Getting HOOKED
THE North Coast has been a mix of results. The deep water points from uMhlanga to far north have all been throwing some good fish with the grey sharks being wild on some days and nights.
A mackerel head and a 8/0 Mustad tuna circle on a FMJ trace is all you need to multitarget these early summer fish. The FMJ trace is more for protection around the rocks when landing the fish than actual bite-protection, but since you may get connected to a toothy critter, the wire might be needed.
The wire also has the benefit of keeping the bait on the ground where the ray feeds. If, however, you are fishing for greys, make sure to put foam into your bait to float it up as this often makes the difference between holding pole and bending. The piers and the beachfront have seen some good edibles and inedibles over the past week.
The edible side of the catches has been much of the usual suspects. Stumpies, blacktail and pompano have made up the bigger catches, while the shad have been mostly undersized.
The inedibles that have been landed have either been blue skates, diamond rays, grey sharks or honeycombs.
For these fish, you need to wait for some north-east wind to blow and you are almost guaranteed a bite. Wade out a short way on the shallow beaches and put your bait in the strike zone. Then hold on!
The south has been a mix of the north and central zones. The points have been producing fish for the inedible anglers with many fish being landed and some proper size sharks being lost.
The presence of the whale that beached itself in eManzimtoti did not seem to draw too much inedible attention, but this is probably because of the speed at which it was removed from the scene.
The guys fishing on the points have been having success on mushy fish baits. Something like a mackerel head with redeye cutlets wrapped around it is always a good idea.
The edibles coming out have been mainly the scratching fish. The most popular target at the moment is the bronze bream, hands down.
A reminder that the Kingfisher Biggest Shad Competition has kicked off with three prizes each month. The heaviest shad for each month will receive a Daiwa BG 5000 reel filled with Daiwa 8 weave 30lb J Braid, valued at about R3 000, the second heaviest shad will receive a 13’6” Kingfisher Coastline 5 piece (L, M & H tip) Graphite rod, valued at R2 000, and the third heaviest shad will receive a Daiwa Laguna 5000 spinning reel valued at about R1 000.
Please note that all shad (fresh) must be weighed at either The Kingfisher at 53 Hunter Street, The Kingfisher in Ballito, The Fishing Tackle Shop (The Kingfisher) Warner Beach or Tackle Centre in Old Fort Road during trading hours.
There is a bag limit of four and the minimum size is 30cm. The season closes on September 30 and reopens on December 1.