Hartebeesport Dam, 1959. I was about 4 years old. Caught a lekker Kurper. First fish ever. I kept it in my bush hat for three days before they finally managed to get it away from me. Ja, you all know what it smelled like. I still remember a man in a uniform came and took all my dad's rods and reels away that day. Seems my old man didn't have a License. Lol.
Your most memorable catch? how, when and why?
- Thread starter OFC
- Start date
Camped at Ebenezer for 3 days with the family. Spent 3 days fishing for bass, caught bugger all. In my last 30 minutes, in a moment of sheer desperation, I found a grashopper and stripped a hook off one of my dad's rapalas and chucked in the grashopper with no weights. 20 seconds later I hooked a nice bass of around a kilo and battled it to the shore. A tiger may have given me the greatest fight, but the bass taught me the biggest lesson!
Well, it would have to be last Friday.I decided to buy a surf-ski and take it to sea off Yellowsand's.Great experience, have the wave's crash over me on the way to the backline.I was trolloing for about an hour when my arm's said enough, so I let the bait's sink and enjoyed the swell's ride.Next minute the reel scream's, whihooo, fish on!The thing tow's me for about 5min's and then I started getting him up.I'm thinking, massive cob or kingy.Finally after what seemed like a few week's I saw my leader break the water surfice and then a 2m grey shark followed it.I nearly jumped off the ski, I was terrified.After I calmed down, I removed the hook thanked it and put another bait in the water.Awesome day!
I was in Thailand on honey moon. I went out on a rickety wooden boat for a half day trip on my own with a thai guide who spoke no english. At about 12:30 we were supposed to start heading back but the guide had fallen asleep. Suddenly the reel starts screaming and i grabbed the rod. I fought the fsh for about 15 minutes - it was a sail fish. I landed it on the boat to find that it was sadly hooked badly. We took it back to the hotel and the cheif braaied it for all the guests for dinner.
Buffalo Hunter
New member
I suppose many of our stories re; memorable catches would not necessarily be " the heaviest or biggest of the species etc. but something more special.
My special fish was caught in the Estuary system of the Georges River, south of Sydney. All my rods were left at home as my mate who fishes in a 12 ft tinny loves the "basic" style of fishing i.e. hand-line.
I cut my teeth with hand lines and I still love catching slimy mackerel and live bait on hand-line. Back to the story... We had caught a few Flathead, Flounder and some Blue Swimmer crabs until the little Elf became a nuisance and we ran out of bait. He had kept a few Elf as bait insurance and we rigged up with fresh Elf Fillets. I had a pick up on my 12lb hand-line which proceeded to take line with my wet thumb and forefinger giving the best rendition of drag as possible. Every time I pulled in the line I was paranoid as the loops of line wrapped around my toes, then the fish went for another run. I pictured little toe digits going overboard every time the fish took line.
After about 15 mins the fish came to the surface and we thought it was a nice Jewfish(Kob) Guess what- it was a fish we had never seen before which is unusual as Bob and I have over 100 years of fishing experience between us. The rest of the story can be seen on Australian Museum website. It's special as I still hold the southerm most capture record for the species.austalianmuseum.net.au/Triple-tail-Lobotes-Surinamensis=Bloch-1790
My special fish was caught in the Estuary system of the Georges River, south of Sydney. All my rods were left at home as my mate who fishes in a 12 ft tinny loves the "basic" style of fishing i.e. hand-line.
I cut my teeth with hand lines and I still love catching slimy mackerel and live bait on hand-line. Back to the story... We had caught a few Flathead, Flounder and some Blue Swimmer crabs until the little Elf became a nuisance and we ran out of bait. He had kept a few Elf as bait insurance and we rigged up with fresh Elf Fillets. I had a pick up on my 12lb hand-line which proceeded to take line with my wet thumb and forefinger giving the best rendition of drag as possible. Every time I pulled in the line I was paranoid as the loops of line wrapped around my toes, then the fish went for another run. I pictured little toe digits going overboard every time the fish took line.
After about 15 mins the fish came to the surface and we thought it was a nice Jewfish(Kob) Guess what- it was a fish we had never seen before which is unusual as Bob and I have over 100 years of fishing experience between us. The rest of the story can be seen on Australian Museum website. It's special as I still hold the southerm most capture record for the species.austalianmuseum.net.au/Triple-tail-Lobotes-Surinamensis=Bloch-1790
Most memorable fish, it is true that for many of us the most memorable is the biggest we have caught or the one we were specifically targetting. Other guys are more on the first fish story.
Mine is somewhere in between. Picture this "Dad and his kid, one rod and a perfect day.
Fishing from the beach infront of the salt rock hotel, My dad was teaching me to cast with a penn reel. I had been fishing with a grinder for a few years already and this was teh next step. Little penn 180, 7kg maxima, 2oz cone sinker, 1/0 hook, kingfisher 4kg rod and a couple of sards. I am starting to get the hang of this and one or two blacktail and stumpnose have been caught but it is generally slow.
Dad is off chatting to a local and Hylton has just managed a magnificent 25m cast. Whammo!! The rod tip does a dive towards the waves and the fish is on. So on that with the drag slightly too tight Hylton is on his way to swim with the fishies, dragged to the water on his knees but refusing to relenquish his grip on the wildly bucking rod. "Loosen the drag!" shouts dad. Hylton's quick thinking reaches for the clutch!?
Luck is on his side and the fish starts to pull line from the spool and I am back on my feet. Further line is lost and slowly line is gained and Hylton learns the art of feathering the drag so that line can be gained quickly when the fish is comming in but as the quary pulls again line can equally easily be pulled from the spool.
Close on an eternity later, when it was closer to 20 min I start to see a massive silver shape behind the shore break. The fish is in and out of the waves a number of times before finally being beached and tailed. Pompano, all of 6.8kg and totally exhausted. The most memorable fish by far, from casting lessons, drag use and quality time with my dad.
Mine is somewhere in between. Picture this "Dad and his kid, one rod and a perfect day.
Fishing from the beach infront of the salt rock hotel, My dad was teaching me to cast with a penn reel. I had been fishing with a grinder for a few years already and this was teh next step. Little penn 180, 7kg maxima, 2oz cone sinker, 1/0 hook, kingfisher 4kg rod and a couple of sards. I am starting to get the hang of this and one or two blacktail and stumpnose have been caught but it is generally slow.
Dad is off chatting to a local and Hylton has just managed a magnificent 25m cast. Whammo!! The rod tip does a dive towards the waves and the fish is on. So on that with the drag slightly too tight Hylton is on his way to swim with the fishies, dragged to the water on his knees but refusing to relenquish his grip on the wildly bucking rod. "Loosen the drag!" shouts dad. Hylton's quick thinking reaches for the clutch!?
Luck is on his side and the fish starts to pull line from the spool and I am back on my feet. Further line is lost and slowly line is gained and Hylton learns the art of feathering the drag so that line can be gained quickly when the fish is comming in but as the quary pulls again line can equally easily be pulled from the spool.
Close on an eternity later, when it was closer to 20 min I start to see a massive silver shape behind the shore break. The fish is in and out of the waves a number of times before finally being beached and tailed. Pompano, all of 6.8kg and totally exhausted. The most memorable fish by far, from casting lessons, drag use and quality time with my dad.
***Galjoen***
Sealiner
Buffalo Hunter
New member
Galjoen,
That is a beautiful healthy looking Elf.
BH
That is a beautiful healthy looking Elf.
BH
Mine must be the duckbill under my PB. Went fishing with Killer Strepie, Boskabeljou and ***Galjoen*** end January 2009. Was playing around with my Daiwa SL30 on a 14ft rod casting okkie legs for Kob. Had a hook-up and lost the fish close to shore when I got cut on a piece of kelp. Changed reels to a Shimano speedmaster with 11kg kfga line. Baited with another okkie leg. Wasnt to long and I hooked into the duckbill of 58kg. It took me quite a distance down the beach over a reef and rocks. Had to pass the rod up to Galjoen ontop of the rocks who handed it back to me on the other side. It was light when I hooked into the duckbill and dark by the time it was landed. I cannot remeber how long the fight was.
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LukeSkinner
New member
I know it was quite some time ago but that's one amazing Elf. Beautiful!!!
coutaduster
New member
Its not my PB but about couple months ago when I was fishing in the afternoon with my new little rubber duck which is supposed to be for freshwater in kenton on seas bushmans river after having no luck I decided to stop at the sandbar (floating resturant) for a quick drink while I was there I decide to throw out a small drop shot with a prawn pattern and after the first cast I was into the fish that I had been chasing for so long a small but enjoyable GARRICK . There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think about catching it again .
