Strepie
Strepie are small, striped schooling fish found along South Africa's entire coastline, from KwaZulu-Natal around Cape Point and up the west coast.
Most anglers target them not as a table fish but as bait — a fresh strepie fillet or live strepie is one of the most effective baits for kob, musselcracker, sandsharks, and ragged-tooth sharks from the shore.
Scientific Name: Sarpa salpa
Also known as Karanteen, strepie, goldline
- Plump, oval-bodied silver fish with 10–11 bright yellow-gold horizontal stripes running the length of the body — the stripes are the key ID feature.
- Small black spot at the base of the pectoral fin; yellow eyes; moderately slender profile.
- Grow to around 30 cm, though most fish caught for bait are considerably smaller. Minimum legal size is 15 cm fork length.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to South African waters; found along the full coastline from southern Mozambique, around Cape Point, and up the west coast.
- Common along the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape coasts; present in both the warm Indian Ocean and the cooler Atlantic.
- Prefer rocky shorelines, gullies, large tidal pools, and estuary systems — anywhere with structure and weed growth.
- One of the most abundant herbivorous fish species in southern Africa, forming large, dense schools.
Key Locations
- KwaZulu-Natal coast — common along rocky shorelines, harbour walls, and jetties throughout the province.
- Eastern Cape coast — widespread along rocky gullies and tidal pools; the Kariega River estuary is one noted spot where live karanteen are used as bait for leervis (garrick).
- Cape Point and the broader Western Cape rocky coastline — present in the cooler Atlantic-influenced waters around the peninsula.
Specific Spots
- Tight against rocks where there's broken white water and visible weed — strepie graze on red and green seaweed growing on the rock faces.
- Gullies and tidal pool edges, where current concentrates food and the fish feel sheltered.
- Drop-offs inside estuaries and harbour walls; juveniles especially use these structured edges.
Strepie FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Strepie?
Small pieces of chokka (squid) or sardine are the go-to baits, keep pieces small to match the small mouth. Cotton can be used to bind soft bait to the hook. Sabiki jig rigs (multi-hook bait rigs with small flashy droppers) work well for catching numbers quickly when a school is located.
When is the best time to fish for Strepie?
Available year-round along most of the South African coast, with no strongly defined closed season for recreational bait collection. Schooling activity and accessibility from shore tends to be most reliable during calmer sea conditions when fish can be seen and targeted in clear water over rocky ground.
How do you catch Strepie?
Most South African anglers fish strepie from the shore, off harbour walls, jetties, rocky gullies, and tidal pool edges, using light spinning gear and small bait.
What do Strepie eat?
Adults are herbivores that graze on red and green seaweed attached to rocks, match this by fishing small pieces of chokka (squid) or sardine tight to weedy rock faces, which draws them in despite their plant-based diet.
Where do Strepie live?
Native to South African waters; found along the full coastline from southern Mozambique, around Cape Point, and up the west coast. Common along the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape coasts; present in both the warm Indian Ocean and the cooler Atlantic.
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