SKI-BOAT March 2022 by Angler Publications

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The South African Deep Sea Angler

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March/April 2022 Vol. 38 No. 2

BOAT REVIEW Atomic 22 Open Fisher

TARGETING MARLIN Beating the odds in SA waters

WOMEN WORKING THE WATER Inspirational Skippers

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CONTENTS

March/April 2022 Volume 38 Number 2 COVER: GAMEFISH GLORY! Justin Paynter with a big, brightly coloured dorado caught off Durban.

FEATURES

Targeting Marlin Beating the odds in South African waters — by Capt. Ryan Williamson

Red Gold Getting a feel for bottomfishing part 5 — by Craig Stubbs

Showboat Review of the Atomic 22 Open Fisher — by Erwin Bursik

The Wise Owl Catches the Fish The 35th Yamaha Billfish 15 000 — by Blyde Pretorius

Statistics Tell a Story Where, when and what does one target at Sodwana? — by Erwin Bursik

The Pressure’s On! The importance of the correct drag setting — by Paul Nixon

Size Matters

Preparing to win the Durban Ski-Boat Comp — by Justin Paynter

Women Working the Water All the highs of being a female skipper — by Faith Lategan and Elize Smith

DEPARTMENTS

Editorial — by Erwin Bursik

Bell Reel Kids

SADSAA News

This & That

Kingfisher Awards

Ad Index

Subscription page

Business Classifieds & Directory

Mercury Junior Anglers

Rapala Lip Last Word from the Ladies

The official magazine of the South African Deep Sea Angling Association

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Publisher: Erwin Bursik Editor: Sheena Carnie Advertising Executive: Mark Wilson

EDITORIAL

BYE, BYE SHELL — FOR NOW

Editorial Assistant: Lynette Oakley Contributors: Erwin Bursik, Brenda Edwards, Faith Lategan, Paul Nixon, Justin Paynter, Blyde Pretorius, Elize Smith, Craig Stubbs and Ryan Williamson. ADVERTISING – NATIONAL SALES: Angler Publications Mark Wilson cell: 073 748 6107 ADVERTISING – Gauteng & Mpumalanga: Lyn Adams — 083 588 0217 Publishers: Angler Publications cc PO Box 20545, Durban North 4016 Telephone: (031) 572-2289 e-mail: angler@mags.co.za Subscriptions to SKI-BOAT: R220 per annum (six issues). New subscriptions and renewals: SKI-BOAT Subscriptions Department, PO Box 20545, Durban North 4016. Telephone: (031) 572-2280/89/97/98 Fax: (031) 572-7891 • e-mail: angler@mags.co.za • Through www.anglerpublications.co.za, or E-zine through <www.issuu.com> Printing: Novus Print, Cape Town Distribution: On The Dot <Riaan.Weyers@onthedot.co.za> Full production is done in-house by Angler Publications & Promotions on Apple Macintosh software and hardware. SKI-BOAT Magazine, ISSN 0258-7297, is published six times a year by Angler Publications & Promotions cc, Reg. No. CK 88/05863/23, and is distributed by On the Dot, as well as directly by the publishers to retail stores throughout South Africa. • Copyright of all material is expressly reserved and nothing may be reproduced in part or whole without the permission of the publishers. • While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this magazine, the publishers do not accept responsibility for omissions or errors or their consequences. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers, the managing editor, editor, editorial staff or the South African Deep Sea Angling Association.

6 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

HELL’S offshore seismic blasting off the Wild Coast has, for now, come to a halt with the survey vessel having moved to new pastures. I, like many other South African anglers, am very grateful to the numerous activists, organisations and ordinary citizens who worked so hard to have the sonar survey stopped. We offer our huge thanks for your efforts. Although I do not pretend to know anything about the science behind the effects of this Erwin Bursik sonar blasting, I was once exposed to the afterPublisher math of a survey of this nature. That one was carried out off the northern Moçambique coast between Pemba in the north and Nacala in the south. A few of us were fortunate to spend a week aboard a sportfisher in this prime fishing area. It should have been the trip of a lifetime, but as it turned out minimal fish were caught. When we asked the local fishermen why they were beach-bound during the stretch of great weather conditions, the “head honcho” pointed with a wave of his hand to the horizon and, in very broken English, said: “When lights out there, no fish — when no lights, lots of fish.” We concurred that there were no fish around. In truth, if memory serves me correctly, we only caught two small GTs during our five-day live-aboard trip. A well-known and respected diver who was with us spent over two hours snorkelling and diving over an area that the skipper called his private pantry. Usually the area never failed to produce a lot of gamefish, but our mate who traversed the entire reef declared that in two hours he had only seen two rat ’cuda. The reef was dead. At the time there was a ship in the area undertaking a seismic survey. A week or two later the captain reported incredible catches over this same reef and admitted that the sonar vessel had moved away up north of Pemba. I know I’m sticking my neck out, but this isolated experience convinced me that sonar activity in an area most certainly affects the fish. What the residual effects are of this blasting is open to debate. In fairness, during my Moçambique experience, the sonar vessel was trolling a pattern from not more than five nautical miles off the coast, to way out to sea and beyond the horizon. The fact that the predatory gamefish — and presumably the baitfish — returned in less than two weeks does, to my mind, raise some queries about the lasting effects of a sonar survey off the coast. Some research has been done, but there seems to be no definitive “yes” or “no” on whether these surveys are a danger to marine mammals and fish. Given the intensity of offshore sonar searching for oil that has been undertaken in recent decades, one would think that our scientific community, especially the marine scientists would by now have come up with concrete facts as to the long-term effect this activity has on the fishery concerned. I, for one, would like someone to shine a light on all of the opposing arguments and cut to the chase to give a definitive answer on whether offshore sonar blasting has a long-term effect on our fish resources in, say, the zero to 300 fathom waters. Until I see that, the jury is still out. On a happier note, our “Where to Fish” series has been incredibly popular with readers and although we don’t have one in this issue, it will be starting up again in the May/June 2022 issue where we will be covering the Border region. Till the next tide

Erwin Bursik

TACTICS

Beating the odds in South African waters By Capt. Ryan Williamson FTER many years of successfully targeting billfish along the southeast coast of Africa, from Cape Town to Kenya, I have analysed the four basic methods of directly targeting the blue-, black- and striped marlin found in these waters. These methods are: Live bait trolling; Dead bait swimming or skipping; Pitch baiting; and Trolling with konas. All of the above are proven methods that have been used across the world wherever these top predators are found. Each method has its dedicated proponents who swear their method produces the most and/or biggest specimens. Arguments unfold during discussions between marlin charter captains as well as among recreational ski-boat marlin anglers who primarily fish the marlin-rich waters of the north Kwa-Zulu-Natal coast. Fishing around the Cape Verde and Great Barrier Reef islands for a few seasons prior to the onset of Covid-19, provided me with a great deal more hands-on experience on the water. It also gave me ample opportunity to debate at length with a great number of the world’s top marlin captains who ply their trade at these two premier destinations. These conversations have firmed up much of what I’d already concluded. My current thinking when it comes to targeting marlin in South Africa and Moçambique, especially the Bazaruto archipelago is this:

SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 9

Boats and techniques have changed somewhat since the 1970s. Above Ralph Morkel lands his 242 lb black marlin caught off Sodwana Bay from his ski-boat with the aid of Derek Bowls and Monty English (1977). Below is the new Pulsator, owned by Ryan Williamson, rigged perfectly for pitch bait fishing to marlin.

Look at the odds — the strike to release ratio — of these four basic methods as they have been recorded during the last five years, then decide not only which method you are going to adopt but also which gives you the greatest amount of pleasure. From experience, my opinion of the ratios of raised billfish to the release of hooked fish for each of the different methods is as follows: Live bait trolling: 60% Dead bait trolling or skipping: 50% Pulling konas: 30% Pitch baiting: 70% No doubt there will be differing opinions, but I am basing these percentages on South African and southern 10 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

African experiences, and accept that if one only has one pull on a live bait, for example, and the marlin is released at the boat it’s 100%. If you experience a pack attack of stripeys and go 3:2:1 the ratio is 33% but a lot more excitement will be experienced for the same final score of one marlin released. If you consider the options I detail below, and take cognisance of my suggested success percentages, then you can make an educated decision on what style of marlin fishing suits you personally. In other words, if sheer numbers of marlin released is not your goal, then select the method that provides you with the most enjoyable day at sea.

LIVE BAIT TROLLING Most of those who targeted marlin off Sodwana Bay in the late ’70s and ’80s under the influence of the Sodwana Gamefish Club targeted marlin almost exclusively with live bait — bonito, skip jack and small yellowfin tuna — bridled to a 12/0, 14/0 or 16/0 tuna hook attached to 400- or 600 lb nylon leaders. There haven’t been huge changes to the techniques of live baiting, swim or skip baiting except for tweaking the rigging of baits, the quality of circle hooks available today and different bridle techniques on rigging live baits. In the early days J-hooks were used; this produced a huge number of fish hooked in the belly sack, and resulted in numerous lost fish when the hooks tore out. Circle hooks then took over, mainly to ensure the safe release of fish, but they also resulted in a better hookup ratio. The down side to using live bait is, of course, the need to catch the live bait desired first thing in the morning. In the early days luna tubes were not available, so in essence one caught, say, two live baits, rigged them and then started trolling for marlin. The major downside was targeting live bait in the backline, rigging them and trolling slowly straight out to sea through Shark Alley to the 100 fathom contour which the skippers all believed the big black marlin liked to frequent. If the slow-trolled live baits got taken by sharks, one had to up lines and return to the shallow waters to look for more live bait. Catching more live bait was difficult, and if no more live bait could be caught skippers would revert to rigging a dead bait to slow troll. The vast majority of marlin taken during that period were black marlin, some of which were really big fish.The biggest at the time was a 938 lb black landed on Piet Joubert’s Bonito and a black of 927 lb landed on Erwin Bursik’s Sea Lord. A good number of black marlin in the 200- to 600 lb class were landed, but very few in excess of 700 lb. After losing their live baits or dead baits, boats tended to pull the odd lure during the ride home, occasionally landing a striped- or blue marlin.The biggest blue marlin caught during this era was, I think, a blue of about 170 lb caught on Clive Taylor’s boat, Kaydee. The only single minded marlin angler during that era was Piet van Dyk, an ex-Kenyan, who only trolled Kenyanstyle lures from his craft Yellowfin deep off Jesser Point, and accounted for a significant number of striped marlin. If we look at the hook-up ratio on live bait trolling and skip baiting, I would say that with experienced crew and captains catching a number of fish

you’re looking at the 60% mark. When we look at live bait fishing, a lot depends on the size and strength of the bait. If a small fish eats a big bait the hook up can be difficult. Live yellowfin make fantastic baits and are exceptionally strong, but sometimes when the marlin is chasing the bait it can get wrapped up in the leader or get a bad grip on the bait. When it comes to skip baiting, once again you may have a small fish come in on a big bait and battle to eat it. The biggest problem when fishing for black marlin, from my experience fishing on the Great Barrier Reef and at Bazaruto, is that they have really strong jaws with very sharp bristles on the corner of their mouth and bill, which makes it difficult for the leader to slide into the mouth and for the circle hook to set in the corner. In my opinion skip bait fishing and live bait fishing are the best when targeting black marlin. These two techniques are used in areas where black marlin congregate, such as the Great Barrier Reef, Bazaruto and Sodwana Bay,

and where fishing is in shallow water with underwater sea structure. However, when you’re targeting stripedand blue marlin in open water with no structure, this type of fishing cannot compete with lure fishing. DEAD BAIT TROLLING AND SKIPPING As I intimated, in the early days this method of fishing was a last resort if live bait could not be secured, but a number of the founder members of Sodwana Gamefish Club had fished Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and brought back with them the know-how

to rig dead baits for both swimming and skipping. With this style, outriggers were deemed essential equipment on a skiboat. Some weird and wonderful outriggers were made and fitted which, when paired with the original homemade fighting chairs, made the ski-boats of that era into marlin boats! Again a number of great black marlin were landed using this Aussie-style of targeting these mighty fish. Securing dead bait in sufficient quantities prior to the November competition at Sodwana Bay was a major exercise due to the lack of pelagic bait-

Above: Examples of bait used with a chugger fitter to the front to create a smoke trail. Below: Ryan leaders another beauty.

SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 11

Hennie Seaman, Francois Erasmus, Sybrand van Vuuren and Arrie Topham with the grander Hennie landed on a lure off Sodwana in 2002. fish found off Durban during the end of the cold water season. Big shad, small Natal snoek, the odd bonito and even rainbow trout were frozen, the latter by the Griqualand Gang, and transported to Sodwana Bay in order to supplement locally caught baitfish while at this venue. Some very strange dead bait rigs were fashioned based on information in angling books and magazines that purported to describe how to rig dead baits for marlin. Paradise Island rigs used by the small fleet of slow marlin charter boats operating off Bazaruto Island also featured in the local arsenal back then. At the time, that was the only affordable marlin fishing destination for South 12 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

Africans who aspired to catch a mighty black marlin. The waters around Santa Carolina also played a very important role in inducing those who fished there to bring back the system of baiting which was very productive. From the mid ’60s to 1973, before the onset of the civil war in 1974, this fishery was producing some incredible black marlin and a fair number of granders were caught by South African and Rhodesian anglers. The biggest of these was a 1 109 lb fish caught by Monty Smith of Durban in 1973. With all this success, it’s not surprising that the style of tackle and bait rigging that proved so successful off Bazaruto Island found its way to Sodwana Bay.

PULLING “PLASTIC” — KONAS AND LURES This style of fishing was being punted by many marlin anglers around the world in the 1970s and began to find its way into the arsenal of anglers targeting marlin off South Africa. My father, John Williamson, eventually became a worldwide authority on this, producing his range of Williamson Lures from his plastics factor y in Durban. He and his great friend Gary Maas persisted with pulling lures in the deep waters off Durban on their boats Allure and Carpetbagger. While travelling extensively across the globe selling his lures, my father accumulated incredible knowledge regarding the ballooning practice of trolling plastics for marlin. As a very young boy I crewed for him and not only learnt the practices of pulling lures, but also developed an intense love for marlin fishing. Heading into the 1980s, the Sodwana f leet of ski-boats began to increase exponentially. The 17- to 19ft ski-boats so prevalent in that era were replaced with trailerable craft up to 10 metres long, rigged specifically for targeting marlin. These craft, adorned with imported stayed outriggers and fighting chairs, as well as those manufactured in South Africa to international standards, have become the order of the day off Sodwana Bay and latterly Richards Bay as well. Why? Because if you want to effectively pull big konas, you need a big boat that’s able to maintain a relatively constant speed over water. “Pulling plastic” has produced some incredible catches of marlin both in number and size. In November 1998, Johnny Harel landed a black marlin of 1 300lb off Bazaruto Island on a lure, and it is still the current All Africa record. Then, in 2002, Hennie Seaman caught a grander blue marlin of 1 113 lb (the first in South African waters) on Francois Erasmus’s craft, Big Time, and in 2007 Lappies Labuschagne caught a grander blue of 1 171 lb on his own boat, Black Magic. A big shift in this style of fishing was the change in species caught from black marlin to blue- and striped marlin. In the ’90s when I was fishing with my father and Gary, striped marlin were abundant. I remember on our best day we released four from 17 raised, and had many other days of raising five to eight fish and releasing one or two. In the beginning the boats ran big lures (13- to 16 inches), but over time changed to smaller lures (9- to 12 inches). That improved the number of fish caught, but there were still too many fish lost.We all remember the good days — for instance fishing in Richards Bay we went six for seven in a day — but I

A typical pitch baiting and lure spread pulled by Ryan Williamson. have also had days where we have gone nought for five on lures. Even in the ’90s there was a lot of talk of drag setting, type of hooks, open gauge, closed gauge, double stiff rigs, single stiff rig, double semi, 190 degrees or 90 degrees, chain gang etc.You name it we tried it, and along the way we caught some fish and lost some. This debate continues, and still today I hear of different rigs and theories. International and local skippers will never tire of discussing the “perfect” hook rig. If we look at the stats of professional captains around the world who have hooked hundreds and hundreds of marlin, at the end of the day an excellent catch ratio for lures is 50%. On the east coast of Africa the diversity and differing sizes of marlin, makes it very difficult to decide on the best rig. For instance, when targeting stripeys, running small lures with 8/0 hooks definitely will increase your hook ups on small fish, but unfortunately the next bite could be a 700 lb blue or black and there’s a high probability of losing that fish on smaller hooks and leaders. This makes it extremely difficult to standardise your lure size and hook rigs as opposed to when you’re fishing in

Madeira, for example, where most fish are blues over 400 lb, so it’s a lot easier to decide on your lure size, hook size and leader thickness. One good thing about this style of targeting marlin is that a skipper can set his spread directly after exiting the backline and immediately start marlin fishing. Marlin are so close in off Sodwana that during the major competitions the strike call ups begin even before the last boats have launched. This is, of course, also the easiest way to target marlin. Once the spread is set, everyone aboard can virtually sit back and relax and wait for the action. PITCH BAITING FOR MARLIN The latest trend and, in my opinion, the most incredibly exciting way of fishing for marlin is pitch baiting. It’s the one form of marlin angling that leaves no time for anybody on a boat to snooze. The captain, crew and anglers have to remain incredibly attentive as there is so much that has to happen when a fish comes up to the dredge. As the skipper of Smoker in Cape Verde, I practice the art of switch baiting, as do many other top level skippers. So why is the international marlin fleet moving to pitch baiting? The excitement of teasing in a fired-

up marlin to position it for the switch is something skippers and crew live for. There’s an explosive bite on the pitch just a few metres in front of you, and the angler holding the rod has to be on high alert after the bite, controlling the free spool, then pushing up the drag and setting the circle hook in the corner of the marlin’s mouth as the fish explodes out of the water. Nothing can come close to pitch baiting for marlin in terms of excitement — and the 85% success rate on landing the fish! This high success rate is the reason tournament boats and professional captains around the world are using this technique. When we look at percentages, we look at an entire season. During my last season in Cape Verde we fished 98 days and released 132 blue marlin. Thirty percent of these fish were caught on lures and 70% on the pitch bait. For my spread we fish two lures on the longs with hooks in, two teasers on the shorts, and a dredge. The reason 70% of the fish are caught on the pitch is purely because of the dredge bringing the fish closer to our short teasers which is exactly what we want. Some skippers do not run any lures with hooks in them, they just run four teasers and tease the fish in from the SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 13

longs and pitch to them. However, I would not suggest this method unless you have more than two experienced crew who can tease the fish in from the longs. Let’s look at some comparisons. With traditional lure fishing if you hook 100 fish, 50% will be landed = 50 fish. When pitch baiting with lures on the longs, if you get the same 100 fish bites, and 30% are caught on lures with hooks, 50% landed = 15 fish. The other 70% of those 100 fish are caught on the pitch, and 85% landed = 59.5 fish. Remember, the spread of lures and dredges you are pulling will raise you the same number of fish.The difference is that if you’re pitching to the 70% of fish teased in on your shorts, you will increase your landed fish percentage by 35% which is a large number. When I discussed pitch baiting with fellow marlin anglers in South Africa, the feedback was generally negative. “Our fish are not like fish in Cape Verde; they’re not that aggressive,” was one comment. “We don’t have enough fish so it won’t work,” I was told. A couple of years back Gar y Prentice (skipper of Goloza) and I, in a joint venture, built and launched a boat — Pulsator. She was designed for fishing Bazaruto, but thanks to Covid, things changed. Fortunately Gary had an open mind and suggested we fish

14 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

the 2020 Billfish 15 000 tournament using the technique of pitch baiting. We rigged the boat up with two lures on the longs with hooks, and ran two teasers and a dredge — the same spread I fish with in Cape Verde. We managed to get some quality bait and rigged up three pitch rods.The big pitch was a 80 lb rod and reel with 130 lb line and a bonito for bait. The medium pitch was a 50 lb rod and reel with 80 lb line and mackerel for a bait. Our small pitch was a 30 lb rod and reel with 50 lb line, and a halfbeak as bait. Our six-man team ran through the drills — what pitch rod to pitch when a fish came up on the teasers, as well as who was bringing in the dredge. We were waxed and ready to go! We went four for five and managed to win the 2020 Billfish 15 000! After the tournament we fished some more days in the marlin season, then entered the 2021 OET and Billfish 15 000 tournaments. We battled to raise fish in the OET, but in the Billfish we went four for four and came in second. Looking at the stats for 25 days fishing out of Sodwana Bay, when it came to lures on the long with hooks, we were six for 13. Black, blue and striped marlin were in the mix. On the pitch, we were 17 for 17 with blue marlin, black marlin and sailfish, and nought for one on spearfish.

One has to remember that essentially, you are pulling a four-lure spread in the water and a dredge, so by using switch baiting we are not doing anything different in the way we raise fish. The spread is the same whether you have hooks in the lures or not.The only difference is that by using a dredge, for 70% of our bites the fish will come up to our short teasers, which is exactly what we want so that we can tease the fish in and switch the correct size tackle and bait to the fish to ensure a hook up and a released/landed fish. If we look at the numbers above from Pulsator in Sodwana and compare them to my last season on Smoker in Cape Verde, you can see the numbers are very similar. Obviously, the more days you fish the more accurate a percentage you’ll get. After observing hundreds of marlin in Cape Verde, and their behaviour as we tease them in and switch them, and then fishing the same method in Sodwana, I can confirm there is absolutely no difference in the behaviour of the fish in our waters — some are super aggressive, and some are a little more shy. In closing, if anyone is interested in learning the art of switch baiting, please contact me on 082 490 7622 and join me for some fishing in Cape Verde or Sodwana Bay.

TACTICS

Getting a feel for bottomfishing Part 5

Craig Stubbs with a solid, perfectly conditioned soldier. SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 19

By Craig Stubbs

F you are a bottomfisherman, you will be well familiar with a grouping of fish we commonly refer to as “reds”, or “red fish” (not to be confused with the well-known American sea bass, the red drum).This generic term covers a number of species, not limited to but commonly including slingers, soldiers (santers), trawl soldiers (trollies/blueskin), dageraad, Englishman and Scotsman. These species are all largely red in colour with a few variations in body shape and body markings, and when they’re fresh out of the water they are often spectacularly beautiful. Not only are larger specimens of reds great sport fish, providing a solid and stubborn pull when hooked, but they also make for a great tasting meal, with many options whether whole or filleted. My current favourite is a large, whole smoked soldier served with a good sourdough or craft bread and a glass of crisp white wine. Art de vivre at its best. The red fish species are by far the most common species that you will encounter on bottomfishing trips, and make up the bulk of most catches. Frustratingly, many catches comprise smaller fish, but given that all these species are widespread and all grow to formidable sizes, how does one go about targeting quality red fish, instead of just “smalls”? I may be repeating some content from previous articles, but it’s all about upping the odds in your favour. There are three important things one needs to take a look at if you want to be in that proverbial group of 10% of anglers who catch 90% of the good fish. These factors are traces, location and bait presentation.

and use a two-hook trace with nothing less than 5/0 or 6/0 hooks. Keep your snoots to around 60cm each and tied with mono of around .80mm line. By eliminating the smaller hooks you should, in theory, reduce your bycatch of smaller fish, and the larger hooks allow you to correctly present larger, wellconstructed baits. I rely on circle hooks for my two-hook traces when looking for big red fish, as they almost totally eliminate smalls which cannot get the hooks into their mouths, while the larger fish which we are targeting have no problem sucking in that circle hook, allowing it to do its work. J-hooks, although equally effective at hooking good fish, often “accidentally” hook smalls in and around the mouth area, as they don’t rely on the entire hook having to enter a fish’s mouth. I see many anglers using traces made of 1mm to 1.2mm mono, and they do catch fish, but the line is very rigid which eliminates some of the subtle bait action, and I believe its thick diameter can scare off wary fish.

TRACES We covered general traces and hook size in a previous article, but if you only want to target larger red fish, then you can and should adjust your trace accordingly. Get rid of the smaller 1/0 and 2/0 hooks from your traces,

LOCATION Each of the red fish species has a preferred water depth range, and this also varies from population to population along the coast, but water ranging from 35- to 90-odd metres is where I catch the majority of my red fish.Trawl soldiers are the exception, as they prefer the deeper end of that range, and occur all the way down to a few hundred metres deep. Reds are all structure-orientated fish, ranging from reef to reef or sometimes resident on a particular reef. I don’t go looking for massive pinnacles or big drop-offs which are often the home to smaller shoals of fish. Instead I concentrate on more isolated, scattered areas of reef, or areas with a fair amount of flat reef and sand patches. The larger red fish appear to travel in smaller groups of only a few fish and often slightly away from the shoals of small fish which invariably gather right on top of larger pieces of structure.

The author’s two-hook trace for targeting bigger red fish.

Carl van Hasselt with a big Scotsman.

20 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

aggressively, but by and If my finder screen large, better thought-out shows a few small flecks and presented baits of activity on a flattish result in better catches. piece of reef, that’s when It’s essential that you I get most excited and have a prebought box of expectant of a bite from chokka and a box of sara decent fish. dine baits in the cooler When it comes to box when you are planhunting these bigger ning on spending a day fish, keep mobile on the fishing for reds.There are water. I have had days days when, for some reawhere every down on a son or another, a whole particular spot has resultsardine is pounced upon ed in an almost instant when even live baits pull from a quality fish, don’t get bites, and there only to return to the are days when chokka is same spot the next day, first prize. but all the quality fish Englishman in partichad disappeared and ular love a well presentbeen replaced by smalls. ed chokka bait with a In a situation like that A good mix of reds in the hatch — a few nice soldiers few tentacles, often in I will sound around and and Englishman, and a good Scotchie. combination with a see if I can locate some piece of meat bait incorporated. fish holding nearby, or else open the throttles and head to the In general, don’t just try to fit as much meat onto the hook next spot in search of decent bites. I’m not saying that you as you can when preparing a bait. That often results in a bait shouldn’t stick it out in search of bites, but red fish in particuthat has little inherent movement and crowds the hook point, lar are either present and feeding or not. Although drift after resulting in missed bites.Take your time to cut your baits cordrift can sometimes yield a decent rockcod or the likes, this rectly and build them accordingly. technique seldom produce bites from good reds that weren’t I love a chokka tentacle or two threaded onto the hook there the previous drift. followed by a nice piece of fish fillet or portion of sardine or Instead I would recommend you rather move on, and if red-eye. you are passing by that area later in the day, stop for a down My preferred baits for targeting red fish include: and see if the fish have either moved in or have switched to • Chokka (often combined with a fish fillet or portion). feeding mode. • Whole sardine or, even better, a whole fresh red-eye sarOnce you find feeding fish, mark that spot and try to time dine (with the tail chopped off to prevent it spinning on your downs so that one or more of your crew’s lines are in the way down). the strike zone at the same time to keep the fish aggressive • Live maasbanker (great bait for large soldiers). and feeding. • Live mackerel are often too big for most red fish, but large When moving from spot to spot, pay attention to your Scotsman find them irresistible. depth. If, for example, you aren’t getting bites in 60m of water, • Fish fillets (often smaller red fish), cut and trimmed to size don’t spend too much time visiting reef after reef in 60m of are also very effective. water. Rather try shallower or deeper spots in increments of There are days when bites are subtle and one has to be around 10- to 20m. patient in order to wait for an opportunity to set the hook, There are a few theories as to why it happens, but whatevbut when they’re feeding strongly, a good red bite is aggreser the reason, bottomfish in general seem to migrate from sive. Once hooked, they shake their heads and bodies which depth zone to depth zone during the day, rather than from translates into a series of hard head nods being felt through reef to reef in a single depth range. Then again, if you find a one’s rod tip. good bite in, say, 80m of water which suddenly dies down, try Good luck out there. And remember, there is no right or other spots in the same depth range and you will be amazed wrong way to do things to guarantee results, but if you want as to how often the bite continues in that zone. to be one of those who often catches good fish, then all those “little differences” in your traces, baits and presentation, can BAIT PRESENTATION produce more, and better fish for you than those around Sure, a good fish can fall for a hurriedly assembled squashed you. sardine and piece of sunbaked chokka when they’re feeding

One of the author’s favourite ways to prepare a good red fish — prepare, smoke and enjoy with a good glass of white wine. SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 21

BOAT REVIEW

Showboat The Atomic 22 Open Fisher..... By Erwin Bursik ...............

22 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

ARL Gutzeit of Shelly Beach has had a lifelong love of monohulls. A year ago he started his search for a new craft that would mainly be used from the club’s launch site. Carl is as pedantic as they come, and after undertaking a great deal of research he honed in on

the Atomic 22. Carl’s research into the latest highend American offshore centre console trends, led him to believe that if he found a locally manufactured hull design that he liked and that performed well in our unique sea conditions, then he could emulate all that he had seen

and learnt regarding top range finishes and apply these to the boat being built here in RSA. In my opinion he has undoubtedly achieved his goal. While his “dream machine” was being manufactured, he spent an incredible amount of time watching the build of the Atomic 22 as well as

rethinking the deck layout, centre console configuration and, very importantly, the hard top configuration and finishing. In this process the Atomic Power Boats (Pty) Ltd owners, design- and manufacturing teams were open to all suggestions for improvements and for Carl to include the engineers of his family owned company, Dezzi Yellow Metal OEM & Raceway, to digitise his ideas and produce computerised designs and eventual physical models before the final moulding was done for the centre console, hard top, deck and internal gunnel configuration. Carl decided to power his craft with a pair of 140hp Suzuki motors with counter-rotating props, but chose to mount them on specially manufactured stainless steel outmounts which will enable him to enhance the trim angle of the craft for all sea conditions. I was kept informed all through the process, and Carl promised me a ride on her once she’d had a few outings to sea, following her launching.

After boarding Blood Vessel at Shelly Beach, and as Carl waited for his break in the normal Shelly washing machine, I felt a surge of excitement at being aboard a big mono. Then there was a real adrenalin rush as he powered up the twin 140hp Suzukis and, with proven dexterity, negotiated the exit to sea. The launch brought with it many memories of my 21ft Robcraft deep V monohull launching off Sodwana Bay. Such a different experience to surf launching on a catamaran. Out at sea I was handed the controls of Blood Vessel. My mind went into overdrive comparing her ride to the full on-water review I did off Durban on the first Atomic 22 powered by twin Mercury 125hp motors. (See full review in the January/February 2021 issue of SKI-BOAT.) I rated that craft very highly, and prior to actually being on the new boat wondered what difference I would notice with the two bigger motors outmounted to the standard transom. SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 23

The hard top has been aerodynamically designed to control both uplift and lateral air spillage. It’s very well finished and incorporates forward- and aft facing water resistant lighting that lights up the entire deck. The total weight of the hard top is only 39kg.

Stainless steel outmounts allow for increased trim angle.

Two separate marine-grade aluminium built-in fuel tanks are sited below the centre console, with access through a large front-facing hatch closure. The tanks can be removed for inspection and cleaning in just ten minutes. Fillingand fuel breathers are externally placed for safety.

Skipper positioning at the helm is very comfortable when launching and running, with a bum seat top and a foldaway footrest for use while trolling.

The helm station is fully equipped with a GPS chart plotter and large sonar screen. Imported switch panels ensure a 20-amp power feed to all devices — electronics, radios and sound system as well as all motor gauges and accessories.

Tackle stowage conveniently accessible under the bum seat. SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 25

All electrical wiring is easily accessible through the same hatch, and is the neatest and most professional wiring I have ever seen on a ski-boat.

The bow rail is sited in an internal recessed gunnel top. It’s very neat and still allows ample seating on the wide forward gunnel areas.

Special chemically bonded seals on all hatches and lockers ensure these are all watertight. The livebait well is internally finished with a blue gel coat. It has directional incoming waterspouts and a fully sealed hatch cover.

Spacious side tackle stowage. Uppermost in my thinking was the question of whether the performance would be different. My biggest concern was what the increased thrust weight of outmounted motors and counter-rotating props would do to the longitudinal attack angle the hull had into the sea, and whether the out-the-hole performance would be affected by the bow-up stance she might well adopt. Well, a few minutes aboard her, during which I observed the way she took on quite a few foamies in the surf before the fast takeoff for the hard long run out to sea, dispelled all my preconceived perceptions and we had a smooth and spray-free exit. The sea and wind conditions were a little flat, but no matter what I tried with her out at sea, the hull-over-water characteristics were very much the same as those I explained in great detail in the previous review. In short, she has a flat, soft, dry ride with minimal lateral instability. Simply put, it’s a magnificent performance of the hull over water. Carl settled on 19 pitch props after initially trying 21s. He wanted to vastly improve the initial thrust out the hole and, according to him, top-end speed and fuel consumption have not suffered appreciably. Carl noted a combined average fuel consumption of 1.1-1.3km per litre depending on sea conditions and load. As with all the counter-rotating prop rigs I have played with, I have not experienced any vast areas of difference 26 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

when it comes to performance other than fine-tuning of lateral stability when running a quartering sea. In truth, with the motors mounted so close together, the motor trim was only needed marginally under some conditions to maintain a stable, fast ride.The Atomic 22’s dead rise and planing strakes on the below-waterline design determine the awesome ride this craft provides, and I found that no matter what I tried to vary this ride, it did very little. Eventually I stopped playing with the trims and just admired her hull-overwater performance. I have decided not to rewrite all the detail of the previous review as it is readily available in hardcopy and on our website to be referenced at will. Instead, I will use this article to go into a bit more detail regarding the incredible attention to detail and finishes Carl has, in many instances, personally finished applied to his Blood Vessel. He is rightfully ecstatic about his Atomic 22’s ride, rough sea performance, dryness and how his ideas regarding finishes work under normal fishing conditions. When studying the accompanying photographs, please take care to read the captions which provide some insight into Carl’s reasoning for the incredible trouble he has gone to, to ensure all the facilities incorporated work for his crew as well as his personal demand for perfection. One of the doyens of the South African marine industry during the early 1970s who I will certainly never forget, is Arnie Levy. His simple phrase “One word — Perfect” is always at the forefront of my mind. Carl’s new Blood Vessel is just that:“One word — Perfect”!

COMPETITION

Wise Owl The 35th Yamaha Billfish 15 000 Article by Blyde Pretorius Photos by Kiki Corner Photography, Framing & Video Productions

OVEMBER 2021 saw another week of incredible marlin fishing at the Billfish 15 000 with anglers fighting for top position until the final day. Better than this you won’t get! Record breaking daily releases made this tournament one to remember. Dorado Ski Boat Club once again pulled it off by putting together an amazing tournament. It’s always a challenge to arrange the Billfish 15 000 when the committee is based kilometres away from its venue of Sodwana Bay. Wanting to try new things and never knowing if it will work out, and at the same time praying for good weather and no serious incidents, the organisers collect many grey hairs in the months leading up to the event. But, as always, everything worked out perfectly.

30 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

Catches the Fish In proper Billfish 15 000 tradition, on the Saturday night before the tournament started, the committee hosted a social evening with the generous sponsors of the Billfish 15 000 to thank all those involved. On the Sunday, all the boat teams and four jetski anglers registered for the tournament. Excited to get on the water the next day, many teams hit their beds early to be fresh for day one of the tournament. The weather was perfect for day one of the 2021 Billfish 15 000 on Monday, 8 November 2021. When one arrives at the beach in the early morning hours, still in total darkness, and then sees the sun rise over the mighty ocean, it is totally breathtaking. Thanks to great team work and the help of our world renowned beach

control duo, Mariette Hendriksz and Lizelle Els, all the boats got safely out to sea. It didn’t take long for the action to start, and at 07h19 the first marlin of the tournament was released! Many boats stayed on the water until the last possible second, mainly in the hopes of winning the daily prize of R10 000, sponsored by Close-Up Mining, for the last marlin released of the day. At the end of day one, Pulsator, winners of the 2020 Billfish 15 000 tournament was again in the lead, having releasing two black marlin for the day. Although a disappointing blow-out was called for day two, the fun did not stop. Anglers were still enter-

Winners of the 20 21

tained on the beach with a little team competition — Tug of Warn — arranged by Andrew Cornelius from WARN, one of the Billfish 15 000’s sponsors for over 30 years. Angling teams competed against each other to see who was strongest. This was great fun and the winners received a prize hamper at the daily prize giving and happy hour with beverages that were proudly sponsored by Halewood Artisanal Spirits —Buffelsfontein Brandy. As everyone knows, it’s the team spirit that makes the Billfish so very special. Each night “Padda van die dag” prizes were awarded to the angler who made a total mess of something during the day.

Billfish 15 000, Te

am Snowy Owl. SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 31

Magnificent marlin released on Snowy Owl. As there’s been no fishing on day two, all the daily skins prizes doubled up for the next day. Anglers went all out on day three and a total of 17 releases were recorded for the day.With a number of teams releasing more than one marlin on their boat, the competition was getting very interesting. In the end Naughty Cat took top honours for the day after releasing two blue marlin. Aphrodite moved into first place overall, with their tally standing on three releases for the week. Naughty Cat was second, Fly Away third, and Pulsator fourth, with only a point separating the top teams. Day four dawned, and what a day it would be! At final count, 30 marlin were released that Thursday, including the Billfish 15 000’s first billfish on a jetski. What a great moment for Team Yamaha on the jetskis.Andre Malan, aka The Silver Fox, had a double hookup on two sailfish on his jetski. It was total havoc, and he was told that, due to SADSAA rules, only one of the sailfish counted. The atmosphere became even more charged when it was discovered that Snowy Owl had released three marlin for the day! That made them the winners for the day, and also moved them into top position overall. The points were incredibly close, and with only one day left, any small change could turn the leaderboard on its head. On day five the weather committee predicted there would only be a few hours of fishing for the day, so teams that were in the running for first place were properly hyped up. The wind started to pick up in mid morning, and by 12h00 the weather committee decided to call lines up for the tournament. In that short morning of fishing another 24 marlin were released! In the end, first place went to

In second place, Pulsator with their prize from Lowrance.

Third place went to Aphroditewho won a prize from Ryan Williamson Charters and Sanpedro Spur. SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 33

Andre Malan — the silver fox — winning the prize for a jetski.

The Billfish 15 000 Committee. Snowy Owl, chartered by Probe Corporation — one of the main sponsors of the Billfish 15 000, who had released five marlin for the week. One blue, three stripeys and one black marlin gave them a total of 1 470 points. In addition to all the other prizes they won during the week, they took home two 150hp Yamaha, 4-stroke motors worth around R450 000. Well done, Snowy Owl with Skipper Riaan Odendaal and Rick Rovelli from Probe Corporation and his team! Pulsator took second spot with 1 115 points and won a Lowrance HDS12 Live, P79Airmar transducer and an 34 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

East Coast Platinum chart, all worth around R86 000. Aphrodite which spent most of the week in the top spot, ended in third place with 905 points. What a week! We recorded a total of 171 strikes, 96 hook-ups and 82 releases — 20 striped marlin, 13 black marlin, 39 blue marlin, five sailfish and five shortbill spearfish. We can only thank our Heavenly Father for another great week and for keeping us safe. Our sincere thanks to every person who helped with sponsors, prizes, arrangements and support. Thank you Dorado SBC committee and club members, for helping to make the

Billfish 15 000 the best of the best. To our sponsors, thank you for all your generous contributions. Without your support this tournament would not be the same. To each and every angler, we want to say thank you for making the Billfish 15 000 stand out above the rest with all the team spirit and camaraderie. Remember that we must do all we can to conserve this abundant angling heritage for our children and theirs to come.We look forward to seeing you all again at the 36th Billfish 15 000 which will be held at Sodwana from 13 to 18 November 2022.

TACTICS

STATISTICS TELL A STORY

Where, when and what does one target at Sodwana? By Erwin Bursik

Photo courtesy of Ryan Williamson, Pulsator.

FF Sodwana Bay, there’s a vast stretch of ocean between “Rooi Valla” in the south and Island Rock up north which one has to confront after launching from Jesser Point. It’s generally featureless and doesn’t give much clue to what lies below, but in those waters numerous black marlin, blue marlin, striped marlin, sailfish and shortbill spearfish hunt their prey. The questions in the mind of every skipper launching during the marlin season are: Where am I going to fish today? What spread do I pull to maximise my chances of catching one of the six billfish species traditionally targeted in the area? A study of the statistics alongside of the billfish released at the 2021 Billfish 15 000, which were captured and 36 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

extremely well portrayed by Peet Koekemoer, opens up a huge variety of possibilities for any skipper prepared to closely study the day-by-day statistics. During the many billfish competitions held at Sodwana over the last 40years, often all the skippers had to work on was the total number of billfish logged during the evening’s weigh in, and the many “stories” (fact or fiction) of where and on what lures the fish had been caught that day. When teams later sat down to discuss their game plan for the following day, the conundrums were: Where do we start on the morrow? Do we (for example), set the spread directly off Jesser Point or (for example) waste an hour of the possible early morning rise to reach the hot spot off Mabibi? In real terms there are 70 boats, 70

skippers and a lot of “expert advice” from the 300 crew members spread amongst the fleet. Most marlin skippers make the final call based on their “gutfeel” once they’re safely behind the backline and physically experience what the sea conditions are. Peet Koekemoer’s statistics are a mine of information. Study them very carefully and you’ll appreciate the immense amount of information they convey as to where, what and how deep the marlin seem to be feeding. Gathering this information takes a huge amount of effort and dedication in addition to being computer savvy. I found these stats to be enormously valuable as a source of information not just to be used during the tournament, but also going forward during recreational forays to sea to target billfish.

The article on the Billfish 15 000 on the preceding pages depicts the overall excitement of the event, but the technical importance of these statistics creates a source knowledge that can help skippers improve their catches. Granted, as many will say, these are only one week’s stats, and during the OET preceding the Billfish and the Marlin Nationals which followed this event, there were certain contradictions to the stats generated and displayed alongside. All the same, these results give an accurate depiction of the circumstances surrounding the release of the 82 billfish during this tournament. Extrapolated on the accepted worldwide ratio of 3:2:1 (billfish raised, hooked, caught/released) it infers that at least 240 billfish were raised during this event. Using this as a parameter, one will appreciate the value of the catch/depth/area stats in particular. Just imagine how much this information could sway a skipper’s mind when it comes to deciding where to go to target billfish. Having a closer look at some of these stats, one can see that targeting blue marlin provided one with at least double the chances of getting a strike, and that, during this competition, trolling in the 500-800m deep area off Rondekop produced twice as many billfish as any other hotspot. Analysing the stats further, it is interesting to note how numbers vary dramatically over the four days fished. As an example, note the blue marlin released during the event — only three on Monday and 19 on Thursday! It certainly challenges one’s thinking. One appreciates that the ocean is not a closed environment and there are a number of factors to take into account. The accepted understanding resulting from telemetric tagging undertaken by SADSAA in the area north of Richards Bay was that the majority of billfish tagged tended to move northwards after their release, with only one heading due south to end up off Cape Point. So, simply put, the marlin that are around today will be out of our target area by the following morning. Like all statistics, these are revelations of history, and what was gospel yesterday often changes today, so it is entirely up to you, the skipper, to decide whether you want to use them when you put to sea. In real fishing terms, one obviously has to look at species numbers, areas fished and reported depths of fish released. In conclusion, it’s certainly food for thought. No doubt a great deal of discussion will be needed while preparing for the 2022 marlin season in Sodwana.

Targeting blue marlin provided double the chances of getting a strike.

Trolling in the 500-800m deep area off Rondekop was quite the hotspot.

Numbers of species caught over the four days fished. SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 37

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

ERE’S wishing you a prosperous and happy 2022. May this year be filled with many hours at sea, bending rods and great catches for all.We finished off 2021 with a great run of tournaments and it was wonderful to see the “gees” we are accustomed to at such events. These tournaments included the SADSAA Bottomfish Nationals, OET Game- & Billfish Tournament, Billfish 15 000 and SADSAA Heavy Tackle Nationals. Fantastic catches were reported at the events. The gamefish season is now well under way, and we look forward to the start of our competitive calendar in February 2022. Visit our Facebook page to track the scores and activities. The competition calendar was published in the last edition of SKI-BOAT magazine, but dates sometimes have to change, so please keep in contact with your club and provincial committees for updates.

Phillip Marx, SADSAA President

2021 SADSAA BOTTOMFISH NATIONALS The SADSAA 2021 Bottomfish Nationals were hosted by Western Province at Suidpunt Deep Sea Angling Club, Struisbaai, and took place between 10 and 16 October 2021. The tournament fielded 14 teams from across South Africa, and the highlight was that four ladies’ teams competed in a separate ladies nationals event.We have seen a number of ladies and juniors competing in the men’s events and hopefully the separate ladies’ nationals will open the door for more women’s events that cover all the facets of our sport. It is encouraging to see the sport grow and to see trends moving in a positive direction. Due to Covid-19 the event was postponed from 2020, and with the pandemic still in full force during March 2021, October 2021 was eventually penned into the diary.This shows the great spirit of the organisers and South Africans as a whole — never give up. The much talked about “cream of the crop yellowtail fishing waters” unfortunately did not produce the yellowtail many came to seek, and the focus turned to the many other species on offer in the southernmost fishing waters of South Africa. The location did not disappoint. Many species were recorded each day and teams were kept on their toes as the score sheet moved up and down accordingly. No less than 16 species were caught during the tournament. With measure and release implemented on all species with one and two bag limits, the entire tournament made a huge contribution to the conservation of these protected species. This is something we can all be extremely proud of. WPDSAA was extremely fortunate with the quality of boats and skippers who stuck up their hands for this tournament and put the teams on the fish. The Eastern Province ladies’ team took top spot in the women’s division, followed by WPDSAA who took silver, and the Border ladies who took bronze. TEAM DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5 TOTAL 1 EASTERN PROVINCE LADIES 20.13 379.69 70.45 0.00 311.55 781.83 2 WESTERN PROVINCE LADIES 59.55 168.25 140.54 0.00 44.60 412.94 3 BORDER LADIES 115.78 111.83 87.75 0.00 91.63 406.99 WPDSAA men took full advantage of their home ground advantage and moved into the gold medal position on day two.They managed to keep an extremely motivated and hard-working EP team at bay, and they eventually had to settle for a hardfought silver medal. SADSAA Masters Green took home the bronze. TEAM DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5 TOTAL 1 WESTERN PROVINCE 263.00 371.16 308.32 0.00 73.23 1015.71 2 EASTERN PROVINCE 429.14 149.58 217.77 0.00 19.65 816.13 3 SADSAA MASTERS GREEN 237.40 197.21 150.09 0.00 40.45 625.14

38 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

Struisbaai provides an excellent launch via a protected small harbour for fishing craft only.

The Eastern Province ladies’ team with their great catch which took them to top of the leaderboard.

EP ladies win gold: Vanessa Gerber, Chris Schorn (SADSAA Vice Chairman), Jen Nelson and Sheena Gerber (capt.).

The Western Province men’s team kept the scoreboard ticking with regular good catches. A cheeky note: If the events were not separated into men’s and ladies’ divisions, the EP ladies would have taken home the bronze. Say no more. The feedback that we received from the anglers and guests was that a high standard was maintained at the tournament, and it was thoroughly enjoyed by all. The event attracted some of the best anglers in the country, with lots

WP men win gold: Iaan Viljoen, Chris Schorn (SADSAA Vice Chairman), Colin Joubert (capt.) and DP Burger. of old faces and lots of new faces too.They were put to the challenge in the Cape weather and waters and showed what they were made of. Thank you to everyone involved for making this a resounding success. I wish you all tight lines in the months ahead. Keep those motors running!

SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 39

TACKLE

THE PRESSURE’S ON! The importance of a correct drag setting

By Paul Nixon

PROPERLY set drag is one of the key things that stands between your fish, and a break-off. Nevertheless, few people set their drags properly, or even understand the nuances of how the drag’s setting affects your level of success. In fact, most of us simply push the leverdrag, turn the star drag, grab the line and give it a yank, and if the line pulls out at our desired tension then we feel the drag tension is A for away. One of the most frequent mistakes people make when they think about how a reel’s drag works, is believing they’ve set it at a particular level and so it will stay there. Not so. As the line runs off a reel, the spool becomes smaller. As its diameter shrinks, the effective drag setting constantly increases. Think of it like mechanical gearing — reducing the spool’s diameter means it takes more force to make it turn. The second misconception people have is that when they grab the line just above the reel and pull, that’s the amount of tension it will take for a fish to strip line. Not even close. They’ve forgotten to account for friction. As the line runs through the guides of a rod bent under tension, there’s a significant amount of friction at play, and that also increases how much force needs to be applied to get the spool turning. Then there’s the line drag underwater and at pace with a fish on one end and boat moving in the opposite direction on the other.As a test, try grabbing the line beyond your rod tip, pull down so there’s an arc in the rod, and you’ll see for yourself just how much harder it is to get the spool moving than it is when you grab the line right in front of the reel. To properly set a drag, you need to hold the rod in a fish-fighting position and pull from a distance — with a scale, not with your hand. This is best done outside and with someone else holding the scale. Alternatively you can secure it to a fence post or a tree, loop your line around the scale’s hook, walk out about five metres and then put the setup under load and to the poundage you want to set your drag at.

Making markings on the reel housing is a simple way of reinforcing the drag pressure when action and excitement is at its highest during a fight with a big fish. SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 41

The drag washers inside a reel need to be in good condition if they’re to provide the pressure needed to stop a fish on the run. Note: do not try this indoors, as parting off could result in a broken rod tip and the poor family dog running — believe me, I’ve tried. Putting tension on the drag in this way will give you an accurate idea of just how many pounds of pressure it takes for a fish to peel line. According to traditional theor y, drags should be set to between one quarter and one third of the line’s rated breaking strength. Why such a small fraction of the pound-test? To account for changing spool diameter, all that friction we talked about, and weak links like knots and terminal tackle. And yes, traditional theory is correct in this case.

If you feel your line is in great condition and your knots are perfect, lean towards a third. If you’re fishing in an area or with a style where heavy structure and getting reefed is a possible issue, maybe lean towards one quarter. Testing drag smoothness is also of the utmost importance, especially on the lighter line classes. During competitive fishing, in the 6kg line class tournaments, a common practice was to use a clip swivel to couple one’s line to a loop of line attached to a two litre Coke bottle filled with water — thus a 2kg weight. Then, after adopting a fishing stance, with a bent rod attempt to lift the bottle against the

drag. Once perfected, one could then accurately set one’s drag at 2kg. Through this process you could also feel and observe a lifted weight’s subsidence against the drag and gauge just how smooth the drag was. Any sticking or stuttering of the reel’s drag meant it was up for service and definitely not destined to go fishing for big, fast gamefish. There’s one more factor to consider in this debate — the fact that most lines are not accurately rated. Manufacturers will often stamp “20 pound test” on line that really breaks at 25 pounds, which makes us consumers think it is really

This is a standard trolling pattern for billfishing but the same will apply while fishing for most gamefish. Reel drag settings must take into account a fast strike that in many instances is not a direct pull from the reel. This results in increased pressure on the reel drag that is over and above the tested rating when pulled directly aft of the transom. As can be seen in the diagram above, the fish often changes direction after the strike. First the rigger has to ‘pop’, then slack line will be taken up, and only then does the strike drag comes into effect. Additionally, the rod itself bends at a different angle which can increase the pressure on line and drag. 42 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

strong line and buy it again.With this in mind, if you want to have a properly set drag, you’ll first need to test the actual breaking strength of the line you’ve spooled up with. At this point many people are thinking:“Well, I have always set my drags by hand and it’s never been an issue.”That may be true, and perhaps you’ve never broken off during a knock-down, dragout fight. Break-offs happen to anyone who hooks large fish on a regular basis, but having a perfectly set drag really makes a huge difference in minimising the chances of you telling stories of “the one that got away”. For you light-tackle guys, whether you’re targeting snoek on ultralight spinning tackle or yellowfin on heavy stand up tackle, having that drag set just so is all the more important. Of course this method of setting the drag with a bent rod ignores the fact that when a fish strikes, the reel is generally set up in a rod holder in a variation of positions — vertical, horizontal or somewhere in between. In theory, each of these positions needs a different drag setting on the reel, because on impact the first action is taken up by the rod’s flexibility.Then, after the rod’s bend has been taken up, the drag setting takes effect. Another factor pertaining to rods in rod holders is that, after setting one’s

drag on a straight-off-the-transom pull, you have to remember that most fish hit hard and commence their run at an oblique angle.That loads the rod heavily before the line is ripped off the reel and the drag setting comes into play. During heavy tackle billfishing the strike setting is even more important, as is having the drag setting markers noted on the reel face. Let’s imagine that a big blue marlin hits a lure and starts peeling off line at a furious rate. The allocated angler then has to remove the rod from the rod holder, either to move it to the fighting chair and settle himself into the seat harness, or else couple himself into the standup harness. Neither function is easy if you’re complying with IGFA rules which stipulate that no crew may assist. Whether you’re using 80- or 130 lb tackle, this exercise requires one to reduce the strike setting to relieve the tension on the rod which makes this transfer possible. Having the drag settings clearly marked helps a great deal when you’re in this period of intense excitement, because you’re easily able to see how much to reduce the drag by and, once harnessed up, to push the drag back up to the marked fight setting. Some anglers, especially amongst the heavy tackle brigade, believe that

one should warm up the reel by vigorously pulling line against a strong drag setting before you set the drag. They also advocate setting the drag using a scale while the rod is in the set rod holder, with a crew member pulling the end of the line a good 10 metres from the rod tip. Fair comment, but I argue that the warmed-reel drag setting will differ from that of a cold reel which is what it will be after trolling out at sea for a couple of hours. My recommendation is that one set the drag when the reel is at ambient temperature, and mark the reel face with “Strike” and “Sunset”. I also like to have an indication marker just above free spool and one between Strike and Sunset, thus giving the angler the ability to adjust the drag setting during the fight without thinking too hard. I know all the skippers, especially the charter skippers, will tell the anglers: “Don’t touch the drag setting until I tell you!” However, most experienced anglers tend to vary drag settings based on the many differing conditions one encounters during a prolonged fight, so it’s best for them to have a clear indication of what the marks are. Spend a bit of time practising getting this right and it will make the world of difference to your success rate.

SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 43

46 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

TACTICS

By Justin Paynter

The author with a solid croc caught off Durban.

S April draws closer, reports of the so called “crocodile ’cuda” start to be thrown around more and more. Social media is a hive of activity with anglers waiting to see what was caught on a daily basis and trying to figure out where the fish pictured were caught. April also heralds the running of the annual Durban Ski-Boat Club Festival where the biggest ’cuda (king mackerel) takes the main prize. This year that prize is a SeaCat 520 with 2 x 60hp Yamaha 4-stroke engines. The organiser, Hilton Kidger, thinks it’s an easy task to catch the winning fish — load your boat with some rods and tackle and go fish for two days! If only it was that simple. When you’re fishing a festival of such magnitude, there are numerous factors to take into consideration before even entering, so I’d like to help you with that prep. First, have you checked with your better half that you are able to fish over the long weekend? This is probably the most challenging part of your preparations. In some cases it can be a costly exercise. I always refer to April as divorce month because there are so many big festivals, then there’s the Gamefish Nationals which is normally a five-day competition and, well, every other day that is fishable. April is also the month when everybody is aiming to get a ’cuda over 30kg, so time on the water is critical. Once you have wined and dined your wife and got her blessing (however grudging), your next question is: Who am I going to fish with? Fishing a festival is a business arrangement because money is involved.To start with it’s not cheap to fish a festival, and then when you do win something, who gets what? How are you going to split the prize? Does the boat get a share? No matter how strong a friendship is, you and your fishing partners need to make a written agreement on how you split your prizes before you enter. This way, you won’t have to have an awkward conversation while standing on your crew member’s new boat that he/she has SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 47

just won. Once you have the business side of things out the way, it’s time to get down to preparation. Again, I can’t emphasise this enough: you must be prepared.The guys who catch fish on a regular basis are the guys that are putting in the same amount of time off the water as they are on the water. Here are a few of the main aspects you need to look at.

Frank Sykes with a 30kg ’cuda caught off Umdloti.

BOAT AND TRAILER Ensure your boat is in tip-top condition. Remember Durban Ski-Boat Club Festival is a ’cuda competition, and there are some specific requirements. If you are coming from upcountry and will be travelling a fair distance, make sure you have your wheel bearings on the trailer checked. MOTORS Are your outboard motors running well and can they troll at the desired speed? If not, your bait will either spin or die, and in that case, you might as well wind up your lines and go home. To rectify the issue, ensure you are using one engine to troll and that it’s just in gear. If the problem continues, try trimming up your engines; this will slow the boat. If the problem persists, you might have to change your props. PUMPS I am fortunate that I have two live wells on the Cobra Cat 630 centre console, so if one pump goes it’s not a train smash. Always carry a spare pump, though, because it can be difficult to try and locate a pump at short notice if yours packs up. Arriving at your designated fishing area and then having to throw a bucket of water into your live well every couple of minutes is not ideal for the live bait you have just spent an hour catching. FISHFINDER/GPS So many people underestimate the value of this piece of equipment. It is your eyes under the water and is the closest you get to seeing the fish. Just make sure you’ve loaded all your marks onto your machine beforehand. ROD HOLDERS When fishing for ’cuda, you will either set a drift or troll slowly for these speedsters. Using rod holders helps keep the lines from tangling when making turns and allows you to place your rods in different positions to allow for a different action on the bait. Placing a rod in a T-top holder or upright holder allows the bait to stay on the surface; it also changes the bait’s swimming action. You need to use variety in order to see what the fish want. If one holder keeps getting a pull, you need to look at that rod placement as well as details 48 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

like the size of the sinker being used, the trace and the bait. If you are able to mimic it on the other side of the boat, you will probably be more successful on that outing as that’s obviously what the fish are looking for. RODS & REELS When it comes to rods, you can’t take a stand-up powerlift roller guide rod and expect to go ’cuda fishing. Fishing rods are designed for different applications, and when you’re ’cuda fishing, you want a rod that has enough back bone but a soft tip. The soft tip allows the bait to move in its desired path rather than being dragged in a straight line. I like to use the Poseidon Couta Lite or Dorado Ski, but that is my preference. Checking the eyes on your rods — especially the top eye — is key to ensure that when you do get that screamer, your line is able to run on a smooth passage up the rod. Any blemishes or nicks on the eye, could cause your line to part. Nine times out of ten your line will part when you can see that trophy-winning fish just under the boat, purely to maximise your pain. Your reel also needs to be checked before you head out to sea. There is nothing worse than watching your mate on a fish when you have a snatchy reel, or listening to the bearings grind as the handle turns. It makes anyone’s heart stop. Simple solution? Book your reels in with Reel Service Durban, and Paul will get them in tip-top shape. If you don’t know what you are doing when it comes to servicing a reel, don’t attempt it. Just recently Paul received a packet of parts from me and said, “Justin, I just love the puzzle you gave

me.The way you attempted to re-assemble was very interesting.” Say no more. TACKLE To start with, ensure you have enough of the following: Yozuri’s Variety of made-up ’cuda traces Different size wire Hooks — single and/or trebles Sinkers Chin weights Thin elastic bands Swivels ’Cuda dusters Beads Two gaffs Pliers/cutters BAIT, PRESENTATION AND TECHNIQUE In this competition it can be tricky to come by bait if you’re not quick off the mark. The more boats are on the bait marks, the greater the chance you will scare them off. I always make sure to carry quality dead bait with me in case I can’t get enough live bait. This includes, walla walla, small bonnies, red eye sardines and ’cuda candy (mackerel). If you hear of guys catching ’cuda, ask the pertinent questions: what bait did you get the fish on? Was it a live or dead bait? I can’t promise the guys will always be honest, but it will be worth a try. In the run up to the competition try to find out from the ski-boaters that have fished in the week what bait they have been getting and where. It might mean that you have to have a few beers at DSBC every night after work to pick their brains, but it will be worth it. Ensure you have a variety of baits. on the day because these fish can be very fussy. Some days they will only eat a specific bait, like a live mozzie or dead mackerel. Most anglers believe, a bigger bait = bigger fish. In theory it makes sense and in certain areas this is the case, but pulling a live mozzie rigged correctly on the surface at 11 o’clock at Stud Rock could produce a winning fish. Variety is key, and I will have a variety of dead and live baits. These baits will be rigged on different traces, with either a pink duster, green bead or plain. That’s my preference and what has been successful for me. You must be confident of what you put into the water. If you are about to throw your bonnie over the gunnel and think, “Hmmm, maybe my back hook should be longer, or the wire looks kinked”, don’t be lazy — change your trace or make it longer. You will regret it when you wind in half a bonnie and the fish just missed the back hook, or you come back with a bent piece of wire.

Your bait needs to look as natural as possibly, so take time placing the hooks into your bait, especially on a live bait. There is nothing worse than when a hook reverses into a bait, or you bring your baits up to check them and your hook is swimming alongside your bait. Swim your baits in different water columns to identify where the fish are. If you are fortunate enough to have a Scotty downrigger, use it. This piece of machinery allows you to use your fish finder to locate the showing and, with its built-in measuring tool, it allows you to drop your bait to the required depth of the showing. If, like me, you’re a teacher on a budget, you can also run a 8/10 ounce, 4/6 ounce, 2/3 ounce and a surface bait in the T-top. That’s what I do, but remember that these fish aren’t stupid, so don’t put your sinker too close to your bait. If they see a big chunk of lead next to a bait, it is highly unlikely that they are going to give it another look.Try to put your sinker at least 4- to 5m away from the bait. Remember to use a thin elastic because it is easier to break off when you have a fish on. THE DAY BEFORE Personally, I will never fish the day before the comp starts. I will, however try to gain as much knowledge as possible about what’s happening up north and down south. The festival boundaries are normally Tongaat river mouth in the north and the Amanzimtoti river mouth on the south. I will also check to see water colour and temperature along the coast. Windy is a really good app to use. If we have had heavy rains, you will normally find that the northern areas water quality is poor due to all the rivers that flow into the sea. Some good advice I was once given was to make friends with the spearo’s. These guys

can give you great intel on water quality below the surface, any thermoclines, temperatures throughout the water column and, most importantly, what they have seen. All this is very important to gauge the line on which the fish are swimming (for example, the 22m contour line), the depth in which they are congregating, and to see if you are headed to the right area. Durban fishing is very wind dependent, and the rule of thumb is that it’s best before the west. Some guys will fish a particular area to ensure a comfortable ride home, but that should never be your reason. Certain areas fish better in different winds, and obviously current plays a big part. It’s vital to have as much of this information as possible at hand when deciding whether to go north towards Umdloti or Seabelle, head south towards the Bluff or Toti, or just fish Number 1 which has produced some good fish in the past couple of years. GAME DAY Right, you’ve got your game face on and are patiently waiting in the queue for your turn to be pushed into the water. All around you people are giving their opinions, advice, and predictions. Your number is called, you run to your boat, hook it up and off you go. Out on the water you wait for the gun to go off.Your crew is excited, your preparation has been superb, you have chosen the area to fish, and you are ready to catch that prize-winning ’cuda. Gun goes off, hammers get slammed down.Your boat goes from zero to hero within a split second and you’re skipping along the water at a rate of knots. What call did you make — north or south? Are you running to the bait marks or are you going to back the dead bait you have in your cooler box?

Only time will tell if it was the right call. Just remember that these fish got to the “crocodile ’cuda” status because they passed school with straight As. They can identify a bait that doesn’t look natural, and can see the 9/0 hooks in a 10cm mozzie from a mile away. This is what makes “croc” fishing so exciting.To catch big ’cuda consistently, is not luck. It is the art of fishing the correct bait/bait presentation, fishing the different water columns, being in the right area at the right time — and it requires perseverance. PERSEVERANCE ’Cuda fishing can be extremely boring, and going hours without a pull is very frustrating, but stick to your game plan and don’t chase other people’s fish. There will be days that you come back empty handed, but when your plan works, it is all worth it. If you are in a generally good area, stay there, unless the water turns bad or you find that your line is getting gorilla snot on it. This makes your line visible to the fish and you don’t need that. If the bite is slow, you need to try different things to entice a bite. This might mean whipping a spoon, throwing a bucktail, changing your baits, varying your trolling speed, changing the direction in which you are making your turns and trying different depths. The bottom line is that the more time your line is in the water, the more chance you have of catching that prizewinning fish. My final point is this: If it’s your time, it’s your time. I am a firm believer that if you’re meant to win it then you will. Just give yourself the best possible chance. See you on the water — just look for the guy in the pink pants.

SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 49

PEOPLE

HERE aren’t many female competition skippers in South Africa, but the few that we have have proved themselves over and over again, gaining a great deal of respect. SKI-BOAT asked two wellknown female competition skippers to share some of their experiences with readers in the hopes of encourgaing more women to take up this aspect of our sport... BECOMING A SKIPPER By Faith Lategan South Africa is immensely privileged to

Faith Lategan at the helm with the late, great Anton (Ballie) Gets.

52 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

have some ver y inf luential female anglers in the sport, some of whom have shaped me as a skipper. SADSAA has also been incredibly active in the promotion and development of female participants in our sport. Fishing has brought me so many incredible highs, but it has also humbled me. It made anglers become friends and friends become family. It shaped my character as a human being and made me realise I possess a resolve I didn’t know I had. Ever y single time I go out to sea I return as a better skipper and angler. I hope my journey will inspire more

females to step into the role of competitive skippers. I was fortunate enough to have been trained by one of the greatest teachers of our sport, the late Anton (Ballie) Gets. Ballie never eased the pressure he put on me to push myself to become a better skipper. He saw potential in me and pushed me to greater heights. He also taught me one very valuable lesson, in that there is never “a top of the ladder” as a skipper. Our journey is often overlooked, and it should remain exactly that because it pushes us to become better.

TOP: Fath at the helm with her 2016 Junior Nationals team. BOTTOM: The skipper with her team at the 2018 Junior Nationals.

A beautiful yellowfin tuna, caught by Faith Lategan.

All the highs of being a female skipper

SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 53

What I have achieved in our sport I cannot take credit for alone. I have had the most incredible support system any competitive skipper could ask for. Not only have I had the complete trust of anglers across all disciplines, but I have also been supported by Shelly Beach Ski-boat Club, NDSAA and SADSAA. When I started out in the sport in 2013, I made the conscious decision to focus primarily on skippering and not angling. There was a part of me that came alive every time I saw the immense joy in an angler’s eyes when that 25kg tuna on light tackle was brought on to the boat, and the pride when a medal was hung around their necks. I delight in seeing juniors develop into fully fledged professionals. This passion was fueled by the realisation that my journey forms part of your journey as an angler. One day that young man/lady will put on that Protea jacket and I will know that my love for skippering — my desire to become a better skipper — was influential in their success. I don’t think there is anything that makes me feel more alive than to see the successes of hard-working anglers. It’s what makes me return time and time again. It’s what humbles me. I am often asked what my biggest challenges were as a young and inexperienced skipper. The answer to that is simple — it was inexperience. It was the standards I had to set for myself. I often became my own worst enemy because I didn’t trust in my abilities — I didn’t believe that I was worthy to be at the highest levels of competitive skippering. I spent a lot of time away from skippering, learning about the ocean and all of its intricacies. Where, how and why fish will be found. I studied tides, topographies, fish behaviour, migration and the conditions that lead to it. I learned to understand different species better. I learned what areas I am strong in as a skipper and where I could better myself. With a little more knowledge, my confidence grew and then experience quickly followed. I was invited to skipper in our country’s most prestigious events which inevitably allowed me to grow, to learn and to achieve results. Todate I have skippered at 15 Nationals, nine Interprovincials, an International and numerous interclub competitions, and received seven gold medals. I will be eternally grateful for those opportunities. Because of anglers, I was able to leave a footprint that I hope will inspire other females to participate. My journey is still a young one. My abilities as a skipper are still in their infancy, and our ladder is a never ending one. May we always strive to be better within ourselves as skippers and anglers who participate in our beautiful sport. May we always be humble and grateful for what we are given every time Mother Nature allows us to go to sea. To the competitive anglers out there, thank you for allowing me and others to learn from you. Thank you for every opportunity I and others have been given to take you out to sea. It has been a privilege to see you grow and to grow with you. I don’t think it is often understood how your dedication and passion for the sport motivates us to become better. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of that. I really hope my story will inspire other women to participate more as skippers; I truly believe there are some diamonds in the sport just waiting to be discovered. LIFE ON THE WATER By Mrs Seevarkie aka Elize Smith Deep sea fishing is way more fun than many women might think. Just picture waking up at dawn and feeling the adrenaline pulse through your veins as you navigate your boat through a surf launch at sunrise, breathing in the fresh salty

54 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

air when a pod of dolphins comes to play in your wake.While you put out your lines, a turtle swims by or perhaps you spot a majestic humpback whale breaching on the horizon. The locals and many fishermen and women know me as Mrs Seevarkie. The name stems from me being co-owner of Seevarkie Guest House and Charters at Sodwana Bay where I operate my own King Cat 2206 named Mrs Seevarkie, while my husband, Johan, operates our other charter boat, Seevarkie. My passion for fishing started at the age of three. My dad loved fishing and I was like his shadow, following him around all the time and spending time in nature, looking for bait and then trying to catch the big one. I grew up fishing with my dad until the age of about 18, then met my husband who had grown up on a farm in the North West province. My dad and I introduced him to fishing from the shore and rocks and luckily he also loved it. In the early ’80s I was introduced to deep sea fishing by friends who had a ski-boat. Soon afterwards I started to participate in interprovincial and provincial competitions, expanding my knowledge through fishing with different skippers and mates at various locations. Johan and I loved the sport so much that we decided to buy a small Swift 165 ski-boat. At the time, we owned a pig farm in Pretoria and we brainstormed some names for the new boat. Our eldest son came up with the name Seevarkie as we all loved the sea and farming with pigs — the best of both worlds really. Our kids — three boys and a girl — were also passionate about fishing and water skiing, so a boat was a no-brainer. We became members of the Mako Ski-boat Club where I earned my provincial colours in game-, sailfish- and marlin fishing. While I love gamefishing, I rate marlin fishing as my favourite. In 1994 I was part of a ladies’ team competing in the gamefish interprovincial at Richards Bay and one of my teammates convinced Jannie Nel, a commercial fisherman residing in Richards Bay at that stage, to take us out for the day to catch snoek (queen mackerel) and teach us the way to target them. We won gold at that competition and I caught a personal best and a SADSAA record of an 8,6kg snoek on 6kg line class. There is nothing more exiting than taking part in fishing competitions. The vibe is always great, you meet new, likeminded friends and you always learn a new thing or two. Since 1995, we’ve been competing in the annual Sodwana Bay OET and Billfish 15 000 competitions, and the Top 10 competitions at Cape Vidal where our kids became part of the team. Some of the highlights of those years were obtaining my SADSAA colours in marlin fishing in 2004, coming third in the Billfish 15 000 competition in 2007 with the family, and winning gold at the 2008 Billfish Nationals where I was captain of the team. I love the camaraderie of the sport and in the end, you become part of a big fishing family. I always found it fascinating to watch my husband launching through the surf, while quietly mentally rehearsing how I would have done it. When two of our sons chose to obtain their skippers’ licences, I was super interested and joined them on the course. In 2007 we moved to Sodwana Bay and Seevarkie Guest House and Charters was born. One year later Johan bought a Cobra Cat 640 and I had the privilege of owning my own skiboat which I used to take clients out for deep sea fishing trips. It soon became a part of me and I loved what I was doing. The “Seevarkies” became a familiar name in Sodwana and we enjoyed our new semi-retirement lifestyle. Two years after Johan bought his boat, we also invested in

TOP LEFT: Mrs Seevarkie ready for the launch. TOP RIGHT: Elize Smith helps an angler release his marlin. LEFT: Elize at the helm.

a King Cat 2206, which replaced the Swift 575. I branded the boat in pink, purple and turquoise to stand out as a ladies’ boat. The business grew from strength to strength and we started participating in even more competitions. One of my ultimate highlights was the Billfish 15 000 competition back in 2017. I usually have my chosen team that includes our son, Johann, and some of his friends who are almost like my own kids.That year our daughter, Leandri, who resides in New Zealand, visited in time for the tournament and filled in for one of Johann’s friends who was unable to join us. The vibe on the boat was unreal and we had endless fun. On the Wednesday of the competition, we caught and released two striped marlin and one blue marlin before 10am. We were overwhelmed at the luck we’d had and were delighted to be crowned winners of the day and front runners in the competition. Thursday was a blow-out due to bad weather, and on the Friday we launched in very rough seas, anxious to catch another one. We were on the water for roughly 30 minutes when we hooked up on a black marlin; Leandri was in the chair.Twenty minutes later, we reported a black marlin released! Later that day we heard we had won the competition.

In all the years I’ve spent on the water I’ve caught and released 17 marlin and six sailfish myself, and since skippering my boat, anglers aboard have landed 103 marlin and 26 sailfish, most of which we safely released.There is nothing more satisfying than seeing the faces of clients when they land a good fish. Some of the biggest fish caught on my boat were a 29kg tuna, 30kg wahoo and 23kg dorado. Our passion for the sport also spilled over to our kids and now the grand kids as well. Unfortunately, a recent shoulder injury has forced me to get an operation that takes a while to heal.This means I have to sit out for some time while my boat is being skippered by another enthusiastic professional skipper. The injury reminds me to never take deep sea fishing for granted. I always stand amazed at the sights and experiences while on the water — billfish chasing tuna, sailfish surrounding a bait ball, whales, dolphins, whale sharks and even orcas close to the boat. It is, and always will be, a breathtaking experience to be part of our creation and enjoy what nature has to offer. I want to encourage other ladies to try skipering; you may discover you fall in love with it. With the support of my husband and our mutual love of the sea and fishing, this was the best thing I could have done with my life.

SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 55

Above: Rob Humphry has been awarded a Gold Meritorious Award for this ±15kg bull dorado caught recently off Tinley Manor.

On the right: Pieter Greyling is awarded a Gold Meritorious Award for his 79,8kg yellowfin tuna caught at the 2021 Myn Manne Tournament in Sodwana Bay.

56 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

This ± 80kg black marlin was caught off Ramsgate on the South Coast on 7 December 2021 and earned

Bianca Edwards a Gold Meritorious Award for her outstanding catch. She wins this issue’s great prize for

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SKI-BOAT magazine, in conjunction with Mercury, is proud to offer all junior deep sea anglers the opportunity to win awards for excellence in angling. If you are 16 years old or younger and you submit a photo of yourself and the fish you caught, you will receive a handsome certificate suitably inscribed confirming the catch. And there’s more ... Once a year the names of all junior anglers whos photographs appeared on the Mercury Junior Angler page will be included in a lucky draw and the winner will receive, courtesy of Mercury, a fantastic prize of a 2.5hp outboard motor. All you need to do is send us a photograph of yourself and your catch, together with the following details: • Your name address, telephone number and date of birth • Species and weight of the fish you caught • Line class used • Date and place fish was caught • Boat and skipper’s name All entries should be sent to : Mercury Junior Angler SKI-BOAT magazine PO Box 20545, Durban North 4016 or email your entry to <angler@mags.co.za>. There is no restriction on the number of awards that can be applied for, and SKI-BOAT magazine reserves the right to use the photographs as it sees fit. A selection of five award winners will appear in each issue of SKI-BOAT magazine. Junior anglers, Mercury and SKI-BOAT magazine acknowledge that you hold the future of our sport in your hands. Here’s your chance to show us what you can do!

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SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

MY NEW PERSONAL BEST by Chase Corfield (14)

N Wednesday 7 July 2021 I was surfing and saw my Uncle Peter (we call him Oom) waving to me from the parking lot, calling me to go deep sea fishing on his boat Bullshark. I caught the first wave in and ran to the parking lot to quickly pack the boat and head out for an afternoon shot with my dad, Oom and his dad. We knew the big ’cuda were around becasue my brother, Seth, caught a 26.5kg croc four days before, and I also wanted to get one. We launched from Umkomaas at about 14:30 and went straight to our bait spot. At first we struggled to get some decent bait, then we saw huge shoals of fish deeper out, and hoped there would be some sards or mackerel around. The bait balls were mainly red-eye sardines, but eventually we managed to get about six decent baits. We went straight to the spot where Seth caught his big one and put our baits in. Not long after we put the baits in the water we had a huge smash on top of the water, but the fish stole the bait without getting hooked. It was a very sad moment, as we knew it was a big fish, but excitement was in the air and we put a fresh mozzie out. Thirty minutes later the reel screamed off and we just knew this could very well be it! After a solid fight and some tense moments around the boat, we finally saw the fish for the first time — another crocodile ’cuda! My heart was pounding becasue I didn’t want us to lose the fish right at the end, but after a little bit of patience and some running around the boat after the fish, my dad gaffed it and got it onto the boat. My personal best ’cuda and my biggest fish ever weighed in at 22.5kg! It was a great afternoon with a beautiful sunset on the ocean, a day not to forget!

THIS & THAT

2022 MERCURY JUNIOR WINNER

RENT van Eck (9) is the 2022 Mercury Junior Angler of the Year! Trent absolutely loves fishing and often goes out on the sea with his dad Tyronne who is a member of the Durban Ski-Boat Club. Proud dad, Tyronne, says Trent’s favourite fish to catch is a yellowfin tuna because he thinks they’re the most powerful fish in the sea, but his favourite fish to eat is dorado. Trent first featured in SKIBOAT magazine after winning the junior division of the 2021 DSBC social comp. Pictured here are Tyronne and Trent van Eck with Trent’s prize of a 2.5hp Mercury outboard courtesy of Rutherford Marine. They’re joined by Trent’s cousins, Ava and Rylee Burnand, who won the Mercury motor last year! If you’re 16 or younger and would like a chance to win a motor like this, look at the Junior Angler page (page 59 in this issue) for all the details.

NEW 2022 MARINE CARTOGRAPHY FROM NAVIONICS

EW marine cartography from Navionics delivers combined, all-in-one inland and coastal mapping, daily chart updates, premium content and more to Navionics compatible chartplotters Navionics®, a Garmin brand, recently released a new, streamlined catalog of Navionics®+ and premium Platinum+™ charts to refresh its lineup of marine cartography products. For easy transition between navigating inland and coastal waters, Navionics+ and Platinum+ charts now feature all-new aligned coverage regions as an all-in-one mapping solution that combines detail-rich inland and offshore content, as well as a full suite of advanced features for a wide range of compatible chartplotters to help mariners plot their paradise. “For years, Navionics has delivered a complete range of valuable navigation tools and features for boaters, anglers and sailors across the globe. Our simplified catalog includes newly combined inland and coastal content for all Platinum+ charts, making it easier than ever for mariners to explore the waters

SKI-BOAT March/April 2022 • 61

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Navionics+ and Platinum+ also feature up to 0.5 m depth contours, community edits, depth shading and shallow water shading options for insight about inland and coastal waters. For more advanced features, boaters and anglers can upgrade to premium Platinum+ to discover more about the coasts they cruise or lakes they fish. Platinum+ includes all the standard features found in Navionics+ cartography, with the addition of relief shading, satellite imagery, SonarChart™ Shading overlays, unique 3D views, aerial photography and more. Navionics+ and premium Platinum+ cartography is compatible with a wide range of chartplotters available on the market today.

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YAMAHA LAUNCHES E-COMMERCE SITE

N response to the changes in consumer behaviour due to digitization,Tuning Fork t/a Yamaha SA Distributors has launched three e-commerce sites for all three company-owned retail stores applicable to motorcycle and marine accessories across a variety of brands. The retailers concerned are Linex Yamaha Lynnwood, Linex Yamaha Randburg and World of Yamaha. This latest venture aims to understand customer purchase requirements and to ensure those customer expectations are exceeded. “Online shopping is a key component of any successful retail business, as it exposes our fantastic range of products to a broader customer base,” said Robin van Rensburg, Managing Director:Tuning Fork. Through collaborating with a reputable technology firm to build the sites, Yamaha’s latest e-commerce platforms are designed to provide the customer with a seamless, secure user journey in terms of ease of purchase of various accessory brands. The collection and delivery of products is made convenient through Yamaha’s relationships with top tier logistics service providers. With high-resolution images of reputable marine and motor accessory products on the website, customers enjoy the thrill of visually connecting with various accessory brands without going into a store. Visit the new retailer e-commerce websites at: World of Yamaha: www.worldofyamaha.co.za/ Linex Yamaha Randburg: www.linexyamaharandburg.co.za/ Linex Yamaha Lynwood: www.linexyamahalynnwood.co.za/ 62 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

Solly’s Angler’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . .46 Stubbsea Charters . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Supercat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 The Kingfisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Two Oceans Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Two Oceans Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Vanguard Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . .IBC Yamaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

DEADLINE FOR THE MAY 2022 ISSUE OF

IS 16 MARCH BOOK YOUR SPACE NOW 073 748 6107 MARK@MAGS.CO.ZA

BUSINESS CLASSIFIEDS & DIRECTORY

Last word from the ladies!

RAPALA LIP

By Brenda Edwards

ECEMBER 2021 Ramsgate South Coast... Let the festivities begin!My darling husband and dear daughter, Conrad and Bianca, couldn’t wait to get on the water, amped to practise for the Dorado Derby Comp. On their first practice day on the water Bianca hooked a beautiful black marlin. Dad was proud, but at the same time bleak he didn’t get one. He wrote it off to her being lucky. Needless to say, on C’s Bianca Bianca has her own rods and Conrad has his own rods. They may not touch each other rods for when they do, they tend to lose the fish. A few days prior to the competition, grumbles were flowing. “How can we compete against the likes of Cs Bianca and other SA Anglers?”There were a lot of Rapala Lips dragging around the beach even before the competition began. On the first day of the competition Bianca decided that she no longer wanted to use Dad’s tried and trusted pink lures, and instead opted for a nice sparkly blue and white lure.There were some grumbles and a bit of dikbek about that, but eventually Conrad got over it. Once Bianca had tied the knots she asked Dad to check they were all good. Without even a second glance at her knot, he said it was fine. She let the line out and had soon hooked a beautiful 9,5kg dorado, much to Dad’s surprise and envy.When the fish was next to the

boat, Dad mis-gaffed, sending the fish on another run! It was Bianca’s turn for raised eyebrows and a Rapala Lip, but all’s well that ends well with the fish IDB — eventually. The next day was even more exhilarating. Bianca’s fish was the biggest on day one, so she was full of confidence; she and Conrad just had to try again for a bigger dorado to cement their spot. The fish had been plentiful, and things became hairy when Dad caught a dorado as well. When I was sent the pics I said nothing about fishermen who hold fish out with long arms towards the camera to try to make them look bigger than they are ...The competition was hotting up between Bianca and Conrad — and of course the other boats. Much to the envy of close friends, Bianca landed an invitation to fish on Shearwater. The skipper was convinced Bianca was a lucky charm, and they were not wrong. Unfortunately for them the luck was still resting heavily on Bianca; she hooked a fantastic 27kg tuna standing between the two gentleman on the boat who managed to boat ±8kg tuna. Must be the blue and white lure they all said, as they tried to hidetheir Rapala Lips. They too caught fish, but nothing nearly as big as hers. Now the rivalr y was really on! Shearwater had their own lucky charm named Will who had caught a beautiful 15kg-plus dorado the previous weekend. The advice from C’s Bianca was that if they wanted to catch fish like

Bianca they should pull the fish to the boat “like a girl” and then they would land their fish without them being taken by the tax man.Their Rapala Lips showed they probably didn’t appreciate the fishing tips. Shearwater’s true colours showed when they put a dreaded Toyota cap on C’s Bianca. Their jinx worked and Conrad and Bianca caught one fish the whole day, while Shearwater landed their quota. The cap was quickly disposed of thanks to a very big firecracker. Glaring eyeballs and Rapala Lips were the only thanks Shearwater got. The dorado evaded Shearwater’s anglers for days on endbut at last they ended their dry spell and boated a very “large” dorado of one kilogram! The competition between the two boats and five anglers continued unabated. With one last try to outfish each other on Protea Reef, each angler posted on their status that they were very special because they’d both been visited by a tern. This bird willingly sat on the anglers’ heads and hands. Each angler that posted the picture of the bird thought that they were the chosen one for the day, only to find that that the bird flew from boat to boat to visit all the anglers that day. Fun rivalry like this among friends is what the sport of fishing is all about — building memories and planning the next adventure in search of another elusive monster. ’Cuda season is here now, so perhaps the next challenge will be for the biggest “crocodile”.

YOUR CHANCE TO GET EVEN LADIES — are you an angling widow? Are you a frustrated crew member? Do you outfish the men on the boat and have to deal with their Rapala Lips? Do you bite your lip at the comments coming from chauvinistic male anglers? Or has that all really changed? We’re looking for new writers for our Rapala Lip column. All contributions are gladly accepted and they will appear anonymously to protect the writers from divorce suits, cold shoulders, banishments, cut up credit cards etc. Come on ladies, share your stories (about 900 words) with us — you know you want to. Email them to <sheena@mags.co.za>. 64 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2022

SKI-BOAT March 2022

Articles inside

WOMEN WORKING THE WATER

THE PRESSURE'S ON

EDITORIAL

The Wise Owl Catches the Fish

Red Gold

Targeting Marlin

Showboat

Size Matters