Chokka is Gold

[BETTYS]

Yesterday went and bought chokka at my local shop, at R170 pkg 
Dont know what you guys pay.
But being away from home the last couple of months and now have to buy bait it is a shock. Need to get a 5kg of pilchards also.
But if you wanna     you must pay the price !

[FFF]

The prices of bait are really getting bad.  
It also seems only the best baits get bites. So have to pay the price.

[andrewpalang]

Spoke to my mates in PE who have a couple chokka boats and they say it has been tough this year. Boats were catching almost 2 ton a day in the past and now they getting 2 ton in 2 weeks only. Beach price for chokka (off the boat) is at around R70/kg. This is whats causing the heavy prices by the time it reaches the shops! Sards are also pretty scarce at the moment with most boats way off their allocated quotas!

[pieta]

Chokka is most sertain one of the baits that can target many species. The price is way off lately and this alsi the reson way I stick to live bait, bloodwurm, sand mussel and pink and mud praw. I keap the chokke limetted and for the wife. She like the chokka and gives her abut more time to set the hook.

[WalkersKiller]

Thats hectic, sardine and prawn for me for a while 

[BETTYS]

Went to Gansbaai this morning and pay R149pkg for Chokka and R80 for a 5kg box of sardines.
Much better,now just need to go and 

[dorsalfin]

Wow, that is a stealing. I bought 30kg of chocca for our recent Mazeppa trip and payed R60/kg from a private guy here in the Free State. Best Chocca I have ever fished with between 25-35cm each and looking like they have been caught yesterday.

[Lenny]

Sards , R60.00 for 5 Kg's . I buy from the same guys as the Comms do , and its proven better quality


Tjokkas , R120.00 Pretty fresh .




Also spoke to , a mate whos up in PE , catching Tjokka , he also give very poor numbers , he told me that if the guys gets 2 Tons on a trip its good . As too 2t's a day .


Wonder whats the story ? Did they clean the entire population up ? Weather and Ocean changes ? What about that new power station ??


At that price you might as well make another plan for bait.

[BETTYS]

R60 a boxs sards is real cheap.Just ask him when the sards was caught. Bought a box last year for R80 looks good but when I start using it,it went pap real fast.
 

[Lofty]

I bought chokka a while ago and paid R205/5kg box,and the chokka is nice and big  and whole with thick white flesh...I like it to be fleshy...the smaller loligo squid(used in some restaurants)was R250/5kg box...

R60 a boxs sards is real cheap.Just ask him when the sards was caught. Bought a box last year for R80 looks good but when I start using it,it went pap real fast.
 

In case you didn't know this...you must always turn the frozen sards bottom up and make sure that there's no frozen blood at the bottom...that usually means that either the pillies defrosted at some stage or that they weren't frozen properly the first time...their eyes MUST be nice and clear too...no redish eyes...usually then their flesh should be nice and firm...

[BETTYS]

Lofty,thanks for that,I did turn the box around inside out,open up about 5 boxes and this one looks the best.. Can it just be "old"stock ? As I think the new  season for the sard trollers open real soon or did open this week, not sure.
Good prize for the chokka. The one's I bought here for must say nice white flesh and smash soft real quick.

[Lofty]

Lofty,thanks for that,I did turn the box around inside out,open up about 5 boxes and this one looks the best.. Can it just be "old"stock ? As I think the new  season for the sard trollers open real soon or did open this week, not sure.
Good prize for the chokka. The one's I bought here for must say nice white flesh and smash soft real quick.

it's hard to say but like I said before,the eyes are a dead giveaway...if not crystal clear,not fresh...could've bought real old stock too..you'll never know...a sale is a sale to most shops...do you regularly buy from that shop..?I'd be really if I bought pap pillies/sards from a shop that I support regularly...eventhough I buy from a wholesaler type here in Mosselbay called Viking fisheries and haven't had a problem yet...they have their own trawlers for sards/pillies,and probably chokka too... so usually very fresh...

[Charles]

Lofty I also buy from Vikings but buy fresh sards that have not been frozen. Early mornings get them fresh from the sea.

[CLS]

Wow, that is a stealing. I bought 30kg of chocca for our recent Mazeppa trip and payed R60/kg from a private guy here in the Free State. Best Chocca I have ever fished with between 25-35cm each and looking like they have been caught yesterday.

Please share details as that is a good price.

[Gregf]

Wow, that is a stealing. I bought 30kg of chocca for our recent Mazeppa trip and payed R60/kg from a private guy here in the Free State. Best Chocca I have ever fished with between 25-35cm each and looking like they have been caught yesterday.

Please share details as that is a good price.

  please

[Lenny]

I bought chokka a while ago and paid R205/5kg box,and the chokka is nice and big  and whole with thick white flesh...I like it to be fleshy...the smaller loligo squid(used in some restaurants)was R250/5kg box...

R60 a boxs sards is real cheap.Just ask him when the sards was caught. Bought a box last year for R80 looks good but when I start using it,it went pap real fast.
 

In case you didn't know this...you must always turn the frozen sards bottom up and make sure that there's no frozen blood at the bottom...that usually means that either the pillies defrosted at some stage or that they weren't frozen properly the first time...their eyes MUST be nice and clear too...no redish eyes...usually then their flesh should be nice and firm...

sometimes the old boxes are up top , I generally when I have to buys from 'suspect' Suppliers get one right atthe bottom . Some Skelm Tackleshop , had two freezers one from CLients and one for Friends . When I asked them about it they say its all the same , they must have thought I was laid under a chicken , cause the one was pink pink dried/freezer burnt . and the other freezer was ice white , properly wrapped up no freezer burn .


Betty01 , ek het vir jou n Vars KAt .

[Lichia amia]

For general scratching how do you rate the little rat Falkland chokka to our local chokka . Reason Im asking the Falkland boys are going at R49/kg vs  /kg .

[Gregf]

For general scratching how do you rate the little rat Falkland chokka to our local chokka . Reason Im asking the Falkland boys are going at R49/kg vs  /kg .

Send me a box and I will let you know  The only thing to avoid is those ones that have red/orange juice in them, they do not work at all for us 

[Lichia amia]

Whats the current going rate for a Kg of Chokka . Any signs of a recovery in the industry ?

[Lenny]

For general scratching how do you rate the little rat Falkland chokka to our local chokka . Reason Im asking the Falkland boys are going at R49/kg vs  /kg .

If its white , and not pink , then its 100% .
But generally they are of a poor quality , some of those boxes of Tjokka , are red already and guys think they still good to fish .