BIG Couta Time in KZN – 2026
BIG Couta Time in KZN: moving into the dry season (two months or so away), the clean and clear Agulhas Current pushes right up against the KZN coastline. It replaces the prevailing inshore brown water produced by the summer rains of KZN, with this warm, couta lights-studded universe. Populated with the most weird and wonderful jellyfish and jelly-type creatures t00, that drift along at the behest of this huge and powerful current.
With this current come the gamefish. All sorts. Sailfish and marlin. Wahoo and Dorado. And Couta aka King Mackerel aka Scomberomorus Commersoni aka Spanish Mackerel (according to the Ozzies – but these fish don’t ever go near Spain?!). This fish has even more names – Sierra, Tanguigui, Katonkel…).
These fish occur in distinct populations in some places, sometimes even isolated, like in Oz. But mainly they are found right from Oz through Indo and then India, and around the crazy corner to the Horn of Africa, and then down south to us. Many tiny, foot-long couta are caught around the Horn each year. Shoals and shoals. Some of these fish end up growing up in the Med (through the Suez Canal), where they have no Zambezis (yet) to hunt them. Up there, they also have a sardine run, just like ours. Laid on by the grey sardine population, that run up and down the seaboard of south-central and northern Africa.
Big Couta Time
The more remote and far-flung reaches of any population are where the big animals of a species hang out. The absolute extent of their range is where you can find the biggest lion or elephant. And this seems to be apparent with these big couta, for they are regularly caught way down into the Transkei Wild Coast.
Big Couta Gallery
A random selection of big couta taken between KZN and Mozambique…
How to Catch
Live bait. Big live bait. In the right place, at the right time. It’s got loads to do with water conditions. Couta don’t mind the green, as long as it’s a warm green, and over 22 or 23 Celsius. They use any halocline or thermocline they can find to hunt. It is along these seams that baitfish gather.
You can also fish with fresh, dead bait for these big fish by using a multi-purpose baitswimmer. The Sardine News sells the proven MYDO range of baitswimmers, stripbaitswimmers, bait traces and heavy-duty gamefish traces, which you access right here. Many boats have been won using the legendary MYDO baitswimmer heads.
This spread will cover your big couta aspirations…
Or you can hit that WhatsApp button on this screen for a direct chat with us, about where you are going fishing, and what you would like to target…
Sardines and Sighting Maps
Here are the links to existing and past Sardine Sighting Maps. With instructions on how to install The Sardine News right on your phone, tablet, or even desktop.
Channels
Brucifire Surf Retorts – highly entertaining surf reporting
Master Watermen – news from way down deep
The Sardine News – neva miss a single sardine
FishBazaruto – 1000 pounds plus
MYDO Tackle Talk – highly technical sport fishing
Surf Launching Southern Africa – getting out there safely
Water Woes – complain about your municipality here
Websites
umzimkulu.co.za – fishing, charters, accommodation
umzimkuluadrenalin.co.za – will get you right out and onto the edge
thesardine.co.za – never miss a single sardine
masterwatermen.co.za – news from under water
fishbazaruto.com – dreams are out there
brucifire.co.za – surf retorts
fishmad.co.za – destination Madagascar
andantelodge.co.za – Transit luxury in Pretoria
