February 17
Another week of hot, humid weather with some wind thrown in for anglers to cope with. As the week passed the sea got better and better until Friday morning, when only a smallish swell was moving towards the shore and no surf at all. Very much like the islands.
The clean water and flat surf was ideal for pompano, which revel in these conditions, and several big fish were caught in some local fishing spots. Pompano was also caught in the Durban area so it seems that these excellent table fish are entrenched along most of the coastline now and anglers can expect some good fishing as long as conditions allow.
When pompano fishing, anglers should use a fairly long trace and I found that a four-ounce hook is the best. My preference of bait is whole crab, but mud prawn, crayfish, mussel and even sea lice will produce pulls.
Pompano fishing needs lots and lots of patience as these fish feed at odd times and few are caught during the early morning periods. The best time is at an incoming tide after first light with a high tide around mid-morning. I have seen pompano caught early in the day, the last time being near the rocks at La Montagne where I was watching an angler fishing with drop shots hook and land a five kilogram pompano using a wriggly worm.
The surf fishing in other areas has also picked up and the Tugela anglers have been catching nice sized labotes with one angler catching two in one afternoon last week. Word is that a few large shad have also been caught up at the Tugela mouth along with a few salmon. Fishing at the mouth has produced some decent fish as well.
Durban North beaches have also been productive this past week with pompano, stumpies and some decent wave garrick all being caught. The guys using slide baits have pulled a couple of big skates and sharks so it has been a pretty good week for the surf anglers.
Beyond the waves, game fish anglers have also been busy with some good-sized couta on the bite with the most productive areas being the La Mercy to Umdloti mouth area. Ski boat, jetski and surf ski anglers are catching fish but the fishing has not always been hectic and anglers have had to battle at times.
Anglers say that there are plenty of kingfish about and snoek in the Durban area. Yellowfin tuna are also plentiful along with the bonnies, so there is no shortage of fish for inshore anglers. I heard that a very nice prodigal son was caught off Peace Cottage on Friday morning by a surf ski angler who also caught an 11kg couta. So far it has been quite a reasonable game fish season and I believe that there is a lot more to come.
We are moving into the time of the year that historically has calm, predictable weather along the local coastline. This should mean that the winds should die down allowing for calm sea conditions and a drop in humidity.
This is when I, and many other anglers take leave and spend a considerable amount of time on the beach or out at sea fishing for ‘the big one’. It is also the best time of the year for fishing on the lower North Coast for edible and non-edible fish just before the start of the autumn season.
The sport of fishing has come a long way in recent years and more and more people are becoming interested in the sport.
Due to the decline in fish stocks, it has become more of a science than ever before and is no longer a case of casting bait and then catching fish.
The rods and tackle of today are a far cry from the basics of a few years ago when one would use fresh or live baits or even basic lures such as spoons or feathers for offshore angling.
Today, more and more anglers are using the sophisticated lures available and these include the latest in drop shots, stick baits, (similar to the rapalas) and other lures. Both shore and offshore anglers use these lures with excellent results and I have seen some really great fish caught with this latest of tackle.
Currently there are some excellent fishing programmes on TV, recorded by local anglers, and every programme has some useful tips for the everyday sport angler. Local tackle shops do have this latest equipment and they also have the know how and are more than willing to pass this on.
I am from the old school of fisherman but now, even I am changing to the new ways with pleasing results. – Sealice
