Yellowfin Tuna Off Cape Point

So it is that time of the year again, we are headed down to the Gordon Bay Boat Angling Club (GBBAC) for the annual Furuno offshore classic tuna fishing competition. Arriving very excited on 27 April we were welcomed by old friends. The boats were all auctioned off and the winner of the classic would take home not only the R100 000 cash prize but also 60% of the auction pot if he bought his own boat. Excitement was high as the next day was called on as a fishing day! Sunday morning launch was at 06:00 and after the blessing of the fleet it was a mass start and all boats raced off to the tuna grounds some 60 miles from Harbour Island - it was pitch black but the phosphorus in the ocean lit up our way as we tried to avoid all the crayfish trap ropes that were set the night before. We passed Cape Point as day was breaking and the sheer cliff face and crashing waves made for a picturesque halfway point. Finally reaching the canyon area at around 9am the water colour was blue and visibility was good, the water temperature also climbed to 19˚C and it was time to put the back lines out and troll lures to try find the elusive yellowfin tuna. Around mid-day we found a long liner catching deepwater hake and we pulled up right beside it and started to chum with sardines and put lines in the water with baited hooks...we held our breath as we watched the blue screen of the fishfinder for marks, but unfortunately we had no luck so far, so back on the troll again we went. The time was now 15:00 and lines up was at 16:00. We found a nice current break and trolled alongside it. Finally the short right Rapala took off with a screaming reel! I saw it thrashing on the surface as I struggled to put on my black magic and continue the fight, and some 15 minutes later landed a nice specimen, but the wrong species. This fish had a huge mouth with rows of sharp teeth - a mako shark! Well, that was all the action we had for day one, heading back we were greeted by orcas beside the boat. Day 2: News of some good catches in the west from boats launching from Houtbay changed our game plan so we set the auto pilot in that direction. The sea was flat and conditions ideal for driving a boat, so we hoped the fishing would also be on for the day. Trolling most of the day with little luck we ended up chumming sardines close to other boats that had landed fish earlier. Suddenly the line was ripped out at lightning speed - fish on! This was what we had come for! The reel run was long and loud, unmistakably a yellowfin tuna. I strapped in for the fight, won some line and then lost it again, and with the sweat gathering on my brow I heard the shout: “colour, bring the gaff!” The beautiful fish started to pinwheel under the boat as I fought for every meter gained until finally we pulled it onto the deck, a great specimen of about 40kg! Catch of the day filling the deck of Artemis. The other boats were talking and we noted that we were close to the maximum allowed area of 40 nautical miles from Cape Point, so we pulled up lines and moved closer to shore. Lines down again and the chum was going; the birds pulled in and started eating our chum, so Andrew took a popper and started chasing the birds away. I heard a massive splash as a yellowfin hit the popper with full force! I put down a baited hook and immediately another hit my bait – a double up! Now we needed to ensure we landed the fish and so the tuna shuffle started. After a good tug of war Andrew and I both landed our fish of about 20kg; we had blood on the deck and something to weigh in. Day 3: Early start this morning as we launch at 05:00 - the fog is thick and we navigate using our radar and GPS through the fog and past other vessels. We reach the warm clear water around 08:30 and put the lines out to troll, and 10 minutes later we see a mark on the fishfinder, bring in the lines and start chumming. I drop my line and baited hook into the blue and the line slices through the water, and with the reel screaming I push up the drag to slow the fish down. Michael Flynn with the biggest fish of our trip on the deck weighing in at 60,8kg! Jan-Hendrik Delport with a yellowfin tuna on the deck. I take the rod out of the gunnel and plant it in my harness, the fight is on, but suddenly the line goes slack, I reel as fast as I can, did I lose it? I regain tension and the rod bends! The yellowfin is steaming to the surface. The gaffs are ready and I can feel the head shakes of the fish on the line. There it is! I can see the yellow fins circling under the boat, inching closer. My back is aching, only a couple more meters to go and finally the fish hits the deck! Nice fish, but there are still marks on the fishfinder and we continue baiting. We end up spending the whole day at this one spot and finish all 17 boxes of bait by 14:00! All our seven crew members caught a fish and we even released one and lost another three. With aching bodies we head back to the scales with our 4 biggest fish weighing from 55kg to 61kg. We were the first boat back and leading the competition! Later as the boats came in the largest fish weighed was a monster of 88kg! And we found out it was caught at 15:00 and in the same area we were fishing. If only we had more bait and stayed longer...if only..! Well, lessons learned and we will definitely be back in 2020. Dean Versace posing with his contribution to the team Artemis total. Chad Pope weighing his fish on the scales.