RUMBLE IN THE BAY

The annual Cape Boat and Ski-Boat Club interclub Tuna Invitational was at it again! Hundreds of prospective anglers gathered at Rumbly Bay near Simons Town’s Millers Point, in search of the biggest tuna this side of the equator! Conditions here are always testing, and anglers were up for the challenge. SADSAA’s Sean Bekker reports.

DAY 1: 24 October
The first day of the competition was blown out with a strong North Westerly wind making conditions extremely difficult. Welcome to Cape Town!

DAY 2: 25 October
It was a suitable day for fishing and the weather played ball. By the afternoon, a mixed bag of Longfin and Yellowfin tuna made it to the weigh-in scales. Notably:

PEDSAC 19.5 kg Longfin Tuna
EPDSAA 14.7 kg Longfin Tuna
Juniors 60.6 kg Yellowfin Tuna
WPDSAA Three Longfin Tuna
Sponsors 69.7 kg & 65 kg Yellowfin Tuna

DAY 3: 26 October
Anglers left for the deep sea, amid concerns of deteriorating conditions. However, the competition was called off around 12 am. Reports of some fish were received, but nothing notable

DAY 4: 27 October
No fishing due to inclement weather.

DAY 5: 28 October
During the morning, the fleet set out amid 15 knot winds. The wind was however forecasted to drop to around 4 knots, and anglers were looking forward to two more fishing days. By the afternoon, the boats returned in comfortably conditions with two Yellowfins in the 60 kg range and a brace of Longfin Tuna. With perfect conditions forecasted for tomorrow, anglers were getting very excited.

DAY 6: 29 October
Excellent conditions allowed for a comfortable run out to the tuna grounds. A good number of Longfin ranging to about 19 kg were brought to the scales. Special mention must be made to the Spear Team who brought in three Yellowfin Tuna: 89.2 kg, 78.7 kg and 75.7 kg, and they later reported a sighting of a good number of Yellowfin, all hovering around the 100 kg mark.
Weigh-in was followed by a very pleasant prize-giving ceremony with much camaraderie. Congratulations to the Cape Boat and Ski-Boat Club for a well-organised event in a very scenic part of the country. I look forward to next year’s event and I challenge all other provinces to participate! Well worth the trip.