Just like that we are almost done with Jan-you-worry. The rains have made for difficult fishing, but the fish have been around.
Top Tip: The Dangers of Rushing
How often have you (or someone you’ve seen) lost a fish just as you were about to land it? It’s a common mistake many anglers make – rushing the process. But here’s the thing: fishing is a privilege, and you don’t get to do it every day, let alone catch fish every time you head out. So, it’s crucial to savor every moment of the fight!
Take your time, and don’t let impatience cost you a catch. Enjoy the challenge of reeling in that fish, and remember, the journey is just as important as the end result. Use the natural elements, like the waves, to your advantage when bringing the fish up onto the beach or rocks. And always loosen your drag just a bit, allowing the line to peel off if the fish makes a sudden dash. This can prevent break-offs and give you a better chance of landing it.
Most importantly, relax and have fun! Fishing is about enjoying the experience – so take your time, respect the fish, and make the most of every catch.
Offshore:
The offshore scene is absolutely on fire right now, with incredible action all around! Whether you’re into bottom fishing or chasing gamefish, there’s something for everyone, and the bite is HOT!
Up on the North Coast, gamefish action is off the charts, with plenty of dorado and couta putting up epic fights. And the excitement doesn’t stop there – sailfish and small marlin have also been caught this past week! These majestic predators are tough fighters, so be sure to take your time reviving them next to your ski, giving them the best chance to swim off strong for the next lucky angler. The further north you go, the better your chances of hooking into great numbers, with live bait reigning supreme. For those trolling at higher speeds, the high-speed lipped lures have been delivering amazing results – purple and pink have been the top colours to lure in these stunning fish!
Down in Durban, the bottom fishing has been absolutely fantastic! The bulk of the catches have been geelbek and daga, with night fishing proving especially productive. But don’t discount the late afternoon on the deeper reefs – there’s been some solid action there too! Along with those, there’s been a variety of reds (soldiers, slinger, etc.) and rockcod. For the bigger fish, live bait is the way to go, with mackerel leading the charge. If you’re after snoek, the shallows are your go-to spot. But for those targeting the hard-fighting pelagics like dorado and sailfish, head out to the deep blue! The temperature shifts and deeper drop-offs are where the action is for these incredible fish!
The southern areas from the Bluff onwards have seen similar action, with plenty of dorado and tuna for the gamefish anglers, and bottom fishing is staying strong as well. The dorado and tuna are primarily being caught on trolled lures, both lipped and skirted. For the southern waters, darker colours like black/red and black/purple have been outperforming the flashier options, so make sure to have these on hand! Bottom fishing down south has been consistent, and if you’re new to the scene, be sure to brush up on the species regulations to stay in the know.
All in all, it’s an exciting time offshore with tons of action to enjoy. Whether you’re chasing gamefish or bottom dwellers, now’s the perfect time to get out there and make the most of this incredible fishing season!
Rock and surf:
The summer fishing action is absolutely exploding right now, and shore anglers are reeling in some epic catches—including a ton of edibles! The drags are screaming up and down the coast, and the adrenaline is off the charts—you do NOT want to miss out on this!
The north coast is on fire with insane inedible catches! If you’re after a drag-busting thrill, Tugela and Mtunzini are your go-to spots—these areas are absolutely delivering the goods right now! Just a quick heads-up: always fish in groups here for safety, as there have been incidents before. For top-notch action, bloody baits like mackerel and bonito are the secret to success. And don’t think the edibles are slacking off—they’re making their presence felt along the coast, too! Hit up those sheltered bays and gullies, and get ready for a guaranteed thrill!
The central coast is buzzing with serious excitement! While the reports have been a little patchy, places like Glen Ashley, Blue Lagoon, and the Basin have been absolutely crushing it all week long! The edibles are in full force, with shad, kob, and stumpies leading the charge! But if you’re after a real test of strength, the grey sharks are around, putting up an epic fight! And for the true thrill-seekers, the Sandies are going wild right now, with skates also bending rods and sending those adrenaline levels soaring!
Down south, the scratchers are killing it! From stumpies and bream to pompano and the occasional bomber shad, there’s a feast of action waiting for you! Want the inside scoop on what’s biting? Chat with the local anglers—they’ve got the lowdown on the latest catches. For those who live for the thrill, 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 ultimate test! Eagle rays are wild for octopus bait, while honeycombs can’t resist a juicy mix of redeye sardines—prepare for an epic battle!
Get ready for the week ahead—it’s going to be one for the books!
Freshwater:
News in from Jan Korrubel, The Kingfisher in PMB. After a slow start to the year, we are happy to report that there are signs of fish! Not across all areas, but some at least … it’s a start, and we’ll take it…
With saturated soils across The Midlands, any spot of rain is going to straight into the off quota, putting paid to the trout river fishing, bar for the brave … or is that the desperate? While the singular return received from the Natal Fly Fishers Club for one of the Bushman River beats mentioned “water fast and off colour”, the report also listed a number of fish … just shy of double figures in fact! No details of the “fish food” implemented in the catching of said fish, but pretty sure that it would have involved a brick tied onto the leader in order to get the flies down. Most fish were in the 9-11 inch / 23-28cm bracket, apart from one fish the pulled the tape in the 15-15 inch / 33-38 cm class. Well Done that man for getting out there…
While the NFFC stillwaters fared better in terms of the number of outings, the end result was the same : only a single return reporting fish. And falling into the 13-19 inch / 33-48 cm bracket, good fish they were too.
Trout stillwaters become very specific during the height of summer, that is in terms of feeding and depth. With the current warm water conditions, the waters are “blooming” with so much food at present, the fish are for all intents and purpose, swimming in soup. Water temperatures in the mid-20’s by mid-day are not uncommon, and even a week of “cooler” temperature doesn’t really assist with getting temperatures down, in such large volumes of water.
The best way to target stillwaters at this time of the year, is to bank fish the first couple hours of the day (from 1st light), and then when the waters warms up, hop on a float tube and dredge the bottom with small flies at snail’s pace … and hopefully entice a lethargic fish to have a bite. Worth noting – as we do every summer – is that a thermometer is essential to monitor that time to call it day, or head out on a tube … usually mid-morning. Best for dredging are small bloodworm and midge patterns.
And there even some bass to report on! With the heatwave, yours truly has been spending some time at Midmar Dam (cooling off in the water!), and chatting up the (boat) anglers on the slip, a number have reported getting fish … not huge numbers, or even huge fish (the big ‘uns are still hiding, or no one is saying), but fish are being caught nonetheless. One of the theories proposed was that with Midmar now full to the brim (and topping over the wall), is that the fish are in the newly flooded margins … and anglers are reporting results from the shallows using frog lures and flukes.
No action from the local Bass Mecca of Albert Falls Dam. It is hoped that the fresh water overflow from Midmar will give Alberts a shot in the arm, and pep it back up. Bank anglers are report some good carp catches.
The yellowfish action is back on at Sterkfontein, reports Jeremy Rochester from Escape Fly Fishing. “Good times on Sterkies stalking yellows … blue skies, ideal sight fishing conditions … with some beautiful specimens caught over the last week”.
Still on the yellowfish, Craig Carter from N.KZN reports a tough day in very dirty water on the Buffalo River, a tributary of the mighty Tugela … but game on when the fish found the fly!
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.
https://www.ecr.co.za/podcasts/ansa
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.
Go to www.facebook.com/thekingfisherdaiwa and “Like” us on Facebook to catch reviews, videos, fishing reports, great promotions and lots more.
As always, remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date with all our new video releases and to brush up on your species knowledge, tactics and tips/tricks.
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheKingfisherFishing
Please send any info about fishing or fish caught in your area to vineshs@kingfisher.co.za