TYPICALLY for this time of the year, the weather has really been making life difficult for all fishing enthusiasts. One day the easerly is blowing, and then the next the westerly, making conditions unpleasant.
Offshore angling has not been that good with dirty water stretching way out past Protea. However, a couple of good-sized tuna were boated, although the sharks are rampant at the moment.
With very slack current, the bottom fishing has gone very quiet with hardly any fish being caught.
Hopefully, when the current returns the first dorado will make an appearance. These fine eating fish are due anytime now.
From the shore, reports have been received of some very large shad being caught early in the mornings.
One needs to remember that the reason for the season being closed at this time of the year is to protect those larger, mature fish during the spawn. So come on guys, let’s play the game and return those fish to ensure our children will also know what a shad looks like some day.
Also, let’s be honest, those bigger shad are not that tasty, so take a pic and return the fish.
One fish that does not mind the rough conditions is a bronze bream and some really good fish have been taken recently. A couple of decent brusher have also been landed.
There are still reports of some nice-sized garrick and kob coming off the Sandspit at Port Shepstone. The kob have really latched onto the paddle tails with the avid kob anglers reporting that the rapala is now a thing of the past.
It’s amazing how these fish are able to ‘change flavour’ from one season to the next.
First we could only catch them on baits until the guys experimented with copper and brass spoons. Then we moved onto rapalas and now all they want is the paddle tail.
The sensational range of kob minnows and the McCarthy 5-inch and 6-inch seem to be the dominant lures.
It’s an awesome way of targeting kob with even the garrick starting to get ‘the flavour’ so grab yourself a couple and go give it a bash.
Not much to report back on the situation of the ramp at the Shelly Beach launch site, with no sign of any work having been done, but just prior to writing this report it looks like mother nature takes care of her own, with sand now starting to build up nicely against the ramp.
This may be all good and well for now while we are still on neap tides, but who knows what may happen on the next spring tides.
Unfortunately no photos this week due to poor fishing but, please guys, if you catch any decent fish, pop into the shop in Shelly Beach so we can put a great weekly report together for all.
Don’t forget this weekend is the annual Port Edward Bass Classic which is a well run compo, so all bass enthusiasts get out there and catch a big one.
Port Edward
For the past few days, the sea has been very fishable and the results of the recent bad weather are gone, leaving water of a good colour for the season of summer fish now.
Reports of grey sharks and big pulls in the area are promising and one can expect some good sport fishing as is the norm for this time of the year.
Sandshark, skate and other big sharks should be coming on the bite now and the water colour is ideal.
With more turbulence and white water around, the reef area’s bronze bream catches are common and options are open to the many other species of reef fish.
Crayfish season is now closed till the end of February so there should be far fewer torches operating late at night in the rocky areas during low tides.
The estuary at Mtamvuna is also looking good and with the mouth so wide open at the moment fish movement in and out of the river also opens possibilities of excellent fishing there.
Report by Mark Bennett (Tackle Box) and Terry Nel (Tackle Net).
Tide Table
HIGH tide
November
07 05.52 18.06
08 06.39 18.55
09 07.36 19.57
10 08.56 21.26
11 10.41 23.10
12 12.04 —
13 00.28 13.01
