Bushman's river report

[Tommo]

I just got back from a lovely ten day trip with the whole family down at Bushman's River in the Eastern Cape. This wasn't a fishing trip, I was categorically told that by the family, so had to sneak off for a few sessions on the river with those family members who were keen for a break.
The rain came down for the first three days that we were there, making it freezing cold and very wet. The whole place was flooded, with a number of roads impassable in the village. Thereafter the weather cleared up really beautifully and the river started to settle down. It took another few days for the water to clean up, but with the onset of spring tides and all the sea water moving into the river with the highs it got better quickly.
I was very impressed with the river. It has a lot of food in the shape of mudprawn, sandprawn, pencil bait, mullet, estuarine round herring etc. Seeing this abundance I was pretty sure that it must hold a lot of good fish. Chatting to some locals down there who were fishing with sandprawn they said that they had caught some good grunter, so I was sure that there must be some kob and garrick to play with on the lures.
We didn't get any really big fish at all, but had a ball messing around with the little garrick that stayed behind in the river and didn't go up to KZN with the big ones. My mate Colin got one kob, and that was the only kob of the trip. I managed to catch a couple of little cape stumpnose (the locals call them flatties) on bucktail jig and dropshot, which wasa new species for me, so I was chuffed. I also got quite a decent specimen of a bar tailed Gurnard on a bucktail jig, which was a nice surprise.
Most of the fish caught were on bucktails and dropshot, worked fairly slowly near the bottom along the edges of the channels. A couple were caught on surface lures, but the winter action is definitely better down deep.
I think that river has massive potential and am very keen to pay it another visit. I reckon late summer, after the school holidays, so that there are not too many water skiers etc about should be ideal. The water depth, easy to find channels and holes, productive mudbanks etc make it a great prospect for light tackle lure fishing, and I am sure that there must be some big fish that use that river at times.   

[Tommo]

some more pics

[Tommo]

and some more

[Mudcrab]

Thanks for sharing and stump in the pic was greedy fellow trying to eat something half its size

[PH]

Thanks, Tommo. Very interesting reading. The bar tailed Gurnard...is that what we know as the bar tailed Flathead in KZN?

[Fritz]

Nice one Tommo, looks like you had some good fun their.

[Tommo]

Yep the gurnard is our flathead, very greedy fellow! The little stump was also full of ambition, but made my day as a new species on a lure. It isn't always the size of the fish that makes it special, sometimes a little chap like that can get me excited.

[WalkersKiller]

 :shre: Tommo, I basically grew up in Kenton so its awesome to see you had some success there! The rivers are full up with bait and also weed unfortunately, next time you are down there you should fish the Kariega, it holds bigger fish and is not as weedy caught some awesome fish there... Please can you tell me where you got those Leeries 

[Tommo]

I have heard that the Kariega is great, we didn't have enough time to put the boat in there as well, but definitely next time!
The leeries were caught above the bridge, where the channel crosses from the west bank to the east bank, just a bit above the marina. We fished the areas where shallow water runoffs came into the main channel from the eelgrass covered mudflats. Most action was as the channel comes to the east bank and forms a bend, a really nice little area with tons of small leeries.

[PH]

Yep the gurnard is our flathead, very greedy fellow! The little stump was also full of ambition, but made my day as a new species on a lure. It isn't always the size of the fish that makes it special, sometimes a little chap like that can get me excited.

Thanks. Yes, size does not always matter - contrary to what some (female) members of the forum may suggest. 

[Andre Laas]

Looks like great fun Tommo!
 
I see that you rigged that paddle-tail with a clip... do you rig all your lures/drop-shot/bucktails that way, or do you vary it according to conditions / lure type?

[Prego]

Very cool report Tommo

That is quite a big gurnard and they are really great fun on light tackle, not so much though trying to get them loose.

I have never fished a river system but will give it a go in the Govuru river in December if the wather is off to go out to sea.

 :shre:

[WalkersKiller]

I have heard that the Kariega is great, we didn't have enough time to put the boat in there as well, but definitely next time!
The leeries were caught above the bridge, where the channel crosses from the west bank to the east bank, just a bit above the marina. We fished the areas where shallow water runoffs came into the main channel from the eelgrass covered mudflats. Most action was as the channel comes to the east bank and forms a bend, a really nice little area with tons of small leeries.

Cool Tommo  :shre: looks like you had a jol, I have access to a boat now so hopefully I can get smashed by some Leeries at the end of the year... Let me know if you are in the area again as I am there quite a bit and also please feel free to use the house we have down there because you have to fish the Kariega, its not uncommon to get 5 Kob above 8kgs on lure during a day up river there... Also the Skipjack, Grunter and Shad are thick all the way up the river and there are a few big Zambia and Diamond Rays that often attack your bait!

[REEFMAN]

Another great report. As ususal. I hate you Tommo.
 :shre:

[Kumz]

  ..Superb report ....  :shre: ....
 

[Homie]

Another great report. As ususal. I hate you Tommo.
 :shre:

DITTO !!!!!

[Zetti]

I don't hate you Tommo! (Remember this when you have a spot open on one of your trips  )
 
Thanks for the report, I am heading to that part of the world towards the end of the year, can't wait.