Double X Extreme Abrasion

March 11, 2016 by thefishingfreaks

There are many different lines on the market and many different theories to go with them, so I thought I would let you know what I have bee using for the past year on my Shimano Torium trawling setup.

When I first got my Toriums I wanted to spoil myself and put on some fancy monofilament to go with my awesome new multipliers and I had just finished editing a show from the Transkei where the boys were Rock an surf fishing and had been using the Double X Extreme abrasion monofilament line and I was really impressed to say the least, not only did it handle catching big sharks but it could even withstand getting dragged along the rocks and mussels with big fish on and even handled getting rubbed on by braid with a fish on! So I knew straight away that it was strong line.

Now having used the line for the last year I can say that it is the top monofilament in the market and having spoken with the Rapala men directly, the Double X extreme abrasion is the highest spec monofilament line in South Africa!

I use the 43lb 0.50mm diameter on my toriums in the Camo colour and I love it, very very strong and doesn’t get nicks or line damage and I have never experienced it breaking while fighting a fish, it definitely lasts longer on my reel, as i found with other line I was changing every 6 months, it has Extreme knot strength which is 20% stronger than any other mono so you can bully your fish knowing your knots are safe and it also has Extreme low memory which i believe makes it last longer than other mono line. I love the camo colour as it becomes full “Camo” in the water and i think thats awesome as the fish can’t see it!

All in all Double X extreme abrasion line has the greatest tensile strength vs diameter, and without a doubt the strongest line you can buy, it is a little more pricey than the standard mono line but with it lasting longer and it being EXTREMELY strong i believe it is worth it, so next time you looking at line for your trawling rods have a look at the Double X Extreme abrasion and i bet you won’t be sorry.

Tackle Talk

February 26, 2016 by thefishingfreaks

Getting back into the swing of things for us Freaks and we thought it would be a good idea to talk a bit on what tackle we are using, today Dick is going to run us through his trawling rod setup and what he uses.

Kayak fishing is and will always be hard on your tackle so when purchasing or looking at reels and rods you have to keep this in mind as you don’t want to spend your hard earned bucks on tackle that can’t last a month on your ski and believe me we have all been there and shed the tears over tackle.

So for me now having been kayak fishing for the last 7 years I have got to try a lot of tackle and have tweaked it to what i am comfortable fishing with. On a fishing kayak we normally fish with two trawling sticks and a flick stick and bait stick, my latest trawling setup and my favourite to date is the Shimano Torium 30 HG reel paired with the Shimano trevala 6’6″ heavy Jigging rod, a lot of kayak anglers have two different trawling setups for there kayaks as for targeting different species, i have found that with these typically jigging rods that i have a perfect all round rod, light enough to trawl for snoek and small lures but also heavy enough to turn a big tuna around and show him who is boss! For anyone who has fished with the Shimano Trevala flick stick the jigging rod is pretty much the same fantastic rod just made for overhand jigging with stronger eyes, they have awesome oversize handles which i love as you can really grip the rod and work it when you fighting a fish, to me without a doubt the best all round trawling stick for a ski.

The New Torium 30 HG from Shimano has a high speed gear ratio of 6,2 : 1 which i find handy when you have a fish on the one line and need to reel the other in makes it just that much faster, has a cross carbon drag making it flipping strong when fighting tunny and you need to put the pressure on the fish, it comes with E.I which is an Anti-Corrosion Surface treatment from Shimano, so it can handle the rough conditions experience on a ski, its light weight and compact which i also love as it fits in the hatch easy leaving more space for fish.

As i tell all fishermen who ask questions on tackle, be comfortable with your gear cause as soon as you have doubt in your tackle you will always second guess yourself and you don’t want to be second guessing yourself when you fighting a fish of a lifetime! Like i said this setup is what i have fined tuned to my fishing and it may be very different for you, if any of you guys have any question regarding tackle or kayak fishing in general send us a mail or leave a comment and we will help out as much as we can.

How to Keep a Freak Happy

April 4, 2014 by thefishingfreaks

2014 has been a slow start for the Fishing Freaks as both Wez and I have made big changes in our work careers and have been finding it tough to fish together and even finding time to fish! And then when we do fish we BLANK so to say that our 2014 Summer has been a bit of a disappointment is an understatement!

However we are determined to get Fishing Freaks back in action and we are making sure we get on the water more and fish together more! So the opportunity arose one Wednesday Afternoon when i had an avid fan and newbie to kayak fishing Alain Tardin from East Coast Radio come into my studio and say “Come Im calling Wez and we going for a paddle!” Alain has just got his new Stealth 525 from Brett so he has been itching to get on the water, I then told my boss that i am ahead of my work so im going for a fish!

An hour later and we were on the water at one of my favorite fishing spots on the Kwa-Zulu Natal coast, Umdloti and it was a cracker of an afternoon with a bit of swell but the water looked amazing with current lines and small bait balls! I wasn’t going to mess around and put couta baits out straight away and headed for the drop off with Wez and Alain in tow! It was quiet we had seen one small snoek jump and also one lonely bonnie and that was it, Wez and Alain tried to find the snoek but i wasn’t wasting my time and stuck to my plan and continued to the drop off.

I got to the drop off checked my macks which were still clean and perfect,so I put them back out and started puzzling what i should do next, just ahead of me was a small bait ball going bananas on the surface so i took a slow paddle up to them to see what they were and as i came close to them i could see these big fish swimming underneath my ski, it took me a few seconds to realize but it was a huge shoal of Kingies!!!! So i drop my Onda down and let it sink to the depth the fish were and jig it back slowly a few came and had a look but none had a go! So i changed over to the Williamson Slick Jig Olive colour knowing that the bait ball was small sprat so im trying to match the hatch, I cast it into the bait and let it sink for about 10 seconds and start a quick retrieve jigging style and within 3 winds BAM!!!! ON and my reel was screaming!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOO i started screaming calling Wez and Alain over, i get the fish to the kayak and its an awesome little Black tip Kingfish my first on a Kayak and new species for me!

Wez gets the pic for me and i release the kingy pick up my flick stick and throw again into the bait ball let it sink click over the bail arm 3 winds and BOOOM ON AGAIN!!!! YESSSSS PLEEEEASE!!!!! Woooooooooooooo man it was a JOL!! Now Wez and Alain are trying to find the right lures to put on in a hurry as they can just check me bending and screaming!!! For the size of the fish these kingies have power and just too much fun to catch! Get this fish up next to me pick it up out the water and its a beautiful Threadfin Kingy, another first and new species for me so im grinning from ear to ear.

Alain then goes on and he starts shouting with excitement, turns to Wez and i and goes this is how you make a fishermen happy!! I release my Threadfin and cast again into the bait ball let it sink click over 3 winds and ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz on AGAIN!!!! 3 out of 3 I could not believe my luck Wow what a jol , all this time poor Wez is still trying to find the right lure and get a hookup, i then get the fish up after a good 8 minutes and its another Black tip Kingy, I was really blown away at the strength these fish have they really know how to box.

As the sun went behind the hill they went off the bite and we paddled in, what a great afternoon on the water and some new species to tick off my list. Its amazing how catching a fish can change everything for a fishermen, just having a fish on the line and having it peel line off your reel! This is why we fish and this is how you keep a FREAK happy.

How Fishing Crazy are the Freaks?

August 7, 2013 by thefishingfreaks

Being Called The Fishing Freaks is a name we live by and we are absolutely nuts about Fishing. Here is a video of one of the Freaks showing his undying love for the sport and proving just how freaking crazy he is about Kayak Fishing.

<p><a href=”http://vimeo.com/71823787″>Dick gets inked</a> from <a href=”http://vimeo.com/user19602070″>Fishing Freaks</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>

Throw Back Thursday

July 25, 2013 by thefishingfreaks

We Freaks thought we would have our own Throw Back Thursday and replay you our very first video we put on Youtube our Fishing Freaks Teaser!

We have come along way since this vid got uploaded and boy it been one hell of a ride! we have been through many high’s and low’s and almost lost a Freak along the way, We have learnt a lot and it has been tough but we have meet some amazing people in the fishing community and picked up some incredible sponsors that have have been like childhood dreams for us and then there is you guys our fellow FREAKS, you guys have been unbelievable and we cannot thank you enough for all the support and feedback, you guys rock and you are keeping the Fishing Freaks dream alive!!

We have some amazing stuff in the pipeline for Fishing Freaks and all we can say is watch this space, cause these Freaks are going places! Season 2 of Fishing Freaks will be out soon and we really cant wait to show you guys! we got some action packed webisodes coming your way, so just hang tight!! In the meantime lets go back to the 22 January 2013 and relive the hype of Fishing Freaks!!

Big thanks to The Kingfisher , Daiwa and Stealth Performance Kayaks

Winter Warmers

July 12, 2013 by thefishingfreaks

With Winter upon us the boys at Daiwa have hooked us up with some awesome winter apparel making paddling a little more comfortable on these chilly winter mornings.

First up we have these not so flattering long Spandex tights which at first we thought it was a bit of a laugh but we have to say they work at keeping your legs warm,they help stop blue bottles from stinging your legs, they protect your legs from the harsh sun and are really comfy to paddle in and since we have got them we haven’t not launched in them.We do go for the more stylish look and wear baggies over them making us a little easier on the eyes.

Next are these awesome Rashvests that are made from top quality material and just like the tights it protect you from the elements that you will face out on the water, when they dry you will stay nice an warm but if you take a swim while getting out you will be cold till the sun works its magic!

Lucky for us we also got these Daiwa jackets that not only look badass but will keep you so toasty on the water you will feel like you still snuggled up in your bed! They have pull tight strings at the waist and velcro around your wrists making a tight fit so you can still paddle. Water proof so when you do get splashed out on the water you don’t shiver away, we do however recommend putting it on after you have got past back line, firstly so you don’t get water into it and secondly it won’t be the easiest thing to swim in, in the surf zone.

This handy little multi-purpose Sports Scarf is 100% Polyester Microfibre with temperature control, UV Protection and moisture management.Us Freaks love these things and wear them all the time not just on the water and not only does it stop the hectic glare you get from the sun on the water but when your paddling into the wind you don’t get you whole face drenched in splashes and you stay warm!

So get down to The Kingfisher today and get your winter gear or you will freeze your butts off on the water!

Pro Fisha 475

June 27, 2013 by thefishingfreaks

As you all have seen lately we The Freaks have been paddling new Kayaks and man can i say we are in love with them!!! We have been lucky enough to demo on Stealths Pro Fisha 475 kayaks the past few weeks and have really put this Fishing Ski to the test!!!

We have done drifts in the howling wind, paddled 8km’s out , trawled lures at the same speed as Jetski’s (well it feels like that) been out in big surf and have taken them to Moz and we can really say that this is a GREAT Fishing Kayak!! It not only handled all the conditions the ocean threw at us , it had us out on the water at every opportunity we have had and we can happily say we have Fished the most this past month then we have the whole year!!!

The boys at Stealth have really out done themselves on this range and the Pro Fisha just looks FREAKIN Awesome!! Its pointed nose and tail lets the ski cut through the water with the greatest of ease making it super quick and helping out big time when paddling in the wind, but don’t be fooled into thinking that now that it is fast and pointed on the ends it is going to loose its stability because it doesn’t , it is so stable , even in the WIND, and such a pleasure to fight and catch fish on, it has a comfy seat and paddling position making spending hours on the water not so grueling on your butt and back. Punching big waves is not a problem as long as you hit the foamie straight on you will glide trough it like a hot knife through butter, and coming in is a reel ease on these ski’s because of its speed and can easily paddle in between the sets, but it can also ride waves, does take a little practice and to know how the wave is breaking , we have found though that if you do get caught in a foamie you just turn the ski side on put you inside leg in the water and ride in like that no problem! The hatch is big enough and can carry five rods and a couple of fish easy!

So if you are in the market looking for a Fishing Ski or just wanting to upgrade to a more performance driven Ski go see Brett from Stealth and order yours today!! The Pro Fisha’s come in the 475 , 525 (just released) 575 lengths.

We cannot wait for our custom 475’s to be finished and we will have a whole video on the construction of these great Kayaks coming out in the next few weeks so stay tuned for that!!

Rattler Series

June 20, 2013 by thefishingfreaks

Now i am very skeptical when it comes to Plastic Lures and the makes that i buy and i will always buy the more expense lure because i know i am paying for quality and that the lure will swim correctly and most importantly CATCH fish!

The Kingfisher has come out with the Rattler series of trawling lures and we have been lucky enough to test them out!! They come in different sizes, swimming depths and great colors , they all come equipped with VMC Hooks and the best part!!! They catch FISH!!! I have been Trawling the blue 150mm length 3m diver and i have been hooking into the Yellow Fin Tuna.

So I , Dick give these affordable lures the thumbs up ,they have a great swimming action,they catch fish and they don’t put too much of a dent in your wallet. So get down to The KingFisher today and go chose your favorite colors and sizes in the Rattlers Series.

S01 – E04 – Couta Clops

May 18, 2013 by thefishingfreaks

Fishing Freaks is a weekly online fishing show hosted by two FREAKS! Wez Cruickshanks and Dick Lange.

Wez and Dick are two best friends from sunny Durban, South Africa. Watch them ever week for extreme fishing action, great fish recipes, travel and more!

Like the Freaks on Facebook and follow us on Youtube

S01 – E03 – Bunking Snoek