Garrick
- Thread starter riks
- Start date
What I learnt about Garrick years ago (at Winkels funny enough) when snorkelling, is that they ambush the shad from behind cover. They hit the shad once and circle, then come back and grab it, but swim off for quite a while before they 'chew' and swallow it. Best advice, put your rod in a stand and stay well away from it.........give the garrick a chance to run with it before you strike. The bigger the live bait, the longer it takes to get the bait fully into it's mouth!
I've seen it through goggles while clinging to the rocks off Winkelspruit highrocks.
My presence might have altered their behaviour a bit, but I think the advice works.
Use two hooks, both above, one behind the head and one between the dorsal and tail fins.
If the garrick are thick and eating, don't worry about live bait, just use a plug or big spoon.
I've seen it through goggles while clinging to the rocks off Winkelspruit highrocks.
My presence might have altered their behaviour a bit, but I think the advice works.
Use two hooks, both above, one behind the head and one between the dorsal and tail fins.
If the garrick are thick and eating, don't worry about live bait, just use a plug or big spoon.
Hi
Something that works good is to slowly count to ten after you get picked up and then set your hook.
Garrick does take a while to swallow the fish. If you miss it dont stress yet. Leave it for a few seconds. If your live bait is still alive it will be picked up again. The garrick will just circle it if its dead so after waiting a few seconds you can retreive it at a fast pace which also sometimes results in a strike.
Hope you hook one soon(and release it for a next time)
Something that works good is to slowly count to ten after you get picked up and then set your hook.
Garrick does take a while to swallow the fish. If you miss it dont stress yet. Leave it for a few seconds. If your live bait is still alive it will be picked up again. The garrick will just circle it if its dead so after waiting a few seconds you can retreive it at a fast pace which also sometimes results in a strike.
Hope you hook one soon(and release it for a next time)
leonard williams
Senior Member
can you guys possibly post a picture of a drop shot used for garrick?
Howzit Veez
If you are holding the rod i would sugest that you free spool,this means keep the clip open when it hits you will know trust me.If it is the stand also keep the drag at its loosest otherwise you might find your self chasing another rod like mine in saturday.
Garrick will take the whole bait at once and then start swimming of the hit is extrejly hard so you will know.
Cheers Riymos
If you are holding the rod i would sugest that you free spool,this means keep the clip open when it hits you will know trust me.If it is the stand also keep the drag at its loosest otherwise you might find your self chasing another rod like mine in saturday.
Garrick will take the whole bait at once and then start swimming of the hit is extrejly hard so you will know.
Cheers Riymos
Ash
You are right hence i say let you drag as loose as possible so that it feels no strain and will then swollow....
Veez the best plug i found is the normal white or you can play around white and red spoons im not sure about.But let me tell you if the Garrick are thick any plug will work as long as it has a good action to it.
Cheers Riymos
You are right hence i say let you drag as loose as possible so that it feels no strain and will then swollow....
Veez the best plug i found is the normal white or you can play around white and red spoons im not sure about.But let me tell you if the Garrick are thick any plug will work as long as it has a good action to it.
Cheers Riymos
Along the lines of what Raveen says.........
I prefer one short shank 10/0 (or 9/0 on smaller bait) hook in the live bait (just behind the dorsal) than two smaller hooks. The 10/0 stands nice and proud, less clutter than two hooks, less to skit the fish as he mouths the bait the first time.
The loosest drag is the best. The garrick will attack and kill the bait first and then circle and grab it, run and try to swollow after a short time.
But there are no 100% rules to play by. If theres competition for food, fish behave differently!
MJ
I prefer one short shank 10/0 (or 9/0 on smaller bait) hook in the live bait (just behind the dorsal) than two smaller hooks. The 10/0 stands nice and proud, less clutter than two hooks, less to skit the fish as he mouths the bait the first time.
The loosest drag is the best. The garrick will attack and kill the bait first and then circle and grab it, run and try to swollow after a short time.
But there are no 100% rules to play by. If theres competition for food, fish behave differently!
MJ
Hey guys
pardon me for my ignorance as ive never fished for garric and never tried drop shotting BUT the question that I have is what difference does it make when u jerk the rod and how u do it once u feel the fish bite. Does that actually make any difference as in how u hook the fish........in my view the fish catches itself.
Look at longline vessels - theres a moerse line with hooks and bait left in sea. All the fishermen do is collect the fish after 4-6 hours line being at sea.
Now whats the difference? Ppl tell me different teqniques I must use once i feel fish biting, jerk this way, jerk that way.... in the mean time just leave the rod in the rod holder and let fish catch itself....
xerxes
pardon me for my ignorance as ive never fished for garric and never tried drop shotting BUT the question that I have is what difference does it make when u jerk the rod and how u do it once u feel the fish bite. Does that actually make any difference as in how u hook the fish........in my view the fish catches itself.
Look at longline vessels - theres a moerse line with hooks and bait left in sea. All the fishermen do is collect the fish after 4-6 hours line being at sea.
Now whats the difference? Ppl tell me different teqniques I must use once i feel fish biting, jerk this way, jerk that way.... in the mean time just leave the rod in the rod holder and let fish catch itself....
xerxes
leonard williams wrote:
This is the lead head I make and use with great success for garrick and river cob
Attachments
leonard williams
Senior Member
thanks ghost,ill try get some close to that colour.
Article
[align=center] [/align]
SPINNING FOR GARRICK
BY Craig Thomassen for Inwater magazine 03/2004
[align=center] [/align] Garrick are one of the most popular gamefish fished for off South African beaches. There have been some articles in this magazine about fishing for them with live bait. In this article we will focus on fishing for them with artificial lures from the beach or rocks.
Other Names: Leervis, Leerie.
Where Found:
Garrick are found right around our coast, from Angola, round to Mozambique. They live in the cooler waters of the Cape and move up the Kwazulu-Natal coast with the sardine run each year. They move up the Natal North coast from May to August to spawn in the warmer waters, and then return down the Natal coast from September to November. Garrick readily enter estuaries and harbours where they feed on mullet and other small fish. Most tidal estuaries and blind rivers will have a resident population of juvenile garrick in them. Garrick can be targeted from beaches where there is a deepish channel just behind the shorebreak, off rocky points where they must pass to reach the next bay, and near river mouths in the surf. Generally garrick can be fished for anywhere where one would expect them to be feeding on mullet, shad, pinkies or karanteen, some of their favourite foods. Garrick prefer clean, blue water when hunting in the surf. Even though they like cool water, they are affected by change in water temperature and will go off the feed if the temperature drops, for example if a cold current is blown in. They can be caught at any time of the day, especially on a pushing tide. On the Natal coast garrick are usually targeted at around dawn and dusk, but in the Eastern Cape a lot of fishermen start plugging for them in the mid morning, believing that the increased light intensity improves their chances of catching these fine fighting fish.
Seasons:
On the Natal coast Garrick can be targeted from May to November, with the best lure fishing during September and October when they return from spawning and are hungry and aggressive. During this time they are more likely to be taken on lures, whereas they are caught more often on live bait early in the season when they are on their way up the coast. They can be caught on the West coast and the Western Cape during the summer months, when the water is slightly warmer. The Eastern Cape coast produces Garrick pretty much year round under the right conditions, as long as the water is clean and warm. Peak season for garrick in the Eastern Cape is spring, summer and autumn.
Size:Garrick grow to around 32kg
Natural History:
Garrick are not strictly a schooling fish, but they are fairly social and tend to move around in small loose groups. They are diurnal feeders and are rarely caught after dark. In the surf garrick tend to move around just in or behind the backline, coming in to shallow water in order to maraud shoals of baitfish which are seeking shelter there. They readily move into estuaries on a pushing tide and will happily stay up in coastal rivers for some time. Juvenile garrick will often be resident in coastal rivers for a couple of years before taking to the open sea to live. Garrick in the surf will often give away their presence by viciously smashing into schools of baitfish in the shallows, with great swirls and splashes.
How to catch Garrick:
Garrick are extremely aggressive predators and will take almost any lure at times. Best lures to use for them in the surf are plugs and spoons. Plugs are generally a better bet when the light is bad, or the water is very foamy, milky or discoloured. Colour of plugs is not important, it is more the action of the lure that matters. Chisel nosed plugs tend to be best for garrick, my personal favourite being the plastic chisel plugs made by Predator lures. These are best fished with a medium to fast retrieve without bouncing them right out of the water. They should tumble and splash along the surface, always keeping contact with the water. If the plug bounces right out of the water it can cause the fish to lose interest. Garrick will often chase plugs a long way, swirling aggressively at the lure a couple of times before either hitting it or losing interest. The angler should continue his retrieve at a steady rate once he has raised a garrick, without slowing down or speeding up. This will keep the fish interested for the longest time. Garrick are suspicious fish that will inspect a lure carefully before eating it. For this reason fishing in foamy or milky water can help the plug to remain realistic by restricting the garrick�s visibility. It is also a good idea to use light leader, no more than forty pound breaking strain, to keep the visibility to a minimum.
When fishing spoons for garrick it is a good idea to retrieve the spoon fairly quickly, and then retrieve very fast every third or fourth cast so that the spoon skitters across the surface. A slow retrieve with a whipping action from the rod can also be effective when fishing spoons, especially when the spoon is moving through clear water. The darting action imparted to the spoon when fishing this way is more enticing to fish in clean water. If fishing spoons specifically for Garrick it is a good idea not to use wire trace at all, as they do not have cutting teeth and the visibility of wire could put them off. Garrick are clean fighters which do not purposefully try to cut your line on the rocks, so they can be targeted with lighter tackle than that used for kingfish.
In estuaries or harbours garrick can be fished for with poppers and spoons as described above, they can also be taken on any other form of surface lure in this calm environment. Walk the dog style lures such as Rapala skitter walks are a favourite of mine for catching garrick in rivers. I have also taken garrick in rivers on Mirrolures, leadhead jigs and of course swimming plugs. Various swimming plugs will work but my favourite for this particular style of fishing is the rebel wind cheater or a Rapala shad rap. Fished along the edges of a drop off or the mouth of a small creek on a dropping tide these lures have accounted for many good fish. When fishing for garrick if you should see some fish movement such as a swirl or a splash that looks like a chase try and get your lure into the water in the immediate vicinity as soon as possible. These fish are very aggressive and will chase your lure more often than not.
Tips:
Garrick do not have sharp teeth or sharp scutes near the tail, so they can be handled without danger of causing damage to the angler. These feisty game fish should be released to fight another day.
[align=center] [/align]
SPINNING FOR GARRICK
BY Craig Thomassen for Inwater magazine 03/2004
[align=center] [/align] Garrick are one of the most popular gamefish fished for off South African beaches. There have been some articles in this magazine about fishing for them with live bait. In this article we will focus on fishing for them with artificial lures from the beach or rocks.
Other Names: Leervis, Leerie.
Where Found:
Garrick are found right around our coast, from Angola, round to Mozambique. They live in the cooler waters of the Cape and move up the Kwazulu-Natal coast with the sardine run each year. They move up the Natal North coast from May to August to spawn in the warmer waters, and then return down the Natal coast from September to November. Garrick readily enter estuaries and harbours where they feed on mullet and other small fish. Most tidal estuaries and blind rivers will have a resident population of juvenile garrick in them. Garrick can be targeted from beaches where there is a deepish channel just behind the shorebreak, off rocky points where they must pass to reach the next bay, and near river mouths in the surf. Generally garrick can be fished for anywhere where one would expect them to be feeding on mullet, shad, pinkies or karanteen, some of their favourite foods. Garrick prefer clean, blue water when hunting in the surf. Even though they like cool water, they are affected by change in water temperature and will go off the feed if the temperature drops, for example if a cold current is blown in. They can be caught at any time of the day, especially on a pushing tide. On the Natal coast garrick are usually targeted at around dawn and dusk, but in the Eastern Cape a lot of fishermen start plugging for them in the mid morning, believing that the increased light intensity improves their chances of catching these fine fighting fish.
Seasons:
On the Natal coast Garrick can be targeted from May to November, with the best lure fishing during September and October when they return from spawning and are hungry and aggressive. During this time they are more likely to be taken on lures, whereas they are caught more often on live bait early in the season when they are on their way up the coast. They can be caught on the West coast and the Western Cape during the summer months, when the water is slightly warmer. The Eastern Cape coast produces Garrick pretty much year round under the right conditions, as long as the water is clean and warm. Peak season for garrick in the Eastern Cape is spring, summer and autumn.
Size:Garrick grow to around 32kg
Natural History:
Garrick are not strictly a schooling fish, but they are fairly social and tend to move around in small loose groups. They are diurnal feeders and are rarely caught after dark. In the surf garrick tend to move around just in or behind the backline, coming in to shallow water in order to maraud shoals of baitfish which are seeking shelter there. They readily move into estuaries on a pushing tide and will happily stay up in coastal rivers for some time. Juvenile garrick will often be resident in coastal rivers for a couple of years before taking to the open sea to live. Garrick in the surf will often give away their presence by viciously smashing into schools of baitfish in the shallows, with great swirls and splashes.
How to catch Garrick:
Garrick are extremely aggressive predators and will take almost any lure at times. Best lures to use for them in the surf are plugs and spoons. Plugs are generally a better bet when the light is bad, or the water is very foamy, milky or discoloured. Colour of plugs is not important, it is more the action of the lure that matters. Chisel nosed plugs tend to be best for garrick, my personal favourite being the plastic chisel plugs made by Predator lures. These are best fished with a medium to fast retrieve without bouncing them right out of the water. They should tumble and splash along the surface, always keeping contact with the water. If the plug bounces right out of the water it can cause the fish to lose interest. Garrick will often chase plugs a long way, swirling aggressively at the lure a couple of times before either hitting it or losing interest. The angler should continue his retrieve at a steady rate once he has raised a garrick, without slowing down or speeding up. This will keep the fish interested for the longest time. Garrick are suspicious fish that will inspect a lure carefully before eating it. For this reason fishing in foamy or milky water can help the plug to remain realistic by restricting the garrick�s visibility. It is also a good idea to use light leader, no more than forty pound breaking strain, to keep the visibility to a minimum.
When fishing spoons for garrick it is a good idea to retrieve the spoon fairly quickly, and then retrieve very fast every third or fourth cast so that the spoon skitters across the surface. A slow retrieve with a whipping action from the rod can also be effective when fishing spoons, especially when the spoon is moving through clear water. The darting action imparted to the spoon when fishing this way is more enticing to fish in clean water. If fishing spoons specifically for Garrick it is a good idea not to use wire trace at all, as they do not have cutting teeth and the visibility of wire could put them off. Garrick are clean fighters which do not purposefully try to cut your line on the rocks, so they can be targeted with lighter tackle than that used for kingfish.
In estuaries or harbours garrick can be fished for with poppers and spoons as described above, they can also be taken on any other form of surface lure in this calm environment. Walk the dog style lures such as Rapala skitter walks are a favourite of mine for catching garrick in rivers. I have also taken garrick in rivers on Mirrolures, leadhead jigs and of course swimming plugs. Various swimming plugs will work but my favourite for this particular style of fishing is the rebel wind cheater or a Rapala shad rap. Fished along the edges of a drop off or the mouth of a small creek on a dropping tide these lures have accounted for many good fish. When fishing for garrick if you should see some fish movement such as a swirl or a splash that looks like a chase try and get your lure into the water in the immediate vicinity as soon as possible. These fish are very aggressive and will chase your lure more often than not.
Tips:
Garrick do not have sharp teeth or sharp scutes near the tail, so they can be handled without danger of causing damage to the angler. These feisty game fish should be released to fight another day.