Size Matters

By Justin Paynter

AS April draws closer, reports of the so called “crocodile ’cuda” start to be thrown around more and more. Social media is a hive of activity with anglers waiting to see what was caught on a daily basis and trying to figure out where the fish pictured were caught.

April also heralds the running of the annual Durban Ski-Boat Club Festival where the biggest ’cuda (king mackerel) takes the main prize. This year that prize is a SeaCat 520 with 2x60hp Yamaha 4-stroke engines.The organiser, Hilton Kidger, thinks it’s an easy task to catch the winning fish — load your boat with some rods and tackle and go fish for two days! If only it was that simple.

When you’re fishing a festival of such magnitude, there are numerous factors to take into consideration before even entering, so I’d like to help you with that prep.

First, have you checked with your better half that you are able to fish over the long weekend? This is probably the most challenging part of your preparations.In some cases it can be a costly exercise.I always refer to April as divorce month because there are so many big festivals,then there’s the Gamefish Nationals which is normally a five-day competition and,well,every other day that is fishable.

April is also the month when everybody is aiming to get a ’cuda over 30kg, so time on the water is critical.

Once you have wined and dined your wife and got her blessing (however grudging),your next question is: Who am I going to fish with?

Fishing a festival is a business arrangement because money is involved. To start with it’s not cheap to fish a festival,and then when you do win something, who gets what? How are you going to split the prize? Does the boat get a share? No matter how strong a friendship is, you and your fishing partners need to make a written agreement on how you split your prizes before you enter. This way, you won’t have to have an awkward conversation while standing on your crew member’s new boat that he/she has just won.

Once you have the business side of things out the way,it’s time to get down to preparation.Again,I can’t emphasise this enough:you must be prepared.The guys who catch fish on a regular basis are the guys that are putting in the same amount of time off the water as they are on the water.Here are a few of the main aspects you need to look at.

Ensure your boat is in tip-top condition. Remember Durban Ski-Boat Club Festival is a ’cuda competition,and there are some specific requirements.

If you are coming from upcountry and will be travelling a fair distance, make sure you have your wheel bearings on the trailer checked.

Are your outboard motors running well and can they troll at the desired speed?If not,your bait will either spin or die,and in that case,you might as well wind up your lines and go home. To rectify the issue,ensure you are using one engine to troll and that it’s just in gear.If the problem continues, try trimming up your engines;this will slow the boat.If the problem persists, you might have to change your props.

I am fortunate that I have two live wells on the Cobra Cat 630 centre console,so if one pump goes it’s not a train smash. Always carry a spare pump,though, because it can be difficult to try and locate a pump at short notice if yours packs up.Arriving at your designated fishing area and then having to throw a bucket of water into your live well every couple of minutes is not ideal for the live bait you have just spent an hour catching.

So many people underestimate the value of this piece of equipment.It is your eyes under the water and is the closest you get to seeing the fish.Just make sure you’ve loaded all your marks onto your machine beforehand.

When fishing for ’cuda,you will either set a drift or troll slowly for these speedsters.Using rod holders helps keep the lines from tangling when making turns and allows you to place your rods in different positions to allow for a different action on the bait.Placing a rod in a T-top holder or upright holder allows the bait to stay on the surface;it also changes the bait’s swimming action.

You need to use variety in order to see what the fish want.If one holder keeps getting a pull,you need to look at that rod placement as well as details like the size of the sinker being used, the trace and the bait.If you are able to mimic it on the other side of the boat, you will probably be more successful on that outing as that’s obviously what the fish are looking for.

When it comes to rods,you can’t take a stand-up powerlift roller guide rod and expect to go ’cuda fishing.Fishing rods are designed for different applications, and when you’re ’cuda fishing,you want a rod that has enough back bone but a soft tip.The soft tip allows the bait to move in its desired path rather than being dragged in a straight line.I like to use the Poseidon Couta Lite or Dorado Ski,but that is my preference.

Checking the eyes on your rods — especially the top eye — is key to ensure that when you do get that screamer, your line is able to run on a smooth passage up the rod. Any blemishes or nicks on the eye,could cause your line to part. Nine times out of ten your line will part when you can see that trophy-winning fish just under the boat,purely to maximise your pain.

Your reel also needs to be checked before you head out to sea.There is nothing worse than watching your mate on a fish when you have a snatchy reel,or listening to the bearings grind as the handle turns.It makes anyone’s heart stop.Simple solution? Book your reels in with Reel Service Durban, and Paul will get them in tip-top shape.If you don’t know what you are doing when it comes to servicing a reel,don’t attempt it. Just recently Paul received a packet of parts from me and said, “Justin, I just love the puzzle you gave me. The way you attempted to re-assemble was very interesting." Say no more.

To start with, ensure you have enough of the following: Yozuri’s, variety of made-up ’cuda traces, different size wire, hooks — single and/or trebles, sinkers, chin weights, thin elastic bands, swivels, ’cuda dusters, beads, two gaffs, pliers/cutters.

In this competition it can be tricky to come by bait if you’re not quick off the mark.The more boats are on the bait marks,the greater the chance you will scare them off. I always make sure to carry quality dead bait with me in case I can’t get enough live bait. This includes,walla walla,small bonnies,red eye sardines and ’cuda candy (mackerel).

If you hear of guys catching ’cuda, ask the pertinent questions:what bait did you get the fish on? Was it a live or dead bait? I can’t promise the guys will always be honest,but it will be worth a try.

In the run up to the competition try to find out from the ski-boaters that have fished in the week what bait they have been getting and where. It might mean that you have to have a few beers at DSBC every night after work to pick their brains, but it will be worth it.

Ensure you have a variety of baits. on the day because these fish can be very fussy. Some days they will only eat a specific bait,like a live mozzie or dead mackerel.

Most anglers believe,a bigger bait = bigger fish. In theory it makes sense and in certain areas this is the case, but pulling a live mozzie rigged correctly on the surface at 11 o’clock at Stud Rock could produce a winning fish.

Variety is key, and I will have a variety of dead and live baits.These baits will be rigged on different traces,with either a pink duster, green bead or plain.

That’s my preference and what has been successful for me. You must be confident of what you put into the water. If you are about to throw your bonnie over the gunnel and think, “Hmmm, maybe my back hook should be longer, or the wire looks kinked”, don’t be lazy — change your trace or make it longer. You will regret it when you wind in half a bonnie and the fish just missed the back hook, or you come back with a bent piece of wire.

Your bait needs to look as natural as possible, so take time placing the hooks into your bait, especially on a live bait. There is nothing worse than when a hook reverses into a bait, or you bring your baits up to check them and your hook is swimming alongside your bait.

Swim your baits in different water columns to identify where the fish are. If you are fortunate enough to have a Scotty downrigger,use it.This piece of machinery allows you to use your fish finder to locate the showing and,with its built-in measuring tool,it allows you to drop your bait to the required depth of the showing.

If, like me, you’re a teacher on a budget, you can also run a 8/10 ounce, 4/6 ounce, 2/3 ounce and a surface bait in the T-top. That’s what I do, but remember that these fish aren’t stupid, so don’t put your sinker too close to your bait. If they see a big chunk of lead next to a bait, it is highly unlikely that they are going to give it another look. Try to put your sinker at least 4- to 5m away from the bait. Remember to use a thin elastic because it is easier to break off when you have a fish on.

Personally, I will never fish the day before the comp starts. I will, however try to gain as much knowledge as possible about what’s happening up north and down south. The festival boundaries are normally Tongaat river mouth in the north and the Amanzimtoti river mouth on the south. I will also check to see water colour and temperature along the coast. Windy is a really good app to use.

If we have had heavy rains, you will normally find that the northern areas water quality is poor due to all the rivers that flow into the sea. Some good advice I was once given was to make friends with the spearo’s. These guys can give you great intel on water quality below the surface, any thermoclines, temperatures throughout the water column and, most importantly, what they have seen.All this is very important to gauge the line on which the fish are swimming (for example, the 22m contour line), the depth in which they are congregating, and to see if you are headed to the right area.

Durban fishing is very wind dependent,and the rule of thumb is that it’s best before the west. Some guys will fish a particular area to ensure a comfortable ride home,but that should never be your reason.

Certain areas fish better in different winds,and obviously current plays a big part.It’s vital to have as much of this information as possible at hand when deciding whether to go north towards Umdloti or Seabelle, head south towards the Bluff or Toti,or just fish Number 1 which has produced some good fish in the past couple of years.

Right, you’ve got your game face on and are patiently waiting in the queue for your turn to be pushed into the water. All around you people are giving their opinions,advice,and predictions. Your number is called, you run to your boat, hook it up and off you go.

Out on the water you wait for the gun to go off. Your crew is excited, your preparation has been superb, you have chosen the area to fish, and you are ready to catch that prize-winning ’cuda.

Gun goes off, hammers get slammed down. Your boat goes from zero to hero within a split second and you’re skipping along the water at a rate of knots. What call did you make — north or south? Are you running to the bait marks or are you going to back the dead bait you have in your cooler box? Only time will tell if it was the right call.

Just remember that these fish got to the “crocodile ’cuda” status because they passed school with straight As. They can identify a bait that doesn’t look natural, and can see the 9/0 hooks in a 10cm mozzie from a mile away.

This is what makes “croc” fishing so exciting. To catch big ’cuda consistently, is not luck. It is the art of fishing the correct bait/bait presentation, fishing the different water columns, being in the right area at the right time — and it requires perseverance.

’Cuda fishing can be extremely boring, and going hours without a pull is very frustrating, but stick to your game plan and don’t chase other people’s fish. There will be days that you come back empty handed, but when your plan works, it is all worth it.

If you are in a generally good area, stay there, unless the water turns bad or you find that your line is getting gorilla snot on it.This makes your line visible to the fish and you don’t need that.

If the bite is slow, you need to try different things to entice a bite. This might mean whipping a spoon, throwing a bucktail, changing your baits, varying your trolling speed, changing the direction in which you are making your turns and trying different depths. The bottom line is that the more time your line is in the water, the more chance you have of catching that prizewinning fish.

My final point is this: If it’s your time, it’s your time. I am a firm believer that if you’re meant to win it then you will.Just give yourself the best possible chance.

See you on the water — just look for the guy in the pink pants.