Please remember to leave the areas that you fish in a better condition than when you got there. Take a few moments to pick up some litter and take it to the nearest bin.
The weather has been decidedly pleasant recently but some big seas and rain have changed the sea a bit. Still, the fish are biting and someone has to catch them…
Top tip: A circle hook can only work properly if it is allowed to do so. There are two important aspects of rigging them that we need to consider when using them. They need to be snelled on to the trace. This allows the line to exit on the hook point side on the eye which enables the circle to turn better when setting. The other important consideration is to make sure the gape of the hook is not blocked by the bait. This was originally pioneered by the big game fishermen when they bridled their baits for marlin. Much the same applies. Make sure your bait does not obstruct the gape and does not hinder the functioning of the hook.
Offshore:
The bigger seas have made for “interesting” days on the water. Nobody likes a wet launch in the morning so take care and don’t rush to launch. The KZN coast has seen plenty of fish so get out there and get the drags screaming.
North – The north coast has been throwing some spicy launches at the more shore break dominant launch sites. Guys always be careful and don’t launch if you have hesitations.
The snoek have gone a bit quiet but the influx of coloured river water after the recent rains should see some good colour lines which are prime snoek hunting grounds. Look at fishing both the dirty water and clean water side of the colour line. The deeper reefs and pinnacles have been very productive for the bottom fishing commercials. The rockcod and geelbek landed have been very impressive.
Central – The Durban section of our coast has seen a lot more launches due to the lake of a massive shore break at most sites. Much like the north, the snoek should come on the bite again off Blue Lagoon with the strong flow of the river. Work the colour line with small spoons while trolling a lipped lure.
The dorado have continued on the bite. Trolling skirted lures at speed has accounted for most of the catches so far but any flotsam in the deeper water will attract the dorries. Throw a live bait or popper in the general area of the floating debris. If the dorries are there, they will eat!
South – The south coast has seen a lot of bottom fish action over the last few weeks. The rockcods have been very greedy and always and they have jumped on most baits dropped down to the. The tuna have been the only reliable gamefish to target down south with the rest of the bunch being hit or miss. The tuna have been taken on everything from small live baits to large skirted Kona’s. Lockdown has made some of us a bit unfit so it’s time to put out a lipped lure and put some kilometres of trolling under the belt.
Rock and surf:
The rock and surf fishing has continued on a good note with plenty of fish to be caught.
North – The north coast has seen a lot of edible action in and around the Tugela mouth. The snapper salmon, tripletail and kob have been feeding well in the discoloured water. Chokka baits with tentacles have done well for all three species. Adding a strip of redeye sardine will take the bait to the next level.
The deeper points and beaches where a deep channel gives access to the deeper water is where you want to target the inedible species. Look at places like Tinley Manor, Salt Rock and La Mercy beach. Get some fresh mackerel and make a decent bait ready for the first (or seventh) fish for your summer account.
Central – The Durban coast has been dominated by blue rays and grey sharks for the inedible anglers while the cape stumpies and brusher have kept the edible anglers happy.
The evening incoming tide has been the most productive for the inedibles. A smaller redeye or mackerel bait has allowed a further cast. This has made the difference on most evenings. The edibles have been loving a chokka strip with pink prawn or cracker on the back. This is a very versatile bait for most species. The brusher are still around and some very decent specimens have been landed. The muscleman crab has been the pick of the baits but fish have been caught on ghost crabs, mussels, occie legs and one on a shad trace!
South – The south coast has seen a lot of edibles landed this past week. The bronze bream are full up with almost any rocky area holding fish. This has been an amazing season for bronze bream! Pink prawn has been the bait of choice. The brusher have also been on the south coast with the same baits working as those mentioned above. The garrick are also still hanging around with Winkelspruit rocks being the most productive spot to fish.
For the inedible anglers, the droned baits have been the only ones to see action so far. The rising temperatures and NE winds should get the summer flatties going.
Harbour:
The harbour has been producing some amazing catches over the past two weeks. The artificial lure anglers have been having a fantastic time with the oxeye tarpon, springer, baby kob, flathead and various kingfish species. Poppers and paddletails have been the lures of choice.
The bait anglers have managed some decent grunter. The center bank has produced some good specimens with a couple fish going over 5kg!
Freshwater:
The dams and rivers have been very productive over the past few weeks. The bass are loving the summer heat. The trout are enjoying the summer insect activity and the carp are hungry…
Bass – With the summer heat comes some hot times on or around the water. Remember to wear your hat and sunscreen…
The faster moving baits have been putting the numbers in the boat. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits and walking surface baits allow you to cover a lot more water. These faster techniques have allowed anglers to quickly up their numbers before switching to soft plastics to target the bigger fish.
Midmar has been doing very well for both the boat and bank anglers. The upper reaches of the dam closer to the river mouth have produced the bigger fish. Chartreuse and white spinnerbaits have done some serious damage. Albert Falls and Inanda have both been very consistent with good catches coming from both.
Carp – Conventional angling has been very productive in all of the KZN carp waters. Albert Falls has been the pick of the venues for the conventional anglers as the fish have been feeding very well in the shallower areas of the dam. Honey has been the most reported flavour with floaties out fishing mielies.
The specimen anglers have been doing very well at Inanda. Hinged rigs have made the most of any bite. Tigernuts and pop-ups have been the most successful baits reported. Adding some colour to the hookbait has also increased the success rate.
Trout – The stillwaters are fishing very well. The size of the fish have not been the same giants as in previous weeks but the fishing has been good.
Minnow imitation streamers have been the most successful flies mentioned across the different venues. Those fishing the smaller venues have seen better results with smaller patterns. The fronts coming through have slowed fishing down a bit and might need you to scale down to worm patterns and hand-twist retrieves.
Keep an eye on the water temperatures and rather leave the fish be if the temp gets too high.
News from our Jan, The Kingfisher in PMB:
“There’s that saying about how “life is a box of chocolates” … but I dare say that the weather of late has been more akin to a “box of frogs!”! … simply not capable of keeping by jumping all over the place! And the webbed feet have certainly been useful over the last while … and if the weather forecast is anyt6hing to go by, for the next wee while as well … and we might even have to add water wings as well…
There has been plenty of the drippy stiff – and plenty indeed : the storm that covered The Midlands earlier in the week dropped 40-60mm in the space of only a couple hours. Nothing quite like what has taken place in northern KZN, but when the storm was active, localized warnings here that the N3 highway north from Nottingham Road was a hazard to drive, and to stay off the road if possible…
As a result, the rivers are all pretty much blown out. From the top to the bottom. Just as we thought conditions were improving. Last weekend saw the KZN Fly Fishing Association (KZNFFA) Seniors tussle it out on the Bushman’s River – fishing was tough, with competitors bemoaning the fact that they didn’t have heavy enough weighted flies to get down to the fish … rumors that 6mm tungsten bead Perdigon Nymph … with extra lead wraps! … might have done the trick… This weekend sees the Masters take to the river, so hopefully forewarned is pre-armed, so lets see what they bring to the table…
There is only a single report from the Natal Fly Fishers Club, where anglers managed to sneak some fish out of the upper Mooi River before the rains arrived – brown trout in the 7-9 inch / 18-23cm bracket. A couple of other outings all results in the return noting “blown out”…
So while we had plenty of the wet, the heat hasn’t abated much at all, and as a consequence the NFFC stillwaters remain closed for the time being while we wait for a spell of cool weather (day and night temps) to bring water temps down significantly.
Due to a clash in dates – and possible spousal disapproval! – this month’s meeting of the Natal Fly Dressers Society scheduled for Tuesday the 14th, now takes place next week Tuesday 21 February. Callum Holley has just returned from a trip of a lifetime to Alphonse Island, and will demonstrating the Flexo Crab – which was well received by the island guides! Pop into the Kingfisher-PMB and chat to Jan if putting together feathers, fluff and thread are of interest!
With the unsettled weather, even the bass anglers have been quiet. Local angler Leon Gevers however, found some fish – 1st on the boat was a 2.9kg fish, and then smashed his PB with a lunker of 3.9kg – well dome that man! As one angler quipped … “Forecast for the weekend is bass with a chance of rain…” or was it the other way round…?? But don’t let rising water ruin your next outing – as water levels rise rapidly due to heavy rain, you will need to adjust to the changing conditions that may include discoloured water, newly flooded margins, and current flowing through the system – all of these factors can affect bass behaviour differently.
So herewith some tips for dealing with these conditions : in discoloured water, bass will rely more on senses other than sight to detect prey, making baits that produce vibration and noise more effective. e.g. crankbaits, spinnerbaits and swim jigs are great options. High-contrast colours like white and chartreuse are a great starting point. To find fish in newly flooded margins, use reaction-style baits to cover water as the fish may have repositioned themselves in the new water. And – we said before – definitely don’t miss out avoid throwing topwater lures like a frog or buzz bait fished close to the margin. Strong current will often push fish away as they try to get out of the moving water, and they tend to spread out in the new habitat. Hard baits such as jerkbaits, crankbaits and spinnerbaits are great for fishing current without snagging”. Thanks Jan.
Tight lines and screaming reels.
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For the best in tackle and advice, pop into any of the seven Kingfisher stores, they are open 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-1pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
For the best in tackle and advice, pop into any of the seven Kingfisher stores, they are open 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-1pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
The Kingfisher has opened their new store in the Tiffany’s Shopping Centre in Salt Rock. For all your angling needs, (freshwater or saltwater) pop in and see them or give them a shout on 032 307 0041.
Please send any info about fishing or fish caught in your area to mike.pereira@kingfisher.co.za
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