A Guide to the fish you are most likely to catch

Posted in Fishing | Recreational Fishing | Sports & Leisure | Tourism | Tourist Attractions

Below is a guide to the fish you could normally expect to catch around Cape Town with the bait that is most preferred by local anglers. We hope you find it useful in identifying your catch and planning your trip.

For information on best places to go fishing in and around Cape Town view our article on Best recreational fishing spots in and around Cape Town.

Guide to different fish species around Cape Town

Of course, there is naturally luck to fishing and you could quite easily catch something very different so, please share your catch news with us!


Fish and Bait Fish

	Blacktail / Dassie Season: All Year Bait: Bloodworm, Chokka, Sand Prawns, Mud Prawns, Red Bait, Prawn Bait, White Mussel, Pilchards, Drop Shot Regulations: Size > 20cm, Bag limit = 5 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Good

	Bonito / Sarda Sarda Season: Summer Bait: Rapala, Spoon Regulations: Size > no regulations, Bag limit = 10 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Good, if bled properly

	Cape Salmon / Geelbek Season: Summer Bait: Chokka, Pilchard, Fish Bait Fillets, Karanteen, Sand Prawn, Octopus Regulations: Size > 60cm, Bag limit = 2 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Excellent

	Carpenter / Silverfish Season: All Year Bait: Chokka, Pilchard Regulations: Size > 35 cm, Bag limit = 4 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Good

	Elf / Shad Season: Summer, Spring Bait: Chokka, Fish Bait Fillets, Pilchard (very fresh), Mullet, Drop Shot, Plugs, Rapala, Spoon (early morning). Regulations: Size > 30cm, Bag limit = 4 Closed Season: 1 October to 30 November Eating Quality: Good when fresh

	Galjoen Season: Winter Bait: Sand Prawns, Red Bait (matured), Prawn Bait, White Mussel Regulations: Size > 35cm, Bag limit = 2 Closed Season: 15 October to last day in February Eating: Good

	Gurnard Season: All Year Bait: Chokka, Pilchard Regulations: Size > No regulation, Bag limit = 10 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Good

	Hake Season: Autumn, Winter Bait: Chokka, Pilchard Regulations: Size > No Regulation, Bag limit = 5 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Excellent

	Karanteen / Strepie Season: All Year Bait: Chokka, Pilchards, Prawn Bait, Drop Shot Regulations: Size > 15cm, Bag limit = 10 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Poor

	Kingklip Season: Winter Bait: Chokka, Pilchard Regulations: Size > No Regulation, Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Good

	Kob / Kabeljou Season: All Year Bait: Bloodworm, Chokka, Fish Bait Fillets, Sand Prawns, Mud Prawns, Pilchards, Octopus, Prawn Bait, Blacktail, Karanteen, Mackerel, Elf, Drop Shot, Plugs, Rapala, Spoon Regulations: From shore or lagoon: Size > 60cm, Bag limit = 1, by boat: size >50 cm, bag limit 5 but only 1 > 110cm per day Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Good

	Leervis / Garrick Season: Spring, Summer Bait: Karanteen, Pilchards, Blacktail, Mackerel, Elf, Drop Shot, Salt Water Fly, Plugs, Rapala, Spoon Regulations: Size > 70cm, Bag limit = 2 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Medium – Good when Smoked

	Mullet / Harder (Net = N) Season: All Year Bait: Pilchards, Fresh Bread, Prawn Bait Regulations: Size > No Regulation, Bag limit = 50 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Poor

	Musselcracker White / Silver Steenbras Season: Spring, Summer Bait: Chokka, Sand Prawns, Red Bait, Pilchard, Octopus, Red Crab, Prawn Bait Regulations: Size > 60cm, Bag limit = 2 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Good

	Musselcracker Black / Poenskop Season: Spring, Summer Bait: Chokka, Red Bait, Pilchards, Octopus, Red Crab, Prawn Bait Regulations: Size > 50 cm, Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Good

	Red Roman Season: Summer Bait: Chokka, Fish Bait Fillets, Sand Prawns, Pilchard, Octopus, Prawn Bait Regulations: Size > 30cm, Bag limit = 2 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Good

	Red Stumpnose / Miss Lucy Season: Spring, Summer, Autumn Bait: Chokka, Pilchard Regulations: Size > 30cm, Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Good

	Rock Cod Season: All Year Bait: Chokka, Fish Bait Fillets, Sand Prawns, Pilchard, Prawn Bait Regulations: Size > 60cm, Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Excellent

	Rock Cod Yellowbellied Season: All Year Bait: Chokka, Pilchard Regulations: Size > 60cm, Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Excellent

	Santer / Soldier Season: All Year Bait: Chokka, Pilchard Regulations: Size > 30 cm, Bag limit = 5 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Medium

	Spotted Grunter / Tiger Season: Summer Bait: Bloodworm, Chokka, Sand Prawns, Mud Prawns, Pilchard, Prawn Bait, White Mussel, Drop Shot Regulations: Size > 40cm, Bag limit = 5 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Excellent

	Steenbras – Red Season: Autumn, Winter Bait: Chokka, Fish Bait Fillets Regulations: Size > 60 cms, Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: 1 October to 30 November Eating Quality: Good

	Steenbras – Sand Season: All Year Bait: Bloodworm, Chokka, Sand Prawns, Mud Prawns, Pilchard, Prawn Bait, White Mussel Regulations: Size > No regulation, Bag limit = 10 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Medium

	Steenbras – White / Pignose Grunter Season: All Year Bait: Bloodworm, Chokka, Sand Prawns, Mud Prawns, Pilchard, Prawn Bait, White Mussel Regulations: Size > 60cm, Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Good

	Stumpnose Cape Season: Winter, Spring (Sea) All Year (Lagoon) Bait: Bloodworm, Chokka, Sand Prawns, Mud Prawns, Pilchard, Prawn Bait, White Mussel Regulations: Size > 20cm, Bag limit = 5 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Good

	Tuna / Tunny – Yellowfin Season: Summer Bait: Fish Bait Fillet, Salt Water Fly, Plugs, Rapala, Spoon Regulations: Size > 3.2kg, Bag limit = 10 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Good

	Yellow Tail Season: Spring, Summer, Autumn Bait: Chokka, Pilchard, Salt Water Fly, Plugs, Rapala, Spoon Regulations: Size > No Regulation, Bag limit = 10 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Good

	Zebra / Wildeperd Season: Winter Bait: Chokka, Sand Prawns, Mud Prawns, Red Bait, Prawn Bait Regulations: Size > 30cm, Bag limit = 5 Closed Season: No Eating Quality: Medium

Rays and Sharks

	Black Stingray / Short Tail Stingray Season: All Year Bait: Chokka, Fish Bait Fillets, Octopus, Mackerel, Elf, Yellowtail, Sarda Sarda Regulations: Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No

	Blue Stingray Season: Spring, Summer Bait: Chokka, Pilchard Regulations: Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No

	Bronze Whaler / Copper Shark Season: Spring, Summer Bait: Chokka, Fish Bait Fillets, Octopus, Mackerel, Mullet, Elf, Yellowtail, Sarda Sarda Regulations: Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No

	Cat Shark / Pyjama Shark Season: All Year Bait: Chokka, Fish Bait Fillets, Pilchard Regulations: Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No

	Cow Shark Season: All Year Bait: Chokka, Pilchard Regulations: Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No

	Diamond Ray / Butterfly Ray Season: Spring, Summer Bait: Chokka, Fish Bait Fillets, Karanteen, Blacktail, Mackerel, Elf Regulations: Size > Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No

	Duckbill Season: All Year Bait: Chokka, Octopus Regulations: Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No

	Hammerhead Shark Season: Summer Bait: Chokka, Fish Bait Fillets, Octopus, Blacktail, Mackerel, Mullet, Elf, Yellowtail, Sarda Sarda Regulations: Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No

	Ragged Tooth Shark Season: Summer Bait: Chokka, Fish Bait Fillets, Octopus, Blacktail, Mackerel, Mullet, Yellowtail, Elf, Sarda Sarda Regulations: Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No

	Sand Shark / Lesser Spotted Guitar Shark Season: All Year Bait: Chokka, Fish Bait Fillets, Pilchard, Mackerel Regulations: Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No

	Smooth Hound Shark Season: All Year Bait: Chokka, Fish Bait Fillets, Pilchard, Octopus, Mackerel, Mullet, Elf, Yellowtail, Sarda Sarda Regulations: Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No

	Spotted Gulley Shark Season: All Year Bait: Chokka, Fish Bait Fillets, Pilchard, Mackerel, Mullet, Elf, Yellowtail, Sarda Sarda Regulations: Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No

	Thresher Shark Season: Winter, Spring Bait: Chokka, Fish Bait Fillets, Blacktail, Mackerel, Mullet, Elf, Yellowtail, Sarda Sarda Regulations: Bag limit = 1 Closed Season: No