getting HOOKED

IT SEEMS the recent warmer weather has brought fish, especially the bigger species, out to play and kept anglers busy.

Snoek and tuna were the popular catches off boats, while anglers on the surf were landing large flat fish.

Unfortunately, the heat warmed Durban’s waters a bit too much and made conditions unfavourable for angling.

Still, those anglers who persevered in Durban had to contend with the odd pockets of shad and pompano.

eManzimtoti was on fire with an abundance of fish in those waters, with stumpnose and shad in particular, keeping anglers busy.

Anglers have been having some excellent fun with the sand sharks, which have shown a preference for mackerel bait, between Kosi and Sodwana Bays.

Scottburgh has been quiet with only a few fish coming out, mostly shad.

Port Shepstone has been producing a few good edible fish with anglers mainly going after bronze bream and kob.

A good trick to remember with bronze bream is to try to fish in a spot with a natural pool. The reason is that these fish will disappear when you release one back into the water.

They usually head back to the shoal and then they move elsewhere. So when you land a undersized bronze bream, release it into a tidal pool while you fish, but return it into the sea when you’re done.

Shelley Beach was the turf for an abundance of amberjack.

Cape Vidal waters have been populated with plenty of stumpnose and pompano, which are being landed with a mixture of crab, sea lice and mussel bait.

Three days of a north-easterly wind have helped angling conditions in the Richards Bay area and diamond rays have been the catch to the south.

Mapelane was buzzing with dorado and couta, many of them bagged.

Large Snoek were the flavour of the week on the north coast, mainly at Vidal and St Lucia.

The water in Durban Bay has been perfect for anglers looking to have some fun with the bigger brown skates and honeycombs, using baby squid as bait.

There has been some grunter action around the banks, feeding on strips of chokka and cracker baits.

Around the Yacht Mole area there have been plenty of perch under the boats as well as a few sand gurnards.

Anglers fishing around the “Block” have landed some nicely-sized stumpnose and grunter with cracker bait.