Possible final sardine report for 2017

Possible final sardine report for 2017

Possible final sardine report for 2017 – although you never know! Sometimes the sardines only come in September and later?!

Sardines have still been spotted along the backline, sporadically this last week of August 2017. With some huge fish harassing them. And now it turns into a fishing report!  It’s not just dolphins anymore, there are all sorts of predators – yellowfin tuna,

And now this turns into a fishing report!

It’s not just dolphins anymore (still plentiful, whales too), there are all sorts of predators – yellowfin tuna, garrick and snoek that are on the take right now. As the almost great 2017 sardine run runs out, the fish are getting active. Visible in flashes along the backline, smashing at baitfish all over the place. Especially since it’s spawning time right now too. So – take a photo and just chuck em back, especially now when the populations are in this vulnerable state.

On the lower south coast – shad are still easy targets – the piers at Margate and Uvongo being useable and consistent. DAFF have been maintaining a presence.

Watch out an angry garrick doesn’t smash your shad spoon in the thick of a good bite. When the shad are on, the garrick literally swim along the shore break to ambush – sometimes right in front of your eyes! Three or four at once! Keep that big stick at hand!

The serious guys who fish the early hours, are difficult to keep tabs on, but speaking to a few of them, in the usual carparks they haunt – it’s been a slow but consistent season for kob off the beach. Pink plastics seem to be the go down in Port Edward, but at Port Shepstone, it’s still the milky white. There are surprisingly few anglers throwing plastics (just even for daytime fish) and many good sessions are going by without being noticed.

Jason Heyne’s weekly spearfishing report shows the same garrick and kob trend. But some big king mackerel up north, between Sodwana and Vidal, are also indicative that the sardine run is well and truly done and dusted.

Len Mathews sent in this pic of his mate fishing at Cape Vidal yesterday – a lovely couta caught on a Mydo Baitswimmer #3.

A special thanks to Fishing’s Finest in Pretoria for this year sponsoring the Sardine News Sardine Report for 2017. Check their cool site and store at http://fishingsfinest.co.za