Outrageous Fishing Blog, Cape Town

Keep up to date with the latest fishing reports. Read about sea conditions and see what fish our boats are catching.

27 September 2022 – Yzerfontein is humming today, with fishermen hoping for some more big snoek and yellowtail like on Sunday . The queue to launch the boat was all the way into town. Sadly, when whale thumped its tail at Dassen Island today, one guy on a small boat was seriously injured and is in hospital. Cape Point has been quiet and continues to be quiet, with only a few yellowtail caught. 

September 2022 – There are yellowtail, katonkel( atlantic bonito) and snoek at the moment and the weather is perfect for fishing. It’s a perfect time to get out on the water with Outrageous Fishing & boat charters. Plus there are always hottentot (bronze bream) reef fish and some red roman, so your chances of landing a fish are high. Come make use of our knowledge, expertise and highest quality fishing equipment.  

Fish information: Katonkel, also known as Sada Sada or Atlantic bonito –

Katonkel are caught seasonally on fishing lines. They live on inshore rocky reefs at a depth of up to 60m. They are endemic to South Africa from False Bay in Cape Town all the way up the east coast to Kosi Bay on the Wild Coast. They travel  in large schools and can be common offshore. They can grow up to 75cm long and weigh up to 6 kilograms. They are sought after because they put up a great fight on the line.

South African Cape Yellowtail:

Cape Yellowtail is a good fish to braai. It is known for its high fat content which is one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids. During the annual sardine run in winter they leave their deep water grounds to feast on sardines. They occur from Namibia to northern KwaZulu-Natal but are concentrated mainly in the shelf waters of the Western Cape. They live in the offshore surface waters in large schools with even larger fish and occur up to the depth of 50m. They are nomadic and move between offshore reefs around the Cape Peninsula and up the West Coast between Dassen Island and Hondeklip Bay. They grow up to 143cm long and can weigh up to 58kg. Yellowtail is one of the most important gamefish species in Cape Town and the Western Cape. They are exciting fish to catch. 

Cape snoek:

Snoek are also great on the braai and are a very popular meal in South Africa. They are caught with rod and reel or handline in offshore waters, they are a pelagic linefish. They are also caught within the inshore zone along most of the South African coast (particularly on the west and southwest coast and in Cape Town) almost all year round. The catch is restricted to 10 per person per day with a minimum size of 60cm.  Peak season is autumn and early winter. They can reach a length of 200cm and weigh up to 6 kilograms. They are a very popular game fish.

Hottentot, or bronze seabream or Cape Bream:

Hottentots are reef fish. They live in kelp beds on shallow rocky reefs, blinders, subtidal reefs and offshore pinnacles of rock. They occur at a depth of 1m, and can be up to 55m deep. They are a resident inshore fish species. They don’t migrate and can be caught all year round. They are found in the southeastern Atlantic and Cape Town.  Hottentots can reach a length of 54cm and weigh up to 2.6kg. The catch is restricted to 10 per person per day and a minimum size of 22cm. They can be oven-roasted and are a tasty fish to eat.