The 27th Wahoo Winter Gamefish comp – Cape Vidal 22nd – 24th July 2005

The Wahoo Winter Gamefish is one of South Africa’s longest running spearfishing competitions. Originating in the mid 1970’s as a friendly challenge between two rival clubs: Zululand Diving Club and Durban’s Wahoo Club, this event has grown significantly in stature to what it is today. Attracting over 90 spearos from around South Africa and even neighboring countries Mozambique, this competition is steeped in tradition, camaraderie and most of all BIG FISH!

Durban’s Wahoo Club hosts and organizes the event under the strict regulations of the Kwa- Zulu Natal Conservation Services (KZNPB) thereby ensuring this event has a strong conservation ethic. Only gamefish can be taken in accordance with Sea Fisheries regulations, and all fish weighed in are recorded for research purposes by the Oceanographic Research Institute. (O.R.I)

The location: Cape Vidal, renowned for its sportfishing (gamefish) and rich habitat is located on the North of the Eastern shores of the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park. ( A World Heritage Site)

After a pleasant drive on highway most of the way, you feel the rush of urban life evaporate as the landscape changes from oceans of green sugar cane fields, to reed frayed lakes, grasslands to sand dunes to the breakers of the Indian Ocean. Time takes on a new meaning, mobile phones are switched off and the warmth of the African bushveld pervades the sole. The road to Cape Vidal is now tarred, however caution must be taken on this 80km stretch of road. Anything can be sighted from reedbuck, hippos, crocodiles, buffalo, leopards to rhino along this leisurely jaunt.

However, we were after “big game” of a different kind and bushpigs were not on the menu (Not this year anyway!) On arrival at Cape Vidal, the campsite is alive with activity, and talk of the days spearing for those who have arrived early is the general topic of conversation. I took the Friday off to get a dive in before the competition. I was fortunate enough to get a spot on Andy Norton’s RIB: “Duc ‘n Dive”. Our morning was rather quiet, but I was rewarded with a 15kg Spanish Mackerel in the deeper water.

Now, you must understand the nature of this competition. It is very much a “social” event, where long lost dive buddies get together, have a few drinks and laughs around a campfire with the hope of landing the big one the following day. We do have many top spearos, both at National and Provincial level diving in this event, however as only pelagics can be taken, to a large degree luck and to lesser degree hard diving takes precedence. The night before there is “sign-on” and competitors receive their T- Shirts and initiated with a drink of some kind. This year was boat races, and so the mood is set for the weekend as we head off to our slumber in a semi- inebriated state.

Saturday (Day of the comp):

We rise at 5am and are busy warming up the outboards. The race is on to be the first to launch even though its still dark. Nevertheless, it’s the intention of being serious that matters here, and any advantage over your competitors, even if only psychological, might help. After a mad rush, motors are warmed up, wetsuits are donned and we are ready to push my small boat: “Tim’s Tub” through the shore break. (All surf launches here) Oh dear! I’ve left the burly (10kg packet of pilchards from the sardine run) behind so rush off to our cabin, whilst my teammates look on somberly as the other boats pound through the surf zone into the deep blue. The sun only brimming the ends of the ocean. The comp is on……

Leven point is a 23km boat ride north of the launch site and is one of the most popular reefs to dive. It consists of two “ledges” or reefs running parallel to each other for about 3-4km. The shallow reef lies in about 6-10m and the deeper reef about 15m to the sand. Anything from Giant Trevelly, Spanish mackerel, queen mackerel, wahoo, sailfish and marlin can be taken on either or between these two reefs. Flanked by towering sand dunes covered in natural vegetation, the journey to Leven Point is awe-inspiring.

The sanctuary to the North of Leven Point is rich in marine life and is constantly feeding the reefs we spear. In winter, many of the pelagic species, like Spanish Mackerel are migrating northwards to their breeding grounds in the warmer waters of Mozambique. These fish often run deeper (15-25m) on their return, and in smaller shoals from pairs up to 10 fish in a shoal. They are often less approachable at this time of the year. This coupled with the deeper water, makes them a harder target than usual. Most of the boats working the 15-25m line, off the deeper ledge picked up good bags of Spanish ranging from 7 to 20kg. We had boated 9 fish by midday, the biggest of 19kg by Ryan VDR Merwe. I was a given a good bite by one, and had blood spurting out all over the deck. Nothing a cable tie and some insulation tape couldn’t fix though.

Johan Jacob’s boat came sauntering past us with a sailfish tail sticking out the back. Alan Heydorn, an experienced spearo from Zululand had boated a fine specie of 33kg. Now we had some work to do. As the day wore on and the tide went out, so the pelagic activity slackened off. So we thought until I heard Ryan screaming and watched in amazement how his foam filled float skimmed across the surface. Yelling “SAILFISH!!!”, (although I could’ve guessed it couldn’t be a 2kg snoek) I picked up Ryan and we chased the float, now 500m away and heading out to sea……. At pace! We have boated several sailfish over the years, but this one took off at a speed I’d never seen before. I had to find our other team mate: Craig Heslop to help Ryan put in a second shot before the Zambesi (Bull sharks) had a chance of mangling a potential winning fish. With a 35kg Sailfish gracing the deck, and 9 x Spanish Mackerel, we thought we were doing OK, and at least had the biggest fish of the day and first prize.

With Ryan grinning from ear to ear, we embarked on our journey back to the launch site. By now a 15 to 20knot NE wind had picked up, making the sea rather unpleasant. We were also tired, dehydrated and sunburnt after spending a good 6 hours each diving the deeper water.

Well were we in for a big surprise. We arrived back to hear whisperings of a marlin that had been speared. The size was not confirmed, but what we were led to believe that this was not a fish that could be weighed on your standard kitchen scale! Andy Norton had bagged a 203kg Black Marlin in 27m of water off the point at Cape Vidal, not far from the launch site. There is no reef in this area, but the sandy bottom drops off in the 25m zone into deeper water and for some reason attracts large billfish. This proud Black marched up to Andy’s flasher and with Andy being one of the quickest draws from the surface, didn’t hesitate in letting rip with his single banded Rob Allen Railgun. That’s all it took, one shot in the brain and it was all over. Well…….so they thought. The giant fish did come alive again on the deck and after a few minutes of pandemonium, and a few more spears in the head, the beat was finally subdued. A remarkable achievement and the biggest fish ever landed in the History of this event and one of a handful this size landed in South African waters.

The mood stepped up a gear to levels of euphoria as we watched the Springboks thump-New Zealand on T.V. Rugby is our national sport and to some more like a religion, after spearfishing of course. We all scoffed down a well catered for meal and rehydrated on more beers. Prize giving ensued with Andy Norton taking top honours for his Black Marlin, followed by Ryan VDR Merwe and Alan Heydorn for their sailfish. (see score sheet attached) The evening wound down after this with only a few remaining stalwarts lingering around. The nostalgic melodies of a one-man band and the distant grunt of a hippo were the last remaining sounds of an otherwise action packed day. 

A Special thanks to our sponsors: Rob Allen, Freedivers, Lizzard (Wetsuits) Stealth Paddleski’s, Max Fish Shop, Champion Divers – Cape Town, Cool Runnings and Chris West of Wahoo Club and his committee members who all helped make the 2005 comp a great success. Possibly one of the best ever…..

By: Timothy Theunissen (SA Spearfishing Supplies)
 

Further information:

Chris West: cjhriswest1@telkomsa.net (organiser of Wahoo Winter Gamefish – South Africa)

http://www.kznwildlife.com/capevidal_dest.htm

for map of area: http://www.routes.co.za/kn/capevidal/

http://www.hluhluwe.co.za/hluhluwe_day_trips_cape_vidal_eastern_shores.php

www.wetlands.co.za/#location  (for map of area)

www.wetlands.co.za