Get ready: It’s tackle-busting time

October traditionally marks the start of Big Fish Season.

As summer approaches and the sea begins to warm, the larger flatfish start making an appearance.

These include butterfly (diamond) rays, honeycomb rays and giant guitarfish, among others.

Powerful and relentless, these fish can really put your tackle to the test – so it’s a good idea to respool and service your reels to ensure they hold up during a big fight.

Andre Coetser recently had great success, landing a butterfly ray, a honeycomb ray, and a young giant guitarfish.

Meanwhile, Kivesh Naidoo, a junior angler from Inkwazi Angling Club, hooked and landed a fine honeycomb ray weighing 70kg.

Edible fish are still biting well, and anglers who have put in the effort have been rewarded with some quality catches.

Barry Tedder, spinning off Hlobane, caught a pair of blacktip kingfish, while Max Killian, spinning off Ballito, caught and released both a Natal snoek and a garrick.

The ‘Old Man of the Sea’ himself, angling legend Roy Woodley, landed a beautiful 4.6kg spotted grunter off St Lucia beach.

A word on dusky cob

Right now, the dusky cob are busy spawning off Richards Bay harbour, and fishermen are actively targeting the big breeding fish.

While catching these giants may seem like fun, killing them has devastating consequences for the species.

Each year, these large cob congregate off the harbour mouth to spawn.

A single large female can produce over a million eggs in a season, but removing her from the system dramatically reduces future numbers.

To make matters more serious, dusky cob reach sexual maturity only at around 1.1m in length, which means they are already 5 to 8 years old before they can reproduce.

For a deeper dive into the science behind their conservation, check out this excellent article:

Why Dusky Kob Have to Live Long – The Mission Fly Mag: https://themissionflymag.com/science-bru-why-dusky-kob-have-to-live-long

Competition news

The Zululand Shore Angling Association kicks off its 2025 competition year with a Postal Round taking place over the weekend of 12 to 14 September.

We wish all participating anglers the very best of luck, and look forward to an exciting and successful season ahead.

Until next time, tight lines – and please keep our beaches clean.

For those looking to refine their skills and connect with fellow anglers, consider joining one of the clubs affiliated with the Zululand Shore Angling Association.

More information can be found on their Facebook page: Zululand Shore Angling Association.

Don’t have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here:

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