Blue Lagoon shad and grunter

Kosi Bay – The edible Anglers are finally getting their turn with some lovely Speckled Snappers as well as some big Blackfin Sharks for the non-edible Anglers. There are also various Kingfish species, which are great for light tackle angling.

St Lucia/Cape Vidal – This popular holiday spot is literally fully booked and the up country visitors have put the Kingfisher spoons to good test. The V-back Spoons are working well for Shad and the Jet Spoons for the smaller Kingfish species. Typically a 9ft Rod such as the DAIWA Megaforce with a 3000 size Reel and appropriate braid is giving the guy’s hours of fun.

Richards Bay – The beach area like most spots in the North produced some good sized Sand Sharks, although not as many as other spots. Late afternoon Anglers caught a few nice Shad with some small Milkies amongst the Shad.

Nonoti – This spot is on fire! Those in the know have begged, borrowed or bought cars to get there. The Sandies are loose with many Anglers catching a number of fish during a session. Local Angler Alex van Rensburg caught a beautiful male Sandie of 60 kilos on Saturday. Other unnamed Anglers also got their fair share on Sunday morning using whole Redeye as bait. The DAIWA Windcast reel filled with 600m of 48lbs Gator braid and Poseidon 3 Medium Spin Rod has proven to be a fantastic outfit for targeting these fish.

Zinkwazi – There were also a few Sandies caught here although smaller fish by comparison to Nonoti. There have also been some Shad in the mornings for those up early and the late evenings a few Grey Sharks.  

Umhloti/Ballito – Both spots proved a lot less popular due to the restrictions on fishing hours and lack of parking due to visitors. Those in the know fished the quieter spots and managed to get some Skates and a few small Sand Sharks. Ballito also saw a few Pompano for the early morning risers.

Umhlanga – Somewhat off the boil this week, there were some Grey Sharks early in the week and a few Shad in the morning, whilst the end of the week saw a lot less activity with only a few small Shad and the odd Grey Shark being reported.

Virginia/Beachwood – As these beaches are fairly close together, many Anglers are not sure exactly where they fish. There have been some bigger Shad at Virginia whilst Beachwood which is closer to Blue Lagoon saw some good sized Shad although only in ones and twos.

Blue Lagoon – The North bank has seen some good activity with bigger Shad as well as a few Grunter in the 4 plus kilo range. This spot is tide governed as crossing the river on high tide is not always the easiest. Due to the restricted parking area this spot has not been fished as much as usual.

Durban Piers – Anglers fishing off the pier have also managed to get some better sized Grunter and they too have seen their fair share of the big Shad. A local Angler named Ronny caught a lovely fish of just over 6 kilos on a Sardine drift bait.

Durban Beachfront – With the vast amount of beach goers, Anglers have been forced to seek alternative spots to fish away from the crowds or to wait until bathers have left the beach. Some swimmers that have been amongst the Anglers have been shocked to see Sand Sharks, small Grey Sharks and the odd edible being caught where they were swimming.

Bluff – The Bluff is still holding its own with some Shad in the morning session, whilst on the low tide Kingfish can be seen chasing smaller bait fish. There are still a few Stumpnose around. This safe spot is ideal to take the younger Anglers as the Karanteen and Blacktail are plentiful and this keeps the kids engaged as they are not having to wait for a bite.

(File Photo:Gallo Images)

- Kingfisher

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