Summer gamefish arrive

THE first wahoo of the season was boated on Sunday by Mike du Toit off his boat Tuna.com, with most boats also returning with a couple of dorado each. Mike reported losing four strikes before rigging his lure with steel wire and then boating the wahoo.

Some decent-sized tuna were also caught. The boats which launched down south at Port Edward were rewarded with some geelbek and yellowtail.

Jet ski anglers reported seeing a lot of dorado on the backline between St Mike’s and Uvongo, which is a good sign that these fish are now moving inshore. Hopefully we will get a bit of rain to create a nice colour line, but all signs are pointing to a great summer season.

Rock and surf anglers are still having great fun with the garrick on paddletail dropshots and small spoons. Some shad of up to 6kg are being taken on these lures, and with the shad season opening next week, December 1, let’s hope these fish will still be around.

Stiebel Rocks is still producing some garrick and big shad, and it shouldn’t be long before the summer flatfish arrive off this point. All we need is a couple of really hot days with light north-easterly winds and the game will be on.

There are reports of some good fish being caught around the estuary mouths on artificials. Mpenjati and Umtamvuma (Port Edward) seem to be the hot spots. Juvenile kob, garrick, small kingies and some pickhandle couta seem to be making up the bulk of the catch. Some large perch are reported to have been caught in the rivers.

Once again, this week we are faced with the misfortune of saying goodbye to another member of the Shelly Beach ski-boat fraternity. Sadly, Loraine DeMatos died last week from a heart attack and will be missed by all. Condolences go out to her husband America and family members. A memorial service will be held at the Norwegian Settlers’ Church on Wednesday, December 4.

The memorial service for Denise Milton is scheduled for this Friday, November 29 at 2pm.