LONG WEEKEND STATUS: ABSOLUTE MAYHEM LOADING
Rock & Surf:
Anglers have been wide open all week, foot flat, no brakes. The fish showed ZERO mercy—but neither did the anglers who were willing to put in the miles. Those who cracked the code on reading water and timing conditions got paid in full. Edibles and inedibles both pitched up hard: rockcod, shad, kob and bronze bream were ON THE MENU, especially where the banks were alive and the white water was foaming like a washing machine.
The seasonal switch is hitting full throttle. You can feel it in the air. Fish are feeding with purpose. Intent. Aggression. It’s go time. Game. On.
Up north, things went absolutely feral. A wild cocktail of species tore through the zone—Triple Tail, multiple Kingfish species, and everything in between. Anglers who did their homework—scouting at low tide, waiting for that golden combo of a northeast breeze and glassy seas—were rewarded beyond belief.
The central coast dipped slightly over the weekend, with some dirty water making bites tougher to pin down. But it wasn’t dead by any stretch. Reports came through of a fresh push of snapper salmon, plus a few grunter and the odd decent grey shark sniffing around.
Here’s the kicker—the upcoming long weekend is shaping up beautifully. Weather gods are smiling, conditions are aligning, and everything points to reels screaming and arms aching very soon.
Down south? Didn’t miss a beat. Everything fired.
Bream and grey sharks kept rolling in, with anglers dialling in on proper quality fish. Prawn and chokka stayed deadly, and red prawn once again stood tall as the ultimate confidence bait. Consistent. Reliable. Lethal.
The season is delivering BIG TIME. Conditions lined up, fish answered the call, and anglers knocked it clean out the park. And the scary part? This run looks like it’s only getting started.
If this momentum holds—and all signs say it will—the next few weeks are set to be next‑level along the entire coastline.
Offshore:
Anglers who put in the hours this past week have been richly rewarded, with productive sessions lining up perfectly alongside several competitions along the coastline. Those who answered the early call found steady action and quality fish, turning cautious pre-weekend forecasts into something far more exciting — a coastline primed for success and the very real chance of landing a winning catch over the long weekend.
Pelagic species stole the spotlight. Snoek, couta, dorado and tuna featured heavily in catches, but success was no lottery. Anglers who focused on precise speed control, managing lure depth and maintaining a clean presentation consistently outperformed the rest. While lure colour remains a dockside debate that never quite ends, it was technique and discipline that ultimately filled the hatches.
The North Coast continues to fire. Snoek have been abundant, with larger specimens coming from slightly deeper water for those prepared to venture further offshore. Couta and tuna added variety to the mix, while dorado made welcome appearances along the colour lines. The sense offshore is unmistakable — every outing carries the promise of something bigger.
Closer to home, Durban has delivered reliable fishing. Snoek remain a mainstay, and while bottom fishing produced plenty of smaller fish, patient anglers using the right bait presentation were still able to pick off quality specimens.
Further south, conditions have been more demanding. This stretch has lived up to its reputation, requiring strong tackle, solid knots and a measured approach. Here, mistakes are punished quickly, leaving little room for error but rewarding those who come prepared.
All signs now point to a standout long weekend. The build-up has delivered, the seasonal shift is underway, and the coast is buzzing with life. For anglers willing to read the conditions and put in the effort, the rewards are already there — and the next few days could be even better.
Freshwater:
News From Jan: With just over a month left of the trout river season (closes 31 May for 3 months, Opening Day on 1 September), and just over 3 weeks to the start of the winter trout stillwater season, the weather finally seems to be settling, and cooling – but stillwater temperatures are still warm for this time of year, and fishing remains tough all round. A more concerted effort by The Weatherman is required to kick-start Autumn proper, so that the waters can cool some more, and put the fish (and fishing) into high gear…
With river levels fining off, and water temperature still amenable, the scaly hunters were out on “one last trip” before winter, and some good numbers of fish were reported from the Mooi River. Fishing was somewhat slower than normal due to the cooling water (water temperature 17-19 deg.C) … fish were mainly at the lower end of the tape, with one excellent fish of 53cm / 21 inches reported.
The trout streams are reported to be running clear, in tip top form, with fish “looking up” and good for dry fly. The Mooi River was the destination of choice for the Natal Fly Fisher’s Club river anglers, returns noting fish in the 9-11 inch / 23-28 cm bracket. The clear water conditions however have the fish somewhat spooky and offish, so a modicum of stealth is required.
After a recent upswing the NFFC stillwater returns, the fishing has slowed down over the last week, with just a handful of fish in the 9-11 inch / 23-28 cm bracket being reported. Water temperatures of 19-20 deg.C are being held responsible, and the fishing expected to pick up as soon as temperatures cool some more.
The trout stillwater event season kicks off less than a month’s time, with the opening event in The Midlands being Leg1 of the TOPS Corporate Challenge (which runs 14-17 May to 6-9 August), followed by the Kamberg Trout Festival (4-6 June), and the Boston Fly Fishing Festival (19-20 June). Looking forward seeing many of you there – come and say Hi!
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) continues to be a cause for alarm in The Midlands KZN … biosecurity remains a critical component of FMD control. With the upcoming stillwater fishing events confirmed, all anglers are advised to take heed of biosecurity measures which will be in place at the events, to heed the biosecurity notices / signage around The Midlands, and to please comply with any movement regulations, and assist where possible with hygiene and risk-reduction measures to safeguard local livestock.
Sad new for the bass anglers – due to the uncertainty of factors affecting Albert Falls Dam, fishing conditions have become challenging, and under these unpredictable conditions, it has been announced that the popular Albert Falls Classic has unfortunately been cancelled for this year … the event has been rescheduled for 2027.
Results from last weekend’s PMB Bassmasters event at Albert Falls reported that while a “fair number” of smaller fish came to hand, weighers were few and far between … the biggest fish for the event came in at under 1kg.
Fishing has also been tough at Midmar Dam, with only 8 teams (out of 25 entries) weighing in a full bag at the recent KZN Team Tournament Trail event … the biggest fish of the event only just topping the 1kg mark at 1,044kg.
Recent reports from other private waters however have noted fish of over 4kg taken on spinnerbait.
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