Tag: kob

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The KOB News including Sardines, Shad, Cyclones and Brown Water

The Kob News 20 Jan 2025

The KOB News including Sardines, Shad, Cyclones and Brown Water

The KOB News including Sardines, Shad, Cyclones and Brown Water: starting with the Kob News…

The KOB News

Nick and Dylan Kempen have been lurking in all the right SKZN car parks this January it seems…

Yes these are all handsome little koblets here. All caught on pink paddle tails. Down past Southbroom way. But in the latest news episode on YouTube features young Dylan Kempen getting worked by what only can be a GT proper.

And in this shot, Johan Bronkhorst, all the way out from the US, bags his own nice kob news on the Sandspit in Port Shepstone.

More kob news: Johan Bronhorst reliving his childhood on The Sandspit recently with this lovely kobfish
More kob news: – Johan Bronhorst reliving his childhood on The Sandspit recently with this lovely kobfish

Welcome home Johan – nice fish man!

And here is one for records…this is Jauhar of Port Shepstone also, with a geelbek salmon taken on a paddletail! These fish are not known for jumping on lures – they are notoriously fickle that way.

More kob news: Jauhar and his paddle tail caught Geelbek Port Shepstone
More kob news:: Jauhar and his paddle tail caught Geelbek Port Shepstone
Brown water fishing is so much fun down the SKZN - Sheppy Locals love the brown!
Brown water fishing is so much fun down the SKZN – Sheppy Locals love the brown!

KZN is a Spearo’s Paradise

The Bear aka Jason Heyne of The Master Watermen website has consistently been entertaining us with his bi-weekly roundups. And reports straight from the beach – up and down the KZN coastline.

Twin GTs by Zander and Bruce out deeper than normal in KZN
Twin GTs by Zander and Bruce out deeper than normal in KZN

KZN, over the summer, has been a spearos paradise. Clean and clear water most of the time – in most places. And some amazing catches were made right up and down, from north to south. Check out these twin GTs.

We have had to avoid beaches in and around town though. Also, the Uvongo and Margate areas are no-go-in-water zones. But otherwise, what a summer gamefish location KZN has turned out to be this year!

KZN – spearos paradise!

Well, we do have the odd Zambezi left here in KZN to contend with. Although the vaste majority have been systematically murdered by the Kwazulu Natal Sharks Board. To protect nobody since nobody can swim the best beaches anymore without sewage getting in their systems and making them sick, And out of season, on any given day, there are so few bathers in the water, that it begs the question…is all that money and resource being spent on killing sharks really worth it? Who are we trying to protect from what? The sewage is a FAR greater threat than any dumb Zambezi shark could ever be.

Twin Shark Attacks in Vilankulos

A tragic week in the lovely town of Vilankulos in early January. The local fishing community lost two of its members in two separate shark attacks. The victims were harvesting from the ocean. They were both in groups of other divers. Who came to assist. But they were no match for such a vicious predator.

Was it the same shark? It is very likely since once a shark has crossed the human flesh barrier, it feels quite comfortable doing it again. The concept of a ‘rogue’ shark is not new. And has been encountered the world over. The shark may also be sick or old and cannot hunt regular prey anymore. Humans are real slow in the water.

Why was the shark so shallow? It is a known fact amongst the locals in the area – that sharks come in real shallow when it gets so hot as it does up there in the archipelago. Water temperatures can reach 30 degrees Celsius plus.

What species? A bull shark, aka Zambezi, is the only suspect. As they are known to frequent shallow still waters of any open estuary. They can hunt really shallow. Can swim and breathe in fresh water.

And are lethal.

There were many confused people who immediately summised that it was a scuba incident and started spreading this news – falsely. I am not sure what it takes to be a sharer of false news for sensationalism and personal ego gain but many people seem to have this infliction.

Tropical Storm Dikeledi

Tropical Storm Dikeledi
Tropical Storm Dikeledi

As if the current political storms are not enough to test the resilience of the Mozambican people, this cyclone meant business after all. Going by the name of Dikeledi, this gal seems to be on another mission. She followed a very predictable path right across the top of Madagascar and down into Inhambane Province in Mozambique.

The only thing you can do in these cases is batten down the hatches. Boats headed off to the mangroves to be tied down properly. They also do find a certain degree of shelter and protection in those low-lying waters. The mangroves do a helluva lot in mitigating the sheer forces that these storms generate.

Never cut down a mangrove!

From Brucifire…

Zulu to English Translation: “Dikeledi” can be translated to English as “tears” or “crying”. However, in a more poetic sense, it can also mean “sorrow” or “heartache”.

UGU vs RNM

UGU vs. RNM: The strike continues. These two entities, UGU and RNM, which are mandated to run our region, are revolting – against each other. They have long had animosity. No love is lost between anyone and UGU. RNM is under the authority of UGU. Between the two of them, they have let their constant arguments about money take their citizens down.

The very same citizens that UGU and RNM are PAID to SERVE! Like the guys in the picture at left.

How long is this dire situation – allowed by the ANC, to go on? The sewage just keeps pumping, the tourists keep getting sick, and the rubbish piles up.

Local legends such as Mr. Selvan Chetty, Lazer Security, and many other good souls shone brightly as they volunteered quickly to step in: refuse collection and removal, help the elderly, and ease the overall pain.

I am sure that it would be easily possible one fine day, for the community to rather run the show. Rather than the ANC disasters looting the system right now. Overtime! Dodgy tenders! Water tankers! Irregular expenditure!

In the meantime, I still can’t even go get my driver’s license renewed?!

Go UGU! Go RNM!

Your perceived entitlement is going to be your biggest downfall.

Tourists Missing from Tofo due to Unrest

Sure do hope the political clowns running the show can get around a table and iron things out once and for all. Simplistic? Yes for sure. But what else can we hope for before a literal blood shed comes about as both presidential claimants aim to be coronated this week.

Stay out of Maputo for now!

SKZN Brown Water Fishing

Ain’t nothing wrong with this brown water! As you can see from the Kob report, and the following brown water gallery in Sheppy.

Plus a very nice GT you can see in the next video report going out later today.

Sardines and Sighting Maps

It has been a fantastic sardine run this memorable 2024. And all the action has been logged right here on The Sardine News. This year’s map has been viewed 200 000 times and just keeps growing.

Which led us to decide to keep the map live. And keep adding unique marine animal sightings and events. That occurs non-stop all year round. This year we started to log more whale and dolphin sightings. And we even had a shipwreck! And a freaking tornado! And recently a capsized KZNSB boat! We have been updating the map with recent catches too…

These events will from now on be included in the Sardine News Sightings Map for 2024. And on the 1 January 2025, we shall start all over again.

Here are the links to existing and past Sardine Sighting Maps. Great for a windy day like today to research. With instructions to install The Sardine News right on your phone or desktop.

2024 Sardine Map

2023 Sardine Map

2022 Sardine Map

2021 Sardine Map

Channels

Brucifire Surf Retorts – highly entertaining  surf reporting

Master Watermen – news from way down deep

The Sardine News – neva miss a single  sardine

FishBazaruto – 1000 pounds plus

MYDO Tackle Talk – highly technical  sport fishing

Surf Launching Southern Africa – getting out there safely

Water Woes – complain about your municipality here

Websites

umzimkulu.co.za – self-catering right on the Umzimkulu River
umzimkuluadrenalin.co.za –  will get you right out and onto the edge
thesardine.co.za – never miss a single sardine
masterwatermen.co.za – news from under water
fishbazaruto.com – dreams
brucifire.co.za – surf retorts

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Catching Kob

Surf fishing during the sardine run for big kob

Catching Kob

Catching Kob: Our fish – the kob – could be a more relevant national fish than the galjoen. We get kob right the way from Mozambique to Namibia.

And everybody loves to catch a kob!

Since kob can be found out deeper, where ski-boats have been targeting them in waters between 10 and 40 metres, and in the surf zone, and in our estuaries – we have divided this Catching Kob how-to into three seperate parts.

  • Deep-sea
  • Rock and surf.
  • And Estuary

But first, a quick kob gallery…

Kob Gallery

Sean Calitz 25kg Kob at Port St. Johns with MYDO and BruBaits
Sean Calitz 25kg Kob at Port St. Johns with MYDO and BruBaits
Just shoot them if you can!
Gerrard-Powell-his-two-daughters-and-a-100lb-Kob
Gerrard-Powell-his-two-daughters-and-a-100lb-Kob
Koblet by Josh Herrison near Port St John
Koblet by Josh Herrison near Port St Johns
A fun little kobbie about to be released down on the Sandspit in Port Shepstone
A fun little kobbie about to be released down on the Sandspit in Port Shepstone
You only need to catch one of these magnificent fish - in your whole life!
The TWO wise men -according to Bruce! You only need to catch one of these magnificent fish – in your whole life!
Brown water in KZN - good or bad?
And it’s Chris Lepan again with another Umzimkulu Estuary kob.
Jos Jantjies with a tasty kob caught down at Kabeljauw’s, down the point, in Jeffreys Bay (c) artsurfer.nl
Simon fish and his first cast MYDO caught kob in The Transkei
Simon fish and his first cast MYDO caught kob in The Transkei

Deep-sea


Kob feed at odd times. And sometimes they don’t feed at all, even when you can see them clearly to be there. I have seen kob underwater – huge kob, lined up in tight formation, wallowing behind the surf zone. Baits all around them. And they won’t touch anything!
And then other times, the kob could bite so hard, commercial boats of old would literally sink themselves loading too much fish. Luckily this heinous practise of hauling out fish for profit, is not really practised any more. And the stocks of kob have stabilised, albeit at a fraction of the numbers of before. Hopefully, the more stringent regulations governing the selling of kob might ease the population back to strength. Unfortunately, it’s up to the current political controls in charge of DAFF. Which does not paint a pretty picture at all.

Back to catching kob…launch anywhere up and down the South African coastline, and kob could be on your target list. They really are literally everywhere.

Live Bait


Some spots are blessed with a constant supply of liveys. Mackerel are by far the favourite. Although a little live shad is close behind. Really serious anglers are keeping live bait alive, in cages and tanks in the harbour. So that when they go fishing, no time is spent gambling on catching live bait. Not sure how legal this is, but it’s really effective. Especially for night fishing, since time is always limited.

IGFA allows two single hooks on a trace. Which is a tad risky when fishing with live bait, since a tangle might be in the offing. So, a nice metre length of soft leader, a good 9/0 hook, two swivels and a sinker – is all you need. Drop that rig rigged with a live mackerel onto a showing and hold on tight. Normally at a bit of depth, and the running trace on the sinker snoot, the fish hook themselves when fished with a live bait.


Frozen Bait

Fishing with frozen sardines or mackerel also works. But only when the fish are hungry. This is when advantage can be taken of the IGFA suggestion of two hooks per trace. But. Be aware you may end up with two big kob hanging onto your line!


Lures

Turns out that kob love a plastic bait. A paddletail. Colour not so important. But weight is. You will need a solid 2 or 3 ounces to get down there. Bounce it around on the bottom and hold on tight!

Rock n Surf

Circle hooks have really changed things for the better. The trace used is simple. A single 8/0 to 12/0 circle hook on a metre of soft leader.
You can throw out a grapnel sinker and slide your bait if the conditions allow. You need a bit of height above the water for that. Or just tie it all up and throw into the channel between the shorebreak and the middle break. Kob hunt in the absolute shallows in the surf zone. You do not have to cast very far at all.

Live Bait

A live mullet or shad puts you square in the game to catch your trophy kob. Although, if you could get any other live baits, like mackerel, pinkies or mozzies, you would be in the same game.

If your live bait is going to be battling a current, you will need to rig him from the nose or top of the head. Two hooks can help but a single – preferably a circle hook, with the bait nicely fastened on, is the outright winner for successful hookups. Keeping a big needle and a roll of wax thread is a very good habit for live bait fishing. The fish last so much longer when carefully tied to the circle hook. About a centimetre away from the bait. Much like marlin fishing.
If the water is calm and the sea is flat, with no current, then put the hook in at the tail area, so the bait can swim away from you.

Once again, sewing the hook on with wax thread is so much better all around for everything. And it is a good feeling to let your hard-working live bait go without injury, at the end of a slow session.


Frozen bait

Well you can fish a frozen bait much like a live bait. A whole sardine is the go-to bait and has caught shoals and shoals of kob.

Belly bait


A decent belly, freshly cut from a shad or mackerel, is a deadly kob bait. You might want to master the art of the pencil bait. Highy recommended.


Lures


Kob have been an enigma to many, for a very long time. What would they be thinking, taking a hard plastic clangy lure, in the middle of the night, cast out there from the beach? Sure, I understand the soft and silent paddle tail, relying on its tail vibrations to get the message out there – but those noisy lures – Eish, they work too!

Kob also take a spoon. A very slow spoon. Literally dragged along the bottom. The Sheppy Bomber spoon, an infamous design from down south, has been revered far and wide for catching kob. Similair S-Bend spoons with half bronze and half silver have been reliable over the years.

Estuary

Catching kob in our estuaries here in South Africa is over-the-top fun. Challenging for sure. But catching koblets (kob of up to about 5kgs or so) on light tackle and lures is insanely entertaining.

Check this video of my Dad catching 3 at the same time!

Flicking and trolling lures

Tie up a little tiny paddletail, and off you go. The smaller the better. The lighter the better.

Live bait

These little koblets love a live mullet. Its got to be small though, like 3 or 4 inches maximum. To make them perform properly, I thread my live baits under the skin with a needle. And then tie my circle hook to the thread. And then when the day is over, you can let that little soldier go without having done him harm to his vital bits like his mouth and nostrils.

Fresh bait

You need to master the construction of a pencil bait, to get these fish to take a hook inside. Pencil baits are designed especially for shy feeders. Like these little kob. And the spotted grunter that are found with them.

Use a MYDO Silver Bullet fillet trace made up with nylon to make a really interesting pencil bait. You could use a MYDO Shad Trace made with wire too. Especially if those teethy shad come into the scene. A good compromise would be to use wire between the hooks, adding some rigidity to your pencil bait. And then a nylon leader.

The fish approach the juicy long pencil bait, and start to feed from the sides. They don’t get much and soon enough they get greedy and move down to the end of the bait. Which is easily sucked in giving you chance to set the tiny hook hidden in the end of the bait.

Kob lures by MYDO

These are recommendations from MYDO lures for catching kob off the boat, the beach, or in the estuary…

If you stay with us here at the Umzimkulu Marina in Port Shepstone, you will be right in the middle of all the kob action. We have many secret rock and surf fishing spots in really close proximity. And the estuary right our front for all day fun and fishing. Kids love it here!

Also check out Umzimkulu Adrenalin, for lots of things to do in the Port Sheptone area.

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December 2023 Fishing Report for KZN in VIDEO

Garrick in December down at Plettenberg Bay. Kaie Else the happy angler...

December 2023 Fishing Report for KZN

December 2023 Fishing Report for KZN: shad, shad, and more shad! Which also means garrick, kob and all kinds of big gamefish in the surf zone.

Shad Season is OPEN

And, you can get fishing licenses online! This is big news in a country whose post office is a derelict shell of what it was 20 years ago. The post office stopped paying rent to its many satellite offices that were filling their vital role. And so where could you buy a fishing license? And then you’d go to the beach to have some dummy enforcing fishing licenses that you can’t even get?!

Kob

“Wherever the shad are biting during the day – that’s where the kob will be at night” – Louis Posthumous

It’s been a helluva year for catching big kob in the surf zone. Some are released. Some just aren’t. If you have a huge refrigerator and a huge family, then great, start the endless job of processing that big fish. It will turn you off catching another one for sure.

Rather just release those breeding fish. At about 8 or 9 years old, the kob, scientifically known as Argyrosomus japonicus, reaches sexual maturity. This is equal to about a 8 or 9 kg fish. So a 20kg fish, theoretically 20 years old, has had 10 seasons to throw some kob parties in the Umtamvuna. A 40kg fish (they get bigger!), will have had 30 seasons of breeding.

Upon these many revelations, the law was changed. And as such, tries to protect the big breeders. The thinking is that, at smaller sizes, these fish shoal in numbers. So to harvest a small percentage of these bigger numbers, would be a lot less detrimental than allowing the slaughter of the less populous breeding stock.

Let the big ones go!

Surf fishing. Gerrard-Powells-100lb-kob-being-manhandled-back-to-the-water-correctly
Gerrard-Powells-100lb-kob-being-manhandled-back-to-the-water-correctly
Koblet by Josh Herrison near Port St John
Koblet by Josh Herrison near Port St Johns
December small kobbies
Kobbies in the Cape
Kobbies in the Cape
Brown water in KZN - good or bad?
And it’s Chris Lepan again with another Umzimkulu Estuary kob.

Garrick

If the shad and other bait are prevalent, then the garrick will stick around. They do not like dirty water (unlike the kob). Sometimes the water stays clean through December and January in some KZN places. And there are still garrick coming out at Vidal and St. Lucia, way north. That have to traverse us on their way home to the Cape.

Again, it’s the shad that are the main attraction and oftentimes you will be catching shad in the shore break and the next thing the garrick come in and destroy the whole show. Spectacular to see garrick smashing like this.

But down south in the clean water…garrick are out and about and looking for a fight! Kathryn Els show us how…yesterday!

Katie Else with December 2023 Garrick down Plett way…
Jason Heyne of the Master Watermen and his Margate shot Garrick
Jason Heyne of the Master Watermen and his Margate shot Garrick
Tagging and releasing garrick off Umzimkulu River mouth in 1987
Tagging and releasing garrick off Umzimkulu River mouth in 1987. Karl and Roosta are now 40yrs!
Wayne Trelawney in Port St Johns with his dream National Garrick Day fish. Wayne responsible kept this single fish and made all sorts of delicacies with it, that lasted him months.
Wayne Trelawney in Port St Johns with his dream National Garrick Day fish. Wayne responsible kept this single fish and made all sorts of delicacies with it, that lasted him months.

Dorado

The current hasn’t really kicked in yet. But there are fish about. There is a dorado fishing competition on down south at the moment. Boats are allowed to launch up and down. With the goings-on held down in Ramsgate. A very well-run event.

The shoal of angry dorado move in and harass the shad flat out
The shoal of angry dorado move in and harass the shad flat out
Holding on tight this dorado refuses to let my bait go even under 3kgs of drag
Holding on tight this dorado refuses to let my bait go even under 3kgs of drag
Dorado Strike Analysis - Strike Two - the dorado has got the shad by the head and is performing evasive meanuevres
Dorado Strike Analysis – Strike Two – the dorado has got the shad by the head and is performing evasive meanuevres
Dorado Strike Analysis - Strike Three - another headshot and she refuses to let go
Dorado Strike Analysis – Strike Three – another headshot and she refuses to let go
Dorado Strike Analysis - Strike One - the Dorado comes straight in for the kill - zero hesitation
Dorado Strike Analysis – Strike One – the Dorado comes straight in for the kill – zero hesitation

Sailfish

These widespread fish do follow seasons and patterns like most fish. But they are the ones most likely to just pitch up out of nowhere. Fuklk of surprises, but they definitely are here for the same reasons that the dorado are here. The halocline with it;s structural characteristics. And the shoals and shaols of mackerel, shad, maasbanker and red-eyes that also like this place this time of the year.

Vilankulos weather and fishing in November
Vilankulos weather and fishing in November
Although it is blue marlin season up north, sailfish also come in to play.
Although it is blue marlin season up north, sailfish also come in to play.
Sailfish in Madagascar
Sailfish in Madagascar (c) Duarte Rato
The annual sailfish competition off Vilanculos
Fly fishermens dream
December time for the odd sailfish
December time for the odd sailfish
Sailfish ladies eye the trophy at the Vilankulos Sailfish 2017
Sailfish ladies eye the trophy at the Vilankulos Sailfish 2017

King Mackerel

No fireworks as of yet but give those spearos a patch of clean water and they will find out for sure if the couta have pitched up for this same baitball party. Last year and the year before, November produced some crocodiles. This year so far has been quiet.

The first couta of our 2023 season
The first couta of our 2023 season December
Kayak couta spread coming soon...
Kayak couta spread coming soon…
Jonno Gouws with the very first couta of the 2021 season. In 2020! 27 November to be exact.
Jonno Gouws with the very first couta of the 2021 season. In 2020! 27 November to be exact.
SKZN Fishing Report 22 May 2022
SKZN Fishing Report 22 May 2022. Shaun Simpson with a croc at Hibberdene earlier this week.
December for big coutas
December for big coutas

Catch the first couta of the season, send the pics and story to me, and you will get R500 to spend in the MYDO store.

If you feel like targeting these trophies, get in touch and we can arrange species specific holidays for you. For this coming up season, stay with us at The Umzimkulu Marina where Umzimkulu Adrenalin can get you out to the couta.

Check out our MYDO YouTube Channel right HERE.

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Surf fishing during the sardine run

Surf fishing during the Sardine Run

Surf fishing during the sardine run

This is a rundown through a list the game fish species we are lucky enough to encounter – during the annual sardine run. Here in KZN, South Africa.

Shad

It starts with the shad. These guys smash into those poor little sardines like piranhas. And a shad smaller than a sard will still eat a sardine. Those teeth!

Shad readily jump on a spoon or any artificial, when it’s like this.

This video featuring the Fishing Pro Shop‘s Johan Wessels – shows exactly how surf fishing for shad is very easily done…

Sardines and shad in the shorebreak! Shop safely online at The Fishing Pro Shop.

Kob

The kob have actually already been here quite some time now. Many covert catches are made under the cover of darkness. And in the uncomfortable cold of the chilly winter offshore winds.

Check this mosnter tagged and released a little later in the season,last year! By Gerrard Powell and ably assisted by his mates who carefully put that huge fish back in the water. With a tag well-insertedby Mr. AntNel.

Gerrard-Powell-his-two-daughters-and-a-100lb-Kob
The-magical-tag-number-234455-for-Gerrard-Powells-100lb-daga-salmon-aka-kob-aka-dusky-kob
Surf fishing. Gerrard-Powells-100lb-kob-being-manhandled-back-to-the-water-correctly

Garrick

Our endemic and highly threatened Garrick population is also going to be here shortly. They are here to breed and in this vulnerable state, can be easily overfished.

Bag limit is two per man. For a reason.

This is an old video, that captures the surf fishing vibe down on the Sandspit on National Garrick Day…

Check out the MYDO range of spoons for surf fishing

But get a live mullet or shad swimming in the channel between the mid-break and the shore break, and you will get your Garrick.

Throw a big old ice cream plug over the same channel 200 or 300 times you also could be in the game. Also for…

Let ’em go!

Kingfish

The GTs are here! Already a few have shown their ugly faces around the social shark nets recently in amongst the sardine action. There are many species to choose from including the also release-worthy blacktip, greenspot and blue models.

If Shimano is your thing -> Fishing Pro Shop online.

Sharks

Some people actually want to catch sharks! But mainly anglers hook them by mistake. Luckily they all are let go these days. The shark nets have done the shark population more than enough damage already.

It’s true, we hardly ever get sharks around the backline anymore. Luckily in sardine season, ALL the remaining ones come to visit. And we can see these beautiful and majestic animals swimming by in the wild.

Sharks in the Shorebreak…

Sharks in the Shorebreak!

Umzimkulu Adrenalin

We are ready to take you out there! Stationed down on the Umzimkulu River in Port Shepstone. With direct access to the ocean, Umzimkulu Adrenalin will put you right in amongst it all.

We have accommodation at the Umzimkulu Marina. Spillers House too. And we have an Egyptian Halaal restaurant downstairs. With a tented dining area right on the edge of the water. The MYDO Factory shop is in here too!

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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!

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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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