Fishing around Cape Town
Holidays are all about relaxing, stepping away from the day to day, to do something different, unwind and experience life at a different pace. While some people go on holiday there are a special group of people who go on fishing holidays, they are called fishermen. So whilst some people come to South Africa and Cape Town in particular to see and experience the culture, food, people and sights, others come to fish. This small guide to fishing around Cape Town is for holidaying fishermen.
The best fishing spots close to Cape Town are:
Rooikrans- Regarded as one of Cape Town’s and South Africa’s best fishing spots. The cliff ledges of Rooikrans, located just inside the tip of Cape Point, provide some world class fishing. Blacktail, Kob, Galjoen and Yellowtail are regularly caught. Rooikrans is not a spot for the beginner, the cliffs make landing fish very difficult and more than one fishermen have found themselves in the water after a big swell has washed them off the rocks.
Kommetjie Bay- While the onshore fishing is pretty good, especially when the Baracouta/ Cape Snoek start their winter run, it is off shore where you are going to give your rod and reel a real workout. Tuna, Albacore, Black Marlin and Mako Sharks will have the line screaming off your spool in no time. Do yourself a favour and book a fishing charter in Cape Town.
Melkbosstrand- Only 35km from Cape Town, Melkbosstrand, is the perfect location for a day trip with the family. The wide beach is perfect for swimming, long walks and offers lovely views of Table Mountain and Robben Island. So leave the family on the beach whilst you go chasing blacktail, kob and steenbras at this great family fishing spot near Cape Town.
Jacobs Bay- Another great family fishing spot in Cape Town where waves won’t threaten to wash you or your family into the water. The mussel clad rocks attract blacktail and steenbras and the occasional trevally pass through when hunting smaller fish.
The best bait to use in the coastal waters around Cape Town include squid, sardines, mullet, bloodworm, rock worm, black mussel and prawns. What bait you use ultimately depends on what you are targeting and time of year. Due to the abundance of squid during the summer months this makes the best all round bait.
If you want to go chasing bigger fish off shore then the best thing to do would be to join a charter for the day and chase Marlin, Tuna and other big fish lurking in the cold waters of the Southern Ocean and South Atlantic. Tight Lines!
James – Marketing Team