Topic: WARBird @ Cape Vidal: Dec 2017 (Read 4182 times)

Werries · « **on:** January 19, 2018, 10:50:32 am »

Hi guys, I'll give a short report on our annual fishing holiday at Cape Vidal. I finally arrived at Vidal on the 9th of Dec but due to bad rainy conditions, we couldn't get out on the water for a couple of days. This at least gave me time to check and redo leaders and traces etc.
On Monday Dec11, myself and Russo joined my big mates( who I fish the Cape Vidal Top 10 comp with each year) on Tobies new acquisition: a 21ft Yeld he re-named "Detox". She is a 2012 model with 2x 140Zuks which only 146hrs on when he bought her and this would be the 1st day Tobie takes her out on the water . Tobie, Charl, Russo and myself had a great 1st day catching 5 Dorado and 2 decent cudas as well...not bad for a 1st day

Werries · « **Reply #1 on:** January 19, 2018, 10:52:33 am »

Next day was our 1st launch for the holidays with WARBird and Russo and I got up early for some dad and son time. It was a quite day all over but Russo managed to bag this beautifull dorado bull ...the day was made!
We caught it on a purple Speedpro 160

Werries · « **Reply #2 on:** January 19, 2018, 10:57:25 am »

Wednesday we had a friend of Russo on the boat and knowing that the fish were quiet the day before and no bites from the other boats shallow I worked my way to deeper water with some Karapou in the spread and no sooner had I hit the 44m mark deep over Lighthouse we had a double up. 2 beautifull queens were landed!
I drifted the same line down south and we managed to pick up another 4 fish.
All fish were quality size and we were obviously chuffed as hell ...the other boats battled shallow with only ones and twos coming out.

Werries · « **Reply #3 on:** January 19, 2018, 11:05:07 am »

Couple day of bad weather again. On the 15th I had my nephew,Hano, and his girlfriend with us and we decided to search north for some yellowfins.
He had just done his Skippers ticket with Russo in Sodwana and was a bit scared to launch their boat on day one so I asked him to join Russo and I so I can show him the launch and beaching procedures to calm the nerves etc.
We picked up a couple of bonnies over DeepOscar and then Hano managed his 1st deepsea fish...a Wahoo of about 7kgs. He was over the moon

Werries · « **Reply #4 on:** January 19, 2018, 11:13:58 am »

another couple of bad days making it unlaunchable but we managed to get out on the water on the 18th again.
I tried the same area to get Russo his 1st Wahoo( a fish that seems to be his Achilles heel and has been evading him for years . We caught many Wahoo before on WARBird but everytime it is someone elses turn at the reel ...not a happy chappy then)

We battled to get pulls that day , so I worked the shallower reefs in front of Greens with some livies and we picked up 2 cudas...Russo equaling his previous best with another 18kg fish

Werries · « **Reply #5 on:** January 19, 2018, 11:16:18 am »

Couple days of Wind,rain,wind, ...repeat ! Next launch was on 21 Dec and Aniza joined me and Russo for a quick morning session...
we managed 5 really good sized dorados again

sardinella · « **Reply #6 on:** January 19, 2018, 11:35:22 am »

Wow, well done. Great report and pics

Werries · « **Reply #7 on:** January 19, 2018, 11:40:56 am »

We managed a couple of days with friends on the boat who never caught fish before and got them some dorries, YF's and cudas but nothing special. Then DISASTER( ...well almost)
22Dec:
We had friends over from Stellenbosch visiting us for 3 days who has never been on a boat. So naturally I promised them some good fishing etc etc ...boy was I wrong and was it not for a Hand from above and friends assisting in the water this day could've turned out to be tragic.
All set, the surf was a bit up and I managed to turn in the bay waiting for the set to come through...Saw my gap and went through, no problem. But as we got behind the backline , I started searching for livebait showings and next moment one motor cuts. DEAD! Perplexed I tried to start it when the starboard motor also died.
Checked fuel...tanks are full, pick-ups are in. Starts but dies...again and again. Dead in the water behind the backline. Not a lekker feeling I can tell you...especially for my guests!
Called in Tobie from Detox for assistance and Schalk on Eck-a-Du. They both flanked me, holding my boat so I don't drift shallower.We thought I might have dirty fuel so I replaced my tanks with 2 from Detox.
We then realised after much troubleshooting the garage in St Lucia filled my tanks up with diesel...so now I had to flush out all the diesel out of the system, filters and all.
In the meantime, I dispatched all extra weight of WARBird , including my Capetownian friends who got taken back to the beach by Schalk.
I had my drogue anchor at the ready and we hooked my anchor rope to the back of Detox and Tobie started towing me back to the point(we were already past Lighthouse by now)
Called Trevor from Nel'smarine in Richardsbay and he took me through the whole process to clean the fuellines etc. So after about 2 hours after we went dead I got the Portside motor to start...did the same procedure ( while on tow) with the other motor and I was up and running again.
We unhooked the ropes and after doing some maneuvoures to check power and holeshot I beached on my own.
Cleaned up the boat and took her through to RB for Trevor to replace oil, filters and fuellines.

Note: Please guys...when you fill up at a station please pay good attention to the pump attendant. I never saw the tanks , as they were in the back of my bakkie. At camp my boatboy put them in the boat and Russo connected the pick-ups. So we never realised it was diesel. Lesson learnt!
It could've been disastrous ...if I maybe had to make another turn in the bay I would've been dead in the surfzone!

So the next day when I woke up I had new stickers on my boat:

Werries · « **Reply #8 on:** January 19, 2018, 11:43:13 am »

No fishing was able till the day after Christmas...the boat went well , even better than before I might say.
Got some cuda and a little Lobotes on a topwater live mackerel

Rory mundy · « **Reply #9 on:** January 19, 2018, 11:52:48 am »

thats hectic Werries talk about getting lucky

Werries · « **Reply #10 on:** January 19, 2018, 11:57:03 am »

27 Dec...tried again for some Yf tunas as I had one freezer full of Dorado and cuda already.
I found a shoal of YFt off Oscars but all small...3kgs and we managed 5 of them.
Then while still working Oscars the one reel went of with another small YFt and my Japan reel screemed of as well.
I knew this was big fish and by the time the small YF was in the boat the reel on the Japan had 500m gone!
Aniza turned the boat and chased it while I gained line. I thought at this stage it was a bus Yellowfin cause I didn't see any jumps to indicate a marlin or sailie...The harder I fought the harder the fish fought back but I started winning the fight after about 15minutes...the long strong runs got shorter and shorter and I started lifting the beast...when suddenly about 10m below the boat I felt that awefull strong pull and the fight was over. I reeled in as fast as I could to at least see the rest of this fish I did battle with before the shark came back for seconds when to my surprise this huge GT surfaced!

I was so sad , Aniza also almost cried with me, to see this beautifull specimen of a GT mutilated. It would've been a priviledge to release this magnificent fish! My previous best was 36,2 kgs(measured and also released) but I could see this one was a lot bigger.

The tiger hung around the boat a bit longer but we packed up and headed home. Fish estimated well above the 40kg mark with some seasoned anglers claiming around 50kgs

sardinella · « **Reply #11 on:** January 19, 2018, 12:04:50 pm »

Yoh, that is a bad mistake with the diesel. Was this at the new fuel station that opened in St lucia. I ask because the attended almost filled our tanks with diesel as well the one morning. Scary stuff!

Werries · « **Reply #12 on:** January 19, 2018, 12:15:07 pm »

Days went by and we got fish every day we got out on the water
3 Jan, my Birthday, and I was expecting a present, like last year.
Last holidays I got a small Black marlin as a B-Day present so I hoped for something special...

Quiet day on the water, with a reverse current , so I decided to run down to Bats and work my way back up to Vidal.
No fish deep , so I went shallow.
On the 22m the reel screamed like only a wahoo or big cuda can make it sing. I had a live Mack out on #7 steel , topwater so I knew we were in with a chance...and felt lucky the fish didn't eat one of the other baits on the flouro

I gave my Boet the rod as he only arrived 2 days before and this was his 1st and last day on the water...
After 10 minutes and some really strong runs I saw the cuda deep below the boat. I coached him all the way , he was a bit rusted and I know these big cudas run hard and fast at the boat , often running in underneath your keels and motors.
I talked calmly( he will differ ...he says I screamed at him: "Motors, motors, go deep , drop the rod etc etc. I cant recall

)

The fish offered me a half chance at the gaff but it turned under the motors and I saw the leader run over the skegprotectors...Aniza trimmed up immediately and as the fish came out on the portside I shot the gaff into the head.
Only then I realised the sheer size as I pulled it over the gunnel! The leader( 80lb ) was totally chaffed so I got lucky...the next run, EISH!

The perfect B-day present : WARBirds biggest cuda . Only one pull for the day but what a pull!!

My Salter scale weighs up to 25kgs and it bottomed out. We weighed it on two other scales at the washbay and both recorded it at 26kgs.

The last day we got some more dorados to end the holiday.
All in all we had a great family holiday with some proper fish!

Werries · « **Reply #13 on:** January 19, 2018, 12:20:27 pm »

Quote from: sardinella on January 19, 2018, 12:04:50 pm

Yoh, that is a bad mistake with the diesel. Was this at the new fuel station that opened in St lucia. I ask because the attended almost filled our tanks with diesel as well the one morning. Scary stuff!

Yes, we think so although the owner could not confirm as he had not installed cameras yet. But its the only place in town I filled up. But to his credit: He replaced my fueltanks for new ones AND filled them up with petrol. I will support him always for doing that...mistakes happen.

sardinella · « **Reply #14 on:** January 19, 2018, 12:23:20 pm »

Thats a good gesture, we also support him, he has had a rough patch setting up that business.

sardinella · « **Reply #15 on:** January 19, 2018, 12:38:46 pm »

Congrats again on your good catches, St Lucia was not fishing well over December.

Chigger · « **Reply #16 on:** January 19, 2018, 12:44:16 pm »

Nice thread and some excellent fish Werries

. The diesel in the tank is indeed a lesson to all, could of turned out very badly. Looks like you had a great time though.

REEFMAN · « **Reply #17 on:** January 19, 2018, 12:45:13 pm »

Wow! What a great trip! No luck with the Geet...

Great report!!

L Hooker · « **Reply #18 on:** January 19, 2018, 01:21:33 pm »

Awesome report congrats on the great catches

maganything · « **Reply #19 on:** January 19, 2018, 01:30:28 pm »

Great fishing Werner.

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