Gamefish of the Umzimkulu: Blacktip Kingfish aka Caranx Heberi -

Gamefish of the Umzimkulu: Blacktip Kingfish aka Caranx Heberi

Gamefish of the Umzimkulu: Blacktip Kingfish aka Caranx Heberi are high-speed marauding gamefish that will take absolutely anything when they are smashing like they have been on the Umzimkulu recently.

Swimming with the GT’s at the moment, this pack just charges up and down the river smashing into anything and everything along the way.

Catching Blacktip Kingfish

When they come up smashing like that, you can throw any shiny lure at them and they will pounce. Having a live bait at hand to throw into the mix will also have you vas!

They also happily invade a trolling spread – the smaller lures get more strikes for sure. But bigger lures keep the tiny fish away.

These are mainly adults…all released happily to fight another day. These guys release excellent, tough characters!

Chris Lepan blacktip kingfish in the Umzimkulu

Mr. Ant Nel blacktip kingfish in the Umzimkulu River — Chris Lepan blacktip kingfish in the Umzimkulu

Juveniles

Here’s hoping that most of these cute little guys keep going at their high growth rate and stay out of trouble. They grow at about 1kg per year. Or 100 grams a month!

The Umzimkulu is the single estuary left, in the entirety of KZN, that is acting as a breeding ground and nursery for estuarine gamefish like the kingfish species. All the rest have become dysfunctional due to agriculture runoff mismanagement. And the ANC’s perpetual flow of sewage, as of recent.

If your estuary is in good shape…they will come…

If your estuary is in good shape, it can contribute to the well-being of the fish and other marine animal stocks in your entire area. If your estuary is broken and polluted, nobody is coming to visit. The only reason the Umzimkulu still functions is that no idiots have been able to impede the flood and tidal pulse. With dams or other infrastructure.

Dams are failing the world over and destroying natural functions and the environment. Wherever they are built, they alter the delicate God-given balance of nature. Check this out to learn more about how the Onrus Estuary is being damaged right now.