LOCAL FISHING REPORTS

Quite long ago but I'm working on the next one .....

Check out the winds and swell prediction for Cape Town for the next 5 days. 

For more up-to-date information drop me an e-mail on rob@sportfishing.co.za

And into the new year we go ... with a blast.  Just when the fishing got absolutely awesome the %$#@*& wind came - for a solid 20 days.   Starting the day before Christmas we returned with a catch of over 40 Yellowtail with the smallest in the pile weighing in over 8 kg and one of the biggest going almost 13 kg - and all on poppers and spinners.  No fishing on Christmas day (family reasons but champing at the bit - had to settle for horse riding with the kids) knowing the fish were wild on Rocky Bank.   For the period till after New Year the Yellowtail went crazy every day.  And then the wind came ....

The first time we have been able to get out since the beginning of the month is this last Saturday.   With boats running in all directions to look for the fish we chose Seal Island (it's that time of the year) - loads of the bait fish which should be there this time of year but no fish (thanks to some little white boat who wouldn't learn how to approach a surface shoal).  Then a little bird mentioned a Snoek on Whittle Rock ... Well, after fishing for an hour in peace, catching the odd Snoek for the charter and many calls from the commercial skippers - the fleet arrived en-force ... like a $%#^@(& armada.  The Snoek run in False Bay had started.    By Sunday there must have been over 100 boats on Whittle but enough fish for everyone.  And a little word for that unknown commercial who gave me a hard time on Sunday ... this is my bay and these are my fish - I allow you to fish here and have a few of my fish - understand that ... 'nough said.  (bold hey :-)

There are some nice class of Yellowtail on Rocky Bank but it means drifting and keeping an eye out for the passing shoals.  Then throw your spinners and you'll catch a few - no boat loads but a great day's fishing.   Trolling has been unproductive.  Same at Seal Island but watch that place - it's going to happen there soon.

Plenty of Snoek at Whittle Rock and outside the Point at a place called 'Groendam' - Scarborough side of SW Reefs.

Bottom fishing for Cape Salmon (Geelbek) has been poor but this is mainly because of the distraction of the Snoek.  By now these fish should be well inside False Bay and places worth a look are York Shoal, Mossel Bank, Seal Island and Wolfgat.  Whole pilchard (sardine) with a strip of fresh squid will be your best baits - fished a meter or two off the ground.

Some nice Kob off the Pavilion at Strandfontein in the evenings. Use the same techniques as for Cape Salmon but in shallower water of 4 to 8 meters.

Some nice Kob on the Strandfontein beaches on the high tide and a few Elf (Shad), but beware a lot of these fish are under size.  Please guys, return these fish with the least possible harm ... you'll catch them next year if you do.   And don't fish for Galjoen - the season's still closed and the inspectors are out in force.

Still no sign of the Tuna but give it a few weeks and I think we could all expect a very nice surprise ... lets wait and see.

That's all for now.  Tight lines and for those of you who demanded another report ... this one's for you

Well the year is almost over and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you out there the very best in fishing for 2005 - may you catch your biggest fish ever in the coming year.

The fishing has been as hectic as ever down here in the Cape with the exception of the Tuna.  The Tuna season got off to a cracking start and great numbers of really big fish being taken every fishable day.   But then late in November a warm current of up to 21°C moved in and overnight the fish disappeared.  Since then it has not been worth the run out to the grounds.   You want my prediction on the Tuna???  I think they will be back late in February or early March - not before - but they will come in good numbers and we will see very many Yellowfin going over the 90 kg class with a few (if the anglers can hold out long enough) going into the 100 kg plus.   Not too sure about the numbers and sizes of the Albacore (Longfin) though, their numbers and sizes have been down for the last couple of years.

Wanna catch Yellowtail ... come down here.   Rocky Bank has been the main area of concentration with fish also at the Bellows, SW Reef and the Anvil - some inside the Point towards the Rooikraans Ledges and scattered shoals all along the coast to Fishhoek.   The fish on Rocky Bank and those areas outside the Point have been a really nice class.   On one day just before Christmas we landed over 40 fish between 8 and 12kg - all on spinning tackle ... now that's hectic fishing.  We have been taking them mainly on the deep diving plugs with the Storm Lures working the best, however I've had 2 new divers to test and they are dynamite (wait for my report on these new lures:-). 

Cape Salmon (Geelbek) have certainly made a good appearance this year with some commercial boats landing over 2 ton per boat in an outing.  Now I don't have a problem with this (ooops! let me just straighten the saddle on my horse) but if a species of fish is under threat then EVERYONE should be limited in their catches   ... or am I missing something here?  Now I have absolutely no problem with catch restrictions, in fact I believe they are an excellent way to manage our fish stocks ... and sure, the commercials should get more, it's their livelihood.  The new fishing regulations just published now restrict all recreational anglers down from 10 to only 2 Cape Salmon (Geelbek) per day while there are no limits placed on commercial fishermen - no quotas, no numbers ... nothing ... catch all they can - and they do.   The only reason for reducing bag limits is when the scientists decide a species is under threat - but then why not also put a limit on the commercial boats who account for well over 95% of the annual catch anyway ... something smells fishy here!   Doesn't sound like a fish stock problem to me - I think someone needs to explain.

There has been the odd appearance of Snoek but this traditionally is not a good time of year for them anyway.   There have been some nice Kob around in the usual Muizenberg to Maccassar stretch but once again ... watch your bag limit - now down to 5 fish per day and that's fair ... but again, no commercial restrictions.

I received an interesting mail from Mozambique, which sheds a little light on the problems they are having up there ... take a look.   Perhaps a paradise lost???

If anyone has a solution or knows how we can assist, please let me know ... before it's too late.

That's about it for this month but to say ...  HAPPY NEW YEAR

And now for that long awaited report.   You'll never believe how many people around the world have given me a little nudge (if you can call it that :-) to update the site.   Well guys, to all of you who sent me a mail, thanks and here goes.

Summer is here with a vengeance and with it the good Tuna run I predicted in the September report (and yes I'm pretty pleased it was only my neck I stood a chance to loose).   The Yellowfin are spread over an area of about 10 square miles with some shoals already moving in to the Cape Point area.   From the latitude 34:30 to 34:40 and Longitudes 18:17 to 18:00 you WILL find Tuna - that's an area starting about 20 miles off Cape Point.   Those closer shoals of fish are of a smaller 40 to 50 kg class whilst those fish further out are going up to 90 kg.  The Albacore (Longfin) tuna are around but not in any great numbers - and they are generally a smaller class for this time of year.

Although these fish are being taken on the troll with deep diving plugs and plastic squid, the bigger fish are being taken on baits.    As usual, the operation is to troll until you get a strike, stop the boat and while fighting the fish, chum the area.  The Yellowfin are coming up to the boats quite quickly which is an indication of their good numbers.

The Snoek are still non-existent and this has to have been the worst year in a long time.  But don't fear, they're not wiped out - they have been plentiful in the deep Tuna grounds where the long-line boats recorded many shoals during the winter.  I believe the reason for the no-show this year is due to the unusual weather pattern this year, which in turn altered the water currents that usually bring them onto the coast.   Here's hoping next winter is back to normal.

The Yellowtail are moving through False Bay on time and will remain along the coastal area from Buffels Bay to Kalk Bay until late December when they will start to move across to Seal Island to feed on the Pilchards.   Not that there won't be Yellowtail at the Island now, it's just that the numbers move in January.   Fish Hoek Bay has been producing some nice fish and there was a 20kg Yellowtail reported from the netters last week.  There are shoals outside the Point from Anvil to Bellows and SW Reef but they are moving fast which indicates a small prey such as Anchovy or Mantis Shrimp - how's that for a clue on lure sizes?

The Kob are around though mainly during the night hours.   The beaches are producing Kob during the day over the higher water periods but look for the dirty water.  

No sign of the Cape Salmon (Geelbek) yet although I did see very promising signs off the Point and inside Buffels Bay on my return to harbour on Sunday evening.   So we can expect them to make an appearance very shortly - and I look forward to that.

This month we have a nice addition to the report which gives us a nice insight into what's happening in other parts of the world.  Here is a report on the fishing in the USA sent by one of our avid followers sitting in his NY office (wishing he was out here though, hey Don :-)

Here in New Jersey the fall fishing is excellent. The offshore canyons ( 70miles out ) are still holding yellowfin, albacore and some big-eye. We are also seeing a lot of blue marlin this year. Swordfish ( smaller ) are being caught on deep lines during the chunking for yellowfin.

"The giant bluefin migration through here has not yet started but there should be reports of "giants" caught on their way down to North Carolina.

In-shore the striped bass are starting to feed for their winter migration to the continental shelf and the birds are working over large bait schools. Just talked to a friend on the water today and he was picking a few 20-30lbs on clams.

But sadly it will all be over for another season as the first freeze in a few weeks will have us all pulling our boats for the year. "

Anyone who can send us a report from their part of the world - please do ... it makes great reading for all of us.

Well here is my prediction for the next few months:

• The Yellowfin Tuna fishing will be excellent into January if the water doesn't get too warm.  They will also be found around the Bellows in good numbers this year and watch if someone doesn't get one off the rocks at Rooikrans.
• I believe we could get an unusual number of Marlin in our waters from January next year - so stand by with the heavy gear.
• The Cape Salmon will arrive shortly but I don't think we'll see as many as in the last two years.
• The Snoek won't be seen again this year.
• The Yellowtail .... well that I'll keep secret for next month.

That's about it for this month so get out there and hurt yourself on the fish.   But please guys - only keep what you can eat and let the rest go to fight another day.  Remember the Sea Fisheries are clamping down heavily on illegal fish sales and you WILL be in big #$@& if you are caught - they have an excellent intelligence network so don't take a chance.

Tight Lines

Thanks for the call Tim - looking forward to your return in May.  Told you to watch this space :-)

Thanks for prompting this report guys.   It's not easy giving a positive report when the fishing's going through the longest quiet period I can remember.   I get phone calls every day from my commercial friends, all just waiting and hoping for some good news.   All I can put the absence of fish down to is the regular unseasonal wind direction which has probably been the cause of the bait fish holding back on their migration around the Point and into False Bay.   Not that there are no fish, it's just that they are not in their usual numbers for this time of year. But on a positive note - it will still happen, so watch this space.

In light of the many enquiries I get as to how one determines where the fish will be, I thought (or Mike Spinola did) that I should dedicate much of this report to explaining the methods I use.   They're not perfect as many factors can influence them, but over the years these have proved the most successful - and certainly the best place to start.  The following methods work both off the boat and in the surf (and I've even found them to work in fresh water) - and the bonus is that they will work anywhere in the world.

The basic understanding required is knowing your target species, it's habits and where it feels comfortable.  Uncomfortable fish don't eat, however if they are forced into an uncomfortable situation for long enough they will acclimatise and eventually feed, albeit half heartedly.  One also needs to know what the food source of the target species feeds on because knowing where the food will be, is knowing where the fish are most likely to be feeding.   Water temperatures can be critical, especially at the top and bottom of the comfortable temperature range of the fish.   For example most fish in False Bay enjoy a water temperature of between 15°C and 20°C - if the temperature drops to 14,5° and below or rises to 21° and above, the fish are reluctant to feed.   Not that they won't, it's just that it is sometimes it's not worth the effort.   Any sudden rise or fall of the water temperature will also put the fish off the feed.

Now the big question - how does one determine where the food and the fish will be.  Now this may sound simple and you'll probably kick yourself for not having thought of it before but .... fish have tails.   That means that although you are in the general area you will need to be more specific for the exact location.

The general rule of thumb I use to establish the general area is knowing the type of area the fish like to feed on.  Kob and Steenbrass like to feed over sandy areas, Geelbek and Galjoen like reef with a little sand near-by, Yellowtail like underwater structure, and so on.   And why? - because that's where their food likes to hang out.  Next I find the best water temperature (not necessarily the warmest or coolest - but the most consistent over an area).  And then I look for the signs, however subtle, of where the food source is most likely to be.   In the sandy sections of the surf I look for patches of discoloured water (where small fish will hide) or where the sand is being disturbed by wave action - as this uncovers the worms and other little organisms on which the fish will come to feed.   On the boat I look for unusual currents, disturbed water, colour changes and temperature lines - bait fish get tossed around in currents and hide in discoloured water.

Ok, but how do I know where to go to find these conditions?  Just watch the weather pattern - easy.   And here I don't just look at today and tomorrow, I look at the previous three to four days and then the prediction for the day.   For example, False Bay has a dominant South Easterly wind during the summer which drives the water to the North West and pushes the baitfish along with it (they find it easier to swim with the current than against it).   So where to look becomes simple - wherever the baitfish can't go any further - like against the rocks or beaches.   In a surf environment the winds churn up the bottom as it piles water towards the beach.   This build-up of water needs to escape (that's why the sea becomes discoloured) and it does so along the bottom, disturbing and uncovering the worms and organisms mentioned earlier.   Therefore, if the SE has blown hard for the past 4 days I would look along the coast line towards Muizenberg for Kob, Steenbrass, Geelbek and Elf or along the outside of the Point towards Dias Beach, the back end (south) of Bellows and Seal Island for the Yellowtail.   When the North winds blow I look at the other side of the bay towards Gordons Bay / Strand and Cape Hangklip - see the pattern here.  And this is for those surf and bottom fishermen (now that just didn't sound right) - as the wind moves away from the SE to a S, W and NW the fish move from Muizenberg towards Gordons Bay / Strand, so work along the coast in that direction until you find the right conditions.   And here's a rule of thumb - 1 day after the SE the fish will be towards Strandfontein, 2 days after they will be towards Macassar and by then the N wind is blowing and the fish are in Gordons Bay.  Now there's a secret.

The Yellowtail prefer the SW Reefs, Bellows area during a NW wind as the baitfish seek protection from the winds in this fairly sheltered area.   They are more prolific around Seal Island from January to May as the SE winds have driven the bait fish deep inside the Bay by then.

So the whole crux of knowing where the fish are is to fish with the wind in your face or where it blows onto the shore and hard structure.  Find the right temperature and look for unusual signs that make the water react differently to that around it.

Now on to the fishing ....

Snoek are around in Buffels Bay.   Mostly on Pilchard baits at around 15 to 20 meters.  They are a little reluctant to take the spoon but it is always a good idea to keep one working to attract them to your baits.   I caught one last Sunday with a long-line hook in it's gut.   The hook had obviously not been there long by it's colour so that fish must have traveled a great distance from the Tuna grounds to False Bay in a very short space of time ... interesting.

There are also some squid (chokka) in Buffels bay, mostly off the Cross in about 30 to 40 meters - on the ground.

Yellowtail are outside the Point but very reluctant to feed.   But a few have been taken on spinners so it is always worth a look.  I have found this to often be an excellent time of year for the Yellowtail in this area.   The spearo's have shot a few nice fish in the 10 kg class around Bellows.

With the unseasonal SE winds we've experienced lately, there have been a few Kob around both on the beaches and off the boats.   All in the Strandfontein, Maccassar and Gordons Bay area.   A good sign for the season is the number of nice class Kob moving down the East coast passed Breeda River and Hermanus.   The Steenbrass and Grunter are also beginning to show some nice signs in this area.

The Tuna have been traditionally slow for this time of year with the odd one being taken by those boats willing to venture out 30 to 40 miles.   However, noting the current sea conditions and water temperatures I predict a very good season this year.  How's that for sticking my neck out.

Well that's about all I have suffice to say that whoever is towing a full wetsuit with a surfboard strapped inside it around Seal Island - please stop your irresponsible behavior.  Teaching a Great White shark to eat wetsuits is the very reason we are now having so many attacks.   Think about the danger you impose on the many divers and surfers.   And if you are going to chum, don't feed the sharks when they come up to the boat as the smell on your hands teaches them to associate the human smell with an easy meal - and be sure they can smell the scent from your hands very well.

Tight lines and for all those of you sitting in your offices around the world - we wish you were here.

I had no sooner finished my last report when the Yellowtail switched on at Rocky Bank.   We had about a week of excellent fishing with some of the better commercial crews landing in excess of 2 ton a day.   Most of these fish were caught on the drift using a combination of Pilchard and Squid.   I would not recommend fishing amongst the commercial boats during this type of fishing activity unless you are well experienced and known by the skippers.   You need nerves of steel as the clusters of 15 to 30 boats race from one spot to the next once a shoal is located.  And worst of all is when the fish move in under your boat while you're sitting there minding your own business away from the melee. From tranquility to total chaos in seconds as the boats descend upon you at full speed.   Apart from almost being thrown out your boat you'd best put out the fenders to save your boat from collision.  As I said, not for the feint hearted - but loads of fun when you understand how the commercial fleet works and hey, they're just trying to earn a living.  Oh yes, I think someone should record that we have yet another official language  (I think it's called 'Joumase' - pronounced: jou- ma- se, the commercial crews seem quite proficient in it, especially when you get in their way)

And then the winter storms came ....   I haven't seen so much water fall in such a short period of time since being caught at Cape Vidal during Cyclone Damoyna in '88.  I seem to have read somewhere that it was Cape Town's highest recorded rainfall over a two hour period since data collection started over 50 years ago.   But we need these storms as they are a vital part of our traditional weather pattern, the change from summer to winter fishing, and form the basis of fish movements and migrations.   Usually for about a three to five week period after the first storms we experience a slump in the fishing - and then it begins in earnest with the Snoek and Galjoen.   However the transition from winter to summer fishing goes almost unnoticed with no really conspicuous dead period.

The Yellowfin and a few Longfin (Albacore) Tuna are still about when the weather and seas settle enough to allow the boats to reach them.   But not long and we should see the Tuna start again in their numbers - usually around late September / early October.

For those Yellowtail enthusiasts all is not lost with this cooler weather. The water has been a cold 13 - 14°C and this has kept them off the bite with the exception of the odd one or two.   However the shoals are in the Cape Point region - Anvil, Bellows, SW Reef, Groendam and Harold's Bank - as well as inside Buffels Bay on occasions.  A mixture of sizes ranging from 2 kg up to the 8 kg class.  The spear-fishermen have been shooting quite a few in the Bellows area recently.   As soon as water temperatures reach the 15 - 16°C again, these fish should feed well.

Snoek ... what would winter be without them.   Finally they seem to be making a concerted effort to move deeper into False Bay.   Although they've been frequenting the Buffels Bay area for some time, they have been very sporadic - feeding well one day and not interested the next.   Over the past week they have spread in as far as Millers Point and Smitswinkle Bay, with larger shoals off the Cross in Buffels.   They are taking well on Pilchard or Mackerel (Pike) baits and spinners and 'dollies'.   Best depths have been the 20 to 40 meter contours.

On the rock and surf scene there have been reports of some nice class Steenbras at Uilenskraal Mond, the Dam and Hermanus Plaat.   These fish have been feeding better on the incoming tides on baits such as prawns and worms.  There have also been some nice Galjoen around when the water is turbulent and strong.   For these you need to fish in amongst the submerged reefs and rocks.   Use a fixed sinker line (not a running trace so that if / when you hook a fish it can pull the sinker out of the reef) of a lighter breaking strain than the rest of your tackle.  That way you only loose a sinker.  The best place to fish is always where the wind is blowing into your face - it's harder to cast but the fish come closer anyway.

Here is a mail I received recently from one of our avid readers:

On the fresh water front things are a bit quiet with all this water flowing down our rivers and into the dams.   Not a bad thing but plays havoc with the fishing.   These waters are cold and dirty and the fish seem to go into 'snooze' mode.  However with a little perseverance you'll still find the odd Carp, Bass or Trout.   As soon as the waters clear the Trout will be feeding well again in the dams (lakes).

Well there you have it.   Not much been happening but a very positive outlook beginning.   Sharpen those hooks and brave the weather - that's fishing.   The whales are in False Bay again so watch out for them when flying across the water (or is that me with my scuba gear that people think is a whale? - doing fine thank you :-)

And we thought the weather at the beginning of the year was weird, well here in the middle of winter we have some of the most awesome weather imaginable.   It's cold, wet and rainy in the UK and Europe (their summer) and we have stunning hot days, no wind and warm temperatures - guess where I'm happy to live.

As predicted, the Tuna are still here in good numbers.   End of last week saw some great catches of between 10 to 20 big Yellowfin in the 60 to 90kg class per boat.   These fish are at the canyon on the lat / long 34:36 - 18:06 and the area about 4 miles around.   This week there have been some intermittent catches of Longfin (Albacore) Tuna ranging from 15 to 25 kg.  Some boats have had catches over 50 fish while other, less those fortunate have had catches of 8 to 10 fish.   The Yellowfin are predominantly being taken on baits while the Longfin on trolled lures and then spinner and bait.   I do not see these fish moving away for some time unless we get some really severe weather that upsets the warm currents.

Snoek are everywhere from Cape Town to Cape Hangklip on the far side of False Bay.  We have been catching most of our fish in the Buffels Bay and Cape Point areas.   Feeding mainly over the high tide period so there isn't a rush out in the mornings (for which I am grateful - it is still winter).  Most of our Snoek fishing has been on the fly over the past few weeks and to say we've had some unbelievable fun would be an understatement.  Much to the absolute disgust and dismay of my commercial friends and their crews we have returned over 90% of our catch alive.

Yellowtail have been scarce but this is solely because of the unseasonal SE winds lately.  As soon as the north wind starts again we can expect them back in full force in the Cape Point area.   August / September have been some of my best months for these fish in this area.   We have however had some very nice Yellowtail on the Pilchard baits while fishing for Snoek in the Buffels Bay area.

The reef fishing is quiet as to be expected for this time of year but for those looking for a bit of fun, there seem to be quite a lot of Bronze Whaler Sharks around.   There are some Red Roman around but as a personal request to anglers, please don't target them.  Sure take one to eat and leave the rest alone.  I talk often with the researchers in False Bay and this is one species they are studying in depth as it appears to be under threat.   I have found this to be the case in certain areas where there is concentrated fishing yet in the areas where I have some "secret reefs" there are plenty of really big fish - and no, you cannot have the numbers.   Roman are resident fish and rarely move far from their reef which makes them easy targets and very susceptible to over-fishing.  This is compounded by their very slow growth rate - some may live for 20 years and only be a few kilograms.   Let's preserve the Roman - without the 'help' of Sea Fisheries - before there are no more.

Galjoen on the beaches and rocky areas on the Atlantic and False Bay coasts but they are finicky at times.  Red bait in False Bay and White mussels in the Atlantic, seem to be the best baits so far.

Well that's all for this week but to thank all those who prompted me to update this report.  

 Tight lines and see you on the water - hey, I start a scuba course next week (maybe that says something).  Just to prove you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Keep an eye out for the upcoming Saltwater Fly-fishing package to be uploaded on this site next week and in the August edition of Complete Fly-fisherman along with my article on how to catch Yellowtail on the fly.   The original article is much longer and I'll be happy to mail it to those interested in September, after the magazine has been released.

First off I must apologise for the lengthy delays between reports and with the large number of requests I have been getting for more frequent information, I'm going to give it my best shot to update on a weekly basis.   This may not be as be easy as it sounds after a few days on the water but even if I get round to it every two weeks it'll be better.   As I tend to loose all track of time and dates I would appreciate a quick e-mail just to remind me it's time to up-date.

Well here's the fishing news....

May has been a great month on most fishing fronts even though we are getting closer to winter.   To start with the Tuna.  Most of the fish have been concentrated in the usual place for this time of year, down in the south on and around the canyon at the Latitude 34°.38' to 34°.44' S and east of Cape Point from Longitude 18°.10 to 18°.05 E.   This is a distance of around 25 to 30 miles from Cape Point and 40 to 45 miles from Hout Bay ... don't even want to think how far the run is from Cape Town itself.

Most of the Yellowfin have been taken behind the Hake Long-line boats as they retrieve their lines and clean fish.   This steady flow of fish offal attracts the Tuna and keeps them within a small area.   But be aware that not every Long-liner will have Tuna behind it so if you're not getting strikes quite quickly it's time to move to another vessel and maybe come back and check at a later stage.    The best method of fishing behind these Long-liners is to move in right up against it's stern and drift.   Throw a few handfuls of chopped Pilchards into the water to attract the fish to your boat and drift a whole or half a Pilchard down between 5 and 20 meters, depending on the depth at which the fish are feeding.   As a rule of thumb I tend to fish nearer the surface next to the Long-liner and drop the baits deeper as the vessel moves away.   The aim is to try to keep your baits in the offal trail.    I prefer not to use a weight on my lines if at all possible but when the drift is fast I attach just enough weight to keep the baits down.

The Yellowfin have averaged between 45 and 90 kg with reports of fish going over 100kg.  The Albacore (Longfin) have been between 12 and 20 kg with the smaller ones closer to land and the bigger fish further out nearer the Long-liners.

The Yellowtail have all but moved out of the Island area inside False Bay and although there are still a few scattered along the coast-line from Muizenberg corner to Buffels Bay, the main concentration of fish is outside Cape Point.   There are huge shoals of fish in the area from SW Reefs to Bellows and the Anvil and the commercial boats have been coming in with catches of between 1 to 3 ton a day.   Although the Yellowtail are responding to trolled lures the bulk of the fish are being taken on drift baits of Pilchard and Squid strips.

During the early part of May the shoals of Cape Salmon (Geelbek) were concentrated around Seal Island, York Shoal and East Shoal but with the colder waters now moving in these fish have moved on to their winter regions up the east coast.   The Kob are still around in the Wolfgat and Kapteins Klip area when a patch of warmer 16 to 18° C water moves in.   They are generally found in the deeper water this time of year.  Whole Pilchards, Mackerel and live baits are working best.

The winter Cape Snoek run is starting with the concentration of shoals stretching from Ysterfontein on the west coast down to Robben Island off Cape Town.   They are also in the area between Hout Bay and Cape Point but tend to only feed in this area when their favorable winds blow.   The shoals are moving down towards Cape Point and should reach into False Bay within the next month or so where they'll remain until late October and into November.

On the Shark front there have been a plethora of Blue Sharks out in the Tuna grounds and although they can be a nuisance when fishing for Tuna, they can be great fun on light tackle.   We have even taken a few on the fly over the past weeks.

The beaches along Strandfontein and Maccassar are already starting to produce some nice class of Galjoen and this will improve as the gullies and rock banks become cleared of sand with the winter North winds.   Good baits have been Redbait and worms in this area.  The Atlantic coast is also producing some Galjoen but they generally appear to be of a smaller class.   The best baits in this area have been White Mussel and Coral Worms.

Well that's all for this week.   With the weather looking fairly settled for the next few days, keep an eye on this page as we'll be back on the water.   Tight lines and may you catch all the fish you want but only keep the fish you need. 

At last I get the opportunity to write a report again. No excuses, just great fishing and too tired to do anything but rest at the end of the day.   This past month has seen some outstanding fishing on all fronts now that the weather has settled.

The Tuna have been right on cue with some huge Yellowfin and a fair number of Longfin (Albacore).   Most of the fish have been from the lat / long - 34:25S / 18:00E to 34:41S / 18:12E - a large area of about 15 X 12 miles.  But this is not the only area (and this is for all the smaller boats that aren't able to venture out to the Tuna grounds) the Yellowfin have been right on Cape Point and Rocky Bank, even venturing into Buffels Bay, for about two weeks.   Although mostly smaller fish up to the 30kg mark, there have been some real brutes up to the 80kg class.   These fish have now moved out to the current line about 12 miles off the Point.   In the deep Tuna grounds most of the Yellowfin have been around the Long Liners and trawlers with the bigger fish coming up on baits.   To locate these fish one needs to troll larger lures such as CD 22 Rapala's, large bulb squid and smaller Kona type lures - colours are a personal preference but as a guide my favored colours have a gold or orange belly during the early morning and late afternoon and a white or silver belly from 10am to 3pm.  Once you get a strike start to chum the water immediately and keep the chum line going with a few blocks of Pilchard during the fight.   Once the fish has been landed you can get a bait-line or two into the water - the wind and current will determine whether you will need a small weight or not.   Try to get your bait of half a Pilchard to drift back naturally with the chum for about 10 to 15 meters - hopefully you'll get a fish before then.  Don't give up too soon and just keep the chum-line going.

The Longfin (Albacore) have been caught mainly on the troll with CD 14 Rapala's, Storm Deep Thunder 15's, Tuna Runners and Yamashita squids.  Colours as for the Yellowfin.  If you are quick enough you can raise them on baits and spinners as with the Yellowfin (except with Yellowfin you don't really want to put a spinner in the water unless you have some bizarre desire for a spot of masochism on the water) soon after the strike.

With Tuna, as with most shoaling gamefish, one should keep an eye on the echo sounder for shoals and work the area above and around.   Personal experience is that shoals sitting at depths below 15 meters seldom rise without effort from the skipper.

For those Yellowtail addicts, this has been a time dreams are made of.   There are literally thousands of fish in False Bay - from Whittle Rock to Seal Island and across towards Simonstown.   These fish are feeding mainly on Pilchards which necessitates the use of slightly larger lures that swim deep.   Our successes have come predominantly on the Storm Deep Thunder 15's - black/silver, black/gold, Sucker and Mullets.  The fish average in size from 4 to 8 kg with some fish over the 10kg mark.  Scotty (my son) caught one of just over 11 kg a week ago.  Look for the working birds and troll at around 4.5 knots.

My hands are still raw from the superb catches of Cape Salmon (Geelbek) this past month.   Days of 30 to 40 fish in the 8 to 10 kg class have not been uncommon.   Sound around over reef structure such as that found at Seal Island, York and East Shoal, Rocky Bank, etc., until you find a shoal near the ground and immediately drop your lines, baited with a whole Pilchard, down to the bottom and raise the bait about a meter off the ground - and hang on. Always keep a bait of hooked fish in the water while the shoal is feeding, this will keep them interested and they'll stay with your boat.   The wind and currents will determine whether you need to anchor or not.

We have had some nice Kob in the 15 to 20 kg class but with the constantly changing weather and water temperatures, these fish have been very difficult to locate and catch.

There are Snoek from Cape Point to Scarborough but only after a good SE wind when the water on that side of the Peninsula cools down.   However this is not really their season yet so they will be sporadic until June / July.

The beaches have been fairly productive when the water has been warm enough.  Some very nice Kob along Strandfontein through to Maccassar mainly in the dark hours.   Use a Squid/Pilchard or Elf (Shad) combination with a small piece of float in the bait to keep it off the ground and away from the crabs.   There have been the odd Steenbras taken on Bloodworm but these fish have been relatively small with few fish going over the 5 kg mark.

Well that should keep you busy for a while so sharpen those hooks and get out on the water.   There's a lot of fish, not too difficult to catch and our weather should remained generally settled for another month or so.  Tight lines and see you on the water.  Feel free to call me on 083 235 9550 for a more up to date report before you go out. 

My sincere apologies to all of you avid readers, for the lack of reports lately but as luck will have it, gremlins crept into the site when I last tried to upload it - and 'poof !!!!' like someone waved a magic wand - my whole site crashed.  After many nights and a huge phone bill later I've finally got it back on track.   So here they come .....

February started off quite settled for a few days - flat seas, busy days and lots of fish.   And then the winds came back with a vengeance.  How's almost three weeks of solid wind in February?  I cannot recall this time of year with so much wind - and the 'fundies' say it's not uncommon - let them come to sea with us and see if its "uncommon".   I had an interesting chat with an Israeli gent the other day and of course the strong winds and unusual weather pattern soon took centre stage.  Now according to the Hebrew calendar this weather is exactly on time and it's our Gregorian calendar that's out.   The Israeli's celebrate 'Yom Kippur' as the beginning of the new year, a date which moves around and is always, in the Northern Hemisphere, the first day of Autumn.  Food for thought hey?

Well back to the fishing.   Over the past two weeks the fish have been both good and bad.   Nice Tuna catches for this time of year, poor Yellowtail catches, patchy Kob and good Cape Salmon. (maybe the Hebrew calendar is correct for the fish as well - I hope so).  

Both Yellowfin and Longfin (Albacore) Tuna have been taken regularly 12 to 26 miles, 260 - 270 degrees off Cape Point.   Water temperatures are up to 22,5 degrees C once you cross the large current line which has been sitting around 10 miles off the coast.   The Yellowfin have averaged 40 to 50 kg with some fish going over the 90 kg mark.  The Longfin (Albacore) are all averaging around the 12 to 18 kg mark.   Most of our Yellowfin Tuna have been taken on deep diving lures while the Longfin more so on the surface plastics.   They are coming up in the chum line on occasion and this is where the bigger fish are being taken.   There have also been some nice Dorado (Dolphin fish) for those lucky enough to find a floating object at sea.

My tip for those venturing out for the Tuna is to troll two deep diving lures such as the Williamson Depth Charge, Rapala or Storm along with four surface lures such as the Williamson Tuna Runner (TR3) or Yamashita Lolligo (bulb) squids.   Colours: Black and Silver / Black and Gold / Chartreuse and Yellow / plain White / Fluorescent Orange / Red Head / Pink and Brown / Green and Yellow.  Have a bucket of chum ready chopped up and as you get the strike throw a handful into the water - thereafter a steady stream of three or four pieces (not too much or the fish will stay down and just eat your chum).  Immediately get two spinners into the water and once you have restored order on the boat, get a bait-line or two down.   This will not always work but give it at least 15 minutes, you'll be surprised what will appear.

Yellowtail, now there's another story.   This time of year the big fish in the 6 to 12 kg class should be quite plentiful around Seal Island but no - sure there are a few, but they are hard to find, difficult to catch and as frustrating as all hell.   We have been catching a few on the corner between Glencairn and Fish Hoek - and I mean just a few though a nice class.  For those of you venturing out this coming weekend I will let you into a little secret.   I found some nice Yellowtail at the entrance to Smitswinkel Bay just yesterday, in a howling NW gale - all sane skippers were doing land things.

We caught some nice Kob in the 8 to 16kg class from Strandfontein Pavilion all the way down to Maccassar.  These fish, like the Cape Salmon, want whole Pilchards fished about two meters off the ground.   Cape Salmon have been plentiful, on occasion, (especially during and just after a strong SE wind) off Roman Rock Light house in Simonstown and towards the Glencairn Quarry.  (Ok - also in Buffels Bay)

There have been some very nice shoals of Snoek from Cape Point up to Scarborough with some of the commercial boats catching over 1000 fish a day.

I haven't been on the beaches lately but I would recommend looking for the Kob from Muizenberg to Maccassar.  Preferably on the high tide in the SE wind.   Look for discoloured water and try Pilchard and fresh Squid combined.

Rivers and dams are a bit hot for the Trout at the moment but if you try hard enough you may bag one or two - but it's going to be hard work.

Tight lines everybody and may the big fish bite on the end of your line.

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR to all our avid readers and may your year be filled with screaming reels and big fish.

To most of you reading this report you'd probably wonder what there is to report on with all this unseasonal wind we've been having since December.   Our bookings have been full to over-flowing but do you think we could get everyone on the water - no way.   If the wind hasn't been screaming from the South it turns and screams from the North, and snow in December???  We even had to fish in a 25 knot N.Westerly with pelting rain albeit in a t-shirt and shorts.   According to the weather guru's our winds are about 8 weeks late and should have come in October last year.   My question is, when do we revert back to a normal weather pattern?  Well hopefully we now settle down to the regular summer pattern and can get some serious fishing in again.

And now for the good news....  When the wind has abated the fish have been there, and in decent numbers and size.   The Yellowtail have arrived at Seal Island about a month late but they are big and plentiful.   As with most of the early shoals to arrive in this area, they are still a little illusive and need some creative angling to catch them.   The way we have been catching them recently is to have a look-out, wearing a good pair of blue lens Polarized glasses, scan the surface for the dark patches of fish.  When they are right on the surface you can identify individual fish but when they are slightly deeper you will only see a dark mass.   Slowly edge your way up to the shoal, and once you are in casting range, switch off the engines and cast spinners and poppers just in front of the shoal.   The fish have been averaging between 6 and 12 kg so you are in for some great action.

The water has been cold around Cape Point due to the strong SE winds and the icy cold up-welling they create along the Atlantic seaboard.   But these currents move quickly so as soon as the waters warm again the Yellowtail should be plentiful at Rocky Bank and the Point area.

On the bottom fishing front we have done fairly well over the past few weeks with some of those nice sized Kob in the 10 to 20kg class.   The best daytime area for these fish has been from Kapteins Klip through to Maccassar.   The main reason for this, and something one should always look for when hunting Kob, is the water is warmer than other parts of the Bay and is also discoloured from the strong winds.   A fresh Pilchard, Maasbanker, Shad (Elf) or live bait fished on the ground has proved the best method and baits lately.   Although winding the bait a meter off the ground can also be very productive at times.

The Cape Salmon (Geelbek) have still been prolific although mainly very late in the afternoon from 4 to sunset.   The areas most productive have been the Quarry off Glencairn and Cape Point (when the water is warm).   The best baits have been whole Pilchards, fresh Squid and live Maasbankers.   Keep the baits about a meter off the ground.

The Tuna have been quiet mainly because we haven't been able to get out to them so who knows where they are.   Hopefully when the weather settles we can get out and look again.   Some exciting news from the commercial boats operating way out in the south west, is that there are massive shoals of Yellowfin Tuna heading in the direction of Cape Point so lets hold thumbs that they arrive soon.

The beaches have been producing some fine Kob at night as well as some nice Shad (Elf) during the day.   Another very interesting bit of information is that there have been some Garrick (Leerfish) cruising the area between Beespens and Strandfontein so if you are keen to try for one of these excellent fighters get hold of some live Mullet or small Shad and give it a go.   These fish feed predominantly during the day and preferably in deeper water close to a shallow bank.   They basically only eat live baits fished on a nylon trace.   When the fish picks up your bait allow it to run freely.  It will stop to turn the bait and then run again.   Only strike once it moves off the second time or you will pull the hook out of its mouth.   Garrick are not that great to eat so please release them after you've had your fun.

That's all for now and I look forward to seeing you on the water or fishing with you soon.

This has been a great fishing week both in the Tuna grounds and closer inshore.   There are literally thousands of big Yellowfin from as close as 3 miles off Cape Point and Scarborough to about 30 miles.   The tuna range from about 50 to 90 kg and are in good strong condition.   All our fish have been taken on the troll mostly on the new Williamsons Depth Charge lures and Rapala CD 22's.   Some have been taken on drift baits but with the vast number of food shoals in the water it is understandably very difficult to interest them in chunks of Pilchard.   The water is a warm 19 degrees and blue in colour - and these waters are moving right in onto Cape Point.   It will not be surprising to find these big Yellowfin around the Bellows and maybe inside False Bay soon.

There are shoals of Yellowtail the size of football fields feeding on the surface from SW Reef and the Bellows, all the way to Rocky Bank.   The fish are averaging from 3 to 10kg and are now at least showing a little more interest in our lures.   One technique I have worked out recently with these feeding shoals if they won't take the lures, is to take the deep diving lures out the water and only troll surface lures. 

The Cape Salmon (Geelbek) have been going crazy outside Cape Point as well as on the odd day in Buffels Bay.   It has not been unusual to land eight to ten fish out of one shoal.   These fish are averaging 6 to 10 kg and are taking well on Pilchards fished drift and just off the ground.   A strip of fresh squid with the Pilchard works wonders when the fish are a little shy.   A single hook trace with a 9/0 Kendel Round hook with or without a sliding 2 oz., ball sinker is all you need.

Last Sunday we had the first Marlin of the season up feeding on small Yellowfin next to the boat.   This is an excellent sign for things to come this season.   In all the splashing and thrashing on the surface, I didn't get to see what kind of Marlin it was suffice to say it looked a fish of between 150 to 250 kg - but that could be an exaggeration in the excitement of the moment.  With it's relatively short thick bill and not a predominantly high dorsal fin, I would narrow it down to being either a Black or Blue as opposed to a Striped.

Well, things are getting pretty hot out there now so take every opportunity you can to enjoy the fishing.   See you on the water.

And still the Yellowtail are playing hard-ball and fishing for them has become very frustrating.  Although we are catching a few, this fishing has gone beyond a joke.   There are literally thousands of them massed from Cape Point and the Bellows across to Rocky Bank but that is also where the huge schools of Anchovy are congregated.   And this is the reason for their blatant disregard for the amount of money we spend on our fancy shiny lures that do everything but taste like Anchovies.   The only way to catch them has been to be lucky enough to be next to a shoal when it feeds on the top of the water.   In the confusion of smashing an Anchovy school the Yellowtail get careless and inadvertently eat a spoon or trolled lure.   So yes, luck does play a big part in fishing.

Cape Salmon have made a concerted effort to make up for the frustration of the Yellowtail.   The shoals are spread from Cape Point, down past Millers Point and through to Strandfontein.   The fish we have been landing over the past couple of weeks have averaged between 6 and 10 kg.   Feeding mainly in the early morning and very late afternoons, although we have had fish all through the day in the deeper water, these fish are working on the shoals of Anchovy and Maasbanker.   Look in the blue 18 degree water from the Point to Simonstown and the discoloured water along Strandfontein.    Cape Salmon (Geelbek) feed predominantly over reefs and are generally found a meter or two off the ground.   Whole Pilchard or live Maasbanker have been our best baits.

There are also some very big Bronze Whaler sharks around for those interested in a good fight.   But please guy's - let them go when you're finished.   There is no point in killing them, sure take your photo's but then release them for another day.   These fish are all over now and we have had some over the 150 pound mark already this season.   Baits set as for Kob and Cape Salmon will catch these fish.

There have been some good size Kob along Strandfontein after a strong SE wind.   Fish in the warm discoloured water from 8 to 20 meters in depth.   Live baits have been our most productive for the 12 to 20 kg fish.

Still lots of Snoek off Millers Point and Buffels Bay but remember your bag limit of 10 fish per day - and the inspectors have been very active so watch out.   Also beware of selling these fish unless you have a commercial licence.

LATEST:   The Yellowtail are moving into the Bay and can be seen in large shoals moving from the Point to Simonstown and Fish Hoek.   For those of you spinner fishermen who frequent the rocky outcrops, your chances of finding a passing shoal is now very good.   For the boat fishermen, trolling all along this area will find you some nice fish.

Crayfish season is now open but remember the size and bag limits, there have already been some heavy fines during the first weekend.

Those of you contemplating fishing out of Millers Point and Simonstown please do not fish in the marine reserve areas, especially from Millers Point to Smitswinkle Bay.   Not only is this a marine sanctuary but also a Sea Fisheries research area where they are studying our resident reef species which have been carefully tagged and monitored.    Over this past weekend I warned a boat to stop fishing and move out of the area. He must have thought he had found some secret reef and hit the jackpot as he was merrily catching Red Roman as fast as he could bait up.   Unfortunately the Fisheries Inspectors had seen him before I did and he was apprehended on the slipway.   I believe it was through ignorance that he was there but that is no excuse when it comes to the law.

The Millers Point reserve is from (and this is to be on the safe side) the rocks at Millers Point to 100 meters south of the rocks on the northern side of Smitswinkle Bay.   The reserve stretches out for a mile off the land.   No anchoring or bottom fishing may take place in this area.

Good fishing and see you on the water.

Summer's on it's way, and with it the first signs of our summer season fish.   Yellowtail at the Point and inside False Bay, Cape Salmon around, Kob along the sandy stretches and Tuna back in the area.

Yellowtail to start with.   With the massive shoals of Anchovy around the Cape Point area, the Yellowtail are around in their thousands but the downside is that they are so preoccupied with chasing the little bait fish that it is almost impossible to get them to take a lure or bait.   The fish we have been catching have been taken predominantly on the spoon (spinner) with the odd one on the smaller plastic lures.   It's hard to understand the frustration when hundreds of these Yellowtail are boiling around the boat, close enough to touch, and they just ignore whatever you put in the water.  For those of you less sporting anglers, yes you could just gaff them out the water.  

The Yellowtail have also started moving into False Bay with fish being reported along the Fish Hoek / Glencairn area.   For the spinner fishermen who frequent Rooikraans, the fish have been moving along this stretch so it could be worth a look, especially during and after the South Easterly winds.

Snoek are still feeding well in Buffels Bay as well as outside Cape Point.   The fish inside the Bay have been showing a preference for the 40 meter water depth and with your anchor down and a fair bit of chumming, you will have loads of fun.   The Snoek are taking well on baits and spinners.

With the beginning of the South Easterly winds the Kob have moved into the NW corner of False Bay.  Some nice fish in the 15 to 20 kg class have been coming out from Kalk Bay to Strandfontein.   It's worth a look wherever the water has been disturbed after the winds.

There's a few shoals of Cape Salmon (Geelbek) around the Point and SW Reef area but they are moving around.   They, like the Yellowtail, are chasing the Anchovy shoals so your best bet is to find a feeding flock or Terns and drift over the area with whole Pilchards fished deep down.   If you are proficient with your echo-sounder you should look for something that resembles a red block on or near the ground, stop on top of it and drop your baits into the block, you may be pleasantly surprised.

There have been some Elf (Shad) along the sandy beaches and with the SE winds now becoming more prevalent, you will start to find some very nice Kob coming out.    Watch the moon and try to pick a dark night unless you want to wade through the Barbel before you catch the first Kob.   Your best baits will be fresh squid, pilchards and bloodworm.

Tight lines, catch the big one and fish responsibly.

Things are really looking up.  The Snoek are everywhere, the Yellowtail are congregating at Cape Point and even Geelbek (Cape Salmon) on a few of the reefs.   The winds we are experiencing at present are right on time and the whales have arrived in the bay.   These SW winds which have been with us for the last week or so are needed this time of year to bring in the currents for the summer.

The Snoek are feeding from Hout Bay down to Cape Point as well as inside the bay from Buffels Bay to Millers Point.   And there's plenty of them.  I never thought I'd see the day when I would hear other boats offering me fish, but that's the commitment the anglers have to sticking to bag limits - and that's nice to see.  But the down-side of that is, and please guys this is why I don't want your fish, it screws up my bag limit and restricts the number of fish my charters can catch - and also it's illegal to pass fish over to another boat.

The Snoek are eating well on spinners and baits as well as the fly for those who really enjoy a lot of sport.   For those of you who haven't tried fly-fishing for them yet, it's really a great fun way to catch your bag limit.   If you want any advice on how to go about starting, just drop me a line (no pun intended) on e-mail to rob@sportfishing.co.za

The Yellowtail are concentrating quite nicely in the Cape Point area.  These are our winter fish and are generally in the 2 to 5 kg class with some bigger ones around.   They are still a little hesitant to take the lures because of all the anchovy but they do respond quite well to a spinner thrown to them.   They are in the area from Bellows to outside SW Reefs and are quite easy to locate with the birds.   A word of advice and something I've learned the hard way, don't follow the gulls, cormorants and gannets rather look for the little terns.   I believe those birds which dive on the shoals to eat the anchovy actually scare the Yellowtail away.   That is why you'll generally find you catch the Yellowtail around the outside of the birds.   Snoek don't seem to mind diving birds as they feed deeper in the water column.

A few Geelbek have come out in the Cape Point area but you need fairly strong water with a sizable swell.  Not for the feint hearted just yet.

There are some Yellowfin and Longfin Tuna in the grounds.  Lat / Long numbers 34:33 and 18:05 for those of you contemplating a run.   The Yellowfin are between 40 and 60 kg with the longfin more in the 12 kg class.   Look for the longline boats and start there.

The beaches are fairly quiet but there are some Kob around.   Have a look along the Strandfontein beaches during the next SE blow and you may be pleasantly surprised.   Galjoen have been eating nicely but here again you need to look when the water is strong.

Well tight lines to all of you and I'll update this site more regularly as we move more into the season, so keep an eye on it.

As I sit writing this report we have the first real, albeit late, of our winter storms raging.  Lashing the Peninsula with torrents of driving rain and gale force North Westerly winds.   I mention this because these storms are what will determine the success of the fishing this coming summer.

The fishing has been regularly good for Snoek which are now prolific along the Atlantic coast from Robben Island down to Cape Point.    And for those who prefer to fish inside False Bay, all along from Cape Point to Millers Point.   Look in water depths of 20 meters plus.   The fish are taking well on spinners, pilchard baits and the fly.   The Snoek are in good condition and a nice size.   Remember if you don't have a commercial permit you are restricted to 10 fish per person per day - so don't be tempted to load your boat.

The water at Cape Point is back up to 15 degrees with shoals of Anchovy, all a very good sign for the Yellowtail.   We managed to catch a couple on Saturday, the first in a couple of months.   Although we were there for a very short time, I did see a few shoals on the surface chasing baitfish.  With these signs I believe they should come on the feed in earnest any time now.   I have found that August and September are very good months for Yellowtail and with this 'one month late' syndrome we still seem to be in, the fishing for Yellowtail should improve as we go into September.

Although the beaches have generally been quiet, except for a few Galjoen, there have been the odd Kob caught along the sandy stretches.   Although these fish are out of season, when the conditions are right, they seem to appear.    These fish have been caught during and straight after the unseasonal South Easterly winds we have experienced this winter.   The more popular baits have been Squid, Pilchard and Bloodworm.

The Carp fishing is still in its winter mode with the cold water but with some perseverance, a few fish can be taken.   The Bass fishing has been quite difficult especially with the lack of water in the dams at present, however with the rains which have finally arrived, things should start to improve quite quickly.

Well winter suddenly arrived in the Cape.   One day we were catching loads of Yellowfin and Longfin Tuna and the very next day everything went quiet.   It was incredible to see how suddenly the very short Tuna season came to an end.   However short it was, the fishing was terrific.  This year we saw more Yellowfin than previous seasons and although there were some smaller fish there were some real brutes.  Ether I'm getting old or the fish are getting stronger as the Yellowfin were on average, more powerful.   I have my own philosophy  as to why but it was quite noticeable that the stronger fish were slimmer than the usual fatter fish.   There were also fewer big 25 to 30 kg Albacore (Longfin) Tuna in the tail part of  the season than in previous years.   Now we wait until October for the return of the Tuna.

The seas in and around False Bay and Cape Point have dropped to a very cool 11 to 12 degrees C.   Generally too cold for Yellowtail however these fish are there in good numbers and do get used to feeding, although reluctantly, in these conditions.   I managed to get a few a week or so ago but only on spinners fished very deep.

There is however always good news from the Cape.   The Snoek have arrived and great fun is being had on the lighter tackle and the fly.    These are nice condition fish and fighting very strongly.   There are good concentrations between the Bellows and SW Reefs with the first few shoals appearing in Buffels Bay.   They are taking the spinner well as well as the regular pilchard baits.   The birds have been a good indicator recently as the shoals are feeding on the Anchovies which are in great numbers this year.   Inside False Bay it's best to start looking in the 20 meter water depths and working a bit deeper from there.

The bottom fishing has generally gone quiet as is usual for this time of year, except for a few White Stumpnose, Hottentots and the odd Roman.   The Kob and Cape Salmon (Geelbek) should return around late September early October.

The beach fishing has also been a little quiet with the exception of some Galjoen and the very odd White Steenbras.   This is due to the cool waters along our beaches at present.   However as the eternally optimistic angler, just wait for the water to warm a little, which could happen at any time, and the fish should start to feed well.

The Trout streams are closed at present but the dams are producing some nice sized fish.   Hopefully we get some decent winter rains soon or we could be in for a poor summer season.   The Carp are more difficult to catch as usual during our cooler months but if you persist, they can be caught.   The Bass season starts in a week or so time however the water levels are low and although this means the fish will be more concentrated, they will be feeling very insecure and could prove difficult to catch.

Sorry not all the news is good but this is just a temporary setback and the fishing will only pick up from here.   It's nothing unusual for this time of year.

Williamson Lures are about to launch a new range of Deep Diving swimming lures.   Check out the report on the prototypes I tested recently.  Click here.

Until my next report, tight lines and may you enjoy the fishing as much as I do.

Well, winter is starting to have its effects felt across all fronts.   The seas are cooling down, the summer fish are starting to leave and the mornings are damn cold.   But with it comes the exciting winter seasons fishing.   Snoek are starting to make their appearance, the Yellowtail have moved back to the Point and the big Autumn Tuna are feeding well off Cape Point.

We have been doing a few runs for the Tuna of late and have returned with some excellent catches.   The season has started about a month late and hopefully this means they will stay until the end of June and into July.   The Yellowfin started off on the smaller 20 to 30 kg class but in the past three weeks we have seen some lovely big fish in the 70 to 90 kg class.   I had the privilege (if one can call it that) of landing a Yellowfin of 88kg a week ago.   The bigger fish have mainly been taken on drift baits.   The method we have employed so far this season is to troll until we have a strike and, irrespective of fish size, we immediately stop the boat and chum.   It has not usually taken long before the first of the big Yellowfin start to appear in the chum-line.    A half or whole Pilchard drifted down the chum-line usually produces results pretty fast.    Don't forget to keep your chum-line going while you fight the fish.

The Albacore (Longfin) have just arrived in the past week or two and already some excellent catches of 40 to 60 fish a day are being reported.   These have been mainly on the smaller CD 14 size Ralala's and Impala's, but also very good strikes on the Tuna Runners - all mainly Oranges, Yellows, and Chartreuse colours.   The Tuna Runners have been giving us the best multiple strikes.

The Yellowtail are back at Cape Point, the Bellows and SW Reef.   These are the smaller winter fish which average between 3 to 8 kg.   We have already had some nice catches of 20 to 30 fish a day.   Most of our Yellowtail have bee taken by drifting baits and spinning as the shoals pass the boat.   Our troll fish have mainly come on the deep diving Storms, Rapala's and Impalas.   Gold bellies on the divers have been most successful.

The Kob have all but disappeared with the exception of the odd fish popping up along the Strandfontein area after the unseasonal SE winds.   The Cape Salmon (Geelbek) have now moved up the coast to warmer waters.

There are loads of small Snoek at Cape Point with the odd bigger fish with them.   Some shoals of the bigger fish have already put in the odd appearance between Slangkop and the Thomas Tucker wreck.   It will be worth keeping an eye on the Buffels Bay area for some large Snoek which often just suddenly appear in False Bay when the smaller fish are so prolific outside the Point.

There have been some good catches of Squid (Chokka) in Buffels Bay over the past month but last week a commercial Chokka boat moved in and now the squid seem to be very scarce.   It's frightening the impact a commercial fishing boat can have on a resource.   There must have been 20 to 30 small boats which enjoyed the Squid fishing every day for weeks with nice catches anytime one wanted to catch a few.  Within a couple of nights fishing one big Commercial boat managed to clean out the entire area to the extent where there are very few, and very small ones, left to catch.

Along the beaches there have been some nice Elf (Shad) but this too has now started to slow as the cooler water moves in.    The Galjoen have been biting quite nicely along the Atlantic coast as well as the area from Strandfontein to Maccassar. 

That's about all for now, so tight lines and let me know how your fishing is going so I can put it up on this site.

The past two weeks have seen better catches of Yellowfin Tuna along with a few scattered Albacore (Longfin) Tuna amongst them.   Most of our Yellowfin have been between 15 to 30 kilograms but they are keen to rise to the lures and catches of 12 to 18 fish a day have been common place.

There are some nice shoals of Yellowtail at Cape Point but watch the cool currents which seem to flow in from day to day.   When the water temperature drops below 16 degrees they become almost impossible to catch.   Although there are still a few at Seal Island, the run in this area is almost over for the year.

Catches of Cape Salmon and Kob have slowed down considerably as the water cools down for winter but if one looks hard enough, they can still be found.

Here is an extract from an e-mail I received lately from one of our popular local anglers.   His concerns are most relevant and certainly give food for thought.

Although we have had some fairly unseasonal weather these past few weeks, the fishing has been regularly good.   Unfortunately the water at Cape Point has turned cold and the shoals of Yellowtail, Cape Salmon, Skipjacks and small Yellowfin Tuna which were feeding well, moved out of the area.  The Yellowtail have remained around the Seal Island and York Shoal areas where they are actively feeding on Anchovies but seem to be staying on the surface longer when feeding on the Pilchard / Sardine shoals.  

The more productive way of catching these fish lately has been slow trolling deep diving plugs and light green Tuna Runners about a meter behind soft birds.  The best way however, has  been to drift towards the feeding shoals and cast spoons, plugs or poppers at them.

The Tuna have started to arrive, albeit in small numbers.   There are small Yellowfin from 8 miles off Cape Point along with huge shoals of Skipjack Tuna.   A few Marlin have been sighted and hooked but unfortunately with the lighter monofilament traces used in Tuna fishing, the fights have all gone the Marlin's way.

I've just been reminded by one of our regular readers, that I have not updated the report.   In his words "the fishing must be good".   Nazeem, you hit the nail on the head, as the latest set of pictures in the gallery will show.

Apart from the odd few days of wind the fishing has generally been excellent.   The Yellowtail have been concentrated at Cape Point and around Seal Island / York shoal / East shoal areas.   The fish this time of year are of a good class with an average weight of 4 kg there are also a number of fish which will go over the 12kg class.   These fish are currently feeding on Pilchards / Sardines so are more prone to eating a larger lure.   On the days when they are a little offish they will often still eat a spoon cast to the surface shoals.   We have been successful with TR4 Tuna Runners and M4 Mean Machines as well as CD 18 Rapalas and Impalas. 

There have been some nice shoals of Cape Salmon / Geelbek around York and East Shoals as well as at Cape Point at night.  These fish have been around the 4 to 10 kg class.  Using a whole Pilchard on a 10/0 hook, about a meter off the ground has been most successful.

We have had one trip to the Tuna grounds so far this month.  This is mainly because this time of year the fish are smaller and often very difficult to find as they can move far overnight.   The water has ranged from 14 to 23 degrees and all the fish seem to be concentrated along the current line where the temperature changes from 15 to around 19 degrees.   On our day to the grounds we managed to account for 31 Albacore (Longfin) Tuna in the 8 to 12 kg class.

For the next few weeks I would recommend looking for Yellowtail around the Cape Point / Bellows / Dias Beach / Anvil area and Seal Island / York Shoal / East Shoal area.   Cape Salmon on York and East Shoals (or Cape Point at night).  Kob in depths of 15 to 20 meters from Strandfontein Pavilion through to Macassar.  When it comes to Tuna I suggest waiting a couple of weeks to be sure you will find the shoals - it's a long day when you can't find a fish.

From the shore I suggest looking for Yellowtail at Rooikrans, Dias Beach, Simonstown, Sunny Cove and Kalk Bay with spoons and surface poppers.   Kob are still being taken off the sandy beaches early evening and at first light.   Those illusive Steenbras are feeding late at night on bloodworm and sand prawns.

Well I've finally got time off the water - the wind came through at last.   We've been on the water for almost three weeks without a break and to say the fishing has been excellent would not be doing it justice.   We've had Tuna, Yellowtail, Cape Salmon, Kob, Sharks, Snoek, and our first Marlin strike of the season.

On Thursday we did our first Marlin run of the season and managed to raise a fish on a prototype lure we are busy testing for Williamson Lures.   More on this lure when it is released.   Our strike came about 14 miles SW of Cape Point in 23 degrees of water.

During the past week we have had Albacore (Longfin), small Yellowfin and Skipjack Tuna from 8 to 19 miles off the Point, 240 to 260 degrees.

At Cape Point there have been some nice shoals of Yellowtail especially towards SW Reefs.  Also Cape Salmon in the area during the dark hours.    Snoek made an appearance off Scarborough but that seems to have now tapered off.    There are however some small Snoek off the Point.

We've had some very nice class of Kob and Cape Salmon along the Strandfontein area in 18 meters of water.   They were feeding well during the day but the pattern has now changed to night feeding.

Still some Squid (Chokka) in Fish Hoek Bay with a couple of Cape Salmon coming out at the Quarry.

We have had Yellowtail from Seal Island to Simonstown although they have not always played ball with us.   They seem to prefer the spinners to the lures as they have been a bit skittish.

Not much happening on the beaches except for some Shad (Elf) and the odd nice class Kob.

Prospects are looking good for the immediate future so get that tackle out and head to your favorite fishing spot.  Tight lines.

Here's wishing all a most prosperous 2003, may the weather be kind and the fish swimming where you throw a line.

Well so much for the weekly reports, after spending the day on the water the last thing anyone wants to do is sit in front of a computer, especially when one has to prepare for the next morning.   So next time you find the reports have not been updated you will know the fishing is good.

The past month seen some amazing fishing.  The SE winds have sometimes played havoc with us but this has only brought more fish into the area.   The SE winds are our summer winds which drive the warm currents into False Bay and close to Cape Point, bringing the shoals of Yellowtail, Cape Salmon, Kob and many other species.   They also create the upwelling along the Atlantic seaboard making this coast freezing cold and fairly barren except for the Snoek, small Hottentots and the likes.

Tuna have been plentiful but very small though fairly hard to find at times, so we have left them alone to come back next as bigger fish.  Here's hoping other anglers show the same respect for these little fish.  We are going into a slow Tuna time now and we'll have to wait until March when the fish should be back in full force.  The deep waters are very warm this time of year with temperatures reaching 24 degrees.   However this is now our time when one can expect to find Marlin in our waters.   With the large shoals of Skipjacks, small Yellowfin and other 'marlin food' species around, the next couple of months will be well worth giving those Billfish a shot.

Yellowtail have been fairly plentiful around Seal Island in False Bay as well as along the coast from Simonstown to Muizenberg.   We have had some very nice class of fish up to 13 kg with catches of 25 to 38 fish in a morning.   There are also shoals at Cape Point, Bellows Rock and Rocky Bank where the fish average 3 to 5 kg.   Our most productive lures have been the Williamson TR 3 Tuna Runners and M 3 Mean Machines in greens and reds.   Here we have been testing the upcoming range of colours and they have been working a dream.

There are huge shoals of Cape Salmon (Geelbek) in and around False Bay.   They are feeding along the Strandfontein to Macassar area during the day and the Cape Point area at night.   These fish average 2 to 10 kg and are feeding on the shoals of Anchovies, Pilchards and Maasbankers.   We have had regular catches of 40 to 60 fish in a day.

There are also some very nice Kob around over the sandy stretches from Muizenberg to Swartklip.  Some of the commercial boats have reported excellent catches at night off the Strandfontein pavilion.  We have concentrated on the bigger fish in the 10 to 20 kg class during the day time and have regularly found a few on each outing.   Some of our better trips have seen between 9 and 14 of these big fish for the day.

What would a report be without something for the beach guys.   Great evening fishing along the sandy stretches from Muizenberg to Macassar.   Some nice Kob with the occasional Steenbras taken on Pilchard and Squid mix, sand prawns, bloodworm or live Mullet.   It is still closed season for Galjoen so don't forget to release them if you hook one - and I believe the Sea Fisheries are out patrolling so it's just not worth loosing all your possessions.

On the freshwater side, the Seekoevlei is packed with Carp.   We had two days last week in which we caught over 60 fish in a morning - now that was Carp fishing.   These fish showed a preference for sweeter baits as the water is fairly warm.   The Trout streams have been fairly productive this season with the odd day or two of stronger water due to the rains.

That's it for this week.   Should you need a closer update on the fishing, drop me a line at rob@sportfishing.co.za or call me on channel 71 VHF, I'll be on Jabulani.  See you on the water

The past two weeks have seen some varied and exciting fishing.  As the days of strong South Easterly winds came to an end the Kob and Geelbek came on the feed.   We found some large Kob in the 13 to 20 kg range from Kalk Bay through to Kapteins Klip.   The same area also produced some nice catches of Geelbek (Cape Salmon) for us and the commercial boats which ventured down to the area early in the morning and late afternoon.

These fish will remain in this area for a few months now so whenever the SE winds blow hard, prepare for some good fishing as it subsides.   As there will be a lot of small fish about I suggest fishing with an 8/0 hook and a whole pilchard.

The Snoek have remained in the area off Millers Point (my secret Snoek grounds) and so long as the bait fish remain in False Bay they should stay a while longer.   I feel they could move towards Buffels Bay towards the end of the month so if they go quiet, this will be the next place to look.

The Yellowtail went off the feed due to the cold water that moved onto the Cape Point area about 2 weeks ago but the good news is that this water has now warmed up and they are feeding again.   There has also been some big Yellowtail off Strandfontein.

Our last run to the Tuna grounds was on Tuesday.  At the numbers 34:44 and 18:11 we found a nice class of Longfin (Albacore) Tuna and Yellowfin Tuna.   The water was a warm 20 degrees and blue.  However with the moon in its bright phase right now the fish will feed mainly early in the morning and again late in the afternoon.   I tested the new range of colours in the Williamson Tuna Runners (TR 2) and Mean Machines (M 2) with excellent success, even more pulls than on our imported Japanese lures which usually produce many fish.

The warm water was moving in towards the Point at an alarming rate and I believe we could expect it around the Bellows by the weekend.   Don't be surprised if the Yellowfin come in with it so take a couple of heavy outfits to the Point with you.

The South Easterly winds are here in full force, blowing up to 40 knots at times.  However the fish are plentiful when the winds give us a break.

There are massive shoals of Albacore (Longfin) Tuna around 34:30 S / 18:04 E.  Between 50 and 80 fish on a boat is not uncommon.   There are also some nice sized Yellowfin in the area with one of 89kg being caught recently.

Yellowtail are at Cape Point in huge quantities.   During a break in the wind on Monday we managed to catch 18 fish within an hour on our way from Hout Bay to Simonstown.   By far the most productive lures have been the Williamson Tuna Runners (TR3 size) and Mean Machines (M3 size), in green / orange, black / red and chartreuse / black stripe.   Fish these lures close to the boat about 4 to 6 meters back, in the prop wash.

Geelbek (Cape Salmon) have been eating like crazy late afternoon and into the night and again in the early hours of the morning, at Cape Point.   There are also fish off the Caravan Reef outside Millers Point.   Pilchards and Squid fished off the bottom have produced the best results.

Still huge shoals of Snoek on my "Secret Reef" just off Millers Point.   It's easy to find, there are literally hundreds of boats fishing on it every morning.   Drift pilchards and spinners are all you need.  

The Kob and Geelbek (Cape Salmon) are all along the coast from Kalk Bay to Swartklip whenever the winds allow you down there.   The water must be warm and discoloured to a milky green.   Best baits have been Pilchards, Squid and live Maasbankers.

Well so much for my intended weekly report.  The obstacle I have found is that with being on the boats every day tiredness beats me in the evenings.

The fishing has been excellent for the past three weeks and looks set to continue for the summer.  In the Tuna grounds the fishing has been patchy until this week when the Albacore (Longfin), in the 10 to 20 kg class, switched on like a light.  Lat / Long numbers currently are 34:20 / 17:48 to 34:26 / 17:55.  There are also some Yellowfin around in the area although, as usual for this time of year, there are a number of smaller fish in the 30 to 35 kg class.

The Yellowtail are massed in huge shoals in the Cape Point / Anvil / Bellows area and also on Rocky Bank.   In the last few days we have had catches of between 30 and 70 fish ranging in size from 2 to 9 kg.   The most effective lures have been CD 14 Rapalas with Williamson TR 3 Tuna Runners and the now legendry Cedar Plugs.   Colours have been Orange up until 11 am and then Green / Yellows until 2 pm going back to Oranges.   The plain wood Cedar Plugs have been working all day.

We have had some good class of Kob and Geelbek (Cape Salmon) in the last two weeks.  The Kob have averaged in size from 14 to 20 kg (averaging 4 a trip) and the Geelbek from 5 to 12 Kg.  Our catches of Kob have been throughout the day as the South Easterly winds drop.  The area we have found to be most productive is that off Strandfontein and Kapteins Klip.   The best baits have been Maasbanker, Pilchard and Squid.

Lots of Carp being caught now in the Seekoeivlei although these fish are relatively small.  The rivers are fishing well for Rainbow Trout as are the dams in the Paarl / Stellenbosch area.

Beaches should produce some good catches of Kob during the strong South Easterly winds.  I just haven't had a chance to throw a line off the beach for weeks now.  Please someone let me know what's happening.

If it's Yellowtail you want then Cape Point is the area.   The fish are plentiful but very skittish.   They have been feeding very early in the morning and then again from about 2 pm.   They are feeding on huge shoals of Anchovies about a mile beyond the Bellows and in the afternoons, around the Anvil.  Our catches over the past ten days have seen two good days of 64 fish and 42 fish, with all others ranging from 16 fish, to 3 fish.   Few fish are being taken on the troll lines, so the best practice has been to stop near a shoal and spin for them.

Yesterday we also found some Snoek around the Bellows.   Feeding very deep at around 30 to 40 meters.  Just find them on the echo sounder and drop a spoon down to them.

Some fine Yellowfin Tuna in the 50 to 70 kg class have made an appearance over the past two days.  lat / long 34:32 / 18:07 down to 34:40 / 18:03.  A few Longfin tuna were caught yesterday, no many but they should start in earnest soon as the moon gets a little darker.

And yes, Kob and Geelbek along the Kapteins Klip area on Sunday.  There are lots of bait fish in the bay and when the strong SE winds finally blow we should see some great catches being made.

The Yellowtail have finally started to feed with a little more respect.  The shoals are feeding between Bellows and SW Reefs (about 3 miles outside Cape Point).   However, they are on the surface for a very short time and gone again so trolling can be very frustrating.   We found the best method at the moment is to work the general area of the birds and find a pod of Anchovies on the echo sounder.   Stop the boat, switch off one motor and spin - the shoal will move up around the boat and you should be able to catch a few quite quickly.   Our best day this week has been 31 fish last Sunday.

The Snoek are quiet in Buffels Bay at the moment but there are shoals outside the Point.  Watch the echo sounder for shoals at around 15 to 30 meters and drop spinners and baits down to them.

There are a few Longfin Tuna and the odd Yellowfin at the co-ordinates 34.39 / 18.04. (about 24 miles off the Point)  The Longfin are in the 10 to 15 kg class and the Yellowfin are mixed with small fish around 25 kg and bigger fish of 50 kg+.

Good catches of Geelbek (Cape Salmon) off Steenbras River mouth when the seas are strong.   Some have been caught in Buffels Bay at the same time.

No Kob or Geelbek yet, despite the SE winds.  This should change any day now.

Watch out there are a lot of Whales in False Bay at the moment.   We had one come up under the boat while we were anchored catching Snoek in Buffels Bay.  It gently lifted the boat and put it back in the water.   Quite scary but we got some awesome video footage.  And yes, we quickly removed the fly rods from the water (no records for Southern Right Whales on 6kg tippets)

Well the Tuna have arrived.  Yesterday Jabulani returned with 6 Yellowfin in the 56 to 79 kg range plus 8 Longfin Tuna.  Fishing started at the position 34:38 S and 18:08 E with a fast drift to the north.  The wind looks set to blow for a few days so I wouldn't get too excited about this weekend.

Over the last 10 days we have had quite a few Yellowtail in the 4 - 6 kg class about a mile outside of the Bellows.  These fish have been very difficult to catch lately but if you persevere you'll catch them.

There are huge shoals of Snoek around at the moment.   Outside Cape Point there are literally tens of  thousands of fish.   The birds will show you exactly where these fish are.   Just stop under a flock of birds and you will catch as fast as your arms will allow.

There are also plenty of Snoek inside Buffels Bay.   On Sunday we managed almost 60 fish on the fly - that's a lot of fish in the area.   Buffels Bay is probably going to be your best bet this weekend if the wind gives us a break.   Hout Bay may provide a little shelter if you want to catch Snoek on the Atlantic side, but they have been fairly slow lately.

The beaches are starting to produce a few Kob in the late afternoon and early evening, especially during the SE winds.   Fresh chokka (squid) is the preferred bait.  This weekend should be a good one with the wind forecast.

Trout streams are open again and some nice fish are being caught.   The water is still flowing fairly fast and making for some great trout action.   Dewdale trout farm in Franshoek is a good bet if you have nothing to do this weekend - but book early to avoid disappointment.

Spring is certainly here, although beware of the last few winter storms which will undoubtedly pass through during the month.  The fishing over the past few weeks has been consistently productive on most fronts.

We have just completed the filming of 3 episodes on fishing in the Cape for the American sports channel, ESPN, with Rick Schroeder, Vic Sampson and Shari Bellefonte.  These are due for flighting in September so watch out for some great fishing footage and superb underwater fish action.  Ever wondered how a fish eats your spoon, well you'll see it happen up close.

The Yellowtail have been, and are still around the Cape Point area in huge shoals and on most days are eating quite well.   Our most productive area recently has been behind (seaward) Bellows Rock and up to about 2 miles to the east.  We have also had fish on the Anvil, Rocky Bank and SW Reefs.  The class of fish is ranging from 3 to 8 kilograms with the majority in the bigger class.  The most productive lures over the past month have been undoubtedly the Williamson Cedar Plugs in the plain wood, green / yellow, and redhead (in that order).   These are followed by the CD 14 Impalas and Rapalas in various colours with a silver belly, and also a new range by Silver Wolf, especially the Pilchard (great value for money).   On the more stubborn days the fish have been eating the spoon from a drifting boat.

The Snoek have been thick and wild in Buffels Bay and also outside Cape Point around the Bellows where you will find them plentiful under the birds.  We have had some great Snoek action on the fly where, on one day we accounted for 58 fish with 3 fly-rods regularly bent at the same time.

The first signs of Tuna are there but they are over 40 miles and certainly not worth the run yet.  I suggest you rather prepare your tackle and only begin to run in October around the first new moon period.   Hopefully we get some good SW winds during the month to drive the warm water towards the Point.

The rivers are calming down now and the Trout are beginning to play ball.  The dams are also fishing relatively well where you can find clean water.   We accounted for 47 nice Rainbows and Browns in the Franshoek area on Wednesday.

The Bass and Carp should start to become more active now the weather is warming up so it's time to dust off that tackle and try your favorite spots.

The False Bay beaches are producing some nice Galjoen and the occasional Steenbras.  The Steenbras have been eating well along the Hermanus Plaat for a number of weeks now.  It is still worth a trip to the area and along the sandy beaches right down to the Dam.   With a few more good blows of SE wind the Kob should begin to make a worthwhile appearance along the False Bay beaches.

The weather finally cleared and the seas settled quickly - and the fish were there in abundance.   The Snoek are plentiful off Cape Point and all along the Buffels Bay coast (depths of 20 meters and deeper).   They are feeding on small pilchards and anchovies so the baits, spinners and lures are working well.   Hout Bay through to the Thomas Tucker wreck (just passed Scarbourgh) has also been producing excellent catches.

It looks like August is once again going to be an excellent month for the Yellowtail.   They are feeding all around the Cape Point / Anvil / SW Reefs area as well as Rocky Bank.   Our catches of 30 to 60 fish in a day have not been uncommon lately.   Shoals are pretty easy to locate as the birds are working well on the shoals, however you will also find a lot of Snoek under the birds.  This can be annoying if your target fish is Yellowtail.  I have found that moving away from the diving birds and watching for the small Terns (Sterritjies) we have been more successful.

We have been very successful with the genuine Cedar plugs in yellow / green / blue combination and the plain wood (the plastic ones are not working).   Also my 'V' back spoon made by Ashley Read (it is available in the shops) and also the white and pink Yamashita squid.  Deep diving plugs have not been working that well and they also attract a lot of Snoek.

There are big shoals of Yellowtail and Snoek up at Ysterfontein for those willing to brave the launch ramp and have patience to allow the commercial fleet to carry on their business.

Galjoen are feeding all along the coast from Blouberg to Hermanus (probably further but we have not tries those spots lately).   Steenbras are a little quiet except of the Strand / Gordons Bay area.

In the dams the Trout are feeding well with some sizable fish being taken lately in the Paarl / Stellenbosh area and also the Bokkeveld.  Although you will find the odd Bass and a few Carp, the cool weather switches them off - they should start feeding well again late in September.

Snoek are plentiful from Kommetjie Lighthouse all the way through to Cape Point.   I think that given the current weather conditions they should be in Buffels Bay by the weekend.   Fish are averaging 2 to 6 kg and are in good condition.

Shoals of Yellowtail are still all around Cape Point, in the SW Reefs / Bellows Rock / Anvil area and Rocky Bank.   Although the water remains a cool 14°c, they still come on the feed in patches.   The main concentrations have been feeding very late in the day.

Steenbras have been coming out at Gordons Bay harbour, most likely because of the dredging so sand prawns and bloodworms will be the best baits.   Galjoen are still coming out along Strandfontein although there are a number of undersized fish amongst them.

On Monday we were involved in a rescue when the boat, Sailors Joy was rammed, while on anchor, by a large purse seine netting boat, Bella Prima.  This kind of tragedy is always very sad and unnecessary, especially given the clear weather on the day.   If one is to learn something from the unfortunate loss of life, it would be never to take for granted that the other vessel will take evasive action - always be ready and keep a constant watch, especially when big boats are operating in the area.

Fishing is back in full swing.  Yellowtail at Cape Point and Snoek at Kommetjie again yesterday.  The Yellowtail started off very slowly in water of 14,2°c, usually a little cool but the signs were good.  Action started around 2:00pm in the area between Bellows Rock and SW Reefs, and lasted about an hour.  Thereafter the odd fish were taken.  We accounted for the majority of our fish, in the 4 to 6 kg class, on the new Cedar plugs we're testing for Williamson Lures, more specifically the plain wood lure.   See the tackle test for our report on them.

The Snoek have been plentiful from Kommetjie to the Thomas Tucker wreck just south of Scarborough.   These fish have averaged around the 2 to 5 kg mark.  However they have sometimes been a bit finicky with some commercial boats doing well (400 - 600 fish) while others almost nothing.   I did notice good showings of Snoek on the echo-sounder yesterday - off the back of Bellows Rock and towards Rocky Bank.

There have been a few Steenbras, in the 5 to 12 kg class, off the beaches lately.  Taken mainly on sand prawns and bloodworm from last light until the early hours of the morning.   Galjoen are still coming out from the gullies along the coast.

Rivers are flowing strong at the moment and closed for Trout angling, however the dams and lakes are producing some very nice fish.   This is the Trout's spawning time and they can be very aggressive feeders, especially if your fly has orange in it.

The Carp are in winter feeding mode which necessitates stronger flavours and the likes, however they are eating well despite the cool weather.

The Yellowtail have really played ball over the past few weeks.  Although being driven away by the weather now and again, they have been present at the Bellows, SW Reefs and Rocky Bank every day.   We have managed some good days of over 50 fish with bad days of 4 to 5 fish in between.

The Snoek have finally made their appearance.   Some nice class fish around 3 to 4 kg have congregated off Slangkop Lighthouse, the Thomas Tucker wreck, Cape Point and Buffels Bay.   Over the next few days we should see some great catches - shoals should now last until November.

Tuna have gone on their annual holiday to some sunny spot way out in the ocean.   They will be back late September (if the SW winds blow consistently during August) or early October.

Galjoen fishing has been good all along the coast with the strong seas we've had lately.  A few Steenbras have come out but one has to be brave to spend the night on a freezing cold beach.

Carp and Trout have been feeding well in the lakes and dams.  The Bass are still rather lethargic and will remain so until the waters start to warm up.

Whales have started arriving in False Bay where we have sighted pods of 5 or 6 Southern Rights entering around Cape Point.  Their activity within the bay will increase during the coming months with main concentrations being around in August and September.

It's been a bleak few weeks gone past with still no encouraging signs on the horizon.  Apart from the very odd Yellowtail we've managed to scrounge at Cape Point there's not been a fish in sight.  There are however some nice Gully Sharks between Cape Point and Bellows Rock for those interested.

A few Squid (chokka) in Buffels Bay although you will have to scratch around for them.  Some Snoek made a brief appearance at Stompneus Bay on the West Coast but that's all over now.

The only encouragement I can give right now is that the Snoek should start to make a worthwhile appearance any day now.  Where or when is anybody's guess.   When the weather settles there should be some Yellowtail on Rocky Bank and at the Bellows.

Even the beaches have been quiet with only a few Galjoen coming out.   Plenty in the Cape Point nature reserve but as per usual, they are all small.

Well winter has arrived in style - gale force North Westers, driving rain and swells over 10 meters.  We've been land bound for almost a week now and the weather has abated, hopefully giving us good fishing for the next two weeks.

These storms usually herald the arrival of the huge Snoek shoals which should start to make their appearance along the Western side of the Peninsula shortly.   The Yellowtail have disappeared from the Rocky Bank area mainly due to the sudden drop in water temperature, down to 14,6 degrees.  However this can change at any time if the winds change to the South West.   There are still good sized Squid (chokka) in Buffels Bay along with massive shoals of Pilchard and Anchovies, a good sign for the Snoek.

This weather pattern should have brought the Snoek, which were on Rocky Bank, into the Buffels Bay area and along towards Smitswinkel Bay.

The Tuna are still out there, and with the reports of the shoals still way up the West coast, I believe we could still see a bumper close to the season.   With the weather settling we should be able to get out there soon and hopefully fish through until the next full moon phase.

These storms have opened up the gullies along the coast and the Galjoen have started to feed prolifically.  I have found over the years that these fish invariably seem to prefer worms to redbait when the sea has been strong enough to wash out the piles of redbait pods.  Perhaps this is due to the free availability of redbait to feed on while the worms are more scarce and make a nice change to the diet.

After a good run of both Albacore and Yellowfin, the fish have gone a bit quiet.   The smaller fish are feeding during the morning period with the larger class feeding very late in the day.  Although there have been fish to the west of Hout Bay, they have been more consistent in a 5 mile radius of the 34.32 S / 18.06 E area.

There are a number of Yellowfin way down in the South, out of range of the "day" boats but still a good sign.  

Rocky Bank, to the east of Cape Point, has been producing good catches of Yellowtail over the past few weeks.   Our boat Jabulani accounted for 52 fish on Saturday between two anglers. These fish have however been difficult to catch by regular troll methods showing a preference for Spoons trolled far back.   We have had good success in recent weeks with Sardines or Squid trolled with a Bait-O-Matic lure in front - colours Green / Yellow, Blue / Silver and Hot Pink.

The Yellowtail have also been taking Sardine / Squid baits at around 17 to 20 meters.

There are shoals of Snoek at Rocky Bank which can be difficult to catch as they are gorging themselves on the massive shoals of Anchovy.  Here we have found the Spoons, fished deep on a slow retrieve, to be working the best.

The beaches have been a little quiet lately although the Galjoen have eaten well when the surf has been strong.   The odd Steenbras during the night though with the onset of Winter, fewer anglers are venturing out.

The Yellowfin have arrived - and plenty of them.   Fish ranging in size from 30 to 80 kg.  For those with GPS navigation, the area to find them is from 34:21 / 018:14 to 34:28 / 018:04 and everywhere in-between.  Yesterday we got the strikes on Red Head deep diving plugs, White bulb Squid and, the bigger class (70kg) on drift baits.

The Longfin are now averaging the 15kg class and are rising well on the bait and spinners (jigs, spoons).  Colours which worked well yesterday were Green / Yellow and Orange / Gold - in Bulb Squids and swimming plugs.

Snoek are in abundance at Cape Point with the commercial fishermen landing over 120 fish per person in a morning.   Ideal scenario for the fly angler.

Steenbras in the 8 to 15 kg class have been coming out in the Gunnery area on Sand Prawns.  Fishing has been most productive from 5 to 10 pm.

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The past week has been outstanding weather and fish wise.  Perfect hot sunny days with very little wind and flat calm seas.  

There have been huge shoals of the smaller class Albacore (Longfin) Tuna in the 4 to 14 kg. class.  Yesterday, on the boat Jabulani, we tagged 38 fish and free released a further 23, only keeping 18 fish which had unfortunately been injured badly.   The Albacore were in such a frenzy we removed the tuna lures and only ran 12" kona's off the outriggers looking for big Yellowfin, unfortunately the small Albacore crashed onto these as well.   Hard to believe a fish eating a lure of almost the same size.

We saw a Yellowfin of around 30 kg in our chum-line yesterday but no reports yet of any sizable fish around.   However this will change any day now as the blue water is moving in quite rapidly.  

Thursday 21st. - Yellowfin have arrived.  The first of the day melted over 100 meters of line off the International 80 on full drag before the hooks came out, probably hooked in the side of the face.  Loads of small Longfin Tuna in the 5 to 8 kg class, of which we tagged over 30 fish.  We managed a few Longfin in the 12 to 14 kg class for the box plus two Yellowfin of around 25 kg.  The highlight of the day was raising a Marlin onto the Kona lures, a nice class fish but didn't eat properly.

Sunday 24th. - Piles of Skipjack (3 on the fly) along with a few Longfin Tuna in the 15 kg class.  4 Yellowfin in the 40 to 50 kg class.

The Bay has been full of fish for the past few months, Yellowtail, Snoek, Katonkels, Skipjack Tuna, and many huge Sharks and Skates.

Two weeks ago we landed and released a Thornback Skate estimated to go well over the 600 pound mark.  Many Bronze Whalers in the 200 to 350 pound mark along with Ragged Tooth Sharks over 200 pounds.  We have had a few of our large sharks eaten in half while fighting them, this can only be the doing of the very large Great Whites which are plentiful at the moment.  While fishing off the river at Muizenberg last week we saw no fewer than 5 Whites in our chum-line, some of these fish going close to the 2000 pound mark.

There are still plenty of Snoek in False Bay.  Buffels Bay, and Rocky Bank have all been producing fish.  With the water being warm and the days quite hot it is important to clean and ice your fish soon after catching them otherwise they will spoil in a few short hours. 

Shoals of Yellowtail are moving along the Simonstown / Fish Hoek coast but the netters are certainly having more fun than the anglers.   They have been netting umpteen tons of these fish daily, all full of eggs - not a good picture for the future but as they say, "it's a bi-catch and a man must live for today"

We have been catching a number of these fish in the 6 to 8 kg class on the fly - great fun and very hard work.  There are a few shoals of Yellowtail in the 8 to 12 kg class around Seal Island at the moment.

Not much happening on the beaches lately, especially with the ban on 4 x 4 vehicles.  There are still some nice Kob coming out during the daylight hours, in the Strandfontein area.

Fly Fishing: The rivers have been fishing well over the past few weeks but one must start early as the days are still very hot.

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| Rob Naysmith | Phone: +27 83 235 9550| comments | Add your report

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