Ski-Boat September 2017 by Angler Publications

CONTENTS

September/October 2017 Volume 33 Number 5 COVER: BILLED BEAUTY Daniel Sheni and Katani Sheni with a spirited sailfish caught from Tega while fishing the Watamu Banks, Kenya. Photo supplied by Soolyman Charters

FEATURES

Rare and Unusual Fish A dorado by any other name would taste as good — by Christopher Caine

Yellowfin Strike Again 2017 Mercury Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Festival — by Dick Pratt

Yellowtail Secrets Revealed Part 3: Stalking brute strength — by Johan Smal

A Cracker of a Fish Tackling black steenbras — by Quinton Edmond

Yamaha’s F100F Rock Star More out-the-hole power for Mr Ski-Boat — by Erwin Bursik

Does Lightning Strike Twice? 2017 Guinjata Trailmax Yamaha Action Panelbeaters Species Bonanza — by Lyn Adams

Game Plan! Team Lawwerskaai share their secrets — by Ken Leach

The Ideal Holiday Destination Jesser Point Lodge, Sodwana Bay

On Ice Choosing the coolerbox that suits your needs

Filming the Locals Underwater video research in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park — by Anthony Bernard and Bruce Mann

Juniors Fish Like Stars Hoedspruit Junior Development Competition — by Vikki Bezuidenhout

DEPARTMENTS 8 59 60 61 72 75

Editorial — by Erwin Bursik Subscribe and WIN! Kingfisher Award Rules Kingfisher Award Winners Reel Kids Mercury Junior Anglers

46 78 79 80 81 82

Marketplace Ad Index 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

Editorial Assistant: Vahini Pillay Advertising Consultant: Joan Wilson Accountant: Jane Harvey Executive Assistant: Kim Hook Boat Tests: Heinrich Kleyn Contributors: Lyn Adams, Anthony Bernard, Vikki Bezuidenhout, Erwin Bursik, Christopher Caine, Quinton Edmond, Ken Leach, Bruce Mann, Dick Pratt and Johan Smal. ADVERTISING – NATIONAL SALES: Angler Publications Mark Wilson cell: 073 748 6107 Joan Wilson (031) 572-2280/89/97/98

Erwin Bursik Publisher

ADVERTISING – Gauteng & Mpumalanga: Lyn Adams — 083 588 0217 Paul Borcherds — 082 652 5659 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: R180 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 September/October 2017

JOIN IN THE BONANZA AND CATCH SOME FISH

T’S competition time — big bonanza time — a period in which South Africa’s offshore angling fraternity joins with likeminded ski-boaters to bond together, test their skills on the ocean and, above all, imbibe in the camaraderie that spreads its cloak of enjoyment over these well-supported events. Yes, the lottery quirk in an angler’s genes to “go for the big prize” is ever present, along with the desire to end one of these events by taking home a prize from the many on offer. And because we’re eternal optimists we all plan to catch the big one — bigger than anyone’s ever seen before — and take home the top prize. There are plenty of opportunities for anglers to fulfil these dreams at Durban Ski-Boat Club’s massive annual festival which was covered in the previous issue of SKI-BOAT, the Guinjata Species Bonanza and Shelley Beach Festival which are both covered elsewhere in this magazine, and the major big bang comps like the Tigerfish Bonanza, OET and Billfish 15 000, which will round off 2017. There are also of course numerous smaller competitions with great prizes and bragging rights up for grabs. 2017 is a year that has been good for deep sea anglers in that over the broad spectrum — from social fishing to dedicated official competitive angling and bonanza circuit fishing — the catches have all been more prolific than over the last three or four years. Very simply put, we all go to sea to catch fish, not merely to play at boating. The social media platforms on which the offshore angling community is active provide snippets of the incredible number of prize-filled social competitions that fill the South African fishing calendar, thus giving an indication of how important these social events have become to deep sea anglers. Without doubt the extremely abundant array of prizes on offer is a major drawcard, but as most of the teams will tell you, we attend for the fun of fishing together as mates in a well-run event — and the good prizes are a bonus. It’s a simple lottery that every team that enters has a chance to win. The odds at say 60:1 to win one of the “majors” for a relatively low entrance fee are good, and the anglers have a lot of fun trying to beat any odds against them. Both the purists and the fun seekers have followed this style of event for many years, with the OET proudly preparing to celebrate its 40th anniversary during the November competition this year. They and many other clubs are hard at work proving the important role these events play in our sport. Those in the marine industry and associated suppliers continuously support these offshore events and those of us that attend them are regularly astonished at the sponsorship that is achieved. Having reported on and fished in many of these events over the last 40 years I can honestly say that without them my fishing career would have been a great deal poorer, from both the fishing and friendship perspectives. Here’s to the hardworking committees who sweat blood behind the scenes to make these events happen and to the loyal sponsors who cough up time and again to ensure there are incredible prizes on offer. We salute you all. Till the next tide.

Erwin Bursik

GAMEFISH

RARE AND UNUSUAL FISH A dorado by any other name would taste as good A pompano dorado (top) and a normal dorado.

Christopher Caine has always been interested in the diversity of species available to anglers and has done his best to target as many different species as possible. Fish biology is a great interest of his which has since evolved to include scorpions, reptiles and the photography thereof. So far he has not caught or seen a pompano dorado but plans to keep his eyes peeled. By Christopher Caine

’M fairly certain that the vast majority of readers will instantly recognise a dorado (Coryphaena hippurus) — their yellow-green and electric blue colouration is so distinctive that it’s hard to imagine confusing it with anything else. However, it is possible that we’ve been making this very mistake for years. The dorado (also known elsewhere in the world as mahimahi or dolphinfish) is not the only member of its family (Coryphaenidae). It has a sister species that many may not be aware of — the pompano dorado (). The pompano dorado is supposedly found worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters. Smiths’ Sea Fishes states “not definitely known from our area but probably occurs here. Adults appear to be more strictly oceanic than C. hippurus.” Pompano dorado are particularly common off northern South America where they make up a significant percentage of annual catches by commercial fishermen. Overall the pompano dorado is somewhat more rounded than its relative, however if you don’t have two fish of similar size together to compare it can lead to a tricky identification. The most obvious difference is the shape of the anal fin. In dorado it is clearly concave at the front tip, whereas it is more or less straight on pompano dorado. Another feature to look out for is the patch of teeth on the

A pompano dorado (Coryphaena equiselis).

tongue. Dorado have a small oval patch whereas pompano dorado have an unmistakable large rectangular patch. SKI-BOAT reached out to Professor Rudy Van Der Elst, author of several books relating to Southern African fish species, to find out what he knows about the sub-species. “Over the years I was presented with specimens thought to be C. equiselis,” he said,“but on closer inspection I concluded they were female C. hippurus or in some cases they were misformed. “I recall chatting to Bruce Collete about this and he agreed it was a curious situation. There are very few recent publications on this species. Also, the fin counts actually overlap, if you consider different lengths. “It seems strange to have a highly fecund species that is globally oceanic, to be divided into two very similar species. “I am not 100% convinced about the true identity of the species — it would make an interesting study with DNA support. I have not seen the pompano dorado in South Africa or indeed anywhere else, including on ocean crossings,” he concluded. Adrian Gray from IGFA confirmed that the pompano dorado is a sub-species they catch from time to time in the Atlantic, but they are not listed as a separate species. “They are rarely caught,” he said, “and if they are I’m sure they’re often confused with the other dorado.” With the advent of affordable genetic testing, it most likely won’t be too long before we know for sure whether this is indeed a legitimate species and whether or not it can be found off the South African east coast. Unfortunately scientists can’t be everywhere at once, so assistance from recreational anglers can be a great help. Good photos, fin clippings and details of location can be of use and should be collected whenever you suspect you’ve caught a pompano dorado or any other rare species.

There are some notable differences in the anal fin shape. Pompano dorado also have a large patch of teeth on the tongue. SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 9

FESTIVAL

10 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

By Dick Pratt

AST year the Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club recognised the participation of an angler who travels to our festival every year, by awarding him a certificate honouring his tenth year of travelling from Sweden just for the competition. Would this be the year his loyalty to the event paid dividends?

Lourens Viljoenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 40.9kg yellowfin tuna was worth the long trip from Sweden.

SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ 11

Aaron Ledsham of Mercury, Maansie Beer, Lourens Viljoen, Myles Osborne of Mercury, Piet Bodenstein junior, Piet Bodenstein senior and Francois Human of Mercury all celebrate the handover of first prize — 2 x 150hp Mercury motors.

Team Bluetooth came second with The King and I taking third spot. Followers of our Festival will recall that last year we were not able to offer the usual prize of a high value ski-boat and motors, but the winning fish did take home a large cheque. This year, thanks to some excellent sponsorship by Mercury Marine South Africa, we were delighted to be able to secure two 150hp 4-stroke motors and the title of our festival once again proudly reflected our main sponsor. The festival was again hosted at our perfectly positioned club house and the whole pool-side area was transformed by the addition of a large bedouin stretch tent to accommodate the weigh-

in and all the festivities. This event is now a very popular annual attraction for club members, anglers and the public alike. The club pub and restaurant did their best to supply the needs of all the visitors while one of our members cooked tuna portions for tasters which were well received by the crowd. The club were delighted to host some 190 anglers, of which about 50% were from up-country. The participants also included a large number of juniors, which we try to encourage every year. At the commencement of the competition the weather forecast looked pretty good with the exception of the

second half of the second day when a Cape Town weather front was due to hit our part of the coast. With the barometer dropping we expected the first day’s fishing to be active, but it turned out to be fairly quiet. The largest fish of the day weighed was a 23.9kg yellowfin tuna caught on Poker Face. Three large amberjack were caught aboard one of our local stars — Watt4. These catches boded well for the following three days. Surprisingly a couple of skipjack and dorado were also presented to the scales. These species are only usually caught in the summer, but the water SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 13

14 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

temperature was reported to be high for June. Once again this year our lower south coast area has missed the sardines, with the little silver chaps only making an appearance inshore north of us. It is generally felt that the water temperature in our area has just been too high for them. Is this global warming? The second day produced very few fish as the predicted south-westerly front arrived mid-morning and blew all of the competitors off the water. However, before they were chased home by the wind, the smallest boat in the fleet, Blue Tooth, which launched from Port Edward, managed to snag a beautiful ’cuda of 28.5kg. With the previous day’s west wind gone, predictably a strong north-northeast wind got up in the morning but the guys stuck it out and the third day produced a lot of good yellowfin tuna. The best fish, a 27.6kg beauty, was landed by Chris Nel, one of our regular sponsors, fishing aboard The King and I. An interesting little story from that day is that the Du Plessis father and son team fishing on their boat Ritalin had a double strike and both landed yellowfin weighing exactly the same — 27.5kg each. After the improved fishing of day three expectations were high for good fishing on the last day, particularly because a major cold front was once again forecast for the following day and with the barometer dropping ever ything promised to be good. However, the surf at Shelly Beach on the Saturday morning was horrific. What with the south-westerly swell and the northerly chop from the previous day it was a surf launch nightmare. Most of the boats still launched and it’s a credit to the excellent skippers’ skills that there were no major incidents. The fishing on the fourth day lived up to expectations with some excellent tuna being caught, the largest of which was a 40.9kg fish caught on Peter Bodenstein’s boat Bliksem by none other than our man from Sweden — Lourens Viljoen. The organising committee had been on a major drive to ensure that the prize list was both long and of excellent quality to ensure the interest of all visiting anglers. This year was no different to the past, in fact it was probably the best ever. We have also tried our best to reward the junior anglers so that each junior who weighed a fish received a prize. The prize giving was the usual joyous affair with Lourens Viljoen being presented with the first prize of two 150hp Mercury 4-stroke motors by the enthusiastic team from Mercur y Marine.

Paul Marshall Smith was thrilled with his big ‘cuda.

Chris Nel’s tuna pulled the scales to 27.6kg. SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 15

Second prize went to Paul Marshall Smith for his 28.5kg ’cuda caught on Blue Tooth. His prizes included a plotter/fishfinder from Lowrance SA. Top Junior went to Michael Joubert fishing aboard Predator. He won a rubber duck donated by Sea-Freaks with a just used 6hp Mercury motor. Top Lady was Megan du Plessis for the second year running fishing on her dad’s boat Mesteph. Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club wish to thank each and every sponsor listed on the thank you page of this magazine and we sincerely hope to see everyone back at the 2018 Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Festival.

16 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

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GAMEFISH

Part 3: Stalking brute strength By Johan Smal

N this, the third and last part of the series, we explore the Agulhas theatre as well as how to target, stalk, and catch this celebrated quarry. The Agulhas area, cursed by mariners around the globe for its treacherous nature, is also famous for being the centre of the Southern African fishing grounds, one of the richest globally. Known as the Agulhas Continental Shelf, it stretches approximately 800km along the southernmost African coast, from the Cape Peninsula to Port

Alfred and up to 250km south of Cape Agulhas before falling steeply to the abyssal plain. Our triangular area of focus is conveniently located on the shelf, but only a fraction of these vast fish-rich waters surround it. Sited on the eastern corner, the Skipskop Bank is located 6km offshore from the historical Skipskop settlement which was part of the area expropriated to establish the Denel Overberg Test Range in 1980. It borders the world famous De Hoop Nature Reserve,

The shallow Skipskop bank generously sharing its bounty, again. A synchronised double strike by 10kg-plus yellowtails mean double trouble. Imagine the total chaos if all six crew members upon Pannie Jamneckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Zulu went vas simultaneously, something that actually happens very often. SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ 19

When you are unprepared and are fishing for geelbek with lighter handlines and suddenly get sucked into a full tally of very large feisty yellowtail, there will be a morning after. Willem Joubert has been fishing the Skipskop Bank since he was a youngster and has the scars to prove line cuts through vingerhoedjies (rubber finger guards made of bicycle tubes) and hooks take nicks out of human flesh. legendary for its voluminous whale sightings and considered as one of the most diverse floral habitats on this planet in terms of the biota. The reserve’s offshore extension, the De Hoop Marine Reserve, extends 5km out to sea. A World Heritage Site, this is one of the largest marine protected areas in Africa, conserving a vast and fascinating variety of marine life. Full tallies of ten fish per angler, frequently including large solitary specimens, are regularly taken on Skipskop Bank, especially from the two shallow pinnacles. Situated on the western extreme the Agulhas 6 Mile Bank, also referred to as Blougansie, is located 13km diagonally offshore. It’s the least fished bank in the triangle. At the outer limits for category B craft, 65km south of Cape Infanta, you’ll find our own unique underwater archipelago — the Alphard Banks. Because it’s fairly shallow the area has been defined as a Traffic Separation Scheme as ruled by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Thanks to its distance from shore and the fact that adverse weather conditions curtail approachability at times, it remains the most unspoiled and fish-rich angling destination in the Agulhas theatre. Rising to depths of between 48- and 15m, the 20 apexes situated on four 50m contoured underwater islands offer some excellent trolling, jigging and soak-baiting opportunities to the intrepid angler.

Located some 23km from the Agulhas lighthouse, essentially signifying the outer range for category C craft, is the famous Agulhas 12 Mile Bank. It boasts two very productive, 30m deep pinnacles, and routinely produces the most yellowtail catches in the Agulhas region. With some very good tuna and marlin grounds located behind the bank, it’s a very popular choice especially during good weather conditions. Some 6km from Struisbaai harbour lies another very poplar structure, the Struisbaai Vlakbank. The Wafra wreck, a Libyan oil tanker that found its final resting place on top of the bank in February 1971, is but one of many popular marks on this reef complex. Due to the strong flowing current, anchoring is seldom possible on the bank and most catches are taken on the drift. Years ago this bank used to be known as the Seventy-Four Bank (and the Strepies Bank) and yielded hun-

dreds of tons of this fine table fare. Sadly seventy-four were almost fished to extinction further up the coast and, with no catches having been reported in our waters for many years, it is safe to say that the species was completely wiped out in the Agulhas theatre. Also referred to as the Bulldog, the Saxon Reef is located at Struispunt, only 3km west of Arniston. It is a shallow structure that runs diagonally seawards from shore and is demarcated by a 13m high square pyramidal solid stone beacon erected in the intertidal zone. By pulling trolling baits parallel and as close to the reef as possible, giant yellowtail can be taken from a boat within 50 metres of shore. Several of these trophy fish have brought their catchers the first prize spoils of the Yellowtail Bonanza held annually by the Suidpunt Deep Sea Angling Club. However, this fishing arena is very deceptive, with many unwary crews

Ruan Smal (right) and his 16kg yellowtail posing with a longtime fishing friend, Jan van Zyl, with a 20kg daga. The fish were caught a short distance from Saxon Reef. SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 21

Catching yellowtail on the drift.

Trolling for yellowtail. ending up on the razor-sharp rocks carefully concealed underneath the serene beauty of the surrounding waters. This specific fishing spot actually brings back some very fond memories for me. On our ver y first visit to Arniston in 1992 we were standing on top of the cave discussing the tranquillity of the scenery around us. Ten years old, having never been to sea before, my son Ruan pointed at Saxon Reef and said “Dad, one day when we live in Arniston and have our own boat, we must go and troll that reef. There must surely be some big fish there.” All I could say was, “Yes Ruan, I agree, but now you are dreaming big time boy.” Ten years later we pulled a small Rapala across the reef and it got solidly stuck on the three metre ridge. Ten minutes later I wrestled Ruan’s longstanding dream over the gunnel — a beautiful 16kg yellowtail.

Where to position the boat whilst catching yellowtail on anchor. SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 23

LAUNCH SITES Most anglers in this area utilise the protected Struisbaai harbour, but the infrastructure (built in 1986) was not designed to cope with many boats launching in a short space of time. On busy holidays, for example, when more than 250 craft use the facility, some logjams are caused with boats queuing very far back into town. The harbour continuously sands up, so very low water levels are encountered around the slipways during spring low tides. A three to four hour no-go safe window is then observed to avoid boats getting stuck on the sandbars and causing damage to drive mechanisms, especially the bigger craft. Renowned for breaking heavily at times, another risk is the very shallow bank called Borrelgat located to the port side just leaving the Struisbaai Harbour. Skippers must also take note of the risks associated with the remaining engine block of the Oriental Pioneer located in the area of heavy breaking waves off Northumberland Point. The Pioneer was a Chinese ore carrier which ran ashore in July 1974. Launching from Arniston harbour and running your precious ski-boat down a concrete slipway directly into the surf makes for exceptional challenges. Deprived of the normal thrust at your disposal due to disproportionately trimmed engines and the excessive drag created by the detachable wheels fitted on the sides of the boat, one has to negotiate the surf at greatly reduced speeds. With very little margin for error and no opportunity to turn away from oncoming waves or run back to protected areas, the skipper’s timing must be impeccable, especially during low tides when he has to negotiate the six-metre wide gap between protruding rocks which is the only narrow passage out to sea. Fortunately, after unclipping the wheels, the last 100 metres of incoming surf could be faced at full throttle and thrust if need be. TIME OF PLENTY The annual time of plenty — October to April — signifies the period during which copious quantities of yellowtail are lifted from these very productive waters. The first sightings are normally reported during October when the warm eddies invade the Agulhas Bank, resulting in water temperatures progressively rising to above 18°C. Although very large shoals are encountered over the next two months, they normally don’t feed; apparently they suffer from the dreaded phenomenon called lockedjaw. Consisting of the smaller size fish (2–6kg) which are commonly referred to as “biters”, this marks the beginning of the spawning phase — the reason they are not feeding. Although some very limited num-

Above: Sandbanks in the Struisbaai harbour sometimes cause problems with launching and landing, especially during spring low tides. Photo by Frederick Neetling.

Right: These purpose-made tin spinners were designed and manufactured by the legendary Traill Witthuhn, one of the innovative yellowtail anglers in the Agulhas theatre.

Below: Some of the soakbaits used for catching yellowtail.

bers are taken by trolled baits, a few short but very good runs are normally experienced during the latter parts of November. These are normally also the first catches to be taken on soak baits. As time marches into December and January, catches progressively improve

both in terms of quantity and size with specimens over 10kg being boated regularly. Notwithstanding the prevalence of mixed size bags over the last couple of years, the larger fish normally only show their shiny, wet faces from the beginning of February. SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 25

STRATEGY AND TACKLE It’s best to fish for yellowtail when the wind is blowing from the south-east or south-west. The choice of where to target them normally depends on swell and wind conditions. Safety and crew comfort during return trips in the afternoons when the wind is always at its strongest must also be considered. After some south-westerly winds Skipskop Bank, Struisbaai Vlakbank and the Agulhas 12 Mile Bank are normally good calls. The Alphard Banks are normally only targeted during south-easterly winds because of the long, two-hour return trip back from this location in the afternoon. Although ever y skipper has his favoured spots, they’ll normally go where the fish are. So how do they know where the fish are? Sniffing the wind doesn’t help, but the information channel on the latest yellowtail catches in our part of the world is the best marine telegraph I’ve ever experienced — if you can distinguish between fact and fiction, that is. Even when you’re on the only boat fishing at one of the most remote spots with the crew sworn to secrecy, many people will soon be aware of your successes or failures. As the cold, dirty water is normally pushed in by the prevailing south-easterly winds during low tides, it is best to fish during incoming tides, until about two hours after high tide. Best time of the day is early mornings and late afternoons. The fishing is always better on a dark moon as yellowtail then don’t feed at night, as they habitually do during full moon conditions. Sterretjies (Artic terns) sometimes indicate where the shoals are by hovering over a spot whilst eating the leftovers where yellowtail are feeding on pilchards or anchovies on the surface. In this instance the best strategy is to approach them slowly and quietly upwind and cast over the shoal with spinners and plugs. There is no bigger adrenalin rush than seeing a fish chasing your lure and eventually eating it, and the fight on light spinning tackle is absolutely amazing. When you reach the bank with the yellowtail already on the bite, it’s a case of “When in Rome do what the Romans do”. If you get to the bank first it’s best to troll the area, particularly the known pinnacles, whilst searching for baitfish or yellowtail shoals. Care must be taken that the entire bank gets covered — including the edges — as the bigger fish sometimes lurk in the deeper water next to the structures. Trolling speeds are dependent on wind and current conditions and normally vary between 4- and 7 knots. The most common spread consists of two deep running Rapalas on the inside in the blue water underneath the white water, with two spinners or feathers on

Examples of the traces regularly used in the Agulhas theatre. These are always kept on standby ready the outside further back. Preferred for use and conveniently stowed for colours for Rapalas are silver and red, quick retrieval when needed. blue and grey, yellow and green and Soakbait traces consist of three-way gold/orange and yellow. swivels, fluorocarbon leaders and 8When you get a strike, turn to the 10/0 hooks. Small, red, round polyside of the strike and try to “tow” the styrene floats, silver ’cuda dusters or fish along until the next line goes vas, glow-in-the-dark plastic skirts are somethen retrieve the first fish. Repeat the times fitted to improve visibility of the process, continually turning on the bait. It is generally accepted that using shoal until the fish stop biting. You can a heavy sinker is the best way to get the then anchor or drift depending on curbait down quickly, especially through rent and wind strength, and revert to the baitfish. Some anglers also feel jigs and soak baits. strongly that because lethargically feedWhen you’re dropping anchor care ing yellowtail actually see the frays and must be taken to prevent any undue nicks on a worn line, the hook leader noises — whether engine noises, must be replaced frequently. knocking sounds or the rattling of One of the local commercials substianchor chains over the gunnels — as tuted the traditional three-way swivels these will scare off the fish. with two straight swivels as this is subBlue and silver combination jigs stantially less vulnerable to snagging on seem to be the most successful. With other lines, especially when many variable successes being reported, soak anglers are fighting feisty yellowtail baits mostly consist of properly cleaned from the same platform. octopus or chokka flesh sandwiched Two distinctly different traces are with sardines or pike, sometimes even used in the Agulhas area. The traditionfresh steentjie fillets. When yellowtail al “inline trace” has been in use for are really feeding, though, they will take many years. Especially used for yellowanything presented to them. tail feeding higher up in the water colThe legendary Trial Whitthuhn purumn, its biggest advantage is that the posely designed white metal spinners sinker provides a convenient grip to lift which are used for spinning but espethe fish into the boat, especially when cially to excite fish that are not on the you’re dealing with larger specimens. bite. Whilst anchored in moderate curThe newer generation “Arniston trace” rents and as long as your surface baits originated amongst the Arniston folk are not decimated by seabirds, a 15cm and is mostly used when fishing with piece of white octopus tentacle on a rods. Inline sinker traces are mostly single hook works extremely well. used with handlines. Line breaking strength and terminal tackle is a personal choice which I’ve steered away from discussing. A STORY AS GOOD AS THE FIGHT Compared to commercial anglers who Offshore angling is not a spectator only using handline, sport fishermen sport and achievements are brief ly tend to use braid for jigging and nylon shared over the radio, possibly during for trolling, spinning and soakbaits. the weigh-in or maybe over a pint or However, when the yellowtail seriously two. Continuously rejoicing over their come on the bite and start massing most treasured catches, every single around the boat most, if not all, of the angler has a burning desire to share that anglers then grab their handlines. unique story. Now neatly dissected into SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 27

Abed Khan with a 14.3kg yellowtail caught on 6kg line off Struisbaai — a pending All Africa record.

individually observed stages, carefully sorted and stacked as separate packages, stored in such a way that it can be easily retrieved from memory for sharing with others, this catch signifies the pinnacle of the individual’s angling experience. Those distinctive vicious strikes of yellowtail, followed by lightning fast take-offs flawlessly blending into hard runs are indeed something to behold — and certainly worth retelling. The experience fuels an addiction, even after many years of skirmishing with these brutal combatants. Long line-stripping runs intensified by the species’ classical brisk headshakes and rapidly oscillating powerful tails, are telltale signs that you’ve hooked into a large specimen. The sudden hi-octane euphoric feeling, further

28 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

fuelled by the anticipation of a looming tough battle is something yellowtail anglers cherish for life. In most cases, however, the initial run is only the start of a long rollercoaster ride. Realising that the victim has chosen the rock-ribbed ocean floor as its defensive zone, the implosion of that very same ecstatic high quickly dulls and turns the angler’s excitement to anxiety. Notwithstanding fears about the chafing sensation of line intermittently snagging on the rocks, these wild runs must be arrested before disaster determines the final outcome. Slowly regaining lost line until you finally see those prominent green and gold colours brings back the pleasant feeling of being in control once again. Jubilation is often premature and very short-lived, though, particularly in the

shallow waters of the Agulhas theatre. The next dash back into the deep is often the final desperate attempt by the fish to free itself and, as we know so well, some you win and some you lose! The only way to improve your chances of successfully subduing such a brutal opponent is to concentrate — making sure you maintain focus and stay in control all the time. Asking a large yellowtail not to give you the most stressful workout of your fishing career is like asking the water not to be wet. Abed Khan, captain of the Natal team, who finally boated a 14.3kg specimen on 6kg line during the All Coastal Interprovincial held in Struisbaai during March 2017 can certainly vouch for this. His catch is a new (pending) All Africa record. Whilst discussing our own most treasured yellowtail catches and covertly fantasising of an even better one, I attentively watched Earl Fenwick’s body language. Caught up in the minutiae of his most prized melee, the footprints of catching large yellowtail became clearly visible on his face. The soft lines, carefully mediating between the frowning and beaming moments, were no doubt expressive of his personal high and low moments experienced over so many years. Now go out there and catch some yellowtail, and in the next issue we’ll tell you how to cook it.

ADVERTORIAL

30 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

HE team at Boating World is excited to announce that they are the official agents for a revolutionary new product that is making waves in the world of luxury leisure boating — or rather keeping waves under control. This exciting device is a computer-controlled gyroscope built to eliminate boat roll, turning the on-water experience into a pleasant one no matter what the sea conditions. The Seakeeper turns every day out on the water into “the best trip ever” by eliminating those feelings of seasickness, anxiety and fatigue that a swell can bring. This truly changes the boating experience for those prone to seasickness, especially in the sometimes unpredictable oceans of the South African boating favourites of Cape Town and Durban. Founded in 2003 by a naval architect, Seakeeper’s innovative technology makes it the global leader in marine stabilisation. Since selling their first gyro in 2008, this USA-based company has developed a growing catalogue of models for an expanding range of boat sizes.

So how does their product work? Located within a vacuum encapsulation is a flywheel which spins at speeds of up to 10 700 rpm. The gyro tilts fore and aft as the boat rolls, counteracting the movement through the powerful gyroscopic pull to port and starboard. The device requires modest electrical power (half or less the power required for air-conditioning), weighs between 2- and 4% of the boat’s weight and, with no external appendages, it can be installed virtually anywhere on the boat. This means that installing the Seakeeper on your vessel aftermarket is a simple and easy process. The Seakeeper is designed to eliminate boat roll on vessels 30 foot and up, with their latest model, the Seakeeper 6, providing impressive stabilisation that stops up to 95% of boat roll on vessels from 40 to 49 feet (up to 20 tonnes). This new Seakeeper 6 has had a complete redesign, coming in at a size that is 40% smaller than Seakeeper’s original M7000 model, draws even less power and features an updated electronics suite complete with an all new touch screen display with NMEA and Ethernet capabilities. Better still, it costs roughly half the price of the original! With marine stabilisation technology rapidly evolving — along with client expectation — where it was once unthought-of to be able to eliminate more than 80% of boat roll, Seakeeper has made the impossible possible. Through their ability to condense more stabilising force into a smaller volume, they have achieved unrivalled levels of stability. “The Seakeeper 6 is a landmark achievement for us,” says Andrew Semprevivo, Seakeeper’s Chief Operating Officer. “We are driven to set the bar for marine stabilisation and this new model demonstrates that relentless push to keep innovating. Every day our engineers are working to refine our technology to provide our customers with the greatest possible level of stability each and every time they get out on the water.” With its computerised control and vacuum technology, the Seakeeper is the first truly practical, and only modern, anti-roll gyro that really revolutionises the boating experience. If you are looking to purchase a new boat and would like a Seakeeper fitted or already own a vessel and are interested in a retrofit, Boating World is on hand to make your boating dreams a reality. • For further information contact Boating World — email <service@boatingworld.co.za>, phone 079 502 1785 or 021 418 0840, or visit <www.boatingworld.co.za/seakeeper>.

SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 31

TECHNIQUES

MODERN TACKLE AND TECHNIQUES FOR REEF FISHING By Erwin Bursik

UCH has been written about the specialised tackle and techniques that are used around the world for everything from drop shotting to marlin fishing, and as a result these aspects of offshore fishing in South Africa are on a par with sport fishing throughout the world. Then I overheard a chance remark, at a Fishing Club meeting where a well known bottom/reef angler said,“I took my old mate Joe fishing recently. He hadn’t been to sea for nearly a decade and I was horrified when he produced his old bottomfishing rig for the day’s outing. I told him to leave it in his vehicle and use one of mine instead.” This struck a chord and made a few of us wonder if this facet of offshore angling has had sufficient exposure in SKIBOAT magazine with regard to the latest trends, tackle and methods used. One of the doyens of this aspect of our sport is a flamboyant character who admits he prefers reef fishing to pulling plastic around the ocean. The man is Quinton By Quinton Edmond

Edmond who goes by the nickname “Umgodoyi” — the same name as his ski-boat. He and his boat are both well-known in offshore fishing circles along the eastern seaboard of South Africa. Fishing out of Natal Deep Sea Rod & Reel Club, Quinton has climbed the ranks as an above average angler in all aspects of the sport. He has fished competitively at club and provincial and achieved his full SADSAA colours in the sport. It is, however, his quick wit and colourful telling of fishing tales that really leaves an indelible impact on all those with whom he comes into contact. His performance in the upper rungs of competitive angling both as an angler and as a hosting skipper in SADSAA’s Bottom Fishing Nationals when they were hosted in Durban has resulted in all those that participated, from the Western Province to Zululand and Limpopo to Orange Free State getting to know Umgodoyi. When I asked Quinton to write a series of articles on reef fishing off our coast, he answered,“Sure, you know me, I will help anyone, but I’m not giving away my special marks!” In the first part of his series which we ran in the July 2017 issue of SKI-BOAT Quinton addressed the change in fishing tackle that has taken place from the “crank and wind” tackle of the pre-2000 era and what the current bottomfishing anglers use these days. In this issue he takes a closer look at catching one of his favourite species — the black steenbras — and we even got some marks out of him! Russell Hand with a beaut of a black steenbras caught off Umgodoyi.

N many ways the black steenbras/musselcracker is a doyen of the bottomfish species targeted by so many reef anglers along the major part of the eastern seaboard of South Africa. It is a species that has been eagerly sought after by those who have the determination of hunters and who use their knowledge of this fish’s preferred habitat, what it eats in the area where it is targeted and, above all, the correct tackle and trace make up to their advantage. The views and advice in this article stem largely from my personal experiences in targeting this elusive bottomfish species and the immense satisfaction I derive when I succeed in landing a musselcracker.

SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 33

Generally there is a variation along our eastern seaboard as to where these fish can be found. Along the south Cape coast and right up into the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape this species — locally called poenskop or poensies — are found in very shallow water, generally between 6- and 12 fathoms. However, off the KwaZulu-Natal coast they seem to prefer deeper water for some reason and one needs to fish in water between 20- and 35 fathoms. Off Richards Bay most cracker are also caught in reasonably shallow water of about 12 fathoms. My view is that these solitary predators hunt on the heavily reefed areas that hold a good quantity of the baitfish and crustaceans they are supposed to eat. A look into the mouth of a black steenbras will reveal an array of stubby, conical teeth. This is a sure indication that their main food sources are crabs, crayfish, sea urchins and other hard-shelled creatures from which their name is obviously derived. It is a well-known fact that certain shell species are often found in the stomaches of these fish. Furthermore, the “old timer” commercial linefishermen always said “find the slinger and you will usually find a musselcracker patrolling the same area”. Here in Durban the plan is usually to scout around the reef off Umhlanga Rocks and Umdloti known as The Flats, and Middle Reef on the inside of the 28 fathom dropoff where the large number of small pinnacles hold good showings of fish life including butterf ly slingers etc.

COORDINATES THAT HAVE PRODUCED CRACKER Middle Reef (27 fathoms) 29° 43.033’ S 31° 12.434’ E Deep Umdloti (40 fathoms) 29° 42.720’ S 31° 16.440’ E Cutting — Church Grounds (38 fathoms) 29° 59.646’ S 31° 02.411’ E Umgababa (32 fathoms) 30° 09.701’ S 30° 55.431’ E

Musselcracker are often found on “table-top” areas on the reef where anglers suspect they feed on the shell beds. They usually frequent depths between 32- and 42 fathoms.

SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 35

Double hook trace using 7/0 VMC hooks. Note the swivel configuration to ensure a strong connection. The glowbead is used to attract fish and to act as a bite protector. In areas like this I anchor in such a way that the big baits I use lie off the edge of the pinnacle holding bait/small fish. Here, I believe, as one puts down a mixture of bait it encourages the lonesome prowler to inspect the activity caused by “peckers” and then be tempted to take a livebait or a big cracker bait that is set for that exact purpose. Have a look at the trace make-up I use in the photographs above. My reasoning is that a cracker is not a “grab and go” feeder like geelbek or yellowtail. It takes its time crunching the bait for a considerable period before swallowing it. Strike too soon and you will not get a hook up, just a returned bait

Single hook trace using 9/0 VMC hook, a swivel and one metre of 80 lb leader material. When fishing with 10kg class tackle the author uses 50 lb leader snoots and 80 lb when fishing heavy tackle.

with the conical teeth marks clearly indicating you have messed up on a cracker. If this fish feels a lot of resistance during the munching process it will spit out the bait. For this reason I either use a sliding trace or, after the first indication of a bite, I continually backwind line to reduce as much as possible any drag the cracker feels. A cracker can mess around chewing and spitting out the bait for a few minutes (a long few minutes for an impatient angler) and it’s only when you feel it has eaten the bait and starts moving off that you should tighten up to strike if you’re using a Jhook, and wind a tight line if you’re

using a circle hook. If initial impatience loses you your hook up, either let the bait settle again if it is the sort of bait that will survive a savaging (eg: a big flapper), or quickly re-bait (if it took a live mackerel for example) and drop it straight back down. Often the cracker will hang around the area if it lost its meal and didn’t feel the hook. I sometimes slash a few cuts on the flank of the live mackerel I am sending down to alert Mr Cracker to the fact that the mackerel is bleeding and ready to be eaten. They very often give you a second chance. Having said this, my preference is really for small baits as can be seen in

One of the author’s favourite cracker baits is maasbanker. Cut off the tail and slice off the hard scutes (hard sharp scales) each rear end of the lateral line. Place hook as per mackerel bait.

SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 37

Cracker jaws and teeth are designed to crunch shells, mussels, crabs, crayfish and similar creatures, not to catch baitfish. As a result, the author prefers to use dead or cut bait as shown below.

Two methods of cutting a mackerel: 1. Remove the tail and cut bait into two pieces. Head section — push the hook through the jaw. Tail section — thread the hook into the strong flesh of the tail section as shown. Do not use cotton. 2. Remove tail and head just behind gills and cut the remaining body down its lateral line. Thread the hook through the tail section of the bait. See photo right. 38 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

the accompanying photos. The cracker seem to swallow the smaller baits more quickly and don’t mess around by trying to munch a big bait. Once the hook is set, depending on the tackle I am using, I try my best to get it off the bottom. They are not dirty fighters like yellowtail, but given a lot of line the cracker can run around a pinnacle or reef structure and cut you off. Their fight is hard and dogged, but once they bloat they pop up quickly from about 10 metres and you get your first sighting of a big, squat, white-bellied fish floating up to the surface. From personal experience fishing in the south Cape and Border area, especially the Wild Coast, the average size of the musselcracker caught there is a lot smaller than those we get off the KwaZulu-Natal coast. As I said at the beginning of the article a musselcracker (poensie) is a trophy fish that provides one with an angling memory to treasure. You will need a lot of patience when you target them, but from the first nod of your rod tip to bringing the brute alongside it is well worth the dedication and perseverance to tick the box that says “Mr Cracker”.

MOTOR TEST

YAMAHA’S F100F

By Erwin Bursik

HE undeniable pleasure one derives when one first sits behind the wheel of a newly acquired motor vehicle is intoxicating. Similarly, in my case the excitement of turning the ignition keys of the new twin F100FETL Yamaha 4-stroke motors fitted to the transom of Mr SkiBoat was electrifying. Offshore boats and the power sources that propel them are my passion. Some people love motor cars, but give me a boat any day.

40 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

Trimming down the twin Yamahas into the waters of Durban harbour as Mr Ski-Boat was pushed down the slipway, I turned the keys and both motors kicked into life and were soon purring at idle. Ryan Hansen of Durban Yamaha had just replaced the four-year-old earlier generation 100hp 4-stroke Yamahas that had given me exceptional service, and I was feeling emotional and excited to experience the performance of these two beautiful outboard motors. I was also slightly unsure what to expect and needed to tie-up my experience with

the hype the new 100 Yamahas had received when they were introduced to the South African market. I was about to experience for myself the many facets of these motors’ alleged improved performance and would soon know whether it was just hype or if they really were that good. I was fully aware that I had to put aside the excitement of testing these new motors and critically analyse their on-water performance compared to the well run-in 100hp Yamahas I was used to. It was the ideal test because the new motors were also 100hp 4-strokes

ROCK STAR

More out-the-hole power for Mr Ski-Boat like the previous models, they were fitted on the identical craft and were being tested with the same crew in conditions that I know very well. I had also insisted that standard aluminium 17 pitch props be fitted, thus ensuring I was comparing like with like. On the way to exit Durban Harbour I was able to power the motors up to get Mr Ski-Boat onto an easy plane that enabled me to begin to correlate the past and present performances. During this first run my initial finding was that the motor revs required to attain my usual SOW on the run out

were notably lower. I tested and retested this facet of the F100Fs throughout the day, also comparing it with the trim settings I usually use. During the full day at sea I continually noticed that I was using less throttle than I had with the older Yamahas to achieve the same pattern of boat ride over varying sea conditions. One of the changes to the new F100F “Rock Star” is that there’s less weight hanging on the transom — apparently 8kg per motor. The new technology includes a single overhead camshaft with four valves per cylinder

within its SOHC design that increases volumetric efficiency. In addition they have stepped up the displacement to 1.8 litres, all of which, simply put, ups the torque and acceleration of these motors. Over and above this, the look of these new motors is more streamlined and attractive. When it came to performance, the first obvious difference was the acceleration and the effect on the craft’s ride. This was not only very apparent to me with hands on the wheel and throttle, but also to my crew Martin Summerville. SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 41

“There is a big difference in thrust. Every time you add more throttle the effect is immediate,” he exclaimed. The extra “bite” of the props was so noticeable when moving extra throttle that I had to consciously ease up on the throttle during the changing sea conditions that we experienced moving out through the two breakwaters to the notorious “bar” where the outgoing bay water was coming up against the northeasterly sea that was running. When a bounce caught me and I thrust a tad too much on the throttle the bite of the thrust had both Martin and I holding on for dear life. As the day progressed and I performed many of my routines normally used when reviewing new craft designs I got more and more used to the electric surge in power and the new stiffness of the controls. The low down extra torque was very noticeable when I played in cresting sets that were pushing in over Limestone Reef and while simulating surf work. I was used to using the full power of my previous 100s to go into a quick turn and bring the craft around and out over an approaching set. However these motors turned so tightly and came out the hole so quickly that during the first attempt I nearly threw Martin onto the deck. Time and time again I re-enacted the manoeuvre and once I got the hang of it I really enjoyed the enhanced performance and out the hole experience. The added torque is undeniably evident. A further difference I noticed with the added bite of the props was the lateral trim Mr Ski-Boat required during a 42 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

long run. I was so used to the way I trimmed the old Yamahas to get her to ride perfectly that it was a surprise when I had to readjust all my trim settings on the new motors. I’m not sure why, but I used much less trim variation with the Rock Stars than I did in the past. When running long distances I have a habit of setting the speed at around 20 knots; I have found that’s the most comfortable speed for all aboard, it allows us to cover distance quickly and keeps the fuel usage to acceptable levels. With my previous outboards I had to set the rpm to about 4 200/4 300 depending on sea conditions. With the new F100F Yamahas the same SOW was achieved with the rpm around 3 800/3 900. That’s quite a difference. I will try to establish from the technical boffins at Yamaha what caused this benefit. Revs times same pitch props? Comparative fuel consumption seems on the positive side, but I need a lot more time on the ocean to really

make my own findings on this aspect. Back in Durban Harbour I did two fairly extended high speed runs to record what these new, tight motors would achieve while running with and against the moderate north-easterly that was prevailing. There was no difference during the two runs — 5 400 rpm and GPS speed of 30.4 knots (57km/h). Speed is not really my thing but I enjoyed the ride. I have one query about the performance of these motors and that came when I was trying them one at a time, both with a trailing dead motor and with the dead motor fully trimmed up. The pushing motor started off building up speed fairly well but seemed to fade when I got to full throttle. Bearing in mind that this was the motors’ first time on the water with only seven hours on the clock, I am sure I will achieve a better performance on one motor after they are run in. Yamaha have retained the same control levers with the new F100F 4strokes, so I’m sure they will loosen up with use. While they selected forward and reverse very positively there was a certain stiffness present, as there was with the throttle. I really like the new single style digital instrument panel mounted on the helm station console. It’s very easy to read and has multiple facets for engine control and running information. Having had only one day at sea with the Yamaha F100F 4-stroke “Rock Stars” I’ll happily admit I’m thrilled with them and look forward to a long, happy and enjoyable time at sea with these magnificent machines.

COMPETITION

2017 Guinjata Trailmax Yamaha Action Panelbeaters Species Bonanza Article by Lyn Adams, photos by Kevin Trench Photography

T’S not about winning, it’s about participation, but winning is certainly a bonus! Guinjata, the jewel of the Mozambican coast, started buzzing during the early part of June as the competing boats and teams began to arrive at 46 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

this popular resort for the 2017 Guinjata Species Bonanza. There is no more beautiful sight than cresting the sand dune and seeing the magnificent bay, stunning southern headland and blue ocean stretching out before one’s eyes. This was the playground for all

the teams for the week ahead. They would test their skills on the ocean, hunt the many species of fish in its waters, enjoy the camaraderie that abounds at these events and, if King Neptune permitted, be the lucky team that would catch the heaviest gamefish.

Team Cabrito received their prize boat from Ryan Hansen of Durban Yamaha and Guinjata Chairman Brett Padoa.

The spoils for that lucky team included the Yamaha and Durban Yamaha sponsored Seacat 530 powered by twin 70hp Yamaha 4-stroke outboards. The 20th Guinjata Species Bonanza was indeed a competition of note, not only because of the high prize value and the numerous sponsors, but also as a stepping stone for angling technology and tactics. Many anglers thought that the recent cyclone would disrupt the conditions and infrastructure, only

to be amazed when the plan came together perfectly for many. The arduous tow to this exotic location is infinitely easier these days thanks to the improved roads and a significant change in attitude by the traffic authorities along the route. It was very obvious that the promises made during the 2016 Bonanza prizegiving by the Administrator of Imhambane Province, that the visiting anglers were warmly welcomed and that strenuous efforts

were being made to ensure a safe and trouble-free journey in the future, had been kept. These promises together with the Drive Moz organisation’s continued assistance resulted in hassle-free travelling for this year’s competitors. As always there were a number of teams vying for the position as top dogs. The Gone Fishin’ boys were back in full force so all the other participants knew the competition was going to be tough. The likes of Lawerskaai, Uli SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 47

Dean Greyling, Piet Viljoen and Bok van Blerk with Piet’s prize-winning 33.6kg giant kingfish caught off Cabrito. Buli, Club Marine, Cabrito, Footloose, Blesbok, Durban Yamaha and Pacman knew it was strategy and a particular game plan that would be required win this competition. What amazes me is how this competition has grown in angling techniques and how technology is now playing such an important part in angling. To be competitive in this competition one must have a plan of action and a team dedicated and motivated to work all day long. True determination, commitment and motivation are the key factors in winning this competition — and a “never say die” attitude! The sponsors’ function was well attended at Sante Fe and spirits were high all round. The Guinjata chairman Brett Padoa was in full force motivating and acknowledging the great sponsors that are onboard this awesome ship of Guinjata SFC. The briefing was short and sweet, explaining the few rule changes, notably the extended boundary in the south to allow for the jigging kings to ply their trade, and that all kingfish were to be released if they were not potential winning fish. The first morning of the event dawned with superb launching conditions and the game was on. A total of 54 boats and 13 jetskis were launched in quick succession and sea conditions were flat with a light breeze. It was great to see a number of sponsors entering the competition, among them

teams from Snomaster, Aphrodite (Action Panelbeaters) Durban Yamaha, Master Jack and the Bush Company. Gone Fishin’ had certainly brought their A game — two minutes after launching they hooked a sailfish and that set the pace for the rest of the week. The fish were there! In total eight billfish were released on the first day. Brett Bartho took a notable 21.7kg amberjack to the gallows, Karl Engelbrecht’s 18.2kg greater barracuda got a fair bit of attention, and then along came Team Cabrito with a giant trevally of 22.1kg which took the lead for day one. Last year’s winner, Bok van Blerk and his team were back with a vengeance. Gone Fishin’ had top score for the day followed by Wolfie and Footloose. On day two fishing conditions changed. No billfish were released, but more gamefish were caught and the winning fish of the competition set the pace for the rest of the week. Team Cabrito brought another fine GT to the scales — this time a 33.6kg beauty caught by Piet Viljoen. Pacman came in with a notable 25.7kg yellowfin tuna caught by Ludwieg Klaasen. Clearly the boats were species hunting, with the top two boats of the day catching six species each. Lawerskaai came back in fine form, taking the day’s honours, followed by Lucky Luke, Uli Buli and Footloose. Game on! Cabrito was leading the race for the

Seacat 530 fitted with two Yamaha 70hp 4-strokes sponsored by Durban Yamaha and insured by Vanguard; it was going to take a big fish to beat the 33.6kg GT. Day three was the hunt for the big fish; a high benchmark had been set, but it was not impossible to beat. On the species side the game was on to catch up to the top boats already in the competition with some great points. A lot of gamefish were caught again, with 55 ’cuda weighed and two billfish released. The island rock bait spot was abuzz with boats looking for the bait that was going to get them the fish to beat Cabrito. Lawerskaai’s game plan came together perfectly, with Frans Labuschagne and his team once again being the top boat, with Uli Buli and Gone Fishin’ maintaining their catches to add points. At this stage Gone Fishin’ was the top boat overall, but the father and son team on Footloose — known as the silent spoon ’cuda kings of the competition — would not give up easily, and nor would Wolfie, Lucky Luke and Club Marine. Great fun was had by all at the Wednesday night social evening where this year’s tug of war was a great draw card with some amazing prizes from Jesser Point Boat Lockers of Sodwana Bay. Day four dawned with some headaches and slightly windy conditions, but the fleet was soon in action SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 49

50 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

Lawwerskaai was the top boat at the 2017 Guinjata Bonanza.

Gone Fishin’ took second spot.

Wolfie was third top boat.

Lucky Luke claimed fourth place.

once again. It was generally accepted that bad weather was on the way and day five was unlikely to be fished, so this was the make or break day. At lines up that evening the big fish had not been beaten but some great species hauls were brought to the gallows. Teams like Club Marine, Isifonya II, Double Up and Bell came in with some great catches and placed in the top ten for the week. Finally it was Gone Fishin’ and Lawerskaai who tussled to see who would be top team. Lawerskaai’s dream came true when they pipped the Gone Fishin’ boys at the scales. Top angler overall was Daryl Bartho with the top lady angler — Lyn Adams — a mere 1.6 points behind him.

Never before has a woman angler been so well placed in a species challenge. These anglers showed incredible angling dedication, hard work and commitment — backed up by great team work. Daryl walked away with a beautiful stainless steel floating trophy by Jean Meintjies. Top junior was Ruan Bekker, followed by Troy Davis. This year’s tournament was also contested by some very competitive anglers fishing on 13 incredibly well kitted-out jetskis. I was amazed at the spread of tackle and organisation that these guys manage on such small boat. These anglers must be commended for some fine catches including Rhys Louw who managed two marlin releases in

Daryl Bartho was top individual angler for 2017.

one day. Abrie Botha had some species hauls of note, while Gerhard Loef, Riaan Louw and Jaco Klopper all brought in fine bags of catches. I look forward to seeing the jetski section grow bigger for 2018. And so Team Cabrito, the trevally kings, won the Guinjata boat prize two years in a row. What a fine achievement! Does one put it down to Lady Luck or skill? Only Bok knows for sure, but I have seen this team work non-stop all day, so I would say hard work, dedication and commitment win the day — with a bit of help from Lady Luck. Team Lawwerskaai used their skill and passion for species angling to achieve what Captain Frans set out to do — be named top boat overall.

Lyn Adams was the top lady angler and second overall. SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 51

All the anglers who tagged and released billfish at the 2017 Guinjata Bonanza involved in a well-organised competiPadoa must be complimented for a Statistically: tion that has a great variety of prizes superbly executed competition run in • 2017 was the best catch year per structured to give ever y angler a fine spirit and professional all the way. boat and per angler taking into conchance of winning. The format for the Guinjata Species sideration the number of boats The committee and the amazing Bonanza has become finely tuned and is entered. sponsors including Durban Yamaha, proving very popular with the ski-boat• 2017 produced the most ’cuda for Trailmax, Action Panelbeaters, Vanguard ing fraternity in South Africa. They the past seven years — 191 Insurance, Bush Company and the many enjoy the adventure into Moçambique weighed with the biggest 19kg. others make this one of the best comcombined with the opportunity to get • Only one GT released by Team petitions in Southern Africa. Navigate/Club Marine and With the great facilities and two weighed by Cabrito. beach assistance during the fishing • 139 yellowfin tuna weighed days, those new to Moçambique compared to 2016 when just will find it very easy to launch and eight were weighed retrieve their boats. This and all • 21 amberjack caught of which the competition extras make it a 19 were released and two really worthwhile trip. weighed, the heaviest being Next year’s competition will 21.7kg be the 21st anniversary of the • One dogtooth tuna weighed — Guinjata Species Bonanza which a first in this competition promises to be a fabulous event. • Two bonefish weighed Diarise 3rd to 8th June 2018 now, • 16 billfish releases. it’s a competition-cum-holiday Guinjata Sports Fishing Club that’s not to be missed. under the leadership of Brett The hardworking Guinjata competition committee. TOP FIVE FISH 1. 33.6kg giant kingfish, Piet Viljoen on Cabrito 2. 25.7kg yellowfin tuna, Ludwieg Klaasen on Pacman 3. 22.1kg giant kingfish, Bok van Blerk on Cabrito 4. 21.7kg amberjack, Brett Bartho on Gone Fishin’ 5. 21kg kingfish, Daryl Bartho on Gone Fishin’

TOP FIVE ANGLERS 1. Daryl Bartho, Gone Fishin’ 2. Lyn Adams, Club Marine 3. Marcus Potgieter, Lawwerskaai 4. Karel Engelbrecht, Double Up 5. Brett Bartho, Gone Fishin’

128.0 points 126.4 points 122.5 points 122.3 points 114.8 points

TOP TEN BOATS 1. Lawwerskaai 2. Gone Fishin’ 3. Wolfie 4. Lucky Luke 5. Uli Buli 6. Footloose 7. Blesbok 8. Isifonya II 9. Club Marine 10. Pacman

TOP LADY ANGLER 1. Lyn Adams, Club Marine

126.4 points

52 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

1 647.60 points 1 492.20 points 1 202.70 points 907.20 points 789.60 points 644.50 points 520.90 points 477.80 points 468.10 points 419.40 points

TOP JUNIOR ANGLERS 1. Ruan Bekker, Big G TOP THREE JETSKIS 1. Jetski Red 2. Flying Dutchie 3. Escape

11.5 points 413.70 points 207.60 points 184.70 points

TACTICS

GAME PLAN! Team Lawwerskaai share their secrets

The plan came together perfectly for Ken Leach and his men at the 2017 Guinjata Species Bonanza. Read on and learn how to do it next year .... Article by Ken Leach Photo by Kevin Trench Photography

HE Guinjata Bonanza is two competitions in one; first there’s the big prize of the boat for the heaviest non-billfish and secondly the species prize for the team with the most points. These two competitions require completely different strategies. If you’re after the boat prize the best stragegy would be to find a live bonnie and slow troll the livebait around the reef areas in the hope of finding a large GT, wahoo or greater barracuda. This plan requires only one or two baits in the water at a time, so the rest of the crew sit around and get bored. My teammates — Frans Labuschagne, Pieter Broodryk, Johan Herman and Markus Potgieter — and I definitely don’t like to sit around waiting, so we decided to target the species prize with hopes of running into a big fish in the process. Our plan was to be the first boat at the bait spot near Island Rock, then load up with red eye sardines, cigar mackerel and carrapao. Next we would proceed to our preferred shallow reefs and slow troll livebait with circle hooks on fluorocarbon leaders with no wire — all the while throwing stickbaits and poppers. The species we were targetting first were all the kingfish — GTs,

54 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

bluefin and yellowspotted kingfish. Then we would head out to deeper water and target king mackerel. We would drift or slow troll livebaits at varying depths with downrigger sinkers using normal ’cuda rigs with wire. At the same time some of the crew would be jigging or popping. Once we had three or four ’cuda we would then move on to our next few target species — kaakap, tuna and dorado. For this we would also slow troll livebaits on circle hooks at varying depths in addition to having one on the surface for sailfish or dorado. Again some of the crew would be jigging or popping while we trolled. The plan was that once we had caught a few ’cuda, kakaap and kingfish we would go out to 60-80m depths at high speed and try to spot bird activity, hoping to get some yellowfin tuna and kawakawa or skipjack tuna. We decided we would not troll Rapalas around blindly with the hope of eventually bumping into a shoal of tuna as that wastes too much time. The next step was to go deeper to our known 80m amberjack marks. However this part of the plan was dropped after the first day as we found very little showing on the sounder and the current was fairly strong. Later in the afternoon the strategy was to go shallow to our known greater barracuda marks and slow troll bonnies and mackerel. After all that we would

hit the beach as late as possible, weigh in a huge number of fish and drink numerous well deserved beers! So, after all that planning how did our strategy pan out? We were indeed the first boat to launch and get to the bait spot on all the fishing days. On the first day after getting bait and spending some unsuccessful time fishing at Island Rock, we decided to go south and look for ’cuda. Unfortunately we only managed to load up a bunch of rat ’cuda that did not give us many points. We were hundreds of points down after the first day. For the next three fishing days we followed the same plan but stayed at the local Guinjata reefs and did not venture to the Logogo area. This proved highly rewarding and we scored the most points on each of these days. We had three awesome days of fishing bagging our full quota of ’cuda, and nearly all our green jobfish and yellowfin tuna, in addition to dorado, sailfish and kawakawa. We lost a marlin on the same day as we had the sailfish which would have added a huge number of points to our tally as we would have had seven species on that day. Some fantastic big bluefin kingfish came our way on poppers in shallow water and they always put up a great fight. We tried for greater barracuda on each day, but although we had a couple of pulls we did not manage to hook up. The final plan to beach and drink many beers was easily achieved each day and on some occasions it was well overachieved. The equipment we used was 3-12kg Cuda Ski with Tyrnos 20s for livebait, three Tuna sticks with Tyrnos 30s for pulling Rapalas and plastic lures, two tuna sticks with Tiagra 50 for live bonnies, five Trevala 6’6’’ medium-light jigging rods with Stella 6 000 for light jigging, one Beastmaster with Stella 20 000 for heavy jigging, two Shimano Kaibutsu GT Chaos with Saragosa 18 000 for heavy popping, two Aerocast 9ft with Stella 5 000, two Vengence 9ft spinning sticks with 4 000 Stradic for spinning of bonnies and two Yozuri sticks for catching livebait. We got seven species overall and managed to top score with1 648 points — 150 points ahead of second placed Gone Fishin’. Team Lawwerskaai wish to thank the organisers and the other competitors for a wonderful competition. We look forward to seeing you all again at next year’s event.

ADVERTORIAL

THE IDEAL HOLIDAY DESTINATION Jesser Point Boat Lodge, Sodwana Bay

ESTLED between the high coastal dunes and the beautiful Zululand wilderness of KwaZulu-Natal’s Elephant Coast there lies a little spot in paradise. Live your dream and procure your own piece of heaven in Africa at Jesser Point Boat Lodge, Sodwana Bay. This is undoubtedly one of the best-designed, most innovative, vacation boat-house accommodation solutions in the world! Jesser Point Boat Lodge offers fivestar, furnished, spacious apartments. Buyers and guests can choose between two-, three- or four-bedroomed units, all boasting modern bathrooms and fully equipped kitchens epitomising true elegance, luxury, comfort and style. Each unit faces onto the lush tropical gardens complete with sparkling pool, large lapa and communal boma/entertainment area. They come complete with all the expected amenities like air-conditioning and 24-hour security which make Jesser Point Boat Lodge the ultimate holiday resort in Sodwana Bay. Our claim to fame is that we offer a boat lodge with a unique difference — each apartment also has a private, secure, state-of-the-art boat locker equipped with boat and gear washing facilities with ample paved space for the easy manouevring of boats and trailers. Full and fractional property owner56 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

ship opportunities are available. Whether you are an owner or a seasonal guest we will welcome you and treat you with the utmost care, giving you the attention you deserve to make your stay pleasurable and memorable. SODWANA BAY Sodwana is situated on the edge of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a world heritage site. iSimangaliso means miracle or wonder which aptly describes this spectacular destination — untouched nature at its most awe inspiring. Stunning unspoiled stretches of beach and coastal vistas gently caressed by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, ranging from gentle sandy shores to sublime forested dunes, lakes, hills, forests and wild life reserves. On its doorstep are the pristine beaches of Black Rock, Nine Mile Beach, Lala Nek, Bhanga Nek, Mabibi, the enchanting Lake Sibaya. World renowned game reserves like Thembe Elephant Park, Phinda, uMkuze and Hluhluwe-Umfolozi are all nearby. This rare combination of eco-systems makes Sodwana Bay home to the Big Seven — the humpback whale, whale shark, lion, rhino, elephant, leopard and buffalo. With its deep waters and the large number of canyons and offshore reefs, Sodwana is the perfect habitat for an abundance of pelagic game- and billfish

such as king mackerel, wahoo, dorado, tuna, sailfish and marlin — as well as myriad other species. It’s no wonder this area hosts many prestigious fishing competitions. Sodwana is also rated as one of the top ten dive destinations in the world. It’s surrounded by a plethora of reefs that form a protected marine reserve which guarantees scuba divers the diving experience of a lifetime and ensures their return time and time again. This is an exhilarating marine playground for adventure lovers and adrenaline seekers, but holiday makers who are just looking for a place to relax are equally well catered for with opportunities to go bird watching, whale watching, swimming with dolphins, turtle sighting, surfing, walking on the beach, snorkelling, exploring the rock pools or just basking in the sun. After fun-filled days enjoying the sea, sun, surf and nature in this beautiful corner of Africa, return sated to the allembracing tranquillity of Jesser Point. • For further information e-mail <info@jesserpoint.co.za> or book online by visiting <www.jesser point.co.za>. Feel free to contact Vivian on O82 952 9934, Pierre on 082 445 9946 or Linda on 083 463 3694.

SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 â&#x20AC;¢ 59

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

Meritorious Fish

Outsanding 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: .............................................. 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: .................................... Digital emailed photographs should be high-resolution.

60 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

YOUR 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 ski-boaters the unique opportunity to win awards for excellence in angling. All deep sea anglers who achieve laid down 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 digital certificate, suitably inscribed. 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 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) Entires must be received within 45 days of capture. 6) Certificates awarded will be as follows: Meritorious Fish - Gold Outstanding Catch 3:1 - Bronze; 5:1 and 7:1 - Silver; 10:1 - Gold 7) 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. 8) A selection of award winners’ names will be announced in future issues of SKIBOAT, along with relevant photographs. 9) Award applicants should allow 30-45 days for processing of applications. 10) There is no charge for Kingfisher Awards.

fish's weight being the main criterion. The different eligible fish and their corresponding minimum nominated weights are as per the list below. A gold digital certificate will be awarded for this 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.

SPECIES: Barracuda Dorado Kingfish (Ignobilis) Garrick (Leervis) King Mackerel (’Cuda) Black Marlin Blue Marlin Striped Marlin Prodigal Son Sailfish (Pacific) Spearfish (Longbill) Spearfish (Shortbill) Tuna (Big Eye) Tuna (Longfin) Tuna (Yellowfin) Wahoo Yellowtail

NOMINATED WEIGHT: 15kg 12kg 20kg 12kg 15kg 100kg 100kg 60kg 15kg 25kg 20kg 20kg 30kg 25kg 50kg 15kg 15kg

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 above. In line with this trend we will not be carrying photographs on the Kingfisher Award Page of any of the billfish species nor GTs other than those that are released.

Submit application to: Kingfisher Awards, PO Box 20545, Durban North 4016 or email angler@mags.co.za

GEAR

ON ICE by Staff Reporter

HERE’S nothing worse than warm beer, limp lettuce or soft cheese on a camping trip, or soft bait when you get to the gamefish grounds, so whether you’re planning a day-long fishing trip or a week-long camping holiday it’s essential that you have an efficient cooler box of some sort. For those DIY MacGyver types or Suzelle-wannabes, you could make an ice box by lining a cardboard box with some thick sheets of polystyrene, taping it all together with ductape, covering it with tinfoil and adding some ice, but thanks to modern technology there are much easier, more efficient ways of keeping your

drinks cool. While most South Africans call this innovation a cooler box, it’s called a “chilly bin” in New Zealand and an “esky” in Australia. Nowadays “cooler boxes” range from hard plastic boxes kids use to take their lunch to school to thoroughly insulated and highly engineered units that can store ice for days on end. There’s also a wide range of portable fridges and freezers, some run on gas and other thermo-electric models which can plug into your car’s cigarette lighter. But that’s a long way from where they started …. Cool streams, caves and cellars were used to “refrigerate” food in primitive

Choosing the cooler box that suits your needs

times. The Chinese apparently began to expand on this method by cutting and storing ice in around 1 000 BC. Some time around 500 BC Egyptians and Indians made ice on cold nights by leaving water out in pots and keeping the pots wet. They then used this ice to preserve their food for as long as possible. Centuries later in 1637 Sir William Berkeley, governor of Virginia, was granted a patent to collect snow and ice and keep it in pits, caves, and cool places that would prevent it from melting quickly. He held the monopoly on selling snow and ice in England for the next 14 years.

It seems it was not until the late 1700s that someone thought of having a place on hand where they could keep ice and specifically ice that could be added to drinks. The owners of the Chestnut Street Hotel in Philadelphia built an underground “ice house” and served their own special “punch” every day with a block of ice to keep it cold. Thomas Jefferson wanted the advantages of cold drinks and paid a shilling per day to have access to some of the hotel’s ice. Others in Philadelphia soon began copying and trying to improve on the ice house, some learning more about insulation than others.

An “ice house” (above), an advert from the 1950s for steel portable ice chests, and (far right) an old style refrigerator.

SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 63

George Washington tried to copy the ice house built by Robert Morris at the presidential mansion in Philadelphia at his Mount Vernon house in Virginia, but he couldn’t keep ice past May in the warmer climate. Washington later attempted to improve upon his ice house by moving the door to the north side, beating his ice to small pieces, and making some feeble attempts at additional insulation that got him three more months before it all melted. By 1799 most plantations in the south had ice houses modelled after the Morris-built ice house in Philadelphia.

Various sizes, shapes and methods of construction were used to improve the “ice houses”, but none were portable. The Ice Box was introduced and patented in the 1800s by Thomas Moore, and gained popularity quite rapidly. This was the first method that allowed people to store ice inside their homes. In those days ice boxes were made from wood and were lined with everything from seaweed and sawdust to tin and zinc. The ice house was a thing of the past by 1900 as the ice distribution business became efficient enough to

fill most ice boxes on a biweekly basis. New England was still the ice capital of America, however, with the invention of the refrigerator in 1920. These were still not portable, though. There are some reports of auto portable ice chests from the 1920s, but it was only in 1951 that Richard Laramy filed a patent for the “portable ice chest”. Commercial companies like the Coleman Company and Esky subsequently turned these inventions into household names. Gradually people came to understand the link between how much insula-

tion you had and the length of time your ice lasted. The 1950s coolers were metal with insulation in between the two layers; today most cooler boxes have insulation material sandwiched between two layers of plastic. Top of the range products are rotomoulded from polyethylene and then have insulating foam injected into the shell, but if you just want to keep your sarmies fresh at the beach for a few hours you could get away with a soft cooler bag and a couple of ice bricks. With such a wide range of options, how do you choose the one that will best

SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 65

suit your needs? Insulation is key. The better the insulation the longer the ice will last and the longer your food and drinks will stay cold. Nowadays some coolerbox manufacturers claim their boxes can store ice for up to ten days. It’s also vital that the box seals properly when it’s closed otherwise warm air will get in and the ice will melt. How much abuse will your cooler box have to endure? Make sure the construction (including handles,

hinges and seals) is robust enough to last more than one season. Are you planning to use the box as a seat or use the lid to prepare bait? If so, make sure the box you choose will handle that. Size is also a factor — do you need it to fit into a specific space in your car, boat

66 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

or trailer? Seeing as a cooler box full of frosties (or other less essential food items) can become rather cumbersome and heavy, it’s a good idea to make sure the box you choose has strong handles or wheels to enable you to move it with ease. Price is also a consideration as some of the top-of-

the range cooler boxes sell for a few thousand rand. Decide whether you want something that’s just going to last one season and may not work that well, or something really durable that you can trust to keep ice frozen for days on end and which will last for many years.

SCIENTIFIC

FILMING THE LOCALS Underwater video research in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park By Anthony Bernard (SAIAB) and Bruce Mann (ORI)

AST November during the Billfish 15 000 Erwin Bursik came across a couple of colleagues and I on the beach at Sodwana Bay and was mystified at all the strange equipment loaded on our vessels. We promised to elaborate on the research we’ve been undertaking ... Using stereo baited remote underwater video systems (stereo-BRUVs) is a relatively new technique that has enabled us to study reef fish communities at depths greater than 30m (i.e. below safe diving depths) for the first time. The gear simply consists of a weighted metal frame with two underwater video cameras mounted 70cm apart, providing an overlapping field of view. One video camera can be used to obtain information on what fish species are present in the area and a measure of abundance. With the two cameras the overlapping field of view is used to construct a 3D space in which measurements of fish length can be taken. Attached to the stereo-BRUVs is a bait arm with a canister holding 1kg of chopped sardine. With the cameras filming, the stereo-BRUVs is lowered to the seafloor by means of a thin dynema rope attached to a surface marker buoy; it is then left undisturbed for one hour to film all the fish that are attracted to the bait. By doing this repeatedly at different depths we are able to get a good idea of the species composition and structure of the reef fish communities within the survey area. From 1 to 16 November 2016 a team of 15 scientists and students from the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) and the Australian Institute for Marine Science (AIMS) took part in a survey in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Operating on two inflatable vessels out of Sodwana Bay, the aim of our research was to conduct reef surveys using a variety of methods to compare invertebrate and fish communities inside the no-take sanctuary areas with those in adjacent fished areas. Although fishing in the adjacent areas within the St Lucia and Maputaland Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is limited to pelagic gamefishing only and no bottomfishing is allowed, we wanted to see if the removal of pelagic fish predators had impacted

these reef communities in any way. The surveys were conducted on both shallow photic reefs (10-40m) and deeper meso-photic reefs (40-150m). The sampling methods included deployment of stereo-BRUVs on reefs throughout the depth range to survey the fish assemblages. Benthic reef communities were surveyed by scuba divers using photo-quadrats on the shallow reefs (10-30m), while photo-quadrats of the deeper reefs (40-150 m) were taken using a drop-camera system. In order to make a comparison of shallow coral reef fish communities globally, the Australian scientists working with us also undertook scuba diver operated stereo-video transects (stereo-DOVs) along the shallower reefs. During the two-week field trip in November inclement weather conditions only enabled us to get to sea on seven days. Nevertheless, within the time available we managed to get a surprising amount of work done. (See Table 1 overleaf.) Working in deep water was particularly challenging with the strong current and the steep bottom topography. One of our buoy lines was also cut-off, probably by a boat fishing in the vicinity, resulting in us losing a R100 000 stereo-BRUVs on the bottom of the ocean! Such are the challenges of

working in the ocean and sharing space with other user groups. Our oceans certainly do not give up secrets easily. A second sur vey, based on the methodology implemented in 2016, was completed in June 2017. This time the research focussed on the reefs within the Maputaland MPA and the southern section of the Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve in Moçambique. In addition, repeat surveys were conducted at key sites in the St Lucia MPA and the adjacent fished areas that were surveyed in 2016. Good weather allowed for 15 days at sea and ensured that we obtained a comprehensive dataset for shallow reef fish assemblages covering 186km of Southern Africa’s high latitude coral reefs. This will allow us to determine the condition of South Africa’s coral reef ecosystems and the effectiveness of the MPAs at protecting this important World Heritage Site. During the second survey the calm sea conditions permitted us to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the reef fish communities inside and adjacent to Wright Canyon, slightly north of Sodwana, in water depths of between 80m and 240m. This represents the deepest ever stereo-BRUVs survey in South Africa and will help us to better understand the role of the canyons The BRUV equipment in place on a reef in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 69

along the continental shelf edge in structuring the fish communities. Unfortunately a second stereoBRUVs was lost. The recovery of only the buoys and a cleanly cut line suggests that this buoy line was also cut-off by a fisherman. While our operational protocols have mastered the art of working at depth, in canyons and in strong currents, it appears that we still need to place considerable effort on better communicating our research to mitigate the

risk posed by ski-boat fishermen! Considering that each stereo-BRUVs’ deployment consists of an hour of video footage and analysis takes up to five hours per video and each photoquadrat takes about ten minutes to analyse, there is still an enormous amount of work to do before the results of our efforts become known. However, just glancing through some of the video footage <https://drive. google.com/open?id=0B8dPLCQupP0o

Table 1. Summary of the research conducted during the November 2016 and June 2017 surveys. Locality

Shallow stereo-BRUVs deployments 50 & 16

Shallow photoquadrats 600 & 280

Deep stereoBRUVs deployments 8&0

Deep photoquadrats 76 & 0

St Lucia MPA Fished Area

27 & 16

940 & 160

10 & 51

21 & 0

Maputaland MPA Fished Area

23 & 0

160 & 390

0&0

Maputaland Sanctuary

0 & 49

0 & 480

0&0

Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve

0 & 56

0&0

St Lucia MPA Sanctuary

70 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

cHMyTlE2dXZ2dWs> will show you some of the amazing fish diversity on our protected reefs and some of the exciting denizens of the deep including huge potato bass, wreck fish, red steenbras, black musselcracker and king soldiers, among other species. Hopefully this research will greatly strengthen our knowledge of our deep reef fish communities and how the use of MPAs can assist in the management of these valuable resources for ourselves and future generations. A final field trip for this project is planned for June 2018 to complete the missing data, evident in Table 1. We would like to thank the Global FinPrint Programme, the Australian Institute for Marine Science, South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, South African Association for Marine Biological Research, the Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reser ve and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority for providing funding and logistic support for this exciting project. We would also like to make a plea to ski-boaters to respect the research being carried out and not to remove our buoys should you come across them while fishing in the area. They are clearly marked “Research, don’t remove” and will soon also be marked with signs saying: “Do not cut if entangled in fishing line”.

WORLD CLASS ’CUDA by Tristan Schrieber (16)

PJ Botha, Tristan Schrieber and Ryan Pellew.

T was Friday, 5th May, the weather was good, the sea was flat and I was fishing in the 2017 Pennington Interzonal tournament. My skipper, PJ Botha, on Watt 4 told us that we would run to the Aliwal shoal. While waiting to launch, my team mate, Ryan Pellew, and I tied on our sabikis and asked Uncle PJ heaps of questions. I thought I would push my luck, so I asked him whether a 30kg ’cuda would fit in Watt 4’s hatch; he assured me it could. When all the boats were safely at the backline we were given the all clear to start fishing, and we steamed off to Rocky Bay for some livebait. We got one mackerel, ten mozzies (maasbanker) and one karanteen before Uncle PJ started getting worried about the time. We immediately set off for Hospital Road off Scottburgh where we started trolling livebaits. I used a mozzie on the surface and a karanteen on the bottom with a 4 lb sinker. We didn’t have to wait long for the action to start. My first strike was a prodigal son which ate my karanteen; it weighed about 8kg. My third bait down was a big mozzie, which I once again put down with a 4 lb sinker. Less than five minutes later I had a screamer on the end of my line. It took 380 metres of line including my backing! Uncle PJ was on the phone with Mark Brewitt, but when he heard my TLD 15 scream off and saw I was into my backing, he

quickly cut the call. Ryan and Uncle PJ wound in the other lines as fast as they could so we could chase this beast. I fought the fish for about 20 minutes, and when it came next to the boat it looked like a shark to me, but Uncle PJ said it looked like a big ’cuda coming up. He gaffed this fish and we all relaxed, shaking. I threw myself on the seat and closed my eyes. We took pictures of this beauty on the boat, but the debate was still raging about the weight. Fifteen minutes later we got an 8kg tuna and a 7.2kg ’cuda. When we got back to land my fish weighed 35.8kg! All the necessary measurements were taken and we then found out that it was a world record on 10kg line. This beast of a fish has earned me a title in the fishing environment! I would like to thank Natal Rod & Reel Club and their committee for enabling me to fish in the interzonal, and for teaching me most of the things that I know today. I would also like to thank Aunty Tracy, Uncle Nick, Uncle Dave, Uncle Brent and Uncle John for giving me the chance to fish in the Pennington Interzonal. Last, but not least, I would like to give my father, Abed Khan, a very big THANK YOU, for teaching me and making me everything that I am today. And thank you once again to Uncle PJ for putting me in the same team as him and giving me a chance to fish on Watt 4.

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

74 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

DEVELOPMENT Verdale de Villiers, 1st junior.

Karl Erichson jnr, 2nd junior.

Jean de Villiers, 3rd junior.

Tiaan Tonsing sailfish

JUNIORS FISH LIKE STARS Hoedspruit Junior Development Competition

“I follow three rules: Do the right thing, do the best you can, and always show people you care.” Lou Holtz By Vikki Bezuidenhout HE seventh Hoedspruit Junior Development Competition took place in Sodwana in July. This competition focuses entirely on the juniors, fostering a love for our beautiful sport in new anglers, and introducing older children to the rules and regulations of fishing and the structure of competition, effectively preparing them for Junior Nationals in a relaxed, social environment. Integrity means doing the right thing even when you know that you won’t get caught, and this is such an important aspect of our sport. Teaching our children the value of integrity and honesty gives them an excellent future in fishing — and in life. Developing a respect for good-natured competition is vital. Monday was declared a blow-out, and although some determined juniors fished from the rocks in morning, they were soon driven home by the winds. In the afternoon, everyone gathered at Camp Jonathan for a tackle box session where the anglers were treated to three demonstrations. Follie van Vuuren showed them how to make a mackerel rig for ’cuda fishing, Herman Dickinson rigged a circle hook on a halfbeak and Francois Bezuidenhout demonstrated a halfbeak rig and a stripbait rig on an Island lure. There was also a quiz on the competition rules for the under 13 and under 19 anglers so that some prizes could be given out.

76 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

This was also the first day of the competition’s legendary “strafdoppe” – freshly squeezed Hoedspruit lemon juice — which has become a tradition much appreciated by the children. On Tuesday morning, eager anglers were on the beach with boats ready to launch at 6.30am. Some decent fish came out in the early morning, with Isabella van Vuuren’s 21kg yellowfin tuna topping the board. Karl Erichson junior’s 18.75kg tuna was not far behind. Wednesday saw the launch delayed until 7.30am when the wind had died down, and after the boats with small kids had agreed, lines up was pushed back to 2:30pm. The morning provided a lovely sea, and some more good fish were hooked up. After watching his Ouma release a sailfish in last year’s competition, tenyear-old Andre Smit arrived this year with one goal — to release his own sailie. Fishing on My Lady, he did just that, catching and safely releasing the first sailfish of the competition, on a pink ’cuda duster. Isabella van Vuuren on Bia Bella subsequently released a sailfish on a blue and white soft head lure. Annelise Smit was very proud of her 18.65kg prodigal son whih is a possible All Africa record. Tiaan Tönsing fishing on Orca also released a sailfish on an Iland lure. The juniors managed to boat a variety of species and great fun was had at the weigh-in trying to guess the exact weight of each fish. Thursday saw another 7.30am launch with lovely seas, and though lines-up was again changed to 2.30pm most boats came in earlier as the wind was picking up. Unfortunately, the fish

were not interested in playing their part, and only two fish were weighed, including a 6.65kg kawakawa landed by Nicolaas van Niekerk who’s just six years old. Friday’s launch was back to 6.30am, with lines-up at 1.30pm. All the juniors were determined that they were going to bring home the prize. Sadly ,weighable fish were scarce, and only five fish made it to scales. Arnu Tönsing on Orca matched his brother,Tiaan, with a sailfish of his own — caught on an Iland lure which Orca won in last year’s competition. Friday night’s prize giving was held at Camp Jonathan, followed by a delicious lasagna dinner prepared by Monica Combrinck. Over the week R135 000 worth of prizes were distributed. Our thanks go to the parents and skippers who give up their valuable spare time so that the children have a chance to learn and experience the joys of angling. This competition requires a completely different mind-set to other comps — an altruistic view. Letting the juniors make up the rigs under supervision is much slower than doing it yourself; letting the older children decide where and how they want to fish for the day can be daunting, and letting a junior take the rod when there is an even chance that they will lose the fish — or catch a billfish when you never have — all takes patience, and an understanding that practical experience is the best way for them to learn the techniques you are passing on. In the end it isn’t about the boat winning, it’s about what the children get out of the week. Five sailfish were released during the competition — for four of the

Arnu Tonsing sailfish

juniors, Andre Smit (10) on My Lady, Arnu Tönsing (16) on Or ca, Tiaan Tönsing (15) on Orca and Verdale de Villiers (13) on Woolloomooloo, this was their first sailfish. That’s quite an achievement considering the competition works on IGFA Rules. The only allowance made is that a senior angler or skipper may hand the rod to the junior from the rod holder. With five species to his name Verdale de Villiers was also the Junior with the Most Species. He caught yellowfin tuna, ’cuda, prodigal son, dorado and a sailfish; a great achievement for any angler.

Most Meritorious Fish U/13 went to Karl Erichson Jnr on Awesome4Some, and Most Meritorious Fish U/19 was taken by Francois Visagie Jnr on Eventually. Jané van Niekerk, part of Felix’s ground crew, won the Cutest Kid tractor this year, much to her delight. Top 10 Juniors 1. Verdale de Villiers (13), Wolloomooloo 2. Karl Erichson jnr (12), Awesome4Some 3. Jean de Villiers (12), Brangus 4. Andre Smit (10), My lady

5. Arnu Tönsing (16), Orca 6. Lise-Mari Smit, My Lady 7. Tiaan Tönsing (15), Orca 8. Francois Visagie jnr (14), Eventually 9. Hendrik van Vuuren (17), Bia Bella 10. Nicolaas van Niekerk (6), Felix Top Boat was My Lady for the second year running, with the Smit family showing the rest how it is done. They won another family fishing holiday, with accommodation sponsored by Jesser Point Boat Lodge, and two days’ fishing with Hooked on Charters. Bia Bella took second place, and Woolloomoolo third.

SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 77

MARKETPLACE

UNVEILING THE CLASSIC SHAD

HE Daiwa Prorex Classic Shad soft plastic proved its effectiveness very quickly in tests catching plenty of fish right from the beginning. Featuring the popular Duck Fin tail, it produces strong vibrations and a flanking movement of the body. The slim profile reduces the lure weight and optimises this flanking action. The ribs on the tail wrist assist it to fold back during “inhalation” of the take. They also support the prolonged absorption of applied flavours and give off added signals. Suitable for slow and fast presentation, the balance and action are maintained all the time. These lures are available in four sizes 3’’/6PK, 4’’/5PK, 5’’/4PK, 6’ /3PK and each size comes in eight colours — Fire Tiger, Ghost Orange, Chartreuse Pearl, Ghost Ayu, Metallic Ayu, Moto Oil, Holo Orange and Blue Metallic Pearl. Prorex plastics are available from most leading fishing tackle stores countrywide and retail in the R45-R65 range. For trade enquiries contact The Kingfisher on (031) 368 3903, or email <info@kingfisher.co.za>.

GREAT SAVINGS ON LOWRANCE BUNDLE DEALS OWRANCE SA is offering an incredible saving of over R6 000 on their Ski-boat Bundles. Don’t miss this great opportunity to get yours now! Following the huge success of their first bundle option (marrying the HDS-9 Gen 3 and the Outboard Pilot), they’re now offering bundle deals on all their HDS units. So, if you buy an outboard pilot at the same time as your HDS unit — from either the Gen 3 range (-7, -9 and -12) or the new Carbon range (-7, -9, -12 and -16) — you’ll save more than R6 000 on the deal! Please note that transducers are bought separately so that you can choose the specific one to suit your needs. Ask your nearest dealer for more information or call Lowrance South Africa on (031) 368-6649.

L 78 • SKI-BOAT September/October 2017

SMALLS MOTORS FOR SALE

AD INDEX Billfish 15 000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Boating World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

TWO Yamaha FE70 motors (2011 models) for sale — 900 hours with full service history. Both motors in great condition and look brand new. Price: R65 000 ea or R120 000 for both Contact: Killean on 079 138 7493 or Armand on 064 532 9820

Boating World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Club Marine Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . 4 CT Boat Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Durban Yamaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 EvaKool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 FishWeights App . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

BOAT FOR SALE

Garmin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Guinjata sponsors thanks . . . . . . . . 53 HDHK Sponsors Thanks . . . . . . . . . 77 Inside Angling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Jesser Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Kevin Trench Photography . . . . . . . 50 Lowrance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Lucky’s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

2013 9m Lee-Cat Walkaround with 2 x 225hp Honda outboard motors (380H) on double-axle galvanised trailer. Price: R850 000 Contact: Leon on 082 8244 008 or email <leon@leecat.co.za>.

Matoya Lodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Mauritius Billfish Tournament . . . . . 55 McCrystal Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 MDM — Raymarine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Mercury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Mr Winch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

BOAT FOR SALE

Mydo Lures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Natal Caravans & Marine . . . . . . . . . . 2 Natal Power Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Natal Power Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Nautitech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Pro-Rig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Richards Bay SB Club. . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Safari Chiller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Shelly Beach house for sale . . . . . . . 14 Shelly Beach Sponsors Thanks. . . . . 17 Shimano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Ski-Port Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Sodwana Tigerfish Bonanza . . . . . . . 71 Solly’s Angler’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Soolyman Charters . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Southern Power/Volvo Penta. . . . . . 65 Supercat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Suzuki Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The Kingfisher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

2008 17ft Yeld Cat with 2 x 70hp 2stroke motors (280 hours). Fully equipped with VHF and UHF radios and autopilot. 2017 Seaworthy. 6 000kg Come Up winch fitted on trailer. Allround rain cover around T-top; rods, reels and tackle included. Boat in excellent condition and both boat and trailer have been fully serviced. Price: R375 000 (incl VAT) Contact: Dave on 082 773 6493 or email <westfal@iafrica.com>.

TOPS @ Spar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Turboformance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Two Oceans Marine. . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Vanguard Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Verstay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Wild Coolers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 WWF SAfaris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Yamaha F100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Yamaha Seacat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 SKI-BOAT September/October 2017 • 79

BUSINESS CLASSIFIEDS

80 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT September/October 2017