Sailfish
Istiophorus platypterus
The billfish with the tall blue sail, caught on light tackle off northern KZN and Mozambique and almost always released.
Size: Most sailfish in our waters weigh about 20–40 kg. ORI lists the SA angling record as 64.9 kg, caught off KZN in 1974.
Where: Warm water off northern KZN, from Richards Bay to Sodwana, and along the Mozambique coast, often close to land and around islands. In summer some come down past Durban, but they are seldom caught south of KZN.
How to spot it
A slim fish with a long, thin bill and a dark blue back. Its first dorsal fin is a huge sail, taller than the body is deep, dark blue with black spots. The silver sides have rows of pale blue bars and spots, and the pelvic fins are very long and thin.
Varieties and look-alikes
-
Sailfish - A huge, sail-like dorsal fin, much taller than the body is deep, and a long, thin bill.
-
Black Marlin - A low dorsal fin, a shorter, thicker bill and stiff pectoral fins that stick out and cannot be folded flat.
What it eats
Small shoaling fish such as sardines, anchovies and mackerel, and also squid. Sailfish often work in groups, herding baitfish into a tight ball and slashing at it with the bill.
Where it feeds
- Near the surface in warm, blue water
- Around bait balls and diving birds
- Along current lines and colour lines
- Close to land, points and islands where the warm current runs near the shore
How to catch it
Troll small skirted lures and rigged dead baits, such as a halfbeak or a strip of bonito, with teasers to raise the fish. Slow-trolled live maasbanker and mackerel are deadly. When a sailfish takes a bait, give it a few seconds of free line before you close the reel and wind. Use circle hooks, so the hook sets in the corner of the mouth and the fish can be released unharmed.
| Way of fishing | How well it works |
|---|---|
| Bait on the bottomA sinker holds your bait still on the bottom. | Not used |
| Under a bobberA bobber is a small buoy on your line: it holds the bait off the bottom and dips under when a fish bites. | Not used |
| Natural or dead baitReal food on the hook: worms, liver, sardine, chokka. | Works well |
| Live baitA small live fish or other live creature on the hook. | Best |
| LuresArtificial baits you cast and reel in: spinners, spoons, plastics. | Sometimes |
| TrollingLures or bait pulled behind a moving boat. | Best |
| Fly fishingLight artificial flies, cast with a fly rod. | Sometimes |
Baits and lures that work
- Skirted trolling lures
- Live baitfish
- Fish strips or dead fish
- Mackerel
Flavours it likes
Sailfish hunt by sight. A lively bait, a bait that skips naturally and teasers splashing at the surface bring them up, not scent.
When it bites
Time of day
| Time | Bite |
|---|---|
| Dawn | Best |
| Day | Good |
| Midday | Good |
| Dusk | Best |
| Night | Rarely |
Sailfish bite right through the day, often in short spells. Early morning and late afternoon are a little better, and they are seldom caught at night.
Best months
- Best: January, July, August, September, October, November, December
- Good: February, March, April, June
At Sodwana the main sailfish season runs from about July to November, when shoals of baitfish are around. From November to January they also spread down the KZN coast with the warm current.
What affects the bite
| Condition | What it likes | Effect on the bite |
|---|---|---|
| Water temperature | Best at 22–28 °C | High |
| Time of day | Best at dawn and dusk | Low |
| Tide | Hardly matters | Low |
| Swell and surf | Best when the sea is calm | Medium |
| Air pressure | Best when it is falling | Medium |
| Cloud cover | Hardly matters | Low |
| Wind | Best with a light breeze | High |
| Rain | Hardly matters | Low |
| Water clarity | Best in clear water | Medium |
| Moon phase | Hardly matters | Low |
| Spawning | Hardly changes | Low |
High means it makes a big difference to whether this fish bites. Low means it hardly matters.
Tips
- Diving birds and bait balls often mean sailfish are working underneath.
- A north-to-south current with a light south-westerly wind is a classic sailfish day at Sodwana.
- Keep a pitch bait ready for a sailfish that comes up behind the teasers.
Good to know: Almost all sailfish are released. Keep the fish in the water, hold it by the bill with gloves on, and tow it slowly forward until it swims off strongly. Check the current rules: marlin and sailfish are recreational fish that may not be sold, with a bag limit of 5 per person per day.
Are they biting today?
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