Overberg Angling

In the wake of the unfortunate death of the bodyboarder Mr. David Lilienfeld during a shark attack at the Caves in Kogal Bay, False Bay, explorer Chris Fischer from OCEARCH and collaborating scientists on the expedition have come under severe criticism from certain members of the public. The ferocity and timing of the attack, and details of “chumming” being practiced to lure sharks to the vessel OCEARCH in False Bay for capture and scientific sampling, were alleged to be linked by these members of the public giving rise to condemnation. The critics argue that the expedition was to blame for causing a chum slick that resulted in sharks being present at the location of the attack, and/or causing the aggressive behavior of the shark responsible for the attack, possibly through conditioning (i.e. association of humans with food) or handling, or all of the above. The scientists collaborating on the OCEARCH expedition offer a broader and more objective perspective regarding both the activities of the expedition and the likelihood that the activities led to the fatal shark attack on April 19, 2012.

A huge 427.9-pound yellowfin tuna that may be one of the biggest ever taken on rod and reel was caught over the weekend out of Puerto Vallarta.

Angler Robert Pedigo caught the tuna aboard his boat Journeyman, captained by Russel Oneil, according to an early report by Sport Fishing. Pedigo used a Shimano 50W II to land the fish.

And although the yellowfin may be one of the largest ever taken on rod and reel, it would never be eligble for an IGFA World Record because others touched the rod during the fight, according to a report from GrindTV.

After a few days of strong SE winds and a very strong sea we had a chance to sea if the yellowtail we caught last week were still on the bite at the 12 Mile bank. We set off on Awesome Charters at around 7am and started trolling 50 mins later.

The signs were good with clear blue water at a lovely 24.4 degrees. Our very first strike of the day was a small Katonkel, followed by a skipjack tuna, a small yellowtail and a yellowfin tuna. This mixed bag of fish boded well for the rest of the days and the radio chatter from the other boats confirmed the same.

Schools of striped marlin attack sardine schools off Baja California, Mexico. Answers the questions about how these marlin use their bills to feed. This footage was taken in the Fall of 2008 while freediving. Original footage available at: www. Oceanfootage.com

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Cape Town, South Africa: Following reports of a band of warm blue water along the Overberg coastline, Steve Benjamin and I decided to spend the day diving in the De Hoop Marine Protected Area. In my opinion this is one of the top dive sites on the planet! We were primarily there to capture photographic stills, but I stuck a GoPro HD Hero 2 on top of my camera housing and this was the result...

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Thousands of anglers... hundreds of boats... thousands of fishing rods... kilometers of fishing line and one very big ocean. Add to the mix the cunning and survival instinct of millions of fish, some in abundance others rare. All highly desirable and worthy opponents for angler and rod and you have the making of one of the most fiercely contested and televised angling shows in the history of South African fishing.

This is The Big Catch where man, woman and rod will take to the seas on boat or cast from the shores along a number of locations along the southern African coastline. It will take skill, knowledge, experience, determination and perseverance to hook the R1 million cash prize and the prestigious Champion Trophy.

“The competition sets itself apart from other angling competitions in that it offers not only the biggest prize money ever in South Africa, but also an opportunity for angling enthusiasts and the general public to participate in the first-ever reality televised show of an angling competition with intrigue, twists and turns that provide an excitement factor second to none. Thanks to The Big Catch, budding anglers no longer have to dream about being the star of a fishing TV show, but can now be a part of the action,” says Craig Clay-Smith of The Flagship Communications Group, specialist brand, product, sport and marketing agency and producer of The Big Catch.

How to Catch Galjoen (Coracinus capensis)

Article by Stefano

This is definitely one of the most popular fish to angle for, both for its fighting ability and delicious taste when in good condition. The body of the fish is protected by thousands of strong scales, enabling it to be comfortable in the rough seas during winter. The best catches are made during June, July, August and September when the fish are in peak condition.

Cape Town - A great white shark attacked an inflatable fishing boat off Strandfontein in the Western Cape, IOL reported on Tuesday.

"I was less than an arm’s length away from the shark and all I could see were its giant rows of teeth," one of the passengers, Graham Claasen, was quoted as saying.

"It was horrific. I thought the boat would sink."

Claasen was one of five passengers and two owners aboard the boat, which was anchored about 2km out to sea when the shark attacked.

The crew were fishing for smooth hound sharks, which great whites prey on. One of the passengers had pulled a smooth hound onto the boat when the great white took hold of the side of the boat.

The damaged boat, with a gash of about half-a-metre long, drew much attention at Kalk Bay harbour on Monday. A number of the shark’s teeth were found in the hull.

The shark was estimated to be about 7m long and its teeth between 5cm and 6cm long.