Tigerfish biting at Jozini
Jozini Dam has produced good tigerfish action over the past week or so.
Lots of carp in the 2kg-6kg range have been coming out in the shallower waters on conventional tackle at Albert Falls. Specimen anglers have also had good success with flavours such as FX, Juana, Almond and Bunspice. Sweet and fruity flavours seem to be working really well for any method, including margin fishing. Specimen anglers have targeted larger fish in the deeper waters with larger baits, specifically larger boilies. These larger fish have been coming out, but can often be days apart. Inanda Dam is picking up nicely with a few fish in the 8kg range being caught within 80m from the shoreline. Specimen anglers in the deeper waters are being rewarded greatly with fish up to 14kg. An issue at the moment with the larger baits has been the barbel, which seem to be feeding on all of the larger baits. It is a sacrifice that many anglers have been willing to take, as the larger carp have also been feeding on large baits.
With many of the rivers in KZN being extremely low at the moment, fly fishermen will be waiting patiently for the rains. In still waters, there have been some exceptional catches, particularly in the Swartberg area. In a recent competition held in this area, a double digit fish was weighed in, as well as a good number of fish in the 4-6lb range. Unfortunately there has been an increase in the winds and fishable days have been few and far between, which is why anglers are urged to fish every window in the forecast. Patterns such as the Dave’s Hopper and foam winged Hoppers have been used with great success, which have been fished on floating lines stripped slowly along the surface and mistaken for food by a number of the larger fish. This pattern is extremely effective over grass and weed beds which are submerged by rising waters or sunken by sheer weight. The fish sit in the pockets and wait for the food to come to them, which is why anglers should target the holes in the grass slowly and allow the fish to come up and take the fly.
Over the last few weeks, Jozini Dam has been producing some lovely tigerfish ranging between 2-5kg with the odd fish close to 6kg sneaking in. Most of these fish have been caught on live bait and have been caught on either thicker gauge Bass hooks or on the Mustad Tarpon Duratin hooks, known for their strength and ultra sharp point. A point to remember when live baiting - it is important to fish on a very light drag. The fish should be allowed to run under no pressure once the bait is taken, as this will allow the hook to line up for the strike. If the angler strikes too soon, the fish will be lost as the hook pulls out of its mouth.
(File Photo: Gallo Images)
Twitter - @SportswaveAndre @kingfisherdaiwa
Facebook - ECRSportswave
With many of the rivers in KZN being extremely low at the moment, fly fishermen will be waiting patiently for the rains. In still waters, there have been some exceptional catches, particularly in the Swartberg area. In a recent competition held in this area, a double digit fish was weighed in, as well as a good number of fish in the 4-6lb range. Unfortunately there has been an increase in the winds and fishable days have been few and far between, which is why anglers are urged to fish every window in the forecast. Patterns such as the Dave’s Hopper and foam winged Hoppers have been used with great success, which have been fished on floating lines stripped slowly along the surface and mistaken for food by a number of the larger fish. This pattern is extremely effective over grass and weed beds which are submerged by rising waters or sunken by sheer weight. The fish sit in the pockets and wait for the food to come to them, which is why anglers should target the holes in the grass slowly and allow the fish to come up and take the fly.
Over the last few weeks, Jozini Dam has been producing some lovely tigerfish ranging between 2-5kg with the odd fish close to 6kg sneaking in. Most of these fish have been caught on live bait and have been caught on either thicker gauge Bass hooks or on the Mustad Tarpon Duratin hooks, known for their strength and ultra sharp point. A point to remember when live baiting - it is important to fish on a very light drag. The fish should be allowed to run under no pressure once the bait is taken, as this will allow the hook to line up for the strike. If the angler strikes too soon, the fish will be lost as the hook pulls out of its mouth.
(File Photo: Gallo Images)
Twitter - @SportswaveAndre @kingfisherdaiwa
Facebook - ECRSportswave