Thrills & Spills at Cape Vidal

The launch was not going to be easy. Big waves were breaking on a sandbank on the Cape Vidal backline. We were waiting for our gap just in front of the breakers when Jacques du Plessis shouted that we should go! I was a boat length behind him and it proved to be a boat length too much. A huge wave picked up in front of us. Jacques paddled at it at full go but I knew I was not going to make it and slowed down in indecision. Big mistake! Jacques punched through the big wave. The wave broke in front of me and the white water wiped me off my kayak. I had to swim to it and get back on. Then the surf went flat and I managed to get through and join Jacques behind the breakers. What a way to start your day’s fishing! Ready to go fishing. I rigged a sardine on a Couta trace and headed for the live bait spot. A reel screamed and there was a splash behind my kayak as a Dorado broke the surface. I took my time playing the fish, not daring to lose the first fish of the day. After what felt like an eternity it came to the gaff and ended up in my hatch. It was difficult to get live bait even though huge shoals of them were rising all around us. I managed to get two and in no time at all had them swimming behind my kayak. The next moment two reels screamed as both baits were taken. Both rods were bending and two Dorado were dancing on the water behind my kayak. I set out to fight one of them and left the other to fight the drag. After I boated the first fish I took the second rod out of the holder but the fish had rapped the line around the rudder and was gone. Jacques du Plessis filled his quota with five Dorado. With all the action I became separated from Jacques. When I eventually met up with him again and asked if he had any luck he said that he was struggling… to catch his fifth fish and fill his quota. I had two more reel screams and boated two more fish. When I looked for Jacques he was nowhere to be seen. I found him back on the beach proudly showing off his five fish – a full quota for Cape Vidal where you are only allowed five fish per person per day. Charl Deacon wiped out on his way back to the beach but didn’t mind too much as he had a fish in the hatch. Charl Deacon also got a fish. He later posted a video on social media of his wipe-out on the sandbank when beaching and asked for advice on how to avoid a similar occurrence. He received lots of advice, amongst others to “point forwards, paddle hard, scream and wait for the impact!”. The Dorado proved hard work to catch on the day. It was a day of spills and thrills to be repeated as soon as the weather permits.