December 2023 Fishing Report for KZN: shad, shad, and more shad! Which also means garrick, kob and all kinds of big gamefish in the surf zone.
Shad Season is OPEN
And, you can get fishing licenses online! This is big news in a country whose post office is a derelict shell of what it was 20 years ago. The post office stopped paying rent to its many satellite offices that were filling their vital role. And so where could you buy a fishing license? And then you’d go to the beach to have some dummy enforcing fishing licenses that you can’t even get?!
Kob
“Wherever the shad are biting during the day – that’s where the kob will be at night” – Louis Posthumous
It’s been a helluva year for catching big kob in the surf zone. Some are released. Some just aren’t. If you have a huge refrigerator and a huge family, then great, start the endless job of processing that big fish. It will turn you off catching another one for sure.
Rather just release those breeding fish. At about 8 or 9 years old, the kob, scientifically known as Argyrosomus japonicus, reaches sexual maturity. This is equal to about a 8 or 9 kg fish. So a 20kg fish, theoretically 20 years old, has had 10 seasons to throw some kob parties in the Umtamvuna. A 40kg fish (they get bigger!), will have had 30 seasons of breeding.
Upon these many revelations, the law was changed. And as such, tries to protect the big breeders. The thinking is that, at smaller sizes, these fish shoal in numbers. So to harvest a small percentage of these bigger numbers, would be a lot less detrimental than allowing the slaughter of the less populous breeding stock.
Let the big ones go!
Gerrard-Powells-100lb-kob-being-manhandled-back-to-the-water-correctlyKoblet by Josh Herrison near Port St JohnsDecember small kobbiesKobbies in the CapeAnd it’s Chris Lepan again with another Umzimkulu Estuary kob.
Garrick
If the shad and other bait are prevalent, then the garrick will stick around. They do not like dirty water (unlike the kob). Sometimes the water stays clean through December and January in some KZN places. And there are still garrick coming out at Vidal and St. Lucia, way north. That have to traverse us on their way home to the Cape.
Again, it’s the shad that are the main attraction and oftentimes you will be catching shad in the shore break and the next thing the garrick come in and destroy the whole show. Spectacular to see garrick smashing like this.
But down south in the clean water…garrick are out and about and looking for a fight! Kathryn Els show us how…yesterday!
Katie Else with December 2023 Garrick down Plett way…
Jason Heyne of the Master Watermen and his Margate shot GarrickTagging and releasing garrick off Umzimkulu River mouth in 1987. Karl and Roosta are now 40yrs!Wayne Trelawney in Port St Johns with his dream National Garrick Day fish. Wayne responsible kept this single fish and made all sorts of delicacies with it, that lasted him months.
Dorado
The current hasn’t really kicked in yet. But there are fish about. There is a dorado fishing competition on down south at the moment. Boats are allowed to launch up and down. With the goings-on held down in Ramsgate. A very well-run event.
The shoal of angry dorado move in and harass the shad flat outHolding on tight this dorado refuses to let my bait go even under 3kgs of dragDorado Strike Analysis – Strike Two – the dorado has got the shad by the head and is performing evasive meanuevresDorado Strike Analysis – Strike Three – another headshot and she refuses to let goDorado Strike Analysis – Strike One – the Dorado comes straight in for the kill – zero hesitation
Sailfish
These widespread fish do follow seasons and patterns like most fish. But they are the ones most likely to just pitch up out of nowhere. Fuklk of surprises, but they definitely are here for the same reasons that the dorado are here. The halocline with it;s structural characteristics. And the shoals and shaols of mackerel, shad, maasbanker and red-eyes that also like this place this time of the year.
Vilankulos weather and fishing in NovemberAlthough it is blue marlin season up north, sailfish also come in to play.Sailfish in Madagascar (c) Duarte RatoThe annual sailfish competition off VilanculosFly fishermens dreamDecember time for the odd sailfishSailfish ladies eye the trophy at the Vilankulos Sailfish 2017
King Mackerel
No fireworks as of yet but give those spearos a patch of clean water and they will find out for sure if the couta have pitched up for this same baitball party. Last year and the year before, November produced some crocodiles. This year so far has been quiet.
The first couta of our 2023 season DecemberKayak couta spread coming soon…Jonno Gouws with the very first couta of the 2021 season. In 2020! 27 November to be exact.SKZN Fishing Report 22 May 2022. Shaun Simpson with a croc at Hibberdene earlier this week.December for big coutas
Catch the first couta of the season, send the pics and story to me, and you will get R500 to spend in the MYDO store.
If you feel like targeting these trophies, get in touch and we can arrange species specific holidays for you. For this coming up season, stay with us at The Umzimkulu Marina where Umzimkulu Adrenalin can get you out to the couta.
Double-up Garrick for Team Karl and Candace at The Sandspit
Double-up Garrick for Team Karl and Candace at The Sandspit: some trips go better than others.
A LOT better!
Team Karl and Candace
Husband and wife charters are always so much fun. The husband is totally fish-mad. And the wife happily plays along. Gets her all over the globe. Only thing is…she almost always catches the fish!
This time was slightly different…they BOTH got the fish!
After a long morning of catching nothing on over-sized live mullet, we drifted back to the Umzimkulu Marina for coffee and things. And entered phase 2 of the trip. Which on this day was to be the favoured incoming high tide down at the mouth. This is our tactic generally, at the end of a low tide, we head up to the bridges, about 2kms, and set up a drift back downriver. This takes us down through Kingfish Corner, and over the big holes. There are three deep spots, sometimes down to 12m. At the bottom are huge boulders and rocks. And…clean water!
The halocline (fresh vs salt water line), even when the top water is brown, sits like a big wedge under the water. The point of the wedge being right up the river at high tide. When the tide recedes, this dense and beautifully clean and aerated water gets trapped in these deep spots. The tide and the river flow move happily overhead on the surface. But down here in the depths, there be monsters lurking and hunting.
Anyway, none this particular drift.
We gonna have to count on Phase 2. Which today included a braai on the beach at The SandSpit. Karl had a decent 30lb spinning outfit and so I easily convinced him to walk over the spit and throw a few luck shots into the channel behind the shorebreak.
The beach was lined with live baiters. But the Garrick had been chowing sprats in the river earlier during the week. I gave Carel the exact right lure to use. Evidently…because on his fourth cast…
BANG!
“Sean! Sean!”, I hear that distinctly urgent but cheerful call. Without believing me and Chelsea hop off the boat and run up the dune. What a scene that unfolded before us. Karl was VAS! His little fishing rod bending in a circle from the strain as he followed instructions. From BigZ, local garrick legend, who happily came to Karl’s assistance. Freeing me up to do the filming.
Pulling a big garrick out of a big shorebreak on a big day is immensely difficult and dangerous. BigZ lost his hat as waves knocked him right over a few times. But eventually, after 45 minutes of truly heart-stopping moments, BigZ grabbed the monster by the tail.
The tagging kit was all the way up the beach and the fish had put on quite a show. So we decided to hurry it back into the water. Karl’s very first garrick (he had asked me earlier to get him one), and he releases it healthily into the very same wild shorebreak. Garrick are very strong and this guys was in perfect shape as he swam away.
Mombakkies Af
So now I have one helluva happy charter. He is beaming. Levitating. And so am I at this stage…the pressure for me get the “mombakkies af” is completely gone. I can really now enjoy this lovely arvo down on the spit.
And so Chelsea and I meander down the dune back to the boat. To start the braai! Next thing…
“Sean! Sean!”. Again!?
So we turn around and gallop back up the dune. This time it’s Candace! She is VAS!
In a disbelieving daze, the whole process gets repeated. BigZ comes to the fore and gets the fish by the tail. But only after another gruelling 45 minutes. He is exhausted by now – after risking the huge Sandspit shorebreak for two in a row! Luckily BigZ also releases every fish he catches and this time the tagging kit was brought to hand. Tag in…Candace into the shorebreak with her first Garrick. Also released!
Every anglers dream – releasing a healthy Garrick at The Sandspit in Port Shepstone with Umzimkulu AdrenalinCandace Engelbrecht repeats the stunt immediately after with her very own tagged and released Garrick with Umzimkulu Adrenalin.Karl, Sean , Candace and Wouter – Under the BridgeKarl Engelbrecht about to let his very first Garrick go free.Double-header garrick on The Sandspit in Port Shepstone…every fishing guides dream!
I am not sure that it can get better than that! Enjoy the saga in video…
Today
As of today, the recent rains have certainly muddied the waters. If that halocline is still around I’d be somewhat surprised. But at those 10 metre depths at Royston Bend area, there just may be clear water still. Someone will have to swim down there and check for us!
If it stays dry for a little while longer, the brown water will eventually run off and the tides will come back in the river. Hopefully one more time before it really starts to rain.
To get in on the upcoming summer gamefish action, get in touch and lets put together a cool weekend of fishing and relaxing for you. You can stay at the Umzimkulu Marina. Umzimkulu Adrenalin can take you fishing, surfing, or diving. You can learn all about fishing at the official MYDO web page.
Shad season opening on 1 December! Check out some of our Shad fishing kit right here (perfect gift for fish hungry girls).
This is a rundown through a list the game fish species we are lucky enough to encounter – during the annual sardine run. Here in KZN, South Africa.
Shad
It starts with the shad. These guys smash into those poor little sardines like piranhas. And a shad smaller than a sard will still eat a sardine. Those teeth!
Shad readily jump on a spoon or any artificial, when it’s like this.
This video featuring the Fishing Pro Shop‘s Johan Wessels – shows exactly how surf fishing for shad is very easily done…
Sardines and shad in the shorebreak! Shop safely online at The Fishing Pro Shop.
Kob
The kob have actually already been here quite some time now. Many covert catches are made under the cover of darkness. And in the uncomfortable cold of the chilly winter offshore winds.
Check this mosnter tagged and released a little later in the season,last year! By Gerrard Powell and ably assisted by his mates who carefully put that huge fish back in the water. With a tag well-insertedby Mr. AntNel.
Garrick
Our endemic and highly threatened Garrick population is also going to be here shortly. They are here to breed and in this vulnerable state, can be easily overfished.
Bag limit is two per man. For a reason.
This is an old video, that captures the surf fishing vibe down on the Sandspit on National Garrick Day…
Check out the MYDO range of spoons for surf fishing
But get a live mullet or shad swimming in the channel between the mid-break and the shore break, and you will get your Garrick.
Throw a big old ice cream plug over the same channel 200 or 300 times you also could be in the game. Also for…
Let ’em go!
Kingfish
The GTs are here! Already a few have shown their ugly faces around the social shark nets recently in amongst the sardine action. There are many species to choose from including the also release-worthy blacktip, greenspot and blue models.
Some people actually want to catch sharks! But mainly anglers hook them by mistake. Luckily they all are let go these days. The shark nets have done the shark population more than enough damage already.
It’s true, we hardly ever get sharks around the backline anymore. Luckily in sardine season, ALL the remaining ones come to visit. And we can see these beautiful and majestic animals swimming by in the wild.
Sharks in the Shorebreak…
Sharks in the Shorebreak!
Umzimkulu Adrenalin
We are ready to take you out there! Stationed down on the Umzimkulu River in Port Shepstone. With direct access to the ocean, Umzimkulu Adrenalin will put you right in amongst it all.
We have accommodation at the Umzimkulu Marina. Spillers House too. And we have an Egyptian Halaal restaurant downstairs. With a tented dining area right on the edge of the water. The MYDO Factory shop is in here too!
Margate Pier Commercials? Recently we received a particularly disturbing letter from a concerned angler, in the Margate area.
“To Whom it concerns This is a concern to our environment, the Margate pier has become a fishing criminal hot spot. The people fishing there do not have any idea of how they are ruining the fish food chain. Some of the fish are becoming extinct but the people are not able to understand that, they have 10 to 15 rods out with live bait they are catching 5 to 6 garirck a day. Not 1 person is considerate enough to put 1 or 2 back into the ocean. The same people are there every day. What is being done with all this fish that is being caught ? Some people are going home with more than their limit in plain sight. Where are the daff people? Fights are being put up if you not in a certain group that is there, overfishing space. Is that not a place for the public to fish? Why is it only that 1 fishing group there they have taken over the pier and if you not in their team they cause unnecessary problems or fights to make you leave. I wish for something to be done about this cause this is absolutely ridiculous.” From: Mr Concerned
It’s a great relief when people out there take notice and do something about it. like Mr. Concerned here.
The result is that our friends at DAFF, will receive this too, and will act on it. However, DAFF would not know what was going on, if Mr. Concerned hadn’t sent in his letter. The limited resources and weird working restrictions placed on DAFF means that they are spread far and wide. And need all the help they can get.
Poachers are ruthless, especially since they may just be making cold cash with their activities. However. The selling of fish in this country is illegal. Unless you have a permit. No recreational anglers are allowed to sell fish. This is to protect the resource. To conserve for generations to come. Yes, all those little babies being born right now. They deserve a shot at a garrick too.
Lawless land
Unfortunately, our favourite jailbird and his cronies had not only a damaging effect on our country’s reputation and economy whilst they were on pillage duty. But also the environment. The firing of Ezimvelo happened under this fool’s watch. And the results have been devastating.
A new, lawless culture was essentially put into effect…
The wetlands at Sodwana Bay, being planted with bananas?! Upsetting the balance in an important and fragile ecosystem that is a coastal wetland. In such a beautiful place?! This place was supposed to be under Ezimvelos care. Even the resort has gone to the dogs.
There are gill nets in EVERY estuary and it’s only up to concerned locals to take them out. Often at the risk of harm or violence.
The Kwazulu Natal Sharks Board still kills marine wildlife for a living, and is paid for with taxpayer money (ok not so relevant but it feels right to mention anywhere I can)
Public projects are steamrolled forward by politicians chasing trains with no public consultation or environmental consideration
Sand is mined from delicate ecosystems rampantly, illegally, leaving scars all over the beautiful ‘Kei, for example.
You can literally catch as many shad as you want these days. Nobody is coming to check. Firstly there is no Ezimvelo, only a skelton staff of DAFF personnel. You don’t even need a license anymore. And even if you want one, the post offices down on the coast here, ARE ALL CLOSED due to non-payment of rent and contracts.
This list has literally no end these days…
The reasons why
It was in 2016 that a totally functional and effective Ezimvelo was sidelined. Political pressure from subsistence fishermen in the KZN North Coast area began holding too much water. There were toi-tois in Mtubatuba. And Ezimvelo were summarily fired. For doing their job too well. The ball sloppily handed to a totally untrained and inefficient DAFF. Putting them in embarrassing situations as they grappled with their newfound task. They arrested the wrong people. They didn’t even know the fish species and the limits.
But they have since risen to this daunting challenge. And we as anglers, now have a role to play. In this mission left to us by the soon to be doomed ANC. DAFF need to be assisted, not ridiculed, as they move forwards with their objectives. The onus lies squarely on us the anglers, to help enforce the rules, that will put our kids into nice fish. And so we have the DAFF contact details available for your right at the bottom of this post. To report suspicious activities.
If you do this, like Mr.Concerned above, the DAFF dudes WILL pitch up. You may not see them, they work in plain clothes a lot.
But, they will be there.
What happened to Ezimvelo?
And in a totally predictable twist of fate, the entire Ezimvelo board has been summarily sacked. The board that took over Ezimvelo in 2016 or so (they were still tasked with many responsibilities in the KZN wetlands and parks, and some helped themselves to the huge budget – in the form of fencing contracts and the usual like) really pulled it through their proverbial bums. Since the new administration of this country has started examining the worms old jailbird let out, it’s been ugly.
Mr. Paul Dutton, who resigned from Ezimvelo, in objection to the boards dodgy practises a while back, had this to say…
Retired game ranger and former manager of Ndumo Game Reserve Paul Dutton said the firing of the board was “good news” as its performance had been “disgusting”.
“They have kept conservation in the doldrums and didn’t go out of their way to raise money to keep the reserves going. I am not surprised they fired the board, it should have been done years ago. I am very glad they have fired the board but they must select a good board,” he said.
So that’s what happened to Ezimvelo. They were so damned good at their job not even 5 years ago They knew every poacher and their operations. At every beach. By name. And address!
Nowadays, well without whistleblowers, it’s a free-for-all.
And you can’t even expect below average service at any of their resorts anymore.
DAFF Contact Details
There are a few things to consider, before becoming the Snowden of fishing conservation. Firstly, you should not ever take a picture or video, of someone conducting a crime, and post it. Unbelievably, the law protects the criminal in this case. And if the deed was posted publicly, they can use this to get off with!
Secondly, the DAFF guys are spread thin. Please do not call and call for anything and everything. In fact, rather, as Mr. Concerned did, send the information with as much detail as possible, to us here at The Sardine News. You see, we are allowed to publish the material as news, and we can protect our sources. Once we publish, the DAFF guys will move in and do their thing. And the material can then be entered as evidence.
Just recently, a mob of cast-netters teamed up and combed the St. Mikes estuary flatsticks. They started at the beach and herded every fish up into the extreme shallows. Where they were easy pickings. The problem? These guys were only after mullet. And they killed hundreds of other less suitable little fish for live-bait. The information came into us, we sent it to the DAFF HQ, it was then forwarded to the local agent. Who was there in minutes. He confronted the netters, who all had licenses (there were over 13 of these idiots working together). Since they were doing nothing technical illegal, he warned them not to net like this. Told them to not top kill fish unnecessarily. And that was that.
Unbelievably, the remains of what could have been a 6 foot long barbel, washed up next door to the Umzimkulu Marina, just last week. The mouth was closed, but the action in the river certainly wasn’t. The guys fishing at Spillers down the way, reported hearing, but not seeing, huge attacks out off the wharf. We have been seeing a free jumping Zambezi up and down the river for months now. And many bust ups have been reported.
Judging by the size and shape of the bite marks, and the incisions made by shark teeth, this was a hefty shark. Zambezi for sure. It’s not the acrobatic jumping Zambezi we have been seeing around. He is only about two metres. This one looks huge.
There have been so many shark sightings and encounters in the Umzimkulu, since the sand miners pumped out all the sand. Right from the deep corner under the Fish Eagles roost, all the way up past the bridge and further, is deeeeeep water! Some places 8 metres or so. The average depth has also increased and the Umzimkiulu offers more draft in the channels than the Umzimvubu (Port St Johns) nowadays.
It’s not only the sharks that have taken advantage of this recently restored river, a brace of outsized garrick were spotted terrorising mullet recently at the slipway at the Umzimkulu Marina. Many lovely kob have been coming out, in the deep channels, on live mullet. Weight your bait and bang! Some of the rock salmon we have hooked lately have been merciless. Straight into the rocks.
But the story of the season definitely goes to the unknown angler who pulled in this beast. He weighed in with the biggest kob recorded in the Kulu ever. A whopping 42 kgs’s. He promises to release the next one. But this one he got on 6kg line and a light stick, which tired the big fish out.
IA 42kg Daga Salmon, or Kob. Taken in the Umzimkulu!
To come fishing in The Umzimkulu, get in touch on umzimkulu@gmail.com and we can put a package together for you.
