Poor tangled little Sailfish

[Capt. Hook]

From the weather front I am pleased to report that the waters off Durban are cleaning up and warming up, I think that the West that blew over the weekend helped us out a lot.

Today was gorgeous with the wind only blowing at a mere 2knots, swells were rather big at 2.5m but spaced at 15 seconds making for a comfy day and the conditions were almost to nice. Once out past the inshore area were the temperature was around 24.5deg.C we found the thermocline and cleaner water at 27.5deg.C and decided to fish along this thermocline. There was lots of life in the water which made me happy after the last few dead trips.

The fish were not interested in our lures and so I dropped down some Yozuri’s on the deeper reefs and used some red bottom fish as live bait, including a 30cm soldier bream.
In the end the smaller live baits yielded 2 nice Dorado (Mahi-mahi) one being a Bull estimated at 8-9Kg (18-20lbs).

The best action was yet to come when a large Sailfish took the large live bait and ran across all our lines getting himself tangled in all 5 of our lines, with a team effort we managed to get the tangled Sailfish next to the boat where I quickly cut all the lines around him before any of the other hooks got into him and he was released safely, but to quickly for pics. The Sailfish is estimated at 55Kg (121lbs). I am glad I eventually got this fish as I have seen him around a few times and missed him twice already.

The Bull Dorado was the anglers first Dorado ever, and so he kissed it and I remember his wife saying something to the effect that he would never kiss her with this lips again.

[jaenswart]

From the weather front I am pleased to report that the waters off Durban are cleaning up and warming up, I think that the West that blew over the weekend helped us out a lot.

Today was gorgeous with the wind only blowing at a mere 2knots, swells were rather big at 2.5m but spaced at 15 seconds making for a comfy day and the conditions were almost to nice. Once out past the inshore area were the temperature was around 24.5deg.C we found the thermocline and cleaner water at 27.5deg.C and decided to fish along this thermocline. There was lots of life in the water which made me happy after the last few dead trips.

The fish were not interested in our lures and so I dropped down some Yozuri’s on the deeper reefs and used some red bottom fish as live bait, including a 30cm soldier bream.
In the end the smaller live baits yielded 2 nice Dorado (Mahi-mahi) one being a Bull estimated at 8-9Kg (18-20lbs).

The best action was yet to come when a large Sailfish took the large live bait and ran across all our lines getting himself tangled in all 5 of our lines, with a team effort we managed to get the tangled Sailfish next to the boat where I quickly cut all the lines around him before any of the other hooks got into him and he was released safely, but to quickly for pics. The Sailfish is estimated at 55Kg (121lbs). I am glad I eventually got this fish as I have seen him around a few times and missed him twice already.

The Bull Dorado was the anglers first Dorado ever, and so he kissed it and I remember his wife saying something to the effect that he would never kiss her with this lips again.

Do you mean to say that you got 3 dorado and a sail on live bottoms? Now that throws everything out the window that I am used to? No serious Mike, you having us for the Micky or is that really so?

[Capt. Hook]

Do you mean to say that you got 3 dorado and a sail on live bottoms? Now that throws everything out the window that I am used to? No serious Mike, you having us for the Micky or is that really so?

2 Dorado & a Sail on Live bottoms, NO JOKE, and I often do this as it is extremely effective, even for Couta which my best of 34Kg came from a live bottom, this is not the 1st Saily we have got on bottoms either, I have caught several like this.
Try it you will be amazed.
Even those 3 little Black Marlin we hooked can from live Sand Soldiers coming up on teh Yozuri's

[jaenswart]

2 Dorado & a Sail on Live bottoms, NO JOKE, and I often do this as it is extremely effective, even for Couta which my best of 34Kg came from a live bottom, this is not the 1st Saily we have got on bottoms either, I have caught several like this.
Try it you will be amazed.
Even those 3 little Black Marlin we hooked can from live Sand Soldiers coming up on teh Yozuri's

Mike I'm sure you are taking the micky out of me but if that is the true it is surely amazing. lol. now I can see the look on my crews faces when I put on a soldier instead of a live shad

Seriously ????????

[Capt. Hook]

Mike I'm sure you are taking the micky out of me but if that is the true it is surely amazing. lol. now I can see the look on my crews faces when I put on a soldier instead of a live shad

Seriously ????????

I am serious, and in fact it is EXTREMELY effective, even bigger bottoms like Slinger which Sails are very partial to take.

[nico]

Ask Bennie too - he's caught some of his best gamefish trolling 30cm and bigger slinger! I kid you not!

[jaenswart]

I'll believe it when I see it


guys if I get caught catching small bottoms at vidal for live bait it's on you 

[jaenswart]

you guys now have me thinking about why red and white is such a deadly color...and pink..it's not the bloody contrast or anything...it's because it's the color of the bottom fish.
ag nee nou is ek geskroef 

[Prego]

you guys now have me thinking about why red and white is such a deadly color...and pink..it's not the bloody contrast or anything...it's because it's the color of the bottom fish.
ag nee nou is ek geskroef 

Did you just run to the car to pack the KP's

[jaenswart]

Did you just run to the car to pack the KP's

yes, parks board is not gonna be impressed at all

[tkei]

I have heard of plenty black marlin being hooked after eating dagarad, soldiers etc being brought up from the depths.
I cant remember where I read it but Black marlin actually have bottom fish as a major part of their diet and a few years back I saw a puic in marlin mag of Johan zietzman (from Ghana fame) witha  rigged snapper as a skip bait for bazaruto. remeber game fish are opportunistic and will eaqt whatever is an easy meal.
a year back we couldnt buy a bite trolling or trap sticking in the kei. sea was dead, no game fishj at all. I pulled up a soldier and a school of dorado (about 15 of them) came up fromt he depths with it. we got one out the school on a kp before they went back down, but they werre having a go at it.

[CLS]

Many years back when I lived at Tugela we only used bottoms for couta, deadly. :sml:
Well done Mike.

[Capt. Hook]

So there you have it Jean........ Live bottoms for Game fish is 

[Capt. Hook]

you guys now have me thinking about why red and white is such a deadly color...and pink..it's not the bloody contrast or anything...it's because it's the color of the bottom fish.
ag nee nou is ek geskroef 

Regarding your Red & White theory, I have been told the following theory by 2 different lure manufacturers, 1 local and 1 from Japan:
The red head lures represent gilling fish, so when you think about the smaller fish feeding and you view them from the bottom looking up you will see the red gills which are now open wide and the white underside of the fish. This will cover your mackerel and you reds along with various other fish.

[benniejordaan]

Mike, what is the anglers name in the pic. I'm not 100% sure but he looks familiar to me!

[benniejordaan]

Mike, what is the anglers name in the pic. I'm not 100% sure but he looks familiar to me!

???

[Capt. Hook]

???

I forget, sorry

[benniejordaan]

I forget, sorry

No worries, I'm sure he worked for an Engineering company we dealt with some time ago.. I'll check!

[Capt. Hook]

No worries, I'm sure he worked for an Engineering company we dealt with some time ago.. I'll check!

They were from Northern Cape