Bottom & reef fishing
Mare profundum · in scopulis
Inshore reef fishing for kob, kingklip and steenbras.
Inshore reef fishing on structured ground. Targeting kob, kingklip, steenbras and other reef species. Shorter than offshore deep-sea, more sheltered.
What you're booking.
Five hours on structured ground close in. Shorter than an offshore day, considerably more sheltered, and a better first fishing charter for most people.
What it's like
Reef fishing is a different discipline to trolling offshore. You work marks over ledges, pinnacles and wreckage, anchored or drifting over them, dropping baits down rather than dragging lures behind. The sounder does a lot of the work, and so does the skipper's memory of where the ground is.
Because you stay inshore, the run times are short and the water is usually calmer. You spend more of the five hours fishing and less of it travelling.
What you're targeting
Kob, kingklip and steenbras are the headline reef species, along with whatever else the ground holds on the day. Reef fish are around through the year, which is why this charter is less seasonal than the offshore one.
This is an enquiry charter
There is no book-now button on this one, deliberately. Reef days depend on swell height, water clarity and where the fish have been holding, and a fixed online rate would mean either overcharging you or running days we should not.
Send us the date and how many of you there are. We come back with a price and an honest read on whether that date is worth taking.
What's included
- Skipper and deckhand for five hours
- Fuel, safety equipment, life jackets
- Water aboard, ice and cold storage
Rods and tackle are aboard and included.
What you need
- A valid recreational fishing licence. Required on every fishing charter. Buy one online at permits.postoffice.co.za or at any Post Office. We will remind you the day before, because it is the single most common thing people forget
- Sea-sickness tablets an hour before departure
- Closed-toe shoes
The boats
El Hombre: a 10.2 m Magnum 32 taking ten anglers, the most deck space in the fleet. El Pescador: six anglers on the deep-sea boat, Simon's Town. El Libre: a 6.5 m RIB for seven, fast and inshore, daylight only.
Which boat suits depends on your group size and how much comfort you want. A RIB gets you there quicker and wetter; the Magnum gets you there dry with room to move.
If the weather turns
Called 48 hours ahead. Full refund or a new date, whichever you prefer.
How is this different to deep-sea fishing?
Shorter, closer in, and considerably more sheltered. Five hours instead of eight, working structured ground inshore rather than trolling offshore.
You drop baits down onto marks instead of dragging lures. It is the better first fishing charter for most people.
Why can I not book this online?
Because reef days turn on swell height and water clarity, and a fixed online rate would mean either overcharging you or running days we should not.
Send us the date and your group size. We come back with a price and an honest read on whether that date is worth taking.
What are we targeting?
Kob, kingklip and steenbras, plus whatever else the ground is holding on the day. Rods and tackle are aboard and included; you hold your own fishing licence.
Included, and not.
In the price
- Your SAMSA-licensed skipper and crew for the full charter
- Fuel
- Rods, tackle and fishing equipment
- All safety equipment and life jackets
- Ice and cold storage for the catch
- Water aboard
Not in the price
- Your recreational fishing licence: a legal requirement, and yours to hold
- Food and drink beyond water
Prices are per boat, not per person. Full pricing.
Best months.
Reef species hold through the year, which makes this the least seasonal fishing charter we run. Swell and water clarity decide the day rather than the month.