KZN Report | Festive Edition
The Kingfisher trading times for the festive season is as follows:
Monday to Friday 8 to 5pm. Saturdays and Sundays 8 to 1pm. All public holidays 8 to 1pm.
25th December 25 all of the branches will be closed. 26th December 25 all branches will be open from 8 to 1pm except Kingfisher Kingsmead.
NB Thursday the 1st of January 2026, all branches will be closed, except for the Salt Rock and Ballito stores, they will be open 8 to 1pm.
Rock & Surf:
Up north, it’s pure festive chaos. Grey sharks cruising like they own the coastline, honeycomb rays gliding through like armored sleighs, and every skate imaginable prowling the shallows looking for trouble. It’s full-contact fishing and the ocean is handing out no gifts for free.
And mackerel? Still the undisputed Christmas king of bait. Dead, alive, half-chewed or fresh off the knife… throw it in and it gets absolutely erased. No debate. No mercy.
Rocky gullies are lighting up with bronze bream on demon time. Prawn baits are getting punished, the wind has finally eased its grip, and every cast feels like it’s been gift-wrapped perfectly. Clean hits. Hard pulls. Festive violence.
Durban anglers who pushed through the rough stuff earlier are now cashing in big time, and with conditions settling, the bite has gone full festive send. The harbour remains a gold mine if you can dodge the Wala Wala madness, and that size 14 light-gauge circle hook? Straight-up ridiculous. Fish barely breathe on the bait and they’re hooked.
Down south, Margate Pier is a Christmas battleground. Shad charging, bream scrapping, hammerheads circling. Everything is feeding. Everything is fired up. Everything is ON.
With calmer seas lining up, we’re heading into clean casts, smoother water, and fish that are completely switched on.Gear up. Get out. Pull tight. The KZN coast is buzzing like Christmas morning.
Offshore:
If Christmas had a soundtrack offshore, it would be reels screaming “DORADO”. From slipways to ski-boats, that word is echoing up and down the KZN coast. This dorado run is wild, loud, and relentless.
North to south, rods are folding, coolers are earning their keep, and crews are strapped in for one of the season’s most memorable runs. The north coast has gone nuclear, with tuna pitching up thick and heavy and boats barely getting a breather.
Live bait remains king. Mackerel rigged on Pelagic Series Live Bait Clips are staying alive, kicking, and deadly. When bait runs low, Pelagic Bait Swimmers are keeping anglers firmly in the fight.
Couta are smashing hard, especially dead baits dressed with chartreuse or pink flashers. Add green glow beads to your live-bait traces and watch the Christmas magic unfold. Absolute chaos, in the best possible way.
Durban crews have refused to slow down, using sheltered launches to stay on the water, and dorado are stealing the show, often topping the day’s scorecards. Tuna and couta are close behind, while skirted trolling lures are pulling strikes from dorado, tuna, and even the odd billfish sliding through unannounced.
Snoek are still around, and bottom anglers are banking quality rockcod, slinger, and soldiers. Friendly festive reminder: undersized fish go back. Look after the reefs and they’ll keep delivering the goods.
The south coast is matching the tempo. Dorado numbers remain strong, tuna and couta are feeding hard, and trolling skirts continue to be the weapon of choice. Snoek are schooling, rockcod are steady, and the bite shows no sign of slowing.
Conditions are lining up, anticipation is high, and the coast feels alive. Rods are rigged. Tackle is sharp. Spirits are higher.
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to fish this summer… this is it.
Freshwater:
In true Christmas fashion, the Midlands weather has been acting like it’s had one too many mince pies. One moment it’s cold, wet, and borderline winter, the next it’s cooking and you’re chasing hydration like it’s a full-time job. Such is a Midlands Christmas.
The upside? These swings are short-lived, and once the weather wheel turns, things settle just enough to get back on the water.
Recent rains have kept rivers up and anglers cautious. Upper reaches are flowing clear but strong, while lower sections are still carrying colour. Heading upstream is the better bet, with “heavy metal” doing the business in faster water. Dry flies are less effective right now, except when conditions calm.
A word of festive caution for those heading into Blue Line territory: summer thunderstorms can build fast and hit hard. Keep an eye on the sky.
There are also ongoing concerns around Foot and Mouth Disease in the Midlands. Some waters have been closed at landowner request, and anglers are urged to respect all biosecurity measures and instructions. A little care now helps protect access for everyone.
If it’s tight lines and bucking rods you’re after, Sterkfontein is once again delivering. The dry fly game is alive, with hoppers and beetles in brown and black, and ant and termite patterns coming into play late afternoon, especially after a storm.
From all of us, to all of you:
As the year winds down, we’d like to wish every angler a happy, safe, and truly merry festive season. May your holidays be filled with calm seas, screaming reels, bent rods, and unforgettable moments with friends and family.
Thank you for being part of the fishing community.
Tight lines, safe travels, and a magical festive season to all.
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.
Angler News SA – https://www.ecr.co.za/podcasts/ansa/
Go to The Kingfisher Daiwa – 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.
The KingfisherFishing – https://www.youtube.com/c/TheKingfisherFishing
Please send any info about fishing or fish caught in your area to Vinesh Soogreem – vineshs@kingfisher.co.za
