SA BASS Aug-19 by SABASS

We do not follow, we do not copy – we lead

August 2019

Issue 220

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How to catch

Lunkers

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Senior Writers:

Roger Donaldson, Jay Röhm-Williams, Gordon Brown

Contributors:

Divan Coetzee, Ivan Sonnekus, Gary Peter

Contents

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

REGULARS & FORUMS 08

“How to catch Lunkers” In reality there is no foolproof solution to specifically target five kilo fish at and they certainly aren’t caught on the regular. Some key features to consider when targeting big fish are… – Bryan Leppan

“Understanding presentation” Presentation has two aspects; what are you presenting, and where are you presenting it too? The “what” refers to bait selection and the “where” refers to structure or cover. – Divan Coetzee

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About SA BASS magazine:

SA BASS, which is editorially and financially independent, is a monthly magazine catering exclusively for the bass angling community in Southern Africa. SA BASS is distributed country-wide by RNA to outlets, not only in South Africa, but also in Namibia, Swaziland and Botswana. SA BASS is designed as a specialist bass fishing publication and has catered for a well-defined niche market since April 2001. It enjoys the support and endorsement of non-government organisations, but is not affiliated in any way to these bodies or to any other publishing, environmental or political interest group. Our mission is to promote bass angling as a socially acceptable and popular outdoor recreational activity, and in addition, to encourage acceptable angling ethics. As such, SA BASS provides pertinent information on a wide range of subjects. These include providing a platform for informed debate on issues affecting the sport of bass angling, providing information on bass angling strategies and techniques, bass angling waters and opportunities, and also creating awareness of new products. Within this editorial mix, due consideration is given to developing the 02 SA BASS August 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.

“Secrets of South Africa’s Pro’s: Pre-Spawn ”

This is always a most exciting time of year for bass anglers as they consider the changing season and the arrival of pre-spawn bass activity. It is the one time period where anglers can boost their confidence levels. – The Bass Spy

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.

“ Holpaddas versus sagte plastiekpaddas” Een van die interessantste scenario’s is sekerlik tydens hengel tussen watergras en – plante, soos lelies. Een hengelaar kan besluit om ‘n holpadda te gebruik, terwyl die ander moontlik op ‘n sagte plastiekpadda kan besluit – Philip Kemp

“Fly versus spin Searching for a winter take”

The two most successfully, recognised angling art forms for catching bass are fly-fishing or spinning and this winter we briefly explore both! – Jay Röhm-Williams

“ Ready, set, strike! Don’t miss that bite”

It can be incredibly frustrating or perhaps even competitively costly missing that moment where you needed to strike and failed. One has to know when and how to strike confidently into green bass gold, no matter what bite action is displayed on the day – Jay Röhm-Williams

“ Lip-land” Daar is ‘n regte en verkeerde manier om die vis te hanteer – Hannes Lindeque

“ Winter strategies for catching

lethargic bass - Part 2”

“ Pre-spawn & bedding tackle – Part 1”

The spawning season demands a great deal of attention to detail if you want to make a success of targeting bass at this time. There will be some very interesting lure options that will become far more accepted and you may need to break away from your norm. – John Badenhorst

40 26

“Dead of winter twitching” This time of year look for giant thick weed-lines, near deep water. The weed lines that stay greener longer will be best as they continue to release oxygen. – David Swendseid

“Honey holes and sweet spots”

A “honey hole” could be an area on the day which is attracting a lot of bass, but what is a “sweet spot”? – Roger Donaldson

Walters”

Die belangstelling vir die maak van sy eie plastiese aas het begin toe Schalk besef dat daar soveel stukkende plastiese ase verlore gaan en net weggegooi word. – Philip Kemp

44 18

“Herwinning met Schalk

“Bassin’ Kids adventure camp”

Today most children are so caught up playing video-games, or spending time on their phones that they don’t know what it is like to be children. – Hannes Lindeque

“Rumble at Rusties” Though fishing can be very difficult when the cold sets in – it can also be very rewarding. Often you won’t catch the numbers one gets in summer, but you have a good chance of hooking up with a few bigger bucket mouths. – Rudolph Venter

“Stroke of the paddle - Part 2”

Everyone that wants to get onto a kayak for the first time has the fear of getting wet. In this issue we look at scupper holes and transporting your kayak. – Ivan Sonnekus

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS

04 MY GOOI 06 Readers-go-Bassing 36 Basics for beginners

INDUSTRY News 28 >> Garmin® Force Trolling Motor 37 >> ICAST 2019 category winners 38 >> I nternational Angling News TOURNAMENT News 46 >> FLW Cast-for-Cash tournament results - June

We look a little bit more in detail at the proven methods of targeting these elusive fish we all love so much. Let’s start with a bait that is pretty easy to fish and master… – John Badenhorst

ON THE COVER “Loskop Bielie” Image: Johann Zwarts

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Vanaf nou in Augustus tot en met einde November gaan ons hengelaars getref word deur ‘n vloedgolf van gebeure, plaaslik en ook internasionaal. Sommer vroeg in Augustus is dit die jaarlikse Forrest Wood Cup, van die 9e tot die 11e in Hot Springs, Arkansas op Lake Hamilton. Terselfdertyd word die FLW KBF Cup ook by Hot Springs aangebied. Vir diegene wat werklik ‘n passie vir swartbaarhengel het, is hierdie glansgeleentheid ‘n defnitiewe moet. Dit was amper-amper of FLW Suid-Afrika was vir twee jaar opeenvolgend deur na die Forrest Wood Cup, maar ongelukkig het Neels Beneke verlede jaar net-net teen Erik Luzak van Kanada verloor. “No hard feelings” maar… ons sal net weer en harder probeer wanneer ons ons volgende vier ambassadeurs na die Costa FLW Series Championship in November stuur. Wie gaan hierdie vier wees? Ek weet vir ‘n feit dat die hengelaars wat reeds daar was, hard werk om weer vanjaar daar uit te kom. Kyk maar net wie lê boaan die punteleer van ons Cast-for-Cash streke. Einde Augustus sal ons weet, want dan is dit die FLW Suid-Afrikaanse Kampioenskap waar Suid-Afrika se beste van die bestes sake by Witbankdam gaan uitspook. Ons nooi al ons lesers vroegtydig om hulle beplanning so te doen dat hulle ons FLW hengelaars by Witbank kan kom ondersteun en die vermaak wat aangebied word, te kom geniet. Bring asseblief die hele familie saam, want FLW Suid-Afrika in samewerking met The Ridge Casino en Highveld Mall bied iets aan elkeen. Dit gaan ‘n wonderlike geleentheid wees en ons sien daarna uit om julle daar te hê en saam te kuier. Daar gaan uitstallings, demonstrasies en vermaak wees. Sien julle daar!\ (Sien bladsy 24 vir meer inligting). Op ‘n ander noot; na afloop van die ICAST uitstalling in Florida is ons plaaslike hengelaars gretig om te sien wat ons plaaslike invoerders en verspreiders by SAFTAD (SA Fishing Tackle Agents and Distributors) gaan uitstal. ‘n Paar van die kategorie-wenners by ICAST word in hierdie uitgawe genoem, maar hoeveel van daardie produkte gaan wel vroeg in Suid-Afrika beskikbaar wees? Wel, ek weet van een wat by die FLW SuidAfrikaanse Kampioenskap gedemonstreer gaan word. Kom kyk gerus. (‘n Wenk; die produk was ‘n ICAST kategoriewenner.) Goeie nuus is dat ons nie hoef te wag vir al die nuwe produkte voordat ons die groot visse gaan soek nie. In hierdie uitgawe is daar weer ‘n hele klomp artikels oor hoe om daardie knewels te soek en uit te oorlê. Kyk maar na die voorblad met Johann Zwarts en sy Loskop Bielie. Dit maak party hengelaars sommer naar om te weet dat daar sulke groot visse is, maar hulle sukkel om die goed te vang. Ander gryp weer ‘n visstok en sny ‘n lyn af water toe. Hoe ook al… laat julle lyne sing.

Hannes Lindeque, Uitgewer 04 SA BASS August 2019

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READERS

GO BASSING

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

FINALLY

TEXAS

Finally I got a bit of time in my busy day to go throw a line in a private dam and wasn’t expecting to catch such an awesome fish. Weighed in at 2.5kg. The fish was caught on a crankbait underneath a tree at 15:30. It was an amazing fight – Andrew Campbell

Ek het hierdie pragtige swartbaar in die Letsitele omgewing gevang op ‘n Texas-strop. Die vis het 3.5kg geweeg en is weer vrygelaat – PJ Fraser

VLIEG

SEDIBA

Ek woon en werk op Sediba Kwele, geleë tussen Brits en Thabazimbi. Ek is gaande oor baarshengel en net so ook oor vlieghengel. Daarom het ek dit goed gedink om baars te teiken op vlieghengelgerei en tegnieke. Ek hengel met ‘n 2/3wt (gewig) Explorer vliegstok, dryflyn en ‘n 7lb voorslag. Die vliegies wat ek gebruik boots almal insekte en klein aasvissies na wat hier in die bosveld voorkom, soos Woolly Buggers, “nymphs”, “poppers”, ensovoorts. – Janus Pretorius

Ek was by Sediba Kwele gewees terwyl die watervlak baie laag en die water troebel was. Ons het eers met plastieseaas die baars probeer aankeer, maar sonder sukses. Ons het agter gekom dat die baars in die vlakwater tussen die gras jag. Ek het my aas verander na ‘n Whopper Plopper en ‘n baars van 2,2kg gevang. Ek het toe die groter Whopper aangesit en ‘n vis van 2,7kg geland. Ons het bykans 20 visse tussen 1,2kg en 2,7kg gevang. Sediba sal my beslis weer sien. – Frans Delport

06 SA BASS August 2019

C&R My biggest catch was a 5.6kg and my second one was a 4.2kg; all caught using Zoom soft plastics on Texas rigs. The 5.6kg was caught on a Zoom Fluke Junebug/Red and the second one on an Ultravibe Speed Worm Black Berry. All of the monsters were caught at Darwendale Dam about 80km from Harare, Zimbabwe. My secret in catching big fish is to fish very slowly. I have been bass fishing for four years and I am looking forward to break even the world record. What I need to tell my brothers is the importance of practicing catch-and-release, especially for bass – Frank Seremwe

LOSKOP BIELIE

PASOP Ek is ‘n ywerige jong swartbaarhengelaar wat dit geniet om saam met my pa kompeterend te hengel. Ek geniet my bass-hengel bo enige ander spesie. Ek hou daarvan om nuwe plekke te besoek en nuwe tegnieke op te beproef. Ons bly tans in Tzaneen en in Maart vanjaar het ons, ek en my pa, Albasinidam vir die eerste keer besoek. Ons het twee dae hard gehengel en het goeie welslae gehad. Die swartbaars het kleinvissies aktief gejag en ons het al ons vis met jerk- en crankbaits gevang. Ongeveer 18 visse is geland en is weer vrygelaat. Die visse se gewig was tussen 800 gram en 1.5kg. Dit was ‘n winderige dag, die water was helder skoon en die watertemperatuur was 27ºC. Wat ‘n goeie ondervindig! Die kampgeriewe was gerieflik en sal Albasini. NB. Pasop vir die krokedille! – Ruben O’Connell

Vroeg in Julie het André Pretorius my en my seun, Johann Zwarts (jnr), genooi om Loskopdam te gaan verken met die oog op die komende Noordelike Divisie se junior kompetisie. Nadat André vroegoggend ‘n paar mannetjies naby die kant gevang het, het die byt afgeneem en het ons vis in dieper water begin soek. Terwyl ons besig was om Johann (jnr) en sy 1,9kg vis af te neem, het ek ‘n gooi in dieselfde rigting gemaak waar hy so pas die vis in 21 voet diep water gevang het. Met die oplig van my visstok se punt het ek gevoel ek haak aan ’n boomtak… totdat die “tak” skielik begin beweeg het. Toe die vis opkom en spring, was ons almal verras met die grootte daarvan en het die situasie baie ernstig geword, aangesien ek maar met ‘n 8lb fluorocarbon lyn gehengel het. Na ‘n paar verwoede “reel runs ” kon ons uiteindelik die skepnet onder die pragvis inkry en haar skep. ‘n Allemintige 5.09kg vis wat my persoonlike beste ‘n stewige hupstoot gegee het. Na die voorafgaande koue front was dit werklik ‘n verrassing – en wys net weer; mens weet nooit wanneer daardie vis van ‘n leeftyd jou hoek vat nie – Johann Zwarts SA BASS 07 August 2019

>> SA BASS STRATEGIES

>> Bryan Leppan

The author with his new 5.14kg PB caught at Inanda Dam 08 SA BASS August 2019

After catching my new 5.14kg PB I thought it best to consider the facts and write on how to catch your own lunker at Inanda Dam.

In reality there is no fool-proof solution to specifically target five kilo fish at Inanda Dam and they certainly aren't caught on the regular. Some key features to consider when targeting big fish are:

Fishing the right area This is major important as high percentage of areas in February/March at Inanda, the water temperature peaks at 29 to 30ÂşC which has a big impact on the behaviour and positioning of bass. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find fish in three basic areas: 1. Steep bluffs or cliffs where it is easy for bass to change depth and keep comfortable. 2. Shallow weed beds that provide shade and cover. These weed beds create cool pockets of water which make them an ideal place for bass to be comfortable and wait in ambush. I think many people assume that water temperature is consistent at each depth point across the dam; thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the case. Shade and cover play a big role in that. The water temperature can be 29ÂşC in a bay but underneath a weed bed or hyacinth mat, it is a few degrees cooler. To test the theory, it is quite simple... jump in the water and swim underneath the mat or weed bed. 3. Ledges and drop offs are a great place to find quality fish bunched up this time of year. Not all drop offs and ledges are created equal. The best ones have cover in the form of brush, timber, rock, an extra or different contour change and most importantly baitfish. This is where my electronics come in. My Lowrance HDS units, coupled with Fishtec maps, charts and sediment charts give me a huge advantage when ledge fishing or offshore fishing in general. I basically have eyes under the water even when sitting on my boat in my garage at home. In preparation for this trip I did exactly that. I sat on my boat in my garage and scrolled through the charts on my units and way pointed ledges with contour changes and cover. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s amazing what you can do in thirty minutes these days from the comfort of your own home. So with theory done and thirty odd waypoints to explore I was ready to roll. The task would be working through the waypoints and finding the baitfish and bass. With this technology, gone are the days that you need to idle over a spot and throw a marker buoy, you can simply fish towards your spot. This puts significantly less pressure on the fish, especially when fishing shallower ledges, as I most often prefer, where the tops are in 6 to 8ft and dropping of to 20 foot. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to be running an outboard over your fish that are in 6ft of water.

Lure choice and bait presentation Targeting better than average bass comes down to location (covered above) your lure and presentation. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a firm believer that bigger baits catch bigger fish, power fishing techniques catch bigger fish and the quality of the bait in terms of its design and appearance catch bigger fish. Therefore I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t skimp on tackle and gear and try buy a

cheaper alternative because it actually costs you more in the long run. I have loads of lures and plastics that are cheaper â&#x20AC;&#x153;knock offsâ&#x20AC;? of other baits but the fact is they just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work the same and all that money is now wasted. There will be guys reading this article that will disagree as they might have caught their PB on a cheap weightless four inch worm. That will happen. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen it happen and I have caught many three and four kilo bass like that... There is a time and place for those baits and they are extremely affective at getting bites but in my opinion they would not produce you ten kilo-plus bags (five fish bags) consistently. The team tournament formats really afford anglers the opportunity to experiment, try new things, throw big baits and to target bigger fish as part of a two man team, where only weight counts. I fished the 2014 season with a great buddy of mine, James van Rooyen, arguably the best bass angler Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever met and the lessons that we taught each other and learnt together are priceless. The number of 10, 11, 12 all the way up to 16 kilo bags that we caught together over the year was just unbelievable, both in pre-fishing and in tournaments. In four events at one point our average bass was 2.37kg. This is why I believe so strongly about the lure/bait preferences that I mentioned above. The proof was simply in the pudding. I encourage people to experiment and try new things. For this trip I rigged up the following: t #JH TRVBSF CJMM DSBOLCBJU GPS UBSHFUJOH UIF DPWFS PO UIF flats on the topside on the ledge 6 to 8ft in most areas t 5FO GPPU EJWJOH DSBOLCBJU GPS UIF BDUVBM MFEHF BOE UIF GPS fish suspended along the drop t P[ GPPUCBMM KJH XJUI B CJH CVMLZ USBJMFS t P[ QJUDIJOH KJH PO CSBJE GPS UIF UJNCFS UIBU JT PO UIF UPQ side of the ledges 6 to 8ft t JODI SJCCPO UBJM XPSN PO B P[ UVOHTUFO 5FYBT SJH for working the top, the actual break line and the drop off t JODI SJCCPO UBJM XPSN PO B P[ TIBLFZ IFBE TBNF as above A Carolina rig was getting stuck too much and was an inefficient presentation given the cut off stumps and rocks that I found. The Texas rig was the way to go. It was super efficient for fishing the worm.

Timing It is important to remember that good areas are generally always good areas (obviously at the same water level and all things being equal), so if you have caught a few good fish in a certain area you need to explore those areas and its immediate surrounds. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible that ten metres away from where you are catching one kilo fish, the habitat is better and there are twoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and threeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s or better. On this topic of timing, it is crucial to revisit a good area several times during the day. SA BASS 09 August 2019

Fish might either not be there or for some reason just refuses to bite at a certain time or times for whatever reason. I have experienced this many times, where I’m sitting with an average bag in the well and within five minutes I’ve culled two one kilo fish with a three and a four. Also when it comes to timing your fishing trip, try to fish midweek if possible for a better advantage. Inanda has a tremendous amount of fishing pressure on weekends. This five kilo fish that I caught was midweek. I could only get to the dam at 13:30, so even if you can only get out for a three or four hour session, take it! Getting back to this fish and fishing Inanda at this time, we were faced with very warm water as mentioned and a low water level by Inanda’s standards of around 79%. The ledge fishing was the best option to me and I figured I had the best opportunity of catching solid fish taking this approach. With waypoints marked I was ready to roll and was immediately onto high percentage areas from the start, saving me loads of time, with only three hours of fishing time ahead of me. I had chatted to a good mate of mine and very good bass angler, Michael Cannon, the night before about my strategy for the following day and he mentioned that he had found some quality fish in similar kinds of areas the previous weekend. Mike is a power fisherman as well, we speak the same kind of language, we stay in contact often and chat about new ideas and strategies. It was a thirty degree windy afternoon with blue bird skies. I decided to fish the sweet spots on the ledges that I had marked in the more stained water towards the river section. I started by positioning my boat on the deep side of the drop off - boat in approx 20ft and casting up to the shallow part of the ledge with a square-bill crank (keeping my boat away from the ledge and where I figured the fish should be as to not pressure them). When I could feel the crank bumping off tree branches and stumps, I knew I was in the money. I got a few kilo fish on the crank and switched to a football jig to worm the edge and down the drop. I was keeping myself in position in the windy conditions by keeping a close eye on my electronics and as I moved up along the ledge to another waypoint I could see a big bend in the river channel and I worked up to that. I switched to the 12” Texas rigged worm and made long casts along the edge of the drop off towards the river channel bend. When I got pitching distance from the bend I could see a very large tree that was actually on the edge of the drop and the bend of the river channel. I neatly placed the worm next to the tree on the deep side and seconds after it hit the bottom I felt a thump and watched the line move off into deep water. I set the hook and the fish took off, coming back towards the tree, I could already feel that it was a good fish. Worried about being broken off I lifted my rod tip and got the fish up as quickly as I could. Maybe not the best technique in terms of letting a fish jump, but in that second, I figured - tree or jump... I’ll take jump. And jump it did! Wow! At that point I realised that it was a giant and I literally had PB running through my mind. Fortunately, the hook stayed stuck on the jump and the fish landed back in the water away from the tree and into deeper water. Although panicked and freaking out with adrenaline and excitement I knew that the fish was in a much better position now and all I needed to was play it a while. With the net still in the hatch it was great fun to lip-land this stunning and quite possibly a once in a lifetime bass in Inanda Dam and many South African waters. Truly blessed and very grateful to have been able to boat this amazing fish at my home dam after many years of trying. I look forward to experiencing this level of excitement and satisfaction with my son Kyle in the near future, he’s two now as he targets his PB... Who knows, maybe I’ll get the opportunity to top my 5.14kg PB too. We invite all our readers to send us pictures of their trophies to be published in our Readers-go-Bassing section - Ed. 10 SA BASS August 2019

SA BASS 11 August 2019

>> SA BASS

Understanding presentation

In last month’s issue we covered location, how to locate bass in different seasonal stages. Now we will cover presentation.

Whenever possible, work your bait downhill

resentation has two aspects; what are you presenting, and where are you presenting it too? The “what” refers to bait selection and the “where” refers to structure or cover. Choosing the correct presentation to cover a specific structure type will improve success. The right presentation will eventually lead to a good pattern, a good pattern allows you to catch lots of fish; it’s a beneficial skill to recognize the subtle hints from fish. The smallest adjustment can make a big difference. Let’s start by looking at structure and cover. Bottom structure or contour lines are often the “go to” in the absence of cover. The presentation will depend on what depth the fish are holding at. Multiple presentations could be effective on any given day. Lots of baits have limitations so always choose the most efficient tool for the job. In the absence of cover, it’s safe to assume that they are deep. Text book deep water presentations include, but are not limited to: drop-shot rigs, deep diving cranks, football jigs, Carolina rigs, big swimbaits and jigging spoons. All of these presentations have solid reputations. It’s recommend

12 SA BASS August 2019

>> Divan Coetzee* | Artwork: Ashley Palmer to start with what you have most confidence in, for me, if for arguments sake I’m catching the same quality fish on a Carolina rig, that I am on a crank, I’m choosing the least labour intensive option. Single hooks have better conversion rates, are less inclined to foul, thus the Carolina rig becomes the smarter option. Unless the area is very rocky, getting your weight snagged every second cast, and having to retie constantly is an inconvenience, then the crank would be the smarter choice. It’s all about choosing the most correct option, as there are no wrong answers in bass fishing. Remember, fish will respond to multiple presentations on the same piece of structure or cover. Whenever possible, always fish downhill – it reduces hang ups. The only thing a fish has to relate to is the bottom, so ensure that’s where your bait spends most of its time. Onto cover, this is a more diverse topic! Trees, brush, lay-downs, jetties, surface grass, submerged grass, grass lines, reeds, etc. Once again, numerous presentations will elicit a response from the same piece of cover. In other words, the same bass that ate your frog probably would have eaten a

Ensure that you get the bait where they live. Fish aren’t always willing to swim after your presentation

number of presentations due to its aggressiveness, but would you have been able to present another bait as effectively as you would a frog in thick matted grass for instance? Again it boils down to selecting a presentation that would be best suited to get the job done. The lesson here is to select a bait that falls within the criteria of what the fish are responding to, and along with its unique benefits, maximize results. One has to be mindful of the fact that different class fish could respond to different presentations in the same area. For example in a grassy area, you could be catching a bunch on a weightless presentation, but the moment you start throwing a spinnerbait the quality of the fish improve, but the rate goes down. It’s a trade off for quality versus quantity; it depends on your objective. The same system can be used when selecting cover; if you get the same quality fish inside the grass, and on the rocks. Choose the option that suites your style or preference, but not at the expense of results. If you are a tournament angler, you have to separate what you want to do, from what is needed in order to do well. What I throw when I’m out with my wife differs vastly from what I’ll throw when I’m tournament fishing with my regular partner. Let’s look at how presentation and patterning come together. We recently fished a venue that we had last fished during the summer when the water temperature was still in the high 20’s. We found the good ones along a very specific depth corridor; the margin for error being a foot either way in terms of depth. It’s a gradual sloping bank so the band was about 4 to 5 metres wide. As long as we hugged that line we got 2kg plus fish. Little off to the side would result in undersize fish on both the deeper and shallow end. The bait didn’t seem to matter; the fall rate of a half ounce tungsten on a Texas rig was the key. They would eat it on the drop before it even hit bottom. If there happened to be a bit of grass, you were pretty much guaranteed a good bite. It was middle winter and the water temperature was 14°C in the morning. We found the fish again in the same area at the same depth, only this time they wanted a different presentation. The ½oz was a bit aggressive on the fall and they would only eat it once the bait had sat still for a few seconds. So the pattern was the same. The better fish were still in 10ft relating to isolated grass patches but preferred a different presentation. Same area, same rig, different time of year - slight adjustment did the trick. The moral here is;

Hit all the high percentage areas first. Experiment with your presentation

if you are running a solid pattern, bait and colour selection become less critical because all that is needed is to get a bait in the right area. Bait and colour selection is a contentious issue. Folks get emotional about it. It took me some time to come to terms with the fact that one actually fishes pattern by means of presentation, and not a bait persé. This has allowed me to streamline my tackle, which in turn makes bait and colour selection easy. In terms of plastics, I have a maximum of four variants when it comes to colour: black, brown, green and purple… with the odd white models mixed in here and there. These colours cover the entire spectrum. If you feel the need to have an entire box of Green Pumpkin baits with so and so glitter then I suggest you reconsider your approach. The same goes for bait styles; no-one needs seven different types of creature baits. I’ve recently committed to a specific brand and model in two different sizes and four colour variants each. This is my “go-to” bait for flipping and pitching and it is literally the only creature/craw I own. It took me a while to decide on it, but it came down to simple logic; the 3” version sits perfectly on my preferred straight shank flipping hook. The shape of the bait allows it to penetrate the grass with ease. The size of the bait allows me to play around with rate of fall without changing the profile too much. The same goes for the 4” version. My choice had nothing to do with available colours or the fact that it was designed by a prominent U.S. pro. It’s all about the fact that it does what I require it to do within a certain set of circumstances. Horses for courses if you will. Long story short; if you have determined where they are and found a presentation they respond to, you effectively have a pattern. Within that pattern, you can then fine tune bait type, size and colour selection to maximize your results. I hope that the reader will see the bigger message in this article. No amount of tackle can improve your success unless you understand the basic principles. I’ll leave you with a quote from Gerald Swindle “if you got 40 rods stacked up on the deck you ain’t versatile, you’re confused!” See you on the water! *Divan Coetzee is the proprietor of Graceland Outdoors and a competitive FLW Cast-for-Cash angler. SA BASS 13 August 2019

>> SA BASS

Secrets of South Africa’s Pro’s – Part 13

Pre-Spawn

>> B Bass S Spy**

his is always a most exciting time of year for bass anglers as they consider the changing season and the arrival of pre-spawn bass activity. Albeit a sensitive stage in the life cycle of the bass it confidently provides for some of the greatest fishing opportunities and the chance for potential records to be broker. If there was one time period where professional anglers can boost their confidence levels it would be now. Bass are mostly quite elusive creatures and it is seldom that we get to see them up close. Over the next few months however the chances of spotting them and especially the larger, trophy bass is very high. Both the smaller male fish and the larger females will venture into the shallows, which in some cases could be as shallow as 1 - 2ft of water. But it won’t just be any area that they choose to bed down. Seasoned bass anglers have carefully noted some important facts

Some baits to use when fishing for pre-spawn bass 14 SA BASS August 2019

over the years which assist them in timing the spawning activities of their target species. They will use water temperature and weather conditions, as well as the phases of the moon. I kept tropical fish for many years and I focused a lot of attention on their breeding activities. When the temperature and water conditions reached optimal levels, then they would start the courting procedures and scouting for potential areas to lay their eggs. However, it wasn’t until the moon phases were in place that they would actually lay the eggs. To understand the weeks leading up to the bedding phase will assist anglers largely. The bass will start their migration slowly from their deeper haunts toward shallower depths. Terminals where the bass can collect themselves and rest will be selected along the way. To be able to identify these terminals is crucial and they can take on very different forms from dam to dam. Good examples of terminals

could be some of the following: prominent submerged trees stumps, rock piles, channel edges or creek channels, points to bays, and bridge pylons perhaps. The bass will not be spawning here, but they will be resting and preparing for the right time to move even shallower to source suitable ground to prepare a spawning spot. Finding the above structures could be a really difficult task and often takes anglers many years even. Although some have worked out that if you work back from the attractive spawning areas you will be able to find these “pre-spawn” hideouts that much quicker, as they will be in fairly close proximity to one another. During the coming weeks bass do not want to move too far to get from their holding areas of safety to the spawning bed. Being egg laden and weary they will want to rest closest to the spawning beds, yet out of sight where possible. This may be a mere few metres from the beds to tens of metres depending on the area and availability of structure there. When trying to locate these resting stations it will also be worth your while considering the balance of important factors mentioned earlier i.e. water temperature and water quality. It is said that the water temperature which promotes the onset of a bass’ desire to breed sits at approximately 16ºC. I’m not sure how often you’ve swum in water at that temperature? I did it off Cape Point many years ago and let me tell you it is pretty frigid still. Nonetheless, we’re not bass and if you try to think like a human and what’s comfortable for us then you’ll be missing what these cunning fish are doing right beneath our noses.

An underwater view sketched on Witbank Dam showing the invisible structures which play a crucial role in locating bass in spawning season

Water quality is detrimental to the entire process and in my home aquarium I noted this in particular. Aeration, current and the chemical composition of the water will aid in the development of the small bass fry and the parents are highly sensitive to this. It is okay, I’m not suggesting that you bring your chemistry set with you (although some fanatics do and you’re welcome to try and learn). Rather, I’m hinting to you that it will be beneficial to confine your search to areas where it is obvious the water conditions are favourable. By this I mean that there should be no dying vegetation which saps the water of oxygen and promotes rotting matter. Also, the water would likely be cleaner in appearance, not necessarily clearer in visibility though. Current is not desirable and it would be highly suggested that you source areas with as little flowing current as possible, as this would disturb the bed. Lastly, protection. Bass use structures for protection from predators, as well as from the elements. I noted in many dams the similarities between the chosen spawning areas compared with how those simple tropical aquarium fish picked their sites – there was always something which provided a level of advantage to the bass to protect themselves and the

eggs from invading predators, whom by the way are always on the prowl. *The Bass Spy has fished alongside and been exposed to the secrets and tactics of many competitive bass anglers on waters throughout the continent. This column is dedicated to all fanatical bass enthusiasts looking for the inside track and an edge on their favourite past time.

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SA BASS 15 August 2019

>> SA BASS Die geheim van naghengel vir swartbaars

HOLPADDAS versus

SAGTE PLASTIEKPADDAS

wee hengelaars kan beide na ‘n spesifieke area met dekking kyk, waar die toestande ook presies dieselfde is, en tog sal hulle nie noodwendig besluit om dieselfde tipe aas te gebruik nie. Dit is seker een van die grootste redes waarom baarshengel so uniek is en dit my elke dag net meer fassineer. Een van die interessantste scenario’s is sekerlik tydens hengel tussen watergras en –plante, soos lelies. Een hengelaar kan besluit om ‘n holpadda te gebruik, terwyl die ander moontlik op ‘n sagte plastiekpadda kan besluit. Om met beide van die ase te hengel, kom heel moontlik neer op die keuse van elke hengelaar en die aas waarin hy die meeste vertroue het. Elkeen sal egter in sekere situasies moontlik beter vaar as die ander een. Om elkeen egter beter te verstaan en om te verstaan wanneer watter een beter sou vaar as die ander, moet ons verstaan waar, wanneer en hoe elkeen beter sal werk, en hoe hulle teen mekaar sou opweeg in sekere situasies. Sodra die hengelaar die situasies kan analiseer om sodoende die regte besluit te neem, gaan dit hom beslis van nut wees op sy volgende hengeluitstappie.

Holpaddas Met soveel tipes holpaddas op die mark is dit nie moeilik om hulle in alle kleure en geure by meeste hengelwinkels te koop te kry nie. Die meeste van hulle het gewoonlik baie goeie en sterk hoeke wat in die moeilikste omstandighede jou nie in die steek sal laat nie. 16 SA BASS August 2019

>> Philip Kemp* Hierdie paddas kom natuurlik in verskillende groottes en vorms voor. Hulle kan selfs die vorm van ‘n bo-loper prop (popper) aanneem en op dieselfde manier as ‘n prop gehengel word. Die groot voordeel is egter dat hulle stadig gehengel kan word en in die trefsone gestop kan word sonder om te sink. Soms wil die baars nie ‘n bo-loperaas gryp wat te vinnig gehengel word nie, en dit is dan wanneer ‘n holpadda tot sy reg kom omrede die hengelaar met die spoed kan eksperimenteer. Die holpadda kan ook met ‘n “walk-the-dog” aksie gehengel word. Hierdie onwillekeurige aksie en beweging kan met tye dodelik werk om ‘n baars wat vol fiemies is aan die lyn te kry. As die baars na die padda sou gryp en mis, kan die hengelaar die padda net so stop en los. Die baars sal meestal omdraai en weer probeer om die padda te vreet. Omrede die hoeke na bo gedraai is, is dit ook feitlik onmoontlik vir die aas om vas te haak in die digte dekking. Dit is dus ook ‘n baie goeie aas om aan ‘n beginnerhengelaar se lyn te bind. Gewoonlik sal die gryp van die aas jou hart amper gaan laat staan, maar is dit nie die rede hoekom ons so lief is vir baarshengel nie?

Sagte plastiesee p paddas addas dd Sagte plastiesee p paddas addas het sowat 10 tot 15 jaar aar gelede der in gewildheid onder hengelaars begin n toeneem. Hulle is veral gewild in

‘n SPRO padda

‘n Horney Toad

dekking wat nie so dig is nie en meer geïsoleerd voorkom. Daar is verskeie plastiese paddas op die mark waarvan die Zoom Horny toad seker een van die mees gewildste voorbeelde is. Omrede die hengelaar in verspreide dekking en lelies hengel, is ‘n sterk hoek nogsteeds nodig saam met ‘n 30 tot 50 pond breekkrag vleglyn. Hierdie paddas kan ook opgestop word, maar sink dan na die bodem omdat hulle nie soos holpaddas kan dryf nie. Hulle werk ook goed sodra lelies net onder die wateroppervlak begin groei. Sagte, plastiese paddas kan beskou word as ‘n reaksiebyt omrede die baars nie baie tyd het om die aas te bestudeer nie en dit bloot gryp uit instink. Die rede waarom die sagte, plastiekpaddas soms beter werk as die holpaddas, is die unieke klank wat die pootjies maak... dit kan klink soos kleiner vissies wat die wateroppervlak breek of iets dergliks. Omrede die sagte plastiekpadda se profiel ook meer gestroomlyn is en nie bonkig soos die holpadda sin nie, maak dit dat die baars soms die prooi sal verkies omrede dit makliker is om te vreet. As ‘n mens ook mooi na die profiel van die plastiese paddas kyk, neem dit ook die profiel van ‘n “jig” aan en kan die padda ook soos ‘n “jig” op die bodem gehengel word.

Die skrywer met ‘n baars wat met ‘n SPRO padda gevang is

Toerusting Omrede beide die paddas in digter dekking soos lelies gehengel word, is ‘n swaar-aksiestok noodsaaklik. Saam met die stok is 30 tot 50 pond breekkrag vleglyn belangrik. Meeste hengelaars verkies ‘n sterker en dikker vleglyn omrede die lyn nie in die ander lyn insny nie. Die gebruik van ‘n hoëspoed katrol kan die lewe vir die hengelaar ook makliker maak om die vis so gou as moontlik uit die digte dekking te kry.

Slotsom Wanneer jy dus weer in die komende reënseisoen jou visstokke gereed kry, sorg dat jy beide die ase naby het, want elke dag op die water is anders en die hengelaar sal nie altyd verseker weet watter een van die twee tipes paddas die beste gaan werk nie. Watter een van die is dan die beter aas om te hengel? Beide die paddas werk skitterend. Wat ek wel ondervind het, is dat holpaddas gewoonlik verantwoordelik is vir groter baars en dat kleiner baars sukkel om die aas in hul bekke te kry. Met plastiese paddas vang die hengelaar baars van verskillende groottes juis as gevolg van die profiel wat kleiner en meer vaartbelyn is. *Philip Kemp is ‘n gesoute swartbaarhengelaar en assistentredakteur van SA BASS. SA BASS 17 August 2019

>> SA BASS

HONEY HOLES I’m loading an extra log on to the raging fire we have going the night >> Roger Donaldson* before a fishing event. This winter has had its fair share of chillyy evening temperatures on the Highveld and there’s nothing quite like staring aring into The Vaal River is laden with incredible submerged structures which create honey holes for the largemouth bass a crackling log fire dreaming about your fishing spots for the day ahead.

any of you may have heard the term “honey hole”, or maybe the term “sweet spot” means more to you. A “honey hole” could be an area on the day which is attracting a lot of bass - possibly a large patch of lily pads, the river mouth, the riprap along the dam wall, flooded trees on an embankment, or a rocky bay perhaps. The term “sweet spot” refers more specifically to a particular point, or spot within those areas in the “honey hole”. Though you will have a very special day fishing if you find a “honey hole” and you will catch many good quality bass you will be very happy to hit the “sweet spot” and land the largest fish in the area. You will easily recognise a “honey hole” if you are out fishing with other boat anglers. The area will very likely be congested with each boat trying to jostle their way into position and hoping to hit the “sweet spot”. Although this could be considered as fun competition, I’m not much of a fan of it. Whilst sitting around the fire I will try and understand what it is about those areas that make them so special and then find (duplicate) this

18 SA BASS August 2019

in another area of the dam. Finding the “honey holes” and “sweet spots” is the epitome of bass fishing for me. There are certain factors which can help you identify where these fishing areas can be, but unfortunately you will still need to do the fishing work to find out if the bass are truly there on the day. Seasons give you a great idea and weather patterns do too. Granted, I have found that certain structures seem to hold bass throughout the year. Learning these areas takes a fair amount of fishing, scouting and learning. I believe that most regular bass fishermen will have identified go-to spots on their favourite dams. I could list immediately a few areas on dams around the country where I know the chance of landing a bass would be very certain. Rust der Winter Dam has consistently provided bass fishermen with successful catches in the “salad bowl” area – an area depicted by its vast stretches of lily pads and Chicamba weed which are a perfect habitat for the resident bass. There are “sweet spots” in the “salad bowl”

though and your catches will be that much better if you find them. Noting the shape, direction and depth of the weed line will be worth your while, as the bass use the weed line to migrate and hunt. Interestingly, when Inanda Dam in KwaZulu-Natal sprouted the areas of thick vegetation the catches in these “honey holes” were also prolific. Otherwise, Inanda has produced good, consistent catches in areas where there are flooded trees, especially those trees near to deeper water. This fishing can be enjoyable, yet challenging and the more adept you are at probing the depths and reading your sonar the more successful you will be. Patience is certainly the key here and you could be well rewarded on this dam. Albert Falls Dam boasts a large flat area, which one could loosely refer to as the Ridge. Patient anglers can spend the entire day out on the Ridge and be exposed to vastly different structures, including trees, lay down logs, dropoffs, a landing strip, brush piles, grass, vegetation and the list goes on. There will be sweet spots on the Ridge that produce better catches and these are

the gems which everyone looks for out there. The Vaal River is probably the most challenging and as such has been chosen most often as the destination of choice for many high-profile tournaments. Apart from its sheer size it offers incredible opportunity to fish many different structures and different depths too. The river colour and temperature changes vastly from one stretch to another and this also affects the quality of fishing in those areas. However, finding the â&#x20AC;&#x153;sweet spotsâ&#x20AC;? within the many honey holes during the varying seasons will deliver potent results. Structures on the Vaal River barrage system, just like any other water resource, are particularly prominent in some cases and also very well hidden in others. Prominent structures include jetties, bridge pylons, boat houses, reed banks, pump houses, concrete slip ways and

the obvious trees lining the rivers bank basically from one end to the next. These areas will naturally attract anglers and at certain times theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll all have the odd bass. However, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d do very nicely to go in search of hidden gems such as submerged logs and trees, rocky banks, dilapidated fallen walls, slip ways and jetties. On your next fishing trip be on the lookout for any unusual structures leading into the water from the embankment, growing vegetation, and the slightest hint of deviation in bottom depth change and composition or structure. *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.

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COMING UP IN FLW COMPETITIONS

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

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

FLW Championship August 23 - 25, 2019 Lake Mteri Zimbabwe

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

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

>> SA BASS A good set hook is less likely to be shaken loose

Ready, set,

strike! Don’t miss that bite Was it stuck on a branch? No, maybe some lilies? Wait, was it actually a bite? >> Jay Röhm-Williams 20 SA BASS August 2019

hese are the usual questions any anticipating bass angler asks themselves from time to time after encountering some sort of unidentified interference on the end of our line. It can be incredibly frustrating or perhaps even competitively costly missing that moment where you needed to strike and failed. To add further insult to injury could even be feeling or seeing that magic hit but misjudging the vital hook setting manoeuvre completely, leaving you seconds later with nothing but a limp line. Bass angling can be a tricky business and in order to stay on top of your own game you have to try acquiring as much knowledge about all the factors involved to apply to a variety of scenarios. One of these conundrums is understanding when and how to strike confidently into green bass gold, no matter what bite action is displayed on the day. Right so how do we achieve this, well first let us quickly run over this seemingly easy concept to grasp. We know that striking is the motion where an angler pulls back on their rod with a quick, solid movement to ensure the hook and barb set into the fish’s mouth. You do not want to yank with the force of an impatient dentist and tear, damage or injure the fish in any careless way. It may not sound difficult at all really but surprisingly many bass enthusiasts have lost possibly the bass of a life time because they did not get the strike right. It is a personal practice that involves how in tune you are with your own equipment and how well you read the action at the end of the line. The ideal strike can be performed firmly from any side or angle as long as the tension on the line between your rod and the fish is kept tight with no obstructions. Before we go any further keep in mind the following factors that determine what kind of inhaling bite one can expect: t 4FBTPO t -VSF DIPJDF t 8FBUIFS t 8BUFS DPOEJUJPOT BOE UFNQFSBUVSF t 7FOVF WFHFUBUJPO BOE TUSVDUVSF present

t É¨F EFQUI XF BSF UBSHFUJOH t 3FUSJFWBM UFDIOJRVF Next is to briefly recap and analyse in our minds how bass attack their QSFZ 4FFJOH UIFZ BSF QSJNBSJMZ BNCVTI professionals, bass will attack from the angle which best presents itself whether it is from the side, the back or underneath any potential morsel. Now when bass launch an assault on their food it will either be in a subtle or aggressive manner depending whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on the menu and how the factors mentioned above come into play. We already expect more softer or gentle takes and bumps during the colder days when the water temperatures are low. Then the complete opposite in aggression levels when the waters warm up again and the nibbles turn into explosions! Eventually you will see everything begins to tie in together with seasonal changes been one of the biggest role players. High powered, summer angling will entice ferocious hit and run memories in comparison to snail pace, winter finesse bassing where you hope to catch something other than the flu. When the bite is on and the bass are clearly having a go at anything that moves, very rarely do we have to worry about duffing up the strike. Most of the time the fish has committed to the take and set the hook itself within the first few seconds of closing itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awesome jaws before swimming off. On the flip side though when there are no bites what so ever it is up to us as the angler to ensure a solid hook up by really paying attention to our lines to tell when it is the time to shine.

Beautiful and untouched waters

Worth remembering At crucial stages like this one must not forget that each style of lure been used is designed to trigger certain active responses. Meaning for example that a soft plastic lure fished slowly along the bottom will likely be swallowed or picked up subtly compared to a top water popper brought briskly across the surface enticing bigger, more wide-mouthed gulps at top speed. If we understand the action each different lure gives off we can anticipate what kind of strike to prepare for. t 'BTU NPWJOH CBJUT BSF BMNPTU guaranteed to produce lightening quick, rod bending style hits with usually one sturdy tug needed to set that hook. t %FBE TUJDLJOH BOE TMPX KFSL TUZMF lures will usually be a good bet on coaxing large, lethargic bass into engulfing anything that looks convincing enough. These takes resemble a hard, downward pull on your line similar to that of been stuck on submerged structure. Here an angler will have to pay attention by feeling for movement on your rod or watching the actual line itself. Again a confident single strike will do the trick or even a double strike to ensure you close the deal. The second strike should always be less intense and followed directly after the first just as a backup motion. t 5PQ XBUFS MVSFT QSPCBCMZ HFU thrashed the most and when they are hit from beneath, sometimes with tremendous force a lot can happen in split seconds. This is where timing your strike is everything

to get that hook up as excitement usually gets the better of us and we react too quickly, yanking our lures BXBZ -FUUJOH UIF CBTT IBWF IJT XBZ on occasion yields better results. They may smack your lure more than once if they missed timed their first attack. Taking note of a venues location, vegetation and water conditions are also useful indicators of what kind PG BDUJWJUZ UP FYQFDU 'SFRVFOU ĂŤTIFE areas may have cautious, shy-biting bass present compared to untouched watery havens. Open waters might only produce action at certain deep depths and heavy, covered areas will have the shallows erupting. All these little equations add up and can give any angler an advantage before they have even cast their first line. We all love bass fishing and no matter how many times it is said, it will never get old. There are always so many elements involved and not enough days in a lifetime to employ them all. How can we in a renowned angling sport that is constantly progressing? That fact alone however inspires us to get out there right now and perhaps cast a new lure or try a different technique we have been itching to give a shot. What you can always be certain of when bassing, is nothing beats the intense thrill of a take, the adrenaline of a great strike and the satisfaction of a massive hook up! Rods out and safe fishing everyone.

Clean hook-ups result in minimum injuries to a bass SA BASS 21 August 2019

>> SA BASS Groot vis se onderlyf moet ook ondersteun word

“Lip-land” S

wartbaarhengel is vir my ‘n groot uitdaging. Om te weet daar is vis in die dam, ek het die nodige toerusting, ek dink ek het die nodige kennis, maar om die vis uit te oorlê... dit is nie altyd so maklik soos dit klink nie. Die groen vissie het die vermoë om alle hengelaars nederig te hou. Sommige is net meer gereeld nederig as ander. Maar! Wanneer die vis uiteindelik gevang word is dit nodig om die vis korrek te hanteer. Ons het laasmaand gepraat oor respek en dit is hier van toepassing. Behandel die vis (natuur) met respek. Daar is ‘n regte en verkeerde manier om die vis te hanteer. Dit is verkeerd om die vis te gryp en orals aan die lyf te vat. Die vis het ‘n slymlaag wat afgevryf word. Al word die vis met die mees edele bedoelings vrygelaat is die vis nogsteeds in lewensgevaar. Onder andere beskerm die slymlaag die vis teen varswater bakterieë wat groot lelike swamme en swere op die vis se lyf veroorsaak. Soms is die aanslag so erg dat die vis uitteer en vrek... Soveel vir “catch-and-release”! Nog ‘n simpel idee is om soos die Amerikaners op televisie, die vis in die boot in te “swing”. Die enigste rede hoekom hulle dit regkry is omrede hulle vissies so klein is. Plaaslik breek ons visstokke se punte, die lyn kan breek en die vis kom weg, die hoek 22 SA BASS August 2019

skeur uit die vis se bek, die vis swaai teen die boot vas, die vis val op die boot se mat en vryf sy slymlaag af – dit bly ‘n simpel idee! Die korrekte manier om enige swartbaar te hanteer is om die vis aan die onderlip te gryp en te “lip-land”. Dit word gedoen met jou “slimhand”. Druk jou duim binne-in die vis se bek en knyp die vis se lip tussen jou duim en wysvinger vas. Maar jy moet vat! Enige ordentlike vis gaan hom nie sommer aan sy lip uit die water laat lig nie. Dit gaan ‘n geruk en geskud wees om weg te kom. In die proses kan die vis op die grond val, seerkry en sy slymlaag afvryf. Jy moet vat en vashou! Groter visse moet verkieslik met ‘n net geskep word en dan aan die lip verder hanteer word. Groot visse moet ook verkieslik met ‘n nat hand onder die pens ondersteun word, want ek dink nie ek gaan daarvan hou om vir paar minute aan my onderkaak te hang nie. Dink net hoe gaan my kakebeen voel en vir hoeveel dae gaan ek sukkel om te eet – nou ja, die arme vis ook. Kry die vis vinnig uit die water, hanteer die vis op die regte manier, neem jou foto en laat die vis vry. Enige taksidermis wat sy sout werd is kan vir jou ‘n getroue replika maak met die nodige afmetings (gemeet van kop tot stert, asook die omtrek) tesame

>> Hannes Lindeque* met ‘n paar goeie fotos om die regte kleur te kry. Hoekom? Geen boer slag sy stoetbul vir biltong nie; met ander woorde as jy vis wil eet, slag eerder die jonger vis en laat die stoetkoeie vry. Dit word nou teeltyd en is dit baie belangrik dat ons swartbaarwyfies (broeimasjiene vir ons sport) behoorlik hanteer. Moet nie die vis met geweld teruggooi nie, die vis laat val nie, aan die lyf vat nie... nee, sit die vis versigtig terug vir ‘n volgende keer. Die amptelike huidige SuidAfrikaanse rekord is oor die 6kg, maar die meeste hengelaars vang vis in die orde van 800 gram. Indien jou swartbaar swaarder as 2kg weeg dan kan jy dit begin reken as ‘n groot vis en bokant 3kg is dit beslis ‘n trofeegrootte vis. Neem ‘n foto en plaas die vis versigtig terug!

Wenk: Indien jy met drie-angelhoeke hengel is dit nie ‘n goeie idee om die vis te “lip-land” nie. As hy losruk, slaan die hoeke in jou vingers vas en is die hospitaal jou voorland. Gebruik eerder ‘n spesiale tang om die vis se kaak te gryp en haal die hoek met ‘n langbek tang uit. *Hannes Lindeque is die stigter en uitgewer van SA BASS sedert 2001, die hooforganiseerder van FLW SuidAfrika en SA BASS Cast-for-Cash swartbaarhengeltoernooie.

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 23 August 2019

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

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

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

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PROGRAMME OF EVENTS Î&#x2013;Q DGGLWLRQ WR WKH DFWXDO EDVV È´VKLQJ WKH IROORZLQJ DUH RQ VKRUH DFWLYLWLHV SULRU WR DQG GXULQJ WKH HYHQW 6WDWLF GLVSOD\V RI WRXUQDPHQW VSRQVRUÈ&#x2021;V JD]HERV EDQQHUV EDVV ERDWV DQG YHKLFOHV

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

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

Venue: The Ridge Casino 17:00

Registration of angling teams

Venue: Witbank Yacht and Aquatic Club and The Ridge Casino

18:00

Captainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Meeting

06:00

Start launching boats

18:00

Pretournament meeting

07:00

19:00

Dinner after pretournament meeting

All boats launched, lined up according starting positions

07:30

Start of tournament â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Third day of tournament

Rest of evening at leisure

All day: Potjiekos competition and small expo

THURSDAY â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 29 August 2019 Venue: Witbank Yacht and Aquatic Club