Fishing Encounters

Every now and again I go to Sodwana, I must say I don't go there often enough. Sodwana is a place of warm sea and lots of fish. It is one of the top dive sites of South Africa with awesome accommodation at Coral Divers where they will take good care of you.

My story is about a few years ago when I was there with my Kayak (fishingski) I would wake early in the morning and head out to sea early in the morning, before all the diving boats. It is a bit of a run between the wave breaks but if you time it right you slip out beyond the big waves no problem. I attached my white/red halco and off I go paddling.  Lucky there is reef not to far from back line. I am soon into a fish but unfortunately I am unable to slow it down and it ends up in the reef below and cuts off my line. I did not have another lure like that and did not have another touch.

Back on the beach I meet and chat to a guy from Coral Divers and he tells me he is also in kayak fishing and suggests I join him for a kayak fishing session. He also suggests we catch a lift with a dive boat to 9 mile reef where they will drop us off and we can paddle back from there. So we set a date and go a separate ways.  A day later I hear he had a shallow water black out from spearfishing, lucky his mates saw him and got him to the boat. So we had to postpone our trip for a few days. Well finally the day arrived. We where on the beach before sun rise and the guys loaded up our kayaks onto the rubber duck. They fitted very well on the sides of the dive boat. Soon we where off and racing to nine mile reef. It was nice not to have to paddle that far and lucky the current was pushing from North to South so we could almost just drift back to the launch area. Soon enough we arrived at the reef and there was surface action going down so I was supper excited to get into the water and start fishing. Put on a little lure and started paddled around the surface action and soon enough the reel started screaming and I was in. My mate that I was with was soon also into a fish. It was bonnies, which are ideal as live bait for the big boys, Cuda or Tuna. So I hooked it onto my live bait rig and let it out. My mate did the same. Not to long and I was into something big but I think my break was too tight as I got snapped up. All the time you are drifting along away from the reef, so it was back to the reef to catch some live bait and start the process again. This time it took a bit longer and again I lost it. My mate manage to and land his fish, but it towed him a long way. It was a nice yellow fin tuna. All the time we are moving back down the coast, it was such fun. Hooking and missing and hooking and bringing them in. I did not manage to get a tuna but had lots of fun with the bonnies.

All to soon we where back at the beach, but very happy. My mate got a good crowd round him as he pulled out his tuna. The people at Coral divers where going to eat well, he cut a bit off for me. That was a once in a lifetime trip, but I am always keen to try that again. My story ends on a sad note. The guy I went with and that put it all together was eaten by a shark a few months later. They recon he blacked out again while spearfishing and his friends did not find his body this time. The shark took him and they only found a few remains. I was devastated to hear this sad news. 

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.