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Thread: Melkbos diary

  1. #1
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    Default Melkbos diary

    Sunday 04/11. Had a few casts in and around Melkbos. Sea lively with lots of white foam and 'los drywende' kelp about. Temp 14.5 deg. Strong side current. Water slightly discoloured, but still a bit clean for my liking. Fished for 5 hours on the incoming tide. Two small gulley shark caught between the three of us. The flasked coffee was good!
    Last edited by Chris Shelton; 05-11-07 at 12:56 PM.
    "Innocence is a wild trout. But we humans, being complicated, have to pursue innocence in complex ways" - Datus Proper

  2. #2
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    Hi Chris

    Are the kob still around or is it just this weird weather which has stuffed up the fishing?Apparently westerlies are predicted at least up until Sunday.Not a SE wind in sight for days.The sea looks too nice I agree.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Arthur View Post
    Hi Chris

    Are the kob still around or is it just this weird weather which has stuffed up the fishing?Apparently westerlies are predicted at least up until Sunday.Not a SE wind in sight for days.The sea looks too nice I agree.
    Hi Andrew. The temperature being what it is at the moment should hold them there, although they will be hiding in the kelp with the water being as clear as it is.
    The Westerlies are a bit of a stuff up in that they tend to churn up the bottom and rip at the kelp which makes fishing d@mn impossible, but they are good in that they also dirty up the water. They are a very necessary part of the cycle.
    To complete the cycle, what you want is a North Wester (which brings in the warmer water) followed by a SW (which brings in the colour) followed by a bit of SE (not too much, because it also makes the water cold, but, it flattens the waves).......the calm period that follows is what brings the kob out of their hidyholes.
    In summary then; what you want is warm (14deg), dirty and flat water for the Cape Westcoast Kob.
    "Innocence is a wild trout. But we humans, being complicated, have to pursue innocence in complex ways" - Datus Proper

  4. #4
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    SUNDAY bad weather and fishing .. but a good day!!!

    (that's Chris fighting trophy kelp!)
    I always wanted to be somebody,but now I realize I should have been more specific.
    Alcohol is the anaesthesia by which we endure the operation of life. GBS

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jasper View Post
    SUNDAY bad weather and fishing .. but a good day!!!

    (that's Chris fighting trophy kelp!)
    Eish, I'm still not convinced that it was kelp There was no bite to speak of, but suddenly line was steadily being stripped off my reel by something sluggish and powerful. I gave it a limited run before striking, tightened my drag up at the same time, mindful of keeping whatever it was away from the kelp beds, but then there was suddenly a heavy resistance. I struck and 50lb braid severed over the reef and I nearly landed up on my @rse! I went back telling all that I think I broke off on kelp. Deep down something is telling me another story.
    Last edited by Chris Shelton; 05-11-07 at 08:10 PM.
    "Innocence is a wild trout. But we humans, being complicated, have to pursue innocence in complex ways" - Datus Proper

  6. #6
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    Despite the blazing South Easter, I needed to get out and wet a line, so I decided to have a gooi or two at the Melkbos slip this evening. Was a good call. Colour of the water was good. Did a quick temperature test...15deg C...absolutely perfect! My 2nd bait up produced a lovely 3kg Kob, followed by 3 smaller Kob in as many casts. These all coincided a quarter hour either side of sunset and an hour and three quarter after low tide. I kept the first fish and released the rest. I'll be down there at last light again tomorrow evening, so if any of you would like to join me, please do.
    Last edited by Chris Shelton; 19-01-08 at 12:02 AM.
    "Innocence is a wild trout. But we humans, being complicated, have to pursue innocence in complex ways" - Datus Proper

  7. #7
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    I went down again this evening. The wind was at least double the strength of last light and my first bait up came back stripped clean. No ways I could detect the nibbles in the buffeting wind. I baited the second pilchard up with about 120 turns of cotton and this was picked up by a 52cm kob. Next cast lay around for a while and when I came to reel in, the knot connection on a fresh 150metres of Kingfisher braid that I just spooled off my Torium to top up my dwindling sufix braid on my Trinidad today, popped on pickup. I am so not impressed with Kingfisher braid, the stuff goes pap in no time! It is less than a month old and hasn't been used more than 5 outings and the stuff is rotten already! Anyway, I packed up in disgust after that.

    If i can give you guys any advice, don't ever buy Kingfisher braid. Sufix on the other hand is absolutely brilliant stuff!
    "Innocence is a wild trout. But we humans, being complicated, have to pursue innocence in complex ways" - Datus Proper

  8. #8
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    Sunday morning, 05h00. Wind moderate SE. Water good colour and 15 deg C. Baited up with a mixed grill of Pilchard and Wonderworm, I managed to get out a good cast to the far lying kelp and was immediately rewarded with a 60cm Kob. This was followed in close succession by two smaller kob which I gave the benefit of doubt for size and released. A slight lul ensued thereafter, so I placed my rod in the stand and strolled back to my tackle box, which was some 30 metres away for some coffee. Next thing my rod was literally taken to the ground. Cup thrown aside, I sprinted as fast as my wader clad legs could carry me and grabbed the rod, but that was it, no weight on the line? The fish must have grabbed and spat, but whatever it was, it was big. The last time I saw my rod go to ground like that was in Henties when my 16kg Steenie took me!

    Questions arising;

    1) The reason for the lul that followed my releasing the two smaller kob, could the released fish have alerted the rest? I've noticed this before, whenever I release fish, things seem to go a bit quiet thereafter. What does one do though? Obviously I do not want to keep undersize fish for fear of them chasing the rest away.

    2) An old timer who was fishing next to me said that if i had been using a circle hook, I would have had the big fish at my feet. The fact that my rod was in the stand, the fish would have hooked itself. I've never used circle hooks yet, so i wouldn't know, but perhaps he could be right. What do you guys think?
    Last edited by Chris Shelton; 20-01-08 at 01:31 PM.
    "Innocence is a wild trout. But we humans, being complicated, have to pursue innocence in complex ways" - Datus Proper

  9. #9
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    Hi Chris,

    Sounds like you had a good time. Wish I could join you but here in Gangsta's paradise you don't exactly have fishing around the corner.

    I think the circle hooks are a good idea. You would have definately had that fish had you been using them. Keep the reports coming, I really enjoy them.

    Cheers,
    Werner
    Fishing is just my thing. I don't know what it is but it seems that i just can't get enough of it.

  10. #10
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    Chris

    Next time try and hold the rod- beach rod spikes are for papgooiers who miss the Vaal dam...
    " Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good is like expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian." -Dennis Wholey

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