How to Catch your Own Sardines
How to Catch your Own Sardines: the annual sardine run is ON and when sardine fever hits, anything and everything goes. This tongue-in-cheek article takes a look at three absolutely marvellous weapons of sardine hunters.
And also touches on where and when to set your ambush relating to tides and choice of beach.
Enjoy the video…
Cast Net
This is how you get the girls! Lethal. Efficient. Effective. Be careful not to net too many sardines and strain the net to breaking point. Repairing cast nets is not a happy career choice.
You need a license and lotsa practise/experience. And a bakkie to haul your catch (and the girls) home with.
Washing Basket
These things are incredibly destructive to sardines in the shallows and the shore break. BUT, do not venture out further than your knees! Either a shark will bite you by mistake. Or on purpose. Or you will be dragged into the waves and the currents.
Pool Net
The best of both worlds. Easy. And effective. You can catch sardines all day long with a decent pool net. And it keeps you well out of reach of the marauding sharks!
Safety First!
There are many things to watch out for during the sardine run – the sharks are just one of them.
At high tides – there can be waves breaking that can suck you back down and into the sea. Where currents can hitch you up and take you on a free thrill ride to hell.
There are also sharp, slippery rocks to negotiate. Sometimes just buried in the sand where you can’t see them.
And don’t forget the sharks in the car park – these ones will steal your rods and reels. And your sandy wet underpants. Whilst you are totally distracted and running down the beach like a maniac – shad stick at hand.
Traffic is also a nightmare as a thousand cars descend onto any one beach. Traffic rules seem also to get sardine fever during the sardine run – and disappear. Officials try to control the melee but that sardine fever – well, you got to see it to believe it!
Sardines and Sighting Maps
Which led us to decide to keep the map live. And keep adding unique marine animal sightings and events. That occurs non-stop all year round. Last year we started to log more whale and dolphin sightings. And we even had a shipwreck! This year we have had two sailboat incidents already. PLUS, we have already logged some sardines!
Here are the links to existing and past Sardine Sighting Maps…
2024 Sardine Map
2023 Sardine Map
2021 Sardine Map
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 – self-catering right on the Umzimkulu River
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
brucifire.co.za – surf retorts
