1FEC | June 2016

EC BAIT DEMO CATCH COMPETITION TIDES

FISHING

KAYAKCORNERBrett Armstrong

AREENAGT’s

WHALE SHARKSaved

RASSPL Border Blacktips2015/2016 seasonround up

ISSUE: 30

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1FEC | June 2016

Whale Shark Rescue 04

Bait Demo 24Mackerel cutlets with chokka tails.

Catch Competition 26Send us your photos and youcould win.

Tides 28Check the tide tables tomake sure you fishing theright times.

FEATURES

CONTENT

10

06

Areena GT’s

Trennery’s Comp

Border Blacktips

16

Kayak Corner With Brett ArmstorngKayak club and hints and tips on rigging.

Target LineFreshwater competitions results and standings.

18 22

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MAGAZINEEDITOR

Nigel Louw

CONTRIBUTORSJustin Du Preez

Shane SmitMorne Nowers

Brett ArmstrongCarl Henn

CONTACT

ADVERTISING:

email: nigel@fishingec.com

Mobile: 073 690 2606

Website: www.fishingec.com

Search: Fishing The Eastern Cape

Nigel LouwEditor

LETTEREDITORS

No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of Fishing The Eastern Cape. The magazine

is published monthly and cannot be held responsible for inaccuracies in articles. The

views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the editor. Fishing The Eastern Cape does not accept responsibility

for advertising content.

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ON THE COVERGordon Chinn with a nice Black Steenbras caught from a kayak off Cintsa.

Winter is settling in nicely now and the Shad have started showing themselves. All the fish-ing points come alive this time of year with Shad and Leervis which are also chasing Shad.

I hope we have a good season with some nice size Shad coming through. Make sure you got your sardines and polish up all those spoons too.

Don’t forget to send in your catch photos for our Catch & Win page. You could be the next winner.

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Whale Shark RescueCannon Rocks

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A young Whale Shark beached itself re-cently at Cannon Rocks. Luckily there were some fisherman and friends

around to try help it back in the water. Af-ter a bit of a struggle the Whale Shark was manouvered into deeper water and it swam off. The Shark then swam around the bay for quite a while before taking off into deeper water. A research team then kept and eye out along the coast incase it washed up again, but nothing was found so it seemed to be a successful release back into the deep blue. Well done to those involved on saving the life of one of our great ocean creatures.

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Areena GT’s

Words/pics: Morne Nowers

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Justin with a large Stome Bream (Moonie).

GT’s I recently went to Areena after

reading the article in the Fishing EC February 2016 issue. We stayed at

the Larks Timber cottage and the main mission of the weekend was just to relax.

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I couldn’t resist throwing some top luresto try and catch whatever was splashing so much. I managed to land a GT King-fish (+- 50cm). This fish smashed my Alcock Brother’s Grunter Hunter lure hard and it was a lovely 5min fight on my 11ft drop-shot rod. The fish was safely released after some quick photos.Another interesting catch was a Thorn-fish. I had to google this species because none of my Eastern Cape fishing buddies have seen this fish before. I used a size #2 demon circle hook with a sardine/pink prawn combo. Size was +- 20cm. I ini-tially thought it was a spotted grunt-er after landing a couple of them just before this one. I released this beau-tiful fish right after taking some quick photos.

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Words/pics: Shane Smit

Border Blacktips2015 Season Summary

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The Border Blacktips 2015/2016 sea-son wrapped up in Cefane on the 2nd of April and what an enjoyable season

it turned out to be! We had some very good attendance figures totalling 614 anglers at 8 comps at an average of 77 anglers per com-petition. In total there was a staggering 1349 fish caught and more importantly released with a total combined weight of 1.77 tons.These figures speak for themselves and paint a healthy picture of what RASSPL stands for with regard to marine research and conservation. We are thee only such Rock and surf angling league in South Afri-ca that practice 100% catch and release at any event we have and remain the leaders in Saltwater angling catch and release pro-grams working in conjunction with marine conservation and research both at ORI and

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Rhodes University. No need to brag, just plain facts so the question you have to ask yourself is….why haven’t you joined yet?Our top achievers were, 1st on points and Top master-Colin Scheepers 3417pts, 2nd on points Stuart Brill 2118pts and 3rd Craig Busse with 1905pts. Our top lady angler went to Stephanie Siebert on her debut season ending with 610pts and 32nd over-all which is very impressive. Another very impressive angler was our Top Junior Kyle Busse who top scored with 816pts and 19th overall, the Good news for the rest of the juniors is that it was Kyles last season as a Junior so we will have a brand new Top Junior at the end of the new season. Juniors category is for anglers aged 14 and under.Our next competition and first for the 2016/2017 season will be on the Eastcoast side of East London on the 4th of June with boundaries being from Gonubie river to Ce-fane river where we hope to start the year

off with a bang! For more information, pre-registrations and membership queries drop me a mail at shane.rasspl@gmail.com or vis-it our revamped website at www.rasspl.comAlmost Last but not least, we must convey a huge thank you to all our National sponsors namely PENN, FINNOR and PENNYPINCHERS for their 1st class prizes that they provide to us for each and every competition and not forgetting by any means the local spon-sors as well for making our competitions in the 2015/2016 season even more exciting. Without all these great prizes and support it simply wouldn’t be possible. Another big Thank you must go to all the Anglers whether visitors or members for all your continued support throughout the season, without you all none of this would even be possible so thank you and we hope to see you all again next season, remember that anyone and everyone is welcome! There is a very common misconception that because

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RASSPL is termed a “league” its only meant for the good or seasoned anglers or profes-sionals but this in far from the truth, we cater for all anglers and by that we mean even the true beginners young or old! Enter our next comp and I guarantee you will be back again!From a Border Blacktips side of things id like to thank our wonderful committee for the amazing work you’ve all done and for all the personal time you’ve all sacrificed to make the Border Blacktips the successful team that it is, we salute you!

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Well myself and mate Byron Vermaak decided to fish the Trenneries competition held

on 16 april. Fishing times where 5.30 - 6. Rather long session but why not ...well after a couple weeks of planning and strategising the weekend arrived and we set off going via the pont at Kei Mouth. After setting up camp we took a stroll to scope out the conditions, fairly clean and flat and cold greeted us! Eish plan b.

After a lekka braai and meeting some fel-low anglers (Theo from quality baits had a bait shop set up for the guys looking for good stuff). We decided to target pignose and Kob, so early that morning still in the dark we hit a gutter on the surf, but after an hour nothing showed. We walked left to the high rocks hoping to nullify the surge

Fishing CompetitionWords/pics: Justin Du Preez

Trennery’s

and big swell that had developed over-night. Three hours there with a couple nib-bles .We decided to walk back and came past a spot we had looked at earlier but it had been to empty. It was looking great now so in went the baits. First cast and an average size Sandshark bit well. Mmmm good sign, next throw while Byron was baiting up I got flattened on 6/0 eagleclaw circle and a dingle with chokka strips and makkie cutlets. Game on and I worked the fish out after a few runs at reef and landed a fairly decent Silver Steenbras. Yay at last a fish. We eventually landed up below the resort after hearing reports of almost no fish. We then managed a nice Yellowbelly a small Poensie and two Blues. It was only after weigh in we heard that 3 guys hadhammered 10 Kob at our second spot af-ter we left , Lol thats how it goes I sup-

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pose. Well done to the guys that caught fish and won prizes. I don’t have all the names unfortunatly. I believe Luke Gernetszky won heaviest Blue Fish. Biggest Kob was just over 6kg. Myself got fish of the day and biggest Steen-bras. The Kob guys taking heaviest bag.In the end it was a much enjoyable competition under tough conditionsI’ll definetly go back next year to fish.

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Winter is certainly here guys! You don’t need to wake up at 04h00 anymore to get out there, rather

prepare the night before and sleep in a bit and get out there after a good cup of cof-fee or hot chocolate. May was amazing. We had so many great outings and I keep asking myself, how blessed are we to live in the most amazing region. We are sur-rounded by beautiful beaches and amaz-ing rivers with an abundance of wildlife. Winter will certainly have some stunning days, but expect the surf to pick up and the fishing to. The Sardines, Shad and other game fish will definitely be popping up, but remember, with them around, you will no doubt see a few larger creatures who will be eager to snag your bait or destroy your catch. So be on the lookout for sharks. They are around and looking for an easy meal.

Epic Kayak Trip – Mdumbi, TranskeiA bunch of adventurous kayak fisherman recently travelled to the beautiful Md-umbi along the Wild Coast. We stayed at the Mbumbi Backpackers (an amazing spot which I highly recommend) for 5 days. Md-umbi is absolutely amazing. It is still as rural

KAYAK CORNERFISHING

Words/pics: Brett Armstrong

as you could imagine it has been since the beginning of time. The locals are great and the trip to Mdumbi was very pleasant. Our first day there was epic on the water, to start off Kelly Janse van Rensburg and myself hit the water at first light. Before we new it we had caught and released 6 species with a few more to follow. The rest of the gang, namely Mark Kimble, Gordon Chinn, Robert Venter, Clinton Summers and Tony Solo-mon joined us after lunch and they were treated to an abundance of species, which they released. The next few days proved to be quite challenging in bigger surf condi-tions and windy days, but all in all an amaz-ing experience. There is nothing quite like spending 8 hours a day for a few days on a kayak on the ocean with friends. A great bonding and learning experience for all of us for sure. We released all we caught, ex-cept for 3 fish, which we kept for the braai over the 5 days. This is what makes the trip so memorable and enjoyable as well. We would like to make special mention and express our appreciation to Kirk and Jed Webber and Jason van der Walt for their amazing help, advice and support during the trip. They have grown up in this region

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and showed us around and also explained the responsible steps they are taking along with other locals to protect the natural re-sources and this amazing area. It is great to share a passion for looking after our natural wonders with fellow fishos. Thanks guys.

Nahoon/Gonubie ReserveOver the last month we have been inun-dated with discussion on the reserves and where they fall and this is particularly rel-evant to the fact that there are a lot more kayaks and even surfskis out and about at the moment with the annual influx of Shad and other game fish at the moment. The

result being, that some guys are seen to be fishing in the reserve, which is of great concern to us all. Although it must be said that the members of the Kayak Fishing EC Club are very much aware of the bounda-ries and reserve sections and know where to fish, it is more the casual fishing person who only comes out during this time or is new to the sport of kayak fishing. In trying to explain the reserve boundaries of Na-hoon/Gonubie, if you don’t have the luxury of a GPS, this is the basic area guidelines. The Nahoon/Gonubie reserve runs from “The parking area’ at Nahoon Reef to the Gonubie Point (right side when facing the

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ocean). So when you are on a kayak/jetski or boat and you are in the water at Nahoon Reef, you must not fish in an area of the wa-ter where you can actually see the Nahoon Reef parking lot. If you can see the cars, you are in the reserve. The actual regulations state the following GPS co-ordinates for the reserve: Nahoon Reef (S 32 59.778 & E 27 57.096) and stretching to (S 33 02.213 & E 27 59.119) and the points at Gonubie Point are (S 32 56.485 & E28 02.120) and stretching to (S 32 58.955 & E 28 04.125). For those seeking clarity on whether it is le-gal to trawl through sanctuaries in Eastern Cape, take note of the actual legislature from Marine Resources Act 1998 (Act no. 18). The answer is no craft or boat may do so, in fact all rods have to be stowed and not have any hooks or tackle connected. Please look at the regulations if you are not sure or disa-gree. We don’t make the rules guys, we just have to follow them. Please spread the word.

Catch and ReleaseFor the record, I would like to state that in

essence the members of the Kayak Fish-ing EC club are all in favor of and are en-courgaed, to practice catch and release and probably do so 95% of the time. Of course we all would like to have something for the braai or the pan now and again, so yes of course we take home sometimes. But es-sentially we would like to say that we are promoting catch and release in both the rivers and the ocean. This is important for everyone to consider and practice, whether fishing off the rock and surf, a kayak, jetski or a boat. Let’s all play our part and protect our natural environment so generations to come may enjoy our wonderful waters.

Kayak Safety Tip of the monthFor me, another really important “safety tip” which I would like to bring to your atten-tion is the concept of always stowing your rods, cell phones, cameras, GPS/Fish finders when either launching or coming back to shore through the surf. It is so easy to just say, “well the surf looks small so it should be fine”. Before you know it you are upside

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down and have lost that rod or camera or cell phone etc. It can happen so easily. Don’t be blasé about it. Rather be safe than sorry. There is nothing like loosing a valuable item to spoil your outing. Also make sure that all rods, paddle, cameras, cell phones, GPS Fish Finders and any other valuables or even simple items like knife and gaff have a leash which will protect it from falling overboard.

Kayak Club for East LondonWe are very proud of the fact that in East London, us kayak fishing enthusiasts have a club under which we operate, namely, Kayak Fishing EC. Our club has grown from strength to strength over the last few months. And it is amazing to see how much fun everyone is having. The group outings are amazing. We are also proud of our new affiliation to the East London Yacht Club. And we thank them for including us in their facility. Our group outings are also very important and no matter how many times you have been out, no day is the same. You will learn something new every time. Every experience allows for better preparation for the next trip. It is great to learn from those more experienced guys who are always happy to share their expe-rience and ideas. As a club, we also have a very informative and interesting website at www.kayakfishingec.co.za and a Facebook page with the same name, Kayak Fishing EC, and would like to encourage you to go and checkout our site and to also Like us on Facebook and then share/spread the news. The club is focused on both ocean and riv-er kayak fishing, so there is something for everyone here. We have a host of informa-tion and galleries available on the website, so check it out and join us on the water.

This month’s tip on rigging your kayakWhen it comes to what Fishing Rod you use on your kayak, remember, your are fishing off a kayak, you don’t need a 10ft rock and surf monster rod, just a small 4-5 foot rod will work well. You just need to be able to store it in your kayak when you launch and beach. There are some great little rods

which are extremely strong around and re-member to invest in a good rod leash, which helps keep it safe from falling overboard.

Treading lightly!In closing, one final tip, which you will thank me for lately. Invest in a good pair of booties or water shoes. It does not matter if you are fishing in the river or the ocean. Wear foot protection. There is nothing worse then stepping off your kayak and standing on a sea urchin or something sharper, which has been disregarded in the water. This will certainly leave a mark and have you wishing why you didn’t put some-thing on your feet. So take care and spend the R100-R250 and protect yourself. An old pair of tekkies works also pretty well. For more information on kayak fishing and related aspects, please do not hesi-tate to contact me at info@kayakfish-ingec.co.za. Also checkout our website at www.kayakfishingec.co.za. To join our Whats app kayak fishing EL group, please email us and we will add you. It’s a great way to meet new guys and plan fishing trips and chat about our amazing sport.

Remember: Safety first and always respect our environment.

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On Sunday 08/05/2016, Target Line Freshwater Angling Club had its 2nd club competition for the 2016-

2017 seasons at Bridal Drift Dam, ru-ral side. This comp from 08:00 – 15:00 was a later start than normal due to the later sunrise in the morning. We were all a bit edgy after a couple of days of rain and even more rain on the morning. Wet weather didn’t damper any spirits as 28 anglers nor did strong cold winds.The dam had lost a lot of water over the last two months and practices showed plenty of fish in the area we were going to fish, but with the rain in the last week before the comp, the water levels rose quite a bit.Positioning in the end of the day was key. The fish were looking for shallower warm-er water and the rain brought in lots of cold water to the deeper fishing areas. All the anglers on the shallower side ham-mered the fish and their bags looked pretty good against the “deeper water” bags.In the end of the day, the Barnard fam-ily showed that farther and sons can fish if

you pick your spot right, walking away with Seniors 1st and Juniors 1st & 2nd. Boelie Bischoff, a master and visitor from Pretoria, caught the biggest fish for the day, a carp of 4.324kg and also took the Masters group.

Here are the results of the competition:Seniors:1 Adam Barnard 13 fish 16.437kg2 Lyle Skinner 9 fish 11.657kg3 Gary Petzer 5 fish 7.6045kg

Masters:1 Boelie Bischoff 3 fish 5.950kg2 Chris Engelbrecht 2 fish 3.142kg 3 Athon Henn 2 fish 2.332kg

Ladies:1 Lezanda Engelbrecht2 fish 3.609kg2 Petra Piek 1 fish 1.500kg

Juniors:1 Adam Barnard Jnr 4 fish 4.110kg2 Jordan Barnard 2 fish 2.782kg3 Mieke Faure 2 fish 2.181kg

Freshwater club resultsWords/pics: Carl Henn

Target Line

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Here are the standings after 2competitions:

Seniors: 1 Martin Piek 47 Pts2 Jacques Husselmann 42 Pts3 Jacques Van Der Schyf 41 Pts Masters: 1 Athon Henn 48pts 2 Andy Warren 30pts 3 Richard Ackerman snr 28pts

Ladies: 1 Petra Piek 48pts2 Lezanda Engelbrecht 25pts3 Riska Domoney 23pts Juniors:1 Mieke Faure 48pts2 Adam Barnard Jnr 30pts 3 Jordan Barnard 29pts

Our next comp will be at Nahoon Dam in June and with winter starting to set, we hope that the bigger fish will come out.The dates are out………………28-30 Oc-tober will be our fundraiser at Wrig-gleswade Dam with plenty of prizes up for grabs. Don’t miss it. More details will be available at Target Line very soon.For any enquiries on how to join our club or anything at all, feel free to call me on 073 857 2209, e-mail sales@targetline.co.za or join on face book at Target Line FAC, or send me a Whats app message. New on the shelves in Target Line, Vin-cent branch, East London…………. William Petrie floaties, soft floaties and ball dips. Conoflex Signature Series Feed, the orange bags, will be out soon……Watch this space.See you all reel soon on the banks…PS: Komani Gun Cellars (Powered by Target Line) in Queenstown, nowalso stock all your carping needs.

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Words/pics: Justin Du Preez

THE

BAIT BOXTIPS

MACKEREL CUTLET WITH CHOKKA STRIPS

You need need 4 Chokka strips and 2 Mack-erel cutlets depending on size of dingle.

Cotton on the 4 strips, 2 on the top and 2 on the bottom.

1 2

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SPARGS MALLBEACON BAY043 711 7700

Sponsored by

Then place a Mackerel cutlet either side, press into shape and cotton. Then you ready to clip and cast.

3

MACK

EREL

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Send us your best catch picture and you could win an awesome prize. (Photo must be of yourself holding the fish and preferably still alive. Photos of gutted fish do not qualify)

Angler: Cylie ClarkeSpecies: Copper SteenbrasLocation: Gulu DeepBait: LivebaitSize: 33.1kg

Angler: Shawn WaltonSpecies: Spotted GrunterLocation: GonubieBait: MudprawnSize: 54cm

Angler: Blake ClarkSpecies: Bronze BreamLocation: East LondonBait: Pink PrawnSize: 30cm

CATCH & WIN

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Email your entry to nigel@fishingec.com with the followingdetails: - Anglers full name - Species - Location caught- Bait used - Size/Weight

May WinnerAngler: Joshua van LoggerenbergSpecies: Pignose GrunterLocation: Cintsa deep seaBait: SquidSize: 4.5kg

Angler: Heinrich BartlettSpecies: Black SteenbrasLocation: CintsaBait: ChokkaSize: 50cm

Joshua wins himself an asortment of Triton lures. Sponsored by Bili-moria Fishing Tackle.

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TIDE CHARTJune 2016Information supplied by the Hydrographer SA Navy

The Hydrographer is not responsible for anytranscription errors.

TO ADVERTISEWITH

CONTACT:NIGEL@FISHINGEC.COM

073 690 2606

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