Durban Autumn Fishing Heats Up - Shad Runs and King Fish Action

Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your Durban fishing mate, comin' at ya with the Friday evening report for April 17th, 2026, right as the sun dips low over the Indian Ocean. Weather's been kind today—mostly sunny with light southerlies at 10-15 knots, temps hoverin' 22-26°C, perfect for a late arvo session. Sunrise was at 6:15 AM, sunset 5:45 PM, givin' ya a solid 11.5 hours of light. Tides? Low at 4:20 AM and 4:50 PM, high at 10:35 AM and 11:10 PM—fish the incomin' tide hard, that's when they feed best. Fish activity's pickin' up with autumn vibes; shad runs are strong, drawin' in predators. Recent catches around Durban Harbour, Umhlanga Rocks, and the Aliwal Shoal: plenty of shad (up to 30cm), kingfish smashin' 5-10kg, some geelbek to 8kg, kob in the 3-6kg range off the rocks, and garrick pushin' 7kg on the beach. Offshore, yellowtail and couta are showin' in good numbers, with a few small couta limits daily. Anglers reportin' 20-50 shad per sortie in the harbour, kings on live bait. Best lures? Rapala X-Rap 11cm in pilchard or mullet for kings and garrick—jerk 'em erratic. For shad, try spoons like Croc 30g gold or silver. Bait-wise, live shad or mullet tops for kings and kob; fresh prawn or bloodworm for bottom feeders like stumpnose. Hot spots: Hit the Umhlanga Lighthouse rocks on the flood tide for garrick—braai 'em fresh. Or Durban Bluff pier for shad and kob, easy access. Stay safe, check regs, and tight lines! Thanks for tunin' in, folks—subscribe for more! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.