Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club: Game Fishing and a Warm Welcome

All Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club membership fees and info, awesome facilities, the restaurant menu, common fish species and 5 more things to discover at the club

Spectacular tuna, dorado and wahoo fishing. Awesome restaurant menu, facilities and swimming pool. And great competitive fishing along the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast. There’s so much to discover at Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club in Margate.

We bring you all the Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club membership fees and info, popular fish species and fishing spots, all the club facilities, skippers course info in Shelly Beach and a link to the famous webcam. Not to mention some of the top fishing competitions, from the ski-boat festival to the Shelly Beach tuna bonanza.

WATCH: BOAT LAUNCHING AT SHELLY BEACH

Awesome video at Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club by Jonathan Lewis:

ABOUT SHELLY BEACH SKI-BOAT CLUB

Located on one of SA’s most beloved holiday stretches, about an hour south of Durban on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club in Margate enjoys one of the most temperate climates in South Africa, with warm, rich oceans, filled with everything from marlin and game fish to musselcracker, garrick and GT.

And the club’s very popular. There are over 160 boats alone registered with Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club. Perhaps because the club is so very active in cultivating a love of boat fishing and training skippers – initially under the guidance of former club commodore, national angler, SADSAA selector and beloved figure in SA angling, the recently deceased Mr Anton Gets.

WATCH: 20 BOATS IN A CEREMONY FOR THE LATE ANTON GETS AT SEA NEAR SHELLY BEACH

Former Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club commodore Anton Gets was a true legend, not only to the club but to Natal provincial angling and all of South Africa. He passed away on 7 June 2019, and the angling community came out in force to hold a very memorable memorial service:

The club is also well-loved by members and non-members alike, especially for the dining room with its awesome beach views.

SHELLY BEACH SKI-BOAT CLUB RESTAURANT & MENU

Although it’s not a commercial restaurant per se, the Shelly Beach Ski-Boat dining room serves fresh and tasty meals, from delicious seafood and chips to light meals perfect for lunch, and serves drinks to members and non-members alike.

The food is good and the views are excellent – it’s right on the beach, overlooking the club’s launch. But it’s important to note that the club’s restaurant and the kitchen are run by a small handful of staff, so it can get quite busy. Fortunately, there’s the awesome view and great ambience to enjoy while visiting the Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club restaurant.

SHELLY BEACH SKI-BOAT CLUB POOL, BRAAI AND FACILITIES

The club boasts a beautiful swimming pool, which, in the wonderful climate in this part of the world, can almost be used every day of the year. And it’s complemented with great braai facilities and every basic amenity, from toilets and even WiFi for members.

Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club is even able to help members host intimate events, such as birthday parties, engagements and get-togethers. Just inquire from the club or the restaurant.

SHELLY BEACH SKIPPERS TRAINING AND BOAT INSPECTIONS

In terms of services for boats and boat owners, Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club offers awesome skippers training and safety programmes. The Club is certified to provide Category C Skippers Training in Shelly Beach, and courses run Monday to Friday at the clubhouse at a cost of R3050. Phone Marietjie on 076 758 2381 to book your spot.

The club also supplies members with valuable information regarding maritime safety, skippers tickets and even a helpful guide on competitive fishing and the road to achieving national colours in angling. And it also offers annual boat inspections, too.

SHELLY BEACH FISHING COMPETITIONS

Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club organises a host of exciting fishing competitions throughout the year. Around July every year, the club hosts the big Shelly Beach Fishing Bonanza, which normally coincides with a big tuna bonanza event, too.

And every June, the club plays host to anglers from all over South Africa at the annual Shelly Beach Tuna Bonanza!

WATCH: SHELLY BEACH SKI-BOAT FESTIVAL ACTION

HISTORY OF SHELLY BEACH SKI-BOAT CLUB

The club was almost single-handedly started by an engineer turned part-time commercial fisherman named Sonny Evans, who moved to Shelly Beach in 1955 and fished the area first for sport and later to supplement income during the 1960s. After a few mishaps on the water, and realising that there’s a lack of proper launching infrastructure in the area, Sonny, with the help of some friends, applied and was granted a license and lease to prep a small portion of the Shelly Beach shore for boat launches.

It was very small at first, but a thriving charter fishing industry in the area bolstered the need for proper infrastructure. So the launch was completed and the clubhouse constructed circa 1981. And today, Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club can launch anywhere close to 120 boats per day during one of its big competitive angling events.

COMMON FISH SPECIES AT SHELLY BEACH

Shelly beach Ski-Boat Club is very proactive in promoting fish conservation. It’s made countless applications and submitted reports to the environmental affairs ministry on endemic and pelagic fish in the area, mainly because – as most SA anglers know – Shelly Beach is one of the richest fish-life areas along South Africa’s eastern coast.

Most notably, Shelly Beach is one of those places where you can fish either game fish offshore or bottom fish closer to the shore – this area has everything. In terms of game fish, there’s yellowfin tuna, dorado a-plenty, wahoo, couta, bonito, Natal snoek, garrick and prodigal son, not to mention marlin and all manner of billfish and sailfish.

On the bottomfish side, you’ll find almost every species you’d expect here. But look out for prize GT, as well as huge musselcracker and bronze bream, often right at the rocks near the ski-boat club – especially during the latter half of the year.

GREAT FISHING SPOTS NEAR SHELLY BEACH SKI-BOAT CLUB

As we said, there’s often plenty of action at the rocks right in front of the club. But a popular spot for bottom fish is Orange Rocks, a prominent spot about 6km down along the coast towards Margate. A spot called the Sandpit at the Umzimkulu River mouth near Port Shepstone is good for catching mullet, and then there’s also great fishing near the St Michaels River mouth (also Mhlanga River) right near Shelly Beach.

Just ask the club members, they’ll know where the fish are.

PLUS: SHELLY BEACH LIVE WEBCAM

If you ever want to know the conditions are like on the beach or at the club, you can get regular daily snapshots of the ocean and the slipway with this live webcam.

SHELLY BEACH SKI-BOAT CLUB

Albert Meyer Dr, Shelly Beach, Margate
Phone: Marietjie Grater at 076 758 2381
Email: shellyp@venturenet.co.za
Website: http://www.shellybeachskiboatclub.co.za

SHELLY BEACH SKI-BOAT CLUB MEMBERSHIP FEES

Club membership is R650 per year, and you can download the application form here.

CLUB FACILITIES

Restaurant, bar, toilets, functions venue, braai area and swimming pool.

Thank you to the Club Committee for contributing to this feature!

Some of these awesome images via Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Club taken by Justin Klusener

Check out the nice-sized tuna that won Team Viskoors the Covid 19 Tuna Bonanza in Gordon’s Bay.

Also discover ST Lucia Ski-Boat Club and Meerensee Boat Club. See all the ski-boat clubs in Natal.

Check out all this year’s big fishing tournaments.

And see all our recent boat repowers.

Plus: Watch this provincial angler show how to tie the perfect bimini twist.

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