Simon's Town

Simon's Town is a naval town on the False Bay side of the peninsula, about forty-five minutes from the city, and it is the main base of the fishing operation. Six boats work from here: El Capitan, El Fresco, El Hombre, El Libre, El Padre and El Pescador. If you are booking a charter to catch something, this is almost certainly where you are starting. The kayaks run from this side of the bay too.

Why the fishing is here

Two reasons: shelter and distance.

False Bay is a big, comparatively sheltered body of water. It faces away from the prevailing summer south-easter, which means there are workable days here when Table Bay is unpleasant. That is an important difference when your charter is eight hours long.

And Cape Point sits about eleven nautical miles from the harbour, roughly half an hour on the deep-sea boats. The tuna grounds are a further thirty to fifty kilometres beyond that. From Simon's Town you are fishing rather than commuting.

What's out there

Yellowfin and longfin tuna come onto the grounds from October through June, and the yellowfin here run large. Yellowtail bite all year in the bay. Snoek are a winter fish, and a wind-dependent one. Kob, kingklip and steenbras hold on the inshore reefs through the year.

Above the water, False Bay is one of the better places in the country to be on a boat in whale season. Southern right whales are in the bay from June to December, peaking through September and October. Humpbacks and Bryde's whales pass through January to May, and Bryde's are around year-round. Common and dusky dolphins move through in large pods.

Seal Island sits out in the bay. Boulders Beach, with its colony of more than three thousand African penguins, is a few minutes down the road and visible from the water.

The harbour

We work out of the harbour on King George Way, boarding either at the False Bay Yacht Club or at the jetty. Your confirmation says which. El Capitan Marine is an officially recognised operator within the False Bay Yacht Club Fishing Charter Association, which is the body that sets the standards charter boats here operate to.

Parking is at the harbour and is rarely a problem outside peak holidays.

Arriving

Fishing charters start early, so allow thirty minutes before departure rather than fifteen. There is gear to sort, a safety brief, and a fishing licence check that we cannot skip.

Bring your licence. It is the single most common thing people forget, and without it we legally cannot take you out.