FISHING REPORT 19TH DECEMBER 2009

Angling
In the Durban area a few good fish have been landed although the fishing has been a little patchy. Shore angling is still improving with some good catches of shad being reported along the middle South Coast. Although there are some big specimens around, most fish are just making size. Small shad are feeding at most spots but it’s the South Coast stretch that now attracts these small shad.

The river mouth itself seems to be the place to fish for these fish. At this time of the year and if the small shad are present in this area, huge kingfish tend to feed along the bank areas. Shad is certainly the preferred bait for these kingies and if you are lucky enough to have a live one out, chances are good that you will get challenged by one of these hard fighting fish. To date a few in the 20 kg region have already been landed. Don’t forget to have the correct tackle for these fish, Daiwa have a range of reels that are ideal, the Saltiga and Saltist top the list but the Grandwave and Sealine will do the job very well.

Apart from the kingfish several other species can now be targeted in this particular area. Other edible fish that are being reported from the South Coast include quite a few pompano and good size stumpies in the Sezella and Umdoni area and the Umkomaas area at this time of the year produces some very good angling. For those anglers wishing to target some big fish, reports of very big rays being caught along the South Coast recently. Along with these fish a few big sand sharks and brown skates have also been caught.

Fishing starting to improve, with Stebel finally turning on with diamonds, sandies and a spotted eagle of 97.8kgs landed yesterday by Kevin Blackmore of Pietermaritzburg, awesome fish.  Traditional places such as Errol Hays, Scottburghand Umdoni points are also fishing very wellfor these particular fish. There are still quite a few good brusher around and some big specimens are being caught along the Twini ledge, Isipingoand at Doonside. Anglersthat are willing to take a quick trip to the North Coast area will almost definitely be a worthwhile exercise when the right weather patterns occur.

After a few hot days and light North Easterly winds this venue can provide anglers a great days angling as there are excellent flatfish and shark angling up there. The same can be said for the Amatikulu and Port Durford areas, but at these two venues anglers rather target the diamond skates that have already been caught but not in any great numbers.

Ski Boat and fishing ski
The Ski Boat and fishing ski anglers have since last week carried on getting some good results as far as game fish are concerned. Dorado in particular are being caught all along the coast with the deep water grounds off Durban working particularly well. The only regular catches come from the Aliwal Shoal and Scottburgh areas, were some quality fish over the past week or so have been reported.

Dorado started with some big fish been landed along Sheppy Backline on skip baits. Couple of wahoo on Protea but sharks wild!!!!!!!!!!!! Three good marlin hooked on Sunday along the 200m contour but all three strikes lost. Apparently good fish 150kg plus! Couta have made an appearance here together with some good catches of dorado and smaller yellow fin tunny.  We have heard of some great albacore landed in the  Port Edward area  this week, will try and get some info for next weeks fishing report. Anglers that have ventured up to the Cape Vidal area have had a variety of good fish. Sailfish in particular have been in abundance over the past two weeks .
 
ESA magazine
The latest ESA magazine is out and on sale at The Kingfisher for R19.95. This issue (With Craig Stubbs on the cover) it is jammed packed with great features.

Action-packed ESA highlights shows airing this month.
Eight action packed ESA highlights shows, featuring both saltwater and bass fishing, are to be aired this month on Super sport 1. The ESA Saltwater show will be broadcasted weekly on Thursdays between 19h30 and 20h30, and the ESA Bass show will air weekly on Tuesdays between 19h00 and 19h30.

As the year draws to a close, the crew at ESA have been working (and playing) tirelessly to bring breathtaking angling action to our screens. The hour long ESA Saltwater show consists of three sections, namely Land Based Sports Angling (LBSA), Drop Shot Sports Angling (DSSA), and Off Shore Sports Angling (OSSA). The ESA Bass show is 30 minutes long, and consists of various anglers and guests exploring both small and largemouth bass angling.

Richards Bay is given a thorough inspection by Mark De La Hey and his guests in this weeks show. They have an incredible Off Shore angling experience as Mark and his guests catch a variety of fish such as tuna, dorado, and a beautiful marlin, a perfect setting for what promises to be a massive event!

The final ESA Saltwater show ends off the ESA Season with a bang on Christmas Eve!
Take a journey through each of the most memorable fish of the year, this including amazing catches such as Ray's 110kg raggie in Mazeppa on LBSA, Marks 30Kg dogtooth tuna off the Wave runner on DSSA in Mozambique, and Lloyd Pereira's 200kg blue marlin in Richards Bay. Do not miss this one!

For the freshwater fisherman out there, do not worry as the four ESA Bass episodes lined up for the, 22nd and 29th of December are just as action packed as the ESA Saltwater shows. Some highlights include the ESA crew fishing at Goedetrouw Dam in the rain, and smashing some prize largemouth bass thanks to the anglers’ perseverance. ESA Guest Angler Jason Van Der Wath bags his personal best at Goedetrouw, an impressive 5.1kg largemouth bass.

Also not to be missed is the duo of Rob Fisher and Howard Johnson, who are at it again, this time at Inanda Dam. The pair can be seen catching some monster bass at Inanda Dam, while ESA cameraman Duncan Grant shows the boys that he too has a trick or two up his sleeve as he pulls into a good size bass.

The Kingfisher`s free Fishing Clinic
The Kingfisher hosts free Fishing Clinic’s on their premises once a month, booking is essential. These clinics are there to help beginners and experienced anglers to see what the sport is all about and how to target certain species of fish. It also shows anglers what equipment to use and also elaborates on safety. To find out more about these clinics and to book a seat please phone The Kingfishers sales staff on 031 368 3903.   

The Kingfisher’s trading hours are Monday, Wednesday to Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm, Tuesday 8:30am to 5:00pm and Saturday 8:00am to 1:00pm.
 The trading hours for the festive season are: Every Sunday in December, including Saturday the 26th, plus Sunday the 3rd January,  from 9:00pm – 1:00pm.

Lovely 6.5kg Snoek caught by Lloyd Pereira at the North Coast on Friday morning.