SKZN Fishing Report 7 June 2022
SKZN Fishing Report 7 June 2022: a roundup of the species on the bite right now, and what we can expect as the sardines threaten to arrive.
Sardines
Starting with sardines. The water is too warm and too dirty. The trusty old Agulhas Current just hasn’t built up enough steam to remove the poison soup left to us by the double-floods. And the ocean has been a right washing machine for a while too.
Patience.
But be ready at all times.
You can follow the shoals on The Sardine Run 2022 Sighing Map right here.
Be aware of false sardine news! Especially by the mainstream as they try to get hits for their advertisers. With ill-researched and inaccurate reports. Facebook already is a minefield of false sardine reports from Scottburgh and Port Edward. And it’s just gonna get worse!
Red-eye sardines, maasbanker and mackerel will be adding to the confusion as eyes are peeled at the horizon. These guys look and behave just like sardines and are often called in as such.
Shad
Yip, and some big ones too. Really big. With gamefish in amongst them. Out deeper there are mainly only smaller shads though.
Kob
Put in the hard yards, at the right place, at the right time…and you will get your kob. Just watch the beaches for secret-looking gatherings in the corners and things. Kob bring out the clandestine side of anglers. Night-vision, camouflage and all…
Garrick
Have not heard of or seen one garrick this season yet. That dirty water is going to drive us all mad.
Especially the spearos!
Jason Heyne reminisces with a great garrick shooting video shot in the clean water last year…
It’s a bit quiet now but as soon as the water starts to clear in some places, you can keep an eye on exactly what fish are about on The Master Watermen website.
Estuaries
I will leave this over to Ant Nel – fishing guide extraordinaire, to show in pictures…what he caught this past week.
ALL fish are tagged and released. Every time.
Watch this fun video to see Ant coaching his granddaughter into a trophy estuary GT. For a 9-year-old!
If you wanna go estuary fishing with Ant, buzz me Sean on +27793269671 or umzimkulu@gmail.com.
Deep-sea
Down this way we have Protea Reef and the continental shelf, to escape to when the water is in such bad condition. Gamefish abound – although the sharks are absolutely amazing out here these days.
They also home in on any bottom fishing you may be enjoying. Make no mistake, there are very many sharks in this area right now. All waiting for the sardines.
As you may have seen from the Hibberdene fishing competition this last weekend, the surf has been maniacal. Today it has seemed to calm down a bit.
Others
A couple gamefish caught in the shallows with the shad lately include kingfish. Chuck a lure anywhere where the shad are biting and you are in with a shout.
News from Brucifire in J-Bay
Includes this whopper silver steenbras (that goes by many names), caught by Stephen Clinton. 12 kgs….Kabeljous beach….!
Last night!
Thank you Brucifire and looking forward to some decent surf and surf reports soon?
Stay up-to-date with the sardines and their whereabouts by checking back to our Sardine Run 2022 Sightings map.
