Happening This Month: 6 Exciting Fishing Competitions in March
From interprovincial gamefish, local comps and the Blue Marlin Open in Kenya – These are all the big fishing competitions in March 2024
Whether it’s gamefish, or the mighty Couta, we’ve got all the details of the major fishing competitions happening in March 2024.
RATEL LADIES FISHING COMPETITION ST LUCIA
1—3 MARCH 2024
We kick off March’s fishing competitions in St Lucia, KZN, for the RATEL Ladies Fishing Competition hosted by the St Lucia Ski Boat Club.
St Lucia Ski Boat Club: Sugarloaf Drive, Saint Lucia Estuary, South Africa | 064 898 9119 | Secretary@slsbc.co.za | Website
PENNINGTON GAMEFISH INTERPROVINCIAL
7—10 MARCH 2024
Next up, we head to Pennington, KZN, where the waters are plentiful in Shad and Kob. It’s time again for the Pennington Gamefish Interprovincial! The tournament is hosted by the South African Deep Sea Angling Association (SADSAA) and Natal Deep Sea Angling Association (NDSAA) at Pennington Ski-Boat Club, and the name of the game is billfish and gamefish.
Pennington Ski-Boat Club: 15 Gordge Road, Umbilo, Durban |031 205 6310 | office@ndsaa.co.za | Website
SOUTH COAST BLUE MARLIN OPEN TOURNAMENT (KENYA)
11—17 MARCH 2024
Four South African anglers will head off to Kenya to represent our country at the 2nd Swahili Blue Marlin Open Tournament. They are:
- Robin Vermaak (Captain)
- Riaan Claassens
- Mario Els
- Pierre Botes
Wishing the team tight lines and fair seas to land some big catches in their pursuit to bring home the gold.
Diani Sport Fishing Club: Alliance Safari Beach Hotel, Diani Beach Road Ukunda, Coast Province, Kenya 80401
MAPELANE BILLFISH INVITATIONAL
13–16 MARCH 2024
And back to South Africa’s East Coast, well-known for especially awesome game fishing. It’s time for the Mapelane Billfish Invitational.
Mapelane Ski-Boat Club hosts this billfish competition in the beautiful St Lucia region of KwaZulu-Natal and is open to teams and individuals. And it’s also strictly catch-and-release on all billfish species. Check out the Mapelane Billfish Challenge.
Mapelane Ski-Boat Club | Mapelane Region KZN | 083 448 0971
UMLALAZI COUTA CLASSIC
30–31 MARCH 2023
One of the most popular couta events of the year. With big cash prizes and bonuses at Mtunzini this March.
Umlalazi Ski-Boat Club | 1 Hulley Ave, Mtunzini | 035 340 1006
Learn more about what’s happening at the 2024 Umlalazi Couta Classic.
EASTER COUTA COMPETITION St LUCIA
30th – 31st March 2024
What a great way to spend the long Easter Weekend out on the water, hauling in massive Couta at the Saint Lucia Ski Boat Club’s Couta Carnival.
St Lucia Ski Boat Club: Sugarloaf Drive, Saint Lucia Estuary, South Africa | 064 898 9119 | Secretary@slsbc.co.za | Website
PREVIOUS YEARS’ TOURNAMENTS
March 2023
PENNINGTON GAMEFISH INTERPROVINCIAL
2—5 MARCH 2023
We kick off March fishing competitions down in Pennington, KZN, where the waters are plentiful in Shad and Kob. It’s time again for the Pennington Gamefish Interprovincial! The tournament is hosted by the South African Deep Sea Angling Association (SADSAA) and Natal Deep Sea Angling Association (NDSAA) at Pennington Ski-Boat Club, and the name of the game is billfish and gamefish.
Pennington Ski-Boat Club: 15 Gordge Road, Umbilo, Durban |031 205 6310 | office@ndsaa.co.za | Website
RICHARDS BAY BILLFISH INTERPROVINCIAL
2–5 MARCH 2023
33 Anglers in 11 teams for 9 provinces. 5 Marlin species and 3 days of top-level game fishing. The Richards Bay Billfish Interprovincial is a 37kg line-class interprovincial organised by Zululand Deep Sea Angling, SADSAA and hosted at Richards Bay Ski-Boat Club.
Conditions look good weather-wise for an exciting comp. See all the participating anglers, teams, qualifying species, tournament rules and the final winners at this year’s Richards Bay Billfish Interprovincial.
Richards Bay Ski-Boat Club | 1 Beach Road, Meer En See, KZNl | 035 753 2516 | info@rbsbc.co.za
CAPE TO RIO
8–12 MARCH 2023
Get ready for an adventure of a lifetime and head on down to Cape Vidal where the Amatikulu Ski Boat Club prepares for their famous annual Cape to Rio competition that will take place this year from the 8th to the 12th of March.
Jacaranda Drive, Amatikulu| 031 205 6310 | office@ndsaa.co.za | Website
MAPELANE BILLFISH INVITATIONAL
15–18 MARCH 2023
And on the east coast, another part of the country that’s super well-known for especially awesome game fishing. It’s time for the Mapelane Billfish Invitational.
This billfish competition in the beautiful St Lucia region of KwaZulu-Natal is hosted by Mapelane Ski-Boat Club and is open to teams and individuals. And it’s also strictly catch-and-release on all billfish species. Check out the Mapelane Billfish Challenge.
Mapelane Ski-Boat Club | Mapelane Region KZN | 082 787 6005
SGDSAA ROSEBOWL INTERCLUB
20–24 MARCH 2023
The clubs of Southern Gauteng Deep Sea Angling Association go to Guinjata for the annual Rosebowl – their interclub deep sea fishing tournament. It’s a game- and billfish competition, with most guys going after marlin and sailfish. But a good catch of tuna has been known to tip the favour of a club very quickly, so be on your toes. Discover the annual SGDSAA Rosebowl.
SGDSAA: lynadams@mweb.co.za | Hosted by Guinjata (venue TBC) | 083 271 4192 SGDSAA: lynadams@mweb.co.za
SADSAA BOTTOMFISH NATIONALS
20-25 MARCH 2023
And then the best of the best head down to Kenton-on-Sea in the Eastern Cape for the ultimate bottomfish showdown of 2023. EPDSAA hosts this year’s SADSAA BottomFish Nationals from 20 March onwards at Diaz Deep Sea Club.
Diaz Deep Sea Club | Somerset Street, Kenton on Sea | 084 688 4422
DURBAN SKI-BOAT CLUB INTERCLUB
24–26 MARCH 2023
With the club now happily at home in its new location, Durban Ski-Boat Club hosts an exciting interclub in March. And that’s all working up to the big annual ski-boat festival (also coming up a little later in April).
Durban Ski Boat Club | 1 Mahatma Gandi Rd, Durban | 031 337 9506 | accounts@durbanskiboatclub.co.za
UMLALAZI CUTA CLASSIC
26–26 MARCH 2023
One of the most popular couta events of the year. With big cash prizes and bonuses at Mtunzini this March. Discover the Umlalazi Couta Classic (some footage from a previous one below to whet your appetite).
Umlalazi Ski-Boat Club | 1 Hulley Ave, Mtunzini | 035 340 1006
IGFA LIGHT-TACKLE OPEN (INTERNATIONAL)
29–31 MARCH 2023
And on the international front, our Proteas are heading to the Sailfish Marina Resort in Miami, Florida (US) for the 2023 IGFA Light Tackle Open. With a max line class of 12 pounds and some stiff competition from around the world, our proteas George Breedt, Francois Bezuidenhout, Abed Khan and team captain Charlie Du Plessis are set to do so us proud.
IGFA, Miami, US | website | Facebook
Note: These are all the fishing competitions currently on our radar. If you know of competitions or want your fishing competition on this list, email us at hello@nautitechsuzuki.com.
PREVIOUS YEARS’ TOURNAMENTS
March 2022
JUNIOR BOTTOMFISH INTERPROVINCIAL
17—20 MARCH 2022
NOTE: This year’s tournament has been cancelled
Down South in Struisbaai, SA’s most South-Westernly club, the Gordons Bay Boat Angling Club (GBBAC) will be hosting a Junior Bottomfish Interprovincial competition in March, reportedly in Struisbaai near Suidpunt Deep Sea Angling Club.
Gordon’s Bay Boat Angling Club | Harbour Island | Phone 0795169155 or email: info@gbbac.co.za
TRI-FACET INTERPROVINCIAL
21—25 MARCH 2022
NOTE: This year’s tournament has been cancelled
Seen as an ideal stepping stone for provincial, SADSAA and Protea Colours, the Tri-facet Interprovincial will be taking place this year in Sodwana Bay, hosted by the Gauteng Deep Sea Angling Association (GDSAA).
Gauteng Deep Sea Angling Association | gdsaa.secretary@gmail.com | Facebook | Sodwana Bay
JUNIOR BOTTOMFISH NATIONALS
27 MARCH 2022
And finally, in the idyllic St. Francis harbour, the Port St. Francis Ski Boat Club is preparing to welcome the country’s top bottomfish juniors. So far, the teams representing the Eatern Province have been announced, more information to follow on this year’s Junior Bottom Fish Nationals.
Triton Ave, St Francis Bay | 084 383 7098 or 087 138 0609 | info@sfb-skiboatclub.co.za | Website | Facebook
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All the big tournaments for 2022? See all the fishing competitions in April (there are a few postponed here too), upcoming fishing tournaments in May. And check out the collection of this year’s fishing competitions.
Plus: Watch this provincial angler show how to tie the perfect bimini twist and see how to create the ideal nail knot for game fish lures. Also see how to make a proper wind-on leader and rigging skip bait for marlin. And see all the ski-boat clubs in Natal, and some of the country’s idyllic – the ski-boat clubs of the Southern Cape.
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