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As the school holidays come to an end, make sure to leave the spots you fish in even better shape than you found them! Take a minute to pick up any litter and dispose of it properly—let’s keep our waters clean and ready for the next adventure. Tight lines, screaming reels, and a weekend of unforgettable catches await!
2025 is Rolling Full Speed Ahead, and the Fishing is STILL On Fire!
Can you believe it? The school holidays are wrapping up, and we’re almost a quarter of the way through 2025 already! (Time really flies!) But one thing’s for sure—the fishing has been nothing short of spectacular, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. Let’s finish strong and make the most of this last holiday weekend!
Top Tip: The Summer Sun is Still Here—Protect Your Skin!
The summer heat is still going strong, and so is the sun! Never underestimate the power of sun protection. Whether you’re all about covering up or prefer lotions, protecting your skin is a must. If you’re into covering up, think long sleeve UV-resistant shirts, long pants, a buff, a hat, and maybe even sun gloves for that full coverage. On the other hand, if you’re rocking shorts and a t-shirt, make sure to reapply sunscreen throughout the day to keep your skin safe.
The choice is yours—just make sure you protect that birthday suit of yours, you only get one!
Offshore:
The action is INSANE right now, and there’s PLENTY of fish for EVERYONE! Whether you’re after the heart-pounding thrill of fast-moving predators or the heavy pull of bottom dwellers, the ocean’s got your back!
North Coast – Absolutely ON FIRE right now – it’s the most productive stretch of coast by far! The skis and boats are hauling in monster catches! Couta are all over the place, and if you’ve got that perfect, frisky live bait, you’re in for a WIN. Make live bait your number one mission once you’re out there and find those prime fishing spots. Struggling to hook the bait? Add a few bits of sardine to the hooks for that extra SIZZLE! And don’t skimp on the sinker – the heavier, the better to avoid those dreaded tangles!
Central Coast – it’s been a fishing frenzy all week! The launch areas are sheltered and ready to take on even the toughest seas. Tuna and couta are filling up the hatches, with snoek not far behind. Trolling skirted lures has been DEADLY for tuna, billfish, and the bigger dorado! Pick your favorite color and reel in the action. The couta have been hanging around the shallow reefs off the Bluff, and they’re LOVING the frisky live mackerel – but bait is running low, so don’t waste too much time chasing it. Bottom fishing has been a little quiet, with only smaller reds making the cut. Remember, release those small ones – it’s all about preserving the reef for the future!
South Coast – it’s been a BOTTOM-FISHING PARADISE in the lower south, and Transkei has been calling anglers with big rewards for those who answered! Beastly fishing all around! The upper and middle south have been all about geelbek and daga, and those boats are bringing in some serious catches. Bigger baits have been the key to landing those hefty fish, and as always, live baits are the KING of the day!
Durban Harbour – it’s been a GRUNTER hotspot, with some jaw-dropping catches coming in! Light tackle is the name of the game – you’ll get more bites and experience the fight like never before. Lure anglers have been getting good catches of kingies and flathead, with smaller jerkbaits and paddletails leading the charge!
The action is NON-STOP! Get out there, gear up, and make this fishing season one for the BOOKS!
South Coast: The bragging rights are flying high! From grey sharks to bronze bream, it’s been an absolute smash on the south coast! The action’s been amazing, so get out there and show the fish who’s boss.
Rock & Surf:
North Coast – has been absolutely buzzing with variety! Shallow banks are the perfect spots for wading, and the species coming in are keeping anglers busy. Diamond rays, brown skates, sandies, thorntails, and grey sharks are making their presence known! Mackerel and redeye sardine are your top baits to hook these beauties. On the edible side, kob and snapper salmon are still running strong! Fleshy baits paired with chokka are your best bet for pulling in these delicious catches. The north coast is where the magic happens!
Central Coast – The basin area of the Durban beachfront is finishing the holidays with a bang! Giant thorntail rays are stealing the spotlight this week—these massive fish often take multiple anglers to land. If you’re up for the challenge, mackerel and bonito will be your go-to baits. Get ready for a battle that could last hours—this is not your average fishing trip! The rest of Durban has been alive with sandies, brown skates, and grey sharks. For those after edibles, shad, grunter, and pompano are still going strong this week.
South Coast – The deep-water beaches have seen some intense action with sandies, hammerheads, and grey sharks making their presence felt. No wire needed here—these fish put up a great fight, and circle hooks are the perfect choice for your inedible targets. And don’t forget the reefs and ledges! The rockcod and bronze bream action has been heating up, so get ready for some non-stop excitement to end the school holidays with a bang!
Freshwater:
News in from Jan Korrubel, The Kingfisher in PMB.
So we have had a few dry days along with temperatures and humidity dropping nicely, and just as we think we can start getting excited that Autumn might finally be getting a foot in the door, it’s “Here we go again…” as the heavens open up with thunder rolling overhead. The BIG rain at the end of last week (average of 30-50mm, but up to 100mm) put everything on the back foot once again … and while casting a jaundiced eye on the long-term forecast, your faithful scribe adds : don’t pack your water wings away just yet.
With the rushing rivers, the returns from the Natal Fly Fishers Club river anglers have been few in recent times, but for the first time … not one angler ventured out. The rivers are bank-to-bank and heaving, and with the lands saturated to the hilt, it’s going to be a while before the water has run off completely. The waiting game continues…
Word from Underberg is that the rivers are starting to settle nicely, reports Duane Howell from Underberg Flyfishing and Lifestyle Hub. If you planning a trip, do give Duane a holler at the shop to get the scoop on conditions that side of The ‘Berg.
There were only a couple (two) returns from the NFFC stillwater anglers … the local Midlands water experiencing a blank day … but a water (much) further afield, and more familiar to the Ladysmith/Newcastle members, produced some fish in the 13-15 inch / 33-38cm bracket while the rains took a wee break on the weekend. Water temperatures are reportedly still “warm enough for baggies”.
On a more serious note – the Department of Agriculture has confirmed ongoing outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease in KwaZulu-Natal. Control measures are in place to contain the spread … and the NFFC has taken the decision to close some of its waters with immediate effect. Farmers and livestock owners are urged to maintain biosecurity and movement protocols and report any suspected cases. More information is available on the National Department and KZN Agriculture’s official platforms.
The bass are maintaining and extremely low profile. No word from Albert Falls Dam, but there are some fish coming to hand at Midmar. The 3rd event in the Joey’s Towing Tournament Trail series takes place this weekend at Midmar Dam. Wishing all the anglers Tight Lines and look forward to reporting that there indeed some fish around!
Get out there, enjoy the last bit of school holiday fishing fun, and make the most of the weekend!
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 public holidays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Series 23 (can you believe it; this is Petri’s 23 series) of Hier Gaan Ons Alweer on kykNET, premieres are on from the 6th of January 2025 on Monday evenings at 17:30 on kykNet, channel 144 and there are a number of repeats during the week. The repeats are on Tuesday’s at 11:00, Wednesday’s at 10:00, Thursday’s at 11:30 & Friday’s at 14:30. Series 23 ends on the 31st of March 2025.
As most of you know, Petri and his guests cover various angling styles (fresh and salt water) in and around Southern Africa.
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.
Angler News SA – https://www.ecr.co.za/podcasts/ansa/
Go to The Kingfisher Daiwa – www.facebook.com/thekingfisherdaiwa and “Like” us on Facebook to catch reviews, videos, fishing reports, great promotions and lots more.
As always, remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date with all our new video releases and to brush up on your species knowledge, tactics and tips/tricks.
The KingfisherFishing – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheKingfisherFishing
Please send any info about fishing or fish caught in your area to Vinesh Soogreem – vineshs@kingfisher.co.za
