CAPE Offshore - Whatsup?!

[Seventenths]

guys any news of fish out there. Sunday looks like one could take a chance

Have heard from deckies that plenty fish about now of the smaller 30 - 60kg class but that was earlier in the week... west has been a bit too prevalent for my liking... I will ask around and see if anyone been out.

The SST no looking so good, need the 23deg to move along a bit!!! 18 deg is ok for the YFT's but they might be scattered.

here is the forecast for Cape Point, good luck and tight lines, I dont like the look of that west on Sunday myself! Monday looks winner....

Thursday 11/29         Morning     Very windy with large choppy seas. Small craft advisory. Moderate long period swell.   Seas: WSW  2.3 meters at 11 sec. Winds: SE  20 to 27 knots           Afternoon     Very windy with large choppy seas. Small craft advisory. Moderate short period wind waves.   Seas: SSE  2.4 meters at 6 seconds Winds: SE  25 to 34 knots

Friday 11/30             Morning     Gale warning with dangerous seas. Small craft advisory. Use extreme caution. Large short period wind waves.   Seas: SE  4 meters at 8 seconds Winds: ESE  33 to 45 knots                 Afternoon     Gale warning with dangerous seas. Small craft advisory. Use extreme caution. Large short period wind waves.   Seas: SE  3.9 meters at 8 sec. Winds: ESE  32 to 43 knots

Saturday 12/1             Morning     Very windy with large choppy seas. Small craft advisory. Moderate short period wind waves.   Seas: ESE  3 meters at 8 sec. Winds: ESE  23 to 31 knots                 Afternoon     Very windy with large choppy seas. Small craft advisory. Moderate short period wind waves.   Seas: ESE  2.6 meters at 8 sec. Winds: ESE  20 to 27 knots

           

Sunday 12/2         Morning     Windy conditions with choppy seas. Small craft advisory. Small long period swell.   Seas: SW  1.7 meters at 17 sec. Winds: NW  16 to 22 knots           Afternoon     Windy conditions with choppy seas. Small craft advisory. Moderate long period swell.   Seas: SW  1.9 meters at 16 seconds Winds: WNW  17 to 23 knots

Monday 12/3             Morning     Light and variable winds with smooth seas. Small long period swell.   Seas: WSW  1.8 meters at 14 sec. Winds: W  4 to 5 knots                 Afternoon     Breezy whitecapping conditions with moderate choppy seas. Moderate long period swell.   Seas: WSW  2 meters at 14 sec. Winds: S  11 to 15 knots

Tuesday 12/4             Morning     Windy conditions with choppy seas. Small craft advisory. Moderate long period swell.   Seas: WSW  2.1 meters at 12 sec. Winds: SE  19 to 25 knots                 Afternoon     Very windy with large choppy seas. Small craft advisory. Moderate long period swell.   Seas: WSW  2.4 meters at 12 sec. Winds: SE  22 to 29 knots

[Bushbuck2]

thanks a lot. Ya it is a bit iffy, weather, at least according to windfinder, is starting to look better for sunday.
 
But hell its blowing at the moment

[SAfish]

We had a SE wind blow straight through the night. No one is going to take chances going through the Heads today. 
http://www.theheads.co.za/

[Seventenths]

  seen on the 12mile and on the Blougaansie!!!
I spoke to Two commercials (Trail and Mark) who have both seen some long nosed black ladies on the Agulhas banks... this is exciting stuff! No one targeting them as yet so no hook ups but nice to know they there!!
Monday and Tuesday looking good!
7/10
 

[Gregf]

seen on the 12mile and on the Blougaansie!!!
I spoke to Two commercials (Trail and Mark) who have both seen some long nosed black ladies on the Agulhas banks... this is exciting stuff! No one targeting them as yet so no hook ups but nice to know they there!!
Monday and Tuesday looking good!








 Tight lines sir

[BETTYS]

Good to know the Marlins are around, just a week or so then hopefully we will have some action with those Marlins.
 
Just hope the weather will be great for us to go out to the deep blue.
 
7/10 if going out tell them I am on my way   

[SAfish]

7/10 - it is almost time for the big day. Do you have an outlook on the weather for next week or is it too early to start checking it out? The sleepless nights are driving me crazy.   

[Capt. Hook]

7/10 - it is almost time for the big day. Do you have an outlook on the weather for next week or is it too early to start checking it out? The sleepless nights are driving me crazy. 

The way you feel is one of the reasons I enjoy doing charters, it gives me huge pleasure to get guys like you hooked up into something good

[Seventenths]

7/10 - it is almost time for the big day. Do you have an outlook on the weather for next week or is it too early to start checking it out? The sleepless nights are driving me crazy. 

The way you feel is one of the reasons I enjoy doing charters, it gives me huge pleasure to get guys like you hooked up into something good

  relax SAfish... the day will come and the weather will give us a break.... you right FA... nothing better than seeing guys getting all excited!!

[Seventenths]

Here is the forecast... too far ahead to make any call yet, the first day we will be able to go will be the 12th as I must get everything rigged up... I will only make a final call the day before/on the day.. but we will chat before then...

Wednesday 12/5         Morning     Breezy whitecapping conditions with moderate choppy seas. Moderate long period swell.   Seas: SW  2.8 meters at 11 sec. Winds: ESE  15 to 21 knots           Afternoon     Windy conditions with choppy seas. Small craft advisory. Moderate long period swell.   Seas: SW  2.7 meters at 11 seconds Winds: ESE  19 to 25 knots

Thursday 12/6             Morning     Breezy whitecapping conditions with moderate choppy seas. Moderate long period swell.   Seas: SW  2.4 meters at 11 seconds Winds: E  14 to 19 knots                 Afternoon     Breezy whitecapping conditions with moderate choppy seas. Moderate long period swell.   Seas: SW  2.2 meters at 11 sec. Winds: ESE  14 to 19 knots

Friday 12/7             Morning     Light winds with a slight chop. Small long period swell.   Seas: SW  1.7 meters at 10 sec. Winds: SSE  8 to 11 knots                 Afternoon     Breezy whitecapping conditions with moderate choppy seas. Small short period wind waves.   Seas: SW  1.6 meters at 10 sec. Winds: ESE  10 to 14 knots

           

Saturday 12/8         Morning     Breezy whitecapping conditions with moderate choppy seas. Moderate long period swell.   Seas: WSW  2 meters at 12 sec. Winds: ESE  13 to 18 knots           Afternoon     Breezy whitecapping conditions with moderate choppy seas. Moderate long period swell.   Seas: WSW  2 meters at 12 seconds Winds: ESE  13 to 17 knots

Sunday 12/9             Morning     Light and variable winds with smooth seas. Small long period swell.   Seas: WSW  1.6 meters at 11 sec. Winds: ESE  6 to 8 knots                 Afternoon     Breezy whitecapping conditions with moderate choppy seas. Small long period swell.   Seas: WSW  1.6 meters at 11 sec. Winds: SE  11 to 15 knots

Monday 12/10             Morning     Windy conditions with choppy seas. Small craft advisory. Moderate long period swell.   Seas: WSW  1.8 meters at 11 sec. Winds: ESE  17 to 22 knots                 Afternoon     Windy conditions with choppy seas. Small craft advisory. Moderate long period swell.   Seas: WSW  1.9 meters at 11 sec. Winds: ESE  17 to 22 knots

[PH]

Good luck SAfish & 7/10
When I saw Hermann a few weeks ago he already was extremely exicted about this. 

[SAfish]

Relax, RELAX....? How can I? My wife has already threatened me with "the couch". 
OK, I'm only joking about the couch, it is actually the tent. 
Thanks, 7/10. There are some logistics I will have to sort out but it is ALL SYSTEMS GO!!!!! 

[Maximus26]

Captain Justin Fleck reported a red-hot tuna bite this week for the anglers on the long-range sportfishing boat Excel. The boat was fishing at the Hurricane Bank, located 560 nautical miles southwest of Cabo San Lucas when angler John Petruescu hooked a massive 400+lb yellowfin which devoured a live skipjack tuna he was live baiting. Petruescu successfully landed the giant tuna on stand-up gear, which was so heavy that five gaffs were needed to hoist it aboard the Excel.
The fact that two potential all-tackle world records have been caught off Mexico in the last few months is a strong indicator of a thriving fishery. Many people expected the next yellowfin tuna record to come from West Africa, but it is now clear that the long-range fishing grounds off Mexico are the place to be this year. We will continue to keep you updated on this breaking story as it unfolds.
http://www.fishtrack.com/features/biggest-yellowfin-ever_89493
 

[Gerhard]

@7/10 - I have heard about the Alphard banks but don't know any facts about it. I have a general idea where it is and I know it is quite a mission to get there because of the weather etc. Would you mind telling us a bit more about the place?

No prob, Alphard banks are 42nm from Struisbaai, 38nm from Infanta(witsands) and 40NM from Still bay... position 35deg 2" 369' S and 20deg 51" 019' E  (shallowest point) covering an area of about 25square miles..
General:
They lay in about 85-90m of water and come up to 12m from the surface at the shollowest, which breaks in heavy swells. The structure is amazing and in some place comes up from 85m to 20m in the distance of 30m (shear walls). I will post a pic of the finder this Dec. due to the depth it comes up to, it forms a split in the shipping lanes (seperation zone) and thus you dont have to worry about some arb ship trying to mow you over whilst you fighting your prize fish! This happens in the canyon and on the 12 mile!
Ecology:
There are plenty of Yellowtail and often big shoals of geelbek at the right time of the year. I have also seen big trutles (leatherbacks), sun fish (Mola Mola) and caught dorado, marlin (Dec - Feb) and stunning bottoms. We both fish and spear the spot and under the water there are huge shoals of bait and rays.... Between the Alphard and the 45 (12miles appart) is and awesome place to pull for stripeys and for years the record stripey came from there (Trail Whittun). Plenty of YFT and other pelagics to be had and forms part of the Agulhas banks. There is even a bit of kelp on the top of the pinnacles of which there are 12 main ones.
If you can get a bait through the silvers you can catch nice santer and Red steenbrass, the 45 has produced plenty over 50kgs... Nowdays we dont target them much or just release them but still great to know they still about....
When:
November to March is the time, from struis we normally go in no wind - 2 hour boat ride or on a freshening SE. Then you run back with the wind on you heels. It is best fished in Feb as the weather is at it's best, but if the water is warm I have yet been there and failed to get at least some tail.... but be prepared to burn some gas, a normal day there is about 110NM round trip and you have to be the first boat there if you can help it. Sun up (about 5am) = Fish on (verticle jigs, rapalas, spinners etc the yellowtail are not fussy) if your tide timing right about 8-9am is a good time to start pulling plastic for the Stripeys. I like the banks to the south for this heading towards the 45's.
I used to be 6'6", but I love the place so much I am only 5'9"... 4hours of hauling back and forth is a LONG day but really worth it.
7/10

Sounds like a trip needs to be done to this fish factory.

Thanks for this info.

[BETTYS]

The excitement is in the air.
 
As in this week we will go out with 7/10 to go and caught  .
 
Just hope the weather hold out as at the moment the SE is pumping.
 
Also looking forward meeting all the guys who is going along.

[isivuba]

The excitement is in the air.
 
As in this week we will go out with 7/10 to go and caught  .
 
Just hope the weather hold out as at the moment the SE is pumping.
 
Also looking forward meeting all the guys who is going along.

Holding thumbs for you guys for the weather...... mother nature and her evil twin sister Storm hope they in a good mood .Hope one of you guys has a camera  . But how needs luck with 7/10 and may you have lots of

[SAfish]

I don't know if windguru is any good for the Struisbaai area but their prediction does not look too good for the rest of the week. 

[Lenny]

The excitement is in the air.
 
As in this week we will go out with 7/10 to go and caught  .
 
Just hope the weather hold out as at the moment the SE is pumping.
 
Also looking forward meeting all the guys who is going along.


Guys you will have some serious fun , Lekker Hermann  , Lekker Betty01 !
So whos Bringing the lunch for 7/10 ? 
Everybody are super amped , thats no lie !
Enjoy guys !

[BETTYS]

So we finally got the call from 7/10 on Sunday to tell us that we aregoing out to catch Marlin on Monday.
 
04h30 at Struisbaai we meet up,ok I was a bit late and the guys was already on the water waiting for me. So I met everbody SAFISH(Herman),Joker (Earl),7/10(Tony) & Liam Tony's son.
 
So we went out,and on the 12mile bank Liam starting to set all the lures into the water and the trolling began,upand down zig zag, at one stages we where 35km from shore. End of the day we got no marlin not even a strike or a showing.
 
Later in the afternoon we tried for yellow tail,we got one on the bungy while trolling rapalas for tail and so we thought here we are now getting some tail. Well that was the only fish we got.
 
Now for the best and most frustrating part that I have every witness and experience, we follow the birds and came across the biggest shoal of yellowtail feeding on baitfish I have ever seen. We thru spinners at them,plugs and so on but not even one taker Tony and myself had a on/off and that was it. It is frustrating to see up to 10 fish follow your spinner and then turn away. Well we run around after the tail for about 2 hopurs with the same pattern over and over. Never in my life have I ever seen so many yellow tail thousands of them.
 
Well it was time to go and off we went.
We met us strangers but left as Friends
 
Thanks again to Tony for this wonderfull experience,hopefully next time we will have sucess fish wise.

[BETTYS]

Picture of the gear.