HISTORIC BILLFISH SLAM

(Originally published in the July 2025 issue of SKI-BOAT magazine)

By Jean Schoonhoven

EACH year the SADSAA Heavy Tackle Billfish Nationals takes place at Sodwana Bay in the week immediately after the Billfish 15 000 competition. Last year the event was hosted by Mpumalanga Deep Sea Angling Association and I was honoured to be part of the 2024 SADSAA Heavy Tackle Billfish team.
The rest of the elite team comprised Gavin Heale (team captain) from Griquas, Jannas Henriksz from Gauteng, and Michael Fourie from Southern Gauteng. We had earned our places based on merit, and our selection symbolised the pinnacle of achievement in competitive billfishing, setting the stage for an intense and highly anticipated tournament.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Although the four of us had never fished together before, we were excited for what lay ahead. Michael and Jannas had both participated in the 2024 Billfish 15 000 tournament, with Jannas fishing aboard Kit-Kat which took first place. Team Kit-Kat also equalled the tournament record with an impressive seven billfish releases.We hoped Jannas’s “luck” would continue!
Our team joined up on Saturday 16 November 2024, a day that was dedicated to tackle preparation as we’d planned a practice day for the Sunday. This was a crucial opportunity for us to refine our teamwork.
On the Sunday we launched at 5am aboard Dee-Jay, Gavin’s Citation 900 powered by twin Yamaha 300hp engines. The first couple of hours were quiet, but at 8.17am, I hooked a blue marlin on an Ilander Black Hole lure with a strip bait that we’d run in the shotgun position.
With Michael handling the leader, Jannas capturing video footage, and Gavin at the helm, our team worked together very efficiently, releasing the marlin at 8.33am. This promising start reinforced our confidence and readiness for the upcoming tournament.
We returned to shore around 11amto finalise tackle adjustments before attending the opening function that evening at the Sodwana Ski-Boat Club Clubhouse.

A STRONG START
The 2024 SADSAA Heavy Tackle Billfish Nationals officially commenced on Monday, 18 November 2024, at 5am, featuring 14 fiercely competitive teams.
The morning began slowly, with the first marlin release only recorded at 10.49am by the Griquas team aboard Certainty.
Our team remained patient, working the Diepgat area, and our perseverance paid off when, at 12.19pm, I hooked a sailfish of approximately 50kg. The fish was successfully released at 12.27pm. Once again the Ilander Black Hole with a strip bait in the shotgun position was the charm.
Encouraged by our success, we continued working the Diepgat area. At 12.55pm, we had another strike – this time Gavin took the chair. Battling against increasing northeasterly winds and growing swells, he fought a 180kg black marlin which was successfully released at 1.27pm. For the third time in two days, the Ilander Black Hole with a strip bait proved its worth!
By the end of the first day, our SADSAA team topped the leaderboard with 352 points, setting the pace for the rest of the competition.

WEATHER CHALLENGES
Unfortunately, the second day of the tournament was declared a blowout due to adverse weather conditions.
This setback meant that standings remained unchanged going into day three.

HOLDING POSITION
Wednesday, 20 November 2024, proved to be a testing day. Despite two aggressive billfish strikes on our teasers, neither fish switched to commit to the pitch baits. Our team ended the day in third place still on 352 points, trailing behind North West province in first place on 487 points and the SADSAA Masters Gold team in second place on 482 points.

A STRATEGIC SHIFT PAYS OFF
Day four marked a pivotal moment for our SADSAA team as we decided to tweak our strategy. We replaced the two hookless teasers on the left and right short positions with fully rigged lures. The decision paid off immediately.
At 5.25am, a fish was spotted in the spread, striking and missing the right short lure – a Bahama Phoebe 50 in Captain Morgan colours. Jannas quickly grabbed the pitch rod and presented a mackerel rigged with a circle hook, while I cleared the right short lure to make space. The fish took the bait, and Jannas carefully set the drag to secure the hook. The fight was on!
Battling the fish in a stand-up position using a Black Magic harness, Jannas held strong while Michael took the leader, I recorded the action, and Gavin expertly manouevred the boat. After an intense 25-minute fight, the fish was brought boatside. Initially mistaken for a blue marlin, closer inspection revealed it to be a massive sailfish – approximately 80kg – with a torn dorsal fin giving it the appearance of a marlin. At 5.52am, the first fish of the tournament day was successfully released.
We quickly reset the spread, and at 6.41am another strike came on the same Bahama Phoebe 50. This time, Michael took the chair while I handled the leader, Jannas recorded footage, and Gavin captained the boat. The fight on 80 lb tackle was brief, with another sailfish successfully released at 6:56am – the second fish of the day.
At 7.17am we had yet another strike – this time on the short left lure, a Black Bart Marlin Candy in blue. I jumped into the chair while Jannas filmed, Michael worked the leader, and Gavin helmed. The fish fought hard, but the estimated 80kg striped marlin was successfully released at 7.43am – the third fish of the day.
The hot streak continued when, at 8.20am, we hooked into a larger blue marlin on the long right, which struck a green-and-black Pulsator Tube. Gavin took the chair as the fish peeled line well into the backing. Unfortunately, the line popped, and the fish was lost. Such is the nature of the sport!
The action slowed until 12.14pm, when the short left rod got hit again, with the Black Bart Marlin Candy proving irresistible. Jannas was back in the chair, Michael took the leader, and Gavin guided the boat. This was undoubtedly the biggest fish of the tournament for our team. After a grueling 50-minute fight, a stunning blue marlin estimated at 250kg was successfully released at 13.04pm.
This incredible achievement marked our team’s fourth release of the day, and gave us our third billfish species, completing the elusive Billfish Slam. With 1 144 points, our SADSAA team finished the day in first place overall.

MAKING HISTORY
The final day began quietly for our team, but patience paid off.
At 10.10am, the right long lure – a Pulsator Tube in blue, white, and purple – got a strike.
Jannas took the chair once more, with Michael handling the leader, me capturing footage, and Gavin at the helm. At 10.32am we successfully released a blue marlin estimated at 200kg – our seventh billfish of the tournament, tying the all-time record for billfish releases in any Sodwana tournament!
Momentum was on our side, and at 11.18am, the shotgun position got hit by a marlin attacking a chartreuse, yellow Ilander Express. The marlin missed the lure twice but committed on the third strike.
I took the chair, Michael grabbed the leader, and Gavin skippered the boat. After a 22-minute battle, another magnificent blue marlin – approximately 180kg – was released. This marked our eighth release of the tournament, setting a new record for the most billfish released at any tournament in Sodwana’s history.

A DOMINANT VICTORY
Our SADSAA team emerged victorious, securing an emphatic win with 1 644 points – nearly double the second-placed team, Western Province, who finished with 885 points. The SADSAA Masters Gold team claimed third place with 767 points. Over five launches, which included the practice day, our team released a remarkable nine billfish, including a billfish slam!
This victory was particularly noteworthy as it marked the first time in more than 15 years that a SADSAA team had won the prestigious SADSAA Heavy Tackle Billfish Nationals Tournament. It took an impressive combination of skill, teamwork, and strategic adjustments, but we did it!