Triple Tail Season Officially Underway

St Lucia resident and avid angler, Llewellyn Baxendale, had a good day’s fishing on Monday, 6^th Feb, when he landed himself a Lobotes, otherwise known as a ‘triple tail’, measuring 65cm and weighing 6kg.  This might not sound like a record breaking catch to the layman, however, in angling circles, it is indeed a prize catch.

February marks the start of Lobotes season in our waters and, on our section of the coast, St Lucia is second only to Tugela Mouth for catching this fish.  Llewellyn landed his Lobotes catch near the Umfolozi River Mouth using sardine bait and 2 x 5.0 bandat hooks, .45 double x line, gremlins 400/6+1 rod with a Shimano Torium reel.

Lobotes surinamensis can be found in tropical and sub-tropical waters of all oceans.  It is known as the ‘triple tail’ due to the backward positioning of its anal, caudal and dorsal fins, giving this fish a three-tailed appearance.  Adult Lobotes can be found in bays, muddy estuaries, lower reaches of large rivers and can also be seen floating over reefs.  This fish often floats on its side when in the company of floating objects.  Juveniles can be seen amongst floating Sargassum sp. and mistaken for floating leaves; a survival instinct, perhaps.

The Lobotes has previously been described as a “scrappy fighter; worthy of the best salt water angler’s attention... with steamboat power and bulldog tenacity”.  Not a pretty fish, however, what the Lobotes lacks in looks, it more than makes up for in gameness and food quality.  Not only, therefore, does fishing for Lobotes provide great sport, it’s also tasty whether fried, baked or in steaks. 

Our local salt water angler, Llewellyn, however, prefers the sport of fishing and partakes in the catch-and-release theory.  A seasoned angler, Llewellyn recently caught a 2.4m, 275kg Ragged Tooth Shark (its size heralding it an unofficial national record) near the Umfolozi Mouth and can also add to his list a 27kg Zambezi Shark, a 34kg Diamond Skate and a 113kg Black Tip Shark.