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Fish Species
Sodwana Bay’s big game fishing is world renowned. Sodwana Bay in the North of Kwazulu Natal is a great place to base a Game fishing escape. A large number of game fish come to the Bay during the season, and offer a real challenge to the most experienced angler. Most fishing is by live baiting or trolling artificial lures. Species present in the same waters through the summer and months are blue marlin, black marlin, broad bill swordfish, mako shark, dolphin fish (mahi-mahi), yellow fin, Kingfish and king mackerel as well as the occasional short billed spearfish. These species are all available from September through April. During May to August the bigger game fish are caught using live bait. Speed jigging and popper fishing are other effective fishing methods for kingfish. These fish are usually found and fished for near deep rocky shores, offshore reefs and ledges.
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Yellow fin Tuna
It is similar to southern tuna but has a longer pectoral fin and an angular check plate. In larger examples the second dorsal fin and its opposite member become long and pointed and may reach to the tail fin. General colour is similar to the other tunas, with brighter yellow fins and with vertical white lines and spots along the sides. Colour fades quickly after capture. Food is mostly surface fishes of open water. A very popular sport fish, particularly in the Bay of Plenty in the summer. It is usually fished for with trolled lures or in a meatball situation where the tuna herd up schools of baitfish. Here, live baits or cubes (chunks) are used |
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Skipjack Tuna
Skipjack tuna are small, highly migratory tuna are caught to about 7kg, and are easily identified by a series of longitudinal dark stripes on the belly. Skipjack are a popular light tackle sport fish, and are a sought after bait species, being primarily used for live bait or strip baits. Usually caught by trolling small skirted lures, but also by spin-fishing with metal lures |
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Dorado
Dorado, Dolphin Fish, Mahi-Mahi, The Dorado is instantly identifiable because of its unique shape and brilliant coloration. It has a compressed body with a long concave anal fin, a single long dorsal fin that extends the length of the body, very long pectoral fins that are greater than one-half the length of the head, pelvic fins that originate under the pectoral fins, and a deeply forked caudal fin. The fins are normally yellow. The mahi-mahi, or "dorado" in Spanish, is sexually dimorphic, with males having a bony crest on the high, square forehead presenting a blunt vertical profile, much like a sperm whale, while females present a more normal profile. The Dorado is brilliantly coloured with golden hues on its sides, irregular metallic blue and green blotches on the back and sides, and white to yellow underneath. These striking colours quickly fade to a uniform blotchy white shortly after collection. Characteristically, the body depth is less than 25 percent of the body length. It is often called the 'chicken of the sea" because of its tasty, white flesh. Food taken is similar to tuna (i.e. other surface fishes). This white-fleshed fish is a popular recreational species and is caught on trolled lures, jigs and baits. During summer months Dorado are regularly caught offshore in many parts of the country |
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Blue Marlin
Blue marlin are one of the largest of the marlins. The easiest diagnostic difference between large striped marlin and blue marlin is that the blue has a dorsal fin one half to two-thirds the body depth at that point, where the striped marlin has a dorsal fin height about the same as its body depth. Blue marlin are primarily caught around the north coasts in high summer (November-March), these fish average around 100kg, with the largest rod-and-reel capture listed at 461.3kg. Captures of these powerful and dynamic fish have increased in recent seasons, with more boats working further offshore in the blue marlin's favoured deep water habitat. Trolling large skirted lures is the usual fishing technique |
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Broadbill swordfish
Broadbill swordfish are a cosmopolitan oceanic species, more abundant in temperate than tropical seas which is found throughout our area. The long flat sword, short dorsal fin and the single keel near the tail fin immediately distinguish this species from marlins. Colour is dark blue and silver, often with a bronze flush which may obscure the basic colour pattern or change the blue to a purplish shade. Other fishes, sometimes of considerable size, are taken as food. Although South African anglers have a long history of broadbill captures, these were infrequent until a decade ago when American techniques using light-sticks were tried here |
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Striped Marlin
Its colour is dark blue above with pale blue stripes. Its food is mostly other fishes large and small and includes bottom as well as surface fishes. The slender bill, high dorsal lobe and straight rear edge of the pectoral fin are distinguishing features. The most popular fishing system is lure-trolling which has taken over from the previous favourite trolling dead baits. Typically, fish weigh ninety to one hundred kilos. About seventy-five percent of marlin are tagged and released |
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Black Marlin
The black marlin is a heavy, thick set marlin of warm Indo-Pacific oceans which reaches our northern coasts in summer months. The short, thick spear, low dorsal lobe and fixed pectoral fin are features which immediately distinguish this species from the other marlin. Colour is blue-black above, greyish-white below, and an overall bronze flush is sometimes present. Stripes are often present but may fade quickly after capture. Any other fishes are taken as food. Black marlin are most regularly encountered around shallow reef structures. Captures of this species have dwindled in recent years, largely because of the swing towards lure fishing. Specialists targeting black marlin with large live-baits continue to have success |
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Stats Counters
| Visits today: |
15 |
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11 |
| Visits month: |
102 |
| Visits total: |
857 |
| Data since: |
2010-07-21 |
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