Targeting Garrick/Leervis off a boat

[Cam Mundy]

We use mustad 1. 0 bait rigs when the shad are around, works a charm

What are you guys using to get your live shad I tend to only get them on a lucky hookup on Yo-zuris otherwise I just pull up the string minus all the hooks.
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Something along these lines ?

[jaenswart]

What are you guys using to get your live shad I tend to only get them on a lucky hookup on Yo-zuris otherwise I just pull up the string minus all the hooks.

I just tie 2 or 3 longshank hooks on dropper loops with a sinker and bait them up. they come up 2 or 3 at a time

[benniejordaan]

I just tie 2 or 3 longshank hooks on dropper loops with a sinker and bait them up. they come up 2 or 3 at a time

Best way!

I don't like shad though! They are last resort baits...

BTW: I just received this email...

"Hi All – I received the following information from a contact.  Does anyone know anything more about this – particularly whose boat this was and where they launched from..?

There have been reports of perlemoen poachers launching from unlicensed launch-sites in Transkei.  Please keep me informed.

Cheers.

Hi John

Trust you had a good Easter and all that stuff.

I saw a skiboat lying upside down on the rocks at Labanse just north of Mbolompo point. Apparently it happened early last week (JCR comment – that would be week of 25 to 30th April).

Not sure where they launched from but it wasn't Hole-in-the-wall.  Somebody thought it may have been from Mpame.

Rumour was that they were trolling for Garrick off Mbolompo and got caught by a set.

If that's the case they would have had to be strong swimmers to get out alive.

Was wondering if there had been any news about it?

Cheers"


Be careful!

[Prego]

Something along these lines ?

Yip the white plastic feather ones, as soon as your normal sabikis start getting bitten of hook up the mustad 1.0 and you pull them up in sixes no bites offs ever with these and 100% success rate.

[Prego]

I just tie 2 or 3 longshank hooks on dropper loops with a sinker and bait them up. they come up 2 or 3 at a time

Yes that works but to much work just to catch a shad. 

Just drop those 1.0 mustad white plastic feather rigs and pull them up in sixes.

[CLS]

Best baits for  mackerel, shad, pinkies, silver bream, mozzie.. I forgot to mention I use a small barrel sinker to keep the bait down a bit, as Bennie suggests, I must try the tail trimming trick  and  :shre: everyone.

[Prego]

The barrel sinker what size to use and where & how does one place it?

What is the best time to target Garrick, is it essential to be out first light?

[jaenswart]

The barrel sinker what size to use and where & how does one place it?

What is the best time to target Garrick, is it essential to be out first light?

all through winter, but for me Aug Sep is the very best. They tend to feed throughout the day unlike couta

[CLS]

I use about 1/2 ounce, and place on the leader in front of the swivel (I use about 1.5m - 070 snood to the hook). 

[REEFMAN]

What a great thread! Cred to all of you!! 

[Cam Mundy]

Thanks Prego I'll keep an eye out for them

Jean I have tried that but I always seem to pull up small rock cod or worse triggerfish

[jaenswart]

Thanks Prego I'll keep an eye out for them

Jean I have tried that but I always seem to pull up small rock cod or worse triggerfish

fish the middle 1/3 part of the water column

[Cam Mundy]

fish the middle 1/3 part of the water column

Aah makes sense obviously I still have a few pints of bottom fishing blood still circulating

[Prego]

I use about 1/2 ounce, and place on the leader in front of the swivel (I use about 1.5m - 070 snood to the hook).
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Shot, will try that.

[Capt. Hook]

Hi Guys,

I've targeted Garrick with big success of Durban.

Let me tell you how I do it, and others can give input:

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT MY WAY OF CATCHING GARRICK IS DANGEROUS AND ONLY TO BE ATTEMPTED BY WAKKER SKIPPERS. SKIPPERS DO NOT FISH.PERIOD

ok, with that out of the way.

I've found that both shad and mackerel work well for garrick and both are easy to get off Durbs. You can get Mackerel from the normal bait spots, and shad anywhere at the nets opposite the main beach piers:

Tackle: I use my normal couta rods and reels;
            I use a single circle hook tied on 40lb fluorocarbon

Area: Blue lagoon, hypermarket or any other river mouth  area:

Tactic: I drive behind the back-line and look for sandbank that are about 40m from shore.
           If I get a sand bank with a nice deep gully next to it, I will rig 2 rods with baits. 1 rod per crew member.
           I wait for my chance in the breakers and when safe I run in to the sandbank, my crew drop-cast their baits on the bank I get us out of there to just   
           behind the back-line, safe. There I sit and wait boat just idling, point towards the sea.

The bite: ok,firstly both rods are completely free spool all the time, not even a ratchet, garrick will feel it.crew member thumb lightly on spool.
When a crew member senses a pickup, we let the fish run...it will stop running after 20s or so, scaling the bait. It will then come back and eat it. Midway through the second run I gradually turn up the drag and let the circle do it's job. Fish on !!

I repeat this throughout the day. My most fish in a day off hypermarket area with this tactic was 43 garrick, largest 17kg.

Some okes slow troll behind the back-line with bait, and although this will get the odd fish, it is not nearly as productive as working the sand banks close in.

Garrick poppers also works, but not nearly as good as bait. But on days where the surf is big this might be your only way of getting onto the sandbank with big casts.

Let me know if you need anything else.

Thats how I used to do it like that for years until 1 day I nearly came short and sent my boat straight up vertical and nearly turned it upside down it leaving 1 crew in the surf zone. That was it for me and I will never do that again.
I can tell although effective it is way too dangerous.
What I do now is troll livies just behind back line and we throw plugs into the surf zone to draw them out.

[Capt. Hook]

Don't over complicate it.
Use either a single circle or live bait hook about 6/0. Pin through the nostrils or the circle through the top lip. Clip a small piece of the top of the tail off. Mackerel will outfish any bait!!! Go as close to backline as your balls allow and pitch your bait. Move out and start throwing plugs. A small sinker will also help! A mackerel will swim out to sea faster than you can move your boat out if you don't weight it or cut the tail.

100% on the mackerel. and your method

[Timothy Scriven]

Going to agree with Mike on this one.
I have also avoided targeting Garrick for the same reason.
Far too many close calls.

My Blackberry still gargles from the last wave that stood up on us in front of the Hyper.

Great fish to catch though but please be careful.
All it takes in one "oh-no" second to have a lapse in concentration and mess up..

[Capt. Hook]

Going to agree with Mike on this one.
I have also avoided targeting Garrick for the same reason.
Far too many close calls.

My Blackberry still gargles from the last wave that stood up on us in front of the Hyper.

Great fish to catch though but please be careful.
All it takes in one "oh-no" second to have a lapse in concentration and mess up..

Yip if you play the odds, one day you will get a dud hand.

[CLS]

The surf around the Umgeni mouth is very unpredictable, that is where you have to be wide awake.The skipper has to be awake all the time. if you dont feel comfortable don't go in, its the same as launching,if in doubt don't do it. I always keep both motors running at all times. Mike I have seen you there a few times.

[Capt. Hook]

The surf around the Umgeni mouth is very unpredictable, that is where you have to be wide awake.The skipper has to be awake all the time. if you dont feel comfortable don't go in, its the same as launching,if in doubt don't do it. I always keep both motors running at all times. Mike I have seen you there a few times.

Yip, I do fish there now and again, mostly for snoek early and then head out, but usually I go straight out and deep, and yes I will try my luck for Garrick there, but never again in the surf zone, I made a promise to myself after my close call.
It is way more than being awake, that surf there just stands up some times and all you need is a break in concentration for a moment and you can go to davies locker.