This gentleman of the ocean can often be found in large numbers hunting their pray in schools, but are just as comfortable on a solo mission. The excitement of witnessing a leerie smash undoubtedly gets the adrenaline pumping in any true fisherman.
About the garrick / leervis
The growth rate is rapid, 11cm increase in 6 months.
Matures at 75cm to 85cm fork length (3 to 4 years), garrick at 90cm to 1,5m are 5 to 9 years old
Can attain 2.0m, 50kg
RSA angling record is 32.2kg
Winter migrations Northwards up the East Coast are usually associated with the annual sardine run from the Eastern Cape to KZN
Heemstra, P. and Heemstra, E. (2004) Coastal Fishes of Southern Africa, NISC South Africa and SAIAB
Garrick is a SASSI Red-listed no-sale species. It is illegal to sell or buy this species anywhere in South Africa.
For recreational anglers the minimum size of a leerie is 700 mm and is measured fork length. There is also a bag limit of 2 leerie in your possession (including those in your deepfreeze).
Catching garrick / leervis
Leeries are known as the gentlemen of the ocean. They are strong, clean fighters and won’t attempt to cut you off on structure. This makes them a perfect specie to target using light tackle.
They usually fight closer to the surface and it is common to see the leerie regularly during the fight.
They are shoaling hunters and you normally catch more than one in quick succession. I have seen underwater footage of shoals of garrick which look to be in their hundreds.
When looking for specific structure, it is similar to that which holds kob. Any structure that will hold bait fish can be targeted.
Lower tides force bait fish off these hiding spots into the strike zone. In the surf a spring low causes the bait fish to be washed off the banks into the channels. Know your conditions/tides etc. Leeries prefer warm water and therefore the summer months are the best; in Southern Cape and Eastern Cape it would be January to May. First and last light are always the best when matched to the correct tide and conditions.
In the surf the swell must not be too big (as with most fishing in the surf, but especially for garrick). Look for a hole that has a bit of structure at the back (a bank) within casting distance with your lure. Try and find one that also has a channel to the open ocean where the fish can swim in and out of the hole. The waves tend to break on the back bank, causing a bit of rolling foamy water to move into the deeper hole. This is where you need to put your lure; as you pull it into the last bit of foamy water, into the clear water, get ready to hold on tight.
Don’t give up on your retrieve as you near the side; many a leerie has smashed our lures right in the shore break. If the fish go off the bite, give them about a 20 minute break and come back to your spot, most probably they will be back again.
When fishing in estuaries where there is tidal movement you can follow the same principle as fishing in the surf. Look for banks and drop-offs that become more exposed as the tide recedes. Try to fish parallel to these drop-offs and weed-beds (they hold the bait fish).
Lures to use are spoons, buck-tails or lead-heads, soft-plastics or dropshot, plugs and poppers.
Live bait works very well, but is normally not an option for us as this is not nearly as much fun as getting them on lures!
Some more tips
Try to imitate an injured bait fish with your lure.
Vary the depth you are fishing.
Vary the speed you are fishing. Don’t be scared to give a couple of flat-out retrieves!
Move around, trying different spots if one isn’t working.
Stick to about 20 casts in estuaries per spot, in the surf you can make it a 10 cast rule if you have a large area to cover.
Slow actions work best in calm conditions, like glass-over conditions in the rivers.
Leeries love a bit of chop on the water, so don’t be deterred when the wind picks up.
Now that you know some more about the leervis / garrick go catch a few, but safely release them so that others can also experience the great fight of these gentleman of the ocean.
Please click here for a gallery of some of our leervis / garrick catches on lure.
