Eric competes in Hawaii
He takes part in the 55th Hawaiian International Bill Fish Tournament.
Eric Visser, a businessman of Springs left for Hawaii last Wednesday to take part in the 55th Hawaiian International Bill Fish Tournament.
He is part of a four-man team representing South Africa in this deep-sea angling competition.
The team will return on August 5.
This is the third time Visser received his Protea colours in deep-sea angling.
Visser’s passion is marlin fishing and his dream is to catch a ‘1 000-pounder’.
He started deep-sea fishing 24 years ago.
“At first I fished with charter boats at St Lucia and Shelley Beach, fishing for bottom fish and game fish.”
He bought is own boat, a rubber duck, a couple of years later and got interested in fishing for marlin.
The highlight of his marlin career was boating a 175kg marlin on a rubber duck, as well as releasing a 50kg marlin on a 6kg line as part of a two-man team.
He was also captain of the provincial team that released a 140kg Marlin on a 10kg line.
Eric says has been involved in assisting, boating and releasing 44 marlins for the past 12 years.
“We promote the tag and release of these fish and with this trip to Hawaii I will be fortunate to release marlins in three oceans – in the Atlantic Ocean at Puerto Rico, the Indian Ocean at Richards Bay and the Pacific Ocean at Hawaii.”
He mainly fishes for marlin at Sodwana Bay, Richards Bay and Cape Vidal.
He has also fished in Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Mauritius, Bassas Da India, Puerto Rico and now Hawaii.
