17th july 2010....... Oh boy i'm getting lazy.....A call from Larry "Brown Dog" Brown and Wayne "Tusker" Bentley late last night convinced me to head off on the Jetski in search of the Pilchards. I am so glad I decided to go as minutes after Larry landed a Couta of 15kg my live Mackerel (Thanks for them Stuart!!!) screamed away. After a tustle which lasted about 30 minutes I landed my personal best King Fish (GT) of +/- 30kg. What a truely awesome sight to see that fish! Thanks to Larry for helping me revive the fish so that he could swim away and make another angler as happy as I was. Basie asked me in the car park this morning why I wasn't smiling...Boy did I smile after that fish!!!! Photos to follow Monday.

16th July 2010 I went for a quick look today along the coast but the West came up very early and probably too strong for the netters to get in the water....Update later 

15th July 2010 Plenty of sardines all along the coast today. Hoge shoals passed through Scottburgh where they were just out of reach of shore anglers. The Kayak and boat anglers got in amongst the action catching Couta, Tuna, Bonito, and Kingfish which were all in pristine condition and full of Sardines!!!! When the wind drops get yourselves down here guys and girls or you will miss out !!!!! 

July 12th 2010 I was awoke with an early morning call from a friend screaming like the little girl out of Polergeist "They're here" At last I shot off down the South Coast to Pumula and Hibberdene only to find the seine netters sat waiting to net as the shoals were still well out of reach and a solid 3 metre backline and rough seas prevented ant chance of launching. Dam! so near yet so far. Theres always tomorrow!  

July 4th 2010 With still no sign of the sardines I ventured out in a pretty miserable sea Sunday and was rewarded with a 23kg Tunny

Football ????? No comment !!!!!!!!

26th June 2010 I had a ride out on the Jetski today and lost 2 large Tuna. The wire snapped on the first fish and the hooks pulled out in the second one. I will never know how a fish can escape frpm 2 Owner ST66 hooks. The other guys I went with both managed to land Tunny averaging 14kg and I seen a Sailfish released. Theres always another day !!!! Lots of Whales and Dolphins about. 

25th June 2010 No way the sardines are moving at the moment so when you are looking round the internet please keep track on Pierres new kayak project. This man is amazing !  http://sit-on-topstriptouringkayak.blogspot.com/  I'm off for a slim chance to catch a Wahoo or a big Tunny today

20th June 2010  I lost a huge Wahoo today after watching a shoal of them smashing into my live bait but not biting the bait! It was incredible to watch. I will write the whole story some time

17th June 2010 Sardines netted today at Bazeley.... Game fish also smashing the sardines at Ifafa and Bazeley.... The cold front has brought some action !!!!!! 

10th June As I am writing the West is blowing and I am freezing cold. I can't imagine how Gordon is feeling now South of Coffee Bay. He has now paddles over 700kms !!!! The water temperature is rising and at the moment though ans is currently 23.2 degrees. Bad far the Sardine Run but we can however target other species.  It's nearly World Cup time and as you can see by the picture below.......He's feeling it !!!!! (thanks to Keith Hockly for the picture).

9th June 2010 Gordon is heading towards the Haven in the Transkeii today. I bet he is right in the middle of the Sardine action. I wil sms his wife Sonja now for an update.

8th June 2010 Gordon has now travelled 608kms Wow amazing !!! I'll never complain about a hard days paddle again !! On the fishing front it is very slow. A quick paddle t ofind out the redeyes had gone as the water is too warm. Dam should have went for Couta today.

7th June 2010 Went out today with Ido from Israel. We both went on with big Yellow fin Tuna and lost them both. I was completely spooled...Got some small fish and a Bonnie +/- 4kg Dam try again tomorrow. Better news was I went out on the Jetski and caught his in the afternoon.....

4th June Just got news that Kevin netted a pocket of Sardines at Hibberdene yesterday 

3rd June 2010 I managed to catch 10 small Bonitos for bait yesterday. Larry Brown and Wayne Bentley caught and released 2 nice 18King Fish off Umkomaas on their Jetskis. Well done guys. 

 Some Stats from when the sardines were netted for the first time in the last fourteen years.

Courtesy of the Sharks board
1. 1996 26/06 Port Shepstone
2. 1997 01/06 Pumula
3. 1998 05/06 Umtentweni
4. 1999 02/06 Port Shepstone
5. 2000 05/06 Boboyi
6. 2001 04/06 Port Edward
7. 2002 10/06 Sea Park
8. 2003 20/06 Bazly
9. 2004 26/06 Marina
10. 2005 12/06 Glenmore
11. 2006 22/07 Hibberdene
12. 2007 16/06 Hibberdene
13. 2008 11/06 Southbroom
14. 2009 28/7 Pennington

2010 - Wheres it gonna be ?????

31st May Monday Tunny, Wahoo and Sardines about !!!!   Over 1000 Gannets and over 500 Dolphins Spotted at Mkhambathi

30th May Sunday.... Sardines turned up at Margate today !!!! Guys quick off the mark managed to net some woth throw nets. 

30th May Just won a DVD set !!!  http://twitter.com/?status=@offthechartZA&in_reply_to_status_id=14958019903&in_reply_to=offthechartZA

West came through yesterday mid day and has warmed the water to 22 degress. If pilot shoals of sardines do come early they may head out into deeper water..

29th May 2010 Shark nets lifted on the Lower South Coast... There on their way

28th May 2010 Sardines now spotted at various spots in the Transkei 

Camera all ready for the Sardine Run !!!!!!!

18th May  http://cedar-evo.blogspot.com/ 

12th May 2010 I got a nice Couta 21kg today and Stu got one 13kg

11th May Heres an unusual fish off the Kayak..... a Poenskop ! Well done Bertus.

10th May Well done Tersius getting a Couta at Scottburgh...Wheres the picture ??? 

8th May 2010 Well done Manie 2 good Couta off Scottburgh 19kg and 9kg

4th May 2010 I got 2 Couta today, Mike got 1 and Chrles got another GT of around 15kg which was sucsessfully released. What a fight that one gave !!! It's a god time to fissh now guys !! Big swell though so be careful.

2nd May 2010 Charles got a beautiful GT of about 18-20kg off Park Rynie while trolling for Couta. Huge seas again to launch and beach in.

Over the weekend the Couta were wild along the coast. The North coast produced some good Couta and the South Coast is strating to fish.

29th April 2010 Another long paddle today with nothing to show but a few Bonnies. Charles (Speedo Man) who is down here on holiday with me did get a shoal Couta so at least we get to eat today!!! Might do a jigging session or get the poppers out tomoroow for a change.

28th April 2010 Where have the Snoek gone??? Perfect conditions but no Snoek. I did however get a nice 11kg Couta on a Snoek trace using the new Opal coulored skirt. What an awesome lure this is. Stuart got a nice +/- 6kg Queen fish. Another Dorado also came off Scottburgh today.

27th April 2010 After a break off the sea I returned yesterday to paddle round for hours losing the only fish I hooked right at the Kayak. Good to be back!!! Great to see Marcus and Mark down at Scottburgh today. Marcus doing what he does best and landing a 14kg Dorado and unfortunately lost a Wahoo. Mark got a beautiful 18kg Tunny 

2nd-5th April 2010 What  a great weekend of fishing. The weather gods were very generous over the Easter period with flat calm seas and stunning weather for the ladies to sunbathe. I guess everyone was happy! Fish wise the Snoek on occassion went absolutely wild with shoals of them swimming under your Kayak. Anglers new to Snoek fishing were given a quick lesson and proceeded to catch 4 or 5 fish each. My Snoek traces were put to the test and came out tops over this weekend. Bad news... I didn't get in the water once!!!! My mates popped up to Zinkwazi and Manie caught a 15kg Couta. The Jetski boys also has agreat weekend with Snoek, Wahoo, and Couta at Scottburgh deep.  

31st March 2010 I finished off the month with 4 Snoek today and lost a huge one. All my bites came on a new lure which I was testing today. I do not believe that you should judge a new product in one day, but there was only 1 other fish caught. I will test again tomorrow. The water temperature rose considerably today and was very clean.   

28th March 2010 After a bit of a hectic launch I managed to land 2 Snoek of 5kg and 2kg on a "Double UP" Great you paddle around for ages with no bites and thay both came at the same time!  I was the only one to catch today. The sea temperature has now gone from 18 to 21 degrees so hopefully the Snoek will come back in numbers.

27th March 2010 Never launched today but got news of a friend of mine who got kncked off his kayak and caught in a really bad rip. Lucky he is a good swimmer. Please guys be very careful when there are rips!!! 

26th March Pierre and Wessels came at with me today and did very well to launch through the surf at Umkomaas. Wessels was the only one to get a Snoek out...Well done. I say to get one out as I got 5 fish took by Sharks. We were pestered with either Sharks or Scads today on the spoon.

Brad Arthur with his 21kg Couta which won the Umhlanga March comp. Photo from Etienne. 

21st March Not a single bite today. Manie did get 3 small Snoek as he went through a shoal. I noticed that the sea temperature has dropped over the last 2 days from 24 to 18 degrees.

20th March 2010 The fish did a disappearing act again today but I did get 1 bite which was a very nice 6.2kg Snoek. I caught it on a Gladiator Mini Catcher Liveglow colour. What a great lure this is.

19th March Five of us fished today. I got 1 x 4kg Snoek and a Bonito (lots of Scad of course!) The other giuys got 2 Snoek each and Chris got 5 Small Snoek on Strike Pro small lures. Huge sell again which has settled down by 10am  eports of Couta showing on the North Coast at last and lots of small Bonito about in th South Coast

18th March 2010 Hard day at the office today. Only got 2 Snoek each and a slap in the face off the backline on the way out. Big surf today.  

17th March 2010 Isn't fishing strange? Today I got 4 bites and missed them. Then tweaked my rig and got 7 bites 7 Snoek!!! The other guys got a few each and it was Manie and Stu's turn to screw it up today. Lots of stories no fish!!!! Never mind theres always tomorrow guys. Shame the wind came up early today.  

16th March 2010 Snoek were about again today but very finicky...My turn to loose them I lost 5!!!! Manie got 4 all about 4kg Stu got 5 small ones Jeff got 2 

15th March 2010 At last back on the water!!! I got 5 Snoek this morning and lost about 5 ...Very frustrating. Stu got a BIG Snoek 8.1kg!!! On a Gladiator Pink Mini Catcher (Like a Jube Jube) Jeff LOST 10 Snoek!!!!!!!! (ps Not my traces) When it's not your day it's not your day!!!!! They were very finicky today.

3rd March The fishing has been a bit slow for a week but heres a picture of a huge Kob caught off the beach near Haga Haga (don't ask I have no idea!)

Ponta Malongane trip over and done with and a lot of happy smiles. At last some nice weather and fish. It was great to see shoal Couta in the 4-5kg range. A special well done to Mark Reeves who was on his first fishing trip and one afternoon landed a fine Couta and a huge Queenfish which he released...Well done Mark. Watch out for these guided trips to Southern Mozambique they really are an experience! Good company and good fishing. 

Paul Braun on the left with 3 Ponta Malongane Couta and Anton Hawkes of www.fishingski.com on the right also with 3 Couta..Well done guys.

14th February 2010 Not so many Snoek today but I did manage 3 decent size ones. There were 3 others came out also. Dave Thomas got a Wahoo off Scottburgh (thats something I haven't caught!) Yeah no phone calls I know they are thick where I live!!!! Also I had a BIG swim today when I bailed on the backline!!!! I can still hear the guys laughing now.

10th February 2010 The Snoek were thick today. I got 4 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon from 4kg-6kg. Lots of bites but very finicky. Wait until thet feed proper! Testing some new Gladiator Snoek traces...Wow they work!!! Anyone interested in fishing for Snoek on one of my corses please contact me (no beginners) See www.kayakfishingsa.com  

8th February 2010 A few Snoek today 3-5kg

6th February 2010 After a very barron spell of fish I managed a 3kg Snoelk today and Stu got a very nice 6kg Snoek. I have been really bust with guys and girls traing and selling Kayaks. Lets hope theres morre fish this week. Well doen to Shaun Prinsloo for hokking and releasing 2 Sailfish up at Ponta. 

21st Jan 2010 Today was my lucky day and my unlucky day. I got 2 Snoek at Scottburgh Point 4kg and 5kg and lost 3 at the boat!! No other fish caught. The spearos report seeing Snoek and Couta right on the bottom in the cold green water. 

17th January 2010 Everyone who braved the HUGE swell today caught 1 Snoek averaging 2.5kg each! Boy did they deserve the fish as the swells were very big. Most guys went for a swim ans some swam up to 5 times!!!  Must take my camera more often !!!!

16th January 2010 A Snoek feast for me today with 5 good Snoek. The two biggest were 5kg and 5.5kg. Lots caught today and 1 Dorado. 

14th january 2010 Just got chance to have a quick paddle today at Scottburgh and caught a 4kg Snoek. A few Redeyes about but nothing else caught. 

12th Jan 2010 Got a nice Snoek of 5.5kg There were also Dorado (2) and Couta (2) caught at Amanzimtoti. Scottburgh very quiet. 

Congratulations to Dave Lawson on catching his first big fish. Dave bought his Kayak off me in December and has fished his heart out and eventually landed this beautiful 18kg Couta at Scottburgh.....Well done Dave