Hooked on fishing: Wild weather keeps fishermen at home

It is no secret that weather patterns affect fish behaviour and fishing along the entire coastline has been rather quite this week due to the heavy rain which has caused major flooding.

For those die-hard fishermen who actually went out and braced the choppy and brown seas, hats off to you, even if some think you’re a little crazy.

With the Easter weekend looming, visitors who are keen fishermen will be eager to have a cast or two, if the weather clears up.

Keen fisherman Steven Moodley reckons fishing won’t be good as they are expecting some heavy wind today (Thursday) and rain again over the weekend.

He’s hoping for a great catch, like the tuna he landed last year (see pic).

He added that over last weekend, before the heavens opened, some fishermen caught sharks off at Margate Pier, which were safety returned.

Keep safe if you do venture out. Even fishing at local rivers and lakes can become dangerous as the rain might just make you slip and fall into the water.

Whatever you choose to do, do it with your safety being your number one priority.

SAFETY TIPS
Here are some safety tips if one is going to go out.

Clothes: Carry a raincoat or ensure that you have appropriate, quality rain gear to brace bad weather.

Location: Find a fishing spot where the water isn’t too murky and it’s still clear enough to scout for fish.

Wind: Check in which direction the wind is blowing. Sometimes when you follow the wind, you find good bait fish that are swept in its direction and this can potentially help you with some good catches.

Water temperature: Rain can change the temperature of water. Depending on the time of year and location, if the water becomes too cold, your chances of making good catches would be slim. Rather move to warmer waters.

Fishing lures: Try to use colourful fishing lures because if you’re in a place where the water is muddy or murky, a colourful lure will be easier for fish to locate.

Safety: Even though you want to be all macho and head out to sea, ensure that the weather is bearable and not too much to handle because setting sail out in stormy weathers can be dangerous.

HAVE YOUR SAY

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