SA BASS Jul-19 by SABASS

July 2019

Issue 219

Winter Strategies

for catching lethargic bass

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Contents

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 06

“The shallow wood in winter pattern” When the water gets in the 40s and it gets cold, if you catch a sunny winter day, when it’s calm and the air temps creep up, a lot of times those fish will get up on isolated cover, really shallow, and you can smash them… – Curtis Niedermier

“Video game cheat codes” Each fish you encounter is different, and there are subtle clues in the way they act that suggest the best move to trigger bass to bite. – Tyler Brinks

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 July 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.

“Seasonal changes and effect” To help the reader better understand bass and bass fishing in general, we need to look at the basic fundamentals; namely location and presentation, and how it is affected by seasonal change – Divan Coetzee

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.

“The dangers of hypothermia” I have been witness to two accounts where my fishing partners went into hypothermia. It is a life threatening experience and here is some valuable information on how to prevent, identify signs and symptoms, and provide first aid – Gordon Brown

“Middle of winter, or is it?” The winter solstice marks the beginning of lengthening days and shortening nights. For the bass angler this will mean a whole lot, but depending where you are on the continent this could be a number of varying things – Roger Donaldson

18 22

“Die draaispoelvs die koffiemeulkatrol”

“Waar?” Daar is drie vrae wat hengelaars altyd vra, naamlik; wanneer, waarmee en waar? – Hannes Lindeque

“Winter strategies for catching lethargic bass”

The spotted bass looks very much like the largemouth bass, but on closer inspection there are a few distinctt anatomical differences that help to distinguish between these h two species – Evert Laubscher

Bass are still remarkably hungry when it’s cold, but you will have to change your fishing strategies – Roger Donaldson

There are many different aspects that can be determining factors in your success with rod and reel in hand. This is especially true when it comes to catching fish on artificial lures – Evert Laubscher

“Spotted bass in the he Overberg”

Winter fishing is mentioned in many articles by anglers from around the globe - not for the faint hearted. It takes a certain amount of determination to head out in the dark icy winter, launch a boat in freezing water and have the patience to slow everything down in order to catch the elusive winter bass. – John Badenhorst

Beide katrolle kom egter tot sy reg in die korrekte omstandighede, maar hoe vergelyk hierdie twee tipes katrolle met mekaar? – Philip Kemp

“Two tales of winter”

“What makes a good art-lure angler?”

“Stroke of the paddle (Part-1)” People out there that are keen to try out a kayak for the first time might have a load of concerns and questions. This article will cover some key concerns and possible questions you might have. – Ivan Sonnekus

“All for bass” Bassin’ is a form of freshwater angling like no other… which brings joy, excitement and glory to people of all ages leaving them only begging for more when it is time to head home – Jay Röhm-Williams

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 04

MY CAST

Basics for beginners

DESTINATION 48

“Winter rain action” In the Cape province there is a lot more rain than shine, so let us explore why this ‘magic time’ could just be the encouraging reason needed to help you make the most out of the wet, winter weather. – Jay Röhm-Williams

>> Sediba Kwêle

“Post-frontal weather conditions” Bass are particularly sensitive and far more aware of you during post frontal weather. This tells you a great deal about how you can prepare for your day ahead. Let’s take a look at everything you can consider – Bass Spy

ON THE COVER “Taken on De Hoop off a deeper tree line” Image: Divan Coetzee

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Baie mense sien om verskeie redes uit na Julie-maand. Kinders het skoolvakansie, dis die middel van die jaar en die dae word weer langer, maar in die hengelbedryf is die groot opgewondenheid – ICAST (International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades). Vanjaar vind die geleentheid plaas tussen 10 en 12 Julie te Orlando, Florida met derduisende hengelentoesiaste wat daarheen stroom om te sien wat is nuut vir die nuwe hengelseisoen. Dis ongelooflkik om te sien hoe vindingryk die ontwerpers is om elke jaar met iets nuuts te voorskyn te kom. Ons sal in die volgende uitgawe meer oor die uitstalling en die kategorie wenners kan rapporteer. Intussen, plaaslik; alhoewel die oggendtemperature ongemaklik is om vroegdag langs die viswaters te wees, is daar nogsteeds swartbaars wat gevang kan word. Die oumense het gesê, mens kan nie vis vang in maande sonder ‘n “R” nie, maar eintlik is die groot geheim van winterswartbaarhengel om jou strategie aan te pas. In hierdie uitgawe deel ons ervare skrywers hulle ondervinding en wenke sodat ons lesers almal meer en groter visse kan vang. Curtis Niedermier, redakteur van FLW Bass Fishing magazine, voer ‘n oderhoud met Luke Duncan en vind meer uit hoe hy in die winter groot visse aankeer met balsa-hout kunsaas. Min hengelaars besef dat die materiaal waaruit kunsaas gemaak word, ‘n invloed het op die aas se swemaksie. Divan Coetzee slaan die spyker op die kop met sy artikel, “Seasonal changes and effect”, waarin hy die grondbeginsels van swartbaarhengel bespreek. Moet beslis nie sy artikel mis nie. Gordon Brown se artikel oor “The dangers of hypothermia” is iets waarvan ons almal moet kennis dra, want iewers in die verlede het ons al iemand gehad wat in die water geval het, of ten minste weet ons van so voorval. So ‘n ongeluk gebeur in ‘n breukdeel van ‘n sekonde en kan nadelige gevolge hê indien jou hengelmaat nie weet wat om te doen nie. Hierdie maand vergelyk Philip Kemp die bekende koffiemeulkatrol met die gewilde draaispoelkatrol (baitcaster) en verduidelik waarom swartbaarhengelaars albei moet hê. Dit laat my dink aan die volgende woorde: “Gebruik die regte “tool” vir die regte “job”. Intussen, verduur die koue en laat julle lyne sing. Hannes Lindeque, Uitgewer

04 SA BASS July 2019

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THE SHALLOWWOODINWINTER PATTERN By Curtis Niedermier PHOTOS BY CURTIS NIEDERMIER

A STRATEGY FOR CATCHING SKINNY-WATER GIANTS DURING THE COLDEST MONTHS OF THE YEAR

here’s a little deal Luke Dunkin looks for every winter – a shallow-water pattern involving a subtle balsa crankbait with a heap of potential to produce big limits, if the conditions are right. “When the water gets in the 40s and it gets cold, if you catch a sunny winter day, when it’s calm and the air temps creep up, a lot of times those fish will get up on isolated cover, really shallow, and you can smash them on that thing,” Dunkin says. “It’s something we do a lot in January and February. We look for it.” 06 SA BASS July 2019

Ideal Conditions Sunny, calm and mild are perfect conditions for this pattern in the MidSouth and other nearby regions. “It’s kind of the opposite of what you think about when you’re cranking in the spring,” Dunkin says. “On super windy days, cloudy days, they just don’t seem to move up there on that stuff in the winter as much. For me, I want it calm, with maybe a little wind. That’s crazy when you’re cranking, but this is finesse cranking. You’re not crashing through there.” The finesse aspect comes from the types of crankbaits Dunkin uses – mostly balsa, but also some flat-sided plastic models. His go-to in most situations is a No. 5 or 7 Rapala Shallow

Shad Rap in natural shad or brown crawfish patterns. The smaller model gets used when the water temperature is in the low 40s, when the bite is tough and when the water is a hair cleaner than what he prefers. Other standbys are the Old School Balsa Baits Wesley Strader series of flat-sided crankbaits, the 6th Sense Crush Flat 75X and the 6th Sense Cloud 9 Series C6. The Strader bait is good for slightly deeper wood. The Flat 75X and C6 work well when the water temperature is climbing toward 50 degrees. Mostly though, Dunkin slings the little Shallow Shad Rap for this pattern. “This little thing [the Shallow Shad Rap], it doesn’t do a lot. It’s subtle when it comes through there,” he says. “Now, the bites, they are ferocious. There’s no doubt about it when they eat it.”

Where to Look Dunkin lives in the Tennessee River Valley and has applied this pattern on Pickwick, Wilson and Wheeler, which are his home lakes. He’s also done it on the Coosa River system in Alabama and Beaver Lake in Arkansas. At least a foot of visibility is necessary for water clarity, and Dunkin looks for underwater topography where shallow flats butt up against deeper water such as a creek channel. Deep-water access is important.

“It’s kind of what they get on in the prespawn, but those fish are always around,” he says. “They’re really shallow, and the water’s got to be clear. Some of the bites you get on it, you would think you would be able to see them they’re so shallow.”

Dialing In This isn’t a cast-and-wind-downthe-bank pattern; it’s a target-specific approach. Scouting wide, shallow flats (though generally not clear in the back of a creek in spawning areas), Dunkin looks for isolated targets. “I look for a laydown, stick-up, stake bed – anything they can get around,” he says. “Some of the best stuff that we’ve seen is a long, flat laydown, where you can probably come down the entire thing with the bait. It’s not on a steep transition bank that goes from 6 to 10 feet, but a flat bank where that tree is in 1 to 3 feet the entire time.” A bank as Dunkin describes, with a series of isolated wood targets scattered along it, is money. “I find them in bays off the main river channel or off the creek channel,” Dunkin says. “A lot of times I idle in and can see what I’m looking for: isolated pieces of wood. It’s anything those bigger females might move up and sun on. Once you figure out that it’s going on, you can literally run to every piece of cover in an area and eventually catch them.” SA BASS 07 July 2019

Don’t overlook small stick-ups, either. Even a small stick poking up from the mud can draw in a bass. “Especially on a mud bottom,” Dunkin adds. “A lot of people underestimate that mud and how quickly it can warm up that time of year. I’ve caught them with mud on their bellies.” This pattern isn’t generally going to produce 20 bites in a day (it’s winter, after all), but you can get some really big bites doing it. “I’ll throw it through March into the prespawn, when the water temp gets into the 50s,” Dunkin says. “It’s a neat little bait that people don’t think of. Everyone throws a Shad Rap, but that little square-bill [Shallow Shad Rap] is a totally different deal.”

The Presentation Dunkin categorizes this pattern as a reaction-bite deal, but he tries hard to make them react by firing repeated casts at each target. He reasons that the fish aren’t likely to chase due to the cold water, but if you can bring one by their face, they’ll eventually react and eat it. “If it’s a laydown, I’ll cast across the end of it first,” he says. “Even if it’s 3 feet of water they might suspend in it because they’re just up there lying around not using a lot of energy. So I position the boat where I can cast across the end of it a few times. A lot of bites come that way. Then I’ll position the boat to cast down each side of the log. “The bait just has that super-tight wobble, and when it comes by them,

they smash it,” he says. “You’re not deflecting it really. It doesn’t get hung a lot because it comes through really good. And it’s not a typical square-bill that hunts. It tracks tried and true like all Shad Raps but stays up in the column really good.”

“You get that super slow 5.8:1 gear ratio on most spinning reels, so it’s going to force you to slow down,” he adds. “You can loosen the drag for if they make a big pull, and the rod has a lot of give to it so if they load up you’ve got them.”

Tackle choices

Finesse Cranking

Spinning tackle is the best choice for the balsa baits, though the plastic ones could be fished with casting tackle. Dunkin typically slings balsa with a 7-foot, 3-inch, medium-fast Wright McGill Skeet Reese Tournament Series Drop Shot rod with a Skeet Reese Victory II spinning reel and 8-pound-test fluorocarbon.

Probably the most important piece of advice for this pattern is to be willing to go as shallow as a foot or two in the winter when the conditions are right. Once you find the likely areas, keep a finesse-cranking strategy in mind. Don’t overpower them. Use the right equipment, and see if you can crack a few cold-water heads. ■

6th Sense Cloud 9 Series C6 6th Sense Crush Flat 75X

Rapala Shallow Shad Rap

08 SA BASS July 2019

Old School Balsa Baits Wesley Strader W2

TAKEOFF

TECHNIQUES

By Tyler Brinks

California’s Aaron Britt combines subtle drop-shot techniques with careful Lowrance screen study to fool smallmouths, largemouths and spotted bass into biting.

PHOTO BY ANDY HAGEDON

VIDEO GAME CHEAT CODES

4 SIMPLE MANEUVERS TO GET BASS TO BITE A DROP-SHOT WHEN VERTICAL FISHING

he area where FLW Tour pro Aaron Britt lives in northern California is home to deep, clear reservoirs and big spotted bass. Living there has granted him great opportunities to “video game” fish with a drop-shot, and Britt has spent countless hours with his head down watching his Lowrance units and learning the technique. According to Britt, each fish you encounter is different, and there are subtle clues in the way they act that suggest the best move to trigger bass to bite. These are his typical goto techniques. If they don’t work, he experiments until he figures out what does.

What to do when: A bass rises to the bait A bass headed for his bait is a sign to Britt that he’s on the right track. He’ll still make subtle adjustments based on how quickly the fish rises. “If you see the streaks [sonar return] moving really fast, that is an aggressive fish looking to eat,” he says. “I will stop the bait and wiggle it a few times, and if they are going to get it, it will usually happen right away. “If they are slowly coming up they are probably more curious than anything. You can usually still get these fish to bite if you lower your bait slowly down to the bottom.”

What to do when: A bass stops beneath the bait In Britt’s experience, a fish that stops close to the bait is usually willing to bite, but something has caused it to lose some interest and stop its approach to investigate the lure.

In this situation, Britt will do whatever he can to regain the interest of the fish. “I will shake it right in front of the fish, even if the dropshot rig is in the middle of the water column. The gravity of the weight pulling down still gives the worm a very good action,” he says. “Each fish ‘talks’ to you by how quickly or slowly they rise to the bait and then how abruptly they stop. In extreme cold or hot water, you will usually have to play with the lure more to get them to bite.”

What to do when: A bass lowers back down When Britt sees a bass rise up toward the bait on his Lowrance screen and then drop back down, it signals to him that the fish is not aggressive, but the fish is often still catchable. In this instance, Britt will drop the bait to the bottom. “Sometimes they will bite it just because it falls in front of them, or you may need to trigger a reaction bite,” he says. “I will reel it up about halfway and then let my drop-shot rig fall quickly to trigger them to bite. It’s pure reaction.”

What to do when: A bass stays on bottom According to Britt, if fish are positioned near the bottom, they are often easier to catch than suspended bass. “Many times they will hit it as soon as it drops in front of them,” he says. If they don’t bite on the initial fall, he’ll reel up quickly – about halfway up – and then let the rig fall quickly to try to get a reaction bite. ■ SA BASS 09 July 2019

>> SA BASS TACTICS

>> Divan Coetzee*

A decent specimen taken on De Hoop off a deeper (winter) tree line 10 SA BASS July 2019

o help the reader better understand bass and bass fishing in general, we need to look at the basic fundamentals. Finding them first. I enjoy analogies! Let’s start with one; most of you reading this have probably hunted an animal of sorts, so when you went to shoot the animal, did you start firing random shots into the bush hoping that you might hit something? I don’t think so, so why do we apply the concept to fishing then? Back to business! We could categorize the basic understanding into two divisions namely: location and presentation. First we’ll discuss location and in a later issue we’ll cover presentation. Location in itself can be broken down into two sub divisions; small ponds or farm dams and larger reservoirs. The obvious difference between the two being their size. Due to the different dynamics of each, they can’t, and shouldn’t be seen as one and the same. This was abundantly clear when I first made the transition from farm ponds to larger impoundments. If I have to be honest, it took me a full season to truly understand the whole concept of fish movement and positioning. Even if someone had taken the time to try and explain the whole business to me, I still doubt that I would have understood the concept without actually being faced with it. The only way for me to learn and retain that information was the hard way, trial and error so to speak. Let’s do small waters first. This is where everyone starts off… a pond on the family farm, commercial venues or whatever. These waters vary in size from tiny mud holes to impressive irrigation reservoirs the size of two or three rugby fields. On these types of waters, I place heavy emphasis on cover, to a lesser extent structure and bottom composition. Cover is the presiding factor that will determine where, and how bass position themselves. Obviously certain criteria comes into play here; the 3 C’s – cover, comfort and chow. Ask yourself: is there cover? Is the water a comfortable temperature at the target depth? Are baitfish relating to that area? If you can tick all those boxes, great! You’re on the money! Bass will relate to the entire depth column in ponds for the majority of the year. Winter is tricky, bass need stable water to retreat to during winter, deep water offers stability, most farm ponds aren’t that deep… do you see where the old adage “bass don’t bite in winter “ comes from? Without sufficient depth to retreat to, bass will effectively become dormant, unresponsive and unwilling to waste any energy until optimum conditions present itself. Bass have a preferred temperature band that they like to operate in relative to the area. Northern and coastal waters will differ from highland reservoirs due to the average daily temperature difference. So in essence, bass don’t migrate to the full extent of the word in small waters. Decent holding areas are limited on small waters and a fish might become resident in an area or on a specific piece of cover and, will be reluctant to give it up unless conditions force it to do so. How it’s positioned on or in said piece of cover depends on many factors:

Julien Coetzee and Francua Smit with an early season double up

light penetration, depth, water clarity, fishing pressure, water temperature, etc. Daily movement is something to consider, but this happens on a smaller scale and won’t have a profound effect on success. It may come down to

SA BASS 11 July 2019

start moving shallow and can be caught in great numbers. The bigger females remain slightly deeper whilst waiting for the males to start construction on bedding sites. Under precise conditions, the female moves onto the nest, they conduct their business and the female moves off whilst the male stays behind to guard the nest. The female doesn’t go far, she needs to recover and start feeding so she’s not just heading straight back to deep water, she’ll stick around for a couple of days. We’ll cover the spawn in more detail in a later issue. Now the blurred lines… when the majority of fish are done spawning, they return to business as usual. This entails the obvious: cover, comfort and chow. With this being said, know that you might still find fish in all three stages of the spawn, ex: pre-spawn staging fish, bedding fish and post spawn recovering fish. The staging and recovering fish use the same lines or areas to operate in, condensing them and making them easier to find. These areas are normally the first dramatic depth change or definitive cover break. These areas don’t pertain to the spawn specifically, and bass use these throughout the year if conditions are favourable. When summer arrives in full fury, fish tend to avoid super shallow water in the absence of cover. Cover in turn offers comfort and chow. Remember I’m referring to the majority of the population, and depth counts as cover! For example, on Loskop Dam; Julien with a giant taken on Loskop during fish avoid the shallows in high the spawn, this fish was sitting in about 15ft summer and early winter due to of water waiting to move up to a bedding lack of cover, but Rust der Winter area later in the day. This was one of a few Dam has enough shallow cover to good ones we got that day fishing staging areas rather than targeting bedding fish keep them from shifting off to the real deep parts. One has to have perspective here! Deep on Loskop is 50ft, deep on Rusties is 15ft. So in reality one can fish the same zones from early spring to early winter and still be presenting to the bulk of the population. Deep winter is the only time that fish will make a noticeable shift in location. If you want to be successful, you have to follow them deeper or suffer the embarrassment of an empty sack come weigh-in. If you find them stacked up, the bite can be more prolific than the best early season days. I hope this has given the reader a better insight into fish movement. Don’t sweat the small stuff! Put a bait where they live and the rest will take care of itself. See you on the water!

a morning or afternoon bite depending on conditions; they seldom move far, but they definitely switch on and off (feeding vs. feeling sorry for themselves). This is the case with the Florida strain especially. Thankfully we have the Northern strain to fall back on. The majority of farm ponds are small enough to cover in a few hours. If you’re having a difficulty getting a fish, take it on the chin and change what you were doing. There’s always one that’s willing to eat somewhere. Often in the past, I would throw baits that I enjoyed fishing with, instead of baits that I know would be better suited for the scenario, but took more effort to present. Don’t get stuck in your ways, be flexible! Larger bodies of water have a different dynamic. The annual cycle obviously has four seasons. Three of these seasons have blurred lines with the exception of winter. What I’m saying is: you can be in one or 30ft on the same body of water and still catch them through all three seasons. Let’s get more specific… were currently in winter so that’s where we’ll start. Winter starts with fish migrating to deep stable main lake areas. Old river beds, main lake points, defining landscape features if you will. When I say fish I’m referring to the majority of the population, not rogue fish or lost pockets. They will remain deep until the days start to grow longer. When conditions allow, male bass will

*Divan Coetzee is the proprietor of Graceland Outdoors and a competitive FLW Cast-for-Cash angler. 12 SA BASS July 2019

SA BASS 13 July 2019

>> SA BASS

THE DANGERS OF HYPOTHERMIA

BY NOW WE ARE EXPERIENCING SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES IN THE MORNINGS, AND WATER TEMPERATURES BELOW 15°C IN OUR DAMS AND RIVERS. THIS BRINGS ME TO THE POINT OF HIGHLIGHTING THE DANGERS OF HYPOTHERMIA. I HAVE BEEN WITNESS TO TWO ACCOUNTS WHERE MY FISHING PARTNERS WENT INTO HYPOTHERMIA.

The author is fully dressed and clipped onto the yacht

he danger was very evident again recently when I was invited to assist my daughter and son-in-law to sail their yacht from Rome, Italy back to England. At night especially, having four layers of clothing, and then on top, your sailing oil skins and boots. Selfinflating life jacket, beanie, hood and gloves. Besides your clothing, the above gear must have weighed approximately 7kg (see insert). When we experience high seas (waves up to six metres) we had our body harness clipped onto the boat at all times. The first leg of our trip had us spending ten days at sea non-stop, travelling over 2,000km. What a life experience! There is so much to be said about hypothermia, but I will keep it simple. Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can 14 SA BASS July 2019

produce heat, causing dangerously low body temperature. Normal body temperature is around 37°C. Hypothermia occurs as your body temperature falls below 35°C. When your body temperature drops, your heart, nervous system and other organs can’t work normally. Left untreated, hypothermia can eventually lead to complete failure of your heart and respiratory system and eventually to death. Hypothermia is often caused to exposure to cold weather, or immersion in cold water. Primary treatments for hypothermia are methods to warm the body back to a normal temperature. Heat is lost much more quickly in water than in air. On the one occasion, in July, my partner had his rod pulled overboard. He jumped into the water to save his rod. Once he had grabbed his rod, getting back into the boat

>> Gordon Brown* was not that easy. On my last two boats, I have fitted a boarding ladder. If I never have to use it, it’s fine. The day we need it, could save my or my partner’s life. Wearing several layers of clothing, now saturated with very cold water, it now became a real problem. After man-handling him over the side of the boat, it was not long before my partner started shivering and even started vomiting. I immediately had to rush back to the launch site, had him change into dry clothing and climb into the vehicle. The vehicle being nice and warm, he fortunately recovered in a few hours and re-joined me. Things can go wrong and do go wrong if action is not taken immediately. Hypothermia can happen to one even in warmer conditions. On another occasion, while bass fishing near Ermelo, we had experienced light rain for a few hours. My partner started acting strangely: - losing his balance at times, slurring his speech or mumbling and not being focused. When asked if he was feeling okay, he replied he was very cold and was starting to shiver. Only to realise the heavy thick coat he was wearing was not water-proof and had become soaked with water along with all his clothes. The light wind that was blowing, creating a chill factor, sapping his heat and lowering his body temperature. Because this happened over a period of time, he did not realise what was happening. Once again, rush back to the camp site to sort him out. Next time when fishing, ask your partner, does he have a raincoat. I always keep a spare raincoat, hat, sun glasses and sun screen on the boat.

Symptoms: Shivering is likely the first thing you’ll notice as the temperature starts to drop because it’s your body’s automatic defence against cold temperature – an attempt to warm itself.

Signs and symptoms of hypothermia include:1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Shivering Slurred speech or mumbling Slow, shallow breathing Weak pulse Clumsiness or lack of co-ordination Drowsiness or very low energy Confusion or memory loss Loss of consciousness Bright red, cold skin (in infants)

Someone with hypothermia usually isn’t aware of his or her condition because the symptoms often begin gradually. Also, the confused thinking associated with hypothermia prevents self-awareness. The confused thinking can also lead to risk taking behaviour.

First aid: 1. Be gentle. When you’re helping a person with hypothermia, handle him or her gently. Limit movements to only those that are necessary. Don’t massage or rub the person. Excessive, vigorous or jarring movements may trigger cardiac arrest.

2. Move the person to a warm, dry location if possible. Keep him or her in a horizontal position if possible. 3. If the person is wearing wet clothing, remove it. Cut away clothing if necessary to avoid excessive movement. 4. Cover the person with blankets. Use layers of dry blankets or coats to warm the person. Cover the person’s head, leaving only the face exposed. 5. Provide warm beverages. If the affected person is alert and able to swallow, provide a warm, sweet, non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated beverage to help warm the body. 6. Don’t apply direct heat. Don’t use hot water, a heating pad or a heating lamp to warm the person. The extreme heat can damage the skin, or worse, cause irregular heartbeats, so severe that they can cause the heart to stop.

Prevention: 1. Cover. Wear a hat or other protective covering to prevent body heat from escaping from your head, face and neck. Cover your hands with mittens instead of gloves. 2. Layers. Wear loose-fitting, layered, lightweight clothing. Outer clothing made of tightly woven, water repellent material is best for wind protection. Wool, silk or

HELP position

Huddle position

polypropylene inner layers hold body heat better than cotton does. 3. Always buy the best raincoat and trousers you can afford. It will be one of the best investments you can make. It will certainly keep you warm and dry. 4. While you’re in the water, don’t remove clothing because it helps to insulate you from the water. Buckle, button and zip your clothing. Cover your head if possible. Remove clothing only after you’re safely out of the water and take measures to get dry and warm.

Cold-water safety: Water doesn’t have to be extremely cold to cause hypothermia. Any water that’s colder than normal body temperature causes heat loss. The following tips may increase your survival time in cold water if you accidentally fall in. 1. A life jacket can help you stay alive longer in cold water by enabling you to float without using energy and by providing some insulation. Keep a whistle attached to your life jacket to signal for help. 2. Get out of the water as quickly as possible, climbing onto a capsized boat or grabbing onto a floating object. 3. Don’t attempt to swim unless you’re close to safety. Unless a boat, another person or a life jacket is close

by, stay put. Swimming will use up energy and may shorten survival time. 4. Position your body to minimize heat loss. Use a body position known as the heat escape lessening position (HELP) to reduce heat loss while you’re waiting for assistance. Hold your knees to your chest to protect the trunk of your body. If you’re if you’re wearing a life jacket that turns your face down in this position, bring your legs tightly together, your arms to your sides and your head back. 5. Huddle with others. If you’ve fallen into cold water with other people, keep warm by facing each other in a tight circle.

Conclusion: Stay dry. Stay warm. Stay alive. *Gordon Brown is a multiple Protea bass angler and a regular FLW Cast-for-Cash contester. SA BASS 15 July 2019

>> SA BASS TACTICS

Middle of winter, or is it? T

he winter solstice occurs on about June 21 in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s when earth’s South Pole has its maximum tilt away from the sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere. There are various celebrations which are had, including festivals, spending time with loved ones, feasting, singing, dancing, fires and in my case bass fishing. Astrologically the winter solstice marks the beginning of lengthening days and shortening nights. For the bass angler this will mean a whole lot, but depending where you are on the continent this could be a number of varying things. The extreme coastal water sources of KwaZulu-Natal, Inanda Dam near Kloof and especially Goedertrouw Dam near Eshowe will be ahead of the curve in terms of the new season arriving. They’re warmer areas. So, we can also include the most northern bass fishing waters starting with Nandoni Dam past Louis Trichardt outside Thohoyandou, Letsibogo in Botswana and those that are popular going to Zimbabwe (Nottingham, Mteri,

16 SA BASS July 2019

>> Roger Donaldson* Kyle (Mutirikwe), Chivero, Claw, Darwendale and many more), as well as those reservoirs in the Lowveld towards the Mozambique border, including Driekoppies (and not to forget the many farm dams) and the wonderful Lake Chicamba in Mozambique itself. Interestingly, these waters have all produced some very large bass and can all considered “big bass” waters, barring the ones which have received tremendous fishing pressure (catch and keep) over recent years. If you are situated close to, or planning to visit one of the above venues this month then you will very likely be returning with a story about your personal best record. This is the time of year when the largest of the fish venture to the shallow, warm, protected waters to enjoy their bedding activities. The water temperatures at this time are said to be around 17ºC. This will be vastly different to what you can expect in the waters of the interior of South Africa, including those in the Cape region. Depending mostly on lowest average temperatures some of the dams

in these areas will be reaching their most sensitive and coldest temperatures and the chances of finding bass in the shallows are not nearly as likely. Slow, deep water fishing will be the recipe for the day. What we can establish from the above is that bass fishing is constantly changing according to the seasons. Furthermore, we cannot expect the bass to be doing the same thing no matter which dam we are visiting. Regional temperatures have a profound influence and needs to be considered before every visit to understand what averages you can expect. This in turn will provide you with a reliable guideline around which you can build your fishing expectations and prepare adequately.

The winter solstice in the southern hemisphere showing how the southernmost tip of Africa is angled away from the sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rays, when the country experiences its colder temperatures

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve split up the warm and cold regions below to give you a guideline on how to prepare for the fishing you could very well expect: Warmer regions: Č? Shallow water fishing means you can sight fish for the majority of the day.

Č? $OWKRXJK Î&#x2013; ZRXOGQČ&#x2021;W JR EDVV ILVKLQJ ZLWKRXW D SDLU RI SRODULVHG VXQJODVVHV WKLV ZRXOG EH WKH RQH WLPH ZKHUH WKH\ DUH DEVROXWHO\ HVVHQWLDO IRU VSRWWLQJ DFWLYLW\ LQ WKH VKDOORZV Č? %H SUHSDUHG WR WUXQGOH DORQJ WKH EDQNV ORRNLQJ IRU JUDYHO KDUG VXEVWUDWH DUHDV ZKHUH DYDLODEOH Č? $ IDYRXULWH EDLW RI EDVV DQJOHUV RYHU WKLV WLPH KDV EHHQ WKH MHUNEDLW Č&#x201A; H[FHOOHQW IRU VHDUFKLQJ ODUJH DUHDV TXLFNO\ DQG DOVR LUUHVLVWLEOH WR \RXU WDUJHW VSHFLHV GXULQJ WKH HDUO\ VHDVRQ Č? %HFDXVH WKH ILVK ZLOO SRVVLEO\ EH TXLWH VKDOORZ WKH\ ZLOO DOVR EH DEOH WR VSRW \RX IDU PRUH HDVLO\ <RXU PRVW GHIW VWHDOWK\ DSSURDFK ZLOO EH RI WKH XWPRVW LPSRUWDQFH Č? 2QFH \RX KDYH ORFDWHG VRPH JRRG ILVK EH SDWLHQW DQG UHPDLQ LQ WKH DUHD DV LW ZLOO SUREDEO\ LPSURYH DV WKH GD\ SURJUHVVHV Colder regions: Č? 0RVW RI \RXU ILVKLQJ ZLOO EH GHHSHU DQG D ORW RI ZRUN FDQ EH GRQH VFRXWLQJ ZLWK \RXU ILVKILQGHU ORRNLQJ IRU RII VKRUH VWUXFWXUHV RI DOO NLQGV 7KLV LV DOVR D JRRG WLPH WR XVH *RRJOH (DUWK DQG UHZLQG WKH WLPHOLQH WR ORRN IRU VWUXFWXUHV ZKLFK PD\ KDYH H[LVWHG EHIRUH WKH GDP ILOOHG XS 7KLV FDQ EH D UHDO JDPH FKDQJHU Č? )LVKLQJ GHHSHU PHDQV \RXČ&#x2021;OO QHHG WR EULQJ DORQJ DOO \RXU SDWLHQFH WRR 7KH OXUH WDNHV ORQJHU WR UHDFK WKH ERWWRP DQG WKH EDVV DUH DOVR QRW DV ZLOOLQJ WR H[SHQG WKHLU HQHUJ\ DQG UXVK RXW RI WKHLU ODLU WR JREEOH XS \RXU SODVWLF EDLW )LVKLQJ VKRXOG EH UHOD[LQJ VR HQMR\ WKH ZDLW Č&#x201A; LW ZRUNV Č? ([SHULPHQW ZLWK \RXU OXUHV DQG WU\ RSSRVLWHV L H ODUJH GHHS GLYLQJ FUDQNEDLWV DQG WKHQ LI \RXČ&#x2021;UH QRW VXFFHVVIXO D VRIW SODVWLF OL]DUG ULJJHG RQ D &DUROLQD DQG RQ WKH RWKHU HQG RI WKH VSHFWUXP D GURS VKRW SUHSDUHG ZLWK D VXEWOH WR Č&#x2039; VWLFNZRUP RU SODVWLF RI \RXU FKRLFH Č? Î&#x2013;I \RX ILQG WKH ILVK WKHQ VWLFN DURXQG DV WKH FROGHU ZDWHUV FDQ PDNH LW IDU PRUH FKDOOHQJLQJ WR ORFDWH EDVV DV HDVLO\ $OVR WU\ WR GXSOLFDWH WKH VDPH GHSWK DQG VWUXFWXUHV ZKHUH \RX KDYH EHHQ VXFFHVVIXO RQ WKH GD\

*Roger Donaldson is an experienced journalist and knowledgeable bass angler who has enjoyed many enlightening hours with many of South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top, competitive bass fishermen. As a competitive angler himself, he also enjoys sharing his expertise with fellow bass fanatics in the hope that they find the same joy in this unique sport.

SA BASS 17 July 2019

>> SA BASS

DIE DRAAISPOEL-

DIE KOFFIEMEULKATROL

Hoeveel het tegnologie darem nie in die afgelope paar jaar verander nie? Ons as hengelaars moet net ons vingers op die pols van die veranderinge hou. Een van die groot skuiwe is katrolle wat feitlik enigiets kan vermag.

ie materiale waarmee katrolle tans vervaardig word en die funksionaliteit van die katrolle het die speelveld tussen die draaispoelkatrol (baitcaster) en die koffiemeulkatrol (spinkatrol) drasties verklein.

By die meeste tipe katrolle het die opgradering van remstelsels, ratverhoudings, afwerking, gewig en rollaers (bearings) soveel verander dat dit dit vir die hengelaar moeilik maak om ‘n keuse te maak.

Lae profiel draaispoelkatrolle is baie gewild 18 SA BASS July 2019

Verstellings Om met ‘n draaispoelkatrol te hengel was nog altyd ‘n uitdaging vir die beginnerhengelaar omrede daar soveel verstellings is, en sou jy dit verkeerd kry, soos dat die spoed van die spoel vinniger is as die spoed waarmee die aas deur die lug gewerp word, is die eindresultaat ‘n yslike kraaines wat soms moeilik ontrafel word en sodoende kosbare hengeltyd inboet. Tegnologie het egter soveel verbeter dat ‘n menigte van die nuwe

>> Philip Kemp* generasie draaispoelkatrolle letterlik die spoed van die spoel en die aas perfek kan beheer om ‘n kraaines te voorkom. Die teendeel is egter waar met ‘n koffiemeul. Hierdie katrolle het die minnimum verstellings en die enigste verstelling is sekerlik net die rem wat teen die regte weerstand gestel moet word om te voorkom dat die baars die lyn sou breek of die hoek uit sy bek gooi.

Lyn Seker een van die grootste redes

waarom hengelaars soms van elke tipe katrol op sy baarsboot het, is die tipe lyn wat die hengelaar wil gebruik en die gewig van die aas wat hy wil gooi. Dit is alom bekend dat hengelaars wat finesse tegnieke met dunner lyn en ligte aas, ‘n koffiemeulstok en -katrol verkies. Met die bekendstelling van superlyne en meer gevorderde katrolle kan dunner lyn ook nou op baitcaster katrolle gehengel word. Lyn met ‘n dik diameter en min rek in die lyn, soos flourocarbon, werk nie op ‘n koffiemeulkatrol baie goed nie omrede dit van die spoel afspring en moeilik beheer word as die dwarsarmpie oorgeslaan word. Daarteenoor werk vleglyn, of beter bekend as braid, baie goed op ‘n koffiemeulkatrol. ‘n Flourocarbon voorslag (leader) wat met ‘n Albertoknoop aan die vleglyn geheg word, werk skitterend op ‘n koffiemeul. Daarteenoor kan feitlik enige lyn op ‘n draaispoelkatrol gebruik word. Vir bo-loper aas kan vleglyn op ‘n “baitcaster” goed werk en so ook vir paddahengel in die lelies en dik gras. Koffiemeulkatrolle is dus beperk in die lyn wat op hulle gebruik kan word, terwyl ‘n draaispoelkatrol baie meer veelsydig is as dit kom by die gebruik van verskillende tipes lyn.

Katrolspoed Daar is ‘n mispersepsie wat heers onder hengelaars as dit kom by katrolspoed. Alhoewel die verpakking op ‘n koffiemeulkatrol aandui dat die katrol se ratverhouding (spoed) 5.3:1

is, is dit net ‘n aanduiding dat met een omwenteling van die krukarm (handle), die katrol se “bail” vyf keer om die spoel wentel. Wat ons egter moet onthou is dat die deurnsee van ‘n koffiemeulkatrol se spoel, as hy vol is, heelwat groter is as die van ‘n draaispoelkatrol. Die koffiemeulkatrol wen dus meer lyn met een omwenteling as ‘n draaispoelkatrol met dieselfde ratverhouding. Nuwe tegnologie het egter ook veroorsaak dat draaispoelkatrolle met hoër ratverhoudings (9.3:1 en 8.3:1) ook nou by koffiemeulkatrolle kan begin kersvashou. Ek het egter self getwyfel oor die stellings wat gemaak is en agtergekom dat dit by die 3000 reeks koffiemeulkatrolle wel die geval is. Die 3000 reeks het wel dieselfde spoed as ‘n 6.3:1 draaispoelkatrol, maar is nie noodwendig vinniger nie.

Vir wie sal ek watter katrol aanbeveel? Dit is so belangrik dat hengel vir elke hengelaar ‘n lekker positiewe ervaring moet wees. Dit is belangrik om vir ‘n “groentjie” nie ‘n draaispoelkatrol in die hand te stop nie. Veral nie as dit die persoon se eerste hengeluitstappie is nie. My vrou hengel al ‘n geruime tyd swartbaars en sy voel nogsteeds gemakliker met ‘n koffiemeulkatrol in die hand. Vir die meer gevorderde hengelaar is die draaispoelkatrol egter ‘n moet en is daar ‘n lys redes hoekom ‘n hengelaar juis ‘n draaispoelkatrol sal wil aanskaf.

Experience The Excitement of the 2019 FLW RSA Championship “Simply The Best”

29 - 31 August Witbank Dam Plan on it!

Voordele van die draaispoelkatrol: ȏ 'LH O\Q ZHQ QLH VRYHHO RS VRRV PHW ȆQ NRIILHPHXONDWURO QLH ȏ ΖV JHPDNOLNHU RP EDLH VWDGLJ PHH WH KHQJHO ȏ *RRL EDLH PHHU DNNXUDDW PHW VZDDUGHU DVH HQ ȏ .DQ PHHU DNNXUDDW JRRL LQ PRHLOLNH DUHDV VRRV RQGHU RRUKDQJHQGH ERPH HQV ȏ 0HW GUDDLVSRHONDWUROOH LV GDDU ȆQ JURWHU YHUVNHLGHQKHLG YDQ UDWYHUKRXGLQJV RP YDQ WH NLHV ȏ 'UDDLVSRHONDWUROOH LV RRU GLH DOJHPHHQ OLJWHU DV NRIILHPHXONDWUROOH ȏ .DQ GLNNHU HQ VZDDUGHU O\Q KDQWHHU ȏ +XOOH OHZHQVGXXU LV KHHOZDW ODQJHU +XOOH KRX GXV ODQJHU DV ȆQ NRIILHPHXONDWURO

Nadele van ‘n draaispoelkatrol: ȏ .DQ OLJWHU O\Q YLQQLJHU YHUZHHU ȏ 1HHP W\G RP GLH NDWURO EDDV WH UDDN ȏ 2QGHUKRXG RS KLHUGLH NDWUROOH LV KRU ȏ .RV RRU GLH DOJHPHHQ PHHU DV ȆQ NRIILHPHXONDWURO ȏ *RRL PDNOLNHU ȆQ NUDDLQHV PHW VR ȆQ NDWURO ȏ 0RHLOLNHU RP WHHQ GLH ZLQG LQ WH JRRL ȏ 'LH O\Q VQ\ RS GLH VSRHO PDNOLN LQ GLH DQGHU O\Q LQ

FLW RSA Champions Neels Beneke (2018), Wayne Louw (2017), Robbie Olivier (2018), Michael Matthee (2017)

Die bekende koffiemeulkatrol

buig sal die lyn in aa aanraking kom met die stok en loop ligter lyn die risiko om sodoende deur te skaaf. Nog ‘n voordeel van die ko koffiemeulkatrol is dat die katrol heelw heelwat ligter aas kan gooi en boonop ve ver afstande kan gooi. Die rede daarvo daarvoor is dat die aas net die lyn van die spoel aftrek as daar gegooi word, terw terwyl die aas met ‘n draaispoelkatrol di die lyn sowel as die spoel moet trek in voorwaartse beweging. Die gevolg is dus ‘n groter weerstand wat dit m moeilik maak om die aas ver te gooi.

Samevatting Omrede die koffiemeulkatrol se gewig nie bo-op die stok is nie, is

Die koffiemeulkatrol daarenteen is die perfekte katrol om veral ligter en dunner lyn mee te hengel. Dit is beslis die regte opset vir kleiner finesse aas met tien pond en selfs ligter lyn. Omrede die katrol onder die stok sit kan daar met die ligter lyn van meer buigsame visstokke gebruik gemaak word. Sodra die stokke dan baie buig kan die lyn op geen stadium met die stok in aanraking kom nie. Die teenoorgestelde is egter waar met draaispoelkatrol visstokke. Die katrol is bo-op die stok gemonteer en die lyn hardloop deur die ogies bo-op die stok. Sodra hierdie stokke genoegsaam

dit makliker om die stok te beheer; veral vir kinders, vroue en beginners. Daarenteen is die draaispoelkatrol ‘n gewilde keuse vir die meer gevorderde hengelaar; juis omrede hy meer akkuraat kan gooi en groter vis beter kan hanteer. Tog sal die professionele hengelaars wêreldwyd steeds ‘n koffiemeul verkies vir finesse hengel met ligter aas en ligter lyn. Beide katrolle kom egter tot sy reg in die korrekte omstandighede, maar tog sal ek enige beginner aanbeveel om met ‘n koffiemeulkatrol te begin hengel. Wat ook al jou keuse sal wees; is dit belangrik om die pragtige tydverdryf, stokperdjie en sport te geniet. Lekker hengel, en kry maar die stokke gereed; die lente is net om die draai en onthou; baars moet in die winter ook eet. Geniet! *Philip Kemp is ‘n gesoute swartbaarhengelaar en assistent-redakteur van SA BASS.

Draaispoelkatrolle wat nie reg gestel is nie, maak maklik ‘n kraaines

Voordele van die koffiemeulkatrol: ȏ %DLH PDNOLNHU RP WH YHUVWDDQ HQ WH EHKHHU ȏ 0LQGHU NUDDLQHVWH ȏ +HHOZDW JRHGNRSHU DV ȆQ GUDDLVSRHONDWURO ȏ /\Q RS GLH NDWURO KHW ȆQ ODQJHU OHZHQVGXXU DV GLH RS ȆQ GUDDLVSRHONDWURO ȏ %DLH PDNOLNHU RP WH RQGHUKRX ȏ 'LH O\Q VQ\ QLH RS GLH VSRHO ELQQH GLH DQGHU O\Q LQ QLH ȏ .DQ YLU ȆQ JURRW YHUVNHLGHQKHLG KHQJHOWHJQLHNH JHEUXLN ZRUG ȏ .DQ JHEUXLN ZRUG RP ȆQ DDV RS GLH ZDWHU WH ZLS VNLS RQGHU RRUKDQJHQGH GHNNLQJ LQ ȏ 'LH EHVWH RSVLH YLU OLJWHU WLSH DVH ȏ *RRL EDLH PDNOLNHU WHHQ GLH ZLQG

Nadele van ‘n koffiemeulkatrol: ȏ 'LH NDWURO LV JURWHU HQ VZDDUGHU DV ȆQ GUDDLVSRHONDWURO ȏ .DQ JURWHU HQ VZDDUGHU YLV QLH VR JRHG KDQWHHU QLH ȏ /\Q ERX PDNOLNHU O\QJHKHXH RS HQ VSLUDDO GXV PDNOLNHU ȏ *RRL QLH VR DNNXUDDW VRRV ȆQ GUDDLVSRHONDWURO QLH YHUDO PHW VZDDUGHU DVH ȏ 2QGHUDUPZHUSH VRRV ȊIOLSȋ HQ ȊSLWFKȋ LV PRHLOLNHU ȏ -\ KHW ȆQ NOHLQHU NHXVH YDQ UDWYHUKRXGLQJV PHW ȆQ NRIILHPHXONDWURO 20 SA BASS July 2019

Die skrywer met ‘n groot swartbaar wat met ‘n draaispoelkatrol aangekeer is

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

8 - 14 December 2019 We at SA BASS are inviting all avid young anglers between the ages of 7-16 years to join us for loads of fun and adventure. Venue: Boskoors Farm, 30km North of Pretoria on the Moloto Road.

Bookings are essential! We have limited spots available as we like to keep the number of campers at a minimum, to ensure that every child gets the necessary individual attention and guidance. Please call Wilma on 087 808 5406 or 083 306 2718 to book your spot. For more information visit www.sabass.com or e-mail wilma@sabass.com SA BASS 21 July 2019

>> SA BASS

few winter fishing occasions left my fishing partner and I with fantastic memories. Yes, bass are still remarkably hungry when it’s cold, but they don’t make it any easier for you. I wanted to share some winter fishing stories to show you how much the strategies change from venue to venue and hopefully this will provide you with hints to improve your next adventure to the same or similar fishing venue. Rust der Winter Dam is a great example, as it provides such similar fishing conditions to many farm dams that we can access. It’s predominantly shallow and depending on conditions most of the productive fishing areas tend to be right on the edge of the grass line where shallow meets deep. This provides the bass with easy decisions during the changing weather patterns and they can quickly access deeper waters with more consistent temperatures during cold fronts. Also, as temperatures improve they move toward shallower depths and enjoy the warmth of the penetrating sunshine. This was particularly evident as conditions changed over the ten days that we had a chance to experience the fishing on the small dam north of Pretoria, just inside the Limpopo province. The week before was a winter dayy that we longg for p Highveld perfect. fact, activity on the he H ighv ig hvel e d – calm, warm, pe erffec ect. t. IIn n fa fact ct,, fis fish h ac acti tivi v ty evident and managed in tthe hee sshallows hallllow ha owss wa wass evid iden entt an nd we even mana age ged d to ssight ight ig ht fi fish sh some the river forr so fo som me ooff th he ba bass s iin ss n th thee ri rive verr ar area ea ((there’s t ere’s th small island which a sm mal alll is isla land nd tthere here he re w hiich c iiss lilike ke a

Some of the trees we targeted were tall and situated right up against the rocky island and these were easily targeted with a Texas rigged plastic worm in many forms, including Senko, fluke, lizard, grubs and curly tail worms 22 SA BASS July 2019

>> Roger Donaldson* bass magnet on warm winter days). In the early morning we donned nothing more than a warm jacket, beanie and gloves to race across to our respective fishing spots. Seven days later was a vastly different story. The temperature had dropped 10ºC and if you weren’t prepared for a cold exit from the start line up then you were really going to struggle, as did my fishing partner that day. With the temperature at 1ºC it truly was cold, almost freezing and the bass were nowhere to be found. Later that day we managed to pull a rabbit out the hat and find notable fish where we hadn’t before, but the bass that were merrily feeding around the island a few days prior had certainly migrated. Turns out that those same fish had not gone far though, they had merely backed off to the closest drop-off, in this case the meandering river channel. A fair bit of patience was required to unlock this, as the channel breaks immediately at the edge of the lily pads. This is important because to get your lure to hit this spot you needed to weight it correctly to sink to the strike zone, or feed line sufficiently after your cast so that it would sink, allowing the lure to fall vertically into place. Those small technical points make a world of difference! Arabie Dam is a tremendous venue for bass fishing. It’s one of my favourites for a number of reasons; it’s pretty big so there’s lots explore, lots ttoo ex expl plor ore, e, tthere here he re aare r rrocky re ocky oc ky islands, numerous with isla is land nds, s, n umer um erou ouss ba bays ys w ith it h

flooded trees, undulating bottom features, quarries, rivers and current, tributaries and creek channels, drop-offs and gravel banks, points and vegetation to consider. Travelling by boat from the main camping area to the opposite end of the dam from the dam wall is a substantial distance and if you are planning on fishing both ends of the dam like we were then you’ll need to consider that you’ll use a lot of petrol getting to each spot. We’d established some wonderful fishing holes to target and couldn’t wait to weigh in on them in a weeks-time at the cash event. Who would’ve knew that the weather was going to make a 180º turn and deliver us with frosty, misty conditions that had us instantly rearranging our modus operandi on the morning of the event. We waited at the launch armed with hot bottles of water, beanies, jerseys, jackets, face masks, gloves and a blanket each. I believe this was the coldest we’d experienced. The deck of every boat was laden with frost. There was little chance we were going to race at 100km/h for ten minutes until we reach our first fishing spot. We wouldn’t survive it! The first needed to be as close as possible and as we looked over our shoulders towards the wall of mist we recognised our first fishing spot. A rocky point dotted with flooded trees. I don’t believe we needed to rev the motor enough to create a bow wave and we were already at the spot and not particularly eager to remove our gloves while the misty

breeze moved eerily through the valley. It wasn’t long though and the sun broke through and dispersed the mist and the frigid moisture contained within it. The fishing was sloooooow! The sun rose slowly at an angle and we were encouraged to start peeling off the outer extremities of our winter wear. A lot more comfortable now we decided to loosen up and speed up the fishing, get a little more daring. There are some tremendous looking trees beneath the water here so let’s get into them and see. It was incredible how the feeding activity from the bass increased as the morning warmed up. It became so intense that there was no way we were going to leave this spot. Almost every cast received worthy attention from a decent sized fish and on many occasions both my partner and I were fighting fish simultaneously. You eventually forget about the size of the fish now you’re just having too much fun. And the day continued all the way until sunset without us needing to start the motor and move anywhere else. Enjoy the cold months ahead – they can be truly memorable ones. *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 23 July 2019

Fishing League Worldwide FLW South Africa Championship 2018 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Witbank Dam | August 28 - 31, 2019

RECOMMENDED ACCOMMODATION: StayEasy eMalahleni R895.00 BB (special rate for FLW Championship) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the breakfast/boat packs are included in the rate. The rate is per double room (double bed or 2 single beds) per night. Why not make a weekend of it with the whole family? The kids can have some fun with a round of putt-putt or ten-pin bowling and do shopping in over 180 stores in The Highveld Mall. The hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spacious en-suite rooms are tastefully furnished and well-equipped with amenities which include air conditioning, free WiFi, TV with '6WY FKDQQHOV LQ URRP WHD DQG FRÎ?HH IDFLOLWLHV and more. Additional amenities like 18-hour room service and in-room dining service add to the RÎ?HULQJV DYDLODEOH WR RXU JXHVWV )UHH HYHU\ GD\ Breakfast. Kids under 12 stay and eat breakfast free. The hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s breakfast room serves delicious EXÎ?HW VW\OH EUHDNIDVWV RESERVATIONS: 013-697 6969 24 SA BASS July 2019

The adjacent Ridge Casino and Entertainment &HQWUH DQG +LJKYHOG 0DOO RÎ?HUV GLYHUVH entertainment, dining and shopping. Make the most of your experience with us every time you visit The Ridge Casino by signing up to our free Rewards Programme.

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WEDNESDAY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 28 August 2019

SATURDAY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 31 August 2019

Venue: The Ridge Casino 17:00

Registration of angling teams

Venue: Witbank Yacht and Aquatic Club and The Ridge Casino