#FishEagle: Good weather makes for premium fishing time

Sea and weather conditions settled last week, with light winds allowing for premium fishing time.

All was quiet on the sardine front until the end of the week when sardines were netted at Mtwalume and Hibberdene on Friday and Saturday morning.

At first light on Sunday morning they were also netted at Scottburgh and Umkomaas. During the week sardines were reported to be moving out to the deeper waters.

One offshore skipper anchored on a reef said that they were fishing in calm conditions when suddenly the sea began to boil with pockets of sardines almost as far as the eye could see.

Rock and surf anglers reported excellent shad catches all along the KZN coastline. This year most of the shad caught have been well over size.

Most of the recognised shad angling spots have been productive and there is still two months to go before the season closes.

The early morning periods are still the prime time to catch shad and at times the fish have been smashing anything offered in the surf, including artificial lures.

Anglers should be reminded that the catch limit remains at four.

This year’s garrick run remains excellent, with live baits and artificial lures such as spoon and plug doing the job.

The water temperature in now down to a low twenty degrees, which is ideal. Anglers are urged to return these fish unharmed to the water wherever possible because this species is becoming under pressure down in the Transkei.

Kob or salmon continue to be caught in some areas and last week a number of fish were caught by anglers using live karranteen or karranteen fillets.

The salmon normally feed during the hours of darkness and fishing areas at or near the river mouths usually produce the best results.

A few daga salmon were also caught, plus a few decent sized shoal kob.

Anglers fishing the rocky outcrops have also enjoyed some productive fishing at times, with copper bream going after prawn baits. Along with the copper bream have been a few sizeable lantern bream and the ever present stone bream.

Game fish guys hauled in one or two nice big couta last week but finding the barracouta is becoming difficult.

Some snoek were also caught last week in selected areas and it has been reported that garrick seem to be shoaling off the harbour entrance.

Garrick were also caught off the Umgeni mouth at Blue Lagoon, a few along the Durban North stretch and locally at the Tongaat River mouth up to Sweet Waters just south of Ballito. Live bait and artificial lures are working equally well.

Many anglers are now opting to fish the productive bottom reefs and they are returning to shore with good catches. Half-kob remain plentiful and daga salmon are now arriving in numbers.

Reports suggest big seas this week, so anglers may have to wait a few days before venturing out to sea again.

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