TOTAL ARTLURE BAN FOR BREEDE RIVER

[tackle whore]

Just heard there is going to be proposal put forward at next BRLC for a total artlure ban for  WITSANDS/BREEDE area . That means no spinning,dropshot,rapala fishing for elf , kob,leeries etc etc . Guys can get hold of Keith at the fishing specialist for full details .

[Marthin]

Brilliant plan.... unfortunately a lot of people will have to suffer... but just like in school, a few guys will spoil it for a lot... however the greater good of this far outweighs the bad.

[Capt. Hook]

Alway the angler that gets nailed.

[tackle whore]

whats the greater good ?? If a few people do their jobs properly then we the majority wont be getting screwed by a few  . I know  one shop in the area sold 500 rapalas  last kob run . The 4 biggest shops in cape town never came close to that in total rapala sales for the same period . You got to draw the line and take a stance some where , next a total ban on shore fishing in summer time in mosselbay area because a few guys spoil it for the lot ??
 

Brilliant plan.... unfortunately a lot of people will have to suffer... but just like in school, a few guys will spoil it for a lot... however the greater good of this far outweighs the bad.

[WalkersKiller]

Very strange, always good for conservation which is key, but I always wanted to fish the Breede with hard plastics 

[Zetti]

TW, what is the reason for this proposal?

[tackle whore]

Lets just wait and see got this info secondhand from a very reliable source in the SA ARTLURE ASSOC. hope to have more info this week ??????

[Zetti]

Lets just wait and see got this info secondhand from a very reliable source in the SA ARTLURE ASSOC. hope to have more info this week ??????

Thanks, please keep us posted.
 
I can't see how a ban like this can influence anything on a system the size of the Breede River, unless there is something I am missing here?
 
 
 
 

[Marthin]

Viskop here's the nitty gritty...

The first full moon spring tide in october i think could be september.... big kob and i mean BIG kob come into the breede river prior to spawning....

This year, within the first five days over 50 kob were taken with the smallest being 18kg and the biggest 48kg... last year they managed over 100 in this size range in the first 2 weeks.

Calls have been made for anglers being responsible but have fallen on deaf ears.  All of these fish are taken on deep diving rapalas being trawled by a flotilla of boats in certain sections of the river.  The majority being locals.

This isnt hearsay but can be confirmed with Johnny Swart from Heidelberg if needs be.

Locals that have always looked after the river and fished it responsibly have been asking to stop the trawling of rapalas for a very long time.

Giant breeding fish are being wiped out at a rate that makes deep sea trawlers look like sunday school kids.  The fish are also caught on very light line, so release is nearly always out of the question.

So if the local tackle shops are going to lose business.... tough tekkie!!!! People have been doing their jobs but here lies the problem!

Locals have thought out all kinds of schemes.... loading fish from one boat to another, launching and coming out at private slipways, taking people out on the boat that never fish but have a licence etc.

So it needs to stop NOW!

[Zetti]

Thanks Marthin, I didn't know about this.
 
I love Witsand and Breede and if there is any threat to the substainability of the system I am all for the measures put in place to prevent this.
 
But what rubs me the wrong way, and this has been said 1000000 times I know, is that certain people spoil it for everyone. There must be another way of sorting out the problem, even if it means a scheduled ban of whatever and whoever during the time you mentioned? Why a total ban? Sort out the creatures who are causing the damage, don't take away the thrill of landing a decent fish and then releasing it from guys like me.
 
I have been fishing the breede for almost 30 years, and I'm only 32 now, so I do not want to see the river go dead.
 
My very first fish was caught next to the old jetty that was broken down, the blacktail I caught even "bit" me (dorsal fin stuck into my finger, but what does a 2 year old know)

[Lofty]

Hi guys,I know this is old,but was searching the forum for info on Breederiver,Witsand & Stilbaai,when I stumbled upon this old thread...what has happened after this...?I'm planning a few days trip there next week on my way back from C.T.as it will be school holidays and would love to throw a few spoons and poppers..or does/did this just apply to lipped lures like Rapalas?Any info. will be appreciated... thnx

[Marthin]

i was busy casting spoons and soft plastics while MCM waited for me to get out the water and present my licence.

No issues at all from shore. (by the way 2 leerie chases, 1 kob chase and a massive springer that took the plastic but threw the lure on the first jump)

[BETTYS]

Lofty, you can still use art lure, but just if you didn't know, no fishing at night in the Breede not from the boat or side.

[Lenny]

My concern are that , all the guys fishing and trolling Raps , are now gonna go to Gouritz , and just plunder there . And dont under estimate Gouritz for Kob , not as much Grunters but big Kob theres load of them . Just before i go further does this not include Gourits ?
 
I dont know who pushed for this , if its that silly Breed trust , or DAFF  .


 also cant see how they will enforce a night fish ban when theres loads of small private  slipways up river ,where most of the good bg Kob are anyway . 

[Tommo]

This highlights the fact that all recreational anglers need to take on responsibility of reporting wrongdoing. The authorities are not able to effectively protect our resources, for whatever reasons (that is another issue altogether), so we need to help. If greedy 'recreationals' continue to plunder fish stocks then we are all going to suffer in a number of ways. Firstly there will be less fish for us all to enjoy, secondly the authorities will decide that it is easier to control through blanket bans. We have seen this with beach driving, and now proposed banning of lure fishing in the Breede, no night fishing in the Breede, no take at all in the iSimangaliso wetland park, no jigging in iSimangaliso Park areas etc.
Basicaly what happens is that the entire fishing community gets punished for the crimes of a few. While it seems terribly unfair, I do sympathise with those making the laws and regulations. They are trying to protect our fishery and are fighting against people that are dead set on raping and pillaging with no regard for tomorrow.

One way that we can stop our own fishing opportunities from being further restricted is to actively take part in policing our fishery. When we see somebody pulling the ring out we need to act. This does not mean endangering your, or your family by getting into a potentially dangerous confrontation, but there are other ways to get involved. Reporting wrong doers to the relevant authorities is the most obvious way to help. Try to get details such as boat names, car registration numbers etc. This information can help authorities to do their job.

I know that it seems discouraging when nothing appears to happen, but taking some action is definitely better than taking none at all. In most cases the information will be used and hopefully the law breakers will be brought to book.

You are not a tittle tale or a snitch for reporting poaching, it is our duty to report criminals to the authorities and if everyone did, then less people would openly flaunt the law.

[WJ]

Good post Tommo. And I think Gouritz is also no troll zone. Not sure

[Marthin]

Yip think it's all the Hesekwa rivers.

[Seventenths]

I always have mixed feelings on these things but what's right for the protection of the species against IDIOTS is always the best!

[Lofty]

Good post Tommo. And I think Gouritz is also no troll zone. Not sure

Yip think it's all the Hesekwa rivers.

That's the first time I've heard this,I've also trawled at Gouritz,caught nothing,but lost a lure to what I think was a big Leerie... R70 gone...if this is true,then where would one find out all the rules,as no-one has ever told me that I wasn't allowed to do so.... I've also overnighted on the river in my cabin boat,as some others do too...I must be a terrible fisherman because I've never caught a kob from trawling or overnight fishing off my little boat... I've had more success fishing from the side using live mullet... someone mentioned that fishing at night in the Breede is banned...what's the latest one can fish till then,and how early in the mornings... ?

[Marthin]

The trolling ban is actually for all kind of fishing for the entire Hessequa area, that's all the rivers and estuaries from the western bank of the breede till the eastern bank of the Gouritz.

5(b) fish from a boat or vessel on a river while that boat or vessel is under motorized power;

www.hessequa.gov.za/hessequa/doc%27s/By_Laws/Hessequa%20Rivers%20and%20Street%20Trading%20Bylaws.pd

5b

This would include Breede, Goukou, Duivenhoks and Gouritz.

The nightfishing ban pertains only to the Breede
www.breede-river.org/documents/Night%20Fishing%20Ban%20for%20the%20Breede%20River%20Estuary.pdf