SA BASS Jun-19

June 2019

Issue 218

Flukes vs.

GRUBS

RSA: R39.34 (VAT incl.)

Other Countries: R34.21 (Tax excl.)

Small Subtle

Swimbaits Small swimbaits offer a great finesse option and they work from the surface to the lake floor

Clear days are coming | Basics-4-Beginners | How to custom make a lure | How to grow your own fishing partner June buzzbaits | Go Weightless | Paddles & plastics | Fishing pre-frontal weather conditions | Small subtle swimbaits Social media and the bass fisherman | Wading for bass | Winter angling tactics and more...

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Contents

SA BASS Magazine

is published monthly (12 issues per annum)

by WJ Lindeque cc t/a BB Print (CK99/23366/23)

Office Hours:

Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 08:15 to 16:15

Contact Numbers:

Office: (065) 849 3264, Alternative: (083) 306 2718 Fax: (086) 234 5026

Postal Address:

SA BASS, PO Box 24938, Gezina, 0031, RSA

Editor:

Hannes Lindeque - hannes@sabass.com

Assistant Editor:

Philip Kemp - philip@sabass.com

Sub-editor:

John Badenhorst - john@sabass.com

Senior Writers:

Roger Donaldson, Jay Röhm-Williams, Gordon Brown

Contributors:

Divan Coetzee, Ivan Sonnekus, Gary Peter

International Columnists:

Bertrand Ngim, Clint Skinner, David Swendseid, Curtis Niedermier, TJ Maglio, Matt Williams, Tyler Brinks, Joe Balog, Anthony Hawkswell

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 08

“Small subtle swimbaits” Finesse fishing doesn’t always mean dragging a worm on bottom. Small swimbaits offer a great finesse option too, and they work from the surface to the lake floor – Curtis Niedermier

10

“June buzzbaits” Early June is not too late to throw a buzzbait, says Keystone Light pro Jeff Sprague. Granted, Sprague lives in Texas, where winter doesn’t really arrive until June or July most years. He says that as long as the water temperature is right, a buzzbait is a big-fish killer in the late season – Curtis Niedermier

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 02 SA BASS June 2019

sport among all 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.

12

“It is winter” Winter fishing for bass can and will be of the toughest we will experience but this does not mean that we won’t be rewarded for our efforts.

It’s true when some anglers mention that some of their biggest fish have been caught during the cold winter months.

– John Badenhorst

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.

14

16

“Clear days are coming” Clear days although wonderful weather to fish in can also present some challenges.

It’s the time when bass are most easily spooked… Structure is quite an interesting factor to consider around this time too.

– Roger Donaldson

“It’s De‘bait’able” The point of this article is to provide anglers with peace of mind around their choice of lure. You often try so desperately to find out what lure is working most effectively and you actually end up forgetting about looking for the bass itself. g Donaldson – Roger

32

“Secrets: Considering Pre-Frontal Weather Conditions” A good look at the weather the day, or a few days before will make all kinds of differences because life beneath the water is particularly sensitive to a drop in atmospheric pressure. Fishing just before the front is most often particularly good.

40 “Die fluke vs. die grub” Ek het twee ase gekies wat oor die algemeen, in meeste omstandighede beide baie goed werk, maar tog so baie van mekaar kan verskil. Die groot vraag by die meeste hengelaars, is egter: “Wanneer, en in watter omstandighede?”… Ons gaan so ‘n bietjie daaroor gesels.

– Philip Kemp

20

22

24

26

“Close bass combat: Encountering action” Wading for bass is now more ideal than ever for bank anglers looking to target the depths rather than the shallows, but the price of enduring chilling conditions must be paid.

In this final chapter of the strategy of wading series we wade straight into the excitement, exploring all areas and factors involved when one is seeking to encounter bass action.

– Jay Röhm-Williams

“Social media and the bass fisherman” Many have seen those posts, and maybe you’ve even made one before; it normally goes something like this: “Hi everyone, my buddy and I want to go catch some bass tomorrow. Where is the best spot and with what can I catch them?” – Divan Coetzee

“Vislyn” Daar is inderwaarheid vier groepe vislyn.

Elke groep het sy eie voor- en nadele wat elke groep dus geskik maak vir sekere swartbaarhengeltegnieke.

– Hannes Lindeque

44

“How to custom make a lure”

30

“Bass camo” I am sure at some point in your personal, bass angling journey you have wondered why some bass caught at different locations vary in colour, yet they are the same species.

– Jay Röhm-Williams

“How to grow your own fishing partner” Spending quality time with loved ones while enjoying some good fishing builds a lasting bond and creates memories we will treasure for many years to come.

– Jaco Smit

“Let’s go weightless” The best possible way to target bass is using a weightless method. Not only does it snag less than other methods or rigs, it also forces us as anglers to slow down on our retrieve and in some cases to simply dead stick the lure.

– John Badenhorst

Ultimately owning a kayak is a load of fun and there is always an adventure to be had with a kayak, from going to explore new dams, or finding remote spots on previously fished dams.

– Ivan Sonnekus

Perfecting a custom crank is a lengthy process. Here are 7 steps how to do it.

– Arnay Small

46

28

“Paddles and plastics”

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 04

MY CAST

06

READERS-go-BASSING

34

Basics for beginners

TOURNAMENT NEWS 35 36

39

>> Cast-for-Cash report >> FLW Zimbabwe: 2nd Qualifier – Biri Dam >> FLW Zimbabwe High School Competition >> FLW TBC Kampioenskap 2019

11

INDUSTRY NEWS >> Zimbabwe & Namibia join FLW

38

DESTINATION 48

>> Thandabantu Game Lodge

ON THE COVER “Paddles & plastics” Image: Ivan Sonnekus

SA BASS 03 June 2019

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Uiteindelik is die verkiesing verby, die nuwe regering is saamgestel en hopelik kan die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing nou weer rigting kry.

Ons is in Junie, die middel van die jaar en een van die dae, na Vrydag 21 Junie, word die dae weer langer en word dit somer. Iets waarna ek persoonlik self baie uitsien, want dit beteken goeie hengelgeleenthede is oppad. Nie dat swartbaars nie in die winter byt nie, maar dit is bietjie ongemaklik om so opgestop te voel met al die lae warm klere en korter daglig ure.

Ons is altyd opgewonde om bydraes en terugvoer van ons lesers te ontvang. Sien gerus die pragtige bydraes in ons Readers-go-Bassing afdeling. Ek is oortuig dat al die vuurwarm artikels in hierdie uitgawe die winter koue sal oortref en hengelaars motiveer om nogsteeds uit te gaan en daardie groen vissies te teiken. Ons ervare skrywers van regoor die land, en ook vanuit die VSA, deel hulle kennis en ervaring met ons.

Philip Kemp het op bladsy 16 ‘n baie insiggewende artikel waarin hy flukes en grubs met mekaar vergelyk. Albei is ase wat ekself baie graag mee hengel en ek glo in elke hengelaar se arsenaal is, of behoort te wees. ‘n Ander onderwerp wat mens nie sommer in hengeltydskrifte sien, of aangespreek word nie, is Divan Coetzee se opmerking “Social media and the bass fisherman”.

Loer gerus bietjie daarna.

John Badenhorst se voorstel om gewigloos in die winter te hengel is in kontras met wat die meeste winterhengelaars glo.

Dit wys jou net – visse lees nie boeke nie!

Die jongste internasionale lande wat ampetlik toegevoeg is tot die FLW familie, is FLW Zimbabwe en FLW Namibië.

Ons heet albei baie welkom en sien uit daarna om later vanjaar teen hulle beste hengelaars in die VSA te kompeteer vir die geleentheid om volgende jaar aan die Forrest Wood Cup deel te neem. Suid-Afrika se beste van die bestes word einde Augustus gekroon na afloop van ons FLW RSA Kampioenskap by Witbankdam. Ons nooi al ons lesers om vroegtydig hulle beplanning so te doen om FLW by Witbank te kom ondersteun en die vermaak wat aangebied word, te kom geniet. Bring asseblief die hele familie saam, want The Ridge Casino bied iets aan elkeen in die gesin. Dit gaan ‘n wonderlike geleentheid wees en ons sien daarna uit om julle daar te hê en saam te kuier.

Intussen, laat julle lyne sing.

Hannes Lindeque, Uitgewer

04 SA BASS June 2019

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READERS

GO BASSING

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

NAGEL DAM As a frequent SA BASS magazine reader this is what I caught over the weekend at Nagel Dam; a dam I hardly ever fish. Fishing was tough the entire day but eventually I caught this beauty on a Ned rig pitching between the lilly pads. It weighed just under 4kg – Brady Smith

GLANSRYK Die jong opkomende sangeres, Eunice, het ‘n draai

by Leisure Lake gaan maak om haar vaardighede met ‘n visstok te toets. Sy het dit so baie geniet dat sy besluit het om dit in die toekoms weer te probeer. Sy tree in Augustus saam met die bekende radiopersoonlikheid, Martin Bester, op in Witbank by die FLW Suid-Afrika Kampioenskappe se groot prysuitdelingsfunksie. Dit beloof om ‘n pragtige glansgeleentheid te wees. Moet dit nie mis nie!

– Philip Kemp

PROUD My son, Sebastian, caught this beauty at Hazelmere Dam on 07 April in dirty water using a June Bug Dead Ringer soft plastic worm on a plain jig head hook. Very proud of him – Richard Venter 06 SA BASS June 2019

GESINSTYD My persoonlike gunsteling bly nogsteeds die plaasdamswartbaarhengel waarmee ek as kind in die hart van die OosVrystaat grootgeword het… die koue middae van kaalvoetvisvang met net een kunsaas in jou besit.

Het jy al die pret van swartbaarhengel beleef saam met jou gesin, terwyl julle ook die voorreg geniet om die rustigheid van regte plaaslewe te ervaar? Langs ‘n plaasdam is twee dae oorgenoeg tyd om elke faset van baarshengel te beoefen.

Die opwinding om oppervlakkunsaas-paddas laatmiddag en selfs na-donker, oor watergras te trek en die ontploffing te ervaar wanneer die baars gryp. Swartbaars is nie kieskeurig nie en enige persoon kan pragtige swartbaars aan die lyn kry.

Die regte plaasdamgevoel van skoon fonteinwater en visse wat honger is vir enige soort plastiek of ander kunsaas, selfs die wat jy nooit gebruik het nie. Moenie verbaas wees as die EZEMVELO kinders of vroulief jou dalk uitstof met ‘n 2kg knewel nie.

Ek het hierdie swartbaar by Ezemvelo Natuurreservaat, – Curt Dusse buite Bronkhorstspruit, gevang op 20 April, rondom 07:20 in die oggend. Ek het hom gevang met ‘n Watermelon Seed Zoom Horny Toad. Die vis het die aas omtrent twee meter van die kant af opgetel en baie lewendig begin veg. Ek het die volgende oggend weer ‘n byt gehad, maar het hom ongelukkig verloor – Henk Smit

KUIKEN Ek het vroegherfs saam met my gesin en my oom Philip Kemp by “Frik se dam” in die Boskop omgewing gaan hengel en ‘n paar pragtige swartbaars gevang. Dit moes vir oom Philip moeilik gewees het, aangesien die “groentjie” die “leermeester” behoorlik ore aangesit het.

Ons het die baars in die riete gevang en selfs een gekry waarby ‘n vinkkuiken se pootjies nog by die vis se keel uitgesteek het – Ignie Mey SA BASS 07 June 2019

SMALL, SUBTLE SWIMBAITS A FINESSE OPTION THAT STAYS ON THE MOVE

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MATT PACE

THE JIGS

F

inesse fishing doesn’t always mean dragging a worm on bottom. Small swimbaits offer a great finesse option too, and they work from the surface to the lake floor.

FLW pros Shane LeHew and Jeremy Lawyer proved small swimbaits’ worth in the summertime by using Keitech Easy Shiners (the 3incher for LeHew and 4-incher for Lawyer) at the Forrest Wood Cup to make the top 20. However, both anglers use the Easy Shiner quite often in the fall and winter, and in many tough-bite situations.

3-INCH EASY SHINER SHANE’S BAITS (MADE BY LEHEW) 1/16- OR 3/16-OUNCE JIGHEAD WITH 2/0 HOOK SMOOTH SIDES FOR LESS WATER DISTURBANCE AND MORE SUBTLE PRESENTATION

SMALL BOOT TAIL THAT KICKS WITH THE SLIGHTEST MOVEMENT 4-INCH EASY SHINER LAWYER’S CUSTOM 3/16-OUNCE LEAD JIGHEAD

4-INCH EASY SHINER LAWYER’S CUSTOM 3/16-OUNCE WEEDLESS JIGHEAD FOR FISHING AROUND TIMBER

WHEN IT WORKS BEST -

wintertime in clear-water fisheries post-frontal bluebird days with slick conditions and neutral fish when bass are foraging on small baitfish anywhere smallmouths live in clear water

CHANGE OF DIRECTION When winding a small swimbait, any kind of deflection or change of speed or direction helps trigger bites. Otherwise, bass are prone to follow the swimbait without eating.

PUTTING IT TO WORK SCENARIO 1: Bass are schooling at the surface

TECHNIQUE: At the Cup, LeHew and Lawyer threw the Easy Shiner to catch schooling bass that seemed to shy away from topwaters and soft jerkbaits. Lawyer had some success by burning the bait about 6 inches under the surface. LeHew fished his the same way, but occasionally killed his retrieve to trigger bites.

6 IN LAWYER LEHEW kill retrieve

08 SA BASS June 2019

SCENARIO 2: Bass are schooled up, but not actively feeding on top

TECHNIQUE: When the surface schoolers dropped back down at the Cup, Lawyer adjusted his approach.

“When they were down I was slow-rolling it; just kind of bouncing it off the bottom in 3 to 4 feet of water,” he says. “I couldn’t catch them just barely winding, so instead I’d crank it three or four times real fast then kill it to make them react.”

3-4 FT 3 to 4 fast cranks

kill retrieve

SCENARIO 3: Bass are suspended in the tops of timber

TECHNIQUE: Using Table Rock as an example, Lawyer often finds fish suspended 20 to 30 feet deep around trees rooted in 60 feet or so of water. He says the fish will come up to eat the bait, so he counts down the bait and keeps it near the tops of the trees.

His retrieve is a slow reel with the rod tip at 2 o’clock, occasionally pausing and letting the bait “pendulum down.” The pendulum fall is key, and deflecting it off cover helps.

“When I feel a limb I crank it two or three times real quick and then kill it and let it pendulum, or drop the rod back to it. That allows the bait to fall back in their face,” he says.

kill retrieve/ pendulum fall 2 or 3 fast cranks when bait hits cover kill retrieve/ pendulum fall

20-30 FT

SCENARIO 4: Bass are holding on deep channel edges

TECHNIQUE: LeHew’s winter tactic is simple, but effective. He lets the swimbait sink to the bottom then works it with a series of lifts or pulls.

“I’m really lightly lifting it like a spoon off the bottom,” he says. “I never lift it more than 2 or 3 feet. And I try to keep a little bit of slack when it falls.”

Lightly lift or pull bait off of bottom.

SA BASS 09 June 2019

JUNE BUZZBAITS A SLOW, GURGLING TOPWATER CAN BE A COLD-SEASON KILLER

E

PHOTO BY SEAN OSTRUSZKA

arly June is not too late to throw a buzzbait, says Keystone Light pro Jeff Sprague. Granted, Sprague lives in Texas, where winter doesn’t really arrive until January or February most years. He says that as long as the water temperature is right, a buzzbait is a big-fish killer in the late season.

“You might not smash a whole lot of fish, but you’re going to catch some good ones,” he says.

KEY WATER TEMPERATURE RANGE: Low to mid-50s A PERFECT BUZZBAIT FOR THE PERFECT RETRIEVE It’s all about slow and steady in winter, which is why Sprague has tweaked his buzzbait to be a “really slow, fat buzzbait – a big thumper” that’ll stay on the surface even at a lumbering speed.

1 2

The frame is a 3/8-ounce V&M Cyclone Classic Buzz Bait.

Remove blade.

Replace with larger blade.

Add trailer hook.

Sprague removes the blade and replaces it with a blade that is one size larger.

3

In place of the skirt, he uses a white V&M Bayou Bullfrog paddle-tail toad. “I like to stick to something with a lot of drag in the water that time of year to help me slow the bait down. That toad-type bait is wide and has bigger legs to slow it down in the water,” Sprague says.

Replace skirt with Bayou Bullfrog.

4

A trailer hook helps catch lethargic fish that suck in the lure but don’t get it deep into the mouth.

ROCK ON

IT’S SLOW, BUT IT’S NOT

Buzzbait target areas aren’t unlike traditional cold-water cranking target areas.

“I look for rock and riprap on steep banks where fish can easily move up and down in the water column to adjust for climate changes if we have a cold front come in,” says Sprague.

Creek bends, primary and secondary points, small bluffs, and steep-sloping main-lake pockets are all prime places to find the right types of banks, with the best depth range typically in the 10- to 12-footdeep zone.

“You can still cover water with this type of technique,” says Sprague, “but the deal is when you get in an area where you get a bite or two, a lot of times you can come back with another bait such as a crankbait or jig. You know there are active fish there. I just catch a lot bigger fish on a topwater that time of year.”

10 SA BASS June 2019

PRESENTATION KEYS 1. Position the boat parallel to the bank.

2. Cast to the bank at an angle so you can target the shallowest water out to 10 to 12 feet.

3. Wind the bait slowly so it’s chopping water, but not racing in.

>> SA BASS INDUSTRY NEWS

Zimbabwe, Namibia join FLW International Division

I

n addition to its adult tournaments, Zimbabwe will be running a series of High School Fishing tournaments and will be sending at least one team to the United States to compete in the 2019 FLW/TBF High School Fishing World Finals.

Both countries will operate under the direction of FLW South Africa President Hannes Lindeque with local supervision provided by Clint Skinner in Zimbabwe and Neil Engelbrecht in Namibia.

“We are so excited to have this chance to showcase our anglers to the world,” says Skinner. “Zimbabwe may be small and struggling in many ways, but our anglers can beat all comers.

With the help of our sponsors, we look forward to sending both student and adult anglers to compete on the biggest stage in the bass fishing world through FLW Zimbabwe.”

In 2017, FLW South Africa’s Michael Matthee made history by winning the International Division at the Costa FLW Series Championship on Kentucky Lake and becoming the first international angler to finish in the top ten. Matthee is competing on the FLW Tour this season and finished second on Grand Lake.

“Michael is living the dream at this moment and stands a great chance of being a professional angler for the rest of his life thanks to FLW,” says Engelbrecht. “FLW’s core values emulate our own, which makes launching FLW Namibia an easy decision.”

The top pro award at the Costa FLW Series Championship is $100,000, including a Ranger Z518L boat with a 200-hp outboard if the

pro is Ranger Cup qualified, and the top co-angler award is a Ranger Z175 boat with a 115-hp outboard.

The highest-finishing pro from the International Division at the Costa FLW Series Championship advances to the following year’s FLW Cup for the chance to compete on the sport’s biggest stage.

FLW Canada’s Erik Luzak was the highest-finishing International Division pro at the 2018 Costa FLW Series Championship and will represent the FLW International Division at the 2019 FLW Cup on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Ark. (Neels Beneke from KZN finished in second place in the International Division – Ed.) “We are thrilled that anglers in Zimbabwe and Namibia will now have the opportunity to fish FLW events at home and qualify for the FLW Series Championship in the United States,” says Kathy Fennel, FLW president of operations. “There are some fantastic bass fisheries in Zimbabwe and Namibia and some incredibly talented anglers. We have long touted our FLW anglers as the best in the world, and with the integration of the International Division into the Costa FLW Series, we are truly seeing global competition.”

Zimbabwe and Namibia are the ninth and tenth countries represented in FLW’s international sanctioning program, joining Canada, China, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and South Korea.

Additional FLW qualifying tournaments in other countries will continue to be forthcoming. Watch FLWFishing.com for details.

COMING UP IN FLW COMPETITIONS

FLW FORREST WOOD CUP August 9 - 11, 2019 Lake Hamilton Hot Springs, AR

FLW Championship August 23 - 25, 2019 Lake Oanob Rehoboth, Namibia

FLW Championship August 23 - 25, 2019 Lake Mteri Zimbabwe

FLW RSA Championship August 29 - 31, 2019 Witbank Dam The Ridge Casino, Witbank, MP

Costa FLW Series Championship Oct. 31 - Nov. 2, 2019 Lake Cumberland Burnside, KY

>> SA BASS

It is winter; what now?

The Ned rig

>> John Badenhorst* nights are cold and when heading out early in the mornings for leisure or a tournament, >> The we find the grass crunching underfoot with the frost of the night just gone by. With trepidation we head off to our selected spot in the hopes of at least catching something other than a nice cosy case of the flu or at worst pneumonia for our efforts.

W

inter fishing for bass can and will be of the toughest we will experience but this does not mean that we won’t be rewarded for our efforts. It’s true when some anglers mention that some of their biggest fish have been caught during the cold winter months. You might get only a few bites during a day on the water but if you convert those into fish on the boat, you might just be surprised at the quality of the catch.

With fluctuating barometric pressures, clear water and obviously the serious dip in ambient and water temperature, a day out on the water seems like a load of hard work and yet the rewards are worth it.

Winter bass tend to hang around structure where they

It is that time of the year

12 SA BASS June 2019

feel safe, can use it as some sort of ambush point and where the water temperature at a certain depth does not fluctuate as much as the temperatures closer to the surface or the shallows where even a slight winter breeze can drop it by as much as two degrees in a matter of hours.

Bass do not want to waste energy hunting down prey in cold water, since they are cold blooded, this stands to reason that the prey should reward the energy spent in catching it or else it’s simply not worth it. This is the main reason why we tend to find the bigger fish near some form of structure or shelter as these are ideal ambush points. It could also be a deep lay down or rock structure or even a long forgotten and flooded fence post.

Zman Finesse Shroom Z Ned rig jighead

When Wh hen approaching these there is a huge target areas, aare selection of lures to use and se option op ption at our o disposal and yet, for four fou fo ur years now noow we’ve found certain methods meth hods working workking better than others when winter bass. n ttargeting ar argeting win w The one of the Th Ned Ned rig is i probably p most and detecting a m ost fun fun to fish, h itss direct d bbite ite iss child’s play. play Using Usin a Ned rig around U Us deeper bounce the lure deep eper structure structu ure r allows you to lightly lig right and h on the h bottom b d tight h up to the structure and if there is a fish hanging out on your selected structure, chances are that he will eat that rig. The Hillbilly Poisen Oh Ned rig works extremely well and so does the Z-Man Ned rig matched with the range of Z-Man TRD worms or the Z-Man Shroom heads with the skirt already attached.

Drop-shot methods are a go to for many anglers in colder water with the advantage of being able to vary the depth of the lure in relation to the bottom and to slowly work it with gentle bounces in the target area.

If you haven’t yet tried this method, you are missing out on one of the easiest ways to catch finicky fish.

Weightless soft plastics have a very slow fall rate and in most respects seem unobtrusive in the water column and where you find a gentle slope towards the structure you intend to target, this could work to your advantage as it is a very subtle presentation and in most cases will not scare off a fish holding near your target area and most likely will arouse his curiosity.

Suspending jerk minnows have been a staple for many social and tournament anglers during colder months and fishing the outside edges of deep weed beds or over the tops of these deep weed or rock lines have produced results. The entire success of the day all depends on how slow you work the bait. In some cases, the suspending jerk minnow had been left totally motionless for as long as a whole minute before giving it a small twitch.

Anglers all have their preferred methods of catching bass and as humans we step out of our comfort zone to brave cold mornings, we might as well step out a little further and experiment with some new techniques while we’re at it.

Remember to keep warm, use sunblock as even the winter sun can burn and to always be safe on the water.

Go out there, slow things down and who knows, your next outing might result in your new PB. *John Badenhorst is the sub-editor of SA BASS magazine, the Master of Ceremony for FLW South Africa, radio presenter at Vibez.Live and a specialist finesse angler.

www.alphalaboria.co.za

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>> SA BASS

Throughout the year we are faced with differing weather patterns and as we head into the June month many parts of the country will enjoy some of the finest conditions out of all the months of the year – little to no storms and volatile conditions to worry about, just the slick waters and sunshine. What to do?

C

lear days although wonderful weather to fish in can also present some challenges. It’s the time when bass are most easily spooked. Without any rippling water the slick conditions allow the fish to see you coming from a quite a way off.

This alone will either cause the fish not to bite when your lure swims right passed them, or the bass will simply swim off as you approach. Also, it will be highly unlikely that they bite even if you cast in the direction which they are heading as the bass swims off.

However, during these calm conditions around June it is not often you will see bass up in the shallows unless you situated in a warmer climate area. Mostly, the fish will be locating to deeper water in the early hours and only later in the day, once the shallows have warmed up will they move in to look for prey. With this said, it is going to be a better option to start your fishing in water depths around 10ft and deeper – all things being equal. This will immediately set the pace for a successful day of fishing.

Structure is quite an interesting factor to consider around this time too. You will be surprised how small, or delicate a piece of structure will attract the bass. Any small stick, rock, log or plant will provide the break in the environment which the bass rely on. These areas are sufficient enough to help obscure their profile from both predators, and their prey which at this time of year can often be a school of migrating baitfish.

Looking out for and locating these small structures may seem futile at first, but rest assured it will pay off in the end. The sonar on any reasonable fishfinder will “ping” off the structure to alert you to its presence. It’s then when you can choose to mark the spot on your electronics, or drop a marker buoy in the vicinity. I find the marker buoy particularly effective here as it gives you the opportunity to back away from the area and reduce the amount of disturbance. Keep in mind that the bass are quite sensitive at this time and the further you manage to distance yourself the better your chances will be.

&/($5 '$<6 $5( &20,1* >> Roger Donaldson*

Carolina rigged plastic lures are a formidable option for scouring the depths in search of small structures when fishing calm clear waters 14 SA BASS June 2019

A great example of small structures making a difference was provided to me on Inanda Dam. The remanence of an old tree stump, perched on a prominent point near the main boat launch area. The water was deep, 30 to 35ft and crystal clear. It wasn’t easy spotting the structure in the first place and trying to hover over it even in the calm water conditions was very testing. The structure showed on the sonar screen as a shadowy spike almost a centimetre high. Translating this down 30 to 35ft meant the old tree stump was possibly just under 1m in height – a fair stump. There was nothing much else in the immediate vicinity and so I was drawn to it like I was hoping the bass would be too.

Armed with the only rig I thought would reach the depth appropriately I cast out. I needed to judge how the Carolina rigged creature lure

would sink and pendulum to the bottom and hopefully arrive just close enough to the structure deep below.

Interestingly, every so often I could see the lure and my line “pinging” on the sonar so I knew I was in the groove. Lifting the rod tip slowly I could feel the lure dragging along the bottom briefly and then with a definite “bump” it hit something solid. I remember gently raising my rod tip to feel the lure slide over the structure below and then a mighty “thump” reverberated through my rod and into my fingers.

I wasted little time reeling up the little slack line and then set the hook. The fish was already making the best of the structure and I could feel the line using all its abrasion resistant qualities to prevent the line from parting. I imparted a little more pressure and it worked! I felt the fish

break free of the structure, but now it was heading for the surface as fast as it could. The large bass broker the surface but only managed to breach with its enormous head and gaping mouth, imparting a vehement head shake in desperate attempt to free itself of the hook.

This was a day that set in motion my unremitting search for inconspicuous little structures and save them for those clear days of 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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BASICS “Bass Fishing – An Intro” MicropterusSalmoides, commonly known as largemouth bass, are widespread in Southern Africa.

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

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CLASSROOM

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TACTICS “Big Spoons for Big Bass”

CLASSROOM Many years ago one of my friends introduced me to an awesome

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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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MY CAST Cast-for-Cash - Tournament Results

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“Sight Fishing” monster of only just over a kilo!

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“Morning, Noon and Night” it may seem intimidating. You may be

SABAA NEWS

– Mark Bi

INTERNATIONAL

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STRATEGIES

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

– JJoe Mendes

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ADVERTORIAL “Lure Strategies – How to get the most from Sensation Lures” To me bass angling has always been about the excitement of having so many choices of lures and colours to outwit a little green

choosing to sling some form of plastic worm for bass.

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

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

– Craig Fraser

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ITAGS Takes you directly to the SA BASS website.

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

ON THE COVER “Willie Swart” Image: Hannes Lindeque SA BASS 03 November 2014

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CLASSROOM

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

ears ago one of my friends wesome Bennie Wiese

30

“Short- or Long-Shank?”

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

18

TACTICS “Big Spoons for Big Bass”

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 01 38 56

MY CAST Cast-for-Cash - Tournament Results GEAR UP

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READERS-go-BASSING

63

LIFESTYLE – Boating & Birding – “Glossy Ibi ”

UNIVERSITY “Sight Fishing” monster of only just over a kilo!

– Shandon Hawman

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BASICS “Morning, Noon and Night”

ERNATIONAL

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STRATEGIES

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BASICS

n’ in Europe

MMING

Seisoen” Vir ‘

“A Basic Guide on Boat and Outboard Selection for the Novice Angler (Part 1)” In the modern day and age of bass

ock - Waterberg

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– Philip

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icious Fishing Line” everyday angler. Today’s angler deserves quality, durability and reliability in their gear and Vicious delivers all of that with attitude.

MONTHLY GIVE AWAYS 43

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TOURNAMENT NEWS “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

“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

ITAGS Takes you directly to the SA BASS website.

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

ON THE COVER “Willie Swart” Image: Hannes Lindeque SA BASS 03 November 2014

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SA BASS 15 June 2019

>> SA BASS

Die fluke vs. die grub M

>> Philip Kemp*

Toe die skrywer sy kollega en vriend, Tonie vd Westhuizen, ‘n swart grub gee om mee te hengel, was die Kaap Hollands

et hierdie tweede artikel in my “versus” rsus” reeks, het ek twee ase gekies wat oor die algemeen beide baie goed werk in meeste omstandighede, mstandighede, maar tog so baie van mekaar kan verskil.

Hierdie is beide plastiese ase wat beslis iss deel d el moet de uitmaak van enige baarshengelaar se arsenaal en n ka kan beide gewen end d word. in meeste omstandighede baie produktief aangewend moon ntli lik kan Daar is egter toestande waar die een die ander moontlik oorskadu, maar die groot vraag by die meeste te hengelaars, henggela l ars, ede?”….. Ons Ons is egter: “Wanneer, en in watter omstandighede?”…. gaan so ‘n bietjie daaroor gesels.

Profiel Dit is belangrik om eerstens te verstaan wat die spesifieke aas in die water voorstel en waarvoor die baars die aas aansien. Die ander probleem is dat baars so gebombardeer word met altyd dieselfde ase, dat hulle mettertyd nie meer aan daardie ase wil raak nie. Om dan die profiel so ‘n bietjie te verander kan altyd help. Dink ‘n bietjie so daaraan, jy hengel in ‘n area waar die baars net nie aan ‘n fluke wil raak nie, maar die oomblik wat jy met ‘n grub begin hengel, vang jy die een vis na die ander. Net ‘n rukkie later verskuif jy na ‘n ander deel van die dam en begin natuurlik met die grub hengel, maar die baars wil niks weet nie. Jy verander terug na ‘n fluke toe en “voila”, die baars wil die fluke nie uitlos nie. Die vraag is,” Hoe kan die baars van een ge gedeelte van die dam dan so verskil van die ander deel van die dam? In ‘n geval soos die kan dit beslis die profiel van die aas wees wat die baars in daardie spesifieke deel van die dam d gewoond geraak het. Die kleur van die water kan egter ook van een deel van die dam na ‘n ander verskil en daarom is dit ook moontlik dat die grub, wat meer vibrasie in die water veroorsaak as gevolg van sy groter stertjie, in die vuiler vuil water meer effektief gaan wees as die fluke. Die grub, en daar verwys ek na die groter grubs soos die Mr. Jumbo Grub, G gaan beslis ook as gevolg van sy groter profiel, makliker deur die baars raakgesien word in vuiler water.

Wat egter die d belangrikste is, is dat die fluke se profiel meer die profiel profi fiel el van v ‘n klein vissie aanneem en dat die grub in hier hi erd die afdel die f hierdie afdeling nie regtig by die fluke kan kersvashou nie.

Vibrasie

Mr Jumbo Grub (Junebug)

16 SA BASS June 2019

Wat vibr vibrasie betref, is die grub die fluke ‘n entjie voor.

As gev gevolg van die grub se stertjie wat meer vibrasie in die water het, gaan die aas soos reeds genoem, beslis in vuiler water baie meer effektief wees as die fluke. Ek het egter al gevind dat ‘n fluke op ‘n hoek met ‘n gewiggie aan, ook ‘n skitterende “stertswaai” aksie het as hy na die bodem laat sak word. Hierdie ligte subtiele vibrasie van die fluke se stert is dan baie keer net genoeg om ‘n baars se belangstelling te prikkel. Soms is ‘n ligter vibrasie ‘n beter besluit as die meer aggressiewe vibrasie van die grub.

Die skrywer se vrou, Reniece, wys hoe maklik dit is om ‘n baars met ‘n fluke op ‘n Mojostrop vas te trek

Die alombekende fluke

Spoed wa waarteen aarteen jy hengel hengel Hoe aaggressief ggressief diee bbaars aars op die spesifieke tyd tyyd en en p plek lekk is, Die gaan met met beide die ase ase ook ‘n rol speel. D ie ggrub rrub ub kan baie stadig op op ‘n Mojo-, Mojjo-, Texas- of ‘n Carol Carolina-strop oliina-str ina-strop gehengel word. w word d. H Hyy kan oo ook ok seker gewigloos ggehengel eh henge ngel word, maar dit is n nie ie ‘‘n n tegniekk w wat at ek sou gebruik ikk nie nie. Die grub kan met meeste me eeste van die ie tegnieke tegnieke g ook vinn vinniger niig n iger geswem word en kan ige selfs goed ed wer werk erkk as ‘n bo-loperaa bo-loperaas oor gras of lelies. Die klop ertj tjie ie, as hy vinnig bbo-op die water gehengel word, van die stertjie, kan ‘n groot aantrekking aantrekkingskrag vir die baars wees.

Daarteenoor is die d fluke heeltemal ‘n voël van anderste vere en kan die spoed en tegniek redelik verskil. Ek verkies om flukes gewigloos te hengel, maar hulle werk ook goed op ‘n baie ligte Texas-, Mojo- of Carolina-strop, en natuurlik op ‘n hoek met ‘n gewiggie aan. Hulle kan stadig gehengel word net soos ‘n grub, maar kan anders as met ‘n grub, ook soos ruk-en-pluk kunsasies, gehengel word. Alhoewel ek al ‘n fluke vinnig soos ‘n bo-loper aas oor lelies ingekatrol het, en op die koop toe ‘n baars aan die hoek gekry het, voel ek dat die fluke beslis nie my nommer een bo-loper aas sal wees as ek bo-op die wateroppervlak moet hengel nie. Daarvoor sal ek eerder ‘n grub gebruik.

Waar hengel ek die aas?

In hierdie afdeling gaan die twee ase nie baie van mekaar verskil nie en kan beide in meeste omstandighede op dieselfde plekke gehengel word. Beide kan met groot sukses in die vlak sowel as diep water gehengel word. Hulle werk beide goed in areas met baie watergras. Die fluke kan egter makliker deur die gras getrek word as gevolg van sy nouer profiel. Rondom versuipte bome en ander onderwater dekking werk beide baie goed. Waar die grub moontlik ‘n voorsprong sou hê, is wanneer ek met ‘n Texas-sinker, wat op sy neus met ‘n rubberstopper vasgepen is, deur dik watergras wil “punch”.

Die grub met sy stertjie is ideaal vir hierdie tegniek terwyl dit beslis nie ‘n tegniek is waar jy ‘n fluke sal gebruik nie.

Daarteenoor is die fluke weer ‘n wenner as jy hom gewigloos oor onderwater gras of in baie vlak water hengel.

Watertemperatuur Ekstreme koue of warm watertemperature kan die hengel vir baars uiters uitdagend maak vir enige hengelaar, maar tog is dit nie onmoontlik om ‘n baars in sulke toestande aan die hoek te kry nie. Die meeste van die tyd sal die hengelaar in sulke moeilike toestande die spoed waarmee hy hengel, stadiger maak. Die hengelaar kan in sulke omstandighede selfs die aas vir lang momente laat stil lê op die bodem. In sulke omstandighede is daar feitlik geen beter aas as die SA BASS 17 June 2019

Ignie Mey met ‘n pragtige baars wat hy tydens ‘n uitstappie saam met sy oom, Philip Kemp, met ‘n swart grub gevang het

fluke nie. Omrede baars in sulke moeilike omstandighede suspendeer, sal ‘n fluke wat gewigloos gehengel word en stadiger deur die waterkolom sak, uitstekend werk. Wat hengelaars moet verstaan, is dat baars in ekstreme koue- of warm toestande ‘n aas met ‘n ligte subtiele beweging sal verkies en daarom sal die fluke ‘n beter opsie bo ‘n grub wees. Grubs met ‘n bonkige profiel sal ook stadiger deur die waterkolom beweeg en ons moet ook onthou dat kouer water se digtheid hoër is en dat beide ase stadiger deur die water sal sak.

Hengeltoerusting Na gelang van die tegniek wat die hengelaar besluit om te hengel, sal die stokke en aksie van die stokke en so ook die katrolle verskil.

Grubs Texas-, Mojo-, Carolina- of gewiglose stroppe: 7’ tot 7’3 medium swaar stok met ‘n vinnige aksie en ‘n draaispoel (baitcaster) katrol 7.1:1, of ‘n 6.4:1 ratverhouding sal ook goed werk. As ek egter in areas hengel waar ek die baars vinnig van onderwater obstruksies wil weg kry, help die katrolle met ‘n vinniger ratverhouding (spoed) egter.

Afhangend van die kleur van die water sal ek in baie skoon water 10 pond fluorocarbonlyn hengel; andersins tussen 14 en 20 pond fluorocarbon, afhangend van die digtheid van die dekking waarin gehengel word in effekleurige tot koffiekleurige water.

Flukes Texas-, Mojo-, Carolina- of gewiglose stroppe: 7’ tot 7’3 medium swaar stok met ‘n vinnige aksie en ‘n draaispoel katrol met ‘n 7.1:1 of 6.4:1 ratverhouding. Indien ek egter ‘n fluke op ‘n “dropshot” sou hengel, verkies ek ‘n 7’ koffiemeulstok met ‘n medium tot medium-swaar aksie en 50 pond vleglyn (braid) en ‘n 10 tot 14 pond fluorocarbon voorslag (leader) afhangende van die kleur van die water.

Samevatting As ek kan saamvat; watter een van die twee ase bly nogsteeds die mees produktiefste? Om beide ase altyd byderhand te hê bly egter belangrik. Ek het gevind dat in damme wat hoë hengeldruk ervaar, die fluke baie goed werk. Dit is egter ook so dat die fluke so baie deur hengelaars gehengel word, dat baars in sekere areas hulle voorliefde vir die aas afleer en dan kan die grub ‘n skitterende plaasvervanger wees.

Watter een van die twee ase is dan wat my betref, die beter aas? Ek het ‘n voorliefde vir grubs en het natuurlik ook my persoonlike beste met ‘n Mr. Jumbo grub gevang.

Dit maak dit egter steeds vir my moeilik om regtig te moet besluit. Albei sal op die regte tyd en toestande sy merk kan maak. Hou egter beide byderhand en hulle sal jou altwee verras.

Lekker hengel en moet nie jou stokke wegpak hierdie winter nie. *Philip Kemp is ‘n gesoute swartbaarhengelaar en assistant redakteur van SA BASS. 18 SA BASS June 2019

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SA BASS 19 June 2019

>> SA BASS

>>

SOCIAL

MEDIA

and the bass fisherman >> Divan Coetzee* I’ve wanted to touch on this subject for a while now but, I was not sure what I wanted to say, or whether it will be relevant or help full…

T

here are many aspects I’d like to cover on this topic, but I’ll only end up ranting and spewing rubbish, much like my previous works. Anyway, you’ve all seen those posts, and maybe you’ve even made one before, it normally goes something like this: – “Hi everyone, my buddy and I want to go catch some bass tomorrow. Where is the best spot and with what can I catch them?”. Sounds innocent enough doesn’t it? One almost feels compelled to help. Then it got me thinking: what did I do in my early years prior to the ‘information at the touch of a button age’? I’ll tell you what! I shredded any and all information pertaining to bass fishing and fishing in general. If you are passionate enough about fishing, you’ll do the same. If not, then you are that guy that’s always late for class and did not do his homework, hoping he can get enough done in the five minutes preceding first period. What I’m saying is: if you are a crappy student, you’ll be a crappy bass fisherman.

Bass fishing has no short answers, just an endless array of variables. If you can’t make peace with this, then you’ll end up over complicating things for yourself. Back to the point!

So, said person is perfectly capable of typing his request and submitting it to social media? Right, but why social media and not a more dedicated platform? Something like wired2fish, or any bass magazine out there. Let me tell you why! It takes little to no effort to attain ‘information’ on these sites. Remember this is the same guy who never does his homework, and most other platforms offer extensive 20 SA BASS June 2019

solutions to his questions, yet he is unwilling to literally just sit there and listen, never mind having to go through hours of reading material. They like their answers in three words or less but, these folks will have a hard time achieving any consistency The fact that there are thousands and thousands of lure choices (and opinions) does not make it easy for entry level and beginner anglers either. If you are still consumed by lure selection, rest assured, the solution is not on the shelf.

This brings us to the second part of the conversation – the answers! If you’ve ever answered a question like that on social media in three words or less, then shame on you!

We’ll circle back to this shortly; ever noticed how many experts and specialists we have out there? Thank goodness these guys aren’t tournament fishermen; No wonder folks take to social media for instant advice. Top answers include, but are not limited to: “Bronkhorstspruit! Rusties! Flukes, Senko, Witbank - spinnerbaits; where do you live, I’m going there next week… jigs, crankbaits!” The list goes on and on… What can one possibly hope to learn form these contradictory utterances? Yes sure you can go to above mentioned venue and throw out said baits and catch a fish, but how does that help you long term? Are you seriously going to consult who ever is quickest on the keyboard every time you consider an outing? Luckily there are no wrong answers in bass fishing but, some answers are more correct than others relatively speaking. So how does one convey

the correct info in three words or less? Easy, you don’t! Effort equals reward in this case and the onus is on you to up your game and reference framework. You have to put in the hours.

Reference framework I hear you ask? Every single outing you’ve had prior to the next one is your reference, i.e.: location, time of year, weather conditions, dam level, predominant structure, baitfish… all these factors contribute to making informed decisions. The more you fish a specific body of water under specific conditions, the better your reference will be. Our waters are small in comparison to the USA so a bass literally has nowhere to hide; yet finding fish takes a back seat when compared to lure selection locally. We place way too much emphasis on lure selection and pay little attention to the stuff that matters. Do you think the top anglers in this country have some special bait that they’re unwilling to tell you about? Maybe… but the reality is that these guys know how to find fish relative to the seasonal stage; that’s the key.

It’s a big pill; swallow it slowly so you don’t forget it! Perhaps we’ll take a deeper look at seasonal staging in future issues.

This forms part of the fundamentals to understanding bass behavior and cycles.

In closing, if you put in the effort, you’ll be duly rewarded. Selling people down the river is in poor taste.

There are no short cuts – only long days, blistering heat, icy wind, swollen fingers, sunburn, windburn, dehydration, late nights and early mornings… all of it, absolutely worth it! *Divan Coetzee is the proprietor of Graceland Outdoors and a competitive FLW Cast-for-Cash angler.

For all enquires contact Divan Coetzee 081 775 7765 SA BASS 21 June 2019

>> SA BASS BASICS

Vislyn Ons het nou al riglyne gekry hoe om met ander oë na ‘n visstok vir swartbaarhengel te kyk en watter katrol die beste gaan werk óf behoort te werk. Nou watter vislyn – is daar regtig ‘n verskil?

>> Hannes Lindeque*

J

a, definitief... want onthou dat jou lyn die enigste kontak is tussen jou as hengelaar en die vis. Alles in die lewe raak so maklik ingewikkeld, selfs as dit by ‘n eenvoudige tydverdryf kom soos hengel.

Daar is inderwaarheid vier groepe vislyn. Elke groep het sy eie voor- en nadele wat elke groep dus geskik maak vir sekere swartbaarhengeltegnieke.

Die eerste soort vislyn wat kommersieel beskikbaar gemaak was, het bekend gestaan as monofilament wat ‘n nylon-produk is. Daar is vandag nog monofilament op die rakke beskikbaar en word nogsteeds gebruik. Dit is ‘n “goedkoop” vislyn wat baie sterk is en redelik skaafbestand is. Die nadeel is dat die lyn baie rek in hom het en nie sensitief is vir bytseine nie, wat dit nie geskik maak wanneer daar met sagte plastiekwurms gehengel word nie. “Mono” is wel uitstekend wanneer met swaailemme (spinnerbaits) en harde plastiekvissies gehengel word en veral met oppervlakte-aas omrede die vislyn dryf. Omrede die lyn rek gee dit die vis net daardie breekdeel van ‘n sekonde langer tyd om die aas behoorlik te vat voordat die hoeke vasslaan.

Co-polymer is die tweede groep. Dit is ‘n verbeterede monofilamentlyn wat beter skaafbestand is, het minder geheue en is dunner as monofilament. Dit is ‘n goeie lyn om in struktuur te gebruik waar daar baie skaafplekke soos klippe en stompe is. Hierdie lyn sink stadig en kan nie vir oppervlakte-aas gebruik word nie, maar wel vir harde plastiekvissies wat duik. Hoe dunner die lyn is, hoe dieper sal die aas duik en ook omgekeerd. Omrede die lyn ook rekbaar is, sal ek nie sagte plastiek-aas daarmee hengel nie.

‘n Verskeidenheid van vislyne

Die derde groep en heelwat duurder as die voriges, is fluorocarbon. Dit is nie ‘n nylonproduk nie, het ‘n hoë digtheid en sink dus vinnig. Die voordeel van die lyn is dat dit amper onsigbaar is in skoon, helder water. Dit is ‘n “stywer” lyn as ander nylonlyne en “spring” maklik van ‘n koffiemeulkatrol af. As gevolg van sy hoë digtheid, is dit ‘n baie meer sensitiewe lyn en geskik vir sagte plastiek-aas.

Dit is ook geskik vir swaailemme en harde plastiekvissies wat baie diep duik. Die nadeel van die lyn is dat dit maklik skaaf en swak plekkies kry. Gaan hierdie lyn dus gereeld na en herknoop sodra ‘n swakplek gevoel word.

Die laaste groep is vleglyn (braid). Dit is ‘n duur superlyn met geen geheue, geen rek in hom nie en dus baie sensitief. Die lyn bestaan uit ‘n aantal dunner “garings” wat gevleg word om een sterk lyn te vorm. ‘n Hengelaar kan dus baie ver hengel en nogsteeds ‘n byt voel en goed vaskap.

Dit is ideaal wanneer daar in digte struktuur gehengel word en die lyn kan selfs deur watergras en waterlelies sny wanneer die vis oploop gaan met die aas. Die lyn dryf en kan ook gebruik word wanneer met oppervlak-aas gehengel word. Die nadeel is egter dat die lyn baie duidelik sigbaar is in helderskoon water, maar dit kan oorkom word deur ‘n stewige fluorocarbon voorslag te gebruik. ‘n Ander nadeel is dat die lyn in sy eie windings inbyt wat probleme gee wanneer weer uitgegooi word. Ook is “overwinds” met ‘n “baitcaster” ‘n ergerlike nagmerrie.

Breekkrag: Oor die algemeen is 10 tot 12 pond lyn goed genoeg wanneer die hengelaar met harde plastiekvissies hengel. Vir sagte plastiek-aas, swaailemme en jigs sal ek tussen 14 tot 17 pond gebruik. In damme wat bekend is vir hulle groot visse sal ek beslis dikker lyn, 20 pond en swaarder, gebruik. Vir swartbaarhengel sal ek nooit uitspattige kleure lyn gebruik nie maar eerder groen of wit.

Hengelwenk: Koop altyd die beste lyn wat jy kan bekostig en spoel die lyn in dieselfde rigting op die katrol as wat dit op die lyntol opgedraai was. *Hannes Lindeque is die stigter en uitgewer van SA BASS sedert 2001, die hooforganiseerder van FLW Suid-Afrika en SA BASS Cast-for-Cash swartbaarhengeltoernooie.

22 SA BASS June 2019

SA BASS 23 June 2019

>> SA BASS TACTICS

I have entered into numerous discussions about lure choice and the end result has always been very much the same. The discussions I’ve enjoyed most are those had just before a competitive fishing event, as the anglers are always so much more intense about the choice of lure for the day. It’s only after the event that you realise what truly was required to make the difference out there.

It’s De‘bait’able >> Roger Donaldson*

T

he point of this article is to provide anglers with peace of mind around their choice of lure. You often try so desperately to find out what lure is working most effectively and you actually end up forgetting about looking for the bass itself.

I remember taking part in an event on Nandoni Dam not so long ago. The choice of lure varied greatly from area to area and even in the same areas the anglers were fishing completely different baits from one another. Nandoni is probably the most beautiful fishing location I have experienced in South Africa. There is such variety available to the angler it can honestly leave you quite bewildered.

Probably half of the dam consists of flooded timber in varying depths and sizes. There are bays of lily pads and mangled brushpiles, channel breaks and drop-offs, open gravel banks, dilapidated, flooded building structures, and

Keep your choices simple, but be energetic about interchanging and trying different options in different areas to see how they can all prove their benefits

24 SA BASS June 2019

the list continues. The fact that crocodiles also abound also adds to the mystique of this venue and you need to beware of them if you’re planning on entering the water by foot.

With all these structures in mind, as well as depth options, varying temperatures from one side of the dam to the next, including the changes in water clarity you can ascertain quickly that there will certainly not be just one or two lures of choice. I purposefully used the example of Nandoni because although it probably offers the epitome of variety in all senses of the word, most dams offer very similar although they might not be as visible to the eye.

Bass anglers restrict themselves to a specific bait, but it really isn’t necessary. If you take the time to find the bass you’ll also work out that they will very likely be interested in numerous lures, be they soft plastic options, crankbaits, or maybe lures. What will however matter y even topwater p

most is likely going to be the colour and the size of the lure you choose.

Standing in my local tackle store one day I was approached by an enthusiastic beginner angler who expressed his total lack of faith in crankbaits. I was telling a story about how fishing crankbaits in a certain area would confidently deliver a couple of bass, but he would not hear anything of it. He had tried crankbaits in another dam and they simply didn’t work. To put that in perspective, I have probably fished 200 different areas with a crankbait and caught nothing and likewise with a plastic lure. However, if I weigh up the phenomenal fishing I have encountered with a crankbait I would never think of leaving the option behind – no matter where I’m fishing.

To take the pain out of establishing what bait to use I would simply select from the following three fishing rods, including: - A medium to medium heavy rod with a light Mojo rigged soft plastic bait and 12lb line which is quickly interchangeable with your next favourite plastic lure.

Here you can easily swap between a fluke, Senko, twitch worm, or even Brush Hog if you so require. This will probably turn out to be the most used rod in your arsenal because of its ability to switch up without much interference at all. Should you need to go to much deeper water you’ll need to apply a little effort and possibly swap out your light weight for something more substantial to get the bait to the bottom more effectively.

- A medium heavy rod and 12lb line with your favourite medium diving crankbait. The lure can be fished fast or slow depending on the depth you’re targeting, or you can quickly inter-change the crankbait should you want to probe deeper, or get your lure back into the shallows.

This rod will also allow you to swap out your crankbait with a spinnerbait, as the line breaking strain and rod strength will suite perfectly too.

- The third rod (although a luxury for some) I would keep for something special on the day. Examples could be a topwater lure, possibly a SPRO Frog or Horny Toad.

Depending on the structure you are targeting with this type of lure you will very likely need a rod with a strong backbone and the line breaking strain will likely exceed 15lb. This is however quite debatable, as you may very well want to fish the more delicate topwater propeller lures (Skitter Prop, Tiny Torpedo) and with this in mind you will do very well with an additional medium heavy rod and 12lb fishing line.

Keep your choices simple, but be energetic about interchanging and trying different options in different areas to see how they can all prove their benefits. *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 25 June 2019

>> SA BASS STARTEGIES

The strategy of wading - Part 3

Encountering action >> Jay Röhm-Williams In this three part strategy of wading series we briefly touched on a few starter points, highlighted some major safety concerns, browsed over a basic selection of handy items to keep close, mentioned a couple of awesome advantages of wading and focused on our wader outfits and gear in our fishing arsenal.

An example of endless, new angles to utilize

T

here are many differing opinions when one thinks of winter but for bass anglers it means only one thing, time to test those skills. Warm sunny rays, berg winds and long, hot days are memories of our warmer months passed by. Winter, bassing season is busy blowing in and by the feel of things it is going to be an icy one!

This is a time when bass head for deeper waters to avoid fluctuating temperatures and settle down to wait out the cold. Bass still need to eat and although the fast, paced explosive bites come to a near halt there are plenty of subtle, big takes waiting to happen in the deeps. Wading for bass is now more ideal than ever for bank anglers looking to target the depths rather than the shallows, but the price of enduring chilling conditions must be paid. In this final chapter of the strategy of wading series we wade straight into the excitement, exploring all areas and factors involved when one is seeking to encounter bass action.

Action factors to consider: t 8BUFS UFNQFSBUVSF t /FX BOHMFT t 5BSHFU BSFBT t 'JHIUJOH UJQT Establishing temperature zones is going to be the first factor you will be faced with when wading, you just don’t have a choice really. Whether you are geared up in a neoprene or a breathable wading suit

26 SA BASS June 2019

it is going to be cold so it’s advisable to layer up accordingly. Depending on the size, location and depth of the waters you are fishing one can quickly distinguish between warm, cold and very cold water layers just by wading out a good couple of metres. By understanding how water temperature affects bass activity an angler can figure out a possible, general feeding pattern giving him a better tactical advantage.

Interpreting a feeding pattern opens up clues to other factors such as locating bass positions and over all lure presentation.

The next factor that will be pleasantly pleasing to any bank angler now wading is how many new angles of approach have become accessible. Shore restrictions no longer apply and in some cases a wading angler has the option of been able to cast in any which direction completely around him. Openings and gaps between stretches of any structure are easier to locate while quietly wading back or forth further allows you to alter that angle of presentation. Maximising angels give an angler more successful chances at obtaining that crucial hook-up especially when the bite is slow and bass are finicky. Been further out from the banks enables the angler more opportunity to be creative as to where you can now cast that lure. It is this access which wading provides that will make those impossible casts from the water’s edge possible.

Areas to target have broadened up completely and here it starts to become very interesting. Bridging the void between the shallows and the deeps will allow wading anglers to make the most out of prime, structure

hide-outs where bass might be lurking. Creeping along the edge of reed beds just before reaching the deep water is a classic wading manoeuvre. Punching holes between lilies and matted grasses with that added accuracy from close by is another great strike enticer. One could eliminate those gentle, shallow slopes in the front and just focusing on the edge of a drop off or concentrate hitting the deeper water directly. This will save crucial fishing time with less effort to cast there, in turn hopefully increasing your fish count too. You can sneak up behind flooded timber or tall reeds to improve your stealth while targeting bass ambush zones up close and personal like never before.

Even using the banks behind you are optional areas to utilize if indeed feeding is occurring up and down the shallows. Simply casting to the shore and drawing the lure out through towards open water has proven irresistible on many occasions. The only limit is an angler own height which will determine how far out one can wade comfortably.

When that rod does bend, and it will, the real fun begins. Besides the initial feeling of stoke behind every take, now fighting your bass close up waist deep can get tricky. There is no solid ground from which the end of a fight is deemed as a successful landing and we can likely assume that there is a good chance of obstacles in the way too whether submerged or visible. Wading anglers must use their own personal skills and wit to outplay bass before the bass outsmarts them. In most cases bass will high tail it straight for the deepest, densest cover they can get to or they will head straight up breaching the surface and toss their mouths wide open. First make sure that that hook sets right, double striking can be effective here. Keeping the tension and the rod upright automatically gives you extra control but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t apply too much pressure or you risk dislodging contact. Aim to guide the bass away from clumped, aquatic matter or any timber stacks as these just spell hassle. All the while watch your line and anticipate each movement. The idea is to play your bass to the best of your ability while walking slowly back towards the shallows or the bank itself. Here it will be easier for those anglers less experienced to safely handle catches to marvel at before release. If you do have an accessible landing net within reach using this when the chance presents itself will be ultra-handy as an alternative. Look for open water and free of debris channels in which to steer a fighting fish, this minimizes hazards plus possibly loosing that bass of a life time!

The rest is up to you and the more you practice the more advanced an angler you become. Wading is all about approach, mind set and been prepared to get wet. Every wading session spent trying to coax bass out from hiding is always a good fishing story waiting to happen. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get closer than this and once you have experienced the sensation of wading for bass, cast those blanking banking days goodbye.

Rods out and safe fishing everyone.

Author with a beautiful pre-winter largemouth bass

Merging with structure provides cover while wading

My friend and wading enthusiast Quinton Esterhuizen with one of his many great catches

Playing a bass back to the shore for safe landing

Pre-winter setting

Targeting channels like this is well worth it SA BASS 27 June 2019

>> SA BASS STRATEGIES

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s go

weightless >> John Badenhorst*

As a dedicated finesse angler with over three decades of experience on the water, I have seen and tried many variations of fishing with soft plastics.

From the ever popular Texas rig, Carolina rig, Mojo and more.

O

n a recent visit to one of my local dams, we found that the weed line had increased dramatically with the fluctuations in water temperatures and this basically called for a slight change in approach to my favourite spots.

As the temperatures start to cool down, we have the idea that our target fish move into deeper water. This is true but since the water hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t yet reached that critical winter temperatures, there is still a very likely chance of catching bass in slightly shallower water. The only problem is that this shallower water now holds huge clumps of aquatic weed and a slow build-up of algae on its edges.

These shallower weed beds will still hold fish that are having a last minute feed before heading to deeper water for the coming colder months as the water temperatures here causes them to be more active and hunt more frequently.

Even in the coldest of our winter season, its still worth it to try these slightly shallower banks of weed since the sunlight penetrating the water hits the weed and the temperature variation could be as much as two or three degrees warmer than the surrounding area.

Winter bass fishing has always dictated a slower presentation to be used as the bass will try where possible to expend as little energy to catch its prey. This does not in any way mean that throwing a suspending jerk minnow might not work; it purely means that the retrieve should be up to 80% slower than what you as angler would regard as slow.

28 SA BASS June 2019

A lure rigged weightless forces an angler to slow down on his retrieve

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve set the stage, we know the water is cooler but the possibility of getting some fish in and amongst the weedbeds is still an option; however we find that casting our standard rigs into this soup of vegetation results in the rig getting snagged time and again with plant or algae material. After numerous casts, we tend to let frustration take over and we move to another spot leaving a potential winning bag of fish behind for someone else to come and catch.

The best possible way to target these areas is using a weightless method and not only does it snag less than other methods or rigs, it also forces us as anglers to slow down on our retrieve and in some cases to simply dead stick the lure with the occasional twitch just to give some form of movement to the lure. With a soft plastic lure hooked and attached straight onto the line, the lure tends to rest on the weedbeds and with the slightest of twitches, move along the top or where there are small gaps or openings, slowly drop into these, creating the impression of injured bait. Injured bait is a temptation for any hungry and

opportunistic bass that might be lurking in those gaps.

The fall rate as mentioned on a totally weightless bait is extremely slow and you have to be patient while using this technique to its full advantage.

As you slowly do your retrieve while fishing a weightless bait, you will feel some resistance at some points as the lure lightly drags through or over vegetation or structure.

When the resistance becomes what some anglers describe as a spongy feeling, hold that tension just for a moment longer and if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a fish, he might give the bait a little tap or shake and this will be the point at which you set the hook.

On other instances, you will feel the structure or weeds and suddenly for some unknown reason, there will be absolutely no resistance at all, at this point, reel in slightly faster and set the hook. Since there is no sinker to cause drag on the rig, this might be that the fish has picked up the bait and is swimming towards the boat.

In my personal opinion, I prefer to use a light to medium action spinning rod for fishing weightless and although fishing weedbeds can be tricky, I personally prefer mono although some anglers might feel more comfortable with a light braid. In terms of baits, there is a smorgasbord of soft plastics available and its up to what you feel comfortable with although it does help to note on the manufacturing side, which baits have salt added to them during the manufacturing process as this added salt will cause the bait to fall through the water column faster than a bait with no salt. I also tend to prep my baits before my outings by taking a cigarette lighter and heating the tip of the bait and then making them slightly more bullet shaped. This simply helps the bait glide through the weed much easier and causes less snags and false alarms.

Remember that for many of us, this is not a new technique but because it forces us to be extremely slow, it might have been one of those methods we hear about but have not given a try as yet. We all learn and even someone

like myself took some lessons and did some practice and now, when things slow down, I have yet another method of catching fish when everyone else are having a tough time on the water. *John Badenhorst is the sub-editor of SA BASS magazine, the Master of Ceremony for FLW South Africa, radio presenter at Vibez.Live and a specialist finesse angler.

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>> SA BASS STRATEGIES

m-Williams >> by Jay Röh

F

resh water, we all need it and while 70% of the earth may be covered in water only 2.5% is considered fresh with only 1% been accessible. That 1% of fresh water comes in all forms found across the globe in different states and conditions. In South Africa we are fortunate enough to have quite a diverse landscape that plays host to a variety of numerous fresh water dams, ponds, lakes and rivers scattered all over the country. Depending where you are based whether in-land or coastally, usually there is a watery venue close by with bass a plenty.

We as bass anglers strive to know all there is about this defined, predatory fish and for good reason, we love catching them. They have just as many tricks up their fins as we have lures in our tackle box making them the kings of ambush and worthy of our respect. Bass have been known to thrive in almost any body of fresh water they are forced to endure under a score of altering conditions making them pretty tough survivalists as well. In order to stay above the rest in the food chain they have to evolve according to the environment that surrounds them, even if it means changing colour!

Now I am sure at some point in your personal, bass angling journey you have wondered why some bass caught at different locations vary in colour yet they are the same species. Well, believe it or not, bass have the amazing ability to change the shading of their skin and lateral markings based on a few factors namely: t (FPHSBQIJD MPDBUJPO t (FOFUJDT t )BCJUBU Bass owe these ‘special powers’ in fact to the photo receptors in their eyes which work in accordance with the amount of sunlight which penetrates the waters surface.

Together with the factors mentioned above a bass will either induce or retain the release of hormones which activate the skin pigments to move closer to the surface layer (darker) 30 SA BASS June 2019

or retract deeper within the skin itself (lighter). This survivalist tactic gives these hunters the edge they need in an ever changing world and has been recorded to take change in as little as thirty minutes!

The biggest influencing factor is generally the condition of the habitat where bass live and how the surrounding environment affects these habitats. Ultimately the major, focus points when analysing these conditions are based on: t 8BUFS DMBSJUZ t 7FHFUBUJPO t $IFNJTUSZ PG UIF XBUFS JUTFMG t %FQUI For most of us we can imagine our fellow bass displaying their traditional colours with pride. An image comes to mind instantly from the slightly darker green almost black band running along their back to a green midsection that blends then fades to a lighter shade of green before reaching a golden, white almost creamy under belly. Their lateral lines and markings are more darkly defined in colour, almost mottled in a stripe like pattern while the fins and tail are a darkish green mixed with gold or yellow tinge. This is basically the camouflage expert we have come to know and pursue but if we inspect our water conditions more closely we can possibly gain extra advantages before the first cast is even made.

Water clarity: $MFBS XBUFS XJUI HPPE WJTJCJMJUZ XJMM generally have bass displaying more apparent markings and darker colours. Muddy or dirty water will give them a paler more bleached appearance.

Vegetation: Flora offering cover in and around the water can affect the colour of bass tremendously. If there is no cover with direct sunlight the bass will seek deeper water usually and will have a ghostly, pale complexation.

Alternatively bass found in waters with dense vegetation tend to be dark and heavily shaded.

EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT COLOURED BASS CAUGHT IN VARIOUS WATER CONDITIONS

Caught in the deeps, muddy water conditions and no cover

Caught in shallows, stained water conditions and in grass cover

Caught in the deep, clear water conditions with a variety of cover

Caught in shallows, muddy water conditions and rock cover

Chemistry: The chemistry of the water plays another significant role in the colour changing of bass. In waters where there is for example decomposing plant matter the PH of the water will be more acidic closest to those plants.

The bass located there will be darker in colour compared to bass residing further away.

Depth: Notable changes in the depth of the water from shallow flats to deep drop offs have an influence on colour variations and lateral markings. In this area I believe it is more of a combination of the above three factors which will determine the colour of the bass. For example in shallow, clean water with heavy vegetation the colours will be darker than that of a bass in shallow, stained water with no cover at all.

By learning and understanding the different conditions and environment layouts each venue contains bass anglers can quickly determine where hot bite zones are going to most likely be. Once you strike green and gold successfully having a good look at the colour of the bass you just caught can give you an indication as to where other fishing might be holding down or actively feeding. In turn allowing you to focus on selected target areas and colour coding your lure selection in accordance. One can never stop learning in life just as much as evolution is a part of existence, bass seem to be no different in this equation and that is why they remain at the top of their game.

Rods out and safe fishing everyone.

SA BASS 31 June 2019

>> SA BASS

Considering Pre-Frontal

Secrets of South Africa’s Pro’s – Part 11

Weather Conditions >> Bass Spy*

I

was standing in my local voting station queue still considering which party I was going to vote for and at the same time weighing up whether I should have traded this early morning opportunity for a chance to go bass fishing. Over cast, cool, slight breeze. These are the fishing conditions I always hope for on a fishing day!

Low light intensity conditions are something that you can actually prepare for the day before by watching and considering some of the local weather apps. The application you choose may vary per province as some trend to be more precise than others. Nonetheless, a good look at the weather the day, or a few days before will make all kinds of differences.

These cloudy conditions are considered as frontal weather patterns and depending on the season they can

be approached quite differently from a fishing strategy perspective.

Heading toward winter a predicted drop in air temperature will quickly be realized by the fish. Life beneath the water is particularly sensitive to a drop in atmospheric pressure, which is indicative of an approaching cold front. Frankly, the fishing just before the front is most often particularly good and during the front not so great.

In this issue let’s look at pre-frontal fishing and what to expect.

The lead up toward the front will deliver warm breezy weather. For those of us enthusiastic fisher folk who enjoy turbulent waters you’ll be comfortable over the next two days or so as the wind ensues. It’s a positive thing these windy circumstances as the turbulence creates ripples on the water surface and in turn oxygenates the water. The

Put the plastic worms aside in exchange for faster moving baits, such as crankbaits, spinnerbaits and possibly even a propeller lure where the area and conditions call for it 32 SA BASS June 2019

increased oxygen energises the fish and they react to this by opening up the food menu – and almost anything goes during this time.

So, taking the above into consideration you would do best to make hay during these pre-frontal conditions. Put the plastic worms aside in exchange for faster moving baits, such as crankbaits, spinnerbaits and possibly even a propeller lure where the area and conditions call for it.

I’ve enjoyed a great deal of prefrontal fishing and probably been at my most daring here. I recall also watching my fellow anglers making the most of a day on Rust der Winter dam while the breeze was up. Darryl Quinton, being more than familiar with a certain well known brand of crankbaits took charge of the event all on his own. He had swapped out his

plastic lures as soon as he recognised the frontal weather patterns arriving.

He was quickly boating the bass which were taking first advantage of the conditions to ambush their prey. It was also an occasion which enticed me to invest in a wrist watch which measures atmospheric pressure and reminded me how important it was to investigate the weather conditions prior to going fishing.

Another occasion was on Mokolo Dam. An early morning breeze indicative of the onset of pre-fontal weather pushed through the valley in which the dam is nestled. I’d chosen an area halfway up the dam, where deep water met with shallow so that I could adjust my strategy at the flick of a button if I wanted to. I realised that the windy conditions would rule out fishing plastic lures in that window period so I had rigged a spinnerbait for that reason.

From my first cast I didn’t stop landing fish. Something that would have been simply impossible with a plastic bait at the time.

Venturing across Albert Falls Dam as an onlooker during a tournament I decided to explore a drop-off next to the landing strip in the middle of the dam. The shallowest section with only one foot deep and all the brush was mostly out of the water – there were

no fish there. However, it was the very sharp drop-off I was interested in. It was clearly distinguishable, highlighted by a dark edge around the shallow bank. Enhancing the fishing spot was the breeze which blew from shallow to deep, the ripples, oxygenated water and possibly food too were being blown straight over the drop. I couldn’t resist trying a Tiny Torpedo topwater bait in this spot. I could picture it spitting and bubbling its way over the terrain and then only to meet its fate soon after reaching the drop off. As the anglers struggled in the competition, I sponged off the phenomenal feeding frenzy happening far away from where all the other anglers were fishing. Quickly, five very healthy-looking bass were in the live-well. I soon felt guilty in depriving the fisherman of the delightful spot so we speedily moved and relished upon the little gem of opportunity we’d located that blustery morning. *The Bass Spy has fished alongside and been exposed to the secrets and tactics of many competitive bass anglers on waters throughout the continent. This column is dedicated to all fanatical bass enthusiasts looking for the inside track and an edge on their favourite past time.

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SA BASS 33 June 2019

>> SA BASS BASICS

BASICS FOR BEGINNERS

>> Hannes Lindeque

Presenting jigs The most common presentations are: Flipping – flip jigs in shallow murky-to-muddy water with dense wood cover Pitching – works best in clear-to-stained water with wood or weed cover.

Bass secret Bass are extremely sluggish in cold water – slow down your presentation!

Carolina Rig - A deep-water assembly comprised of a heavy slip sinker, plastic bead, barrel swivel, 16- to 18-inch leader, hook, and soft-plastic bait such as a worm, lizard, or crawfish. Rigged Texas style (weedless with the hook buried in the body of the bait), the combination is excellent for fishing ledges, points, sandbars, and humps.

Bass vocabulary: Blank - Fishing rod without grip, guides or finish.

Brackish - Water of intermediate salinity between seawater and freshwater.

Break - Distinct variation in otherwise constant stretches of cover, structure, or bottom type.

Breakline - A line of abrupt change in depth, bottom type, or water clarity in the feature of otherwise uniform structure.

Jig trailers You can improve the action of a jig by adding some sort of trailer. There are many options available. Experiment until you determine what works best.

34 SA BASS June 2019

Types of bass jigs There are many different types of bass jig heads and ways to fish them.

Arkie jigs – are the most popular all-purpose jigs.

Their heads are wide enough to give them good balance when sitting on the bottom, but slim enough to come through weeds well.

Football jigs - for fishing rock and hard bottoms.

Swim jigs – their thin profile cuts through water and vegetation better than other types of jigs.

Finesse jigs – used on light tackle for flipping around light cover, in clear water with hard bottoms.

Punch jigs – they have bullet-shaped heads designed for plunging through thick vegetation.

Bucktails – most often used for small mouth bass.

April Results North West

Mpumalanga

5.400kg Venue: Vaal River

Top ten places: 1: Team Secret VC - 5.400kg 2: Team Bassw orld - 5.100kg 2: Team VC Botcon - 5.100kg 4: Team Nev er Giv e Up - 4.800kg 5: Team Khourie - 4.700kg 6: Team Mav erick - 4.500kg 7: Team Lombaard - 4.100kg 8: Team @Last - 3.900kg 9: Team Bass Reapers - 3.600kg 9: Team Raptor - 3.600kg

Back: Frank Gottschalk, Louis Cooper, Wiehann Riath, Jono Yearsley, Riaan Spangenberg, Henk Venter Front: Leonard & Dalton Bakkes, Divan Coetzee, Francue Smit

For the complete results and next venue: see our website www.flwsouthafrica.com

4.520kg Venue: De Hoop Dam T: 065 849 3264 E: hannes@sabass.com W: www.flwsouthfrica.net

Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) is the world's largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across various tournament circuits. FLW and their partners conduct 286 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, South Korea and South Africa. The FLW television show is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros.

Top ten places: 1: Team Sukkelaars - 4.520kg 2: Team Graceland Outdoors 2 - 4.170kg 3: Team Go Green Fish - 3.605kg 4: Team Woolly bugger Farm - 3.445kg 5: Team Six 8 Custom Baits - 3.200kg 6: Team Yellow Bass Eagle - 3.165kg 7: Team Old Cranks - 2.725kg 8: Team SA BASS MP - 2.135kg

PO Box 24938 Gezina, Pretoria, 0031

9: Team Keeping it Reel - 2.065kg 10: Team Rage - 1.775kg

For the complete results and next venue: see our website www.flwsouthafrica.com McCarthy Volkswagen Wonderboom

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The Mall Offices 11 Cradock Avenue Rosebank, South Africa SA BASS 35 June 2019

>> SA BASS TOURNAMENT REPORT Gareth Rawlins & D. Rankin - 11.90kg

FLW ZIMBABWE 2ND QUALIFIER â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Biri Dam

B

iri had been fishing well and 32 eager teams were launched and waiting for the start at 06:15 on the 6th of April. There was plenty of jockeying for space and the start saw several boats gunning for starting fishing positions. Having the advantage of being the starter I was well up there, for the first 100mâ&#x20AC;Ś much ado about nothing though as boats gradually peeled off and we were the only boat into our bay.

Having pre-practiced I had an area that was holding big fish with a slow pattern so we immediately settled into that. Our area had a lot of rock in 6 to 14ft but also a lot of submerged timber so getting the fish out once hooked was always tricky. The week before we had lost two but still managed to get enough for a club win. Unfortunately for us it was not to be our day with our biggest fish jumping several times before wrapping herself into a submerged 36 SA BASS June 2019

stump and breaking off and in doing so knocking our team out of the top 10.

Others had however found the fish. There was a new surface bite and a sneaky spinnerbait bite that had emerged and the teams that cottoned onto these were having a field day. If you have a glance over the scores all the teams in the top 10 (and actually top 13) had more than 10kg for their 5 fish. Overall the average weight per fish ended up at 1.85kg so it really was a day to remember.

Brad Thornton and Asher Dare winning it by ten gram over new comers, Graeme Longhurst and Dawie Pretorius.

While Brad and Asher kept their cards fairly close to their chest Graeme and Dawie spoke openly about catching their fish on buzzbait and they really had a great day on the water. I love a surface bite so it was exciting to hear it was on. Early the next morning we had to test the bite and the

reward was 14.5kg of fish in a 500m stretch of bank all on surfaceâ&#x20AC;Ś oh for those a day earlier.

Duma was a 4.010kg fish caught by the Todds, there were a lot of fish from 3.5 to 3.8kg but the Todds, the only team to top the 4kg level.

Things in Zimbabwe are crazy tough but we can still go fishing!

FLW Zimbabwe would also like to wish Jack Benning and Jordon Germanis well as they travel to the USA to compete in the High School Championships on Lake Pickwick.

Thanks to FLW Zimbabwe Sponsors: Starbell Auto, Ceramic Pro Zimbabwe, Spraytech Zimbabwe, Off the Hook, Transcom Sharaf, Hooked, Kross Bar, Bumi Hills, Energade and Jungle Oats.

Niel Gulab

Top ten results: 1

Team BTAP

Brad Thornton & Asher Dane

13.79kg

2

Team Mapoachers

Graeme Longhurst & Dawie Pretorius

13.78kg

3

Team Starbell Auto

Barry Launder & Dave Evans

13.52kg

4

Team Matbass

S. Hann & M. MacDonald

12.56kg

5

Team First Place

David Smith & Jason Smith

12.10kg

6

Team Thara Mampara

Ant Phillips & Tristan van der Merwe

11.94kg

7

Team Raw Rank Redemption

Gareth Rawlins & D. Rankin

11.90kg

8

Team G Fuels

Niel Gulab & B. Gulab

11.68kg

9

Team Todds

I. Todd & D. Todd

11.55kg

Rodger Cousins & Gerry Jooste

10.90kg

10 Team Walking Dead

SA BASS 37 June 2019

>> SA BASS TOURNAMENT REPORT

FLW ZIMBABWE High School Competition

Kirk Barnes

David Berry

T

weight of 46.6kg giving us an average of 1,6kg (3.5lbs). The biggest fish was caught by Kirk Barnes and weighed 3.57kg.

This means Jack Benning and Jordan Germanis qualified to go to USA. Congratulations to them, we believe that they will represent FLW Zimbabwe proudly.

Thanks must go to our weigh masters Paul and Kerry Berry, the all day weigh bay does a lot to reduce fish mortality. Also a big thank you to the sponsors of our junior competitions, Transcom Sharif and Krossbar.

he FLW Zimbabwe juniors fished Biri Dam the day after the senior competition and expectations were high due to the good fishing experienced by the senior anglers.

We had ten junior anglers, all hoping to do well enough to be able to qualify to go to the High School World Champs being held at Lake Pickwick, USA in June.

The fishing was still good with all but one angler limiting. However the bigger fish were harder to find. A total of 29 fish were weighed in for a total 38 SA BASS June 2019

Sam Harvey Results: 1

Kirk Barnes

7.35kg

2

Dhilin Goven

5.60kg

3

Jack Benning

5.25kg

4

David Berry

5.05 kg

5

Sam Harvey

4.93 kg

6

Jordan Germanis

4.78 kg

7

Krishan Goven

4.10 kg

8

Raymond French

3.85 kg

9

Jonnie Bowen

3.57 kg

10 Marcus Eckard

2.21 kg

>> SA BASS TOURNAMENT NEWS

Vanjaar se kampioenskap was aangebied by Sandrivier en die uitslae was as volg: 1

Christopher Greenland

2

Glen Lees

3

Vaughn Kendall

4

Gerald Venter

5

Alastair Vorster

Hierdie vyf was die enigste hengelaars wat vis oor twee dae gevang en geweeg kon kry, want die rivier het in vol vloed afgekom twee weke voor die kampioenskap wat alles verwoes het. Die vloed het die visvang bitter moeilik gemaak.

Die gevolg is dat ons die 17e Junie ‘n eendag kompetisie op Bronkhorstspruitdam gaan hou waar nog drie hengelaars

Die 2019 FLW TBC Kampioen, Chris Greenland

> JJohan >> oh han Joubert Jou oube bert be rt >> Johan Joubert

Start of day 3

FLWTBC Kampioenskap 2019

gaan kwalifiseer om aan vanjaar se FLW Suid-Afrika Kampioenskap in Augustus op Witbankdam deel te neem.

Vanjaar se drie hengelaars wat FLW RSA by die International Friendship Tournament tydens die Costa FLW Series Championship in November gaan verteenwoordig is: Christopher Greenland, Glen Lees en Vaughn Kendall.

Christopher Greenland is ook die 2019 TBC Classic Champion en het ook die “Biggest Fish” trofee gewen.

Die dag een wenner was Vaughn Kendall en die dag twee wenner was Christopher Greenland.

Ons is oortuig daarvan dat hierdie top vyf hengelaars van TBC se beste hengelaars is en weet dat hulle die “FLW RSA Small Craft” hengelaars in Augustus goed sal verteenwoordig en so ook in Amerika.

Ons volgende seisoen begin weer in September 2019.

Agter: Gerald Venter, Vaughn Kendall, Alastair Vorster Voor: Glen Lees, Christopher Greenland SA BASS 39 June 2019

>> SA BASS SMALL CRAFT This is all about those moments when you wish you could just cast that extra ten feet of line, or when your favourite lure gets snagged and its one of those gloomy days where you have no change of clothes or a towel at hand.

PADDLES AND

PLASTICSâ&#x20AC;Ś >> Ivan Sonnekus

When you wish you were able to patrol down a certain hard-to-reach reed line to cast in a spot where you saw a monster fish turn, but you do not want to spend a load of money on a boat. This article will enlighten you more about some kayaking technicalities as well as some tips and tricks for people that are new to the kayaking game.

40 SA BASS June 2019

What is a kayak?

Simple question you would think right? Well not actually, there are so many people often mistaking a kayak for a canoe, or paddle ski and yet they are so far apart.

Generally, when someone thinks kayak they would think of the old red and white fibreglass boat in grandfather’s garage or laying next to the dam on the farm. To a certain extent that might work fine for your needs but on the flipside it can leave you with a bad taste for fishing from a paddle craft, and you will miss out on the adventure of your life.

There is in my opinion, nothing quite like a monster bass giving you a good tug whilst sitting on a plastic boat as if almost one with the elements.

Back to defining a kayak, strictly speaking they are usually plastic or fibreglass and will contain storage space within the hull of the craft for all sorts of gear you might need, some will have live wells for bait fish or dry hatches and rod holders depending on the brand. Kayaks will also have double ended paddles as to a canoe that has a single paddle with a handle on the top. It will be an open craft with one or maybe two bench seats for someone to sit on, so ultimately that old school red and white fibreglass craft laying around or packed away in the garage can be more accurately defined as a fiberglass canoe. Although there are many more differences between kayaks and canoes those are some of the prominent key points.

Is a kayak for you?

Let’s face it, not everyone is into fishing really big water on powerful boats that can almost break land speed records

on the water. The majority of people probably reading this are weekend warriors that fish local farm dams and cannot always quite reach the spots that they want to in search of that one, and in that case a kayak is the perfect addition to your kit. Fishing from a kayak will open your mind as you become one with the elements, with each stroke of the paddle the kayak will not only glide on the water but you will become one with the water, feeling and sensing things you might never have before as you silently creep up to that prime spot that you have always been eyeing from the bank. Now suddenly your favourite lure can break the water surface to get the attention of that big mamma, always evading your attempts. As the sun starts setting beyond the shadows of acacia thorn trees across the grass horizon, filling up the sky like it’s a colouring book as you feel a tug from the other side, and you realize this is what it is all about.

I have had quite a number of people who told me that they are too scared of going on the water with a kayak as they are stuck in that old school canoe mindset where they believe they will fall over. With a kayak there is really not much to fear as they are very stable on the water. I even go so far as to stand and fish on my kayaks and to stretch my legs when I’m pulling long hours on the water.

So, to summarize – if you feel you need that extra bit of length on your casts, and if you want to explore new areas with great ease and stealth in search of that ever evading big fish, a kayak will drastically better your chances in my opinion.

Top 10 tips and tricks I think this is a debatable subject, and ultimately would come down to personal preference or experience, as everyone has their own style of doing things so this can be seen as a guideline from which you can hone your own skills on the water.

1. Safety – always be sure that someone knows where you are and the time you will be gone (although I find it hard to attach time to a day of bass fishing), also carry a mobile phone for those just in case moments, where you might need help plus you can take a photo or two as evidence for when you are having drinks with the friends a bit later on.

2. Gear – Do not over pack your kayak. Plan your day and look as to what you will possibly need during the day and only load what you really need. Any weight you add to your craft will add to the amount of energy you need to propel yourself for the day. Also arrange your gear in such a manner that everything you might need on a constant basis is close at hand. The things you might be using less can go inside the hull or behind your back – I like to keep a small canvas military style bag on the deck in front of me, that contains a couple of extra hooks and my favourite soft baits. These baits I usually pack from my big tackle bag before I set out on the water. The

big tackle bag will generally go on the back, along with a small cooler box. I will keep my Leatherman in the dry hatch in front of me along with my GoPro camera, where they are very easy to reach with one hand if I need them in a hurry.

3. Rods – Do not load your whole arsenal of rods as you will find yourself struggling to cast in between it all. I tend to have 2 to maximum 3 rods with me on my kayak; a two piece spinning rod that is neatly tucked away in the hull, for when I want to finesse a very light weight soft bait, and then I have two casting setups; one rigged with a weight and soft bait and the other usually a spinner or football-head jig. By doing that, I can maximise the probability of hitting the sweet spot in majority of conditions or structures. My kayak has two rod holders at the back and one upright in front between the footwells. The rod I am not using would be at the back left as I am casting with my right hand in order not to hook onto another rod whilst trying to cast.

SA BASS 41 June 2019

Some Top 10key tips elements and tricks of photography contd. to try out or remember: 4. Essentials – Sunblock, hat, towel, sunglasses (preferably polarized) and something to drink during the day to stay hydrated.

5. Casting – Teach yourself to be able to cast with one hand, by flipping your bait out or side casting for more distance as you generally would not have a whole lot of space between yourself and the water. You will find yourself fishing more lightweight, almost finesse rigs most of the time as you can now stealthily drift into position or drag a bait on the ground.

6. Movement – You will find yourself turning in all sorts of directions, be it with wind pushing you or a fish dragging you around and thus, I like to keep the paddle laying on my lap for those one-handed paddle times of trying to rotate the craft whilst still holding on to your rod. Also, do not hesitate to drop a small anchor as there will be countless times where you would want to sit still and just work a certain patch of grass or structure really hard in order to get that big fish.

7. Tactics – I have found, especially in farm dams, that patrolling parallel to the bank about 15 to 20 metres out and then casting towards the bank and retrieving works especially well, as opposed to standing on the bank casting in towards middle of the dam and retrieving towards the side again. Even though you are on a kayak, don’t worry to be close to the edge of the water.

From paddles to plastics Ultimately owning a kayak is a load of fun and there is always an adventure to be had with a kayak, from going to explore new dams, or finding remote spots on previously fished dams. It is all in a day’s work by every stroke of the paddle. Kayaks are lightweight and easy to load and offload from your vehicle, even by yourself. The plastic versions are robust enough to survive our farm dams with rocky bottoms

42 SA BASS June 2019

8. Paddling – if you see a sweet spot that you would like to cast to, do not paddle straight into it like the world is about to end. Rather slow down and glide into position with the paddle stacked away and your rod in hand, ready to make that first cast into the zone. By doing this you won’t likely spook any fish in the area and thus maximize your chances of landing a decent fish.

9. Baits – Personally, I am a big fan of fishing soft baits and would 80% of the time recommend using soft baits on a kayak rather than using cranks or any multi hooked baits purely for safety reasons. There is nothing worse than cutting a day short with a rush to an emergency room to remove three prong hooks from body parts, as a crank maybe got stuck in grass and then suddenly released coming out flying at you. Or, when attempting to unhook a fish and he suddenly spars and you get lucky with a hook through the finger.

10. Kayak deck – Ensure that everything on your kayak deck is either of floating nature or tied down, for that unlikely but possible event of a tip over. It will give you piece of mind as well as save a lot of headache in the unfortunate event of a kayak toppling over. I keep my car keys, wallet and phone all in one dry hatch. As far as possible, try not to have loose laying items on top of the kayak as I like to stand up and manoeuvre myself around on the deck of the kayak. On those hot days, I also drop the anchor in the middle of a dam and take a plunge from the kayak to cool down. and endless structures, yet comfortable enough to spend the whole day out on the water or paddling long distances to those sweet spots. A kayak is a very versatile tool that will open up your mind and allow you to hunt for those big fish, in a lot more possible places with a high strike/success rate.

These tips and tricks should allow you to enjoy every moment out on the water and help you to catch that ‘big one’ between the paddles and plastics.

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>> SA BASS

HOW TO CUSTOM MAKE A LURE >> Arnay Small

P

erfecting a custom crank for a client as per his, or her, liking is what the company X-factor Custom Lures strives for, and I have been doing it for many

years.

I want to share the process a square bill crankbait goes through, before it is delivered to the client. It is a lengthy process, but also fun nevertheless. As I am making lures Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m always wondering, how many fish will follow the specific lure which we cannot see. That is why I want it as perfect as possible, to trigger all those fish that follow the lure and never commit to the bite.

Step 1: Where the cranks come from We import all of the blanks from America. After arriving in South Africa, each one has to be pressure tested, balanced and tested to see if they are water tight. We place them in a bucket of water for at least a week and keep an eye on them for any leaks. As the bodies are clear and hollow, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to detect any faults. Those who pass the tests move on to the next step...

This ensures that the crank is sprayed to its full potential.

Normally, when you see the lure in front of you it looks very clean and ready to paint but that is not the case as the lure gets moulded in two parts, then the plastic gets welded together. That causes friction and sometimes the machines they use makes small indents and imperfections.

By putting a white base coat over the lure all these can be seen and the ones with imperfections can be put aside for correction.

When you find your perfect lure, you move onto the next step...

Step 3: Lip or liplessStep 3: Some fun with colours We have selected the good lures out of the batch, now we can move forward and start with the colours...

After a lot of testing with different paints and styles, we have found that airbrush paint is the best to use, in the pictures you will see that we are making one of my favourites: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Baby Bassâ&#x20AC;? t ɨF ĂŤSTU DPMPVS XF XJMM CF VTJOH JT UIF DIBSUSFVTF ZFMMPX We spray the top half of the lure with the yellow, then we take a short breather and we let it dry (if the paints are still wet when applying another coat. It will not have the outcome you want).

Step 2: Lip or lipless

t ɨ F TFDPOE DPMPVS JT UIF TIBEFT PG HSFFO "QQMZJOH the green is difficult if you are not accustomed to an airbrush. Your first layer of green will be quite light going darker as we fade it into the yellow, yet again we take a short breather for the paint to set.

This step is only applicable when a diving lip is fitted to the crankbait.

We close the lip with masking tape to prevent any paint stains. You can trim the edge of the lip around the base (where the lip is connected to the crank) with a scalpel.

t ɨ F UIJSE DPMPVS JT B EBSLFS TIBEF PG HSFFO 6TJOH UIF same green as per the previous bullet. You just add a small amount of black with your green. Now you will need to blend the third colour as per the picture provided. After the blending it is time for another breather.

44 SA BASS June 2019

The eyes come with an adhesive on the back, but just to make sure it sticks we use a little bit of super glue when we stick the eyes on to the body.

Step 7: The most difficult step

Step 4: The bass spots Adding the real bass look (the spots) this looks really difficult but in reality it is the most creative step as you can add the spots any way you can think of. I prefer to use a paintbrush by removing a few hairs on the brush (cutting it with a scissor) to make smaller spots and putting in a horizontal scattered line (lateral line).

Step 5: The brightness

Before spraying the clear coat, make sure that there is nothing about the lure that needs a touch up or that there is nothing that you would like to change, because after the clear coat has been sprayed there is no turning back.

Applying the clear coat is the most difficult step in making a custom lure. The clear coat is a thick (syrup like) liquid. Keep in mind that if your airbrush needle is thin, it will not spray easily and that will cause the lure to look different than the way it is supposed to. Rather use a thicker needle and bigger nozzle.

Before you start spraying the clear coat make sure everything is packed away as the liquid travels far and wide and sticks to everything around it.

Now you can start to spray. Make sure you spray every inch of the lure but also make sure to not spray too much of the liquid on the lure. Too much spray will cause the clear coat to run when it is drying and it will ruin all your hard work.

You need to let the clear coat dry. Hang the lure in a warm and dry place and turn it around every ten minutes for the next hour or two; depending on the temperature.

This will make sure that the clear coat sets evenly in all the right places. Let it hang out to dry for approximately three days.

After step 3 and 4 the lure looks like a bright bass (not a natural colour) to make it a bit more bass like. I like to thin out a little bit of black paint and spray this lightly on the back of the lure (as per picture). This will just make the colours a little dull. Time for a breather…

(Please keep in mind that when the clear coat is applied it will bring out the colours more and it will not look as dull).

Step 6: Giving the sight Next we need to pick out an eye for our “baby bass”.

This is really important due to the colour of the eye making a difference on the whole look of the lure. In my personal opinion, a 3D eye looks more realistic, so in the picture you will notice that I chose a yellow 3D eye for my “baby bass”.

It complements the starting colour (step 3, bullet 1), but please do not be afraid to explore with different colour eyes.

Step 8: The final one The lure has now gone through a complete makeover from when it first arrived at our doorstep. The only thing left to do is adding the split rings and hooks. Normally when ordering the lure, they will give you the size hook that is needed, but this is completely up to you.

Now go cast that lure and catch your personal best.

SA BASS 45 June 2019

>> SA BASS

HOW TO GROW YOUR OWN FISHING PARTNER >> Jaco Smit (Jakes Ten)

H

aving your children share your passion is probably one of the greatest blessings an angler can ask for. Spending quality time with your kids while enjoying some good fishing builds a lasting bond and creates memories they will treasure for many years to come. It is time away from the hustle and bustle of the city, X-boxes and cell phones.

There is just something really special about spending time in the outdoors with your young ones. No work pressure, no school pressure, no pressure to perform. Just you, your kids and nature.

Fishing will help build character and teach your children skills that will help them cope with the stressors of adult live. They will learn patience and to appreciate the silence in nature. Fishing will grow love and respect for nature.

Keep it fun Getting kids interested in fishing is not difficult, but the real challenge is keeping them interested. This becomes especially challenging if the fish aren’t playing along. Kids get bored and distracted quickly, and as experienced anglers

we want them to focus on the task at hand and concentrate on the fishing. But this is where we go wrong, they need to have fun and if we push them to fish when they want to play they will quickly lose interest.

Where to start Firstly, put down your own rod. Yes, you are going to miss out on some fishing time, but this will be greatly rewarded when you see the smile on your child’s face when he or she lands their first fish. Don’t get technical and overload them with information. Just keep things simple.

Tackle Start by targeting small fish such as fingerling bass or kurpers with earthworms. These small fish will keep them entertained for hours on end. A rod with a piece of line tied to the tip, a float (preferably a pencil type float) a split shot weight or two and a small hook will be sufficient if the fish are shallow enough. Otherwise a small grinder or closed face reel will do the trick. Small impoundments and ponds are ideal for this type of fishing as the fish are more concentrated and easier to find.

Sharing your passion is probably one of the greatest blessings an angler can ask for 46 SA BASS June 2019

Start by putting down your own rod

Small fish will keep them entertained for hours on end

The smile says it all

Kids get bored and distracted quickly

Don’t forget to protect them against the sun

Fishing from a float tube can be also be fun

Later on you can upgrade them to a light spinning setup and use small grubs and inline spinners like the good old Mepps Black Fury.

Rod The rod at this stage is not important. A short cheapie will do the job just find. It must just be able to take some knocks and bumps. Those old two piece fibre glass rods with the wire guides are ideal. Those rods are close to indestructible. So if you still have one of these laying around in the garage, you are in luck.

Reel You can look at a reasonable quality grinder or closed face reel. The cheaper reels tend to cause tangles far easier.

The reason in my opinion for this is that the kids don’t put enough tension on the line when reeling in their lures. This causes the line to make loops when casting.

The better quality reels seem to handle this slightly better. Line capacity, drag strength and so on is not really important. A good quality base model will just make your life a little bit easier.

Line Line is a bit of a conundrum. You are going to lose a lot of line due to snags and tangles. However, if you use a cheap line with a high memory you are going to spend a lot more time sorting out tangles. This is especially true for closed face reels.

I would suggest spending a bit more money on a line with low memory.

Lures Start your child of with cheap lures. You don’t want to spend your hard earned cash on replacing expensive crankbaits.

Size doesn’t matter.

What matters is having fun

Smaller sized curly tail grubs are ideal. They are relatively inexpensive and have a great action. They are fairly weedless and can be used in most areas. Rig them on a lead head (this is similar to the Ned rig, but less expensive). Rig it with an exposed hook to assist with the hook up as kids don’t yet have the power to drive a hook home if it is rig Texas style.

Inline spinner, like the Mepps Black Fury is also very effective for targeting small bass and it is easy to fish. The added benefit is the fish usually hooks itself. The downside of inline spinners is that they snag relatively easily, so pick your area carefully.

Top water lures like poppers or prop-baits, such as a tiny torpedo, are also great lures for kids to start out on.

Of course you are not limited to only the above mentioned lures. Adapt to the water conditions and just make the presentation a bit more child friendly.

Just a quick tip, use barbless hooks. This will help a lot in case of mishaps and it does less damage to the small fish.

Keep calm Yes, they will get snagged and tangle the lines, but it is very important not to lose your patience. It is all just part of the learning process. Use these situations as teaching opportunities. Show them how to get unsnagged, or how to untangle lines.

Soon they will be able to cast on their own, tie their own knots and you will be able to enjoy some fishing of your own alongside the best fishing buddy you can ask for.

Remember to take lots of photos and enjoy those precious moments with your kids.

Our SA BASS Bassin’ Kids motto is “Rather get hooked on fishing than on drugs” and we present adventure camps during school holidays. Contact Wilma on 065-849-3264 for more information or to make reservations.

SA BASS 47 June 2019

>> 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.

Thandabantu Game Lodge

T

he name Thandabantu translates as “the man who loves people” in the indigenous languages of the area and is synonymous with the owners of the

lodge.

The luxurious Thandabantu Game Lodge is situated on a 300 hector farm in the Roossenekal area in Limpopo; only 12km from De Hoop Dam, 50km from Dullstroom and 100km from Middelburg. The lodge caters for weddings, conferences, team building, year-end functions, birthday parties and accommodation to anglers.

Currently the lodge consists of eight 4 sleeper chalets; two 8 sleeper family chalets and one family wooden house.

All chalets have fully fitted kitchens with complimentary tea and coffee making facilities. Towels and bedding are also provided. The lodge offers the following facilities: two swimming pools, a restaurant with an a la carte menu on a

wooden deck overlooking the river, licensed bar, braai area, DStv, card facilities, jacuzzi, horseback riding, game drives, kiddies zip line, hiking and biking trails.

The setting is tranquil and perfect for relaxing while also providing a perfect atmosphere for unwinding from the hustle and bustle. More than 250 hectors on the reserve has been demarcated as conservation areas, providing a refuge to the rich variety of local fauna and flora, various bird and wild life species. Thandabantu also offers personal interaction with carvel (rooikat) and serval (tierboskat) which were raised by hand.

Thandabantu is a personal account of the life and work that they would like to provide to their visitors who have a love for Africa and its people. The practical ways of serving people can be the most powerful witness to God’s love and a means of transforming lives.

For more information or bookings, please contact Thandabantu Game Lodge on 013-656-2868, or 082-568-9338, or e-mail them at admin@thandabantulodge.co.za 48 SA BASS June 2019

R16 900

Time to sit back.

I’ve got a boatload of friends onboard. All having a good time. Like me. At ease in front of a fully integrated glass helm. I enjoy complete command at my fingertips – radar, sonar, engines, entertainment, videos, and more – all on beautiful, large format, full HD LCD touchscreens. Yes, on this boat, it’s good to be the captain.

G PS M A P ® 8 4 0 0 s e r i e s Available in 17”, 22” and 24” Garmin.co.za

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