Fishing Encounters

I have attached a file that can be used in a garmin software like basecamp. Basecamp has a nice feature where you can view your gps points in google earth. Google earth just gives you an amazing perspective, and you never know you might just find a better fishing spot.

The spot called hole, is a place where the deep water comes very close to land via a steep drop off. The trick to fishing these spots is to NOT put your bait in the deep water but to keep it in the shallow next to the drop off. It is also wind dependant if the spot is good for fishing, also if the water is clean it is best to fish at night.

Good Luck

I was busy looking at pinterest when this caught my eye https://pinterest.com/pin/151081762469325464/ I like it a lot!

I love fishing off a kayak but one thing I miss is standing, being on your bum for hours is not ideal. The places you can use this here is South Africa is wide. Not to mention the challenges of croc and shark infested fishing waters. Think of this in Richards Bay, just watch out for the ships, not to mention the lots and lots of rivers we have. When you go to a farm dam for a quick fish, the paddle board will be lots of fun.

I manage to swap a fish finder for a job I did many moons ago. This is the site I did http://www.tackle2go.co.za/ glad to see it is still up and running.

I decided to make my fishfinder portable so that if need be I could swop it between boats. The first mission was to get the battery into some water proof container, manage to find a nice size clip lock container. I added some foam on the sides and the top to make sure the battery did not move around. I managed to find a water proof plug system so that I could disconnect the battery from the fishfinder with out having to open the whole box. The next time I am going to silicon the wires through the container and leave the connector loose. The reason for this is that when I attach the connector to the battery pack it sits to high and could easily get broken off.

I mounted the fish-finder screen onto a piece of wood and at the bottom of the wood I stuck some geko feet. This would prevent the screen from slipping around the deck. It works like a champ. I got the geko feet from a material shop and I have found 1001 uses for it, it is the best thing since sliced bread.

The next thing was the transducer, I mounted this in some foam that came from a computer box. I shaped it a bit like a boat, cut out the center to house the transducer. I secured the transducer with some cable ties. Added some rope to the front of the foam and a clip on the front of the rope so that I could attach it to my kayak easily. I cable tied the transducer wire along the rope, so that it would pull the rope and not the wire.

Have a look at all the pictures to get a better idea. This setup works so well for me and I have used it on many boats. 

I do a lot of bass fishing off my fishing ski. It is a lot of fun and it is amazing what you sneak up on. I have been given the fright of my life when some huge fish suddenly takes off right next to you, with a huge splash. I have also collected a lot of lures that people have cast-ted into trees and have just been unable to collect.

I remember once at Golden Harvest paddling round an island and there where a lot of dead trees in the water. Hiding in the shade of the tress where these most huge carp. I was fishing for bass so had nothing with me to catch the fish with or even some bread to throw to them to see if they would want to eat it. It is a plan of mine to one day go back and see if I can catch one of these big carp. I must say that is something that I also have not caught off my fishing ski yet. Time to go on a mission and see if I can catch, photograph and release some big carp.

I often go to Emmarentia for fishing and sometimes we as a family would go for walks and to feed the ducks. When we would feed the ducks we would see these huge barbel under the ducks eating the bread. It got me totally excited but I know you can't fish from that side so I knew I would have to make a plan with my boat. The day came and I got my bread and tackle ready. I decided to use circle hooks as I was keen to see how they worked and I did not want to be trying to get hooks out deep inside the barbel. So I launched my fishingski and paddled over to the side where the ducks where getting fed. I parked on the side in shallow enough water so that I could use my feet as an anchor. I made a bait ball with the bread and put it on my hook. I just had the flick it out as I was not far from the ducks. I left my reel on free spool and it was not long before the line started peeling out. I flicked over the bail and just held the rod. As there is no striking with circle hooks. I could feel the power of the fish and I lifted my legs so it could pull the boat. It did pull the boat all the way to the other side of the dam where I managed to pull it out and take a photo before letting it go. I then paddled back and did it again. I am keen to try that again this summer and it would be cool to catch it all on video.  All this talk of fishing I am keen to hit the water. 

Today I went on a mission and popped in at the Hunterski workshop. Brian was happy to show me around and explain how the kayaks got made. Unfortunately they where not making any hunterskis today, but I will be back to see it in action, I am also keen to bring my camera next time. The hunterski kayak is router molded and Brian popped open a mold and explain how they put powder plastic into to aluminum mold and then clamp the two halves together. The mold is a bit like a sheep on the spit, it rotates slowly so that the plastic can end up all over the inside. They then take the mold and pop it in an oven, the oven tilts up and down so again the powder plastic can get all over the place. The oven blasts hot air all over the mold, which then melts the plastic and makes it stick to the sides. Once that is done the mold is taken out the oven and allowed to cool. The cooling process is assisted with fans and misters. Once it is cool it is popped open and one blank hunterski is born. They then add all the rod holders and other bobs and bits. And in the end you have a very cool fishing kayak made right here in Johannesburg South Africa.

Thanks Brian from http://www.hunterski.co.za/ for showing me around and I look forward to selling your home grown South African product. Please contact me Lantz Mattinson email lantz(at)fishingencounters.co.za should you want more details one pricing.

I often go fishing and diving from umhalanga, my in-laws have a flat
there so that is a big bonus as I have cool accommodation in
umhalanga. My mission at umhalanga is listen to the sea from the flat
early in the morning and if it sounds good rush down and go out to
sea. I normally do a few laps along the back-line. There are some
rocks just out from the lighthouse. If you get there early you can
pick up a a few kinds of fish. I have managed to catch some king fish,
sea pike, shad and snoek. The other place is south of the light house,
just off the car park opposite from from the hardware shop. You get a
lot of fisherman there and the bait in the water attracts the fish.
The one time I collected lots of shad traces there as the guys must
have been having a shad run and lost a lot of traces. There where
corks floating all over in the water.

After that I head out to sea to the barge, it is about 1.2 km out and
in about 24 meters of water. Normally there are lots of other boats
around as this is where lots of ski boat fisherman come and get bait.
I caught a very nice grunter not the way I am used to catching them. I
was fishing for mackerel using a yozri, i managed to catch a few so I
popped on on live to a bottom trace and sent it down. I was using a
circle hook so all new to me. I had a good pull and as with circle
hooks you don't strike i just hung on. What a great fight and soon I
had the grunter in the hatch.

So that is a quick sneak into umhlanga and later I will be posting
more stories on my fishing and diving in this area.

The pictures of of me and my brother in-law at umhlanga on an awesome
day. If I remember we did not catch anything.