The warm waters have hit Struisbaai, and the town is alive with boats and people. Boat trailers engulf the harbour’s parking lot and crowds gather around our offloads.
The 5 mile bank is where the action is happening! Situated 5 miles from the harbour this area is well known for catching yellowtail. The strong current pushes over the bank that shoots up from around 50m to 12m in places. The bank is hard rock, and bait fish look for shelter here from the open waters of struisbaai. The reef edges are patrolled by schools of yellowtail looking for their next meal, while local handline fisherman drift above with single hand line and baited hook, catching a single fish at a time. The beauty of this is that only a few fish are caught out of each school, allowing the rest to go on and spawn for next year - unlike trawlers and nets that take the entire school.
Yellowtail is a local eco-hero and the fillets do well on the braai. Learn how to braai yours with our Fishwife recipe.
Yours truly,
Ryan