First Couta for the 2023 season on the Niteshift

First Couta for the 2023 season on the Niteshift

First Couta for the 2023 season on the Niteshift: The crew of the Niteshift watched curiously as the little red chopper came into their airspace out of Port Shepstone. Next thing, the chopper pilot aimed the nose downwards and headed to a patch of water a few hundred metres away. As the Niteshift crew watched on, the chopper orbited the area and then flew off to find something else to look at.

A few minutes later…

And the live mackerel out the back, on the big rod, screamed. My Dada, aka Captain Skomolo, already had the rod in his hands when it happened so he merrilly made sure of the almost croc-sized couta.

Liam and Jarrod Gallagher were along on the trip. With Bongani Saunders, who at this point is halfway through his fishing guide course here with us at the Umzimkulu Marina. They launched this morning specifically to try and catch the first couta of the season for The Niteshift.

Liam was the cameraman throughout the trip. He did a spectacular job of capturing the launch. And the fight – right to the gaff and the shouts of joy!

The brown water is flowing out of the Umzimkulu beautifully at the moment. Just the right amount to keep the halocline (brown water line), at the right depth. When the east blows hard, coupled with the current, the brown water is swiftly despatched southwards. And the following spring tide sees clean water back in the estuary.

This is an excellent time to be fishing!