The local angling fraternity eagerly awaits the Durban Ski Boat competition over the Easter weekend which offers a R900 000 boat as its top prize.

There were some positive signs for offshore anglers last week, who hooked some sizable barracouta, wahoo and yellowfin tuna. The grounds off Umdloti, Westbrook and Ballito all produced some early morning fish, as did areas off the Bluff which have historically proved fruitful at this time of year.

Anglers targeting the bottom reefs found plenty of half-kob, soldiers and the usual rockcod species, while a number of big grunter surprised anglers off Umdloti. It has been a good few weeks for bottom reef fishing, although the long-range forecast does suggest at least one bad day of weather over Easter, likely forcing skippers to remain shore bound.

Surf anglers managed a few shad last week, but it is still a bit early for the species to move northward. The water temperature of around 25°C will need to first drop before the move happens. Other edible species hooked were salmon at the river mouths, plus the odd stumpnose.

Anglers fishing among the rocks caught some copper, stone and lantern bream along with the odd rockcod and rubberlips.

Some big rays and sand sharks were caught on Durban’s sandy beaches, while the inevitable grey sharks are still popping up and being found further north.

There will no doubt be a few anglers visiting for the long weekend and areas like Boulder Bay in Ballito, north of the Salt Rock Hotel and Tinley Manor will probably be busy. Non-edible species will likely provide the majority of action, but the odd shad and pompano are possibilities, while those fishing the rocks should encounter bream and blacktail. Prawn and other crustaceans are good baits to try among the rocks.

Further south, there remains frustration about the closure of fishing at Blue Lagoon with anglers arguing that other events like the Dusi Canoe Marathon have been allowed to continue.

Subsistence anglers that typically fish in the area are on an almost daily basis complaining that their source of revenue and food on the table has been severely compromised. No further information is available at present.

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.