Since South Africa moved to lockdown level 3 and recreational fishing is allowed, local fishermen took the first chance they could get to cast those lines into the water.
The Klopper family took their boat called Marlin Monroe to Sodwana on June 26 for a well-deserved fishing expedition. It was a successful trip, ending up with five Cuta, three Skipjacks, two Yellow fins and two bonitos. One of the Yellow fins weighed in at a whopping 18.5 kilograms. They made another three-day trip to Sodwana on Thursday, July 16, but had to ‘work’ a little harder this time around to catch those ‘big ones’, since a cold front had hit the coast earlier in the week. According to Johan Klopper, the southern ocean currents make it nearly impossible to catch any fish. But he defended their trip by saying that any bad fishing day is still better than a day at the office. The crew were fortunate enough to see a lot of whales and dolphins.
Johan gave a few tips to fellow fishermen on how to hook that ‘big one’. He says to always use the best bait you can find. He uses sugar makarel and sardines, and every species of fish has a specific technique on how to catch it. Tuna are usually caught with trolling lures behind a boat and since the fish are at different depths, it is advisable to troll the lures at different depths as well. Cutas, on the other hand, are usually caught in shallow waters by slow trolling sardines and sugar makarels. It is also important to present the bait in a natural manner, especially in clear water. Furthermore, Johan says that a lot of praying is also involved and it makes for a bonding session with his sons. One can surely take his advice to heart, since he has been an experienced fisherman for nearly 28 years.

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