#FishEagle: Persistent windy conditions disrupt fishing

This season’s prolonged windy period has posed significant challenges for fishermen, and it shows no signs of relenting.

Traditionally, August was known for its strong winds, but this has now extended into September and seems to persist into October.

During the first half of last week, southerly winds prevailed along the coastline, followed by a brief calm period lasting two days until a south-westerly gust moved in early on Saturday morning, halting all water-related activities for the weekend.

These southerly winds resulted in large waves and robust surf conditions.

However, they also cleared away sand deposits that had accumulated over the previous months, creating open rocky gullies and removing sandbanks in some areas.

Divers reported sightings of bronze bream and garrick swimming in deeper waters, unable to move closer to shore due to the obstructive sandbanks.

Despite the presence of many anglers targeting shad, catches were disappointing, with very few fish caught.

The late start to the season was a let down after initial promising catches from well-known fishing spots leaving anglers eager for more action.

Although a few sizable shad were caught late last week, they were infrequent, and anglers will need to wait until December to target shad again.

Last week, several good-sized brusher were caught along the coastline, primarily along the South Coast, where the rough sea conditions favoured this species.

With the rocky gullies now accessible, local anglers can anticipate exciting opportunities to pursue brusher.

In recent seasons, brusher catches have been limited, but this year may offer a chance for locals to succeed.

Bronze bream appear abundant this year, especially in the southern regions, with prawn bait proving effective.

Local anglers have ample areas to target these fish, stretching from La Mercy in the south to Sheffield Beach in the north.

While the rough surf at the beginning of the week provided ideal conditions, caution is advised when fishing among rocks to avoid potential tackle losses.

Anglers targeting bronze bream have also managed to catch lantern bream in some areas and a substantial number of large stone bream.

Kob or salmon continue to be active in the dark, with various types of salmon, including dagas, snapper and sizable shoal salmon being caught using live karranteen, fillet baits or chokka bait.

River mouths remain popular angling spots for salmon, with Westbrook and Salt Rock occasionally producing good catches, though anglers should be cautious and avoid night fishing alone due to safety concerns.

Last week, local anglers experienced a decline in garrick catches, except for those fishing closer to Durban where some large fish were caught from the surf.

Live bait remains the most effective method for garrick, and river mouth areas continue to yield good results.

Blue Lagoon remains a favoured location for garrick anglers, with an abundance of live bait available.

Rough seas limited offshore anglers, but some fortunate individuals managed to spend time on the water.

Catch highlights included sizable bottom fish such as big rock cod, decently sized soldiers and slinger.

Closer to shore, a few snoek were caught, but the specific locations of these catches were not disclosed.

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