Summer fishing is absolutely on fire right now! Inedible anglers are heading up north in droves to get in on the epic diamond smashes, and the recent rains have added an electric splash of color to the waters, making it the perfect time to get out there.
Top Tip: With rays making their big summer appearance, it’s important to handle them with care to avoid any mistakes while landing or releasing these powerful creatures. Here’s the key—just like with sharks, don’t drag rays too far from the water. Keep them in the wash zone where they’re most comfortable. Always stay clear of their spiracles—those are off-limits for your fingers! When handling them, grip them by the mouth. If you’re nervous, pop on a glove for extra protection. When pulling them in, stay low to the ground to avoid stressing their spine, and NEVER flip them onto their backs or try to lift them for photos. Keep things smooth and safe for these incredible creatures!
Let’s keep the excitement rolling and make the most of these thrilling summer days!
Offshore:
The dorado have been stealing the spotlight for boat anglers lately! With recent rains bringing in plenty of floating structure, these fish have been easier to target and more exciting than ever.
The north coast has been absolutely buzzing with gamefish action! Couta, dorado, tuna, and sailfish are at the top of the list, and the catches have been nothing short of impressive. Live bait remains the ultimate secret weapon, as these species just can’t resist a lively, well-presented baitfish. Whether you’re trolling behind a boat or ski, the Pelagic live bait clips are perfect for keeping your bait swimming strong. When live bait’s hard to find, don’t worry—lures still produce great results! Vidal has been a hotspot, with social media lighting up with incredible catches from there.
The central KZN coast is delivering great results too, with boaters reeling in a variety of bottom and gamefish. Tuna and dorado have been the stars, and they’re not picky when it comes to bait. Whether you’re trolling lures, casting poppers, or using live bait, the action is hot wherever you spot birds or fish busting. And let’s not forget the mighty snoek and those massive couta making an appearance!
Down south, it’s been a different story with all the river run-off making inshore fishing tough. But don’t worry, the deep offshore waters are still producing some epic catches. Trolling large skirted lures and deep divers at speed has been the key to landing some true giants. Marlin, massive tuna, and monster dorado are making their way to the boat, making for some truly unforgettable days on the water.
Rock and surf:
Summer fishing has been absolutely on fire! Inedible anglers have been flocking north to dive into the action, with diamond and Sandie smashes lighting up the waters. The recent rains have brought a burst of color to the water, setting the stage for some seriously epic catches.
Top Tip: As we head into the peak of summer and rays start coming in hot, it’s essential to handle them carefully. With these beastly creatures, a few simple tips can make all the difference: Just like sharks, you want to avoid pulling rays too far from the water—keep them in the wash zone for their safety. Steer clear of their spiracles, and always handle them by the mouth. If you’re nervous, grab a glove for extra protection. When pulling them, keep your body low to avoid stressing their spine. And never, ever flip them on their back or lift them for photos—let them stay as comfortable as possible!
Now, let’s talk about the real excitement—dirty water, northeast winds, and the heat of summer… That’s the recipe for pure fishing magic! The diamonds are here, and they’re bringing along sandsharks and greys for a full-on frenzy. Summer fishing is absolutely wild right now!
The north coast has been absolutely exploding with action. Diamonds have been stealing the spotlight, with multiple anglers landing a few in a single session! Simple traces and fresh bait are all you need to get in on the action. If you want to up your game, go for heavy nylon traces for landing, but with so many shark species around, an FMJ is a solid choice. The 49-strand Fishmate nylon-coated wire from Kingfisher is super soft, and paired with a 10/0 circle hook, you’ll be ready for anything!
Beyond the diamonds, the waters have also yielded some surprises. While targeting flatties, some absolute monsters have been landed, including kingfish and shad—definitely not the small guys you’d expect!
On the central and south coasts, the heavy rains have brought in a lot of freshwater, pushing fish offshore. As a result, not much action has been reported along these areas this past week.
But the south coast isn’t slowing down! There’s been an awesome mix of species, from edibles to no-eds. The bronze bream are feeding like crazy around the rockier areas, so if you want to hook into these beauties, a juicy prawn bait on a 20lb hook snoot is your ticket. Cast as close to the rocks as possible—the bream love sticking to those bricks! And the best part? This method is multi-targeted, meaning you can catch a variety of species while you hunt for those bream.
This week, the seas might be a bit rough, so make sure to check your weather apps for the latest updates and stay alert while you’re out on or near the ocean.
Freshwater:
The rains have come crashing through, stirring up the rivers and slowing things down in some spots, but don’t worry—there’s still plenty of heart-pounding action to be had! At a few select dams, the bass have been relentless, attacking topwater frogs like there’s no tomorrow! The rain has actually kept that bite consistent—talk about a wild ride!
The topwater frog bite is absolutely electric! If your pulse doesn’t race when a giant bucket-mouth bursts out from beneath your frog, you’re not living! The thrill of those explosive strikes is what bass fishing dreams are made of. But you’ve got to have the right gear to handle it. You need a rod with some serious backbone and a fast tip action to work that frog like a pro. And don’t forget a speedy baitcaster—catching up with that line is essential. As for the line, braid is a MUST, and go with 50lb test if you’re diving into those thick weeds.
Inanda and Albert Falls are still cranking out big bass in the back bays. The muddy water has slowed the carp bite a little, but don’t let that fool you—these fish feed with their senses, and a little dirty water won’t slow them down too much.
For the conventional anglers, the action is red hot across KZN’s carp waters. Inanda has been the top pick, with fish feeding hard in the shallows. Sweet-scented baits are getting all the attention, and floaties are outshining mielies. For the specimen anglers, Inanda is still the place to be, with hinged rigs making every bite count. Tigernuts and pop-ups are leading the charge, and adding some color to your hook bait will take your game to the next level.
As for trout, the rivers have been blown out for a few days, and reports are scarce. But don’t fret—stay in touch with locals or tackle shops in your area for the freshest intel. Faster-moving water means thinner leaders and heavier flies for the best results.
For those chasing stillwater action, Sterkies yellowfish are the new target. While the intense action of the past weeks has slowed down a bit, it’s only a matter of time before things heat back up. Stay plugged in with your local tackle shop and fishing community, and get ready—epic action is just around the corner!
News From Jan:
Two weeks into the New Year, and you would have thought that the weatherman would have settled in for the ride, and had his ducks in a row by now, but it seems like they are all still reeling from the after-effects of New Years! The weather is, simply put, quite mad … there really doesn’t seem to be a plan to it, so the anglers and the fish are thoroughly confused. The only benefit of the cooler spells inbetween the bouts of Hot-as-Hades is that my butter has returned to block status; still soft but better than liquid!
While the rains are welcome, the surfeit of rushing water has kept the river anglers at home. On the positive side, the fresh input from a storm will cool the waters … much needed when the rivers are already over the 20deg.C mark, with some reports noting temperatures in the mid-20’s in the heat of the day. Par-broiled trout shouldn’t be on the menu…
With only a handful of returns from the Natal Fly Fishers Club for the last week, things are not much better with the stillwater anglers. Aside from the dreaded blank, reports mentioned dirty water and warm water temperatures, well into the 20’s. There was one beacon of light coming from a high-altitude water, where some really good fish came to hand on one of the cooler, overcast days. Fish were all in the 19-21 inch / 48-53cm class, bar for one whale that fell into the 25-27 inch / 63-68 cm bracket! Olive and back were the “go-to” colours. One should probably not be (trout) fishing in this heat, but if one feels the urge to scratch the itch, ‘Deep and Slow’ should be your mantra. By deep, the bottom is inferred … if you are not dragging up weed every 3rd or 4th cast, you are not fishing deep enough.
For a supposed summer fish, the bass are also conspicuous by their absence. The theories are many : warm water (but bass like warm water, but then again, surface temperatures of 26-28deg will probably put anything off the bite!) … specific feeding (plenty baitfish around, but “matching the hatch” is proving very difficult) … fish are deep / shallow (not finding the correct zone) … but whatever the reason, the fish are few and far between. Chatting to the anglers on Midmar, the terms “poor” and “bad” are being bandied about w.r.t the fishing, with only a couple fish reported here and there, and all small … the big un’s clearly in full stealth mode.
One likely theory however, is that of rapidly changing water level. Midmar is now at 98% (the wall is wet from wind-driven splash-over, Albert Falls at 80%, Spring Grove lagging behind at 64%, and Mearns going well over the top at 114%. One angler mentioned that there are fish in the shallows … and this conforms to the rising water theory where fish move to shallow water, especially newly flooded structure. Go hunt the shallows and do report back!
The bank anglers are doing well with tilapia, carp and barbel at Albert Falls. Banjo is the current flavour of the week!
Sterkfontein, while not quite back to 100% form, has been giving up it’s fish selectively, reports Jeremy Roche4ster from Escape Fly Fishing. Local lads, father and son Matthew and James Drew found fish under the scum lines while fishing with Jeremy last week.
Do stop in at The Kingfisher-PMB for the best in tackle and advice. epic action is just around the corner!
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. Tight lines and screaming reels.
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.
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
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