Buddy Buddy

One is boring, two is company and three is a crowd. It might seem cliché but it really needs to be emphasised again and again. Do not fish alone.

Whether on a kayak, Jet Ski, Ski boat or on shore. No one is invincible, especially out on the ocean. Fishing in a group with buddies has no cons. The ocean is huge. Even if you are one of those kayak fishermen who likes to do his own thing, go for it, but make sure you launch with a buddy and stay within sight and shouting distance.

A story that came out of Scottburgh a while back will quickly get you thinking straight. We will elaborate on the story on another occasion but long story short, an angler got knocked off his kayak by a great white. Yes, great White Shark in case you didn’t get that part. He managed to get back on, and then him, and his fishing buddy headed for shore, unscathed thankfully, well at least in the physical sense.

Now, that all ended well, but picture this scenario if things had gone a bit differently. Imagine yourself as that angler. Shark knocks you off your ski, current is pushing and suddenly your ski is far away from you, and there is a great white circling in the water. You look up to see your fishing buddy paddling over to you, he helps you retrieve your ski and you head back to shore. Now picture that whole scenario as a stubborn angler who fishes alone mid-week. You look up and there is no one in sight, and all you can think of is that beast circling below.

Ok. I will stop there. Some food for thought.

What if you are on your Jet Ski and your ski cuts out. All alone, on the ocean. Your radio isn’t working for some unknown reason, and your cellphone has no signal. See where I am going with this.

Even on a Skiboat things can go horribly wrong. And if you have no crew and you injure yourself to such an extent you need someone’s help then who will help you.

And when shore angling, early morning , late afternoon. We live in a country where violent crime is a huge reality, and for that reason alone you should buddy up.

It is tempting to head out alone sometimes but really consider your options very carefully when doing so. There are so many whatsapp and social media groups now days that finding a buddy isn’t hard. And who knows your new fishing buddy could become a friend for life.