Mike Laubscher

A little girl at school had to go see the principal because she answered all her questions wrong in a test, and so he asked her with these kinds of results what she expected to become, she replied that she wanted to be the anchor on the weather channel.

Seriously, what was forecasted and what we got were completely different. Friday was supposed to be flat seas and calm weather all day, and when we initially launched it was in fact very calm, we had just got to the 100m mark when a thunder and lightning storm erupted along with heavy rain and 38 knot winds turning the sea on its head. Saturday forecasted winds in the morning with small swells all day and we got 4m (over 13ft) swells. To add injury to misery the current was racing at 9-10knots.

On Friday I was out with Will from Cape Town and in the morning we managed to land 2 Dorado (Mahi-Mahi), both were Queens and the one was a really decent size, we also got one Huge Kawakawa and 2 smaller ones. After the storm we did not hear from a fish again.

Friday afternoon we fly fished in Durban Harbour and managed to hook up a nice Sea Pike which gave a good fight, unfortunately we lost him due to the guest fly rod snapping. The wind died down at around 17h30 and left us with a stunning evening and a beautiful sunset. It is sad that some of the more affordable tackle is so poorly made that it cannot even catch one fish.

On Saturday we launched at 08h00 and made our way up North and ran into some huge swells, we did however get 3 Dorado hooked and our trip was shortened by a double dose of sea sickness. Actually it was funny, because 2 of the guys were on their knees hanging over the side of the boat and it looked like they were praying, so I asked them if they were praying for fish, we all had a good laugh. The swells were big so it was not easy for first timers and by the time we got back in-shore the sea was gorgeous.

So with all the lies the Weatherman told, getting soaking wet in a storm, facing some very large swells we managed to get some good fish, and I enjoyed some good company with some good people.

Fish Species: Mahi Mahi, Dorado
Bait Used: Lures
Tackle Used: Penn
Method Used: Trolling
Water Depth: 100m
Water Temperature: 23.5 deg.C
Wind Direction: NE & SW
Wind Speed: Strong
Dorado (Mahi mahi) off Durban
Dorado (Mahi mahi) off Durban

Stormy seas off Durban
Stormy seas 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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