Fishing Report 17
May 2019
Weather for the weekend.
Friday
SE gusting 1 first thing them early afternoon swings to an E gusting 10
by late afternoon. Partly cloudy with a max of 26. Wave height 1.4 period 11
barometer 1015-1012.
High Tide 02.37 Low 08.50.
Saturday
NE gusting 9 swinging to an E in the afternoon gusting 13. Sunny with a
max of 29. Wave height 1.6 period 11 barometer 1014-1011.
High Tide 03.15 Low 09.26. Full moon spring tide.
Sunday
NE gusting 9 fist thing then by late afternoon it peaks at 18. Sunny
with a max of 30. Wave height 1.4 period 9 barometer 1014-1010.
High Tide 003.50 Low 10.01.
Lagoon.
We get asked if one can catch Garrick (Leervis) in the lagoon and the
answer is yes and not only in the mouth area but further inland as well. A few
years back I was fighting a Garrick in the surf near the mouth, we could see
the Garrick in the shore break and then my line snapped, I thought it was the
leader knot that had parted anyway a friend that was watching the action got
into his boat to go braai on the banks of the estuary. His daughter was fish
with a tiny hook using bread as bait when her reel took off screaming like mad
so they cashed after he fish using the boat to retrieve the line and after a
long fight they landed the fish 12.4 kg Garrick with my hook still in its mouth
and my line trailing behind it, my line had snapped above the leader, no the
Garrick did not take the bread bait but it foul hooked itself near its mouth ,
we think it went for a River Bream that was feeding on the bait so there we
have it a Garrick of over 12kg caught twice in the same day and the second time
about 2km inland. Live bait near the mouth at this time of the year has got to
get you one of these champion fish.
Surf.
The other evening I thought I heard a service delivery protest outside the
shop upon further investigation it was local fishermen getting quiet passionate
as to who was going to get the first Garrick of the season, yip it is that time
of year to target these fine fish. How does one go about catching these fish,
there are many methods and everyone has a different tactic here is my plan of
action. I slide of throw a whole fish preferably live Shad or Mullet both of which
are scarce when the fish are about for obvious reasons, I hold my rod and do
not lock the free spool lever of the
spool ( for a grinder leave the bail arm open) keep pressure on the spool with
your thumb, when the fish picks you up let it run and it runs fast so dip your
reel in the water to cool the said thumb down and wait for the pause then it
will start a second run drop your tip down and tighten up whilst doing that
lift the rod and the hook will set especially it you using a circle hook, these
are better as you will hook the fish in the side of its mouth and it can be released
with less harm been done to its mouth area. I have seen so many fish been lost
at the anglers feet because they stike to soon and the hooks don’t set, the
fish will hold onto its food till the last minute then spit it out, it must
swallow the bait and let the hooks tear out of the fish as Garrick don’t spit
the bait out like a Kob can do when they feel the tension on the bait a Garrick
is greedy and will hold onto its food, this is my theory. Garrick hunt in packs
and when they get food they run to one side to swallow their prey so they lessen
the chance of their mates eating it, they then rush back to the school after
swallowing the food to continue hunting, hence the 2 fast runs. I find the best
place to set the hook in live bait is the anal fin other prefer behind the
head, each to his own as they say.
Ski Boat.
Today must be a good day out at sea both fishing as
well as the good weather but the plus is for the first time in over a week the
fish in the fish tank are constantly begging for food so from our observations
when they are behaving like that the fishing is good. While on the subject of
Garrick fishing besides fishing for them in a Harbor you can also fish for them
in the surf zone from the backline also using live bait or trawling with artificials.
One way is to follow the back line in for a bit turn and throw the live bait
almost into the mid break and come back out behind the back line and drift,
easier with a jet ski I think or just drift behind the back line and use surf
rods to get the bait into the surf zone, they are a surf zone species and are
rarely caught for out in “open water”, the guys in Zinkwazi fish off the point for
them and go in quiet close to the shore and catch a lot of them. I am not 100%
sure but I think they might go out to the wreck as the land side of it is
shallow and we know King Fish lurk there.
