SA BASS Aug 2016

South Africa: R39.00 (VAT included) Other Countries: R34.21 (Tax excluded)

Art of Bass Fishing

AUGUST 2016

ISSUE 184

Aaron Martens Interviewed

Get Ready for the Spawn

Spring Spinnerbait Basics

Fishing

NEW

Bronkhorstspruit Dam

Fishing Techniques

>> RESPECT PLATANNAS >> BIRDING: GREAT WHITE PELICAN >> NEW PRODUCTS AND PRODUCT REVIEWS >> DESTINATION: OPPIEKOPPIE BASS FARM

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BASICS “Bass Fishing – An Intro” MicropterusSalmoides, commonly known as largemouth bass, are widespread in Southern Africa.

MicropterusDolomieu, commonly known as smallmouth,bass are also found in Southern Africa, but are not as widespread – Richard Grant

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TACTICS “Big Spoons for Big Bass” The Ben Parker Magnum Spoon from

All over the country anglers are also getting ready for spring and many bass will be caught between now and December. If you have been fishing for many years, or even if you are a beginner, this is the time all anglers are looking forward too.

Many of the bass will start moving from deeper water to the shallow spawning areas where they are easy to catch and vulnerable. Anglers will take advantage of this situation and target egg loaded hens to claim their new PB’s. Although the cocks (males) are more easily fooled, the trophy size females are not always that easy to catch. We can tell anyone on where, or write wonderful articles on how easy it is to catch them, but it is not always that simple!

If we look at some anglers; they will always have big fish to show. What are their secrets you might ask? Do they have secret baits? Do they have lucky charms perhaps?

Anytime you put a big bass on the boat; being lucky plays a big part of it. You can, however, create your own luck. Many anglers who consistently catch trophy size fish are not just lucky; they are fishing the right venue, with the right lure, at the right time and with the right skills, technology, knowledge and equipment.

When the water temperature rises it can send the bass into a feeding frenzy which is any bass angler’s dream, but when a cold front moves in the bites disappear. This is where the knowledge comes into how to seek out those hard to find bass and how to catch them in times when most of the other anglers can’t.

The secret to successful fishing, during this time of year, lies in using the proper lures, presenting them correctly and using the weather conditions to your advantage. Paying attention to the smallest details can sometimes mean the greatest difference between a respectable day’s catch and going home with a big zero.

Many anglers will have the joy of getting their PB this season, but please be responsible with all these spawning fish. Remember that every time we remove the guarding fish of the nest it leaves the eggs vulnerable to nest robbers.

Please send us those great pictures of your catches for our Readers-go-Bassing section and we will share them with all the readers.

Happy fishing!

Bennie Wiese / Editor

“The Forgotten Topwater” Many years ago one of my friends introduced me to an awesome

MY CAST

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Win with GRIP Hooks

BASICS “Morning, Noon and Night”

Vir ‘n menigte hengelaar is daar basies net vier seisoene in ‘n jaar.

– Philip Kemp

BASICS “A Basic Guide on Boat and Outboard Selection for the Novice Angler (Part 1)” In the modern day and age of bass angling, it is becoming more evident that the modernized bass boat is becoming more of a necessity than a requirement.

36 “Vicious Fishing Line”

quality, durability and reliability in their gear and Vicious delivers all of that with attitude.

26

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 01

– Shandon Hawman

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STRATEGIES “Small Things” Small things make all the difference in bass fishing – Rudi Dreyer

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CLASSROOM

CLASSROOM “Short- or Long-Shank?”

What is one of the most over looked things that we miss when we are searching for the perfect hard bait? – Hendrik

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ADVERTORIAL “Lure Strategies – How to get the most from Sensation Lures” To me bass angling has always been about the excitement of having so many choices of lures and colours to outwit a little green fish, but it seems most anglers are missing out on many different techniques, instead choosing to sling some form of plastic worm for bass.

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TOURNAMENT NEWS “Clanwilliam Winter Bass Classic 2014” Clanwilliam Dam is South Africa’s premier smallmouth bassing venue, where the 26th Clanwilliam Bass Classic was hosted by the Western Cape Bass Angling Association.

– Craig Fraser

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ITAGS Takes you directly to the SA BASS website.

ADVENTURE “MATCH MAKING 4X4” 4x4 has taken many people to the outskirts of the earth and it has brought pleasure to many people.

ON THE COVER “Willie Swart” Image: Hannes Lindeque

SA BASS 03 November 2014

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BASICS “Bass Fishing – An Intro” MicropterusSalmoides, commonly known as largemouth bass, are widespread in Southern Africa.

MicropterusDolomieu, commonly known as smallmouth,bass are also found in Southern Africa, but are not as widespread – Richard Grant

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CLASSROOM

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TACTICS “Big Spoons for Big Bass” The Ben Parker Magnum Spoon from Nichols has created a firestorm in the US fishing industry lately.

– Mark Bilbrey

STRATEGIES “Small Things” Small things make all the difference in bass fishing – Rudi Dreyer

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ADVERTORIAL “Lure Strategies – How to get the most from Sensation Lures” To me bass angling has always been about the excitement of having so many choices of lures and colours to outwit a little green fish, but it seems most anglers are missing out on many different techniques, instead choosing to sling some form of plastic worm for bass.

“The Forgotten Topwater” Many years ago one of my friends introduced me to an awesome topwater bait – Bennie Wiese

UNIVERSITY

BASICS

“Sight Fishing” I caught my first bass in 1987. A monster of only just over a kilo!

– Shandon Hawman

“Morning, Noon and Night” For many people who are starting to fish, it may seem intimidating. You may be struggling to find sure footing for where to start with this new and wonderful hobby.

– Hannes Lindeque (Jnr)

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BASICS “A Basic Guide on Boat and Outboard Selection for the Novice Angler (Part 1)” In the modern day and age of bass angling, it is becoming more evident that the modernized bass boat is becoming more of a necessity than a requirement.

– Joe Mendes

CLASSROOM

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“Short- or Long-Shank?”

What is one of the most over looked things that we miss when we are searching for the perfect hard bait? – Hendrik

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KLASKAMER “Die RompslompSeisoen” Vir ‘n menigte hengelaar is daar basies net vier seisoene in ‘n jaar.

– Philip Kemp

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ADVERTORIAL

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TOURNAMENT NEWS

“Vicious Fishing Line” Vicious fishing line was inspired by the everyday angler. Today’s angler deserves quality, durability and reliability in their gear and Vicious delivers all of that with attitude.

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>> SA Bass Readers Competition – Raylite Ultimate AGM Battery

43

Win with GRIP Hooks

MONTHLY GIVE AWAYS

“Clanwilliam Winter Bass Classic 2014” Clanwilliam Dam is South Africa’s premier smallmouth bassing venue, where the 26th Clanwilliam Bass Classic was hosted by the Western Cape Bass Angling Association.

– Craig Fraser

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ADVENTURE “MATCH MAKING 4X4” 4x4 has taken many people to the outskirts of the earth and it has brought pleasure to many people.

ON THE COVER “Willie Swart” Image: Hannes Lindeque

SA BASS 03 November 2014

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Contents

Publisher:

Hannes Lindeque - hannes@sabass.com

Editor:

Bennie Wiese - bennie@sabass.com

Assistant Editors:

Grant Hewitt

Language Editor:

Frederick de Bruyn

Field Editors:

Clifton Hack, Derick de Bruyn, Dewald Viljoen, Gerrit du Toit, Gordon Brown, Hendrik, Joe Dreyer, John Badenhorst, John Bulpitt, Kevin Lofstedt, Lourens Joubert, Marco Grobler, Philip Kemp, Reed Eastman, Roger Donaldson, Rowan Timmer, Rudi Dreyer

Junior Field Editors:

Jean-Michel Gravenor, Nicholas Milligan

International Columnists:

Bertrand Ngim, David Swendseid, Mark Bilbrey, Richard Grant

Advertising Manager:

Wilma Lindeque - wilma@sabass.com

Subscriptions:

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REGULARS & FORUMS 06

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04 SA BASS August 2016

the country’s people (including the youth), and to the practical conservation of the country’s natural resources.

Copyright is expressly reserved and nothing may be reproduced in part or whole without the permission of the publisher. All enquiries regarding editorial correspondence, manuscripts and photographs should be directed to: editor@sabass.com Address contributions to the editor.

Manuscripts, photos and artwork will be handled with care, but their safety cannot be guaranteed. Enclose a stamped, self addressed envelope with all editorial submissions.

The publisher and editorial staff are not responsible for researching and investigating the accuracy or copy right of the material provided for publication in SA BASS magazine. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this magazine, the publisher does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors or their consequences. Readers are advised to use this information with the understanding that it is at their own risk. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher, the editor, editorial staff or SA BASS Society.

VENUES “Backyard Bassin’ - Bronkhorstspruit Dam” Established in 1950, Bronkhorst Spruit Dam or as the locals would call it Bronkies is actually a river that had been dammed up with an arch wall – John Badenhorst

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About SA BASS magazine:

SA BASS, which is editorially and financially independent, is a monthly magazine catering exclusively for the bass angling community in Southern Africa. SA BASS is distributed country-wide by RNA to outlets, not only in South Africa, but also in Namibia, Swaziland and Botswana.

SA BASS is designed as a specialist bass fishing publication and has catered for a well-defined niche market since April 2001.

It enjoys the support and endorsement of non-government organisations, but is not affiliated in any way to these bodies or to any other publishing, environmental or political interest group.

Our mission is to promote bass angling as a socially acceptable and popular outdoor recreational activity, and in addition, to encourage acceptable angling ethics. As such, SA BASS provides pertinent information on a wide range of subjects. These include providing a platform for informed debate on issues affecting the sport of bass angling, providing information on bass angling strategies and techniques, bass angling waters and opportunities, and also creating awareness of new products.

Within this editorial mix, due consideration is given to developing the sport among all

MASTER CLASS “The Aaron Martens Presentation” If you follow tournament bass angling on the world scene then the name Aaron Martens would not be a surprise. His dominance in pro angling is unbelievable.

– David Swendseid

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LEERSKOOL “Laat Winter en “Prespawn” Tegnieke & Ase” Hierdie oorgangstydperk is gewoonlik my gunstelingtyd van die jaar wat swartbaarhengel aanbetref – Japie Botha

MASTER CLASS “Spring Spinnerbait Basics” My happiest place to be in my busy head is the memory of bass reacting to spinnerbait in the springtime.

– Roger Donaldson

How to use QR-codes 1. Open the QR-code reader/scanner app on your smartphone. Most smartphones models often have an app pre-installed. If not, visit your phone’s app store and download the app.

2. Keep a steady hand while the QR-code is centred on the screen.

3. As soon as it is done scanning, whatever information should present itself for your viewing pleasure.

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CLASSROOM “Targeting Bigger Bass in Prespawn” August for me is about pre-spawn bass and is probably the only time of year that I prefer to head a little deeper than I normally would in the pursuit of big bass.

– Bryan Leppan

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“Swing It!” There will always be some new lure or technique that will hit the scene with a big bang and all the lure manufactures will do their best to have their share of the craze – Bennie Wiese

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CLASSROOM

KLASKAMER “In die draai van ‘n seisoen” Ek, en so ook menigte ander baarshengelaars, sit dalk nog steeds gevries by die huis in afwagting vir die koue...

– Philip Kemp – Hendrik

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BOOK REVIEW

“First Aid for Snakebite Booklet” Johan Marais, author of the best-selling Complete Guide to Snakes of Southern Africa.

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BOATING “A Kayaking Spawn Plan…”

As we approach the spawn this season I am looking back at a year of kayaking and a very steep learning curve!

– Dewald Viljoen

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CLASSROOM “The Plattie” Many anglers have seen them, caught them or even used them as bait to catch other fish and yet the humble platanna as we know it has probably a more famous career than Charlize Theron and her Oscar performance – John Badenhorst

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TOURNAMENT NEWS “Nandoni Zone 5 International – My Perspective” With Nandoni Dam being very low and a cold front hitting us on the weekend we arrived, fishing throughout the week was terrible and a real challenge.

– Rudi Dreyer

“Colour Selection” I think we as men are always baffled by the fact that the love in our life never seizes to amaze us with the amount of shoes that they own – Hendrik

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CLASSROOM

INTERNATIONAL – NAMIBIA “Captain’s Report: Region Five Bass Federation Tournament” The Namibian Bass Angling Association (NBAA) took part in the Region 5 Bass Federation tournament hosted at Nandoni Dam in the Republic of South Africa – Alec Williams

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“NRF Vitamin-C” Winter is not gone yet! All you need to fight colds and flu are the NRF Vita-C range of health products and a pack of NRF Vita-Zinc

ROD BENDER “No news is Bad News…”

Rod Bender finds himself trying to help another school at his friend Albert’s place.

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 01

MY CAST

14

READERS-go-BASSING

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Cast-for-Cash - Tournament Results

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GEAR UP

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LIFESTYLE – Boating & Birding – “The Great White Pelican”

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DESTINATION – Oppiekoppie pp pp Bass Farm

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>> Fluid Bamba

INTERNATIONAL “BASS Nation Fires Up Down Under” It was with some trepidation and yet also much anticipation and excitement that I recently fished my first B.A.S.S. Nation Australia event... – Dave Boyak

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ADVERTORIAL

PRODUCT NEWS

CLASSROOM “Bassin’ Seminar” Maybe you’re like me, and subscribe to the notion that you’ve spent those years in school and maybe afterwards at university and now as you’ve gone through life with all its challenges – John Badenhorst

ON THE COVER “USA pro bass angler, Aaron Martens” Image: David Swendseid SA BASS 05 August 2016

>> SA BASS MASTER CLASS

Aaron Martens with his Bassmaster 2015 Elite Series trophy

The Aaron Martens Presentation

>> David Swendseid*

I

f you follow tournament bass angling on the world scene then the name Aaron Martens would not be a surprise. His dominance in pro angling is unbelievable.

Arguable considered the best angler in the world there is no denying he is in the top two or three without hesitation.

His stats prove lighter than the famous Kevin VanDam who has eclipse the world with seven Bassmaster Angler of the Year Titles and four Bassmaster Classics.

However, Aaron has not only dominated in the East and South but also in the West. It is believed he is the only 06 SA BASS August 2016

professional to accomplish such a feat. We forget to add his FLW success and won bass professional circuit dominance.

To date Aaron holds three Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles. He has finished second four times in the Bassmaster Classic. Although, Martens has won half the Bassmaster tournaments of the famed KVD. Aaron also hasn’t fished Bassmaster events nearly as long. In fact, Kevin has fished Bassmaster’s pro events for about ten years before Aaron first entry.

One of Aaron’s greatest aptitudes is his innate ability to

Aaron spent countless hours perfecting his Shaky Fish lure

pick up a technique and master it in days. That’s exactly what he did in 2014 when he fished the Angler of the Year tournament in the Escanaba, Michigan event. Martens showed the world how to Spybait, using Duo’s Spinbait on national television. Martens continues to new heights and is affectionately called “The Natural” among his peers and the industry.

Several years ago the tournament sensation, began tinkering with a weighted head and collar design. It was a tiny thing in comparison to the lead head designs traditionally used in the South. But out West, finesse heads were the main course in catching bass, even big bass.

Martens was fixated on lure refinement and presentation, he would later win several hundred thousand dollars tournament fishing by refining his presentation.

Always experimenting Aaron took a lure, created many years ago, rebuilt it, tweaked it, tweaked it again and eventually created his

silent killer called the Shaky Fish. Aaron originally he used the name “Scrounger”. However, another lure company who discovered Aaron’s inventive refinement aggressively pursued the name Scrounger. “Sometimes, it is hard to imagine how some people operate” explained the pro.

Aaron continued with his refinement of the lure, resulting in a lure that incorporated better materials and showcased improved action. Later, the Davis Lure Company came forth and invested in Aaron’s finesse head, naming it the Shaky Fish.

Mr. Davis is the original maker of the Shake-Head, now a widely used technique in every tournament on the FLW and B.A.S.S. tours.

At one time much attention was placed around Aaron’s finesse head. Frankly, Aaron was collecting a check nearly every tournament. “It was and still is one of those few lures you can put in front of fish and they will eat it the majority of the time”. There is a small learning curve because you can attach it with an array of trailers giving it varying actions.

Aaron Martens was one of the first Bassmaster Elite Anglers to quckly adapt spybaiting to his game

SA BASS 07 August 2016

It’s in the displacement

How to fish the Shaky Fish

What sets most lures apart from each other is action. It has been mentioned before… “a crankbait fisherman may go through several of the same looking cranks in order to acquire one with a certain action”. That statement refers to certain wobble or vibrations the lure emits. Vibrations can trigger fish better than others, during different situations.

Aaron spent countless hours chasing those specific vibrations. “That is the key to this lure. It is not imposing, yet it will call schooling fish from a distance. Place it near cover and big fish will crush it like a spinnerbait. Fish it in open water and fish chase it down” says Martens.

The Shaky Fish is an interesting design. It takes a weighted jig head on a single shank and pulls it off axis, oscillating the keel area. This intense movement is generated when the bait is pulled through the water and the water pushes against the elongated clear collar. Depending on the type of trailer used, the Shaky Fish can emit a rapid shimmer or a slightly slower, longer pulse-like vibration.

Presenting this lure is simple, the greatest difficulty is getting anglers to slow down and concentrate on the retrieve.

The lures performance is in its ability to retrieve the Shaky Fish in a straight line. The longer it runs its linear path the greater it’s linear output of micro-vibrations. Although it has worked wonders on bass, other species have no issue eating the lure as well. Matching size of the lure (lead head and trailer) to the forage base increases opportunities. Attempting a steady methodical retrieve works. Ensure yourself plenty of retrieve time by making a long cast.

Following shad trails (places where shad are running the shore line, current break or weed lines) are perfect places to pull the Shaky Fish. You can match the trailer in profile and hue. Fish will pick it out of the crowd simply because of vibration. Clear water presentations is another arena where is shines. The clear bill provides a fin-like fluttering. Positioning the bait during retrieve just inches off the bottom is deadly on smallmouth.

Another technique that has proved very effective for Aaron Martens is to fish the bait in a suspended fashion.

He will make a long cast, count the lure down and begin the retrieve in open water. Fishing through suspended schools is an obvious presentation but Aaron has additional success running it past deep structure and drawing fish to leave their huts and track the bait. Fishing the bait tight to shore and raising your rod tip to move the bait just under the surface incites swirling hook up. This subsurface look gives bass a different view.

One of Aaron’s greatest aptitudes is his innate ability to pick up a technique and master it in days

Aaron was recently nominated to B.A.S.S. All Star list 08 SA BASS August 2016

Shaky Fish a home forever When asked if Aaron will keep fishing this crazy little bait forever, he laughed, “It is a no brainer. I think the most impressive thing I have learned about the Shaky Fish is its ability to catch any size fish and different types of fish. From bass to Redfish… that kind of surprised me a little”, said the B.A.S.S. Elite angler.

Originally the Shaky Fish was thought to be a secret deal for isolated largemouth, then Aaron’s non boaters witnessed him fishing it on schooling spotted bass and the word got out. Later, he put it in front of isolated suspended fish and got bit. It appears it’s versatile but unique. Now accomplished anglers are catching river smallmouth on it.

But maybe the most credible articulation is Aaron Marten’s himself and his love for fishing. He has had a relationship with this lure for over 20 years. Today it remains in his book of tricks. “It is a bait I can pick up any time in almost any situation to test the mood of fish. No one knew I threw it in the 2011 US Open… I used it pre-fishing to test the moods of differently positioned fish”, said the three time US Open Champion.

Aaron gives credit to a presentation and lure that has won him over $200,000.00 during his career. It has helped him qualify for the B.A.S.S. Classic and cashed checks in many FLW tournaments. The Shaky Fish will continue to be a tool specific to Aaron’s fishing. A technician with any lure, Aaron knows the Shaky Fish will always have a home with him.

At the creation of this article Aaron was nominated to B.A.S.S. All Star list. USA Bass Anglers Magazine and SA BASS magazine extends congratulations to Aaron Martens.

We continue to wish him a bright future. *David Swendseid is a professional bass angler in the USA and is currently the Research and Development specialist for DUO. He spends a great time teaching other professional anglers on how to execute techniques or learn new ones and also assist the international community on bass angling presentations. He pursued trophy bass records and held two lake records and an official state record. The study of fish behaviour and lure action is his forte. He currently contributes to about 16 international bass angling magazines, including SA BASS.

Scan this QR-code to learn more about the Shaky Finesse Head

SA BASS 09 August 2016

>> SA BASS VENUES

Backyard Bassin’

Backyard Bassin’

Bronkhorst >> John Badenhorst*

E

stablished in 1950, Bronkhorst Spruit Dam or as the locals would call it Bronkies is actually a river that had been dammed up with an arch wall. The original Bronkhorst Spruit is a Tributary of the Wilge River that flows as far down as Harrismith and is also a part of the Olifants River basin. The Olifants River goes on to such famous destinations as Loskop Dam. Erected to supply domestic and industrial consumption to the local village, the town nearby draws its name from Bronkhorst Spruit.

In 1880, this was the scene of one of the first serious clashes between the British troops and the Boer commando. The fierce battle

10 SA BASS August 2016

took place only a short distance from the town on the banks of the Bronkhorstspruit. Two hundred and forty six British soldiers were confronted by around 250 commando men on their march to Pretoria. The Boer commando requested the British soldiers to turn back and this request was made on behalf of the Transvaal government. The British refused and at 12.30pm the Boers shot off the first round. In a short battle lasting only 15 minutes, 156 British soldiers were killed or wounded and their officer opted to surrender.

Fast forward to modern day and Bronkies is one of the spots where many have weekend homes or cottages dotted along the shore for that perfect

weekend break. Bronkies also boasts a sailing club with marina and many luxurious homes along the shore.

For many anglers, Bronkies is a perfect weekend or even a midweek break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Since it’s not too far from Johannesburg, Pretoria or even Witbank, it’s easily accessible for most anglers residing in Gauteng.

Bronkhorstspruit Dam also hosts various angling competitions throughout the year targeting bass and carp mainly as these fish are abundant in its waters. What makes this venue so alluring is that it is safe, has a variety of launch sites along its banks and even for campers, the town of Bronkhorstspruit is only a short

spruit Dam drive away when supplies run low.

Bronkies is also one of the few venues where bank anglers, float tubers or boys with big boats can and do have an equal amount of success in angling.

Along its southern shores are scores of weedbeds where the bank anglers only have to make a medium cast to be within reach of the bass. These same

weedbeds can also be targeted from an offshore stance and the outside edges of these weedbeds do produce some good sport for loads of happy anglers. Most notably are the weedbeds running close to the bank starting from Baja down its shores towards the right, into a corner where the concentration of weedbeds and pockets provide some

serious action most of the time all year round.

On the opposite side of the Baja launch is the area which most anglers refer to as “The Jetties�. Here are luxurious homes built with private slipways and jetties suspended in the water with deep drop offs running along the edge. Personally I have

SA BASS 11 August 2016

found that these jetties do produce a lot of fish, BIG fish but mainly in the summer months on spinnerbaits, deep diving cranks and for those with a bit more patience, on soft plastics rigged Texas style. In the past year, Bronkies has seen a remarkable drop in water level due to the drought experienced and unfortunately this has also changed the main target areas for those hunting bass. Into the one corner of Bronkies we find the nature reserve and when water levels are at their normal position, many good fish are caught in this area with a variety of baits in water as shallow as 3ft with many weedbeds and standing reeds giving good structure for hunting fish and the top water bite in this area and the section down past Baja is something to experience. There are a few deep water humps and rock piles that hold loads of fish especially in the colder winter months and once you have found one of these spots its best to just stick around, fish deep,

12 SA BASS August 2016

fish slow and the action will happen.

Another very popular spot to hunt for bass is Bonamanzi on the North Eastern shore of the dam. Here the water also has fast weedbeds on a gentle slope into the deeper water and then a sudden drop off. During winter months this is a good area for bass and they are found tight up against the outer edge of the weedbeds. The best methods for this area happens to be to fish it slow and deep, right on the edge and doing some drop shot angling here can also reward you with that big one.

In general, Bronkhorstspruit is one of the best bassin’ venues on the edge of Gauteng. As it is a cold water impoundment, fish can be targeted all year round and the winter bite might be slow but extremely rewarding.

There have been days in freezing temperatures and blistering wind that myself and a partner fishing from an inflatable have managed to land more than thirty fish on a variety of baits rom soft plastics to jigs and everything in-between. Due to the influx of visitors to this dam, I prefer to fish it mid-week when there is less pressure on the fish and less boating activity as in summer months the water can be crazy with the amount of pleasure boats, jet-skis and anglers along its shores.

Around the last week of July to the beginning of August Bronkies truly comes alive for the bass anglers as the less active fish begin their staging for the upcoming spawn which we have found can run from mid-August to the first week of December all depending on prevailing weather conditions. The best and most popular methods in targeting fish here is with spinnerbaits along the edges of weedbeds and also

ripping them through the weedbeds, fishing the pockets in-between with soft plastics and here a light Mojo rigged paddle tail or fluke style bait in watermelon seed red, or junebug or black will produce results. The lighter colours tend to be more effective during peak summer months and this is also when using lipless cranks, square billed cranks and twitch baits become most effective especially on the deeper side of the dam along the jetties.

Frogs, poppers and slide baits also produce their fair share of spectacular action during the summer months with top water bite sometimes lasting way into the dark of night. As for the sizes of fish, most are in the 500g to 900g range during the colder months and the bigger fish seem to be more active as it gets warmer with some good specimens ranging from 2kg to around 4.8kg being caught. Last year during August, my fiancĂŠ and I fished the outer edge of the weedbeds running adjacent to Bonamanzi and were rewarded with over twenty fish all of over 1kg in a matter of two hours. The fish are there, plenty of them, it is just a question of finding them and figuring out what they want to eat or enticing them into a reaction bite.

Bronkies is an amazing dam with good fish and abundant structure catering to any style of fishing and since it’s not huge, can be explored extensively either from a boat or from the bank. Grab a rod, a float tube, canoe or even your bass boat and get out there. *John Badenhorst is from Wolf Lures, Flies & Feathers and a keen angler himself.

READERS

GO BASSING

To feature in “Readers go Bassing” send your story and pictures to editor@sabass.com All photos published in “Readers-go-Bassing” are for the exclusive use of SA BASS Magazine. Any photos previously published by other magazines will not be considered.

AGAIN Here is a nice bass I caught at a private dam near Durbanville. The fish was caught two metres form the bank using a gieliemientjie colour jerkbait. The photo was taken and the fish released safely to be caught again.

– Christiaan du Preez

NIGHT FISHING I love your magazine and hope that you will make me famous by publishing my first night bass. I caught it on a frog along with six others near Zeerust Dam. – Philip Clark (11 years old)

LOSKOP Here is my new 3.48kg PB taken at Loskop at midday on a cool frontal day in May. I used a green pumpkin Speed Craw and 9lb monofilament line that I dropped into a hole between two large rocks. I lifted the lure and 14 SA BASS August 2016

let it sink back down. On the second lift this bass inhaled my lure viciously and I set the hook. What an amazing end to a great weekend. Love reading your magazine; it is awesome – Craig Orchard

CRANK Die KZN Midlands het mooi bass. Ek het ‘n paar mooies twee dae na ‘n koue front in lekker koue diep water met “crankbaits” gevang. Dankie vir al die raad.

– Mike Scheepers

This month ’s

WINN

ER

LUCIP

UITEINDELIK Hierdie mooi swartbaar is op 14 April in ‘n privaatdam in die Sterkrivier gevang. Ek het al lankal gedroom van bass bo 3kg en uiteindelik is my droom bewaarheid. Daar is nie ‘n lekkerder gevoel as om met so ‘n monster te baklei nie. Wat ‘n groot voorreg. Baie dankie vir al die wonderlike inligting en stories wat SA Bass met ons deel.

– Nicky le Grange

Here are some pictures of bass caught during the weekend at Lucip Dam in Swaziland.

Mathew Dryden from Hillbilly Bas club caught his personal best and New Club record of 2.34kg on a spinnerbait. Although the dam is loaded with tiger fish it did not stop this youngster to catch this beautiful bass. I don’t know what was the biggest fight; to land the fish or to hold it up to pose for the picture.

Piet Wiese also from Hillbilly Bass Club landed a bass of 2.8kg. He caught it on a spinnerbait. It looks like he is planning on becoming a regular to weighin big bass.

– Hennie Wiese SA BASS 15 August 2016

EERSTE

THANKS

Hier is ‘n foto van my seun Barend Bootha (die van is reg gespel). Hy was by ‘n plaasdam naby Memel in Maart.

Hy hengel volgende jaar saam met die juniors in noord Natal. Dankie vir ‘n goeie tydskrif – Pieter Bootha

My brother caught this bass in the Olifants River near Middelburg after a cold front. Thank you for the tips on how to locate bass!

– Renier Botha

INANDA I spent some time with the family at Inanda Dam and caught this little guy on a crankbait.

The fishing was tough but good fun all round!

– Travis Scott

GREAT My wife and I went camping at Inanda Dam in May 2016. The weather was nice and warm during the day. I caught a nice 3.8kg bass off the side using a Z2 fluke at 16 SA BASS August 2016

10am and my wife caught a nice 3.1kg also off the side at 4.15pm using a Zoom green pumpkin fluke; 11 fish in all.

Thanks for a great magazine – Scott & Felicite Paget

BIVANE Thanks for posting my son’s picture in the June issue.

He is hooked for sure!

Here are some photos of a trip we had at Bivane Dam in May 2016. (It is a yearly gathering). The bass was on despite the bitter cold. Pieter Campher (senior) caught

a 470mm bass that only weighed 1.285kg on a Junebug Brush Hog. The three boys caught a bass each within minutes the Sunday afternoon. In total we caught more than twenty fish between for the weekend and had a great day. Bivane is still a great place to fish – Pieter Bootha

PARADISE My family and I went and stayed at Dragons Peak in the Drakensberg for a few days. I had some rods in the car and thought we would try out one of the dams. After a few heart stopping bites I was finally able to catch the fish on a black baby spinnerbait. We were able to catch a few more on topwater lures. Thanks for a great magazine.

– Rahul Rajkaran

FLORIDA I managed to land this 2kg largemouth bass at Florida Lake in April. It was an overcast and windy day but I managed to catch three fish for the day using Black Zoom Flukes. Thanks for a great magazine.

– Yazeed Bhamjee SA BASS 17 August 2016

LOSKOP My son and I went to Loskop Dam over the long weekend in April and managed to break both our PB’s in one day. Fishing was not easy as always at Loskop but deep ledges that drop from 2 to 28ft in five metres did the trick.

I managed to catch a 3,82kg (my PB) and two minutes later my son caught a 3,75kg bass (his PB) on the Saturday. I am 18 SA BASS August 2016

not a good jig angler but if you want to catch big fish throw a jig; it works and this advice is not only for Loskop! Once you master a jig you won’t leave home without it. Smaller fish were caught over the weekend with plastics but not in the 3kg range.

– Roedolf Bosman

MENDES FAMILY GO FISHING I decided to take the family out fishing on the Vaal River and after giving them fishing tips, Keanu was rewarded with his first bass ever. With a lot of guidance Maritza was

excited to catch one herself. Oh, and this proud coach . . . blanked for the day. – Joe Mendes

READERS GO BASSING Mail a & Win

E-mail your picture and details of your catch to editor@sabass.com and stand a chance to win a BASS HUNTER 150PC. STARTER KIT sponsored by MIAS Woodmead.

Please send us good crisp pictures of good quality. Pictures sent electronically must be at least 250KB. (We prefer pictures of 1MB). Potential cover pictures must be at least 3MB. All photos published in Readers-Go-Bassing are for the exclusive use of SA BASS magazine.

Any photos previously published, or published by other magazines will not be considered.

SA BASS 19 August 2016

LETTERS TO THE

EDITOR

Dear Editor During my lifetime I’ve taken on several interests/passions, meaning I’ve probably spent enough on related literature to have bought a small boat.

Thankfully I’m down to only one magazine these days. And with good reason - let me explain: I recently rediscovered my first few years’ worth of SA Bass (starting 2003), which I decided to browse.

Among them though I found a photographic magazine from around that same period. It boasted how a certain 5.8 megapixel professional camera would be hard to beat. And that wasn’t fifteen years ago! Today a 5.8MP camera would probably be considered a joke. I also discovered that the idea of what was artistic no longer applies - the world has moved on. Much of the information gleaned has become irrelevant, even for my chosen genre of wildlife photography.

Bass fishing on the other hand tends not to be dictated to by fashion, such as with snapping pictures. Or with music: when I first learnt guitar it was all about mind-blowing leads and grinding riffs. Well that was all history by the new millennium, so there went another great pile of magazines off to the dump.

As for the bass angler, even changing provinces, unless it’s to the Free State, shouldn’t be a hindrance (I 20 10 SA SA BASS BASS August 2016 June 2012

relocated from Durban to Nelspruit).

Nor do slight changes in one’s health have too much effect. For example, a dip in blood sugar in not likely to drown the fisherman as it might a scuba diver. More mags in the trash.

Strangely enough, bass as far as I know, don’t change their names every other decade like birds either. And unlike our feathered friends they don’t move off on their own - one morning you don’t find they are no longer found where they were once as numerous as the grass, but have instead established themselves where all the info says they shouldn’t be (not without human or a hurricane’s intervention anyway). Not that I would lay my binoculars aside (love Jo’s column), I just don’t buy the birding literature anymore.

There is hope; however, you see it all got me thinking to when I caught my first bass at Hazelmere back in ’82. It was not long after that when my friend and I discovered plastic worms in Kings Sports. They only came in black or yellow (as we called them when life was so much simpler) - and they really were plastic. I bought two of each, but there was no-one to show a kid how to rig them. As a result, my first effort was a variation of what today is called drop-shotting in an attempt to keep the lure out of the mud, where the fish might see it.

Well I tried that just once and it wasn’t too successful for me that day, so I

returned to cranking.

Possibly a year later my friend lent me one of his Bassmaster magazines and there I found a piece by Ray Scott, if memory serves, on Carolina rigging. We only had to get our hands on a few bullet sinkers - which we did at the local pistol range; mostly in 9mm copper jackets. Today, more than thirty years later the Carolina still holds pride of place in my tackle bag.

My point in all this? Angling is one of the very few art forms that stay consistent in that a tactic that worked fifty years ago will work for as long as there are bass in that, and any other pond (given similar conditions). Yes, we learn more each year and add tricks to our arsenal, but our target doesn’t change.

With this in mind, my new midyear’s resolution is, from now on, along with each new SA Bass I’m also going to haul out that month’s issue from years gone by to see what hints and tips were suggested back then. Apart from prolonging my reading pleasure, even ideas that didn’t work for me then might do so now (and indeed one has just two weeks back – using foam to add buoyancy to plastics), or even be adapted into something new incorporating the latest equipment.

Keep up the good work.

Robert Sander, Nelspruit

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>> SA BAARS LEERSKOOL

LAAT WINTER “Pre-spawn” Tegnieke & Ase Hierdie oorgangstydperk is gewoonlik my gunstelingtyd van die jaar wat swartbaarhengel aanbetref. >> Japie Botha*

D

ie laaste paar jaar was dit vir my moeilik eilikk om by beter damme te hengel as gevolg olg van spesifieke toernooie waaraan ekk deelgeneem het. Ek hoop dat die volgende inligting jou sal motiveer om by die water uit te kom terwyl die kwik nog aan die koue kant van die termometer lê.

In laasmaand se uitgawe het ek geskryf hoee ek ruk-en-plukkunsaas (jerkbaits) gebruik om m wintervisse te teiken. Dit beteken nie dat die vis nou ou ewe skielik gaan ophou om kunsaas te vreet nie, maar net om iets ekstra in die arsenaal te sit gaan ek ‘n bietj bietjie jie meer uitbrei oor my ondervinding met sagte plastiek-ase. stiekk-ase.

Ek het al voorheen gesê dat selfvertroue ‘n groot invloed nvloeed op my hengel het. As ek nie goed voel oor ‘n situasie ie op p die dam nie, dan gaan ek heel waarskynlik myself frustreer ustreer en vir die res van die dag net meer spanning op myself elf si sit it om vis te vang. Ek het al baie goeie vis gevang op sagte plas plastiekstiekas op ase waarvan ses van my grootste sewe visse gevangg wa was “drop shot” en gewiglose stroppe.

Waar om te soek Die meeste van hierdie groot visse wat ek gevang vangg het ulle later l was in redelike diep water naby aan areas waar hulle sal broei. Ek sal hierdie tyd van die jaar areas identifiseer entifi fiseer wateer ‘n op my Lowrance kontoer-kaart waar die dieper water skielike diepteverandering maak na vlakker water. Ditt gee my die beste kans om die vis te onderskep op hulle ulle roete armer tussen winter- en broei areas. Die damme met wa warmer water sal beslis teen die tyd al heelwat vis hê wat vol op o ‘n voor-broeitydperk patroon geteiken kan word.

Afhangende van waar die dam geleë is, of waar aar jyy wil visvang, sal die weersomstandighede en watertemperatuur mperaatuur ehooort te vir jou ‘n goeie aanduiding gee van wat die vis behoort doen. Ek het al by ‘n onbekende dam in KwaZulu-Natal ulu-N Natal gaan hengel toe die hengelaar saam met wie ek was, as, noem n dat die wilgerbome begin blare stoot en die vis behoort hoort op rnem mings “pre-spawn” te wees. Dit is tipies sulke klein waarnemings wat mens met jare se ondervinding opdoen en dan an to toepas oepas om die hengel makliker te maak. Daar is baie teorieë orieëë oor 22 SA BASS August 2016

watertemperatuur en die stand van die maan wat gevolg word. My opinie is

‘n Gesonde 3.384kg swartbaar met ‘n gewiglose Senko gevang

Die belangrikste is om te weet dat daardie vis nie gaan byt as jy voor die televisie sit nie...

Hierdie vis van 3.329kg was vir lank my persoonlike beste en is met die “drop shot” tegniek gevang

dat ek nie die omstandighede kan bepaal/beheer wanneer ek gaan hengel nie en probeer dus om die vis te onderskep waar ookal hulle op daardie stadium is.

My gunsteling stroppe Soos vroeër genome, is dit vir my ‘n persoonlike keuse om die tyd van die jaar sagte plastiek-ase te gebruik.

Eerstens kan ek vir die vis, wat dalk nog effens lui is, iets stadiger gee om aan te vreet en tweedens kan ek die aas langer in die teiken-area teiken area hou en die vis forseer om te vreet. My gunsteling aas is definitief ‘n gewiglose Gary Yamamoto Senko. Daar is net iets baie spesiaal aan die aksie wat ‘n Senko gee en wat my die vertroue gee om dit te gebruik.

By damme soos Clanwilliam, Arabie, Loskop, Vaaldam, Nandoni en Bronkhortspruit het ek al baie goeie sukses hierdie tyd van die jaar met Senko’s gehad. Afhangend van watter tipe en grootte lokaas die swartbaars vreet, sal ek vier, vyf en selfs sewe duim Senko’s gebruik.

Indien ek vis wil teiken wat nog in dieper water is, dan sal ek ook my “drop shot” tegniek gebruik met ‘n tipe finesse wurm. Die voordeel wat ‘n “drop shot” vir my het, is dat ek die aas vinniger op die bodem kan kry. Ek kan ook die aas redelik op een plek hou en dit nogsteeds beweeg om die vis sover te kry om te vreet. Ek het al baie goeie sukses met “drop shot” gehad by Loskop-, Witbank-, Vaalrivier, Albert Falls-, Maguga- en Tzaneendam.

Wat aaskeuse vir “drop shot” aanbetref, is daar heelwat opsies om te probeer. Een van my gunstelinge is ‘n “paddle tail” tipe vissie met ‘n sewe gram (¼oz) gewig. Die s swaarder gewig gee baie meer aksie aan die aas wat kan veroorsaak v dat die vis reageer terwyl die aas nog afsak bodem b toe. Dit help ook, soos ek vroeër gesê het, om d die aas te beweeg terwyl dit op een plek bly wat ‘n groot vvoordeel kan wees as die vis baie traag is om te vreet.

Opsomming O Dit beteken nie dat ek net twee stokke sal neem as ek n nou gaan hengel nie, maar hierdie tegnieke het vir my p persoonlik al baie goeie vis gelewer. Hengel met selfvertroue en waarin jy ookal vertroue het. Die belangrikste is om te weet dat daardie vis nie gaan byt as jy voor die televisie sit nie; so kontak jou hengelmaat en reël julle volgende u uitstappie. *Japie Botha is ‘n welbekende Protea swartbaar-hengelaar wat w ook Suid-Afrika al op internasionale vlak verteenwoordig het. h SA BASS 23 August 2016

>> SA BASS MASTER CLASS

Spring

Spinnerbait Basics My happiest place to be in my busy head is the memory of bass reacting to spinnerbait in the springtime. This is a fine opportunity to describe how to implement the varieties of spinnerbaits and how you can use them more effectively.

T

here was an icy spring breeze across Rust De Winter Dam and it continued to ripple across the surface throughout the day.

Soft plastic lures are the dominant bait on many bass anglers list and this should still ring true in a grassy lake such as Rust De Winter. However, habitats need to be carefully considered in order to maximise your chances. In summer the bass can often be found in

24 SA BASS August 2016

>> Roger Donaldson* shallow water hideouts, and similarly in the autumn months. Conversely in winter the fish tend to move off shore in search of deeper, less volatile water. Yet in spring the bass descend on the shallow banks to follow their maternal instincts. These simple factors helped me define my areas to target and considering the above mentioned vegetation

as the predominant cover I could make the appropriate lure selection.

Spinnerbaits have the startling ability to negotiate their route through grassy cover without getting distressingly snagged. Our chances on Rust de Winter Dam that day were increased substantially by the lures flashing blades thumping through the shallows coupled with breezy, rippled water conditions that were providing much needed oxygen to the resident bass. I’d like to highlight to every bass angler the importance of taking cognisance of the weather conditions wind and spinnerbaits go together like popcorn and movies.

But before we’d arrive on the fishing spot I’d already been able to select the spinnerbait for the occasion.

“But there are so many varieties to choose from?” This is the big confusion where most get stuck… sizes differ, weights differ, colours, blade shapes, skirt varieties! Fortunately the remedy to this dilemma is a fairly

uncomplicated one. Let’s split the factors that influence your choice into categories and see how we can simplify your choice by applying these general “rule of thumb”.

Wind speed The stronger the wind the more weight you need to apply when choosing your spinnerbaits. The weight of the lure is easily discernible on the packaging when you purchase it. Weights can vary from 1/16oz being the very lightest and one ounce being sufficiently heavy / weighted for the windiest of conditions fishable.

Wind makes casting more difficult and so by applying more weight you will improve accuracy and reduce your frustration. Also, your line will tend to bow in the wind and the weight of you lure will help to maintain the baits swimming action.

Water clarity This can affect your choice of skirt colour and blade shape. In water with excellent visibility it will be to your advantage to tone down your skirt colour to natural i.e. dull white, and white with green pumpkin combinations. As the water clarity levels decrease you can start applying the more perfect white skirts, as well as white / chartreuse combinations.

Similarly, the blades can be kept simple silver in clear visibility and then alternated with bronze as the water clarity tapers off.

More importantly I have found that applying sleek willow leaf blade combinations in clear water worked far better as this allowed the bait to move much quicker through the water, not giving the bass too much time to inspect the lure. As water clarity decreases I would do better by slowing the lure down incrementally by applying willow leaf with Colorado shape blades.

Sean Riley brandishing two fine largemouth bass caught in the later afternoon, low light conditions at De Hoop Dam

Water depth The majority of

your spinnerbait fishing will take place between a depth of around 7ft and the surface of the water. The lure makes use of light penetration to good effect and tends to be most productive in shallow water.

Choose a heavier spinnerbait when targeting the deepest areas, as the weight will help keep the lure down deep and vice versa for targeting fish and structures closer to the surface.

The lightest of lures can be extremely effective at drawing bass out of shallow water hideouts – particularly those areas beneath trees and boat docks, as well as around lily pads and water grass.

Cloud cover Light penetration is severely reduced by thick cloud cover and this too can be a great advantage to anglers who are ready with a spinnerbait.

In this scenario you’d do well to keep your spinnerbait within the first few feet of the water surface and make use of the perfect white, as well as white/chartreuse skirt options.

Furthermore, painted blades emit a very effective glowing light in overcast weather conditions and this can greatly enhance your strike ratio too.

Bait speed Try selecting a lighter weight spinnerbait when the water clarity is stained or the structure you are targeting is fairly dense, as this will allow you to slow your bait down. Also, the lighter weight will prevent the bait from hanging up in the structure as much as the heavy options.

With these simplified “rules of thumb” you will certainly be able to taper your options and begin to fine-tune your spinnerbait fishing strategies.

Enjoy your time bass fishing. *Roger Donaldson is an experienced journalist and knowledgeable bass angler who has enjoyed many enlightening hours with many of South Africa’s top, competitive bass fishermen. As a competitive angler himself, he also enjoys sharing his expertise with fellow bass fanatics in the hope that they find the same joy in this unique sport.

SA BASS 25 August 2016

>> SA BASS CLASSROOM

The author with a pre-spawn female bass

Deep diving crankbaits are great baits to trigger reaction strikes

Targeting Bigger Bass in Pre-spawn

>> Bryan Leppan

August for me is about pre-spawn bass and is probably the only time of year that I prefer to head a little deeper than I normally would in the pursuit of big bass. Female bass are most often at their heaviest as they are laden with eggs. It’s a great time of year to target your PB.

TIP:

As a general rule, this time of year I would focus on hard bottom areas with the presence of timber.

26 SA BASS August 2016

I

will head out to structure such as points, ledges, river channel edges and rock piles that are adjacent to spawning flats. Hens will gather in areas like these in numbers as they get ready to move into shallower areas to spawn. This is called ‘staging’. In my experience, there is no magic depth to target on each body of water and on larger dams even more so. Fish will stage in different depths in different areas of the dam so don’t get all hung up on the dock talk that the fish are all in 20ft of water for example.

Instead focus on the depth of the structure and cover available in the specific area of the dam your fishing at the time. If you’re fishing a rocky point, use your electronics to find an area on that point that has submerged timber. The timber could be in 15ft for example in some points and 25ft on others. The best way to find out if the fish are there is to fish the area! If you have quality electronics and know how to use them it will be a lot easier, more accurate and more affective as you are fishing in the most productive areas, most Ike’s Head Banger jig of the time, without “blindcasting’ and hoping to make contact with cover.

Baits and rigs In general I fish

TIP: If you don’t have electronics throw a deep diving crankbait or heavy &DUROLQD ULJ WR WU\ DQG ORFDWH ÀRRGHG timber, then pitch out marker buoys to give you an idea of where the area is. bigger baits but for me this is probably the most important time to do so. I also like to throw baits that have lots of action or sound to them.

The Carolina rig is my number one rig of choice. You can cover a large area of water relatively quickly compared to other methods of fishing soft plastics. If I am getting hung up a lot because the area is very rocky I’ll switch to a football jig. If the timber is thick and causing me the same problem I’ll switch to more of a heavy cover jig with a narrower head. On the Carolina rig I use a half ounce tungsten barrel weight, a plastic bead to protect the knot (tungsten weights shatter the glass beads) and a 4/0 EWG offset worm hook. My personal favourite plastics for the Carolina rig include Zoom 8” lizards, Strike King Rage Recon worms, Missile Bait’s Tomahawk and if I had one plastic of choice after last year’s pre-spawn, it would be the Missile Baits Destroyer. The action, profile and soft natural feel of the ribs on this bait is just incredible.

I mostly use football jigs in the 3/8oz to ¾oz range. My personal favourite at the moment is Ike’s Head Banger jig.

It has a unique head design that is a crossover style between Target structure such as points, ledges, river channel edges and rock piles a regular football jig but with a more triangular shape and that are adjacent to spawning flats narrower profile. It fishes brilliantly on rocky areas, getting stuck less than with a standard football jig and the paint Alternate between rattling and silent crankbaits. You’ll work finishing and skirt matching is some of the best I’ve get days when the fish want to hear the lure coming to react seen. to it and days when they react to it because they don’t hear it coming and all of a sudden it’s in their face. The Rapala For me a jig trailer is all about matching the jig colour and then having a few profile options to alternate between. DT series and Norman DD series cranks are probably the The Missile Baits range of D-Bombs and Twin Turbo grubs most widely available and do work really well. do this perfectly. Zoom Super Speed Craws and Twin Tail Something I have noticed that there are less fish shallow Grubs are also really good and Gary Yamamoto creature in this transition period between winter and the spawn. Also baits. a tell-tale sign of a pre-spawn scenario is catching similar sized keeper fish shallow and the noticeable absence of Deep diving crankbaits are great better quality fish. These shallow fish are male bass scouting baits to trigger reaction strikes from out for spawning areas and getting these fish. You want to bump off the ready to start prepping them. rock and timber during your retrieve Whilst this can be a lot of fun and to get the best success. Alternate your can be quite addictive, it is most retrieve speed to figure out how fast or Missile Baits likely that you’ll catch that size fish all slow they want it and I like to pause Destroyer day and miss out on the opportunity the crankbait for a second or two after of catching big ones because the big bumping off something. Many times ones simply aren’t there. they’ll eat it in that period between bumping the object and the pause.

I also prefer to try and plan my trip Fish a crank that can get right to the ahead of a cold front, if possible. Those bottom like fishing a 16ft diver in 12 to 14ft calm, warm days ahead of a front can of water. really wake those fish up.

SA BASS 27 August 2016

>> SA BASS CLASSROOM

Colour Selection I think we as men are always baffled by the fact that the love in our life never seizes to amaze us with the amount of shoes that they own. To make things worse they never seem to be able to have enough of them and don’t you dare suggest that they should get rid of some.

That would be grounds for divorce. >> Hendrik

News flash! I think we might have it worse when it comes to bass fishing tackle and equipment.

The new Ultra-realistic 3D Shine Glide

New Savage Gear TPE Soft Mud Minnow 28 SA BASS August 2016

W

hen was the last time that you really, I mean really took stock of what you have in your man cave?

I recently build myself a new rod stand and guess what… it’s too small. I had rods to spare and what was I suppose to do with the extra rods? The answer was as clear as daylight; get a bigger rod stand and keep the other one just in case I need it in the future (which might be sooner than I think).

I think it is in an angler’s blood to always try to be on top of our game whether we do it for fun or whether we do it competitively. Trying to do so we need the latest and greatest items available on the market. We just need to have a look at our tackle that we have in storage. How much of it do we really use and how much are on the shelf or still in the bags when we bought it at the tackle shop?

The problem is that when we go to the shop there is such a great selection and you see that new colour on the market and you just need to have it. By the time you get to the water and reconsider the new colour that looked great in the shop, it just doesn’t seem to be that great anymore.

But, we bought it so let’s give it a try and then the magic happens. We catch a few good bass and presto - I must have the new “must have bait” and we can’t allow anyone one else to know about it. Before we know we go to all the shops and buy all available stock we can get our hands on.

Truly, I know guys that who have so many lures that their garages looks like tackle shops and their cars have to be parked outside.

The point I’m actually trying to get across is that we really don’t need to accumulate so much tackle. In the USA bass fishing is a multibillion Dollar industry and selling tackle is their game and we all tend to fall for their selling tactics. Say your favourite colour is green pumpkin, and now they bring out a new colour “green pumpkin gold”. The first thing you are going to think is that it will work because watermelon gold works well and so we buy it. There will always be that new thing-a-ma-jig that is a “must have” and will end up in your tackle box or your man cave.

Truth to be told; there is a little secret that is as old as bass fishing itself, “You don’t need all the colours that is

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available on the marketâ&#x20AC;?. Yes it might be bright and new, or you heard someone caught a monster on exactly the same colour. While this might be true it will mostly be hearsay and you will be going on what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard or even just the fact that it looks appealing to you is enough to convince you.

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take KVD as an example. A few years ago he was fishing a new colour of lure. It was a shad lipless crank bait and he was hammering the fish. While he was doing it he repeatedly said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m bringing sexy backâ&#x20AC;? and in doing so the colour Sexy Shad was born and it was a great seller.

I was a tackle dealer then and couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t keep up with the demand. This was a colour that was imitating an American specie and everyone locally wanted it just because they saw KVD hammering fish. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not saying it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work here because I have caught fish on the Sexy Shad colour but I would be lying if I told you that it is one of my favourite colours. I honestly rarely look at it because I have my own favourite colours.

I can ramble on about how we tend to catch ourselves with new products on the market rather than catching bass but letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rather get back to selecting colours.

I want to state that you will only need about maximum twelve colours in your arsenal to catch fish in most of our local dams. By figuring that out you will be amazed how much money you can save.

Just by fishing deeper in the range of 20ft you will even need fewer colours because that is when most colours start to disappear under water. The reason; the deeper you go the more the colour spectrum diminishes and at about 25ft only black and grey shades will be visible. So ask yourself; will there be a difference between green pumpkin blue and green pumpkin red when fishing so deep? If not then how many colours will you need when you are going to focus on deeper water? In fact; I think your presentation is going to be much more important than the colour you are using.

So when you start to select your colours for your next trip you need to consider the following: t 8IBU JT ZPVS GBWPVSJUF HP UP DPMPVS t ,FFQ UP ZPVS CBTJD DPMPVST MJLF CMBDL XIJUF HSFFO pumpkins, watermelons and I never leave home without Junebug. t 8IBU EFQUI SBOHFT NJHIU ZPV CF UBSHFUJOH t 7JTJCJMJUZ PG UIF XBUFS I think many anglers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize how import their own favourite colour is compared to what other people use.

Always go with what you are comfortable with. The more fish you catch on a specific colour the more confidence you will have with that colour.

I just want to add; for all our competitive anglers who fish tournaments - under no circumstance do you go and try a new colour, or lure in a tournament. That is not the time and place to go experimenting.

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>> SA BAARS KLASKAMER

In die draai van ‘n seisoen Ek, en so ook menigte ander baarshengelaars, sit dalk nog steeds gevries by die huis in afwagting vir die koue, droë winter om sy greep stelselmatig te verslap en net, al is dit net ‘n klein aanduiding daarvan, vir ons ‘n greep of twee van die aankomende lente te wys.

M

et die lente, wat net te stadig na my sin, nader kruip, is ek reeds besig om my hengeluitstappies stelselmatig te beplan. Wat doen ‘n baarshengelaar wat ‘n liefde vir die sosiale deel van die sport het en waarvoor die kompeterende sy glad nie eens ‘n oorweging is nie, dan anders as dit nog hoogwinter is? Gelukkig is daar ‘n paar interessante plekkies op my hengellys om te besoek, en waaroor ek die lesers in opkomende uitgawes sal vertel.

Eers moet ek my strategieë vir die laatwinter, of is dit nou vroeglente, beplan. Ek deel dit graag met die lesers.

Oggendhengel Soos julle seker reeds kon aflei is die einde van winter nie so maklik as wat ‘n mens sou dink nie omrede die seisoen in een dag van ‘n pragtige lente-oggend kan verander in ‘n nare, koue wintersdag. Geen ander tyd van die jaar sal ‘n mens sulke moeilike toestande hê as juis in die tyd nie. Die weer mag dalk perfek wees, maar wat die hengelaar nie altyd besef nie, is dat die weer wat die pragtige dag vooraf gegaan het dalk nie so goed was nie. Veranderinge die tyd van die jaar kan letterlik oornag gebeur. Ek glo dat die hengelaar die tyd van die jaar die weerpatrone baie fyn moet dophou. Daar moet veral ag geslaan word op die nagtemperature omrede die water gedurende die nag nogsteeds baie laat afkoel en dit die oggendbyt heelwat kan affekteer. Wolklose nagte sorg vir kouer oggendtemperature omrede daar juis nie ‘n wolkbedekking is wat die warmer lug verhoed om te ontsnap

Damiki se Mausrin-jig

30 SA BASS August 2016

Aircraw

>> Philip Kemp*

nie. Gedurende ‘n bewolkte nag sal die oggendtemperature heelwat warmer wees, so ook die watertemperatuur wat weer die baars ook meer aktief sal maak in die vlakker water. Hierdie is die ideale geleentheid om baars wat op die oorgangspunte tussen die diep- en vlakwater te teiken met “jerkminnows”. Baars suspendeer die tyd van die jaar. Ek sal fokus op die suid-westelike oewers wat eerste son kry, klein inhamme en klipperige oewers wat gedurende die nag langer sy hitte behou het. Hierdie ruk-en-pluk aksies van die vissie kan mee geëksperimenteer word. Ek verkies om die vissie met eweredige plukkies in te bring met kort stop tussenposes. Gewoonlik sal die baars die vissie gryp net nadat die hengelaar hom vir ‘n wyle gestop het. Vir hierdie tipe hengel sal ek ‘n medium of medium-swaar aksie koffiemeulstokkie gebruik.

Middaghengel Watertemperatuur speel selfs gedurende die middag ‘n groot rol. Water het op ‘n wolklose dag met koue nagtemperature nou reeds genoeg verhit om die baars gemakliker in die vlakwater te maak. Omrede dit die tyd van die jaar in die somer reënvalstreke nog nie regtig gereën het nie, sal die hengelaar ook vind dat die water skoner gaan wees en dat die baars, in die helder ligsituasies met skoon water, meer versigtig sal wees. Lang gooie in sulke gevalle is die beste opsie. Die hengelaar sal beslis ook ‘n lyn met lae lig weerkaatsing moet gebruik en natuurlik so dun as moontlik.

Ek sal in sulke gevalle beslis flourocarbon gebruik tussen 8 en 12lb. Rondom baie dekking soos watergras, klippe en versuipte bome sal ‘n minimum breekkrag van 12lb die beste keuse wees. Een van my gunsteling tegnieke in die vlakker water is die Mausrin-strop met ‘n Aircraw. Hierdie strop het ‘n bootvormige gewiggie wat skarnier op die hoek met behulp van ‘n ringetjie. Omrede die Aircraw lugleegtes in sy knypers het sal die knypers van die bodem af oplig.

Baars sal die tyd van die jaar opsoek wees na proteïenryke kos soos skaaldiertjies (krappe). As die watertemperature nog laag is, sal ek die aanbieding baie stadig op die bodem hengel en soms net laat lê om die knypers, wat steeds beweeg, sy werk te laat doen. Soos die watertemperature gedurende die middag styg kan die hengelaar die aanbieding

vinniger hengel en selfs swem. Rondom die randte van watergras (warmwater- binne randte naaste aan die oewer en kouewater- buiterandte) bly my gunsteling tegniek ‘n Mr. Jumbo Grub op ‘n ligte Texas-strop of op ‘n Mojo-strop. Ek sal die strop stadig swem en dit dan teen die randte van die watergras laat sak na die bodem. Die baars sal gewoonlik die aas gryp terwyl dit sak/val na die bodem. Die spoed waarteen die aas val is ook belangrik. In kouer water wil ek die aas stadiger laat val en sal dan ‘n ligter gewig gebruik.

Soos die baars meer aggressief begin byt sal ek die valspoed versnel met ‘n swaarder Texas-sinker. My gunsteling stok vir die aanwending moet beslis lank genoeg wees vir lang gooie in die skoner water. Daarom sal ek ‘n 7’3” mediumswaar “casting” stok gebruik. Hierdie stok het beslis meer as genoeg ruggraat en gooi die aas ‘n myl ver.

Hou dus die weerpatrone die tyd van die jaar noukeurig dop en maak so elke hengeluitstappie een wat jy vir baie lank sal onthou. Onthou ook om asseblief ons baars met versigtigheid te hanteer, ‘n foto of twee te neem, en hulle veilig terug te plaas sodat ander hengelaars ook die sport saam met ons kan geniet. En moet nie vergeet om daardie foto’s met julle stories vir ons tydskrif aan te stuur nie. *Philip Kemp is ‘n gesoute swartbaarhengelaar en ‘n gereelde bydraer.

Services Repairs Maintenance Contact us for a quote on any reel service or repair Tel: 078 548 1301 Email: hotreeltec@gmail.com Authorized Service Center SA BASS BOOK REVIEW >>

First Aid for Snakebite Booklet

J

ohan Marais, author of the best-selling Complete Guide to Snakes of Southern Africa and Snakes and Snakebite in Southern Africa has recently released a new publication – First Aid for Snakebite.

It is a comprehensive 24 page full colour booklet that addresses first aid in snakebite in a concise yet comprehensive manner.

The first page is for emergency numbers and already has important numbers – NetCare Ambulance Service, ER24 Ambulance Service, the Tygerberg Poison Centre and a number for the African Snakebite Institute. Then there is provision to add numbers of local hospitals and local snake removers.

Advice on snakebite: The booklet starts on what not to do in a snakebite emergency, important first aid measures including the use of pressure immobilisation, the use of a bag valve mask and what to do for venom in the eyes. This is followed by a breakdown of basic snake venoms and a flowchart on what to do in a snakebite emergency.

The booklet is available from the African Snakebite Institute. For more information contact Ashley Kemp at the African Snakebite Institute on +2771 682 5377 or e-mail her; admin@africansnakebiteinstitute.com SA BASS 31 August 2016

>> SA BASS BOATING

Kayaking

A

Spawn Planâ&#x20AC;Ś

As we approach the spawn this season I am looking back at a year of kayaking and a very steep learning curve! >> Dewald Viljoen*

T

The truth is that standing up is something that many anglers will never get the hang off if not for an outrigger system

here are probably a thousand little tips and tricks I learned over the last year that I could be sharing but to be honest most of them are stored in the back of my mind. They will make an unexpected appearance at some point while I am fishing or driving and almost always when I am not in a position to write it down when I think about it and then, just like that, they would be gone, filed with thousands upon thousands of other memories and ideas.

However, I am racking my mind for this upcoming spawn. I want to remember everything I learned last year!

The biggest advantage I will have this year is the kayak I am fishing from. The Wilderness Systems Ride135 is an awesome boat for standing up and sight fishing! Last year I learned that there are very few things that float, that can stalk a nesting bass like a kayak. Quiet and relatively small, the kayak did not seem to disturb the fish as much as a full sized boat and once I had her anchored she was soon viewed as just another piece of cover.

What surprised me last year was how close I could get to the nests before the fish spooked for the first time. The boat I was fishing from back then was not designed for stand up fishing and I often paddled almost over the nest before spotting it and yet I still spotted many more fish than I would normally do from a bigger craft.

32 SA BASS August 2016

Outriggers are floats that are attached to the side of your kayak that helps to stabilise it and prevents rolling over

This season I plan to use a few tricks that I did not employ last season to improve the catch rates even more. Firstly I will be using a stake out pole. A lot! As I discussed in a previous article, a stake out pole is basically a pole that gets pushed into the bottom and is leashed to your kayak to keep it in place. It is a quiet and unobtrusive way of anchoring your boat. The other method I plan to employ more actively is a sea anchor or drift sock. It makes controlling the drift of your kayak easier and slows you down when the wind starts pushing making it easier to cover an area while still moving along.

Another trick I will be testing out for future reference is an outrigger system. Outriggers are floats that are attached to the side of your kayak that helps to stabilise it and prevents rolling over. While a lot of websites, articles and marketing material will try to sell you on the idea of standing and fishing from a kayak, the truth is that standing up is something that many anglers will never get the hang off if not for an outrigger system. An outrigger will be especially helpful when the first spring boaters start to make wakes!

After a full year of testing and trying and getting learn the ropes of kayaking I also think that the next season should be start of getting some personal goals set, and for exploring some new avenues in kayak bassing in South Africa. It is about time we start thinking about clubs, associations and tournaments. That is however something we need to get more input and information on so if you are interested in sharing some thoughts and ideas, look me up on Facebook or drop SA Bass a line and let us get some discussions going. Until September keep safe and dry!

+HOOR 63$:1 Try these creatures from CATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S in POPULAR assorted colours

a 4â&#x20AC;&#x153; Yomama

4â&#x20AC;? B 4â&#x20AC;?

Bush Pig i

Toads

6â&#x20AC;? Lizard

*Dewald Viljoen is sponsored by Canoe & Kayak Centre, the owner of Hot Reels Service Centre, partner and designer at AfriBaits.

6â&#x20AC;? Curl Tail Worm

5â&#x20AC;? Jerk M Minnow

4â&#x20AC;? & 5â&#x20AC;? Trick Stick

Floating Toads

7HO )D[

&HOO 32 %R[ 0D\YLOOH .ZD =XOX 1DWDO ( PDLO FDWVM#WHONRPVD QHW :HEVLWH ZZZ FDWVILVKLQJ FR ]D

>> SA BASS CLASSROOM

The Plattie >>John Badenhorst

Many anglers have seen them, caught them or even used them as bait to catch other fish and yet the humble platanna as we know it has probably a more famous career than Charlize Theron and her Oscar performance.

Xenopus laevis (African clawed frog) 34 SA BASS August 2016

W

e all know the creature I’m talking about, that slimy, cold, flat little frog that many simply refer to as the plattie. The plattie, or also known as the common platanna or African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) is truly a remarkable creature and the more I’ve researched this little ball of slime, the deeper my respect has grown for it. We have all seen them some time or another. A few years ago, a total ban was placed on the use of platties as live bait in South African waters. Tackle shops that used to stock them could get heavy fines or even face total closure if they were caught selling these little creatures. For many anglers, especially the anglers targeting our barbel or otherwise known as the sharp tooth catfish, this was a sad time as many older anglers will bare witness to its effectiveness as bait. I know of some anglers that have caught huge bass on the plattie too.

The plattie is a true amphibian found in natural bodies of water and some may even be found in a local garden pond. These guys also don’t mind living in the local sewerage works

and at the end of a rainy season will bury themselves under wet mud and hibernate till the rains come again. The plattie is also a true predator and is one of the only frogs that hold its prey with its front legs and mouth while kicking against it with their powerful back legs that are armed with three sharp claws, thus ripping its prey apart. It is also one of the only frogs that can kick overhead with those strong back legs and for any person that has ever tried to hold one, know how powerful those legs can be.

The plattie preys on any living creature that they can overpower including other frogs, tadpoles, insects, small fish, young birds or rodents that may happen to fall into the water. They are not partial to feeding on dead animals that happens to be in the water.

In around 250BC, ancient Egyptian physicians discovered something unique about these little creatures that lasted all the way up to the late 1950’s. In ancient times, when it was suspected that a woman might be pregnant, a female plattie was put into a clay jar and the first morning urine of the woman was

Platanna

then mixed with boiled and distilled water from the Nile and poured into the jar containing the plattie. This was covered with a cloth and left for between 24 and 36 hours. A hormone found in the urine of a pregnant woman would trigger the plattie to start spawning and thus would reveal if the patient was indeed pregnant or not. In the early 1930’s, it was found that injecting a small quantity of a pregnant woman’s urine into the plattie would cause it to spawn within a few hours. In the 1940’s and 50’s, this was the only pregnancy test available in the world and many hospitals around the globe kept and bred platties so that they could perform such tests.

Breeding takes place in both summer and winter following heavy rains and up to 1000 eggs are laid and full metamorphosis to a frog takes between 49 and 64 days after which it may even feed on its own kind. In turn, a variety of fish, water snakes, terrapins a variety of bird species and even otters feed on this squishy yet high protein ball of slime.

Due to the very close relationship of the DNA that the common plattie shares with land dwellers, ie. humans, more and more studies have been done over the years with the aid of this little creature. In the study of DNA replication, the plattie has been instrumental in characterising biochemical functions of babies at a developmental stage. In DNA damage response studies, the DNA of the plattie has been instrumental in unravelling the signalling pathways in the brain and nervous system in a response to double strand breaks. In recent years, and with the help of the plattie, great developments have come in the field of regenerative medicine, most notably the test results into the repair of retinal degeneration or retinal damage. A massive breakthrough in the study of thyroid disruptions has recently been developed using the embryos of the plattie. Embryos are also used in the study of the basic science behind the initiation and progression of cancer and more importantly the treatment of such diseases. Because of its close molecular and DNA relationship

Life cycle of the platanna

to humans, they are widely used in laboratories as research subjects and in particular their eggs and embryos are used in such research. Such has the research results been from the study of the humble plattie that an entire database has been created and is known as Xenbase. This database provides over 2000 medical reports and studies into gene development, DNA replication, cloning, cancer research and even heart disease to name a few. It goes without saying that the results of many studies, with the help of the plattie, have claimed many international awards in both the medical field and biochemical fields.

There are twenty species falling under the plattie name and they are found as native dwellers in SubSaharan Africa and form part of the family known as Xenopus, the most common one being Xenopus Laevis.

Some anglers have even had the surprise of catching one of these guys on a fly while trying for trout or bass, and plenty anglers fishing with earth worms have had a close encounter with the plattie. They are hardy, tough and tenacious and will survive in most circumstances, even severe drought.

Growing to a rather respectable 13cm, they often become top predators in small bodies of water. In ancient Egypt they were called Star Gazers due to their eyes being situated near the front and on top of the head. With its flattened, streamlined and super slippery body it is a true survivor of our waterways. Most of the fish found in our waterways including bass will stop at nothing to have a quick snack on a tasty morsel of plattie when it happens to be near.

Next time you happen to see one or

by chance catch one while out fishing, keep in mind what this little humble frog has achieved over centuries and treat it with the respect it deserves.

It’s won awards, international acclaim and yet we still know it as the Humble Plattie.

Wolf Lures Fresh from the mould and looking like it just come out of the water, Wolf Lures introduces the “Platti”.

Designed and manufactured to represent our very own aquatic frog known to many anglers are the platanna or simply known as the plattie.

Bass actively feed on these frogs and make up a large part of their diet in dams where they are found.

With its soft body, slimy feel and lifelike kicking action on its legs, this bait is sure to drive the bass bonkers especially when dropped into or close to a nest during the spawn. Fished on a weighted hook and kept in place with a screw lock, the best results come from bouncing it along the bottom or dropping it into weed pockets. A truly authentic South African soft plastic bait. It has already gained a reputation in the cold of winter as the one bait that gets hit and it gets hit hard. Available in four natural colours and in two sizes, this is a soft plastic bait to have.

The new soft plastic replica from Wolf Lures

SA BASS 35 August 2016

>> SA BASS CLASSROOM

Swing It! There will always be some new lure or technique that will hit the scene with a big bang and all the lure manufactures will do their best to have their share of the craze. >> Bennie Wiese*

O

ne of these crazes was introduced to me by my friend Joe Mendes, when he showed me the Biffle Hard Head jig. All I saw was just another jig without a skirt. The Biffle jig and the creature lure that goes with it were designed by Tommy Biffle, who is from the USA. This lure has been responsible for a few wins on the trail.

The secret behind these lures is the type of creature bait which is combined with a kind of Biffle rigging system.

When the jig head is able to swing without restraint, with a plastic lure rigged on the hook at the back, it produces a very realistic action which will gain more attention from the bass. Rigging it this way makes it very weedless and also allows the angler to fish it through most covers without getting hung up. With the smallest amount of movement from the rod tip, it will give a very life like action to the lure. A great difference between the traditional football jigs and this Biffle swinging jig head is that football jigs only work when the trailers are moving. The Biffle swinging jig head has the great advantage of letting the trailer swing behind it. This rig can be used without even breaking a sweat.

What to rig The best creature baits are the ones that move the most; therefore you would not have to spend a lot of energy while fishing with this bait. The versatility of the articulated jig is due to its ability to mimic so many types of forage when combined with the correct soft plastic. The original Biffle Bug was designed to give movement, with the smallest movement with your rod. Even on a normal slow retrieve the small paddles and legs will imitate real live fodder.

It will always be up to the angler to pick his favourite creature bait in which he has the 36 SA BASS August 2016

most confidence in. For me the Zoom Brush Hog works well, even the Yamamoto creature has capacity to do a stunning job. The real key when using these baits is to focus on the motion of the bait. It would determine the energy needed when fishing it and help you imitate the different kinds of bass pray. If you are fishing in areas that contain crabs or crayfish you should use baits that have a type of paddle at the end. (Yes, there are venues is South Africa that have fresh water crayfish in them – illegally with catastrophic consequences.)

By moving the rod tip up and down, while you retrieve the bait, it can imitate a crayfish swimming. The real life motion of a crayfish is achieved by using the swinging jig head as previously described.

Where to fish it The question is more where can’t you fish it? With this jig you are able to fish it in the same places as where you would fish other baits. This jig, for me, works the best in places like between rocks, ledges, drop offs, lay downs and in spots where the wind is blowing into. When fishing the swinging jig head it’s always important to keep contact with the bottom. If you don’t feel the structure or bottom, you should change to a heavier weight. Should you get stuck between the structures, it would be best to use a lighter weight. This bait can really be used to fish most fishing spots, but in order to be successful you should really be aware of the venue’s structure layout. You should know when to adapt your weight as well as the bait you use.

Retrieve It is so easy to fish with this jig. First you cast it out; let it sink to the bottom and start the retrieve. Whether it is fast, medium or slow; just keep on hopping it back.

The most important aspect to keep in mind while using this technique is to maintain contact with the structure.

You just have to play around with the different retrieval techniques. When you use trailers that float, it will be better to retrieve it slowly. When pausing the swinging jig head, the lure’s floating legs will rise and imitate a crab busy feeding. This can grab the attention of bass. Most of the

time I just drag the jig on the bottom, feeling the different structures. When making contact with any structure, pause the bait for a second or two and then lift the rod tip upwards. If you don’t get any reaction out of this, then use the rod tip and hop the lure off the structure and create a larger movement. It all comes down to experimenting with the retrieves and trailers. Once again it is critical to have contact with the bottom; it happens many times that the bass will pick up the bait without you noticing it. Most of the time the line will go slack when the bass picks up the bait. So, when you don’t feel the bottom anymore you should pay close attention to your line for movement.

There may just be a bass on the other end of the line. It is essential to set the hook with some force, especially when you are using a heavy swinging jig head and bulky plastic.

Tackle Most of the time we use a 7ft medium heavy rod with a matching reel, spooled with 14 to 17lb line. When we go fishing there are two or three rods already rigged with different weighted swinging jig heads and different trailers.

We use this to see what the best presentation would be for the venue’s structure.

When fishing deep water, it would be recommended to use heavy one ounce jig heads which you can use up to 20lb line along with a high ratio reel.

In conclusion the great thing for me about swinging jig heads is that they can be fished almost anywhere. It doesn’t matter whether it is deep or shallow. Or even if the structures are very complex with a very rocky bedding.

These are usually the places where bass hide. Swinging jig head are available in many sizes and colours. Some of them have a clip on the back where you can change the size hook. There are swinging jig heads that have a flat bottom which will go and lie flat on the bottom helping the trailer to float even better. You don’t always have to go light in the shallows. If you use a heavier weight you can fish it faster giving the bass something they have never seen before.

Now it is the time to go out and try this versatile rig! *Bennie Wiese is the editor of SA Bass magazine and an experienced provincial bass angler.

SA BASS 37 August 2016

>> SA BASS TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Gauteng Money Winners Datum: 18 Junie 2016 Venue: Bronkhorstspruitdam UITSLAE: 1 2 3 4 5

3.96kg, Team Khourie - Pieter & Joe Khourie with 5 fish, won R5200 cash 3.58kg, Team MCR - Tinus Bam & Claudio Maccaferri with 5 fish, won R2400 cash 3.46kg, Team Bee Gee - Tony Lagesen & Gareth Dryden with 5 fish, won R1800 cash 3.35kg, Team RS (Rowles & Schluter) - Raymond Rowles & Pieter Schluter with 5 fish, won R1300 cash 3.27kg, Team Evinrude WolfLures - Joe Mendes & Bennie Wiese with 5 fish, won R1100 cash

BIG FISH: 1st: 1.26kg - Team Bass.co.za: Steve & Charl Engelbrecht 2nd: 1.25kg - Team Lucky Strike: Chris Minney & Vincent Muller

Back: Tony Lagesen, Gareth Dryden, Pieter Schluter, Raymond Rowles, Joe Mendes, Bennie Wiese Front: Pieter Khourie, Joe Khourie, Claudio Maccaferri, Tinus Bam

VERSLAG:

SPONSORS:

Die hoëveld is bekend vir sy misbanke en dit was weereens so. Van die deelnemers het die afdraaipaaie misgery en die mistigheid was so dik dat al die deelnemers moes wag tot voor agt voor ons veilig kon wegtrek. Van die spanne wat elders gelanseer het, het in die mistigheid verdwaal en ander het op ‘n langlynhengelaar afgekom wat sy lyne met ‘n kanoe ingevat het en toe nie geweet het waar die oewer was nie. Dink net as ons vinnige bote bo-oor sulke hengelaars moet jaag!

SA BASS would like to thank McCarthy Volkswagen Wonderboom for the VW Amarok double cab towing vehicle. Also Pure Fishing and Stag Fishing for sponsoring lucky draw prizes at prize giving.

Twee visse is vroegoggend ingeweeg en daarna was die inweegstasie maar stil. Teen die die middag het die visse skaal toe gekom en van al die spanne wat deelgeneem het, het net vier mombakkies gehad.

Die mees suksesvolste aas vir die dag was sagte plastiek in die gewilde kleure soos swart, blou, watermelon en junebug.

38 SA BASS August 2016

A special word of thanks to the owner at Bonomanzi for a special launching fee and for assisting the participants in launching their boats.

Die wenstrategieĂŤ kan as volg opgesom word:

WENSTRATEGIEĂŤ 1.

Team

Structure

Best time

Depth

Lure

Colour

Rig

Team Khourie

Jetties

08:00

20ft

Jnr Fluke

Black

Drop shot

Afternoon

19ft

Strecth 40

Blue/black

Texas

Fluke

Watermln Red

Split shot

Jnr Fluke

Junebug

Mojo

Wolf Dragon

Watermln Gold

Texas

2.

Team MCR

3.

Team Bass World

4.

Team X-Factor Six 8

Grass line

5.

Team Evinrude Wolflures

Rock pile

08:00

15ft

GRAND PRIX STANDINGS* Na die afgelope kompetisie was daar nie enige dramatiese verandering in die ranglys nie behalwe vir Team Mercury wat hulle plek onder die top tien verloor het en Team Bass.co.za wat in die tiende plek ingeskuif het. Die jongste Grand Prix puntestand is as volg: 1.

722-points

Team X-Factor Six 8

Jooste Wasserfall & Tobie Uys

2.

703-points

Team GR82Fish

Robert Tuzza & George Paar Alastair Vorster & John Badenhorst

3.

693-points

Team Wolf

4.

684-points

Team New Anchor

Calman Grobler & Deon Smit

5.

681-points

Team Bass On

Riaan Spangenberg & Henk Venter

6.

660-points

Team Bass World

Willem Verster & Etienne Wurth

7.

646-points

Team Bee Gee

Tony Lagesen & Gareth Dryden

8.

643-points

Team Blue Water Gear

Frans Swanepoel & Lesley Montgomery

9.

605-points

Team Greens

Kamlesh Parbhoo & Adrian Zwarts

10.

589-points

Team Bass.co.za

Steve & Charl Engelbrecht

*A Grand Prix system is used to determine the End-of-Season-Points standing, as follows: the winner of each monthly tournament receives 130 points with following positions receiving points on a decreasing scale (ie: 129 for second, 128 for third, 127 for forth and so on). Each team will receive an additional ten (30) attendance points for each tournament attended.

R13500

SA BASS 39 August 2016

Mpumalanga Wenners Datum: 25 Junie 2016 Venue: De Hoopdam UITSLAE: 1 2 3 4 5

10.760kg, Team VC - Tyron Mortimer & Brad Costa with 5 fish 6.890kg, Team Stretch 60 - Mike Cloete & Piet van Wyk with 5 fish 6.885kg, Team Delta Marine Yamaha - Hugo Lerm & Pierre Theron with 5 fish 6.465kg, Team Big Bite - Johan Benadie & Petrus Kotze with 5 fish1200 5.870kg, Team Go Fish Custom Baits - Buks Human & Louis Cooper with 5 fish

GROOT VIS: 1e: 2.730kg - Team VC: Tyron Mortimer & Brad Costa 2e: 2.654kg - Team VC - Tyron Mortimer & Brad Costa 3e: 2.625kg â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Team Stretch 60 - Mike Cloete & Piet van Wyk

Bradley Costa 2.730kg

V-l-n-r: Piet van Wyk, Mike Cloete, Johan Benadie, Petrus Kotze, Buks Human, Louis Cooper, Pierre Theron, Hugo Lerm, Tyron Mortimer, Bradley Costa

GRAND PRIX STANDINGS* The current Grand Prix standings are as follows: 1.

755-points

Team Go Fish Custom Baits

Buks Human & Louis Cooper

2.

753-points

Team Stretch 60

Mike Cloete & Piet van Wyk

3.

732-points

Team 460

Jaap Pienaar & Wikus le Roux

4.

724-points

Team Vortex

Divan Coetzee & Rowan Zerf Dewald Pretorius & Jaco vd Merwe

5.

703-points

Team Bass Masjien

6.

683-points

Team Hengelvriend

DAnton Bouwer & Boet Grabie

7.

660-points

Team Go Fish Custom Baits 2

Arthur Symington & Chanelle Stewart

8.

626-points

Team MMS

Alfred Siegl & Jamie Evans

9.

622-points

Team Double Trouble Tribal

Jacques Schoeman & Corne Schoeman

10.

605-points

Team Crewless

Grant & Tracy Baker

CURRENT TOP THREE GRAND PRIX STANDINGS 1.

MP

755-points

Team Go Fish Custom Baits

Buks Human & Louis Cooper

2.

GP

722-points

Team X-Factor Six 8

Jooste Wasserfall & Tobie Uys

3.

LP

513-punte

Team Xterminator

Andy Kyriacoudes & Riaan Bam

Cast-for-Cash 2016 Season Upcoming Events: Date

Gauteng

Date

Mpumalanga

Date

Limpopo

27 Aug

Hartebeespoort Dam

27-Aug

Rust de Winter

27/28 Aug

2 day comp - De Hoop

24 Sep

Vaal River

24-Sep

Arabie

25-Sep

Ebenezer Dam

29 Oct

Champion-of-Champions

29-Oct

Champion-of-Champions

29 Oct

Hannes 082 416 5524

Lizette Jonker 076 766 2046

Champion-of-Champions Wessel du Toit 082 855 0917

Visit our website www.sabass.com for all the results, tournament-information, -schedules and -rules. The results are also available on our Facebook page 40 SA BASS August 2016

>> SA BASS TOURNAMENT NEWS

Nandoni Zone 5 International – My Perspective

I recently was privileged enough to earn my Protea cap in bass fishing by participating in the Nandoni Zone 5 international exactly 20 years after achieving the same in art-lure fishing. It was an experience I will never forget and an opportunity I will forever be grateful for. >> Rudi Dreyer*

W

ith Nandoni ni Dam being very low and a cold old he front hitting us on the weekend we arrived,, fishing throughout the week was terrible and a real challenge.

This article is not a complete summery of the event butt rather snippets that I experienced during the event that will live in my memory forever.

First and foremost, most, the comradery in the Protea otea team was amazing. Craig, our captain, made sure we spent the weekend before the event getting to know each other from detailed discussions, jokes, meals, shooters, Pitteco (if you don’t know what this is make it to the team and find out), newbie initiation, Craig dancing without a shirt and many other things that allowed us all to drop guard and become better friends and team members. What a great bunch of guys! I was truly blessed to be part of this team.

Our manager, Martin, did a great job organising everything and making our lives as easy as possible. Our 42 SA BASS August 2016

Adr i the an’s bi bro tourna ggest fi ke t he Z ment t sh of am hat bia ns

vice-captain, Justy, shared J h d his h vast knowledge with the team in terms of those green fish and off course shooters.

After a very enjoyable weekend, except for those “one zees” us rookies had to wear, practise day confirmed our fears of terrible fishing conditions.

Bites were few and far between with no definite solid pattern coming out.

I shared a boat with Craig Frazer and it was a great privilege to experience his vast knowledge and exceptional ability to captain a team.

Day one of the tournament went

okay un under terrible conditions and w we got fish in shallow grass fishi fishing white flukes between tre trees in inlets. We also found nice fish off deeper fo rrock piles late afternoon p pitching creatures and bblack junior flukes.

Results after day one R sshowed Zimbabwe ahead oof us by a few grams and the rest of the countries far th behind. beh Craig and Justy decided Cr that beca because we, Justy and I, had the fastest bboats, we need to secure those two deep deeper rock piles as we hoped that might be a plan for us. After both boats spent a couple of hours on those rock piles on day two without putting a single keeper on the boat we realised that this pattern had died. Apart from two of our boats, we did not have a great day two and results showed that we were now ten points behind Zim. Even more concerning was that Zambia, with all their boats on the dam wall, had a great day two and was now close to us and in contention for second place.

Craig and Justy decided to split up the partnerships for the last day to try and get guys on each boat that had

experience some success with either the grass or the tree pattern. I was paired with Adrian and our job was to pull away first for South Africa and try and mess up the dam wall for the Zambians to protect our second place.

The corner of the rip rap on the right hand side of the dam wall was the key but the Zambians was well aware of our plans and assigned an angler with the nick name Mustang Sally to race me for the spot. At Zone 5 the number one boat from each country start at the same time at the drop of a flag like a drag race. Coming out of the gates we had to turn right and Mustang Sally had the inside corner.

On the pull away I got out of the hole faster and got slightly ahead. The Zambian boat caught up again and a race pursued with the two boats very close to each other running at high speeds (130km/h plus). About 300m from the target area the Zambian boat turned to the right and I assumed that they decided to target the rip rap to the right and gave up on the corner.

About 60m from the corner I started to slow down and as my boat came of the plane our competitor suddenly turned back and raced straight in front of us and threw out a marker buoy. Zone 5 rules state that the first boat that throws out a marker buoy gets the spot. I couldn’t believe my eyes and the words screamed at each other cannot be repeated here. After a short argument Adrian and I decided to position our boat 40m away on the dam wall as any fish moving out of the river channel to go to the point should theoretically swim along the wall. As second prize we needed to make sure no fish got to the point.

As a second Zambian boat arrived they were celebrating their victory

The 2016 Protea team

to the rip rap corner spot with load cheers and laughter, my blood was boiling and Adrian was doing his best to calm me down. We caught a couple of small fish and as the two Zambian boats had not had a bite yet. We felt that our plan of intercepting the fish was working. Suddenly Adrian had a hard knock on a Carolina lizard but the fish dropped it again. He was still complaining about the fish dropping it when his rod loaded up and he set the hook into a proper fish. The fish ran straight to the surface and as he stuck his head out we both realised that this was a big fish. The fight didn’t last very long and the first time the fish turned next to the boat he was in the net. It was a monster 3.35kg and the biggest fish of the whole tournament.

The celebration that followed was deliberate and in the face of the Zambians and it was awesome! Adrian and I were hugging and screaming as it was not only a massive fish but also a moral victory over the Zambians and everything that transpired earlier that morning. I have never been that happy about a fish I didn’t catch myself ever before. No words can describe how exhilarating that moment was. It was the nail in the coffin of the Zambians

and both boats “on the key spot” blanked for the day! Our second spot was secured.

The rest of the team did very well with special mentions to Greg Schluep whose boat limited three days in a row. But it was not enough to catch Zimbabwe. The Zim-boys truly deserved their win as they found a jerkbait pattern in all the little inlets in the river section that was solid enough to last three days and the consistency of their points showed that.

Well done to Zimbabwe; deserved winners under difficult conditions.

Thanks to Ian Versveld (Tournament Director), Martin Ferreira (Protea Manager), Craig, Justy and the whole Protea team for an unforgettable week and thanks for the anglers from the other countries for great competition. And to Zimbabwe enjoy the spoils - you deserved it. *Rudi Dreyer has Protea colours in art lure fishing; is the 2014/2015 Southern Division Angler of the year, Presidents team nomination in bass fishing, was 2013 SA BASS Cast-forCash Champion-of-Champions winner and is a pro staff angler for Mercury outboards.

The author with Guy Paulette pulling away SA BASS 43 August 2016

>> SA BASS INTERNATIONAL – NAMIBIA

Captain’s Report:

Region Five Bass Federation Tournament The Namibian Bass Angling Association (NBAA) took part in the Region 5 Bass Federation tournament hosted at Nandoni Dam in the Republic of South Africa. The tournament was hosted by the South African Bass Angling Association from in June 2016.

The N Th Namibian ibi team

>> Alec Williams

T

he Region 5 Bass Federation tournament is currently the biggest international bass fishing tournament on the African continent and is a very prestigious event with anglers from Namibia, RSA, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe competing for the title.

The Namibian National Team consisted out of the following anglers. Alec Williams (captain), Thinus Williams, Max Pieper, Sonita Pienaar, Jacques Marais, Jason Koudelka, Richard Grant, Jean-Pierre Judeel, Cornelius van Tonder, Johan Coetzee, Neil Engelbrecht, Anton de Witt, Dr André van Vuuren (manager) and Pierre Fourie (reserve).

Team Namibia sent a part of the team to go and scout the venue before the 21 day cut off period. Eight guys from the 2016 team took time off work and also funded themselves for this excursion. This pre-fish was done in

08 SA BASS 44 August 2016 May 2012

order to give the team a bit more information on the venue.

In the pre-fish we scouted some areas that we believed to be good fishing spots and being early May, we managed to pinpoint some good areas where we found fish. This trip was however also cut short because of riots that broke out in the Limpopo area. Valuable information was gained and I would definitely encourage future teams to look at a prefish on the venue. I would like to commend the effort, time and funds that these members have put in.

The team arrived at Nandoni Dam on Saturday, 11 June 2016.This was after travelling more than 2,000km with boats to get to the venue. Sunday was the official opening ceremony attended by the chief of the area as well as other dignitaries. The first two days are allocated as practice days for teams to further familiarize themselves with the venue.

Even with an unexpected cold front which is never a good

thing for bass angling the team managed to find areas with fish and we put together a plan at the first captains meeting.

Day one: We decided to send three of our boats to an area which we knew had good sized bass and it paid off for a while with some boats managing to catch good fish. However, during the course of the day a very strong wind pushed us off those good spots and we needed to regroup. At the end of the day Namibia secured a third position behind Zimbabwe and RSA. Although it was a very difficult day we were still in reach of first place.

Day two:

The Mozambican team

We decided to stick to our plan as our first days catch was on par with what the others were catching. Unfortunately for us although we had more or less the same bag, Zambia managed to catch the biggest single day weight of the week and slipped past us into third spot. This really caught us by surprise and at the captains meeting it was decided that we needed to focus on catching big fish on a designated area.

Day three: We sent all but one of our boats to the “hot” dam wall area to try and catch some of the bigger fish that came out there. In the end this gamble did not pay off and only one Namibian boat managed to catch fish.

The Swaziland team

The results after the three days were: Zimbabwe, RSA, Zambia, Mozambique, Namibia and Swaziland The degree of difficulty at Nandoni shows by the fact that RSA who were the strong favourites were beaten on home ground by the very experienced Zimbabwean team.

I would like to thank and congratulate my team members for their support and effort throughout the tournament.

Namibia can be proud in the way that these anglers conduct and carry themselves. As captain of the team I would like to thank all our wonderful sponsors who support the NBAA and the team this year and for many previous years. I would like to make special mention of the following sponsors: Bank Windhoek, Deepcatch Trading (Score Energy Drink; Glenbrynth Whiskey), Bushwhackers, Radiant Lighting, Medicine World, FrameTique, Tyre Rack, OJ Construction, Radiowave, Omujeve Hunting Safaris, Surf & Turf, Erongomed, WV Carpentry, Camp Chobe, D&M Rail Construction, Panther Express, Old Mutual, Eye Store Optometrist, Quanta Insurance, Engen – Jan Jonker Service Station and Dr Andre van Vuuren.

I would also like to thank the EXCO of the NBAA for their support and guidance.

The Zimbabwean team takingg honours

The Zambian team SA BASS 45 August 2016

>> SA BASS INTERNATIONAL

BASS Nation Fires Up Down Under

>> Dave Boyak*

I

’d wondered if the fishing, hype and most of all camaraderie would live up to what I’d experienced for all those years prior to the big move over the ocean.

My memories of bass fishing in South Africa are very fond ones, after all it’s something I did competitively for over 20 years with Eastrand Bassmasters and had really missed out on after moving to Aus. It sure did!

But, we’ll come back to that in a bit, first some background on the B.A.S.S. scene over here.

The fish Australian bass, while not from the Micropterus family are for all intents and purposes the same to target and catch. They live around structure so the familiar techniques all apply. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits drop shotting, pitching trees and fishing grass beds are all done in exactly the same

Well set up weigh-station 46 SA BASS August 2016

It was with some trepidation and yet also much anticipation and excitement that I recently fished my first B.A.S.S. Nation Australia event at a venue not far from Melbourne called Blue Rock Dam.

way and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s this close similarity that has allowed B.A.S.S. Nation Australia to be accepted as part of the worldwide bass family by the parent US Bassmaster organisation.

Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland all have active stocking programmes in place to build the populations of these fish and bag limits are two fish per day which helps promote live release.

The big difference however is the size of the baits and hence line, rod selection, etc. These bass have a physically smaller mouth and so lures need to be downsized. Those

familiar with clear water techniques or finesse fishing will do well and adjust to catching these fish quite easily. A lot of smallmouth specific lures are used and consequently lines and rod actions have to be lighter for casting efficiency etc.

In a number of ways itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot like making the adjustment from catching largemouth to targeting spotted bass.

Light line techniques are all good and well but these fish live in cover, so braid is your friend!

The current Australian record is a fish of 3.71kg and recently a fish of 3kg was caught in Victoria and while

Excitement as boats wait for the first day to start (Photo: BASS Australia) SA BASS 47 August 2016

Standing timber at Blue Rock Dam

lighter line is the answer for casting smaller lures, some of my fellow anglers spoke about getting smashed up on 20lbs fluorocarbon.

Events B.A.S.S. Nation Australia have a full calendar of events each season along the eastern seaboard where the better dams and populations of fish exist.

The standard of events is extremely good and professionally run by Drew McGrath who has been over to BASS in the US and utilises a very similar weigh-in format with fish weighing and interviews done live for the audience and streamed on the website. Sponsorship support both for the tournaments and at an angler level from local and international companies is excellent and all the familiar big names are well represented, after all the gear is almost the same.

Anglers can enter as a boater (pro) or non-boater (coangler) with the season winner of each division heading over to fish the Bassmaster Federation championships in the US paid for by B.A.S.S. Nation Australia, a great incentive! All the anglers competing in these tournaments therefore need to be paid up members of B.A.S.S. In addition, there’s also a series of team events on each season’s calendar.

This co-angler approach is a great one as each session is fished with a different boater. It’s a good way to gain experience on lakes, rivers and dams never seen before and the perfect stepping stone to the pro division when the time is right.

The spirit of camaraderie amongst the anglers is great.

Everyone seems to have the common goal of promoting the sport and its professional image despite being competitors on the water. It’s a lot like B.A.S.S. was in South Africa in the mid 80’s, a new sport poised for growth driven by a 48 SA BASS August 2016

group of dedicated followers.

Fish Arrow Blue Rock Blitz Now, to the first event… the main sponsor for the event I fished was Fish Arrow, and the event has been christened the ‘Blue Rock Blitz’.

The tournament started with a briefing that takes place the evening before the event and co-anglers meet the pro’s they’ve been drawn with for each session, arrangements are made, the rules explained and main sponsors for the event introduced.

The next morning it’s the usual and satisfyingly familiar scene, Skeeters, Rangers, locally produced bass boats everywhere (The Skeeter agent in Australia has already sold over 400 boats so there were a fair few around).

My boat partner pairings for the weekend were all anglers down from New South Wales for the event, Greg Beattie, Matt Smith and Ricky Doyle (also fishing his first B.A.S.S. event). It was fantastic to see how these anglers have adopted the familiar techniques and simply downsized them to suite local conditions. A mixture of spinnerbaits, jigs and soft plastics were thrown at the fish over the weekend but the hot bait turned out to be a simple black Berkley Gulp grub that resembled the gudgeon the bass were feeding on. The overall winner, Dave Mann won it by fishing these grubs in thick timber.

Watermelon and trout imitations also featured amongst some competitors as redfin and trout live in the dam too.

I was fortunate enough to catch a good size fish on the Sunday which helped my overall weight and landed me third in my division and due to the angler finishing second having already qualified gained me a spot at the finals in September.

(Photo: BASS Australia)

Most of all though, I enjoyed the familiar surroundings of a bass event with great anglers and the typical friendly Bassmaster atmosphere.

After weighing their fish, each angler is given the opportunity to say a few words, thank their sponsors and acknowledge fellow competitors. Again, a good way to build the sport and as these are streamed live via the B.A.S.S. Australia website it’s good for sponsors too.

Future Drew has big plans for B.A.S.S. Australia with the support of B.A.S.S. USA to grow and expand the sport.

This is only the third season and already it’s being regarded as the premier tournament series in Australia with participation growing and lots of interest through social media.

Who knows... there may be scope for an event against a South African club or national team in the future too.

Meanwhile, my own immediate future is to focus on the finishing off this season with the next event I’ve entered in July at Glenbawn in New South Wales and then the final at St. Clair. I’ll be sure to report back again after those events.

The opportunities are huge for anglers wanting to participate in bass tournaments in Australia and for both local and overseas sponsors to get involved at this early stage as the future for B.A.S.S. Nation Australia is a bright one. *Dave Boyak is a well known bass angler locally who is now fishing competitively in the B.A.S.S. Nation Australia circuit.

SA BASS 49 August 2016

>> SA BASS CLASSROOM

Bassin’ Seminar

Alan Baker and Joe Mendez

Maybe you’re like me, and subscribe to the notion that you’ve spent those years in school and maybe afterwards at university and now as you’ve gone through life with all its challenges. >> John Badenhorst*

A

ttending something like a course or seminar is not one of your best choices of spending a Saturday morning. Imagine this, the weather is beautiful the sun is out, there is not even a breath of wind and instead of being out on the water getting some fish, you’re sitting in 50 SA BASS August 2016

a seminar thinking about fishing, or more likely dreaming about fishing. This seminar has a twist to it though and it’s all about catching fish!

I’m one of those that always say: “You’re never too old to learn.” It’s true, especially when it comes to that pastime that

Joe Mendez, Keith Knott and Alan Baker

includes hunting the denizens of the deep. Not knowing what to expect, I recently attended a seminar about bass fishing and in particular it would deal with the challenges we face when it comes to winter fishing. Saturday morning, absolutely stunning weather and instead of heading out to my favourite body of water, we headed out to Knott’s Paradise in Roodepoort for a seminar. Upon our arrival, some of our mates, Marc and Rudi that got there before us had opted to get us some coffee and fortifications, and with a round of hello and a quick downing of a snack, the seminar got underway.

Before going in, I was kind of wondering how we would fit all of the folks attending into a tackle shop, as most tackle shops I know are crammed with rods, reels and all of those goodies that would let me spend my bonus a year before the time, but I was pleasantly surprised. Not only is the layout of this shop different, it allows for a few things to be moved, and opens up space for things like workshops and seminars. As far as seminars are concerned and having attended a few, you usually find that people start looking at their watches after a while and get a bit fidgety. However, this was different in many ways. Dealing with everything from different rigs, weather patterns, wind conditions, falling barometer situations, angle of casting, fishing deep structures to what lures to use. Presented clearly and in an engaging fashion by Team Evinrude Wolf and Knott’s pro staffer, Joe Mendez and Varkenelli Customs pro staffer, Alan Baker, it opened up a new understanding of some of the challenges we as anglers experience out on the water, and more importantly, how to overcome them. Answering questions and even asking the audience questions engaged everyone to actually become part of a discussion instead of a situation where some talk and others scribble notes.

Most definitely a different take on giving a workshop and before long, the first part was over.

After a quick break, it was all back inside for the second part of the workshop, and this in particular dealt with setting up electronics like fish finders, and how to interpret what you see on the display. After another informative question and answer round, everyone went outside to have

What we have been told inside became much more understandable when we saw the demo modes

a closer look at these units installed on two boats parked outside. In their demo mode, what we had been told inside became much more understandable. Instead of seeing lines and blotches of colour, the guys now knew how to read what was showing. Many anglers don’t have the luxury of fancy gadgets like side scanning fish finders but I bet that after this informative session, a good couple of the boys will be looking into getting those for their boats. Pretty soon it was over and I found it amazing to see how the time had just flown and having a chat to some of the folks like Dieter, Robin, Hennie and Valerie. It was obvious that the boys were very keen to hit the water and put their new found knowledge to the test. Anglers attending then asked for some advice on rods, reels, lures and the toys we all love so dearly and with this in mind, Alistair Voster, Keith Knott (the owner of Knott’s Outdoor Paradise), his staff and the presenters of the seminar helped anglers choose their weapons. Of course it did help that for the day, all tackle would be discounted by 20%!

All things being said... Will I attend another seminar instead of being out on the water? Yes, most definitely. We all learn all the time and what better way to learn some secrets from the guys that have been doing this for a long time. Even if someone is new to the sport, we can all learn from them because to put it simply, they might just have a slightly different take on a situation or how to approach those olive and green monsters. What became clear at the outset of the seminar is that the methods discussed has worked for the presenters, and although it might not work for everyone, it does put a different spin on things and gives us food for thought when faced with situations out on the water.

A huge thanks to Keith Knott and his staff, Joe Mendez, Alan Baker and all the folks that attended the seminar.

The next one will be held soon and will deal with ultra finesse angling for bass... hmmmmm, can’t wait. Grab your notepad, pen and get to the next one... afterwards, I will see you on the water. *John Badenhorst is from Wolf Lures, Flies & Feathers and a keen angler himself.

SA BASS 51 August 2016

>> SA BASS ADVERTORIAL

NRF VITAMIN-C Winter is not gone yet! All you need to fight colds and flu are the NRF Vita-C range of health products and a pack of NRF Vita-Zinc.

A

lthough generally identified with fighting colds and flu, Vitamin-C has other wide reaching health benefits and is required for many physiological functions in the body such as biosynthesis of collagen, L-carnitine and some very important neurotransmitters. It is an important physiological antioxidant, plays an important role in immune function as well as in the absorption of some forms of iron and is also involved in protein metabolism.

Another benefit of Vitamin-C is that when taken after an evening of over indulgence, it can help to replenish the body’s Vitamin-C and detoxify alcohol, therefore minimizing tissue damage and hangover discomfort. (Dr Ann Marie Helminsteine Ph.D). Effervescent Vitamin-C found in the NRF Vita-C 2000 pack, is buffered Vitamin-C and suitable for people who suffer with an acidic condition and delicate stomachs. It is dissolved in water and therefore more easily absorbed by the stomach.

The recommended amount of Vitamin-C for a daily diet seems to be up to 1000mg, however various factors such as smoking or illness may affect the amount the body may best need. All NRF Vitamin-C products are suitable for the whole family and the NRF Vita-C effervescent products can be safely given to children as it is easily administered when dissolved in water.

In order to assist in preventing and treating colds and flu and as ongoing good health maintenance, stock up with the NRF Health full range of Vitamin-C products for the whole family.

All NRF health products are free from tartrazine, yeast and glutton and they are manufactured from balanced, pure and certified raw materials.

NRF Health products are available from Dis-Chem, Clicks and select pharmacies.

has gone digital !!

GET YOUR FAVOURITE SA Bass MAGAZINE 14

BASICS “Bass Fishing – An Intro” MicropterusSalmoides, commonly known as largemouth bass, are widespread in Southern Africa.

MicropterusDolomieu, commonly known as smallmouth,bass are also found in Southern Africa, but are not as widespread – Richard Grant

16

CLASSROOM

28

22

TACTICS “Big Spoons for Big Bass” The Ben Parker Magnum Spoon from Nichols has created a firestorm in the US fishing industry lately.

– Mark Bilbrey

STRATEGIES “Small Things” Small things make all the difference in bass fishing – Rudi Dreyer

24

BASICS

26

ADVERTORIAL

“A Basic Guide on Boat and Outboard Selection for the Novice Angler (Part 1)” In the modern day and age of bass angling, it is becoming more evident that the modernized bass boat is becoming more of a necessity than a requirement.

– Joe Mendes

“Lure Strategies – How to get the most from Sensation Lures” To me bass angling has always been about the excitement of having so many choices of lures and colours to outwit a little green fish, but it seems most anglers are missing out on many different techniques, instead choosing to sling some form of plastic worm for bass.

CLASSROOM “The Forgotten Topwater” Many years ago one of my friends introduced me to an awesome topwater bait – Bennie Wiese

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 01 38 56 50

30

“Short- or Long-Shank?”

What is one of the most over looked things that we miss when we are searching for the perfect hard bait? – Hendrik

18

36

Cast-for-Cash - Tournament Results GEAR UP READERS-go-BASSING LIFESTYLE Glossy Ibis “Glossy Ibis”

64

DESTINATION – K Kam ‘B ‘Bati Batii River Ri L Lodge d

DIGITALLY

– Boating & Birding –

BASICS “Morning, Noon and Night” For many people who are starting to fish, it may seem intimidating. You may be struggling to find sure footing for where to start with this new and wonderful hobby.

– Hannes Lindeque (Jnr)

34

SABAA NEWS 40 41

>> Northern Division Junior Bass Angler >> Southern Division Junior Bass Angler

INTERNATIONAL KLASKAMER “Die RompslompSeisoen” Vir ‘n menigte hengelaar is daar basies net vier seisoene in ‘n jaar.

– Philip Kemp

46

>> Bassin’ in Europe

BESTEMMING 54

>> Aloe Rock - Waterberg

READERS’ COMPETITION 01

ADVERTORIAL “Vicious Fishing Line” Vicious fishing line was inspired by the everyday angler. Today’s angler deserves quality, durability and reliability in their gear and Vicious delivers all of that with attitude.

42

MY CAST

63

UNIVERSITY “Sight Fishing” I caught my first bass in 1987. A monster of only just over a kilo!

– Shandon Hawman

32

49

>> Subscribe and win with COBB >> SA Bass Readers Competition – Raylite Ultimate AGM Battery

MONTHLY GIVE AWAYS 43

Win with GRIP Hooks

TOURNAMENT NEWS “Clanwilliam Winter Bass Classic 2014” Clanwilliam Dam is South Africa’s premier smallmouth bassing venue, where the 26th Clanwilliam Bass Classic was hosted by the Western Cape Bass Angling Association.

– Craig Fraser

44

ITAGS Takes you directly to the SA BASS website.

ADVENTURE “MATCH MAKING 4X4” 4x4 has taken many people to the outskirts of the earth and it has brought pleasure to many people.

ON THE COVER “Willie Swart” Image: Hannes Lindeque

SA BASS 03 November 2014

14

BASICS “Bass Fishing – An Intro” MicropterusSalmoides, commonly known as largemouth bass, are widespread in Southern Africa.

MicropterusDolomieu, commonly known as smallmouth,bass are also found in Southern Africa, but are not as widespread – Richard Grant

16

CLASSROOM

28

22

TACTICS “Big Spoons for Big Bass” The Ben Parker Magnum Spoon from Nichols has created a firestorm in the US fishing industry lately.

– Mark Bilbrey

STRATEGIES “Small Things” Small things make all the difference in bass fishing – Rudi Dreyer

24

26

ADVERTORIAL “Lure Strategies – How to get the most from Sensation Lures” To me bass angling has always been about the excitement of having so many choices of lures and colours to outwit a little green fish, but it seems most anglers are missing out on many different techniques, instead choosing to sling some form of plastic worm for bass.

“The Forgotten Topwater” Many years ago one of my friends introduced me to an awesome p topwater bait – Bennie Wiese

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 01 38 56 50

36

64

DESTINATION – Kam ‘Bati Bati River Lodge

BASICS “Morning, Noon and Night” For many people who are starting to fish, it may seem intimidating. You may be struggling to find sure footing for where to start with this new and wonderful hobby.

– Hannes Lindeque (Jnr)

SABAA NEWS 40 41

>> Northern Division Junior Bass Angler >> Southern Division Junior Bass Angler

INTERNATIONAL KLASKAMER “Die RompslompSeisoen” Vir ‘n menigte hengelaar is daar basies net vier seisoene in ‘n jaar.

– Philip Kemp

ADVERTORIAL “Vicious Fishing Line” Vicious fishing line was inspired by the everyday angler. Today’s angler deserves quality, durability and reliability in their gear and Vicious delivers all of that with attitude.

42

MY CAST Cast-for-Cash - Tournament Results GEAR UP READERS-go-BASSING LIFESTYLE – Boating & Birding – “Glossy Glossy Ibis” Ibis

UNIVERSITY “Sight Fishing” I caught my first bass in 1987. A monster of only just over a kilo!

– Shandon Hawman

32

34

BASICS “A Basic Guide on Boat and Outboard Selection for the Novice Angler (Part 1)” In the modern day and age of bass angling, it is becoming more evident that the modernized bass boat is becoming more of a necessity than a requirement.

– Joe Mendes

CLASSROOM

63

30

“Short- or Long-Shank?”

What is one of the most over looked things that we miss when we are searching for the perfect hard bait? – Hendrik

18

46

>> Bassin’ in Europe

54

>> Aloe Rock - Waterberg

BESTEMMING READERS’ COMPETITION 01

>> Subscribe and win with COBB

49

>> SA Bass Readers Competition – Raylite Ultimate AGM Battery

MONTHLY GIVE AWAYS 43

Win with GRIP Hooks

TOURNAMENT NEWS “Clanwilliam Winter Bass Classic 2014” Clanwilliam Dam is South Africa’s premier smallmouth bassing venue, where the 26th Clanwilliam Bass Classic was hosted by the Western Cape Bass Angling Association.

– Craig Fraser

44

ITAGS Takes you directly to the SA BASS website.

ADVENTURE “MATCH MAKING 4X4” 4x4 has taken many people to the outskirts of the earth and it has brought pleasure to many people.

ON THE COVER “Willie Swart” Image: Hannes Lindeque

SA BASS 03 November 2014

For your Apple, Android or Windows 8

Y ONL pm R28

Compatible with:

52 SA BASS August 2016

http://www.magzter.com/

SA BASS INDUSTRY NEWS >>

New Suzuki DF6A

Suzuki launched its brand new DF6A, DF5A, DF4A light weight and portable outboards with an exclusive preview at the Düsseldorf Boat Show in January 2016. The new DF6A will be available in South Africa in a short and long shaft from May 2016.

T

he key user benefits of these new models are that they are lightweight, easy and quiet to use, incredibly reliable plus they also boast a new design and unique colour.

With a compact design and weighing in at only 23.5kg these new outboards are sure to be popular with many boaters.

With technical innovations and some simple, yet effective, ergonomic design features, these new models are incredibly easy to live with. Combining light weight with two sturdy carry handles means that it is no problem to lift them on and off your boat or in and out of storage.

Suzuki has even made stowing these outboards easier with a new three-way storage capability. The improved fuel and lubricating systems allow extremely convenient storage of the outboard on any of three sides (port, starboard or front) without the worry of fuel or oil leakage.

The new forced lubrication system is unique as it has an additional oil passage to the upper and lower crankshaft and connecting rod big end. Plus the addition of a first-inits-class oil filter greatly increases the reliability of this system.

Once on the boat, operating the new DF6A/5A/4A is a breeze. The new gravity-fed fuel delivery system

Scan this QR-code to see the promotion video

means that you don’t have to prime the fuel line before starting after storage.

An easy recoil starter means less effort is required to get up and running and once underway the new tilt system improves the overall operation of the outboard.

A key selling point of these new models, and something for which Suzuki is synonymous, is their smooth and quiet running. This is in some part down to the fact that these engines benefit from an offset crankshaft, which results in a smoother piston movement thus improving operating efficiency and reducing vibrations.

Suzuki has also made improvements to the tiller handle to mitigate vibrations being transmitted to your hand during use.

These little outboards are also highly durable and benefit from Suzuki’s anticorrosion system. Applied directly to the aluminium surface it maximises the bond between the finish and the surface, increasing the protection and durability of parts that are constantly exposed to saltwater. This is great

news and will keep the new decals and new Nebular Black colour of the outboard cowling in pristine condition. Masahiro Yamamoto, General Manager for Suzuki Marine’s European Liaison Office, said, “We are honoured to be able to launch these incredible new models and showcase them to the world for the very first time here at Düsseldorf. Yet again our engineers have succeeded in creating new generation outboards that are market-leading in terms of weight and specification yet extremely userfriendly.”

For more information, please visit www.suzuki.co.za or contact Tanja Maes at tanjam@suzukiauto.co.za

How to use QR-codes 1. Open the QR-code reader/ scanner app on your smartphone. Most smartphones models often have an app preinstalled. If not, visit your phone’s app store and download the app.

2. Keep a steady hand while the QR-code is centred on the screen.

3. As soon as it is done scanning, whatever information should present itself for your viewing pleasure.

SA BASS 53 August 2016

>> SA BASS CONSUMER NEWS

1. LIVETARGET HOLLOW BODY SUNFISH >> Available from Bass Warehouse

The perfect weapon for fishing around thick slop, the Livetarget Sunfish Hollow Body invites bass to an easy meal with its precise sunfish imitation. Appetizing with a fast and slow retrieve, the Livetarget Sunfish Hollow Body delivers a tempting 180-degree swing with a steady twitch and a trail of bubbling attraction with a quick wind. Built to collapse around the custom Trokar double hook, the Livetarget Sunfish Hollow Body provides rock-solid hook sets and an awesome strike-to-catch ratio.

Available in a number of dead-on panfish colours, the Livetarget Sunfish Hollow Body provides all of the attributes that are necessary to succeed around heavy cover and big fish.

2. WOLF LURES PLATTI >>Available from Wolf Lures

As a truly South African company, Wolf Lures has been striving to be creative, innovative and cost effective. With this in mind they have brought something unique to the angler in the shape of the Wolf Platti.

The Platti is a soft plastic version of our very own and well known common platanna or African clawed frog (xenopus laevis). An aquatic frog found in most local waters as far north as Egypt where they are known as Star Gazers due to the positioning of their eyes. Many anglers have used these slimy amphibians and will attest to its effectiveness on a variety of fish species.

3. WOLF LURES SEBOKO >> Available from Wolf Lures

New in the Wolf Lures family comes the Seboko (pronounced Sea-a-boo-koo which is Venda for grub) a soft plastic lure that seems to drive not only bass but other species of fish absolutely wild.

Fish it on any rig of your choice or simply use it as a trailer for your jig. Injection moulded from only the best quality plastics, not too hard and not too soft, you can feel the kicking action of that tail even on a very slow walk the dog retrieve.

The Seboko takes fishing with a paddle tail to a new level and since its introduction has produced some truly remarkable catches for beginners 54 SA BASS August 2016

and tournament anglers alike. Available in three sizes 3cm, 6cm and 9cm and a variety of popular colours. The smaller also caters for the drop shot angler.

4. RAM-MOUNT MARINE ELECTRONICS MOUNT >> Available from marine electronic installers

The Ram-Mount D111UC Marine Electronics Mount consists of a short double socket arm, 3.68” diameter round base and 11” x 3” rectangular base. The round base contains pre-drilled holes, including two holes at 180-degrees and three holes at 120-degrees.

The rectangle base contains different combinations of pre-drilled holes which will match up to many electronic devices and mounts, including Marine GPS, CB Radios, Ham Radios, Gimbal Brackets and more. The rubber D-size ball measures 2.25” in diameter.

Extremely durable, the Ram-Mount D111UC Marine Electronics Mount is constructed from powder-coated marine-grade aluminium.

5. REACTION INNOVATIONS FLIRT WORM >> Available at leading tackle shops

The Flirt features a patented tail design that causes the tail to wave enticingly with even the

slightest movement of the bait. The bait tapers down from a thick, meaty head that will stay securely on the hook, to a very narrow section just above the tail for maximum movement. The thick front of the Flirt is flattened so it will glide like a hand poured bait and has forward facing ridges that will move more water to attract attention. Use the Reaction Innovation Flirt for drop shotting, on a darter head or ball head, or with any finesse technique you like and you will have the confidence that you have the money winner tied on.

6. DAIWA SAMURAI BRAIDED LINE

7. CULPRIT CREATURE CRAW >> Available at leading tackle shops

Deadly when flipped Texas-style into heavy cover, the Culprit Creature Craw makes a great jig trailer as well, and is also deadly when rigged with a light weight and fished in a “swim-and-stopretrieve” through shallow weeds and stumps. Its oversized claws create abundant flapping action, and are actually attached mid-body, which helps concentrate bites at the hook - eliminating the problem of short strikes that are common when claws are positioned towards the end of the bait.

>> Available at leading tackle shops

The Daiwa Samurai Braid is unlike any other braided line on the market. Sure it’s strong and sensitive, but it’s also noticeably thinner, softer, smoother and more flexible than ordinary braids. The combined strength and sensitivity of this unique eight-strand weave braid, provides super thin diameter, smoothness, softness and flexibility. The unique qualities of Samurai Braid work together to ensure greater cast ability, less line noise on the retrieve, and a faster sink rate due to reduced current resistance. In addition to enabling long, trouble-free casts and allowing you to get your bait or lure in the strike-zone quickly, Samurai Braid has virtually zero stretch.

8. DAIICHI DEATH TRAP ROUND TREBLE HOOK >> Available at leading tackle shops

Perfect for replacing the trebles on your favourite crankbait or jerkbait, the Daiichi Death Trap Round Treble Hooks feature a black nickel finish and a light wire construction. Like all Daiichi hooks, the Death Trap Trebles undergo a proprietary forging process, which adds almost 20% in strength, and the hooks also have a much higher carbon content than competitive hooks on the market, translating into harder steel and

sharp points. Keep your fish pinned down with the Daiichi Death Trap Round Treble Hooks.

9. DAMIKI VAULT

allowing you to modify your baits action. By inserting the Neko Sinker into the tail, nose or both ends of your soft plastic bait, you can illicit your desired action. The Damiki Neko sinker is a quick solution to modifying your soft baits as the fish and conditions dictate.

>> Available at leading tackle shops

12. OAKLEY BATWOLF SUNGLASSES

Ham Radios, Gimbal Brackets and more. The rubber D-size ball measures 2.25” in diameter.

Extremely durable, the Ram-Mount D111UC Marine Electronics Mount is constructed from powder-coated marine-grade aluminium.

14. LUCKY CRAFT LC SILENT >> Available from Bass Warehouse

>> Available at leading tackle shops

The Damiki Vault is a tiny blade-vibration bait - great for targeting bass, as well as, various other fish species. Excellent for ripping through baitfish in cold water, it accurately mimics a variety of forage species with its unique vibrating action and realistic colour patterns. It also features three settings for tying your line.

This allows you to vary the pull point based on how deep you want to fish it, and what type of vibration you want.

10. DAMIKI TG TUNGSTEN MICRO JIG >> Available at leading tackle shops

When a finesse technique is a must, the Damiki Tungsten Micro Jig is the perfect choice.

Featuring a compact, resin tungsten head with a sixty degree angled line tie and no weedguard, the Damiki TG Tungsten Micro Jig also comes equipped with a precision-cut silicone skirt with longer material on the underside, while the top end flares with a natural lifelike motion.

11. DAMIKI NEKO SINKER >> Available at leading tackle shops

The Damiki Neko Sinker works great when “wacky rigging” your soft plastic baits. The Neko screw head firmly anchors the soft plastic, 56 SA BASS August 2016

Designed with a single continuous lens sweeping across the front, the Oakley Batwolf Sunglasses deliver original styling and a clean, authentic look. Whether you’re on the road or on the water, the polarized lenses of the Oakley Batwolf Sunglasses block 99% of blinding glare to keep your vision sharp at all angles of view. In addition, the Oakley Batwolf Sunglasses meet the uncompromising standards of ANSI Z87.1 for high-mass impact, clarity, and visual fidelity.

The frames of the Oakley Batwolf Sunglasses feature a bold geometry that provides extended coverage and a comfortable fit for medium-tolarge faces.

13. RAM-MOUNT MARINE ELECTRONICS MOUNT >> Available from marine electronic installers

The Ram-Mount D111UC Marine Electronics Mount consists of a short double socket arm, 3.68” diameter round base and 11” x 3” rectangular base. The round base contains pre-drilled holes, including two holes at 180-degrees and three holes at 120-degrees.

The rectangle base contains different combinations of pre-drilled holes which will match up to many electronic devices and mounts, including Marine GPS, CB Radios,

A quiet killer, the Lucky Craft LC Silent square bill crankbaits provide a less-evasive presentation that is perfect for targeting fish in heavily pressured environments. Constructed using a high-float plastic, the Lucky Craft LC Silent square bill crankbait delivers a muted presentation that relies on its heavy action to attract. Perfect for banging against shallow cover, gravely flats, and stumps. The Lucky Craft LC Silent square bill crankbaits provide bite-inducing deflections that will work on the most lock-jawed bass. Offered in a range of bass-catching colours, the Lucky Craft LC Silent square bill crankbait reign supreme in heavy hard rocky bottom areas where large bass lurk.

15. CASTAIC BAITS BOYD DUCKETT JERKBAIT >> Available from Bass Warehouse

Custom designed with the input of Bassmaster Classic Champion, Boyd Duckett, the Castaic Boyd Duckett BDJ jerkbaits deliver a neutrally buoyant presentation that suspending bass won’t be able to resist. Built with a precise weighting system, the Castaic Boyd Duckett BDJ jerkbaits tempts fish with an erratic lunging presentation that imitates the actions of a dying shad. Armed with three sticky-sharp Kitana trebles, the Castaic Boyd Duckett BDJ jerkbaits provide anglers with competition-calibre performance right out of the package.

SA BASS PRODUCT NEWS >>

Fluid Bamba The Bamba has a lot of load space

The Fluid was made for speed and covering water

The Bamba Fluid was originally aimed at the very active South African saltwater kayak market

K

ayak fishing is booming all over the world and the interest in these versatile boats are higher than ever.

Sweden has been chosen as the host nation for the third Hobie Fishing European Championships. This kayak event, sponsored by Lowrance and GoFree, will take place on Lake MjĂśrn in the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s west coast region, where anglers will target pike, perch and zander. But, with the Rand taking a constant beating against foreign currencies a locally made option is always welcome. Enter the Fluid Bamba.

Fluid Kayaks have been around for a while and have a worldwide reputation for quality whitewater kayaks and a fishing kayak was a natural progression for the company.

The Bamba was their first attempt at a dedicated fishing kayak and was originally aimed at the very active South African saltwater kayak market. Soon anglers were using them to tour rivers and dams too.

When you look at the Bamba standing on dry land it is clear that this kayak was made for speed and covering water.

The 14ft hull is steeply raked, with a sharp bow that was clearly designed to cut through the water making it perfect for trolling baits in the ocean or to cover the long distances that bass anglers often need to cover between spots and launch sites on inland waters. The Bamba offers plenty in terms of load space with a big load area behind the seat that can accommodate a milk crate, two in deck hatches with cargo nets in place, two sealed hatches that could act either as a dry hatch or as a live bait bucket and a large forward hatch that is accessible from the seat.

On the water the kayak is fast! The average paddler should have no problem attaining speeds of around 6km/h

>> Field Test*

(that is quite quick in kayak, for you power boaters!) It is stable too, easily dealing with the wakes of the most ridiculous power boats and rarely do you feel that you have pushed the boat too far. The seat can do with a bit more lumbar support but Fluid does offer an aftermarket seat that greatly improves comfort. Another optional extra that is offered by Fluid is a rudder system. Since the Bamba was designed to go long distances it tends to be a little slow in turning but with the addition of the rudder it will turn on the spot and if you are planning on doing a lot of bass fishing from it the extra money will be well spent. The biggest downside is that its is quite difficult to stand and fish from the Bamba, but then again even though videos and magazine articles will tell you its easy, most people will struggle their whole lives and never successfully stand and fish from a kayak regardless of brand and design.

If you are looking for a versatile, affordable and fun way to fish, the Bamba might be just what you are looking for.

It is easy to handle and launch on your own. It is versatile enough to go out on the ocean, a dam or a river. It carries enough weight to take it on an expedition and it is tough enough to last you many maintenance free year. The bonus is that is locally made and well made! *The field test and product review was done by members of SA BASS in June 2016.

Scan this QR-code for more info on the Bamba fishing kayak SA BASS 57 August 2016

>> SA BASS LIFESTYLE

The Great White Pelican

>> > > Jo Jo Dreyer Drrey D eyer er

H

ave you ever seen a Great eaat White Pelican fly in over eerr you and land close by? IItt is quite a sight.

When I saw one come in too land on the river inlet to the sea att Amanzimtoti, I was taken aback..

It flew in with such grace and d elegance which one wouldn’t expect from such a large bird.

It circled a few times, most likely to rule out any danger and to find the perfect spot to feed. Another flew in shortly after and gave quite a display on arrival, which convinced me that it was a breeding pair. They swam close to one another and on occasion stopped to preen themselves.

I find pelicans to be very fascinating birds because of their u unusually nusu nusu nu ual allyy llong oon ng big beaks. It always amazes me h how d different iff ff bbirds bi i d are, how different their feeding methods are and how they have adapted to what nature gives them. The beaks of these types of birds have always got me thinking, “What is the idea behind their design?”

Their design is to make it easier to feed and catch large quantities of fish while flying or swimming so that they can scoop up fish to eat and not stab or dart like other fishing type birds. Some pelican’s beak’s can collect up to thirteen litres of water. That’s quite remarkable! They then drain the water before swallowing the fish.

Great White Pelicans are very large birds and range from 140cm to 178cm. That’s bigger than me, no wonder they look like Boeings when coming in to land.

The overall plumage is a dirty white colour, but their flight feathers are black contrasting with the white coverts in flight. The bill pouch is yellow and the hard upper mandible is a grey pinkish colour. Its facial skin is also a pinkish colour and the eye is black. The belly, neck and then head are white with a grey crest. Its legs and feet are a pinkish red colour and the feet are webbed for ease of swimming. Their wingspan can be up to 3.6 metres.

58 SA BASS August 2016

Great White Pelicans are colonial and can have between 20 to 3000 breeding pairs in one colony. They breed regularly but can have a breeding interval of up to five years. The nest is made of a flimsy platform of grass, sticks, feathers and other debris gleaned from nearby the nesting site. The nest is surprisingly small being only about 500cm in diameter and is built by both male and female. Both sexes bring the nesting materials to the site as well as both continue to add to the nest during incubation. They lay about two eggs each time as long as they have not been disturbed else this decreases to one egg, but then the nest is made elsewhere. Both male and female incubate the eggs and both tend to the young.

Even though the Great White Pelican is not under any immediate threats, it has come to nature conservation’s attention that with pollution and constant human interference that their colonies are becoming smaller and they are making their breeding intervals even longer. Let’s work together and teach our children and friends that we should respect nature, if we want to live harmoniously.

Happy Birding

>> SA BASS ROD BENDER

No news is Bad News…

Rod Bender finds himself trying to help another school at his friend Albert’s place. He has just started to make his final plans and is preparing the strategy to once and for all get rid of these menacing Aliens.

R

od finds himself with drawn from the rest of the school for the last couple of days, keeping to himself helps him think and plan properly. He has been racking his brain for a solution to this never ending problem. Trying to find a permanent solution, once and for all. This is easier said than done Rod has realized because everywhere he goes he runs into this weird looking creature that are slowly but surely trying to destroy his kind.

Meanwhile at Head Office… across the great blue lake.

The Commander and Chief is sitting at his rock, reading the latest report from Rod Bender. He is impressed with Rod moving another school to safety and is currently trying to help another at this moment.

“Ms Money Finny” the commander calls.

“Yes sir” she answers swimming from behind her rock, writing equipment ready to take notes.

“Did we ever send Rod the latest reports and updates on the Alien situation?”

“No sir” she answers nervously.

“Why not?” he asks looking agitated at her.

“The reports don’t go through. I don’t think his signal is working over there. Most things there don’t seem to work, sir” she says with soft almost squeaky voice.

“Send someone to deliver the report” he instructs.

“All agents are in the field, sir” she replies.

“Everyone? There must be somebody we can send” he 60 SA BASS August 2016

says paging through his assignment register.

“There is one left, sir” she says handing him the suspension and rehabilitation file.

“No” he says.

“But it is our only agent” she replies.

“After his previous assignment I have not decided if my hart can handle another incident” the commander replies.

“He always gets his assignments done, sir” she says.

“Every time? At what cost?” he asks. Leaning back on the stump behind him, the Commander and Chief knows it is his only option. “What can go wrong?” he thinks to himself. “He only needs to deliver a report.”

“Call him in, Ms Money Finny” orders the Commander.

“At once, sir” she says swimming away with a little extra whip in her tail.

“Mr. Banks, Mr. Banks come in” she calls over the wire.

“Mr. Banks, can you hear me?”

“Ms. Money Finny, the sweetest voice under water” he replies with his rough, deep voice.

“Oh Mr. Banks” she says all giggly. “You need to report at head quarters. The commander wants a word” she says.

“I’m on the way Ms. Money Finny” he replies.

“When will you be here so I can report back?” she enquires.

“Soon, Ms Money Finny, very soon” he replies cutting the wire.

Three days later…

The water around Money Finny’s rock starts to go darker and darker.

“Must be him” she thinks to herself, leaning forward on her rock, starring into the distance.

“Ms. Money Finny” he says right behind her, almost in her ear. “Have you missed me?” he says rolling to black pearls across her rock. “Those are for you, a donation from a net dragger up north”.

“Black pearls! They are so rare” she says in amazement.

“Not as rare as a pure beauty like you Ms. Money Finny” he says with his deep voice.

“Would you two stop it over there! Banks get in here” the Commander yells.

“Yes, sir” Banks says winking at Money Finny and goes over to his rock.

“You summonsed me, sir” he says sitting down.

“Who said you could sit down, just remember you are still suspended” roars the commander. “I need you to deliver a report across the big blue” he starts explaining.

“Across the blue?” asks Banks negatively.

“Very bad for my fins, sir” he continues.

“I don’t care, you are bad for hart and you are still here, so we all do things we like, so fish up man” the Commander says.

“My mission is to deliver a letter?” Banks asks. “From number one agent to postman! My career is really going places” he says waving at Money Finny. “When do I leave, and who is my mark?” Banks asks.

“Agent Rod Bender” the Commander replies.

“I’ve heard of him, a real hotshot agent; Mr. Knowit-All apparently” Banks says with a sarcastic grin and a glimpse of his razor teeth could be seen.

“Our best” the commander says with pride in his voice.

“Was he not in that explosion, way up north?” Banks asks.

“Yes he was and do you remember who caused that explosion” the commander asks in reply.

“Don’t always go digging up dead crabs, sir. I did what needed to be done and know that sir” Banks answers, much more serious now. “Anyhow, if my sources are not lying to me, Bender came out a little enhanced, a better more mechanical version of himself ” Banks says. “What was his partner’s name?” Banks asks.

Before anyone could answer Ms. Money Finny squeaked “Maxx Dragg” in the background.

“Maxx Dragg, nice name, doesn’t it hold him back” Banks says jokingly.

“Enough, Clay. Get going; get the report from Ms. Money Finny and be on your way” the commander says.

“Yes sir, on my way” Clay Banks replies as he leaves…

SA BASS 61 August 2016

CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS The size of each classified advertisement block is 44mm (w) x 40mm (h). Advertisers can book one or more blocks per issue. The cost is R271.00 VAT excluded, per block, per issue and is payable strictly upfront.

Advanced payment can be made into our BB Print bank account at ABSA, account number 404 881 8651, branch code: 334 645 before the 25th of each month to appear two months later.

Proof of payment plus a contact number must be faxed to 086 234 5026 or e-mailed to advertise@sabass.com

SELF CATERING COTTAGE

Self Catering Cottage t Off N11 Between Ladysmith & Newcastle t 6 Dams t 3 Beautiful en-suite bedrooms t Sleeps 6 t Fully Equipped t Bass Boat Available t Dam stocked with Trout

WANTED

Tel: 034 6511 664 - Cell 083 389 6614 www.thatcher.co.za

Freelance salesperson for adverts Contact Wilma

083-306-2718

advertise@sabass.com

Tel: 0876250782 / 084 514 6376 &NBJM ESJFLPQ!DBSGPOF OFU

Driekoppen jag en Gasteplaas beskik oor al die fasiliteite vir â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n buitengewone buitelewe en visvang ervaring. Gelëe in die Noord-Oos Vrystaat tussen Vrede en Memel â&#x20AC;&#x201C; slegs 2 ure vanaf Johannesburg.

Ons bied: 5XFF VJUFST HFSJFøJLF GBNJMJF WSJFOEFMJLF WFSCMZG PQTJFT SFH EFVS EJF KBBS CFTLJLCBBS t (SPPU XJME FO WJT HFUBMMF JO UPQ LPOEJTJF t 4FXF CBBSTEBNNF t 8JMETSJUUF t 1SBHUJHF OBUVVSTLPPO NFU TBOETUFFOLPQQF en profiele.

8F QSPVE PVSTFMWFT BT POF PG UIF NPTU QJDUVSFTRVF IVOUJOH BOE CBTT öTIJOH MPDBUJPOT JO 4PVUI "GSJDB XJUI BO BCVOEBODF PG HBNF SPBNJOH PVS QMBOFT At Driekoppen we offer: $PNGPSUBCMF BDDPNNPEBUJPO GPS UIF XIPMF GBNJMZ t 4FWFO XFMM TUPDLFE CBTT EBNT t 4BOETUPOF .PVOUBJOT BOE QMBOFT SPBNJOH XJUI XJMEMJGF t HBNF ESJWFT

XXX ESJFLPQQFO DP [B 62 SA BASS August 2016

BASSIN KIDS OUTREACH PROJECT A Division of SA BASS Magazine & South African Bass Angling Sport Society

02 - 08 October 2016 We at SA BASS are inviting all avid young anglers between the ages of 7-16 years to join us for loads of fun and adventure.

Venue: Boskoors Farm, 30km North of Pretoria on the Moloto Road.

Bookings are essential!

We have limited spots available as we like to keep the number of campers at a minimum, to ensure that every child gets the necessary individual attention and guidance.

Please call Wilma on 087 808 5406 or 083 306 2718 to book your spot. For more information visit www.sabass.com or e-mail wilma@sabass.com

BULK R100 big u1p0to r o K f C BA s

sale

ISSUES copie

SA BASS 63 August 2016

>> SA BASS DESTINATIONS

SA BASS PRESENTS FISHING

DESTINATIONS

As a service to readers Fishing Resorts and Lodges are invited to place their information in this section. Readers who discover other destinations are invited to place the information on this page. Each entry consists of one photo plus no more than 200 words.

Om ons lesers ingelig te hou word Hengel-oorde en Lodges uitgenooi om hul inligting in hierdie afdeling te publiseer. Lesers wat nog bestemmings ontdek word uitgenooi om die inligting op hierdie afdeling te plaas. Elke inskrywing beslaan een foto plus nie meer as 200 woorde.

Stuur aan: editor@sabass.com.

Oppiekoppie Bass Farm

O

ppiekoppie Bass Farm is situated 17km west of Brits in the Northwest Province and is one of the safest fishing venues to visit. All their dams have been designed to provide the best habitat possible to grow some really big bass. Bass are stocked in all of their dams and other species on offer are carp, yellowfish, grass carp and blue kurper. Bass fishing is good but the large blou kurper take almost anything you â&#x20AC;&#x153;throwâ&#x20AC;? at them.

All the dams can be fished from either the banks or from the jetties and are not further than 700 metres apart.

Structure in the dams include tree trunks, drop-offs, jetties, trenches etc.

64 SA BASS August 2016

The surrounding fauna and flora on offer is a nature lovers dream, with wild and domestic water birds, bunnies, cattle and sheep.

Their self catering four and eight sleeper chalets come fully serviced and need to be seen to be appreciated. There are also camping sites with electricity. Our other facilities include flush toilets with hand basins, hot/cold showers, clean bore hole water and a few breakfast nooks for picnics and family get-togethers, etc. The large lapa is perfectly suited for hosting kiddies parties.

For more information or bookings, please contact Ben Calitz on 082-360-0373 or by e-mail benniecalitz@absamail.co.za

FOR ANGLERS WHO WANT IT ALL

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LOWRANCE SA Phone: (031) 368-6649 E-mail: sales@lowrance.co.za Website: www.lowrance.co.za