With the arrival of spring, anglers are hoping for a change of fortune, and the early arrival of the summer fish could mean just that.
Last week was a disaster and this week’s forecast is for the winds to continue, mainly from the north-east but also from the south. The last cold front (hopefully) reminded us that winter was not quite over yet. It was tough going for the rock and surf guys and only the experienced anglers who persevered in the rocky gullies made any headway.
Copper bream were the main catch, thriving in the rough water, with productive areas including Tinley Manor and the Bluff. Blacktail, some of the largest seen locally in years, were also caught, along with the occasional big stumpnose have surprised anglers. Anglers should focus on rocky outcrops for better chances of catching edible fish.
A surfer told me that although the weather was cold, the water felt really warm. This could have be the reason for summer fish making an early appearance.
Apart from the number of grey sharks caught a few small rays were also reeled in. In the sheltered Durban basin anglers found sand sharks weighing up to 10kgs, which provided good sport on the beach. The southerly winds probably brought in the warmer water and on Sunday morning it was 20.7 degrees.
The shad run has been a real disappointment, as normally the inshore reefs are alive with small green China shad right now. Just a few were caught along the South Coast beaches and a photograph posted by an angler fishing at St Lucia in the north showed a morning’s catch of four really nice-sized fish. Perhaps the shad have bypassed the North Coast coastline this winter. Blue shad are due to arrive next month and hopefully catches will improve before then.
Heavy seas have kept garrick out of the surf, but a few were caught using popular soft plastic lures, as anglers shift from traditional methods. Offshore fishing was limited due to tough conditions, but bottom reefs yielded red fish species, rockcod, and half-kob.
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