Brace for Wind & Big Bites – Shore-Based Fishing Explodes Along the KZN Coast!

Rock & Surf:

Hold onto your hats (and your rods!), because the KZN coastline is on fire — even with the heavy winds predicted this weekend!
For those brave enough to face the gusts and crashing surf, the reward will be absolutely worth it. The fishing has been nothing short of electric, with rods bending, reels screaming, and anglers landing serious catches up and down the coast!
The lower north coast is alive with action — Grey sharks, Honeycomb rays, and nearly every kind of skate are cruising the shallows. Shad are thick in the water, teasing anglers as the closed season ticks down, and it’s awesome to see locals keeping things ethical with catch-and-release. Respect to the responsible fishers out there!

When it comes to bait, Mackerel is still the MVP. Whether rigged dead or alive, it’s bringing the heat — and live baits are getting instant hits. If you’re working the rocky gullies, bronze bream are smashing prawn baits with enthusiasm, especially where the swell stirs things up. Just watch your footing — those gusts will make every cast an adventure!

Around Durban, rock and surf anglers are feeling the burn (and the breeze!), but those sticking it out are finding solid results. In the harbour, things are calmer and productive — getting past the Wala Wala has been key, and a size 14 light-gauge circle hook remains the secret weapon for maximizing hook-ups, no matter the fish size.

And of course, the south coast continues to steal the show! Margate Pier is delivering wild variety — Garrick, Bream, Hammerheads, and more. Both floating and grounded baits are doing damage, and the fish don’t seem to care about the weather one bit!
So yes, the wind might roar, but if you’ve got grit, balance, and a love for the fight — this weekend’s your time to shine! Bundle up, tie down your gear, and hit the surf — because those who brave the bluster are in for the catch of the season!

Offshore:

We might only be in the first half of November, but the KZN coast is already alive with action!  While the weather forecast calls for some hefty winds this weekend, don’t be too quick to pack the rods away — if you can brave the bluster, you’re in for some seriously rewarding fishing. The fish are feeding hard, and there’s plenty to get excited about!

Starting up north near Umhlanga, the Dorado run is turning heads — with both numbers and size improving by the day. These green-and-gold beauties are smashing pink and purple Rattlers, which have been the standout lures so far this season. Their lively swim is proving irresistible to both bulls and juveniles alike.
Along the Durban coast, the spotlight’s on Couta and Tuna, while Snoek takes a bit of a backseat. Anglers on skis and boats alike are finding success with live bait — still the top performer for just about everything this summer. For Tuna, drifting live bait over bait marks has been a winner, and if you’re short on livies, a Pelagic chin-weighted bait swimmer will keep your presentation on point. For those chasing Dorado, focus around floating debris or big container ships — they’re holding plenty of fish right now.

Down south, Garrick catches are tapering off as we move deeper into summer, but the offshore bite remains strong. Tuna are hitting hard in the deeper waters on high-speed trolled lures — both lipped and skirted — and though the heavier gear is needed, the payoff is well worth the effort. Closer in, a few Couta are showing up, hinting at good things to come. Bottom fishing continues to deliver, with solid rockcod keeping both charter and commercial crews busy.
So yes, the wind might make things tricky this weekend — casting will take focus, and the sea might be a bit bumpy — but those who stick it out will be rewarded.  The fish are there, and they’re feeding!

Freshwater:

News from Jan : The typical light dampening – between 15-20mm on average over the past week – of The Midlands continues, with some heavier falls in places, but currently(!) at least, nothing like the rain, hail and flooding recently experienced up in the north west at Newcastle, and up and across in Lesotho.  Looking at the forecast ahead however, there is some more rain on the horizon, so it’s going to be another of those weeks when where if you see a gap in the weather, grab it and head on out to get your fix.
The rains have impacted some of the lower reaches of the trout streams, with reports from the Natal Fly Fishers Club anglers indicating that both The Mooi and Bushman’s rivers were up, and coloured, from the recent heavier rains closer to The ‘Berg.  Flow was reported to be further upstream, and in the coloured water, no interest in the dry fly, but fish in the 9-11 inch / 23-28cm took an interest in a suspended nymph pattern.  The mid-morning water temperature was reported at 17deg.C.

Mixed bag of returns from the NFFC stillwater anglers – with some good fish in between a couple of blank returns, where anglers were chased off the water by the incoming weather.  Returns noted fish primarily in the 11-15 inch / 28-38cm class, with a few in the 15-17 inch / 38-42 cm class, and an excellent fish in the 19-21 inch / 48-53 cm class … there’s always one, isn’t there, which is why we keep coming back for more…
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.

On the bass front, some excellent news that Albert Falls Dam has been producing fish after a bit of a long slump.  Last weekend’s SABAA Team Tournament Trail Nationals held on Albert Falls, yielded some good numbers of fish in the 1-2kg range … 6 of the Top 10 teams getting their 5 fish limit on the 2 days of competition.  The best bag for the 2 days weighed in 12.217kg, with an 8 fish bag taking 2^nd place with 11.228g, and a 10 fish bag of 10.872kg rounding out the Top 3 places.   
No direct news from Midmar Dam, but a recent whisper from the water has it that there was a monster bucketmouth that came to hand.  Unfortunately no further mention other than that little teaser, so anyone in the know, feel free to share!

But if it a bent stick you are after, it seems that you can do no better than Sterkfontein Dam.  This past weekend saw ‘The Complete Fly Fisherman  (TCFF) Sterkfontein Experience’ in its 28th year!  With some 16km of shoreline, this is sight-fishing paradise, for both boat and bank-based anglers … and the fish were not shy to come out and play with some excellent small- and largemouth yellowfish coming to hand.
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