365 days of fishing

Had an all over day, scratching i think they call it, scratching for anything that bites. Score = 1 Tiger cat shark. Small but beautiful, has amazing camouflage, can imagine it doing a vanishing trick in amongst the bottom of a kelp bed.

Time spent fishing, 12-5:30. Tides low 9:36, high 3:24. Above ? Below now !Maybe is my favourite way of checking the tides, visually appealing and useful especially if you are catching octopi, gathering bait or just want to take your kids or yourself to see the rock pools. It is from http://www.satides.co.za, and they do one for the whole week.

(What happened to the picture first it is here now it is gone but appears on the preview?) (checked the preview and noe it is at the top?) and now the picture appears again?

Started off this morning just after low tide at Muizenberg pumping for prawn and worm. Met some friendly other pumpers. Victor if i remember correctly, they were gathering loads of bloodworm to take to DeHoop Nature reserve to do a catch and release session. The statistics for how many fish they catch are not worth printing, they make me so sad. Apparently as the bait hits the water, bam, youre on. Well one thing it shows again just how important having reserves are. Victor was saying how he had been to Maccassar yesterday and only had one undersize Galjoen for the whole day. The kind guy showed me yet another way to pump for blood worms. On low tide when you can see the holes, the bloodworm has an indented depression around the hole as opposed to the mound of a prawn hole. I normally pump sideways, but they pumped directly downwards and were very successful.

It is a mission pumping on the sand, have to get stronger. You pump as deep as you can with two vertical pulls, and watch the hole because sometimes you can see the worm and quickly grab it. Learning every day, it is great.

Bait collected, returned home for supplies, half a bottle of diet coke and fishing rods. Which when i got to Mnandi discovered one section of my smaller rod still at home. What is it with always forgetting something. Have to stop forgetting now as School starts tommorrow and will have to stepup my organisational skills. I'm sure i said that before in an earlier post. Well hope my life will just expand to take in the extra load. Must make readymade traces as they really do save a lot of time.

First time fishing at Mnandi

Mnandi looking towards Gordans bay. Beautiful isn't it. Safe, I don't know, saw three police cars there whilst i was fishing, and a sign saying that the premises were monitored 24/7 by cctv. Kinda makes me want to watch my bag and view with suspicion any group of wandering youths, gangstas. My time there apart form some necessary parania was pretty chilled apart from attempting the pendulum cast and casting everything far away without the benefit of having my line attached to it. Oh well just retrace. I see a good reason to have a shock leader now for those casts.

Tried to bring some element of the pendulum cast as demonstrated by John Holden, last night on You Tube. After all I learnt to throw a cast net thanks to an Australian dude on You Tube. Getting the feel for it now, still am not getting the distance, but that will come with practice, new line and a shock leader. It will also be good having a leader with all the rock fishing I do.

Crabs ate my bait at Mnandi, and no bites, so moved off to Beespens for a throw or two, Same thing there bait in the water, not discernable bites and your hook comes out clean. Must be loads of crabs all over the place.

Then moved off to Broken road, making a detour to purchase some dried Snoek 5 bucks and some Naartjies 3 bags for 12 rand, Naartjies and Snoek, I mean how more Fisherman could I get. These i buy from my favourite spot, they always seem to be just at the turn off to Strandfontein pavilion.

The tide was  pushing high and there were several people already on the rocks next to the pool.

View of the pool today , Muizenberg would be on your right

Started with Prawn but only got the tiger shark, but Ali, one of the little figures in the photo caught the most enourmous Galjoen right next to me, i mean right next to me, also using worm, wonderworm, gotta get me some of that. What a fantastic fight it gave him, a real struggle to land.  So i stayed until the sunset and i lost another sinker then decided to call it a day.

Ali and the Giant.