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Scoping out Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal By Jono Booysen
R
ICHARDS Bay is a very popular fishing destination, and for good reason.This area has a bit of a reputation for being a difficult place to find fish, but when you do find them, they are often of trophy size. I agree with this sentiment, even after calling the area home for nearly my whole life. One of the difficulties is that the area is vast, and fishing spots
are not in close proximity to one another. This is where a well thought out gameplan is essential for the day to be successful. Focusing not only on the target species, but also on the area I intend to hone in on, significantly improves my success rate. By having a good idea of what “Plan A” is, you can have a few contingency plans for backup. Other things to consider when looking at where to fish off Richards Bay
might seem obvious, but are really important... • Check weather forecasts, as there is nothing worse than running 40km north only to get caught in a 30 knot south-westerly buster. • Try to find out what the current is doing. You can ask around, check a few apps or simply look at which directions the ships are lying at anchor (if there is not too much wind affecting this).
A 36.1kg ’cuda caught off Richards Bay. Back: Piet Joubert, Pierre Smit, Gert Jacobs. Front: Jono Booysen and At van Tilburg. SKI-BOAT November/December 2023 • 7
