ULTIMATE ANGLING - the Ultimate SA Fishing website
General Angling Topics => Species targeting articles => Topic started by: Lichia amia on October 20, 2010, 09:44:19 AM
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:rck" With the Vidal trip being less than 20 days away and some serious Vidal fever in the air, how about we put a species and tactic list together in the build up? :dunno: Covering the area (specific spots), species, bait, hook size, hook snoot length and leader size ........ :tkx:
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Nice idea Craig... so get the ball rolling... I know you have it all already! :sml:
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Sh@t Reef Im the apprentice here , thanks for putting me on the spot :hehe: :hehe: :hehe: .
Lets start small and think big. :hyst:
The Blacktail ( Diplodus capensis )
Habitat: Blacktails can be found in rock pools and close inshore. They are normally caught off the rocks as they will be swimming around sheltered areas.
Bait: Blacktails are not fussy when it comes to bait. They will take a large range of baits such sardine (pilchards, red eye), worms, squid, mussels, crabs . Camo worm on dropshot can be very productive .
Fishing Strategy: Light tackle with a small size hook smaller than a std 1/0 will work best. Hook snoot of +/-30 to 40 cm of .50
Limited on time today. Watch this space …….
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My 3c - Please note, these are my tactics, and as such are not necessarily the best ! :cnfzd
Rockcod
Habitat: Can be found in rocky areas, ledges etc
Bait: I find that Soft fleshy baits work well. Cutlets and sard belly are a winner
Fishing Strategy: Medium tackle with a .6- .8 Hooksnood as you fishing in rocky areas. I prefer a fixed sinker (light line) with no or very little flotation. Hooklength of +- 30cm
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Giant Kingfish
Caranx Ignobilis
The biggest and most powerful of the 15 species of Kingfish found along our Shoreline. A memorable experience to do battle with this powerful fighter.
Feeds on just about anything, but Live bait or moving bait, will significantly increase your chances. Blacktail, Karanteen, Shad or Wave Garrick slid out live is the way to go.
Dead baits - Chokka, Sea lice, Octopus.
Tackle - it's go big or go home. A Kingie will head for the nearest Rockey outcrop to try free himself. Minimum 1mm leaders with good abrasion resistance.
Spinning is another good way to target these fish with poppers, spoons or plugs. Chisel nose ot the famous GT Ice cream are winners. My presonal favourites are the Big fat Aubrey da Gama plugs in Red/White and Chartreuse.
The take... often you will see the fin of the fish pursuing your plug. Most anglers make the mistake of stopping the retrieve, but the trick is to not stop, keep going, which should trigger a reaction strike. Sometimes, the GT will hit your plug several times before you have a hook-up.
Important to have your drag set properly before the strike, as a too tight drag will result in tears - either your rod heading towards the sea, or a quick snap off. This is where the Bimini join to leader is critical, as the stretch in it acts as a shock absorption for the strike.
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Southern/African Pompano
Hard fighting member of the Kingfish family, found close inshore in foamy water where they feed on Sea lice, shimps and other small fish. Usually found close to a sandbank.
The take of this fish is suprisingly vicious and flattens a light tackle rod pronto. Provides a great fight and is excellent eating!
Same applies to the Natal Stumpnose...
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TRACES/StumpnosePomanoTrace.jpg)
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Grunter
Often occur in very shallow water in the surf zone, feeding on shrimps, prawns, sea lice.
Light tackle is imperative with this fish as it is a shy feeder. Mouths the bait several times before swallowing. Avoid striking as the fish should hook itself once the bait is swallowed. Small hooks for a small mouth.
(http://africanaquatics.co.za/FISHING/Fishing%20stuff/TRACES/GunterTrace.jpg)
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Giant guitarfish:
Found in shallow surf zone, will take baits such as mackeral / sardine / chokka on a slide or big throw bait, tackle required :medium to heavy as this species can put up a good fight .
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Let me help you guys,
if you fishing vidal, imo, Stumpies if they still around, and Kingies off the bricks (close in), also rubberlips and tassles, but I don't know what you will catch them on, I usually catch them on my speargun (at mission), I have nearly risked the parkies wrath at the size of some of the stumpies and rubberlips there at vidal...........
Rockcods are more at Missions, towards bats cave, not much at vidal, I have sen one though before which is the biggest I have ever seen.
Missions there is plenty of kingies, and tonnes of bream, about 500m's from the path north,
The non edds, I would walk north, between the two sets of reefs then fish there at night, I have not checked any big non edds there, but there will be at night I am sure, I would not try near the lodges/carparks, cause you will just get upset when the reefs smash you up. There is appreantly a zambi there well into the 3m's I havn't checked it (I have seen shadows and the zambi's remoras), but it lurks off the point, by the flag. I don't know if the parkies will let you swim out much with it being an mpa)
Grunters I have only ever checked small shoal grunters in the bay feeding around the bay in the sand.
Blacktails are a plague
good luck guys, I was hoping to do a recce there on friday or saturday, but it looks like I have to go to durbs.
IS THERE ANY OTHER SPEARO'S COMING?
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Can someone confirm exactly what fisherman can take out, last time I was there guys were telling me the problem they had with a rockcod they had bought in the town, and the parkies giving them grief for wanting to braai it, even with the receipt, I think the parkies there have their own agenda.
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Mag, not too sure, will try and find out.
As far as I know, 99% will be catch and release, unless we keep one for a braai ?
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Mag, not too sure, will try and find out.
As far as I know, 99% will be catch and release, unless we keep one for a braai ?
I don't know who you can speak to, I would hate for someone there to have problems, the only thing that would work is something in writing and I don't see a parkie (even from HQ) putting there name and signature on a document.
Let me try
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Thanks boet !
When ca we expect you there ?
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sorted, I spoke to the Senior Marine and Territoral complience officer, and he said
fishing of all bottoms is allowed from the shore, pending size and bag limits, crayfish is permitted from past the beacon and you can enter the MPA again with the bag from the shore,
Spearing is only pelaigics to Mission rocks, from Mission you can shore enter and shoot bottoms and collect for marine aquariums.
Of interest he did say that it is not likly they will stop the rhino card, it is more a rumour that circulates when KZN wildlife negotiate rates/levies with Isimangaliso wildlife for use of the parks/wetlands.
He did give me a contact number that will clarify if you have a problem with the parkies if they hassle you, pm me if you want it.
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You are a star bru ! Please pm it to me !
Again... When you joining us ?
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You are a star bru ! Please pm it to me !
Again... When you joining us ?
the saturday and sunday
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Howzit Magman. Are you going to travel both days or camp overnight? Also looking at options and wouldnt mind alternating vehicles if commuting.
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Rods, it will be a pleasure, I got rhino card, bakkie etc, I will more than likely being going saturday and sunday, pending visibility (unless it floods Vidal is always clean to dive). More than likley leave early, will pm you my no. You can leave your car at my place, I'm in meerensee, near pick n pay.
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Non eds:
Sandies
Blackfin
Brown Skate
Zambi
Diamonds
Greys
Spinners
Eds:
Stumpie
Grunter
Rockcod
Kingies (few species)
Stone Bream
Lemon Fish
Cracker
Pommies
Shad
and quite a few other species can be expected
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Thats super cool, Magman. Will give you a call tomorrow as the airtime she is low. But thanks a million for the offer. :tkx:
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Southen Pompano ( Trachinotus Africanus )
Habits and Feeding
Pompano are shallow-water species and are most abundant during summer months when the water is warmer. They feed over sand, along beaches or close to reefs and rocky outcrops. Mussels growing on the rocks and reef are their most favoured food, with mole crabs ( sea lice ) adding to this diet.
Fishing Techniques
Light or medium tackle can be used when fishing for Pampano , depending on the terrain. Along a sandy beach with little likelihood of being reefed , the light-tackle angler can present bait on their choice of light line. All that is required once the fish is hooked , is a reel with a smooth drag system. Patience is also necessity,as a decent size Pompano will prove very difficult to land,especially if there is a slight drop-off from the beach. Any pray of their prey species on a 1/0 or 3/0 sharp hook will do the as bait, though mud and oink prawn are good alternatives to use.
When fishing close to reefs or rocky outcrops, medium tackle my be saner choice. There is every chance that once-in a-lifetime specimen mat take the bait,and imagine the frustration if it ran straight into a reef or around the roc and was lost. Drop -shot fishing closely resembling a prey species is another method well worth trying and is very exciting. The take on a moving lure is something special and is almost always the main topic when discussing the days fishing over a Dop .
SASSI list :Red
Minimum legal size: None
Bag limit: 5
Eating Qualities: excellent
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Wildeperd ( Diplodus hottentotus )
Habits and Feeding
Wildeperd do not congregate in large shoals , but are mostly found singly. They occur in deeper reefs only accessible to boat fishermen, as well as closer inshore,off sandy beaches and in deep pools or gullies. They are often caught after periods of stormy weather , when the sea has been rough and the water is discoloured. When the water temperature drops and other inshore or bottom species are off the bite, a Wildepred may be the only reward for a days efforts, as they do not seem to mind the cooler temperature.
Fishing Techniques
Known to put up a strong fight for their size, Wildeperd ate often sly when biting. Lighter tackle therefore gives a better chance of success. In strong water conditions , a sliding sinker would also be a advantage. When fishing in gullies or pools close to the shore, drift bait or small ball sinkers give the natural presentation. Fresh read bait is particularly good for Wildeperd, but they will also take white mussel, musselworms, small crabs and bloodworms.
SASSI list :[color=red]Red[/color]
Minimum legal size: 30cm
Bag limit: 5
Eating Qualities: please release
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Bonefish ( Albula vulpes )
Habits and Feeding
This species feed in shallow, often clear water of estuaries and lagoons, where they search along the sandbars or mudflats for prey.They also feed on the sandy stretches of beaches close to river mouths and in calm, shallow water formed by large , rocky ledges or reefs extending at an angle out to sea. Roaming singly or in small groups, they burrow for mussels, worms, prawn,crabs or any other organisms that may occur in or on the sandy bottom. They are known toe enter very shallow water, often with the pushing tide, feeding with their tails or just the upper lobe of the tail visible above the surface.
Fishing Techniques
Fly-fishing is properly the best way to target them , but I will leave it it Rory and his mates to target them on fly while I look after the Keg on the back of the Bakkie. They may be taken by fishing with bait on light tackle and again good quality tackle and careful bait presentation are required. Bait needs to look as natural as possible to convince the often-shy Bonefish that he has struck it lucky. Bait such as small crabs,sea lice, prawn and worms form part of their diet and use a 1/0 to 2/0 hook. If at all possible fish the rig without a sinker.
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Make sure some of you get far up north(+5kms) from the bay fishing for the GT's, early morning, evening and in the dark....
Live Bait ( return & non-return clips), Bonnie Heads, chokka, Plugs and Poppers(even in the dark).....all work really well.......even a whole natal sard works well....I was up there 2 weeks ago and I got one over 20kgs on a Natal sard with a little floatation.
Just choose your water before it gets dark.....make sure you know where the bricks are situated....Refer to the "Targeting GT's from the beach" post for tips...........
FYI.....have fun :tite
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That Bonefish in the above topic makes for a great live bait ANY SIZE......small pink prawn baits just over the sandbank lip should produce a few of those great baits, 1/0 sharp hook and 0.50mm Flouro......
If you dont get a Bonefish you should get a Wave Garrick which is equally good.....dont be scared about the size, up to max 3KGS
Local natural bait always works well.....
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Thankx for all the info guys. Really want to get into one of those GT's.
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Ragged-tooth Shark ( Carchrias taurus )
Habits and feeding
While adults hunt alone along shallow rocky ledges, sandy beaches and river mouths, younger specimens are known to enter the estuaries of the Southern and Eastern Cape. In the St Lucia Marine reserve along the Kwazulu-Natal coastline ,groups do adults congregate during breeding season. The Raggies teeth are purely used for gripping prey.The fishes and other small sharks they prey on needs to be small enough to be swallowed whole.
Fishing Techniques
Raggies often bite best during the hours of darkness , but will also feed during the day provided the water is not too clear. The mouth is relatively small,so once you have felt a bite,patience is required to allow the shark to feed properly before attempting to set the hook.Leave enough slack line to allow the Raggy to feed without feeling any resistance. After the bait has been taken, straighten all the slack in the line before striking and setting the hook. Once this shark is hooked , the run is steady rather than lightning fast.
A short length of wire trace is always required when fishing for Raggies, while a sharp 8/0 to 11/0 hook would suffice. Baits include whole fish such as Mullet,Karenteen, small sharks or other suitably sized small fish, dead or alive. The heads of Shad ( in season ) small kob or Bonnies will quite often produce a positive result. Squid ( whole or as strip ) is also excellent to use when fished as a "mixed grill" with a fish fillet.
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Time to add on !
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More info on spots - with makers and GPS co ords will be a :win:
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Very nice thread Craig! (clap)
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@ Craig :shre:... :win:
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Nice stuff! Now to put theory into practice THAT'S the tricky part
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Nice stuff! Now to put theory into practice THAT'S the tricky part
Yip, we need luck and the fishing Gods to be on our side w;k
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Nice stuff! Now to put theory into practice THAT'S the tricky part
Thats why it's called Fishing & not catching !!! w;k
All we can do is try .... :hehe:
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For sure! The only way we ever get better is by trying even if we blank or so I keep telling myself;)
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Is the :beer: half full or half empty :hehe: :hehe: :resp:
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For sure! The only way we ever get better is by trying even if we blank or so I keep telling myself;)
Chyne... you need to come fishing with us! No such thing as blanking on our trips! Stop sneaking off on your ace all the time! Best way to catch is learn from seasoned anglers and club fishermen. There are several accomplished fishermen going to Vidal that will put you onto fish. Eg. stick with Doc, Kumz, Mike Pike and you're almost guaranteed to catch if the weather is even half decent!
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Reefz I fished alongside Robbie Janse at mazeppa very few more accomplished anglers than him I mean he makes his living guiding folks in that area. We all have to accept that at some point conditions just don't play along and this is where lady luck plays her part. Just look at the reports from this week 14 fish in one day and its a weeks difference. Its the curse of the GP angler we choose our holiday times and hope the weather plays along
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I wouldn't guide for you at Mazeppa... know squat about the place. But Mapelane, Vidal, HITW... :hnthnt:
So do you wanna catch fish or not?! :rotfl
Just yanking Brad, but you need to try make one of our trips again bud....
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M-B, try to join us please! It would be great to meet you and I am sure we (myself at least) will be able to learn a lot from you. :shrk: :brnz:
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BUMP , any thing to add any body ?? :dunno:
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BUMP , any thing to add any body ?? :dunno:
Craig, yes - at this late stage I can add toward "Best Technique for Cape Vidal":
1st STEP: You have to physically get to Vidal first!
2nd STEP: Rig your rod, line and hook with piece of bait.
3rd STEP: Shout "COMING OVER" and cast like hell!
Moral of the story/technique: If your not on the field you cant score a goal, and the harder you practise the luckier you'll get!
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:lolo:
I cant wait to catch all the species in and around the area on small baits and lure, its going to be awesome :corrct:
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Mikus "Mungos mungo" Pikeieus
Habits and feeding
The Tea drinking Mike is a sturdy character with a large head, small ears, short, muscular limbs and no tail, Animals of wetter areas are more wet . The abdominal part of the body is larger and rounder than the breast area. The rough hair is grayish brown, and there are several dark brown to black horizontal bars across the back (yet to be seen) The limbs and snout are darker, while the underparts are lighter than the rest of the body (or so they say). Banded mikes have long strong claws that allow them to hold a cup of tea
An adult animal can reach a length of 1.8m and a weight of 75-90 kg.
Exceptionally fastidious and can bee seen constantly cleaning its home.
Also can be found tripping over everything in sight !
Fishing Techniques
The Tea drinking Mike is generally caught on a tea bag, but has been known to succumb to a chop, and is partial to Windhoek.
Tackle to be used.
Heavy tackle.... with the tedancy to slip, Mikes require some hard pulling.
:crzy
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:hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst:
+cred
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(clap) (clap) (clap) (clap) Homes
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BUMP , any thing to add any body ?? :dunno:
Craig, yes - at this late stage I can add toward "Best Technique for Cape Vidal":
1st STEP: You have to physically get to Vidal first!
2nd STEP: Rig your rod, line and hook with piece of bait.
3rd STEP: Shout "COMING OVER" and cast like hell!
Moral of the story/technique: If your not on the field you cant score a goal, and the harder you practise the luckier you'll get!
Some very sound advice Tops !! :crzy
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Mikus "Mungos mungo" Pikeieus
Habits and feeding
The Tea drinking Mike is a sturdy character with a large head, small ears, short, muscular limbs and no tail, Animals of wetter areas are more wet . The abdominal part of the body is larger and rounder than the breast area. The rough hair is grayish brown, and there are several dark brown to black horizontal bars across the back (yet to be seen) The limbs and snout are darker, while the underparts are lighter than the rest of the body (or so they say). Banded mikes have long strong claws that allow them to hold a cup of tea
An adult animal can reach a length of 1.8m and a weight of 75-90 kg.
Exceptionally fastidious and can bee seen constantly cleaning its home.
Also can be found tripping over everything in sight !
Fishing Techniques
The Tea drinking Mike is generally caught on a tea bag, but has been known to succumb to a chop, and is partial to Windhoek.
Tackle to be used.
Heavy tackle.... with the tedancy to slip, Mikes require some hard pulling.
:crzy
CLASSIC!!! (clap) :hyst: :hyst: ++CRED
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(bat (bat .... :rotfl .... :rotfl :hehe: :hehe: .... classic i agree , stick around for part 2.. :hehe: coming soon to a campsite near you ... :hnthnt:
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:hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst:
Classic! + cred
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:hehe: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst: :hyst:
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My 3c - Please note, these are my tactics, and as such are not necessarily the best ! :cnfzd
Rockcod
Habitat: Can be found in rocky areas, ledges etc
Bait: I find that Soft fleshy baits work well. Cutlets and sard belly are a winner
Fishing Strategy: Medium tackle with a .6- .8 Hooksnood as you fishing in rocky areas. I prefer a fixed sinker (light line) with no or very little flotation. Hooklength of +- 30cm
my 2c worth here - mackie head cutoff behind the gills at an angle or straight, trim the gill plates, simply hooked thru the head, bottom to top, using a 6/O is also deadly - snood of up to 1mm fluoro about 50cm
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My 2c use a hook, a sinker some line and a rod with a sardine as bait and wait maybe something will take it as long as it is a fish. :hehe: