Richards Bay fishing very well
We have reports of very good fishing in the Richards Bay area over the past week.
A fair north-easterly spell of winds has passed, which made for excellent fishing on the north coast in particular, with a number of anglers landing larger inedibles such as sandsharks, raggies, diamonds and honeycomb rays.
On the Kosi Bay stretch a good number of kingfish were landed too, mainly on bait such as chokka blob baits or slide and whole mackerel slide baits. Lures which did the damage include the Daiwa D Minnow, Maria Blues Code and other spoons which can be cast a decent distance. For the best distance attainable, be careful not to go cheap on the braids available to you. A good quality braid that will cast further and last longer will always be slightly more expensive than its equivalent breaking strain in another brand. The long awaited Daiwa J braid has finally hit our shelves and has been getting some amazing reviews so far. This 8 weave ultra smooth, ultra strong casting braid is Japanese made and developed, and has put the latest technology behind its production to ensure it is one of the best braids for spinning available on the market. Leading tackle stores are stocking the entire range which include 20, 30, 50, 65 and 80lb - ideal for a variety of applications.
Further south at Maphelane there have been numerous Natal snoek caught from the surf, which is exciting for the anglers who have been trying their hand at spinning. A few good sized kingfish have also hopped onto the lures thrown for snoek, but have preferred a much slower retrieve in comparison. If there are rocky ledges in the area being fished, a different approach can be taken in form of a drop-shot lure or diving Minnows which can be fished far slower around the rocks. A heavier braid is generally preferred around the rocks if the angler has an option to swap onto a spare spool. Having a reel with a spare spool will be a cheaper option in the long run, as less braid will be purchased over the years, as well as being more convenient when targeting a variety of species. Snoek fishing is made a lot easier when using a 15 or 20lb braid instead of a 25-30lb braid. Many anglers will increase their casting distance by at least 30m when downsizing on a braid. The problem comes in when the angler decides to target kingfish or kob in the rocks and the braid cuts too easily and no pressure can be applied to stop the fish from cutting itself off. In these situations, a spare spool of 25-30lb braid would be welcomed. Not many reels these days come with a spare spool, however there are a few gems on the market such as the Exceler range of reels, which have two spools throughout the range. Maphelane has also seen a few big sharks such as Zambezi and raggedtooth sharks. Stumpnose seem to have been caught throughout the week and should feed well in the week to come going by the weather and sea predictions.
Richards Bay has been an incredible spot over the last week, producing some good edibles for a change. Stumpies, pompano, wave garrick, queenfish and shad have been caught throughout the week and have showed no signs of slowing down. The harbour section was incredibly productive and had many anglers happy with their catches which ranged from grunter to stumpies, flatfish and sharks to some really nice kingfish and pickhandle.
Zinkwazi has seen more paddleski action and boating action than from the surf. However, there have been a decent number of sandsharks and even raggies at night. More towards Salt Rock the spinning enthusiasts have been getting in on the action as the snoek and kingfish come onto the bite. The deeper water ledges have been productive. The less popular spots seem to be producing more fish.
Anglers using baits off Sheffield have hooked into a few nice brusher and bronze bream. However, these have been few and a bait fished in the right spot will be picked up by a stumpie before most other fish.
(File Photo: Gallo Images)
On the Kosi Bay stretch a good number of kingfish were landed too, mainly on bait such as chokka blob baits or slide and whole mackerel slide baits. Lures which did the damage include the Daiwa D Minnow, Maria Blues Code and other spoons which can be cast a decent distance. For the best distance attainable, be careful not to go cheap on the braids available to you. A good quality braid that will cast further and last longer will always be slightly more expensive than its equivalent breaking strain in another brand. The long awaited Daiwa J braid has finally hit our shelves and has been getting some amazing reviews so far. This 8 weave ultra smooth, ultra strong casting braid is Japanese made and developed, and has put the latest technology behind its production to ensure it is one of the best braids for spinning available on the market. Leading tackle stores are stocking the entire range which include 20, 30, 50, 65 and 80lb - ideal for a variety of applications.
Further south at Maphelane there have been numerous Natal snoek caught from the surf, which is exciting for the anglers who have been trying their hand at spinning. A few good sized kingfish have also hopped onto the lures thrown for snoek, but have preferred a much slower retrieve in comparison. If there are rocky ledges in the area being fished, a different approach can be taken in form of a drop-shot lure or diving Minnows which can be fished far slower around the rocks. A heavier braid is generally preferred around the rocks if the angler has an option to swap onto a spare spool. Having a reel with a spare spool will be a cheaper option in the long run, as less braid will be purchased over the years, as well as being more convenient when targeting a variety of species. Snoek fishing is made a lot easier when using a 15 or 20lb braid instead of a 25-30lb braid. Many anglers will increase their casting distance by at least 30m when downsizing on a braid. The problem comes in when the angler decides to target kingfish or kob in the rocks and the braid cuts too easily and no pressure can be applied to stop the fish from cutting itself off. In these situations, a spare spool of 25-30lb braid would be welcomed. Not many reels these days come with a spare spool, however there are a few gems on the market such as the Exceler range of reels, which have two spools throughout the range. Maphelane has also seen a few big sharks such as Zambezi and raggedtooth sharks. Stumpnose seem to have been caught throughout the week and should feed well in the week to come going by the weather and sea predictions.
Richards Bay has been an incredible spot over the last week, producing some good edibles for a change. Stumpies, pompano, wave garrick, queenfish and shad have been caught throughout the week and have showed no signs of slowing down. The harbour section was incredibly productive and had many anglers happy with their catches which ranged from grunter to stumpies, flatfish and sharks to some really nice kingfish and pickhandle.
Zinkwazi has seen more paddleski action and boating action than from the surf. However, there have been a decent number of sandsharks and even raggies at night. More towards Salt Rock the spinning enthusiasts have been getting in on the action as the snoek and kingfish come onto the bite. The deeper water ledges have been productive. The less popular spots seem to be producing more fish.
Anglers using baits off Sheffield have hooked into a few nice brusher and bronze bream. However, these have been few and a bait fished in the right spot will be picked up by a stumpie before most other fish.
(File Photo: Gallo Images)
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