Rock salmon, river snapper, red roman, mangrove jack…
Tis’ the season again! We need clean water to fish lures in the Umzimkulu and the other bigger estuaries on the KZN coastline. And thankfully as of this weekend, it’s clean!
We spent the night out on Saturday and came back with these photos. None of them were rock salmon. Although we had some massive strikes during the middle of the evening, we never got anything out until the morning light.
Thats when Chris Woodley got into a lovely perch on a live mullet. And then a few more baby koblets, some real tiny ones too. The river is full up of baitfish and fry. Check the babiest shad we ever have seen! Unfortunately Chelsea dog got to it before us?!
But no rockies on this trip!
Rock Salmon
Video recap of this time last year.
Last year this time – pro angler Shaun Begg joined us down in the hibiscus mangroves, channels and mud-banks in the Umzimkulu Mouth area, last year this time. To increase his already substantial species list. Before Lockdown 2020. And the rock salmon, grunter and perch were there.
Here rolls on one of the videos we were lucky enough to make when Shaun was getting really busy meeting up with the rock salmon down at the jetty, at the Umzimkulu Marina.
Flicking lures
And it’s smack bang in the good rock salmon season right now. Not too cold in the river valleys yet. And the water is crystal clear in the rivers. Making for great lure fishing – casting or trolling along the channels is endless fun when the time is right.
This time of the year at the Umzimkulu is also very interesting in that the river slows with the dry season. And it actually shuts eventually! Trapping the shoals of marauding gamefish therein. Garrick. Kob…all sorts of gamefish that use the rivers in winter!
Live-bait
Using a well presented and rigged live-bait is surely the easiest way to bag a nice rock salmon. Circle hooks increase hook-up ratios by some margin and we have converted totally to them now. The circles trake some getting used to but once you get the hang of not striking, it al;l comes together nicely.
Otherwise, a well-placed sard-head is almost as good as a live bait and like a livey, anything serious will take it.
Trolling
But the most fun has got to be slow-trolling the channels and casting in towards the hibiscus trees on the shoreline, And watching a 5lb swirl turn into a volcanic eruption as the fearsome rock salmon lets loose on the surface.
Ferocious in the strike. Is what made the fish legendary and deserving of yet another name – bestowed upon as an honour by the locals in Kwazulu Natal – ‘Nkulu-nKulu’.
Ok…over to the gallery of rock salmon / mangrove jack / river snapper etc…to entice whomever thinks they are up to a rock salmon, to get in touch.
As you can well see, we are well obsessed with these fish and we just cannot wait for guests to join us down on the Umzimkulu River estuary mouth waters this winter season.
Where the nights are coooold, but the fishing is HOT!
Get in touch to arrange a weekend or a mid-week break. Contact Sean on +27793269671 or email umzimkulu@gmail.com.
There is more information right here. We have many options – we can just day fish on the river cruiser. Or night-fish. But it’s real cool when you stay with the team at the Umzimkulu Marina. Since you are able to dial in much better and quicker. You can also fish non-stop from the jetties out front, which is honestly where most of the fish we catch, come from. it’s also where we net bait – prawns and crabs and things. And mullet! Almost every mullet turns into a fish.
Get in touch!
We run a YouTube Channel full of fishing action, and you can stay in touch with us on our Facebook page.
