Getting HOOKED

Preparation can save the day. Picture it. You are fishing in an important competition and when you open your tackle bag, all your traces are rusted or the downrigger sinkers are not in their bag.

This can ruin your day and your chance of winning.

So with all the competitions at the moment, I cannot overemphasise the importance of preparation.

Check all your traces, stock up your first-aid kit, make sure your bait is the freshest you can get your hands on, and check that your rods and reels are ready for the big day.

Nothing is worse than saying “I could have won the competition, but my drag was sticky” or “my rod broke” or “my guides had a crack I didn’t know about…”

Most of the time, the competition is won the day before.

Meanwhile, over the past few weeks, the North Coast has seen

RAY’S TIP:

the biggest of the couta. Biggest of all was a 26kg beast caught off Jex Estate.

Keeping with the same area, Jex has definitely been the best area over the past few weeks and has produced some big tuna, couta and bomber snoek.

Further north, the Sodwana area has not fired like it should and the currents are running strong.

The sharks are also taxing heavily up north (and the rest of the coast for that matter), so make sure you fish a little heavier than normal to get the fish out.

The Durban area has seen some lovely fishing over the past week. The conditions have been more than perfect, with warm water and flat seas helping those with unstable feet to keep their breakfast in place.

The fishing has also been worth the early wake-ups.

There have been dorado around and they’re favouring a nice frisky live bait. This has also been the downfall of many tuna.

The couta have not been wild before the competition and we hope that this weekend will see some big fish coming out.

The bottoms are also starting to show a preference for the skiboat guys and some lovely reds have been landing in the hatches.

There have been a few John Dorys caught along with a few other strange and wonderful species.

The anchovy have been shoaling off the South Coast. These bait balls are attracting all sorts of predators.

The main species coming out of these bait balls are snoek, bonito, tuna and couta.

Make sure to pack plenty of lures and leader material, as the sharks have clued in to these bait balls and once you hook a fish, you need to move away from the action as quickly as possible to make sure you don’t get taxed.