Welcome to The Sardine News

Posted on March 29, 2018March 31, 2018 by Sean Lange — Leave a comment

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!

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 mackerel

Jannie Griesel with his Mydo caught couta at Sodwana this last weekend.

Marc Lange - Team MYDO fishes with traces made from MYDO components since the eighties

a Huge couta by Marc Lange - 35kg's, one of three over 30kg's Marc got this super fishing day

This 32kg emptied the TLD 25 three times. Sean Lange. Mydo

Louis Posthumous and team have been using Mydos for decades

Louis 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

Posted on March 28, 2018 by Sean Lange — Leave a comment

1000lb Blue Marlin off Inhaca Island

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.

Looking for a Holiday Home in Tofo?

Looking for a Holiday Home in Tofo?

Are you looking for a Holiday Home in Tofo? Check out Casa Frenzy…

Another comfy seating area that doubles as a sleeper, with mozzie net. Casa Franzy

Another colourful sunset saturates the scene on the way to Casa Frenzy

Casa Frenzy is a fantastic house to host parties in. Your favourite Holiday Home in Tofo

Shot by The Frenzy herself, from the backline way out off the front

Casa Frenzy is a super cool and big enough house for diving and surfing families – who want to take a relaxing break in a Holiday Home in Tofo

Ideally situated on the shoreline only a few clicks north of the marvelous Praia do Tofo beach and partying town. Casa Frenzy is set snugly into the indigenous vegetation directly behind the primary beach dune. It’s a 100 meter walk and you are in the warm clear Indian Ocean. Swimming or snorkeling your time away.

Then you might be prepared to hit the deep blue, and jump with the whale sharks, mantas, and dolphins that Tofo has become internationally known for. The reefs and ocean life in Tofo are rich and fascinating. There are heaps of reefs and dive spots between far Barra in the north, and Manta Reef, in the south. In between these two extremes, must be 20 named scuba spots.

Enjoy this cool video by ArtSurfer, shot by Renske Massing, with underwater companion Zito, a little while ago – in December 2017.

More about the enthralling town of Tofo…

Loads of dive centres to choose from
snorkelling or scuba
surf lessons for beginners and advanced
Island trips and dhow travels
Beachcombing
sport angling
vehicle and boat rental
Inhambane City visits
nightlife
local and international cuisine
fresh seafood daily
fresh foods grown right in Tofo
Coconuts and cashews
Tipo Tinto Rum and 2M cerveja

There are really so many things for everybody to do in and around the Praia do Tofo area. The Inhambane Bay allures with it’s enchanted islands and purple blue channels. Complete peace and quiet and accessible to everybody in the family or tour group. The swimming and snorkeling at Barra is terrific and you may even become a close acquaintance with a little seahorse or two.

So click on over to our newly updated Casa Frenzy page and connect through the easy as form…

http://artsurfer.nl

Or catch us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/renske.massing/

Post prepared by The Sardine News.

“Holiday Home in Tofo”

https://thesardine.co.za/2018/03/24/looking-for-a-holiday-home-in-tofo/

Posted on March 23, 2018 by Sean Lange — Leave a comment

Chinese at it again

Chinese illegal exporting from Mozambique

Chinese at it again

Just in case anyone ever thinks this is going to stop anytime soon…follow the following link to yet another shady Chinese exporter story.

https://furtherafrica.com/2017/03/16/illegal-chinese-exporter-of-prawns-in-mozambique/

Follow the story above to all sorts of Chinese horror stories. It’s not just shark fins, seahorses and sea cucumbers on the menu! Nope. Crabs and prawns also leave the country by the tonne – in completely illegal operations such as the one above.

And then there are the logs. The timber. The hardware. Chinese pillaging of this resource is costing the poor Mozambican people billions of dollars. Yes, billions. About USD 2.5 is the official estimate right now. Per year.

So, the Chinese give the government these huge loans. Big enough to build Africa’s biggest suspension bridge. In fact the biggest in the southern hemisphere. They give loans for building more roads and infrastructure. Hotels. The like…

And then. The contracts go to Chinese companies?! They bring their own labour! Equipment. Everything.

And these guys rape and pillage the resources whilst they are here. Any resources they can get hold of.

By the truck and container.

Here (below) is a really moving production put together by Dave Charley and Chris Scarffe. Narrated by the charismatic waterman from Praia do Tofo, in Southern Mozambique, Carlos Macuacua. After this movie they even took an undercover Chinese smuggling operation full on. They actually really endangered their own lives by doing what they did. Follow the trail of poaching and illegal fishing activities, all the way up the cartel network, to the warehouse in greater Maputo. Raided the place with cops and everything. Had the cartel destroyed. They went on TV in Mozambique! Their warehouse was filled to the maximum, with dried seahorses, sea cucumbers, shark fins and the like…Dave and Chris had to lie low for quite some time after the bust.

The movie highlights many current issues facing Mozambique and relates them to the Chinese influence regards blasting out every resource they can get their hands on.

Produced by Moz Images/Sangue Bom, in Tofo, Mozambique.

I hope you enjoyed the show. I saw the effort that the guys went through, to make it. All paid for by themselves. With no eye on any rewards whatsoever.

Except saving the marine wildlife of the world.

Out-take: Dave and Chris had to get to Pomene, to conduct more interviews with the fishermen of the shark camp down that lomng sandy road. For this movie. They hired a 4WD and headed north. And then North-East. About two thirds to the camp, their car overheated and broke down. Right in the middle of the track. There they sat, not knowing exactly what to do, except setup camp in the middle of the Pomene Reserve, and dig in.

The next morning, no cars came, and no people either. They were kind of hidden behind some bush and in a long valley so not even the locals came to help. They had supplies and some rum. So stayed another night. Eventually, early the next morning, as they were waking up, a car came. South African with GP plates and crew with bright red lips. Pumping sokkie. At 6am in the morning!

Scarpering from their tents, they emerged only to see the GP car go off-road. Right around them! And off to the main road.

Leaving them there for another two days!

Like and Follow The Sardine News on Facebook

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Sean Lange — Leave a comment

Shark and Sardine Chaos with Offshore Africa sardine run 2018

Shark and Sardine Chaos with Offshore Africa

Shark and Sardine Chaos with Offshore Africa: Rob Nettleton and Debbie Smith (aka The Shark Lady), are the team that head up Offshore Africa Port St. Johns…and this is their specialty…the chaos of the Sardine Run.

The sharks kind of dominate but you can’t really be sure as hundreds of marine animals vie for top dog spot. The gannets are just like fighter jets as they swoop down on their enemy and blast them to pieces. They don’t just shoot one either, they can dog fight with the best…turning and veering and swerving…destroying the enemy.

The dolphins are so fast that Rob had to slow the video down in some places. And the seals! Well they seem to be the most aggressive!

Enjoy the video, it plays in up to 480p quality…