Positive signs as anglers haul in fine tuna catches

This past weekend saw tuna anglers take to the southern ocean with fine conditions blessing them throughout the competition for a change.

The wind conditions are a big factor preventing these craft from venturing out the distances that are required to locate the monster fish that have eluded them for some time now.

They certainly were not disappointed either.
Some fine fish were brought to the scale, with even a marlin being part of the catch.

The real record-winning sized fish have eluded the anglers these past years, however.

Candice Coetzee caught a fine tuna of 65.85kg.

Ross Spowet, the fellow who had a brush with a shark a few weeks back at St Francis Bay, having been bitten on the left knee, was also among the anglers. Still sporting a knee brace, he succeeded in bagging a 42kg tuna.

We are blessed with rather good angling at present, with all the facets of angling delivering spoils for those who persevere.

There is a multitude of juvenile fish in the estuaries at the moment with garrick, kob and grunter being the predominant species, which is rather encouraging to see.

The swimming prawns seem not to have delivered as expected. A reader of this column, much more senior than myself, commented on how things have changed over the years with regard to the prevalence of the species.

Reading his comments, I had to wonder what the situation will be like a few years from now.

He speaks of how the Knysna Lagoon prawns are not nearly the spectacle of 50 and more years ago. Poverty plays heavily here, as fishing for food has become an easier option and exploitation the norm when the going is good.

The old saying “teach a man to fish and you will feed him for life” is true, but unfortunately human nature does not stop once hunger is satisfied.

The environment is growing increasingly fragile and there is serious need for a better management plan.

As anglers, we want to be able to fish, but we need a workable plan that will also protect fish stocks.

Unfortunately, there will always be the opportunistic predators out there spoiling it for those who keep only what they need.

How it will be managed in future is the question.

Restricting the law-abiding will also not solve the problem. The old saying “banning guns will not make the world a safer place” holds true here.

It removes a little responsibility away from the law enforcers in the direct picture, but opens the floodgates to the underground world.

The law-abiding are not the issue; rather it is the lack of law enforcement which allows criminal elements to thrive.

The weather for this weekend has the promise of some rather strong windy conditions for both tomorrow and Sunday from midday through to late afternoon.

There is a general warning out by the NSRI that caution should be exercised by those who intend venturing out to sea.

The air temperature peaks at around 23°C on both days. Low tide is at 8.22am today, with the public holiday rendering an extra day’s angling for the weekend, which unfortunately does need a little planning.

The early morning seems to be the better prospect for the diehards.