Mike Laubscher

We launched late today and only got going at around 10h30 and fished till 15h00, when we initially got out there was a steep chop and a stiff NE with water temp averaging 23.4 deg. C. I set a spread and initially we got no action and so I made some changes to colours, depth and speed and it was not long before the first reel screamed and we had a double hook up of 2 decent sized Kawakawa.

By this the wind had dropped to a breeze and the sea went flat and the water temp went up to 23.8 deg. C. I have to tell you that the water was blue and crystal clear and we could see the 100's of Garfish swimming all over the show several meters below the water surface. It was then that I noticed about 500m to our right that there was a large area of yellow stained water and so we headed towards this, as we got on top of the large yellow stain we saw what it was, it was a school of about 300 Yellowfin Tuna about 1m below the surface, imagine that, the water was so clear that from half a Kilometre away I could see the yellow from the Tuna's fins and tails.

In the end we landed 6 Yellowfin Tuna 3 of them well over 10Kg, we got taxed 3 times by the same large Shark patrolling the area who took the whole Tuna including our lure, and 2 Tuna were so big that we got smoked and could not stop them. We also landed 1 HUGE Kawakawa of around 9Kg, got bitten off by a Wahoo and landed a Tropical Yellowtail.

An expensive day with 5 lures and 2 spools of line down, but another adrenaline packed day.

I was hoping for a Dorado again, but did not see them.

Fish Species: Yellowfin Tuna
Bait Used: Lures
Tackle Used: Penn
Method Used: Trolling
Water Depth: 40m
Water Temperature: 23.8 deg. C
Wind Direction: NE
Wind Speed: Breeze
A smaller Yellowfin Tuna that we kept
A smaller Yellowfin Tuna that we kept

Double Yellowfin Tuna hook up off Durban
Double Yellowfin Tuna hook up 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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Click Here For Past Fishing Reports by Fishing Guide Mike Laubscher