Tie a shad trace with MYDO Fishing Lures: Long gone are the days of loading a big old surf stick onto the bakkie, tying up a top-bung trace and heading to the beach to catch shad for breakfast.
Modern-day Shad Fishing
Marc-Lange-and-Pierre-de-Villiers-8.7kg-Shad
Nowadays, you need only a bass rod or slightly bigger. Ultra-light is what they call it. The 10, 20 or even 30lb braid is beautiful to fish with. The little light-weight two-piece rod at about 6 or 8 ft is easy for anyone to use.
Casts right to the backline! With line left…
Unless you hook one this big! (at left)
You can check out suitable modern-day shad rigs right here on this website.
You gonna need a little bit of leader and some leader-tying skills. There is a very simple leader system for you to try at the LINK.
The MYDO Silver Bullet Shad Trace
Catches everything. Well, a well-presented and fished fillet bait will catch anything and everything. And in this very light disguise, light wire and totally buried hooks…the MYDO Silver Bullet pulls together a highly effective rig for fishing in the surf zone or just behind it.
In this form, it is also a Queen Mackerel killer. And many large King Mackerel have fallen for the fillet. Drape a couta duster over the front of the MYDO Silver Bullet Baitswimmer for a perfect little sailfish bait. Use nylon for the leader if sailfish are what you are after.
Order online
MYDO Silver Bullet Shad Trace
Please pop on over to https://thesardine.co.za/mydo to get an order in. There is a shad pack available too. This features 4 shad traces from the quarter ounce, the eighth, a half and a one-ounce version. Plus a wire-rigged dropshot for in case your bait runs out.
You can also buy them for R50 each.
Contact us and we can chat about your exact fishing requirements.
You can use the WhatsApp button on this page somewhere for a direct line to the factory. Or umzimkulu@gmail.com.
Shad season
Opens up 1 December 2023. Come and stay with us at the Umzimkulu Marina where Umzimkulu Adrenalin can get you out on the water. Fishing, surfing, diving or birding.
Trolling lure for R50 bucks catches everything: this rigged and ready easy-to-use trolling and casting lure mimics a fleeing injured baitfish. The bait features a prismatic 1/4 ounce baitswimmer head, and a strong single hook inside of a BruBaits plastic paddletail. All tied together with an ultra-clear leader.
The baitswimmer head transfers a side-to-side motion. This combination of a flashy prismatic light show and erratic swimming action excites every predator fish out there – into striking.
Trolling
The easiest possible way to target gamefish is by trolling lures. Just chuck ’em out the back and head on over the good spots. Going slower will allow the lures to drop down deeper. Cranking up the speed brings the lure to the surface where it performs like a surface plug.
You can set a steady drag (1kg or so) to ensure a solid hookup. Which will always be in the top jaw. A fish hooked in the bottom jaw never survives.
Greenspot Kingfish laying into a trolled MYDO Silver Bullet Baitswimmer fitted with a 3 inch white paddletail in the Umzimkulu Estuary recently.
The above shot is a still frame taken from this video…
In which we capture a shoal of Greenspot Kingfish smashing into that poor little lure. The speed at which it all happens is insane. Luckily for slow-motion and 60fps.
Casting
Casting artificials for gamefish is far more engaging. And there is no feeling better than taking a direct hit from a fired-up fish right in front of your wide-open eyes. By casting, you can variate your retrieve. Directly producing different actions by changing how you crank and twitch. You will get more strikes casting. Especially if there are two or three of you working the same area together.
Sean Calitz 25kg Kob at Port St. Johns with MYDO and BruBaits
The above fish was hooked on a tiny 3-inch plastic and head combination whilst Sean Calitz was simply casting at the kob from his kayak. Unfortunately, this fish was not able to be released. It was kaput from the very long fight on 6kg line. Must be some kind of record that fish!
If you are fishing for kob and the garrick come past…just crank the lure up on the surface and watch it perform.
Where?
The concept of an injured, fleeing baitfish, applies to every piece of water. Everywhere. This means any and all species that hunt and eat little fish.
From the deep blue ocean where a tuna or bonito will swallow them up. To the surf zone for shad and mackerels. Up the estuary for salmon and snapper. Kingfish. Kob. Perch.
And all the way inland to your favourite bass dam…
A MYDO Baitswimmer caught largemouth bass
Where to get ’em? If you are in South Africa, right here on The Sardine News website. In our fast-growing specialist tackle shop. Use the menu above. For international orders, just pop on over to the MYDO International website. It’s in USD and the lures are despatched from England.
Check out our MYDO Tackle Talk YouTube Channel right HERE. Come and join us here at the Umzimkulu Marina where have self-catering units right on the water. Umzimkulu Adrenalin can take you fishing, birding, surfing or diving.
And the satellite tag goes into a 750 black marlin by Gazza Crabbe
And the satellite tag goes into a 750 black marlin by Gazza Crabbe: Captain Duarte Rato relates to us the story of how Gazza Crabbe got a satellite tag into this decent-sized black marlin. That went 750 lbs or so…a great size to be released carrying that very expensive tag around the place.
Enjoy the show!
The tag drops off and floats to the surface in a few weeks or months’ time. This data is uploaded to a satellite and relayed back down to us here on Earth. To be extrapolated and merged with the data of many other satellite-tagged marlin. This data is then used to educate and inform the policy and decision-makers when it comes to the sustainable harvest of these beautiful animals.
Unbelievably, South Africa is a top harvester of marlin and swordfish. We rake them out with long-lines by giving foreign ships permission to plough and pillage our waters. We really need to be better informed regards this fishing licensing racket that is going on. Why do we need foreign vessels catching fish in our waters? Just take a look on AIS right here. https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:35.2/centery:-28.5/zoom:6 If you’ve not checked this out before you will astounded as to how many boats are out there. The fishing ones are the orange markers.
We really need to change our government completely.
Hope Duarte’s expensive satellite tag doesn’t get hustled by a long-liner.!
Back to Bazaruto
Where Africas biggest marlin tagger Duarte Rato, is hard-at-work taming and tagging billfish left, right and centre.
Double-up Garrick for Team Karl and Candace at The Sandspit
Double-up Garrick for Team Karl and Candace at The Sandspit: some trips go better than others.
A LOT better!
Team Karl and Candace
Husband and wife charters are always so much fun. The husband is totally fish-mad. And the wife happily plays along. Gets her all over the globe. Only thing is…she almost always catches the fish!
This time was slightly different…they BOTH got the fish!
After a long morning of catching nothing on over-sized live mullet, we drifted back to the Umzimkulu Marina for coffee and things. And entered phase 2 of the trip. Which on this day was to be the favoured incoming high tide down at the mouth. This is our tactic generally, at the end of a low tide, we head up to the bridges, about 2kms, and set up a drift back downriver. This takes us down through Kingfish Corner, and over the big holes. There are three deep spots, sometimes down to 12m. At the bottom are huge boulders and rocks. And…clean water!
The halocline (fresh vs salt water line), even when the top water is brown, sits like a big wedge under the water. The point of the wedge being right up the river at high tide. When the tide recedes, this dense and beautifully clean and aerated water gets trapped in these deep spots. The tide and the river flow move happily overhead on the surface. But down here in the depths, there be monsters lurking and hunting.
Anyway, none this particular drift.
We gonna have to count on Phase 2. Which today included a braai on the beach at The SandSpit. Karl had a decent 30lb spinning outfit and so I easily convinced him to walk over the spit and throw a few luck shots into the channel behind the shorebreak.
The beach was lined with live baiters. But the Garrick had been chowing sprats in the river earlier during the week. I gave Carel the exact right lure to use. Evidently…because on his fourth cast…
BANG!
“Sean! Sean!”, I hear that distinctly urgent but cheerful call. Without believing me and Chelsea hop off the boat and run up the dune. What a scene that unfolded before us. Karl was VAS! His little fishing rod bending in a circle from the strain as he followed instructions. From BigZ, local garrick legend, who happily came to Karl’s assistance. Freeing me up to do the filming.
Pulling a big garrick out of a big shorebreak on a big day is immensely difficult and dangerous. BigZ lost his hat as waves knocked him right over a few times. But eventually, after 45 minutes of truly heart-stopping moments, BigZ grabbed the monster by the tail.
The tagging kit was all the way up the beach and the fish had put on quite a show. So we decided to hurry it back into the water. Karl’s very first garrick (he had asked me earlier to get him one), and he releases it healthily into the very same wild shorebreak. Garrick are very strong and this guys was in perfect shape as he swam away.
Mombakkies Af
So now I have one helluva happy charter. He is beaming. Levitating. And so am I at this stage…the pressure for me get the “mombakkies af” is completely gone. I can really now enjoy this lovely arvo down on the spit.
And so Chelsea and I meander down the dune back to the boat. To start the braai! Next thing…
“Sean! Sean!”. Again!?
So we turn around and gallop back up the dune. This time it’s Candace! She is VAS!
In a disbelieving daze, the whole process gets repeated. BigZ comes to the fore and gets the fish by the tail. But only after another gruelling 45 minutes. He is exhausted by now – after risking the huge Sandspit shorebreak for two in a row! Luckily BigZ also releases every fish he catches and this time the tagging kit was brought to hand. Tag in…Candace into the shorebreak with her first Garrick. Also released!
Every anglers dream – releasing a healthy Garrick at The Sandspit in Port Shepstone with Umzimkulu AdrenalinCandace Engelbrecht repeats the stunt immediately after with her very own tagged and released Garrick with Umzimkulu Adrenalin.Karl, Sean , Candace and Wouter – Under the BridgeKarl Engelbrecht about to let his very first Garrick go free.Double-header garrick on The Sandspit in Port Shepstone…every fishing guides dream!
I am not sure that it can get better than that! Enjoy the saga in video…
Today
As of today, the recent rains have certainly muddied the waters. If that halocline is still around I’d be somewhat surprised. But at those 10 metre depths at Royston Bend area, there just may be clear water still. Someone will have to swim down there and check for us!
If it stays dry for a little while longer, the brown water will eventually run off and the tides will come back in the river. Hopefully one more time before it really starts to rain.
To get in on the upcoming summer gamefish action, get in touch and lets put together a cool weekend of fishing and relaxing for you. You can stay at the Umzimkulu Marina. Umzimkulu Adrenalin can take you fishing, surfing, or diving. You can learn all about fishing at the official MYDO web page.
Shad season opening on 1 December! Check out some of our Shad fishing kit right here (perfect gift for fish hungry girls).
Ian Logie and the Green Turtle: the turtles here in the Umzimkulu take baits. And lures!
I had a crew of guests down under the bridge at the Umzimkulu Mouth – on the inside. This was some time back. We had moored the boat against the Sandspit and were chucking plastics and all sorts, at the clean incoming tide. The water was crystal palace.
Bang!
One of the guys goes vas. The fish turns and heads upriver with the flow. And tears off. My guys is running along the sand, jumping under and over all the other guys fishing with bait rigs right there where the tide runs into the river. The fish just keeps going and going. Until there is nowhere further to run.
Stalemate!
Fish stops. My guy gets a wind in and wins some braid back. Next thing a HUGE human-like head pops up 50 metres away. A turtle! A really massive one. Eish! So the last thing we need is for the turtle to have 50 metres of braid attached to it if the line pops. So gently my guy starts to fight this behemoth in. He has the rudimentary 30lb braid that I recommend – on his side. A lekka stiff little rod, and a reliable reel. With a smooth drag.
He starts to win! The water is so clear and next thing this huge turtle is coming in towards us. He makes another run – the braid holds at maximum drag now – maybe 4kgs.
Pop!
The hooks comes clear! We cheer with relief, and my guy starts to bring his lure back in.
Bang!
The turtle will have none of it, turns and swoops in at the lure all over again. Vas! But luckily only for a moment. The second time the turtle must have sensed something out-of-sorts with that little fishy! And let her go again…
Ian Logie and the Green Turtle
Yip! Local fishing guide here in Sheppy Ian Logie has also added a gorgeous Green Turtle to his species tally. Obviously not on purpose. Ian loaded the turtle to get the hooks out nicely and gently released the pre-historic beast back into the river.
Ian is a professional guide here in Port Shepstone. And knows how to handle marine life carefully and considerately.
Nice work Ian!
It has been a helluva season here in the Umzimkulu Estuary this year. Unfortunately, it has already rained, heralding the end of the fantastic clean water conditions we have been experiencing lately. It might clear again one more time – we are counting on it. However, this is the time that the halocline (salt vs fresh water line) moves in and out of the river with gusto. Triggering all sorts of biological functions and things as it performs its natural cycle. A very interesting time of year indeed.
If you haven’t seen some of the brilliant catches that have been made here lately, The Sardine News is full of it! Just go down through the stories and choose a species you like!
Then hit the big green WhatsApp button for a direct line through to me and the fish. We can accommodate you at the Umzimkulu Marina. Umzimkulu Adrenalin will keep you busy – we are going into summer gamefish season here out in the ocean. And you can research fishing and MYDO Fishing Lures right here at https://thesardine.co.za/mydo.
