Sardines have been spotted moving north along the lower Transkei coastline, raising hopes for another bumper run this year.

Shoals of the locally prized fish were first seen at Gonubie in East London, followed by sightings near the Kei River mouth and have since been confirmed as heading up the coast.

The migration matches the timeline of last year’s strong run.

Fishing reports along the KZN coast

Closer to home, there was a brief window of excellent fishing early last week before the arrival of a cold front brought big swell and heavy surf.

There were reports of a monster 14kg pompano caught at Tinley Manor on Monday. However, the species tends to avoid rough sea conditions and colder waters, making further catches increasingly unlikely for now.

Grey sharks also proved a challenge for surf anglers, who have increasingly turned to night fishing when shark activity tends to decrease. Some salmon (cob) were hooked, but few other notable catches were reported.

South Coast anglers fared better, landing a variety of edible species – including a good-sized musselcracker from the shore at Port Edward.

Elsewhere, shad, garrick and salmon were caught in the surf, while rocky areas produced copper and lantern bream, blacktail and karranteen. The presence of karranteen is a promising sign that local fishing conditions are returning to normal – welcome news for rock and surf anglers.

Offshore anglers continued to enjoy productive outings, with catches of big couta, snoek, bonito and the occasional yellowfin tuna. Bonito fillets are currently ideal bait for bottom reef fishing, which will grow in popularity as game fish become scarcer in cooler waters.

Bottom reefs are reportedly teeming with life, yielding sizeable soldiers, slinger, Englishmen and trawl soldiers. Half-kob remains a prized target, while daga and geelbek salmon continue to show up from time to time.

Change of season necessitates change in fishing tactics

As autumn draws to a close and winter begins, anglers will need to adapt their tactics to shifting sea conditions. Some will follow the sardine shoals, targeting the sharks and other species that follow them – often a rewarding but crowded experience.

Typical winter catches include the sought-after brusher, lantern bream, smaller blacktail, and karranteen – commonly found in rocky outcrops, where experience pays off.

The long-range forecast predicts mostly calm weather with north-easterly winds through mid-week, followed by increased wind and worsening conditions.