#FishEagle: Sardines finally on the move

The South Coast experienced perfect weather on Saturday morning, accompanied by the exciting news – the arrival of sardines.

Reports of sardines emerged from Port Shepstone down to Port Edward, signalling the start of the annual spectacle.

Just two days prior, a large shoal was spotted north of East London.

Shortly after, reports came in of dead sardines washing up on Glenmore Beach along the South Coast.

As the shoals moved north, Cape yellowtail could be seen eagerly pursuing them. The identified baitfish included red eye sardines, maasbanker and mackerel, while the species further offshore remained unidentified.

On Sunday morning, successful beaching of nets occurred at Ifafa Beach and Mtwalume. The netters reported that the shoals were moving north, albeit out of reach for most of the lower South Coast.

But they also noted numerous sightings of red eye sardine shoals, indicating that the South Coast beaches would likely be bustling this week.

Unfortunately, there were reports of some areas experiencing dirty water conditions.

While the lower South Coast had been relatively quiet of late, anglers discovered that every bait cast into the water late last week attracted sharks.

Species such as grey sharks, hammerheads and the occasional skate were caught in the Port Edward area. Further north, shad came on the bite, with some impressive-sized catches recorded.

The arrival of shad also brought in highly sought-after garrick, breathing new life into the fishing scene along the lower South Coast.

It appears the bait shoals moving up the coast have enticed various fish species to join the feeding frenzy.

Anglers also managed to catch a few garrick, pompano and notable stumpies on the upper South Coast.

Rough sea conditions at times disrupted the fishing experience, although it was during these challenging moments that the stumpies were caught.

Durban anglers also enjoyed reasonably successful fishing outings, reeling in a variety of edible fish.

Some shad appeared during the early mornings, alongside a few small shoal salmon and the familiar wave garrick and small pompano in the shore break. Red eye sardines proved to be the most productive bait for shad, while chokka was effective for other species.

The bay continued to yield sizable grunter, as well as small salmon and snapper salmon.

Local beaches and popular angling spots didn’t deliver much action last week, and the few shad caught were mostly lured rather than baited. Shad seemed to be moving quickly northward without pausing to feed for long durations, as has been the case in previous seasons.

Anglers managed to catch shad at Umdloti, followed by a few in the Ballito and Salt Rock areas, but further travel was necessary to locate them.

Interestingly, fishing activity tends to quiet down locally when the sardines arrive on the South Coast.

Offshore anglers found joy in catching barracouta, even though most were on the smaller side, with a few larger ones appearing as well.

Inshore grounds provided an abundance of snoek, and anglers celebrated some impressive catches. This season has proven exceptional for snoek, with their presence observed over a wide area.

Anglers targeting bottom reefs have recently experienced rewarding hauls.

Unfortunately, sharks were also prevalent in these areas, but those who managed to avoid them were rewarded with substantial catches of big rock cod, half-kob, and the usual red fish species.

However, the impending arrival of sardines in local waters could abruptly bring an end to this productive period, as sardines tend to act as a massive vacuum cleaner, sweeping away everything in their path.

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