Herald Fishing: Couta make their presence felt

The weather has not been consistent for more than a week, and that has made planning trips a bit tricky.

Nonetheless, the unsettled conditions over the last week or so has meant the fishing has not been what it could have been.

On the positive side, the dams are starting to fill nicely and the flooded shorelines have made for exciting fishing for small bass and various tilapia species.

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This is a brilliant way to keep children entertained and doesn’t require any fancy equipment.

There is huge excitement starting in the offshore scene. The couta are here! More and more of these fantastic gamefish are starting to make it on to the catch reports.

The tuna and couta are there for the guys wanting to target them, but those wanting to try a bit more technical fishing have been chasing the snoek.

These fish have been available for the guys around river mouths for the past few weeks.

Snoek can be targeted using some small spoons and light braid. They are fantastic fighting and eating fish, but they do require an early morning start.

There are reports of bronze bream still on the bite all along the coast

Rock and Surf:

The big seas and the warmer water has put the rock and surf fishing on hold.

There have been fish, both edible and inedible, reported from Umzumbe down to Port Edward.

The colder water has seen some decent smoothhound sharks coming out.

These are one of the hardest fighting fish for their size. Mullet is one of the best baits after periods of freshwater influx.

If you haven’t caught one yet, make sure you make your way down to the beach.

Freshwater:

The freshwater scene has been going well for bass, trout and carp fishermen alike.

There have been some big bass landed, large trout gracing the net, and some fat carp steaming line off the reel.

Trout fishing is picking up speed, and pictures of the fish are causing a large amount of drool.

Still waters are the place to be at the moment. The rivers have been producing quality fish, but the rapidly fluctuating water levels have made the choice of where to fish a bit of a problem.

Bass fishing has been phenomenal at all KZN dams. The big dams have seen the bulk of the action, but the smaller farm/private dams are seeing some beautiful fish coming out.

The fish are still in their summer feeding mode, so make the most of it, and get out to your nearest water.

Both soft and hard plastic lures are working at the moment, so it is more about the erratic action of the lure than the lure itself.

If the water is dirty, use a darker lure. If the water is clearer, use a brighter/lighter lure.

Tight lines and screaming reels.

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