Category: Mydo

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Thrilling start to KZN South Coast billfish bite

Philips first sailfish was on a Penn Jigmaster 500L

Thrilling start to KZN South Coast billfish bite

A thrilling start to KZN South Coast billfish bite: there are many billfish hunting along the colour line on the KZN South Coast right now!

KZN South Coast billfish bite. Fish released.

Arriving dead on time, same as the dorado, the billfish are here! Sightings, encounters and hookups aplenty.

See the movie – of Phillip’s first sailfish – at the bottom end of this post.

The colour line/halocline has also seen some very early season couta coming out aswell! It’s looking good for the summer gamefish and billfish season down here on the south coast.

Spearos

The spearos, as usual, were the first to report the incoming billfish. A shoal of striped marlin on the shoal. They got one or two – this was even about a month back. Check out https://masterwatermen.co.za for up-to-date intel on what’s going on in the ocean around here.

The Colour Line

The seam/colour line is the halocline representing where the Mozambique blue water meets the runoff rainwater of the KZN wet season. We have a few functioning estuaries left. The Umkomaas pumps out a beautiful plume. As does the Umzimkulu – the last free-flowing river of significance in the whole of Africa. Likened in ecological importance to the Okavango delta, this river still experiences the full effect of the flood pulse. There are attempts underway to impede this vitally important and functional flood pulse by building a weir 9kms upriver. This would impede both the flood pulse and the tidal pulse.

Ain’t gonna happen – if you would like to learn more, please visit https://thegreennet.org.za.

So right now, the flood pulse pulsed, and we have a beautiful halocline line to work. This is an amazing piece of structure that gives rise to a load of fish action.

Everybody comes to this party.

Baitfish

Concentrations of mackerel, shad, mozzies and even red-eye sardines hang in the shallows to feed. And to hide from the monsters. Who patrol up and down the line, looking to ambush anything that moves. So it’s simply a matter of getting a live bait or two, and slow-trolling them along the line.

Big baits for billfish

Dorado can’t really that easily gulp down a big shad. Or bonito. Or mackerel. Anything else just gets swallowed whole. So to get a billfish out of this melee, chuck out really big live bait.

And don’t mess around with the trace either. Use heavy leader (300 to 400lb) and a big old circle hook. And make the trace looooong (4m at least – so you can grab that leader and take control at the boat). The big mommas are also here. We saw at least one over 600 on the day this accompanying sailfish video was shot.

It goes without saying that you really need line capacity (1000 metres), a strong drag (12 to 15kgs) and good knots (bimini or any double line to clip swivel works fine – make a long double line too – 5 metres if you can)!

Phillip’s 1st Sailfish on video

Yip!

That was a fun fish to catch! In the howling South Westerly as we waited for the tide. The saily just swam right by us and gulped down the live maasbanker. Literally in front of our eyes. The solid hookup caused the fish to throw its stomach. This is a defence mechanism that these and other billfish resort to when something gets stuck in their throats. Successful release but I never got the tag in this time. And all recorded on video. The video is structured in a way that you can use it to learn how to handle your first sailfish when it happens.

In the meantime, come fishing with us here at Umzimkulu Adrenalin, in Port Shepstone. Where the sailfish featured was caught.

In the following gallery, is guest star Phillip’s first dorado too. All he needs now is a couta and he the South Coast Slam done and dusted.

Click to check it out…

https://umzimkuluadrenalin.co.za

But ok, The Sardine News is powered by TLC for your business. Where you can have a website built for yourself or for your business! All frills included.

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Bucktails vs The Law

The Umzimkulu Special bucktail by Dirty Prawn

Bucktails vs The Law

Bucktails vs The Law: “Sean, Sean, please man, we need your assistance. We’ve been arrested for jigging with bucktails! Fishing down here in PSJ!”, came the call.

DAFF

And so I sprang into action. Called up my dear DAFF contact Bongani, and asked him about it all. Bongani pulled out of the Mtata traffic he was in at that moment, and we discussed the situation. Over the following piece of legislation.

The law!

While there is literally zero chance of misinterpreting the intent of section (c) – its application to real-life normal fishing methods and styles is alarmingly loose.

Back to the victims

And so I called up the two dudes with the R2500 fines in their back pockets. And asked them how hard they were jigging. The response was kind of really vague as he started comparing his “medium” jigging style, to the guys on the boats out at sea. Who jig like crazy, he claimed.

Blame mentality for justification

But ok, I’ve been picking up on a new environmentally destructive mentality all over recently. It goes like this…

“But the trawlers take everything…”. Or, “Have you seen those netters in the Cape…”. Or. “The deep-sea ous catch it all anyway…”. “The spearos shoot them”. And so on…

All kinds of blame is used to justify catching 10 shad, or 5 brushers. And with The Parks Board, nee Ezimvelo, gone and stripped of its guts and morals by corruption under Zuma. And DAFF totally untrained and unready to take on the sophisticated networks of poachers that exist now – it’s a literal free-for-all as the ocean gets looted every day. And people just look on and say nothing. And do nothing. And worse still, use one of the claims above, to become an ocean looter too.

Back to Jigging with Bucktails

Yes well if you gonna jerk up hard with apparent or seeming intent at jigging something in the body, you gonna get busted. This is the price it seems we have to pay, to have the law enforceable. I am sorry for the seemingly innocent dudes who got busted. But maybe in the future, legislation allowing certain lures to be jigged hard across estuary channels teeming with breeding fish will be passed.

But for now, it’s definitely possibly maybe illegal.

I was an illegal jigger

True confession. I was an illegal jigger! Yip. For absolute real. This is the story…

Brucifire and I were staying at Jungle Monkey. This was a long time ago. 2015 to be exact. I was in PSJ with Bruce making a movie about surfing 2nd beach. Which we did, made our point, and got out. But man did we get in trouble for that.

But ok, I woke up at that beautiful backpackers, joined Bruce for a coffee in the lookout. And watched the sun climb through the clouds. The tide was gonna turn soon and it was an idyllic morning.

Something weird was abuzz too. Something in the air, the atmosphere. It was all electric.

“Bruce, I’m just gonna go catch a fish quick, ok?”. Bruce grumbled something encouraging through his coffee-stained morning beard. And I trundled down to the beach. As I pulled up, there was quite a scene going on. I jumped out and looked out over the water towards Agate, and there I saw them.

“Zambies!”, I exclaimed.

“Nay Bru, kob!”, he corrected me in the local PSJ tongue.

I nearly had a heart attack. I’ve never seen it since. Those huge fish were lolling and rolling over each other, as they spawned. In front of my innocently bleeding eyes. I went into that mental state of flow, but it never worked at all. I first put on the wrong spoon. Then clambered back up and changed to a 2 Oz MYDO LuckShot Jighead and a 7 inch plastic jerktail. Pink?! Crashed back down the bank and started at a spot where I was kind of on my own. I saw a guy in the distance lose an honest 20kg garrick right at the bricks. Split ring broke right at the gaff! Fish were everywhere this crazy memorable day. Adrenalin pulsing.

And then it was me. A solid thump. Something really big. And I was vas. For the very first time in all the years, I have tried to get a big fish from the shore, finally, I was in the game. And an hour and a half later, the gaff went in. And the hook fell out.

I had hooked the fish under the chin. Not in the mouth.

I had illegally jigged the fish.

But it was totally by accident I tell ya!

Luckily, the 20lb light tackle had served its purpose and the hook stayed in without its barb helping once, for the entire 90 minutes. That fish was my first, and most certainly will be my last big kob.

You only need to catch one of these magnificent fish - in your whole life!
The TWO wise men -according to Brucifire! Visiting priests from Ethiopia to PSJ were mightily impressed. And took a photo op! You only need to catch ONE of these magnificent fish – in your whole life!

But ok, this all I had to process, before being able to resolve in my head, the fact…that jigging up hard and with seeming or apparent intent, is illegal.

No matter what lure you have tied on.

Epilogue

The two victims that initiated this story, took legal advice. Which was to contact the public prosecutor before the court date, and try to explain the situation.

However, the fines were totally invalid.

They had a court place that doesn’t even exist. There was no public prosecutor to contact. No information on the fines. The actual fining was invalid too. On video taken during the incident, many requests were made for the identities of the arresting officers. One of whom gave a first name, the other flatly denied. It was a $%^$% show and would never have held up in court. Even if there was one.

All the while, the real jiggers, were hiding in the bush laughing their heads off.

And the minute the DAFF dudes left, they were back at it.

Advice

Watch this video for some alternate ways of working estuary lures. Bucktails included. Pay special attention to the extremely gentle nature of any rod tip actions during fishing with these lures.

Gently. Is the key. To an estuary.

These days that’s by law!

The Sardine News and the Master Watermen are powered by TLC for your Business. E-commerce pros.

Just in case you’re not aware of who Brucifire is…

Brucifire on fire at Supertubes
The Brucifire Surf Report: Bruce Gold calls the thunder!
Miki Dora, his dog Skooter-boy, Bruce Gold, Clive and Eddie Godfrey holding court at The Fullstop
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Shad attack behaviour in Port Shepstone – the movie

Shad attack behaviour recorded off Port Shepstone

Shad attack behaviour in Port Shepstone – the movie

Shad attack behaviour – the movie was shot on a shallow spot on the backline off Port Shepstone, KZN, South Africa. Near the end of the shad open season this crazy 2020. When they start to congregate to spawn.

The shad, unlike garrick or kob, are given a protected season. This was introduced decades ago when the shad were running out fast. At the end of this month, it is over for shad fishers until 1 December. Somehow this doesn’t make sense since it is the Garrick and kob that the help now. DAFF? Where are you guys on this?

Shad have many names including bluefish and tailor. And its Latin name comes straight out of Asterix and Obelix – Pomatomus Saltatrix!

Anyway, we found a large shoal moving around near the backline at Port Shepstone, and managed to get the GoFish cameras into the water with them. What an amazing amount of fun!

Firstly to have the shad in such a playful mood as they chased our lures from the bottom to the top. We got them on the surface too – like little billfish they mercilessly attacked our lures, often finding themselves cartwheeling through the air and tail-walking. Yes, out here in the blue and flat surface, shad take on a wild new character when cranking a spoon wildly across the top for them to chase.

And secondly, the video material we got out of this session, and some of what features in this video – literally blew our minds!

The GoFish cameras we recently added to our arsenal have completed the mission they were acquired for perfectly…

We can finally see underwater!

The shad follow the lure or bait down too
Shad attack behaviour - strike after strike
This is what it looks like being chased by a shoal of voracious shad!

The only other people who get this perspective are the spearos and bubble-blowers. But now we can drop a camera down, and observe the goings on on and around the reef, without even getting wet!

Working with the GoFish Cameras

It is not in real-time. Wi-fi don’t work underwater. But we have a cute little computer on the boat that powers off a cell charger and its a quick card switch for us to be seeing what just happened downstairs on the reef below us. There is a wi-fi function on the cameras, however. As long as they are floating in their little life rings, and their bums are sticking up out if the water, you can then live stream in real-time the action going on. This is a very limited function but can be applied to certain limited scenarios.

Now if you buy your GoFish Cams from this here website, you will get unlimited email and telephonic support from me and us here at The Sardine News. We have been using these cameras extensively and have made all the mistakes possible. And we are still making them! Learning every day for sure!

So use the link above or below, depending on your device, to get in on this eye-opening way of working things out on your favourite reef or with your favourite fish!

If you would like to join us down here in Port Shepstone for the season, please get in touch. We are based at the Umzimkulu Marina, right in the banks of the Umzimkulu River – and we are fishing flat out!

We have deep-sea options from backline to billfish on offer. We have the famous Sandspit and The Block to fish from the side from. And then the marvelously fun estuary fishing where we encounter so many different species making every strike that much more interesting.

Please get in touch with Sean on umzimkulu@gmail.com or +27793269671 to work it out. Bookings have come back to normal luckily so think ahead in time.

We are Facebook right HERE and run a full-on YouTube Channel right HERE!

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Chobe Tigers Part 1: Tiger fishing as I know it

Chobe Tigers Part 1: Tiger fishing as I know it

Tiger fishing as I know it. 9 Strikes. One hookup. No fish landed. In Captain Duarte’s marlin speak… that is 9 for 1 for 0. Or 9-1-0!

This instalment is part one of a series The Sardine Team are doing – on tiger fishing up here in Botswana and Namibia waters.

The fish are here. That’s for sure. And the second long hookup was to a monster fish. They get 20lbs often here in the grand Chobe River, Botswana side, we are. But these fish are wily as all hell. Finickily ferocious, they dog my lures right to the edge. If I can count 9 strikes, I could count 20 solid chases. Sometimes by two or three fish at a time.

The strikes are hugely explosive, and how they miss my super shark single hook is beyond me. I mean, they literally slam into the spoon, mouth agape and teeth sticking out sharply. I can’t wait to deploy underwater and drone cameras to see how they get around that hook of mine. I was even this very morning thinking of changing to a 5x treble?! I might still.

It has been three absolutely delightful fishing sessions so far. Well, four actually, but that first attempt – we spent a night at Kazungula, just outside of Kasane but also right on the Chobe, ended quickly and fruitlessly as a territorial hippopotamus stalked my spot.

In Kasane, we are right on the river too, but I take the car, since my new favourite fishing spot – I am calling it Tiger Island after a cute little crocodile-infested island just off the point- is open on all sides. To what you may wonder? Well. From the right-hand side, and the water can come the elephants. My fishing spot is right on the edge of the elephant corridor. And it’s rather narrow and used often. Not that the elephants are the major problem. The major threats come from the water directly. And the bush on the water’s edge. Where crocodiles hide and hunt. And hippos get all uptight if you get in their way.

But this spot I had chosen, had no crocodile slides on the beach near me, and the hippo paths were a little away either side of me too. I had a clear patch of river frontage to my self. There was elephant dung everywhere though!

  • Tiger fishing can be risky. You have been warned.
    Tiger fishing can be risky. You have been warned.
  • Tiger fishing puts you right into nature
  • Yip! This photo, along with all the others and the video coming up, are shot on my phone
  • Wont ever do something so stupid again – I promise
  • A lure designed purposely for tiger fishing
    The MYDO SS Moby 600 was purpose built to take on the ferociously finicky tiger fish.
  • Safe off road parking!
  • Another magnificent sunrise over Tiger Island, just past Crocodile Point

I’d been told to fish near and under trees, for Tigerfish. The water was clean and the bank gently sloped into the water. There were a few spots where I could perch up a metre or so and about 2m back from the edge. Seemingly feelingly safe! And the water was clean so I was sure I could see any threatening sized animal coming for me. But I still parked the car right close to my deemed safest fishing spot, so I had an escape if someone came around with any ill intent.

I found most of the action to be right at the edge. And the really big strike, well there were two of them actually, one hooked up for a second melting line off my spool, occurred about 5 metres from the edge. Spectacular to be able to get to these monsters without having to go by boat anywhere.

The bigger spoons had as much action as the tiny models. And at one point, this did happen…ha ha ha…thank you Cameron for the pic.

Tiger fishing with Sean Lange and The Sardine team up in Northern Botswana - Sep 19
This poor guy must have been just swimming along when my spoon came out of the sky and pinned him right through the brain. He was still kicking in this pic. He never survived the huge hook extraction operation, however, and was useless as live bait.

The action came and went in sudden flurries of chaos. I was trying to film and fish at the same time – impossible trying to do it ace out, and some of the things I witnessed were proper mind-blowing. Huge fish chasing other big fish?! Dogfights of note. Then as fast as the action came, it went.

This is tiger fishing as I know it. I will never for the life of me be able to explain, the tiger I caught on the Okavango – with my first cast of the trip. The fish took one of my Mydo Luck Shots with a Gummy Baby Tiger plastic, on a cranked out little rod, and set the tone for that trip (follow this link to that story). We absolutely hammered the enthusiastic little tiger fish, especially on the tiny little Mydo SS Moby Spoon. At 60mm, and looking like a stealth fighter, this little lure is so much fun. I especially bought along on this trip, a tiny little outfit, with 15lb braid, to fish the Moby 60 effectively. I am getting 25 metres with a light flick, and even into the wind. The lateral line holes of the Moby allow air through increasing distance.

The retrieve I use is very erratic, and one of the reasons I saw so many fish charge and miss my lure completely. Right in front of my eyes, in the shallow clear water. But the gentle shad-like retrieve does not pique anyones interest at all, and so the variable speed pull, with a few erratic flicks will get the spoon looking and behaving like an injured, fleeing baitfish, is the one. I call this retrieve The Vibrator and if you get the timing and speed right, looks amazing. And produces the chases and strikes.

So…back to the water then…sequel to follow!

Tiger fishing takes a lot of dedication but the rewards are monstrous
Tiger fishing the Chobe River: This is the cool little fishing spot I was at. Boat not necessary.

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First class first cast Tigerfish on the Okavango Delta

Tigerfish caught first cast Mydo Luck Shot #1 doing the good work

First class first cast Tigerfish on the Delta

As early as the cold dawn and breakfast would allow us, we set off on the tigerfish rich waters afore us. On our maximum fun tinny named Tuni. Captained by local guide and skipper – Julius. Staffed by Joy. Powered by Mercury.
Navigator Cameron Yates conferred with Julius as to a route, to lead to Julius’ childhood village – named Jao. There, our crew were going to interview the elders about traditional land management methods of old. But along the way, Julius would stop at one or two of his favourite fishing spots for us to have a throw.
And into the bright and brisk morning, the outboard accelerated away from our lodge, deep in the Okavango Delta.
It is hard to be anything but quiet as you try to process all the wonder and thrilling beauty you experience charging down those papyrus and lily lined waterways. Which are permanently inhabited by crocodiles. Hippopotamus. And…

Tigerfish!

We had a total of 80kms mapped out for the day. We would only get back to camp late. So fishing time was limited. I was hoping for a few quiet throws whilst the Professor and crew were taking notes in the village.
I had rented two rods earlier. From a vibrant chap named Nine. One was a beautiful outfit that I would have been proud to bring out anywhere. The other was ok, squeaky, and very short. Broken a few eyes down. But Nine also gave me some new line! So hurriedly I tied up some leaders, well double lines had to do, and savaged one of my Mydo couta traces for two short lengths of wire since I have heard all about those teeth.
Then I chose a little Mydo SS Shad 650 spoon for the nice outfit. And a Mydo Luck Shot #1 with 5/0 hook, and an orange Gummy paddletail, for the handicapped outfit. They both looked good though, with their new line and double line, and two very handsome looking lures. I already knew which rod was going to operate.
After an hour of literally flying down these serpentine waterways, the main channel appeared. A few more clicks and the channel split, one way was to Maun, the other to the village Jao, our destination.
Julius stopped the boat, and quietly pointed at the fishing rods.
I surrendered the good outfit and grabbed the underdog. Cameron had the SS Spoon, and I had the Luck Shot. I went to the bow of the good tinny named Tuni. There was a bunch of papyrus that Julius had used to keep us in one place as the water flowed past at a good few knots. So, I perched on one gunwale, found some space behind me, and flicked as best I could.
The lure landed about 8 metres into the middle of the current, so I figured let it sink and go away with the drift, and then close the bail. It all looked good and soon I got a strong bite!

“I got a bite!”, I errupted…

…everyone looked, the tiny rod buckled again and this time I had a first cast fish. Julius mentioned bream casually, and everyone else cheered in absolute disbelief. Thinking bream, I was having so much when the fish started coming closer, and then ducked under the papyrus carpet. Luckily it turned and came out.

Tailwalking!

It was my first cast tigerfish. And it was not nearly in the same class as my last and only tiger, caught in Jozini on sardine. This fish had some size! The tiny rod also had no power whatsoever but finally he jumped himself dizzy and the current let him go to us.

As I pulled him on top of the papyrus carpet, he snapped and bit a papyrus stem. His teeth went right in and held vas. But he was a metre and a half away and smack bang in crocodile country. Luckily Captain Gallop was quick with a knife and cut the papyrus stem at the boat and pulled in my first cast tigerfish.

MYDO Luck Shot #1 nailed this handsome tigerfish
MYDO Luck Shot #1 nailed this handsome tigerfish
Another angle of my Okavango Delta tigerfish

If you want some calm, fun times fishing with your family and friends, then come with us to the Okavango. We fished a maximum collective time of an hour, over the next few days exploring and documenting. We caught 6 tigerfish. All on the SS Spoons and that first fish on the Luck Shot. We only used the 650 Shad spoon and the Moby – the tiny one.
It was so much fun! No bream this time though. They will have to wait for us a bit. We are back in September.
We have lined up boats, and we have Captain Julius’ number. Camping options close by and lodges up and down. Executive camping outfit is good to go. Land cruisers are loaded, and always ready for any adventure.

Contact Sean on WhatsApp +27 79 326 9671, or better still email as we work in 2G areas mainly. I am on umzimkulu@gmail.com.

Check out our Trips and Travel section in the menu at top, or follow this link…

https://thesardine.co.za/travel/
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