Has anybody ever caught snoek from a fishingski? H

faas

New member
Has anybody ever caught snoek from a fishingski? Howfar would one need to paddle out? as far as I know they are never very close to shore. Shure it would help to shorten the winter months if we could catch a couple!!!
 

Patrick

Sealiner
Plenty snoek get caught in Buffels Bay in the Cape Point Reserve. The fish are usually in the 40m water which is easily reached by ski from the slip. Hook up with Fishing Magician on this site. He'll show you the ropes.
The snoek are also sometimes close in off sea point where you can launch 3 anchor bay to get to them.
 

faas

New member
Thanx for the reply, got a couple more questions?

Would it be worth the trouble for one or two ski's to go look for them with fishfinders, or do we wait for the skiboats and then join them? Also, do you use pilchards only, or which spoons and lure's work for trolling/spinning?
 

Patrick

Sealiner
Usually you'll hear of snoek in buffels before you have to go search for them. Either the commercials or recreational boaters will have found them and they usually hold in the same place for a few days. Keep an eye on the offshore and paddleski threads because someone will post something if they are there. Or you could go look in the 40m water off Buffels for what looks like worms on your finder.

To catch them, simply launch from Buffels and join the other boats out there that will be fishing for them. Snoek shoal in big shoals so are easy to pick up on the finder.
They can be caught on a variety of bait and when they're hungry which is pretty much all the time, they can be caught on any spinner or jig you chuck at them.
Have a look at the Snoek for Dummies thread that Miles did a while ago. All the traces, methods etc are in there.
Good luck and post your catches.
 
Howzit Faas...

Your best bet for finding snoek is to make friends with somebody who is in or closely connected to the commericial fishing fleet. This allows for up to date reports on where the snoek are. Myself and Patrick spent many a day paddling after the buggers only to come home with and empty fish box and feeling dead tired (and dissappointed)

The best areas for Snoek are the 2 Patrick has mentioned. Buffels is great. Appart from snoek fishing there are loads of other critters to target should the silver crocs not pitch up. The paddle out is approx 1km and can be done in most kayaks. Just keep an eye out on the wind and weather patterns. A North Westerly wind is a definite No no, but we have found to have some good catches on the switch over from a North West to a South Easterly wind. The fish also tend to bite more in the afternoon at Bufffels. Ideally you want to know the day before that the fish are definitely in the bay and feeding well.

3 Anchor bay sometimes has snoek feeding just off the kelp. This is a dead easy paddle and can be a quick reward for the effort.

As to finding the shoals, well the commericials boats will be an easy mark to find. We have however been out there with no boats in sight, with no bites in the morning and then just past 12ish, all hell breaks loose and we have the shoal to our selves. The best is to paddle out to the 44m depth mark. Keep the finder on and keep an eye on what you see from about the 22m mark. Also try and cover the area from Bordjies drift towards Rooikranz along those contours.

The snoek tend to lie between 12 and 15 fathoms, but this is not set in stone.

Handlining tends to work best. Be this with a dolly or Bait. Due to the presence of the seals (the fnckers!), the retrieval speeds on a rod and reel are not always fast enough to boat your catch before they get lunch.

With the weather improving and reports of snoek already in the bay, we should be venturing out soon.... (last week the commercials were already getting fish)
 

Attachments

  • snoek 1.JPG
    snoek 1.JPG
    36 KB · Views: 504

BulkCarrier

Sealiner
As far as I can remember you have been out at buffels, except if you are talking about buffels knysna.

Isn't it at buffels that you went out the first time
 

Dorado75

Sealiner
ThefishinMagician wrote:
Howzit Faas...

Your best bet for finding snoek is to make friends with somebody who is in or closely connected to the commericial fishing fleet. This allows for up to date reports on where the snoek are. Myself and Patrick spent many a day paddling after the buggers only to come home with and empty fish box and feeling dead tired (and dissappointed)

The best areas for Snoek are the 2 Patrick has mentioned. Buffels is great. Appart from snoek fishing there are loads of other critters to target should the silver crocs not pitch up. The paddle out is approx 1km and can be done in most kayaks. Just keep an eye out on the wind and weather patterns. A North Westerly wind is a definite No no, but we have found to have some good catches on the switch over from a North West to a South Easterly wind. The fish also tend to bite more in the afternoon at Bufffels. Ideally you want to know the day before that the fish are definitely in the bay and feeding well.

3 Anchor bay sometimes has snoek feeding just off the kelp. This is a dead easy paddle and can be a quick reward for the effort.

As to finding the shoals, well the commericials boats will be an easy mark to find. We have however been out there with no boats in sight, with no bites in the morning and then just past 12ish, all hell breaks loose and we have the shoal to our selves. The best is to paddle out to the 44m depth mark. Keep the finder on and keep an eye on what you see from about the 22m mark. Also try and cover the area from Bordjies drift towards Rooikranz along those contours.

The snoek tend to lie between 12 and 15 fathoms, but this is not set in stone.

Handlining tends to work best. Be this with a dolly or Bait. Due to the presence of the seals (the fnckers!), the retrieval speeds on a rod and reel are not always fast enough to boat your catch before they get lunch.

With the weather improving and reports of snoek already in the bay, we should be venturing out soon.... (last week the commercials were already getting fish)
 

Nice pic  Calder!!
 

oomfaan

Senior Member
Let me know when we're going, I can't wait, but I'm too much of a bangg@t to go on my own. I like the idea of Three anchor bay.
 

Dorado75

Sealiner
lushwill wrote:
ThefishinMagician wrote:
yep.. first day... dunked in the drink.. howling NW... bring back some memories....
Funny guys!  :uzi:uzi:uzi(Calder and Rudolph). that was a swimming lesson and not a kayak lesson. let me rephrase : my first fishing session at buffels! lol
Howzit Lush, i am sure that this winter will see plenty snoek in buffles again, just need to watch the weather closely!!
 

Dorado75

Sealiner
lushwill wrote:
what is the tackle set-up for snoeking?
for handline you want a 42, 47kg or 52kg for bait, you can go lighter but when the seals are around you going to have hassles. Then you want a 60kg or heavier "lead line" this is for working a dollie or spinner. Get yourself a few different colored barrel leads and chrome, and some skirts, the hand made red ones are the best. You also want to get some 11/0 or 12/0 hooks with swivels for bait and a couple without swivels for the spinners and leads. You also need to get a selection of ball sinkers to use on the bait lines when there is a bit of current, get from the very smallest to big marble size. You can also use a spinning rod, something heavyish, i use a Shimano 20/40 on a Purglas tiger special and some Garfish spinners with strengthened hooks and nice heavy duty clips! And you will need a few vingerlappies and then you set to go!
 

henry.g

New member
Went out on Tuesday (Viva Freedom Day Viva)  to the chokka grounds. Kalk Bay commercial Star life was also there so tried for some chokka, water was cold but got 3 tubes for my effort until something big hit my jigs and broke me off. ( This was not a taxman as there was no rolling when he took the jig just a d#M HEAVY weight) The commercials where getting some huge TUBES. Paddled to the Krans/ Meddows area but the water was not good for any big fish.

Just got back for Kalk Bay now and the Bay does not look nice at all:rasta very windy with a lot of dirty water about.
 

Dorado75

Sealiner
henry.g wrote:
Went out on Tuesday (Viva Freedom Day Viva)  to the chokka grounds. Kalk Bay commercial Star life was also there so tried for some chokka, water was cold but got 3 tubes for my effort until something big hit my jigs and broke me off. ( This was not a taxman as there was no rolling when he took the jig just a d#M HEAVY weight) The commercials where getting some huge TUBES. Paddled to the Krans/ Meddows area but the water was not good for any big fish.

Just got back for Kalk Bay now and the Bay does not look nice at all:rasta very windy with a lot of dirty water about.
could very well have been a snoek that took your jigs, they love chokka jigs and i have lost more than i care to remeber to snoek, i lost 6 jigs in one day to them! We even managed to land a snoek the one day on a chokka jig a few years back on a commercial boat!
 

lushwill

Sealiner
Dorado75 wrote:
lushwill wrote:
what is the tackle set-up for snoeking?
for handline you want a 42, 47kg or 52kg for bait, you can go lighter but when the seals are around you going to have hassles. Then you want a 60kg or heavier "lead line" this is for working a dollie or spinner. Get yourself a few different colored barrel leads and chrome, and some skirts, the hand made red ones are the best. You also want to get some 11/0 or 12/0 hooks with swivels for bait and a couple without swivels for the spinners and leads. You also need to get a selection of ball sinkers to use on the bait lines when there is a bit of current, get from the very smallest to big marble size. You can also use a spinning rod, something heavyish, i use a Shimano 20/40 on a Purglas tiger special and some Garfish spinners with strengthened hooks and nice heavy duty clips! And you will need a few vingerlappies and then you set to go!
which is the more convenient way to catch? handline or rod? :kaykak
 
Top