Author Topic: Kosi Bay October 2014 Report (Read 10651 times)

WalkersKiller · « **on:** November 03, 2014, 09:11:05 AM »

There was a lot of excitement in the air, as months of planning finally came into play. It was Saturday the 18th of October, and I had barely slept. I made the trip on a fairly empty highway at 1.30am to Doc’s house, I would be travelling with him. After repacking the car, I brought too much stuff, normally I don’t bring enough, we were on the road in the dark and very keen on a good break and hopefully some fish.

We arrived at the Wimpy in Pongola, as we left earlier than everyone else, we hang around about 30 minutes for Reefman and Weedeater and then eventually (After staring at a boat for 10 minutes), Mike Pike and Isivuba joined us. We had a quick breakfast and were on the road once again, and after a few more hours we arrived at the Total in Manguzi where an awesome little tackle shop awaited us. I ended up buying stuff I didn’t need, always the case and then we were on our way, the last stretch of the journey to the Parks board at Kosi Bay Lakes.

After all our documentation was in order, we drove the 20-minute 4x4 stretch to where we were going to be based for the next week or so. We arrived to something we didn’t think we would. A gale South Easterly and swells of 4 meters plus. We unpacked and shared a few cold ones. We noticed that the weather had changed the mouth completely, and the water was a good 3 meters right in front of the cottage.

I decided to throw some small baits at some of the Glassies that congregate around the submerged tree below the cottage and caught a few, but did not satisfy my hunger for some fishing action.

The next day we woke up bleak, but I did a bit of fly fishing in the mouth to no avail. Then Mike Pike and I walked to a spot that he had seen on Google Earth, a few kms, but when we arrived we couldn’t actually fish it, which was very disappointing. We did play around on the way back, and Mike got chased and knocked twice by a Kingy and I managed a few Stumpies and Thornfish.

On this trip I was in search of my 100th species, so I went acroos the estuary to the bricks and caught 3 new species, including my 100th, a Sash Damsel, I was very chuffed. While I was fishing, 2 electric blue Eels came out of nowhere, they were easily both 2 meters long, and I caught the fright of my life and quickly reeled in my 4lb braid. I didn’t want to hook into one of those things!

The best part about the lack of fish, was that a few of the guys tried some micro fishing with success, and that was cool to see.

The estuary was playing the game, as a few of the gvuys managed some unusual fish, but they were fish none the less. Mike Pike and Doc did most of the damage in the estuary catching Thornfish, Bartail Flathead, Leopard Flounder and Evil Eyed Puffer.

We were at Kosi for Reefman’s Birthday and we all chipped in to get Gavin Erwin to paint him a Blacktip Kingie for his Birthday. Was an amazing painting, with so much details, and Reefz said he was going to put it in his office. On his birthday Reefz hooked a big Speckled Snapper, only to be reefed a few minutes into the fight, Kosi almost gave him an awesome birthday present.

I do have to mention that Isivuba’s cooking and menu was amazing. I have never eaten the way I ate at Kosi on a fishing trip before and the food was excellent, thanks a lot Mike, the lack of fish was definitely made up for by the awesome chow!

For the rest of the trip the sea ended up being almost unfishable. If the swells weren’t too big, then the side wash and under currents were too strong. I saw Reefman cast a 10 ounce, only for it to be washed back up on the beach a few seconds later. The sea was really wild. We had 2 days without wind, and other days the wind blew between 30 and 55 km/h, and was mostly a SE (Poison) wind, which didn’t help the fishing at all. We all really tried hard in the surf, crossing the estuary to look for reef fish, scratching and sliding from the north side, but really struggled.

Reefman managed a Blacktail, Karanteen and 2 Natal Stumpies on one outing after a tiny bit of North Easter, but that’s as far as the scratching went. Baits came back untouched, you could throw a red eye fillet that had been in the sun for 2 days, and if you didn’t cast it off, it would come back exactly the same as you put it on.

And on a sad note we watched the locals every day catch and keep between 20-40 fish, that including mullet, garfish, blacktail, stumpies, moonies, barracuda and a few others. Then on the last day they were gill-netting the aquarium area, and were filling dustbin bags full of fish. We phoned Ezemvelo, who said they would be there, but never showed up. It was a somber end to a great holiday.

Trip summary:

47 fish, 16 species.
Slender Glassy x12
Russels Snapper x1
Thornfish x11
Natal Stumpnose x4
Blacktail x2
Karanteen x1
Evil Eyed Puffer x7
Longspine Glassy x7
Cape Silverside x2
Blackedged Sweeper x1
Sash Damsel x1
Pinky x1
Bartail Flathead x2
Leopard Flounder x1
Goldbar Wrasse x1
Diamond Ray x1

The fish of the trip was Mike Pikes 176 cm Diamond Ray, an awesome fish caught right in front of the house on a chokka bait and extremely light tackle!

Pictures and videos to follow!

Kent · « **Reply #1 on:** November 03, 2014, 09:14:54 AM »

..GREAT!!!...Report...jip the sea has been up to maggots!!...BUT..thats fishing!!

WalkersKiller · « **Reply #2 on:** November 03, 2014, 09:41:04 AM »

Some photo's...

WalkersKiller · « **Reply #3 on:** November 03, 2014, 09:43:07 AM »

Some of the species I managed...

WalkersKiller · « **Reply #4 on:** November 03, 2014, 09:50:16 AM »

More

L Hooker · « **Reply #5 on:** November 03, 2014, 10:02:09 AM »

Nice report pity the weather did not play ball. Seems we've been having a lot of that lately

Charles · « **Reply #6 on:** November 03, 2014, 10:03:34 AM »

Great report! Thanks for sharing.

Willie · « **Reply #7 on:** November 03, 2014, 10:20:03 AM »

Great report WK. Yip the weather was not playing the game but, next time will be better.

vismal · « **Reply #8 on:** November 03, 2014, 10:31:21 AM »

Very nice pics and report, cheers for sharing.

Weedeater · « **Reply #9 on:** November 03, 2014, 10:52:17 AM »

AWESOME trip!! Thanks to the chaps for making it what it was. Fish are just a bonus

SAfish · « **Reply #10 on:** November 03, 2014, 10:58:04 AM »

Great report and I am glad you guys had fun.

Homie · « **Reply #11 on:** November 03, 2014, 10:59:31 AM »

Such an awesome spot !
Sad to see that the fish are being plundered !

Looks like you all had a blast, and thats what really matters !!!!

gavin erwin · « **Reply #12 on:** November 03, 2014, 12:21:18 PM »

Some weird looking fish there

PH · « **Reply #13 on:** November 03, 2014, 12:27:46 PM »

Great report, thanks for sharing.

REEFMAN · « **Reply #14 on:** November 03, 2014, 01:48:21 PM »

To add my little bit...
Was another great trip with great mates... we fished really hard again, trying to make the best of shocking conditions. The MPR Jinx (Mike Pike Reefz) got us good and proper this time, with conditions being unfishable 80% of the time. Gale SE on most days with a sea so confused and upside down that I was contemplating quitting fishing!!
The trip was made that much better by Isivuba's outstanding culinary skills, we really ate like kings... magies vol, ogies toe - so we slept a lot too.

On the second last night, Mike Pike put up his little Vengeance rod with a Caldia coffee grinder on it and cast a small chokka bait into the estuary. Left it in the rod stand. Luckily, Gareth saw the rod bend and set the hook, screaming frantically for Mike. A 50kg Diamond Ray swam past his bait and foul hooked itself! An epic fight ensued into the darkness on light tackle. About 150m out on the other side of the island, there was no way of landing this fish, until Isivuba decided to swim Pike across the estuary in a boat to the other side where they landed the monster in testing conditions. Epic skills from Pike and Isi! Fish of a lifetime on that tackle!

Really sad to see the locals plundering the fish and raping the ocean with their Gill nets, without being able to do anything about it. If this continues, Kosi is fast becoming yet another barren wasteland.

I celebrated my Birthday there and got gifted the most awesome Gavin Erwin painting! Was a great day!

Thanks to the boys who made this another trip to remember!

REEFMAN · « **Reply #15 on:** November 03, 2014, 01:48:58 PM »

Lichia amia · « **Reply #16 on:** November 03, 2014, 02:01:54 PM »

Hard luck Gents and WK.

As Weeds said getting fish is a bonus , specially at Teba.

Seams like those two Ou's still have the bad weather

,

condition jinks

Luck has to changes , there has to be an exceptional trip not long off .

FishStyx · « **Reply #17 on:** November 03, 2014, 02:27:53 PM »

Thanks for the great report boys... If fishing was predictable, I doubt we'd still be that devoted. It just makes those days when the sea comes alive, all the more memorable. Great pics.

John F · « **Reply #18 on:** November 03, 2014, 02:45:48 PM »

Thanks for the report G! Great pics as well!

Also congrats on breaking the 100 spp. barrier!

Hey Reefs, how about a pic of your special prezie?!

Rory · « **Reply #19 on:** November 03, 2014, 03:02:25 PM »

Eish hard luck on the fishing chasps.....again. Super report and some smashing pics, Kosi looks amazing!