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Second Bluefin Tuna taken on a MYDO Baitswimmer

Southern Bluefin Tuna caught on MYDO Bluefin Bomber by Marc White off St. Frances South Africa

Second Bluefin Tuna taken on a MYDO Baitswimmer

Second Bluefin Tuna taken on a MYDO Baitswimmer: yip! It happened again. A slightly smaller fish, at 63kgs…but taken on 40lb braid! By none other than MYDO Mediterranean Agent David Kosta! Fishing ace out!

Bluefin One

Mark White of Port St. Frances got the first one. A bluefin tuna. The southern variety. Swim to New Zealand and back often!

This fish was caught some time ago…but we kept the MYDO part of this amazing double-whammy, a secret, until now. We wanted at least one more before we touted our lures as good for targeting Bluefin Tuna.

Double-whammy! Mark and his mate also caught a decent broadbill at about 100kgs too – on the same MYDO rig – on that same day.

The rig consisted of a big old MYDO Baitswimmer, with a nice long nylon leader, to a big old squid bait. In other words, the MYDO was deployed as a downrigger. Simple leads to organised and this rig does just that.

Bluefin Two

David Kosta strikes again! He fishes the MYDOs the regular way…over to David…this was very recently (yesterday), in the Mediterranean.

“I have a Solo skippers ticket. It means I can go by myself out to sea. That afternoon, I got some fresh bait in the form of couple of 500gr couta caught by one of the gill nets. I left the harbor at 3:30 knowing I have 2 hours before it’s completely dark. Once I rigged the couta on the 4.5 Mydo I was happy to see that it swam very well with 2 vmc 3/0 trebles. I was using 61 pound Malin wire as I was hoping for couta. 15 minutes later the port Rod had a big bite, taking about 100m of line. I tighten the drag to about 6kg and started working. There were a few 50m runs and I thought it was a big couta. After 20 minutes when I couldn’t even see the fish , I decided it was a shark… 5 minutes later I managed to see a silver flash so It went back to the “biggest couta I ever seen…” but secretly I started hoping It is something else that we’re reported jumping in that area 2 days earlier. I few minutes later, I saw it, got it close enough for my 100cm bamboo gaf and pulled it in. 40lb braid, 60lb fluorocarbon leader. 30 minutes.”

This the 63kg Bluefin Tuna (two left pics). From the northern population – these guys swim across the Atlantic to North America and back every year.

Which is what ICCAT (International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna) refused to acknowledge when performing their assigned duty of making up conservation recommendations to lawmakers. In another case of gross corporate greed, the exact people who were being appointed to look out for the tuna populations, were being manipulated (paid) by the corporates. And crooked scientists who were happily being paid to sell the corporate narrative. That these fish were not the same population.

David caught this fish on a regular MYDO Gamefish Trace.

You can learn about the entire range on offer by MYDO by using the main menu above. Or just click HERE.

We have an action-packed MYDO YouTube Channel going at https://youtube.com/@mydotackletalk.

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Protea Reef delivers the goods again and again

Eric with his MYDO Spoon caught baby yellowfin tuna on Protea Reef recently

Protea Reef delivers the goods again and again

Protea Reef delivers the goods again and again: guest stars Eric (Queensland, Oz) and Neville (‘Toti, KZN) joined us for a very friendly high tide launch two mornings in-a-row. What luck!

Watch the video right here and read all about it below…

Day 1

Brown water extended to the horizon with a stiff but pleasant offshore breeze blowing against a small sea. Luckily, Protea Reef would be comfortable in these cool wintery conditions.

20 Minutes later and we already had live bait. I was counting down in my head. Most times it only takes 10 or 20 seconds to have your live bonito or tuna munched. Hopefully by a scorching fast gamefish, must most times once again, it’s a johnny. A big one. There are just so many huge sharks hanging out on Protea Reef. And they don’t seem to go anywhere. They love it here. Plus there are so many free meals presented by charitable sport fisherman using light tackle! In one day they can each get two or three free meals by hanging on either of the two pinnacles.

But…

Our live baits never had a touch. They were panicking properly but Neville was having far more action with his perfectly tuned plug ‘n play outfit sporting 80lb braid and leaders to match. He was getting smashed and chased and smashed and chased until we lost count.

Then it was Eric’s turn as he held on to the flick stick meant for bonito – which turned out to have another spirited yellowfin on the other end. These little fish on light tackle! What fun! Eric also had a run of yellowfin action, all perfect bait sized.

But the live baits still survived, which is remarkable for Protea Reef. But all of a sudden. A HUGE tiger shark came up from the depths and devoured first the big bait. And then another followed up and grabbed the small bait?! All in a few seconds?! After those baits lasted for hours!

Neville Coetzer tied to a monster tiger shark on Protea Reef recently
Neville Coetzer tied to a monster tiger shark on Protea Reef recently

Day 2

The brown water lined itself up properly overnight as the Agulhas current hemmed it up against the coastline. Making a really decent seam which we committed to. Bait was easy to get and we did a nice strike that really could have been a dart couta but we will never know as it shook the hooks professionally just before we could see his colour. Got to lose some fish or it will get boring!

The brown water line off Port Shepstone for dorado
The brown water line off Port Shepstone is really hot for dorado and billfish at this time of the year.

The good weather is coming and the Umzimkulu is real friendly and nicely navigable at the moment. Get in touch if you would to either join us at sea like this trip or fish the estuary. Or the Sandspit.

Check out the accommodation and setting of the Umzimkulu Marina at http://umzimkulu.co.za.

Follow the Sardine News on FAcebook at http://facebook.com/thesardine.co.za/

Check out more videos at http://youtube.com/user/umzimkulu1/

Email Sean on umzimkulu@gmail.com or WhatsApp +27793269671 anytime.

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27kg yellowfin tuna by KZN Spearo

Marcus Yellowfin Tuna 27kgs

27kg yellowfin tuna by KZN Spearo

Fresh news in from Jason Heyne featuring a helluva yellowfin weighing in at 27 kg! Considering the unideal conditions spurned by the cut off low weather phenomoenon we just been through, this fish is a huge hit! – Xona

“The diving conditions this week have been well below average. To top it off the coast was hit by a huge storm on Wednesday so diving this weekend is out unless you like diving in mud! Well done Dylan Koekemoer on getting club merit fish of the week again and Marcus on getting fish of the week a 27kg yellowfin tuna! As always dive safe and straight spears.”

Stay in touch with us on Facebook at this link:

https://www.facebook.com/thesardine.co.za/

And  for all the latest spearfishing reports by Jason Heyne…

https://thesardine.co.za/?s=spearfishing

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Bliksem groot tuna wins at Shelley Beach 2017

Bliksem groot tuna

Bliksem groot tuna wins at Shelley Beach 2017

After an interesting week of fishing, the absolutely magnificent yellow fin tuna caught on Bliksem, took first prize. At the 2017 Mercury Shelley Beach fishing tourney held this past week.

40.9kg’s May not break the scales in Cape waters, but here in KZN Natal, that is a seriously big yellowfin. Massive actually. The normal tuna we catch here only hang about until they hit about 35kg’s. Making them sexually mature. Which is the point in their lifecycle when these bigger fish hit the tuna lanes out deep. Half way between us and Madagascar and all the way down to Cape Town – on that line. About two hundred miles out.  And become breeding stock. And open season to anyone with a ship!

Overall the fishing wasn’t that great, but as usual it was a well run event with lots of excitement and thrills.

A great fish for a winner!

Thanks to Craig Bell Roberts at The Tackle Box in Shelley Beach, for keeping us up-to-date and for providing the photographs.

Click here for more information on The Tackle Box.

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Huge tuna problem in Spain for kayak anglers

Huge tuna problem in Spain for kayak anglers

Huge tuna problem in Spain for kayak anglers

Well I really enjoy birthday wishes but this one nearly knocked me off my chair! It comes from Marc Hansel, an enthusiastic angler fishing the waters of Spain?!

Happy Birthday Sean,,all the very best to you?…Rikki and his 3 brothers are visiting me here in Spain,,They lost 6 giant tunas on live Mackerel..in 3 days, of the Kayak..,We are using Penn slammer 760 ,,,,45 pound line 250 m.. ,Backed with 80 pound braid 300m..with 80 pound leader..we have no chance of landing them..The Tunas I estimate at 150 kg-250kg..or even bigger,,Serious problem they are..any suggestions on Tackle etc?? we see plenty that are around 10-30 kg..but we always hook the monsters?

Now, what level fishing problem does that present?! Well it’s a great challenge that’s for sure…one I would love to have!

Ok Marc, best get a two speed 30 at least. The graphite ones are cheaper and more suited to the kayak environment. Plus they are lighter. Stand up rigs work ok on a kayak, I like a slightly longer rod with backbone but a forgiving tip. You can load a 30 with a thousand metres easily if you use 80lb backing for 600 metres, and 400 metres with top line 80lb. You can go 50lb on the 30 because it’s hard to put heaving drag when you on a ski. Even 8kg’s of strike drag will flip your kayak so fast if you not watching. Double up strikes can get very dangerous so don’t put two sticks for fish these sizes. So you set the drag to 8kg’s on strike, and then maximum drag should be up at like 12kg’s. The circle hook (20/0) means you leave the drag slightly on whilst trolling and you get a chance to clear things and brace for the 8kg pull coming up. Wind on leaders are super cool for skis, you just tie the circle hook straight on – no swivel to complicate matters. Go for 400lb, and tie the mackerel on through the eyes with about 6 inches of free swinging waxed string, or whatever you have handy. Just let the tuna swallow the bait and slowly turn up the drag all the way to strike and get stable.

Fighting a fish on a ski with such serious drag is a huge challenge, you will be so super unstable. If the fish shakes it’s head, at that size, as the drag turns on and off, you will be shaking like a leaf in a gale. So you really got to concentrate – and take every precaution beforehand. Lifejacket. Flares. Capsize rope. Tail rope. Flying gaff and rope. Shackles. Drinking water. Comms. Anchor. Capsize container…

It’s best to kind of keep the rod tip near the boat in front of you, so the length of the ski provides the leverage you need to stop a tuna that size. If you let the fish fight you at a right angle, you gonna flip easy. Flipping is not the end of the world, your rod tied to the ski in case of this. If you gonna use a harness, best you tie yourself to the ski. Hatches closed and everything stowed – too easy. Knife attached to you at all times, like in your lifejacket. To cut the line or whatever comes up.

You also got to use the buddy system and stick together. Don’t try this on your own, a tuna this big will tow you to France!

Now , puulleeaase get one of these fish out bru!

The whole world is watching! Take cameras!

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