A few decent-sized shad caught last week have puzzled anglers, who typically expect the fish to return in the later months of the year.

Some 6kg shad were hooked at Glenashley, while many caught locally and on the South Coast met the legal weight too.

Local anglers normally catch small green China shad in June and July, before the larger blue shad arrive in October and November. The fish usually travel south for cooler waters during the summer months and fishermen use their absence as a sign for the end of the edible fish season.

The pattern has begun to change however and will be interesting to monitor going forward.

Fishing was otherwise patchy for rock and beach anglers last week, who faced high temperatures and some uncomfortable winds.

A few sand and grey sharks were reported, but the coastline was quiet. Some inedible species were caught down the lower South Coast but the rough water meant little else was on the bite.

Offshore anglers fared better in water temperatures of up to 27°C. There were some good sized couta caught at Stud Rock, La Mercy and Umdloti and the known couta areas at Ballito, Salt Rock and Tinley Manor should get busy soon. There has been no mention of fish being lost to sharks, but it is early days yet.

Kayak anglers have done well with snoek this year and areas off Salt Rock, Umdloti and the Umgeni River mouth have proved popular venues. Ski anglers have also reportedly found kingfish in a few areas, particularly off the “big bricks” at Umdloti and Peace Cottage.

Dorado continue to provide excellent sport over a wide area, while yellowfin tuna are becoming more numerous in the deeper water. Bonito have been plentiful too, with entire shoals spotted. Apparently baitfish are still quite common and it was good to hear that garfish have been caught in the game fish grounds. This species had been missing in local waters during summer for quite a while and will be a nice surprise for old school anglers who used to target garfish to make rollmops on the braai.

Fishing on the bottom has been productive for red fish species, rockcod and the occasional musselcracker. A few geelbek salmon have also been caught, evidence that the reefs continue to produce as they have in the recent past. The swell has been a bit of a problem recently, but anglers said last week was okay.

There have been a lot of queries about the status of Blue Lagoon for anglers. The lagoon and Umgeni Mouth remain closed and authorities will announce when anglers are allowed back in to fish.

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.