March has been a month to forget for North Coast anglers and last week proved no different.

Just as the sea was returning to normal, more winds and rain brought flooding and discoloured water, along with plenty of weeds in the water. That was enough to keep away most anglers along the coastline, although there were some decent returns at Mtunzini, where diamond and honeycomb rays and sand sharks were all hooked, while the Durban bay produced grunter, salmon, springer, stumpies and kingfish.

Those fishing offshore also struggled in patches of discoloured water and strong currents. While the big swell out to sea moderated early last week, the change in weather resulted in big swells of four metres on Saturday morning, while the wave height at Westbrook measured almost three metres. Combined, the conditions meant skippers had little choice but to to fish bottom reefs, which saw little return.

Some big barracouta were reported, but there was no mention of the location. For now, offshore anglers will need to look north for cleaner water to find these fish. The recent conditions have hurt an otherwise productive game fish season and large numbers of sharks will now also try and take their share.

There is some good news on the long range weather report however, which forecasts friendly offshore winds and only light rain. The water temperature also dropped to 24°C to at the weekend, which should bring some edible fish like small salmon (kob), stumpies and the usual rock species back on the bite.

Meanwhile, the ever popular Blue Lagoon remains closed to anglers. It has been a busy fishing area for many decades and this is the first time that anglers have been stopped from fishing in the estuary or in the sea. Many people have been trying to find out when the area will reopen, but the answer remains that the community will be notified by the municipality when ready.

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.