Mike Laubscher

2011 has started off with some really nasty weather, lots of heavy rain and big seas. Even so we have been getting out there and catching some fish with Dorado being the main course on the menu and we already have put a lot of Dorado on the boat for 2011.

During the week whilst out in extremely heavy rains we even managed to get a small Sailfish of around 30Kg, and it was a good catch as the visibility was less than 200m and I saw a splash ahead of me to the right, changed course and it was not long before the reel sang. It was very difficult fighting this fish in the heavy rain as everything was wet and slippery, but we got him and released him.

The Kawakawa are back in full force and we have hooked up some large ones and have seen a lot of small ones around in large shoals. On Friday we did a trip in Durban harbour and we caught some grunter and of all things we also caught a Geelbek.

Today when we went out the water was filthy and brown and so we went out deep to find clean water which we eventually found at 160m and then set our spread and started trolling, at 190m we saw birds and followed them and managed to get 6 reels screaming all with Yellowfin Tuna on the other end, and so our 1st 4 Yellowfin Tuna for the year where landed after loosing 2. We also managed 2 Oceanic Bonitos at around 300m.

On our way back we past some debris and as the one outrigger lure passed the debris we managed to hook up a fine Bull Dorado which really got the reel singing and gave a good account for itself. The water surface temp was as high as 26.9deg.C along the current line.

On one of our trips we had to pull in all our lines and rescue a Loggerhead turtle that was caught up in plastic sheeting which was wrapped around a large yellow container, and I must say that it is so sad to see the amount of rubbish that flows from our rivers into the sea. Our river and estuary systems are in a terrible state and really need urgent attention.

Even so with dirty rivers and seas, foul weather, heavy rains and huge swells the fishing this summer season remains awesome with many fish in our waters.

Fish Species: Dorado, Yellowfin Tuna
Bait Used: Lures
Tackle Used: Penn
Method Used: Trolling
Water Depth: 300m
Water Temperature: 26.9deg.C
Wind Direction: NE
Wind Speed: Moderate
Dorado (Mahi Mahin) off Durban
Dorado (Mahi Mahin) off Durban

Mahi Mahi (Dorado) off Durban
Mahi Mahi (Dorado) off Durban


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Mike Laubscher

About The Author: Mike Laubscher

Company: Blue Water Charters - Durban

Area Reporting: Durban. KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Bio: I have been fishing since I was 5 years old in Durban and have fished many places around the world and in South Africa, but Durban is my home waters. I fished competitive for many years and I have been running my own charters since 2008 with 2 companies and 2 boats, fish a variety of styles and target a variety of fish species in both Salt and Fresh water, have many published articles in several magazines on fishing. Love nature and outdoors, Am very conservation minded and have a passion for birds. I am crazy about big Tuna, Marlin Fishing and Game Fishing, and also love light tackle spinning, am a total lure junkie. Represented my province in fly fishing for many years and am also pro staff for Rapala/Shimano. I want to write a book on fishing one day. 3 items left on my fishing bucket list, guess then a new bucket list will be in order. As a writer I have my own quote: \"I love taking people fishing because it releases their inner child, and in doing so keeps my inner child alive.\"

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