Game Fishing off Durban

Durban and the coast of KwaZulu Natal plays host to some of the worlds greatest game fish and Allure Charters can take you to the home of these magificent fish. Here's a guide to give you a better idea of your quarry and the game we hunt.

The Striped Marlin, (Tetrapturus audax): is a tough fighter. A renowned pack hunter. When there's one you find the pack not too far away. It can reach a maximum length of over 4 meters and weigh 190Kg. Their favourite food is Tuna, squid and other bait fish. Once hooked this fish will fight until the end often making acrobatic leaps in a an effort to evade capture.


The Black Marlin, (Makaira indica): can reach weights of 700 kgs plus. They have been tagged off the coast of Durban and turned up a few months later thousands of miles away off the coast of Australia. This is fish will take a lot of work and effort to land and is the largest of the Marlin species.


The Blue Marlin, (Makaira nigricans): Although very similar to the black, she's far more agressive and will not give up the fight easily. Her traditional technique to evade capture is to run deep then spring through the surface only to run back down deep again. The female of this species is the largest with the male rarely attaining over 300 kgs. She hit the scales over 800Kgs.


Broadbill Swordfish, (Xiphias gladius): This cold blooded hunter is by far the hardest to land. It is extremely territorial and has even been know to attack submerged American submarines that wandered into its kill zone. Make no mistake, these are not as large a fish as the blue or black marlin but will give you a hell of a battle.


Sailfish, (Istiophorus platypterus): Is a firm favourite with big game fisherman. The fastest of the big game fish and has been recorded at speeds up to 110kph / 68 mph. Its a tough fighter but the energy it expends in fast runs and acrobatic jumps means that it tires quickly.


Sharks, (Various species): Although sharks are good game fish they can also be a hindrance to the fisherman that's worked hard to land his catch only to find that the reason it gave up the fight so quickly was that it had been attacked by other sharks. Although rare, sharks will go for hooked fish if its in the area.


Dorado, (Coryphaena hippurus): or common Dolphin fish, weighing up to 38lbs / 18kgs, this hardy little fish is a surface dweller often found not too far from reefs. It can grow as large as 1.2m and will put up a good display once hooked often breaching the water to escape. The cooked meat is firm and sweet to the taste making it a good fish to take home and cook.


Wahoo, (Acanthocybium solandri): This tasty fish is related to the King Mackerel and makes good eating. Its fast and has been recorded at bursts of speeds up to 80kph / 60mph and can reach lengths of between 1 - 1.5m and is a worthy adversary.


King mackerel, (Scomberomorus cavalla): Like its sister, the Wahoo, this game fish also makes good eating. It can attain weight of up to 40 kg / 60lbs and is just as fast as the Wahoo. Its meat and taste make it a great favourite with game fishermen in any of our charters.


Yellow Fin tuna, (Thunnus albacares):: These have been recorded at weight up to 200 Kgs / 440lbs and up to 2.0m in length. Again a real popular catch on our fishing charters due to size and taste. The great thing is that they run in shoals so if you get one, you know there's another close by. Bad new is that they are great favourites of our local sharks that will try and share the meal.