Ski-Boat November 2015 by Angler Publications

CONTENTS November/December 2015 Volume 31 Number 6 COVER: Marlin Mayhem A powerful blue marlin caught off Cape Verde using pitchbaiting techniques See page 14. Photo by Stuart Simpson.

FEATURES 14

Cape Verde Where big blues go to play — by Stuart Simpson

White Marlin off Struisbaai Part 2: The science behind unusual catches — by Johan Smal

Boat Test: Seacat 636 Sport Cabin A remarkably stable craft with a great ride — by Heinrich Steyn

Wind On! Part 2: Loop-to-loop connections that work — by Paul Borcherds

Pro Power Mercury unveil their new Sea Pro range — by Erwin Bursik

The Sunny Side of Life Make sure your eyes are well protected

Bring it On! Pulsator’s season of big marlin

Power Up! Putting Yamaha’s 1100VX through its paces — by Heinrich Kleyn

Time to Share the Knowledge 2015 HDHK Junior Development Competition — by Vikki Bezuidenhout

The Time of My Life Heaven is Kwanza River Lodge in Angola — by Craig Thomassen

Ahoy There! 2015 Johannesburg Boat Show

DEPARTMENTS 8 9 67 69 74 77

Editorial — by Erwin Bursik Postbox Subscribe and WIN! This issue’s Kingfisher Awards Reel Kids Mercury Junior Anglers

83 83 84 88 89 90

Smalls Advertisers’ Index Where to fish in Africa Business Classifieds Charters & Destinations Directory Rapala Lip — Last Word from the Ladies

The official magazine of the South African Deep Sea Angling Association

Publisher: Erwin Bursik Editor: Sheena Carnie Advertising Executive: Mark Wilson Editorial Assistant: Vahini Pillay Advertising Consultant: Joan Wilson Administration Executive: Anne Bursik Accountant: Jane Harvey Executive Assistant: Kim Hook Admin Assistant: Sunny Kandaswami Boat Tests: Heinrich Kleyn Contributors: Vikki Bezuidenhout, Paul Borcherds, Erwin Bursik, Heinrich Kleyn, Stuart Simpson, Johan Smal & Craig Thomassen. Advertising – National Sales: Angler Publications Telephone: (031) 572-2280/89/97/98 Mark Wilson cell: 073 748 6107 Joan Wilson ADVERTISING – GAUTENG & MPUMALANGA Lynette Adams (011) 425-2052 or cell 083 588 0217; lynadams@mweb.co.za; skiboatgauteng@icon.co.za Publishers: Angler Publications cc PO Box 20545, Durban North 4016 Telephone: (031) 572-2280/89/97/98 Fax: (031) 572-7891 e-mail: angler@mags.co.za Subscriptions to SKI-BOAT: R160 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: safety@mags.co.za • Through www.africanangler.com, or • E-zine digital subscriptions — visit www.africanangler.com > SKIBOAT > SUBSCRIBE, then choose your option. • Click the E-zine short-cut on the magazine’s home page, www.africanangler.com, or visit www.zinio.com/SkiBoat. Reproduction: Hirt & Carter, Durban Printer: Robprint (Pty) Ltd, Durban Full production is done in-house by Angler Publications & Promotions on Apple Macintosh software and hardware for output directly to plate. 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 RNA, 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.

8 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

EDITORIAL HERE are, generally, more questions than answers in life, and I believe that anglers have even more of the former than most people. Just when we think we’ve got the solution to a problem nailed down, the fish prove us horribly wrong. The big question on my mind over the last few months was sparked by marine notice MN6VHF issued by SAMSA in April 2015 regarding the compulsory use of VHF radios. This effectively makes the 29MHz sets we have used very efficiently over the last 40 years redundant. Most of us accept change as being inevitable, especially in the exciting, if daunting, arena of technology. Take for example the strides the echo sounder has made during the last ten years as well as the advent of the GPS — in most cases Erwin Bursik coupled with the sonar devices — we ski-boaters Publisher rely on so heavily. Technology can be a boon, but, as I experienced recently with my VHF radio, these devices can go wrong — usually at the most inconvenient time. So, will the new VHF-DSC requirement for VHF radios with a “red button” as scheduled, really come into law on 1 January 2016? This is, of course, pre-supposing that the towers required to receive the emergency red button signals are erected along the entire South African coast before the law comes into effect. If my boat is sinking ten nautical miles off Durban and I simply press the red button instead of employing the pan-pan or Mayday radio procedure we have used in the past, what will happen? Under the old system, when I sent out a distress call on the radio I would receive a reassuring response from Durban Port Control or one of the vessels in the vicinity listening in to channel 16. Throughout the pandemonium and anxiety that followed, my crew and I would be encouraged and comforted knowing that other boats and the Control Tower were aware of our predicament and that help was on the way. The ongoing verbal communication would engender a feeling of comfort and support. There’s none of that with the red button! Within the new procedure what would I do — push the button, hope for the best and then start praying? I wouldn’t know for sure whether the emergency signal had been received by anyone and, even if it had, what was being done about it. I defy anybody in such an adverse situation to sit back and say “modern technology is working, just wait and see”. Personally, after pushing the red button my first reaction would be to wonder if the button had done its job. A split second later I would issue the Mayday signal over the VHF radio for the audible assurance that somebody was aware of the predicament we were in. Have I no faith in modern technology? Absolutely not! When they work, computers, cell phones, iPads and other electronic devices are fantastic, but when they don’t it takes hours if not weeks to restart them by others far brighter than I am. If the red button doesn’t work — as technology is wont to do on occasion — my crew and I could be bobbing around the briny with nothing left but a life jacket for meagre reassurance. To all you boffins in Pretoria and all you safety officials, don’t just tell us we have to be “Red Button” compliant by 1 January 2016, explain how this new Mayday procedure is going to work in real terms. Over and above this issue and the many other rumours that abound is the question of licensing. Those skippers who currently have VHF radio licences will not be permitted to go to sea until they redo their VHF operator’s licences at significant cost. Thousands of ski-boat skippers will have to replace their 29MHz radios with VHF radios and will again have to get the relevant licences. At least 10 000 ski-boaters will be precluded from going to sea because the qualified officials who can issue such licences are few and far between along the SA coastline and none, as far as I know, are based inland. It will be impossible for those few officials to examine 10 000 skippers in the next two months. Even taking into account the 12-month grace period that means around 800 examinations would have to be conducted per month for the whole of 2016! In my opinion that’s impossible. Till the next tide.

Erwin Bursik

POSTBOX SWARTKOPS HONORARIES COME UNDER FIRE FROM DAFF Dear Editor, The Swartkops River is under threat and DAFF, whose mandate it is to protect and offer compliance, is retarding this process. A subsistence fishing program was initiated by DAFF, in conjunction with the PE Metro and it was DAFF’s responsibility to control this program, but that was never done as it was not their priority. The residents on the Swartkops River then challenged DAFF and decided to form a group of Honorary Marine Conservation Officers to exercise compliance. We were appointed under section 92 of the Marine Living Resources Act, with full powers of arrest and seizure. Some of us took it to a new level, by doing a Peace Officers’ course in the hope of improving our authority. Alas, this did not work. Since then DAFF have turned this whole saga into a political battle and have been making it as difficult as possible for us. The last straw came in August 2015 when we were informed by the Department Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), that our powers on the river would be drastically reduced, by way of a new “Safe Operating Procedure”. In future we would not be able to do our work on the river unless accompanied by a permanent member of DAFF. Nor would we be able to do our work with any other organ of state unless accompanied by a permanent member of DAFF. This ruling defies all logic. Be that as it may, we now have to ask ourselves a question: If we do not do this work, who will? What will become of our river if it’s left entirely up to DAFF to protect it? The answer is that our river will spiral back to total anarchy. This ruling leaves us with no choice but to challenge the legalities of such a move, failing which our river will reach a point of no return — what the scientists regard as the “tipping” point. Thus far, through sheer determination and commitment by our dedicated honoraries we have avoided this situation, but if DAFF persists our river will die. We have challenged this SOP, as we believe that a Chief Director does not have the power to change the law, only a director general or the minister him/herself, and then it must be accepted by Parliament and be gazetted. As such, we believe this latest ruling to be illegal and we will contest this in a court of law if necessary. DAFF have now informed us that we are not allowed to exercise any further compliance on the Swartkops River or any other compliance related to the Marine Living Resources Act. We also

Letters to the Editor Something on your mind? Write to The Editor <sheena@mags.co.za> Netting also takes place in the “nursery” of the river, which is essentially the inter-tidal zone of the Swartkops River. Fish use this area of a river to mature and grow before returning to the sea, and their lives are cut short by these netters which must surely impact our fish reserves country wide. At present, Dr. Paul Cowley, is running a fish tagging program on the Swartkops River. In a netting spot at Perserverance, we found no less than 11 tags which were discarded on the bank by indiscriminate netters rendering the entire program meaningless. Many undersize fish are caught and never returned to the river and hauls like this are an everyday occurrence. Although it’s not part of their portfolio, the Swartkops Honoraries also keep a check on pollution throughout the river. We would appreciate any help of whatever kind that SKI-BOAT readers can offer us. Please feel free to contact me for any further information. ALAN WITHERS Chairman, Swartkops Honoraries <blastingec@telkomsa.net> 082 651 1192

have to go through the whole process of appointments again, including getting police clearances and will thereafter sit in front of a selection committee. Clearly this is an attempt to make us go away. For the sake of our river, some of us feel obliged to comply, but police clearance can take up to six weeks, and the rape will continue in the meantime. One would think they would embrace the efforts of us volunteers, and appreciate the work that we do — at no cost to the state — on their behalf, but this is certainly not the case. Incidences of general non-compliance occur at many places on the Swartkops River on a daily basis. Some of the issues we regularly come across include over harvesting of undersize crabs, over harvesting of bloodworms, over harvesting of mud prawns and over harvesting of pencil baits.

ABNORMAL GARRICK? Dear Editor, I noted with interest the article on the albino ’cuda published in the September issue of SKI-BOAT magazine. I used to be an avid ski-boat angler, but in the last few years I have ventured under the water instead to see what’s there. Over the last four years of spearfishing I have grown very fond of the graceful “gentleman” of the ocean, the garrick — nothing beats the sight and sound of a shoal in excess of 500 fish buzzing you. However, there’s nothing gentlemanly about their behaviour when speared. They are powerful fish and I have suffered many a broken 7mm spear, with a fair amount of spears looking like an S after a tussle with one of them In 2014 I was privileged enough to land an 18kg garrick off the Bluff in Durban, and for the first time I noticed

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 9

an anomaly on the lateral line. (See photos above and on the previous page.) Since that day I have logged ten fish out of 40 captured that had this “defect”. That’s a good 25%, yet none of the other spearos or anglers I’ve spoken to have ever noticed it, including one of my diving partners who has been spearfishing for over 30 years. I’ve read in previous articles in your magazine that the east coast garrick comes from a different gene-pool to the west coast garrick and I wondered if these anomalies only occur on the east coast species. I have started a facebook page —garrick lateral line anomalies — where folks can post pics pertaining to anomalies in the lateral line. They need to have the following info: a pic of the anomaly, fish length and weight, location and side of the fish on which the anomaly appears (left or right). Let’s see how common it is. Maybe the boffins can shed some light on how or why this happens. ROBERT WELMAN <robertw@kingandsons.co.za> Dear Robert As far as I know abnormalities in the lateral lines are known in many teleosts (bony fish). The fact that leeries have a large, obvious lateral line could make it more visible to anglers. I am not 100% sure of the actual causes, but some literature suggests the abnormities are from injury (where the lateral line is damaged and repaired) and/or a defect in the growth of the lateral line from an early age (larvae stage). It does not seem to affect the fish as they are clearly migrating to KZN to spawn and I don’t think it is hereditary, but I could be wrong. Bruce Mann is away, but when he returns I will chat to him. — STUART DUNLOP, MSc, Assistant Scientist Linefish Resources and Marine Protected Areas CONVERTING A FRESHWATER BOAT TO A SKI-BOAT Dear Editor, I am an avid reader of your magazine and although I don’t own a ski-boat I do own a boat. I am dreaming of the day that I will have my own ski-boat, though, and I believe there are many guys like me who are dreamers, so my suggestion is this: Why not do a series of articles where you take a reasonable used fresh-

water boat (like mine) which has the ability to become a sea going fishing boat, and take your readers through the whole process of converting this ugly duckling into a proper ski-boat? You could cover everything from refurbishment, legal requirements and certificates to equipment, safety, accessories and the skippers’ licence. You could also discuss the engine selection, how and why you selected certain motors, costs etc. Then you could do a story on testing the boat on freshwater inland and then the big launch — and how she takes to the sea. I have an Interceptor 210 with a 200hp Yamaha and my dream is to convert her into a proper seaworthy craft. I cannot wait for the day I can take her to sea and I think there might be other guys in the same boat, so to speak. NEELS LOUW <nlouw1@incledon.co.za> Thanks for the suggestion, Neels, we’ll certainly think about it. Of course there are some multi-purpose boats out there that can be used on the dam and the ocean, but perhaps one of our readers has already done an exercise like this. If so perhaps you can share some tips with us to share with Neels and other readers. — Ed. BEWARE UNSCRUPULOUS DEALERS Dear Editor I write this letter so that other skiboaters can hopefully learn from my ordeal. The story started last December, when we got together to plan the “ultimate” bachelor’s party for a good mate. In the end eight of us headed to Sodwana one Sunday in mid-February. Unfortunately the weather was not great, and after cabin fever set in we decide to head off to Jozini Dam for some tiger fishing. Before going on a ski-boat fishing holiday I always take the boat to the local dam to make sure everything is running smoothly. I didn’t think there would be any major issues as the boat was serviced the year before and had only done about 60 hours since then. At Jozini we launched at the Tiger Lodge slipway. Cruising along at roughly 4 500 rpm, I noticed the power drop slightly and immediately checked the rev counter. The starboard motor’s revs had dropped and I thought there might have been an air bubble in the fuel. I picked up the throttle on the starboard motor but the revs didn’t pick up. When I pulled back on the throttles and put the boat into neutral I saw that smoke was coming from the starboard engine and immediately switched off both engines. Then began the problem assessment process: • Trim the motor up — no plastic in

the water intakes. • Inspect fuel to make sure two-stroke oil was added — the typical blue colour confirms that it does have two-stroke in it. Before long the outside of the engine was cool enough to touch. I cranked the motor and it turned so I knew it hadn’t seized — possibly because I insisted on using top quality oil as well as the generous 50:1 oil mixture. I cannot explain what it feels like to realise that your week-long fishing trip has come to an abrupt halt. Not to mention dealing with seven disappointed friends who had all taken leave and contributed to the fuel and food kitty. Upon opening the waterpump/ impeller housing it became clear what had happened. The impeller bush that slides over the driveshaft had stripped completely. For those that don’t know, the shaft has a recess which corresponds to a similar recess in the impeller bush. These are kept tightly together with a composite key, probably 1cm x 2cm and less than 3mm thick. The key had totally disintegrated and the recess in the impeller bush was ground smooth. That meant that the impeller was stationary while the shaft was turning and hence no water was being sucked up to keep the engine cool. I contacted Hansie Duvenage at D7 Boating in Pongola who was most helpful and managed to source a part from Jo’burg which my brother-in-law delivered to us early on Wednesday morning. The new impeller was in by 11am, but sadly most of the bachelor crowd had to be back at work on the Thursday. Eventually, we started the motor and ran it properly to assess the damage. Luckily Sodwana was flatter than it usually is, so I decided to take her to sea. It quickly became evident that there was damage to the starboard motor as the revs did not pick up beyond 3 000rpm. Obviously the other engine was also under strain, but we managed to plane her and get out to sea. When we removed the old part I mentioned to Arthur Duvenhage that I had done approximately 60 hours on it. He said that in his opinion the removed impeller was much older than that. I also noticed that the new part my brother-in-law had delivered had a brass insert on the outside of the impeller bush, where the driveshaft from the engine and the impeller bush come into contact with each other, whereas the old part was just plastic. I can only presume that the plastic variant was the way they made them when the engines originally came out — or else that it was a pirate part. I realised that somewhere between my invoice from the dealer that serviced my motors and the part failing there

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 11

was a discrepancy that needed to be resolved. I set up a meeting with the dealers for early March and even towed the boat through in case they wanted to inspect it. Unfortunately neither the service department/parts manager nor his boss were very helpful, implying firstly that I didn’t flush my motors, and then that I should have asked for my parts back. When I pushed further the senior man admitted that they use pirate parts in some instances — at their discretion, unless the boat is under warranty in which case they use genuine parts. So, what did I learn? • Make sure you buy and service your outboards at a reputable dealer. • Make sure that the brand you decide to go with has the necessary backup when something goes wrong. • Don’t assume that everything is working, just because it was when you left home. Check, check and check again. We spend too little time inspecting one of the most important safety components on a ski-boat — the engines. • Ask for your old parts back after a service. I suppose it would be best to sit and watch them while they are doing it if you can spare the time. (Letter shortened — Ed.) JACQUES NIENABER <jacques@vutomi.co.za>

12 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

Bell Equipment Sales Representative, Russell Conn (left), presents Reel Kids competition winner, Megan Barclay, with her prize of two Shimano Tiagra 30 rod and reel combinations. With them is Megan’s dad and skipper, Clint Barclay. Photo courtesy of the South Coast Herald.

Fishing-mad Megan claims overall prize

EN-year-old Megan Barclay of Port Shepstone on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, has won the overall prize in the annual SKI-BOAT magazine Reel Kids’ Competition, landing herself two Shimano Tiagra 30 rod and reel combinations provided by Shimano SA and Bell. The competition is sponsored by local heavy equipment manufacturer Bell Equipment, and all the bi-monthly winners are entered into a lucky draw for a chance to win the overall prize. Megan submitted a story about an 18kg garrick which she’d landed in the Port St John’s River using a Rapala with a Shimano rod and reel and is “over the moon” to have won the overall competition. According to her dad, Clint Barclay, Megan is a keen fisherwoman who has been fishing from the shore for several years. She was only introduced to deep sea angling when she was eight years old, but now she and her brother Owen are regular crew for Clint onboard the family’s boat Devocean. If you would like to be our next “Reel Kid” write a 500 word story about what you love most about fishing or about a special fish or trip, and email it to <sheena@mags.co.za> along with a good quality picture and your contact details.

FEATURE

HEN you mention Cape Verde, images of rocky islands, white beaches and, of course, superb sportfishing come to mind. The Cape Verde archipelago is located in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 570km off the coast of West Africa, near Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania, and is part of the Macaronesia eco region. The region is renowned for its unbelievable fishery and although the fishing is seasonal, local captains catch marlin all year round. THE BITE There’s nothing better than teasing a 600 lb blue marlin to the back of the boat from your short teaser or long rigger teaser before switching the fish onto the pitchbait. The Atlantic blue marlin are tenacious when it comes to feeding — once they’ve decided to feed they just don’t give up, and their aggression is indescribable. The pitchbaiting technique (also known as bait-and-switch) is practiced all around the world today and is an incredibly exciting technique with a number of benefits. The first advantage of this style is that you have the excitement of watching a marlin destroying the surface of the wash at the back of your boat with her shoulders sticking

212⁄ feet out of the water, chasing your lure in while you are teasing as fast as you can and the angler pitches the bait into the clear water, waiting for the switch. A simple crash bite on a lure can hardly compare. Unfortunately there are not many places in the world where you can baitand-switch to blue marlin and I have fished quite a few places where the blue marlin will have one go at your lure and disappear. Fortunately Cape Verde is one of the very special places where one can switch the marlin onto a pitch bait, making the fishing that much more exciting. The second advantage of pitch baiting is the size of fish compared to the line class you will be using. On our boat we have three to four pitch baits ready at all times on various rigs — 30 lb, 50 lb, 80 lb and one 130 lb (always hopeful). When a marlin comes into our spread we can normally judge the size of the fish and choose what line class to use. This gives the angler a much better feel and a better fight than just winching in a 300 lb fish on 130 lb tackle. When you’re using conventional trolling methods skippers can’t control what size fish jumps on to your lure/bait as you always have to be ready for that dream fish which could appear

in your spread at any time; using lighter tackle just allows you to enjoy the smaller fish in between as well. Most of the marlin in Cape Verde waters average around 300 lb, so we pitch 50 lb class tackle to those fish. Then, when a second or even third fish comes into the spread we have the choice of the 30 lb, 80 lb and 130 lb tackle. It’s not rare to raise doubles or triples on any given day and one can experience this quite a few times during a stay. This is where Cape Verde offers the extra excitement of fighting more than one marlin at a time — when the fish turn on it’s pandemonium and is exciting for everyone. Most of Cape Verde’s marlin are shoaling fish, so once you’ve found an area where they are sitting it can be like fishing for sailfish — they come in numbers. Finding where the marlin are can be ver y exciting for the skippers and crews — it’s not all about looking for birds working in an area, it’s also about working the shallows, drops and deep water looking for bait and marking marlin on your sonar at reasonable depths. Often we’ll find bait sitting in 150-200m of water, mark that area and keep moving looking for bait in depths of 25m to 100m. The beauty of fishing amongst

Where big blues go to play

The tranquil harbour at Sal Nicolau. 14 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

by Stuart Simpson Another beauty takes the bait.

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ 15

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This 600 lb marlin was caught on a pitchbait before being tagged and released.

the other captains is that everyone shares information about the bait and marlin they have marked and what they have raised. Working this way means that when the marlin eventually go down in one area you can move back to the other areas you marked in the morning and 75% of the time the deeper bait you marked in the morning would have come closer to the surface, taking the marlin up with them. There are times when we’ve raised up to ten marlin in an hour and this can carry on for most of the day in intervals when you find a shoal. When marking marlin on the sonar we usually see them at a depth of 40-60 metres, but

sometimes we even raise them from 80 metres. The third advantage of pitchbaiting is the high rate of hook-ups achieved. Every keen fisherman today considers this to be the most important factor. Circle hooks are used by most fishermen in the Atlantic Ocean and South America, and getting the hook-up right comes down to knowing how to fish a circle hook properly and which circle hook to use for the fish that you are targeting. The best part of using this method is that you know the fish is hooked in the jaw and it doesn’t matter if you get some slack in your line if the fish comes toward you at great speed.

This also means there’s less noise on the boat because no-one is giving the angler grief to wind faster. The survival rate for the released marlin is also a lot higher as we cut the line once the fish has been traced to the boat which limits the stress on the marlin. TEASER FISHING On our boat we run five teasers in our spread — one under water dredge (optional), two bridge teasers and two long teasers, staggered. We found that it was crucial to run the bigger teasers close to the boat, and our favourite teaser is the Pulsator Predator CV Express which raised fish on a daily basis. We

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 17

18 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

Happy clients (left) who released one mako and nine blue marlin in a day, and a rigged pitchbait ready to fly (right). run this teaser on our starboard number four wake with our long Pulsator Marlin Magnet on the number six wake off the outrigger. When it came to the port side bridge teaser we ran the Big Bad John on the number two wake and a Tuna Teaser on the number five wake on the outrigger. This gave us the upper hand when we raised fish really close to the boat — if the fish didn’t see the pitch bait after the tease, the other teaser situated slightly further back gave us a second chance to re-tease the marlin back into the strike zone for the pitch. We use 80W bent butt rods to tease in the long teasers and start by clearing the bridge teaser on the side of the boat where the teased fish is coming in as well as doing a slight turn in the same direction to create clear water for the angler pitching. When a double or

triple comes up we keep the boat straight as these fish are generally far more aggressive because they’re fighting for food. In this situation it doesn’t seem to matter if the bait is pitched into clear water and anglers just have to be careful not to make the mistake of over free spooling as that can create a loop in the water and other marlin can get tangled in it. WHEN TO VISIT From March through to the end of August is when the migratory shoals of blue marlin visit the area. In mid-May when the water starts to warm up the big eye tuna and yellowfin tuna arrive off the islands along with white marlin and the occasional longbill spearfish. The tuna caught around Cape Verde weigh on average 160 lb and can reach 250 lb.

NAVIGATING AROUND THE ISLANDS The beauty of marlin fishing among the Cape Verde islands is that there are three major islands within reach of each other — Santo Antao, Sal Vincente, and Sal Nicolau — each boasting good fishing grounds, so you have a choice of venues. Mindelo on Sal Vicente is where all the sportfishing boats operate from; you’ll find them moored at the two marinas — the Floating Bar and the Sportfishing Club. The marinas are world class, with washrooms where you can clean up after fishing and the floating bar just metres from where you moor up. The Sportfishing Club marina has a restaurant above the bar with an outside braai area and if wahoo or tuna are caught everyone gathers for some fresh fish whilst enjoying their drinks.

The map below shows the position of the Cape Verde islands off the bulge of Africa. The satellite image to the right shows the four northern-most islands and the lightly shaded areas indicate the main fishing grounds.

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 19

There are a fair number of restaurants, bars and cocktails lounges along the waterfront and most things are within walking distance. Blue marlin enthusiasts could not pick a better place to start than Mindelo. Sal Vicente is the most popular island from which to fish as the productive Sal Pedro bank is located just 9nm from the marina. Sal Pedro bank runs east from the ledge for 10nm, zigzagging in and out with drop offs ranging from 100m to 500m within just 200m. About 80% of the fishing done is on the leeward side of the island where one is protected from the north-easterly trade winds. If the wind really gets up skippers can move to fish off Santo Antao or Sal Nicolau, so there is little chance of anglers travelling a long way and then discovering the fishing has been blown out for the week. Santo Antao is the biggest island in the group and lies 4nm north of Sal Vicente. The island is very tall, reaching a height of 11 600 feet, thus also protecting anglers on the leeward side from the north-easterly wind. It’s truly a wild experience fishing off the little town of Taraffal de Monte Trigo on the western side of Santo Antao where boats anchor up for the night. There’s a small hotel on the beach where all the fishermen, captains and crews stay overnight, and outside on the volcanic sands there’s a small terrace on the beach where everyone gathers for sundowners and to share stories of the day’s fishing. If you’re visiting you have to try the local punch (locally known as grog) which is made from sugarcane and orange juice. There is also an honesty fridge full of beers with a booklet where you note down the number of

beverages you’ve taken. Fishing off Santo Antao is great because just 100m from the shoreline you are already in 500m of water and there’s a small bank called Monte Trigo 4nm out. In July this year a 1 254 lb Atlantic blue marlin was caught within the wind line by anglers fishing aboard Big Oh, with another 1 200 lb blue being caught in early August 2015. Santo Antao is mainly deep water fishing which seems to hold the bigger blue marlin and not as many shoaling fish compared to the other two islands, although we have had some great days fishing getting seven releases for nine strikes one day and then five from eight, with other boats also getting good numbers of blue marlin. If the weather permits, boats can travel the 18nm from Taraffal to the famous Noroeste Bank where records are made to be broken. On a good day’s fishing boats raise up to 20 blue marlin in eight hours of fishing! The only problem is that Noroeste Bank is fiercely protected by Mother Nature and there are only a few days a year when the weather allows boats to visit this wild and majestic bank. Big Oh had some fabulous days out there in 2015, recording 17 releases from 19 strikes, 15 from 16 and 14 from 14 in three days of fishing, with many other mind-blowing days on the bank by other boats. Late June through to the end of July is a great time to fish the bank because that’s when the area experiences calmer sea conditions. In my personal opinion, Sal Nicolau is probably the most beautiful island in the group although it can be the hardest and most gruelling to reach as you have to cross a lot of open water to get there, often in heavy winds. Sal Nicolau is 54nm east of Sal Vicente, and it can take about seven hours to get there

20 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

from Sal Vincente due to the head on currents and choppy seas. However, once you pass the wind line approximately 6nm from the island it is like a dream come true with flat, calm, crystal clear waters. On the leeward side of the island you’ll find the Sal Nicolau Bank which comes up from 1 000m to 500m and then 200m within a short distance, and which holds an enormous number of frigate mackerel. This is the only island where I have seen the local fishermen hand-lining blue marlin caught on livebait. The best was when I saw six of the local boats with 15hp motors chasing their fish around, whilst the sportfishers in the area were also all hooked up! Organised chaos doesn’t come close to describing it. Tarrafal is a ver y small harbour where sportfishers moor up alongside local boats, and where the young local boys are eager to help take your bags to the hotel and show you around, fetch beers, ice and supplies for the next day’s fishing, all for the sake of being friendly. Two minutes’ walk from the boats there are a few local bars, restaurants and hotels; the accommodation is simple and very cheap and the food is excellent. Cape Verde is suitable for all types of anglers, from beginners to professionals and even flyfishers as we get multiple chances on a daily basis. So whether you want to sit back and relax and let the crew help you pitch the baits or learn to do it yourself, there’s no better place to learn how to catch blue marlin. • Stuart Simpson skippers a sportfisher at Cape Verde. For further information email him on <capeverde.bluemarlin@ gmail.com>.

SCIENTIFIC

by Johan Smal

Part 2:The science behind unusual catches

N the July/August 2015 issue of SKI-BOAT we shared an overview of the white marlin (Kajikia albida) that was caught off Struisbaai during February 2015. As this was the first white marlin ever to be caught in the Indian Ocean by a sportfisherman, the report of its presence in Agulhas waters drew more scepticism than support. At the time that I submitted that report I was still digging for appropriate technical substantiations in order to clarify the presence of a white marlin in Agulhas waters. This article therefore focuses mainly on these subjects and should be read in conjunction with the article in the previous issue.

GLOBAL WARMING: FACT OR FICTION As age marches on, most memories of years gone by, especially those from one’s early primary school days, tend to vanish into the grey matter’s lost memor y drawer. One memor y, however, remained vivid in my mind, probably because it had such a profound impact on my outlook on life. Some 50 years ago one of my favourite teachers told us that there are three very important things in life that one should never forget. The first was that you only get filth and trouble for

free, everything else in life you pay for either directly or indirectly. The second is that you are never too old to learn. Third is that we are living in a constantly changing world — adjust or perish, he suggested! Without doubt, astute and very sound advice still very much applicable today. At the time he was not referring to environmental changes resulting from global warming. Nowadays, however, this phenomenon has become a tangible threat to many life forms on earth. Particularly since the turn of the millennium, we’ve persistently been bombarded with reports detailing the devastating consequences of global warming. Based on these reports — and not surprisingly as it covers 71% of the world’s surface — our oceans are taking the brunt of this onslaught but are also helping to moderate climate change. Some of these conjectures were more realistic than others, especially in terms of lead-times and magnitudes and, hence, less distressing. Fortunately, due to enhanced methodologies and more detailed, far-reaching scientific research using state of the art technology, more representative predictions are progressively being updated. Although it is difficult to understand all the factual outcomes to date, some fascinating

reports on changes to marine life in particular have surfaced. TROPICAL SPECIES ENCROACHING ON POLAR REGIONS Already during 2009 CNN reported on a study which claimed that climate changes could drastically affect the distribution of more than 1 000 species of commercial- and shellfish in our oceans. With the general increase in water temperatures in the tropics and sub-tropics, large numbers of fish and other marine organisms are expected to expand their range from tropical seas to previously cooler areas. Evidence for such movements is already accumulating for some species. Many existing lucrative fisheries could therefore dwindle to insignificance, with the eventual disappearance of numerous species outside polar and sub-polar regions. Opinions vary on the rate of encroachment, but these are currently penned as somewhere between 10- and 50km per decade on average. Professor Mike Lucas of the University of Cape Town’s Biological Sciences Department and also an Honorary Research Associate at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in Southampton, UK, has been researching this subject. During 2012 he pub-

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 23

Figure 1 (above, left) showing the trends in sea surface temperatures. Note the warming of the Northern Benguela upwelling system on the west coast, but cooling of the Southern Benguela on the south-west and south coasts. Where the Agulhas Current flows southward then retroflexes eastwards along latitude 40°S, there is considerable warming. Diagram courtesy of Mathieu Rouault, Oceanography Dept, UCT; redrawn by Colin Bleach. Figure 2 (above, right) showing the eastward shift in the distribution of anchovy spawner biomass. Diagram courtesy of Carl van der Lingen, DAFF; redrawn by Colin Bleach. lished an article dealing with the response of South Africa’s marine plants and animals to the environmental changes. “Environmental variability and climate change are altering ocean temperatures around the globe,” Lucas stated. “As this phenomenon warms the Agulhas current along the east coast, but at the same time also cools the west coast southern Benguela upwelling system and subsequently the near-shore south coast marine environment, many of South Africa’s marine organisms are moving in response. The obvious migrants include kelp, mussels, barnacles, crabs, rock lobsters, anchovies, sardines and sub-tropical fishes, as well as seabirds and seals.” (See Figures 1 and 2 above.) A number of the noticeable changes are of particular interest to anglers. From the early 1980s to 1995, about 60-70% of all anchovy biomass was distributed along the west coast nearly as far as Cape Agulhas. However, coinciding with a fall in sea surface temperatures east of Cape Agulhas from 1996 to 2008, due to wind-driven coastal

upwellings new to the area, 70-80% of the anchovy population abruptly moved eastwards to the eastern Agulhas Bank region. More recently it was thought that the anchovies had returned westward, but the new data for 2014 shows that the bulk of the anchovy population is still in a more easterly location. They’re most likely taking advantage of improved feeding conditions associated with greater phytoplankton production in the cooler, more nutrient-rich waters. Sardines moved eastwards at the same time, but more slowly, occupying the eastern Agulhas Bank only after 1999/2000. Whether the re-distribution of anchovies and sardines will be permanent or transient is uncertain and is still being investigated. For many years now some tropical epipelagic gamefish species like black-, blue -and striped marlin, dorado and wahoo have been caught in the temperate waters off Struisbaai (and the Cape for that matter) during high summer months. Over the last couple of years, however, sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus), greater yellowtail/amber-

jack (Seriola dumerili), great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) and milksharks (Rhizoprionodon acutus) were added to the list. Then, of course, there’s our white marlin encounter. As they’re pelagic species, one would expect them to meander down the warm Agulhas current, but tropical reef fish species have also recently arrived in our area. The subtropical cat-faced rockcod (Epinephalus andersoni), for example, was previously confined to the southeast African coast where it is endemic. Today it is common between Durban and Richards Bay, although occasional specimens had been found as far west as Knysna Lagoon prior to 2008. Since then these fish have pushed 200km further west into the De Hoop Marine Reser ve where six fish have been recorded for the first time during a 28year-long fish monitoring project there. This confirms an ongoing westward shift in rockcod distribution. The other interesting finding was a kaakap or green jobfish (Aprion virescens) which was speared at the Skipskop Banks in March 2015.

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 25

The first report of a manta ray (thought to have been a reef manta ray; Manta alfredi) seen swimming near Cape Agulhas, also added to the hype. Gary Williams, an experienced diver accustomed to manta encounters in Moçambique waters, was diving at the Five Mile Bank just outside Struisbaai when he saw this beauty swimming towards and over him. Unfortunately he could not capture this sighting on film as his camera was on the boat. MIGRATION OF SPECIES BETWEEN OCEANS As reported in part one of this article, reliable sources have confirmed that there are no hydrological reasons why marlin cannot migrate between the two oceans. This was subsequently confirmed by Wendy West who is responsible for the large pelagic species research (tuna and swordfish) at DAFF. Furthermore, she provided proof that South Africa’s commercial longliners have caught 144 white marlin within the Exclusive Economic Zone from 1999 to 2013. Of these catches 52 were made in the Indian Ocean, with many of them being made off KZN, indicating that these fish are moving far up the Agulhas current. The last 16 catches, since 2003, were made while observers were onboard the vessels, providing more confidence in the identification of these catches than the earlier records. Notwithstanding the accuracy of these numbers, these catches are arguably valid evidence that white marlin do frequent the Indian Ocean on an annual basis.

This kaakap was shot by Fred Bester at Skipskop Banks in March; another example of how tropical species are moving into waters that used to be cooler.

Illustration of longline white marlin catches from 2005 to 2014. Diagram courtesy of Wendy West, DAFF. Another validation of marlin migrating between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans was recorded during the IGFA Great Marlin Race (IGMR) of 2012. Eight of the 24 satellite tags were deployed in South African waters and one of these fish, a 150kg blue marlin, was caught, tagged and released off Richards Bay during February 2012. It was at large for 43 days and travelled 1 018 nautical miles down the east coast, crossing from the Indian into the Atlantic Ocean where the tag popped

A composite satellite image of sea surface temperature showing the cold Benguela Current on the west coast and the warm southward flowing Agulhas Current on the east coast. Diagram courtesy of Christo Whittle, Marine Remote Sensing Unit, UCT Oceanography Department. Redrawn by Colin Bleach. up at 38°04’S; 17°27’E. Something else significant about this particular report is that towards the latter parts of the tag’s journey, this fish actually spent some time in water with temperatures down to 15.2ºC. (See SKIBOAT Mar/Apr 2013, “The race is over”.) White marlin occur in the Atlantic

Ocean’s tropical zones, favouring water temperatures higher than 18°C, preferably around 22°C. Struisbaai is located in the south-western Indian Ocean’s temperate zone, with mean water temperatures generally accepted as between 10- and 18°C. The cold (910°C) Benguela Current which wells up from below 400m hugs the west coast

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 27

A pictorial representation of the key elements of the Agulhas Current system and the influence of products of the Agulhas Current on the Benguela Current and environment. Red arrows indicate warm currents and anticyclonic eddies. Blue arrows denote cyclonic eddies, and open arrows the average wind-driven circulation. Inflow to the Agulhas Current is largely due to the southwest Indian Ocean gyre; outflow is in the Agulhas Return Current along the Subtropical Convergence and in the occasional Agulhas Ring. Perturbations to the flow of the Agulhas Current are due to eddies coming from the Mozambique Channel and from south of Madagascar. The wind-driven coastal upwelling is shown from Cape Town to Cape Frio with recognised upwelling cells shown in darker purple. (Johann Lutjeharms 2011; redrawn by Colin Bleach.) of Southern Africa, flowing northwards towards Angola. It has its origins in mid-depth South Atlantic water, including some joining f low from the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. With water temperatures around western South Africa generally between 10- and 14°C, this water constitutes a pertinent cold water barrier between the two oceans, most strongly in summer closer inshore when upwelling in the southern Benguela is strongest. At the same time, however, the warm Agulhas Current meanders onto the Agulhas Bank, as it does year-round, before turning southwards and eastwards as the Agulhas Retrof lection. Running closer inshore and with the

effects of its well-known ring shedding phenomenon, it can effectively bridge the cold water barrier for extended periods. Patches of warm water also creep round into the Benguela region on occasion. These very large and deep warm water rings travel in a north-westerly direction into the South Atlantic Ocean and have tracked all the way to the Brazil Current which flows southwards along the coast of South America. This creates a warm water pathway, sometimes around 200m deep and into the 22-24°C temperature range. No doubt many fish take advantage of the warm water highway to explore new territory.

FAMILY MATTERS AMONG BILLFISH Taxonomy is the practice and science of classifying and grouping living organisms together based on their evolutionary origin and related families. During earlier years these groupings were classified mainly based on the specimen’s body architecture and morphological characteristics. With fish, for example, scientists looked at the type and size of the specimen, the arrangement of scales, gill rakers, fin rays and various other anatomical design differences. Closely related species were grouped into a family and those within that family, which are also closely related, were placed in the same genus.

Satellite imagery of the Agulhas and Benguela current surface temperatures on 1 August 2014 (left) and 1 February 2015 (right). Courtesy of Remote Sensing Systems. SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 29

Lastly, distinct breeding populations within that genus were given a speciesspecific name. However, with the advancement of technology scientists have embraced genetic data (DNA) as the most reliable technique in determining the taxonomic relationships of the different species. This methodology has advanced exponentially since the DNA profiling technique was first reported in 1985. The term billfish, of which 11 different species exist globally, refers to a collection of pelagic predatory fishes characterised by the prolongation of the upper jaw into a long rostrum. Referred to as the bill, it is f lat and sword-like in the case of broadbill swordfish (the only member of the Xiphiidae family) or rounded and spear-like in the case of sailfish, spearfish and marlin (the Istiophoridae family members). Blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) are found throughout the world’s oceans in tropical and temperate waters. Originally blue marlin from the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans were thought to be different species, but molecular genetics have shown that there is only one species of blue marlin. Both black marlin (Istiompax indica) and striped marlin (Kajikia audax) are found in tropical and temperate areas of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. White marlin (Kajikia albida) are found in tropical and temperate waters throughout the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the western Mediterranean. Sailfish are found throughout the world; residing in both tropical and temperate waters, they are divided into two subspecies with Istiophorus albicans located in the Atlantic Ocean whilst Istiophorus platypterus resides in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Four species of spearfish are found in tropical waters throughout the world’s oceans. The recently rediscovered roundscale spearfish (Tetrapturus georgii) is native to the eastern Atlantic and the western Mediterranean, but is suspected to be more widespread. The longbill spearfish (Tetrapturus pfluegeri) is found in the north-west Atlantic from New Jersey to Venezuela, including the Gulf of Mexico. Shortbill spearfish (Tetrapturus angustirostris) are located in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, with the Mediterranean spearfish (Tetrapturus belone) residing in the Mediterranean Sea. Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) have the capacity to endure the widest range of temperatures and can be found in tropical, temperate and sometimes arctic waters throughout the oceans. For more than two decades Dr John Graves, Professor of Marine Science at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Virginia, USA, and his colleagues have

OLD CLASSIFICATION Blue marlin, Makaira nigricans Black marlin, Makaira indica Sailfish, Istiophorus platypterus White marlin, Tetrapturus albidus Striped marlin, Tetrapturus audax Shortbill spearfish, Tetrapturus angustirostris Longbill spearfish, Tetrapturus pfluegeri Mediterranean spearfish, Tetrapturus belone NEW CLASSIFICATION Sailfish, Istiophorus platypterus Blue marlin, Makaira nigricans Shortbill spearfish, Tetrapturus angustirostris Longbill spearfish, Tetrapturus pfluegeri Mediterranean spearfish, Tetrapturus belone Roundscale spearfish, Tetrapturus georgii Black marlin, Istiompax indica White marlin, Kajikia albida Striped marlin, Kajikia audax Illustration showing the taxonomy reclassification of the billfish species. collected biological samples from the fish caught during the annual MidAtlantic $500 000 competition, the richest marlin and tuna tournament in the world. These samples allowed them to investigate the specific relationships of these fish, and some very interesting findings were made. In a report submitted by Dr Graves in 2011, he reported that DNA analyses revealed that blue marlin are much more closely related to sailfish than they are to black marlin. In fact, the genetic differences between blue marlin and black marlin, which were both in the genus Makaira, are greater than those between almost any other pair of billfishes. They also found some big differences between the spearfishes, white marlin and striped marlin, suggesting that these groups do not all belong in the genus Tetrapturus. As a result of these findings, white- and striped marlin are now in the genus Kajikia. The scientists also realised that there was another species in the mix — the roundscale spearfish. The changes in scientific nomenclature have now been accepted and the old and new family trees are shown above. RISE AND FALL OF HATCHET MARLIN Reportedly, an estimated 240 000 different marine species exist in our oceans, many still being discovered every day, but when the discover y of a new marine species is announced, one would expect it to be a miniscule organism from the pitch-dark and high-

ly pressurised hadopelagic depths of our oceans. With that in mind, learning about the rediscovery of a large billfish that was initially discovered in 1841 — with hundreds being caught in the years gone by — makes one sit up and think aloud, doesn’t it? For many years offshore anglers along the US mid-Atlantic coast have been aware of the hatchet marlin, a fish that looks very much like a white marlin but with a different fin shape. While white marlin normally have rounded dorsal and anal fins, the fins of a hatchet marlin are truncated, looking as if they’ve been sheared off with a knife. However, as this fish was considered to be a variation of the white marlin, it was never recognised as a separate species nor included in any IGFA records. Working with Dr Bruce Collette and Dr Jan McDowell on genetic analysis of billfish evolutionary relationships, Dr Graves and his colleagues found that many, but not all, hatchet marlin were genetically distinct from white marlin. Furthermore, these individuals were more closely related to the spearfishes than to white marlin. At the same time, Dr Mahmood Shivji of Nova South Eastern University in Florida and colleagues analysed samples of hatchet marlin collected from observers on some US pelagic longline vessels. Their morphological and genetic analyses indicated that hatchet marlin were probably roundscale spearfish, a supposedly rare species of billfish described from a single specimen col-

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 31

lected off the Island of Madeira in the eastern Atlantic by RT Lowe in 1841. Overall, from 1992 to 2006, 18% of the “white marlin” weighed in at the MidAtlantic $500 000 tournaments have actually been roundscale spearfish, showing that these fish were fairly common. Based on this realisation, it seems reasonable to assume that if you have caught a lot of white marlin in the mid-Atlantic, you most probably already have a roundscale spearfish notch on your rod. STRANGE CATCHES So, ladies and gents, tight lines out there, but please be on the lookout for the elusive white marlin during the next billfish season — they are in our waters. Most importantly, please report any unusual catches, especially if you believe it to be a white marlin. We’ve already received a report of a marlin caught by Niccole McDonald at the Alphard Banks during 2014 which might have been a white. Unfortunately, al- Distinguishing features of white marlin and roundscale spearfish. though the dorsal spots norCourtesy of VIMS <www.vims.edu>.

32 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

mally evident on a white can clearly be seen on the picture of her fish, final confirmation could not be made. Before releasing your fish please ensure that you’ve logged the coordinates, measured its length, taken good photographic evidence and collected a DNA sample — a 2x3cm fin-clip kept frozen or in alcohol will suffice. In conclusion, if you’ve caught any strange-looking marlin in the past and weren’t sure of the identification, we would like to hear from you. Please email me <johansmal@ telkomsa.net> with as much evidence as possible. • Thanks to Mike Lucas of UCT’s Marine Research Institute for scientific advice on oceanographic processes. • For further information on our changing marine environment, readers might be interested in Insights into Impacts of Climate Change on the South African Marine and Coastal Environment by N James and J Hermes, published by South African Environmental and Observation Network.

MARKETPLACE

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Battalion rods are perfectly matched with the new Penn Clash reels which come with impressive CNC gearing and a massive sealed HT-100 drag sytem, and are the lightest spinning reels Penn has ever made. Boasting eight sealed stainless steel ball bearings as well as a high density round EVA handle knob, these reels are ready for any battle. For more information on Penn products, ask your nearest tackle dealer or contact Penn’s South African distributors, Pure Fishing, on (011) 796-5095.

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 33

The Seacat 636 Sport Cabin by Yamaha

BOAT TEST

Tested by Heinrich Kleyn

T’S been a while since I was last invited to do a boat test, so I was very excited when Shaun Lavery asked me to test the cabin version of Yamaha’s Seacat 636. With the economy in such dire straits, very few boat builders are even updating their current boats, never mind building new ones, which accounts for the silence, but Yamaha are trying hard to stay ahead of the pack. Although the 636 Sport Cabin boasts the same hull as the 636 Hardtop that I tested about two years ago, she has a totally different look about her because of her full cabin. FIRST IMPRESSIONS This Seacat 636 Sport Cabin gives you the impression that she is much bigger than her predecessor, and her hard top and forward console which has been enclosed with protective perspex windows gives her a very sporty look. As I’ve mentioned in other reviews, personally I prefer a centre console craft, but this version of the 636 gave me the impression that she would be even drier than the previous 636 Seacats that I’ve tested. That’s an especially important feature when you’re fishing miles offshore for marlin and the sea’s rough. We’ve all had our fair share of bat-

36 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

tling to get some or other boat loaded or offloaded, but not this time — Shaun simply pulled her onto the trailer using the winch. Every time I watch him I marvel at how easy he makes it look — no doubt it’s something he’s learned from extensive experience. CONDITIONS The sea was as flat as a lake, with no swells and baitfish all over the place. Remember, this is a big boat, so I wouldn’t advise you to try and push her by hand on the beach — you’ll definitely suffer. Most operators of big boats like this mount a push bracket on the stern so that a pole can be attached and can be used to push her in. Fortunately the test boat was also fitted with that luxury, so launching was simple. MOTORS, CONTROLS AND PERFORMANCE The Seacat 636 Sport Cabin I tested was fitted with two 130hp 4-stroke Yamaha engines with binnacle-mount controls. They’re beautiful engines with a lot of power, so they were right up my alley. I believe that big boats like this should have ample power behind them just in case they need it. The controls were very smooth, but you have to be careful when using

AT A GLANCE Length: 6.36m Beam: 2.4m Approx weight: 1 600kg Fuel capacity: 8 x 25 litre Jerry cans Rated max hp: 2 x 200hp four-strokes Rated min hp: 2 x 80hp four-strokes Power as tested: 2 x 130hp four-stroke Yamahas Buoyancy: Foam filled according to SAMSA standards

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 â&#x20AC;¢ 37

them because they do not have a neutral lock; that’s why they are so smooth — you just push forward and they slip into gear. If you pull the control back to the middle it’s in neutral, but if you pull too far back it goes into reverse and you will hear gears grinding. Similarly, you have to be careful that when you hit the beach you don’t pull the gear lever too far back. The hardtop version I tested in 2013 was fitted with twin 150hp four-strokes and I didn’t notice much of a difference between that and the 130s. Although the engines were smaller, they still had more than enough power to get her out the hole fast enough for a surf launch. These new F130A motors have a lot of power, are highly efficient and are very responsive. The fuel economy is also very good. The F130A’s maximum operating rpm range is between 5 300rpm and 6 300rpm and this engine falls into the same range as the F70A and the F115B. The F130A is also the lightest in its class power-to-weight range. If you’re in the market for engines in the 130hp range it would be worth your while to check out this engine as it’s one of the most developed engines in its class A few years ago everybody was asking whether they should choose fourstroke or two-stroke engines because back then there was little difference between the two when it came to pullaway. Now, with the fuel price going

through the roof nobody asks anymore; it seems it’s the norm for most boats to be fitted with four-strokes. Even with the bit of extra weight, the 636 Sport Cabin is still very fast out the hole and getting on the plane. For a boat of this size her turning circle is surprisingly tight, and she’s able to turn

between swells when launching through the surf. There was no real cavitation on the turns and on the pullaways. As we proved, it is quite possible to launch her from the beach, and the push bracket and push pole make life much easier.

The push pole and bracket on the stern facilitate much easier launching.

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 39

I found her performance out at sea to be flawless, and she handled the sea with grace. With nearly no swell we travelled back to the base with Ryan Hansen from Durban Yamaha behind the wheel pushing the boat at full throttle, and I was surprised that we felt no pounding, even at such high speeds. She never showed any signs of broaching in a following sea, and although the skipper would obviously have to take care when heading into bigger, rougher seas, she gave me a soft ride. As always it’s essential for the skipper to take his responsibility seriously — slow down where necessary and accelerate when possible. LAYOUT Grant Read has done it again — his layout for a big boat like this is perfect and he really has utilised the space superbly. There’s a nice comfortable size cabin in the front and the anchor hatch is in the bow with walk through access. The front console houses a dry hatch for cell phones and all the paperwork needed these days, and there are two bum boxes in the front with seats behind them for the crew. Fuel hatches are situated underneath the seats. Self-draining flush fish hatches have been provided in the carpeted deck, flanked by padded gunnels to protect your knees when you’re fighting a fish standing up. At the back, in the false transom, there’s a livebait well in the middle and a battery hatch on each side. In addition to the eight rod holders on top of the cabin roof, a rod holder is mounted on each roll bar at the stern. There’s also space for rod stowage in the recessed areas below the gunnels. CONCLUSION This is one of the best boats I have been on, so she fits in perfectly with the other 636 Seacats I’ve tested before. Her layout has been very well planned so that there’s ample deck space available. When it comes to her finish, what can one say — it’s superb; something we’ve come to expect from all of Grant’s boats. I could not fault her ride and her stability was remarkable, especially with the big changes that have been made to her top structure. This is also one of the most comfortable boats I’ve been on. Her size is still within the legal limits to be able to tow her around and launch through the surf, and you can tow her with a normal 4x4, nothing bigger is required. If you’re in the market for a new boat give one of the Yamaha dealers a call and book a test drive. 40 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

42 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

BACK TO BASICS

by Paul Borcherds

WIND ON! Part 2: Loop-to–loop connections

N Part 1 of the article on wind-on leaders (see the September/October 2015 issue of SKI-BOAT) I mentioned that there are basically two different ways to connect a wind-on-leader’s loop made from either Dacron or braided monofilament to the double line at the end of the main line via a loop-to-loop connection. The first option is to use The Cat’s Paw or an adaption of the Offshore Swivel Knot, and the second option is to use the Martin Visagie or Reverse Cat’s Paw adaption. Although both are perfectly secure connections, I prefer to use the Martin Visagie loop-to-loop on lighter line classes up to 30 lb mono test classes, and on all Superline (braid). Firstly, the Martin Visagie connection is at least half the size of the traditional three-turn Cat’s Paw which means it easily slides through the rod’s tip guide whilst casting or jigging. Secondly, when you’re fishing with 8 lb to 30 lb test mono a more secure connection is created with the mono wrapped around the Dacron or braided mono, as opposed to the Dacron or braided mono being twisted around the mono. This loop-to-loop connection is not suited to joining mono above 50 lb to Dacron or braided mono of 100 lb or more due to the rigidity of the mono, but it is perfectly suited for all Superline (braid) PE/Lbs test classes due to the braid’s suppleness. The origins of both connections are shrouded in a bit of mystery — the Cat’s Paw knot is mostly used on loop-to-loop connections and is generally accepted as being an adaptation of the Offshore Swivel Knot. Wikipedia describes the Cat’s Paw as “a knot used for connecting a rope to an object. It is very similar to the Cow Hitch except there is an additional twist on each side of the bight, making it less prone to slipping. The knot balances the load between the two hitches, and is used in wharfs and docks. If one hitch fails, the other hitch should hold until the load can be safely and swiftly lowered to the ground.” The perfect Cat’s Paw (not surprisingly) resembles the paw of a feline (see step 10). The Martin Visagie knot is a reversed type of Cat’s Paw with a finish resembling a figure-of-eight knot. A previous SADSAA President, John Pledger, showed this connection to me many years ago after he was shown it by his fishing teammate the legendary Martin Visagie. At the time of writing I could not establish any further details, but will ask Martin to elaborate a bit more in a letter to SKi-BOAT.

CP 1.

CP 2.

CP 3.

CP 4.

THE CAT’S PAW (WITH A THREE-TURN HITCH) TO begin ith, do not unravel the wind-on leader; keep it together in its packaged original circle form because that will make it easier to perform the steps. STEP 1: Pull the loop of the double line through the loop of the Dacron on the wind-on leader.

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 43

CP 5.

hitch. Some anglers still only make a two-turn hitch, but the most secure way is to add a third hitch as described in the next step. STEP 6: Repeat steps 2 and 3. This will ensure that three hitches were formed to secure the loop-to-loop connection. STEP 7: To start closing the connection, gently pull the Dacron just behind the main line of the Dacron behind the splice against the double line. This will ensure that there’s no slack between the two loop-to-loop connections.

CP 6.

STEP 8: Whilst pulling against the double line, gently push the Dacron twists up against the end of the double line. STEP 9: Keep pushing the Dacron until it forms three tight twists against the end of the double line. This will ensure the connection is well seated. At this stage you may unravel the wind-on leader. If any twists have formed on the two strands of the Dacron you may push the end of the leader back through the strands to unravel the twists, leaving the Dacron in its original state as seen in Step 10. STEP 10: The completed Cat’s Paw with a three-turn hitch.

CP 7.

THE MARTIN VISAGIE OR REVERSED CAT’S PAW (LOOP-TO-LOOP) FOR illustration purposes (see opposite page) 100 lb Superline (braid) and a 150 lb wind-on leader were used. STEP1: To start with hold and open the double line on the braid with one hand. Slide the double line through the loop of Dacron on the wind-on leader. Once again keep the windon leader in its original unravelled format to form this connection.

CP 8. STEP 2: Open the double line and push the wind-on leader through the loop from above. STEP 3: Once the wind-on leader is through the loop encircle the right strand of the double line once.

CP 9.

STEP 4: Encircle the right hand strand of the double line a second time. STEP 5: Encircle the right hand strand of the double line a third and final time. STEP 6: Let go of the double line and gently start pulling the wind-on-leader against the double line loop. It is important to do this gently to ensure any slack is pulled out the double line’s loop, leaving both strands even.

CP 10. STEP 7: Continue pulling until a figure-of-eight starts to form on the double line. STEP 8: Once the figure-of-eight is up against the Dacron and all slack on the double line has been pulled out, gently push the braid figure-of-eight up towards the end of the Dacron loop. STEP 2: Whilst holding and opening the double line with one hand, push the Dacron loop slightly up the double line. Push the whole wind-on-leader up through the double line from below. STEP 3: Pull the wind-on leader out through the double line loop; this will form the first loop–to–loop hitch. STEP 4: Repeat Step 2. STEP 5: Pull the wind-on leader out through the double line loop as in Step 3. This will form the second loop–to–loop 44 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

STEP 9: You may have to aid the figure-of-eight a bit to seat it securely by pushing ever so gently against it until it’s snug right up against the Dacron. Do not over push it, though, as it may go all the way over the Dacron which will lead to connection failure. STEP 10: A well-seated Martin Visagie loop-to-loop connection will have two parallel strands of braid or mono around the Dacron. This loop-to-loop connection has an ultra-small diameter which is ideal for popping, jigging or light mono line applications.

MV 1.

MV 2.

MV 3.

MV 4.

MV 5.

MV 6.

MV 7.

MV 8.

MV 9.

MV 10.

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 â&#x20AC;¢ 45

MOTOR SCENE Mercury unveil their new Sea Pro range

46 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

by Erwin Bursik

“W

HEN you’ve got a job to do on the water call in a PRO.” So goes the introduction to Mercury’s new range of fourstroke outboard motors, ostensibly designed with commercial boating and fishing operators in mind. When I first heard about these new motors I asked Mercury’s Shaun van Rooyen and Paul van der Westhuizen to send me the technical specifications so that I’d have some idea what the Sea-Pro range was all about. I began to wonder where pleasure boating ends and commercial boating starts, and specifically which category ski-boat operators fall into when it comes to using twin powered outboards on our fishing craft. Paul simply told me to try out the

twin Mercury Sea Pro 115hp outboards that had been fitted to Jabulani, a 23ft monohull owned and skipped by charter operator and well known angler Rob Naysmith in Cape Town. “Feel how they perform and then I’ll explain the technological features that have been engineered into the Mercury Sea Pro range to make them withstand the rigours of commercial use as well as many, many more operational hours on the water,” he said. In my review I’ll do things the other way around — I’ll expand on these innovations up front and then I’ll relate what I experienced during many hours on the water out of Cape Boat and SkiBoat Club at Miller’s Point in False Bay and around the infamous Cape Point. It was interesting to hear that com-

mercial ski-boat operations clock up between 500 and 1 000 hours a year whereas recreational ski-boats average less than 200 hours per year. Mercury maintain that the Sea Pro motors — 75hp, 90hp, 115hp and 150hp — are designed to work as hard as the operators do by providing reliable, trouble-free operation year after year. It is this undertaking to provide longer engine life, better power delivery and durability, improved fuel efficiency and lighter engine weight that Mercury back up with a two year, 2 000 hours warranty. Basing their innovations on proven four-stroke technology, Mercury have used a 2.1 litre engine with the largest displacement in its class to ensure a great out-the-hole performance as well

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 47

as to provide enough torque to get the craft on the plane while delivering quicker acceleration. By using improved engineering technology the Mercury engineers have been able to produce an outboard motor with an incredible powerto-weight ratio. Using this philosophy, fewer moving parts and by simplifying its overall design, they have not only improved the entire motor, but also obtained extra benefits such as long term corrosion protection and an aesthetically pleasing external design. Over and above that, Mercury have included as standard, water separating fuel filters and a smart tacho gauge which is vital for commercial operators. Finally it was my chance to get physically acquainted with the pair of Mercury Sea Pro 115hp motors on the back of Jabulani. Rob Naysmith and I go back many, many years to when he lived in Durban where he started his angling career. It was great to join him on Jabulani for some motor testing and a bit of fishing off Cape Point. First impressions are lasting, and before Paul and Rob started talking or launching the craft I crouched behind the twin black beauties studying the substantial gear boxes and large fourbladed counter rotating stainless steel propellers they were driving. Substantial and robust were the words that came to mind and which perfectly complemented these extremely sleek and racy looking engines. The motors’ heavy duty housing allows Mercury to run oversized propellers that run deeper in the water, and also to have bigger and more robust gears which provide a different gear case ratio (2.38:1) to improve handling and allow easier lift on bigger, heavier craft. Jabulani is a heavy boat and we had a crew of four big guys aboard; I was eager to launch her and get behind the wheel so that I could start doing tests in False Bay where there was only a slight chop on the ocean’s surface. Rob had only recently acquired the twin Mercury Sea Pro 115hp motors and he was still playing around with them, but he — reluctantly — permitted me to take command while Captain Rob was relegated to deckhand. Many thoughts go through one’s mind as one takes control, and in this case I eased the throttles forward slowly to begin with to get the feel of the craft and motors’ performances. Jabulani is a deep-V monohull, so I first had to establish the correlation between motor trim, hydraulic afterplaners and hull design before I could really start working the motors to their full potential. The very first aspect of the Sea Pro I noticed was the extremely solid bite produced by the four-blade counter rotating propellers when I thrust the

throttles firmly forward for the first time. There was no slippage as the craft launched forward directly onto the plane. Then, as I held her at just under 4 000rpm with a speed over ground (SOG) of 23 knots I experienced a positive thrust; almost as if the motors were pacing themselves, waiting for further throttle to really get moving. I held her there while getting to know the intricacies of both the boat and motors before releasing some more of that pent-up power that was readily available. That is what I call sweet spot power, where the motors respond instantly to increased or decreased throttle. That later proved to be very reassuring when I was executing surf-style turns. Paul pushed her to 35 knots when I finally gave him a chance to play in the late afternoon, but I was much happier at 20 knots, obtaining a smooth, quiet and care-free crossing of the choppy False Bay water. When I was happy that I had a good feel for the rig I began playing around, experimenting with various motor trim settings at different speeds and attempting to simulate a fishing day out on the ocean. At a low troll speed of 7-9 knots with one motor at idle — what I call marlin troll speed — the twin Sea Pros were fantastic, very smooth running, extremely quiet and very responsive to

48 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

marginal variations of throttle setting. At the faster troll speed, correlating motor revs to SOG was interesting, especially when I was adjusting the white water wake to create blue water holes where I wanted to run a spread of marlin lures. Adjusting the wake was easily done through motor trim as well as engine revs. Then came the fun bit — throwing the big deep-V mono into tighter turns as if turning in front of incoming surf, and then pulling her out of the turn, powering up fully to get her out of the hole and on to the plane. That’s my type of fun with boats! Jabulani came round with alacrity, albeit heeling well into the turn, and exited with speed as the Mercury Sea Pro motors used all their enormous bite and torque to achieve this goal with virtually no cavitation. Much has been said about using counter-rotating props on a ski-boat — both for and against — which is a difficult subject I don’t want to get involved with in this review. All I will say is that I ran each motor separately with one running and the other tilted out of the water, and found little difference in their performance. Getting on to a marginal plane was an effort, though, and I feel a finer pitched prop or one with a slightly smaller diameter would have done the trick. Running this rig out to sea between The Bellows and Cape Point in a sea that was quite boisterous was interesting, because there hull performance was of more importance than motor performance. The twin Mercury Sea Pros never missed a beat in the somewhat hectic sea, and the grip the big props have in the water will give any skipper peace of mind in rough conditions. This grip allowed me to hold the craft on a true course while riding down the face of the big following swells on the run back into the bay. Now my conundrum: Mercury has the Sea Pro series as well as the full range of four-stroke motors I reviewed in the May/June 2015 issue of SKI-BOAT, so which motor would I choose to purchase as a recreational ski-boater, were I in the market? I really liked the simplicity and builtin longevity of the Sea Pros, but when I read through my recent review on the Mercury four-strokes and the full range of high tech engineering they boast I remembered there was a great deal that I really liked about those motors too. Being told that hp-to-hp they are roughly the same price, and even taking into account the two-year 2 000 hour warranty on the Sea Pro as against the five year warranty on the Mercury fourstroke, I would still have a lot of thinking to do before deciding which motor to buy.

FEATURE

by SKI-BOAT reporter

UMMER is here and anglers of all shapes, sizes and ages will be heading out in search of good fishing, exciting catches and family fun. Out on the water we see nature in all its magnificence and our eyes are exposed to the damaging effects of wind, sand and UV light. Without the right eye care, too much exposure to UV light raises the risks of eye diseases. If we don’t protect them, our eyes and the surrounding skin are vulnerable to damage that can cause cataracts, growths on the eye and eyelid cancers, amongst others diseases. Growths on the eye, such as pterygium can show up in our teens or twenties, especially in anyone who spends long hours under the midday sun or in the UV-intense conditions found near rivers, oceans, and mountains. A pter ygium (also known as surfer’s eye or farmer’s eye) is a triangular-shaped growth of f leshy tissue on the white of the eye that eventually extends over the cornea. This growth may remain small or grow large enough to interfere with vision. Ultraviolet

Make sure your eyes are well protected

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 53

(UV) light from the sun is believed to be a factor in the development of these growths. Diseases like cataracts and eye cancers can take many years to develop, but each time we’re out in the sun without protection adds damage that increases our risks for these serious disorders. NOT ALL BAD NEWS One good thing is that research shows that children who spend more time outside exposed to daylight may reduce their risk of developing nearsightedness. They must, however, be protected from the dangers of too much UV light. Hats, sunscreen and sunnies are essential — and they look cool... UV light can actually be good in moderation. While it’s important that we protect our eyes from overexposure to UV light, our eyes also need some exposure to natural light every day to help maintain normal sleep-wake cycles. This does not mean you can leave your sunglasses at home! WHO NEEDS EYE PROTECTION? Everyone should wear high quality sunglasses, but 50% of our

lifetime exposure to sunlight takes place in our first 18 years. That means babies should start wearing quality sunglasses no later than six months old because their eye tissue is even more sensitive to the effects of UV light than adults’. Children and teens should wear quality sunglasses consistently throughout their childhood. It’s also very important to explain to children that they should never look directly at the sun because doing so focuses the UV light directly on the back of the eye like a magnifying glass and it could actually burn a hole through the retina. People taking certain medications may also experience increased UV eye sensitivity. WHAT’S THE BEST PROTECTION? Sun damage to eyes can occur anytime during the year, not just in the summer, so be sure to wear high quality polarised sunglasses with 99% to 100% UVA and UVB absorption all year round. Wear them even when it’s cloudy and especially if you are under 18. A wide-brim hat cuts down on direct light coming from above, and ultraviolet-blocking soft contact lenses or clear prescription eyeglasses that have an added UV-protection layer also help. DON’T FORGET... On the water, sand, and snow your UV exposure is doubled because of the reflected rays coming into your eyes from both above and below. The effects from the sun are worse the closer you are to

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 55

the equator, and at high altitudes where there’s less atmosphere to refract and absorb the UV rays. FOOD FOR THOUGHT Your sunglasses should work hard for you, and although the cheaper kind may keep out the brightness — the glare — they will not protect you from UV rays. These cheaper sunglasses may actually damage your eyes more, so yes, you will have to pay extra for a good pair of sunglasses. Certain frequencies of light can blur vision while others can enhance contrast. Tinted sunglass lenses can help eliminate specific frequencies, making them great for driving and certain sports. Gray lenses are good protection against glare which makes them good for driving and general use. Dark amber, copper, or brown lenses block large amounts of blue light to heighten contrast and visual activity, improve contrast on grass and against blue skies. They are perfect for cycling, fishing, golf, hunting, skiing, and water sports. Green lenses mildly heighten contrast while preserving colour balance which makes them great for golf. Amber, rose or red lenses increase contrast in partly cloudy and sunny conditions, but cause significant colour imbalances. They’re best for cycling, fishing, hunting, shooting, skiing, snowboarding and water sports. Yellow or orange lenses filter blue light for sharper focus and increased contrast in overcast, hazy, or low-light conditions. They’re ideal for indoor and outdoor sports, cycling, hunting, shooting, skiing, snowboarding and tennis. Sunglasses don’t just protect our eyes from UV light, they also protect them against sand from the beach, dirt from a windy bike ride — and even loose-flying hooks. They’re an important barrier between our eyes and the world around us. So what is the most important must-have for sunglasses, no matter what the cost? They need to offer 100% UV Protection with an eye sun protection factor (E-SPF) rating of 25 to 50. ESPF is a simple index that ranges from zero to 50 in polarised sunglass lenses and zero to 25 for every day, clear lenses. Speak to your optician or ophthalmologist if you want more information, but make sure you never leave those sunglasses behind when you leave home. SOURCES : • EyeSmart – information supplied by American Academy of Opthalmology, The Eye MD Association • Skincancer.org • Interview with an optometrist • Essilor USA 56 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

TACKLE TALK

Advertorial Photo by Daniel Hulme

Pulsator’s season of big marlin

HE team at Pulsator Lures strive to produce the best quality and most successful lures on the market, and the best way to achieve that is to sponsor charter skippers in different areas of the world to test their prod-

ucts. With the information gained from local and international skippers who use Pulsator Lures they have been able to determine which lures are consistently catching fish. If certain lures aren’t producing the goods they opt to discontinue those. In recent months their focus has been on skippers targeting big marlin. Over the past season Pulsator gave test products to the following skippers: Allan Myburg fishing in Madeira, Divan Coetzee at Ascension Island and Stuart Simpson in Cape Verde. They received some positive feedback which will no doubt be of interest to recreational fishermen too.

STUART SIMPSON Cape Verde and Kenya THERE are many types and brands of fishing lures on the market today, but only a handful that are popular amongst captains and crews that fish most of the year round as a profession. Because we spend a lot of time on the water and because it’s our bread and butter, we have learnt over time which brands, types of lures and sizes to run for our targeted species. The movement, flash, smoke and the way the lure swims are all important when targeting a specific species. In most cases lures are manufactured to resemble the fish’s prey, but they are sometimes engineered to appeal to a fish’s sense of territory, curiosity or aggression. I have been fishing with Pulsator Lures for the past seven years and have had great success with them off both the east and west coasts of Africa. Watamu, Kenya, has a great abundance of billfish — black-, blue- and striped marlin as well as sailfish and broadbill — but

Pulsator’s Tuna Teaser accounted for this 906 lb blue marlin off Cape Verde. SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 59

success comes down to having all sorts of lures from slant heads to chuggers, as well as different size lures or teasers depending on which billfish you’re targeting. All billfish are great to catch, but the blue marlin is the most talked about and most targeted of all the billfish species. When you’re fishing for striped marlin and sailfish you run daisy chains, spreader bars and small chuggers with teaser birds, but blue marlin prefer bigger teasers and fewer lures in the water. Pulsator’s Marlin Magnet,Tuna Teaser, Predator and Big Bad John have to be the best lures I’ve run for blues. They constantly produce high numbers and big Predator sized blue marlin for us on both the east and west coasts of Africa. Pulsator produced the Predator in late 2014 and I took a few to Cape Verde to give the new lure the ultimate test run. All I can say is that I never took this lure out the water — not even once. I ran the Predator off my number two wake from my outriggers and eventually I was running two Predators as my teasers with the Big Bad John on the short corner just inside. The success I had with that combination was incredible. I was teaser fishing (pitchbaiting), but to say the lure never caught the fish is not true as it raised the fish so that we could pitch to them. At least seven marlin over 500 lb and many other shoal-sized marlin came to the Predator in the four months that we fished in Cape Verde. The Tuna Teaser, like the Marlin Magnet, swims in any conditions and consistently raises fish. We caught a blue marlin of 1 062 lb on it in Kenya and one of 906 lb in Cape Verde. This big fish lure keeps producing fish over 500 lb. The Marlin Magnet also caught us big fish and we had one fabulous day of fishing in Cape Verde with an 880 lb marlin weighed as well as 600 lb and a 400 lb (double hook rig) fish released. The Marlin Magnet was our lure of choice on our longs. When the 250 lb to 350 lb fish came in numbers, the Marlin Magnet put a smile on our faces everyday as it kept raising marlin and got beaten all the way to the back of the boat when it was used as a teaser. It constantly raised fish for us in Cape Verde and in Kenya. The Marlin Magnet is one of Pulsator’s first lures and it has to be by far their most successful lure — I’ll religiously run it no matter where I’m fishing around the world. When I arrived back in my home town of Durban, South Africa, in early August, the first thing I did was to get hold of Ryan Williamson from Pulsator Lures and ask him to come up with a teaser that will make all the difference. Over the years, fishing with big teasers has worked wonders in raising more fish for us, but I felt we needed to come up with a teaser that won’t just attract hungry marlin, but which will make any marlin attack out of aggression. This teaser would have to be easy to retrieve and easy to swim no matter what size boat you’re fishing on. Pulsator has a wide range of lure choice, so we chose a pattern that consistently produces and which can swim in any conditions. After some trial and error we came up with the Monster Marlin Magnet!

Smokin’ hot! The Monster Marlin Magnet in action.

ALLAN MYBURG Madeira I HAVE been fishing out of Madeira for the past eight years, skippering Omega 1 and giving Ryan Williamson feedback on fish caught on Pulsator Lures. Over the past few years the Marlin Magnet and Tuna Teaser have been particularly successful for us, catching some really good fish of up to 950 lb. The Pulsator Tuna Buster has also been successful at catching some great big eye tuna, this season catching the biggest, a 325 lb fish. This year Ryan sent me a new lure called the Dominator which I like to pull from the left short rigger, close to the boat. The Dominator consistently caught marlin throughout the Madeira season including one released fish which we estimated weighed 1 000 lb-plus. That was the biggest fish caught this season, but this lure was red hot and kept catching fish including one of 950 lb, two 850 lb fish, a 700 lb, 750 lb and a 650 lb fish along with a number of fish between the 500- and 600 lb mark. Aboard Omega 1 we believe in tagging and releasing our fish, but have enough experience to accurately estimate weights. A beautiful 800 lb blue about to be released off Madeira.

Monster Marlin If you don’t have one yet and you enjoy your marlin fishing you need to get one of these new teasers — it will increase the number of fish that you raise and you will raise more aggressive fish. — Captain Stuart Simpson <capeverde.bluemarlin@gmail.com>

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 61

Thank you to the Pulsator team for this great lure which is catching us some amazing Atlantic blue marlin. I can’t wait to run a few more of them in my spread next season. — Captain Allan Myburg, Madeira DIVAN COETZEE Ascension Island ARMED with an arsenal of Pulsator Lures I left for the jurassic waters of the South Atlantic, specifically Ascension Island aka “The Rock”. These waters are renowned for their monster sized blue marlin and they didn’t disappoint. Fishing from the trusty Harmattan, a 36ft Rampage, we caught numerous impressive blues on Pulsator Lures. February to March provided spectacular fishing, with the Pulsator Tube, the largest Tube that Pulsator makes, taking top honours. The purple, silver and red Pulsator Tube worked extremely well when pulled from the short rigger, right long position, catching us an 800 lb, 700 lb and 600 lb blue marlin and a few smaller ones of 200-250 lb. That’s excluding the blues it raised that never bit which is a common occurrence around Ascension. Sadly we lost a really big one on a silver, blue and orange Big Blue Instigator. That fish would’ve gone way over the mark, but the fight was short-lived and it wasn’t our lucky day. The Boaster and The Grander also contributed to our good catches of Atlantic blue marlin. In May my friend Morgan O’Kennedy joined up with me and brought along some new Pulsators including a brown and gold version of the Tube; I was excited to see what it was going to deliver. We decided to pull it from the long corner, left short position to mix things up a bit and the results were outstanding. “Goldie” as we named it caught and raised 90% of our billfish, including an 800 lb blue, a few sailfish as well as a white marlin. We also lost two really good fish on it, both in the 850-950 lb range. The Dominator raised a really good fish which was 950 lb-plus, but it missed the lure and faded off. The Big Blue Instigator in black over purple also did really well and caught us a 400 lb blue as well as some sailfish. Peak marlin season runs from November through to March, but grander sized fish have been caught year round in these waters. April to October sees monster yellowfin tuna over the 220 lb mark and we caught a number of fish between the 220- and 250 lb mark on the Pulsator Tuna Buster Jet Head. Thanks to Ryan and his team at Pulsator Lures for world class products! — Captain Divan Coetzee <divs.coetzee@gmail.com> SOUTH AFRICAN WATERS PULSATOR Lures don’t only work in international waters; the Marlin Magnet in particular has proved its magic works anywhere, even catching two great marlin just two days apart. On 20th February a black marlin of 873 lb was caught off Sodwana by Francois Engelbrecht fishing off Montego; it is believed to be the biggest black marlin ever caught on a lure in South African waters. That fish ended up winning Pulsator’s Summer Challenge. Then, a mere two days later Mike Wienk with his an 810 lb blue marlin was 810 lb blue caught off caught off Kei Mouth by Mike John Rance Junior’s Wienk aboard John Rance Junior’s, Jaysea. boat, Jaysea. 62 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

Another blue marlin of ±800 lb was caught on a Pulsator Boaster by the crew aboard Jasper while fishing off Sodwana, followed shortly by another blue marlin estimated at 600 lb. This has been a very successful lure for big blue marlin and two years ago it caught the biggest marlin ever landed off Richards Bay. So if you’re looking to land a marlin, look no further than Pulsator. TOP CATCHES THIS SEASON:

Marlin Magnet 873 lb black marlin 810 lb blue marlin 880 lb blue marlin 600 lb blue marlin

Tuna Teaser 906 lb blue marlin

Pulsator Tube 800 lb blue marlin 800 lb blue marlin 700 lb blue marlin 600 lb blue marlin

Dominator 1000 lb+ blue marlin 950 lb blue marlin 850 lb blue marlin 850 lb blue marlin 700 lb blue marlin 750 lb blue marlin 650 lb blue marlin

Boaster 800 lb blue marlin 600 lb blue marlin

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Advertorial

And then there was light ...

OUR boating doesn’t have to stop when the sun goes down — Hella Marine have the complete solution for all your lighting needs. After installing a great electrical management system from C-Dynamics, the next step to ensuring effortless boating is to move over to LED lighting from Hella Marine. Old-fashioned incandescent lighting chews up battery power like a toaster burns bread, and that’s just a waste. A standard set of navigation bulbs draw about 3 Amps an hour; sure, it’s not a big deal — until your battery is past its sell-by date, gets a little tired and your engine won’t start. So you decide to go for LED lights. That’s great, but not all LED lighting is up to the job. Besides the unbelievable energy efficiency their lights offer, reliability is the number one reason people choose Hella Marine LED lighting. With an extra long five-year warranty, their LED lights make dodgy globes and suspicious connections a thing of the past. Hella’s Navi-LED lights have completely watertight light engines which are factorysealed for the lifetime of the unit. There are no gaskets or seals to worry about, and the connections are protected from the hostile elements. Their UV-proof plastics, marinegrade alloys and proprietary coatings are just a few reasons why Hella Marine’s range of LED lighting is engineered to be the best that money can buy. However, as everybody knows, comfort on your boat isn’t just about keeping the safety guys happy. Hella Marine products are designed around their users, so boat-owners get boat-owners’ lighting. Aside from making the world’s best navigation lights, Hella Marine also offer a range of work-lights ranging from the compactsized, incredibly rugged Module 70 right up to the brand-new Sea-Hawk XLR, which puts out more daylight than your car’s headlights. Hella have a multitude of other solutions which are just as perfectly suited for the interior and exterior of your craft. Whether you need day/night lights with multiple lighting modes, anchor lights on a pole (available in fold-down and removable configurations), courtesy lights, handheld spotlights, waterproof trailer lights or livewell lights to keep your bait active Hella has a range to suit you. These rugged and reliable lights are designed using cutting edge technology to ensure a perfect solution whatever your application. Contact C-Dynamics on (021) 555-3232 to find out how Hella can help keep you boating after the sun goes down.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT <WWW.C-DYNAMICS.CO.ZA>

SKI-BOAT November/December2015 • 63

JETSKIS

by Heinrich Kleyn

Putting Yamaha’s 1100 VX through its paces

AMAHA just keeps getting better. Everytime I’m invited to test a new Yamaha jetski or, as the so-called clever people like to say — a PWC, the craft is bigger, stronger and better. Yamaha is the leader by far when it comes to jetski performance; they really seem to listen to their customers and work a lot on developing and improving their products. Personally I wasn’t that keen on the older version of the 1100VX, but I had to change my view after I tested the latest model. The VX has always been one of the best sellers in that range, but I believe that the latest changes Yamaha has implemented will make it even more popular. Two of the most noticeable changes are the wider NanoXcel hull and deck, and the much sleeker profile. The price of the new VX is also much gentler on your wallet. The 1100VX I tested was the latest model which had been fitted with tubbys. There’s a noticeable difference in power between the older model and SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 65

the latest model, and I would go as far as to compare this model with the old 1600FX model from Yamaha. Yes, you read that right — that’s how much power this new model generates. Her stability is also vastly improved compared to that of the older model even though that version was also fitted

with tubbys. The tubbys that were fitted on this new model are a huge improvement over the older ones, but there’s also a huge price difference. As I mentioned, the new model is much more stable. With the older model I felt the jetski might overbanlance if I stood up and leaned forwards

66 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

to stand on one side of the craft, but when I tried that with the new model she was still very well balanced and stable. The normal ride felt very smooth and it seems much drier, no doubt because the front of the jetski has been raised and the centre of gravity is now slightly further back. The rear platform has also been extended which makes it more comfortable to pick somebody up or just to turn around and load a fish. This 1100 runs with a water-cooled four-stroke engine with a 70 litre fuel tank. There truly are huge differences — all for the better — between this model and the previous one. She handles the tight turns with comfort and stability; there’s not much water spay when riding, even in turns; and on a slow troll like when you’re fishing with livebait or rapalas she’s also very comfortable, stable and a lot drier. With the older model I found that when I was going at speed and then slowed down the front was very low in the water and water sometimes came over the nose. With the newer 1100 VX I had no such problems Price-wise she is nearly half the price of the bigger beast, the 1800, and with this engine your fuel bill should be much lower than before. It seems that Yamaha is on the right track and I’m sure the new VX will do very well in the marketplace.

OUR favourite offshore angling magazine, SKI-BOAT, in conjunction with The Kingfisher and the South African Deep Sea Angling Association, is proud to offer all South African skiboaters the unique opportunity to win awards for excellence in angling. All deep sea anglers who achieve laid down prestigious standards of excellence will be entitled to apply for the KINGFISHER AWARD. Upon ratification by a panel of adjudicators, the angler will receive a handsome certificate, suitably inscribed, PLUS a hand-embroidered cloth badge – both confirming the catch achievement.

Complementing this section is the second award category: 2) Kingfisher Award - Outstanding Catch To satisfy the requirements for this award, anglers can catch any recognised fish and the weight of that fish must equal or exceed certain laid down fish weight:line class ratios. Awards will be made in the following ratio categories: 3:1 – Bronze Award 5:1 – Silver Award 7:1 – Silver Award 10:1 – Gold Award. Applies to IGFA line class 1kg , 2kg, 4kg, 6kg, 10kg, 15kg, 24kg, 37kg and 60kg. Certificates Certificates will carry all the information about the catch (fish, weight, line class and ratio), the successful angler's name and the date on which the catch was made. Digital emailed photographs should be high-resolution.

RELEASED BILLFISH AND GT (Ignobilis) KINGFISH With the strong trend towards releasing these and other fish, we have decided to amend the Kingfisher Award rules to provide for acknowledgement of all released fish. All we need is a photo of the fish being released or prior to release (e.g. GT held on boat) and the approximate weight of the fish which should fall in line with the stipulated weights set out below.

SPECIES Gamefish: Barracuda Dorado Kingfish (Ignobilis) Garrick (Leervis) King Mackerel (’Cuda) Black Marlin Blue Marlin Striped Marlin

NOMINATED WEIGHT 20kg 15kg 20kg 15kg 24kg 225kg 150kg 75kg

SPECIES Gamefish: Prodigal Son Sailfish (Pacific) Spearfish (Longbill) Spearfish (Shortbill) Tuna (Big Eye) Tuna (Longfin) Tuna (Yellowfin) Wahoo

RULES: 1) There is no restriction on the number of awards which can be applied for. 2) Award-applicants must submit a photograph of the relevant fish with the application form, preferably a photograph of the angler holding the fish. 3) SKI-BOAT reserves the right to use the photograph as it sees fit. 4) Entries must be on the official form which is included in all issues of the magazine. 5) Entries must be received within 45 days of capture. 6) Certificates awarded will be as follows: Meritorious Fish - Gold

Kingfisher Award Application Form I hereby apply for the Kingfisher Award in the category:

Meritorious Fish

Outanding Catch

Tick the appropriate box and supply us with the following information. Please remember to print clearly.

Applicant's Details: Name: .................................................................................. Address: .............................................................................. .......................................................... Code: ........................ Tel No: ................................................................................. E-mail: ................................................................................. Club (if member): .................................................................................... I, the undersigned, agree to abide by the rules of this award. Signature: .............................................................................

NOMINATED WEIGHT 18kg 35kg 20kg 20kg 30kg 25kg 50kg 20kg

SPECIES Gamefish: Yellowtail Shark (Hammerhead) Shark (Mako) Shark (Thresher) Shark (Tiger) Bottom Fish: Kob (Daga) Musselcracker (Black)

NEW!

The Kingfisher Award will be made for fish caught in two sections: 1) The Kingfisher Award - Meritorious Fish To satisfy the requirements for this award, anglers are required to catch a fish included in the list detailed hereunder, equal to or better than the nominated weight. Tackle used is of no consideration here, the fish's weight being the main criterion. The different eligible fish and their corresponding minimum nominated weights are as in the accompanying list below.

A gold certificate and a hand-embroidered cloth badge will be awarded for this achievement.

NOMINATED WEIGHT 18kg 200kg 80kg 110kg 200kg 30kg 27kg

Outstanding Catch 3: 1 - Bronze; 5: 1 and 7: 1 - Silver; 10:1 - Gold. Cloth embroidered badges will be awarded in all categories. 8)

No witnesses of the catch are required. The award is made in the true spirit of sportsmanship and relies on the integrity of the angler to make a just claim. 9) A selection of award winners’ names will be announced in future issues of SKI-BOAT, along with relevant photographs. 10) Award applicants should allow 30-45 days for processing of applicants. 11) There is no charge for Kingfisher Awards.

Meritorious Fish Species: ....................................................................... Weight: ........................................................................ Date of Capture: .......................................................... Where Caught: ............................................................ Skipper's Name: .......................................................... Outstanding catch Category applied for (tick appropriate box): 3:1

5:1

7:1

10:1

Species: ...................................................................... Weight: ........................................................................ Line class: ................................................................... Date of Capture: ......................................................... Where Caught: ........................................................... Skipper's Name: ..........................................................

JUNIOR CORNER

by Vikki Bezuidenhout Photo by Actual Image Photography

TIME TO SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE 2015 HDHK Junior Development Competition In vain have you acquired knowledge, if you have not imparted it to others. — Deuteronomy Rabbah S the sun began its descent on 5th July 2015, excited crews from 16 boats came together at Sodwana’s Camp Jonathan to attend the Skippers’ Briefing of the Hoedspruit Deep Sea Angling Club’s Junior Development Competition. Past competitors good-naturedly challenged one another and teased the first-timers about the tough competition ahead. What a privilege it was to watch some of the most experienced anglers in South Africa passing on their knowledge to the next generation of deep sea anglers, some of whom had never been to sea before. Monday morning saw all the boats on the beach bright and early, ready for the 6:30am start. The launch was relatively easy despite the huge sandbank in the bay which provided an easy introduction to the first time deep-sea anglers. Donavan de Wet aboard Jeshaxa was thrilled to release the first sailfish of the tournament. A nice variety of game fish was brought to the weigh-in where the juniors had a chance share their experiences on the sea and to nominate each other for the traditional lemon juice “stafdoppe”. Hendrik van Vuuren on Bia Bella weighed in the heaviest fish for the day, a yellowfin tuna of 12.1kg. Eager faces waited on the beach in vain on Tuesday morning, as the wind gusted strongly, making it unsafe to send out the boats. Instead everyone attended

workshops at Camp Jonathan. Protea angler Paul Borcherds and marlin specialist, Garth McGee, each gave a talk and then ever yone split up into smaller groups for demonstrations on rigging sailfish- and gamefish baits and learning about IGFA line lengths. The very small juniors had lessons on how to tie some simple knots from older up-and coming juniors. At the afternoon weigh-in a junior from each boat competed to build the best double and leader lines for the day’s prizes, with Brangus taking the honours. Juniors also took along some of the baits they had made up earlier, practicing what they had learnt in the morning. The crew aboard Jeshaxa had the best baits. On Wednesday the boats went out fishing, but it wasn’t exactly comfortable. Sea Ducer released one sailfish, with another boat’s released sailfish being disqualified as the leader was too long. Armand Lessing brought in the heaviest fish of the day, a 21.7kg yellowfin tuna, with Wian Britz not far behind with a 19.5kg tuna. Some of the boats launched on Thursday morning, but the competition was called off after an hour as the wind had picked up, making conditions too uncomfortable for the youngsters. Only Brangus managed to bring in a fish before they came in. At weigh-in that afternoon Mar y Peters from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife gave a talk on the role of wetland areas in the ecosystem. The importance of conserva-

70 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

tion was stressed throughout the week and the reasons behind releasing billfish and avoiding catching certain species of fish was explained to ensure the youngsters become responsible stewards of the sea. On Friday the launch was really difficult, but once beyond the backline, the sea was great and the weather fantastic, so a great morning was had by those that were fishing. The Gaffer and Brangus both managed to release sailfish, and once again, a large variety of fish was brought to the scales. It was a great day to end the competition. Prizegiving was held on Friday night and everyone was in high spirits. The evening provided an excellent opportunity to discuss the week’s events, compare techniques and make plans for the next trip. Each of the boat boys received a bag filled with baby bottles and brushes, kindly donated by Tainted Souls Motorcycle Club. Overall a fantastic time was had by all, with much laughter, family bonding and knowledge gained. TOP THREE BOATS: Sea Queen, Sea Ducer, Lambada TOP JUNIORS: Armand Lessing, Wian Britz, Donavan McDonald, Pieter de Jager, Christiaan Kruger, Hendrik van Vuuren, Inus Davel, Jeandri Faasen, Andre Smit and Verdale “Piet” de Villiers.

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 â&#x20AC;¢ 71

PLACES

by Craig Thomassen Tommo holds his big Kwanza River threadfin up for a pic.

Heaven is Kwanza River Lodge in Angola

HE Kwanza River in Angola is well known for its catches of giant tarpon during the summer months, but not many people know that some seriously large specimens of giant African threadfin move into the river during the winter months. These incredibly hard fighting fish can be targeted on dropshot tackle in less than three metres of water during July and August. Rico Sacco, the owner of Kwanza Lodge, invited me to go up there this past winter and try my hand at catching some of these exceptional fish. He didn’t need to ask twice; I sorted out visas and made plans to get up there in August, along with a whole supply of soft plastics and gear. I was joined by fellow South Coast angler, Mike Bremner, and a cameraman in order to shoot an episode for Inside Angling. We flew in to Luanda and were collected at the airport by Baptista, a driver from the lodge. He took us through the heavy Luanda traffic and an hour later we arrived at the lodge where the

wooden buildings stand on stilts very close to the edge of the mighty Kwanza River. The water was flowing strongly and clumps of hyacinth and small papyrus islands floated past with the current. After a couple of ice cold Cuca beers, a fine meal and an early night, we rose before first light to prepare for our first day of threadfin fishing. Our guide was Jacques Steenberg who hails from Port Elizabeth. He took us out on the river in one of the lodge’s boats and started a drift still within sight of the buildings. Jacques suggested we work our six-inch McCarthy paddletails slow and deep, allowing them to bounce off the bottom between twitches. Mike and I both hooked fish at the same time and we had an impressive fight before landing a pair of threadfins in the 10kg range. We were impressed with the fish and the hard fight that they put up, but Jacques just smiled and told us that these were still babies. We looked at each other and wondered how hard a big fish would pull. Mike

and I were both using relatively light tackle — Shimano Stella 5000 reels loaded with 30 lb Sufix 832 braid. We were casting one ounce Mad Mullet jig heads with 7/0 hooks and six-inch McCarthy paddletail plastic baits. I was using a Trevala S series 6’3” mediumheavy rod and Mike was using the Shimano Trevala Waxwing 7’2” mediumheavy. We didn’t have to wait long to find out how the tackle would perform with bigger fish, as Mike hooked and landed a couple of fish in the 20kg range, then one in the mid-30s before bringing an absolute beast of 50kg-plus to the boat. By that stage I was starting to wonder what was wrong with my lures as the fish seemed to be ignoring them, but I was also soon rewarded with a couple of good fish around 20kg and one over 50kg. It seemed unbelievable to be catching fish of that size in such shallow water and with such light tackle. After catching these impressive fish, we decided to tr y and focus some attention on other species in the river.

We began by casting some Williamson 130 Popper Pro poppers and worked them on the surface, looking for jacks and barracuda. Before long the action started with the incredibly aggressive and spectacular Guinean barracuda which would take to the air with the popper clenched firmly in its teeth on the hit. We landed a number of these amazing fish before connecting with the first of many of the jacks. There are two species of jacks in Angola — the Senegal jack and the jack crevalle. Both of these come into the Kwanza River and are exceptionally hard fighters, easily matching their cousin, the GT, in the power and speed departments. The jacks kept us occupied for a good few hours and tested our tackle and skills to the max. There is nothing quite like drifting quietly down a river in the peaceful early morning light, working a popper with a slow blooping action and then suddenly having the water explode around the popper and the drag on the reel start screaming as line peels off at speed. I was having the time of my life! While tarpon are only really targeted there in summer, I saw one absolute monster roll on the surface in the river one afternoon. I cast my popper at it, but the lure was ignored. The fish in the Kwanza seem to be bigger than most other places, and there’s a very real possibility of anglers being able to catch some serious fish in the estuary or off the beach. I was so impressed with the Kwanza as a fishing destination that I have arranged to go back and give it another go — this time in summer. I want to do battle with one of those giant tarpon that frequent the area in the summer months and maybe throw in a Cuberra snapper or two. I can’t wait to get back!

Guinean barracuda (above) are plentiful in the Kwanza.

Mike Bremner with a giant African threadfin of over 50kg.

Senegal jacks are some of the strongest fighters you could hope to catch.

THE SPORT I LOVE MOST by Tegan Short (13)

STARTED fishing as soon as I could hold a rod and reel; it was my dad who introduced me to the sport that I love most — fishing. This is a story of my best day’s fishing ... A good morning’s fishing comes at a price — waking up at 3.30am is a high price! Funny how I battle to get out of bed to go to school, but spring out of bed at that hour to tip toe outside so that I don’t wake Mom. On this day while Dad was signing out, I waited in the line for the next tractor to launch us at Vetch’s Pier. This teamwork gets us a tow quicker than the big boys who watch enviously as our 14’6” Raider is towed past the tractor tow line. Dad punched the bait mark into the GPS and we flew the 8km to Viginia Pinnacle. The westerly was already ruff ling the water, threatening to cut our day short. On my first down with the Yozuri I had three species on the deck. The shad, mozzies and two mackerel were dropped into the livebait drum while I sent the line down again for another string. Meanwhile Dad rigged up the trap sticks — one with a shad, and the other with a small mozzie. Suddenly one of the Shimano reels sang a short tune and stopped as a dorado jumped out and threw the hook. By that stage the drum was teeming with bait swim-

ming in circles, so a replacement shad is pinned and put out. Again the shad stick bent and bounced straight as the nylon was bitten through. We inspected the line and saw the end was as rough as sandpaper — shark! A small mozzie was rigged up and sent down in record time as the fishing ski next to us was busy with a dorado. A minute or so later the Shimano sang again, this time the hook held — game on! Dad fired up the Merc and followed as the fish headed off the pinnacle, further out to sea. Dad told me it was probably another shark, but I didn’t care — I was just happy to have a bent stick in my hands. Suddenly the fish started to nod wildly and the debate began over what was really on the end of the line. Soon the leader knot came out the water and we peered into the ocean below where we saw a white shape circling slowly 8m below. I thought it was a shark, but Dad told me not to force it as he thought it might be a fish. Sure enough a good size tuna came into view. The fish suddenly swam around the back of the boat and I scrambled to clear the roll bar and the top of the radio antenna to bring the fish to the port side. In one fluid motion Dad brought the fish on to the deck. I screamed and gave Dad a high five — my first yellowfin tuna, all 11.1kg of it! We had to pound home as the westerly was pushing hard, but we didn’t mind the spray drenching us — it was my most exciting fishing trip yet.

MARKETPLACE Introducing the Sliver 50

ASED on the success of the open plan Supercat 38 Sport Custom as a favourite for charter type work, Supercat is proud to unveil the newest model available from her stables — the Supercat Sliver 50. The Sliver 50 is designed to follow on with this large open plan design as an ideal platform for serious fishing, diving, snorkelling and adventure cruising. Over the years clients have asked for more accommodation in these charter-type boats, so the Sliver 50 has been designed to fulfil these requests, but will also still serve well as a day boat. The light-weight design concept enhances the efficient performance, giving low fuel consumption, good performance and a smooth, comfortable ride. Access to the bows is convenient via the central walkthrough beyond the seated area upfront, or down either side, giving anglers 360 degree fishability around the boat. There is plenty of storage available for gear, luggage and food while the integrated galley area and dedicated pantry and freezer area allow for comfortable overnighting for a number of people. The size of the open deck area beyond the transom beam and ahead of motors enhances the ease of fish handling and gaffing. For further specs and information contact Neil Schulz at Supercat on 076 833 6000 or visit their website <www.supercat.co.za>.

If looks could kill

OLLOWING the traditions and reputation of the acclaimed Saltist name, the new Saltist Nero delivers a balance of performance, strength, reliability and outstanding value, encompassed within a modern, dark and mysterious, matt-black exterior shell. The all-metal body forms the foundation for the latest iteration of the Saltist, housing Daiwa’s revolutionary Digigear Drive System that delivers up to 15% more cranking power than with conventional gears. Digigear features a high-precision cutting technique and allows for superior gear precision and strength. Made from super strong, corrosion resistant alloy, Digigear gears are lighter and stronger and allow for flawless gear meshing and superior cranking smoothness and power. Saltist Nero also features a CRBB bearing for corrosion resistance and reel longevity. Unlike standard bearings CRBB bearings are shielded for extra protection to seal out sand, fine grit, salt crystals and other abrasives for extended bearing life. Daiwa’s Full-Time Dual Stopper Infinite Anti-Reverse system ensures ultimate gear control, with the highly refined system delivering precision cranking and the elimination of handle back play for increased reel sensitivity and hook setting power. The ABS spool on the Saltist Nero provides a huge line capacity along with trouble-free casting. The reverse taper of the spool enables greater line control and increased casting distance while minimising unwanted line loops and tangles to ensure optimum casting and line management performance. Combined with Daiwa’s Twist Buster II technology and a titanium nitride line roller that delivers unrivalled smoothness, strength and line roller longevity, they work seamlessly to deliver trouble free line management. Priced below R2 500, the Daiwa Saltist Nero is available from most leading fishing tackle stores and at The Kingfisher. Phone (031) 368-3903 or visit <www.kingfisher.co.za> for more information on Daiwa rods and reels.

New rose-green lenses from Mako

AKO Polarised Sunglasses have been available in South Africa for decades and have firmly established themselves at the forefront of lens technology, creating a range of lenses suited to the varied conditions experienced by active outdoors people. The introduction of the new rose lens with a green mirror (G2H5) and the Mako High Definition Filter builds on the previous top selling copper and blue mirror combination currently available in the Blade frame. Now available in the GT, Blade and Covert shapes, the G2H5 lens is exceptionally comfortable as a result of the ultra lightweight crown glass used in its construction. The internal green mirror also offers scratch resistance and durability for those operating in salty environments. The Mako rose base colour has been tested thoroughly and has been chosen due to its high contrast capabilities. Contrast is determined by the differences in the brightness and colour of one object versus other objects within the same field of vision. In short, the G2H5 lens makes those differences more obvious, making objects more discernable to the human eye. This allows you to see more structure and fish at a greater depth. For more information visit their website <www.mustfish.co.za>.

76 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

INDUSTRY

by Philip Otto, Show Director

2015 Johannesburg Boat Show

HE staging of the fourth edition of the Johannesburg Boat and Outdoor Show has seen the show come of age with broad support from the boating, angling, diving, and watersport industries. The Johannesburg Boat and Outdoor Show is now the largest indoor boating, outdoor and watersport event in SubSaharan Africa, a tribute to the ongoing backing of the industry in a tough economic climate.

Once again exhibitors put an enormous effort into their displays, ensuring a very high-level of presentation. It was also great to see some new boats, engines and marine technology providing visitors with an opportunity to view the latest the industry has to offer under one roof. Exhibitors were generally very happy with the show and had this to say:

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ 79

“People who attended this year’s boat show were of a good nature and lead to deals that were done!” — Melvin Victor,Yamaha South Africa

“It was our fourth Johannesburg Boat Show at Nasrec, but our first one as a stand-alone show without motorcycles and the result was fantastic. The marketing was superb and as a result there were customers there ready to buy from the smallest accessories to the biggest boats. Well done to the organisers for a fantastic job which really allowed us to kick start the season; we look forward to the 2016 show and are sure it will be even better.” — Dan Savadier,Waterworld

“This year’s Boat Show was a great success for boat sales and accessories; we look forward to a prosperous season.” — Paul Trollope, Boating International

“Thank you for putting on such a great show — my staff and I had a fantastic time and got more qualified leads than ever before. It was a great networking event and Club Marine looks forward to next year!” — Caryne Duvenhage, Club Marine Insurance

“We at Lowrance SA find it is well worth our time, money and effort to exhibit at the Johannesburg Boat Show. Not only does the show give us a chance to display our products to interested customers, but it also allows us to meet with other dealers in the industry. We will definitely be back!” — Mikala Plotz, Lowrance

“What a great show — again! Always well-organised and advertised. It is without doubt, the best marine show in SA. We will be back!” — Bill Harrison, Natal Caravan & Marine “My impression of the show was good, thanks to the success of our test tanks which gave us good feedback on how our brand is perceived in the marketplace.” — Tanja Maes, Suzuki Auto South Africa.

80 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 â&#x20AC;¢ 81

BITS & PIECES Evinrude — re-engineered for the SA market

N March 2015 FC Brands took over from CMH Marine and Leisure as the new importer and distributor of all the BRP products including the new G2 Evinrude engine which is making waves in the boating community. The G2 is the first Evinrude outboard completely designed and built, start to finish, by BRP. “BRP really outdid themselves with the new G2,” says the Evinrude Director of Design, George Broughton “We’ve been doing things the same way for too many Clinton Hack, Aftersales Manager at years; it’s time to change.” And boy did FC Brands, proudly showed off the they make a change! The new G2 is new Evinrude motor at the 2015 like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Johannesburg Boat Show. You can even design your own G2 to perfectly match your boat — choose from five different colour panels on the side and on the top and 14 different custom decals to give your G2 that extra personality. Why should the beauty of the boat end at the transom? When you decide to buy a custom G2 go to <www.chooseyouretec. com>, choose your colours, download the design and send it to your nearest dealer to place your order. Based at the Waterworld premises at 234 Malibongwe Drive in North Riding, Gauteng, FC Brands promises great things for Evinrude outboard motors. With doyens of the SA boating fraternity like Dan Savadier, Craig Lanham-Love and Clifton Hack onboard, FC Brands is set to make a major impact on the marine market in Southern Africa. As the importer and distributor of BRP products, FC Brands will support all this company’s products with thorough product knowledge, service excellence and a full range of spares. Visit their showroom or contact them on (010) 001-7888.

Investigating Climate Change Climate Change: Briefings from Southern Africa By Bob Scholes, Mary Scholes and Mike Lucas • How do greenhouse gases regulate Earth’s temperature? • Will South Africa run out of water? • Is sea-level rise something to worry about? • Will marine fisheries collapse? • Isn’t climate change just part of a long-term natural cycle? • Can solar- and wind power meet our energy needs? • How can I reduce my carbon footprint? These and many other questions are answered in this fullcolour, illustrated book. Climate change affects us all, but it can be a confusing business. Three leading South African scientists who have worked on the issue for over two decades help you to make sense of this topic. Climate Change: Briefings from Southern Africa takes the form of 55 “frequently asked questions”, each with a brief, clear scientifically up-to-date reply. The authors’ introduction provides an overview of current national and international policies aimed at regulating climate change. The four main sections take you through the science of how the climate system works, the projected impacts on Southern Africa during the 21st century, what this means for South African society and what can be done to avoid harm. The numerous illustrations and local examples help to explain complex issues in simple terms. The book is aimed at interested but non-scientist readers, including business people, decision-makers and students, and is very timely in relating to impending international treaties and national efforts to avoid the worst consequences of a changing climate. Climate Change: Briefings from Southern Africa book is published by Wits University Press and can be ordered from <www.witspress.co.za>.

82 • SKI-BOAT November/December 2015

Durban Yamaha scoops top prize

A D V E R T I S E R S ’

SMALLS

INDEX

VEHICLE FOR SALE

Accessories Spares Centre . . . . . . . .40 Anglers Apparel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Boating International . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Boating World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Boating World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Boatmasters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 C-Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Casa Vieja Lodge Guatemala . . . . . . .53

2014 SAMIL 20 rebuild with aluminium load bin and bull bar, tow bar, winch and Michelin tyres. Price: R299 000 Contact: 082 808 4419

Citation for sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81

BOAT FOR SALE

Fishtube.tv . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78

Club Marine Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Durban Yamaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Fish Gillz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Garmin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 HDHK Development . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Honda Knysna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Jonsson Clothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Komatipoort Boatel . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 KZN Leisure Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

YAN Hansen of Durban Yamaha (centre) was thrilled when his dealership was announced as the top Yamaha Marine Dealership in South Africa for 2014/15. Melvin Victor (left) and Shaun Lavery (right) are pictured here with Ryan at the Yamaha Marine factory in Japan.

Garmin brings you more productive time on the water

BILL EDWARDS 42ft, built in Cape Town in 2002. Powered by twin Caterpillar 350hp turbo diesels (approx 6 000 hours). Equipped with Lees outriggers and set up for marlin fishing. Immaculate, ready to fish. One of Kenya’s top scoring marlin boats. Price: On application Contact: Simon on +254 72 279 6198 or <simonhemphill70@gmail.com>

Lowrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

BOATS FOR SALE

Natal Powerboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91

Mako Eyewear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Maxel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 McCrystal Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 MDM — Raymarine . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Mr Winch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Natal Caravans & Marine . . . . . . . . . .2 Pulsator Lures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Pure Fishing - Penn . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

ARMIN Southern Africa recently announced the launch of the GPSMAP 7400 series of multifunction displays offered in a sonar and non-sonar version. “Garmin have produced a range of multifunction units that encompass the performance, user-friendliness and dependability that our customers have grown to depend on out on the water,” said Adrian Lieshout, Garmin Southern Africa Head of Operations and Marine. “With the GPSMAP 7400 we have integrated the features that the mariner needs in any boating situation..” The new GPSMAP 7400 MFD series boasts a vibrant widescreen display available in 7-, 8-, 10-, 12- and 16-inch sizes. With full pinch-tozoom touchscreen capabilities, the GPSMAP 7400 series offers streamlined performance and integrates features that are vital for the boating experience such as digital switching, weather, radar, thermal and IP camera visibility. With anglers of all types in mind, the GPSMAP 7400xsv series is also made available with premier sonar technology integrated. In addition to offering the same screen sizes and benefits as the GPSMAP 7400, the GPSMAP 7400xsv series boasts traditional HD-ID sonar, true dual 1kW Chirp sonar, Chirp DownVü and SideVü, providing the clearest scanning sonar available on the water while giving distinct target location and separation. The GPSMAP 7400xsv series will range from R23 949 and the GPSMAP 7400 series from R83 799. For more information, visit <www.garmin.com/marine2015>.

Lucky’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Radio Holland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Rapala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Rapala Visiongear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 2007 VCAT 22ft with 2 x 115hp Suzuki Lean Burn 4-strokes (2013), new hydraulic steering system, T-top, rod holders, 2 x centre hatches, large fish hatches, 29 meg radio and antenna, livewell, covers and double-axle trailer. Price: Was R369 500 NOW R349 500

Richards Bay Billfish Classic . . . . . . .60 Richards Bay Ski-Boat Club comp . .30 Rutherford Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Ski-Port Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Smith Optics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Solly’s Angler’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . .56 Stuart Simpson photography . . . . . .18 Supercat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Suzuki Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 The Kingfisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 TOPS @ Spar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Turboformance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

2014 SUPREME CRAFT 520 plus 2 x 60hp Yamahas with hydraulic steering. Includes Furuno chartplotter, VHF radio, live well, two fish hatches, gunnel padding, rod holders and heavy duty single-axle b/neck trailer with brakes. Price: R309 900 Contact: Boating International on (011) 452-8280 or (021) 511-0220.

Two Oceans Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Vanguard Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Volvo Penta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Wildfly Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Yamaha motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Yamaha Seacat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Z-Craft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 SKI-BOAT November/December 2015 • 83

BUSINESS CLASSIFIEDS

88 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT November/December 2015