Knysna report Dec 2016

[RobinF]

It was that time again, back to Knysna, back to home.

Quick overview, almost everyday presented the same weather, moderate morning air temp, hot afternoon with gusting winds, warm evenings with strong breeze. Water temp was consistently between 23.5C and 27.5C. (never seen it that warm)

Our biggest challenge was coping with a very slack tidal flow that offered very little in the way of movement and visible action. Our tactic was clear from the onset, we were targeting Garrick (Leerie). Since there was little to see as far as chases were concerned, we started trolling. We had tremendous success. We know where to look for them and they were always there. We did get to Knysna before the 'rush', so the lagoon was ours' for the taking.

NOTE: WE DO NOT USE TREBLE HOOKS EVER! If a lure can't swim with a single, it gets dropped into the 'bin'. Our rule is simple: limit the damage to the fish at all costs and release everything. If we can't catch on single hooks, then we are not good fishermen and must try harder. That is our rule. We did have two misses, but since 10 Garrick landed out of 12 hits, I would say our rule is working for us. Here we go:

Starting at 04h30 every morning an fished to about 09h30. We would go out again and about 17h30 - 21h30.

Our movement up stream was always with one lure trolling and a constant speed held. Only when we entered a strike zone that should produce, would I increase speed slightly or reduce slightly. This happened with our first hit. The area was just too quite and increasing the speed slightly, brought about a great success. Holding the rod, I said to Connor, I was increasing speed and as I did it, the line went. Fishing very light, we troll with a 7ft light Shimano rod and Shimano Corvalis 400 with light nylon. Nothing like seeing that rod bend and line go at 05h00. Good start to the day!


 




First signs of the Garrick!

   




The after landing: Here, I am very quickly removing the single hook. I have pliers and a wet towel on hand in case I struggle. We use time limits, We must have the hook out and the fish back in within 90 seconds and if the fight is longer and the fish is at risk, we will not take photo's, we will get the fish back in immediately.
 




And the result, a beautiful strong Garrick. (Connor's first of 10 for the trip)






From here on, the writing was on the wall.












This fish is Connor's PB for Garrick. The photo does not do it justice, it was quite a bit bigger than the others.




The release





And more.....




What a magnificent sight and a true privilege to touch and release these amazing creatures!







So now Connor asked me if that evening we could try for some Grunter. Well, he never disappointed...again! I am not sure of this Grunter had eggs, but I have never seen such a fat fish! The interesting thing is how dirty the Grunter fights in comparison to the gentleman known as Garrick. For years Connor caught big Grunter, and he had forgotten how they fight. This beaut was (as with all our fish) RELEASED! (In this pic, Connor has wet his hands to avoid damaging the fish's scales. We also used a circle hook and this allowed the fish to be de-hooked very quickly)





By day 5, Connor was after some Kob. We left it a bit late, but tried and never got a result. Connor turned to me and said that he wants payback for some of the reels that got stripped and the one that broke. Our last report had our Penn's spool crack in half and we lost that fight. We had a baitcaster stripped a few years ago. These were all documented on UA before. It was picked up at night and the speed of the strip was unbelievable. So this time, we returned with a Diawa Saltist and the Penn Powerstick. This was our last fishing morning. I asked Connor is this what he wanted because it was going to be a very hard challenge for him. He was determined. So I rigged up a big circle hook and we went to meet the incoming tide about 200m from the heads in about 10m deep water. I put on a delicious tender chokka bait and out it went.

One Sandshark of about 15Kg,  followed by another of same size. Then what might have been a Raggy of about 10Kg. Still we waited for that monster of the deep to come and humiliate us again. And then!! The line tensioned, Connor said "hey dad, watch this".  Slowly the line became tight and BOOM! I watched as this thick nylon screamed off the reel and such a pace. After 60 seconds, Connor asked me is we should chase it, I said not yet. The fish went from one side to the next taking line at will.

The fish's safety is paramount and long fights kill fish, so I told Connor that we are now going to take our gear to the max and if the fish breaks it, the fish wins. He agreed and I tightened the drag slightly. The fish stopped and the very slow process of getting line back in began.

   

This is Connor smiling as the line is getting stripped at speed.

   





We have an advantage as we can chase if need be. Notice here, the UA top had to be taken off after 30 minutes as Connor was sweating and struggling to hold on. At last revenge was on the cards!



The fish then swam right around the boat and at the anchor rope. I quickly pulled the anchor up. This became an ongoing thing for the next 10minutes as the fish circled us. I had to start the motor twice as a complete clown (I am almost convinced deliberately) tried to come really close to the line. I at one stage hit full reverse and ran across his path as he approached us trying to cross our stern at about 10m distance. It was the only way I could protect the fight. I just shouted to Connor that he needed to improvise as I had to block this clown off. (So if you were in Knysna driving a Mallard cat hull on Saturday at the heads at about 08h00....please think, be considerate, that area is very wide, there is no need to come so close!)

Finally, I said to Connor that the fight was going too long. At 45min, we needed to end it. I used the engine to get on top of the fish.... and this is what we saw:





This was me checking how strong the opponent was. It was followed by the famous words "We're going to need a bigger boat!"




And then finally, Connor had his revenge and Mr. Duckbill was brought to the side so that I could cut the trace at the hook. We only use mild steel circle hooks. This hook was in the Duckbill's corner of his mouth. And actually, I never got to cut the line totally as the duckbill shot off again and as he did the line broke where I was trying to cut. What an experience and what a fight. The utmost respect to the Duckbill, if he had legs, he could walk up and kick my ass on any given day. What immense power!





Then some random pic to finish off:

This is my boy. A conservationist second to none. A future warroir for all marine creatures. A champion of all things pure that fears no one and will stand up for the creatures that can't defend themselves against human stupidity and ignorance.




Beautiful St. James





Belvidere





Resident Seal....we even saw a dolphin!





Cruising along




Some final thoughts:

Please consider using singles and not trebles.
Please consider releasing your catch.

If a 14yr old can do these things, so can you.

[SAfish]

  Great report and awesome catches. Thanks again for taking us out with you last Sunday. Although we did not catch anything it was still great to have my son and I join you guys.
We have picked up the rod and reel you gave EC today and you have made him a very happy young man. He can't wait to go try it out but the wind was pumping today. 

[Mal Hannes]

Robin and Connor you are my fishing heroes!!!
Respect!!!!!

After all of that I am very jealous.

[colin]

  great report 

[RobinF]

Thanks chaps.

Hermann, that rig caught a lot, watch EC outfish you now!! (We have 3 rigs like that, they are super easy and light.) Will be back in April, we can try and get you guys on the fish then.

[WalkersKiller]

 

Awesome stuff bru, what a lekker report with some beautiful fish!

[RobinF]

Awesome stuff bru, what a lekker report with some beautiful fish!

Thank you sir!

[REEFMAN]

GREAT report, GREAT fish, GREAT ethics!
Congrats to Connor!
 
This is how it should be done.

[RobinF]

GREAT report, GREAT fish, GREAT ethics!
Congrats to Connor!
 
This is how it should be done.

And Reefs, as you catch, de-hook, photo and release, it becomes easier and faster everytime.

Something that I did was I changed all out single hooks to point down. We had one smaller Garrick take the hook that pointed up, just below the eye. It went in his mouth and came out just below his eye. We carry a small split ring tool, it makes removing and changing hooks so easy. I just undid the hook and fed it through. The fish swam away fine. By making the hooks point down, we had no more issues.

And also, what I should have done (in hind sight) was crush the barb and remove it like that. I will do this next time.

[John F]

Great report as usual Robin! 

On a side note. While all the care taken to ensure the well being of the fish is awesome to see and pass on, fish are a lot more resilient than we usually think (as I'm sure you know). Reason I'm saying this is, don't stress and consume yourself if sometimes things don't go according to plan! You've done a lot already! 

 

[RobinF]

Great report as usual Robin! 

On a side note. While all the care taken to ensure the well being of the fish is awesome to see and pass on, fish are a lot more resilient than we usually think (as I'm sure you know). Reason I'm saying this is, don't stress and consume yourself if sometimes things don't go according to plan! You've done a lot already! 

 

Thank you my friend. We are yet to lose a fish. I have told Connor that fishing is a blood sport and that we must always understand that we could very well have a fish die one day. I think a lot of the prep we do helps. Pliers, wet towel, etc. And just an added thing is that we also never fish with belly hooks. When we buy a lure, the belly hook gets removed and the tail hook becomes a downward pointing single. Often the fish hooks the tail lure and the belly then sits right next to the fish's eye. I think 10 fish out of 12 hits says a lot for the single tail hook. We will keep evolving our methods.
   

[sardinella]

Thanks for a great report, bery good photos as well

[L Hooker]

congrats on the catches

[RobinF]

Thanks guys

[Visenvryheid]

Thank you my friend. We are yet to lose a fish. I have told Connor that fishing is a blood sport and that we must always understand that we could very well have a fish die one day. I think a lot of the prep we do helps. Pliers, wet towel, etc. And just an added thing is that we also never fish with belly hooks. When we buy a lure, the belly hook gets removed and the tail hook becomes a downward pointing single. Often the fish hooks the tail lure and the belly then sits right next to the fish's eye. I think 10 fish out of 12 hits says a lot for the single tail hook. We will keep evolving our methods.
 


You guys are an example to us all..

I just lost the entire reply I wrote but basically.. there is nothing to be ashamed of to eat and kill you own meal either. Your kiddo still has to learn about the cycle of life, and death. Unless he is a vegan (the ethics of which are also highly debatable), he eats protein everyday. And has no hand except in the purchase of the end product in how the source lived and died and whether it suffered or whether the process to create it was sustainable and food chain not polluted with poisons. That one leerie that gets gill hooked and is bleeding profusely, to return it is to disregard its life although you would be feeding a shark somewhere. To eat it is to appreciate it and the cycle of life, one can take responsibility for how the creature dies and let it die with respect and as little suffering as possible and it can be treated with respect afterwards. That is more than what can be said for the rest of what I eat. From the one side of the scale, mass produced inyama and its enviromental and ethical cost and suffering in the animals, to the vegans fruits and nuts, produced under mono-cropping and mass-spraying programs of poisons (which decimates populations of birds on small mammals) and then being packaged in poisonous packaging which distrupts hormones systems (which we dispose of in landfills continuing the disruption of hormone systems in nature that are already affected by the spraying)...ja anyway..modern life is a big mess.

Tell and teach yer kiddo that there is nothing wrong in catching and killing your own food. In fact it is to be responsible. Though where the right and wrong comes in is the sustainability of what you are doing, and inflicting as little suffering as possible and giving the creature respect in death. I'm sure you know all this and more and more..just saying. Death is part of life and there is no reason to teach the younguns otherwise. It is unnecessary suffering and unnecessary death and destruction that is not good, feeding oneself is just natural and a part of being alive. Life cannot be achieved without causing death, you have to eat to survive, it is understanding the wheres and hows, where more life is created through the death instead of more death that is the karmic key to it all. Personally, I think pure C&R is less respectful to the fish than fishing for the pot and sport mindfully and sustainably..but that is just the conclusion that I've come to, for myself after a life of fishing and introspection. That said, I've only eaten one leerie ever in my life that was terminally injured and I've caught hundreds, I've eye hooked and released them and I've caught fish on more than one occasion including very large 12kg+ fish that had lost one eye early in its life and perfectly capable to hunt down my plug, beat its' mates and smash it. Fish like those with such depressed populations such as leeries and dusky cob, or sensitive and extremely valuable to sport fishing like the tarpon in florida, or very slow to reproduce or grow reef species like poensies or red steenbras, I don't believe in keeping at all. To explain, I feel less ethical weight to catch katonkel and keep 10 for the pot/braai/sushi/dog food/smoker or to do the same with my four shad or 2 bek, than I feel ethical weight to specifically target the leeries C&R. I shouldn't actually target the leeries at all if I want a clean karma, but I do, and catch bonnies and shad etc. for pan. The leeries are just too much fun, I love catching them too much..so I'm like you and your boy, very careful with them. I excuse myself acknowledging as you well know that sport fishing and C&R fishing is what has saved many of the worlds fisheries but then I am also realize that with no ringfencing of funds in our country and my license fees disappearing into some politicians swiss bank account, we are no Florida. When I do keep a fish nothing gets wasted, the guts return to the sea or become compost, the head and carcass becomes dog food and the fish got thanked for its' life, it got a spike to the brain, it got bled immediately and got kept cool till filleted or eaten. Fillets get vacuum packed and the quality is so good that a year later they can be pulled out for sashimi if need be. Waste is the evil IMO. Waste of life, waste of stocks...waste of the opportunity of amazing fishing we are missing out on because of bad and self-destructive practices and cultures.

Anyway rewrote the reply, just to give another side of the coin..

Thanks for your great report, pics and shining example and give yer boy another pat on the back please..Good on you guys! Well done!

[DannyDannhauser]

Great report... Thank you..

[RobinF]

Thank you my friend. We are yet to lose a fish. I have told Connor that fishing is a blood sport and that we must always understand that we could very well have a fish die one day. I think a lot of the prep we do helps. Pliers, wet towel, etc. And just an added thing is that we also never fish with belly hooks. When we buy a lure, the belly hook gets removed and the tail hook becomes a downward pointing single. Often the fish hooks the tail lure and the belly then sits right next to the fish's eye. I think 10 fish out of 12 hits says a lot for the single tail hook. We will keep evolving our methods.
 


You guys are an example to us all..

I just lost the entire reply I wrote but basically.. there is nothing to be ashamed of to eat and kill you own meal either. Your kiddo still has to learn about the cycle of life, and death. Unless he is a vegan (the ethics of which are also highly debatable), he eats protein everyday. And has no hand except in the purchase of the end product in how the source lived and died and whether it suffered or whether the process to create it was sustainable and food chain not polluted with poisons. That one leerie that gets gill hooked and is bleeding profusely, to return it is to disregard its life although you would be feeding a shark somewhere. To eat it is to appreciate it and the cycle of life, one can take responsibility for how the creature dies and let it die with respect and as little suffering as possible and it can be treated with respect afterwards. That is more than what can be said for the rest of what I eat. From the one side of the scale, mass produced inyama and its enviromental and ethical cost and suffering in the animals, to the vegans fruits and nuts, produced under mono-cropping and mass-spraying programs of poisons (which decimates populations of birds on small mammals) and then being packaged in poisonous packaging which distrupts hormones systems (which we dispose of in landfills continuing the disruption of hormone systems in nature that are already affected by the spraying)...ja anyway..modern life is a big mess.

Tell and teach yer kiddo that there is nothing wrong in catching and killing your own food. In fact it is to be responsible. Though where the right and wrong comes in is the sustainability of what you are doing, and inflicting as little suffering as possible and giving the creature respect in death. I'm sure you know all this and more and more..just saying. Death is part of life and there is no reason to teach the younguns otherwise. It is unnecessary suffering and unnecessary death and destruction that is not good, feeding oneself is just natural and a part of being alive. Life cannot be achieved without causing death, you have to eat to survive, it is understanding the wheres and hows, where more life is created through the death instead of more death that is the karmic key to it all. Personally, I think pure C&R is less respectful to the fish than fishing for the pot and sport mindfully and sustainably..but that is just the conclusion that I've come to, for myself after a life of fishing and introspection. That said, I've only eaten one leerie ever in my life that was terminally injured and I've caught hundreds, I've eye hooked and released them and I've caught fish on more than one occasion including very large 12kg+ fish that had lost one eye early in its life and perfectly capable to hunt down my plug, beat its' mates and smash it. Fish like those with such depressed populations such as leeries and dusky cob, or sensitive and extremely valuable to sport fishing like the tarpon in florida, or very slow to reproduce or grow reef species like poensies or red steenbras, I don't believe in keeping at all. To explain, I feel less ethical weight to catch katonkel and keep 10 for the pot/braai/sushi/dog food/smoker or to do the same with my four shad or 2 bek, than I feel ethical weight to specifically target the leeries C&R. I shouldn't actually target the leeries at all if I want a clean karma, but I do, and catch bonnies and shad etc. for pan. The leeries are just too much fun, I love catching them too much..so I'm like you and your boy, very careful with them. I excuse myself acknowledging as you well know that sport fishing and C&R fishing is what has saved many of the worlds fisheries but then I am also realize that with no ringfencing of funds in our country and my license fees disappearing into some politicians swiss bank account, we are no Florida. When I do keep a fish nothing gets wasted, the guts return to the sea or become compost, the head and carcass becomes dog food and the fish got thanked for its' life, it got a spike to the brain, it got bled immediately and got kept cool till filleted or eaten. Fillets get vacuum packed and the quality is so good that a year later they can be pulled out for sashimi if need be. Waste is the evil IMO. Waste of life, waste of stocks...waste of the opportunity of amazing fishing we are missing out on because of bad and self-destructive practices and cultures.

Anyway rewrote the reply, just to give another side of the coin..

Thanks for your great report, pics and shining example and give yer boy another pat on the back please..Good on you guys! Well done!

Connor understands the cycle of life very well. As a family, we believe that everything has a right to life and we chose to limit our impact on a fast dwindling resource. And without getting into a long debate about why we do what we do, let's just say that we will never kill any of our fish. Not now and not ever. For all of us, the thrill of seeing the fish swim away out-weighs the thrill of the fight.   

[Visenvryheid]

I hear you though, much respect..