We’re diving headfirst into February, the hottest month of the year, and the fishing scene is exploding with action! Sharks, rays, and gamefish are all on the hunt, and it’s time to make the most of these epic conditions!
Top tip: Summer is HERE, and with it comes the scorching heat, making air conditioning a must. The northeast wind is picking up, and it’s bringing that perfect edge to the water. If you’re heading to the North Coast, this is prime time—the action is heating up! But don’t just show up—get prepared. Make sure your traces are prepped, your reels are serviced, and you’re spooled up with the best braid you can find. Preparation is key, and it can be the difference between a day full of thrills and a day full of frustration at the beach. Trust me, the little things matter, and when you’re dialed in, you’re in for a fishing adventure like no other!
The water is calling, and the fish are waiting—let’s make this a month to remember!
Offshore:
The offshore action has been absolutely electrifying lately! From massive bottom fish to intense gamefish battles, the sea has been alive with excitement, despite the bumpy conditions and the persistent northeast winds. The summer fish are making their presence known, and every day brings fresh, thrilling catches!
North Coast – The North Coast is buzzing with summer fish, and it’s heating up! Dorado have been the star of the early summer gamefish scene, but it’s been the tuna that’s been taking center stage for most anglers, with some absolute beasts hitting the decks! And let’s not forget the Couta—they’re on the bite, and we’re seeing some monstrous specimens come up. The key this past week? Trolling lipped lures, especially those in purple or pink. These colors have been catching everything from tuna to dorado like a charm. Tinley Manor has been absolutely on fire, with reports flooding in of successful catches—if you’re heading out that way, you’re in for a treat!
Central Coast – Durban’s coast has not been left out of the action! Both gamefish and bottom fish are making their way into the catch reports, and the bite has been consistent. For bottom fishing, it’s been all about the bigger live baits, with smaller slingers or tjor-tjor either flapped or left whole proving to be deadly for poenskop and coppers. On the gamefish front, it’s been all about those bait balls—the sea’s been teeming with them, and trolling lures through these feeding zones is an effective way to cover ground and hook into the action!
South Coast – The South Coast is experiencing some of the best tuna fishing in both the shallow and deep waters! Live mackerel have been the top bait, and trolling them slowly with a 6/0 circle hook (like the Mustad Tuna Circle) is giving anglers that edge. The bottom fishing has been just as stellar, with shallower reefs producing rockcod in various species, and deeper reefs and pinnacles offering a wide variety of species. If you’re on the south coast, the fishing is exceptional, and the variety will keep you on your toes!
Rock & Surf:
With the summer season in full swing, there’s no shortage of action out there. So grab your gear, pick your spot, and get ready for an unforgettable day on the water! The fish are biting, and the thrill is in the air!
The shore angling this week has been on fire despite the rough seas and murky water from the weekend. The key has been finding those spots where the water’s cleared up just enough to give you a shot at the big ones.
Richards Bay, Tugela, and Ballito have been the hotspots, pulling in some impressive catches. During the day, you might find Ragged-tooth sharks off the deeper points, while at night, the grey sharks come out to play. Fleshy fish baits are your best bet for these powerhouses. But it’s not just sharks—those same areas have been bringing in sandies and other flatfish, so don’t even think about tackling them with light gear. You need the strength to pull them to a safe landing!
Down along Durban’s beachfront, the fishing has been solid, even with the rough seas. It’s one of the few spots where you can still get a decent haul when the conditions are tough. Sardine and redeye sardine are the go-to baits for smaller flatfish, with brown skates and blue rays leading the charge, along with the occasional diamond. It’s been a bit quiet for edibles, except for the shad, which are always a good option. If you’re chasing stumpies, go for a cracker shrimp or a cracker-pink prawn combo for the best shot.
And then there’s the coast south of the Bluff—wow. It’s been a non-stop action zone, especially for sharks and skates. Virtually every species is on the bite, and that’s not going to change for the next few weeks. If you’re after adrenaline, this is where the action is!
So get out there, make the most of every cast, and let the week ahead be filled with excitement and passion for the ocean. Let’s make it a week to remember!
Freshwater: News in from Jan Korrubel, The Kingfisher in PMB.
Weather seems to be settling, but fish are still few and far between.
Anyone else notice that sunrise is just a tad later in the morning now, and there is a wee nip to the morning air? Summer isn’t over by some stretch yet, but dare I say it : Winter is (already) on its way! Can’t say that I am totally unhappy about it, the heat of Dezemba and earlier this month was something else … and I am sure the fish won’t be complaining either. The trout especially, who went into deep water forage mode looking for cool water at the bottom. The rivers haven’t fared too badly w.r.t. water temperature, as there has been some good volumes flowing with the rains. The only thing that I will be sad about is the 3-month closure of the (trout) river season on 1 June (till 21 August), so that can just hang on for a bit as my account still needs some input after my sole, solitary outing way back on Opening Day … the sum total of my river fishing for the entire season to date … shocking! to say the very least…
With the recent rains, the rivers have been upside down – only a single return from the Natal Fishers Club anglers early last week, and unfortunately no fish to show for it. But hey, as they say : nothing ventured, nothing gained … so nothing lost either. The river was reported as “slatey and very full”, as were a number of the other local rivers. On the upside, water temperature was reported as 18deg.C.
Water levels had dropped to a manageable level by the weekend for the KZN Fly Fishing Association (KZNFFA) trial that was held on the Thendele Community section on The Mooi River up in The Kamberg. With deeper runs, fishing efforts were concentrated on nymphing techniques. Local lady anglers Roxanne Stegen and Bridgette Moores-Pitt joined KZNFFA for their first foray into competitive fishing and reported “Lots of fun had, a few fish caught and so much to learn! Looking forward to growing and learning in the sport (and the excuse for more time on the water!). Anyone interested in local competitive fly fishing, do give the KZNFFA a shout!
It was recently announced that after being invited to the SA National Protea Youth Trials on The Bushman’s River, Henry Walters (Tatham A Block, Michaelhouse 2025), has been selected for the South African Fly Fishing Association (SAFFA) Youth Development Team, and will travel to the World Championship in Idaho, USA, August 2025. Congrats!
Less than a handful of returns from the NFFC stillwater anglers … and unfortunately not a fish to be seen between them. No comments on water conditions, but no doubt full and off-colour from the rains. Also on the upside, was a report of an early morning water temperature of 18deg.C – so at least the input from the rain is keeping water temperatures down.
The bass haven’t been quite as elusive as the trout, and there have been reports of fish coming from both Midmar and Albert Falls Dams. “Small fish”, but a fish is a fish as the saying goes. With Midmar currently going over the wall, Alberts is catching the water and is currently sitting just shy of 83%.
Just a single report of carp on the surface at Albert Falls – very few fish to be seen however, not in their usual numbers.
Word from up north is that Sterkies is still the place to be. There has also been some good action from the carp.
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 public holidays, Saturdays and Sundays. The Kingfisher has opened their new store on the upper north coast. Situated in the Tiffany’s Shopping Centre in Salt Rock, pop in and see them or give them a shout on 032 307 0041.
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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Please send any info about fishing or fish caught in your area to vineshs@kingfisher.co.za