Artificial Lure here with your Durban fishing report for this evening.

On the bay and beachfront we had a **moderate south‑westerly** pumping earlier, backing off into the night with a light onshore breeze and calm to slight seas. Local forecasts from Windy and Windguru are calling it a **cool, partly cloudy night**, with only a small chance of drizzle along the Bluff and Durban North. Barometer has been steady, which usually means consistent but not explosive bite windows.

According to tide tables from the South African Navy Hydrographic Office, we had a **late afternoon high** followed by an **evening push into the first half of the drop**, which lined up nicely with the sunset bite. Sunrise today was just before 7 in the morning and sunset just after 5 in the evening, so the **dusk into early night** slot has been prime, especially around the piers and harbour mouth.

Reports from local skippers out of Wilson’s Wharf and Durban Ski‑Boat Club say the offshore scene in 30–60 m has been **quiet but steady**: a few **yellowfin tuna** in the 6–10 kg range and the odd **bonnie and kawa‑kawa** on the deeper colour line. Most were taken on **small pink and purple feathers**, **halco‑style deep divers in sardine and mackerel pattern**, and **live mozzies** slow‑trolled. One boat working north toward Umdloti went a bit deeper and found **better tuna action just after midday**, again on small lures run way back.

Closer inshore between the harbour mouth and Umhlanga, paddle‑ski and light‑tackle guys reported a **sprinkling of snoek**, not a proper run, but enough to keep it interesting. The more successful anglers threw **small chrome spoons, 1–2 oz, and white flash‑minnow plastics** on fast retrieves at first light. A couple of **nice garrick** were also picked up on **live mullet and small shad** slow‑trolled just behind backline.

On the piers – **Umhlanga, Blue Lagoon, North and South Pier** – the evening bite produced **shad** in decent numbers, with a mix of size: plenty of undersize fish but also some keepers for those sticking it out. Best results came on **chokka‑and‑sardine combo baits**, **whole sardine on a slide trace**, and for the artificials, **small surface plugs and 1 oz spoons** worked fast through the white water. Behind the shad, a few anglers managed **kob** into the low‑teen kilo class on **fresh shad fillet** and **paddle‑tail plastics in blood‑worm and pearl white** fished slow along the bottom.

Inside the harbour, night‑time produced **grunter and stumpies** on **cracker prawn, mud prawn, and sardine belly**, mainly around the container terminal and lighthouse area structure. Dropshotters working the lights reported **little kingies and perch** on **3‑inch jerk‑shads and prawn‑imitations**, natural colours doing best in the clear pockets.

For the next few sessions, your **top lures** around Durban are:

- **1–2 oz chrome and white‑metal spoons** for shad, snoek, and tuna.

- **Medium diving plugs in sardine, mackerel, and purple** for inshore game fish.

- **Soft plastics**: 4–5 inch paddle tails in **pearl, chartreuse, and blood‑worm** for kob and reefies.

- **Small surface plugs and chisel‑nose pencils** for dawn shad and garrick.

Best **baits** right now:

- **Fresh sardine** (whole, fillet, or combo with chokka).

- **Chokka**, beaten and tenderised for smell and movement.

- **Live baits**: mullet, mozzies, and small shad where legal.

- **Cracker and mud prawn** inside the harbour and estuaries.

If you’re planning a mission, a couple of **hot spots** to focus on:

- **Blue Lagoon to Umgeni mouth**: good for shad, kob, and the odd garrick on the push.

- **North Pier and New Pier**: solid evening option for shad and kob in the white water.

- **Bluff point and Cave Rock area**: when swell allows, can produce quality kob and rockies on bait and paddletails.

- **Durban harbour lights and structure**: reliable for grunter, perc

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Artificial Lure here with your Durban fishing rundown.

We’ve just come off the back of the evening high, with a springier tide cycle pushing some decent water movement along the Bluff and up the North Coast. Expect the early morning to start on a dropping tide, turning mid‑morning, then pushing in nicely over lunchtime into the afternoon. Local tide tables from Durban Harbour show close to a 2‑metre range today, so there’s enough push to switch fish on around the banks and points.

Weather along the Durban beachfront is mild and settled: light land breeze early, swinging to a gentle onshore later. Coastal forecasts are calling for a light north‑easterly building in the afternoon, with a small, manageable swell and relatively clean water, especially north of Blue Lagoon. Skies are mostly clear, with scattered cloud building later in the day. Sunrise is just after 6am and sunset just before 5:30pm, giving a nice golden hour both ends of the day.

That first light period around sunrise should fish well for shad, kob and the odd snoek if you can find working birds off the deeper ledges. Late afternoon into dusk looks promising for kob in the surf and grunter in the bays and harbour.

Reports from local anglers over the last few days have been encouraging. Off the piers and beachfront, guys have been getting fair numbers of shad, with a few sliding over legal size, plus the odd bonito and kingfish on spinning gear. The harbour has produced some good-sized spotted grunter and occasional stumpnose for those fishing light trace and fresh bait. Offshore, ski‑boat crews running off Durban and Umdloti have found dorado still hanging about on the inshore colour lines, plus tuna and bonito on the trawl, with the odd couta showing when the water cleans up.

If you’re throwing lures, pack small to medium spoons and plugs in silver, chrome and white for shad and bonnies. A 1–2 oz spoon burned just under the surface off the piers or rocky points has been doing damage. Soft plastics on 3/8–1/2 oz jigheads in natural baitfish colours are deadly for kob along the deeper gutters on the Bluff side and around Umhlanga. For kingfish and snoek, slim profile sticks and weighted spoons retrieved fast through bait balls are the ticket.

On the bait side, fresh chokka and sardine combos are still the go‑to for kob and bigger bottom fish. Small fillets of sard or redeye on light trace work well for shad and stumpies. In the harbour, prawn, cracker and chokka blob baits are outfishing most for grunter, especially on a long, thin trace fished quietly along the drop‑offs. Don’t be shy to scale down hooks and line there; the water’s been clear enough to make a difference.

A couple of hotspots to consider:

– **Blue Lagoon to Umhlanga**: good for early‑morning spinning for shad, bonnies and the odd kingfish, especially around the rip lines and where the sandbanks form gutters.

– **Bluff beaches and Cave Rock area**: worth a mission for kob on chokka‑sard combos after dark and first light, plus some solid scratching for smaller edibles during the day.

Inside the harbour, try the drop‑offs along the sandbanks and the mouth area on the pushing tide for grunter and perch.

Overall, expect decent action if you time the moving water and work those low‑light windows. Keep an eye on the wind; if the north‑easter pumps harder than forecast, push into the harbour or more sheltered corners.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Durban fishing report.

We’ve got a classic winter pattern on the KZN coast tonight. Light to moderate south‑westerly earlier, easing into the evening, with cool, stable conditions and only a slight chance of showers along the beachfront. Temps have been sitting in the mid‑teens, dropping off after dark, with a gentle swell and decent water clarity on the protected stretches.

Sun popped up just after 7 this morning and ducked back down just before 5, so we’re sitting in those long winter nights. The best bite windows today lined up around the tide changes and low‑light periods, with a noticeable uptick in activity late afternoon into early evening.

Tides have been running on a moderate cycle: enough push to work a proper gutter, but not so wild that it blows the banks out. The pushing tide into sunset along the Durban beachfront and Bluff side has been the sweet spot, with the drop later on favouring the rock and ledge guys.

On the catch front, the usual winter suspects have been around. The surf anglers reported decent numbers of shad along Durban beachfront, especially around Blue Lagoon and down towards Addington, with a few better‑sized fish mixed in. There’ve also been some kob coming out at night off the piers and deeper gutters, mostly schoolies but the odd proper bus has been whispered about. The scratching brigade found blacktail, stumpnose and the odd stonebream off the Bluff ledges and around Glenashley.

Offshore, the ski‑boat and kayak crowd have picked up a mix of tuna and bonito out deeper, with the odd dorado still hanging around the warm blue water edges, though they’re thinning out as we sit well into winter. Reef species like slinger and rockcod have kept bottom anglers busy off the Bluff and Umhlanga reefs.

Best baits today have been fresh chokka and sardine combo baits for kob, with plain sardine doing the trick for shad. For the scratchers, red bait, prawn and mussel have been reliable, especially in the cleaner, slightly deeper pockets. Offshore, sardine and mackerel on the downriggers and bottom traces have been solid producers.

On the lure side, shad have been smashing small spoons and plugs cast into the working white water, especially chrome and chartreuse patterns. Soft plastics in natural baitfish colours and paddle‑tails worked slowly along the bottom have tempted kob off the beach and around the piers. Offshore, trolling smaller skirted lures and diving hardbaits in pink, purple and blue‑white has turned up tuna and bonito.

If you’re heading out, a couple of hot spots to focus on:

• Durban beachfront – from Blue Lagoon down past North and South Pier, especially around the gutters and pier mouths on the pushing tide into dark.

• Bluff coastline – the ledges and points facing into the swell have been holding kob, shad and scratch species, with cleaner water producing the better class fish.

Pack a warm top, go light on the tackle where you can, and work those tide changes and low‑light periods. There are fish around if you put the time in and keep your bait fresh.

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Artificial Lure here, checking in with your Durban fishing report for this evening.

We’re sitting deep into the cooler season now, and the change is showing nicely along the KZN coast. Light westerlies this afternoon backed off into a gentle land breeze this evening, with a small south‑easterly swell running around 1–1.5 metres. Skies have been mostly clear, bar a bit of coastal haze. Sunrise was just after 6:50 this morning and sunset wrapped up around 17:05, so we’re well into the short‑day winter pattern.

Tides today have been on the neap side, with a mid‑morning high and a late‑afternoon push giving the best water movement along the beaches and off the piers. That late push into dusk lined up nicely for the guys targeting edibles.

Along the Durban beachfront, the usual suspects made an appearance. Reports from local anglers on the piers and promenade say shad have been around in modest numbers at first light and again on the evening turn, not thick, but enough to keep things interesting if you work for them. A few snoek slid through off Blue Lagoon and further north towards Umhlanga for the paddleski and ski‑boat crews casting spoons on the colour lines.

The edible scene has been decent: smaller kob and the odd better fish have come out after dark on the deeper gutters from Durban View up to Umhlanga, with some nice stumpnose and grunter in the sandy holes around the river mouths. Further south, towards uMdloti and the Bluff, anglers soaking baits in the working water picked up a mix of blacktail, karanteen and the odd bronze bream.

Artificial‑wise, the go‑to lures right now are smaller metal spoons, 1–2 ounce, in silver and pink or silver and chartreuse for shad and snoek. Slim minnow‑style plugs and sub‑surface stickbaits in natural baitfish colours are doing well when the water’s a bit cleaner. For kob on the bricks and in the gutters, soft plastics on ½–1 ounce jig heads in pearl white or darker “bloodworm” tones fished slow along the bottom are producing bites once the light fades.

For bait anglers, chokka‑sardine combos remain the top pick for kob and bigger edibles. Fresh red eye or sardine fillets on a flowing trace will find shad and the odd snoek when they push in close. For stumpies and bream, pink prawn, cracker prawn and red bait fished on lighter tackle around reefy patches are the business. Grunter have been responding nicely to chokka and prawn baits in the quieter, sandy channels.

A couple of hotspots to keep on your radar:

- The **North Pier and surrounding beachfront**: good for shad at first and last light, with a chance of kob on soft plastics and chokka‑sard combos after dark along the deeper gutters.

- The **Blue Lagoon and Umgeni mouth area**: working well on the pushing tide for grunter, kob and stumpies on bait, with snoek and shad off the backline for those throwing spoons.

- Up the coast, **Umhlanga and uMdloti**: nice winter water, with reefy points and sandy patches producing mixed edibles and the chance of a better kob if you put in the hours after sunset.

Conditions tonight favour a patient, slower approach: lighter leaders where you can get away with it, natural‑looking baits, and lures worked methodically through the productive water. Focus your effort around the tide changes and into the low‑light windows, and you’re in with a solid shout.

That’s your Durban fishing rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.

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Evening folks, Artificial Lure here with your Durban fishing report.

Let’s start with the conditions. Around Durban today we had light to moderate NE to E winds on and off the coast, with a bit of a swell still running but very fishable on most open beaches. Humidity’s been high and the barometer fairly steady – classic KZN winter pattern. Sunrise was just after 6:50 am, sunset shortly after 5:05 pm, giving a nice long low-light window on both ends of the day.

Tides around Durban ran on a moderate cycle, with a pushing mid-morning tide and an evening drop that lined up nicely with sunset. That pushing morning tide treated the surf guys well, especially on the sandbanks north of Blue Lagoon and down towards Umhlanga. The evening outgoing saw better bites off the piers and the Bluff ledges.

Offshore, local charter reports from Durban Harbour and the deeper ledges say the winter gamefish are still around but a bit fussy. Skippers picked up a handful of yellowfin tuna and the odd bonito out deeper, plus some decent dorado stragglers are basically done for the season now. Bottom fishing has been the safer bet, with slinger, soldiers, and the odd rockcod coming up from the reefs off Umdloti and the Bluff.

Inshore, the edible scene has been decent. Anglers working the surf between Blue Lagoon, Country Club Beach, and Umhlanga picked up shad in small but consistent numbers in the early morning and late afternoon. Mixed in were a few kob on live baits and chokka baits, mostly at first light. South side, the Bluff beaches and Brighton area produced some nice stumpnose and blacktail for the guys scratching, with the occasional pompano on cleaner patches of sand.

Best baits today: for surf edibles, chokka and sardine combos, redeye fillets, and pink prawn for stumpies. For kob, bigger chokka baits and live shad or karanteen if you can find them. On the rocks, crab and mussel worked for blacktail and bronze bream in the white water pockets.

Lure anglers had some action around the harbour mouth and north coast points. Smaller spoons and plugs in the 1–2 oz range in chrome or white worked for shad and the odd snoek when the baitfish pushed in. For kob on artificials, soft plastics in natural mullet colours and paddle-tails worked slowly along the drop-offs were the ticket. Early morning and late evening were definitely the prime times.

A couple of hot spots to keep an eye on:

- Blue Lagoon to Country Club Beach: reliable shad, with kob in the low light and on the pushing tide.

- Umhlanga and Umdloti area: good for mixed edibles on bait, and spinning for shad and snoek when the water’s got life.

- The Bluff ledges and Brighton Beach: solid scratching water for stumpies, blacktail, and bream, plus kob on the deeper edges.

- Durban Harbour entrance and inside walls: smaller gamefish and grunter on prawn and artificials, especially around the tide turns.

If you’re heading out tomorrow, plan around the first light push or that sunset drop, keep your bait fresh, and have one rod ready with a spoon or plug – there’s still enough life around that a quick spin can save a slow session.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Durban fishing report.

We’re coming off the back end of the evening high, with the tide easing and pushing towards a late-night low. On a dropping tide like this, those gutters along **Durban beachfront**, **Blue Lagoon**, and down towards **Umhlanga** tend to switch on as the water pulls bait off the banks. Earlier, the afternoon high had some decent push and colour, and that’s when most of today’s fish came out.

Weather along the coast has been mild: light to moderate onshore breeze earlier, settling this evening, with a gentle sea running and just enough chop to put some life in the water. Skies have been partly cloudy, with a comfortable temperature and no hectic fronts crashing through, so conditions have been pretty steady from midday right through the evening. Sunrise was just after six this morning and sunset wrapped up just after five, so that golden hour into dark has been the key window.

On the **rock and surf** side, anglers reported a steady pick of **shad** in the low light at **North Pier**, **Addington**, and around **Umhlanga**. Nothing wild, but a good few legal fish in the mix. Most were taken on **small spoons**, **chisel-nose plugs**, and **drifted sardine baits**. A few **kob** have come out after dark, especially in deeper gutters around **Blue Lagoon** and down the **Bluff** side, with **fresh chokka-sardine combos** and **live mullet** doing the damage. Scattered **stumpnose** and **blacktail** kept the scratch anglers busy on **prawn**, **chokka**, and **red bait**.

Off the backline, ski-boats and jetskis working out from **Durban harbour** and **Umhlanga** picked up a handful of **bonnies** and **smaller tuna** earlier in the day on **feathers** and **small soft-plastic paddletails** trolled just off the colour line. The bite was patchy but better where the water had a bit of green-blue mix and some working birds on top.

For lures, if you’re spinning the surf tomorrow, pack:

- **30–40 g chrome or white spoons** for shad and bonnies

- **Small to medium plugs** in white or pearl for dawn patrol

- **5–7 inch paddletails** in natural baitfish colours for kob along the deeper gutters

Best baits right now:

- **Sardine**: fillets or belly baits for shad and kob

- **Chokka**: strip baits or combo baits for kob and stumpnose

- **Prawn, mussel, and red bait**: for stumpies, blacktail, and other reef species

A couple of **hot spots** to focus on:

- **Blue Lagoon mouth and adjoining beaches**: good structure, strong bait presence on the dropping tide, and a fair chance of kob and shad in the low light.

- **Umhlanga rocks and points**: shad at first and last light on spoons and plugs, with a chance of a kob in the deeper holes after dark.

If you’re heading out tomorrow, aim for **first light into the early morning push** or **late afternoon into dusk around the next high**, fish the working water, and keep your tackle light but strong enough for that surprise kob or garrick.

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Artificial Lure here, checking in with your Durban fishing report for this evening and the next early-morning session.

We’ve got a light winter pattern on the KZN coast: a cool south-westerly breeze settling in, seas running moderate with a bit of leftover swell, and generally clear to partly cloudy skies. Air temps are hovering in the mid-teens to low 20s along the beachfront. According to the South African Weather Service forecast for the Durban area, winds are easing tonight and staying light into the early morning, which is perfect for both surf and harbour work.

Durban sunrise is around 06:50 and sunset just after 17:00 this time of year, so the magic hours are those first two hours after first light and the last hour into dark. The tides are on a typical mid-June cycle, with an early-morning pushing tide and an afternoon / evening drop. That early push into the sandbanks and around the harbour mouth usually switches the fish on, especially the shad and small kob.

Along the beachfront, the last couple of days have produced decent mixed bags. Local bait anglers on North Beach and Bay of Plenty have picked up shad, a few stumpnose, and the odd kob in the low-light slots. Reports from regulars at Blue Lagoon mention small kob and grunter in the river mouth, with some nice sandies and smaller rays taking baits just off the channel edges. Off the piers, guys have been sliding baits for inedibles and seeing a couple of brown skates and small grey sharks.

In the harbour, the dropshot and light-tackle crowd are still finding perch, rock salmon, and the odd kingie tight to structure. Live bait and small sardine fillets have produced some solid grunter on the mud banks when the tide starts to push.

For lures, keep it simple and local. In the surf, small to medium spoons in chrome, chartreuse, and pink work well for shad and kingies. A 1–2 oz spoon or plug with a fast, erratic retrieve around the piers and along the backline is the ticket. For kob in the low light, soft plastics in natural mullet and pearl white on 3/8–1/2 oz jigheads, worked slow along the bottom, can be deadly. In the harbour and estuary, paddle-tails and prawn imitations on light jigheads, plus small hard-body jerkbaits in gold or olive, are solid options.

Bait-wise, fresh sardine is still king for most surf species here: chokka–sardine combo for kob, straight sard belly or fillet for shad, and a smaller chokka or prawn bait for stumpnose and grunter. In the harbour, mud prawn, cracker shrimp, and pink prawn on light tackle will outfish most things when the water is clean and the current is manageable.

A couple of hotspots to focus on:

- Durban Harbour: Fish the Yacht Mole, Wilson’s Wharf side, and channel edges on the pushing tide for grunter, perch, and rock salmon. Work your lures tight to structure and be ready for that sudden thump.

- Blue Lagoon / Umgeni mouth: Great on a clean pushing tide for kob, grunter, and the odd kingie. Fish the gutters and colour lines where river water meets the sea.

- North Beach to Bay of Plenty piers: Classic shad and kob water in the dawn and dusk windows; cast spoons and plugs just beyond the shorebreak and around the pier edges.

Work your sessions around the tide, fish the low light, and keep an eye on water colour and bait activity. Birds dipping and small shoals of baitfish pushing in close are your best sign to stay put and keep casting.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Durban fishing report.

We’ve just come off the back of a building new-to-first-quarter moon, and that’s had the tides running nicely along the KZN coast. Around Durban today the morning high pushed in with a decent bit of colour on the water, then dropped off through the afternoon with a softer evening push. Nothing extreme on the swell: light to moderate surf, mostly manageable from both beach and pier. Light southwesterly to southerly breezes have kept things comfortable, with the classic winter pattern of cool mornings and mild, clear afternoons. Sunrise was early, just after six, with sunset not long after five in the evening, so the proper bite windows were that grey first light and then the last hour before dark.

Off the piers – especially Durban Sandspit, North Pier and Umhlanga – the shad have been around in fits and starts. It hasn’t been a full-on frenzy, but enough fish came out this morning to keep the guys awake. Most were pan-size, with the odd better chokka-length fish mixed in. Metal spoons in the 1–2 ounce range, silver or chartreuse, worked on a medium spinning setup have been the ticket, along with small white and pink bucktail jigs. A few anglers drifting sardine baits on light wire traces also picked up shad and the odd smash from a pickhandle barracuda.

On the beaches northwards – Umhlanga, Umdloti, and further up towards Tongaat – the winter gamefish are starting to show. There’ve been some bonito and smaller king mackerel cruising just behind the backline where the baitballs are stacking. Boat anglers slow-trolling live mozzies and mackerel have had the better success, but a couple of shoreline guys throwing long-cast spoons and small plugs into working birds reported hook-ups. If you’re fishing off the sand, focus on the rip lines and colour changes where the water goes that deeper green, and keep your retrieve fast and erratic.

Rock and surf anglers working the ledges around Blue Lagoon and the more broken ground south towards Isipingo have picked up some decent stumpnose and blacktail, plus a few grunter in the deeper gullies. Best baits there have been fresh prawn, chokka strips and small sard belly baits on light traces. Those fishing the deeper holes into the evening have reported the odd kob coming through when the water has a bit of movement – nothing huge, but enough “soapies” to make you commit to the graveyard shift. For kob, go with chokka-sard combos or a well-presented live mullet if you can net one in the estuary.

Inside Durban Harbour, winter has brought more stable water and the grunter have been active on the banks and drop-offs on the pushing tide. Guys drifting with cracker shrimp, prawn and small sardine pieces on very light tackle have done well, especially at first light and again on the early evening push. A couple of smaller kingies have also been reported on soft plastics and tiny topwaters worked along structure – bridges and pylons are always worth a cast.

In terms of artificial lures, here’s what’s been earning its keep:

- For shad and general gamefish: 1–2 oz silver or chrome spoons, white or pink bucktails, and slim surface plugs in white, pearl or blue.

- For kingies and bonito: long-cast metals, small stickbaits and fast-moving plugs.

- For harbour and estuary: 3–4 inch paddle-tail soft plastics in natural baitfish colours, worked slowly along the bottom.

For bait:

- Shad and general surf species: sardine, mackerel and chokka.

- Rock dwellers and grunter: prawn, cracker shrimp, chokka strips and sard belly.

- Kob: chokka–sard combos or live mullet.

If you’re looking for hot spots over the next day or two, I’d put time into:

- The Umhlanga and Durban piers at dawn for shad and the chance of a passing kingie.

- Durban Harbour banks on the pushing tide for grunter and the odd kingie on soft plastics.

- The deeper beach holes south of the city towards Isipingo after dark if you’re hunting kob.

That’s the word from the water for today in and around Durban. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a session with Artificial Lure.

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This is Artificial Lure with your Durban fishing report.

Light winter conditions on the KZN coast today: a gentle to moderate south-westerly blowing through most of the day with calmer patches early morning and late afternoon. Skies are mostly clear with a bit of high cloud and cool temps, so pack a windbreaker. According to the South African Weather Service, we’re sitting in a stable high-pressure pattern, which usually means clean, fishable seas and decent water clarity close inshore.

Sunrise comes just after 6:50 am and sunset just before 5:05 pm, so that first and last hour of light are prime time. With the recent new-to-waxing moon phase, local tide tables show a solid early morning high pushing in, then dropping off through late morning before another smaller push in the late afternoon. That morning flood tide has been key for inshore species, especially around structure.

Around Durban harbour and the Bluff, anglers have reported steady catches of grunter, rock salmon, and the odd kob on the turning tide inside the bay. Shrimp, prawn, and chokka combos have been outfishing plain sardine. Soft plastics on 1/4 oz jig heads worked slowly along the bottom are also producing, especially in natural baitfish colours.

Off the piers – Durban Beachfront, Umhlanga, and Umdloti – shad have been coming through in fits and starts at first light. Not huge numbers, but enough to keep the spoons flying. A 1–2 oz chrome or white-metal spoon, fast-retrieved just under the surface, has been the go-to. Some anglers throwing small plugs and bucktail jigs have picked up bonito and small kingfish just outside the backline when the bait shows.

Rock and surf along the South Coast side – Toti to Warner Beach – has seen a few decent kob and stumpnose at night, mainly on sardine and chokka baits. Reports from local bait shops say fresh red-eye and properly cleaned chokka have been the difference between just feeding the crabs and getting a proper pull. Use lighter trace when the water’s clean; the fish are a bit cautious in this clear winter swell.

Water temp has settled in the low 20s along most of the Durban stretch. That cooler, cleaner water has brought in some garrick along the backline. Guys slow-trolling live mozzies and karanteen behind jetskis and kayaks have been rewarded, with a few solid fish released in the 6–9 kg range. If you’re land-based, try small surface plugs and stickbaits worked along the gutters during the pushing tide.

Offshore, ski-boats working the colour line off Umhlanga and Umdloti have found a mixed bag: a few yellowfin tuna, some bonnies, and the odd dorado still hanging around on the warmer edges, though the dorries are thinning out now. Feathers, small konas in pink-and-white or purple, and daisy chains have been producing, with most bites coming mid-morning as the sun lifts.

Best lures to have in the box today:

- 1–2 oz chrome spoons for shad and small gamefish

- White and chartreuse bucktail jigs around 1/2 oz

- Natural-colour paddletail soft plastics for grunter and kob

- Small surface plugs and stickbaits in white or bone for garrick

Top baits:

- Fresh sardine fillets and chokka combos

- Live mullet, mozzies, and karanteen for garrick and kob

- Sea lice, prawn, and cracker shrimp for stumpnose and grunter

A couple of hotspots to focus on:

- The **Umhlanga Lighthouse and rocks** area at first light on a pushing tide for shad, kingfish, and the odd garrick.

- The **Cutting and Sandpump area on the Bluff** around the high tide for grunter, rock salmon, and kob, especially into the evening.

That’s your Durban fishing wrap from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a session on the water.

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This is Artificial Lure with your Durban fishing report.

On the KZN coast today we’ve had a light to moderate north-easterly pumping most of the afternoon, laying down a bit of side-wash on open beaches and a light chop in the bay. Inland temps have been warm and humid, but along the water it’s been comfortable, sitting in the low 20s with that typical Durban haze on the horizon. Sunrise was just after six this morning and sunset wrapped up just after five, giving us a decent dusk bite window.

The tide pushed in nicely late afternoon with a solid mid-tide period that really woke things up in the surf. On the push, the shore anglers along Durban beachfront and towards Blue Lagoon reported pockets of shad and the odd kob working the gutters. A couple of locals at North Pier picked up small kingfish and blacktail in the white water, mostly on sardine baits and small spoons. Off the piers, the water has had a bit of colour—good for predators, not so great for sight fishing.

Inside Durban harbour, the usual suspects showed up. Anglers drifting prawn and cracker shrimp along the channel edges found some decent grunter and a few stumpies. The turning of the tide in the late afternoon was the prime time, with light tackle and natural presentation making the difference. Smaller dropshot paddle tails in natural mullet colours also did damage around structure.

Offshore, the ski-boat and kayak crowd working out off Umhlanga and Umdloti found a few snoek early on the troll with small pink and silver spoons and strip baits. The north-easter made things a bit lumpy later, but there were still reports of bonito and the odd yellowfin further out on live bait and small feathers. No massive hauls, but steady action if you put in the time.

For lures, keep it simple:

- In the surf, 1–2 oz chrome or white spoons, small plugs, and paddletail soft plastics in olive, white, and pearl are doing well.

- In the bay, go lighter: 3–4 inch paddle tails, prawn imitations, and tiny jerkbaits worked slowly along the bottom.

Bait-wise, fresh sardine, chokka combos, pink prawn, and cracker shrimp are still the top producers. On the beaches, a sard–chokka wrap or a well-presented prawn bait in the deeper gutters is hard to beat, especially into the evening for kob and in-edibles. In the harbour, small prawn baits on light fluorocarbon leaders are key for grunter and stumpies.

A few hot spots to keep on your radar:

- Durban North Pier and the beachfront pier lineup for shad, kob, and the odd kingie, especially around the pushing tide at first light and late afternoon.

- Blue Lagoon and the river mouth area for mixed bags of smaller edibles and a chance at a surprise kingfish when the baitfish stack up.

- Inside Durban harbour, try the concrete block areas and channel edges for grunter on prawn and light plastics.

- Offshore from Umhlanga to Umdloti for snoek and bonito at first light when the sea is still manageable.

All in all, not a wild day, but consistent enough: smaller gamefish offshore, steady grunter and stumpies in the harbour, and a sprinkling of shad, kob, and kingies along the beachfront if you worked the tides and structure properly.

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