The situation at Gamtoos River seems all well, albeit against fears that things might rapidly deteriorate without the needed rains to flush open the mouth of the river.
Today’s photograph shows Jacques van Coller with a fine kob caught recently in the Gamtoos on a lead head.
The fish was released, offering another angler some pleasure in time to come, I am sure.
Kob are a very sought-after recreational angling species as they provide quite an experience on the hook and they are not bad on the table either. The larger specimens do not eat as well as the “just legal” sizes.
They have a characteristic head shake that gets the adrenalin surging in the angler’s veins. That sudden hit as the fish strikes often catches the angler by surprise.
The beginner in art-lure angling often experiences this as boredom sometimes sets in when still experimenting with your retrieval. It’s a good wake-up call!
These fish do not have the energy of the garrick and steenbrass but rather plough you through the paces as you duel it out.
They are caught on virtually any bait as they are voracious predators; however, they seem to be easily fooled by these lead heads with the buck tails of different colours.
Most tackle shops supply them and they are inexpensive. It’s the sinker that catches a fish!
Angola and Namibia
There is a lot of interest in Angola at present on the surf fishing scene, which is pretty much unspoilt it seems from the video clips I have viewed.
The abundance of fish and species makes this a prospect for investigation and it would be interesting to have reader’s comments on their experiences from having gone there.
The Namibian trips were very popular in years gone by as folk drove up and these trips are now on the cards again with the fuel prices beyond our borders.
There are companies that also arrange these trips that go far beyond Angola too.
The costs can escalate as charters are made to remote areas, so an Angolan trip could be an idea for a few diehards who need the experience.
Winter weather
On the local scene, things still seem rather dull at present – most anglers hibernate in the winter months. The weather with the frontal activity this time of year does present its challenges to anglers as well.
There is the window of opportunity, but getting that right is rather difficult for the working folk who rely on off-duty time rather than the window. Competitive anglers are reminded to check the notice boards at the angling shops for the up-and-coming competitions that kick off in spring, and remember that many institutions rely heavily on these fund raisers.
High tide is at 8.26am tomorrow, with a gentle north easterly wind prevailing throughout the day until lunchtime on Sunday, when a stronger westerly gains momentum in the afternoon, as the barometer climbs after steadily falling throughout the past period.
It will be neap tide during the weekend with no severe warnings.