This year (2023) really has been a challenging year, in more ways than one. We had an extremely wet and cold winter, with back-to-back cold fronts battering our Cape coast week in and week out, which made fishing opportunities few and far between.
This did, however, make us all lus for a lekker warm summer, filled with fun and plenty catches of kob, elf, leeries and the many big inedible species, which love the warm, discoloured waters of our Cape coastline.
Species such as eagle rays, blue rays, diamond rays and of course sharks such as bronze whalers, spotted gulleys, and smooth hounds, to name a few.
For many anglers and holidaymakers, hooking into a big shark or ray is a dream come true. We will briefly discuss the type of inedible species one is likely to encounter in our waters over this period. We will also discuss the baits and tackle suited to catching these fish.
Sharks – the spotted gulley and smooth hound shark, also known as the poor man’s GT, are seriously strong for their size and look to cut you off on any piece of reef or rock they can find. They are masters of operating between the reefs, in shallow water, and are a great challenge to land for newer and more experienced anglers especially when fishing off rock points or the Strand reefs.
These sharks love to eat octopus. A well-presented occie leg on an 8/0 or 10/0 hook is ideal. They also love live baits and fish baits like mullet heads and fillets. No steel is needed when fishing for these sharks as they don’t bite you off, especially when fishing with circle hooks. When fishing for these sharks, use a strong mainline of 50 lb and up. Put on a solid leader of up to 180 lb and make sure you tighten up on that drag. Stopping these guys before they get into the bricks is the key to success.
The bronze whaler – Just this week we have seen a few beautiful catches of bronze whaler sharks in False Bay and a few in the Strand itself. For these sharks I suggest you get your tackle into tip-top shape. If there are any weaknesses in your outfit, a big bronzie will find it. These sharks are exceptionally strong, shallow-water operators, and can empty your spool in no time with their power and speed. Landing a bronzie of over 150 kg can be a battle and a half, leaving even the most seasoned anglers with broken backs, rods, reels, and/or straightened hooks.
When targeting these sharks use an XH or a XXXH type rod, rated at least 6 oz up to 12 oz, with a big size 20 k spinning reel, eg a Shimano Saragosa, Daiwa, or similar. You can also go old school with a 50-size multiplier loaded with 50 lb to 80 lb braid or nylon.
You should use proper terminal tackle, make sure you use 150 lb steel or go up to 200 lb if you want, a proper strong 12/0 (or bigger) circle hook, with good quality power swivels, and a decent braided leader of 180 lb or more.
Flatfish – Blue rays are a common target species in False Bay and its surrounds, the arrival of blue rays is a sure sign that the water has warmed up and summer is well on its way.
These fish can be great fun to target on a variety of fishy baits and or chokka. They prefer shallow water and can give you a great run for your money on lighter tackle.
Please be aware that the bigger female blue rays are often pregnant, and one should handle them with care. Don’t take them out of the water or flip them on their backs. Simply slide your hands under them and under their upper lip, there is nothing dangerous or scary about it. You can easily handle them like this and stay away from the sharp end, it makes it easy to remove the hook and manoeuvre them back into the shallow water without causing any stress. All flatfish should be handled like this to avoid causing injury.
Sandsharks – For the youngsters one can always target the sandsharks (we all had to learn somewhere) and catching sandsharks is where it started for most of us. Fish shallow on the sand banks close to shore using light tackle with a variety of fish or chokka baits, and one is likely to run into a summer sandy. A great fight and a memory that lives with any youngster forever.
You can use a 6 ft to 10 ft light 1 to 3 oz type rod with a small grinder such as a 4 000- or 5 000-size loaded with 20 lb Braid, a 4/0 circle hook on a double hook or single hook trace (doesn’t really matter), with a nice light sinker, and you are good to go.
We must adopt a catch-and-release mindset. Our fish stocks are dwindling, and if we don’t take care of them there will definitely be very little left for our kids and their kids.
In the past we used to catch the mighty red steenbras in places like Rooi Els and Hermanus. Imagine being able to wake up on a Saturday morning to go out and battle with monster red steenbras. Unfortunately, our fathers and grandfathers’ greed and lack of knowledge made sure we will never experience this in our lifetime. This was less than 50 years ago. A sad, sad state of affairs.
We all look forward to an awesome December holiday and Christmas. We wish you plenty of amazing catches this summer season. May your rods bend and your reels sing into the new year.
If you are looking for any bait and/or tackle need fishing advice or want to learn more about marine conservation, please get in touch with us at @fishingrepublic. We are situated on 73 Beach Road, Strand, call 072 552 4400 or email Kegan@fishingrepublic.co.za.
