Hold onto your rods, anglers — The Kingfisher is turning up the heat for our BIRTHDAY BLOWOUT SALE and it’s going to be WILD!

From 26th to 29th June 2025, we’re slashing prices with a HUGE 25% OFF EVERYTHING in-store (okay, not bait or already discounted stuff — and Shimano rods & reels get 15% off, but still ).
That’s right — gear up, stock up, and go BIG because this deal is ON across ALL SEVEN Kingfisher branches!

Expect DAILY LUCKY DRAWS, EPIC GIVEAWAYS, and way too much excitement to stay calm.
Let’s make some birthday noise — see you there!

Rock & Surf:

SOUTH COAST FISHING FRENZY — THIS WEEKEND IS GOING OFF!
This is NOT a drill — the South Coast is on FIRE and if you’re not fishing it this weekend, you’re seriously missing out on straight-up carnage!

SHAD IS ABSOLUTELY UNHINGED.
From Margate to Port Edward, they’re smashing bait like a bar fight at a buffet. Feeding frenzies. Screaming reels. Churned-up surf and bait flying everywhere. These aren’t fish — they’re torpedoes with teeth.

STUMPIES the size of frying pans.
They’re in tight, they’re aggressive, and they’re wrecking rigs left and right. Bring your A-game — or get broken.

BREAM? MEAN. MAD. MERCILESS.
Punching above their weight and turning light setups into spaghetti. No bait is safe. No angler left untested.

AND THE SHARKS?
Yeah, they heard the commotion — and they’re here for the buffet. Screaming runs. Bent rods. Hearts pounding. These beasts are running HOT and HARD.

So pack your gear, load your bait, and get to the beach before sunrise. Bring backup. Bring snacks. Bring stories for later — because what’s happening on the South Coast right now is nothing short of chaos wrapped in salt spray.
Get in. Hold on. And FISH LIKE A MANIAC.

Offshore:

The ocean is ALIVE and pulsing with energy. Every drop is a chance — a chase — a strike waiting to happen. The bite is HOT, and it’s calling your name. You ready?

North Coast – Umdloti’s on FIRE
Early morning ski missions are delivering the goods! Couta and snoek are smashing lures left, right, and center. Small-lipped lures = big action. Even the backline’s lit – hit it hard, and drop a spoon first thing!

Durban – Straight-Up Madness
Charters are maxed for a reason – Couta going beast mode , Geelbek with serious size, Kob lighting up light tackle, Bottom bite? STILL ON FIRE!
Even mussel cracker are showing up with jaw-dropping pics to prove it.

Umgeni Snoek – Blink and You’ll Miss It
The early morning snoek bite is feral. Fillet baits are getting HAMMERED. Cast, strike, chaos — in that order. Be on it or be left behind.

South Coast – Bottom Bite Beast Mode
Gamefish might be keeping quiet… for now. But the bottom species are running the show: reds, slingers, soldiers — all hitting hard. Don’t sleep on it.

Respect the Ocean
It’s wild. It’s powerful. It’s ours to protect. Handle your fish right, clean up after yourself, and leave it better than you found it. Let’s keep it wild — and keep it legendary.
Now get out there. Rig up. Go wild. The ocean’s alive and waiting for YOU.

Freshwater:

News From Jan: As the calm weather continues after the recent storm(s), we appear to be experiencing perfect winter conditions … however, more crucially, the fish appear to have not got the memo, and the fishing remains on the slow.  The words “strange”, “weird” and “off-season” are being bandied about merrily, and the fishing is a lot tougher than what one might have hoped, or even expected, for this time of year.  Especially with the flurry of stillwater events that have been taking place, where one might have anticipated some great returns, but apart from the usual nuggets here and there (everybody has to eat some time, but unfortunately not all the time…), the scorecards have been rather devoid of numbers.  

If the “weather” can’t be blamed, perhaps one needs to dig deeper behind the calm, sunny days to a factor that we have reported on previously : barometric pressure.  If one is looking for excuses, then here is a likely culprit, as the pressure has been bouncing about like a scalded cat, with 10 mbar changes not uncommon of late.  Moreover, it is the rate of change of pressure (over time), that is of consequence … so while 10mbar is not a particularly great change, when it happens over the space of 24hrs or less, fish purportedly get iffy, with the dreaded “lock jaw” or “zip lip” as a result.  So if you are looking for an(other) excuse for a blank return, you’re welcome…

In line with the decent weather, the Natal Fly Fishers Club stillwater anglers have been out and about, but slim pickings abound, and only a few of the returns feature fish. A couple of “stockies”, considered to be fish of 10 inches / 25cm or less), and couple in the 13-15 inch / 33-38cm bracket, and, of course, there was a nugget that came in at 21-23 inches / 53-58cm.  Water temperatures have now dipped below the double-figure mark and reported at 8-9 deg.C.  From those anglers that have shared their catches, there is (still) no clear pattern on what produced the fish … almost every fish has come to the net on a different offering!  w.r.t. the pressure discussion above, “low and slow” is the oft given advice … full sink line, on the bottom, with a figure-of-8 retrieve.

This weekend sees the penultimate event in the winter still calendar – Leg 3 of the TOPS Corporate Challenge – we look forward to reporting shortly.  The Finals will take place at the end of July, after the fish have had a good rest.

Round 3 of the Foot and Mouth warning, of concern across The Midlands with its large bovine population. To protect stocks, the NFFC has closed some of its waters at the request of the landowner, as they monitor the outbreak.  NFFC further requests that all anglers to please follow any landowner, or staff, requests to respect their vehicle / footwear sterilization protocols if required.

The bass angling remains on the back foot, with no reports coming in from both Albert Falls and Midmar Dams.  The socials are jammed with “the next big thing” lure ads, so come on guys, show us your fish!
On the upside, we have just passed the Winter Solstice (21 June) and are technically on the other side of winter … the sunny winter days are just going to get longer now, so make the most of it and get out there … as long as you have a “bait” of your preference in the water, there is a good chance for a bite … better than sitting in the office or at home!

And no better reason than to tackle up for your next outing at the annual Kingfisher Birthday Sale … if you don’t already know, what (large) rock have you been hiding under?  So stop in at The Kingfisher-PMB for the best in tackle and advice … especially this weekend!.
 
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/
 
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Please send any info about fishing or fish caught in your area to Vinesh Soogreem – vineshs@kingfisher.co.za