Captain's Log

Our Salt Water Fishing Blogs & Tips

We’ll be posting about salt water fishing, tips, species information, the Garden Route, and our activities here. Blog author and co-owner, Esther Jacobs, is a communications and conservation specialist with over a decade of experience working hands-on with marine life. She is an avid sustainable fisher and passionate about using storytelling to inspire advocacy for the ocean environment. Salt Life Fishing Charters work with leading marine organisations and you can read about them in our carefully crafted, engaging stories, that showcase the best of fishing, Mossel Bay, nature’s value, and conservation challenges.

Keep an eye out for the latest inspirational and educational blog.

Ocean, Outrage, and the Bottom Trawling Impact You Need to See

David Attenborough released a new documentary, Ocean, which delivers a gut punch to anyone who loves the sea. For the first time ever, audiences were shown actual footage of bottom trawling impact as it tears across the ocean floor.

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Shark Conservation in Mossel Bay | ORI Tagging

Shark conservation through collaboration. We partner with local researchers to tag sharks for South Africa's ORI Cooperative Fish Tagging Project.

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Salt Life Charters Guide to Responsible Angling

At Salt Life Fishing Charters, we believe that every angler has the power to be a steward of the ocean. Ethical handling of fish, sharks, and rays reduces stress, injury, and post-release mortality, helping ensure that these animals live to swim another day.

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Documentary Film Productions in Mossel Bay – A Cinematic Paradise

Mossel Bay, nestled along South Africa's picturesque Garden Route, offers filmmakers an unparalleled blend of natural beauty and diverse marine activities, making it an ideal location for various film productions.

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Fishers Against Plastic Pollution | Protecting Our Waters

Anglers and conservationists are combating plastic pollution through sustainable fishing, clean-up initiatives, and eco-friendly gear. Help protect marine life and preserve our waterways for future generations.

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Turtle Rescue | NEVER Return a Stranded Turtle to the Ocean

Many of us may feel an instinct to "help" by returning it to the ocean. However, marine conservation experts stress that this well-meaning gesture could have deadly consequences for the turtle.

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Bonito Fishing in Mossel Bay | Catch and Cook

Atlantic Bonito: Speed Demon of Mossel Bay and South African Seas. A quick and exciting sea fishing experience and a delicious eating fish. Grilled recipe included!

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Catch and Cook | South African Fish Recipes

Explore the best South African fish recipes for hake, kob, red roman, and silvers. Discover how catching and cooking your own fresh fish enhances flavour and enjoyment.

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Hooked on Sustainability: Actions for Anglers

We’re delving deep into the urgent message our planet is sending us and exploring how we, as anglers, can respond effectively through sustainable fishing.

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Ethical Handling of Stingrays: Our Guide

We’ve written this guide to emphasise the importance of ethical handling, particularly when it comes to often-overlooked species, like stingrays.

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5 Reasons to Fish With Salt Life Fishing Charters

Read 5 reasons to fish with Salt Life Fishing Charters Mossel Bay to learn why you should book a deep sea fishing trip with us in the Garden Route.

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Banana Curse and More Crazy Fishing Superstitions

The Mossel Bay fishing community has cultivated a rich tapestry of superstitions and folklore among anglers for centuries. Never bring bananas on board!

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Mossel Bay Birding Trips | Pelagic Encounters

Mossel Bay is renowned for its diverse bird species. If you're a nature lover or photographer, you'll be thrilled to join our birding trips to see albatross, jaegers, and more.

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Why We Love Deep Sea Fishing in Mossel Bay

Our fishing spots are a haven for marine life and for anglers, there are lots of incredible bucket list fish. Learn why we love deep sea fishing in Mossel Bay.

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Exploring Garden Route Activities and Highlights

Our go-to adventure is fishing, but for other thrills, Mossel Bay and the Garden Route highlight a plethora of exhilarating activities. Hiking, wildlife, scuba, and more.

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6 Fun Facts About Yellowbelly Rockcod

Mossel Bay is home to yellowbelly rockcod and cat-faced rockcod. Both are interesting species with fighting spirit... great to catch on a fishing trip.

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Sea Fishing Trips and Tips – All About Kob

We’ve caught a few surprise silver kob (known locally as kabeljou) on our deep sea fishing trips this winter, so we wanted to share some interesting facts about the species.

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Testimonial

Salt Life Fishing Charters 🎣

5.0

Based on 55 reviews

review us on

Rian Boshoff

16:10 05 Feb 25

Excellent trip! Skipper Justin went the extra mile to ensure we caught our desired species!

Guillaume Nell

08:09 09 Jan 25

We had a very enjoyable experience with Salt Life. Justin is very knowledgeable about the ocean and local local conditions. He went through the most effort to ensure that we caught plenty of fish. Would highly recommend and will be back in December. Thanks Justin

Kyle Petzer

13:18 08 Jan 25

Awesome trip with Justin and the team during December. It was a very pleasant experience and lots of fish were caught. I highly recommend using Salt Life Fishing Charters for your next fishing trip. Thanks guys.

tuhan steyn

19:16 07 Jan 25

Fishing with Justin and his crew is always a pleasure. The wealth of knowledge and dedication to clients is amazing.

Justin's passion for angling and the ocean is what keeps us coming back every time.

Simonn du Plooy

09:11 07 Jan 25

Loved every min on this experience! Justin and his team were incredible and the boat well taken care of and clean 🙂

Riaan Erasmus

17:08 04 Jan 25

To Salt Life Crew, Thank you for an amazing adventure! You guys truly are the best charter I have experienced in Mosselbaai. We had an amazing day in difficult conditions. The skipper we had, Marco really knows and understands the waters here, and is quite the character. Justin and crew, we thank you, and will definitely be back. Wishing you all the best

Richard Bouwer

16:22 24 Dec 24

Best deep sea fishing experience

we ha a blast......

very Professional

l would recomend them any timebof the year....

Ina Nuić

21:51 20 Dec 24

Amelia Campher

17:58 16 Dec 24

What had an amazing day on the water today! Thanks to Justin and Marco for taking great care of us. Would definitely recommend!

Dedricht Liebenberg

05:24 16 Dec 24

Great experience all round! Would definitely recommend them!

Saiful Islam Shohan

15:20 07 Oct 24

What a wonderful day we having with salt life fishing charters thanks to helping us to catching fish 🥰

Dennis Curtain

17:53 09 Sep 24

Great day out today with Salt life charters. They go the extra mile to make the day one to remember. Thanks Justin and team. You'll see me again.

Anthony Morris

08:26 23 Aug 24

My family and I traveled from England and joined Justin and Marco from Salt Life Fishing for a morning trip in Mossel Bay. From start to finish, the experience was exceptional. Both Justin and Marco were incredibly friendly, welcoming, and true experts in the area.

We were thrilled to catch two kabeljou weighing 16.1kg and 18.58kg, the largest fish we’ve ever caught! Along with several smaller fish and plenty of small sharks, it was an unforgettable and exciting morning.

We also enjoyed a quick visit to Seal Island, which added to the overall experience. The boat was well-equipped, and Justin ensured our comfort throughout the trip, looking after our little one when he wasn't feeling well.

We couldn’t have asked for a better experience and highly recommend Salt Life Fishing for a fantastic day in Mossel Bay. We’ll definitely be back on our next visit!

Steven Muller

05:22 15 May 24

Absolutely great. We were always kept informed, prior to and during the trip. The fishing was great and we all enjoyed it. Thanks again Justin.

Martin Wissekerke

15:27 20 Apr 24

What a fantastic day!! Today needs a SIX STAR rating. Thank you Justin McCarthy for another awesome fishing trip. We will be back for more very soon... Thank you so much Martin Wissekerke

Gavin Chrystal

09:34 26 Mar 24

Great fishing. Great people.

passeluc

11:09 13 Feb 24

Very cool expirience, caught lots and lots of bonitos. Very delicious!

Nico Salzgeber

11:05 13 Feb 24

Was awesome! We were able to book the trip the night before and get on the boat the next morning. The team welcomed us warmly and provided everything. They knew where to catch the fish and caught 38 bonitos within two hours. Everything at a fair price!

Christiaan Heyns

14:43 12 Feb 24

Great time, great experience, awesome equipment and fish for day!!!

Dave Mastin

17:42 06 Feb 24

By far the best fishing experience that I've ever had! Very friendly and willing Captain! Highest recommendation possible!!

werner heyns

13:21 29 Jan 24

Thank you Justin, it was an incredibly nice and successful experience with you,
You guys are Great!!! 10 out of 10

Kristin Smith

14:49 18 Jan 24

Jana Brodbeck

15:39 15 Jan 24

There are lots of deep sea fishing outfits to choose from at Mosselbay - I can confirm that Salt Life was a GREAT choice. The guys were great. Super knowledgeable, fun to be with and all round awesome. Our group caught loads of fish. Honestly cannot recommend them enough.

Travis Sloan

11:40 05 Jan 24

YouTube Channel: Outdoors with Travis
From organising a trip for us within 24 hours with the utmost professionalism and care, to executing a plentiful catch of fish the morning of.

Justin "owner of Salt Life" and his team took me and my godson of 8 years old under their wing of care and delivered the most amazing fishing experience.

Where most other charters had no fish for the day, we caught over 25 eatable fish and kept only the best to take home to the family.

I don’t only recommend Salt Life but swear by them.

Looking forward to sharing our video of the day on YouTube and May Salt Life have a prosperous 2024!!

Thank you

Tamryn Thomson

10:39 15 Dec 23

Awesome ..!! Loads of fish.
Great family experience!!!
Will do it any time again. Soon I hope.
Thank you so much to Justin and Marco.

leon roux

18:00 13 Dec 23

Kyle Venter

15:56 13 Dec 23

First time deep sea fishing! Salt life team made it an awesome trip. Father and son fishing. Some decent take homes and some hefty sharks biting

Tana Gillow

13:48 10 Dec 23

Amazing day out with Justin and Esther. So professional and knew all the great spots. If you looking for a charter for the day, don't bother with anyone else. SALT LIFE FISHING CHARTERS should be your only choice.

Rikus Bester

09:13 01 Dec 23

Richard Sargent

16:29 09 Nov 23

Reasons to get on the water at 05:30hrs.. Dolphins, Whales, Seals, a penguin and some of the best fishing I've ever had. Pulling in a 14.8kg Kob was the highlight of the trip, but then to make it even better he organized a "Braai" at a local restaurant for us to eat. It doesn't get better. Mossel Bay, my new favourite place

Johan Keyser

15:41 05 Oct 23

We had an amazing experience with Salt Life Fishing Charters! Justin, the owner, went above and beyond to arrange a fantastic trip for my family. Marco, our guide, was knowledgeable and took us to great fishing spots. We caught plenty of fish to take home, and even though we had to release some small ones, it was still a memorable and fun day on the water. Thanks, Salt Life Fishing Charters, for a wonderful adventure!

Stephen McCarthy

17:22 25 Aug 23

My brother Justin and I have been fishing together from a very young age. Our passion for fishing was instilled by our Oupie Piet, whom himself was a keen fisherman. Justin is one amazing skipper who always puts your safety first and knows the ocean like the back of his hand and you will not be dissapointed with the catch you bring home. Justin comes highly recommended

Leigh Carter

16:39 21 Aug 23

Maria Geoly

16:31 21 Aug 23

This is my favorite fishing charter ever! I have booked with Salt Life twice in the three months I’ve been here. Both times I have had incredible fishing and awesome wildlife encounters. We saw albatross, whales, dolphins, and a sea turtle while bringing home kob and Red Romans to braai! I will absolutely go with them again.

Matthew Dibbern

16:29 21 Aug 23

Great experience, Justin the skipper knows his stuff and made everything easy and fun, would definitely recommend and will be on board again!

Sarah Harris

16:29 21 Aug 23

We had the best day out with Justin! From knowing where the bite was to all the wildlife we saw, this charter was all around the best I’ve been on. I’ve been twice now and will absolutely book again! Thanks Justin!

Christo Julyan

08:26 20 Aug 23

Great day of fishing.
Captain got us on the fish.
Highly recommended.

Elton Polly

11:15 13 Aug 23

My son and I had the most amazing fishing trip with Salt Life Charters this morning. The skipper, Justin, had us on the fish from the very first anchor. My son loved every minute of the experience and they will definitely see us again soon. Fish for dinner tonight. Thanks guys 🙏🙏

René McCarthy

09:03 13 Aug 23

Justin is one amazing Skipper with an immense knowledge of the Ocean. He always puts your safety first and for someone with no fishing experience, he is definitely the one to show you how.

Garden Route Scuba

08:22 10 Aug 23

THE only fishing charter company in Mossel Bay !
Friendly and helpful crew, all equipment in excellent order and the skipper knows his fishing spots, never go home empty handed. 100% recommended.

Greg Walker

15:20 07 Aug 23

Had such a lovely day caught such a wide variety of fish. Excellent crew!

Corne Wessels

15:44 24 Jul 23

I had the opportunity to partake in a fishing expedition with Salt Life Fishing Charters and I must express that it was an outstanding experience from beginning to end. As a passionate angler, I have had the pleasure of experiencing numerous charter companies. However, I must say that this particular one truly distinguishes itself from the rest. The trip was flawlessly executed, thanks to the professional and accommodating staff who left no stone unturned. Justin stands out for his commitment to marine conservation. He taught us about ethical fishing techniques, stressing the value of catch-and-release fishing when it was suitable and following size and bag limitations to protect the ecology. Everyone on board developed a feeling of duty and respect for nature as a result of his infectious enthusiasm for conserving the maritime environment.

Valerie Luppino

07:59 19 Jul 23

For the past two months I have been fortunate enough to join Salt Life Fishing Charters on multiple adventures. Salt Life employees are professional and extremely knowledgeable about our marine ecosystems.

Marco or "Fish" as we like to call our skipper- loads of help and makes our trips even more fun. I would definitely recommend Salt Life to anyone who is keen for a day at sea catching sustainable fish.

Miles Cowles

07:11 19 Jul 23

I had the best time on each fishing trip I went on with Salt Life! Fish is the coolest skipper in the world!!

Sanfloor 69

07:07 19 Jul 23

Amazing fishing charter, Marco was an amazing guide bringing us to great fishing spots. It was a great experience and I highly recommend booking with them.

Maynard Scholtz

18:23 16 Jul 23

What a fantastic trip with Justin and Salt Life. We caught a variety of fish from Red Stumpnose, Red Roman to Santers and Cob, plus a number of different sharks (which were all released). What a fantastic experience!

Kristin Daley

12:32 14 Jul 23

This experience was amazing! The day was beautiful, and we saw some whales and two albatross. We caught fish we were able to braii and the skipper Justin for salt life fishing charters made it such a fun time! Highly recommend!

Download the Marine Recreational Fishing Rules in South Africa for responsible angling.

South African Marine Recreational Fishing Rules