Almost 800 anglers competed in the Durban Ski Boat Club’s Festival 2026 last weekend, all vying for the top prize of a fully equipped ski-boat worth over R1-million.

Wesley Smith was crowned the overall winner after hooking a 23.86kg couta, but there were plenty of lead changes over the course of the two-day event.

Launching in the dark on Saturday morning, crews faced a bumpy sea under a light north-easterly, with many heading wide in search of bonito for bait. Reports pointed to solid action around Stud Rock, Westbrook and the Umdloti grounds.

The first fish on the scales was an 18.28kg couta from Andrew Carsons, but it wasn’t long before Deon Naidoo raised the bar with a 22.36kg fish. Just before close of weigh-in, Tegan Short edged ahead with a 23kg couta to lead overnight. Day two brought calmer seas and Smith struck early to land the fish that would ensure his win. While catches were not prolific, there was enough action to keep the leaderboard alive.

Top other catches by species included:
* A 6.98kg snoek caught by Sally Seppings.
* A 16.90kg prodigal son caught by Andre Labuschagne.
* A 17.12kg yellowfin tuna caught by Jared Edmond.
* A 8.56kg dorado caught by Barend Nianaber.

A widely shared video of one crew rescuing a rock python offshore was without question the most unique catch of the weekend!

Meanwhile, conditions were mixed throughout the first part of the week ahead of the competition, with a cold front and heavy swells slowing fishing.

Rock and surf fishing remained patchy, with a few early morning shad and scattered non-edibles like sandies and skates hooked. Tugela anglers reported some success, including an 18kg labote. In the

Umhlanga and Durban North areas, rays and grey sharks dominated catches, while edible species were mostly found at night, including kob, stumpies and the odd grunter.

Further south, the early signs of winter are showing. A few shad, salmon, and even early garrick have been landed, along with bronze bream and blacktail among the rocks as water temperatures continue to drop.