The Struisbaai harbor wall has always been a special place for anglers of all ages who come to this charming seaside town from all over South Africa. During summer weekends and the holiday season, the wall is usually packed with anglers of all ages enjoying a wide variety of fishing techniques. The harbor wall is a safe place (most of the time) where a lot of fishing wisdom is shared, experience is gained and a love of the sport of fishing is passed from one angler to another.

The harbor wall of Struisbaai is an interesting spot for angling, offering a wide variety of fish species to target. It is a place where young children first feel a rod and reel, and touch a puffer fish for the first time. It’s also a place where big-rigged bigwigs come to hunt for giant manta rays and huge raggies. Among all you can expect to find goblin, garrick, cob, mussel, smaller sharks, grunters and kolsterte.

family fun

Many moms, dads or grandparents have taken the young angler to this safe fishing spot and introduced them to the sport of rock and surf fishing. I wonder how many children have caught their first fish off the harbor wall. Grabbing a light rod and reel or hand line and using sardine or chokka as bait, these youngsters hone their fishing skills on pufferfish, strepies, kolsterte, tjor-tjor, and maasbankers.

Elf on the wall!!

Many a summer night when the tide is out the wall resembles a porcupine with quills erect as fishermen young and old gather for the goblin race, and also in the hope of landing a fast-swimming garrick. The favorite bait is a whole sardine that is slowly dragged into the harbor. With the elf around, it usually doesn’t take long for a fisherman to reach his bag limit.

Garrick/Leervis

From January to March you will see quite a few fishermen launching spinners and top water poppers off the rocks in front of the harbor wall in hopes of a massive hit and tough fight. Garrick from 5 to 20 kg is usually around in the early morning or late afternoon, feasting with the elf in the sheltered water of the harbour. Some fishermen prefer to lead a live elf up the right side into the bay, hoping to find a garrick or a cob.

other groceries

Cob, kolsterte and spotted grunts are the other main target species during the months of November to March, but the rare white, galjoen and belman mussels are also landed. Spotted Grunts are normally caught in the shallower waters on the second and third lampposts with very light tackle using shrimp or sardine tail as bait.

Average ear size ranges from 2-5kg, but quite a few large ones over 20kg are landed on a regular basis. The best time for the kob is at night using chokka and/or sardine or running some live mullet or maasbanker. Once a cob is hooked, it’s best to steer the fish towards the sandy beach between the harbor wall and Die Las, as the rocks in front of the harbor have ended many fights with snapping line.

sharks and rays

We all know that the port of Struisbaai is home to a few huge black stingrays weighing over 120kg, but it is the area just in front of the harbor wall and to the right where the huge black stingrays are found, as well as the blue stingrays. smaller and the duckbill rays. caught regularly. Many anglers have overestimated their own prowess and rigging capabilities only to have a knot come undone, a line break, a rod snap, or a royal bust when trying to take on these marine bulldozers.

Manta rays are caught during the day and night, and chokkas or fish heads work best for these bottom feeders. The smaller stripes are incredibly fun at light tackle, but for the big black stripes you’d need a rod with a strong backbone, at least a .45 line, a decent reel, and plenty of energy, as most fights last up to 4 hours.

The best time to fish for sharks is at night. Some anglers target smaller shark species such as the smooth hound and spotted gully shark, or even South Africa’s own pajama catshark, while other anglers slide large baits for jagged-toothed spotted sharks over 150kg that they frequent this area, or wait for a large bronzie or top shark to land.

The preferred bait for smaller sharks is a live mullet or maasbanker, or fish fillets and chokka, but with the latter the fry usually feast and the bait needs to be replaced regularly. For the larger sharks, most anglers slide in yellowtail or cape salmon heads or half skipjack. You can also swipe a large maasbanker or smaller elf successfully.

Some rules

1) Remember, you are not allowed to use a shooting net inside the port at any time. Instead, use small baited hooks to catch mullet or maasbankers.

2) Keep the port wall clean. There is a big drum for all your junk.

3) Be careful of children and other anglers when casting the bait. Nobody likes a hook in the ear or worse.

4) Be considerate of other anglers. Do not push or throw over their lines.

5) Respect size and bag limits. If you are not going to eat it or use it as bait, throw it back.

6) Rocks are slippery and dangerous when catching a fish. I don’t think you want to be in the water with a 200kg raggie!

7) Be careful with the water!! Look at the waves.

8) You are not allowed to drive to the harbor wall with your car, bakkie or scooter.

The Struisbaai harbor wall will provide you with endless hours of pure fishing joy, even at times when the fish don’t want to bite. The idea for Overberg Angling was born on that wall one night while he was waiting for some action, and the harbor wall holds many other great memories for me, my family and friends. We hope that you too will soon enjoy this very special angling spot in the southern tip of Africa.