Coppers in Falsebay.

[I&J]

The treknetters used to catch tonnes of Coppers of the 35kg class here in Simons Town. They have lost their license so there must be plenty now. They love this area as the naval ships churn up the prawns.
I have never in 10 years seen a copper caught on bait here. I have a good view from my balcony and can see the fish caught by boats and surf.
What method to catch them?

 

[will101]

I have caught 2 red steenies in the bay. Small ones but still. I was using fish bait (fresh hottie) on both occasions. They are there... got mine on a reef in about 15m water so quite shallow. Maybe the deeper reefs will hold bigger ones.

 

[Seeker1]

Those are white steebras not red steenbras (coppers) that used to be trekked at Glencairn and Long beach those fish have always been in the area and I'm sure they are still there.

They are more in the 10 to 15 kg class.

Never heard of one landed on bait there, but I did see one caught on rod and reel that had been foul hooked on a chokka jig off the gun battery

Before the extension of the navel dockyard in the 1970's, white steenbras were trekked at a place called Jafta's beach were the navel car park is today.

Big red steenbras have been landed from the old Bull Nose but that was many, many years ago long before my time.

The only red steenbras we see in False Bay these days are a few under size fish.

 

[I&J]

I bought one from the treknetters about 3 years ago for R200.00. It had a reddish colour to it. Did not weigh it but it was about 5 ft long and very fat.
I estimated it to be about 30 kg, but after lugging it up to my flat it gradually became 80 kg

 

[Seeker1]

Have no idea what type of fish that was, but at R6.66 per kg it was the bargin of the 21 century.

 

[Dorado75]

Seeker1 wrote:

Those are white steebras not red steenbras (coppers) that used to be trekked at Glencairn and Long beach those fish have always been in the area and I'm sure they are still there.

They are more in the 10 to 15 kg class.

Never heard of one landed on bait there, but I did see one caught on rod and reel that had been foul hooked on a chokka jig off the gun battery

Before the extension of the navel dockyard in the 1970's, white steenbras were trekked at a place called Jafta's beach were the navel car park is today.

Big red steenbras have been landed from the old Bull Nose but that was many, many years ago long before my time.

The only red steenbras we see in False Bay these days are a few under size fish.

 

I have only ever caught two red steenbras around False bay, the first one was undersize and caught off the simonstown harbor wall (i used to be able to fish there when i was a youngster and my dad worked in the yard) the other one i caught inside diaz beach from the boat.

As for those white steenbras off glencairn and simonstown, i know of a few very good fishermen that have tried to catch those fish, and never gotten lucky..... a few years back i saw two spearfishermen come out at Glencairn with 7 of those massive steenbras between them, what a sight!

In previous years when the snoek came right into the bay and stayed there we used to get a occasional white steenbras between the snoek when they were feeding on the bottom, this was usually outside millers point and towards fish hoek!