WINTER SPOONING & PLUGGING

[Ben REINERS]

Are there still avid KZN spooners & pluggers out there working those arms & shoulders trying to lure a size garrick & or shad this winter season & some anglers purely for the fun & fight.

Speak your mind or "for ever hold your breath"

 

[MrFisha]

Hi Ben.

Good question.

Also wondering same here in Garden Route... any fish caught on lures in winter and which lure works where

 

[Dr halibut hoffman]

Garden route...depends on the winds..but it is time for the blou elf round there. My mates boet got almost stripped and eventually bent a clip open, on his leerie rod throwing for a boil from the boat but 50m from the rocks a while back..Conditions changed 5 times over since then but the right wind blows for a week and you can have yellowfin up against the side, it happens. hahaha We had jumping yellowin in may against the side in beginning of lockdown 2 years back. But otherwise the usual culprits are up north on a spawning run and not too much happening. Winter is bait time in garden route generally, rock and surf. Though in the estuaries you will have the leeries rampant, the ones that did not leave to make babies..You'll also get smashed up by blou elf in the river mouths when you least expect it.

 

[Ben REINERS]

I envy the Eastern Cape lure anglers.....by Eastern I refer to old Transkei down to the furthest south where you find garrick & shad in the rivers with all other species naturally, & estuarine systems, & can target them most time of the year.

I have fished the Cape waters only once when in High school & back in 1979 if I remember the exact year correctly.
It was Mosselbay harbour wall & catching Karrenteen by the dozens.

We traded the karros for fresh bait, coldrinks & sweets at a cafe in George & as fresh food for the owner's many cats.

We visited & stayed with my friend's grandparents & the old tannie made us fresh fishcakes of the left over karros, & bliksem were they tasty !!
I've never had such good tasting fishcakes in my life before then & neither after.

Currently good size shad is being caught along the upper KZN coast ranging from 2 - 4,4kg, & we hoping a whopper of 6kg+ will show itself soon.
But if one listen to reports all are caught on bait, & it is as if the tradition of spooning/plugging has slowed down or busy dying.

Yes, shad is caught on spoons but no reports received of the big busses taking the spoon nor any garrick.
One hopes the tradition does not fade & continues to live & may 2022 see more spooners / pluggers.

 

[Haroldg]

Hi Ben, the old dog's arms are fine and still throwing a spoon a mile. The only problem is our very efficient metro in Durban takes great pride in dumping sewerage into what used to be our blue flag beaches. They now have brown flags flying here.

 

[Ben REINERS]

Haroldg wrote:

Hi Ben, the old dog's arms are fine and still throwing a spoon a mile. The only problem is our very efficient metro in Durban takes great pride in dumping sewerage into what used to be our blue flag beaches. They now have brown flags flying here.

So good to hear you throwing a mile, I take it it's with your trusted KP ?
The management of Durban sewarage waste is such a embarrassment but No, our learned colleagues in control thereof knows better.