Natal snoek action off Durban
North
On the days that the sea was fishable, anglers made good use of the conditions and managed to bring some decent fish to the gaff. With the north coast being relatively quiet of late, it is refreshing to see that the fishing has improved somewhat. Cape Vidal is fishing well with good catches of tuna between 5 and 10kg on the shallower marks. The larger fish are around, but seem to be sticking to the more northern spots around Sodwana. These fish have exceeded the 15-25kg mark and have been taking poppers as well as Rattlers trawled over the marks and alongside bait. In the areas between Cape Vidal and Richards Bay, there have been reports of larger prodigal son all week. This species is an extremely difficult species to target, as they have no preference in bait, speed or location. Anglers who catch these fish could be considered lucky and can enjoy one of our ocean's finest table fish. Between Tugela and Umdloti there have been some decent catches of kingfish, most of which have been between 10-18kg.
Central
Natal snoek seem to have come back on the bite between Umhlanga and Durban, and have been reported on every fishable day. At areas such as Blue Lagoon, it is important to fish with lures instead of bait, unless it is shad that you are after. Spoons are an excellent go-to lure when the shad become a menace, as they do not feed on fast moving lures as they do on slow moving lures. Off Durban and Umhlanga there have been excellent catches of bottom fish which include geelbek, daga, rockcod and many redfish.
South
Garrick have been caught along the south coast, but have been particularly plentiful around the Warner Beach and Hibberdene areas. Live shad has been best for these larger specimens. It is important to fish as close to shore as possible at the moment, as the abundance of shad is drawing the garrick closer in, meaning boaters who are fishing deeper are struggling for the bite.
(File Photo: Freespool)
Twitter - @kingfisherdaiwa @SportswaveAndre
Facebook - ECRSportswave