#FishEagle: Deeper reefs produce best results

The Durban Ski Boat Club held its annual fishing festival at the weekend with the biggest couta winning the first prize of a fully-equipped ski boat and trailer valued at R700 000.

Rated what is arguably largest surf launch competition in the world, more than 300 boats took to the waters searching for the prize catches in the popular couta angling spots.

After a week of fairly settled weather, anglers found a light southerly wind blowing at the weekend, so fishing would have been a little uncomfortable.

The winning couta was a 26.08kg monster caught on Saturday by Linden Naidoo of team Reel Friends.

The water temperature remained around 26 degrees and the Umdloti, La Mercy and Stud Rock areas all produced good couta catches.

As usual big fish were lost to sharks again, which is normal at this time of the year as it is difficult to keep these poachers at bay.

Some snoek were caught as well but these were few and far between last week. The inshore guys found plenty of bonito though.

Big tuna can still be found out in the deeper waters along with a couple of big sailfish and even the odd dorado.

Fishing on the bottom has also been productive with some nice rock cod, various red fish and a few geelbek salmon all on the bite.

At present, the deeper reefs seem to be producing better results compared to the shallower reefs.

South Coast anglers are still awaiting the arrival of the shoals of small shad but there were a few caught on one or two mornings along the upper coast.

Kob and snapper salmon are still active down south, with chokka and baby squid being the preferred baits.

With the sea water not always ideal for fishing at times, anglers have been persevering in the rivers where a number of very nice rock salmon were caught.

Summer flatfish seem to have gone quiet and only one or two big skates have been snagged by local anglers. A few sharks were also reeled in during late afternoons.

Guys targeting pompano have managed to catch a couple of smaller fish and the light tackle anglers fishing the shore break areas seem to be doing the best of all with wave garrick and a few decent mullet in some areas.

I believe a few small shad came out at times and small salmon continue to be targeted.

The local rocky outcrops are amazingly still producing copper bream in some areas.

Fishing is a little quiet locally, which is normal for this time of the year and will improve when the shad begin to appear.

The Tugela area is productive with labotes, salmon, kingfish and grunter making up most catches.

Many angers specialise in fishing for the labotes and most catches occur in the river mouth.

Quite a few kingfish have been caught in the Tugela River recently, including a couple of GTs.

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