Kob are one of my favourite species of fish to target. As we predominantly fish in the Eastern and Western Cape it is in fact the dusky kob that lends itself to the hours of enjoyment spent in search of this ambush hunter.
Dusky kob numbers are extremely low and without our help will soon be threatened. Let’s work together and save a specie by handling our catch with care and releasing it, let’s make a difference.
About the kob
The most common species of kob found in South Africa are the squaretail kob, the silver kob, the dusky kob and the snapper kob. The geelbek and the baardman/bellman are also members of this family.
Dusky kob reach sexual maturity at a length of 0.9 – 1 meter at about 5-6 years of age. Most adults migrate from the Cape to KwaZulu-Natal to spawn between August and November. Spawning generally occurs inshore in 10 – 15 m of water. Juveniles enter the upper reaches of estuaries where they remain until they reach about 15cm. They then move into the lower reaches of estuaries and the near-shore marine environment.The dusky kob can reach 1.8 meters in length at an age of 42 years and a weight of 75 kilograms. The dusky kob is widespread and is found on the eastern seaboard of southern Africa, off southern Australia, and in the northern Indian and northern Pacific Oceans.
Silver kob reach sexual maturity at about 30 centimeters in length and spawn between August and December in inshore waters. The juveniles prefer the sandy or muddy substrates in shallow embayments, while adults prefer low profile reefs in 20 – 120 meters of water.
The silver kob reaches 1.4 meters in length at about 25 years of age and a weight of 36 kilograms. This species occurs from Northern Namibia to the Eastern Cape in depths of less than 150 meters.
Squaretail kob reach sexual maturity at about 33 centimeters in length and spawn between June and September on the Tugela Banks and over other muddy substrates.
The squaretail kob reaches 120 centimeters at about 13 years of age and a weight of about 13 kilograms. This fish has a limited distribution and is endemic to southern Africa, from Mozambique to Port Elizabeth. It is usually found north of Durban, where it appears to be fairly resident, congregating in large shoals around deep reefs and pinnacles. Unlike the dusky kob, it rarely ventures near the shore or into estuaries.
Feeding habits
Most kob species are voracious, shoaling predators and some species have become highly specialised for feeding in their muddy, murky environment. Their lateral line system (a sensory system found in all fish that enables them to detect vibrations and pressure changes in the water) is very well developed and this, in conjunction with the sensory barbles which some have on their snouts, makes the kob less reliant on sight when feeding. Small fish, crustaceans such as prawns and crabs, and molluscs such as squid and cuttlefish are all eaten by the various kob species.
(Viewed April 2013, www.seaworld.org.za)
Further information
[van der Elst, R.P. 1988. A Guide to the Common Sea Fishes of Southern Africa (2nd ed). Struik
Publishers, Cape Town.]
Tips on targeting kob
Because kob are ambush hunters, there are two very important factors that need to be considered; structure, and in the absence of structure, low visibility. Always try to have at least one of these factors present and you will vastly improve your success rate.
Pushing and dropping tides force bait-fish off the shallow banks and into the holes where the kob are ready for the ambush.
Kob often feed as the barometer is dropping. We have had great success the couple of hours before a front or storm pulls in.
When fishing with artificial lures let your lure sink to the bottom and then retrieve it very slowly. Be sure to know what the area you are fishing is like otherwise this will be a costly exercise.
Kob are shoaling fish and you will more often than not only catch one or two before the shoal moves on. So when the first “On!” comes, be sure to get your line in the water.
Click here if you wish to view some of the Rush of Blue kob catches on lure.
Need help urgent our estuaries in Hermanus are been illegally commercially exploited, as a kid I remember catching and releasing hundreds of young steenbrass ,white stump , elf , leeries , kob…. my kids and myself have been fishing countless times had a paddle tail chomped in half and I am going to have to speak about harders if I want to brag of catch. There is very little juevenille activity you know those fish you teach your kid to catch so as to become a responsible angler. I overheard conversation at a local garage 3 tons of undersize steenbrass where netted in one night. ” Almal haai jong vis , skyte vol ” ” ons pay net blou blarre ! ” ” so 2.8 na 3 ton toe een aand” ” watse job gee ons daai pay???” ” die liewe Vader sal sorg ” …. Overhearing that means I heard a fishing story so make it 500kgs of undersize steenbrass every night GILLNETS….
SOS ….. SOS …..SOS