Durban, South Africa Fishing Report Today

I’m Artificial Lure, checking in with your Durban fishing report for this evening.

We’ve got classic early-winter conditions on the KZN coast: light to moderate south-westerly this evening easing overnight, cool but not uncomfortable along the piers and beaches, and seas sitting around one-and-a-half metres with a gentle swell period. Skies have been partly cloudy with good breaks of sun earlier. Sunrise was just after half past six this morning and sunset wrapped up just after five this evening, so you’re working with a tight golden window around first and last light.

The push on the incoming tide has been the money time. Around the top of the afternoon high and into the first of the drop, the bite picked up nicely, especially along the North Pier, Blue Lagoon area, and down towards Ansteys and Brighton. On the neap-ish tides we’ve had, the current has been manageable, making life easier for the bait anglers.

Off the piers and nearby reefs, the shoal fish are still around. Anglers have reported good numbers of shad when the gates have been open early, with most fish in the 30–40 cm range and the odd better one mixed in. A few lucky guys have picked up kob in the low-light sessions, mostly schoolies, but there have been whispers of one or two proper fish taken on live bait and chokka-baits in the deeper gutters.

Inshore, spinning has been productive. Small to medium spoons, 1–2 ounce, in silver and chartreuse, and slim-profile plugs have been doing the damage on shad and the odd snoek when they push in close. Soft plastics on light jigheads have found rockcod and smaller reef species along the bricks between Blue Lagoon and Umhlanga.

For bait, chokka and sardine remain top choices. A chokka–sard combo bait has been the standout for kob, while straight sardine fillet is getting the shad going quickly when they’re schooled up in the white water. Prawn and sea-lice are still drawing bites from stumpnose and smaller edibles in the bay and around the shallower banks.

If you’re heading out, two hot spots to keep in mind:

- North Pier and the harbour wall area for kob and shad on the pushing tide into dark.

- The stretch from Ansteys to Country Club for scratching with prawns and chokka-baits, and for throwing spoons at first light.

Boat anglers launching out of Durban Ski-Boat Club have found some action on the inshore reefs, with a mix of geelbek and smaller couta reported recently, mostly on live bait and slow-trolled sardine, though conditions have not been perfect every day.

Lure-wise, keep it simple: small metal spoons, white and pearl soft plastics, and a couple of 1–2 ounce surface plugs will cover most of what’s been biting. For bait anglers, make sure your traces are neat and scaled down a touch; the water’s been fairly clean and the fish a little shy in the brighter hours.

That’s the word from in and around Durban for this evening. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.

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Evening, anglers, Artificial Lure here with your Durban fishing rundown.

We’re heading into the back end of a mild winter pattern along the KZN coast, with light to moderate south‑westerlies most of the day and a bit of a chill on the early breeze. Skies have been mostly clear with some cloud pushing through in the afternoon, and the sea has held a workable 1–1.5 m swell on a fairly long period – good news for anyone working lures off the bricks or the sand. Sunrise was just after 6:45 am and sunset around 5:05 pm, so that short winter light window is still key.

Tides today ran on a standard neap-to-mid cycle, with a low early morning and a pushing tide through mid‑morning, then a late‑afternoon drop. On this coast, that pushing mid‑morning and the first part of the drop at dusk have been the productive slots, especially around structure and river mouths.

Off the piers – particularly **Umhlanga**, **Blue Lagoon**, and **Toti** – the shad have been around in fits and starts. Most fish have been on the smaller side, but enough legal ones came out on the dawn tide to keep the gaffs busy. Standard drift sardine baits and small spoon worked slowly have both produced, with chrome and pink being the standout colours in the clearer water.

Rock and surf guys reported a few **kob** after dark around the Bluff and down toward **Winkel^spruit**, mainly on chokka‑sardine combos and live bait when you can find it. Nothing wild, but a steady trickle of table fish in that 4–8 kg class. If you’re targeting kob tonight or tomorrow, think deeper gutters with some working white water but not too much sand churn.

In the bay and around the harbour mouth, light‑tackle spinning has been decent when the wind backs off. Smaller **kingies**, **pickhandle barracuda**, and the odd **bonnie** have been smashing 20–30 g spoons and small stickbaits. Work the colour line and any bait show you can find – birds dipping or scattered shoals on the surface are your cue.

Best artificial choices right now:

- For shad: 1–2 oz spoons, slim profiles, chrome/blue or chrome/pink, plus small white or chartreuse bucktail jigs.

- For kob: soft plastics in natural mullet or pearl colours on 1/2–1 oz jigheads, and slow‑rolled paddletails in the 4–6 inch range.

- For kingies and bonnies: compact metal jigs and fast‑retrieved spoons, 20–40 g, silver or anchovy patterns.

Best baits:

- Fresh sardine – still king for shad and general scratching.

- Chokka and chokka‑sardine combo for kob and bigger edibles.

- Red prawn and cracker shrimp for stumpies and smaller reef fish in the bays and gullies.

- Live karanteen or mullet if you’re serious about a kob or a kingie.

A couple of hotspots to keep on your radar:

- **Blue Lagoon / Umgeni mouth**: early‑morning shad, scattered kob on the drop, plus the odd kingie when the baitfish stack up.

- **Bluff rocks and Cave Rock area**: solid structure for kob and rock game on the pushing tide, especially into the evening.

- **Umhlanga lighthouse stretch**: shad at first light and kingies working the backline when the sea settles.

With the current weather and sea state, focus your effort around first light and the early evening drop, fish light where you can, and keep your presentations natural – winter water here rewards patience and finesse.

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Artificial Lure here with your Durban fishing rundown.

We’re sitting on a weakening waning moon, with softer tides today. Around Durban Harbour and the beachfront you’re looking at an early morning low pushing into a mid‑morning rising tide and a late‑afternoon drop. That incoming morning push is your best bet for inshore action, especially around the piers and harbour mouth.

Weather-wise, the South Coast radar and local forecasts are calling for mild winter conditions: cool pre‑dawn, daytime highs in the low 20s, mostly light to moderate offshore or cross‑shore breezes, and relatively settled seas. Swell is moderate and fishable, a bit of leftover lump but nothing crazy. Skies partly cloudy, so there’s just enough cover to keep gamefish comfortable in the top layers.

Sunrise is just after 6:45 a.m., with sunset just before 5:10 p.m. That gives you a tight but juicy window: first light to about 9 a.m. and the last two hours before dark are prime, especially when they line up with that pushing or easing tide.

Off the piers and surf, anglers have been picking up a mix of **shad**, **blacktail**, **stumpnose**, and the odd **kob** in the deeper gutters. Light tackle guys have also reported small **kingies** and **wave garrick** around the warm water outflows and rocky points. Offshore, the ski‑boat crowd out of Durban Ski‑Boat Club and Wilson’s Wharf has found **bonitos**, **tuna**, the odd **snoek**, and a few late **couta** on the deeper ledges when the water cleans up.

For lures, keep it simple and local:

- Small metal spoons and 1/2–1 oz dropshot jigs in silver, chartreuse, and pink are doing damage on shad and bonnies off the piers and backline.

- White or pearl paddle‑tails on 3/8–1/2 oz jigheads are deadly for kob and rockies in the surf and harbour channels.

- Offshore, pull small Konas, bullet heads, and feathers in blue/white, purple/black, and pink/white for tuna and bonnies; slow‑troll live baits or dustered sardines on the ledges if you’re hunting couta.

Best natural baits right now:

- Fresh sardine fillets and chokka combos for kob and other bottom dwellers.

- Red bait and prawn for stumpies and blacktail.

- Whole sardines or mackerel, live if you can get them, for gamefish on the backline and deeper reefs.

A couple of hotspots to put on your list:

- **Durban Harbour mouth and sandbank edges**: drifting prawns or small plastics around the drop‑offs can produce grunter, perch, and kob on that incoming tide.

- **Blue Lagoon and the beachfront piers**: spin early for shad and kingies, then switch to bait in the deeper holes once the sun climbs.

- **Umhlanga and Umdloti rocky points** just north: work small spoons and plugs for snoek and kingies if the water is clean and there’s bait showing.

- For the boat guys, **No. 1 and No. 2 reefs** off Durban: pull small lures and slow‑troll baits along the contours for tuna, bonnies, and a passing couta.

Water temperatures are holding in classic KZN winter range, cool but still friendly for pelagics when the colour is right. If you find that clean, slightly warmer blue‑green line with bait marking up, stick with it – that’s where the life is.

That’s your Durban fishing snapshot from Artificial Lure – tight lines, keep it safe, and don’t forget to handle your catches with care, especially the in‑between‑size fish.

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Artificial Lure here with your Durban fishing rundown for this evening and into tomorrow’s early session.

We’re sitting on a **waning moon** with the evening **high just after 9pm** and the next **low in the early hours before dawn**. Around Durban, that gives you a nice bit of pushing water on the sandbanks tonight, and a good drop-off period for the pre‑sunrise bite. Sunrise is around **6:50am**, sunset around **5:05pm**, so the prime windows are first light to about 9am, and again from 3:30pm into dark.

Weather along the Durban coast is mild winter stuff: light to moderate south‑westerly this evening backing off overnight, small to medium swell, and fairly clean water in the bay with a bit more colour north and south. Cooler, cleaner water has lifted the **shad, kob and snoek** activity the last few days, with some **garrick and kingfish** showing when the baitfish push in tight.

From chats at local tackle shops and docks, boat and ski guys off **Umhlanga, Umdloti and out off Durban beachfront** have reported decent numbers of **snoek**, the odd **bonnie**, and a few **tuna** further out. Rock and surf anglers between **Blue Lagoon and uMdloti** picked up good **shad** on the morning push, with a sprinkling of **kob** on live baits and chokka combos after dark. Inside the harbour, there’ve been **grunter and stumpnose** on the mudbanks, plus **rockcod and perch** around structure.

Lure anglers:

- For snoek and bonnies, work **small spoons and slim metal jigs** in the 1–2oz range, fast and high in the water. Chrome, pink and glow‑back patterns have been doing damage.

- For garrick and kingies, throw **surface plugs, paddletails and flukes** along the backline and river mouths at first light, white or pearl with a bit of chartreuse.

- For kob off the beach at night, slow roll **paddletails** in natural mullet or olive, or use subtle **jerkbaits** along the drop‑offs.

Bait anglers:

- **Shad** are still smashing **sardine baits** – small drift baits or fillets on a trace.

- **Kob** are favouring **chokka–sardine combos**, and where you can get them, **live shad or karanteen**.

- In the harbour, stick to **cracker prawn, mud prawn and sardine fillets** for grunter and stumpies, and squid strips near structure for rockcod.

A couple of hot spots to focus on right now:

- **Blue Lagoon to Snake Park**: good line for shad in the morning, and kob at night on the banks and channels.

- **Umhlanga Lighthouse area**: snoek and garrick early when the bait shows, plus shad off the rocks and backline.

- **Durban Harbour – T-Jetty and Yacht Mole**: steady grunter and other bread‑and‑butter species on prawn and sardine.

Overall, the bite has been **steady rather than wild**, with quality fish for anglers who work the tide changes and keep mobile. Tonight’s late high and tomorrow’s dawn drop should fish nicely if the wind stays friendly and the water doesn’t dirty up too much.

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

We’re sitting just after the late‑afternoon high, with a dropping tide along the KZN coast. Durban Harbour and the beachfront are seeing an outgoing push that’s been concentrating baitfish in the channels and around structure. Light south‑westerlies today have kept the sea fairly manageable, with a gentle swell and decent water colour on the main beaches. It was warm and humid through the day, with only patchy cloud and no major frontal systems pushing through.

First light is early this time of year, and the sunrise session produced the best action. Sunset wrapped up around early evening, and that last hour of light into the first of the night bite has been the second prime window. The middle of the day has been slow and scratchy, especially on the open beaches.

Off the piers and surf zone around Durban North and Addington, anglers reported good numbers of **shad** on the morning tide, with a few better fish mixed in. Smaller **kob** have been picked up in the deeper gutters on chokka‑sardine combos and paddletail plastics worked slowly along the bottom. There’ve also been some **sandies** and smaller **diamond rays** for the guys fishing full sardine baits.

Inside Durban Harbour, the drop‑off edges and marker poles produced **grunter** on cracker prawn and chokka, with some decent **springer** (skipjack) smashing small spoons and topwater lures around the turn of the tide. A handful of **rockcod** and **stumpnose** came out for patient bait anglers hugging the structure.

Best artificial lures today have been:

- Small **metal spoons** (1–2 oz) and **bullet plugs** for shad off the piers.

- **Paddletail plastics** in natural baitfish colours for kob along the beachfront and harbour mouth.

- Slim **topwater stickbaits** and **surface plugs** for springer in the harbour and canal stretches during low‑light periods.

For the bait brigade:

- Fresh **sardine** (whole baits or fillets) and **redeye** for shad and kob.

- **Chokka** strips and chokka‑sardine combos for kob and ray species.

- **Cracker prawn**, **mud prawn**, and small **crab** baits for grunter and stumpnose inside the harbour and backwaters.

A couple of hotspots to put on your list:

- **Durban beachfront piers** (North Pier, Addington side) for shad and kob on the early‑morning and late‑afternoon tides.

- **Durban Harbour** – especially the main channel edges, sandbanks, and around the yacht mole – for grunter, springer, and a mixed bag of edibles when the tide is moving.

- If you’re willing to drive a bit, the **Umgeni mouth and Blue Lagoon area** have been worth a throw for kob, shad, and the odd garrick when the baitfish are stacked.

Water’s not on fire everywhere, but if you time your session around the low‑light periods and the tide changes, fish are definitely on the chew. Keep your tackle neat, your drags set right, and please look after the smaller fish – they’re our future catches.

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This is Artificial Lure with your Durban fishing report.

We’ve just come off a settled spell with light offshore land breeze at first light, swinging to a gentle onshore by late morning. Skies have been mostly clear, humidity up, and the sea sitting around the low 20s, with a lazy swell on the points and a bit more push on the open beaches. Sunrise was just after 6, sunset just before 5, so that early window and last light are still prime time.

Tides today ran a pre-dawn high easing into a mid‑morning drop, then a pushing afternoon tide into the evening. That incoming this evening has really woken things up inshore. The water’s got a bit of colour after recent winds, just enough for predators to feel confident.

On the beaches north and south of Durban, the edibles have been steady rather than wild. Anglers on the Bluff and Brighton reported stumpnose, smaller kob, and a few shad coming out, mostly on the darker high‑tide sessions. Closer to Umhlanga and Umdloti, there’ve been decent pockets of shad and the odd garrick cruising the backline. Numbers aren’t huge, but the guys who’re patient are putting fish on the sand.

Best baits right now: chokka and sardine combo baits for kob, redbait and cracker prawn for the stumpies, and good old sard belly and fillets for the shad. A properly whipped sardine head‑and‑tail is still turning the better kob. Keep your traces neat and subtle in the clearer gutters.

For the lure brigade, small metal spoons and slim stickbaits have been doing damage on shad and the odd bonito just off the pier heads when the baitfish show. Early‑morning paddle‑tails in natural mullet or pearl colours have accounted for school kob on the sandbanks and along the river mouths. On the garrick side, white or chartreuse bucktail jigs and slow‑worked surface plugs around the backline have been the ticket when the wind stays down.

Offshore, when the boats have managed to slip out of Durban Ski‑Boat Club in the gaps between winds, they’ve found some action on the deeper reefs. Tuna and the odd dorado still hanging about out wider, with bottom fish like geelbek and daga kob coming from the ledges on strip baits and live mozzies. Slow‑pitch jigs and big paddle‑tails in 60–100 g are picking up quality fish for those working the marks properly.

A couple of hotspots to keep on your radar:

• The Bluff beaches and Cave Rock area: good structure, some colour in the water, and a solid chance at kob and shad on the push.

• Umhlanga to Umdloti stretch: working lures at first light along the backline for shad, garrick, and the odd gamefish when the bait balls push in close.

• Durban harbour mouth and adjacent beaches: school kob and grunter after dark on prawn, chokka, and soft plastics fished slowly along the bottom.

Overall fish activity has been best at dawn and dusk around the tide changes. Midday has been slow unless there’s a bit of cloud and wind to put a chop on the water. Downsizing tackle and going a bit lighter on leader has definitely converted extra bites in the cleaner pockets.

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

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This is Artificial Lure with your Durban fishing report.

A lekker winter pattern has settled in along the KZN coast. Light to moderate south-westerlies inshore, swinging more southerly by late afternoon, with a small to moderate swell on the Bluff and around Umhlanga. Skies have been partly cloudy, cool in the morning and evening, mild around midday. Offshore winds have been manageable for most boats, with a bit of chop on the run back in the afternoon.

First light came just after 6:40, with sunrise not long after. Sunset is just before 5:00 this evening, and that last hour of light has been the money time. Tides have been running on a neap-ish cycle, with a gentler push than last week. The better bites have lined up with the last of the pushing tide into early high, especially around river mouths and the harbour.

In Durban Harbour, grunter and stumpnose have been active on the flats and channel edges. Most action has been on prawn and chokka combo baits, with a few solid grunter pushing the mid-50 cm mark. Small paddle‑tail plastics and prawn‑profile dropshots in natural colours have also found fish for the lure guys working quietly along the banks.

Off the piers and beaches from Blue Lagoon down through North Pier and the Bluff, anglers have picked up shad in the early mornings, with a few bonito and kingies cruising just behind the backline. Metal spoons in the 1–2 oz range, in chrome and white combos, have been the top producers, along with small surface plugs when the shoals are up. Some decent kob have come out after dark on the south side, mainly on fresh sardine, mackerel and chokka baits slid or cast into the deeper gutters.

Rock and surf along the Bluff and towards Toti has delivered a mix of bronze bream, blacktail and the odd bluefish in the white water pockets. Pink prawn, chokka and red bait are working nicely. Light tackle, long leaders and small sharp hooks are key in the cleaner water.

Offshore, the ski‑boat and paddle‑ski crowd have been finding good reef fish on the inshore marks – rockcod, slinger, Englishman and the odd daga salmon. Standard bottom baits of sardine and chokka have been doing the damage. A few tuna and bonito have been taken on trolled feathers and small diving lures along the colour lines north and south of the harbour mouth.

Best lures right now:

- Medium and small chrome spoons

- 3–4 inch paddle‑tails in natural baitfish colours

- Small surface plugs and stickbaits for shad and kingies

- Slow‑pitch jigs on the reefs when the current eases

Best natural baits:

- Fresh sardine, mackerel and chokka for kob and edibles

- Prawn and chokka combo for harbour grunter and stumpnose

- Pink prawn and red bait for bronze bream and other reef pickers

A couple of hot spots to focus on:

- The Bluff beaches and points, especially the deeper gutters on a pushing tide into dusk

- Durban Harbour channel edges and flats on the morning and late‑afternoon tides

- The backline and inshore reefs off Umhlanga and Glenashley for shad, bonito and bottom fish

That’s your Durban fishing rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.

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Artificial Lure here with your Durban fishing report.

We’re sitting on a **waning moon**, and conditions have been a bit scratchy but still worth a throw if you time the tides and work the cleaner water. Durban bay and the open beaches have both produced fish this past week, with the odd proper pull for those putting in the hours.

According to Windy’s latest model, the **predominant wind** along the Durban coast tonight is a light to moderate south-westerly backing off into the evening, with seas sitting around 1.5–2 m and a bit of leftover lump on the outside banks. Skies have been partly cloudy with mild temps in the low 20s, typical early-winter coastal stuff. WeatherSA lists **sunrise around 6:45 am** and **sunset around 5:05 pm**, so your prime low-light bite is short and sweet – make it count.

Tide tables from SA Navy Hydrographic Office show a pre-dawn **high pushing mid-morning** and then dropping into a late afternoon **low**. That change of tide around the early morning high and the late afternoon push has been the best window for bites, especially for kob and stumpies in the surf and kingies around structure.

On the **fish activity** side, local reports from Durban Ski-Boat Club and social groups say the offshore guys have found **bonito, couta (king mackerel), and the odd yellowfin tuna** out deep on the colour lines and current edges. Inshore reefs have coughed up **rockcod, slinger, and the odd daga kob** at night. Surf anglers along the upper South Coast and north towards Umhlanga have been into **shad**, smaller **kob**, **stumpnose**, and plenty of **blacktail**. There’ve also been a few **brown skates and smaller sandsharks** in the deeper gutters on chokka and sard combos.

Numbers haven’t been wild, but guys putting in a proper session are reporting a handful of edible fish per outing, with some boats getting 3–6 gamefish on the troll on the right day.

**Best lures and bait:**

- For surf edibles, go with **fresh sardine**, **chokka**, and **sea lice or prawn** for stumpies and pompano. Brown water after the wind has made scent baits deadly.

- For spinning off the bricks or piers, 1–2 oz **spoons**, small **plugs**, and **weighted soft plastics** in natural baitfish colours have been working for shad, kingies and snoek when they’re in range.

- Offshore, slow-trolled **live mozzies, mackerel or karapau** remain top for couta. If you’re short on bait, **deep-diving hardbaits** in purple/black or green/yellow and **condom skirts** over strip baits are still getting bites.

A couple of **hot spots** to put on your radar:

- **Blue Lagoon / Umgeni Mouth:** When the river isn’t too filthy, the colour line has held shad, kob and the odd kingie at first light on spoons and sard. Work the channel edges on the pushing tide.

- **Toti / Warner Beach area:** Consistent stumpies and kob in the deeper gutters on chokka-sard combos, with shad at dawn when the water’s got some movement.

- **Umdloti / Umhlanga stretch:** Cleaner water has produced some better-quality shad and kingies for the guys throwing metal and small plugs on the points.

- **Inshore reefs off Durban and Umhlanga:** Night sessions with bait for rockcod and daga, daytime scratching with smaller baits for slinger and other reef species.

If you’re heading out tomorrow, plan around that early **sunrise high**, fish the first light push on a good bank or reef, then be ready again for the late afternoon tide change into sunset. Light but strong tackle, wire only when you’re specifically hunting toothy critters, and don’t forget a headlamp and proper safety gear if you’re on the rocks or launching.

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

On the KZN coast we’ve had a light to moderate south‑westerly most of the day, settling into a gentle onshore breeze this evening, with small to moderate swell and mostly clear skies. Air temps have been mild, and the sea’s sitting in that 21–23°C range along much of Durban’s beachfront – decent winter water for scratching and targeting in‑shore gamefish.

Tide‑wise, check your local tables, but we’re on a mid‑cycle with good water movement around the morning and late‑afternoon push. That late push into dusk has been the prime window the last day or two, with cleaner water lining up nicely off the piers and sandbanks.

First light has been around just after 6am, with sunset just before 5:15pm. Those low‑light periods are still the money times: early birds throwing spoons and plugs have been getting the better action, while bait anglers are doing well into and just after sunset.

Along the Durban beachfront – North Pier, South Pier, Blue Lagoon and down towards Ushaka – anglers have reported a mix of shad, smaller kingfish, the odd snoek just off the backline, and plenty of scratch species. The wharf and harbor walls have produced grunter, stumpnose and rockcod for those patient with fresh bait.

Best lures right now:

- Small to medium **metal spoons** in chrome or silver/blue for shad and snoek.

- **Surface plugs** and stickbaits in white or pink for kingfish on first light.

- **Soft plastics** on light jigheads around structure for rockcod and smaller kings.

On the bait side:

- Fresh **sardine** and redeye fillets are doing the damage for shad, snoek and the odd kob.

- **Chokka** and chokka‑sard combos have been solid for kob and bigger bottom fish.

- **Prawn, cracker shrimp and mussel** are still the go‑to for grunter, stumpies and stonebream, especially in the bay and around the river mouths.

Hot spots to focus on:

- **Blue Lagoon and the rivermouth banks**: good for shad at dawn, with the chance of kingfish and kob on live bait or bigger chokka baits.

- **Durban Harbor entrance and inside walls**: sheltered from the swell, producing grunter, rockcod and occasional kob for those fishing quietly with light tackle and natural baits.

Off the backline, ski‑boats and jetski anglers working the color lines off Durban have reported snoek and a few early winter kingfish on small trolling spoons and dusters, especially when the bait shoals stack up.

If you’re heading out tomorrow, time your session around that early push or the late‑afternoon tide, work your lures fast and tight to the white water for gamefish, and slow down with subtle baits when you’re scratching in the bay or off the bricks.

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This is Artificial Lure with your Durban fishing rundown for this evening’s session and the next early morning push.

We’re sitting on a **waning moon** with the evening **high tide** pushing through around 9–10 pm and a decent **pre‑dawn low**. That late high is giving some good water movement on the beachfront, and the early hours before first light are lining up nicely for the in‑shore guys.

Weather along the Durban coast has been **mild and stable**: light to moderate south‑westerly breeze backing off after dark, seas around 1–1.5 m, and water still carrying a bit of colour but not dirty. Skies partly cloudy, which always helps the bite stretch a little longer into the morning. Sunrise is just after 6 am, sunset just before 5:30 pm, so your prime windows are the **last hour of light into early night**, and then **two hours either side of the pre‑dawn low**.

Off the **piers and open beach**, the guys have been picking up decent **shad (elf)** on the early morning tides, plus the odd **kob** in the holes just north and south of the piers. Baits doing the damage are **chokka‑sardine combos**, straight **sardine bombs**, and small **mackerel** fillets. Cast just behind the shorebreak on a sliding trace if you’re hunting kob; for shad, keep it simple with a drift fillet and stay mobile.

Artificial crew, it’s been a good spell for **spoons and plugs** at first light. Compact 1–2 oz chrome spoons and white‑pearl GT Ice Cream–style plugs have taken shad, bonito, and the odd kingie when the baitfish push in tight. Work a fast, erratic retrieve over the sandbanks in front of **North Beach and Dairy Beach**, and don’t be shy to upsize your leader if the water’s got a bit of grunt.

Those fishing the **Harbour and Bluff** side have reported **grunter, rockcod and stumpnose** on **prawn, cracker shrimp, sardine and chokka strips**. Slow, subtle presentations on light tackle are key there. In the deeper channel edges, a live **mozzie or small mackerel** has a chance at a kob or small Garrick after dark.

A couple of **hot spots** to keep in mind tonight and tomorrow morning:

- **Blue Lagoon & Mouth area**: good mix of kob, shad and sandies on the pushing and early dropping tide with chokka‑sard combos and live bait.

- **Toti / Warner Beach stretch**: when the water cleans up, look for shad and the chance of an early winter kob. Try spoons at first light, then switch to bait as the sun gets higher.

If you’re soaking bait, stick to **sardine, chokka, and prawn**, with a couple of livies in the bucket if you can net them. For lures, pack **1–2 oz chrome spoons, white and chartreuse plugs, and a few soft‑plastic paddletails** in natural baitfish colours for kob along the backline.

Keep an eye on the swell; if it builds, tuck in near a pier or point for some protection, and always respect the shorebreak and backwash, especially at night.

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