Long Weekend Review: Conditions Aligned, Predictions Held True
Rock & Surf:
The long weekend is behind us, and overall the fishing reflected the conditions that were forecast in the lead‑up. Anglers who planned their sessions around tides and weather were generally rewarded, with consistent reports coming in along much of the coast. From a prediction point of view, the patterns played out much as expected.
Rock and surf anglers experienced steady activity through the Easter weekend, with both edibles and inedibles showing. Rockcod, shad, kob and bronze bream featured regularly in reports, particularly where the banks and white water were working well. The seasonal change is clearly underway, and the improvement in feeding behaviour has become more noticeable.
The northern KZN coast showed signs of life after a quieter summer. As is typical for this stretch, results varied from area to area, with some spots producing while others remained slow. Anglers who spent time scouting at low tide and waited for a period of northeast wind combined with calmer seas found the better opportunities, reinforcing the importance of timing on this part of the coast.
On the central coast, a mixed bag kept anglers busy. Shad were active along beaches and piers, and drift baits worked well during calmer conditions. Stumpnose and smaller kob were feeding along the sandbanks, particularly where white water pushed over the banks. Chokka and prawn once again proved to be reliable baits for these species.
Further south, fishing remained consistent through the long weekend. Bream and grey sharks were both reported, with anglers continuing to target quality fish despite it still being early April. Prawn and chokka stayed effective, with red prawn standing out as a dependable option.
In summary, the long weekend delivered much as anticipated. Conditions lined up, the fish responded, and anglers who applied a patient, methodical approach did well. With these trends holding, the coming weeks should continue to offer solid opportunities along the coastline.
Offshore:
Anglers who committed time to the water over the long weekend were well rewarded. It wasn’t about waiting for perfectly flat seas — it was about understanding when to fish and how to adapt. Those who did that found steady action and some solid fish, confirming that the lead‑up calls were right on the money.
Pelagic species were very much part of the picture. Snoek, couta, dorado and tuna all featured in catches, and success came down less to luck and more to approach. While lure colour always gets attention, the consistent producers were anglers who focused on speed, depth and presentation. Keeping lures in the strike zone and fishing them with intent made the real difference.
The North Coast continued to produce well. Snoek remained thick, with some of the better fish coming off slightly deeper water. Pushing out a bit proved worthwhile, and mixed into the action were couta and tuna that kept things interesting. Dorado showed on the colour lines, tuna stayed active, and the possibility of something larger always remained.
Durban was more variable, but anglers fishing methodically still found success, particularly on couta. Smaller fish were abundant, but the bigger specimens were also around for those presenting baits properly and fishing patiently.
Further south, the heavier fishing lived up to its reputation. This stretch demanded solid tackle, sound knots and a disciplined approach. There was very little room for error, and any weak link was quickly exposed.
Overall, the long weekend confirmed what the build‑up suggested: the coast is alive, the seasonal change is underway, and the fishing has shifted into a productive phase. For those paying attention to conditions and putting in the effort, the results were there — and the signs suggest there’s more to come.
Freshwater:
News from Jan – Well … as expected : mention the weather and it goes belly up once again. The rains returned – with a vengeance I might add! – the weekend storm(s) pretty much blowing out what was previously settling waters. To the extent that Midmar Dam is back up to FSL and just pushing over the wall. Good news for water levels, but perhaps not the best news for anglers … especially over the long weekend! On the upside, anglers that got out before the storm(s) were rewarded with some excellent fishing, which will no doubt return as and when conditions return to normality … again … and good waters levels this late in the season bodes well for the coming season.
Earlier in the week, with the rivers having fined off from the previous rains, some great fish were reported by the Natal Fly Fishing Club anglers, with returns coming from all three of the premier wild spawn brown trout rivers; viz. uMngeni, Mooi and Bushman’s. The fish reported from the uMngeni were from the lower end of tape, in the 3-7 inch / 10-18cm bracket, with both The Mooi and Bushman’s Rivers yielding fish in the 9-13 inch / 23-33 cm bracket. There were however also a couple of excellent fish in the mix : The Bushman’s giving up a 17-19 inch / 43-48 cm fish, and The Mooi showing off with a fish that taped into the 21-23 inch / 53-58 cm bracket! Water temperature on The Bushman’s was reported at 17deg.C. Post storm however, the river was up and wading deemed treacherous.
Prior to the rains, some of the scaly river sections were reported to be cleaning up well enough to warrant a drive by, but the weekend storms put paid to that.
The NFFC stillwaters didn’t receive much attention over the last week, as a number of the waters were still discoloured from the previous rains … and this weekend wouldn’t have helped matters. By all reports, the storm(s) missed Underberg and further west (luckily for the Splashy Fen attendees), and waters that side are fishing well, albeit somewhat on the warm side. The “Beady Bloodworm” pattern was doing the business … the trout refusing everything else.
A reminder that entries for the winter stillwater events are already open for the TOPS Corporate Challenge (May-August), Kamberg Trout Festival (4-6 June), and 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, and all anglers are advised to take heed of biosecurity notices / signage in and 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.
While social media is full of images of bass from around the country, not at all sure what has happened to bass fishing in The Midlands, previously a Mecca for visiting anglers. Word from the waters this weekend is that there are numbers of small fish around … enough to keep the Wee ‘uns excited, but unfortunately nothing to write into the brag book.
Sterkfontein Dam has had a most excellent season, but will begin to wind down now as water temperatures start to cool. That being said, until there is a drastic change in the current weather, April still is a strong possibility for one to tick that checkbox … but you need be there…
For the best in tackle and advice, pop into any of the eight 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.
https://www.ecr.co.za/podcasts/ansa/
Go to 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.
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheKingfisherFishing
Please send any info about fishing or fish caught in your area to vineshs@kingfisher.co.za
