KZN winter fishing inconsistent

There is a 30% chance of rain in Durban this morning. Conditions should be partly cloudy later in the day with clear skies in the evening. The temperature is expected to peak at 22 degrees. The sea is going to be a choppy mess with strong NE winds forecast for Thursday.

The latest Kingfisher report indicates that winter fishing has been a bit of a here today and gone tomorrow scenario this year. Many reports received have been of fish coming out one day and then disappearing the next. The lower KZN south coast is fishing very well, while the north coast is still not producing the fish that should be around at this time of year.

So to follow on from that snippet, why not take advantage of the more consistent fishing on the south coast and enter these two UGU South Coast Africa Marine Expo angling comps today.

The first angling event, to be held on 3 August, will be a Catch & Release Deep Sea Fishing Competition. Participants will meet at the Pennington Club House at 7pm the evening before for a briefing and will then launch the next morning at launch sites between Umkomaas and Hibberdene. Lines will be in the water at first light and the competition will be based on species take rather than size. Therefore the team that catches the most species will take first prize. All fish must be photographed and released and teams should be back at Scottburgh main beach for the prize-giving by 5pm. Podium-placed teams will win cash prizes, with R6 000 going to the winning team and R3 000 and R1 000 for second and third place respectively. The entrance fee for this event will be R150 before July 25 or R300 thereafter. 

The second fishing competition of the Expo will take place on Sunday 4 August and is the Family Fun Junior Catch & Release Shore Fishing Competition organized by Dean Pretorius. The aim is to teach kids the correct handling of fish and instil in them a catch and release ethic at an early age. Registration will take place at 7am in the Marine ExpoTent on Scottburgh Back Beach and will begin at 8:30am. Children will then have two hours to catch what they can with all species and sizes counting as long as they are handled and released successfully. Parents may assist their children in baiting, throwing, unhooking and releasing their catches and there will be a prize-giving session held for this event at 11h30 in the morning. First place will win a cash prize of R2 000, while runners-up will receive fishing product prize hampers. The maximum age for this competition is 12 years old, since older children must be in possession of a valid fishing licence and entrance fees will be priced at R20. www.africamarineexpo.co.za

(File Photo:Gallo Images)

- OJ Symcox

Twitter - @OliviaSymcox @SportswaveAndre