinations. With 16 years experience in the area our experienced crew invites you to step aboard one of our fully rigged sportfishers, for a fishing experience of a lifetime. We have continuously been the archipelago´s top billfish charter boat for well over a decade and have caught more grander (1000 pound plus) Grander Black Marlin than any other in Africa. Blue and Striped marlin can also be caught out wide and the by-catch of other species such as sailfish, wahoo, Yellowfin tuna, dorado, cuda, Kingfish and other’s makes this an extremely versatile and exciting destination. We cater for experienced and novice anglers alike and for those interested in making the most of the Archipelago’s diversity we happy to combine & package for other forms of fishing such as plugging for GT´s, vertical jigging, drop shot, fly fishing, light tackle spinning & conventional light tackle trolling.”

And a gallery of their latest news post…

Bazaruto Fishing News

So click on over to FishBazaruto…

http://fishbazaruto.com

Post by The Sardine News

 

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100kg marlin on a Mydo off Port Shepstone today

100kg marlin on a Mydo off Port Shepstone today

At 4 am this early morning, whilst I was tossing and turning (dreaming of marlin perhaps) with another bout of the Big M. (Malaria) – I sensed some activity outside.

My brother Marc was back from Angola. And he had his son Brandon and his mate Tristan Roodt.

They were prepping the good boat Niteshift, and soon headed out through the Umzimkulu River mouth, into a rough and ready ocean. All confused from the day before as the south and north wind argued like they have been. From my angle, the wind just blew and blew, but with high tide all day, I knew they could return anytime they liked really.

But they didn’t.

The first Instagram video came through – wasting time with a shark.

But then silence. For ages.

The wind got right up again. 20 Knots or more. Ideal dorado weather. And marlin!

And so it was, the early birds, after spending a good few hours getting into the swing of the day, found the worm.

The dorado came screaming in and a total of five eventually made it into the hatch for a free boat ride. Many got away and lost out.

Delicious dorado for dinner! Reward for releasing the marlin!
Delicious dorado for dinner! Reward for releasing the marlin!

At one point, Marc took a look at his plugging outfit looking all lonely. So in sympathy, he picked it up and gave it a lob. As it hit the water, without any sign or warning, a tasty little yellowfin tuna smashed it! Luck? I dunno?

Marlin!

Then all of a sudden, there it was. An angry 100kg plus marlin picked on the blue number 2 Mydo Livebaitswimmer, armed with those reliable 5x little black trebles from Mustad.

Not wanting to cause the fish too much distress before he let it go, Marc pushed the drag right up and gave the jumping, dancing fish the gears. In 25 minutes he had the fish beat and behaving in front of the boat?! Marc pulled the tiny trebles out easily enough, and sent it on its way a lot more wily and suspicious of those Mydos and how good they are rigged!

The Mydo LiveBaitSwimmer is just like a Baitswimmer, but it has a strong little single hook to pin the lively live bait with. There are two weights, 1 Oz and 2Oz, so you can keep your livies away from eachother, on the drift, or on the troll.

More about the lure Marc used to catch this marlin today…and details of which shops carry The Mydo range can be found at https://thesardine.co.za/mydo/

https://thesardine.co.za/product/mydo-live-baitswimmer-2/

If your local tackle store does not stock our homegrown and proven brand, then by all means, please buy online!

Catch The Mydo on Facebook at http://facebook.com/mydofishinglures/

 

 

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