Otter Problem

Hi Guys.

Went fishing to Oranjeville this weekend. Saturday morning until Sunday morning. Lots of yellowfish and a few carp. The yellowfish were like germs...taking any and all baits. No moddervis or barbers. Managed a 4kg carp on quatro floatie and banjo dip on the bol.

At about 10h30 saturday night the fish go crazy in the keep net. I go closer and i put on my koplig...and two red orangy eyes peer at me out of the gloom and quite close to the keep net. I clap my hands loudly and I scream like a stuck pig and the eyes just move just out of range of my koplig. Things quietened down until about half an hour later and the scenario played itself out again.

The marauding creature made four attempts on the net resulting in me clapping my hands like a madman and screaming until i lost my voice.

Come sun up and the net is intact and so are the fish but I was a mess.

So what are you guys experiences with otters at the Vaal and how do you keep them at bay.

Phish

Expropriation without compensation

haha the otters at the sea are not so kind! I've had them steal fish out my fish bag hidden under my rucksack without me even seeing and I was watching! Tore a hole in a coffee sack without even moving or unwrapping anything. Shame the otters robbed me so many times when I was cleaning fish and one distracts you while the other one robs you..but the otters are cute I'll give them that..I don't mind them around at all..Now the seal problem...hmm

Was speaking to a chap at the water today about otters and thought immediately of this thread...

He lives waterside in Kommetjie, Cape Town, and has many visits, even counted up to 7 in his pool one night! Problem is, as he was telling me with plenty expletives, is that their poo stinks like rotten crayfish and is full of bits of carapace and shell...and they LOVE to poo in his pool!

Maybe if possible don't put fish in a keepnet, especially not Yellows.

Why do you keep the fish?
Take a pic and let it go. If you do want to keep one or 2 for your cat or a friend that's fine but catch them the day you leave so still no need for a keep net.

AND please don't put yellows in a keep net they don't survive and really need all the help they can get. Yes I know sometimes they can be a pest but they are the first to die if the water gets polluted and we all know what the state of our water systems are.

And the only safe way of keeping you keepnet whole is to hang it in a tree 2m above the ground then the otters cant get to it.

Guys the yellows were not kept in the net...only the carp.

The way the yellows were biting, would have filled up the keepnet within two hours.

The pan size carp were kept for people who eat freshwater fish.