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.
Summer has definitely flexed its muscles these past few days. There have been gamefish, flatfish and plenty of sunshine!
Top tip: Rigging circles. A circle hook can only work properly if it is allowed to do so. There are two important aspects of rigging them that we need to consider when using them. They need to be snelled on to the trace. This allows the line to exit on the hook point side on the eye which enables the circle to turn better when setting. The other important consideration is to make sure the gape of the hook is not blocked by the bait. This was originally pioneered by the big game fishermen when they bridled their baits for marlin. Much the same applies. Make sure your bait does not obstruct the gape and does not hinder the functioning of the hook.
Offshore:
The offshore has been very productive with plenty of both bottom fish and gamefish coming to the boat.
North – The north coast has been the most consistent spot for those targeting the gamefish. Couta and tuna have been the main targets on the hit list. The couta have been enjoying a frisky live mackerel down rigged with about a 6oz sinker (depending on the depth you are fishing). The bonnies have been around but the sharks have found these too tasty to leave alone.
Speaking of which, the shark tax has been extremely high this past week. The sharks are in the mood to feed so this is the right time to bring out the heavier tackle to try to get the fish in as quickly as possible. Either follow the fish with the boat or pull as hard as the tackle allows.
Central – The Durban section of KZN has produced some good gamefish and bottom fish catches over the past few weeks. The charter boats are keeping their clients happy with plenty of tuna and the odd billfish to get the heart’s pumping and the drag screaming. Darker coloured skirted lures have been the most successful for these faster gamefish. Remember that the wahoo also loves a skirted lure at speed so use some wire or a chain gang.
The bottom fishing has been patchy but good. The slinger and soldiers have been the bulk of the catches in terms of numbers with a few rockcod rounding off the catches. Squid and sardine have been the most reported baits used successfully.
South – The south coast has also seen a good share of the bottom fishing success. The further south the boats have gone, the better the fishing has been. The lower south coast has seen some true giant fish hooked and lost with plenty of plosive language and backwinding KP’s.
The south has also seen some decent couta fishing with the 27m depth range proving to be a frequently reported happy zone. Live bait has been king, but a good quality dead bait will also get you the pull.
Rock and surf:
The heat of summer has made the days very long on the beaches, but the fishing rewards have been worth the wait (and sunburn).
North – The hot north has been just that, hot! The fishing has been good and the sunburns even better… please remember your hat!
The beaches up north that allow wading on to banks for a further throw are starting to produce bigger hauls of flatfish. Durnford is starting to see good numbers of diamonds, so make sure to watch the weather and head there when the conditions line up. The deep-water points are producing a lot of grey sharks in the evenings. A decent throw and fleshy baits are needed. You do not need heavy tackle for these fish, medium will do just fine.
Central – The beachfront has seen its fair share of both edibles and inedibles.
The piers have been the place to go if you are wanting an edible. Prawn and cracker baits have been the most successful. The main species have been stumpnose and grunter. When the conditions allow, a longer trace with lighter hook snoots allow a lot more movement of the bait which will get you more bites.
The inedibles have been limited to grey sharks, small sandies, blue rays and the odd diamond ray. Smaller baits have allowed for better casting distance while the bigger baits have survived the peckers longer. So, the choice is yours.
South – The coast south of the Bluff has been very productive for the shore anglers. The bronze bream have been feeding very well around the rockier areas. A nice juicy prawn bait on a 20lb hook snoot will generally get their attention. Make sure you fish as close to the rocks as possible as the bream like to stick to the bricks. This method of fishing is also multi-targeted as you can catch multiple species while looking for bream.
Freshwater:
The freshwater fishing has been good on all fronts. The trout are still fighting hard, the carp are vacuuming up any bait they find, and the bass are eager to attack something that looks edible.
Bass – The bass are feisty! Rattles and vibrations have been a key feature in the most successful lures over the last while.
Baits with blades are ideal when one needs some flash and vibration. Blades jigs and spinnerbaits are both great lures to throw at this time of year. The blades jigs produce more of a reaction bite whereas the spinnerbaits will target the fish feeding on the fodder fish. Colour wise is up to the individual but natural or white are the best in my opinion.
On the very hot days, you will be better suited targeting the deeper areas where the bass will seek cooler water temperatures and more oxygenated water. These areas are suited to most soft plastic methods as well as deep cranking.
Carp – The specimen fishing might be a little quiet, but the conventional anglers are more than making up for it with the number of fish they are catching.
Albert Falls is the current favourite of the KZN venues for the conventional anglers. Banana and honey continue to produce the goods. Accurate fishing has been the best way to secure consistent bites as the fish are not having to find the bait each time. This means doing your best to feed one area and to cast as close to it as possible on each recast.
The specimen angling has been the most consistent at Inanda, but most anglers have preferred to fish private waters. Particles have been the preferred feed of choice with tigernuts doing the bulk of the heavy lifting.
Trout – The trout fishing has still been worth it in most of the midlands. The fish are still feeding well even in the warmer conditions. With the winds blowing more consistently, the best place to fish has been either at the head or tail of the dam. Fishing a terrestrial pattern at the tail (where the wind is blowing to) of the dam can provide some very good surface action. Fishing smaller buzzers and nymphs on longer leaders at the head (where the wind is coming from) of the dam can save a day when more aggressive methods are not producing.
Those who prefer a little more action while fishing will be best suited targeting the deeper water with a streamer and a type 3 sinking line. Dredging the deeper channels can often produce the biggest fish in the dam. Remember to keep your eyes open for insect activity and match the hatch if possible.
No news from Jan this week. He is away fishing at Infanta, looking to land a grunter on fly.
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