Durban launches have seen a mix of results, but there has definitely been action for those dialled in on the right tactics.
Image: Meta AI
The wind has been howling this week, but here is the twist in the tale: it has been the right wind. That solid north-Easter has been pushing warm water down the coast and flipping the switch on the bite. If you have been sitting at home waiting for "perfect conditions", you have probably missed some proper action. The ocean might look wild, but the fish have been fired up, and anglers who pushed through have been rewarded with screaming reels and bent rods.
Speaking of fired up, the Durban Interclub held this past weekend delivered an absolute cracker of a result. The weigh stations saw an incredible spread of fish coming through - a sign that the coast is alive and well and shaping up for a seriously exciting competition season. When the interclub produces numbers like that, anglers know the ecosystem is healthy and the coming months could be something special.
One question that always pops up at the slipway or on the beach is: “What colour lure did you catch that on?”
Truth is, colour is usually the last piece of the puzzle. The real magic lives in where your lure is, how fast it’s moving, and how deep it’s swimming. Retrieve speed, depth, and lure size come first. If your lure is not in the strike zone and moving like real prey, the perfect colour won’t save you. Get the speed right, work the right depth, match the size of what predators are hunting, and suddenly the bites start stacking up.
Offshore along the KZN coast, the fishing has been going full throttle. Live bait has been a little tricky to secure, but the gamefish clearly didn’t get the memo because they have been chewing hard. Up on the North Coast, the usual launch spots have been buzzing, and for good reason. Snoek are still thick in the system, and some of the better action has actually been coming from slightly deeper water than usual. Don’t be shy about pushing a bit further out with your fillet baits or trolling spreads. Every now and then, just to keep things interesting, a couta or tuna will crash the party on snoek tackle and turn a casual session into absolute chaos.
Beyond the snoek, the North Coast has been alive with pelagics. Dorado are flashing through the colour lines, tuna are smashing baits, billfish are making surprise appearances, and plenty of couta are still lurking where warm water pushes through. In short, summer fish are still very much in the game; if you’re not on the water, you are watching someone else’s photos roll through your feed.
Durban launches have seen a mix of results, but there has definitely been action for those dialled in on the right tactics. Tuna and couta remain the primary targets, with most of the couta coming through on the smaller side, though the occasional proper "crocodile" is still finding its way onto the decks. For the shoal fish, a shiny sardine is still one of the deadliest baits you can put in the water. When those darts are feeding, a well-presented sardine gets inhaled. The bigger fish, though, are a different story altogether. They are picky, powerful, and demand fresh bait and flawless presentation if you want to stand a chance.
Further down the coast, especially along the lower South Coast, the focus has shifted to the "bottom brutes". This is not finesse fishing; this is war. Anglers are rolling out the heavy artillery: 10 to 11-inch KP reels, serious rods, and 100lb-plus braid. Even then, those deep-water giants don’t always play fair. Poenskop, copper steenbras, yellowtail, and amberjack have been testing gear and anglers alike. If there is a weak link anywhere in your setup, those fish will find it in seconds.
So check your knots, sharpen those hooks, and pack a bit of courage with your tackle box. The coast is alive, the fish are feeding, and the next screaming run could be waiting just beyond the breakers. Get out there and make it happen.
For the best in tackle and advice, pop into any of the seven Kingfisher stores. They are open 8am–5pm Monday to Friday, and 8am–1pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.
The KZN Angler News audio fishing report is South Africa's first fishing podcast series that focuses on the latest fishing reports of the East Coast. This report is free and available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Deezer, as well as SA’s most popular Facebook pages: https://www.ecr.co.za/podcasts/ansa/
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