This is a topic I am asked about quite often. Lure fishing and more importantly, success at it, takes fishing to a whole new level. I have managed to gain some experience and picked up some tips along the way and we have not looked back since.
On my first visit to Namibia, more in particular Henties Bay, we tried dropshot towards the North.
Not knowing what to expect, I was kitted-out all wrong. I was using huge 2 ounce lead-heads with 7 inch minnows hanging off them. I thought that Namibia is a place where the big kob are caught in abundance and that you need to throw big baits to catch these big kob. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The first problem with this was that northwards there is a lot more hard structure in the water. (Hard structure refers to rocks, mussel banks, wrecks etc.)The big 2 ounce lead-heads and dropshot made it very difficult for me to get the proper action using my 9 foot rod. Retrieving the lure at the right speed also meant that this huge piece of lead would be dragging along the bottom. There are loads of small black mussel-beds on the bottom of these sandy beaches, just waiting to snag a passing lure. This was a costly experience and soon had me contemplating another form of attack. I believe that if I was kitted-out better, I would have had a lot more success.
If you are looking at fishing soft sandy beaches with soft structure and minimal tackle loss, go South, as in the Walvisbay area. Spoons and other hard lures work well in these conditions. But North, as in Henties Bay and toward the fence is the area we love. The challenge is huge and the pleasure of getting bent, stuck into a decent kob on dropshot is all the more rewarding. These ambush hunters love the structure up there.
The first step would be to get your tackle sorted. I would suggest the following for a good all-round setup to target the kob on artificial lures in Namibia. Remember you will be fishing the surf from rocky ledges, sand-banks as well as from the beach.
A long cast is often required to reach the desired spot. This calls for a rod in the 10 foot range. The rod needs to have a fast tip action in order to assist in giving the lure the best action. A rod with a lure weight rating of about 56 grams (2 ounces) will do as throwing lures heavier than this will result in my previously mentioned issues. Look for a rod with bigger guides as this gives you a few extra yards on the cast.
Make sure your rod is not too heavy because you will be doing a lot of casting and retrieving. The extended butt section of the rod can be tucked under your armpit to save your arms for the fight.
The reel should be matched to your rod. Choose one that feels balanced when fitted onto the rod. On a 10 foot rod, look for a Daiwa/Penn/Shimano 4000 or 5000 size fixed spool reel. (A fixed spool reel is also more commonly known as a coffee grinder) These sizes will give you sufficient cranking power as well as enough line capacity.
The reel does take some punishment and is often splashed or even dunked by an unexpected wave. This calls for a decent quality reel, unless you want to be buying a new one before each trip. Often the more expensive reels are pretty water proof and have a sealed drag system. (Just do not turn the reel’s handle when submerged) A reel needs to be well looked after and maintained to prolong the lifetime.
Using braid is very important. I personally prefer a thinner diameter, such as the 14lbs Berkley fireline braid. This allows me to get a little more casting distance, reduces water resistance and wave/current interference. It also enables me to throw smaller lures with more ease.
Now that you have your basics ready we can look at some soft plastics. There are two choices; a jerk-shad or finesse type minnow that is totally reliant on the action you give it, or the very popular paddle-tail.
The paddle-tail is the obvious choice in most instances due to the added vibration from the tail. Kob largely hunt by picking up vibrations in the water using their lateral line. Where the paddle-tail has its limits is when you need to reach a far out spot. The large floppy tail reduces your casting distance considerably.
The jerk-shad or finesse minnow has a far more aerodynamic shape and can give you the extra few meters you require to get into the strike zone. Pink, grey/silver, yellow and olive seem to be the colours that yield the best results. Fish the paddle-tail with a slow steady retrieve, lifting the rod tip ever so gently every now and then.
The jerk-shad or finesse minnow can be fished in a similar manner, but with much more regular, gentle jerks or lifts of the rod tip, imitating a wounded baitfish trying to swim. Remember that kob are ambush hunters and that you need to fish slow; a fast erratic action will seldom yield results. Look for a 4 or 5 inch soft plastic, using a 1ounce jighead with a hook size of around 4/0.
Early morning is the best time. If you are fishing North of Henties Bay, be sure to be ready to cast before the sun is on the water.
Choosing your spot is very important. Flogging the water for hours at any random spot will more often than not be fruitless. Read the water on low tide to identify the perfect structure to target.
Good spots to visit would be Tyre-bos and Adrie se gat, Myl 72, and the whole stretch from Myl 100 to the Ugab fence.
There are some fantastic spots around Winston, so be sure to give them a bash. Just remember that there is a lot of hard structure up there and you must be willing to lose a couple of lures in the process.
The warmer months are the best to target game fish, so look at going between November and April. The guys up there do not normally divulge where the fish are biting or “coming out” so unless you are tagging along with one of the locals, best do your home-work or you will be driving many a mile along the beaches in search of the fish, or be trampled by all the visitors who also heard the fish where “biting” at a given spot.
Fish the conditions, so use your general lure fishing skills and apply them to where you find yourself. If you are a newbie, invite us along and we will gladly get you into some fish!
We have progressed nicely in targeting Namibian kob on artificial lures. See Namibia calling or Namibian kob two-step
