Tag: umzimkulu marina

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2020 Sardine Run: Sardines in the Shorebreak!

Sardines in the Shorebreak Sardine Run 2020

Sardines in the Shorebreak!

Sardines in the Shorebreak!: On the first day of Johan Wessels (Fishing Pro Shop) being down at the Umzimkulu Marina here in Port Shepstone, where The Sardine News team is currently operating, this is what happened…

We started early in the first light, chucking a few lures into the channel out the front of the lodge at the Umzimkulu Marina. It wasn’t long before Johan enquired about what might be happening at the mouth, down the river in the distance. And so we fired up the trusty little Yamaha and set sail.

On the way, we dragged a few lures and as we came into the basin area on the way to mouth past Spillers Wharf, Johan got his first fish of the trip…a delightful little big-eye kingfish. And soon after, after we did a few circles in the area, he went away again. This time a handsome little GT. With an attitude…

But as much as we had a lot of fun getting those strikes and fish on the troll, we had the river mouth beckoning a few minutes cruise away.

I had said to Johan that anything can happen over that sandbar!

And WOW!

As we got over the top, there they were!

Sardines!

Five shoals of them had been herded into the shallows and were being mercilessly pulverised right in front of our eyes! There were sharks and garrick, but those saltwater piranhas – the shad, wouldn’t let a lure go by without attacking it first!

After a few hours of jam-packed fishing action like that, both Johan and Chelsea had had enough and we returned to the lodge for coffee and a serious work session.

We were on a mission building the menu for the all-new Fishing Pro Shop online store. A whole ot of fun. The site has come on nicely and is filled with information on every product – put together by the Pros that work in the Pretoria East based store. Which you can see at the following link…

http://fishingproshop.co.za

You can read all about the Umzimkulu Marina fishing options, and self-catering accommodation at this link…

http://umzimkulu.co.za

We run a YouTube Channel filled with contemporary fishing, surfing and diving videos at this link…please subscribe!

http://youtube.com/umzimkulu1/

We are on Facebook at…

http://facebook.com/thesardine.co.za/

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A long KZN south coast fishing weekend at the Umzimkulu Marina

Spinning sticks at the ready as Gizmo patrols for anything that moves

A long KZN south coast fishing weekend at the Umzimkulu Marina

These long weekends are just great and this one was filled with enthusiastic anglers from all over the globe. It started on Friday early morning with a 5kg kob taken off The Block on a paddletail. This set the tone for the long fishing weekend to come, and soon the Sandspit was lined with anglers. Who stayed all weekend!

Back up the river, at the Umzimkulu Estuary, Steve from England was over the moon with his pair of sharp-toothed catfish and a perch. Mark and crew were stoked with their perch, grunter and a kingfish.

But the bottom fishing team on the Niteshift had most of the fun with a big musselcracker, a bunch of bright orange cardinal snapper, and tales of huge yellowtail busting them up time after time. Took and entire day though, as the mid morning low tide kept them out there.

Matt Wainwright brought his highly maneuvrable little RIB down for the weekend, and in two sessions had to deal with some serious easterly surf, a feisty hammerhead shark and a couple of yellowfin tuna!

Captain Matt Wainwright scanning for tuna off Port Shepstone over the weekend
Captain Matt Wainwright scanning for tuna off Port Shepstone over the weekend

Overall the ocean seems to be coming alive all over the place after all the rain and brown water.

The only thing out of place, was the lack of mackerel in the usual spots, but we did find a few red eye sardines finally.

Spinning sticks at the ready as Gizmo patrols for anything that moves

Check out http://umzimkulu.co.za for some great KZN south coast fishing options.

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More from Flipper

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

More from Flipper

Well he is back and at his his usual playful self, as our resident dolphin un-aptly named Flipper, keeps swinging, er swimming by, to say Ahoy! He has been hanging ace out off Umtentweni and Port Shepstone for a number of years now. Actually not completely alone, there is also a Skua Bird that seems to like the same neighbourhood?! Flipper comes and goes with the seasons and the sardines, but when he is around, we can have a chat every day we launch.

Flipper (sorry!) loves to hang out and even get a free feed. he knows we have juicy fresh jube-jube mackerel in our live well and can be quite insistent. He is so tame he will eat from your hand! Jumping in with him on a clean day, he really gets interactive…chatting and clicking and squeaking away.

Now we just need to teach him to take us to the fish!

To immerse yourself in the rich and wild waters of the KZN Natal to the Transkei Wild Coast coastline, check out our various options here…

And a gallery of underwater imagery from Bazaruto through Durban and on to the Wild Coast.

Preparing for launch into the 2016 Sardine Report

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Who named him Flipper?

Who named him Flipper?

Not sure, but that’s his name, and he made another guest appearance during a fishing trip we were on a few days back.

This dolphin guy has been living in the waters off Port Shepstone for quite some time now. He is super social – loves a chat and a sardine.

We have jumped in with him a number of times, and often he will come and grab a sardine right from out of your hand. This day he was a little camera shy though, but you get the picture.

Why he hangs out alone is open to speculation but yeah, sometimes individuals are expelled from a dolphin clan.

Or maybe he just had enough of the rat race and moved out into the wilderness.

Right close to the savage humans?!

His old clan must think he is crazy!

More about Flipper here…

 

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Fish Braai at the Umzimkulu Marina this Saturday

Fish Braai at the Umzimkulu Marina this Saturday

Its that time again – a fabulous Fish Braai at the Umzimkulu Marina this Saturday!

Fish Braai at the Umzimkulu Marina
Fish Braai at the Umzimkulu Marina. The view down the Umzimkulu River.

This Saturday, the 24th April – bring the whole family, a few deck chairs, some blankets to laze around on, a fishing rod and some refreshments…and watch the show unfold.

Freshly caught fish are on the menu – braai’d and fraai’d – with each batch featuring a different flavour variation. Some peri-peri hotness, or in batter for kids – even sushi (Cevice). Bella (of Bella’s), is in charge and she brings with her – mountains of tasty salad and all sorts – even starters!

In the meantime, phone in your booking – Bela on 078 538 9913 or Geraldine on 072 27 11 694 are standing by.

R120 for adults, R40 for kids.

The proceedings get underway at mid-day and last well into the afternoon.

The good ship UmzimkuluThe Umzimkulu Marina

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