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Fishing leader system and knots

Fishing leader system and knots

Some people really get their knickers in a knot about fishing leader systems and knots, and then others don’t pay hardly any attention at all?!

“If you don’t know knots, tie lots!” – Jonny and Andrew VB

Here is a happy medium – The MYDO Figure of Eight system, which we use and advocate for most sport angling situations. Also explained below is the traditional and beautiful Bimini Twist and Albright combination.

For the type of fishing we do, and the fish we catch, we luckily need to know very few knots at all. For trolling we need a double line, tied to a leader. Or sometimes a double line alone will do just fine (50lb rigs). For spinning we need a very small double line, or none at all – so the whole lot gets through the small eyes ok. Because of wind on leaders, the double line can also satisfy your billfish leader requirements.

Fishing leader system and knots differ between fish size and species.
Fishing leader system and knots vary between fish size and species.

Double line

Two tried and tested ways of increasing your overall leader resilience and strength, 1 – The Bimini Twist (lots of fun), and 2 – The Figure of Eight (very quick and easy).

The Bimini Twist

The Bimini is like a right of passage. Once you get this one right, nobody will question your commitment. It is slick, pretty, functional and best of all – strong. Sometimes achieving 99% strength.

Enjoy…a great presentation by animatedknots.com

Thanks to the team at animatedknots.com who have simplified learning to tie knots for us all. You can learn just about any knot in no time on that site

The Figure of Eight double line (Surgeons Loop)

Make a few loops, lubricate and pull tight. 3 Seconds. Very strong. 99%. Tiny. Adaptable. A great knot that you can rely on. Makes re-tying your leader a cinch.

Figure of Eight Double line is more commonly known as a surgeons loop
Figure of Eight Double line is more commonly known as a surgeons loop

Now we have a super slick double line. The length you make it depends on a few things:

  • 80lb Billfish rig with a long double line gives you added insurance around the boat, and during tricky situations.
  • 20lb spinning rod requires tiny loop, just big enough to make the next knot, like 1cm. Any bigger and it can snag an eye on the way through causing damage and lure loss!
  • IGFA rules determine 5ft of double line for 12lb, and 15ft of overall leader, from knot to last hook. So a 3 ft double line, and a 12ft leader, allows you a 5ft couta trace.

So tie your loop to the correct size at the outset, as you need a closed loop with which to tie the next Figure of Eight knot to the leader.

There are two really cool ways to make this connection; the Allbright, and the Figure of Eight leader knot.

The Allbright Special

Beautiful and functional, but bulky and fragile. But once you get this right, you will be stoked on how much you can reduce your terminal tackle with this knot. The Special annotation is a modification to the ending of the knot – wherein a few extra wraps are added to just one side and the leader of the knot – closing it off nicely with a shoulder that goes through the eyes much better, improving reliability.

The Allbright Special
The Allbright Special can also be used to join nylon to wire, reducing your terminal tackle requirements.
The Figure of Eight leader knot

Three loops in the leader line, pull closed to form another figure of eight. Insert double line from the bottom, pull through and over entire knot to make cats claw. Lubricate and close. Trim. 10 Seconds flat.

The-MYDO-Leader-System

 

Some advice…the loop has to be a closed loop in order to tie up like this, so be sure to get your loop size right when you make the double line. Precut your leader so that you can easily pull it all the way through the double line to make a cats claw (7.). Trim both knots up tight, and pull them both really tight before you use them. Sometimes you get to put the double line loop in through the Figure of 8 wrong. Please study diagram for correct insertion instructions.

More about the MYDO Fishing System here.

Fishing leader systems and knots – by MYDO Lures

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Catching amberjack

Catching Amberjack

For many a while down on the KZN southcoast, we never really caught many Amberjack on Protea. We actually never really even knew what they were, often confusing them for tropical yellowtail. But as the anglers all tackled up to bigger rigs, forgoing the 49’s for TLDs, bigger and more ambo’s started to feature. Culminating in young Matt Defillippi’s huge 46kg beast that won him and his brother and Dad the boat.

Further north off Hibberdene, Mike Lang and crew got themselves tackled up with 9000’s and more. And were soon having huge arguments with giant ambo’s over 50kgs!

It was around that time that the angling records peeps gave way to the speculation that Ray Bannister -Jones’ 56kg world record yellowtail, was in fact an Amberjack. Caught off Hibberdene, long ago, I only ever saw black and whites of that fabled fish.

So, to catch them…

Marc Lange, in Angola, has been field testing the Mydo Luck Shot rigged with a plastic bait…the following results are what can be expected.

More Amberjack stories here…

https://thesardine.co.za/2014/02/01/twin-tail/

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The Hibberdene Fishing Getaway by Kiran Ramjiawan

The Hibberdene Fishing Getaway by Kiran Ramjiawan

The Hibberdene Fishing Getaway was written for us by Kiran as he and his devout crew of shore anglers do their best over the last weekend, down on the south coast of KZN, South Africa.

Thank you Kiran!

It’s been almost seven months since our last weekend getaway and the boys and I were feeling the pressures and stresses of our jobs. We needed some rest and recharging ASAP! This time around we wanted accommodation directly on the beach to capitalise on the Shad and Garrick frenzy that has been hitting the South Coast over the past few weeks. With heavy hearts, we felt like we were betraying our Umzimkulu First Love while searching the internet for beach units down south. After countless of disappointing “sorry, we’re fully booked” speeches we almost gave up when we came across a wonderful little six sleeper in Hibberdene. Smack bang in the middle of the July school holidays, we finally beat the Joburgers to a holiday home!

After running through the tackle shop for bait and last minute supplies, Mo and I took the cool drive from Durban to Hibberdene at 10am on Friday, 8th July, with the rest of the gang trailing us by two hours. After what seemed like a ten-hour drive, we finally reached the lovely, comfortable Sea LaVie holiday home, where we kicked off our shoes on the porch and took the 10 steps down to the beach sand eagerly scanning left and right for coves and gullies on the rocky shore-break of the low tide ocean. The crystal clean waters and sand banks didn’t deter us from cracking open our tackle bags (and beverages) to kit up while the four slow-pokes were making their way to us.

When the rest of the guys finally arrived we commissioned Vish and G to the braai while Lush, Mo and I threw the first baits in the water in search of live bait to no avail – fishing was going to be slow this weekend. We decided to head back over and chill on the porch with beer and braai till the sun lowers into the evening.

After the late lunch we were properly warmed up with braai meat, beer and whiskey, but we togged up with double pants and double jackets for extra precaution, and headed to the water’s edge with the fishing rods. Mo was the first to get hit by a nice 35cm blacktail which swallowed a 4/0 kendal round hook! That one was headed straight for the pan. Half an hour later Mo gets another big blacktail and now we had plenty for tomorrow’s fish braai. After a while of peckers nibbling on our baits it all but stopped and things were dead in the darkened night until my Shimano reel started screaming in the rod holder. With the whiskey taking effect, I was slow to react but I managed to get up in the nick of time and pulled hard to set the hook and fought what seemed like a decent sized Kob in the little cove I casted the Sugar Mackerel fillet into. Mo and Lush quickly reeled their lines out to give me the best chance to land the fish – thanks guys! A few minutes later, I was battling with the fish on the steep bank of the shore when Mo screamed BLUE RAY, BLUE RAY! He pulls at the line to get the ray out of the water, and after pulling the hook and a quick measurement we safety released the 8kg beauty to fight another day. We took special care not to hold it by its nostrils or turn him over. I was happy he swam strongly away.

Amped now with the ray, we baited up again, with me trying a Sugar Mac and Chokka combo on the Mustad 6/0, we casted into the cove and waited, keeping occupied and warm with the whiskey. The biting cold weather got to Lush after a while and headed off back to the home to cheer us on from the porch, leaving the super excited Mo and I with the whiskey. Forever goes by then suddenly Mo’s rod gets a solid knock, and the Blacktail-King reels out another blacktail! While he’s unhooking his catch, my reel starts screaming again! I’m quick to action this time to set the hook on a powerhouse. The heavy head shakes felt crazy and I saw my line heading towards the rocks! It was now time to lock the drag and test my knots and biceps! After fifteen minutes of serious punishment I almost had him, with a final few turns of the reel he would be on the sand, but he had other things on his mind with a last ditch effort to escape me, he swam like hell to the rock set right on the shorebreak and that was it! The 0.90mm Maxima leader sheers on the rock and loses the fight to the mighty 16-18 kilo Kingfish! With jelly for arms I called it quits and sat a little while to keep Blacktail King company while he tried for another bite in the now empty waters of Hibberdene. The 2am hot shower and comfortable bed had me a great sleep.

At 6am the next morning my sleep breaks to Lush’s snoring and I get out of bed to catch the sunrise. I thought of trying for some Shad live bait but my now painful arms made it impossible – respect to the mighty Kingfish! After few photos of the sunrise I headed back to bed, after taking Grandpa pain killers, for an hours of rest.

After the rest and less painful arms, Mo and I headed out far-right to a rock point we spotted for some gully fishing. We managed a Karanteen and Stone Brim which we slid out for Garrick, but there were no takers. The almost gale-force winds that started forced us to retreat to the house for breakfast. The South-Wester troubled us the entire day so we chilled out a while, hoping the wind brings some colour to the water, but that wasn’t the case.

That evening turned out beautiful and still though, and we all relaxed under the stars on the sea sand, with Whiskey’s in one hand and roasted marshmellows in the other. There was a side-wash but that didn’t stop Lush trying his luck, and eventually got rewarded with a decent sized blacktail. After the evening fish braai and Sam’s awesome mushroom sauce, we headed to sleep.

On Sunday morning, I woke up early again to catch the sunrise. Mo and I went leftwards with our spinning kits rigged with Mydo lures and spoons, casing into every cove we could find. Slow, medium, fast, jerky – no technique worked. There were just no predatory fish to take the lures. We passed a section of beach with many fishermen called Shad Gully, but there too, only one or two palm-sized blacktails were caught. We decided to call it quits and went back for G’s breakfast while watching a hump back whale in the water. I really wanted to try out the Mydo lures again, remembering the awesome fight the turtle gave after smashing the realistic looking Mydo luck shot and plastic, but there’s always a next time.

Soon after, we had to pack up and leave the lovely little holiday home on the beach to head back to reality, energised and refreshed. Hibberdene fishing is beautiful and gets a thumbs up from me.

Kiran Ramjiawan

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Fishing with the MYDO Luck Shot

Fishing with the MYDO Luck Shot

Fishing with the MYDO Luck Shot.

The MYDO Baitswimmer’s many talents are easily adapted to many fishing applications and baits.

Including fishing with plastics.

Plastics have come a long way and are now available looking as real and flashy as a live bait. Juicing with a bit of bait increases strike rates tremendously – but how best to fish a decent plastic?

The MYDO Luck Shot.

This incredibly successful lure is fundamentally a bait swimmer with a hook, and a plastic rigged thereon.

This gives anglers an amazingly versatile lure.

Just drop it over the side of the boat and you are already in with a chance. Our first fish on the MYDO Luck Shot was caught this way. My Dad just let the lure out on the drift and bang, the SardaSarda pictured below took the bait.

Liam Gallagher hoists the very first fish caught on a MYDO LuckShot - this Sarda Sarda that took the new lure while the rod was stationery in the holder on the drift!
Liam Gallagher hoists the very first fish caught on a MYDO LuckShot – this Sarda Sarda that took the new lure while the rod was stationery in the holder on the drift!

Catching live bait whilst fishing for marlin is always a challenge. Lures with trebles or double hook rigs damage the bait beyond repair. Often they hook the fish in the bottom jaw, as the hooks hang down below the lure. No live bait survives this. Treble hooked lures also often turn during the fight, wrecking gills and eyes simultaneously. Blood everywhere.

Not with the MYDO.

The huge single hook faces upwards and almost every time hooks the fish firmly in the corner of the jaw.

And then there is the speed! You can drag MYDO Luck Shot whilst dragging konas. 12 Knots is easy and the plastic just stays on due to the hook shaped pin that holds the plastic in place perfectly.

Fish with split tails or paddle tails – all sizes, even the huge stuff!

READ ALL ABOUT THE MYDO LUCK SHOT RANGE RIGHT HERE…

MYDO Luck Shot # 1

MYDO Luck Shot # 2

MYDO Luck Shot #3

MYDO Luck Shot #4

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Another fishy story, this time a Red Steenbras, in Seal Point…

The Red Steenbras soup on the simmer...

Another fishy story, this time a Red Steenbras, in Seal Point…

Meandering across to Seal Point from J-bay, through the pastures and fields of green, accompanied by Brucifire, a few surfboards and some fishing rods…we drove past a crew unloading their boat, after a trip to sea at Seal Point, and pulled over. Since I am down in the Cape distributing and promoting Mydo Lures, I was hoping these guys would recognise the Mydo’s for their versatility and adaptability, and try them out in these waters.

It turned out to be Sheppy boy Mark White, now living in St. Frances. And he had just returned from a dive. Greetings were exchanged and soon I had the Mydo lures out on the table and Mark was ogling with enthusiasm. Mark had worked with by brother Marc, in the Natal Sharks Board, and is one of those…

After dropping a liberal helping of spoons and luck shots on the table, Mark pipes up – “Hey Sean, do you want a fish?!”. Ha ha ha, here we go again. But I nearly fell over when he hauled out a beautiful Red Steenbras, or Copper, as we call them in Natal.

Diving on his own, in 60 feet, Mark had an amazing catch of fish – all the right ones too! Baardman, reds and one Red Steenbras. You see, it’s not just the fact that these are almost the hardest fish to shoot in the world (they really like to hang out in deep water), they are also one of the most delicious!

And so it was, that without casting a line, we had caught another fish! Thanks Mark White!

Hell, these Mydos work!

And so, we have another Catch ‘n Cook series instalment for you…the rare and fabled Red Steenbras!

Red Steenbraas for dinner tonight!
Red Steenbraas for dinner tonight at JBay SurfView! Hell, these Mydos catch fish!

The fish may have gone 6kg’s, and was a cinch to fillet, leaving us with two huge slabs of white flaky fresh fish to play with. And a skeleton and a head – which were quickly popped into a huge pot and boiled up. When the fish was falling off the skeleton and the head fell apart, we removed as much of the meat as we could, and then strained the rest through a colander, into the same pot. Then we fried onions, peppers and garlic to golden brown, and chucked that into the same soup pot. And that cooked away on a slow boil.

Our hosts in J-bay, Dr. Kurt Mariano and his wife Noma, at JBay SurfView, are very health conscious people, and so we decided that, alongside the fried fish I was planning , we would also grill a chunk, using much the same method as that of when we cooked the kob we caught (ha ha) last week.

The rest of the fillets were cut into 1cm thick cutlets taken across the grain.

Noma had some Tempura batter, fresh from Thailand, which is simply a healthy version of the batter we make with regular white flour. She also had some exotic nut oils which we mixed half with butter and got the pan up to heat. Leaving the cutlets soaking in the Tempura (which featured added flavour of Italian Herbs and Spices and anything else I could find in the spice rack – but no salt), they were fried one by one in a light layer of oil and butter. Very light, this is NOT deep frying.

The soup was prepared by boiling the huge head and skeleton, for a half an hour. Manually removing the chunks of meat from the head is time consuming and hot work but there is no way around this task. Eventually, when you have gotten most of the meat into a new pot, you can strain the remains through a pasta colander, also into the new pot. In the meantime, onions, peppers, garlic and all those nice things were glazed in a bit of oil in a hot pan. Add this fry up to the new pot, and start to simmer – the longer the better. In this time you can taste test and twist the flavour the way you like it. Chilli is a great partner to fish soup, so we opened a tin of seshebo like chillied up onions and tomatoes and bombed that in too. The secret ingredient – a piece of orange rind…just chuck it in whilst cooking. Salt is almost necessary in this broth, but there is no need for MSG!

The Red Steenbras soup on the simmer...
The Red Steenbras soup on the simmer…JBay SurfView has all the cooking facilities you need for storm cooking.

The grilled fish was done exactly like the kob we cooked here last week, that story is here.

Noma had prepared salad and mashed potato, and all the various dishes from that one fish were laid out for devouring.

Salt added to flavour, a glass of white wine and…what a meal!

Grilled, fried and souped – Red Steenbras!

Sean – “Ok, the touchy bit…Red Steenbras are endangered!

Red Steenbraas have been classified as endangered before, but all of a sudden, limited catches are now allowed again. Very limited. One per person per day, and over 60cm. Responsible people are keeping an eye on the stocks, but since they were reduced to endangered levels before, are proven sensitive to over-exploitation. It’s a fantastic fish to “Catch n’ Cook” but not so clever to buy and cook, or eat in a restaurant. Check out Sassi’s report on the vulnerable Red Steenbras. Sassi are affiliated to WWF and are a cool bunch of peeps really dedicated to preserving fish stocks.”

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