Saltwater Fishing in South Africa, by Hennie Crous

Saltwater Fishing in South Africa, by Hennie Crous. Struik Publishers. 2nd. edition. Cape Town, South Africa 2000. ISBN 9781868723072 / ISBN 978-1-86872-307-2

Written in an easy, friendly style, and generously illustrated, Hennie Crous' Saltwater Fishing in South Africa contains all the know-how necessary for the novice to cast for target species with confidence and for the more seasoned angler to improve his fishing skills and catch rate.

Hennie Crous  

YELLOWTAIL (Seriola lalandi)

DISTRIBUTION
Although most abundant in the vicinity of False Bay and Struisbaai, yellowtail are found from Port Nolloth on the west coast, where they are occasionally caught by boat anglers fishing for Cape snoek, to KwaZulu-Natal, where they are caught mostly during the annual sardine run. Yellowtail undertake short migrations between the various reefs and banks. These are normally a response to wind changes and subsequent baitfish movement, which explains why yellowtail can be found at a certain spot one day but not the next. Elsewhere in the world this species is found off the southern coast of Australia and the northern part of New Zealand, where they are known as yellowtail kingfish or kingie. Very large fish, weighing as much as 20 to 30 kilograms, can be caught then and with record-class specimen^ weighing 40 to 60 kilograms. In America, yellowtail are known as amberjack and can grow as large a 90 kilograms. The average size of a Cape yellow tail caught in the shoals is usually between 3 and 5 kilograms, while loners or small-shoal yellowtail may grow to as much as 20 kilograms.

FEEDING HABITS
Yellowtail tend to congregate in shoals and feed mainly on small pelagic fish and squid, but they can be a frustrating fish for the angler to pursue as they are so unpredictable. They can often be seen swimming slowly on the surface yet they will show no interest in any lure or bait, no matter how well presented. (This js often the case in False Bay during September and October, when large shoals are seen but only a few fish are landed, and the odd fish that is taken is usually caught early in the morning or late in the afternoon.) On other occasions, fish that have not been biting all day suddenly move to the surface and start feeding frantically, striking at any lure or spinner the angler offers.

BAIT
Yellowtail are generally only responsive to bait when they are found beneath the surface, for instance, swimming around pinnacles. Then they will take strips of squid or a fish bait such as sardine (pilchard).

WHERE TO CATCH
From an angling point of view this fish species is unique. It is commonly caught from boats although anglers have developed specific methods to catch it from the shore. Nonetheless, both shore- and boat-fishing methods involve similar strategies. Shore anglers Yellowtail are caught from rocky headlands where the water close inshore is deep, allowing the shoals to swim by within casting distance. In False Bay yellowtail are caught from the ledges at Rooikrans in the Cape Peninsula National Park, probably one of the most popular and well-known fishing spots in South Africa, and from the Rooiels ledges on the eastern side of False Bay. Yellowtail usually make their appearance at Rooikrans during September and are often caught until the following May. At Rooiels they are seldom caught at the beginning of summer but many are caught between February and April. Further up the coast yellowtail are also caught by shore anglers from the Robberg peninsula at Plettenberg Bay, at Cape St Francis, Cape Recife, and Mazeppa Bay. However, the best and most consistent catches by shore anglers are made in False Bay at places such as Rooikrans and Rooiels. When conditions are favourable, hundreds of boats congregate at Struisbaai, which has been the prime catching area for this species. Bird Island in Delagoa Bay has, in the past, also produced good catches. In KwaZulu-Natal, yellowtail are caught by ski-boats on the Protea Bank.[...]

This is an excerpt from Saltwater Fishing in South Africa, by Hennie Crous.

Title: Saltwater Fishing in South Africa
Author: Hennie Crous
Publisher: Struik Publishers
2nd. edition. Cape Town, South Africa 2000
ISBN 9781868723072 / ISBN 978-1-86872-307-2
Softcover, 15 x 21 cm, 230 pages, numerous colour photos and bw-illustrations