Blue Lagoon shad and skates
Kosi Bay - Seems to be one of the spots that was heavily affected by the Westerly winds, having very few reports of inedibles. There were a variety of smaller edibles that were caught in the shallows just south of Kosi. However, there was nothing to write home about.
Cape Vidal - Is fishing well and has had a few excellent catches of stumpies and pompano. Anglers using drop-shot have landed a number of kingfish, particularly in the afternoons just before sunset. Here’s one for the boys, 81-year-old Ian Barton-Hobbs landed a sandy of 91kg after a four-and-a-half hour fight.
Richards Bay - Has had a good run and continues to surprise us with the quality of fish being landed. Some excellent honeycombs and diamonds have been caught, with hundreds of milk sharks in between. South of Richards Bay towards Mtunzini, anglers had fun with the smaller edibles such as grunter, stumpies and pompano, as well as a large amount of diamond skates and sand sharks for anglers targeting inedibles. A very nice Java shark was landed in the area too, caught on a diamond skate swim bait on a Daiwa Saltiga 60 Lever Drag. Reports of brown skates and smaller sand sharks have also been common in this area.
Ballito - Is also producing some good sized fish, being mainly grey sharks, brown skates, diamonds and sand sharks.
Umhlanga - In this area there has been a real bruiser of a shark, giving anglers a hiding on slide baits. Time to bring out the Saltiga.
Blue Lagoon - Is having some good catches of shad lately, as well as a few brown skates. The spinning enthusiasts will be happy to know that there are a few Natal snoek being landed from the north bank of Blue Lagoon. These fish have been taking spoons cast out as far as possible. Most anglers have resorted to using as low as 10 or 15lb braid to get the distance that is required.
Durban - The beachfront has again had a mixed bag of stumpies, small pompano, shad and some smaller skates, although no monsters have been landed, the catches have been consistent. The basin has also had good catches, but the fish have been on the smaller side. However, there is a wider variety of species being caught of late. Species include rock salmon, stumpnose, grunter, shad, kingfish, springer, a variety of flatfish and also some huge sharks.
Bluff - This spot has been a bit quiet with edibles apart from the odd kingie and grunter, and has had only a few reports of grey sharks at night.
Umkomaas - Umkomaas anglers have reported a large amount of grunter catches at the mouth on smaller baits, while anglers throwing larger baits managed to hook into some excellent sized kingies. Small brown skates have been caught in between the grunter and kingies and according to reports, there have been a few massive sharks patrolling the backline.
Scottburgh - This area had a limited selection of target species and fished very well for the grey sharks in the Westerly winds. Plenty of these sharks were landed, many being over 10kg. Hibberdene has had an up and down week with some shad and some small kingfish.
Port Shepstone/Margate - Port Shepstone has seen lots of shad and some nice bronze bream. Hound sharks have been on and off the bite throughout the week. Margate is producing some bigger shad and bronze bream on the low tides.
Transkei - Port St John's north has seen plenty of raggies, kob, bronze bream and bigger shad. Lapatana has been especially good for shad, with reports suggested that the majority of fish have been over 1kg and fish of 4kg are not uncommon.
Reminder - Imperial Nissan Zululand Couta Classic at Mtunzini on 25 and 26 April 2015.
For more details on this KZN north coast deep sea fishing competition you can contact Hylton on 078 854 9358 or Rod on 083 587 3990.
May will see Pumula on the KZN south coast hosting the annual Quattro King of the Sea fishing contest.
(File Photo: Gallo Images)
Twitter - @SportswaveAndre @kingfisherdaiwa