It’s here – the wait is over!

October has officially arrived, and with it, The KingFisher’s highly anticipated Scratch & Win Event. Running across all 7 stores and online, this month-long celebration promises anglers and shoppers alike the chance to share in over R500 000 worth of discounts and giveaways.
Adding even more excitement, seven lucky anglers will uncover a Golden Ticket, giving them the ultimate prize — their entire basket absolutely FREE.

Getting involved couldn’t be easier: spend R300, collect your Scratch & Win ticket, and walk away a winner. With every ticket guaranteeing a prize, this October is shaping up to be a month of unbeatable rewards at The KingFisher.

Rock & Surf:

Rough Seas Behind Us – Spring  Fishing Heats Up Along the Coast
We’ve just come off a tough weekend on the water with some really rough seas making things tricky, but the good news is that conditions are starting to settle. From here on out, things can only get better. The rock-and-surf scene has slipped into full summer mode, and fishing is definitely picking up. With more predictable weather on the horizon, it’s becoming easier to plan the better fishing days.

North Coast
The north has been lively, even though the fish are still a bit patchy. The key right now is to stay mobile—move until you find the fish. Bloody and fleshy baits are working best. The banks have been producing some diamonds, but you’ll need to put in the time to track them down. Off the points, sandies and honeycombs have made up most of the bigger catches, while grey sharks have kept the lighter tackle busy. Reports of edibles are on the rise too, so break out the sealice and smaller prawn or chokka baits.

Central Coast
This stretch is still fishing extremely well, with a healthy mix of edibles and inedibles. The basin area has stood out as one of the hotspots prior to the big seas, producing a wide variety of species. Blue rays have been the main feature, with plenty of smaller specimens providing great fun on light tackle. For baits, redeye sardine and mackerel are your go-to options right now.

South Coast
Live bait is doing the trick for garrick and kob, while artificials haven’t been as effective lately. Remember, predatory fish love to work the edges—whether it’s a colour line, current line, or rocky structure—because that’s where prey is easiest to ambush. Keep your bait or lure in those strike zones to up your chances.
Scratching has been the main draw on the south coast, especially around rocky areas. Pink prawn and chokka are proving to be the most reliable baits.

Offshore:

If last weekend’s wild seas kept you off the water, you weren’t alone — conditions were tough and testing. But the good news? Things are starting to settle, and this coming week is looking far more promising for those itching to get back out there. The spring switch has definitely been flicked, the east coast is warming up, and Durban waters are beginning to show real signs of life.

Surface Action – Garrick, Tuna & Kingfish
The surface bite is starting to pick up again. Garrick are responding well to live baits, tuna are showing flashes of aggression, and kingfish are beginning to make their presence felt on the lures. It’s not the chaos of peak season just yet, but the signs are there and improving each day.

Deep-Water Targets – Geelbeck & Daga Salmon
For those fishing deeper, geelbeck and daga salmon have been around, with a few solid fish landed recently. The bite is building, and with calmer seas on the way, expect better consistency this week.

Snoek – The Tricksters
Snoek are still running their unpredictable game. Some days they’re around in good numbers, other days they seem to disappear. Keep the light tackle handy though — when they’re on, it’s well worth the effort.

Bottom Fishing – Reef Variety
The reefs are producing steadily, with slinger, soldier, and rockcod keeping anglers busy. Not red-hot yet, but enough action to fill the cooler and keep the rods bent.

Looking Ahead
It may not be a flat sea just yet, but the forecast suggests a marked improvement compared to last weekend’s big swell. The fishing is building momentum, and this week could be the turning point.
So dust off the gear, plan your trip wisely, and get ready — things are looking up from here.

Freshwater:

News From Jan – After the gentle knock on the door last week, the rainfall this week has Summer come splashing across The Midlands with some 30-40mm being reported.  This is a great, early start to the post-Winter water recovery, and for the most part, been welcomed by not only the farming community, but also the anglers, to get the rivers moving properly again.  A visit last weekend to the upper reaches of The Bushman’s River, showed that the previous rains did little more than settle the dust … hopefully this week’s precipitation, and the snow up top, will start showing up in the rivers now … will be heading on up for another looksee.
As mentioned earlier in this column, the seasonal forecast is for above average rainfall in southern Africa, so for the river anglers that are looking for the “perfect” flow, best to keep an eye on conditions and grab it when you can … while we hope that we will not be getting the white-water rafting conditions of last season…
The recent cold spell of wet weather may have kept most of the Natal Fly Fishers Club anglers off the river, but just rewards are there for those that ventured forth.  This time it was the Mooi River that provided the spoils in the form of 17-19 inch / 43-48cm browns … spectacular fish!  Prior to the midweek chill, water temperatures had crept up to 18/19 degrees in the shallows, but quickly dropped back to 16 degrees.  Timing is all, so to the river anglers : watch the rainfall and get out to your favourite piece of moving water when you have a gap…
Inbetween the changing spells of weather, the NFFC stillwaters are turning on, with some anglers hitting the jackpot and finding those 15-17 inch / 38-43 cm fish that have been rather shy of late.  Water temperature was reported at around 15/16 degrees.  With the waters due to start warming, bass activity will become more prevalent … the NFFC requests all members to remove any bass caught in its waters.
Further afield, last weekend saw the Underberg-Himeville Trout Fishing Club host their popular stillwater Festival.  Some excellent fishing was reported, until the frontal system arrived, spoiled the fun and the fishing went on the slow … but as the barometer recovered, so did the fishing.  This looks to be a great event, and one to put down onto the ‘To Fish” list.

KZN remains the epicentre for infection of Foot and Mouth Disease in South Africa, with 180 outbreaks reported to date.  To assist landowners in protecting their stocks, the NFFC has closed a number of its waters at their request, while they monitor the outbreak(s).  The NFFC requests all anglers to please follow any landowner or staff requests to respect their vehicle / footwear sterilization protocols as required.

Reports from the bass anglers is that Midmar is still pre-spawn, and Albert Falls is starting to improve … and for those that are out there throwing a line, indications are that there are hungry fish to be found.  Midge hatches are just starting at Albert Falls, and there are a few signs of carp on the surface just starting.
With action being reported from the Umkomaas, Umngeni and Bushman’s Rivers, the scaly / yellowfish continue to keep lines tight for the river anglers.  Last weekend saw Junior Trials for the KZN Fly Fishing Association taking place on the Umkomaas, with the lads managing to get some good fish and some good numbers.

With temperatures just reaching 16 degrees, early days yet for the Sterkfontein anglers, with just a couple of fish being reported so far.  Caddis and mayflies are on the hatch, and the rains have brought on the hoppers, so food is plentiful at present … indications are for a bumper Sterkies Season!
here.

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 KZN Angler News audio fishing report is South Africa’s first fishing podcast series that focuses on the latest fishing reports of the East Coast. This report is free and available on all major Podcast platforms including Apple Pods, Google Pods, Spotify and Deezer as well as SA’s most popular Facebook Pages.
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Please send any info about fishing or fish caught in your area to Vinesh Soogreem – vineshs@kingfisher.co.za