Shad Fever Grips the KZN Coast Despite Cold Conditions
The recent cold front that swept up the East Coast certainly made conditions a little more challenging, with rough seas, cooler water temperatures and strong winds keeping many anglers off the water for parts of the week. Despite these less-than-ideal conditions, there were still plenty of encouraging catches along the KZN coastline, proving once again that persistence often pays off.
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Rock and Surf:
One of the biggest highlights at the moment has been the arrival of shad. Their accessibility and willingness to take a variety of baits make them one of the most exciting species to target during winter. Whether you’re fishing with sardine, red-eye, spoons or paddle tails, shad offer fast-paced action that appeals to anglers of all skill levels. Better still, they’re the perfect species to introduce youngsters and first-time anglers to the sport. There’s nothing quite like seeing the excitement on a child’s face as they land their first fish, and with the current shad activity, families have the perfect opportunity to spend quality time together on the beach while enjoying some fantastic fishing.
The North Coast has continued to produce some solid catches despite the weather interruption. Garrick remain the headline species, while couta and snoek have also featured in catches when conditions have allowed boats to get offshore. Live bait has once again proven to be the standout tactic, with healthy baitfish drawing aggressive strikes from these winter predators. Reports continue to suggest that anglers venturing further north are finding the more consistent fishing.
The Central Coast has experienced mixed conditions thanks to the cold front, but anglers have still managed to put together some respectable catches. Garrick and snoek continue to keep ski boat anglers entertained, with both trolled lures and live bait producing results. The persistent shoals of garfish remain a challenge off Durban, often making it difficult for baits to reach their intended targets. Bottom fishing has nevertheless continued to produce kob and geelbek from the deeper reefs, with chokka and sardine remaining reliable bait options whenever anglers can work them past the ever-present garfish.
Further south, the South Coast and Aliwal Shoal have also had to contend with the effects of the cold front, but there have still been some rewarding sessions between the weather windows. Garrick have remained a standout species, while tuna have continued to provide exhilarating offshore action. Deep-diving trolling lures have once again accounted for most of the tuna catches and have also tempted a variety of other gamefish, making them an essential part of any offshore trolling spread.
As the cold front moves away and sea conditions begin to settle, the outlook for the coming weekend is looking increasingly promising. With calmer weather expected and the shad continuing to keep anglers entertained along the shoreline, there’s every reason to dust off the rods, get the family together and make the most of what is shaping up to be another enjoyable weekend of winter fishing.
Offshore:
The recent cold front certainly made life difficult for anglers along the East Coast, with rough seas, strong winds and unsettled conditions limiting opportunities on the water. Even so, those who managed to fish during the weather windows were still rewarded with some quality catches, proving that perseverance continues to pay off.
Along the Central Coast, Garrick and snoek have once again been the standout species. While the rough conditions reduced time on the water, anglers fishing between the fronts still enjoyed success. Fast-trolled lures continued to account for regular strikes, while those slowing things down and drifting productive bait marks with live bait found the bigger fish waiting below. Patience was undoubtedly the key ingredient this week.
One challenge that refuses to disappear is the incredible. Despite this, bottom fishing has continued to produce encouraging results, with kob and geelbek coming from the deeper reefs. Chokka and sardine remain the go-to bait choices whenever anglers can work them through the relentless shoals of garfish.
Further south, the deeper reefs and Aliwal Shoal have also felt the effects of the cold front, but there have still been rewarding sessions during breaks in the weather. Garrick have continued to headline catches, while tuna have once again provided thrilling offshore action for those able to launch. Fast-diving trolling lures have accounted for most of the tuna and have also attracted a variety of other gamefish, making them an invaluable addition to any offshore trolling spread.
As conditions begin to settle and the sea starts to calm, optimism is building for another productive weekend along the KZN coastline. If you’re fortunate enough to get out on the water, remember to fish responsibly and help protect the incredible resource we all enjoy. Take a moment to collect any litter you come across at the launch site or along the shoreline. Every small effort contributes to cleaner oceans and healthier fisheries for future generations.
Freshwater:
News from Jan: ‘Be careful what you wish for … Part III…’, well, snow (and rain) is what we asked for, and boy, did we get! After last week’s weather system, and some (light) snow up on top that was limited to above the 2000/2500 m contour line, you might have been forgiven for thinking that was it : the last shake of Winter’s tail. But noooo, Winter had other ideas and gave us another wobble, and not just the tail this time. The Midlands has received anywhere between 10 and 40mm of most welcome rain, along with a goodly dump of snow down to ground level, which has now resulted in The Mudlands! It’s slippy slidey out there, so anyone traversing the interior of The Midlands (i.e. off the main tar roads) should be extra careful as some of the (dirt) roads will be 4×4 only.
With some more snow in the forecast, temperatures are expected to be in the low single figures, and below in some places, for the rest of the week, but improving from the weekend as the weather clears. The barometer made a swan dive of note as the system came over on the weekend, but is already skyrocketing up, and if fishing in the snow holds some appeal, now is your chance!
As we head for Opening Day of the trout river season on September 1st, a mere 2 weeks and some change away (but who’s counting?), the rivers will be getting some good input from the rains received so far, and the snowmelt to come. This will give the rivers the required scrub and flush, and will get the fish moving up from their overwintering holes. Here’s hoping for a cracking start to the season.
Prior to the weather, the scaly / yellowfish anglers have be on the out and about, and reports indicate that good fish were coming out from the lower reaches of the Umkomaas River. With the impending snowmelt, water temperatures will no doubt take a dive as the water makes its way down, so the yellows will go on the quiet till temperatures go on the up again.
With last week’s good weather prior to the front, the anglers of the Natal Fly Fishers Club were also out taking advantage. The fish were clearly feeding up before the impending weather, and there were good numbers of fish reported in the 11-13 inch / 28-33 cm and 13-15 inch / 33-38 cm classes. Some bigger classes of fish also made it to the net, viz 17-19 inch / 43-48 cm and 19-21 inch / 48-53 cm , as well as a fish in the 21-23 inch / 53-58 cm bracket. By all reports, the dropping pressure at the end of the weekend put the fish down.
The Finals of the TOPS Corporate Challenge took place this past weekend, the anglers lucky to get the fishing in before the arrival of the weather. While fishing was reportedly slow, there were some 230+ fish that came to the net, the biggest of which taped in at 57cm / 22.5 inches. Word from the anglers is that fish were pretty much keyed in on minnow and hot-head leech / bugger style patterns, primarily in black, fished with a trailer nymph (e.g. GRHE).
The PMB-based ladies “Women in Waders” team, consisting of Roxanne Stegen, Sindi Beach, Bridgette Moores-Pitt and Felicity Riley placed a creditable 5th out of 15 teams – Congrats to all.
KZN remains an active containment zone for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), and biosecurity protocol remains a CRITICAL component for the control of the disease. All anglers (and visitors) traversing The Greater Midlands are advised to take heed of biosecurity measures, and to heed all biosecurity notices / signage 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.
The 24hr biosecurity spray stations on the Kamberg Road at the Connington Road junction, and at the beginning of the amaHlubi Tribal area on the way up to Giant’s Castle are required stops for all travelers going up and down the valley.
The bass fishing remains quiet on the local public waters of Midmar and Albert Falls, but there are some good fish coming to hand on some Midlands private waters before the inclement weather arrived. With spawn conditions approaching, fish are reportedly pairing up,
The recent KZN Small Craft Bass League Comp 5 at Inanda resulted in 10 fish over 50cm. This weekend sees their ‘Big Bass Bash’ Nationals Team Fundraiser at Mearns Dam – looking forward to the big bass!
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 public holidays, Saturdays and Sundays.
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Please send any info about fishing or fish caught in your area to Vinesh Soogreem – vineshs@kingfisher.co.za
