Boat Diving:
CAPE POINT
There are a couple of places to launch your boat. Millers Point slip, just pass Simons Town and Buffelsbay slip, inside Cape Point nature reserve. The Buffelsbay slip is a horrible slip and only suitable for vessels under 5m, and only in good weather conditions. I busted my props on numerous occations on this slip. Since its a very short run to the POINT, many spearo's like launching here.
Just be careful, as the area is regularly patrolled by the SAP waterwing, and you WILL get fined if you don't have your safety certificate and skippers ticket and fishing/spearing licence aboard. They also check your catchs and the catagory survey your boat has!! They have been clamping down on guys with D and E catagory boats operating out of their allowed boundries.
Ok,Cape Point is the most effective spot to hunt yellowtail. The fish average 2-5kg's with a 6-8kg being a big fish and anything over 10kg's is considered very large for this area. When the temperature is bewteen 15-20 degrees, the diving SHOULD be exellent!! That said, i've speared yellowtail here in 13.8degree water. Generally though, water temp. under 14 degrees is not good for spearing yellowtail. CAUTION: this whole area is frequented by commercial fisherman, recreational sports fisherman and tuna vessels coming and going to the deep. ALWAYS FLY YOUR ALPHA FLAG!!!!(divers in the water flag)
The first spot is South West reefs. This reef is just around the Point, to the right. Simply look for the fishing boats in the area and you'll find the place!! Here, the easiest way is to find a shallow pinnacle, maybe 6-12m coming up from deeper water. Yellowtail LOVE pinnacles and often you'll find them circling the shallower pinnacles. Otherwise, its a matter of chasing the TERNS (small white bird). These birds can't dive under the water, so they're forced to feed on the baitfish the yellowtail push to the surface. The easiest way here is to run up to a school of terns feeding, jump in as close as possible. The 'tail will come in and investigate, circling the diver!! EASY!! Just be careful, as the terns also often "work" on penguins and duikers (black diving birds), which are prevalent in large numbers in cold waters.
On the LEFT side of the point is ANVIL rock. Once again, simply look for the boats fishing in the area!! Same as SW reefs, find a shallow pinnacle and enjoy!!
Also, following the birds or spinning with a rod and attarcting the school closer to the boat, allowing spearo's to jump in and spear them!!
BELLOWS rock is a short distance OUTSIDE the point. Here, you drift dive. Get the boat to drop you on the one side and drift pass the rock. Yellowtail will come in and circle the diver, once agian making diving easy.
CUATION: this are does hold a healthy population of Great White sharks. Put ALL fish shot in the boat, and i definitely recommend NOT chumming!! Fairly recently, we were diving at Anvil and there was PLENTY of fish. We shot our 40 yellowtail and when we left, we told the divers in front of us to move onto our pinnacle. 20minutes later, a large 4m GWS tried to bite that spearo!! My wife had been spearing there 30minutes earlier!!! So, BE CAREFUL!!
pic1 - Bellows Rock
pic2 - Shot at South West Reefs
pic3 - Shot at Bellows
pic4 - Cape Point
