Author Topic: A holiday spent fishing with Artificial Lures in an Eastern Cape Estuary (Read 9984 times)

buildershane · « **on:** January 09, 2021, 09:45:27 AM »

I have just got back from a 10 day holiday in Port Alfred. My third time visiting, and a special place for me as it is where I found my love for fishing.

December 2018 is when it all started. I arrived at my girlfriends dads cottage, found a small paddle tail that's been in a tackle box that gets taken on holiday every year and never gets used, and went for a cast. 5 minutes in I hooked a beautiful 45cm Brassy Kingfish. I spent the rest of the holiday casting my arm off with no luck. But that one fish was enough to get me hooked.

I spent the next year researching and getting the correct tackle. I arrived in Port Alfred in December 2019 with lots of confidence. I soon realised that it wasn't going to be easy. My girlfriends dad taught me to enjoy being out in nature, and if you end up catching a fish it is a bonus. I ended up getting one juvenile garrick up river and two juvenile garrick off the pier , with the biggest being +-55cm.

I then spent the next year once again preparing for my annual holiday to Port Alfred. After the lockdown I started kayak fishing on the Kzn North coast, so I decided to take the kayak with me to Port Alfred so that I could get further up the estuary. Finally I arrived in Port Alfred. I was on the estuary by 4:30am on the first morning. This was before there was a curfew. I started paddling up river, but didn't get too far because I kept getting distracted by showings on the finder, and the tide was against me.

The next day I decided to park further up river, and then paddle another 4km up. Once again I didn't do much fishing. I spent most of the time paddling and looking for holes and banks. I found a few spots that I wanted to come back to. My third session was late afternoon on 31 December. I decided to not get distracted and head straight up river to a hole that I found. After a long paddle I parked my kayak on the bank and started throwing a paddle tail. After fishing for an hour without a bite and lots of weed I was ready to give up. Then all of a sudden it felt like I snagged a rock, until the drag started singing. After a fun fight I landed my first Kob, a beauty of +-72cm, released. It was late so I needed to start paddling back. As I started my paddle I saw some big showings on the finder. I threw the paddle tail, and got a big knock, but it missed the hook! What a perfect end to 2020!

buildershane · « **Reply #1 on:** January 09, 2021, 09:50:48 AM »

My First Kob

buildershane · « **Reply #2 on:** January 09, 2021, 09:51:20 AM »

Released

buildershane · « **Reply #3 on:** January 09, 2021, 09:56:36 AM »

After catching that kob I had lots of energy to keep making the long paddle up estuary each day. I would start my sessions trying for kob on paddle tail up river. I didnt have any luck, just lost one small kobbie. I would then head down and look for action. After a few blank sessions I came across some garrick the one morning. Lots of fun, the biggest being +-50cm.

buildershane · « **Reply #4 on:** January 09, 2021, 09:57:21 AM »

The bigger garrick. All released of course.

buildershane · « **Reply #5 on:** January 09, 2021, 09:58:26 AM »

Lots of fun on the kayak with light tackle.

buildershane · « **Reply #6 on:** January 09, 2021, 10:03:08 AM »

As the holiday went on and the blank sessions started adding up my body started to feel the effects from all the paddling! I then started fishing the mud banks for grunter. On our first session on the bank my girlfriend hooked a solid size grunter on a top water lure. It was pure panic when her drag started screaming whilst she was talking to me. Unfortunately the fish came off when we got it into the reeds. That would have been her first fish in the estuary! We returned the following day, and I managed to get my first grunter. I have had so many splashes and boils around the Rapala Skitter V but never landed a fish on it until this grunter. Such a good feeling getting all my target species for the holiday. Definitely worth all the blanks.

I cant wait to get back to Port Alfred !

buildershane · « **Reply #7 on:** January 09, 2021, 10:04:05 AM »

Finally got a Grunter to take the Skitter V!

Steenie · « **Reply #8 on:** January 09, 2021, 09:51:37 PM »

Very nice reports and photos. Well done!!

Desperatezulu · « **Reply #9 on:** January 10, 2021, 08:33:39 AM »

Well done and thanks for taking the time to share!

FishStyx · « **Reply #10 on:** January 10, 2021, 10:39:11 AM »

Excellent report. Thanks for posting. It just gets more addictive as you go on... Tight lines Shane.

ianf · « **Reply #11 on:** January 10, 2021, 10:42:32 AM »

You have a very understanding girl friend...……..marry her

Papparoach · « **Reply #12 on:** January 13, 2021, 09:35:09 AM »

Well done on your catches, grunter on surface lure must be so exciting to catch never thought they would chow a surface lure always thought they were like bottom feeders eating mud prawn.

Half-Pint · « **Reply #13 on:** January 13, 2021, 09:49:58 AM »

Nice catches, were you fishing on the Kowie River?

Lenny · « **Reply #14 on:** January 13, 2021, 07:35:18 PM »

Well done , some fine catches , that area , are indeed a flipper paradise .

Thanks for sharing .

RiyadhEd · « **Reply #15 on:** January 13, 2021, 08:04:02 PM »

Awesomeness!!!!

REEFMAN · « **Reply #16 on:** January 14, 2021, 07:11:44 AM »

Great report, great catches!!

Ettienne · « **Reply #17 on:** January 14, 2021, 08:24:19 AM »

great report. Grunter on top lure is not common unless your name is Poenskop! Well done

CRANKMAN · « **Reply #18 on:** January 14, 2021, 08:25:02 AM »

Thanks for an excellent report!

Poenskop · « **Reply #19 on:** January 14, 2021, 11:46:30 AM »

Quote from: Ettienne on January 14, 2021, 08:24:19 AM

great report. Grunter on top lure is not common unless your name is Poenskop! Well done

Luck is a big part of it.