I just wanted to follow up on a post that I put up a while back regarding a monster Kabeljou (Kob) that was taken at Haga Haga in February 2010. I don’t think many people actually thought the above picture could be real, but rest assured, it was. It was caught by one Jonathan Timm who was kind enough to give us the full story. I hope you are all as jealous as I am! Here it is:
“I went to Haga Haga (Eastern Cape) this past weekend with a few mates. The sea was quite cold and the swell was quite big. No luck in the morning, but at about 12:30pm we were scratching for blue fish and I managed to hook this beauty on light tackle.
I really didn’t think it was an edible. I thought I had fowl hooked a Raggy or something. At one stage the fish was swimming to the right, down the coast towards a huge outcrop of rocks, BUT to my delight it changed direction and swam in the direction of “scattered brick” to the left of where we were fishing. Luckily this beast stayed beyond the rocks/backline in the deeper water for the majority of the fight. This powerful fish peeled at least 250 meters of line on its numerous runs.
The only way I could gain any line on the fish was to use the beach and walk back up towards the bush line. After 40 minutes or so, I managed to get the fish into the shallows. Seeing the large white underbelly from where I was fighting the fish from, I thought it was a huge Raggy swimming belly up. My mate shouted “KOB, KOB, BIG KOB!…” I couldn’t believe my eyes!!!!! I was flabbergasted…
I ran to my bag to get the camera. We took a couple of photos and took its measurement. I had my tagging kit, but in all the confusion and me wanting to release it quickly, I didn’t even think about tagging it… After 45 minutes of reviving the fish in chest deep water, the fish had gained enough strength to swim off.
What an awesome sight, seeing such an awesome specimen swim away.
Tackle used:
Rod: Errol Homes custom made high modulus stroke 4
Reel: Daiwa Saltist 40
Line: 0.40mm / 11.5kg Kingfisher Giant Abrasion
Leader: 0.60mm
Hook: 2/o Daiichi
Bait: Pink prawn
Fish Weigh/Measurements:
Total Length: 1.83 meters
ORI calculations: 66 kilograms”
Mr. Timm, we don’t know what to say. Catch of a life time!