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The Sardine News Monthly 31 March 2025

Umkomaas Brown Water Plume 27 March 2025

The Sardine News Monthly 31 March 2025

The Sardine News Monthly 31 March 2025: what a month March has been. For ducks. And barrels. For the rest of us it has been pure endurance to get through to the blue water. We did have a few clean surfs and some fish were caught and speared but the brown water plumes of the ANC’s sewage has kept most of us at bay.

Here is today’s video report…

NSRI

These guys have been busy as ever, rescuing people and saving lives. Imagine what would happen without them? However their invaluable efforts can only reach so far. And way too many people are drowning due to basic ignorance. Ignorance as to how dangerous the ocean and rivers can be at times.

The lives lost this March are a stark reminder that our government is totally useless at providing even basic protection to its people. Signage at the relevant hot spots are surely something a municipality would be deemed responsible for?

NSRI Pink Buoy Project
NSRI Pink Buoy Project

In the meantime, the NSRI fill a huge gap left by coastal municipalities by being on alert 24/7 and even placing pink torpedo buoys at dangerous places like Port Sheptone River Mouth – where nobody should ever be allowed to even stick a toe in.

‘Duty to Warn’

Aside from the torrents of water and the Zambezi sharks, the ecoli is ready and waiting. Freshly delivered by the failed municipalities here in Port Sheptone (UGU and RNM) and upriver like Harding (where their sewerage system has been pumping raw sewage into the river for a decade or more now).

The law ‘Duty to Warn’ must surely apply to the municipalities that pollute the place in the first place. Warning signs should be posted all over KZN’s beaches and rivers. When the ecoli is running down the rivers and into the sea.

(For tourists reading this, all is not lost. When the last floods are washed away and the rains dry up, we are left in paradise. )

The floods have come down strong over this last wet season and most of the sewage and gunk has been flushed down the proverbial toilet (South Africa is a toilet these days, really) and into the sea by now. Then it’s dry season and the good times prevail right through the sardine season. Into September and beyond. All this time, though, the dams and rivers are filled daily with millions of tonnes of sewage from all our failed municipalities (ANC), and the cycle repeats when the wet season starts again, just in time for December holidays and our tourists. Many of whom get sick from the poisonous water. At the expense of our tourism industry and our health. 14 Surfers got sick after surfing the tantalising, perfect waves in Durban this month.

WOWser

The WOW Flying School team in Scottburgh have been wowing us completely away with their super video footage and pilot commentary. We look forward to each and every instalment we can get from the WOW guys. Please visit their website at https://wowflight.co.za.

And if you haven’t already seen it, here is their recent epic coverage of the flood plumes between Umkomaas and Scottburgh.

Brewed Awakening

For that lovely aroma and taste in the morning, pop down to the Scotties car park. Where you can find the Brewed Awakening Coffee Shop. The shop is mobile and does not stay there all day long. So the early bird catches the worm. A big thanks to the Brewed Awakening for the awesome time-lapse and pan clips that we featured in some of our reports this March too.

MYDO

MYDO Lures introduced the IGFA version of their infamous MYDO Baitswimmer range. The new head has a pin with which to insert the bait on and keep it swimming perfectly.

MYDO IGFA Baitswimmer 3 Ounce
MYDO IGFA Baitswimmer 3 Ounce

MYDO has recently introduced a special on their Shad Pack. You now get three shad traces in the R100 packs. Deliver via Pudo is an extra R30, so R130 and you are in the game. This rig will up your hookup and strike ratio immensely as you are abe to present a moving bait at the exact right depth and with a swimming action. When cut right, this rig also gets you 8 baits from a single sardine. The following diagram shows the cuts. It says 4, but if you split each cut to its fillets, you can double to 8 baits per sardine.

And it’s not just shad that take these juiced up traces, you be surprised what else jumps on these moving baits. All kinds of fish. We have caught blacktail, kob, pompano, kingfish, wrasse and others fishing like this. You just have to cast out as far as you can (use your bass rig or estuary rig with casting braid). Allow the rig to sink to about halfway down to the bottom(where the shad swim), and start cranking slowly. The baitswimmer swims your bait through the bubbles exactly where the fish are swimming and hunting. By sticking to this tactic you will stay clear of snagging in the rocks too.

Sardine bait up with the MYDO Shad Trace
Sardine bait up with the MYDO Shad Trace

Get in touch with me Sean using the big old WhatsApp button on the screen somewhere, or +27793269671, or umzimkulu@gmail.com to get your own stash of Mydos.

Sardines and Sightings

Check out our annual Sardine Run Map! Download our app to your phone or device, accept notifications, and you will never miss a single sardine.

Here are the links to existing and past  Sardine Sighting Maps…

2025 Sardine Map

2024 Sardine Map

2023 Sardine Map

2022 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

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Sardines every Day by Adam Kamdar 26 June #2024 from the #Durban #Beachfront #sardinerun2024 #sardine #run

Sardines every Day by Adam Kamdar 26 June 2024

Sardines every Day by Adam Kamdar 26 June #2024 from the #Durban #Beachfront #sardinerun2024 #sardine #run

Sardines every Day by Adam Kamdar 26 June #2024 from the #Durban #Beachfront #sardinerun2024 #sardine #run: thank you to Adam for taking the time to record this morning’s early report…

Good morning, guys. It’s Wednesday, the 26th of June 2024, 7. 15 a. m. As you can see from the tide chart, we are about half an hour past sunrise. We’ve just passed the high tide. The next low tide will be around 12h30 in the afternoon. The forecast shows settled conditions for today. Very low winds, scattered low-level clouds could indicate some rain, but there’s no rain forecast for today.

Tides for fishing shows current wind of 13 kilometers per hour from the west southwest. Current temperature in Durban is 18 degrees. The pressure currently, atmospheric pressure at Durban is 1, 030 hectopascals. Water temperature is still hovering in the 20 degree, 20 to 21 degree mark.

Sardines yesterday were netted in the Illovo and Kingsborough, Winklescrate area. It seems like they are netting ssardines every day now.

And next we’ll have the view of the sunrise. And here we have the glorious sun coming up. As shown on Winguru. The swell period is quite long, which leads to very settled seas. As you can see, not much of a wave for the surfers today but beautiful conditions for netting. The sardines still haven’t seemed to reach the golden mile, but, uh, they’re just not far away now.

They’re just around the corner. Wiklespruit, Illovo. Possible netting today even at Warner Beach, maybe in Toti, and after Toti the next stop is Durban. Have a good one guys, and don’t forget to watch the Sardine News for more updates.

Affiliated YouTube Channels

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

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

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

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

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

Affiliated 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

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1000s of Cape Gannets dive-bombing in Qora, Deep Transkei

15 May 2024 Sardine Report 1000s of Cape Gannets in Qora

1000s of Cape Gannets dive-bombing in Qora, Deep Transkei

1000s of Cape Gannets dive-bombing in Qora, Deep Transkei: the iconic and beautifully choreographed gannet population descends on the sardine run first. Every time. These are our main indicators. That along with the cetaceans, sharks, fish and other marine mega-fauna, make up all the predators that are chasing after the sardines each year.

When all these guys come together, you are guaranteed a front-row seat at The Greatest Shoal on Earth.

CLICK HERE for the Sardine Run 2024 Sightings Map Page.

Enjoy the report and thank you Kevin in Qora, deep Transkei…

More about Gannets

Cape gannets (Morus capensis) possess several remarkable features that set them apart:

  1. Colonial Nesting: These seabirds breed in large colonies, often on remote islands or rocky cliffs. Their communal nesting behaviour is a spectacle to behold.
  2. Distinct Appearance: Cape gannets have striking plumage, with snowy white bodies, black wingtips, and a golden-yellow crown. Their eyes are surrounded by a distinctive blue ring.
  3. Precise Diving Skills: When hunting for sardines, they perform spectacular plunges from great heights, folding their wings and torpedoing into the water. Their streamlined bodies and keen eyesight aid in precise targeting.
  4. Monogamous Pairs: Cape gannets form monogamous pairs during the breeding season. They engage in elaborate courtship displays, reinforcing their bond through synchronized head movements and calls.
  5. Diet: Their diet consists of small fish, especially sardines and anchovies. They rely on the annual sardine run off the South African coast for abundant food.
  6. Conservation Concerns: Unfortunately, Cape gannets face threats such as overfishing, pollution, and habitat disturbance. Conservation efforts are crucial to protect these magnificent birds.

In summary, Cape gannets combine elegance, precision, and ecological significance, making them a celebrated and vital part of South Africa’s marine ecosystem.

Cape gannets are attentive parents, and their chick-rearing process involves several key steps:

  1. Nesting Sites: Cape gannets breed in large colonies on rocky cliffs or remote islands. They choose nesting sites carefully to avoid predators and ensure proximity to food-rich waters.
  2. Courtship and Pair Bonding: During the breeding season, male and female gannets engage in courtship displays. They perform synchronized head movements and calls to strengthen their pair bond.
  3. Egg Laying: After courtship, the female lays a single egg. Both parents take turns incubating the egg, which typically lasts around 44 days.
  4. Incubation Shifts: The parents alternate incubation duties. While one incubates, the other forages for food. Their precise shifts ensure constant warmth for the developing chick.
  5. Hatching and Chick Care: Once the egg hatches, the chick emerges. It is initially covered in soft down feathers. The parents feed the chick regurgitated fish, providing essential nutrients.
  6. Growth and Development: Over the next few weeks, the chick grows rapidly. It develops waterproof feathers and gains strength. The parents continue to feed it until it becomes independent.
  7. Fledging: Around 90 days after hatching, the chick is ready to fledge. It takes its first flight, leaving the nest. The parents continue to provide food during this transition.
  8. Post-Fledging Period: After fledging, young gannets spend several years at sea, honing their fishing skills. Eventually, they return to the colony to breed, continuing the cycle.

In summary, Cape gannets exhibit dedicated parenting, ensuring the survival and success of their chicks in the challenging marine environment. ?? : https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/c/cape-gannet/ https://www.sardinerunpe.co.za/

Affiliated YouTube Channels

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

https://youtube.com/@thesardinenews – neva miss out

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

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

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

Affiliated 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

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December 2023 Fishing Report for KZN in VIDEO

Garrick in December down at Plettenberg Bay. Kaie Else the happy angler...

December 2023 Fishing Report for KZN

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!

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…

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.

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.

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.

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.

Check out our MYDO YouTube Channel right HERE.

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Do you need a fishing license to catch sardines?

Sardine License Please

Do you need a fishing license to catch sardines?

Do you need a fishing license to catch sardines? Very interesting question this one. Came to me. So Lets read the rules together…

The Rules

You can download the rules in PDF form to your phone or computer and have them with you at all times. Its a very nicely put-together document and we should all be familiar with it.

DOWNLOAD

But here listed below, are the juicy bits, that might answer the big question…do you need a fishing license to catch yourself a few sardines in the shore break? With your bare hands. Or a bucket. A skirt. A t-shirt. Washing baskets work wonders…here goes…

General Regulations

Every recreational angler must pay for the right to fish
in marine waters by buying an annual (or temporary)
recreational fishing permit. Different types of fishing
permits are available including angling, spearfishing, boat
skipper, etc. These permits are available from the Post
Office.

  • A recreational fishing permit entitles the holder to catch
    fish for own use only and not to sell or trade.
  • The holder of a recreational angling permit is entitled to
    catch fish of the Class Pisces (i.e. bony fish, sharks, rays,
    skates and chimaeras) only with a rod, reel and line, to
    which no more than 10 hooks are attached.
  • The holder of a recreational spearfishing permit is entitled
    to catch fish of the Class Pisces (i.e. bony fish, sharks, rays,
    skates and chimaeras) only with a speargun.
  • The skipper of a vessel used for recreational fishing shall
    be in possession of a permit endorsed for recreational
    fishing from a vessel.
  • The holder of a spearfishing permit shall not use any
    artificial respiratory equipment, except for a snorkel.
  • The holder of a recreational fishing permit authorised to
    fish within a Marine Protected Area (MPA) must adhere
    to the conditions specific to that MPA.
  • The holder of a recreational angling and/or spearfishing
    permit shall not catch or be in possession of:
    a) Any fish listed as a Prohibited Species.
    b) More than the daily bag limit listed for that species
    during any one day. Furthermore, there is an overall
    cumulative bag limit of ten (10) fish per person per day
    irrespective of the species caught, except that this
    does not apply to baitfish species where there is no
    bag limit or to species where the bag limit is greater
    than 10.
    MARINE RECREATIONAL
    FISHING REGULATIONS
    in South Africa
    c) Any fish smaller than, or of a mass less than, the size
    limit listed for that species.
    d) Any fish during the closed season listed for that species.
  • The holder of a recreational spearfishing permit shall not
    catch or attempt to catch fish in an estuary.
  • All fish that are landed, except sharks, skates, rays and
    chimaeras, must have head and tail intact so that it can be
    established whether the fish conforms to the minimum
    size and/or mass, provided that it may be gutted.
  • Any fish caught in contravention of the provisions of
    the Act or the permit conditions must immediately be
    returned to the sea with as little injury as possible.

Comment

Well, to me this certainly looks like it reads that everyone who collects anything from the ocean, in any way, needs a form of fishing license! Luckily I managed to get my license at the Port Shepstone Post Office since the South African Post Office stopped paying rent to all its cute little satellite and handy branches that were dotted all over the country. Little towns and villages. They all had these quaint versions of a cultural icon that we have ALL relied on for our lives until recently. Pen pals. Mail order. Postcards…so much fun!

But they were mercilessly culled off. Another ANC achievement. Shut down. Jobs and livelihoods gone. So now you got to hike to the bigger centres to find a working post office.

And get a fishing license!

And then when the officials come raiding your beach like stormtroopers, in their decked-out new bakkies, you can show them, the difference between a shad and a santer. With the PDF download on your phone.


Sardines and Sighting Maps

We have started the 2025  Sardine Run Map! Download our app to your phone or device, accept notifications, and you will never miss a single sardine.

2024 was a thrilling year for sardines. All the action has been logged right here on The Sardine News. The 2024 map has been viewed 200 000 times and just keeps going.

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…

2025 Sardine Map

2024 Sardine Map

2023 Sardine Map

2022 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

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