SA BASS Jul-19

July 2019

Issue 219

Winter Strategies

for catching lethargic bass

RSA: R39.34 (VAT incl.)

Other Countries: R34.21 (Tax excl.)

W inter Rain Action The shallow wood in winter pattern | Video game cheat codes | Seasonal changes and effect | All for bass The dangers of hypothermia | Middle of winter, or is it? | Die draaispoel- vs die koffiemeulkatrol | Two tales of winter Winter rain action | Waar is die vis? | Winter strategies for catching lethargic bass | Post-frontal weather conditions What makes a good art-lure angler? | Spotted bass in the Overberg | Stroke of the paddle | Sediba KwĂŞle

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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

09

“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.

10

“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.

14

16

“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”

28

“Waar?”

Daar is drie vrae wat hengelaars altyd vra, naamlik; wanneer, waarmee en waar?

– Hannes Lindeque

30

“Winter strategies for catching lethargic bass”

40

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

42

32

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”

36

“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

39

Basics for beginners

DESTINATION 48

26

“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

34

>> 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

T

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

T

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

T

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

T

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 sun’s rays, when the country experiences its colder temperatures

I’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.

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*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-

vs

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.

D

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

A

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

Winter

rain Action >> Jay RĂśhm-Williams

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RAINING, ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S POURING BUT THE BASS ARE STILL CALLING!

H

Here comes the rains

ere we are, in the thick of another South African winter where decent days for bassing grow ever shorter and the nights we have to wait out become longer. It is cold, the weather is miserable and any warm day permitting venturing outside happens to be during the week when you are at work or booked up by some commitment. Bass angling can be hard and challenging in winter let alone trying to juggle a favourable day out of the month to actually go fishing. So seeing there is a lot more rain than shine let us explore why this â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;magic timeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; could just be the encouraging reason needed to help you make the most out of the wet, winter weather.

Many bass anglers are aware that raining conditions are amongst the top prime scenarios which trigger active feeding times for bass. This is for a few reasons mainly: t "OZ JOTFDUT BJSCPSOF BSF LOPDLFE into the water by the rain making 26 SA BASS July 2019

for easy meals. t 8BSNFS XBUFS SVO PĂŞ GSPN UIF MBOE and nearby banks raises the water temperature in the shallows. t 4VSGBDF XBUFS EJTUPSUJPO CZ UIF falling rain causes poor visibility for predators above and prey below.

Larger bass generally feel safer to roam freely on the prowl if hunger strikes during a rainy, overcast day than on a clear, hot day. This concept is even more advantageous to any bass angler during winter than ever before especially when the big boys and girls are huddling deep feeling finicky about biting. The idea of fishing in the rain Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure does not appeal to everyone but catching big bass during winter sure does and hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s howâ&#x20AC;Ś According to where you are in South Africa, winter temperatures can vary from mild along the majority of the coast to freezing further in land.

Bass are cold blooded and rely on the ability to detect any variation in water

temperature to determine seasonal BDUJWJUZ 8IFO UIF DMJNBUF CFHJOT getting colder a bassâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s metabolism will slow down gradually the deeper into winter we go. The need to eat is still obvious for a bass in winter but becomes more of a precise timing scheme or an opportunist moment where resistance to lunge at anything food related is futile. Rainy conditions provide the perfect setup for getting in on a piece of the action when these two factors can be taken advantage of.

8IFUIFS ZPV BSF PO B XBUFSDSBGU PS banking it, bass angling during wet conditions is not without its hazards.

Anything from poor visibility while boating to slipping on debris when bank bashing from the shore can be costly. It is also advisable not to go out fishing if there is any evidence PG MJHIUFOJOH BDUJWJUZ JO UIF BSFB 8F know itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be wet and cold so gearing up to avoid been demoralized along with accepting the fact that you will get soaked helps.

rod and watch that line for Late mornings and intercepting knocks. early afternoons are ideal during a rainy day in Bass angling in the rain winter as it gives a chance during winter is going to for the water temperatures be tough. There will be to rise slightly. Targeting hardly anyone who will the deeper water at any be willing to join you on venue is a great place to this mad adventure. It is start as we already know however totally worth it the likely hood of larger for those of you who have bass congregating together experienced your rods bent there is good. Although double while the heavens the water temperature are opening up. They Hudson Spence wet but still smiling may have risen a tiny bit say gaining skill through any activity is still going enduring all kinds of WINTER BASS DO GET HUNGRY AND to be sluggish so slow weather scenarios is what THE LARGER SPECIMENS TEND TO makes better bass anglers. moving baits are generally going WEIGH UP THE OPTIONS OF THE The notion and the idea to attract more attention. Locating submerged trees and any large EFFORT REQUIRED TO GAIN A MEAL might sound crazy but the structures out towards the declining VERSUS THE SUSTENANCE THAT rewards could be massive. depths will be excellent areas to target MEAL WILL PROVIDE. We all strive to catch more big bass hunkering down. Steep drop bass more often so head offs and dense patches of underwater out and turn those rainy, Winter bass do get hungry and grass covering the bottom will also the larger specimens tend to weigh up winter blues into a new PB record or make ideal ambush zones where the the options of the effort required to two. chances of hungry bass might be gain a meal versus the sustenance that Rods out and safe fishing everywaiting for a passing meal. Using meal will provide. Bigger is not always one. the concealing cover provided by the better when it comes to deciding what pouring rain we can now approach size lure to use but heavy, sluggish bass and find active feeding spots with might rather engulf a slow, bouncing less chance of been detected. Having crank off the bottom rather than a the water’s surface disturbed by such quick, zippy spinnerbait whizzing a natural occurrence now also allows past. Baitfish replicas are famous for our lures to be less recognised as fake betraying big bass’s judgment during imitations with bass conforming to a winter downpour as what could hunt by sound or vibration and not so be more worth eating than another much by sight. protein packed, smaller fish. It not This is where our spinnerbaits, to say these are the only ideal lure cranks and chatterbaits come into play options one has to choose from during the most. The noise and movement of the rains as soft plastic finesse angling the lure passing through the water has produced countless hits when it’s allows bass to hone in on the sound coming down. Tending to use darker activating striking instincts. These coloured, creature baits with a droplures can be fished from leading out shot style rig is going to be more of the deeps towards the mid surface rewarding than anything bright and of the water or brought slowly along flashy here. Working your lure from the bottom back up towards the top. deep water pockets slowly towards the It will be the speed and the motion of shallows is an excellent way to seek a the lure that will ultimately coax a big hook up. Make sure to pass the edges bass into attack with often a soft hit of any aquatic vegetation with a few or quick swallow before moving off enthusiastic twitches before letting steadily. Sometimes it will feel as if it sink back down to the depths. you are snagged on some unforeseen Soft plastic paddle tail lures work obstacle but watch your line for any particularly well here when you really gradual movement indicating that have your retrieval technique figured The author with a quick wet photo indeed you were just hit and need to out. Visibility over the water is going before safely releasing strike now! to be next to zero so feel with your SA BASS 27 July 2019

>> SA BASS BASICS

Waar?

Ons het begin deur te sê dat swartbaars dwarsdeur die jaar gevang kan word, maar as ons hengelgerei nie reg is nie, gaan elke hengeluitstappie ‘n teleurstelling wees en gaan die leser belangstelling verloor.

Morné Barnard met ‘n trofeegrootte grootbek-swartbaar

O

ns het begin deur te kyk na die verskillende soorte visstokke, katrolle en vislyn waarvan elkeen unieke karaktereienskappe het. ‘n Kombinasie van die gerei stel die hengelaar in staat om met bepaalde kunsaas te hengel, sekere aanbiedings te maak en om die vis suksesvol uit te oorlê.

Daar is drie vrae wat hengelaars altyd vra naamlik, waar, wanneer en waarmee?

Om te begin moet ons iets van die vis se gedrag verstaan.

Grootbek-swartbaars hou van skoon, stadig-vloeiende water, maar verkies eerder stilstaande water wat baie skuilplek bied. Skuilplekke soos waterplante, rotse, bome en selfs mensgemaakte strukture soos brûe en ou paaie. Om op te som – al die plekke waar jy nie wil hengel nie want jou kunsaas kan maklik vassit en verloor.

Omrede swartbaars roofvis is, sal hulle in die skuilings se skadu’s lê en wag vir ‘n niksvermoedende maaltyd wat verbykom. Hulle vreet enige iets; vis, paddas, krappe, slange, insekte, voëls en selfs hulle eie kleintjies. Die grootte van die aas skrik hulle ook nie af nie. Ek het al swartbaars gevang en gewonder wat het die vis gedink gaan hy met die aas maak as hy hom eers gegryp het?

Maar waar? Omtrent al ons openbare damme regdeur die land het reeds swartbaars in. Dan is daar verskeie plaasdamme wat ook mooi vis het, maar toegang tot die damme is ‘n wesenlike probleem, en met goeie rede. Dit het alles te doen met respek.

28 SA BASS July 2019

>> Hannes Lindeque* Op alle vlakke van die samelewing en onder alle volke is daar mense wat hulle wangedra en die geleenthede vir mede-hengelaars belemmer. Daar is ‘n gebrek aan basiese respek teenoor die natuur, jou medemens en sommer ook teenoor jouself!

Dit is ‘n voorreg om buite in die natuur te kan wees en nie ‘n grondwetlike reg nie. Dus is dit van kardinale belang om vooraf toestemming by ‘n grondeienaar te kry om sy perseel te betree om ‘n lyntjie nat te maak.

Met die werklikheid van plaasaanvalle en hoë vlakke van misdaad kan mens nie sommer net gou-gou ‘n draai by iemand se dam gaan maak nie. Kry toestemming en laat die eienaar weet wanneer jy daar gaan opdaag en weer vertrek.

Indien jy so gelukkig is om wel toestemming te kry, word van jou verwag om die hengelarea netjies en skoon te laat; al is dit nie eens jou rommel nie. Die grootste ergernis is toiletpapier wat soos kersboomversierings die veld rondwaai! Vislyn wat langs die dam en in die water gelaat word raak verstrengel om watervoëls se pote en die arme diere vrek baie stadig van hongerte en dors. Gewoonlik sit die voëls op plekke wat nie vir die mens bereikbaar is om hulle te red nie. Gebreekte bottels in en langs die water, asook leë blikke is ‘n groot nee-nee. G’n wonder grondeienaars is so taai om toestemming te verleen nie.

Ek het selfs al gehoor van gevalle waar “dagbesoekers” vir hulle ‘n “ietsie” saam huistoe gevat het. Die boer was glad nie beïndruk toe hy die “dagbesoeker” voorkeer met ‘n sak vol vis wat hy langs die pad wou gaan smous nie. Dit is steel!

Ook mag jy nie “ietsie” skiet wat toevallig by jou verbystap nie, soos die stoetbul, ‘n wildsbok óf selfs ‘n bakkievrag vol vuurmaakhout oplaai nie. Dit klink absurd, maar daar is werklik sulke stropers tussen ons wat alles vir almal belemmer.

Hengel en hanteer alles om jou met respek!

Wenk van die week: Indien jy gelukkig genoeg is om saam na ‘n privaatdam genooi te word, beteken dit nie die hekke is oop vir almal wat jy ken om enige tyd daar te kom hengel nie. *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.

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>> SA BASS STRATEGIES

Blade baits

Winter

strategies

for catching lethargic bass >> John Badenhorst*

W

inter can be a daunting time, freezing weather, mist and fish that bite very slowly are not what most anglers are used to. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve mentioned this in a previous article and it holds true. In winter, you will find 90% of the bass in 10% of the water. This simply means that if you happen to find a spot and pick up on a bite, it is worth it to stick around and work the area properly. If a fish is holding in a specific spot due to the water temperature or depth, then in all likelihood, other fish will be hanging around in the same area.

Winter fishing is also as 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 da dark icy winter, launch a boat in freezing water ater aand nd have the patience to slow everything in order to catch the erything down elusive sive w winter nte bbass.

Safety is a very important Ned rig part art oof the planning that you angler have to do and if as ang things ngs co could go wrong out on the water durin rin the summer months, during they can go pe pear shaped with lightning speed during winter. win clothing is very Wearing the right r important im mportant and here, it helps to layer the way clothing for the day you u dress. By layering your y comfortable if it does warm out, yo you will feel more co 30 SA BASS BAS ASS July 2019

up a tad to take off one ater jacket or sweater and if the he ree temperature Binsky Gold blade bait drops as the he sun sets lower, wer, ple matter it is a simple of putting a jacket back on on. The sun might not ot be shining down in its full force but you can still get a case of sunburn during the winter months, so wear some form of protection when out in the elements. It is absolutely essential to have a decent pair of polarized sunglasses to wear as the glare coming off the water while fishing can be brutal on your eyes.

Always let someone know exactly where you will be fishing and approximately for how long. Things can and do happen out on the water and by having someone knowing where you are and what time you should be back, allows for the alarm to be raised in the event that you happen to experience a mishap while out fishing.

Always keep a spare set of clothes in the boat and a dry towel.

The last thing you Hair jigs want to experience

is being out on the water, taking a slip and ending up having a dip in frigid water.

Being in the water itself can lead to a host of issues and not being able to change quickly into dry clothing could lead to a trip to the doctor, the hospital and in a severe case, the pearly gates beyond.

Hypothermia is a real and true danger and the human body is not designed for sub temperatures. (See Gordon Brown’s article in this issue) Have some energy drinks and water at hand, you might not notice while out fishing in the colder months but your body still loses water and if you lose too much, kidney stones will be the least of your concerns.

In all the above, I’ve mentioned various safety concerns but to put it simply, take the precautions you would use during the summer months and work around that, keeping in mind that temperatures could drop below zero while you’re out there fishing for that new PB. Let’s get to the fishing Super Spin Bucktail Jig itself now. Winter bass are (white/chartreuse) mostly lethargic and tend to minimize the use of valuable stored energy in hunting down prey.

Bass are predators and still have to eat, they will still pounce on a bait if it resembles an easy meal.

Many articles have been written about the approach to

winter bass fishing and in this article which is the first in a two part series; I will highlight some baits that have worked for anglers here and abroad over the years. In the next article I will go more indepth on how to fish these baits and where to try and find the PB Bucktail hair jig you’re looking for.

The most common baits used by anglers during these colder months are: Ned-rigs, hair jigs, drop-shot, blade baits, jigs and slow sinking cranks. Each of these have proven themselves over the years and some angler would even fish a specific pattern or bait for the entire winter season as they have built up confidence in its fish catching abilities. You might be just like me and be keyed into a certain style of fishing. I personally see myself as a finesse angler and have caught many huge fish during all seasons but, truth be told, over the last three years, I’ve been experimenting with different techniques and baits during winter and have seen either a decline or improvement in my catch rate.

Think of it this way: as a human, you’re getting out of a warm bed to sit out on the water in cold conditions and technically, you’re taking the first step to getting out of your comfort zone. Why not take it one step further and try a different technique and who knows? You might be pleasantly surprised by the results and it makes you a more versatile angler.

Winter is here and if all predictions are to be believed, it’s going to be a cold one but it’s better to be out on the water trying new things than to sit at home moping around like a bear with a sore head trying to pass the time till the warmer months arrive. Remember, winter can last all the way up to the end of august and between now and then, it’s a lot of time you will have on your hands.

In the next article in this series, we will look in-depth at using the various methods mentioned above and how to adjust them to suit your specific style of fishing. Till the next issue, stay warm, stay positive and try something new. *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.

The drop-shot rig is mainly fished vertically

Deep diving crankbait SA BASS 31 July 2019

Angling happiness; father-son moments (Gary and Zane Grobbler)

>> SA BASS

All for bass

A passion passed on through the ages

>> There are many great moments a person can experience through-out their lives and one of them is surely learning the art of bass angling. This 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 Rรถhm-Williams

Ladies represent ing - my wife Alicia Rรถhm-W illiams

Anytime is a good time for bass fishing 32 SA BASS July 2019

N

o matter who you are or what walk of life you come from once you have felt the mighty surge of some bass action, powering on at the end of your line it is going to be hard to put that rod down.

So how did we all get here to this conclusion? How did we discover that bass angling was more than just some ‘guys weekend only’ event that happened occasionally? Well it had to start somewhere, by someone or through some media where the epic movement of bass fishing was shared, passed down and taught to other like-minded individuals as time flowed on. Over the years the sport has evolved and grown into one of the most recognised international angling events with various levels of experienced anglers competing all year round all over the globe on numerous circuits. It is a personal, angling journey that although we all under took at different times, we all had to start at the beginning…

Passing on the stoke that bassing brings is easy, the bass ensure that mostly themselves but teaching someone new how to catch them can be challenging. Whether you are young or old, male or female bass fishing is for everyone but we must all be willing to listen and learn when we start. I can remember quite fondly my own father encouraging us with exciting stories of the big bass we would catch that first day out only to have his entire trip flawed and sabotaged by youngsters constantly needing assistance. This unfortunately comes with the territory for any beginner and it is with great gratitude we thank our mentors for their past and future trialled patience. When it comes to children this quality is probably the most tested but who could possibly turn down such young and eager enthusiasm. These are the future anglers of the next generation, especially if they are keen from the start and if we can guide them through the teething stages of bass fishing we will have ensured legends live on.

Another channel that branches off from the main stream of bassing is when your friends become interested in the sport and take up the rod in an effort to better understand where you find such hidden pleasures.

This can become interesting very quickly with either your advice been adhered too or disregarded completely. In the end the bass always impress and along with some constant encouragement another dedicated bass angler will have hopefully joined the ranks.

Very soon you will be sharing tips and trading lures deep into the night waiting for the dawn to crack announcing another day of bass fishing together.

It doesn’t even stop there, bass anglers like any other passionate enthusiasts unite together forming clubs and establishments all for the love of bass. This is where discussions about informative news and updates

are made available while shared by individuals themselves amongst each other. Everything from techniques to venues are swopped or advised upon and so passed on to the next respectable angler. Today there are so many bass followers globally that it will be hard not to find someone who shares your passion for the hunt of green, water giants. Nine times out of ten these fellow bassers will also be more than willing to hand down advice or share a tale that could change your luck on the water one day. Twenty first century bass angling has gone as far as even breaking cultural or language barriers where the simple shared joy is enough to unite people together. Over the years bass fishing has been given the opportunity to be expressed, evolved and shared on so many platforms internationally that it is easy for anyone interested in this action filled sport to learn while putting theories into practice. For myself it is an absolute pleasure to share my experiences and knowledge of this lifestyle which I in turn recommend to any other bass angler if giving the chance to do so. We can all most certainly learn from one another in this regard and it hardly costs a little more than time to teach someone something new.

So next time you bump into someone at your local tackle shop in the lure section, greet the person and be friendly.

If an opportunity arises to take the kids and their friend’s bass fishing, do it. If you haven’t asked by now I’m sure the miss or misses wouldn’t mind joining you in a cast or three as well. When out on the water and someone asks advice, share some personal knowledge. You never know you might just have made a best mate for life or given the gift of bass angling to an aspiring individual along with all the fun filled moments that come with it!

Rods out and safe fishing everyone.

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. – Ed.

SA BASS 33 July 2019

>> SA BASS

Secrets of South Africa’s Pro’s – Part 12

Considering Post-Frontal Weather Conditions >> Bass Spy*

S

now is falling around the Cape and cold weather is blanketing the country, but soon it’ll all pass and we’ll be soaking up calm, warm weather and easy days.

These calm conditions are also generally indicative of high sunlight intensity. You need to be prepared for this because these seemingly wonderful weather conditions can also make it difficult for bass anglers.

Professional anglers will know precisely what temperatures to expect the next day, the wind speed, cloud cover, air pressure and much more.

All this information will give them advantage in the post frontal fishing conditions.

So, the water surface is calm, the sun shining deep below the water surface, and very little noise from wind and rippling water. You can imagine too that the bass will have far greater chance of spotting you.

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:

Distance and discretion: This one is self-explanatory, but crucial and hence why it’s at the top of my list. If the bass have seen you coming then there is absolutely

Spinnerbaits are also easily adaptable according to the conditions you are planning on fishing in choosing subtle coloured skirts such as these will be favourable during calm, post frontal conditions 34 SA BASS July 2019

no way it will bite your bait. Keep a little extra distance than you normally would from the area you plan on targeting. Also, approach the spot just a little slower than before. This makes sense because if you’re fishing from the bank then rushing up to your fishing spot means you’ll be making a lot more noise and vibration. On a boat the bow wave and additional vibration from your trolling motor at higher speeds all makes you that much more indiscreet.

I remember many instances in these post frontal conditions where I would cast at the bass and as the lure landed just to the fish’s side and the bass would just stare at me (not at

the lure). I was certain if the fish could speak it would say, “Seriously?”. Bass see you coming before you see them.

Line thickness: Go as thin as you can without compromising strength. How do you do that? This is where a good quality (probably expensive) fluorocarbon line will have an advantage over basic monofilament line. Certain premium fluorocarbon lines are less visible beneath the water and they are also thinner in diameter in comparison with basic monofilament line. Only thing is, fluorocarbon line doesn’t rig well on a spinning reel and I would certainly have a spinning reel on hand and rigged with the lowest diameter monofilament line you can get away with in and around the structure that you will be fishing.

I would always suggest that you have one rod in your cache that is rigged specifically so that you can be ready for testing conditions.

Hardware, or hooks and sinkers: You were wondering why tackle stores have such a variety in sizes of hooks and sinkers. Larger weights help you cast further and assists your lure sink faster to greater depths. If using a sinker is necessary on the day it would be advantageous for you to do your best in down-sizing the weight – make it less conspicuous. Tungsten weights are far heavier than lead and they can also come in painted colours brown and black.

Bass fishing hooks are clearly visible when rigged with a plastic lure. You can however obtain hooks with thinner gauge wire and smaller sized hooks, which will be less noticeable in the calm, clear conditions. This will make a tremendous difference to your fishing.

Watermelon, black and Junebug will need to be in your tackle box for this moment.

Crankbaits and topwater baits also come in a great variety and you would probably do very nicely by selecting colours, including Lavender Shad, Bluegill, and possibly Crawfish to name only a few. Spinnerbaits are also available with natural colour skirts, or less intrusive options. Pay attention to size too and be ready to experiment.

Where you cast: I’ve found that casting directly on top of the bass when they are in this very sensitive state will have no benefit to you. It simply spooks the bass and they often move away without biting your lure. Try to cast a metre to the left or right of the bass (if you can see them). If you are casting at structure whilst trying to find your bass then try to cast just past the structure and then retrieve your lure slowly into position. *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.

Join FLW’s

For quickest delivery, visit www.flwsouthafrica.com or call 065-849-3264

Lures and colours: Very important. This is ultimately why the bass are going to bite. The bait needs to resemble as closely to the natural food in the environment as possible. In different circumstances you would have gotten away with wild looking plastic baits and bright colours. This however is not the time.

Subtle colours such as Green Pumpkin,

FLW Bass Fising is only available in digital format outside the borders of USA

SA BASS 35 July 2019

>> SA BASS

What makes a good art lure angler?

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. The aspects that are normally looked at, and that get written about in depth are the external factors. >> Evert Laubscher When we look at external factors there are many things that can play a role in success:

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES that can play a role in the success of an art lure angler:

Weather

Wind, water temperature and barometric pressure

Core strength / stability

Type of structure

Drop offs, points, old roads, etc.

Type of cover

Timber, lily pads, boulders, etc.

Target species

Fish behaviour, feeding patterns and prey

Season

Pre-spawn, spawn and post spawn

Time of day

Early morning, midday, late afternoon

H

owever, in this article I will be discussing some of the factors that are more controllable to the angler. I have divided these factors into physical attributes, mental attributes, and skill related components of fishing.

36 SA BASS July 2019

Most anglers will agree that the lower back takes a lot of strain during a day on the water, especially if you are operating a foot control trolling motor. People are not designed to keep a specific position for a prolonged period of time, but this is exactly what happens when you are focused on the job at hand, which is to get fish in the live-well. A painful lower back can be very debilitating, and can limit your range of motion and affect your powers of concentration on the water. Therefore make sure you look after your lower back by doing â&#x20AC;&#x153;coreâ&#x20AC;? muscle exercises, and focusing on a correct body posture. The primary muscle that needs to be activated to support the lower back is the transverse abdominis muscle. This muscle functions like a natural back brace when activated, and is essential to lower back health.

Local muscle endurance Lure fishing requires the repetition of the action of casting and retrieving. This action is even more strenuous when popping with bigger lures in the ocean. Therefore the muscles involved in this specific action can get tired during a session, which can result in a decrease in the successful completion of the movement. I have experienced this first hand on many occasions, especially when fishing on consecutive days. The muscles primarily involved in casting and retrieving will be the wrist flexors and extensors, the biceps brachii (anterior upper arm), triceps brachii (posterior upper arm), and deltoid (shoulder) muscle groups. These muscles can be specifically conditioned to improve their endurance by doing resistance training.

Sets of 20 repetitions, with a short rest period (30 sec) in between are ideal.

Vision / hearing (observation) Sight plays a massive role in the success of a lure angler.

Certain species, like carp for example, can only be effectively targeted on sight. Being able to see signs of fish activity (bubbles, a swirl on the surface) is also very important, especially when the water is not clear enough to see the fish itself. It is also very important to stay attuned to the sounds you hear while fishing. A lot of the time you can hear fish activity before actually seeing the fish. Carp can

often be heard sucking up insects or other organisms from the surface, and movement of reeds can indicate catfish hunting small fish hiding in amongst the reeds. Most of the time in nature it is easier to see or hear the prey first, before you see the predator. Therefore be on the lookout for signs of baitfish or other living organisms that might be regarded as prey for your target species. Sight fishing is definitely one of the most exciting ways of catching fish on lure, so look after your eyes by investing in a good pair of polarized sunglasses.

Hydration Being out in the wind and weather can have a major impact on the angler, and probably the biggest concern for South African anglers is staying hydrated in our hot climate. I believe most of us have experienced some form of dehydration after a long days fishing. Dehydration is not just a serious health concern, but it can also negatively affect your ability to concentrate. We tend to get so occupied with pursuing the fish that we don’t hydrate adequately. It is therefore important to have a hydration strategy for the day.

This can start by consuming 500ml of water before you start fishing. The general guideline would then be to consume 500ml to one litre every hour spent on the water in hot conditions. It is also good to have a hydration drink on the boat that contains some form electrolytes (e.g.: Energade).

NRF Vitamin C and NRF Vita-zinc With winter upon us, NRF Vitamin C supplements and NRF Vita-Zinc should be introduced to help build up your LPPXQH V\VWHPV DQG VWDYH R΍ FROGV DQG ȵX 9LWDPLQ & makes the best impact when taken at the start of cold symptoms and a regular dose of Vitamin C and Zinc will help to hasten your recovery. To maintain ongoing good health, continue to take Vitamin C products together with a zinc supplement on a regular basis.

An interesting study by the American Optometric $VVRFLDWLRQ QRWHV WKDW YLWDPLQ & EHQHȴWV LQFOXGH VORZLQJ the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) which is the number one cause of blindness as we JHW ROGHU DQG ZLOO KHOS WR SUHVHUYH VKDUS YLVLRQ 6FLHQWLȴF evidence suggests vitamin C lowers the risk of developing cataracts of which risk factors are smoking, diabetes and steroid use which can deplete the eye's lens of vitamin C. NRF health supplements are suitable for everyone and can be safely administered to children.

The range of supplements is available from DisChem, Clicks and select pharmacies.

SA BASS 37 July 2019

MENTAL ATTRIBUTES

Attitude Enjoy what you are doing! Like with most things in life, you need the right attitude to be successful on the water. A positive attitude might not land you fish, but it will definitely help you to enjoy yourself more often than not.

Confidence There is no better lure than a lure that you have confidence in. When you are confident that you are fishing in the right spot, and you are confident you are presenting your lure as best possible, then you will without a doubt have more patience and be more focused not to miss a take. Confidence can only be achieved by spending time on the water, and testing different lures and presentations in different conditions, and then being successful. You can get the best information from a reliable source when preparing to fish a specific venue, but you need to get it right yourself before you will have confidence in the suggested technique, lure or spot. We always tend to revert back to the things that helped us land fish in the past. I do believe that the wrong lure fished with confidence, will out fish the right lure if fished with a lack of confidence. Cast, retrieve, and believe!

Patience / perseverance As I previously mentioned, the amount of patience you have is directly linked to the amount of confidence you have in your methods. Never give up. We have all heard the stories of the trophy fish that was landed on the last cast of the day. As long as you have a lure in the water there is a chance of catching a fish. By sticking to the task at hand and having your lure in the water more than your fellow anglers, you will have the odds in your favour. I have

experienced this on many occasions, where the fishing has been tough and you sit down to have a break and your boat partner lands the biggest fish of the day.

Intuition The sixth sense so to speak. I believe that this is a skill that can be developed by spending more time on the water.

It is basically using all your senses and observation skills to make a sub conscious decision that can be the difference between success and failure. For example tying on a lure that you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fished for many years, or deciding to stop at a spot at the last minute and deviating from your initial plan, just because you had a good feeling about it.

SKILLS Skill related components that can help improve success on the water:

Reaction time Very often a take on artificial lure can be very subtle, therefore your ability to react fast to the bite can be the difference between going tight or ending up with the thought of what could have been.

Casting accuracy This is definitely a skill that can be practiced and improved. By improving your casting accuracy, and landing your lure on the target, you can drastically improve your chances of getting the fish to take the lure. Often reference is made to the sweet spot, which is the specific spot on a specific cover or structure that will trigger a bite more easily. A lot of the time you only get one chance to get the lure in the right spot, so casting accurately under pressure is also vital. Practice casting in an open field by tying on a weight or lure that cannot snag easily and aiming at specific targets. You can improve your distance and accuracy in this way.

Lure presentation The same lure can be presented in many different ways.

The retrieve speed as well as the rod movement, and action can greatly influence the presentation of a lure. This is also true for the type of line and the line diameter that you are using. It is therefore important to experiment with the presentation technique to find out which is most effective on the day. You can practice your lure presentation by casting and retrieving in a swimming pool. The clear water will allow you to see the action of the lure under water, which will help you fish it more effectively.

Boat positioning / manoeuvring The position of the boat can greatly affect lure presentation and the time the lure spends in the strike zone. The angle and stealth with which you approach the fish, or the specific structure or cover also plays a massive role in achieving success. Boat positioning is also a skill that can be improved through practice, and can make all the difference on the day.

38 SA BASS July 2019

>> SA BASS BASICS

BASICS FOR BEGINNERS

>> Hannes Lindeque

Where are they?

At times such as post-frontal conditions, bass are buried very far back in the cover.

Winter tips Using your sonar is crucial in winter. Use your depth finder to locate schools of bass along a riverbed, tree line bluff bank or deep point.

Finding warm water On sunny days, concentrate on midday to late afternoon fishing since the sun can warm the surface water by two of three degrees over the course of the day.

Bass vocabulary:

Crankbait tips Use a light- to medium- action rod when fishing crankbaits. Softer rods will allow the bass to inhale the lure, resulting in more hooked fish.

Advice for beginners When buying lures, select a few of each basic type and then learn how and when to use them.

5 Sure ways to loose fish 1. Not paying attention to pick up the bite 2. Not pressuring fish enough 3. Too light outfit 4. Improper hook setting 5. Getting too excited

Why fishing weeds?

Bass have learnt to do two things to survive: to feed and to conserve energy. Weeds present a perfect habitat for bass to meet both requirements. Food is abundant and shelter is unmatched by any other form of cover.

Chugger - Topwater plug with a dished-out (concave or “cupped”) head designed to make a splash when pulled sharply.

Cold front - A weather condition accompanied by high, clear skies, and a sudden drop in temperature.

Contact point - The deepest position on structure where a bass angler can first effectively present his lure to bass as they migrate from deep water.

Coontail - Submerged aquatic plant of the hornwort family typically found in hard water; charactreized by stiff, forked leaves.

Cosmic clock - The sun’s seasonal effect on water and weather conditions relating to barometric pressure, wind, and cloud cover.

Cove - An indentation along a shoreline.

Cover - Natural or manmade objects on the bottom of lakes, rivers, or impoundments, especially those that influence fish behaviour. Examples include stick-ups, tree lines, stumps, rocks, logs, pilings, docks, and weed patches.

Crankbait - Typically, a lipped lure that dives under the surface during the retrieve. So-called lipless crankbaits are thin, minnow-like lures that sink at a rate of about 1-foot per second.

Depthfinder - A sonar device used to read the bottom structure, determine depth, and in some cases actually spot the fish; also called a fishfinder.

SA BASS 39 July 2019

>> SA BASS

Spotted bass in the Overberg

>> Evert Laubscher

This spotted bass engulfed a Salmo Sparky shad. Note the rough patch on the tongue

Don Marx with a trophy size spotted bass

40 SA BASS July 2019

The author was very happy to land this spotted bass of 39cm

COMING UP IN FLW COMPETITIONS

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

This photo clearly demonstrates the single dorsal fin as well as the spots on the belly and flanks of the fish

I

n competitive art lure angling we are required to catch as many different species on lure as possible on a competition day. This mindset has resulted in me setting up a species list over the years in order to keep track of all the different species I have been able to fool on artificial lures. I also have a very big passion for bass angling, and therefore when I was presented with the opportunity to target spotted bass for the first time, I jumped at the opportunity. In early May, I joined Don Marx on a day trip to fish private waters in the Overberg where he has caught some trophy size spotted bass in the past.

Don is a very skilled multi facet angler with an immense knowledge of South African aquatic life. In South Africa we have three different species of bass, namely largemouth bass (Florida and Northern strain), smallmouth bass and then the less commonly found spotted bass. The spotted bass looks very much like the largemouth bass, but on closer inspection there are a few distinct anatomical differences that help to distinguish between these two species. The following differences are the easiest to “spot”: t ɨF EPSTBM ëO PG UIF TQPUUFE CBTT is one continuous fin, where the largemouth bass has a more distinct separation in the dorsal fin.

t ɨF TQPUUFE CBTT IBT B WFSZ EJTUJODU rough patch on its tongue compared to the smooth tongue of the largemouth. t ɨF TQPUUFE CBTT IBT HPU EBSL TQPUT on each individual scale of the belly region that forms a stripe pattern. t 8IFO UIF NPVUI PG UIF TQPUUFE CBTT is closed, the jaw does not extend past the eye of the fish, where the jaw of the largemouth does extend past the eye when closed.

The river we fished had a slow but steady flow, and the water was a stained colour. The primary cover we fished was lay-downs and reed banks.

8JUI UIF XBUFS UFNQFSBUVSF BMSFBEZ low the fishing was very tough, but we managed to land a few of the target species on Salmo Rattlin’ Hornet crankbaits. The fish were definitely more keyed in on smaller baitfish, and we couldn’t get any takes on the bigger spinnerbaits, plastics and cranks.

Bear the fact that these fish differ in appearance from the largemouth bass, they also behave differently with regards to feeding habits and also the way they fight after being hooked. The bites were very subtle, and the fights were characterized by constant steady headshakes without any significant runs. This was truly a unique experience, and now I can tick another species off that list.

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 SMALL CRAFT

Stroke of the paddle…

(part 1)

the last article my mind has been crunching with ideas and stories to share, to such a >> Since manner where I do not know as to where to start or what to talk about. Then I thought, let me plan a day out to pull some green monsters from the kayak in some local farm dams to get some footage, and find inspiration as to where to start but then it hit me!

Packed and ready for adventure

P

eople out there that are keen to try out a kayak for the first time might have a load of concerns and questions. To such a manner where they are almost scared to get on a plastic boat for their first adventure. This article will cover some key concerns and possible questions you might have before getting out there with a kayak.

First contact So, the first time you see a kayak you might think this is pretty awesome! Then, as soon as you get closer and start to look at the thing you might start having second thoughts about it. You now wonder where your gear will go and will everything get wet or even worse, you might think that you will fall over or lose some of your precious gear in the process.

To a great extent all those dreaded fears can very easily become reality, but by following some basics you as well as all your gear will be absolutely fine.

Stability This is probably the most worried about topic when it comes to kayaks. It’s the single main reason that people would rather stand on the bank rather than sit on top of a plastic boat over a body of water. In general, when you own a kayak or find yourself in the vicinity of a kayak that someone offers you to use, it would most likely be a general purpose recreational sit on top plastic kayak. All of these are great all rounders and will most certainly serve the purpose of bass fishing in a farm dam or even slightly bigger waters.

They are all generally between 70 to 80cm wide with bit of a semi-keeled hull, but still mostly flat, which gives it very good stability on the water. I can guarantee you that when paddling in a dam after some monster bass, you will not just spontaneously fall over into the water. The only way that 42 SA BASS July 2019

>> Ivan Sonnekus will happen is by free will when you are feeling hot and want to take a dip on a summer’s day.

Gear setup The next thing people are concerned about is, where to pack their stuff and will their items be safe and dry on the boat. There are a few tricks to the trade that will help keeping gear safely on the boat. Generally, you would want to keep all valuables within the hull of the kayak as it is the most waterproof area on your boat. Personally I keep my wallet and car keys in the “dry hatch” towards the back of the boat as this is a hatch that I would not use very often.

When it comes to items that I would want to use on a constant basis, for example my multi-tool to remove a stubborn treble hook from a bass or my cell phone and action camera, I would keep these in the small hatch located between the foot wells towards the front of the kayak. Make sure on your kayak you find a hatch that is easy to reach and accessible with only one hand, as there will be times you would want to still hold onto a rod with a fighting fish or while you are lipping a bass and want to grab the phone for a snapshot. This will be the most used hatch on your kayak during a day on the water. Usually on a kayak the hatches have a sort of netting on the inside that helps keep your stuff together instead of everything rolling around within the hull of your kayak.

Moving onto your fishing gear. What I have found during all the hours spent on the water is that before I leave the bank, I strategize a plan of action as to what baits I will be using initially, and for the next hour or two. These baits should be readily available should you want to change your lure or try a different colour and to make life easier, I found myself a little canvas bag with a zip that I just throw on top of the deck of the kayak, towards the front where I can still

Kayaks have various size hatches

I keep things that I frequently use in a small hatch located between the foot wells

A cooler box can be strapped at the back of the kayak

I keep a two piece spinning rod tucked away within easy reach

easily reach it. Here I will keep one or two extra hooks, and most plastic baits that I might need to cover a whole lot of scenarios that might present itself. This “drop” bag if you will can be strapped to the deck. If your kayak has bungee cords just stuff the bag underneath them to hold it down as you paddle and manoeuvre across the dam and structures. Then, if you want to – especially on big bodies of water – load your fishing bag that contains the rest of your kit on the back of the kayak. You can also keep it down with bungee cords or by means of a tie down strap around the hull of the kayak. If the kayak has it, make use of the D-loops on the deck and strap it into position. My bag usually goes right behind my back as I make use of it on rare occasions. Another item that you can consider for those longer days out on the water is a cooler box or bag. This can also be strapped at the back of your kayak to keep your refreshments at the ready for whenever you need them.

The next thing you need to keep track of is your rods and reels. I won’t recommend having more than three rods on your kayak. Casting space becomes an issue, and when you lay them flat on the deck it becomes a challenge when fishing in thick reeds or grass sections especially with longer rods. If you have a fishing kayak or climb onto a fishing kayak you will notice two flush mounted rod holders towards the back of the kayak and sometimes one or two rod holders towards the front of the kayak. Personally, I use two casting setups and one spinning rig on my kayak – I tend to keep the spinning rod a two piece and neatly tucked away within the hull of my boat where I can still access it, should I want to work some finesse baits weightless. The two casting setups will be in the rod holders out towards the back of the boat where they will be out of the way while paddling. When fishing I use the rod on the right hand side

as I cast right handed and it ensures the space behind that side is open and nothing can get snagged while I’m casting.

Also, I set up the casting rigs with different bait types before I leave the bank. One would have a crank or spinner and the other would have a plastic along with a weight.

You are left with the general items such as anchor or extra clothes and the paddle. If you do have an anchor I would recommend that you make use of a carabineer clip to keep the rope clipped to your boat and the anchor to be behind you where it is easily reached. Some kayaks on the market come with an anchor trolley system on the side of the kayak which can be used to align yourself with reference to the wind direction. It ensures that you are always ready to find that spot you are working hard with your favourite bait. If you do not have access to an anchor, it is not the end of the world. Read the wind and work smart as to drift into position or over a drop off or hole you have identified. If there are some reeds around, you can use them to tie your boat to a spot and fish from there or just park on top of a grass patch. The drag between kayak hull and grass would usually keep you in place for low to medium wind conditions. The paddle can be slid under the bungee cords towards the front of the kayak. Some kayaks have a dedicated groove or lip on the side of the kayak where you can neatly tuck the paddle away and lock it into place with a bungee cord latch. I personally would recommend keeping the paddle on your lap so that it’s at the ready should you need to turn the kayak while fighting a fish. You will then be able to do so with one hand while still holding the rod. On colder or winter days I also tend to keep myself a windbreaker or waterproof jacket within the hull of the kayak for that just in case moments.

In part two we will look at scupper holes and transporting your kayak. Until then, have fun out there!

SA BASS 43 July 2019

TM

Gauteng

Kwa-Zulu Natal

L-t-r: Juan du Toit, Nuno Oviedo, Shaun John, Peet vd Schyff, Hansie van Niekerk, Charles Hapgood-Strickland

Team Gamakatsu Outdoors 365 - Robbie Olivier & Neels Beneke

6.700kg

7.930kg

Venue: De Hoop Dam

Venue: Midmar Dam

Top ten places:

Top ten places:

1: Team Gel Ev ents* - 6.700kg

1: Team Gamakatsu Outdoors 365 - 7.930kg

2: Team Timols* - 4.300kg

2: Team Kazmarine - 4.315kg

3: Team Hit & Run - 4.100kg

3: Team J & L Fishtec - 4.200kg

4: Team Ama-Venom - 3.400kg

4: Team Zman Fishtec - 4.045kg

5: Team Eco Log Homes* - 3.200kg

5: Team Gangsters Paradise - 3.260kg

6: Team All Ov er - 3.000kg

6: Team Strike King Fishtec - 2.995kg

7: Team Good Fellas - 2.900kg

7: Team D & H Engineering - 2.945kg

8: Team Av tech - 2.800kg

8: Team Crank 'Em - 2.780kg

9: Team Ranger - 2.600kg

9: Team R & R - 2.580kg

10: Team RS* - 2.400kg

10: Team NP Auto Electrical - 2.215kg

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

ANGLER OF THE YEAR 2019

The top rangking teams from each Cast-for-Cash region will compete at the FLW RSA Championship for the title “Angler of the Year”

44 SA BASS July 2019

Championship 2019 Witbank Dam, 29 - 31 Aug

May Results Limpopo

Back (l-t-r): Stefan Badenhorst, Justy Varkevisser, Theo Janse van Rensburg Front (l-t-r): Alexis Kuisis, Reed Eastman, Stefan de Beer

6.530kg Venue: Tzaneen Dam

Top ten places - day 1: 1: Team Fear no Fish - 6.530kg 2: Team Beli VC* - 4.020kg 3: Team Optimax - 2.475kg 4: Team Vhav enda bricks - 2.270kg 5: Team Kamikaze - 1.855kg 6: Team BB Mazda - 1.570kg 7: Team Tw ins - 1.565kg 8: Team Erasmusse - 1.455kg 9: Team Beli Farming - 1.360kg

Catch more, bigger bass, read...

SA baars BASS MAGAZINE Since 2001

10: Team SA BASS LP - 1.260kg

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

www.alphalaboria.co.za

Polokwane / Pietersburg

VisitVisit www.flwsouthafrica.com www.flwsouthafrica.com for entry for entry forms, forms, dates, dates venues and and venues. results.

For general enquiries phone 082-416-5524 SA BASS 45 July 2019

TM

Mpumalanga

North West

Back: Frank Gottschalk, Louis Cooper, Jessie & Juan Swart, Jono Yearsley, Wiehann Wrath Front: Divan Coetsee, Francua Smit, Jacques & CornĂŠ Schoeman

Team Secret VC - Giulio Nolly & Greg Schluep

4.365kg

9.420kg

Venue: Loskop Dam

Venue: Rust de Winter Dam

Top placings:

Top ten places:

1: Team Graceland Outdoors 2 - 4.365kg

1: Team Secret VC - 9.420kg

2: Team Go Green Fish - 2.675kg

2: Team Skeeter - 7.320kg

3: Team Yellow Bass Eagle - 2.415kg

3: Team Raptor - 7.070kg

4: Team Woolly bugger Farm - 2.165kg

4: Team Bass Boy s - 6.060kg

5: Team Six 8 Custom Baits - 1.86kg

5: Team Bass Reapers - 5.790kg

6: Team Sukkelaars - 1.595kg

6: Team VC Botcon - 5.630kg

7: Team SA BASS MP - 1.145kg

7: Team Skeeter 2 - 5.100kg

8: Team Old Cranks - 0.395kg

8: Team Nev er Giv e Up - 4.660kg

9: Team Bass Fev er - 0.07kg

9: Team Bassw orld - 4.170kg 10: Team Khourie - 4.040kg

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

MasterCars

For the complete results and next venue: see our website www.flwsouthafrica.com T: 012-567-9345 F: 086-573-4246 www.mastercars.co.za

Confidence, peace of mind and customer satisfaction. That's what you can expect when you purchase a MasterCar - thanks to our professional Network, a long trusted South African brand and our ten point customer brand promise.

A MasterCar is a demo or used Volkswagen that is less than 5 years old, or has less than 120 000km on the clock.

Lavender Road Annlin, Pretoria, 0182 46 SA BASS July 2019

T: 011-251-9999 E: info@garmin.co.za W: https://garmin.co.za Garmin is the world leader in GPS Satellite Navigation and a global manufacturer of in-car GPS systems, portable navigation devices, handheld GPS units, and GPS products for the marine, aviation, outdoor and fitness sectors . In your car, on your boat, in the air, in the great outdoors or training in the gym - there's not a single area of your life where Garmin isn't welcome.

The Mall Offices 11 Cradock Avenue Rosebank, South Africa

May Results O.F.S.

4.155kg Venue: Klerkskraal Dam

Top placings: 1: Team Bassin Buddies - 4.155kg 2: Team Vossie - 4.015kg 3: Team Termenator - 2.865kg 4: Team Tjoppie - 2.855kg 5: Team Luw ia Projects - 2.530kg Catch more, bigger bass, read...

SA baars BASS MAGAZINE

Championship 2019 Witbank Dam, 29 - 31 Aug

Since 2001

T: 011 259 7850 T: 0861 YAMAHA (926 242) http://www.clubyamaha.co.za/yamaha-assist-membership Yamaha Marine provides industry-leading innovation, outstanding performance, incredible power, unequaled customer satisfaction and legendary reliability.

Our Club Yamaha membership has everything you need to make a direct switch into the fun fast lane. As a Club Yamaha member youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll enjoy amazing benefits and so much more. All of the highlights of your membership (and there are many!) are listed here for your reading pleasure. Just so you know exactly where you stand in terms of your benefits, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good idea to check out the benefits table. After that, no more reading, we promise!

World of Yamaha Pretoria Main Rd, Eastgate, Sandton

www.alphalaboria.co.za

VisitVisit www.flwsouthafrica.com www.flwsouthafrica.com for entry for entry forms, forms, dates, dates venues and and venues. results.

For general enquiries phone 082-416-5524 SA BASS 47 July 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.

Sediba Kwêle Guest House & Bass Fishing

S

ediba Kwêle is situated at Beestekraal, just behind Vaalkop Dam between Brits and Thabazimbe, in the North West province. The guesthouse is a self catering unit, with two on suite rooms (sleeps 2 persons per room) and includes an upstairs loft (sleeps 4 persons), upstairs loft shares downstairs bathroom. A total of eight guests can be accommodated. Facilities of the guesthouse include: air-conditioning, swimming pool, fire pit (braai area), free game drive and bass fishing. The 12ha dam offers outstanding bass fishing in the bushveld. Bank and boat fishing is available at Sediba Kwêle. We also provide boats with trolling motors.

At Sediba Kwêle we have three large campsites available, consisting of children’s as well as 12 x 2 sleeper

luxury chalets. The campsite can be utilized for team building activities, conferences, weddings, sport clinics, church groups, family weekends, birthday parties, fishing weekends, hunting and adventure camps. Our sports field is equivalent to a senior rugby field ideal for hockey, netball, rugby and soccer.

Sediba Kwêle has two beautiful waterfalls with rivers gliding past the front end of the chalets, the alluring gardens and wooden bridge - everything fortified with electric fencing.

The 450 hectare game reserve is secured with game fencing to ensure the safety of and from kudus, giraffes, waterbucks, nyalas, impalas, blue wildebeests, red hartebeests, tsessebe and ostriches, to name a few.

For more information please contact their office on 083-266-1752 and for bookings send an email to info@sedibakwele.co.za 48 SA BASS July 2019

R16 900

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