2025 Kicks Off with a Bang: Steaming Weather and Fish on Fire!
The summer fish are absolutely buzzing right now, and the shore anglers are reeling in some epic catches—including plenty of edibles! The drags are screaming up and down the coast, and it’s an adrenaline rush you don’t want to miss!
Rock & Surf
The north coast is absolutely on fire with inedible catches right now! If you’re chasing a real drag-busting thrill, Tugela and Mtunzini are the go-to spots—these places are delivering the goods! Just a heads-up, always fish in groups here; safety first, as there have been incidents before. For the best action, bloody baits like mackerel and bonito are the key to success. And don’t worry, the edibles are making their presence felt along the coast too! For the best catches, hit up those sheltered bays and gullies for a guaranteed thrill!
The central coast has been buzzing with some seriously exciting catches! While the reports have been a bit patchy, spots like Glen Ashley and Blue Lagoon and the Basin have been absolutely delivering all week! The edibles are out in force, with shad, kob, and stumpies making up the bulk of the action! But if you’re after something that’ll really test your strength, the grey sharks are around, pulling hard on the line! And if you’re looking to push your limits—get ready for the Sandies! They’re wild right now, with skates also bending rods and cranking up the thrill!
The scratchers are absolutely smashing it down south, landing some top-quality fish that will get your heart racing! From stumpies and bream to pompano and the occasional bomber shad, there’s a feast of action waiting for you! Make sure to chat with the local anglers—they’ll have the inside scoop on what’s been biting over the past few days. For the thrill-seekers, the deeper points down south are still holding some of the biggest inedibles! Anglers have been landing bus eagle rays and honeycombs, and trust me, these beasts will put your gear to the test! Eagle rays go wild for octopus bait, while honeycombs can’t resist a juicy redeye sardine mix.
And hey, let’s talk about keeping that gear in top shape for more epic adventures ahead! Maintenance might not be the most glamorous part of fishing, but it’s a must if you want your tackle to keep delivering those adrenaline-packed catches. A simple rinse with freshwater after a day at the beach can extend the life of your gear for years to come! For reels, focus on cleaning the line roller, handle, and line itself. For rods, don’t forget to look after the guides and joins. Take care of your tackle, and it’ll take care of you when the big ones come knocking!
Offshore:
On the north coast, the smaller boats and skis are reeling in some impressive dorado and couta, keeping the excitement high. But it doesn’t stop there— the deeper reefs and wrecks are dishing out epic bottom fishing, with big trawl soldiers and a massive variety of species coming to the surface. Squid and sardines have been the unbeatable baits for these deep-water hauls. The dorado have been particularly ferocious, with some true giants being hooked and making anglers’ hearts race!
Moving to the central zone, while a few couta have made their mark, but it’s the dorado that continue to steal the spotlight on the Durban coast. They’ve been consistent week after week, and there’s no sign of slowing down! The bait supply is also picking up, so get ready for some fresh, top-quality offerings hitting the shops soon! Tuna are still hitting a variety of lures, but for the true trophy hunters chasing the big boys, live bait is the golden ticket. Mozzies, mackerel, shad, and redeye sardines are your best bets for reeling in the big tuna. And here’s a pro tip: tuna don’t have cutting teeth, so no need for wire. But don’t skimp on the line—use a high-quality fluorocarbon like Maxima or Siglon for that extra layer of protection during a long, hard-fought battle.
The south coast? It’s no different—packed with the same high-energy action as the central and north zones. Tuna and couta are on the bite but for those wanting to get technical, it’s all about the snoek. These feisty fish have been making their presence felt around river mouths, providing an exhilarating challenge for anglers seeking a little extra thrill. To target them, troll baits on the backline with lipped lures like the Strike Pro Magic Minnow or throw spoons into the backline surf zone for an explosive strike.
But wait—before you head back out there, let’s talk about something crucial: maintenance. We all know it’s not the most exciting task after a long day of fishing, but taking care of your gear is vital if you want it to keep delivering results. Rinsing your tackle with freshwater after each trip to the beach can make all the difference, extending the lifespan of your rods, reels, and other equipment for years of non-stop action. Prevention truly is better than cure, so give your gear the love it deserves, and it’ll keep you in the game longer.
So, grab your gear, get out there, and ride the wave of action that 2025 is serving up. This season is on fire, and you won’t want to miss a single bite!
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.
Freshwater:
News from Jan:
Happy New Year to all The Kingfisher’s – we trust that Father (and Mother) Xmas’s GPS was highly tuned, and (s)he completed the tight delivery schedule! There was certainly a pile of gear to be delivered, and we would like to take this opportunity to Thank You all for the amazing support over the Festive Season! Now put that gear to work and let’s have those reports and images rolling in… #braggingrights 😊
That being said, the Festive fish action has been on the slow … the fireworks clearly saved for the HNY celebrations! A friends report recently mentioned “my butter is soft” … well, the recent hot spell of nigh on 40 deg.C had my butter going beyond soft and into liquid phase! This has meant that the fish have been nowhere near the surface, running deep(er) in self-preservation to find that cold, oxygenated water. This was followed by a couple of heavy bouts of rain, which has had the rivers come barrelling down. Not all doom and gloom however, as the upside of the rains is that when conditions subside, the fish will be properly back on the prod.
Of the 4 rivers locally that the Natal Fly Fishers Club has access to, The Bushman’s River has been the one to give up some of fish, while The Mooi and Umngeni Rivers were described as “challenging” with high and brown water. Most of the fish in the returns were in the 9-11 inch / 23-28cm bracket, with a few coming to hand in the 15-17 inch / 38-43 cm and 17-19 inch / 43-48 cm classes. Water was reported as “warm for the river”, and dry fly action slow as the fish stayed away from the oxygen-less surface water.
Prior to Xmas Day, the NFFC stillwaters were “firing on all cylinders”, with some excellent fish reported in the returns. Fish were in primarily in the 15-19 inch / 38-48 cm class, but there were a few lunkers around in 19-23 inch / 48-58 cm bracket … and then of course a submarine or 2 that pulled the tape up into the 23-25 inch / 58-63 cm class … now that’s some fish well worthy of spending a day on the water for!
Perhaps the fish (and the anglers!) feasted too well over Xmas, but there was a bit of a slump in the returns between Xmas and New Years … as mentioned, the heat certainly had an effect, putting fish down and only a handful of fish in the returns compared to the period prior, and up to, Xmas.
Word from the water is that black and olive are still pretty much your “go to” colours. With water temperature now above 20 deg.C, “Tippet Up” is the order of the day to get the fish to hand a quickly as possible for an early and successful release. And worth a mention once again is the TOP TIP for trout in summer : get out early (e.g. be on the water at sunrise) and plan to get off mid-morning as the heat starts, and plan to be back on the water late afternoon / early evening to get your days fishing in.
The bass are also playing hide and seek, with anglers describing the fishing as “tough”. Anglers reports are mixed, ranging from a day on the water and not getting any action, to a single bite and catching one fish for the day. Of course, just to keep things interesting, there are a few anglers in the mix that are getting fish, so as the saying goes “you don’t know unless your throw”. Local angler Alistair Moores-Pitt reports that the fish at Albert Falls are “finicky”, not wanting to commit to lures as there is plenty fry and fish are concentrating on bait balls. Much the same from the anglers at Midmar … word is that live bait is performing better than lure. Engaging with anglers recently on the Midmar slip … they found fish early on, but as the heat of the day set in, the fishing went quiet. Anglers fishing late afternoon and early evening are reporting better fishing … boats are launching between 4 and 5pm and fishing the last couple hours of light in the day. Water temperature is reported at 26 deg.C for Albert Falls and 23/24 deg.C for Midmar.
No word from the carp, bream or barbel anglers.
After a good few weeks of non-stop action, Sterkfontein Dam also went on the slow between Xmas and New Years, with guide Mark Yelland reporting “Sterkies has not been easy of late!” But if you not there, you won’t be catching, and with the weather being perfect, local angler Rauri Harrison has been rewarded after putting the time in.
A final thought for the New Year : less wishing, MORE fishing … and Tight Lines! Do stop in at The Kingfisher-PMB for the best in tackle and advice.
Opening hours are 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, and 8am-1pm on weekends and Public Holidays.
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.
https://www.ecr.co.za/podcasts/ansa
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. The Kingfisher has opened their new store on the upper north coast. Situated in the Tiffany’s Shopping Centre in Salt Rock, pop in and see them or give them a shout on 032 307 0041.
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