Durban Harbour - Whatsup

[Ziggy]

I was fishing in Durban harbour today and a pod of about 20 dolphins swam past -  I was between the yellow bouys kind of opposite Wilsons Wharf. Amazing to see!


However, very little fish on the bite - I anchored on the sandbank in the rising tide (the water was about one meter deep) and threw out some crackers for grunters - not a bite except this mullet that surprised me! It was 40,5 cm long - nose to tail tip. It gave me quite a rev on my light tackle......I wished it was a grunter though!

[isivuba]

Ziggy all I can say is that's one of the biggest mullets I've seen......except for the west of Pretoria.

[Happy Dog]

Nice mullet, unusual on cracker, well done.

[Toppie]

Seems like you had a nice day on the water Ziggy. Congrats on the Mullet.
 
When little we caught many of those in the harbour around PYC on floating bread crusts. Not any good eating so we released them all again.
 
PS: How is your deck drainage working now, better?

[Ziggy]

Seems like you had a nice day on the water Ziggy. Congrats on the Mullet.
 
When little we caught many of those in the harbour around PYC on floating bread crusts. Not any good eating so we released them all again.
 
PS: How is your deck drainage working now, better?

Ever since I installed the bilge pumpand sealed the hatches - I have not had an incident that would require me using it!  Just waiting to try it out though...

[Gregf]

That be a very strong fish, 40 cm of mullet is going to be remembered me thinks 

[icstuff]

Nice mullet, have tried to catch them on fly?
I heard that it could be fun

[Ziggy]

That be a very strong fish, 40 cm of mullet is going to be remembered me thinks 

It was on my lightest  rod and 6lb braid - drag was screaming

[CLS]

Should have pinned it for a Garrick 

[Ziggy]

Should have pinned it for a Garrick 

More like one of those dolphins!

[Charles]

Perfect slide bait in Mosselbay especially if you want to rid your reel of old line!! 

[krissi]

Nice one Ziggy - just goes to show fishing is unpredictable at best and full of surprises 

[WJ]

Nice Mullet Ziggy......that should be a nice livebait for some of the toothie critters there in the harbour

[MichaelK]

Ziggy, i like to go to the end of the sand bank and anchor there. Almost opposite to where the Passenger liners Dock at N shed. If i remember the boays correctly it should be about E9 or E10 (red). I've had some huge revs there with live bait put out.

[Ziggy]

Ziggy, i like to go to the end of the sand bank and anchor there. Almost opposite to where the Passenger liners Dock at N shed. If i remember the boays correctly it should be about E9 or E10 (red). I've had some huge revs there with live bait put out.

I was just off the end of the sand bank, maybe about 50 m down - ballie Colin was about 30m away from us at the time - he was sending his cracker (looked like cracker from that distance - two hooks) with a condom? Why? We were parked right on top of the sandbank at high tide - it was about 1 m deep...we decided to copy Colin and see what gives

[Ziggy]

I launched at about 11.30 today and started fishing at the cardinal buoy on the tip of the centre island. I decided to only use two rods: Clarus 6'6" (with stradic 2500 and 6lb braid) and berkley 5'6" (with Daiwa BG15 and 8lb mono) - keeping things light and simple....or so I thought!


First the BAD stuff  - I baited up and cast the Berkley and put it in the rod holder - then baited up the Clarus and cast...as the line was settling, the Berkley started nodding. I immediately closed the bail on my Clarus and put it down leaning against the gunwale (stupidly not in the rod holder  - because I was eager to pick up the other rod). As i picked up the other rod - my clarus shot off the boat at great speed...all I saw was its wake as it speed through the water...like a little boat! Gone forever!!!! It all happened so fast...that bait had not even settled yet.


So, I was left with one rod to fish with...my tiny ultralight Berkely.


Now the GOOD stuff In the next two hours I landed 8 grunter between 1,5 and 2,8kg......and dropped 2 really big ones. I never thought it would be so taxing to land those grunter on that tiny rod!


I feel very sad about that rod - i have had it for almost 4 years....and have caught many blacktail, small shad, kingies from the surf, grunter in the bay and bream and chessa on the Zambez ......i feel a bout of tackle addiction coming on

[Toppie]

Ziggy, one evening lost a rod like that fishing off they key-side on the Bluff. Reel was nicely tucked/hooked into behind the railway line and I was sitting out the rain and wind behind a bollard next I heard scraping sound and turned to see my rod hit the water about 20 meters from the harbour wall side.
 
Convinced me there are some monsters in the harbour. Sorry about your loss.
 
 

[Ziggy]

Ziggy, one evening lost a rod like that fishing off they key-side on the Bluff. Reel was nicely tucked/hooked into behind the railway line and I was sitting out the rain and wind behind a bollard next I heard scraping sound and turned to see my rod hit the water about 20 meters from the harbour wall side.
 
Convinced me there are some monsters in the harbour. Sorry about your loss.

I am still crying like a baby!


There are some real big monsters in the harbour - not too sure what they are. I think skates would be one. Today I also had some serious takes that took off the hooks leaving a jagged end...I assume that it might be pick handle barracuda (sea pike)...I am told that there are many around. Maybe I should be targeting them..not sure how though

[WalkersKiller]

Unlucky regarding the rod Ziggy, that really sucks... Nice fishing though must have been fun, any pics?

You can target the pike on dropshot with small minnows or small diving lures it might be worth it to give it a go!

[Prego]

Rule #1 expect the unexpected  I think most of us have done something similar before sorry about the loss of your gear

NOW where the pics ??

Us land locked buggers need pics