Friday 7 March 2025
Today provided the last chance for the anglers to catch the elusive marlin but although one or two were sighted, nobody managed a hook-up today. The weather was beginning to change and the wind picked up towards midday so lines-up was called at 12 noon.

I am posting a few photographs taken at sea during the week. Thanks to the anglers who allowed me to post them here. But before I do that I would like to share a sea shanty dedicated to the Boat Gee Spot. During the week Gee Spot went out quite a distance and radio contact with her was lost. A few jokes about this were cracked on the airwaves but a certain friend of the club who was listening to the goings on got AI to write this ballad about the missing G-Spot. It is, I think, rather clever!
The Ballad of the Lost G-Spot
Oh, the sun it rose on the deep blue sea,
With lines cast out so hopefully,
But the fish won’t bite, no marlin play,
And the crew all cursed this wretched day!
(Chorus)
Oh, G-Spot, G-Spot, where have ye gone?
We call on the radio, all day long!
On channel 82, no voice comes through,
Lost on the waves with a drunken crew!
(Verse 2)
The ladies sigh and roll their eyes,
They say, “Come find it, no surprise!”
But the signal’s weak, the call won’t land,
Like a ghostly ship on shifting sand!
(Chorus)
Oh, G-Spot, G-Spot, where have ye gone?
We call on the radio, all day long!
On channel 82, no voice comes through,
Lost on the waves with a drunken crew!
(Verse 3)
The captain swears and checks his gear,
But his rod’s too short, that much is clear!
“No game to play, no fight to win,
I fear we’ll ne’er set the hooks again!”
(Chorus)
Oh, G-Spot, G-Spot, where have ye gone?
We call on the radio, all day long!
On channel 82, no voice comes through,
Lost on the waves with a drunken crew!
(Verse 4)
So here we drift in the salty mist,
With empty hooks and shaken fists,
A lesson learned, a fate unkind,
Ye can’t catch fish if ye can’t first find…
(Final Chorus – Slower)
Oh, G-Spot, G-Spot, never been found…
We searched high seas and the depths profound…
On channel 82, we called in vain…
Adrift forever in the angler’s pain!

A good sea shanty should always be a little bawdy, a little tragic, and a whole lot of fun—just like the hunt for the elusive G-Spot!

And after you’ve stopped giggling – take a look at what happens out at sea!

One understands why anglers love to go to sea when they experience scenes like the one seen below.

The last event of the tournament was of course, the Prize-Giving. The clear winner was Team Dory with their two amazing marlin. Second Prize went to Indigo.

After the very successful wine auction that was held during the week, there were still some bottles left and a few other items also went under the hammer this evening.

To keep the fun going, a few strafdops and sniffs of snuff were handed out. It was entertaining to watch the reactions of the offenders as they embraced the consequences of their actions.

It was truly heartwarming to read the messages from the competitors on the TOMT WhatsApp group, expressing their enjoyment of the tournament. Their words reflected a genuine sense of camaraderie, appreciation, and fond memories that were created during the event. It’s moments like these that remind us of the joy and spirit of competition, and how an event like this goes beyond just the sport of fishing. It brings people together.

Knowing that everyone had such a positive experience reaffirms all the effort the organisers put into making the tournament a success. A heartfelt thank you goes out to Marinda and her incredible team of catering staff and bar ladies for their outstanding hard work and dedication. You tirelessly ensured that everyone was well taken care of, with delicious food and exceptional service. From the warm smiles at the bar to the seamless coordination behind the scenes, your commitment did not go unnoticed.
A huge thank you goes out to the incredible individuals who worked tirelessly to ensure that everything ran smoothly and ensured the success of the tournament. Dahlene, your meticulous record-keeping and handling of the finances were invaluable in keeping everything running smoothly. Grant, as the tournament director, and Dudley as Club Captain, your leadership and coordination were truly remarkable. Andrew, your dedication as the safety officer ensured that everything was conducted responsibly and safely, and your spirited contributions to the auction and the fun meting out of strafdoppe and snuff sniffs added a unique touch of entertainment. Each of you brought your own expertise and energy to the table, and the event would not have been the same without you. A big thank you too, to Trevor (Spotter One) who is always ready to respond to radio calls from the anglers at sea. Your contribution to this event is hugely appreciated.

Finally, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our sponsors for their incredible support in making this tournament a resounding success. Your generous contributions have not only enhanced the experience for participants and attendees but have also helped us achieve our goals and bring this event to life. It is through partnerships like yours that we can create memorable and impactful moments. Thank you for believing in us and for being an invaluable part of this journey!

This is not the last TOMT post for 2025 as the heroes who caught the marlin are still working on their stories which I will publish here soon along with photographs if possible!

Thursday 6 March 2025
Fueled by their determination to find the elusive marlin, the anglers launched early this morning. The weather started off cool, with overcast skies and a light drizzle, but as the morning progressed, it cleared up, revealing yet another beautiful day out at sea.

Frequent reports of by-catches were received, but it wasn’t until 14:05, when the airwaves came alive, and Dory announced a marlin hook-up. The excitement in my house was palpable as we waited for updates on the progress of the fight. Would this be Dory’s second marlin in this competition?

After fifty-five minutes, we collectively breathed a sigh of relief and erupted in cheers upon hearing that Dory had successfully measured and released a black marlin, estimated to weigh 220kg! Stay tuned for Chris’s story, as well as the tales of other anglers who have triumphantly caught marlin during this tournament. It might take a day or two, as they’ve all been tirelessly out at sea every day and are too exhausted to write their stories at night.

Lines-up was called at 16:00, and the fleet returned on the incoming tide, though it was still slightly low. The accumulation of sand in the harbour remains a troublesome issue, causing one or two trailers to get stuck. However, after a few attempts, their vehicles were able to successfully tow them out.

Note: To view the group of photographs, click on the first one to enlarge it. Use the arrows to navigate the slideshow. Press ‘escape’ to return to the blog post. On your phone, swipe to view each photo and tap the ‘x’ to return to the blog post. You may also need to tap the information icon to view the captions.

Evening Fun
This evening’s dinner was a delicious Beef Bourguignon and Rice which was a gastronomic delight.

Being out at sea solely to catch Marlin can become frustrating so a friendly side competition also took place. Competitors were permitted to weigh one game fish per boat and small prizes would be awarded to the third heaviest, second heaviest and heaviest fish. At this evening’s function the first, second and third day winners received their prizes.
As you can see in the video below the sea was bubbling with mackerel so the fishing was good. Thanks to Briers van Rensburg from Loslappie for this footage.

Day 1

Day 2 –

Third Day

Second prize-winner was Richard from Bad Co but he was absent this evening.

Then various ‘rule-breakers’ were called up to face the consequences with a sniff of snuff and/or the downing of a ‘strafdop’. (For my non-South African readers – a Strafdop translates to a Punishment Drink.)

All of the strafdoppe and snuff puffs were taken in good humour and Piet, the champion rule-breaker will hand over this honour to someone else tomorrow!

The last day of the tournament is tomorrow (Friday). Lines in is anytime but as the wind will be coming up Lines-up will be 12 noon.

Please note that if you wish to read previous posts, scroll down till just before comments and you will see the arrows. Just click on the arrow and you will be taken to previous or following post

It will look something like this
← The Nineteenth Two Oceans Marlin Tournament Fishing Day 2

The Nineteenth Two Oceans Marlin Tournament – Fishing Day 4 →

Wednesday, 5 March 2025
Once again, the fleet set out bright and early under overcast skies with a light drizzle. The sea, however, remained calm, making it an ideal day to be out on the water.

The early, faint reports of hook-ups crackling over the radio had us holding our breath and hoping for successful releases. However, our hopes were dashed as we learned they were either maco/marlins or brief on-and-offs, and no marlin were measured and released today.

The afternoon brought clear skies, transforming the harbor into a stunning scene as we went to welcome the returning fleet.

South Africans love to braai and this evening we were all treated to chicken done over the coals and served with baked potato and salad,

And so the fleet is fortified and ready to fish another day. May they have tight lines and lots of success in hooking the big one tomorrow!

Monday, 3 March 2025

The boats began launching at various times this morning, but they all needed to be out of the harbor by 09:00 due to the outgoing tide, which would make the water level too low, especially for the larger vessels. Catitude encountered some difficulties and had to be assisted off a sandbank by the crew and others, as the recent strong southeasterly winds had blown sand into the harbour, making it even shallower than usual.
Thank you, John Paulse for sending me the following photographs.

The weather, though calm, was cool and foggy this morning, but it cleared up as the day progressed and it was a beautiful day out at sea. Once all the boats were out, Andrew read out The Fisherman’s Prayer and wished all the anglers, Tight Lines.

First Strike of the Tournament
At 11:55 the first excited call sounded on the radio. Skipper of Indigo, Gawie Bruwer, reported that they had a hook-up and had seen the black marlin clearly. Peté after a forty-one minute fight, measured and released the black marlin. Watch this space for the angler’s story.

The Fleet Returns
This morning’s launch took place at a very low tide, but by the time lines-up was called at 17h50, the tide had risen significantly, making the harbour somewhat choppy. The jetty was submerged underwater, and at times I found myself standing in knee-deep water as I took the photographs. It was quite challenging for the anglers to come alongside, as jumping off the boat became rather dangerous!

Two of the boats, Soo-Ja and Bayswater returned before 16h00 so I did not manage to get photographs of them. Watch this space tomorrow.
Note: To view the group of photographs, click on the first one to enlarge it. Use the arrows to navigate the slideshow. Press ‘escape’ to return to the blog post. On your phone, swipe to view each photo and tap the ‘x’ to return to the blog post. You may also need to tap the information icon to view the captions.

Due to the later-than-usual lines-up today, dinner was served later, and most of the anglers left the clubhouse immediately after eating. They certainly needed to get a good night’s rest to be out bright and early again in the morning

Thank you to Andrew for his story on how he caught his marlin with the help of Team Multi

We prepared well for this competition and decided to target a striped marlin. Although we did the “Livey” thing, having seen how successful that was for John Graeme last year, we still had no success.

It was almost lines-up, we were in the zone where our skipper had caught marlin before so we changed the size of the lures and looked for a stripey. Luckily the timing was right and the first fish of the day was in my slot on the boat. I was on and quickly realised that if this was a stripey, it would complete the “Slam” for me. Black, blue and a stripey. What a relief when the call came that it was indeed my target fish, Needless to say, I had all the advice from an experienced crew with the normal amount of adjectives!

The fight was tough but worthwhile. We landed the marlin within the extra time. I have to thank my skipper and crew for the privilege.  There is really no better feeling for me to land a trophy fish like this. Maybe winning the World Cup, again!

It is always a privilege to be part of this tournament!!