Posted on Leave a comment

Big Amberjack GT and Wahoo Bear Report 31-12-2021

Big Amberjack GT and Wahoo Bear Report 31-12-2021

Hi peeps and welcome to the Bear’s weekend dive report brought to you by thesardine.co.za and masterwatermen.co.za.

Hi all from a rainy Durban KZN! You guessed it the rains came down again just as the inshore was coming right in places! A series of thunderstorms up and down the coast line pretty much put paid to any sort of inshore diving this weekend. But there is hope as some vis was reported middle south coast and there is definitely clean water offshore for boat diving on the south coast! Yoh but some bus fish did come out all off the boat though and some divers got a late Xmas pressie or two from Santa! I have not heard from Master Paul Toich and Darren Halse so presume that East London and PE areas have not improved much since the last Bear Report. There are Bus GT around with some Wahoo out deep and big Ambers on the deeper marks down South coast with Zululand not reporting too much action besides the usual YFT, Couta and Dorado action and one bus GT. Some Couta did come out lower North coast but that was a flash in the pan and getting very lucky with finding a clean patch and on the incoming tide! The Bear would like to wish you all a prosperous, blessed and COVID free 2022! Happy new year!!!

In the fish pic’s this week we have Daniel Cilliers with a bus PB GT 35kg gutted and gilled boat dive far North, Jono Geyer with a size Wahoo 23kg boat dive South, Keaton with a Snoek shore dive North, Kezley Fitzgerald with a lovely brace of Shad shore dive North, Master Don Solomon with a bus Amberjack 38.6kg shot in 45m boat dive South, Master Gavin Nell with a bus GT boat dive South, Master Gavin Nell with a class fish for KZN waters Rosy Jobfish boat dive South, Master Gavin Nell with a Couta boat dive South, Master Richardt Botes 20kg GT Boat dive South, Stephan Wiid Master Brent Borstlap Like Shannon and Kannas Wiid with Couta Yft boat dive Durban, Tanya Naudald on holiday with a decent Queenfish and White barred rubbelips at Pomene Moz and Troy Eloff 4kg Stumpie shore dive Durban.

Saturday we have a light NE wind from early bells switching to a light direct E wind around lunch time. Swell starts at 1.9m 13 seconds from the South and builds to 2.1m 12 seconds from the south late arvo. Sunday we have a moderate SW blow predicted early bells which swings around to a light SE wind late arvo. Swell starts early bells at a mushy 2.8m 8 seconds from the South and drops off below 2m 10 seconds from the South toward late arvo.

So is there a dive Saturday…yes if you have access to a boat and don’t mind taking a chance deeper off the south coast and there may just be a clean patch to find South or North for a quick shore dive. Sunday if the SW comes through as predicted I would say arvo only boaties and shore diving alike.

Online video report available here… https://youtu.be/QR1DX3RhBrI

As always Dive Safe and Straight Spears from the Bear…

The Sardine News and the Master Watermen are powered by TLC for your Business. Where you can take your business processes online and make more money!












The post Big Amberjack GT and Wahoo Bear Report 31-12-2021 appeared first on Master Watermen.

Share
Posted on Leave a comment

Killer NE and Rain for Dayz Bear Report 25-12-2021

Killer NE and Rain for Dayz Bear Report 25-12-2021

Hi peeps and welcome to the Bear’s weekend dive report brought to you by thesardine.co.za and masterwatermen.co.za.

Well what can I say the sea had just started to come right last couple days from the heavy rain last week and NE wind onnit for 5 days straight then the heavens opened up again yesterday just when the SW wind was putting the Dr on it! Pretty much the same story I heard today from Master Paul Toich in East London and Darren Halse says they had East wind for 7 plus days straight in Port Elizabeth and the water temp dropped to 13 deg C and the fish are scarce to say the least! So much for a diving Xmas so family time this weekend and a Merry Xmas to one and all from the Bear! One two Snoek did come out and there was a flash in the pan of action out deep (Wahoo, Tail and Ambers) on the South coast but that’s all she wrote. Rivers have popped all up and down the coast from the rain deluge yesterday and today (Friday)…meh!

In the fish pic’s this week we have Connie Halowell with a Snoek shore dive South, Craig King with a Couta and Amber boat dive Durban boat dive, Heath MW scholar group with his 1st gamefish 3kg Greenspot kingfish shore dive Kosi bay, Johan Boshoff with a Tail and Daga salmon combo boat dive South, Kobus Delport with a lovely brace of Snoek shore dive South, Martin Stander with a Snoek shore dive far North, Master Richardt Botes and Andrew with a lovely mixed bag of gamefish Wahoo Amber Dorado and a Rainbow runner (8kg!) boat dive South, Noah MW scholar group with his 1st Spadie boat dive Durban and Tim McDonald MW scholar group with a decent Catface boat dive Durban.

Saturday the beastly NE wind starts up again around mid morning and picks up speed during the day and blows into the night. Swell starts 2.2m at 12 seconds from the South and drops to 1.8m 10 seconds from the South by the afternoon. Sunday early bells the NE wind continues to blow from Saturday night and seriously freshens up by lunchtime. Swell runs at 2m 10 seconds from the south early bells and gains strength as the NE freshens and picks up to 2.5m 7 seconds from the East by late afternoon.

So is there a dive Xmas (Saturday) morning…hmmm boaties maybe before the NE swings in by mid morning. Boxing day (Sunday) is a maybe (being very optimistic) for die hard boaties and Desperate Dans early bells!

Online report available here

As always Dive Safe and Straight Spears from the Bear…









The Sardine News and the Master Watermen are powered by TLC for your Business. Where you can take your business processes online and make more money!

The post Killer NE and Rain for Dayz Bear Report 25-12-2021 appeared first on Master Watermen.

Share
Posted on Leave a comment

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…

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.

Share
Posted on Leave a comment

Mackies then Rain and Swell Bear Report 17-12-2021

Mackies then Rain and Swell Bear Report 17-12-2021

Hi peeps and welcome to the Bear’s weekend dive report brought to you by thesardine.co.za and masterwatermen.co.za.

Well I missed the Couta action up North because I went south on Sunday…meh! Plenty Couta came out North and even one or two Wahoo! The rest of the week it was Snoek here and there mostly North with one or two coming out upper to middle South coast. Then the SW wind and rain came with some big swell Thursday and today (Friday) and a lot of rivers have popped up on the North and a few on the South coast. I hope this has not put paid to spearfishing in KZN before Xmas as the Mackie action has reached full swing! One or two small Garrick also came out but it’s basically the end of the Garrick run until next winter.

In the fish pic’s this week we have Adrian Padt and Master Juggs Holzman with Snoek boat dive South, Darren Halse with a Red steenbras boat dive PE, David Woods with a decent Couta shore dive North, Johan Boshoff with a Cobia and Catface shore dive South, Jono Geyer with a 4.5kg Catface shore dive South, Loyd with a Chanos and Couta combo shore dive North, Master Alistair Malcolm Louw with a 31kg GT Adventually Bush camp Sodwana, Master Don Solomon with a Belly and Tail combo boat dive South, Master Juggs Holzman with a brace of Snoek shore dive North, Master Juggs Holzman with a Garrick shore dive South, Master Louis Schourie with size 6kg Rock salmon shore dive Durban, Master Richardt Botes with a Snoek shore dive North, Rinalen Naidu with his 1st Wahoo boat dive North, Tanya Nadauld with a lovely Scotsman boat dive South and Zander with a Snoek shore dive North.

Saturday morning is glassed off with a light NE wind starting up around lunchtime and blowing into the night. Swell runs at 2m from the South at 10 seconds. Sunday the light NE from Saturday continues to blow early bells and picks up speed at midmorning. Swell runs at 1.8m from the SE at 9 seconds.

Well on paper (my pc screen) Saturday looks great for a dive if you do not mind the swell and Sunday might also be okay but from reports I am getting up and down the coast finding un-muddied water local and North coast is going to be difficult to say the least…boaties should find some viz out in the deeps perhaps!

Online video available here… https://youtu.be/ZEQoDGSkGh8

As always Dive Safe and Straight Spears from the Bear…

The Sardine News and the Master Watermen are powered by TLC for your Business. Where you can take your business processes online and make more money!


Virus-free. www.avast.com















The post Mackies then Rain and Swell Bear Report 17-12-2021 appeared first on Master Watermen.

Share
Posted on Leave a comment

Heat is on Mackies Bear Report 10-12-2021

Heat is on Mackies Bear Report 10-12-2021

Hi peeps and welcome to the Bear’s weekend dive report brought to you by thesardine.co.za and masterwatermen.co.za.

Jeez but I have been chasing my tail this week but managed to find some warmer water today and met up with some Mackies as did some other divers. Garrick are still on the inshore with Brusher around. Snoek in the shallows and Croc Couta out deeper. Dorado and Billfish out deep deep. The weather and conditions improved this week but started with a lot of river water muck around. Sea has cleaned up a tad later in the week with some decent viz and warmer water around today BOTH North and South coast.

In the fish pic’s this week we have Andrew Hayworth 1st GT 18kg shore dive North, Arno and mate with mixed bag boat dive North, Brett with a decent Couta shore dive North, Chad with Snoek shore dive North, Christo Muller with a bomber Snoek shore dive North, Clive Honiball Todivefor Aqua with a decent Ember parrot boat dive South, Clive Honiball Todivefor Aqua with a decent Ember parrot boat dive South, Gordon 1st Cape tail shore dive Durban, Grant Laubscher with a decent Couta shore dive North, Grant Laubscher with a decent Couta shore dive North, Noah MW scholar group with his 1st Brusher 5.4kg gutted shore dive North, Grant Laubscher with a decent Couta shore dive North, Master Juggs Holzman with a brace of Snoek shore dive South, Master Paul Toich with a 9.6kg and 10.5kg Brusher shore dive East London, Master Richardt Botes with a decent Snoek shore dive North, Mike de Vos with a Catface and Snoek combo shore dive North, Nick Pearson with a 15kg Garrick shore dive South, Renier Kruger with a lovely mixed bag Cape and Natal knifejaw and Tassel shore dive South, Richard Crawford with a 3kg Grunter shore dive Durban, Rudie with a decent Snoek shore dive South and Tom Bell with a slab Garrick 22.7kg shore dive North August.

Saturday the NE wind continues to blow early bells and lets up a bit early morning then picks up steam towards lunch time. Swell starts at 1.7m and finishes at 1.9m later in the day at 7 seconds from the E. Sunday A light SW wind blows from early bells till late afternoon. Swell starts at 1.5m from the E and ends at 1.3m from the South at 8 seconds/

So Saturday iffy for a dive if the East pumps through the night but will still be divable for the die-hards. Sunday is go day for boaties and shore divers alike!

Online video available here…https://youtu.be/NXntczMKU64

As always Dive Safe and Straight Spears from the Bear…

The Sardine News and the Master Watermen are powered by TLC for your Business. Where you can take your business processes online and make more money!





















The post Heat is on Mackies Bear Report 10-12-2021 appeared first on Master Watermen.

Share