19 August 2024 Sardines Still Being Netted in Durban by Adam Kamdar

19 August 2024 Sardines Still Being Netted in Durban by Adam Kamdar: Adam is back from an exciting fishing trade show held in Johannesburg over the weekend. And is back on the air as of this morning with his 7 am KZN Fishing Conditions and Sardine Update this beautiful Monday sunrise session.

A very fishy-looking Monday!

Over to Adam…

Yesterday 18 August 2024

18 August 2024 State of the Ocean by The Bear: Adam is away so today The Bear fills in and updates us on the State of the Ocean address for this lekka breezy Sunday in KZN.

Thanks The Bear!

Mozambique

Well, here in Tofo, the waves are waving and the whales are whaling. The fishing has backed off but now that the low pressures seem to have taken ahold here, the weather is fantastic again. And many more boats will launch. WIll pay a visit to the market in Tofo later to see how the local guys did.

Marlin Aficionado up in Vilankulos – Captain Duarte Rato, still has an opening for November. Visit https://fishbazaruto.com for more information. Or contact me Sean on umzimkulu@gmail.com since my WhatsApp from South Africa didn’t roam so well. Will be back on that line in a week or so.

Sardine Maps

Having intel to make the right decisions can save you hours and hours of frivolous sardine hunting. We have taken great care to log the activity of each sardine run since 2021. These records are available for anyone to look at.

If you study the maps year to year, you will see that right now we are only just in the middle of good sardine conditions. And that in previous years catches were made right into the summer months.

Sardine Map 2024

Sardine Map 2023

Sardine Map 2021

Channels

https://youtube.com/@Brucifire – highly entertaining  surf reporting

https://youtube.com/@thesardinenews – neva miss a single  sardine

https://youtube.com/@fishbazaruto – 1000 pounds plus

https://youtube.com/@mydotackletalk – highly technical  sport fishing

https://youtube.com/@surflaunchingsouthernafrica – getting out there safely

https://youtube.com/@waterwoes – complain here

Websites

https://umzimkulu.co.za – self-catering right on the Umzimkulu River
https://umzimkuluadrenalin.co.za –   sardine run coming up
https://thesardine.co.za – never miss a single   sardine
https://masterwatermen.co.za – news from deep down
https://brucifire.co.za –  surf and conditions reporting
https://fishbazaruto.com – your dreams are out there
https://mydofishinglures.co.za – technical  sport fishing

Baby Humpback Whale washed up at Tofo

Baby Humpback Whale washed up at Tofo: another sad day for the visiting humpback whales this year. This is the third incident involving a dead baby whale along the eastern seaboard of Southern Africa, in the last two days. You can check that out in yesterday’s post and video by The Bear right HERE.

And once again, it might NOT be humans to blame again this time. At first, we suspected a boat strike. But after careful examination and chatting to a marine biologist on the scene, we convinced ourselves that the superficial wounds across the little whales’ back were from rolling across the outer reef in the surf zone. The situation brought about by the big swells rolling by here at the moment. And that the artificial cuts were not from the propellers of any boat. They were from eager locals wanting at the blubber before the authorities arrived on the scene..

Half the tail was missing to sharks. And some big bites in the torso were clearly from big sharks. Most likely bull sharks. So bathers have been warned not to go into the water too deep in Tofo today.

At this stage, we have no idea why the little whale died. There is an investigation going on.

Durban

And then on a far more pleasant note, conditions are looking great for sardine netting in Durban again today. Adam spoke with the netters earlier who are enthusiastic about getting their nets in today. Judging by the vast amounts of baitfish clearly visible in the video report from today, their high hopes are justifiable.

Over to Adam in Durban…as he takes us through the conditions for KZN today…and the prospects for sardines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XPBf37d0ac?rel=0

Sardine Maps

Having intel to make the right decisions can save you hours and hours of frivolous sardine hunting. We have taken great care to log the activity of each sardine run since 2021. These records are available for anyone to look at.

If you study the maps year to year, you will see that right now we are only just in the middle of good sardine conditions. And that in previous years catches were made right into the summer months.

Sardine Map 2024

Sardine Map 2023

Sardine Map 2021

Channels

https://youtube.com/@Brucifire – highly entertaining  surf reporting

https://youtube.com/@thesardinenews – neva miss a single  sardine

https://youtube.com/@fishbazaruto – 1000 pounds plus

https://youtube.com/@mydotackletalk – highly technical  sport fishing

https://youtube.com/@surflaunchingsouthernafrica – getting out there safely

https://youtube.com/@waterwoes – complain here

Websites

https://umzimkulu.co.za – self-catering right on the Umzimkulu River
https://umzimkuluadrenalin.co.za –   sardine run coming up
https://thesardine.co.za – never miss a single   sardine
https://masterwatermen.co.za – news from deep down
https://brucifire.co.za –  surf and conditions reporting
https://fishbazaruto.com – your dreams are out there
https://mydofishinglures.co.za – technical  sport fishing

Big Swell Building from the South 15 August 2024 and Sardines Spotted on the KZN South Coast

Big Swell Building from the South 15 August 2024 and Sardines Spotted on the KZN South Coast: It’s never over ’til it’s over!

More sardines have made the perilous journey up from the Cape and have been spotted at Shelley Beach and Uvongo over the last 24 hours.

Over to Adam in Durban…

Netters

This might not be enough to entice the netters back into action. Especially with the building swell that is said reach over 4 meters out at sea. It’s a strong south direction and so at the moment is missing the piers in Durban completely.

So maybe the netters will be fortunate enough to have more sardines come around the corner and into the shelter of the bay. Where it’s far easier to get at them.

Durban AM Gallery

Shad

There will definitely be shad following those sardines spotted and hopefully this is gonna be a turning point and the shad will come back on the bite. Unless they have all been caught already?! Since DAFF under the ANC were a complete joke and it was a free-for-all for quite a few years.

However, now that there are a new bunch in charge, DAFF has reportedly been quite active. And after some valid public confrontation, they might even be picking on the real criminals.

And who would be in charge of policing the litterbugs that leave a world of rubbish behind when the shad come on the bite? I wonder if that is a DAFF responsibility? Because if it is, what a fail!

Big Seas

Although it is thankfully neap tides, these impending waves are going to be big enough to cause the odd storm surge. Be especially careful near river mouths. It’s not really a swimming day.

Dead Whales

It’s that time of the year again when the odd dead whale rolls in onto the beach. I saw photographs and some video of two of them at Peace Cottage on the KZN north coast yesterday and I could see no sign of shark net lacerations. It is just especially sad that it was a mother and newborn calf.

I never saw any pics of the other one further south but if you guys ever do become unlucky enough to witness such sadness, please take photos. Shark nets help nobody by killing marine wildlife willy-nilly every day with complete impunity. Whilst nobody is actually in the water hardly ever anyway.

Anyway, they could at least consider removing all the nets during the whale migration. Which continues until November or so. Then carry on killing in December and through summer?

This next story happened recently, take a look if you care about rare and endangered marine wildlife. This is not an isolated incident.

Death by Shark Net? – The Sardine News

Sardine Maps

Having intel to make the right decisions can save you hours and hours of frivolous sardine hunting. We have taken great care to log the activity of each sardine run since 2021. These records are available for anyone to look at.

If you study the maps year to year, you will see that right now we are only just in the middle of good sardine conditions. And that in previous years catches were made right into the summer months.

Sardine Map 2024

Sardine Map 2023

Sardine Map 2021

Channels

https://youtube.com/@Brucifire – highly entertaining  surf reporting

https://youtube.com/@thesardinenews – neva miss a single  sardine

https://youtube.com/@fishbazaruto – 1000 pounds plus

https://youtube.com/@mydotackletalk – highly technical  sport fishing

https://youtube.com/@surflaunchingsouthernafrica – getting out there safely

https://youtube.com/@waterwoes – complain here

Websites

https://umzimkulu.co.za – self-catering right on the Umzimkulu River
https://umzimkuluadrenalin.co.za –   sardine run coming up
https://thesardine.co.za – never miss a single   sardine
https://masterwatermen.co.za – news from deep down
https://brucifire.co.za –  surf and conditions reporting
https://fishbazaruto.com – your dreams are out there
https://mydofishinglures.co.za – technical  sport fishing

Third Buster in Three Days for KZN

Third Buster in Three Days for KZN: hat-trick buster south-westerlies for KZN as August bares her teeth. Luckily after these big blows, the weather might settle enough also to settle the ocean.

Durban

Over to Adam on the Durban Beachfront…

Mozambleak

Well, we just got onshores up here in Inhambane. And we can’t wait for those low pressures to team up and beat back these east winds. Luckily this does seem to be happening and after tomorrow’s big blow from the south in the morning, things look to be going back to normal.

It appears that these three busters through Durban now are teaming up enough to push away that menacing high pressure that has been sitting over the eastern part of the country for this past week. This high pressure has been steering the low-pressure cells right out to sea after they pass Durban.

Surf Launching in Southern Africa

This is a YouTube channel devoted to collecting and analysing surf launches from all over Southern Africa. We use the launch videos to emphasise safe navigating through dangerous or rough waters.

This eventful video demonstrates how important it is to maintain planing speed when taking on shallow water in the surf zone. Some sandbanks can be big, and you need to skim right over them.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPlhdSAKpc1KTYV4zrsJj3g

Use the link above to visit and Subscribe to this fun channel. There are quite a few videos up there already. With many more to follow.

Sardine Maps

Having intel to make the right decisions can save you hours and hours of frivolous sardine hunting. We have taken great care to log the activity of each sardine run since 2021. These records are available for anyone to look at.

If you study the maps year to year, you will see that right now we are only just in the middle of good sardine conditions. And that in previous years catches were made right into the summer months.

Sardine Map 2024

Sardine Map 2023

Sardine Map 2021

Channels

https://youtube.com/@Brucifire – highly entertaining  surf reporting

https://youtube.com/@thesardinenews – neva miss a single  sardine

https://youtube.com/@fishbazaruto – 1000 pounds plus

https://youtube.com/@mydotackletalk – highly technical  sport fishing

https://youtube.com/@surflaunchingsouthernafrica – getting out there safely

https://youtube.com/@waterwoes – complain here

Websites

https://umzimkulu.co.za – self-catering right on the Umzimkulu River
https://umzimkuluadrenalin.co.za –   sardine run coming up
https://thesardine.co.za – never miss a single   sardine
https://masterwatermen.co.za – news from deep down
https://brucifire.co.za –  surf and conditions reporting
https://fishbazaruto.com – your dreams are out there
https://mydofishinglures.co.za – technical  sport fishing