Big Bang Fishing

BAIT DEMO : BONNITO CUTLET ON A DANGLE

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SHARK FISHING>>>
A brief introduction to targeting large sharks along the South African coastline.
By Chad Schenk.

Targeting large sharks in South Africa is among the elite fishing genres with the country's rough and unpredictable coastline and an abundance of shark species patrolling our waters it is a facet of fishing that catches the attention of a large number of fishos out to find the next big pull and face the challenges and dangers involved in successfully targeting, safely landing and releasing these majestic creatures.
This introduction will cover what it takes to get the job done safely for both the fisherman and his quarry.
The tackle required, conditions, the where's and when's, baits, and the correct presentations as well as all the tips and tricks involved.

Tackle requirements. -
The tackle used needs to be up to the task of handling some of the most powerful swimmers in the sea so it is advised not to skimp.

Reel- A powerful extra-large reel with high drag output and a massive line capacity is necessary. The reel must also be able to handle the elements so a sealed reel with anti-corrosion properties is a must.
Top picks are.
-Okuma Makaira and Tesoro spin reels among other brands.

Rod- the rod used needs a high casting weight, the length to get an extra-long cast and the backbone to pull giants. The long length also aids in fighting the fish and keeping the line clear of reefs and sandbanks. A 14-to-15-foot rod is ideal with a cast weight of 6 to 8 oz, 7 to 9 oz or 8 to 10 oz is required and the rod must be able to handle heavy braids with a pe rating of 4 to 8. (60 to 100lb).
The top picks are.
Okuma Mariana and Makaira 6-8oz and 7 to 9 oz

Braid- A good quality braid with a pe rating of 4 to 8 is necessary (50 to 100lb). The breaking strain of the braid you use should be determined by the structure you fishing, the casting distance required and the species of shark you are targeting. Ie should the gutter you wish to fish be behind a back bank a longer cast would be necessary. Therefore, a thinner braid should be used to reach the target. If the terrain is foul and full of structure or there is an abundance of predators around, it is advised to fish heavier as dolphins and other sharks making contact with braid under tension result in the loss of your fish and large lengths of line left trailing the shark you have just lost. One will have to determine what diameter is best suited based on all these factors. With most modern braids being of high quality and for the most part reliable, the choices are abundant.
Top picks-
Boss Braid Slick

Hooks and terminal tackle.
Hooks used must be large and made extremely strong as these predators make short work of a flimsy hook. Bending it out from a hook to a nail. Hooks should preferably be forged and machined ranging in size from 9/0 to 13/0. Even bigger hooks can be used. Circle hooks are preferable as they hook the shark in the corner of the mouth and avoid gut hooking and injuring the shark. All terminal tackle should be equally strong as your entire setup is only as strong as your weakest link.
Top picks-
BKK range of inline and monster-heavy circles
Eagle claw big game medium circles

Traces and bait presentations
The bite trace used should be bulletproof. A proven trace is a semi-slide trace consisting of approximately 1.5 meters of 120lb to 200lb wire trace. This should be tied up using a large single swivel connected at one end, tied on using a figure 8 and haywire twist or a knot suited to wire trace, followed by a bead, a 3way swivel and a bead after the swivel. Place a crimp approximately 40cm down from the swivel to act as a stopper for the swivel. This 3 way swivel will be connected to the sinker trace and sinker.
Wire grapnel sinkers of 6 to 9 oz should be used depending on sea conditions and bait size. There should be approximately 1 meter of wire trace from the stopper crimp to the hook. The hook can be tied on using a haywire twist or a snell knot. This trace is referred to as a full metal jacket.

When where and how to target sharks.
I.e. Conditions, structures, and time of year

For the most part, our waters are full of sharks up and down the coast, but this does not make finding them or catching them an easy task. First and foremost, we will look at Conditions suitable for catching sharks from the side. Though this will vary according to species, it is relatively uniform for all sharks.
Flat seas with small swell are always preferred wherever you may be fishing. Swell of below 1.5m and a short swell period of approx. 6 to 10 seconds is ideal. Current is also important as too much current makes presentation difficult.
Sharks will not come close inshore with big swell dumping and pounding the shoreline. Generally deeper water is preferred therefore rocky points, reefs or deep gutters and rip currents along the beach are optimal places to put your bait. This allows the sharks to move in and find your bait upon picking up the scent without too much difficulty. While tides on rocky points are not as important as along beaches, a common practice is to get your bait out as far as possible during the low tide and wait for the tide to push, making the waters deeper and allowing the sharks to move in unhindered, especially useful when fishing beaches with gutters. As distance is usually important when fishing beaches it is necessary to wade as deep as possible and cast out using a Hatteras casting style. Giving the best distance with heavy baits and weights with the long rods used. At times, the sharks will come very close in but for the most part, long casts will be needed. To attain the longest casts a smaller bait clipped to the sinker using a di**le dangle can be used along with a lighter braid.

HOOK REVIEW "WHY PAY MORE? " by Raymond Maritz

Land-it hooks really live up to their name.
They are one of my favorite edible hook brands to use, they are available in a variety of sizes, designs, and strengths to suit most anglers and at a very impressive price point.
The Land-it Octopus black nickel hooks are my go-to for when I fish rocky terrain, they are thin, sharp, and very strong.
I normally use the size 1 or 1/0 hook, now this is the perfect size hook to use for your edible species like Galjoen (in season), white Steenbras and I've even hooked a few Kob on this hook while targeting Steenbras.
I use the snell knot that's normally used for circle hooks and with this way, I hardly ever have to strike on a bite, 80% of the time the fish hooks itself well more or less.
I love always being prepared before I hit the water, so I make different traces for different applications and put them in plastic bank bags and into my trace pouch.
Baits such as sand prawns, mudprawn, and any type of worm depending on what's available in different areas work like a bomb on these hooks, just let that extremely sharp point stick out and LAND IT!!!

BAIT DEMO: FISHING WITH BLOODWORM by Rudolf Tome

Bloodworm has become one of the most used baits in estuaries and sea fishing.
Where to find the worms and how to collect them
They are found in river mouths that are tidal. They are commonly found in sandy areas like sand banks that open up on low tides.
Equipment Needed
Prawn pump (cracker pump) of your choice
Bucket with water to keep them fresh and to clean sand out of their bodies.
Finding the worms
Identifying the worm hole is key. In the pictures you will see a little cone shaped gray hole, with an indentation in the sand. This is where you should pump. Depending on the weather and wind it can sometimes make it difficult to locate a hole. The challenge then is to find the hole using your feet. Walk around and feel for a soft spot in the sand.
Sometimes you will only see the blow hole (breather point) and wont find the hole to pump. This is where you should use your feet or the pump to push and feel for soft spots in that area of the hole. Pump straight down into that section.
How to rig them onto the hook
When rigging the worm, you can use the tail piece or the head section of the worm. Break off the piece you would like to use. Either end will work just as well.
You also can rig the whole worm depending on the size of the hook/worm.
Hook sizes
Estuaries 1/0 to 4/0 depending on targeted species.
Rock and surf 3/0 to 5/0 depending on targeted species and worm size.
There is a chance of a hound sharks, eagle rays, blue ray etc. also picking up your bait while you fish in the different areas.
Preferred Hooks to use is the Bkk Circle hooks (SS, UA or Mustu), J-Hooks (Chinu and Octopus Beak)
Time of the year to fish using blood worms
Blood worms can be used right throughout the year in estuaries and rock and surf fishing.
Species to target
Spotted Grunter
Stumpnose
Blacktails
Sand Steenbrass
Cob
White Steenbrass
Galjoen
Blacktails
Wildeperd
Bronze bream
Cob
Belman
White mussel cracker
NOTE > Please adhere to the regulations regarding collection method (Only by hand, suction pump and/or wire), limit 5 per person per day, and provinces that allow harvest/use of bloodworms (Cape ONLY)

BAIT DEMO: FLAPPED MULLET

Fresh Mullet flapped bait by Rudolf Tome
The Rig
Trace wire used 120lb Linx clear coated steel trace +-1.2mts attached to a Linx power swivel in a size 1 with a t-swivel on a semi-slide trace and a circle hook.
The Bait
The bait used for this was a fresh-cut mullet, flapped. When fishing in an area where you do not need distance there is no need to shape for distance casting. One can also use other fish baits such as shad or karenteen depending on the season and area fished. This type of bait is one of the most commonly used bait in rock and surf fishing or even estuaries where there is non-edible fish.
Hooks of Choice
An 8/0 > 13/0 medium gauge circle hook such as the Eagle Claw is ideal, size of the hook depends on the target species and the size of bait used.
Target Species
With this bait, you can fish into summer towards winter, depending on the area you fish and the species list varies between areas.
Some of my catches include.
Houndshark
Spotted gully
Raggies
Diamond ray
Bronze whalers
Hammerheads
Where to fish this bait
Targeting these species can sometimes be tricky, finding the best areas to fish where they eat most of the reef-type non-edibles will feed on rocky terrain where there is structure.
The flat fish like diamond rays etc fish normally of sandy areas or places where a big ledge with some sandy terrain also structure in between that has recently washed open.

ANGLING NEWS SOUTH AFRICA : DEBUT EDITION

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ANSA Tackle Insider - Issue 1 by Vinesh Soogreem Tackle Insider - Issue 1

COMMON SPECIES CAUGHT IN OUR WATERS, MINIMUM SIZE AND BAG LIMITS....

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