Silver kob (kabeljou)

A long, silvery croaker almost identical to the dusky kob, but usually more silver than bronze; live fish show a row of pearly spots along the lateral line. Scientists separate the two by internal features, so where it was caught (Namibia, the west coast and offshore reefs) is the best everyday clue.

2–15 lb.

About 4¾ ft (145 cm) and about 80 lb (36 kg).

Small fish (anchovy, horse mackerel), squid and crustaceans.

A schooling croaker of the open coast and reefs; on Namibia's Skeleton Coast it comes right into the surf, while along South Africa's south coast it mostly stays on deeper reefs.

Found from Southern Africa. From Namibia around the Cape of Good Hope to about the Kei River in the Eastern Cape; rarely enters estuaries. Famous from the beaches of Henties Bay and the Skeleton Coast.

From Namibia around the Cape of Good Hope to about the Kei River in the Eastern Cape; rarely enters estuaries. Famous from the beaches of Henties Bay and the Skeleton Coast.

Surf to about 330 ft.

Surf gullies in Namibia; 60–300 ft reefs from boats in South Africa.

Year-round; Namibian surf fishing peaks about October to March.

Dawn, dusk and night from the beach; daytime on boat reefs.

Pushing tide into surf gullies.

Moderate surf with some color.

Sardine (pilchard), squid, mullet fillet and fish heads.

Spoons, metal jigs and soft plastics on boats; spinning spoons in the Namibian surf.

12–14 ft surf rod; medium bottom or jigging rod from boats.

4/0–6/0 hooks.

20–30 lb mono for surf; 30–50 lb braid from boats.

40–60 lb mono shock leader.

From the beach, cast sardine or squid into the gullies behind the sandbanks; from boats, drift reefs with jigs or bait.

Silver and dusky kob have different limits in South Africa but look almost the same — if you can't be sure, follow the stricter dusky kob rules or release the fish.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Excellent eating — one of the best-tasting fish in its range.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

Excellent — fried, braaied (grilled) or baked.

Namibia's cold Atlantic surf is rough and remote; watch the waves and bring warm clothes.

South Africa: 5 silver kob per person per day with a 50 cm minimum in most areas (stricter shore rules apply east of Cape Agulhas). Namibia sets its own bag and size limits for kob. South Africa requires a recreational fishing permit (sold at post offices and online), with daily bag limits, minimum sizes and closed seasons for many species; Namibia and Mozambique sell their own licenses. Recreational catches may not be sold, and marine protected areas have their own rules.

Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN; keep within the limits.