SA BASS Sep 2016

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

SEPTEMBER 2016

ISSUE 185

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Pre-spawn: t 'JOFTTF 'JTIJOH t " +PMMZ 5JNF GPS +FSLCBJUT t *OUFSTFDUJOH 1SF TQBXOFST t 'JTIJOH 'SPOUBM $POEJUJPOT

Float-and-Fly >> ICAST - BEST OF SHO SHOW OW >> TOURNAMENT REPORTS >> LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS >> DESTINATION: THATCHER’S REST

FOR EVERYONE WHO LOVES BASS FISHING

WWW.SABASS.COM

has gone digital !!

GET YOUR FAVOURITE SA Bass MAGAZINE

DIGITALLY 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

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

CLASSROOM “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

30

UNIVERSITY

32

BASICS

“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

“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)

MY CAST Cast-for-Cash - Tournament Results GEAR UP READERS-go-BASSING

63

LIFESTYLE – Boating & Birding – “Glossy Ibis” Glossy Ibis

64

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

SABAA NEWS 40 41

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

INTERNATIONAL

22

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

24

I’m proud to announce that SA BASS has just secured a license agreement with FLW in America. For those who are not familiar with FLW; the organisation is named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood.

It is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, offering bass and walleye anglers across the globe a chance to compete and win millions of dollars. For more information see our press release I in this issue.

Apart from this great news… it is that time of the year again; the spawn is upon us. Last year’s surviving fingerlings are bigger and that 2.3kg bass you caught might now be a 3.1kg. Also, a new SA Record is definitely swimming out there somewhere for a lucky angler to catch.

We are all going to do our best to be that angler, or at least get as close to it as we can. But I want to implore the readers to be gentle about it and accountable. Catch as many bass as you want but release them all unharmed.

Treat them properly by lip landing the fish and support the bellies with your other hand when taking pictures. Using a lip-grip is ‘n big no-no just as mishandling the fish.

If you find that the bass keep swallowing the hook don’t just carry on fishing; change your hook because gut hooking the bass causes more damage than you think. By changing your fishing method you might even be able to upgrade to bigger fish.

I love catching bass and hate it when I have a gut hook that needs to be removed. Luckily I have learned how to safely remove a gut hook which is something I think every angler should do.

Workshops have popped around the country to help anglers catch more bass but we really should have some workshops on how to preserve our fish stocks. There are so many anglers with so much info to share that we can stop making excuses for losing bass due to these types of injuries.

Without trying to sound like I’m preaching I just need to ask our readers and also every other angler, even those not buying the magazine, to be careful with the fish we all love to catch. It really is heartbreaking when I see dead fish and those “hook and cookers” raping the shallows during spawn. Unfortunately we cannot take the law in our own hands so rather educate them why it is important to catchand-release.

Enjoy the new season and preserve our bass as much as possible.

Happy fishing!

Bennie Wiese / Editor

“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

26

34

BASICS

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.

36

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

46

>> Bassin’ in Europe

BESTEMMING 54

>> Aloe Rock - Waterberg

READERS’ COMPETITION 01

>> Subscribe and win with COBB

49

>> SA Bass Readers Competition – Raylite Ultimate AGM Battery

43

Win with GRIP Hooks

MONTHLY GIVE AWAYS

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

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

CLASSROOM “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 63

30

UNIVERSITY

32

BASICS

“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

“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)

64

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

DESTINATION – Kam ‘Bati River Lodge

SABAA NEWS 40 41

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

INTERNATIONAL

22

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

24

“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

26

34

BASICS

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.

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

– Philip Kemp

46

ADVERTORIAL

42

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.

“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

>> Bassin’ in Europe

BESTEMMING 54

>> Aloe Rock - Waterberg

READERS’ COMPETITION 01

36

>> Subscribe and win with COBB

49

>> SA Bass Readers Competition – Raylite Ultimate AGM Battery

43

Win with GRIP Hooks

MONTHLY GIVE AWAYS

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

Y ONL pm R28

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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:

Hannes Lindeque - hannes@sabass.com

Digital subscriptions:

www.magzter.com

Layout and Design:

Storm Deezigns - dee@stormdeezigns.co.za

Distributed by RNA:

Jannie Junius (011) 248 3536

REGULARS & FORUMS 06

08

04 SA BASS

September 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.

MASTER CLASS “A Jolly time for Jerkbaits” I was already sold by the mere design of the new jerkbait when I walked into my friend, Julian Smith’s office in Randburg and was presented with the latest ‘slash bait’ which had graced their notorious range offered by the legendary designer and distributor.

– Roger Donaldson

12

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

CLASSROOM “The Float-and-Fly. A Technique for All Seasons” The Float and Fly is often associated with winter angling when bass typically suspend in the water column during cold water periods.

– Derrek Stewart

14

CLASSROOM “Modern Day Bassin’ Dynamics” Having been in the competitive sport of bass angling since 1989 and seeing the transformation in terms of the technological advancements of our wonderful sport, I will endeavour to uncover some of the mystery of the sport.

– Eugene Potgieter

BASICS “The Art of “Junk Fishing”” A relatively new buzz word in the world of bass fishing – Shandon Hawman

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.

16 26

LEERSKOOL “Kan broeityd koue voete kry?”

As ons as swartbaarhengelaars van die broeiseisoen praat, dan kan ‘n gesprek nie afgesluit word sonder om die invloed van die verandering van weer te bespreek nie – Japie Botha

40

CLASSROOM

“Game of Grams” Every angler that has every fished some kind of tournament will know that grams can make a difference between winning a tournament, and finishing second.

– Bennie Wiese

42

CLASSROOM

SA BASS

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS

50 CLASSROOM “Pre-spawn Finesse Fishing” Pre-spawn has a different meaning to each and every angler.

– John Badenhorstdrik

34 36

BASIESE BEGINSELS “Oewerhengel vir Swartbaars” My eerste swartbaar was jare gelede by Rondeboschdam vanaf die oewer gevang, maar dit voel nogsteeds soos gister.

– Bennie Wiese

38

52

CLASSROOM “Intersecting Prespawners” Emerging from their deep winter time haunts, pre-spawn bass can result in a lot of kicker size fish – Neels Beneke

TOURNAMENT REPORT “Presidents Test BIRI” The much anticipated Presidents Test between South Africa and Zimbabwe took place in July 2016; Biri Dam in Zimbabwe was the venue – Clint Skinner

54

01

MY CAST

22

Angling International

28

READERS-go-BASSING

44

Cast-for-Cash - Tournament Results

58

LIFESTYLE – Boating & Birding – “Little Grebe”

64

DESTINATION S N ON – Thatcher’s atc er s Rest

18

>> CAST 2016 “Best of Show” Awards

20

>> Mercury Marine Active Trim

20

>> Rutherford Marine

21

>> South Africa Becomes Latest Country to Sanction FLW Tournaments

TOURNAMENT REPORT “2016 Region 5 Bass Tournament” The Region 5 Bass Tournament 2015 held at Lake Chicamba in Mozambique resulted in a defeat for the Zimbabweans at the hands of South Africa.

– Gareth Rawlins

CLASSROOM “All for One” It is that time of the year again. The water temperature is starting to rise and we all know what that means… “prespawn”.

– Hendrik

“From Agent to Postman” In the previous issue the Commander and Chief of Under Water USO called agent Clay Banks and ordered him to deliver a report across the big blue to agent Rod Bender.

“Boy Scout Bassing” “Boy Scout Bassing” what am I on about now? Okay, let me tell you. You know those times when you do something dumb? – Kevin Lofstedt

“Fishing Frontal Conditions” With the drought hitting most parts of South Africa’s and the water levels very low everyone is praying for rain to fill up our dams again – Bennie Wiese

32

60

ROD BENDER

ADVERTORIAL

INDUSTRY NEWS

“GARMIN Striker™ 4dv” Finding fish is easier than ever with a Striker 4dv fishfinder.

56

JUNIORS “Bassin’ Kids Adventure Camp” Fresh air, the great outdoors, adventure activities, bass fishing, and there you have a great recipe for more enjoyable and constructive school holidays for your children.

ON THE COVER “Bill Siemantel, designer of the SPRO Phat Fly” Image: Derrek Stewart SA BASS 05 September 2016

>> SA BASS CLASSROOM

The Float-and-Fly A Technique for All Seasons

Author Derrek Stewart

Bill Siemantel, designer of the SPRO Phat Fly, with a beautiful warm weather float-and-fly smallmouth bass

Float and Fly

>> Derre Derrek Stewart*

T

he Float oat and Fly is often associated with winter angling when bass typically suspend in the water column during cold water periods. It certainly is an excellent fishing method for those conditions, but the system succeeds all year long.

The first time I used this approach was during a difficult bite on a hot 06 SA BASS

September 2016

90 degree summer day. Fishing a clear water canyon reservoir, I could see largemouth bass working small minnows subsurface. They were forcing the bait against bluff walls before attacking. Initially, the bass were ignoring all offerings, until I presented the float-and-fly.

Casting upwind of my target the

breeze pushed ed the t bobb bobber and the suspended fly towards my goal. It was exciting watching the bobber drift into the kill zone and then suddenly disappear below the surface. On a challenging day of fishing, I was rewarded with a 5lb bass, my first float-and-fly catch.

This is a reliable technique and

in a bass fishing world where finesse methods have the same potential for landing a giant as a big bait approach, I wonder why I seldom see bass fisherman using this system.

The system This is a light line technique best suited for spinning gear. I use a 7’6” spinning rod, legal tournament length, and a 2500 class spinning reel spooled with 5lb monofilament.

The action of the rod, different than my traditional bass equipment, has a limber action similar to an ultralight salmon rod. This rod type pairs well with the tackle, light line, and the big bass that eat this deception.

My lure of choice is the SPRO BBZ-1 Phat Fly. It is critical that your fly has a line-tie position that balances in a natural horizontal position. A 1” pear shaped bobber matches well with these components. A hemisphere colour separation on the float is a must. Tie your fly to the line and place the float at the desired distance up the line and you’re ready to fish.

The float is a more than a strike indicator. It also signifies what your fly is doing in the water column. It’s important to know exactly how much line you have between the float and fly, your rod is a great measuring tool.

If you need to test different depths, this system adjusts very quickly.

An excellent way to learn the subtle visual feedback the float provides is with a known length of line between the bobber and the fly, let’s say the rod length 7’6,” cast towards the shore on a slow descending bank. When the depth is shallower than the drop of your set up, the fly will drag bottom and the float won’t rest on the water straight. It will be off axis, and you’ll see two colours, both hemispheres.

Now slowly start working the float towards deeper water. Reel, pause, and watch what the bobber is doing. Once the water is deeper than the drop the float will straighten on its axis, the fly will suspend in the water column, and you will see one colour, only the top half of the bobber.

Casting Positioning yourself so you can make an excellent cast and retrieve angle should be a priority for all techniques. The float is easily moved across the surface by wind and wave action so anglers needs to determine where their cast needs to be placed so the influence of these factors is always directing the fly further into the kill zone, not away from it. Casting a float-and-fly set-up is akin to fly fishing. You’re casting the float, not the fly. Like fly fishing there is a back cast involved. The back cast aligns the components behind you so the float is leading the fly as you cast forward.

Action When a bass takes the fly and pulls the bobber sub-surface, it is evident what is happening. Sometimes the strike is very subtle, and the only indication will be the float tilting off axis as a bass inhales the fly without swimming off. The float informs you of everything you need to know.

Less is more Almost every artificial bait presentation involves some type of forward motion. When using the Float and Fly you can employ all kinds of retrieves. Use your imagination; start and stop, slow and steady, V-waking the surface with the bobber and a trailing fly, the list goes on. However, there is one retrieve this technique was born for, shining when conditions are harsh. Suspended, no action, the lack of movement held at a particular depth in a natural posture is an excellent prescription for convincing even the wiliest biggest predator that the Fly is something it wants to eat.

No time outs The float-and-fly works all year, so whenever I’m fishing other techniques or taking a sandwich break I’ll cast it out. With the rod in a secure position, it provides a hands-free approach while you’re performing other tasks; just keep your eye on the bobber. This can maximize your efforts during a day on the water.

The Phat Fly is available in two sizes, 1/16 oz. and 1/8 oz., and five fishing catching patterns; Grey Ghost, Blue Shad, Chartreuse Ghost, Baby Bass and Blue Gill

Double time When not in a tournament and I’m fishing from my boat alone, I will frequently trail the float-and-fly off the back deck. Depending on the length of the line between the float and the fly and the type of water I’m covering it allows two systems to be fished at the same time. When the float-and-fly rod isn’t in my hands, I’m prepared to set the hook with the electric trolling motor. Make sure to verify local regulations concerning multiple rod use.

Accuracy and finesse The Webster dictionary defines finesse as skill and cleverness that is shown in the way someone deals with a situation. The float-and-fly technique provides anglers with precision fishing that appeals to bass of all sizes, all temperaments, and all year long.

There is a lot more to this technique than one may initially realize. Add the float-and-fly technique to your arsenal, and you’ll be on your way to fishing The Big Bass Zone. *The author, Derrek Stewart is an international multi-species angler with roots in freshwater bass fishing. You can follow his photojournalism, articles, and angling adventures at http://thebbz. com/content?tag=Derrek+Stewart SA BASS 07 September 2016

>> SA BASS MASTER CLASS

A Jolly time for Jerkbaits

Nicolas-Kyle Milligan with two healthy largemouth bass caught around rocky structures

I

was already sold by the mere design of the new jerkbait when I walked into my friend, Julian Smith’s office in Randburg and was presented with the latest ‘slash bait’ which had graced their notorious range offered by the legendary designer and distributor. Julian would display the range of colours on his desk and then look back to his colleague, Darryl Quinton, with a wide grin and whilst dangling a clown coloured lure in front of his lips and murmuring something electrifying about the Vaal River, to which Darryl would respond, “Chines, keep a sharp hook!” I had no idea what this code language was, but by the looks on the faces I could only imagine these decorated anglers were up to some serious mischief and had great things in mind with this new jerkbait.

When spending time with novice anglers motivating

>> Roger Donaldson* the reasons why they should keep a small assortment of jerkbaits in their tackle box I immediately notice the disparaging look of disbelief, as if they’re quietly saying; “Are you seriously going to tell me that I need to spend that money on a lure with treble hooks and a feathered tail. Then toss it out there and impart some frenzied retrieve technique, which will magically draw out this crazed, freakish attack from a bass?” I can almost see them squinting their eyes and looking at me like I’m just the salesman with his next lure to fool the fisherman.

It’s true. The unique retrieve technique that you’ll need to master will make the difference whether you’ll be successful with this lure or not. I can sincerely admit that have never loaded up with bass, and certainly in the springtime, as quickly as I have achieved when fishing a jerkbait. (cont. on p10)

08 SA BASS

September 2016

FOR THE LOVE OF FISHING.

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Download and upload maps, software, and apps direct to your fishfinder / chartplotter.

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

(contd. from p8)

I have to tell of my most memorable experiences to give you an idea of the lure lust bass I’ve come across with this phenomenal search bait.

I had recently held the Vaal River Bass Classic, which was won by an angler by the name of Nic Dubber. As Nic was the fortunate winner of a fully rigged Skeeter bass boat and Toyota Hilux I had to take the opportunity to join him on the water to photograph and document his story.

We only had a few minutes to spend on the Vaal River, but Nic seemed convinced that we would quickly load up a few fish so that I could snap some nice pictures and be on my way. I had absolutely no faith when we drove not more than a kilometre from the slipway and stopped in front of yet another slipway. Nic selected his jerkbait rod, gave it to me and said, “Go for it!” I cast out and up against the wall lined bank, jerked the bait back twice, and with a violent, crazed strike I had loaded up my first Vaal River bass on a jerkbait. Five casts thereafter I had landed all five fish and all weighing in the region of 1,5kg. Nic’s expression didn’t change, whereas I was absolutely flawed, not only by the unlikelihood of catching this many fish in so few casts, but by the size of fish all in one go… on the Vaal River! Apparently this was normal for my host, so I took my pictures and I was on my way within an hour.

Another very testing fishing experience was had by my fishing partner David Fryer and I at Nandoni Dam during a September tournament. We couldn’t help but notice a coangler and his partner darting in and around the shallows and probing all the pockets between the treacherous timber structures with what looked to be a jerkbait. I had just hooked, but lost what felt like a large bass on a tight bend in the river when Nicholas Milligan trolled up behind us and just outside of casting distance from us and shouted, “If you get that bass and it’s got a Purple Ghost X-Rap in its mouth please will you return it to me!”

This wasn’t enough of a clue for us to switch over and try his lure selection and strategy, but it was at the end of the day that our suspicions were confirmed when Nicholas emptied his bag of five very impressive fish at the weighstation, one of the fish at the 4kg mark. It’s customary for

the winning anglers at the prize giving to provide a small rendition of their winning strategy and Nic’s was simple, “Jerkbait fished around all the shallow areas… my largest fish came off… probably a 5kg unfortunately… right in front of our eyes!”

Another opportunity came when I travelled to Albert Falls Dam in the September holidays with friends Julian Smith and Andrew Cunnington to visit renowned friend, Clive Harries and his brother Terry. The fishing stories around the camp fire that evening were too much to bare.

The next morning after packing a lunch box of mint and vinegar flavoured baby potatoes and cold sliced rump steak we made hastily to the water and darted across the water to Farmhouse bank.

Already camped out in around 7ft of water was Martin de Kock, no doubt preparing for his next runaway win.

We sheepishly snuck in between him and the bank and settled in around 3ft of water. The water and conditions were magnificent with scattered grass and submerged brush piles which made for the ultimate spring fishing jaunt.

I chose a 5cm jerkbait with silver and gold sides and hurled my first cast out in the direction of our fellow angler.

I had only jerked the lure back three times and a surging strike disturbed the water between me and Martin. What an incredible feeling when a bass aggressively launches itself into your retrieve and the shock of the strike meets your graphite rod.

The next hour was spent far less sheepish as we all raucously boasted each fish caught one after the other on that perfect spring morning. An experience which is sharply etched in my mind and has convinced me of the absolute magic which this lure can perform when most else seems to be failing.

Have fun 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.

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>> SA BASS CLASSROOM A 3kg fish caught by Eugene at Albert Falls Dam using a Lowrance HDS GEN3 unit and FishTech HD Fishing Charts to find a hump that was beneath the surface of the water

Modern Day Bassin’ Dynamics Having been in the competitive sport of bass angling since 1989 and seeing the transformation in terms of the technological advancements of our wonderful sport, I will endeavour to uncover some of the mystery of the sport. >> Eugene Potgieter / Edited by Grant Hewitt

I

n the nineties, if you had a Lowrance X25 fish-finder you were considered to be quite with the technology that was on offer. This was a fisherman’s dream of being able to actually invade the habitat of these elusive green fish that cause many a seasoned fisherman to be reduced to tears and on the contrary to whoops of delight. The units were actually more of use as a structure finder rather than a fish finder and to the guys who started venturing out into the big unknown, the Lowrance fishfinders proved to be a valuable fish locating tool.

Larry Lazoen, a bass pro with some eight Classic appearances, from Port Charlotte in the USA came over to South Africa on a visit and during 12 SA BASS

September 2016

one of his talks which he kindly gave to the Midlands Bassmasters Chapter said, “You boys have to start leaving the shorelines and start venturing out into the unknown.” This was the start of many enjoyable years of exploration, fishing on the ridges and drop offs and was probably some of the best advice I had ever really followed with such determination. Much of the success achieved in the early technology days can be attributed to many hours spent dissecting the bottom contours and forming the later day maps in one’s mind. Every weekend thereafter was spent fishing in circles and discovering the absolute unknown and unseen treasures of each dam. It was a breakthrough for the South African bassing fraternity

because it didn’t take long for anglers from all over the country to catch on to this new concept of catching fish because you were going to get noticed if you fished more than thirty metres from the shoreline. I say circles because there was no side scan and the GPS units lost their way as soon as you slowed down to a specific point so the time spent checking and mind mapping each area took forever but the rewards were always there for the taking. There was steady growth with regards to what Lowrance offered the bassing fraternities and then “boom”, along came the Lowrance Gen-series.

This was a remarkable breakthrough and the technology that has now gone into the fishing tools is somewhat mind boggling. The time

spent checking an area has now been reduced to a few minutes on any particular stretch of water. Bridges, ruins, drop offs, roads, rock-piles and yes, the man made lay downs were no match for this technology.

This was like sitting in a submarine and at times it almost seemed an unfair advantage. I have personally caught bass directly under the boat by putting bait on the fish’s head!

Technology is a wonderful thing and many a successful bass angler has embraced the advancement of the Lowrance technology with open arms, especially the younger generation. If you were resisting the trend, it was to be to your own demise.

To begin with I didn’t really appreciate this new technology as I am no longer a sapling in my years and to convince a grown tree to move in another direction takes some pretty strong winds. Thank goodness I have a youngster who embraced this new age of technology. I do get a wee bit

muddled up occasionally but I have now become obsessive with having this rainbow of information. It has become impossible to go on an outing without preparing in your garage sitting on your boat and actually going through all the data on the new Gen-3 Lowrance units. This means that you can actually plan a fishing day in your garage and you don’t even have to be at the dam. In saying that, John Easton, from FishTec, has become instrumental in the mapping of many of our impoundments for the Lowrance units and it is this partnership or business relationship which has really put this fishing tool into new perspective.

The days of spinning like a top in the middle of nowhere are over.

The Point-1 has sorted that out and I am forever grateful to have done my apprenticeship with the Lowrance X25 and followed with great interest what Larry Lazoen had been trying to put across to us all those years ago.

A submerged tree found at Inanda dam in 60ft.

Finding structure these days is made easy!

A submerged bridge found at Midmar Dam

SA BASS 13 September 2016

>> SA BASS BASICS

rt eA Th “J of

>> Shandon Hawman*

A

14 SA BASS

September 2016

g” hin Fis unk

relatively new buzz word in the world of bass fishing. A phrase used by numerous pro’s on the circuit when describing the pattern they used to win a tournament. It’s not just an easy way of catching bass on your local pond, but more of an art in the perfecting of filling your limit during a tournament, when you battling to put a solid pattern together.

However, in order to be proficient junk fisherman you need to be able to fish a wide variety of baits effectively.

These might be a few of your confident baits that you enjoy using, but they need to take their place in your rod box.

What makes a good junk fisherman is the ability to utilize every hard and soft bait there is, in every possible spot scenario, in every kind of structure, and in every type of weather condition.

To analyze an area when first approaching it, then systematically breaking it down with each bait, from top to bottom. This means selecting a top water bait that can work at that specific time of day, (either Zara, Pop-R or prop bait) working the area properly, then switching to spinnerbait of choice, crankbait or jerk bait of choice, for a good work over.

Hard baits generally first, then send in the plastics on a Texas rig, Mojo rig,

Carolina rig and weightless options. This will get you going on your way to becoming a good junk fishing angler.

The more you practice this process the more confident you will become, when getting a few good fish along the way.

The old story of “nothing replaces time on the water” to get your confidence not only in this technique but also in the baits you select.

Over time you will narrow down your arsenal of baits, and more importantly your number of rods, but eventually you will be able to know what bait and technique will work best in each scenario that presents itself to you on the water.

More often a solid pattern can start to develop if you get more than one bite in a certain structure, depth or specific bait. But when there doesn’t seem to be a good pattern available or you haven’t been able to practice before tournament day, Junk fishing can be your answer to filling the live well, and who knows maybe follow in the footsteps of the pro’s and start winning more tournament’s.

The key to junk fishing is to keep covering water, to learn as many techniques as possible and put them together for a winning combination. *Shandon Hawman is a former captain of the South African Protea bass angling team, ABA Contender in 2010 (USA), and World Champs contender in Chile 2012.

Nothing replaces time on the water

SA BASS 15 September 2016

>> SA BAARS LEERSKOOL

Kan broeityd A

koue voete kry?

As ons as swartbaarhengelaars van die broeiseisoen praat, dan kan ‘n gesprek nie afgesluit word sonder om die invloed van die verandering van weer te bespreek nie.

Daar is altyd potensiaal vir visse wat vir jare se goeie stories sal sorg

16 SA BASS

September 2016

>> Japie Botha*

s ons as swartbaarhengelaars van die broeiseisoen praat, dan kan ‘n gesprek nie afgesluit word sonder om die invloed van die verandering van weer te bespreek nie. Gebeur dit nie klokslag jaarliks wanneer ons hierdie tyd van die jaar hengel dat daar ‘n frontale stelsel inbeweeg en die hengel vir ons moeilik maak nie?

Hierdie tydperk tussen Augustus en Oktober is wanneer ek myself jaarliks sielkundig voorberei vir ‘n kouefront of twee. Die vraag wat opduik is natuurlik: Hoe word die swartbaars wat wil broei deur die verandering in die weer geraak? Net soos baie hengelgerei (wat ek al ten duurste aangekoop het) wat my meer as die swartbaars gevang het, glo ek dat ons as hengelaars meer deur die weer beïnvloed word as ons groen vriende onder die water.

Ek dink dit is redelik veilig om te sê dat die meeste van Suid-Afrika se swartbaars tussen A Augustus en Oktober broei. Daar is natuurlik altyd y ‘n uits uitsondering op die reël, soos die vis in Inanda wat blykbaarr re reeds in Julie begin nes soek het. Daar is dan ook die damm me soos die Vaaldam en damme Woodstock waar die vis normaalwe eg in die vuiler en kouer normaalweg water heelwat later sal broei. Dit gee g ons as hengelaars die geleentheid om in hierdie tyd ons teg tegnieke by verskillende damme te toets. Wees asseblief alty yd vversigtig hoe jy die vis altyd hanteer en probeer om die vis so gou g mootlik terug te kry in die water.

Die enigste konstante in swartb swartbaarhengel baa is verandering.

Die bietjie ondervinding (ekk eek sê bietjie want daar is hengelaars met 20 tot 300 jaar ja ondervinding) wat ek al opgedoen het in n di die laaste paar seisoene, het my geleer dat die waarin diie vensterperiode v swaartbaars broei eintlik baie klein is. e Hiermee bedoel ek nie dat die visse in ‘n sekeree d dam net vir een week b sal broei nie maar dat daa baie in die dam kan d daar verander in drie tot vier vver weke. wek Die laaste vyf jaar w het h ek gesien hoe drasties diie visvang v hierdie tyd van die di die ie jjaar in ‘n kort tydperk kan ka an verander. In meeste die gevalle het die weer van nd ‘n rrol gespeel deur beter of slegter sleg gte te word. Ek glo dat weersveranderinge beslis we eers ‘n in invloed op die broeiperiode het. Konstante pe rio warm war rm weer na die winter vero veroorsaak oor gewoonlik dat swartbaars in die vlakker swar rtb waterr bbegin plek soek vir ongelukkig neste. Daar is ong gel nie ‘n reël vir wanner dit gebeur nie e. A nie.

As daar was, sou baie visse op Maandae tandp pyn gehad het. tandpyn

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Teenoor konstante warm weer, kan ‘n skielike kouefront aan die anderkant weer die visse wat begin uitkyk het vir neste afskrik en die broeiproses met ‘n tydperk uitstel.

Dit is egter nie onmoonlik om die visse te vang nie, so ek gaan beslis nie my visvang vir die naweek uitstel as daar ‘n kouefront oppad is nie.

In verlede maand se uitgawe het ek gesĂŞ dat ek tipies die vis probeer onderskep waar hulle in die migrasieroete tussen winter en broeityd is. Die selfde geld vir die broeiperiode ek sal in die areas waar ek glo die vis broei op my Lowrance kaart kyk watter struktuur daar beskikbaar is waarheen die vis moontlik kan beweeg sou daar ‘n kouefront inbeweeg wat die vis beinvloed. Die visse behoort nie tè ver van die broeiplek af te swem nie en moet ĂŞrens deur die dag vreet.

< < &3*(/&% 40 ,&&1 9052 20%3 3"'& 02("/*3&% "/% 4"/(-& '2&& < < 02,3 &842&.&-9 7&-- 7)&/ 3402*/( .5-4*1-& 20%3 */ #0"4 -0$,&23 < < 6"*-"#-& */ 470 $0-0523 < < &3*(/&% 40 '*4 "-- 349-&3 0' #"*4$"34*/( 20% (5*%&3 */$-5%*/( .*$20 (5*%&3 << *-- *4 "*4$"34*/( 0%3 51 40 =

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Skoolgeld Verlede jaar September het ek en my hengelmaat, Oom Hennie du Preez, by Hartbeespoortdam â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n waardevolle les geleer wat hierdie onderwerp betref. Twee weke voor die toernooi was die swartbaars op sekere plekke in die dam vol op â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n broeipatroon, perfek, net soos die boeke dit beskryf.

Die naweek van die toernooi het aangebeek en â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n ernstige kouefront het oor Gauteng beweeg, met reĂŤn en â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n yskoue wind. My grootste vrees wat kompeterende hengel aanbetref het ons getref. Ons vis was weg in twee van die beste areas waar ons gehoop het om hulle te vang. Lang storie kort; die top spanne vir die dag het almal water geteiken en die visse onderskep wat nog aktief in die vlakker water was. Al hierdie spanne het baie goeie kwaliteit vis geweeg op â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n baie koue, onaangename dag op die water. Daar is soveel om te lees in tydskrifte en aanlynartikels maar die beste manier om te leer bly maar om dit eerstehands te beleef. Dit beteken nie dit is so maklik soos om die oggend by punt â&#x20AC;&#x153;Aâ&#x20AC;? te begin hengel en by punt â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bâ&#x20AC;? die middag op te hou nie. Daar was nogsteeds baie goeie rede waarom die hengelaars die vis daardie dag gekry het. Ek dink ons het dalk net â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n verkeerde besluit of twee gemaak, maar wat ek daaruit geleer het is vandag vir my baie meer werd.

Twee jaar gelede het ek en Wayne Louw my boot gaan toets voor â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n internasionale toets waarin ons deelgeneem het. Ons besluit toe sommer om vir die Gauteng Castfor-Cash by Bronkhorstspruitdam in te skryf. Weereens was daar â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n massiewe kouefront wat daardie naweek kom inmeng het. Teen drie-uur die middag het nog nie een van ons â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n teken van â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n swartbaar gesien nie. Kwart-oor-drie toe beweeg die vis in die area in waar ons besig was om te hengel en ek en Wayne vang die wensak vir die dag in vyftien minute. Ons kon netsowel vroeĂŤr besluit het om die boot uit te haal en eerder terug te ry Pretoria toe aangesien meeste van die ander top spanne hulle vis reeds vroeg die oggend gevang het.

Daar is altyd potensiaal vir visse wat vir jare se goeie stories sal sorg. Moet dus nie dat kouevoete jou van die water afhou nie, en onthou, soos Mike Iaconelli altyd sĂŞ: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Never give up!â&#x20AC;? *Japie Botha is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n welbekende Protea swartbaarhengelaar wat ook Suid-Afrika al op internasionale vlak verteenwoordig het.

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BASS HUNTER KICKING FROGS A va i l a b l e a t a l l r e puta bl e t a c k l e st or e s na ti onw i de .

Tr a d e E n qui r i e s onl y: 0 1 1 8 0 2 0 942 mi a s@ i a fr i c a . c om | E &O E

>> SA BASS INDUSTRY NEWS

“Best of Show” Awards

Once again all eyes were on the world’s biggest sport fishing trade show held in Orlando, Florida at the Orange Country Convention Center better known as ICAST. This was the 59th trade show and is an annual show that draws visitors from all over the world. Almost 15,000 industry representatives from the global sport fishing business attended ICAST this

year to see the newest innovations in tackle, gear, accessories and clothing.

For the exhibitors they all had their eyes on the most sort after award in the industry “Best of Show”.

Over 1,000 tackle products and accessories were entered by more than 240 companies into 24 “Best of Show” categories in the New Product Showcase.

2016 Overall Best of Show

13.44 inches wide by 7.12 inches high and 4.2 inches deep. The fish finder features an impressive 10.1 inch wide screen having a 16:9 ratio that presents images in 1024x600 high-definition adjustable colour resolution. The larger screen provides more room for split-screen views, which makes navigating and tracking, fish that much simpler. The technology that creates the display was designed to emit images that are fifty percent brighter, making the image view easier from any position on the boat. The bonded-glass screen also ensures a clear, viewable image regardless of whether anglers go out on the water in bright sunlight, on cloudy days or after dark. The front of the Helix features clearly marked control buttons that include the power button, directional, go-to, view changer, waypoint marker and zoom in/out buttons. A single micro card slot enables users to load maps, store screen captures, waypoint markings and software updates via removable storage. The device is also manufactured to be a plug and play tool, which allows anglers to connect power and Ethernet networking cables simultaneously.

Minn Kota Ultrex

Minn Kota introduced the trolling motor anglers have only dreamed of; a hybrid that merges the body of a Fortrex with the brains of i-Pilot, complete with Spot-Lock electronic GPS anchoring and more.

New for 2017, Minn Kota’s Ultrex gives anglers the control and responsiveness of a Fortrex, plus effortless Power Steering and i-Pilot features, like Spot-Lock. Paired with Steering Lock, which allows you to take your foot off the pedal without losing motor heading; Ultrex will change the way you fish.

Best of Show – Electronics

Humminbird Helix 10-SI

Best of Show – Terminal Tackle

Trapper Hooks The Helix 10-SI GPS unit weighs under five pounds and measures 18 SA BASS September 2016

Drop Shot / Live Bait / Finesse Hooks

This year the award for “Best of Show” awards whet to Johnson Outdoors Incorporated and its Minn Kota Ultrex were voted by buyers and media as the best product in both the Boat Accessories category and the overall “Best of Show.” Other show winners were:

Trapper hooks are squared at the bottom which means they don’t rotate or pivot like traditional hooks, making them very difficult for fish to throw. Trapper hooks not only hold fish better, they also hold lures and baits in place better, ensuring perfect presentations and significantly reducing the number of times you have to adjust or re-rig your bait.

Less time re-rigging means more casts, more effective presentations and more opportunities to catch fish.

Every Trapper hook is made from quality hi-carbon steel with a sticky sharp piercing point for rock solid hook sets. They have been proven to improve lure performance, angler efficiency and fish retention.

Best of Show – Eyewear

Costa Rafael Sunglasses

Costa’s new Rafael frame style is comprised of a nearly-indestructible bio-based resin material sourced from the castor plant, a sustainable,

hardy perennial. The bio-based resin produces increased durability, overall sunglasses weight reduction, and the ability for the frames to hold shape from extreme heat to bitter cold temperatures, crucial for anglers out battling the elements. In addition to the durable frame construction, Rafael features a wide temple design wrap-style shape, with sturdy integral hinge technology. It also offers Costa’s signature three-square-hole venting system to alleviate lens fogging, and hypoallergenic rubberized temple tips and nose pads to keep the sunglasses comfortably in place all day, no matter how harsh the conditions.

Best of Show – Line

P-Line Tactical Fluorocarbon

The Suicide Duck is a dual prop top water bait available in two sizes, 4.25” (1oz.) and 6” (2.75oz.) and three colours; Yellow Duck, Wood Duck and Black Bird. This hard body bait fishes on a straight wind, or a pull and pause retrieve, with spinning feet throwing water in all directions to pull fish from great distances. The body sits low in the water with an outstretched head position, exactly like ducks that are trying to hide from predators. The Suicide Duck comes rigged with two hook positions, one on the back, and the other under the front of the body. Either can be removed to customize the bait for any fishing situation. Winner of three awards at the European EFFTX show, the new Savage Gear Suicide Duck gives big fish anglers something truly different to excite trophy fish.

Best of Show – Freshwater Reel

Lew's Team Lew's P-Line Tactical Fluorocarbon is a premium Japanese fluorocarbon line using the finest raw materials and advanced extrusion technologies around. Being tactical means you are detail oriented, with a laser focus on the mission at hand. This fluorocarbon is a key detail in your preparation the next time you go fishing. P-Line Tactical Fluorocarbon is sure to be one of the softest, smoothest, clearest, strongest, and limpest fluorocarbons you have ever fished. It will be available in 200 yard (183m) spools from 6 to 20lb test.

Best of Show – Hard Lure

Savage Gear Suicide Duck

Custom Pro SLP The new Team Lew’s Custom Pro Speed Spool is built on Lew’s new and exclusive SLP Super Low Profile platform, making it compact, powerful and loaded. It is Lew’s lowest profile design ever, weighs only 5.8 ounces, sits super low in the reel seat and provides unmatched balance.

Made possible by SLP cutting-edge engineering, styling and performance, the Team Lew’s Custom Pro is ten percent smaller than traditional Speed Spools, yet has all of the topof-the-line features. Features include a one-piece aluminium frame, C45 carbon side plates and premium 11-bearing system with doubleshielded stainless bearings and a ZeroReverse anti-reverse clutch bearing.

Gears are hard-anodized aluminium alloy. Its 95mm bowed power handle is genuine carbon fibre fitted with custom Winn Dri-Tec knobs for the ultimate no-slip grip. There are three right-hand retrieve models in the Team Lew’s Custom Pro series.

Boats Best of Show - Boat

Old Town Predator PDL

For over a century, Old Town Canoes & Kayaks has raised the bar in personal watercraft, offering paddledriven solutions for passionate anglers and boaters. But it isn’t all J-strokes with the iconic Maine, USA-based watercraft builder. Although the company is renowned for its strong boat-building heritage, they’re also a progressive team committed to innovating new watercraft technologies. Case in point, in 2014 Old Town partnered with Minn Kota to launch the Predator XL Minn Kotaan “Ultimate Fishing Machine” powered by 45 pound of stealth-quiet saltwater-grade power.

It took three years in development and unmistakably, it is the most advanced pedal-driven personal watercraft on earth. It is an angling assault vehicle that offers unrivalled hands-free boat control and fish ability. The result is the perfect boat for avid kayak anglers who need forward and reverse dexterity, prefer casting over paddling, yet still want some form of exercise. Similarly, the Predator PDL offers hunters a great way to access waters where motors are restricted. What Old Town engineers designed is a compact, lightweight and rugged machine, with 16” of draft for navigating skinny waters, and a unique pivot and docking system that allows users to go from parked to peddling (or vice versa) in seconds.

We at SA BASS congratulate Johnson Outdoor and all the other winners.

SA BASS 19 September 2016

Mercury Marine Active Trim

Mercury’s Active Trim is a patented GPS-based control system which simplifies boat operation

D

esigned to suite entry-level and expert boaters alike, Active Trim simplifies boat operation, while improving engine performance and decreasing fuel costs. New boaters immediately are able to trim their engines properly with no intimidating learning curve, and experienced boaters won’t need to monitor and adjust trim constantly upon changes in boat speed or turns.

Using Active Trim has been likened to switching from a manual transmission on an automobile to automatic transmission.

The key to Mercury’s Active Trim is its exclusive and patented GPS-based control system. Unlike systems that use only engine RPM to control trimming, Mercury’s Active Trim controls the trim in accordance with boat speed and engine RPM. This feature solves problems with the engine or drive trimming up instead of down, if the propeller breaks loose in hard turns. It also solves issues

with the engine trimming up too early or too late while the boat is getting up on plane. Active Trim can be used on high-performance boats, and it provides a seamless handoff from auto to manual operation at high speeds, to give the operator full control.

Another Active Trim exclusive is its five selectable trim profiles that accommodate nearly any boat application, from small runabouts, pontoons, bass boats and cruisers to highperformance applications. There’s no need to manually enter trim settings versus RPM into a multi-functional display, as required by some systems. Simply run the boat and select the profile that is best suited for that application. These profiles allow the operator to further personalize Active Trim to their driving style and/or compensate for changes in boat load, operator preference and weather conditions, while maintaining full auto operation.

For operators wanting to get the last mile per hour out of their boat, Active Trim can be over-ridden by using the regular manual trim buttons, though auto mode can be easily re-engaged.

Active Trim is compatible with any new Mercury Outboard or MerCruiser engine with SmartCraft, and is offered on models ranging from entry level to our premium offerings. This includes outboards from 40hp to 400hp and MerCruiser packages from 115hp to 430hp. The system will also be available for retrofitting to engines already in the field.

For more information contact Rutherford Marine on 011-878-2600 or visit your nearest Mercury Outboard dealer.

Rutherford Marine

R

utherford Marine takes great pleasure with expertise & integrity. He will interact in announcing the appointment very well with the market and will add a lot of Craig Gutteridge as the new of value for our customer base." said Martin Divisional Manager. Gutteridge took up his Peterson, CEO of Rutherford. new position in April this year but has been Rutherford’s Marine division has sole making his mark within the Marine division distribution rights for the Mercury range of since joining the company in 2010. outboards and MerCruiser inboards, along “I have gained a comprehensive with a host of well known brand names understanding of the wide range of marine in water sport and boating accessories. products available and the success thereof, Mercury continues to lead the way in said Craig. “Actively participating in a variety innovation, technology and efficiency – of water sports, be it fishing, wakeboarding, manufacturing outboards that are reliable, waterskiing or wherever your passion lies, I durable, easy and intuitive to use. Boat Rutherford Marine’s new Divisional feel that I also bring a different perspective builders, dealers and you - the customer Manager - Craig Gutteridge and insight into the requirements of the are provided with a wealth of knowledge, industry.” comprehensive technical service and support.

For further information contact Rutherford Marine on “I am very excited to have Craig head up our Marine division. He brings a lot of energy to our business together 011-878-2600 20 SA BASS

September 2016

SA BASS NEWS RELEASE >>

South Africa Becomes Latest Country to Sanction FLW Tournaments WJ LINDEQUE CC t/a SA BASS SIGNS EXCLUSIVE LICENSING AGREEMENT TO RUN FLW BASSFISHING TOURNAMENTS IN SOUTH AFRICA

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INNEAPOLIS (Aug. 5, 2016) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced an exclusive licensing agreement with WJ Lindeque cc t/a SA BASS, of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa, to begin sanctioning FLW bass-fishing tournaments in South Africa.

The agreement was signed by FLW President of Operations Kathy Fennel and Hannes Lindeque, a managing member of WJ Lindeque cc.

South Africa will run a series of FLW tournaments that advance anglers, who are citizens of the host country, to the International Division at the Costa FLW Series Championship beginning in 2017. Two anglers will compete as pros, with FLW providing Ranger boats, and two will compete as co-anglers.

“I’m very excited to be part of such an internationallyfocused tournament organization,” said Lindeque, who has competed in FLW tournaments in the United States. “I know that South Africa has some of the world’s best anglers and it is a dream come true to give them an opportunity to compete at a high level. I look forward to seeing how they fare at the Costa FLW Series Championship in 2017.”

The top pro award at the Costa FLW Series Championship is $95,000, including a Ranger Z518C boat if the pro is Ranger Cup qualified, and the top coangler award is a Ranger Z117 boat. The highest finishing pro from the International Division at the Costa FLW Series Championship will advance to the following year’s Forrest Wood Cup for the chance to compete on the sport’s biggest stage. FLW will also provide a Ranger boat for use in the Forrest Wood Cup. South Africa is the fifth country to sign on for the international sanctioning program, joining Canada, South Korea, China, and Mexico.

“We are thrilled to add South Africa to our growing list of countries offering FLW events,” said Kathy Fennel, FLW president of operations. “The global bass fishing community has embraced FLW as a unifying force as we strive to provide unsurpassed opportunities for anglers, fans and sponsors worldwide. South Africa has incredibly dedicated anglers that we are pleased to welcome into the FLW family.”

Additional FLW qualifying tournaments in other countries are forthcoming. Watch FLWFishing.com for details.

Named after the founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW introduced its Fishing League Worldwide tagline in 2014 to better reflect its status as the world’s largest tournament fishing organization. In early 2015, FLW expanded its presence on the world stage with the introduction of a sanctioning program allowing international partners to license the iconic brand and run FLW tournaments abroad.

About FLW FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat: @FLWFishing.

SA BASS 21 September 2016

>> SA BASS ANGLING INTERNATIONAL

3-TAND Shows Off

Abel & Ross

American Tackle Debuts

3-TAND owner Ron Poehailos was at ICAST to debut his new acquisition, ZeebaaS, alongside his company’s own range of reels

The ever-growing momentum behind the Abel and Ross reel brands received a further boost at this week’s ICAST show

A range of products from JigSkinz, which is being distributed globally by American Tackle, was on show at the Florida company’s ICAST booth

Fast-growing US reel manufacturer, 3-TAND, has opened up a whole new market following its acquisition of a renowned brand.

The Connecticut–based business has bought ZeeBaaS, well known for its extensive range of fully sealed saltwater spinning reels.

And the products were shown off for the first time by its new owner at the IFTD show in Orlando last week where they were presented alongside the complete 3-TAND range, including its newly launched VIKN and the Stu Apte Signature Series set of fly reels.

3-TAND owner Ron Poehailos told Angling International that the ZeeBaaS brand is one that he is very familiar with, having worked on it during its creation in 2005.

“ZeeBaaS is the best reel of its kind on the market and it opens up a whole new category for 3-TAND. I am delighted by the acquisition of this renowned brand,” said Poehailos. “Our immediate aim for ZeeBaaS will be to bring down prices on the range and focus on more dealer support and better margins. We will also be looking to improve product flow and increase exposure of the brand.

“We showed it for the first time at IFTD and the result was overwhelmingly positive.”

The reaction to ZeeBaaS capped a ‘fantastic’ show for 3-TAND, a former New Product Showcase winner. “I am grateful for the amount of visitors that stopped at our booth and the number of new relationships we made,” added Poehailos.

The ever-growing momentum behind the Abel and Ross reel brands received a further boost at this week’s ICAST show.

“We have seen a greater volume of dealers than we did last year,” said David Dragoo, President of Mayfly Outdoors, the investment group that owns both brands.

“This is the result of consumers walking into shops and asking for our products. That means that dealers will want to stock them, which is very positive.”

Mayfly acquired Californian company Abel Automatics in December 2012. Ross Reels, located in Colorado, was purchased from Orvis a year later.

Dragoo has avoided making major changes to the businesses.

“A lot of good corporate practices were in place and the best of those have been retained. But we been innovating products faster and consumers have responded.

The operations are more dynamic.”

Mayfly attended EFTTEX for the first time in June and was encouraged by the response. Dragoo and his team are now considering attending next year’s show in Budapest, Hungary. “Dealers now have a compelling reason to have the product and we have ambitions to truly grow our business over there,” he added.

One of Mayfly’s headline products at the show is the Abel SDS, a sealed drag, saltwater reel that is the result of a collaboration between the two factories.

Development work has been ongoing for several years and brings together the best of both brands.

“It’s a very compelling product – one that consumers will really want,” said Dragoo. The Abel SDS will be released in January 2017.

22 SA BASS

September 2016

American Tackle’s new business partnerships were on full display at the world’s biggest trade show.

The company, which announced its distribution partnership with lure manufacturer, Wake Fishing, at EFTTEX just two weeks earlier, showed off the new line-up of products it will be selling exclusively in the US. The products came in eye-catching packaging that included the logos of both companies.

On the eve of EFTTEX, American Tackle revealed a global marketing deal with JigSkinz®, described as the ‘most innovative lure refurbishing, retrofitting and customisation product ever’.

It was launched at EFTTEX, and drew an ‘unbelievable’ response from visitors to its booth in Amsterdam, says American Tackle Co-owner, Darrin Heim. And its reception at ICAST was no less rapturous, underlining predictions that it will be a product that will ‘revolutionise’ the lure industry.

“Both additions to our distribution sales network went down incredibly and bode well for extremely successful partnerships in the future,” added Heim.

Managing Director of Wake Fishing, Jose Jaakkola, told Angling International: “Reaction to the range from visitors to the booth was extremely encouraging and it was great to be able to show them perform in the demonstration pool in the front of the American Tackle booth.”

It was action all the way for the Florida-based company, which hosted a string of events during the three days of the show including its Pro Staff Enrollment, the official MicroWave Challenge and the Second Annual FlipOff Championship. These were in addition to the third Wave Army Reception, which included refreshments and giveaways for fans of its MicroWave Guide System.

>> Anthony Hawkswell*

Costa Hosted Discussion on Ocean Trash

The Washed Ashore Project’s mako shark sculpture

ICAST award winner Costa hosted a round table discussion to bring the issue of ocean trash to the forefront.

The Florida-based company, a New Product Showcase winner at last year’s show, hosted the panel discussion ‘The Outdoor Industry Kicks Plastic: Clean Up Our Own House First’.

Brand representatives from Patagonia, Saltwater Brewery, GoPro and Journey Outfitters joined Costa to tell how they successfully changed their products and business practices to reduce use of plastic and discussed ways the sport fishing industry can play a meaningful role in addressing the problem and changing behaviours.

“When we launched the Kick Plastic campaign last year we knew we, as anglers, would be the ones leading the charge to help people understand how we can reduce the amount of plastic debris ending up in the ocean,” explained Al Perkinson, Vice President of Marketing, Costa. “At ICAST we came together as an industry to discuss this issue more deeply and started to form some real solutions to help alleviate this problem – starting within our own businesses.”

In addition to hosting the discussion, Costa brought the Washed Ashore Project’s mako shark sculpture to the ICAST entrance hall. Last year a giant marlin made entirely out of debris greeted visitors to the show to help them understand the gravity of the plastic problem in the oceans.

The Washed Ashore Project is an Oregon-based non-profit organisation which builds sea life art sculptures using plastic marine debris found on Pacific beaches.

DUCE Makes Debut

Goldman Sachs and Bass Pro

Duce says that it is revolutionising fishing with the introduction of its new rods at ICAST

CABELAS

Duce Rods says it is revolutionising fishing – with an idea that has been around for ages.

The Louisiana rod company made its ICAST debut this week and is showcasing its spiral wrapped technology through two new product lines.

Both the Echo and Delta series feature a spiraling guide design developed to reduce torque and friction, increase sensitivity and provide better control.

“We are changing the way the fishing game is played and introducing an idea that has been around for ages, but has not been available to the mass market,” said the company’s Rob Lever.

“We will be glad to explain the technology and its benefits to anyone who visits booth 2892. We are committed to making niche rods available to fishermen of all experience levels.”

The Echo line has been made with bass anglers in mind and comprises 12 models covering a variety of techniques.

The multi-modulus, lightweight graphite blanks have an EVA foam split grip with shrink tube titanium guides and Duce’s own screw-down hood.

The Delta rods feature ten inshore and freshwater actions and are built on the same blanks as the Echo. Features include custom-engraved, cork split grips, a foregrip hook keeper and titanium guides.

>> FTR* NEW YORK - Goldman Sachs and Bass Pro are close to finalizing a purchase of Cabela’s, the New York Post reports.

Speculation surrounding a potential purchase of Bass Pro Shop’s largest retail competitor has been swirling for months.

“The auction of Cabela’s is expected to close within days,” the report says.

In July, Goldman Sachs partnered with a European fund to acquire marine electronics giant Navico - the parent company of Lowrance, Simrad and GoFree. Navico CEO Leif Ottosson has stated that the buy has little operational impact on Navico. It is speculated that Goldman Sachs involvement with the Bass Pro/Cabela’s deal would similarly have little operational impact.

Bass Pro and Cabela’s are generally regarded as the number one and number two big box outdoor retailers in North America. Together they would form a giant worth upwards of $7 billion annually.

Two private equity firms that were stated to be interested in purchasing Cabela’s in June - Apex Partners and TPG Capital - have fallen out of the race, leaving Bass Pro Shops as the lone suitor for the Sidney, Nebraska-based retailer. *Fishing Tackle Retailer

SA BASS 23 September 2016

Jason Christie Finds Two New Favourites

Bassmaster Elite Series pro angler, Jason Christie

There’s another capital in Arkansas, USA. If you follow the Arkansas River upstream, it will be there. Away from the lights and bridges and politics of Little Rock, you’ll find it. Past Lake Dardanelle and just up the highway from the official state capital, you’ll find a national capital of fishing - the Pradco headquarters in Fort Smith.

It’s here, near the ArkansasOklahoma border, that you’ll find the home of legendary fishing brands like Heddon, Cotton Cordell, Bandit and Rebel. And it’s here - under Pradco’s banner - that you’ll find a pair of future best sellers from another Pradco brand, YUM. The soft plastic YUM lure that Bassmaster Elite Series pro Jason Christie dubbed, “the perfect mid-sized creature bait,” in 2014, now has a full-size big brother with the 2016 introduction of YUM’s Magnum Christie Critter.

At 7.75 inches, the Magnum Christie Critter weighs in at a full 3.25 inches longer than its predecessor, and the difference turns the bait into an all-out giant hunter.

“I’ve gained a lot of confidence in the Christie Critter over the last couple of years,” Christie says. “It’s become a big confidence bait for me, and I’ve won a lot of money on it. The idea for a bigger Christie Critter came when I was out fishing ledges last year. When you’re fishing deep, it feels like the choices are a big worm or another big worm, and I thought that a big-size Christie Critter would be something different and a great target bait.”

“I can see this bait being great on places where there’s a lot of fourplus pounders,” he adds. “Places like Kentucky Lake, Guntersville, Toledo Bend and Falcon, where you want to pull up to a school of fish and catch the five biggest fish in the school without 24 SA BASS September 2016

burning through the rest of them.”

Christie is also using the Magnum Christie Critter for flipping and pitching (of course), but it’s good at a lot more, including Carolina rigging. “It’s not just a flipping and pitching bait or just a deep water bait, but it’s definitely a big fish bait.”

Out of the bottle “I always wanted a worm,” Christie says. “I finally found one.”

The worm he’s’ talking about is the second YUM newbie that’s finding a home in Christie’s 2016 arsenal. The Genie is a versatile 7.5-inch worm with a segmented body and flag tail that’s perfect as a Texas rig or shaky head. “I like flipping a worm a lot in late summer and early fall, when I feel like the fish have been pressured a lot. There’s just a time when you’re flipping docks and brush piles that something more subtle like the Genie is going to catch fish.”

“Since I like to flip a worm,” he adds, “the first thing I ask myself when I look at a bait, is if it has enough plastic for me to use it all day without having to spend more time re-rigging than fishing. The Genie is built so the head and hook areas are thicker than the rest of the worm, and that makes it tougher and capable of catching more fish with a single bait. It also uses that flag tail - it sort of looks like an arrowhead - to give it a little action, and you can scale the segmented body down to make it a smaller bait if you want. The Genie is a fantastic in places where fish get a good look at the bait.”

YUM’s new Magnum Christie Critter and Genie, together, they’re the latest innovations coming from Arkansas’ supreme capital of fishing tackle.

Third Hobie Champiopnship

Sweden has been chosen as the host nation for the third Hobie Fishing European Championships.

The kayak event, sponsored by Lowrance and GoFree, will take place on Lake Mjörn in the country’s west coast region, where anglers will target pike, perch and zander.

“Sweden’s extraordinary potential as one of Europe’s greatest angling destinations was the key reason for the decision,” said organiser Gero Priebe, Fishing Product Manager for Hobie Europe. “And in Lake Mjörn we have found the perfect venue.”

The tournament takes place in September and will be fished to a photoand-release format. It will be decided on the highest aggregate length over two days. All competitors will fish from their own Hobie Mirage kayaks and the winner will automatically qualify for the Hobie Fishing Worlds 2016.

Best in Show Win

The Minn Kota booth at ICAST was the place to be following the New Product Showcase and its double award win.

After its success – the Minn Kota Ultrex won Overall Best of Show and the Boating Accessories category – Brand Manager Brad Henry told Angling International that he was inundated with visitors wanting to get a look at the winning product. “It was a pretty hectic time – everyone was overwhelmed by what they saw.”

Henry added: “It was amazing to pick up two awards. To have all our hard work – throughout every single department – pay off in this way was an unbelievable feeling. We are all very proud.”

The Johnson Outdoors brand, one of the foremost makers of trolling motors, has added GPS technology to the popular Ultrex. “A lot of people have been asking us for this type of motor,” explained Henry. “It still has the look and feel of cable steer, but we have now added brains to it. Everyone we showed it to was pretty blown away by it.”

>> SA BASS CLASSROOM

With the drought hitting most parts of South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and the water levels very low everyone is praying for rain to fill up our dams again.

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Fishing Frontal Conditions

any beginner anglers will ask the same questions over and over; â&#x20AC;&#x153;what are the best conditions to fish: pre-frontal or post-frontal?â&#x20AC;?

Cold fronts appear throughout the year and will differ from autumn, spring and summer. It will also depend on in which part of the country you are.

For me there is no doubt that pre-frontal conditions are the best time to be on the water. When spring arrives the water will start to warm up and as usual the bass will follow migration routes to the shallows and fatten up for the big spawn ahead. If the weather is stable bass can become easy targets because of their natural instincts to spawn and many trophy size fish will be caught. During stable weather conditions, active bass will roam the shallows or edges of cover searching for food and will chase down most fast moving lures.

Normally two to three days before the front hits the venue the bass will start to feed aggressively in the shallow areas. Only a degree or more warmer water will make a big difference on their behaviour, so keep your eyes on the fish finder for these smallest changes in water temperature.

If it happens that severe enough cold fronts hit the spawning area over a period of time in the late spawn, the bass can even ditch their spawning areas and will not try and spawn again until next year.

When searching for bass the first areas to go and have a look at will be the shorelines where the sun rays will hit first.

These areas will heat up first and especially the rocky banks.

26 SA BASS

September 2016

>> Bennie Wiese*

The bait fish will also move to the warmer water that makes it even more ideal conditions.

I will start off by fan casting suspended jerk baits in the shallows to find the more aggressive bass and work it to the deeper water. Changing my retrieve ratio every now and then until I find what the bass are looking for. If you are fishing a venue with mostly flats, look for any other structure like vegetation or wood in the area. It will only improve the migration route and can be the perfect staging stops for the bass before they start to move on away from the shallows.

Finding structure in these areas will be the place to look for fish. After the front has past; post-frontal conditions can still be good fishing if there are still clouds and rain around.

The tougher fishing conditions will be when we have the cold blue bird days. Just keep in mind that it might not be that bad at all. Go out and look for the nearest drop off into deeper water and use electronics to find vegetation in those deeper areas. I believe the bass will do one of two things; they will either suspend over these drop offs or go and hide in the deeper grass until the front has moved along. When you find the bass you will notice that they normally are in schools on the drop off or in deep grass. If you can activate the school and get one of them to bite then it can be a very productive day for you.

There are also different areas that can hold bass like I mentioned, just go out and find points and bends with your electronics. Find that and it will be easier to locate the fish.

If you can see the structure with fish on it you can fish with

@

d

C

on

Here’s another easy e-mail competition for SA BASS readers!

Answer the easy question below and stand a chance to win a Sigma inflatable lifejacket from Lalizas.

Sigma 150N Inflatable lifejacket more confidence in that area. It may require repeated casts to the same spot before you can get a bit more action.

I will usually fish these areas with a light Carolina rig or different size jigs and trailers moving the baits slowly over or through the structure. Don’t just use one size of bait but change it. Start small and go bigger; you can even try to add rattles or small blades to it. By just changing the lure can make a difference.

Suspended baits like jerkbaits or crankbaits will also work great in these conditions for the reason that you can fish them slower and let the lure pause for longer times in the strike zone. These days there are even lures that can imitate bait fish sounds. If you can get the attention of the bass chances are good that you will get a reaction out of them. Bass can be very curious.

Always remember that bass are part of nature and will adapt during the cold fronts. The angler will also have to adapt to the changing conditions regardless of season.

To summarise; cold front fishing isn’t terrible. Yes it can be difficult but learn to adjust the way you think, your tactics and where you are going to fish. Match what the bass are doing under any frontal condition. By adapting your chances will be greater for success. If you can learn to adapted you may catch some of those bigger fish that you always thought were impossible to catch. *Bennie Wiese is the editor of SA Bass magazine and an experienced provincial bass angler.

The Sigma life jacket from Lalizas is an economic life jacket available in auto and manual version. The ultra lightweight design makes Sigma comfortable to wear and its webbing system makes it a user-friendly life jacket. This cost effective life jacket is available, in red and its transparent area allows the user to check the operating head function.

The inflatable bladder, which is manufactured from high visibility yellow fabric, is folded into a nylon red valise with Velcro closure and it is also equipped with Lalizas retro reflective tapes and whistle. They are provided with lifting loop and heavy duty D-ring for easier rescue.

Some other features: Compatible with all major suppliers CO2 bottles; Easy re-packing; Economical re-arming kits; Auto heads designed not to fire in heavy weather; Maintain the correct flotation position in the water (face-up); Fully adjustable straps and more.

Visit www.lalizas.co.za or a dealer near you.

(See Lalizas’ advertisement elsewhere in this issue) QUESTION: What is the e-mail address shown in the Lalizas advertisement?

To enter simply e-mail your answer to: competitions@sabass.com to reach us on or before 30 September 2016.

RULES: The prize may not be exchanged for money The closing date for entries is 30 September 2016.

To enter simply e-mail your answer to: competitions@sabass.com The first correct entry drawn on the closing date will be the winner By entering this competition you agree to all rules and accept that the decision of the publisher is final and that no correspondence thereto will be entertained This competition is open to all readers of SA BASS except employees of SA BASS, BB Print and Lalizas and their immediate families.

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. A Any yp photos previously published by other magazines will not be considered.

This month ’s

WINN

ER

THANKS We went to a private dam near Nottingham Road, KZN, on a freezing cold Sunday in May. I decided to fish the deep structure with a Baby Bass Super Fluke and landed this beutifull bass; estimated at 1.6kg. Thank you for the great magazine and tips... – Mike Scheepers

TWELVE I caught this beauty weighing 958g on a cold day with atmospheric temperatures at a max 12ºC. Fishing was very slow and tricky. I managed to locate a school of bass near a deep drop off. Yet interesting I landed about 12 bass in muddy water not deeper than one meter.

They also showed a strange pattern almost like in spawning time where they see the lizard as a threat and not hitting it aggressively. They rather picked it up and swam away to drop it elsewhere without me knowing I had a bite.

I caught all the fish on a light Mojo rig with a Junebug Zoom lizard with yellow tail, moving it super slow. It made the freezing almost to death well worth it. All twelve I landed weighed between 700 and 958g and were caught between 10:00 and 16:00 at a private dam near Arnot.

– Johan van Rooyen

HONGER Ons het Rietvleidam besoek en iets ongewoon het daar gebeur. Daar was ‘n byt aan een van die karpstokke en ek het hierdie swartbaar van 2.02kg op die bodem met ‘n tigernut aan ‘n haarstrop gevang – Dries Murray (cont. on p30)

28 SA BASS September 2016

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(contd. from p28)

Anton Bouwer with his 2.7kg bass

MOKOLO MAGIC

Evert Laubscher

After seeing some recent good catches at Mokolo Dam, Anton Bouwer and I decided to do a weekend trip to this picturesque dam in the Limpopo province. It was the first time either of us had visited this dam and I can surely say it wasn’t the last. The water temperature was between 15 and 18ºC and the fishing was excellent. On the Saturday we managed to catch a 9.6kg bag, with Anton landing the biggest fish of 2.7kg. We had the most success on deep diving crankbaits, jigs and spinnerbaits. Thanks for the informative magazine!

– Evert Laubscher

READERS GO BASSING Mail & 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.

30 SA BASS September 2016

September Seminar: Catching Bass During the spawn Presented by top Anglers Shop 1-3, Nazarene Centre, 418 Ontdekkers Road, Florida Park, Roodepoort Tel: 011 - 672 1273 keith.knott@outdoorparadise.co.za

Various specials during September

For more specific details: Follow and like us on Facebook: "Knotts Outdoor Paradise"

>> SA BASS CLASSROOM

Pre-spawn Finesse Fishing Pre-spawn has a different meaning to each and every angler. For some it means, getting ready for the spawn and for others it simply means that it’s now time to hit the water because if we listen to the ones that know... this is BIG fish season. >> John Badenhorst*

P

re-spawn is loosely interpreted as a pattern that emerges at the very first signs of approaching spring. This could be a subtle change in weather patterns, slight change of the th angle of the sun as we head towards warmer days or even th first shy blossoms on a peach tree. the There is a common misconception that during the co colder months, all bass will be headed towards deeper water where the temperatures may be a degree warmer than in the w shallower sh areas because of less current and less influence by pr prevailing wind or cold snaps. This being said, there are merits in that thought, and fishing deep during the colder months te tend to produce fish, but not all fish head deeper. Some are so in tune with their surroundings that they will maybe move sli slightly deeper, but will most likely stick around in the general ar area. Many have said this and I will say it here again... bass ar are predators and they have to eat, so working a bit more pa patiently and changing tactics will produce results.

The birds are up earlier, the sun shines brighter and the ge general day time temps seem to be much better leaning to towards what we would call balmy... This is the pre-spawn period pe and if approached the right way and using the right techniques could most probably yield that sought after new te P PB. This is the time when bass will be ‘staging’. Staging is th the period before the actual spawn when the deeper holding fi would start actively patrolling areas and will be actively fish feeding fe and hunting.

Good staging areas happen to be pathways along old river c channels, contour lines or rocky humps and lay downs. The ssmaller baitfish will be congregating in these areas as the w water warms up and this will have the bass close to follow.

These areas afford cover, protection and a quick escape just Th in case of a sudden cold snap. Loosely put, this area will be close to deeper water and protective cover with some

32 SA BASS

September 2016

ambush points. These areas will be patrolled by single fish or the occasional school of fish while they hunt to catch up on energy reserves lost during the colder months and to fatten up for the upcoming spawn. Male fish will also venture out of these staging areas into shallower water to start looking for nesting sites and it’s not uncommon to see beds that have already been cleared by eager fish to spawn. This time of the year, the waters tend to be much clearer and spotting nests is much easier. If you happen to spot a few areas that have been cleared by fish getting ready for the upcoming spawn, you can be sure that the fish that cleared those nests are not too far away. There are times when during the actual spawn, bass will not eat at all and the fish being caught are caught purely due to the aggressive and protective nature of O’l Bigmouth.

Keeping in mind that water will be much clearer than in summer months, the approach to pre-spawn angling should be adjusted according to the area that you are targeting. Good baits to use this time of the season are soft plastics like flukes, minnows, lizards and Brush Hogs or small creature baits. Remember, the fish are now only becoming active again after the winter and due to the water clarity will probably be way more skittish than normal. Lure colours all depend on the depth and clarity of the water so be mindful of your choices. I personally find a more finesse approach to deliver the goods around this time using small two to four inch baits, lightly rigged on a Mojo as the fish tend to be more in a suspending mood than sitting right on the bottom. Using thinner

monofilament or fluorocarbon line because of water clarity also helps to present your lure in a non-threatening manner is more likely to get chomped. Takes can vary from a very subtle, spongy feeling to an absolutely mind blowing bolt of lightning so be prepared.

On a recent outing to a local dam, two friends and I fished from inflatables along the outside edge of some lily pads bordering on deeper water. After almost an hour with no bite at all we decided to move on and found a spot around 4ft deep littered with old roots from reeds that had died with a deeper contour line running along the outer edge. Rigging up a Night Fury, I cast along this edge amongst the roots and as the bait was dropping through the water I had a bump, and then the line pulled tight resulting in a good healthy fish of just under a kilo. For the next couple of hours we managed to land 61 very healthy fish and not a single dinky amongst them. This also proved that if an area has produced fish before, it’s most likely to keep on producing and that these so called staging areas w will reload more often as fish keep moving to and fro.

Once a cold snap hits as it usually does just before spring, the staging area should still hold fish but here a drop shot method with smaller baits would most likely produce the desired results.

As for hard baits, a slow retrieve on square billed crank baits or suspending twitch minnows could produce some good fish, as would a slow rolled spinnerbait. In soft plastics I prefer the smaller baits in natural colours and here The Dragon, Night Fury and Seboko have produced consistently.

This is an exciting time for anglers and it’s time to dust off the rods, oil the reels and go hunting for that pre spawn staging fish and hopefully your next PB. *John Badenhorst is from Wolf Lures, Flies & Feathers and a keen angler himself.

SA BASS 33 September 2016

>> SA BAARS BASIESE BEGINSELS

Oewerhengel vir Swartbaars Dit kan net so opwindend wees om vanaf die kant te hengel as vanaf ‘n boot

M eerste swartbaar was jare gelede by My Rondeboschdam vanaf die oewer gevang, R maar dit voel nogsteeds soos gister. m >> Bennie Wiese*

E

k het net daar ‘n groot liefde gekry vir hierdie groen en goud visse. Ek het vir die eerste keer gesien hoe ‘n swartbaar uit die water spring om die hoek uit sy bek te skud.

Nie almal is so gelukkig om die eerste keer vanaf ‘n boot te begin hengel nie, maar ek dink dit is eintlik ‘n goeie ding. Al het ek my eie boot, gaan ek nog gereeld vir ‘n uur of twee na kleiner waters naby my woning.

Dit kan net so opwindend wees

34 SA BASS September 2016

om vanaf die kant te hengel as vanaf ‘n boot. Ongelukkig is mens redelik beperk wanneer vanaf die kant hengel word. Maar dit geld ook vir die boothengelaars wat nie die vlakwater hengelareas kan bereik nie.

Groot, dik swartbaars is nie altyd vanaf die kant vangbaar nie, maar wanneer hulle wel in die vlakwater is, moet jy gereed wees vir groot pret. Jou kans sal die beste wees vroegoggend en laatmiddag. Die res

van die tyd sal die baars maar meer in die dieper water wees, veral nou in die warmer maande. Hulle verkies om uit direkte sonlig te bly en sal verseker net buite jou bereik wees, veral as daar watergras naby die hengelgebied is. Soos die water warmer word, beweeg hulle dieper in die in gras in, óf meer in die skaduwee in waar hulle op hulle gemak sal wees - maar nooit te ver weg van hulle voedsel af nie.

Daar is ook baie damme wat

ongelukkig nie van die kant af gehengel kan word nie omdat dit toegegroei is met riete, gras of dit het gevaarlike kranse wat deel vorm van die oewer.

Baie van die oewers waar mense wel toegang kan kry, kan jou baie beperk met hengelspasie.

Indien jy wel jou kunsaas in die water kry, is daar soms weer vashaakplekke wat jou kuns steel. Die beste raad is om maar ‘n veilige area te kies waar daar genoeg hengelspasie is.

Die grootste voordeel van oewerhengel is dat dit jou kan leer om meer oplettend te wees. Jy kan die watervoëls dophou en kyk wat hulle gedrag is. Jy staan dalk langs ‘n oop bank wat na niks lyk nie, maar daar is bleshoenders wat duik omdat hulle opsoek is na kos. Hulle wei in die watergras wat weer skuiling bied aan insekte wat weer kos is vir kleiner vissies, ensovoorts.

Kormorante wat gereeld duik en opkom met ‘n vis of twee is ‘n aanduiding dat daar wel vis in die area is wat gevang kan word, maar pasop om nie ‘n kormorant te vang nie! Die swartbaars sal altyd in die omgewing van hulle kos wees. Hoeveel keer het jy al geloop en hengel, dan klim ‘n krap uit die water, óf daar sit een op ‘n droë boom wat in die water lê?

Miskien al gedink waarom?

Daar is iets in die water wat die krap wil eet. Miskien is dit meneer Bass wat daar rond draai op soek na kos. Dan praat ons nie eens oor geraas wat jy hoor langs die riete óf onder die die groen wilgerboom met sy lang

groen takke wat tot in die water hang nie.

Wanneer die baars kuitskiet (broei) is dit seker een van die maklikste tye om hulle naby die kant te vang.

Ongelukkig maak baie van die oewerhenglaars misbruik van die geleentheid en word baie van die groot wyfies, ons teelvisse, gestroop.

Die geveg tussen henglaar en vis is gewoonlike baie kort. Of jy kry hom vinnig aan wal, of hy gooi die hoek wanneer hy uit die water spring.

Soms breek die lyn en verdwyn die vis met jou kunsaas. As jy hengel langs ‘n oewer met steil walle, maak gerus gebruik van ‘n lang skepnet. Moet eerder nie kanse vat en bene breek nie.

Wees maar op jou hoede, veral wanneer van ons Limpopo en oostelike Mpumalanga damme gehengel word.

Van die damme het seekoeie en groot krokodille. Meer mense word jaarliks deur seekoeie doodgemaak as deur krokodille. Moenie die kinders alleen los óf toelaat dat hulle naby, of in die water gaan nie. Wees veilig en bly ten minste twee meter weg van die water.

Oewerhengel kan opwindend wees en maklik saam met die familie gedoen word. Die meeste hengelaars het so begin hengel, en as die gogga jou eers gebyt het, maak jy gou plan om elke geleentheid te gaan hengel.

We stock a large variety of fishing tackle and equipment.

*Bennie Wiese is die redakteur van SA BASStydskrif en self ook ‘n ervare provinsiale swartbaarhengelaar.

Shop 18, Lynnwood Bridge, 4 Daventry Road, Lynnwood Manor Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Visit our online shop at www.fishingsfinest.co.za

>> SA BASS CLASSROOM

All for One It is that time of the year again. The water temperature is starting to rise and we all know what that means… “pre-spawn”. >> Hendrik We all know that this is a great time of the year for bass fishing. It is getting warmer and the bass are going to start to feed. It is also the time of year that we all would like to try and catch our personal best. But, as we all know it's not going to be that easy because this is also the time of the year

that the weather is going to be unstable and the bass will be on the move.

I have found that there are four “go-to” techniques in order to take advantage of the situation and here they are:

Cranking If there is one rod that I will always pick up first it would be a crankbait rod with a shallow running crank tied on.

To make sure I cover all the areas I will start cranking in the shallows where the water will warm up first and work my way back to deeper areas. In doing so I will search for a vertical drop on the bank as well and as a result you will be targeting the bass that are staging.

You might be wondering which type of crank would be suitable for these conditions. I prefer to use thin shallow running cranks with a tight wiggle as possible. Remember

that the water is warming up and a fat, bulky bait with a slow big wobble is more suitable for colder conditions.

If your crankbait doesn’t When selecting a colour I willll have orange, add it our, go for something with a “loud” colour, like chartreuse with a pearl body bbut, t I prefer f it tto h have like a little bit of orange on the belly. If your crankbait doesn’t has orange, add it; it always made a difference to my fishing

Drop shot I recently started fishing with a drop shot rig and must admit that at first I was a bit sceptic. Maybe it was because I had to spent more time looking at my fish finder than on fishing but, if there is one thing I can say about it - this technique really puts fish on the boat.

When you find that vertical drop off and the fish are not reacting to the shallow cranks then pick up your drop shot rig. The nice thing about drop shotting is that you can mark the fish on your finder and when you drop the lure you can actually keep it in front of the fish for as long as you like. Chances are very good that the bite will be there and by using this technique you will be able to follow the drop off and fish deeper.

I like to use 8lb test line if the water is stained and might even go to 12lb with a 3/8 oz drop shot weight.

Use whatever hook you prefer but, for me a circle hook is the way to go. I must confess that I have used a normal 36 SA BASS

September 2016

3/0 EWG hook as well in emergencies.

I prefer natural coloured bait, depending on the clarity of the water, and would use a straight worm that has a lot off m not action when you wiggle it. I’m very fond of using lures with a curly tail but that is entirely a personal choice. Remember this might be considered as a type off finesse fishing, so don’t go to big as bigger is not always better.

Also, please don’t overdo it with the wiggling. Just hold the rod in your hand and go with a pick up motion until you tighten the line and then relax. Once in a while give a few quick jerks and make sure you watch your fish finder screen. If the finder shows fish underneath the boat just drop the rig where you are.

Swimbait Another up and coming bait these days is the swimbait.

Although there are loads of different ones for this time of the year the smaller paddle tail versions will be more than enough.

What makes this such a great bait is that it is quite versatile. Just by using different weighted hooks you can basically use it at any depth you prefer. Swim it as fast or as slow as you want. Swim it in any area including open flats and even through structure.

Swimbaits are one of the new babies in the sport as far as how to use them; I’ve seen anglers using them on spinnerbaits, jigs and even umbrella rigs.

It will mostly be the feeding bass that would target these baits and that is why you would have to experiment with different speeds and depthss n of until you find the ideal location the staging bass. When you find the bass at a certain depth but you struggling to get the right speed at that depth then change your weight to adapt to what you need. Always try to imitate the bait fish in the dam where you are fishing.

With swimbaits your presentation is going to be the key between being successful or not.

Jigs When looking for the bigger fish there is only one goto bait and that is a jig. It’s not a fancy bait and has been on the market for the many years but it still produces fish.

Just by dragging it over the rocks, through brush piles and every other structure or obstacle, you will find your fish. Don’t forget to fish the secondary points, jetties and vertical drops as well.

For me there are only three colours to use namely black and blue, Junebug and green pumpkin red. Yes, there are many other colours as well but by having these three colours you will take out the guessing factor. If you want to vary your presentation then add a trailer on your jig but, go with a trailer that has little action. Remember

the water is still going to be cold.

I prefer a jig that won’t roll and will be using compact fine When looking for the skirt. Finesse jigs are one way to bigger fish there is only one go-to bait and that go. is a jig to” That concludes my four “go-to” techniques for early pre-spawn which will cover most of the areas you would be fishing this early spring. Although there are four you don’t have to use all of them at once.

Choose two and master them. The more confidence you have in a technique, the more success you will have.

Enjoy your fishing and please look after this valuable resource we have.

R13500

SA BASS 37 September 2016

>> SA BASS CLASSROOM

ŷ.;>8/>1;9.Ɩ ź>n/@ ,.>8ƛ

>> Neels Beneke

E

The key is to hit as many points as possible to find the productive points 38 SA BASS

September 2016

merging from their deep winter time haunts, prespawn bass can result in a lot of kicker size fish. It is the time of year when the bass start their migration to the shallows in preparation for the spawn. The emerging signs of spring and longer days activate their feeding behaviour and natural instinct to migrate closer towards their spawning banks and set themselves up staging, waiting for the right conditions to move up shallow and spawn.

Staging is the process where the bass tend to hold off onto the closest deep water structure with quick access to shallow spawning areas. It is these staging areas that we are interested in finding but first it is important to be able to identify the possible spawning areas. Here is a basic S.P.A.W.N. guideline to identify possible spawning grounds: Sun: The sun plays an important as the banks and bays that get hit by the sun first are generally the ones that hold the warmer water and therefore the first wave of prespawners.

Protection: Strong current and hard hit banks by the prevailing winds don’t serve as good bedding sites as it washes up the beds, thus look for more protected waters.

Access: Quick deep water access close by to spawning grounds is ideal. Bass is believed to not travel more than 100m from their staging area to their spawning beds. The less energy a bass have to use, the better.

Water visibility: Bass need their eggs to be incubated by the rays of the sun and therefore wont spawn in deeper water than what the sun rays can reach, this can help you determine up to what depths bass will spawn and in return you can adjust your staging areas.

Nice bottom: I’m referring to nice as anything looking “spawny” because I’ve seen bass make beds in strangest places, but basically a firm bottom that the eggs can cling to. Bass can spawn on roots, on top of stumps, rubble, rock, etcetera; especially where firm soil is absent these alternatives do the job. Looking at the banks out of the water can give you a good indication of the type of soil running into the water. A mixture of good firm bottom next to cover is ideal.

I believe by combining all of these guidelines can point you in the right direction and eliminate some water, but remember each dam is different, it’s a process of elimination and by trial and error you gain more experience and knowledge about the spawning behaviour in that particular dam.

Shallow flats are always high percentage potential spawning grounds and are veryy easy to identify on a contour map. Look forr staging areas around these flats like the firstt p drop, ledge, river channel bend or any steep contour breaks along the flat.

Congregation areas Congregation areas can be defined as an n area that bass need to swim through or pastt on their migration route in order to get too their spawning grounds. These areas can alsoo be considered as pinching points for example le the narrow mouth of a bay, bridge pilings and d corners entering a bay, anything that acts as a funnelling point where bass swim by. Tzaneen en Dam at the 2016 Nationals is a great example of this where the bridge corners and piling leading ng or into the waterfall bay played a major role for me as bass from all spawning phases moving in and out of the bay had to go through there. The bass kept coming and the area replenished all the time.

Finding pre-spawn bass is a process of elimination, so next time before you get out on the water do your homework. Get a map and identify the possible staging and congregation ion areas close to the spawning banks keeping in mind that staging areas is the first quick deep eep water access from a spawning area. Hit these deep eep staging areas first and work your way shallow and you are bound to intersect them.

ination

Flats

Finding pre-spawn bass is a process of elim

Primary and secondary points a normally productive throughout the year because bass use points as a pit stop during migration and also provides quick deep water access if a spawning bank is close by. These can often be the best place to intersect bass moving to the shallows as it is the first stop going into a bay from the main dam and provides great feeding opportunity. The key is to hit as many points as possible to find the productive points.

e at the same time Not all bass are in the same spawn phas

Points

grounds

It is important to note that not all bass are in the same spawn phase at the same time. Water warms up more in the backwaters of a bay or up creeks and even a one degree difference can call for that first wave of pre-spawners. River channel bends or ditches leading into the bay are perfect staging areas to intersect these fish.

possible spawning Use the S.P.A.W.N. guideline to identify

Staging areas to look for: Backwater bays

SA BASS 39 September 2016

>> SA BASS CLASSROOM

Game

of Grams Every angler that has every fished some kind of tournament will know that grams can make a difference between winning a tournament, and finishing second. >> Bennie Wiese*

E Culling beam with culling stringers

ECO Culling Beam

specially if you are fishing a venue that has a lot of small fish and the top ten places on a tournament are separated by only 300 gram.

Have a look at the last few Cast-for-Cash tournament results. All tournament anglers are getting remarkably more experienced, which makes getting on the podium even more difficult. Accuracy is the key word for these tournaments and it forms a critical part of tournament bass fishing. If everybody is catching the same size fish it can be a real pain to take the bass in and out of the live-well, weigh and tag them. It also hurts the fish by doing this. If you are culling every few minutes how much fishing time do you lose?

Having a few easy tips can help any angler to cull quickly and accurately.

We all have our preferred scales that we like to use. If you are using a digital scale it can happen that the digital scales could differ few grams and that can cost you the win.

There is a tool that every competitive angler must have… a culling beam is very accurate and will make sure that you cull the correct fish. At many tournaments you will hear anglers complaining that their scales were giving them a different reading than the weigh station’s scale. Yes, keep the scale for the bigger fish to get a reading for your personal record but the culling beam is just more accurate on the smaller fish. Culling beams never lie, are not expensive and are even easy to make if you are a bit of a handyman. Don’t misunderstand me; I do have a very expensive digital scale onboard and normally the more expensive scales are more accurate. They even have a system that helps you to cull the correct colour tagged fish.

Culling tips

Berkley culling system scale and weigh board weigh grease pen 40 SA BASS

September 2016

I have a positive attitude going into every tournament I fish believing that I will get my five fish limit. As the fish are landed I will tag everyone from the beginning with a different colour or numbered tag. When you get your limit you are ready to cull the lighter fish easy. There are anglers that will wait until they get their limit before they start to cull. If the bass are tagged from the beginning it makes it easier to take them out of the live-well again, especially if they are small and in a big live-well full of water. You don’t have to chase them around and waste time again. Don’t

pull them out of the live-well and let them hang on the tag.

Rather just pull the tag so you can turn the head of the bass in order for you to scoop them up. How many times have you heard about bass jumping out the angler’s hands, onto the deck and back into the water when he tried to remove the bass? It happens!

We all heard of anglers that came to the weigh station with four or even six fish thinking he had five in the bag. Get yourself six culling tags (numbered or coloured) and hang them somewhere where you can see them. If there is more than one visible you know you need more fish in the livewell; if there are no tags available it means that you have too many bass in the live-well. (Please note; tournament rules may specify how many fish you are allowed to have on board) I prefer to attach the culling beam directly to the culling clips attached to the fish, especially if you are using the stringer type of clips. It will help avoid making extra holes in the bass’ lower jaw as well as saving you time.

There have been many discussions on what’s the best culling system - tags or clips? The oldest method is the stringer clip with a float. I personally don’t enjoy piercing the fish’s jaw and prefer the type that just clips onto the lower jaw with a coloured string attached. If you have to pierce the lip it is better to sharpen the point of the hook so you don’t tear the skin. If you have a boat with a large, deep live-well the floating device with a short string can tired out the already stress bass even more.

When using a digital scale and you don’t have money for those expensive ones with a build in culling system then get yourself a type of grease pen to write down the weights.

Write down the weight of the fish and colour of the tag anywhere visible. Just make sure you can wipe it off after the day’s fishing with a wet cloth.

Every angler has his own way of culling fish but the golden rule is; the lightest fish must always go first. Therefore it is critical that you know what is going on in the live-well.

Many anglers have culled the wrong fish and accidently threw back a bass with the culling tag still attached to its mouth.

Yip, it happened that other anglers re-caught a tagged fish.

The great advantage of a culling beam is that it does not need to be zeroed or calibrated and don’t have batteries that die on you.

Handle fish properly and maintain control. Make sure that when they jump they can’t jump off the boat and back into the water. I have seen one of my friends checking the size of the bass for a second time with a measuring stick mounted at the front deck. Well, one bass decided it was time to escape leaving my friend with only four fish to weigh which dropped him from second to third place. Always have control!

If your boat has two live-wells, or one big live-well that’s been divided, use one section for all the obvious larger fish and keep the smaller fish aside. These tips have work for me – give it a go. *Bennie Wiese is the editor of SA Bass magazine and an experienced provincial bass angler.

Culling stringer system with floats

Culling clips with floating bands and floats

Get yourself culling tags (numbered or coloured) and hang them somewhere where you can see them SA BASS 41 September 2016

Boy Scout

>> SA BASS

Bassing

>> Kevin Lofstedt* Boy Scout Bassingâ&#x20AC;? what am I on about now? Okay, let me tell you. You know those times when you do something dumb? And then afterwards you say to yourself â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I had done so and so, this would never have happenedâ&#x20AC;?. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a Boy Scout Moment. Let me give you an example of what I am talking about.

Last month, our club had a comp at De Hoop Dam, and about 300m before the Vosrus Chalets, one of our membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; left hand trailer wheel had a disagreement with the trailer and opted to leave the scene. Now at 120km/h this has secondary issues, and these include the damage to the axle where the stub axle meets the axle proper. Okay, so hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the thing.

Under normal circumstances, it would be safe to assume that if the trailer owner had the foresight to fit stub

5 4

axles in the first place, so no problem.

Jack up the trailer and fit your spare stub axle. Ooopsâ&#x20AC;Ś. the axle that just failed was the spare stub axle and no replacement was on hand. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Boy Scout Moment!â&#x20AC;? Okay, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re now on the same page.

In the interests of trying to eliminate this happening to you, I am including a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Boy Scout Box of Tricksâ&#x20AC;?. In this box you will be required to have the following: t " QSPQFS USPMMFZ KBDL XJUI B TQBDFS UP fit on the axle / leaf spring U-bolt). t " QSPQFS GVMM UPPM LJU TFU XJUI TPDLFUT SBUDIFUT TDSFXESJWFST QMJFST MPOH nose and normal) t " SVCCFS NBMMFU *G ZPV SF GSPN KZN, that is a mallet, NOT a mullet!) t " DJHBSFUUF MJHIUFS DPNQSFTTPS XJUI extension)

t " OFX TQBSF TUVC BYMF DPNQMFUF XJUI wheel nuts. t " QBDL PG NN Y NN CMBDL DBCMF UJFT /PX * IFBS ZPV BTLJOH iXIZ black?â&#x20AC;? This will prove that you are not prejudiced when it comes to colour. Very important!) t " TQBSF UVC PG HSFBTF t " MBSHF CMBDL "EEJT CPY UP QVU BMM PG UIJT JO ɨJT XJMM TBWF ZPVS CBDPO every time!) I always put this box on the back of my van, and never leave home without it.

Now letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s look at the boat!

We have all done our â&#x20AC;&#x153;Skippers Licenseâ&#x20AC;? and know that there is a minimum specification with regard to what may be required in an emergency.

If we ignore those requirements, this is what I think we should have on hand: A good spare wheel, properly inflated.

1

3 2

1) Can WD40 2) Black Bag 3) Trolley Jack 4) Cigarette Lighter Compressor 5) Spare Stub Axle 42 SA BASS September 2016

WORDS OF WISDOM: People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us that do. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Isaac Asimov A reasonably stocked First Aid Kit. 0ME #SPXO 4IFSSZ JT /05 DPOTJEFSFE safe to keep for more than a week â&#x20AC;&#x201C; So please be safe and make sure that a new bottle is replaced weekly during winter) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; But seriously First Aid Kit could save a life. $BCMF UJFT CMBDL o :PV LOPX XIZ A spare set of spark plugs - I always LFFQ UIF MBTU XPSLJOH TFU 4P UIBU * know that if I have to use one, that they are in working order.)

A small one liter spare autolube oil.

This may not seem like an emergency item, but believe me, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re leading a tournament and you run out, it could be real important.

A bottle of dishwashing liquid.

A lightning detector â&#x20AC;&#x201C; For me, an absolute must in summer.

A mirror. Now, I know you may think what? Butâ&#x20AC;Ś itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important that when you put your sun block on, that you put it in the right place. Also doubles as an emergency signal device

JG TUSBOEFE * WF BMTP VTFE NJOF UP show the guy I was fishing with what he looks like when heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s freaking out because of a lost fish!) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Yes, now you want one donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you?

Towels â&#x20AC;&#x201C; plenty of towels â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for when you get wet!

A torch. A small, but powerful one would be good.

Spare fuses; never forget spare fuses, for all your electronics. A big must. %VDU UBQF /FFE * TBZ NPSF

Spare fishing cap.

A small, well stocked toolbox, including those spark plugs and the cable ties we spoke about.

Electrical insulation tape.

A Philips and a flat screwdriver. *Kevin Lofstedt is a regular writer and a well known veteran bass angler with three times Southern Gauteng Colours since 1985. He is also the main founder of Clearwater Bassmasters Bass Chapter (1994).

Full tool set

>> SA BASS TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Gauteng Money Winners Datum: 23 Junie 2016 Venue: Rust de Winter UITSLAE: 1 2 3 4 5

3.47kg, Team GR82Fish - Robert Tuzza & George Paar with 5 fish, won R5000 cash 3.09kg, Team Bee Gee - Tony Lagesen & Gareth Dryden with 5 fish, won R2300 cash 2.93kg, Team Blue Water Gear - Frans Swanepoel & Lesley Montgomery with 5 fish, won R1700 cash 2.90kg, Team 13Fishing / Salmo - Wayne Louw & Michael Mardon with 5 fish, won R1300 cash 2.86kg, Team Oupa - Frik Strydom & Ian Boswell with 5 fish, won R1500 + R500 cash

GROOT VIS: 1.

12kg, Team Oupa - Ian Boswell R500 cash

Team Oupa - Ian Boswell R500 cash

Back: Lesley Montgomery, Frans Swanepoel, Michael Mardon, Wayne Louw, Frik Strydom, Ian Boswell Front: George Paar, Robert Tuzza, Tony Lagesen, Gareth Dryden

VERSLAG: Net voor die vreeslike koue en verspoelings die land getref het, was ‘n paar dapper hengelaars bymekaar om te sien of hulle die groen vissies in die poelietjie water by Rust de Winter kan uitoorlê. ‘n Yskoue weste-windjie het deur die hengelaars gesny en die kwik het op 5½ºC gestaan toe die bote met ‘n groot geraas wegtrek. Met die watervlak wat so laag is, het die bote lang S-draaie oor die water gegooi om veilig by hul bestemmings te kom.

Soos wat die dag gevorder het, het die deelnemers gereeld heen en weer gejaag; blykbaar net om seker te maak dat alles nog in orde is by die weegstasie. Maar soos in enige hengelkompetisie 44 SA BASS September 2016

het ons net een vis nodig om ‘n wenner te hê. Dit was dan ook die eerste vis wat ingeweeg is wat die swaartse vir die dag was – ‘n skamele 1.12kg! Wel, die vis het Ian Boswell R500 in die sak besorg en gehelp dat hulle ‘n vyfde plek kon haal.

Volgens die top vyf spanne was die beste hengeltyd vroegoggend in die vlak water.

SPONSORS: SA BASS would like to thank McCarthy Volkswagen Wonderboom for the VW Amarok double cab towing vehicle. The latest average fuel consumption was 12km/l per tank.

Die wenstrategieë kan as volg opgesom word:

WENSTRATEGIEë Team

Structure

Best time

Depth

Lure

Colour

Rig

1.

Team GR82Fish

Grass

08:30

3ft

Chatter Bait

Blue/black

-

2.

Team Bee Gee

Drop offs

whole day

12ft

Fluke

Grn Pmpkn

W/less

3.

Team Blue Water Gear

Grass

whole day

3ft

Jnr Fluke

Black

Mojo

4.

Team 13Fishing / Salmo

Grass

08:00

3ft

Jnr Fluke

Black

Mojo

4.

Team Oupa

Grass

08:00

3 - 5ft

Bite Me

Durbn Poison

Carolina

GRAND PRIX STANDINGS* Die jongste stand op die punteleer onder die top tien spanne het nie veel verander nie en lyk as volg: 1.

841-points

Team X-Factor Six 8

Jooste Wasserfall & Tobie Uys

2.

833-points

Team GR82Fish

Robert Tuzza & George Paar

3.

808-points

Team New Anchor

Calman Grobler & Dirk Smith Clint Dalglish & Alastair Vorster

4.

796-points

Team Wolf

5.

790-points

Team Bass On

Riaan Spangenberg

6.

778-points

Team Bass World

Willem Verster & Etienne Wurth

7.

775-points

Team Bee Gee

Tony Lagesen & Gareth Dryden

8.

771-points

Team Blue Water Gear

Frans Swanepoel & Lesley Montgomery

9.

728-points

Team Greens

Kamlesh & Gitesh Parbhoo

10.

708-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.

Limpopo Wenners Venue: Albasini Dam UITSLAE – JUNIE 2016: 1

7.296kg, Team Beli Tomato - Wayne Eastman met 5 visse wen R1600 kontant

2

7.156kg, Team TFF - Leon Lordan & Theo Janse v Rensburg met 5 visse wen R700 kontant

3

5.812kg, Team Xterminator - Andy Kyriacoudes & Riaan Bam met 5 visse wen R600 kontant

4

4.658kg, Team Lannie Motors New - Paul du Toit & Wayne Dames met 5 visse wen R500 kontant

5

4.458kg, Team Varkenelli Customs - Justy Varkevisser & Alan Kenney met 5 visse wen R400 kontant

L-n-r: Team Beli Tomato, Team TFF, Team Xterminator, Team Varkenelli Customs SA BASS 45 September 2016

Limpopo Wenners UITSLAE – JULIE 2016: 1

4.320kg, Team Beli Tomato - Wayne Eastman met 5 visse wen R1400 kontant

2

4.047kg, Team Xterminator - Andy Kyriacoudes & Riaan Bam met 4 visse wen R600 kontant

3

2.505kg, Team Bouwer - Eugene & Len Bouwer met 3 visse wen R500 kontant

4

2.340kg, Team TFF - Leon Lordan & Theo Janse v Rensburg met 3 visse wen R400 kontant

5

2.155kg, Team Fear no Fish - Stefan Badenhorst & Paul vd Merwe met 4 visse wen R300 kontant

L-n-r: Team Beli Tomato, Team Xterminator, Team Bouwer, Team TFF, Team Fear No Fish Badenhorst

GRAND PRIX STANDINGS* Na afloop van die laaste kompetisie is die huidige puntestand as volg: 1.

899-punte

Team Xterminator

Andy Kyriacoudes & Riaan Bam

2.

884-punte

Team TFF

Leon Lordan & Theo Janse v Rensburg

3.

878-punte

Team Lannie Motors New

Paul du Toit & Wayne Dames

4.

876-punte

Team Bouwer

Eugene & Len Bouwer

5.

871-punte

Team JV Hydraulic’s

Wessel du Toit & Johnny Verster

6.

856-punte

Team Geartec

J van Rooyen & Hannes de Jager

7.

780-punte

Team Slabbert

Robert & Jaques Slabbert

8.

644-punte

Team Beli Tomato

Wayne Eastman

9.

372-punte

Team Fear no Fish

Stefan Badenhorst & Paul vd Merwe

10.

250-punte

Team Piscator

Attie & Wian de Lange

46 SA BASS September 2016

Mpumalanga Wenners Datum: 23 Julie 2016 Venue: Witbank Dam RESULTS: 1 4.42kg, Team Flat Out - John & Nathan Wickham with 5 fish, won R3400 cash 2 4.005kg, Team VC - Tyron Mortimer & Brad Costa with 5 fish, won R1600 cash 3 3.724kg, Team Bad Boy Bossie & Marko Bosman with 3 fish, won R1200 cash 4 3.015kg, Team Double Trouble Tribal - Jacques Schoeman & Corné Schoeman with 5 fish, won R900 cash 5 2.96kg, Team Stretch 60 Mike Cloete & Piet van Wyk with 4 fish, won R700 cash

BIG FISH: 1. 720kg – Team Stretch 60

Vlnr: Piet van Wyk, Mike Cloete, Jacques & Corné Schoeman, John & Nathan Wickham, Bossie & Marko Bosman, Tyron Mortimer, Brad Costa

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

879-points

Team Go Fish Custom Baits

Buks Human & Louis Cooper

1.

879-points

Team Stretch 60

Mike Cloete & Piet van Wyk

2.

854-points

Team 460

Jaap Pienaar & Wikus le Roux

3.

836-points

Team Vortex

Divan Coetzee & Rowan Zerf

4.

828-points

Team Bass Masjien

Dewald Pretorius & Jaco vd Merwe

5.

801-points

Team Hengelvriend

Anton Bouwer & Boet Grabie

6.

779-points

Team Go Fish Custom Baits 2

Arthur Symington & Chanelle Stewart

7.

749-points

Team Double Trouble Tribal

Jacques Schoeman & Corne Schoeman

8.

729-points

Team Bad Boy

Bossie & Marko Bosman

9.

716-points

Team Crewless

Grant Baker & Sean Campion

10.

656-points

Team MMS

Alfred Siegl & Jamie Evans

CURRENT TOP THREE GRAND PRIX STANDINGS Net om te wys hoe sterk die kompetisie in en tussen die streke is, is die top spanne uit elke streek is as volg met Mpumalanga wat twee spanne aan die bopunt van die punteleer het: 1.

LP

899-punte

Team Xterminator

Andy Kyriacoudes & Riaan Bam

2.

MP

879-points

Team Go Fish Custom Baits

Buks Human & Louis Cooper

2.

MP

879-points

Team Stretch 60

Mike Cloete & Piet van Wyk

3.

GP

841-points

Team X-Factor Six 8

Jooste Wasserfall & Tobie Uys

Cast-for-Cash 2016 Season Upcoming Events: Date

Gauteng

Date

Mpumalanga

27 Aug

Hartebeespoort Dam

27-Aug

01 Oct

Vaal River

24-Sep

29 Oct

Champion-of-Champions

29-Oct

Hannes 082 416 5524

Date

Limpopo

Rust de Winter

28 Aug

Ebenezer Dam

Arabie Dam

1 & 2 Oct

De Hoop Dam

Champion-of-Champions

29 Oct

Lizette Jonker 073 487 7266

Champion-of-Champions Wessel du Toit 083 271 0048

Visit our website www.sabass.com for all the results, tournament-information, -schedules and -rules.

The results are also available on our Facebook page SA BASS 47 September 2016

Champion-of-Champions 2016 >> Hannes Lindeque*

The ultimate prizes – the Grand Prix trophy and Editor’s Cup

T

he SA BASS Cast-for-Cash bass angling money tournament trail has been running continuously since 2001 and each season has been concluded with a Champion-of-Champions event.

This year will be no different when the top teams of every region, in total sixty teams, are invited to compete for the ultimate title. The challenge will be a two day event in October to be held at De Hoop Dam between Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

Much has been said and written about De Hoop in the past but now it is time to see who can find the winning bag and maintain the lead.

Friday will be an official practise day giving

those teams who are not familiar with the venue an opportunity to look around.

Saturday will be day one and each team is allowed to weigh five fish per team per day. The fishing hours on Sunday differ drastic and the leading teams will be under great pressure to keep their cool. In previous tournaments many teams have failed to produce on the second day while other dedicated anglers came back with a vengeance. The tournament is not over until it is over and winnings bags can still be caught in the last minutes.

Except for the title the prize money also includes top ten cash pay-outs for the heaviest bags over two days plus many other cash prizes. Currently one in every three teams competing has a chance to take money home. So who will be crowned the Champion-of-Champions for 2016 and raise the Editor’s Cup? Apart from the top three places also receiving trophies, the top three teams on each regional log will receive their Grand Prix trophies for the season; that is a total of twelve trophies!

We look forward in welcoming all the contestants and we wish them all the very best for the tournament. *Hannes Lindeque is the publisher of SA BASS magazine and tournament director of the SA BASS Castfor-Cash tournament trail.

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SABAA NEWS 40 41

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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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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

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

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Cast-for-Cash - Tournament Results

43

Win with GRIP Hooks

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

32

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>> SA BASS TOURNAMENT REPORT

>> Clint Skinner

D

The much anticipated Presidents Test between South Africa and Zimbabwe took place in July 2016; Biri Dam in Zimbabwe was the venue.

50 SA BASS

September 2016

ownstream from Darwendale this little gem of a dam has been producing quality fish and had been selected due to this as well as the fact that it is a very level playing field. The dam has trees, rocks, giant anthills, bulrushes and plenty of weed as some of its structure so caters for all.

The only accommodation on the dam is totally privately owned, Rod and Larry Ferreira had graciously opened this to us and put up a tented camp for the visitors and hosts and it was here that the teams gathered over the preceding weekend. The South African team experienced an interesting border crossing with riots and more but all were safely in camp and ready to fish. The catering trucks arrived and the teams were soon to learn that the food was good and plentiful and all they needed to do was concentrate on catching fish.

The two practice days saw both teams on the water early and heading through the start buoys to scout and establish a pattern. Somehow the fish always seem to be aggressive when one has no hooks on line… many a fish was shook off after what felt like minutes of pulling back and spirits were high heading into the first competition day. Wednesday morning of course saw the fog rolling in and for those heading up the rivers this made for interesting navigation and a long run at 1200 rpm.

From a Zimbabwean perspective we were into fish early with most teams

going a long way to filling a ten fish bag before someone threw the switch and things quietened down. The odd radio buzz showed one or two fish coming out but the day certainly seemed tougher than the practice had been however after weighing in Zimbabwe were ahead by 20.57 points thanks to 57 fish weighed vs. 46.

Shane Estran and Ian Versveld of South Africa weighing both the big bag of the tournament, 15.2kg, as well as Shane landing a fish of 4.33kg that was overall Duma. Pitching the 4” and 5” fighting frog seemed to be the delivery of choice for most throughout the day however the McCarthy Gambit on a light Texas rig was also producing well.

The South African captain, Alistair Graham decided that catching crocodiles was going to be more fun and late in the day had pitched his fighting frog at a ten footer, the tungsten bounced off the scaly head and when the bait landed in the water he immediately had that much anticipated “kank”. The hook was set and a beautiful bass in excess of 3kg found its way to the live well. And yes, he was fined for his effort.

Day two again brought the fog down, we had planned for this and some boats were starting closer to home. The fighting frog was again producing but the conditions were notably tougher with only two Zimbabwean and three South African teams bringing full bags to the scales.

South Africa had reduced the gap back

to 15.86 points and everything was on the line heading into the final day. Several of the better fish had come on the frog and there are few anglers that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t live for a surface bite.

Great spirit and sportsmanship shown by all and we look forward to renewing the challenge again next year.

Another fast start on day three saw one of the Zim boats with a limit by 07:40 with several double ups contributing to an early bag. Other boats were quickly called into the area which continued to produce keepers. The wind picked up as pre-frontal conditions started to hit. It barely warmed up for the rest of the day but the chatter on the Zim radios showed fish being boated.

Yet again that fishing switch was thrown but this time in a positive way with the bite really coming on at about 14:15 and numerous fish started make their presence felt with some bigger fish being recorded and culling the keepers from the morning.

It was always going to be competitive.

Both countries has strong teams but ultimately the scales on day three went the way of Zimbabwe, each country weighing 54 fish and Zimbabwe increasing the lead to win by 19 points overall. The evening was a long one, friendships cemented and festivities and fines dished out. The bonfire finally left to die in the early hours as the South African boats headed home.

Well done to all the teams and management on a well-run tournament.

Great spirit and sportsmanship shown by all and we look forward to renewing the challenge again next year. Well done to Zimbabwe having won both Zone 5 (held at Nandoni) and Presidents Test in 2016!

Scan these QR-codes and see video clips on Biri Dam SA BASS 51 September 2016

>> SA BASS TOURNAMENT REPORT

2016 Region 5 Bass Tournament The grass was as pitch pitched with a Dean n Rojas Roj Fighting frog on 15lb fluorocarbon line and tungsten we flu weights

Fraser Spiers with a 2.98kg fish from Nandoni

>> Gareth Rawlins

T

he Region 5 Bass Tournament 2015 held at Lake Chicamba in Mozambique resulted in a defeat for the Zimbabweans at the hands of South Africa. The team was out to make amends in 2016 at Nandoni Dam in Limpopo province as they looked for revenge that would be even sweeter if handed out to the home team. After the announcement of the team early in the year, preparations began bringing the team together to participate in South Africa against the hosts and the following other nations including Zambia, Mozambique, Swaziland and Namibia.

A total of six countries.

Each country put forward a thirteen man team, including a reserve, fishing out of six boats. The tournament rules require each boat to catch and keep alive their five biggest fish each day for three tournament days. The combined weight of the six boats would make up the points for each country. The country with the highest points after three days would be crowned the winner.

The two practice days prior to the tournament proved to be vital to each team’s success. The Zimbabwean team put their time to good use and we were able to secure two 52 SA BASS

September 2016

patterns that would separate us from the other teams.

The first pattern proved to be the ultimate winner. In practice the team identified one of the rivers having fresh water flowing into it. The banks of this river were covered with a grass matting that sat on top of the water providing the only overhead cover for the bass in the whole dam. This was due to receding water levels as the dam was at roughly 60% capacity. The fresh water was the attractant and the grass provided the homestead of the quality fish required to win the tournament. The fresh water also meant that the area would reload overnight, being crucial to the pattern holding out for three days. The grass was pitched with a Dean Rojas Fighting frog on 15lb fluorocarbon line with a ¼ to ½ounce tungsten weight depending on the thickness of the patch of grass.

The second pattern was more of a finesse presentation, a total contrast to the first. On day two of practice the team identified smaller but larger numbers of fish holding to small brush in the shallows near the mouth of the main river. This proved to be the go to pattern on day three when the team required numbers of fish over quality in order to

The brush was fished with weightless 5” and 6” Gary Yamamoto Senko’s

The Zimbabwean team

The Zimbabwean team receiving the honours

secure the victory. The brush was fished with weightless 5” and 6” Gary Yamamoto Senko’s. The technique used was to cast into extremely shallow 1 to 2ft of water where the bass were coming up to feed on the smaller bait fish residing in the shallows.

With the game plans identified, the tournament began.

Day one proved to be very close between Zimbabwe and South Africa with only 470g splitting the two teams, but there was a clear difference in the quality of fish brought to the scales. South Africa had slightly better numbers but Zimbabwe had the weight of bigger fish. The biggest bag came from a Mozambique boat earning 8.52 points.

Day two went off to a good start as the team was feeling confident as a result of the previous day’s results. Knowing South Africa was close on our heels we knew we had to boat all our fish and there was very little room for error. Day two proved to be the separating day as the team stuck to its guns and came through winning the day with Zambia coming a close second and South Africa third. This meant we had put some distance between ourselves and South Africa yet Zambia had now entered the race for the title.

It was a nervous day three start, but the team knew what needed to be done, between us we needed to catch twenty weighers regardless of size and the other teams would not

be able to catch us up. And so the countdown began. As each team over the morning reported its catches we slowly ate away at the target growing in confidence as the target was eventually achieved and passed. A total of 23 fish were weighed in between the team, leading to us winning the day and the overall tournament.

Consistency was the key, as the team was the only one to produce the same results for three consecutive days. This was achieved through the teams’ belief in one another and every member on and off the water performing to their best.

Events such as these cannot take place without the work and support of the people around us. The Zimbabwe National Team would like to thank all its sponsors; Evolution Insurance, Zimnat Lion, Yamaha Marine Centre, N Richards and Health International for their support. We would also like to thank our wives and families for their support in allowing us the time away from home. Fitness Generation, for their support and help in the team building done prior to the tournament. We would also like to thank SABAA for hosting the tournament in very difficult conditions.

2017 sees the Region 5 Tournament coming to our home waters here in Zimbabwe where the team looks forward to defending its title.

SA BASS 53 September 2016

>> SA BASS ADVERTORIAL

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54 SA BASS

September 2016

Striker 4dv includes a Garmin CHIRP (77/200kHz) transducer, which provides a visibly higher level of clarity and detail for fish and structure than traditional 77/200kHz transducers.

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Navigate easily with Waypoint Map Since the Striker fishfinder series includes high-sensitivity GPS, you can see your position in relation to waypoints you have marked. Use the waypoint map to easily view, mark and navigate to locations such as brush piles, stumps and docks. It´s also a great tool for finding your way back to the boat ramp.

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For more information visit your nearest dealer or contact Garmin South Africa in Rosebank, Johannesburg, on 0861 GARMIN (427646).

Fish vertically with built-in flasher Striker provides you with both a fishfinder and flasher all in one unit.

Anytime you are stationary fishing, such as jigging, the built-in flasher will show you the bottom, whether it is solid or muddy, your jig or weighted bait, and the depth of fish as they swim into the sonar beam. You can even watch how high your jig is being lifted and dropped and whether fish move toward or away from it.

Take your fishfinder anywhere A portable kit is available to protect and carry your Striker fishfinder with GPS, so it´s perfect for kayak or canoe fishing. It includes a sealed, rechargeable battery with charger, built-in transducer cable

Fish vertically with built-in flasher

SA BASS 55 September 2016

>> SA BASS JUNIORS

Bassinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Adventure Camp F

resh air, the great outdoors, adventure activities, bass fishing, and there you have a great recipe for more enjoyable and constructive school holidays for your children.

Gone are the days of watching television or being glued to the PlayStation for the entire holiday. On the Bassinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Kids Camp, kids can enjoy outdoor activities such as: paint ball, zip line, wall climbing, bush walks, obstacle courses, compass navigating, campfire games, target shooting, splashing in the dam, fishing, potjiekos cooking competitions, and much, much more. Boskoors is all about clean, wholesome fun, come rain or shine!

We would like to thank the following sponsors for their support during our camp in July 2016: Adendorff Machinery, Motor King & Marine, Finest Fishing and T-Line.

Our next fun filled adventure camp is from 2 to 8 October 2016.

For more information, visit www.sabass.com or call Wilma on 083-306-2718.

56 SA BASS

September 2016

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

2 October - 8 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

>> SA BASS LIFESTYLE

Little Grebe

T

here is nothing more rewarding than doing something to better the environment and help conservation.

For the last six years I have joined a group of birders that do a bi-annual bird count on Hartebeespoort dam; one count in the summer, and one in the winter. It is called the CWAC; Coordinated Waterbird Counts.

The Animal Demography Unit (ADU) launched the CWAC project in 1992 as part of South Africa’s commitment to international water bird conservation. This is being done by means of a programme of regular mid-summer and mid-winter censuses of water birds at a large number of South African wetlands. All the counts are conducted by volunteers; people and organisations with a passion for water bird conservation. It is one of the largest and most successful citizen science programmes in Africa, providing much needed data for water bird conservation around the world. Currently the project regularly monitors over 400 wetlands around the country, and furthermore curates water bird data for over 600 sites.

The very first one I went on was before I started birding officially. I was told about these censuses by Rudi’s 58 SA BASS September 2016

>> >> Jo Jo Dreyer Drrey D reyer eyeerr ey

uncle who had been on a few and told me that it is very rewarding and since I was always interested in helping out with conservation, he suggested I find out who controlled the Harties CWAC and try find out how to get involved.

Before I knew it, after going on my first one six years ago, I am leading one of the teams. It is a truly rewarding project and it teaches me something new every time we go out. I learn things like the behavioural patterns of the water birds and even something as simple as how different they look in winter and summer. A perfect example of that is the article I wrote on the Western Cattle Egret a couple months back.

When you look at the photographs you will clearly see that the breeding plumage colours are much different from the normal winter plumage.

This last winter CWAC we did in July produced a very low total count of the bird species and it was quite bizarre that some birds were showing breeding plumage at this time of year which I am not familiar with.

It isn’t abnormal, it’s just that I am not used to seeing them in full breeding plumage this time of year on Harties, but, like I said, we learn new things with every CWAC. I have

also not seen so many Little Grebe’s in the concentrated area we covered, even though most bird species totals were low, the Little Grebe’s count was significantly higher than what I have encountered before. We saw over fifty little grebes in the Swartspruit and Leeuspruit areas, and the majority of the adults were in full breeding plumage.

The little grebe is one of South Africa’s smallest water birds, making it very easy for them to be very sneaky. When you see one and want to take a photo, I hope your camera is ready, because you will look away for a second and ‘poof ’, it’s gone. Even in open water, they disappear like Houdini.

They are extremely quick and agile on the water. You see them one second, and then it’s as if they spawned gills and swam away like fish. They never resurface where you saw them and most often never resurface in the direction they were swimming or foraging. They are difficult to photograph because of this very reason and unless you are ready with the camera and are zoned in on them, they take you on a wild goose chase, but that in my opinion is part of the fun.

The little grebe is found throughout Southern Africa save for a large part of the middle of Botswana and a small portion to the right of Namibia.

The breeding plumage of the adult little grebe consists of a black crown and hind neck which extends around the eyes to the chin. Rufous-chestnut face blending into a cinnamon throat and cheeks. There is a creamy white patch at the edge, or gape, of the all black beak. Its eyes are a very dark

haunting red. Its back and upper-wings are a dark brown with cinnamon brown at the wing edges; under wing a pale white. Its lower breast is a lead grey colour fading to white which extends to the white belly and the tail has a white tuft at the tip. Its legs and feet are black.

The non-breeding adult is paler and more greyish, lacking the prominently rufous-coloured neck and facial plumage than the breeding adult, and is often mistaken as being the female, however male and female are alike.

Little grebes are found on most freshwater bodies although very rarely in estuaries and sheltered bays.

Their diet consists of small fish, tadpoles and aquatic invertebrates.

Both sexes build the nest which is a floating heap of sodden plant material from aquatic plants. The nest is often over deep water of about a meter and is often attached to floating plants which are used as a screen. The clutch size is usually 3 to 5 eggs and both male and female tend to the nest, eggs and young.

Little grebes are thankfully in no way under threat and are one of the luckier water bird species that are thriving.

Let’s make an effort to get the numbers up of the species that are under threat. I say that if you do even just a little to help conservation and contribute the smallest amount of your time, it can make a really big difference.

Happy Birding

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SA BASS 59 September 2016

>> SA BASS ROD BENDER

From Agent to Postman In the previous issue the Commander and Chief of Under Water USO called agent Clay Banks and ordered him to deliver a report across the big blue to agent Rod Bender.

60 SA BASS

September 2016

“

M

an, I can’t believe that I am the postman, this is normally some rock clerk’s job and not a legendary agent” Clay mumbles to himself while packing his bag. “I was the one that saved three species from extinction, destroyed a whole network of assassin birds, but NO!!!!… “go and deliver the post” I am told!” he keeps mumbling. “Nobody thinks for one moment that I can’t go back, or the reason why I was moved in the first place”.

“What do you mean you can’t go back? asks Ms Money Finny standing in the doorway.

“How long have you been standing there?”

Clay’s deep voice draws her closer.

“Long enough” she says taking a seat on his bed.

“You have read the files and know all the gory details, so why are you asking me?” he replies.

“Good Clay; there is nothing like that in your file and I would have seen that” she answers thinking back on all the times she just paged through it.

“You want to tell me it has been removed from my file?” he asks with a grin on his face. “Ms Money Finny!…

Money Finny, focus fish” he says.

“My apologies, my mind was somewhere else” she says while jumping upright.

“This means, the commander removed it. He is the only one that has that sort of authority” says Clay with a slight relief to his voice.

“What was removed, Clay, or is it classified” she asks.

“Classified has never stopped me from anything” he says looking her straight in the eye.

“So tell me” she asks all interested.

“It was a long time ago under very difficult circumstances. I made some decisions that did not carry the approval of head office. Like you know I don’t come from this side of the great blue lake” he says starting his explanation.

“I know. You are very different to everyone I have met… in a good way” she adds before he gets the wrong idea.

“As I was saying; I was under cover in a fresh river system, north of Vicky’s Falls” he says before she interrupts him.

“I have read the file and seen those photo’s, it was awesome’’ she says sounding all informed.

“Please continue” realizing her interruption has not gone down to well.

“There was a group calling themselves ‘The Striped Dogs’.

They were on our radar for illegal minnow trading, younglings being

sold, killed, etcetera. So I infiltrated there ranks and my orders were clear; ‘Information only’. I was undercover for months… slowly moving up their ranks getting closer to the chief in charge. One night on my way back from a food patrol, I saw the most gruesome act that I have ever experienced as an agent. I heard the screaming of younglings and followed the noise through reeds and grass to a secluded piece of backwater. I saw the younglings all bundled up in the middle. Keeping my distance I saw the leader of The Striped Dogs auctioning off these younglings one by one. A first, I thought it was for supper, but then realized that it was for sport” says Clay getting more and more serious.

“Sport?” Money Finny asks, almost too scared to hear the answer.

“They would buy the young ones and tie them up as bait to post. On the other side they had their dogs tied up.

The bets were placed and I heard an announcer call “All bets closed. Let’s race!” he shouted with the spectating group cheering and shouting for the dog they bet on.

“Don’t say it” Ms Finny says, tears flooding into her eyes.

“The first one to tear a youngling from the post” Clay says recalling the first time he saw this awful act.

“What did you do?” she asks.

“Like any good agent I reported it.

But was told to wait for backup” he says. “Two nights later I came past the same way and heard the younglings. I just could not wait anymore” he says.

“I went in on my own and destroyed everything in my way, female, male, old and young… I did not care. I left no one alive. When the blood started to settle in the water I saw the younglings hiding under a bush, scared to death. I took them home” he tells Money. “It was one of my darkest moments”.

“But you saved them” Ms Money Finny says.

“No; I destroyed a three-year project and all negotiations with Dile and Croc families broke down completely” he explains. “The Dile and Croc families have been asked to help protect certain species and specific pieces of water, but they were profiting from the gambling” Clay says looking at Finny expecting disappointment.

“I was exiled from home water and spent my last couple of years in this strange piece of water and now I will be delivering post. An agent is only as good as his last mission” he adds.

“I think you did the right thing” says Ms Finny while putting her fin on his shoulder.

“I have to go” he says while going out the door.

“Good luck” she waves him off and he disappears into the darkness. *In this series of articles Rod Bender, the director - Under Water USO (Unidentified Shadow Object) is called to help unsolve mysteries appearances, in and around Lake Eerie.

SA BASS 61 September 2016

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

Tournament season starts in November 2017

62 SA BASS September 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

Little Long Creek, now has 2 private chalets, the Dam chalet sleeps 8 people and is fully equipped while the New addition Kloof chalet on the banks of the Komandospruit sleeps 6, KDV D IXOO\ HTXLSSHG NLWFKHQ Ă&#x20AC;UH SODFH and a stunning deck with braai facilities overlooking the running waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

Little Long Creek is situated between Vrede and Memel, only 2-2½ hours drive from Johannesburg. A beautiful dam is well stocked with Florida Bass and the Commando spruit with natural \HOORZ Ă&#x20AC;VK LV DOVR RQ WKH IDUP &RPH and enjoy a wonderful weekend on Arcadia Contact details: Anel -0723848822 / (058) 913-2049 / 0825648912 E-mail: amdev@zippnorth.co.za

SA BASS 63 September 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.

Thatcher’s Rest

T

hatcher’s Rest is a delightfully secluded self-catering cottage situated on a working farm and surrounded by the serene splendour of the beautiful and tranquil hills of the Biggarsberg mountain range.

Located between Ladysmith and Newcastle in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, this totally unique, double story thatched roof cottage is set on stilts within one of the six dams on the farm and is accessed from the shore by a wooden walkway.

The cottage can comfortably accommodate up to seven people and consists of three beautifully furnished bedrooms and three full bathrooms. The main bedroom, situated on the upper level has its own private balcony with views across the dam and surrounding farmland.

The cottage is equipped with all cutlery, crockery and linen (including towels but please bring your own swimming towels should you require.)

There is a very silent generator which supplies electricity to all appliances and plug points throughout the cottage. The open plan kitchen has a gas fridge and stove for convenience which reduces the frequent need for the generator.

64 SA BASS September 2016

A lovely large enclosed veranda leads off the kitchen and lounge area ensuring that the ‘cooks’ don’t miss out on all the fun, frivolity and fellowship at the large dinner table and outdoor lounge area. There is a deluxe gas braai unit available on the outdoor deck as well as a traditional wood braai available by the entertainment area on shore beneath the beautiful willow tree.

There is a maid service available at an additional nominal charge should you require and undercover parking for two vehicles.

Things to do include fishing, hiking trails, relaxing, horse riding, bird watching and the big five is right on their door step in the Nambiti Conservancy.

The dam, on which the cottage is situated, is stocked with both bass and trout therefore offering all seasons fishing opportunities.

For more information or bookings, please contact Thatcher’s Rest on 083-389-6614 or by e-mail june@thatcher.co.za GPS co-ordinates S28° 14’ 05.8” E29° 53’ 51.8”