Tag: south coast fishing

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Gearing up for shad season

This is the MYDO SS Spoon Shad in 3.2mm Stainless Steel specification 316 marine grade. Made in South Africa available at http://thesardine.co.za/mydo/

Gearing up for shad season

Gearing up for shad season has become real fun as the market has presented us with so many ways to catch these delicious and sporty fish.

You don’t even need bait anymore!

Catching shad on lures, normally spoons, has been the national favourite past time for many. Now the art has been augmented with a wide range of options for the lure angler. Shad love it shiny whatever the colour. And a slow retrieve with gentle twitches to get the spoon acting like a live bait.

Leave the bait at home!

From MYDO we have the radical new range of SS Spoons. The twin blade design with lateral line holes together create a lot more fuss than regular spoons. The twin blades provide underwater sound that shad and kob love to hear. The lateral line holes make for huge casts on such light lures as they fly through the air unhindered aerodynamically. Then when the lure hits the water, the holes create cavitation of air and water leading to all sorts of wild and fish enticing effects. Bubbles and spray flying everywhere! Smoky bubble trails that fish can see for miles.

The shad season has been open a while now, but it’s usually from about now on, that things really start hotting up. As much as dreams are free – when divers Marc and Pierre (pictured below), saw and shot this giant shad – it was one of a shoal all about the same size. This shad had a karanteen trace in it’s mouth when it was taken off Chaka’s Rock in Umtentweni, KZN South Coast.

Marc-Lange-and-Pierre-de-Villiers-8.7kg-Shad. Shad season
Marc-Lange-and-Pierre-de-Villiers-8.7kg-Shad.
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South Coast fishing turns on!

Johan Wessels getting in on the south coast fishing bite over the long weekend.

South Coast fishing turns on!

Mike Stubbs really enjoying the south coast fishing this time of year.
Mike Stubbs really enjoying the south coast fishing this time of year. 30. Kgs. Nice. Plus a Prodigal Son (Cobia), in the same class.

The South Coast fishing this time of the year is what we all been dreaming about! Although there have been good catches of the elusive ‘cuda right up and down the coast, the area around Port Shepstone has been producing consistent really big fish, the last week or so. Just as it did last year this same time.

Cuda fishing in particular has had everyone out there. Mike Stubbs got this magnificent 30kg fish on the Friday. The Niteshift got a 20kg. King Tutt we saw boat a lovely fish in the 25kg range. He ended up with two.

20kg Couta by The Niteshift
20kg Couta by The Niteshift. Shown off by Elvis Olimpio and Ansie Kotze, at The Umzimkulu Marina

Shake Shake came back late on Saturday with two 20kg looking yellowtail. Many very strong fighting fish were lost over the long weekend and the rumour is that these powerful yellowtail have been the culprits.

Johan Wessels getting in on the south coast fishing bite over the long weekend.
Johan Wessels getting in on the south coast fishing bite over the long weekend, aboard The Niteshift.

On our Saturday charter, as we moved north from Port Shepstone, the water cleared more and more. With our guests Pete and Greg, with Johan Wessels from The Fishing Pro Shop in Pretoria, we spotted three sailfish – one charged into the wake and started jumping around as if he was hooked, but he wasn’t. He was also very small, we also might have seen a marlin but positive identity on the huge thing swirling up the water in front of Johan and I wasn’t possible. Beeeg fish either way. Sickles all over the place!

The concentration of mackerel and maasbanker in the area is creating all the havoc.

We also had a visit from Flipper our local solitary bottlenose dolphin. This guy has been buzzing us for years and loves some human company. And a few livies from the well. He is always alone and is clearly identifiable by a grey band across his peduncle area, and a nip out of his tail, starboard side.

Flipper, our friendly local, also revelled in the south coast fishing action. Mackerel and maasbanker on the menu
Flipper, our friendly local, also revelling in the south coast fishing action. Mackerel and maasbanker on the menu

And to cap it off, there was a manta ray. A huge guy, jumping clear of the water right in front of us. Then it just chilled out and let us approach, it hung around a while but then it was lines up for us.

For a great fishing experience, come and join us at The Umzimkulu Marina in Port Shepstone. Fish the estuary and the ocean. Fish off the side or hitch a ride on one of the boats moored at the jetty, out to sea or in the river, these boats go all the time.

For a cool tackle shop in the Pretoria area, visit The Fishing Pro Shop.

 

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