Murky waters keep anglers on the move
Start of billfish season shifts attention north to Sodwana and Cape Vidal.
The week saw anglers pursuing copper bream, though discolored waters near river mouths forced them to look for new fishing sport.
Brusher are still being caught but are expected to decrease as water temperatures rise. At 22°C on Sunday, warmer water is gradually phasing out winter species while drawing in summer flatfish; sizeable honeycomb rays and small sand sharks are showing up in larger numbers alongside gray sharks.
Night fishing has been productive for surf anglers, with some catching daga and snapper salmon in murky waters. Stumpies are still being caught at night, especially with bait intended for salmon and grunter.
As waters stabilise, the wave garrick should soon arrive, as catches have already been reported along the South Coast shorelines.
With the crayfish season ending this week and just a month to go until shad season reopens, a few oversized shad have been caught and released, although some anglers couldn’t resist keeping them.
Offshore anglers focused on garrick along Durban’s beachfront up to Umgeni mouth, reeling in some heavy fish weighing up to 18kg, mostly using live bait.
On the reefs, slinger, soldiers, rock cod, Scotsman, daga salmon, half-kob, and geelbek salmon are still being caught despite poor conditions. Offshore gamefish season is around the corner, with a few small dorado caught recently, signaling a shift as waters warm.
November marks billfish season in Sodwana Bay and other popular spots like Cape Vidal, where anglers anticipate catches of barracouta, snoek, dorado, and even sailfish, as bait is plentiful. These venues should soon be buzzing with activity.
Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.
Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.
