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Posted on August 30, 2017August 31, 2017 by Sean Lange — 1 Comment

Fishing IGFA with Mydo by Captain Len Mathews

Fishing IGFA with Mydo

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

Every Mydo lure made is totally IGFA compliant. But the baitswimmer couta trace, when rigged with trebles, is not.

Why do we rig with trebles? Popular demand. The treble hooks available nowadays are incredibly strong and sharp, compared to the old 2X’s that we used to get. And the fish are more scarce, making a hook up meaning so much more than it used to.

Mydo anglers were never even introduced to IGFA, back when it all rolled into South Africa, in the 80’s. The main competitions never used IGFA rules either. It took a long time before IGFA rules were applied to money comps. Trebles were the standard issue for catching couta, and still are, with most anglers.

But the rules have changed slowly and now many competitions on the circuit are IGFA now. This is great, as trebles are not really suited to releasing fish at all. Singles inflict far less damage. Captain Duarte Rato fishes single hooks wherever he can. But he still uses trebles for couta traces!

Captain Len Mathews only fishes IGFA rules. This is how he rigs the Mydo Baitswimmer.

Captain Len Mathews has been part of the Mydo team for a long time now. He catches great fish. And he only fishes IGFA. Two Kendall Rounds, rigged nice and light. This is the reason Len reckons, that he doesn’t lose fish. Len admits to a slightly more complicated hook up, but that when done right, snags his fish as many times as trebles would. But his use of singles means much more solid hookups.

Meaning he can pull much harder.

Which is great for the sailfish and marlin, who scrounge Lens’ well-presented couta baits often. And for pulling fish away from the taxman.

According to Len – there are a bunch of good reasons to stay single!

Thank you Len!

Learn more about the Mydo Baitswimmer range of lures right here…

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

Len Mathews about to release a striped marlin at Zavora, Southern Mozambique — Captain Len Mathews about to release another billfish at Zavora, Southern Mozambique. Len only fishes IGFA using single hooks on his Mydos. A factor which helps in easy and quick releases for the many fish he catches.

Posted on August 30, 2017September 1, 2017 by Sean Lange — Leave a comment

Guinjata Kingfish

Guinjata Kingfish

Guinkata kingfish in the early morning – working at Guinjata in Southern Mozambique, left me with many indelible memories. Fortunately, as it turned, as kids, we grew up with two ruffians named Ralph and Greg Jones – and it was this very same Ralph, that I was now working with – fishing together with Seabound Charters! Our Dads had fished together in the seventies, our Mom’s ratted us all out together. We had fought and ambushed each other daily…and here we were, fishing for marlin together, 40 years later!

We were running three boats back then, this was a good ten years ago (2007 odd), Ralph Snr, Ralph Jnr and then me. Launch time was set at 7am each day. This gave time to skirt the beach with a spinning stick each morning, before getting into the shorebreak. This particular morning, I had found a shoal of angry baby kingfish, that were being sucker punched by my little red fly – tied half a metre in front of my dropshot.

The Mydo dropshot got the rig way out the back and presented the fly in mid to top water as it dragged through the shorebreak, about 10 metres out. Bang on literally every time. I was having such a blast and this particular morning, had caught and gently released about 30 of the beautiful little kingies. Glorious.

I almost never noticed the little kid sitting up the beach watching me.

But eventually he approached me with a defiant posture and gait, and blurted out in Portuguese – “Se você deixar um peixe mais, eu chamarei a polícia”.

Translated means…

“If I let one more fish go, he would call the police?!?!”

Estimated 60kg GT released in southern Mozambique. Just a few clicks north of Guinjata

To fish the crystal clear and warm waters of Mozambique, browse the Tips and Travel menu item at the top of the The Sardine News.

Posted on August 29, 2017August 29, 2017 by Sean Lange — Leave a comment

Possible final sardine report for 2017

Possible final sardine report for 2017 – although you never know! Sometimes the sardines only come in September and later?!

Sardines have still been spotted along the backline, sporadically this last week of August 2017. With some huge fish harassing them. And now it turns into a fishing report! It’s not just dolphins anymore, there are all sorts of predators – yellowfin tuna,

And now this turns into a fishing report!

It’s not just dolphins anymore (still plentiful, whales too), there are all sorts of predators – yellowfin tuna, garrick and snoek that are on the take right now. As the almost great 2017 sardine run runs out, the fish are getting active. Visible in flashes along the backline, smashing at baitfish all over the place. Especially since it’s spawning time right now too. So – take a photo and just chuck em back, especially now when the populations are in this vulnerable state.

On the lower south coast – shad are still easy targets – the piers at Margate and Uvongo being useable and consistent. DAFF have been maintaining a presence.

Watch out an angry garrick doesn’t smash your shad spoon in the thick of a good bite. When the shad are on, the garrick literally swim along the shore break to ambush – sometimes right in front of your eyes! Three or four at once! Keep that big stick at hand!

The serious guys who fish the early hours, are difficult to keep tabs on, but speaking to a few of them, in the usual carparks they haunt – it’s been a slow but consistent season for kob off the beach. Pink plastics seem to be the go down in Port Edward, but at Port Shepstone, it’s still the milky white. There are surprisingly few anglers throwing plastics (just even for daytime fish) and many good sessions are going by without being noticed.

Jason Heyne’s weekly spearfishing report shows the same garrick and kob trend. But some big king mackerel up north, between Sodwana and Vidal, are also indicative that the sardine run is well and truly done and dusted.

Len Mathews sent in this pic of his mate fishing at Cape Vidal yesterday – a lovely couta caught on a Mydo Baitswimmer #3.

A lekka Sodwana couta caught with the help of a Mydo Baitswimmer #3 provided by Len Mathews

A special thanks to Fishing’s Finest in Pretoria for this year sponsoring the Sardine News Sardine Report for 2017. Check their cool site and store at http://fishingsfinest.co.za

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Sean Lange — Leave a comment

Craft Shop for Fishing Tackle in Margate

For Mydo fishing tackle in Margate, head in to The Craft Store

Craft Shop for Fishing Tackle in Margate

Mydo Lures are happy to announce that their availability of their fishing tackle in Margate, South Africa, is on the increase.

The Craft Shop, an institution down on the lower south coast of KZN Natal, has been stocking a locally focused range of fishing tackle in Margate and boating items, for decades. They even got outboard motors for sale!

And now they stock The Mydo too!

The fishing tackle section of The Craft Store is run by angler Mervyn, who has the backup of Mnr. Steyn, with many years of fishing and boating the south coast waters. The Mydos available at Craft are – the lively Luck Shot jigheads, the SS Spoon range and Mydo Baitswimmers. Each lure with it’s own application suited to the fishing challenges and opportunities that the south coast beat has to offer.

The boating section inside The Craft Store, is thorough. From lifejackets to propellors to fittings to…everything you need for safe boating and your seaworthy certificate.

Prices are great and the service is excellent!

Mydo Lure Pouch: Can fasten lure on rod for safe travels and fishing

The original baitswimmers love their new packaging

MYDO Lure Pouch used to protect almost anything

BTW – The Craft Shop is a full on hardware store actually. That also features an art department and more. It’s a bit of an all-in-one place. Just make some time to make a visit by and get through all those aisles!

To get to The Craft Shop, follow this easy map…

You can get in touch with The Craft Shop via Facebook too…where you can see just why they are such a huge hit with the people of the KZN Natal South Coast.

https://web.facebook.com/craftshopmanaba/

Or just pop right in!

Posted on August 26, 2017August 27, 2017 by Sean Lange — Leave a comment

Fish of the week shot by Richard Colyn- a 28.4kg ‘Couta

Fish of the week was shot by Richard Colyn a respectable 28.4kg 'couta

Fish of the week shot by Richard Colyn- a 28.4kg ‘Couta

A big thank you to Jason Heyne for his weekly spearfishing report. This week featuring a beautiful king mackereal aka ‘couta by Richard Colyn…

The diving conditions have been below average this week with only 2 days being good. The usual winter suspects are around with some fat winter king macs coming out far north. Saturday morning the swell runs at 2.5m with a light to moderate north east wind in the afternoon dropping the swell to 2m. Sunday morning the swell has dropped to a manageable 1.5m with a light to moderate south West wind in the afternoon picking the swell up to 1.8m. So it looks like Sunday is a green light for a dive.. Viz was reported south today. Fish of the week was shot by Richard Colyn a respectable 28.4kg ‘couta! As always dive safe and straight spears