Snoek were spotted “boiling” along the backline by an angler last week, offering encouraging signs for the game fish season.

After a windy start, the latter half of the week delivered mostly good conditions and those targeting game fish enjoyed solid returns.

Snoek, in particular, were reportedly abundant off Westbrook, Umdloti and Durban – especially around Blue Lagoon and the harbour basin. The term “boiling” refers to large shoals of fish feeding at the surface, causing the water to appear as if it is bubbling.

Couta were also in the mix, including a notable 30kg catch off Umdloti. Sharks remain a nuisance however, and anglers lost several trophy fish to the taxman.

Live bait has been inconsistent, but enough to keep ski-boats busy on productive reefs off Ballito, Stud Rock and La Mercy. Offshore, yellowfin tuna have been taken in deeper water, while sightings of marlin and sailfish – including a confirmed sailfish catch – have added to the excitement. Wahoo have gone quiet and dorado have been increasingly sporadic.

Bottom fishing continues to produce steady results, with red fish and rockcod dominating catches. Encouragingly, geelbek (Cape salmon) are also starting to show.

In the surf, early mornings remain best for shad, with activity reported from Ballito to Umhlanga. Fish were mostly on the small side, with the odd larger specimen. Sand sharks are plentiful, along with occasional diamond rays, while grey sharks are actively feeding and are expected to feature over the weekend.

Rock and gully anglers are seeing mostly smaller edibles, particularly blacktail, with the odd copper bream and pompano. Pompano, especially around Ballito and Salt Rock, are worth targeting using crustacean baits or drop-shot techniques.

The Umhlanga Festival produced a variety of game fish. Top catches included a 17kg wahoo on Saturday and a 21.8kg couta on Sunday.