Couta, tuna and billfish keep reels spinning
WHAT a time it has been offshore! There have been too many billfish hooked than can be mentioned, the tuna are large and charging while the couta keep most of the guys and girls happy.
The Durban coast has seen some amazing offshore action recently. There have been some absolute tank tuna caught. Some have gone over the 40kg mark!
That is a true accomplishment! Some of these bigger fish have even been caught on poppers!
The explosion of a decent tuna on a popper will get even the calmest of hearts to flutter.
The couta have been around the Bluff drop-offs and on the wrecks off Durban but they are not as plentiful as they are up north.
Live bait has been the most productive of baits along this stretch, out-fishing even the walla-walla.
Finding the right depth has been important so run your baits at different depths with downriggers.
The rock and surf fishing has been in real summer mode. As long as the conditions line up, the fishing has been on fire!
The edibles have been feeding well in the twilight hours of the day while the sharks and rays have been testing the backing knots all day long.
The north coast has seen a lot of inedible action. The two main species causing the back pain and screaming drags are the giant sandy and the honeycomb.
These are strong and hard-fighting fish so bring your A game to target them. A mackerel or bonito bomb bait will be your best bet.
Rig this onto a 9/0 or 10/0 Mustad circle hook and a trace that allows you to throw the maximum distance. Remember
with the circle hooks that you need to make sure the bait does not obstruct the gape of the hook.
This is the most common mistake with these hooks and results in missing fish.
The Durban coast has been very productive for edibles in the evening. Look for areas of working water and get your bait into this whitewater.
\Baits of choice have been chokka, prawn and smaller sardine baits.
The peckers (smaller fish) have been a bit wild so make sure to check your baits frequently to avoid standing without a chance of a bite.
When the smaller fish are really bothering you, try fishing with unbeaten chokka, this and octopus are the most pecker-resistant baits.
There has been plenty of grey shark and ray action along the beachfront. The entire day has produced fish but the evening pushing tide has been the magic time.
Mackerel and redeye sardine have been the most successful baits. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for new video releases and to brush up on your species knowledge, tactics and tips/tricks at https://www.youtube.com/c/TheKingfisherFishing
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Send info about fishing or fish caught in your area to mike.pereira@kingfisher.co.za