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General Angling Topics => Rock and Surf Fishing Reports => Topic started by: Half-Pint on April 13, 2015, 01:28:08 PM
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I started planning this trip a few months ago unfortunately I could not find anyone who was keen to join me due to leave constraints and the costs involved. So the question was should I give up my fishing trip or just bite the bullet and go off on my own.
Easy answer! Lets go fishing!!!
I planned the trip for April thinking I would miss the summer rains but still have warm enough rivers for some good estuary fishing. Well how wrong I was duh
I set off on the 3rd with overnight accommodation booked at Aliwal North. I think I hit the first bit of rain around Bloem and boy it did not stop for almost 3 days :-(
Slept over on Friday in Aliwal North and set off again the next day for Mazeppa. I reached Butterworth and took the turn off for Mazeppa Bay. Last time we went through here the road was great, like a dirt road highway. Not this time! Giant potholes that slowed me to a crawl. An hour and a half after taking the dirt road I reached Mazeppa. Checked into the self catering accommodation at the hotel and began unpacking. ABout halfway through the neighbours asked where the rest of the guys were for all that tackle :blush:
The unit was quite small and very clean. The only problem I had was the place seriously lacked the right cutlery and appliances. When I arrived there was no braai, no microwave and no oven :cnfzd They did bring a microwave and braai after I asked thankfully. The cutlery was also a bit pathetic. For a 4 sleeper unit I had 3 knives 4 forks 2 teaspoons and 2 dessert spoons :cnfzd not that much of an issue but a bit annoying at R350 pppn.
After 2 days of driving on my own I was finished so didn't fish then but walked down to the island and saw Owen Richter on with a fish for around 3 hours. He eventually landed a 140kg zambi some hours later.
The next day I arrived on the island to find big swells and no chance of sliding a bait. While waiting for the wind to come up and drop a bait with the kite I scratched for some sandys for bait. I pillaged the nursery school for awhile before being SMASHED by the biggest lesser I have seen. Probably 8 or 9kg seeing as we had to chop it into 4 chunks to fit in the freezer :shk Unfortunately I didn't take any pics thinking this is bait and I would catch so many big fish I wouldn't want a photo of it. How wrong I was!
We later dropped the sandy head off the island with the kite and held pole for around 4 hours. The wind was then howling and we had huge swells. The guys throwing plug were reeling in sideways with the wind. A number of chases were had but they couldn't connect due to the wind.
Eventually we packed up as the rain came pouring down. I went back to the cottage and planned to fish from 3 onwards. Unfortunately the rain had other ideas. It came bucketing down. Everywhere was just running water. No more fishing for Sunday..
Monday Zola and I agreed to fish from 4 onwards. We woke up to more pouring rain so waited until 7 for it to stop. We arrived on the island to more giant swells but no wind to fly the kite.
We tried to get a sinker to sit but there was no way that was happening. Scratched for some fish on the side of the island but nothing was biting. I think the fish had run away from those huge seas! The rain came back and we went running back to the hotel.
Tuesday dawned and back on the island we went ready for some big fish. WROOOONG! more rain and big swells. We decided to go to second river and try there for anything that would bite. Flip were we stupid to make that choice duh 3 days of rain had the water ice cold and looking like chocolate. Not to mention arriving on the dead low! This is the first time I have heard of second river washing out to sea for around 10 years? Not sure if the more knowledgeable guys can confirm?
That evening we tried the island again but alas no luck as we still could not get a bait out.
Wednesday morning we hit the island at about 4 to throw paddle tails for kob. We threw there for a few hours until the sun came up. Not even a bump.At least I could finally put a bait out :happ: :happ: which was great because at last I could have a bait in the water while not catching fish :hehe: :blush: The swell was actually still a bit big to fish properly so we left and headed to shelly beach to scratch for some fish.
I think we were the first people down that way in a long time because the bushes had almost overgrown the road in most places. I bashed my way through cringing at the scraping sound of trees over my car :cnfzd We arrived and threw various baits but didn't even get a bite from the peckers. The water was deserted duh a few hours later we packed it up and headed home, still fishless :-(
We got back and headed to boiling pot where we slid some baits and eventually got a few out on the kite. Even a whole fresh occie didn't get touched.
The following morning we headed off to the island at about 4AM again. Once again throwing for kob on lure. Thrashed the water to a foam for a few hours and nada <: We then slid a bait off the front into the raggie hole and sure enough it lived up to its name sloooow bite and finally on with a decent fish! :happ: :happ:
Now let me tell you about rag "bags". These things suck ok! They take bugger all line at the start of the fight and then only put up a tussle when in front of the ledges to try and cut you off. Then you need to put max pressure on them to hold them up. I'm also not talking about pulling a little hard to make the line sing I'm talking about "trek hom dat JY poep" hard. Your legs actually feel like they will collapse under you! Eventually got this fish swimming right towards the gulley when suddenly she surfed herself straight up the rocks like a bat outta hell. Behind her in the waves we suddenly saw a big dorsal pop up! Mr Zambie had come for a look see!
Unfortunately the fish was landed in a really bad place making unhooking and photographing it a real challenge. She was 193cm and pregnant so maybe around 130kg.
We slid another tail head out and got a pick up before the bait hit the ring but the fish dropped it before we could set the circle. Next bait got another bite but again the raggie dropped the bait.
We slid another tail head and this time got vas properly. Tried to stop the fish swimming around the rocks at the point on the right but couldn't turn its head at all. Zola ran to the front and kept the line clear while I crossed the gulley. We got its head lined up and pulled like ....... insert expletives! Everytime the fish felt the gulley it would run out again. Zola tells me to tighten the drag and pull. I look at him like he is mad and tell him to touch the drag. The 50 is locked up and I have a blister on my thumb from holding it! The fish swims around the point and comes to the surface. Zola takes one look and starts yelling that we must go for the beach BIG RAGGIE! 200kg +
We run to the beach and win back my mainline its about 100m away and I'm babying it now after the fish had me in the rocks when suddenly that horrible feeling as the line goes totally slack :cry:
I wind back in and I have been cut off on one leg of the bimini, the line is rough as hell from all the rocks. Flip was I upset!
We run back to the point and slid out another bait but by now the rags had moved off
I'll have to apologize for the lack of pics :blush: unfortunately I left my camera at home and the rain was so heavy most days that I couldn't take any pics at all
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Will add some more later
Anyone who can correct the third pic so that it doesn't look like I was driving drunk :hehe:
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Awesome report Brad :+ cred: pity about the fishing and weather... At least you were at the salt!
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Hard luck, but hey, thats a lekker Rag you got !!!!
well done brad...
PS - You are now officially on the Mike, and Tony list of people that summon CR@P weather !
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That afternoon we headed off to Salt Rock to try for another raggie and at the same time look for some kob.
Unfortunately the road to Salt Rock was still an absolute quagmire of mud that had us slipping and sliding all the way there. I swear my car looked like something out of fast & furious fishtailing through all that mud :rotfl
We arrived and slid a bait and I proceed to throw a bait off the left for a kob. Waited about 15mins and just took my phone out to call the office and see how things were going. Just as the call was answered I got a bite. Put the phone down and got a nice +- 4kg kobbie to the side Zola went down to grab it and then dink! Long line release the hooks had pulled :-(
No matter I put out another bait in the same hole and waited awhile with no bite. Pulled the phone out again and called the office ... as the poor lady answered I get another bite :hyst: This time we got the fish out and it was a small kob of 50cm. Hooks out and back it went.
Spent the rest of the afternoon frantically phoning the office in the hope of getting another bite but unfortunately the magic didn't work again :hehe:
We had planned to fish into the dark but our friend the rain closed in again and we had to pack up in a hurry. You could get stuck there for days if the rain closes in and turns that road to a river.
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Ok why does every post have at least one photo on its ears :hehe:
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We got back to the hotel and went down to throw a bit more for kob on the high tide in the dark but didn't get any pick ups.
The next morning we were back on the island at 4am and throwing baits for kob. 2 and a half hours later and we had no bites what so ever. So out went the slides again and the small rags were out in force. Every bait would have the sinker lifted and get torn up but we couldn't hook the buggers!
Eventually we got a hook up and managed to work the fish to the left hand gulley where I managed another rag bag this time a male of 110kg.
This time Zola was in charge of the photos and as you can see the guy takes excellent pics!
We fished again until 12PM but no bites even when dropping the baits further out with the kite. Packed up and headed up to the cottage to start packing.
ABout 3 o clock I couldn't resist heading back to try for one more bite so if we went back to the island. We fished until about 6PM without even a nibble.
Sadly I then really had to pack up and get ready to leave the next morning.
Drove back to Bloem on Saturday and then finished up the trip to JHB first thing on Sunday morning.
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some nice fish there
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:envy what a great report.. Pity the weather was swr . If you are looking for a travel companion , phone a pensioner , they have the time and mostly can travel at short notice and split expenses. :toppie:
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Well done HP, you have made some good catches in bad weather. If I am not mistaken, it also rained when we fished together at Brenton last year? What is it with you and the bad weather? :crzy :hehe:
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Awesome report
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Very nice report .Atleast you got some decent fish.
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Epic trip.. to go all that way on your own HP and great report..... :+ cred:
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Well done Brad. Lovely fish there despite bad weather.
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well done Brad, some fish still better then no fish
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(clap) , great stuff Brad , lekker to get away and do some fishing even if its on your own , some nice catches too in trying conditions and great report :Like:
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Awesome report Brad, pity about the weather. Well done on persevering in those conditions and so glad for you that it paid off with some nice bags and kob.
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Super report and some nice raggies Brad!
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:Like: ... and :cgrts: Brad. Lekker report!!!. Mazeppa is still on my to do list.
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Nice trip, nice fishing!
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Hi Guys
I'm off to Mazeppa 1st week November. I'm trying to get in contact with Zola. Could anybody assist. Lost all contacts on my cell due to water damage. Thanks in advance.