SA BASS December 2016 by SABASS

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DIGITALLY Unbelievable! It is the last month of 2016 and what a year it has been. First of all the announcement of FLW USA sanctioning FLW bass tournaments in South Africa and what great news this was. It means that two teams (four anglers) qualify at next year’s FLW South Africa Championship to participate at the Costa FLW Series Championship next year November in the USA. How many of our local anglers are dreaming about fishing that side of the world and now it will be possible, just enter and qualify through our SA BASS Cast-forCash monthly qualifying rounds for entry to the FLW SA Championship. It is easy enter, qualify and win this side and four of the SA anglers will be living the dream. Secondly congratulations to Team Blue Water Gear for winning the 2016 Cast-for-Cash Champions-ofChampions. Well done to Frans and Lesley! They are one year too early for the USA trip but we look forward to the new season. (See our tournament report in this issue.) Thirdly Cast-for-Cash Limpopo anglers have has done it again! They proved to be the top competitive Cast-forCash region for the second consecutive year at this year’s Champion-of-Champions. Those anglers who thought they are going to slip away and compete in “easier” provinces will have to rethink their strategy. Fourthly well done to the Protea Bass Team with the silver medal they have won in Portugal at the Black Bass World Championship. It clearly shows that our South African anglers are very competitive, given the opportunity. This issue is loaded with wonderful articles to guide our readers in the art of bass fishing over the festive season and in summer conditions. This is a time that memories are made when people enjoy the company of family and friends. It is even better when you meet on, or next to the water. Please don’t forget to send your pictures for inclusion in our Readers-go-Bassing section. We are looking forward to hear from you. Lastly, we at SA BASS wish all our readers a very blessed and Merry Christmas. May you all experience happiness, peace and when you are on the roads, travel safely. Bennie Wiese / Editor

Y ONL pm R28

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Contents

SA BASS Magazine

is published monthly (12 issues per annum) by WJ Lindeque cc t/a BB Print (CK99/23366/23)

Office hours:

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

Contact numbers:

Office: (087) 808 5406, Alternative: (083) 306 2718 Fax: (086) 234 5026

Postal Address:

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Publisher:

Hannes Lindeque - hannes@sabass.com

Editor:

Bennie Wiese - bennie@sabass.com

Assistant Editors:

Chris Greenland, Grant Hewitt

Field Editors:

Bryan Leppan, Dewald Viljoen, Evert Laubscher, Gordon Brown, Hendrik, Japie Botha, Joe Dreyer, John Badenhorst, Kevin Lofstedt, Neels Beneke, Philip Kemp, Roger Donaldson, Rowan Timmer

Junior Field Editors:

Jean-Michel Gravenor

International Columnists:

Bertrand Ngim, David Swendseid, Clint Skinner

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Wilma Lindeque - wilma@sabass.com

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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 sport among all the country’s people 04 SA BASS December 2016

(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.

REGULARS & FORUMS 06

MASTER CLASS “Sensational Summer Strategies - Part 1” I’m so excited that we’re slap bang in the middle of summer and I’m hoping you’ve planned at least one trip to a fishing spot this month that has resident bass. – Roger Donaldson

CLASSROOM “String Theory ...” We have all stood in front of a shelf in retail store looking at all the different options; yellow, green and even invisible ones – Colin Willmer

12 16

STRATEGIES “Improvise, Adapt and Overcome” How do we win tournaments and how should we handle the ones we don’t? In bass angling winning is not optional; you launch your boat to win, but it is not a cage fight – Adrian Robert Luff

CLASSROOM “How to Retrieve Lures” Every angler has a favourite jerk- or crankbait that they will retrieve, whatever it takes. Especially if they know there are still bass on the spot they were fishing – Bennie Wiese

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.

24 28

READERS GO BASSING “Take a Kid Fishing” Most guys are quite vocal about their love for fishing and they share many hours of the joyous time they have had on their last trip.

“Matchups - Comparing and contrasting top FLW anglers”

MY CAST

READERS-go-BASSING

INTERNATIONAL

Cast-for-Cash - Tournament Results

“O So Close! - Black Bass World Championships Portugal 2016” The Protea Team selected to represent South Africa at the Black Bass World Championships in Portugal had high aspirations and was willing to put in whatever effort was required in terms of time and money. – Rudi Dreyer

GEAR UP

LIFESTYLE – Boating & Birding – g Heron” “Black-crowned Night

CLASSROOM “Rattles vs. Silent” Every time we go out and fish we learn something new. Did you ever think of the following? Do the bait fish, or any other bass prey emit sound when they move through the water? – Bennie Wiese

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS

FLW SOUTH AFRICA

KLASKAMER “Baars Lees Nie Boeke Nie” Na ‘n onlangse besoek deur ‘n paar onwederegtelike “nagridders” in my huis, is ek my ou skootrekenaar kwyt en natuurlik ook meer as vyftig artikels wat ek die afgelope sewe jaar vir die tydskrif geskryf het – Philip Kemprik

KAYAKING

“The Revolution Is Coming!” As I sit here writing this article I have to admit I am confused! In recent months South African salt water kayakers have twice broken the magical 40kg mark for couta and only yesterday a kayaker landed two monster GT’s. – Dewald Viljoen

“When the Going Gets Tough” Our country is stricken by one of the worst droughts ever and the question is: “When will it rain again?” – Hendrik

PRODUCT REVIEW/ NEWS

BASICS 10

>> Kroko Skin Products

>> Southern Division Juniors

>> Inter-provinsiale Kampioenskappe

D.I.Y. “Homemade Top Water Rat” Many anglers wonder if it is worthwhile to create their own lures. What do you think? – Luke Eberhardt

SABAA NEWS

XMAS SPECIALS

52 54

BEGINNERS ““Bundu” Baarshengelaar!” Meeste swartbaarhengelaars begin as ‘n “bundu”-hengelaar; met ander woorde hulle hengel vanaf die oewer in die hoop om daardie groen vissies te vang! – Louis Bezuidenhout

>> Nice 2 Have

READERS’ COMPETITION 57

>> Deeper Smart Sonar Readers Competition

INTERNATIONAL “Geumho Lake Shoreline Bassin’ (Part 2)” The immensity of Geumho Lake makes it an extremely diverse lake for shore anglers. Its sheer size complicates matters because most of the productive spots are kilometres apart. – Fishingboy

ON THE COVER “FLW Pro Angler - Cody Meyer” Image: Garrick Dixon SA BASS 05 December 2016

>> SA BASS MASTER CLASS

Sensational Summer Strategies - Part 1

I’m so excited that we’re slap bang in the middle of summer and I’m hoping you’ve planned at least one trip to a fishing spot this month that has resident bass.

Wayne Easton with an Inanda Dam bass of over 3kg caught in 2ft of water in a bay close to deep water with grassy cover on a SPRO Bronzeye Shad 06 SA BASS December 2016

Summer

>> Roger Donaldson*

thoroughly enjoy what bass fishing offers in the peak of summer. The entire fishing experience is so much more intense; the fresh air before sunrise after a night of thunderstorms, the pied, giant and malachite kingfisher’s darting into the shallows to retrieve the bountiful array of fish from the recent spawn, fingerling bass darting along the banks enjoying the abundant insect life, and the odd busting of a larger bass taking advantage of the sprawling growth in amphibious and other aquatic life that is synonymous with summertime. I believe this is the best time of year to get those polarised sunglasses out and hit the shallows. Polarised lenses remove the glare from the water surface and will give you the advantage of being able to ‘sight fish’ for bass. This on its own is great fun and you can even spot bass up to a full casting length away. These shallow areas will be teaming with life as the water temperatures have now warmed up sufficiently enough to support the activity of the smallest aquatic organisms which in turn attract the larger ones. I decided to split this series into two parts, as there can be two vastly different strategies to practice in the warmer months. One of them will be super shallow fishing, and the other will be deep water tactics. For those of you who have yet to try your hand at top water fishing, this will be the time to use it. Bass are the ultimate opportunists and there is nothing quite like a top water lure that’ll put a little swagger into a bass’ interest. But where do you go looking, is it just anywhere in the shallows? Certainly not. Bass are still incredibly mindful of the dangers that shallow waters present to them. They too have prey. Take the legendary fish eagle as an example. You wouldn’t want to be a bass cruising the shallows in open sight if there was a raptor circling above you with the cunning ability and agility to swoop in unnoticed to pluck you from the water like a sitting duck. So what do bass do to be inconspicuous yet still be able to move through the shallow looking for prey? Bass will use whatever cover is available; lily pads, matted, flooded grass, brush piles and sunken trees, as well as boat docks and over hanging trees. Many anglers are not convinced that these areas can be fished very easily as there is too much chance to get snagged in all that structure. This is why I specifically chose this type of lure to make hay in the shallows – the top water frog! The variety of frogs available is now vast in terms of colour, shape, size, and swimming action. The largest common advantage of these lures though is their ability not to get snagged up in the heavy cover that you’ll need to be targeting to find your bass. And believe me when I say it

– the bass will often be hiding in the deepest, thickest part of the cover to keep away from predators and to ambush their prey. Here are a few ideas to think about before choosing which frog you’re going to rig up with. I’m going to venture and say that apart from the SPRO frog the Horny Toad and Fighting Frog are probably the most widely used frogs of the lot. They can be rigged quickly and fished on a fairly quick retrieve to keep them kicking across the surface of the water. As long as those little legs are bubbling across the water, frothing up a trail of bubbles in their wake you’ll be sure to have the attention of a bass in no time at all. Key factors to remember though are that the above frog lures should be fished on the correct tackle. To make sure the lure imparts the kicking action required you will need use a line that does not sink. Therefore, anglers choose between monofilament and braided line for this purpose. They won’t sink below the surface and destroy the action of the bait. On the contrary, you will come across areas where there are gaps/holes in the lily pads, or areas that you are targeting. These frogs naturally will sink if you stop your retrieve and this is a great opportunity to let the lure swim down into these holes. But hold on tight and watch your line carefully for any potential bite. Once the fish does bite you’ll need the advantage of a rod with excellent back bone, or the ability to both set the hook and to haul the bass away from diving deeper into the cover. Haul and reel fast to get the bass’ head up and swimming across the top of the water as quickly as possible. Do yourself a favour this summer; pack in a couple a toads and head out to your chosen fishing hole with the purposeful intent of tapping into all those heavily covered shallow areas and see what jewels you’ll find hiding there! I can guarantee you’ll very pleasantly surprised. *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.

Scan and see an exciting video of the bait in action SA BASS 07 December 2016

>> SA BASS CLASSROOM

Which fishing line is the best to use?

String Theory ... We have all stood in front of a shelf in retail store looking at all the different options; yellow, green and even invisible ones. >> Colin Willmer

he packaging becomes even more overwhelming because every box is better than the one next to it and offers so much more than last year’s model. Feels like we are buying cars. As you walk down the shelf you read the different descriptions and advantages and notice the price differences between the seemingly same products. Well, there are differences and it may not be what you expect. (No brands or labels will be discussed in this article because it is not the point of all of this.) The application normally determines the choice of “string” or fishing line we will be buying, but this has been discussed at length, to death. Let’s just speak about application, for a little bit as a refresher and then never again. For cranking – it was always believed that monofilament or copolymer was the best option. For top water action – same thing … mono or copolymer. For soft plastic worming – the belief was always that fluorocarbon was the one for that job. Braid – never sure whether if it was best for top water action or awesome for worming. Well, time to explain some things about fishing line to keep in mind when buying or choosing the best line to use. The most important things about lines are trust and feel. Think about it; if it does not feel right on your reel you don’t feel comfortable in casting.

08 SA BASS December 2016

Spinning reels (coffee grinders) Choosing a line that does not drive you into the cooler box to find your inner peace. Why do we always get a line that twists and never gives you the distance you are after? There are many reasons for all of this. Spinning reels work best with 10lb line or lighter and in saying that, the box or packaging, becomes important. In the world of line manufacturing, Japan normally produces a very high quality line and normally comes at a different price as well. The advantage of this is that you could probably get away with casting a 7lb line instead of a heavier 10lb line… distance sorted. A higher quality line comes of the spool easier because they tend to be rounder in shape and lies better on the spool of your reel. In other words it does not flatten out and will give extended life span which improves the affordability of sometimes more expensive lines.

Bait casting reels These reels initially were developed to cast a heavier line without all the line twists because spinning reels just could not do the job. Unfortunately bass do not lie in open water with no structure so heavier line was a necessity. Control and accuracy was a by product of all this development. So many times I have seen somebody spend thousands of Rands on a reasonable rod and reel combination but

then try to go as cheap as possible on line. This will only lead to frustration. Now letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get to the technical stuff that will hopefully help understand what line is and where it can fit into your fishing arsenal. (Ware has a specific gravity of one - as a unit of measure)

Monofilament or copolymer These two normally have a specific gravity in the range of 1.2 to 1.24. This means that it is slightly heavier than water. In other words the line would float and stay in the top part of the body of water in front of you. So think of casting a soft plastic worm at a tree. The first movement of that plastic will be in an upwards direction because your line is still fighting its way down. This could be removing bait out of the zone and reduces chances for that much needed bite. So, if casting monofilament or copolymer on a Mojo-, Texas- or even weightless rig, just be very slow in moving the bait for the first time. Another interesting fact is that this line can stretch up to 14%. Think about a 30m castâ&#x20AC;Ś this could be a stretch of 4.2 meter. How many times have you set a hook and before you start winding that monster in, he is off? We then blame the hooks, rod and even the position of Mars in relation to the jetty we are casting at. Meanwhile, our line had something to do with it.

Fluorocarbon A good quality fluorocarbon normally stretches between

7 to 9% and has a specific gravity of 1.75. This means a better sinking line with much more sensitivity because of less stretch. This line does have a harder feel to it because the composition inside is different. Tournament anglers flocked to this line because for so many years they believed that it was invisible under water and fish rate was picking up. The fish rate was picking up because the bait was presented more effectively in the zone. Instead of going up and out of the zone it was now being dragged through the zone for a longer period of time; obviously leading to more fish. Be honest, does your fluorocarbon really disappears under water?

Braid Braid has a specific gravity of 1.15 and is the real floater in the pack. The advantages of this line are different but used in the right applications it can be very effective. With almost no stretch and a very direct feel with low diameter it can be used in many applications. There has been for many years a need for something strong and thin enough to go onto a spinning reel and braid was born. The strange part of all of this is that nylon based lines, like monofilament, copolymer and fluorocarbon, have many enemies which we need to keep in mind. The worst things for lines are UV-rays and water. I trust that this insight on fishing lines will help readers buy and use the best string in the right way.

SA BASS 09 December 2016

>> SA BASS PRODUCT NEWS

Kroko Skin Products

ishermen and women more often than not suffer from problems fingers and hands after handling hooks and the hands being immersed in water much of the time. Standing in the sun for hours on end, even with a hat, can increase the possibility of developing cold sores. New shoes and boots can cause corns. Now Kroko has a solution to help to all these problems. Kroko FingerFix® is a hygienic, waterproof, colourless liquid plaster. It treats those painful little cracks that develop on fingers (and feet) and which are caused by continued exposure to heat, cold, water or external irritants like detergents. Once applied, it forms a moisture proof layer to prevent cracks from re-opening and protects the wound as it heals. Its main benefit is that it acts as a plaster without the bulkiness and discomfort of conventional plasters which so often become grubby or detach when wet. Kroko SkinFilm® is a liquid plaster for treating minor cuts, scratches and small grazes. It is unsuitable for larger wounds or grazes as it causes a brief stinging sensation when applied. The specially designed applicator cap allows just the right amount of liquid to be applied to a wound and once dry, it forms a waterproof, protective plaster allowing bodily healing to take place. This formula was specially designed for fingers and hands which are often immersed in water. The waterproof, flexible and invisible dressing does not wash off easily and can be replaced with further layers until healing is complete. If you suffer from cold sores, Kroko ColdSoreFix® is an effective and simple remedy which helps to clear them up. The name “cold sore” or “fever blister” is a misnomer as cold sores are usually caused by over exposure to the sun 10 SA BASS December 2016

and the herpes virus, which is one of the most common viral infections and known as herpes simplex. Kroko NailFix® helps to heal damaged or infected nails which have been injured by trauma or infection. Nail problems are always difficult to treat and prior to treatment, the nails should be trimmed and scrubbed well with warm soapy water. Once the nails are dry, a thin coat of Kroko NailFix® should be applied to the damaged nail in the morning and evening until the damaged part of the nail has grown out. The nail will be covered with an invisible, protective layer. Brand new Kroko CornFix® is a liquid application to treat corns caused by too tight shoes. There are two types of corns which generally occur either on the top or on the side of the toes. A hard corn is a small patch of thickened, dead skin. A soft corn has a much thinner surface, appears whitish and rubbery and usually occurs between the toes. Kroko WartFix® treats the common wart and is a painless treatment suitable for the whole family. It is child friendly from the age of four years upwards. Kroko WartFix® is a fast-drying liquid which forms a flexible cover over the wart. The bottle’s special applicator applies the exact amount of liquid needed, resulting in minimum mess and wastage. * It is important to note that when using Kroko FingerFix® or Kroko SkinFilm®, the affected area must be thoroughly cleaned with warm water and a liquid antiseptic, then dried well before all Kroko applications. The instructions for each pack should be read carefully before beginning treatment. Kroko products are available from Clicks, Dis-Chem, Medi-Rite, Pick ‘n Pay Pharmacies and select pharmacies or visit www.kroko.co.za

>> SA BASS STRATEGIES

Improvise, Adapt and Overcome

Get into the mentality of fishing against the fish, not the rest of the field.”

How do we win tournaments and how should we handle the ones we don’t? In bass angling winning is not optional; you launch your boat to win, but it is not a cage fight. >> Adrian Robert Luff*

ost anglers in South Africa have always had the wrong mentality. To them it’s always been fishing against each other. There’s always that drive of wanting to do better than someone else. This will at some point distract you of your goal. Get into the mentality of fishing against the fish, not the rest of the field. A good habit is to try and always fill your bag first. If you don’t fill the bag, you are not winning! When you study a cage fight you

12 SA BASS December 2016

can clearly see the fighters each has a game plan. It’s not about showing up and giving your best - they studied each other and know what to expect. So, if you were to fish in an event, let’s say against me, did you study me or the fish? Obviously the fish! As a martial arts instructor I have learned that human nature takes control in almost every essence of life so we are so stuck in our fightor-flight mode that when things on the water gets tuff, we do just that. cont on p14

E C H O M A P â&#x201E;˘ CHIR P

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We fight, ending up fishing so fast that not even a sailfish that jumps at 68mph will catch your lure. Or we flee; we start running around on the lake looking for “better” spots. The hard part is to find out what type of angler you are. Do you fight, or flee? Take control of that - reflect on past events and find out whether you fought or fled. Take that part of your personality and evolve it, but never be overconfident.

Improvise Before you fight or flee, use what is available. Don’t go looking for something you don’t know or don’t really know where it is. Cast and relax; let your lure settle; don’t focus on your bait; look around you. Use what is available because you went to this spot for a reason. If the fish aren’t there then they could be close. I’ve identified several good fishing spots before, arrived and then boom - no 14 SA BASS December 2016

one is home. Moving 100 meter away and then find them on a tree or a rock pile I didn’t fish during the pre-fish.

Adapt So you’ve found fish on a slightly different pattern to what you originally prepared for. Now adjust to the new conditions and don’t waste time. This rarely means fishing a different lure colour but often the difference between a weightless, or a Mojo rig. If you’re targeting fish on rocks with plastics then sometimes it works to change tactics and crank the spot. Go back on to the plastics and you might be very surprised with what happens.

Overcome All you have to do now is succeed. Go to the places you know and fish similar structure. So you did all the above and you didn’t win! That sucks! But let’s get real for a minute; if you show up for

nationals, you’ve already won the numbers game in your region. But can you deal with that kind of level of pressure. Yes, no, maybe? Let’s be real the human race doesn’t do well under pressure; never have and never will. Yes, you get those oaks that believe they do super well under pressure, but at some point they crash. So instead of adding pressure to your life enjoy the moment and enjoy the fishing. Identify your weaknesses and fix them. Accept that you will not always win; and you can’t always loose. By the time this article hits the shelves I will be in Texas for the B.A.S.S. Nation Championships and I am super excited. See you on the water soon. *Adrian Luff is the 2015 South African national bass angling champion and Wrangler Angler. He is also product ambassador for Thornveld Angling Tackle Distributors cc.

FOR THE LOVE OF FISHING. Elite Ti models are just what you would expect from Lowrance. Great performance offered in both 7-inch and 5-inch screen sizes. The units are touch screen – which allows for speed and ease of use. Elite Ti includes both CHIRP and Broadband sonar, as well as GPS functionality. The most exciting thing about the Elite Ti range is that it also allows for both SideScan AND DownScan – so you get as much detail as possible of structure both below your boat and on either side. Combine this StructureScan feature with your CHIRP sonar, and the fish really have nowhere to hide! Visit www.lowrance.co.za for more information and specs on Elite Ti.”

Elite Ti units come with the new TotalScan transducer. This transducer allows for both StructureScan AND Sonar – package giving you the total packag

>> SA BASS CLASSROOM

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How to Retrieve Lures

Every angler has a favourite jerk- or crankbait that they will retrieve, whatever it takes. Especially if they know there are still bass on the spot they were fishing. >> Bennie Wiese*

think we can agree that most of the time when lures get stuck under the water we never see them again and terminal tackle became so expensive that we cannot afford to just snap it off. The first thing to do when your lure gets stuck is not to use force as you will pull the hook deeper into the obstruction. There are many ways one can retrieve their baits.

Extended retriever It is easy when the lure got stuck in a tree but if it is too high up we make use of an extended lure retriever. These 16 SA BASS December 2016

poles extend three to four times their length with a spiral hook on the end. They can also be used to retrieve lures that got stuck under water.

Fishing rod When fishing from a boat, or anything floating, move above the lure and make sure the line doesn’t get wrapped around any other piece of structure. This will make retrieving the lure more difficult. If you can see the lure under the water you can quickly use the rod’s tip to retrieve the lure by pushing the lure lightly with the rod’s tip. Be careful not to force the rod’s

tip because it may break. You can use the same method if the lure is not deeper than the rod’s length and don’t dip the reel under the water. The reel will get water in and give technical hitches later on. When fishing lures like jigs or a pegged Texas rigs and they get stuck; use the weight of the bait to unhook it. Once again you must position yourself above the lure. Then cross over it to more or less the same side as the hook entered the snag and lift the bait. Try and see if the weight of the bait will pull the hook loose. Heavier baits work better than lighter lures. It is important not to bend the rod as the tension will pull the hook deeper into the structure. If the hooks pops loose on your first try then you are lucky. Many times you have to repeat the action.

Dangling chains If you got stuck and the line broke off then you will have to use one of the many lure retrievers available on the market. If you are a D.I.Y. person then you can make your own homemade lure retriever. Fit the retriever over your fishing line, keep the line tight and slide the retriever down. The chains on the retriever are ideal to retrieve all lures with treble hooks. Pull the rope attached to the retriever and free the bait.

Pocket knocker I always have a few homemade pocket knockers on the boat. They work very well when retrieving Mojo rigged baits. A pocket knocker consists of one big tear drop weight with an eye ring and a snap. Open the snap and slide it down on a tight line. The weight of the pocket knocker will knock the bait free. Just be sure that the snap is big enough to slide over the Mojo weight to knock the bait. The secret is that you have to be positioned right above the lure and use a heavy weight. There are no strings attached to pocket knockers and are sometimes lost when they knock the bait free. The negative thing about these knockers; they can knock your line off if the line is thin and especially if you are fishing lay downs or rock.

H-block marker buoy My fishing partner, Joe, recently showed me another cool way to retrieve lures. He uses the long flat weight of his H-block marker buoy. All he does is bend the marker’s weight into a circle, slide it down a tight line and knock the bait free. He uses the attached rope to retrieve the weight. After you got stuck or used any sort of retriever, always inspect your fishing line for nicks and re-tie. You cannot afford to break off just after you made all the effort to retrieve your precious bait. The one that got away may after all be not as big as you though just because you were too lazy to re-tie. There are many ways to retrieve your stuck lures. Make sure you have some sort of retriever next time when you are out on the water... you won’t be sorry. *Bennie Wiese is the editor of SA Bass magazine and an experienced provincial bass angler.

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.

FIRST TIMER First time bass fisher, 12 year old Colin Nienaber entered the bass competition at the spring fest in Secunda. He caught this 1.75kg beautiful bass and won the catch of the day. He walked away with a six day vacation to St. Lucia for 6 people. – James van der Walt

BUCKET MOUTH Bryce caught this female which weighed 3.19kg on 8 October 2016 at Mokolo Dam. It was during post-spawn conditions and if she had regained some weight she would have been well over 4kg as can be seen by the size of her mouth! – Ian Geldard

THANKS

TROTS My seuntjie Riko (5 jaar oud) het die bass by Doringdraaidam gevang. Hy het ‘n Watermelon Fluke gebruik. SA Bass is sy gunsteling tydskrif! – Renette 18 SA BASS December 2016

On Sunday the 16 October, I took my two girls aged 5 and 8 fishing on a private dam in Nottingham Road, KZN. We have had some very cold weather before the sun decided to finally stick it’s head out. The competition between these two were neck in neck and my oldest managed to pull it off with her new personal best of 1kg. A special thanks to SA BASS for her sister’s photo in the previous issue. That picture really got them motivated. – Mike Scheepers

This month â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

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Christmas Shopping at CATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s!!!

FLY FISHING

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Catch and release fishing at Wriggleswade Dam near Stutterheim. It was an awesome experience catching bass on a fly rod. This one weighed 900g. Thank you for all the fishing tips. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Paul Howden, Stutterheim

READERS GO BASSING

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E-mail your picture and details of your catch to editor@sabass.com and stand a chance to win a BASS HUNTER BAITCASTER REEL COVER & SPINNING ROD SOX sponsored by MIAS Woodmead Please send us good crisp pictures of good quality. Pictures sent electronically must be at least 250KB. (We prefer pictures of 1MB). Potential cover pictures must be at least 3MB. All photos published in Readers-Go-Bassing are for the exclusive use of SA BASS magazine. Any photos previously published, or published by other magazines will not be considered.

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>> Clint Skinner

What Does It Take? Today my 6 year old woke me up at 5am. In his hand was a stick he had picked up in the garden. The bark stripped off and twisted into “line”. Tied to the end was a fist sized rock and an angled stick to make the hook and weight. “Dad, let’s go fishing” were the first words as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and squinted in the half light at him. Dressed and a hat on his head he was ready to go… so unlike my own preparations which involve a selection of rods all planned and suited to the venue I want to fish. The piles of bait trays, spare tackle, terminal tackle and who knows what else loaded onto a bass boat. As a youngster I remember having much the same attitude as Anthony was showing now. I don’t care how but I am going fishing was the motto.

These days I need it to be a league or a classic or some other form of competition because social fishing is just too expensive. A day out costs a minimum of $150 and more so I better save the cash for when it is needed. Well when is it really needed? Is a league more important than spending quality time with my son doing something that then brings us both pleasure? Days of preparation go into the week long President’s Test or other event and while I love what I do looking into his eyes I realised much of the fun of fishing was no longer there. It took a 6 year old with passion to remind me that fishing need not be expensive, it need not be planned and over the top but as long as done because I wanted to do it then what really matters. Anthony has a real rod (or 2), with proper reels and the right line for the application. He even has a tackle box of his own loaded with goodies pilfered from Dad’s fishing room but he had spent hours by himself making his stick rod and that was what he wants to use, who am I to tell him otherwise? So today I am leaving work early. Not because I have a classic tomorrow 200km from home and need to sort my tackle but rather because I am going to sneak into that “private” pond down the road. I am going to load up two graphite rods (bamboo sticks) with bits of line tied to the end. Dig up a few worms out the wife’s lettuce patch and see if we can hook a bream without being caught. And if we are seen and chased we will laugh as we jump the fence and dash to the car. Pull into the drive through and sneak an ice-cream cone on the way home even if it spoils dinner. Those are the times that we will remember forever… not the loaded boat heading out at 3am while he sleeps and dreams of the next chance he will get to be with dad. So next year I will not be fishing every league and every competition. At 6 he is still too young to spend the whole day on the water while dad tries to find a limit. No, next year I will skip some and go find a dam, a pond or even a pothole to put a line into, all with my son at my side! Merry Christmas and value your family time this holiday season.

Tel: 078 548 1301 Email: hotreeltec@gmail.com Service Center

Completely Focussed on Fishing

Your Friendly Fishing Tackle Specialist Join and like our facebook page for updated specials

Shop 1-3, Nazarene Centre, 418 Ontdekkers Road, Florida Park, Roodepoort / Tel: 011 - 672 1273

keith.knott@outdoorparadise.co.za For more specific details: Follow and like us on Facebook: "Knotts Outdoor Paradise"

>> SA BASS XMAS SPECIALS

Nice 2 Have

Christmas is around the corner and here are a few nice to have items you may consider for yourself, or for your loved ones.*

Rolling Travel Duffel Bag g @ ¢ ¢ @ f¢ |} | @ u @ g | @ t ~| | @ c |} |} | @ g ~ @ d| | @ e |} e ~ ~

Four Person Picnic Set @ ¢ ¢ @ { | | ~ | @ t | ~ @ e |~ |} | } @ q ~ ~ ! q | ~ | | ~ | |} ~ | ~ ~ }

22 SA BASS December 2016

R1265.00

R834.00

Cooler Bag with Braai Set @ ¢ ¢ @ q| | | @ u ~ @ u }|~ ~ @ p ~ @ c |} |} | @ b || ! b ~ } | } || | | } || } || | |

Out of Africa Travel Duffel Bag

R449.00

@ ¢ ¢ @ p c ~| qwd d @ m| ~| |~ | ~ | @ d| | @ c |} |} | @ u | | ~ @ n | | | @ e |} e ~ ~

R625.00

De esk Weather Station @ ¢ ¢ @ b ~ @ e | | | | @ u | | @ n| @ e | | @ c | ~ | | | }|

Ballpoint Pen with Laser er pointer en LED light

R196.00

@ ¢ ¢ ~ @ t | }| | ~ | @ ¢ | @ q | ~ | @ q | ~ }| @ ~| |~

R419.00

R129.00

R379.00

Windscreen Sun Shade e @ ¢ ¢ ~ @ u g |} | @ ~ | @ q ~ ~ @ g | | @ t @ b |~ }|~

Hip Flask Gift Set

PVC Waterproof Beach h Bag

R219.00

@ ¢ @ qwd | } |~ | | @ o ~| | @ q | ~ ~| |}

@ ¢ ¢ @ p p } @ b| ~| @ d @ e | @ t ~ | }

@ b| @ b @ u |~ ~ | @ m| @ x mfe @ q|~ | | | | } ¢ | | } ¢ @ b| ~

Fo our Piece S/ste eel Mug Set

Slim Aluminium 4000mAh Power Bank

R79.00

R219.00

@ ¢ ¢ @ | @ g | @ g @ t | | qv ~ ~ @ x ~ | ~ @ x | } ¢

Lockback Knife

R99.00

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100% Cotton Angler Towel

R109.00

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*Please E-mail info@sabass.com for the order form *All products will be branded only on receiving a combined minimum order of ten units per item. * Prices exclude delivery cost

SA BASS 23 December 2016

>> SA BASS READERS GO BASSING

Rod Bender finds himself trying to help another school at his friend Albert’s place. He has just started to make his final plans and is preparing the strategy to once and for all get rid of these menacing Aliens.

Nothing compares to the time I spend on the water with my five year old (and Ping-Ping)

ost guys are quite vocal about their love for fishing and they share many hours of the joyous time they have had on their last trip. What I want to talk about today is simply the same joy, shared with my son, who happens to be a crazy fisherman just like me. I remember when my son was only a little tot and how I used to tell him that as soon as he can hold a rod, we are going fishing. When he finally could, it then became as soon as he can stand by himself on the boat we are going. And when he could stand, the next phase became practicing how to cast so he can do his own fishing on the boat. Well, those days are here and boy, are they the best ever? Now hear me out. Taking my son out alone is very satisfying because not only do we share a wonderful time together, but I feel I am investing in the future of our beloved wonderful sport. Furthermore, teach the little guys to fish instead of giving him a fish for the day and therefore feeding him for “a day” right? Anyway, on our recent pilgrimage we took my boy’s little friend for the weekend with. This is some school mascot (a stuffed giant panda bear) called Ping-Ping who

24 SA BASS December 2016

rotates to various homes with various five year olds looking after him for the weekend. My point, this was my kid’s outing as much as it was mine. We were not fishing for winning anything except memories together and for him to catch some fish. We made our way to Inanda Dam and of course I had to answer many times on the short 40km drive, when we were going to get to the dam. The little guy’s excitement was palpable and he couldn’t wait to get there. After all, which self-respecting genuine fisherman does not get super excited the day before a fishing trip? I still cannot really have a good night sleep the night before any tournament or fishing trip. Finally, the boat was in the water and we were off. He just tucks his head on my lap behind the console and we can thunder through to our favourite spots. This was in the middle of the hectic cold front that hit beginning of June and so I knew fishing was going to be slow. We got to our first spot and fished a bank, covering about 200m of shoreline without even a touch. Now remember, this guy is five years old and this should have gotten to him after an hour of fishing. Nope, not my son. Here is why I enjoy cont on p26

contd from p24

his company on the boat. I do not lose a moment of peace with him because he is a real fisherman. He is either fishing, taking a break, eating or fishing again. He is an absolute pleasure on the boat. He has one flaw though; he does not like to lose a fish. Nope, not at all. I mean who does? This reduces the little dude to tears when it happens. On this day, about an hour in, he exclaimed that he had a bite. Well, can’t say I was convinced because the day was a bit slower so if the guy wants to imagine the fish, so be it. At this point I got my first bite, set the hook and handed him the rod. Man, what an injection of energy, what excitement for the little guy fighting the fish? After safely landing the fish, unpinning it, quick picture we put it back in the water. Then I heard, “Dad, I want to use your rod because it catches fish”. Go figure. I then handed the little guy my drop shot rig; my most valuable set up, but you know what, I love my boy even more. He can have any rod of mine he wants. Three casts later, came the shout “Dad, I got a fish”. I turned around and watched him wrestle a 600 grammer to the boat. The sparkle in his eyes at this point was visible through the polarised glassed I always insist he has on when fishing. This is critical for protecting their eyes more than anything else. Once the fish was landed and the hook unpinned, pictures taken with Ping-Ping, the fish was released back to fight another day with him.

We managed to catch a few more fish, nothing closely resembling a boatload, but man was it a fulfilling five hours of fishing. My boy wasn’t too keen to go back home after personally hooking, fighting and landing two fish himself. With great negotiation I had to promise that we will come back again. A few things to remember though is that you are out with a kid, make the day memorable for him. You know what? When the little guy wants to rest, let him. When he wants to eat, let him. When he wants to try your favourite rod, let him. When he wants to lay around on the boat, let him. These are all building blocks for memories he will cherish for a lifetime. Because for him, fishing is an enjoyable experience which you would have created while he was only a small boy. Here are a few parting lines. We buy boats; we invest in tackle, and sometimes treat these awesome tools like treasures. But nothing compares to the time I spend on the water with my five year old, who has now been fishing since he turned four. Guys, if you don’t have young ones, take a nephew, a friend’s son, but just take a kid fishing and hopefully you’ll see the same enthusiasm, energy, sparkle and excitement you used to have as a kid. Maybe you’ll see the reason that today you have a boat and all the fishing tackle you have. And he will see himself in a few years’ time in you.

R13500

26 SA BASS December 2016

>> SA A BASS CLASSROOM

t n e l i S . s v s Rattle

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>> Bennie Wiese

didn’t really think they would make much noise when they move through danger areas. Yes, there will be some noise when bait fish move together but one or two on their own won’t make much noise. When they are feeding and water push through their gills it would most definitely make some kind of noise, and even more when they are in panic. But for most of the time they will be very quite. I also understand that there are other creatures that bass prey on in and around the dams like birds, frogs, snakes, crabs, freshwater shrimps and crayfish which also emit sounds. However some of the pray like crabs, fresh water shrimp and crayfish make some sort of clicking sound when they are moving, feeding or fighting. Several lures has build in rattles or some type of clacker that creates sounds to draw attention. Glass rattles can be inserted in soft plastic baits or added to jigs. I am all for the use of rattles and there are numerous conditions where rattles will have a positive effect, but

28 SA BASS December 2016

most of the time it can be the reason why bass might not be interested in the bait. It might even be spooking the big bass.

Understanding conditions It’s very important to understand different fishing conditions. If you don’t you will be starting the day with a big disadvantage. For many different reasons bass will not go for the bait that is presented to them if the conditions and surroundings they are facing are not perfect. My approach will be as follows: when I’m fishing very calm conditions I will use a silent approach but louder lures with rattles when there is more noise. Wind will also play a part. If it is windy I will use buzzbaits with double blades to make more squeaky sounds. In calmer conditions I will use a smaller buzzbait with only one blade. With soft plastics its easy, weightless baits in clam conditions will do wonders.

Sound / noise When bait fish emits some type of

sound the loudness will depended on the size of the bait ball, or what the fodder are doing. The bass will first use their sight to hunt and secondly their lateral lines to feel the water pressure changing as the bait move through the water. Different sizes of bass can react differently to sound. For most of the time the smaller bass will scatter away from lures with rattles while the bigger bass will ignore them. Some bigger fish may even attack the lure. Bass are very curious creatures and will examine the lure. Because we are many times not aware of the curious fish following our lures it helps to follow up in the same area with different silent baits.

When to use noisy baits The best time to use rattles or clackers will be when the water is dirty or on windy days when the bass are active and eating everything. When the water is stained or murky the bass won’t rely on there their eye sight so much and don’t have time to inspect the lure. For me the bass

are very skittish in clear water and are looking for something more natural. When using new lures with rattles I have found that the baits rattles are too high pitched and do not always work as well as when they have been used for a while. With time the rattle gets worked out and the sound is more muffled which works better. Take glass rattles out of the packet - they are loud and if you insert them into tube baits their sound are different. A good example will be creature baits. They work well if you insert a plastic rattle which muffle the sound, or if you like night fishing then rattles are the best thing to add.

When to use silent baits The key will always to be to present your lure as natural as possible. With this you will have better results and bigger fish. If you think about it; what normally works for you? It is weightless baits that take their time to drop into the strike zone. To see and understand what your bait does under water go and test it in a swimming pool. It is even better to go under water with the lure and see what happens. This might help you to understand why the bass didn’t bite. If something doesn’t look natural to you

then why should bass be fooled by it? It’s been proven many times that very long casts made with weightless lures in clear water will produce fish. When you are faced with tough circumstances like “blue bird sky days”, the water surface is as smooth as a mirror or very clear water conditions then this is the way to fish. If you don’t enjoy fishing weightless then there are some great hard jerkbaits without rattles. These baits can hang still for countless minutes in the strike zone and get the attention of bass. Natural presentations deliver better results while rattle type baits have their benefits under certain conditions. So the rule of thumb is; only use noisy baits when bass are active, or during windy conditions or fishing stained water.

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facebook.com/SensationTackle Follow us on facebook for great tips, techniques and updates. SA BASS 29

December 2016 www.sensationtackle.co.za

>> SA BAARS KLASKAMER Maurice het die 1,46kg baars 12h40 in diep, vuil water met ‘n SPRO Popper Frog geflous

Baars Lees Nie Boeke Nie

a ‘n onlangse besoek deur ‘n paar onwederegtelike “nagridders” in my huis, is ek my ou skootrekenaar kwyt en natuurlik ook meer as vyftig artikels wat ek die afgelope sewe jaar vir die tydskrif geskryf het. Maar nou is ek weer “op die lug” en ja, hierdie is my eerste artikel op ‘n nuwe tweedehandse rekenaar wat beslis beter is as die oue, wat omtrent op paraffien gewerk het. Ek wonder of die “nagridders” dit geweet het. Ons sukkel om soms die gedrag van die sogenaamde “nagridders” te verstaan en dit oorspoel my emosies en gevoelens met magteloosheid en ja, woede ook. Maar, wek baars nie ook soms dieselfde gevoel van magteloosheid by ons op nie? Veral 30 SA BASS December 2016

as daardie ou grote jou so pas ‘n rat voor die oë gedraai het. Ondanks al die kennis en ervaring wat ons as baarshengelaars het, kan baars soms met verrassende gedrag vorendag kom, want jy sien, baars lees nie boeke nie. Sal ons ooit die gedrag van enige lewende organisme, dier of vis in die natuur kan verstaan? Staaltjies, of dit nou waar is of nie, van baars wat ‘n vink van ‘n oorhangende tak af gryp, is dalk nie so vergesog nie. So het ‘n baars al my plastiek-aas, wat ‘n voet uit die water oor ‘n riet gehang het, skoon uit die lug gegryp. Baars het egter nie die vermoë soos die mens tot kognitiewe denke nie. Hulle kan nie oordeel, selekteer en kies wat hulle wil doen nie. Hulle gedrag kan eerder

>> Philip Kemp toegeskryf word aan blote instink en kondisionering - soos om vir kos te jag, te broei, en hulself en hul kleintjies te verdedig en te beskerm. Tog sal baars nie altyd die gedrag openbaar waaroor ons noodwendig in boeke lees nie. Op so ‘n snikhete dag het my seun Maurice in vyf meter diep, vuil water ‘n bo-loper holplastiekpadda in die middel van die dag gehengel. Ek was verbaas oor sy tegniek en wou hom nog reghelp, omrede boeke sê dit word net nie in sulke toestande gedoen nie. Nouja, toe daardie baars sy opwagting maak om sy aas te inspekteer, en op die koop toe nog ‘n groter een op sy hakke volg en die kleiner baars verjaag, het ek besef dat ons met baars altyd die onverwagse kan verwag.

Die krag en spoed

Baie warm toestande kan soms vir ‘n verrassing sorg

waarmee ’n baars jou aas kan gryp het my ook al telkemale verstom. So ‘n paar jaar gelede was rooi hoeke net die ding om mee te hengel. Ek was maar bra skepties oor die nuwe uitvindsel ,maar het tog die nuutjie ook uitprobeer. Saam met ‘n goeie vriend op sy boot, natuurlik in diep gesprek, het ek pas my plastiek-aas van die rooi gekleurde hoek afgehaal. My stok se punt was natuurlik oor die kant van die boot met die rooi hoek wat skaars ‘n paar sentimeters aasloos in die water hang. Toe ek my weer kon kry, begin my visstok koers kies na die kant van die boot toe. ‘n Baars het die rooi hoek vir ‘n lekker versnapering aangesien en besluit om te proe. Natuurlik was daar chaos op die boot. Wie wil dan nou sien hoe sy visstok in die donker dieptes verdwyn. Ek kon die stok net betyds red voor dit oor die kant van die boot verdwyn het. So het ek ook al ‘n baars kon vang in uiters moeilike toestande, koue nat reënweer, met vloede regoor die land, en dit sonder ‘n visstok. Ja, jy het reg gelees, sonder ‘n visstok. Ek en my seun was op ons eie opblaasboot saam met ‘n bekende hengelvriend by ‘n privaatdam in die Donkerhoek omgewing, toe ‘n baars uit die vlak watergras uit die water binne in ons boot spring. Weereens konsternasie, want met beide my en Maurice se lyne in die water, kon ons nie mooi verstaan waar die baars dan nou so skielik vandaan kom nie. Die ongeloof by beide van ons was opmerklik, maar toe Maurice snap wat gebeur het, kon hy sy lag nie keer nie. Ek het die baars triomfantlik in die lug gehou en kon daarna vir almal wat leef en beef vertel dat ek ’n baars met my boot gevang het. Die krag en spoed waarmee ’n baars jou aas kan gryp het my ook al

telkemale verstom. Op ’n uitstappie saam met vriende by ’n privaatdam in die Vrystaat gedurende September, in die broeiseisoen, het my bootmaat so sleg tweede gekom. Sy stok is met brute krag uit sy hande geruk en het sonder seremonie in die dieptes verdwyn. Sy stok en katrol het ek toevallig ’n uur of wat later op die bodem sien blink en vir hom uitgeduik. Nodeloos om te sê, Johnny Morris stokke is beslis nie goedkoop nie. So het ek ook in ysige, koue wintertemperature, waar menigte kenners vir jou sal sê dis onmoontlik om ’n baars te vang, nie minder nie as veertig baars in twee dae gevang. Dit is ook in sulke toestande, waar die boeke en slim geleerdes beweer dat die hengel swaar en moeilik gaan wees, wat die werklik groter baars hulle opwagting sal maak. Somtyds betaal dit om links van die regering te wees en opsetlik anders te wees as die ander hengelaars. Ons het nie altyd wind nodig om swaailemme te hengel nie. Ons het nie altyd nodig om nog stadiger te hengel as die baars moeilik byt nie. Daarvan kan groot hengelaars soos Kevin VanDam getuig. Hy sal somtyds juis vinniger hengel, wat vir meeste hengelaars absurd sou klink. Kyk soms net met ’n ander oog na jou tegnieke en maniere van hengel en probeer ten minste op een uitstappie net iets anders. Gaan sit ’n aand

voor die tyd met al jou hengelgerei en identifiseer die tegnieke wat jy lanklaas probeer hengel het. Sodra jy so ’n bietjie deur daardie lank vergete gerei rondkrap, gaan jy heel moontlik weer op iets afkom wat ’n paar jaar gelede vir jou groot sukses gebring het. Onthou dat ’n verandering soms net so goed soos ’n vakansie is. Lekker hengel en moet nie vergeet nie, EKSPERIMENTEER!

Daardie laaste gooi net voor jy huis toe gaan lewer altyd ‘n verrassing of twee op SA BASS 31 December 2016

>> SA BASS KAYAKING

The Revolution Is Coming!

The Hobie World Champions is well organised

>> Dewald Viljoen*

s I sit here writing this article I have to admit I am confused! In recent months South African salt water kayakers have twice broken the magical 40kg mark for couta and only yesterday a kayaker landed two monster GT’s. According to manufacturer’s the sales of fishing kayaks for saltwater use are constantly increasing and kayak only tournaments are popping up along the coast, and yet, we as freshwater kayak anglers remain woefully under represented. If you are reading this magazine I think it’s safe to say that, like me, you are a bass angler first and boater or a bank angler second. As bass anglers, our ancestral home (at least in spirit and believe) is surely the USA. Everything we love and respect about our sport had its origin in the United States, which is why I find the fact that we are not embracing the sport of kayak fishing whole heartedly very perplexing. In the last few months, several Elite and FLW pro’s like Mike Iaconelli and Randy Howell have signed deals 32 SA BASS December 2016

with kayak manufacturers and started fishing kayak trials. Even the B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year, Gerald Swindle’s love of kayaks is well documented, yet our local market seems reluctant to appreciate the beauty and simplicity of these awesome fishing platforms. Well, it is said that competition drives progress, so let’s have a look at the competitive kayaking scene in the States and see what if we can shake things up locally. Before we go any further, it is important to understand that kayak angling worldwide mirrors motorized boat sales in terms of use and application. While dedicated bassing kayaks are growing faster than any other segment in the bassing industry the vast majority of fishing kayak sales are still for general fishing purposes. The beauty of a kayak though is that because of its simplicity, size and versatility, one is seldom locked into a specific species or angling style when buying a kayak, which creates many opportunities to discover new thrills and adventures! As is usually the case in life, a growth in interest and participation leads to competition,

and in the case of kayaks it led to a whole industry of competition! At first the tournaments were for the entry level angler who did not have the resources for a big boat, then as those types of tournaments increased manufacturers came on board with better products to improve the small craft angler’s experience, which led to more people competing and again to better equipment. The result is what is currently happening i.e. massive tournament circuits with huge prizes and professional paddle anglers. To try to understand the appeal of kayak tournaments we should take an in-depth look at what’s happening. Working from the bottom up we will start with club tournaments. Because kayaks are incredibly affordable compared to big boats, clubs have mushroomed up all over the world, with the USA, Canada, Mexico and Australia all showing strong membership figures. Club anglers are usually divided into two groups namely the paddlers and the motorized kayakers. At club level there is not really a difference between the

two since most tournaments happen in a social environment and there is no really difference in speed and range on smaller waters. The rules are generally very similar to regular bass tournaments with only two major differences. First is that there are no specific launch area. The anglers meet at a pre-arranged point for the captains meeting, sort out the formalities such as identifier tags and local regulations and then head off to launch at a site convenient to their fishing areas. At the end of the fishing day everyone meets again at the pre arranged point for the “weigh in” before the cut off time. The second major difference is the “weigh in”. Kayak tournaments do not rely on weight to determine a winner but on total length. Since kayaks don’t have live-wells tournaments rely on a catch, photograph and release format. Measurement takes place on a standardized measuring board and the angler is expected to take a picture of his or her fish showing the entire fish, a clear view of the measuring marks and a tournament identifier tag. Tournament tags are issued randomly before each competition and must show clearly

in every photograph submitted to proof that the catch happened on the tournament day. Every angler can hand in photos up to the tournament limit and within tournament size limits. Once a photo is submitted the fish is considered “weighed” and cannot be “culled”. The weighmaster will calculate the total length of each angler’s bag and the longest length wins. From conservation viewpoint this format is very efficient as fish are only out of the water for a brief moment before being released right back where it was caught, greatly decreasing the risk of death or injury. Club tournaments are grassroots and are where most anglers get started. The next level is regional and national level tournaments. These share the same basic rules except that in most cases the anglers are exclusively allowed to paddle their crafts. No motor or pedal drives. Recently the regional tournament also added a twist with online tournaments. It is indeed a strange concept but it has proven highly successful and very popular. In very broad strokes, an online tournament work as follows. You log onto a web site and select a tournament

in your region. A tournament can run from one day to four weeks and you are only allowed to enter the bag limit for a certain number of days. In other words, over a four week period you can for instance enter five fish for consideration. They can however only be caught over four fishing days that fell within the four week period. The four days don’t have to be nominated and they don’t have to be consecutive and you are not limited to fishing only four days but at least two of you fish must come from the same day. Now this might seem strange when one is used to fishing regular tournaments but the format has brought thousands of new anglers to the sport by being incredibly flexible and user friendly. The top of the pyramid is obviously international tournaments. While these are still in their early days and bass fishing do not have a dedicated Kayak World Championship, it is only a matter of time before it happens. The two major world championships at the moment are the Hobie World Champions and The Adventure Fishing World Championship. The Hobie tournament has been around for six years and last year saw several entries with only 48 anglers from 27 countries qualifying, making it one of the toughest tournament entries in the world to make. The Adventure Fishing World Championship on the other hand is fairly easy to enter but is a team event that will require a 30km plus paddle everyday with checkpoints, time trials and fishing thrown in the mix to make it probably the all round toughest fishing tournament on earth! The days of kayaks being the poor cousin of fishing in general, are numbered. Our boats are faster, lighter, stronger and cheaper than the alternatives and kayakers are breaking fishing frontiers everywhere. It is only a matter of time before we will be paddling for bass all over Southern Africa! The revolution is coming! Resistance is futile! *Dewald Viljoen is sponsored by Canoe & Kayak Centre, the owner of Hot Reels Service Centre, partner and designer at AfriBaits. SA BASS 33 December 2016

LIVEWELL

MATCHUPS WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST FISH?

SL: Probably a bass that I caught with my dad, Troy, and grandpa, Larry LeHew.

HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU FISHED YOUR FIRST TOURNAMENT?

SL: I was about 12 and started fishing with the FLW/TBF Junior Angler Program.

ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10, HOW WOULD YOU RATE LEDGE FISHING? SL: I usually start out with confidence and it slowly dwindles. I will say about a 6.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FISHERY?

SL: Lake Guntersville. I’ve been there a few times with college fishing, and we won there and got second another time.

BESIDES BASS, WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SPECIES TO CATCH?

SL: I like catching stripers, but I haven’t fished for anything but bass for at least five years.

ARE YOU A HUNTER?

SL: I have in the past but don’t have time for it now. We stay busy fishing tournaments all fall and winter here around Lake Norman, and I’d much rather be fishing.

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU WERE FORCED TO MOVE TO NEW YORK CITY? SL: I would be scared. I’m definitely not a big city guy.

IF YOU WEREN’T A PRO FISHERMAN, WHERE WOULD YOU WORK?

SL: I went to college for criminal justice, so maybe a detective.

WHO WOULD YOU RATHER TAKE FISHING: KANYE WEST OR KIM KARDASHIAN? SL: I would have to say Kim. I don’t like Kanye and his attitude.

Shane

LEHEW

34 SA BASS

December 2016

Mooresville, N.C.

COMPARING AND CONTRASTING by Tyler Brinks TOP FLW ANGLERS PHOTOS BY D.W. REED II

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST FISH?

JC: A bluegill, fishing with my dad, Reddy.

HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU FISHED YOUR FIRST TOURNAMENT?

JC: It was a bank-fishing derby, and I won it. It was by total length. Everyone else was fishing for bluegills, and I caught a shiner that was longer.

ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10, HOW WOULD YOU RATE LEDGE FISHING? JC: I love doing it, just not in tournaments. I would say a 5.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FISHERY?

JC: Lake Champlain, because you can catch largemouths or smallmouths and fish from 4 inches to 40 feet deep and still catch them.

BESIDES BASS, WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SPECIES TO CATCH?

JC: Anything in saltwater. They fight so much harder, and you never know what you’ll catch.

ARE YOU A HUNTER?

JC: I went one time, and we got a 12-foot gator on the St. Johns River. Swamp People makes it look easy, but it’s hard work. It was unbelievable how hard it was.

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU WERE FORCED TO MOVE TO NEW YORK CITY? JC: I’ve never been there, but went to Chicago and hated it. I was out of my element.

IF YOU WEREN’T A PRO FISHERMAN, WHERE WOULD YOU WORK?

JC: I would probably be working at Walmart or someplace like that.

WHO WOULD YOU RATHER TAKE FISHING: KANYE WEST OR KIM KARDASHIAN? JC: Jeez, that’s a hard one. I’d probably be sick that day so I didn’t have to go.

John

DeBary, Fla.

COX

SA BASS 35 December 2016

>> SA BASS TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Champion-of-Champions 2016

Champion-of-Champions: 18.31kg; Team Blue Water Gear - Lesley Montgomery en Frans Swanepoel

>> Hannes Lindeque Die SA BASS Cast-for-Cash is ‘n swartbaarhengeltoernooi sedert 2001 en word maandeliks in drie streke aangebied naamlik Gauteng, Mpumalanga en Limpopo. Elke maand neem spanne bestaande uit twee hengelaars deel op verskillende damme en die swaarste vyf sakke vir die dag wen prysgeld. Dit is ‘n oop kompetisie en deelnemers hoef nie aan enige klub te behoort om te mag deelneem nie. Die doel is om kompeterende hengelaars ‘n geleentheid te gee om georganiseerd en op gelyke vlak teen ander hengelaars te kompeteer met die klem op spanverband. Deur die seisoen word punte aan die spanne se gewigte gekoppel en die top 30% van die spanne in elke streek se Grand Prix ranglys kry die geleentheid om aan die jaarlikse Championof-Champions deel te neem. Vanjaar se eindstryd was oor twee dae gehou op De Hoopdam, duskant Steelpoort in Limpopo. Die Vrydag was die amptelike oefendag om diegene wat nog nooit die dam besoek het nie, ‘n kans te gee om die dam te verken. 36 SA BASS December 2016

Vrydagaand was die verwelkoming en registrasie van spanne wat opgedaag het. Vanjaar was daar altesaam ses dames wat deelgeneem het en waarvan Chanelle Stewart hoog swanger was. Die belangrikste reëls is weer onder die deelnemers se aandag gebring asook die wegspringtye en wegspringplekke van die spanne. Saterdagoggend was die spanne in rep en roer met Span GR82Fish wat reeds omstreeks 03:00 die kamp verlaat het om hulle boot te lanseer. Al die bote was op die oostelike oewer gerangskik volgens hulle wegspringposisies, die “tags” en bootvlaggies is uitgedeel en die bote se “live-wells” is nagegaan. Twintig minute voor die amptelike wegspringtyd was almal gereed vir die dag en is die bote afgesit. Die wegtrek is altyd iets om te beleef en daar was groot opgewondenheid onder die hengelaars soos hulle mekaar verbyjaag vir die beste hengelplekke.

Net soos verlede jaar was dit weer Span D.A.M. (Frik & Vaughn Jonker) wat die eerste vis kom inweeg het wat die skaal op 2.17kg laat rus het. Daarmee het hulle weer R500 kontant gewen. De Hoop is in ‘n vallei geleë en die son het dooierus op almal gevat. Dit was ‘n wolklose dag en die kwik het tot 42ºC gestyg met warm winde wat waai. Danksy Talisman Hire Tubatse op Steelpoort se bedagsaamheid kon die organiseerders gerieflik onder ‘n gazebo in die skaduwee sit en het ons amblusiegeriewe gehad. Nie dat daar veel rus was nie, want kort-kort het ‘n span kom inweeg. Skielik, uit die bloute het ses vliegtuie verskyn en ‘n kort lugvertoning vir die hengelaars gehou. Dit was asemrowend om die manne se waaghals in lewende lywe te kon beleef, maar die span wat die naaste aan die aksie was, was Steve en Charl Engelbrecht. Die vliegtuie het aan beide kante van hulle boot verbygevlieg en Charl het sy bes probeer om dit op video af te neem. Die oomblik was net te groot! In totaal was daar 222 visse vir die dag ingeweeg met ‘n gemiddelde gewig van 1.152kg per vis wat teleurstellend was. De Hoop is bekend vir die hoeveelheid groot visse wat die dam oplewer, maar die mens se vergryping van die voorreg om te kan hengel is besig om te wys. Selfs onder die deelnemers was dit skokkend om te sien hoe lank van die spanne, wat kwansuis so bekommerd is oor “bewaring”, gewag het voordat hulle die vis ingebring het. Teen die einde van die dag het die top tien spanne almal vyf visse geweeg en was hulle totale gewig 86.96kg met Span Xterminator, Andy Kyriacoudes en Riaan Bam, se swaartse sak van 10.870kg. Sondagoggend het alles glad verloop en het die veld om presies 05:00 weggetrek. Die hengeltyd was beperk, want teen 10:00 moes almal se “tags” op die bord wees. Die inweegstasie was heeltwat stiller en die visse kleiner. Die son het weer genadeloos op ons almal toegesak en van die spanne het ‘n uur voor die tyd begin inkom – moeg en moedeloos. Vir die dag was 142 visse geweeg; gemiddelde gewig was 0.971kg en die swaarste sak van 10.45kg is deur Span Beli Tomato, Wayne en Billy Eastman, geweeg. Die top 10 sakke se gesamentlike gewig vir die dag was 60.04kg gewees.

Tweede plek: 18.18kg; Team Beli Tomato - Billy en Wayne Eastman

Die prysuitdeling was kort na die inweeg gehou en prysgeld tot en met die tiende plek is uitbetaal, asook vele ander gelukkige trekkings. Twee swaarvis pryse is uitgedeel wat gewen is deur Andy Kyriacoudes met sy vis van 2.92kg wat Saterdag gevang en Bennie Wiese se vis van 2.52kg wat Sondag gevang is. Die span wat die beste terugveggees gehad het was Span Abu met Nardus Harmse en Jasmine Bronson. Jasmine het Saterdag een vis van 260gram geweeg en Sondag ‘n sak van 2.09kg, wat haar R1,000 in die sak gebring het. Daarmee saam het sy ook ‘n visstok en pet vanaf 13Fishing ontvang. Nog ‘n stok geborg deur 13Fishing is tong in die kies aan Chanelle oorhandig vir die toekomstige baarshengelaartjie wat binnekort verwag word. Uiteindelik was dit tyd om vanjaar se wenners aan te kondig. Met slegs ‘n voorsprong van 130 gram het Span Blue Water Gear, Frans Swanepoel en Lesley Montgomery die titel voor Span Belly Tomato weggeraap. Albei spanne het hard gewerk, hulle beste gelewer en het sakke van oor die 18kg oor twee dae geweeg. Blue Water Gear se wenresep was as volg: “On pre-fishing the tournament we noticed that there were going to be three different patterns; Early morning top water action; late morning between 4 to 8ft and mid-day deep between 12 to 40ft. We managed to find schools of yellow and kurper bait fish and knew that the bass will be close by. We found a shallow point with deep water on both sides and bait fish migrating over this point from one bay to the other on a certain route. Every time the bait fish crossed there were good size bass following them. On both days we started off with top water lures and without fail it gave us our first fish on the boat. Lesley played a high risk game and fished a stickbait in the openings between the trees on Saturday and landed three 2kg fish within thirty minutes. Because the conditions were wind still and very hot the fish moved off to the deeper water between 12 to 40ft from 10am. The key was to pitch the outer (deeper) visible trees and when that did not work we moved to 35 - 40ft water and landed two keepers. On Sunday we abandoned the 40ft water tactic as this was slow fishing and we needed to get five fish at 8am. We had a small limit on the boat. In the dying moments at 09:30 Frans landed a 2kg in 12ft water. At 09:45 another 1.3kg was landed to cull out our small fish - so never give up! Lures used included top water, stickbaits, crankbaits and soft plastics.

Derde plek met 15.36kg; Team Knotts Wolf Evinrude Joe Mendes en Bennie Wiese SA BASS 37 December 2016

Die swaarste tien sakke was as volg gewees: 1e

18.31kg

Team Blue Water Gear

Frans Swanepoel & Lesley Montgomery

18.18kg

Team Beli Tomato

Wayne & Billy Eastman

15.36kg

Team Knotts Wolf Evinrude

Joe Mendes & Bennie Wiese

14.85kg

Team Xterminator

Andy Kyriacoudes & Riaan Bam

14.03kg

Team Never Give Up

AndrĂŠ Pretorius & Tony Ernst

13.23kg

Team Go Fish Custom Baits

Buks Human & Louis Cooper

13.12kg

Team DO-MI-NUM

Attie Barnard & Lambert Fourie

12.75kg

Team Vortex

Divan Coetzee & Rowan Zerf

11.58kg

Team Bee Gee

te Tony Lagesen & Gareth Dryden

10e

11.57kg

Team Bass Masjien

Dewald Pretorius & Jaco vd Merwe

Die volledige uitslae is op ons webwerf www.sabass.com te sien Baie dankie aan al die hengelaars wat die seisoen deelgeneem het en ook aan die borge by vanjaar se Champion-of-Champions; 8-TREK ointment, 13Fishing, Brentoni Eyeware, JV Hydraulics, Kroko, Loskop Forever Resorts, OppieKoppie Bass Farm en Talisman Hire Tubatse. Die nuwe Cast-for-Cash seisoen het in November 2016 begin en

Vaughn Jonker met die eerste vis van die toernooi â&#x20AC;&#x201C; nes laasjaar

Nardus Harmse en Jasmine Bronson het die beste terugveggees gehad 38 SA BASS December 2016

die streke wat deelneem is Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, KwaZulu Natal, Suid-Kaap en Wes-Kaap. Hengelaars wat belangstel om deel te neem moet aan die maandelikse Cast-for-Cash kwalifiseringsrondtes deelneem om te kwalifiseer vir die FLW Kampioenskappe wat in Julie 2017 gaan plaasvind. Besoek asb ons webwerf www.sabass.com vir meer inligting.

Andy Kyriacoudes met sy vis van 2.92kg

Lesley en Frans se sak het Saterdag 10.58kg geweeg

O So Close!

>> SA BASS INTERNATIONAL

The author with a nice size keeper

Black Bass World Championships Portugal 2016 >> Rudi Dreyer

he Protea Team selected to represent South Africa at the Black Bass World Championships in Portugal had high aspirations and was willing to put in whatever effort was required in terms of time and money. The team consisted of captain Pierre van der Merwe, Justy Varkevisser, August Lignau, Charlton Hewitt, Richard Eldridge, I and we had two managers, Mike Milligan and Hennie du Preez. The venue for the World Champs was the massive Alqueva Dam in Portugal. It is the largest man made dam in the whole of Europe and too big for anyone to ever discover all its secrets. Pierre, Justy, Hennie, Mike and I took a week of to go pre-

40 SA BASS December 2016

fish. We felt that without this on a venue like Alqueva we could not be competitive. The pre-fish in itself was very challenging. Mike arranged boat hire through the official channels but when we arrived the company from who we hired the boats insisted that we cannot get the boats without a Portuguese skipper. This meant that we had to pre-fish with a local guy sitting on the boat watching our every move. The bass in Alqueva are also different to our bass. I spent my first day scanning for offshore honey holes and found some really nice stuff that I would get very excited about, but when we fished it we could only catch zander. We later realised that bass is

not the top predator in Alqueva and the top spots are mostly occupied by predators with sharp teeth. There is also a bait fish that was introduced to Alqueva called the common bleak. This is an open water schooling fish and the preferred food source for bass in Alqueva. All of this meant that the bass are all roaming fish swimming after baitfish and any area where we found them today did not necessarily work tomorrow or even an hour from now. We identified that in the main dam section wind direction plaid a major role as the wind positions the baitfish. We did well targeting windblown points and banks. We also found that when we moved into creeks where we found baitfish, the

bass where hanging out on grass edges if deep water was close by. The best way to target these fish was to move fast and use reaction baits like lipless cranks and spinner baits. After returning home from the pre-fish we learned that one of our skippers was actually the captain of the Portuguese team. So much for having anything for ourselves. But excitement build as we prepared everything including taking our own electronics. Hennie and Justy made it possible for us so that each boat run a Lowrance HDS-12 unit with the maps we build plus a Humminbird360 on the front of the boat. Without an electronic map it is not possible to navigate on Alqueva. It is just too big. Finally, the time came and the eight of us were on our way to the World Champs. This was one of my life ambitions as South Africa did not participate in World Champ events when I did art lure. We arrived a couple of days early to get everything sorted and build team spirit. The first two nonfishing days we had three meetings a day under captain Pierre and we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to get on the water. On the practice days we discovered that the main dam points and banks were common areas frequented by many boats and they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to hold the right size fish. But the fish were still in the creeks as before and the still ate the spinnerbait. Our plan was very simple - put the trolling motor on maximum; grab a spinnerbait rod, target grass banks with deep water close by and cover as much water as possible. None of the other teams were covering water at the speed we did and because the fish were roaming this gave us a distinct advantage. Unfortunately, we all still had Portuguese skippers on our boats. Day one finally arrived and our 25-minute run with our 17 foot Triton and 115 horse power outboard to where we wanted to start felt like forever. I was fishing SA BASS 53 November 2016

Justy Varkevisser showing what a high speed spinnerbait can do around grass banks

The South African team ready for action

with Charlton, Justy with Richy and Piere with August. We used Whatsup for communication but also has satellite phone for an emergency. Things started slow on our boat and we struggled to get going. We were probably making between fifty and a hundred cast for one bite with the spinnerbait but it was the only way we could target better fish. Late morning Charlton landed three 1kg plus fish in half an hour and we were looking good. After weigh-in Mike went to the captains meeting and the rest of us went to a restaurant for dinner. Mike sent us the scores via Whats-up from the meeting. We were leading after day one. South Africa and Portugal had the same points but SA had higher weight and therefore leading. Suddenly we all realised we could actually win this thing! Our boat weighed the second biggest bag for the day. Day two was not kind to us. We followed the same tactics and had our chances but things didn’t go our 42 SA BASS December 2016

O so close!

way. Justy lost a big fish with the spinnerbait breaking in half; Charlton had a 2kg fish throwing the spinnerbait on the second jump and I lost a 1kg fish towards the end of the day. After the points were tallied we were seven points behind Portugal. The rest of the countries were way behind so our silver was secured but we had to put in a humongous effort to catch Portugal. On the last day, Pierre and August put together a big bag but our other two boats just didn’t run into the big fish we required. My boat’s skipper also shared one of our spots where we left some fish behind and I was highly upset to find the captain of Portugal on the spot when we arrived. Portugal also adapted our game plan for the last day. I think it is a big feather in our cap that the locals that fish that dam more than a hundred times a year had to change to our pattern to try and stay ahead. I was quite disappointed when we came of the water but was soon notified by my team mates that

it was going to be very close. At the last weigh-in things ended up so close that we could not foresee who was going to win until the officials did all their final calculations. Portugal won by only two points! We had the biggest overall weight; we won two out of the three days but still came second. South Africa won the last day by five points and was terribly disappointed. Make no mistake; we are very happy winning silver at the World Champs but it was just to close. All the odds were against us and the home team had a huge advantage but we came within two points of being World Champions. Damn! It is an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life and one that I can recommend for any bass angler that ever gets the opportunity. SA BASS and our readers congratulate our Protea Team on their almost first place – but still you did us proud. Well done! – Ed.

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

04 - 10 December 2016 We at SA BASS are inviting all avid young anglers between the ages of 7-16 years to join us for loads of fun and adventure. Venue: Boskoors Farm, 30km North of Pretoria on the Moloto Road.

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

Juniors

Southern Division

>> SA BASS SABAA NEWS

Luke Kloppers

>> Luke Kloppers

y first practice on Mokolo Dam was much awaited and was the only thing on my mind for weeks. Mokolo is overall my favourite dam and Jason Harrison and I were pumped up to be on our way. On arriving at the camping site on Wednesday afternoon the amazing body of water that normally invited us was replaced with about 300m of sandy beach. The dam was about 5.5m low but it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t break our spirits. 44 SA BASS December 2016

That night after setting up camp, Jason and I tied our rods and put together a plan for the morning. I could hardly sleep that night from the nerves and my excitement showed in the morning when I woke up almost an hour before my alarm went off at 4:30! Our plan for the morning was to get as far up the river as possible in search of oxygenated water and hopefully schools of fish busting in the shallows. (We were very optimistic!)

We found that the water ended about 200m past the island on the left as you make your way up the river and the water was dirty with 40cm visibility. The fishing was not what we anticipated. We worked our way back toward the dam wall stopping at all the areas that produced in the past and the water got a lot cleaner as you moved closer to the main dam with 12ft visibility in the main dam. We were getting fish on every spot

we stopped at but our bag was only around 4kg. Almost all the fish were keepers but seldom broke the 700 gram mark with non over 1.4kg, which is very uncharacteristic of Mokolo. The shallows did not produce as expected with nothing sizeable. All our better fish came a bit deeper on steeper banks… the steeper the better. We caught fish on grubs pitched into gaps in the cliffs. We caught good fish on old rockslides and pitching trees with black and blue jigs. We caught fish on weightless flukes and jerkbaits in a colour we found while matching the colour of the baitfish that would get snagged on my jerkbait as I worked it through a bait ball. We managed to put a good plan together and were getting closer to 6kg bags. On the last morning Jason and I went out leaving my dad to start break up camp. We gave the shallows one last chance knowing that if they did move up it would be a winning pattern. And they did! We landed an 8kg bag with two fish over 2kg and a 2.5kg kicker all in 3ft of water. (This was the morning after a sudden thunder shower). On the comp morning Jason and I both went to the shallow area we found on the last morning. Unfortunately the wind was pumping and made it impossible for me to fish the bank like I wanted to. I finally abandoned the shallows after wasting an hour when the fish had moved deeper due to the cold front that the wind was bringing in. I went straight for a steep bank in clear water where I was hidden from the 40km/h gusts. The fishing was a lot tougher than I expected and I had wasted the prime morning hour on a spot with no fish. I had only one fish by 10am. I moved toward the main dam in search of deeper water where I was hidden from the wind (that would pull your line leaving your bait skipping along the surface). A good spot in practice was a cliff in the main dam that was giving good shelter from the wind. On my first pass I caught one good fish of about 900g on a jerk but I

could feel the fish looking at my bait. I just had a feeling about the spot so I persisted with a baitfish coloured junior fluke rigged weightless. I made my casts against the cliff, left it to so sink and gave it small twitches in between long pauses. In about half an hour fishing it on 8lb line I landed three fish of a kilo each. This vastly boosted my confidence and I replicated this for the rest of the day while the fishing was difficult. This got me another 700 gram fish and a 1.5kg fish near the dam wall. I went back to the cliff in the afternoon and landed a 2.5kg fish on jerk and dropped a 1.2kg plus. I ended up with a 7.44kg bag the first day leaving me 1.5kg ahead of second place. The next day I expected the fishing to be better with the wind dying down and the cold front passing. So I stuck with the jerkbait the whole day in search of some better fish. I fished the same areas and the dying wind gave me a chance to fish my jerkbait slowly. Apart from losing three fish of about 1kg, it got me a 4kg bag (keeping in mind that weigh-in was at noon) that put me in second place for the second day and about 1kg behind first place. The fishing had definitely changed and by changing my plan accordingly it got me a first place for the competition and I felt I was perfectly in tune with the dam. This competition definitely solidified my love. I must give huge thanks to my dad, family and Ian Geldard. My dad is always willing to spend the time on the water with me and Ian Geldard organised the entire season with great success. He has really brought Southern Division together and the bond fires and team braais are a highlight at every outing. We are a “family” and it is an excellent environment to compete and most importantly have a blast. Divisionals has helped me grow in the sport and has shaped my passion for it. I recommend it to any avid junior fisherman that wants to take bass fishing to the next level.

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Kampioenskappe

Inter-provinsiale

>> Wessel du Toit*

ie jaarlikse inter-provinsialekampioenskappe het vanjaar in Oktober op Loskopdam plaasgevind. Die toernooi was verteenwoordig deur elf van die sestien hengelprovinsies, met 44 bote en 88 hengelaars, bestaande uit sewe pa-en-seun en een man-envrou kombinasie; elkeen opsoek na sy persoonlike beste en maksimum punte vir sy provinsie. Maandag was “scanning” dag, waar bote se COF’s en COC’s nagegaan is om te verseker dat dit voldoen aan al die nodige vereistes. Later die middag was dit registrasie, asook al die ander nodige dokumentasie wat afgehandel moes word, soos toekenning van bootnommers en watter spanne in watter vlug wegtrek - rooi, blou en groen ens.

46 SA BASS December 2016

Maandagaand was dit ook die verwelkomingsbraai by die lapa waar al die provinsies se “rookies” bekendgestel en ingelyf is. Daar was in totaal 29 nuwelinge, met Zululand wat 5 nuwelinge bekend gestel het. Dinsdag was die amptelike oefendag en bote moes alreeds teen 05:30 op hul plekke wees vir “live-well” inspeksie en uitdeel van “tags”. Teen Dinsdagmiddag was almal baie positief oor die vis wat gesien is en bewerings wat gemaak is, soos; “ek gaan my PB die week vang”. Die waterhelderheid was baie skoon en die bodem was sigbaar tot op 5 meter. Woensdag om 04:00 was daar alreeds van die hengelaars gereed om bote te lanseer en beamptes op hul pos om te help. Mpumalanga het koffie en beskuit gereed gehad. Dit was ‘n warm dag en teen 15:00 het die kwik op 38ºC gestaan. G’n wonder van die meer bejaarde hengelaars van Noord-Natal, Dave Thompson en Jon Swart, was teen 10:00 reeds van die water af, maar bygesê; met hul sak van vis. Die weegstasie was deurentyd besig gewees met mooi vis wat ingeweeg is. Vis van oor die 3kg was ingebring. Mike Steyn, die toernooi-organiseerder, het seker gemaak alles verloop seepglad en die uitslae was lewendig te sien op die webwerf waar almal dit kon besigtig en mense tuis kon dus die nodige aanmoediging gee. Donderdag het aangebreek en was aansienlik koeler, met die gevolg dat minder visse geweeg is. Vir die dag was 110 visse geweeg, die gemiddelde gewig was 1.57kg en die gemiddelde sak was 4.8kg. Vrydag was die laaste dag van die kompetisie en elke

Pryse vir die grootste vis: 1

Natal Midlands

3.785kg

Mpumalanga

3.765kg

Natal Midlands

3.725kg

span was gereed. Mpumalanga en Gauteng-Noord was kop aan kop, maar die punte vir die dag was weerhou as verrassing by die prysuitdelingsfunksie. Teen 16:00 was al die hengelaars van die water af en is daar gereed gemaak vir die groot partytjie by Loskopdam.

Baie geluk aan Mpumalanga wat met 5.79 gewen het! Spesiale dank aan Mpumalanga wat ook die gasheer provinsie was en gesorg het dat niks skeefloop nie. Dit was voorwaar â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n eer en voorreg gewees om deel te wees van julle span en spesiale dank aan Mike Steyn wat van vroeg-oggend tot laat-aand op sy pos was. Sien julle volgende jaar op Clanwilliam. *Wessel du Toit is self â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n ervare provinsiale swartbaarhengelaar en die organiseerder van die Limpopo Cast-for-Cash swartbaarhengeltoernooie.

Die finale stand van sake was as volg: Position

Division

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Total

Mpumalanga

60.490

34.605

28.130

123.225

Gauteng North

46.565

45.820

25.050

117.435

Natal Midlands

44.780

32.130

22.570

99.480

Central Gauteng

41.115

29.815

23.315

94.245

Western Province

51.495

25.600

16.165

93.260

Coastal Highway

35.735

29.065

27.435

92.235

Northern Natal

47.640

13.385

27.045

88.070

Eastern Province

37.125

15.655

11.950

64.730

Natal Coastals

23.725

16.405

17.610

57.740

Zululand

17.565

29.470

9.665

56.700

Limpopo

41.820

11.075

0.000

52.895

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SA BASS 47 December 2016

>> SA BASS BASICS

48 SA BASS December 2016

Our country is stricken by one of the worst droughts ever and the question is: “When will it rain again?” >> Hendrik

ight now rain is in a big demand and we can only pray for grace. The drought is making things tough for every one and it doesn’t seem that it will be getting better anytime soon. The drought will impact all our lives in more than one way. Prices will soar on everything, food, fuel, luxuries and it might even impact the prices of admission at our favourite fishing waters. It will impact absolutely everything! This drought has been one of the worst I can recall and in the last couple of years it was brutal. I really have compassion for our farmers and people with no access to running water. As everything else we as anglers have been hit just as hard, our favourite dams are at their lowest water levels. Apparently Rhenosterkop Dam is at 14%, and the Vaal Dam is almost at a critical 25% - not to mention the other dams in our country. (The water level displayed as a percentage can be very misleading; deduct from this given number the amount of sludge that has washed into the dams; also deduct an estimate volume of the remaining fish population - then you will really be alarmed! – Ed) So what is the impact to bass fishing you might ask? For starters it is going to make fishing more difficult. The heat and the dropping water levels are forcing bass to move much deeper and they will suspend much more often than normal. The baitfishes are going to scatter to cooler waters and the bass will follow which in return will make them more difficult to find.

This is now where your situation awareness is going to kick in. You will have to track down the bass in areas where you have never fished before. Having good electronics will improve your chances because when fishing dropping water levels you will have to rely on your electronics to find fish. On locating bait fish try and find nearby structure where the bass might be hiding. If you can’t find any bait fish; don’t even bother fishing the area. Tough fishing conditions made technology a “must have”. Any type of equipment like the ones that generate bait fish sounds will come in handy. I have one and must admit that it boosted my number of fish in these tough conditions dramatically. Using the device will attract bait fish and activate the bass given the right circumstances, especially when the bass are lethargic. I have also resorted to using my Lowrance 7 Chirp with Down-Scan to locate individual fish and target them. This Down-Scan has helped me to distinguish between fish and structure which improved my much needed success in the last couple of months. With this device you can see exactly what’s going on beneath your boat. When fishing vertically I will use a drop shot rig. With the help of your electronics you will be able to see what dept the fish are or if they are suspended. By keeping the boat in position and dangling the bait right in front of the bass will make it very hard for them to ignore the scrumptious little morsels. It will even draw the

nearby bass in. Target isolated fish at different depths and keep your eye on the fish finder. Your chances are very good to catch that bass. In my experience I have found that it is more worthwhile spending time in locating bait fish than to fish familiar spots where the bass used to be. Yes, it will not be easy but think of it this way; you will gain more experience and learn a few new tricks. The most important thing when fishing tough conditions – it is all about your attitude.

A prayer for rain: Our Father in heaven; the earth is thirsty for rain and we wait for you to refresh the land and all its creatures, the rivers and lakes, the crops and gardens. Send us abundant rain, we pray, and teach us to be better stewards of all the blessings you provide; in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

SA BASS 49 December 2016

>> SA BASS D.I.Y.

Homemade Top Water Rat Many anglers wonder if it is worthwhile to create their own lures.

What do you think?

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4 >> Luke Eberhardt*

oing through the process of building my own lure or hardbait and actually catching a bass off of it is something Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always wanted to do. Especially with the prices of the well known brands being on the expensive side. I wanted to build something of a top water nature. With all the most popular topwater hardbaits in mind, I came up with the perfect ideaâ&#x20AC;¦ a copy of the pivoting, treblehooked top water rat. After gathering a few materials I started to experiment and ended up using the following: t QMBTUJD EJWJEFS GSPN BO PME MVSF CPY t B TQSJOH MPDL TQSJOH GSPN B TXJNCBJU IPPL t B QJFDF PG BO PME QJDL CSPPN IBOEMF t Y TUBJOMFTT TUFFM TBMUXBUFS IPPLT t 2VJDLTFU FQPYZ SFTJO JO XIJUF t NN EPXFM t UXP OFPO DPMPVSFE QMBTUJD CFBET t NN TUBJOMFTT TUFFM XJSF t NFEJVN TJ[F TQMJU SJOHT BOE t B DBO PG QPMZ XBY TFBMFS É¨F UPPMT * NBEF VTF PG XFSF B ESJMM QSFTT NN NN NN BOE NN ESJMM CJUT B 'SFU TBX B %SFNFM UPPM BOE BO assortment of hand files and rasps. 50 SA BASS December 2016

In total, the project took me about two days to complete with all the testing and modifying. My first step in the project was the cut or file a basic body shape (9cm in length) of a rat out of the piece of pick handle, then going on to sanding and filing the final touches. The second step was to cut a half moon shape into the CBDL UIJSE PG UIF SBU T CPEZ XJUI B 'SFU TBX BOE Ã«MF BXBZ the sharp corners and edges. This left me with the head and thorax end and back end of the ratâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body. The third step was to join the two halves of the ratâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body together, I had a lot of ideas as to how I would go about doing this but chose the one I thought would be easiest. É¨JT JT XIFSF * NBEF VTF PG UIF NN TUBJOMFTT TUFFM wire, the four remaining stainless hooks and the two neon plastic beads. * ESJMMFE UXP NN IPMFT PO UIF JOTJEF PG UIF IBMG NPPO cut on either side of the two halves of the rat. * UIFO DVU B NN QJFDF PG UIF TUBJOMFTT XJSF CFOU UIF one end closed, threaded a neon bead onto it, the four hook FZFT XIJDI * IBE BMSFBEZ DVU NN VQ UIF TIBGU MFBWJOH KVTU the eye and the shaft of the hooks, and then the final bead, bending the other end of the wire closed afterwards. I then took the first and the third hook shaft that were threaded onto the stainless wire and epoxyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d them into the UXP NN IPMFT * IBE ESJMMFE JOUP UIF IFBE TJEF PG UIF SBU

and then the second and the fourth shafts were epoxyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d into UIF SFNBJOJOH UXP NN IPMFT PO UIF CBDL FOE PG UIF SBU I now had my hinge to allow the bait to pivot. The fourth step was to drill a 4mm hole in the centre of the ratâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s backside and epoxy in the spring lock spring off of the swimbait hook. I did this so I am able to attach a plastic XPSN UZQF UBJM UP UIF SBU 'SPN IFSF * XFOU PO UP ESJMMJOH UXP NN IPMFT VOEFSOFBUI UIF SBU T CPEZ PO FJUIFS TFDUJPO *O FBDI PG UIFTF NN IPMFT * JOTFSUFE UXP PG UIF TUBJOMFTT TUFFM IPPLT UIBU * IBE DVU PÃª BCPVU NN VQ UIF TIBGU GSPN the eye of the hook; this was so I could attach two treble IPPLT POUP FBDI FZF XJUI UIF NFEJVN TJ[F TQMJU SJOHT The fifth step was cutting a ten degree angled slit with UIF 'SFU TBX JO GSPOU PG UIF Ã«STU USFCMF IPPL FZF OFBS UIF OPTF of the bait to insert and epoxy in the plastic divider piece for

STEP 5

STEP 6

into the body of the bait in the areas I thought it needed to be buoyant. Some of the holes going right through the bait and some half way in. I then cut 3 to 4mm pieces of the NN EPXFM * IBE BOE ADPSLFE FBDI IPMF PO FJUIFS FOE UP create air pockets inside the body of the rat. The seventh step XBT Ã«OJTIJOH UIF SBU PÃª 'PS UIF MBTU time, I mixed up an epoxy filling and sealing off all the nicks and gaps in the bait where I had inserted my dowel plugs, sanded the whole bait down and sealed it off with a reasonable coating of poly-wax sealer. The eighth and final step was finding the right drop shot type worm to act as a tail for the rat that I would screw onto the spring-lock spring at the back of the bait. I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t decided what colour to paint the rat or fill in any detail as of yet. I have since tested the bait and was pleasantly surprised! It floats perfectly and swims like the real thing. In actual fact, I had a fish blow up on it when fishing it early in the morning on the day I finished it but in my excitement of catching a fish on my new bait, I pulled the bait away without letting the fish grab a hold of it properly and missed it. The build did not cost me much at all as most of the materials I already had lying around. It just took a bit of patients and elbow grease but I now have my very own home-made topwater rat. *Luke Eberhardt is a junior Protea bass angler

B CJMM XIJDI * UIFO DVU BOE TIBQFE XJUI UIF %SFNFM UPPM UP UIF TJ[F * XBOUFE After this, I worked out where I wanted to place the line UJF BOE ESJMMFE BOPUIFS NN IPMF VOEFSOFBUI UIF OPTF PG the bait and epoxyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d in another hook eye which I had cut; this one was slightly bigger than the two I had used from the treble hooks. The sixth step only came about after testing but I suppose if I had used the right wood, I would not have had to do this. After dunking the bait into the pool a few UJNFT * SFBMJ[FE UIBU JU XBT OPU CVPZBOU FOPVHI BOE BMNPTU suspending in mid-water. After this observation, I came up with the idea to add air to the body of the rat to achieve the buoyancy I wanted. 8JUI B NN ESJMM CJU * ESJMMFE UIJSUFFO IPMFT JO UPUBM

STEP 7

STEP 8

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

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 51 December 2016

>> SA BAARS BEGINNERS

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bunduâ&#x20AC;? Baarshengelaar!

Werk kunsaas naby en parallel verby die struktuur vir â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n beter kans om swartbaars te vang

>> Louis Bezuidenhout

eeste swartbaarhengelaars begin as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n â&#x20AC;&#x153;bunduâ&#x20AC;?hengelaar; met ander woorde hulle hengel vanaf die oewer in die hoop om daardie groen vissies

te vang! Dit is verbasend hoeveel bundu-hengelaars glo dat hulle nie soveel baars en ook nie sulke groot vis kan vang nie weens verskeie redes: â&#x20AC;&#x153;ekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t nie genoeg ervaring nieâ&#x20AC;? of, â&#x20AC;&#x153;ek het net nie die regte kunsaas nie!â&#x20AC;?... Ek was self ook â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n bundu-hengelaar en het dieselfde geglo. Vir â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n lang tyd het ek ook so gedink, maar na â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n naweek op die water saam â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n hengelvriend wat nog nuut is in die sport, het ek besef dat dit nie so is nie en dat baie ander beginners ook so glo! Die volgende is basiese punte waarna hengelaars moet oplet wat â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n verskil kan maak in hulle hengelsukses:

Ervaring en kennis Ongetwyfeld maak ervaring en kennis wel â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n verskil! Die persoon wat meer tyd op die water spandeer sal natuurlik sy tegnieke verfyn en sy kennis verbreed omtrent; hoe vis reageer in verskillende weersomstandighede, watertemperatuur, hoe die vis byt op sekere tye en natuurlik aanbiedings. My raad sal wees om soveel tyd as moontlik op die water 52 SA BASS December 2016

te spandeer en konsentreer op die volgende punte: t .FU XBUTF LVOTBBT JT EJF CBBST HFWBOH %JU TMVJU JO EJF kunsaas se grootte, kleur, geur en tegniek. t *O IPF EJFQ XBUFS JT EJF CBBST HFWBOH %JF EJFQUF NBBL â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n groot verskil, want dit sal jou â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n goeie aanduiding gee waar om vis te soek, veral as jy reeds vier visse op min of meer dieselfde diepte gevang het. Diepte word deur weersomstandighede beĂŻnvloed. t .FU XBUUFS UFHOJFL JT EJF CBBST HFWBOH %JU TMVJU JO EJF visstok se lengte, tipe vislyn, tipe sinker en die sinker se gewig. t 8BU XBT EJF XFFSTPNTUBOEJHIFEF &LTUFSOF GBLUPSF buite die water beĂŻnvloed die vis se gedrag en maak dat swartbaars soek na die ideale skuilplek. Die weer het â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n invloed op die watertemperatuur en ligpenetrasie in die water wat weer die vis se gedrag bepaal. t )FOHFMBSFB %JU JT NBLMJLFS PN EJF IFOHFMBSFBT UF identifiseer volgens die natuurlike struktuur in die dam. Mensgemaakte strukture is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n baie goeie opsie, aangesien dit nie soos plante deur die seisoene wissel nie. t 4FJTPFOF 7JTHFESBH WFSTLJM WBO TFJTPFO UPU TFJTPFO FO ervaring sal help om nie tyd te mors in onproduktiewe areas nie. Byvoorbeeld in winter is mensgemaakte

strukture en rotsformasies die beste opsie, aangesien dit permanente strukture is. Die baars verkies dit bo ander er strukture omrede dit langer hulle temperatuur hou en ook goeie skuiling bied. Die grootste fout wat meeste bundu-baarshengelaars rs maak is dat sodra hulle een vis op â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n spesifieke kunsaas as ie vang, dan kry hulle die geneigdheid om slegs daardie kunsaas te gebruik. Dit is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n verkeerde benadering! Jy kry ry â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n kunsaas wat in baie toestande baars kan uitlok, maar ar meeste kwaliteit vis sal hulfself in ander tipe struktuur op verskillende tye van die jaar tuismaak. Die baars doen dit ne omrede dat hulle prooi ook rondbeweeg soos die seisoene verander. Ons doel as passievolle hengelaars is om baarsgedrag ag te bestudeer om sodoende onsself goed voor te berei vir er die dag se hengel wat voorlĂŞ. Dit sal die hengel tienkeer vergemaklik en so ook jou kanse om meer en beter kwalitiet et baars te vang. FU %JF WSBBH JT i)PF WFSCFUFS FL NZ LFOOJT TPEBU FL XFFU XBBS XBU FO IPF w #FHJO UF MFFT .FOT LBO BMUZE JFUT MFFS en sal nooit volleerd wees nie. Dus is dit belangrik om altyd UZETLSJGUF TPPT 4" #"44 UF MFFT FO JOMJHUJOH PQ EJF JOUFSOFU te soek en dan dit te gaan toepas. Die beste is om een spesifieke dam of area te hengel waar jy weet vis is, sodat jy die vis se gedrag en reaksie op jou aanbiedings kan leer. Daar is baie tegnieke wat sekere toerusting vereis om dit reg te kan toegpas. Dit sal egter in die volgende uitgawes bespreek word. Tot dan â&#x20AC;&#x201C; lekker hengel en geseĂŤnde Kersfees.

Teiken skaduwees rondom mensgemaakte strukture soos die in die agtergrond wanneer dit â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n helder sonligdag is

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n Spinnerbait is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n goeie aas om aktiewe swartbaars mee te teiken

Vroegoggend het ek hierdie area geĂŻdentifiseer en later teruggekom met â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n jig om onaktiewe baars te vang SA BASS 53 December 2016

>> SA BASS INTERNATIONAL We had to negotiate a bank

5JQTG ſUJKPI CV 5QWVJ -QTGCŏU Ŏ.CMG $KYCŏ

(Part 2) Words by Fishingboy | http://thefishingboy.blog138.fc2.com/ Images by Fishingboy and Kang Hohyeong

he immensity of Geumho Lake makes it an extremely diverse lake for shore anglers. Its sheer size complicates matters because most of the productive spots are kilometres apart. Even short runs are not technically short, so to speak. Moving on from the areas we fished in the north lake during the morning, the ledge in the south lake where we were headed was actually a thirty minute long journey away. The journey there was equally as interesting as the fishing itself because it did not end at the location where our vehicle was parked. To get within range of the ledge, we had to cross a busy highway on foot and climb over a guard rail with our gear. However, that was not all. We had to negotiate a near 45-degree embankment to get to the ledge below street level. 54 SA BASS December 2016

Beneath the steep bank lies what is essentially a couple of kilometres of prime looking shoreline. The ledge itself is situated right at the edge of a riprap shelf that is visible from street level and it stretches all the way to a barrage which separates Geumho Lake from the Yellow Sea. The area kind of reminds me of a less urbanized version of Singapore’s Marina Bay and that we were not far away from the Korea International F1 Circuit at Yeongam. There are a two primary ways to fish a ledge from shore. First is the cast deep and retrieve back up the ledge. Second is the cast and retrieve parallel to the ledge. Either way, you want to look for shoreline irregularities and make a start from there. With clear skies and the wind blowing strongly, I focused my attention on a transition area at the end of the embankment.

The Senko alternative With the Senko out of the picture, the alternative bait for me was a 6.5â&#x20AC;? Yamamoto Kut Tail Worm. This bait is as versatile as a Senko and there are various ways to fish it along the ledge. Based on water conditions, I decided to aim for underwater vegetation offshore with long casts and let it freefall all the way to the bottom, twitching it slightly with long pauses in between. My aim was to keep the bait on top of the submerged grass for as long as possible. Amazingly enough once again, twenty minutes after hitting that particular spot on what was only my fourth cast, my bait got bitten. I picked up the slack line, set the hook and it was fish on! I landed the fish which measured 53cm on the tape and it came with some important clues in the form of strands of grass wrapped on my line. True to my predictions, the fish was staging just above the grass line and it must have inhaled my bait while it was caught up in the grass.

The deep and shallow divide Although Mr. Kang and I were practically fishing in the same areas, our fishing styles were as different as day and night. I caught all my fish in deeper areas while Kang caught all of his predominantly shallow. Mr. Kang is a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;power-

We had to cross a busy highway to get to the ledge on the south lake

I caught this big bass on a weightless Texasrigged Kut Tail Worm in deep-water

SA BASS 55 December 2016

My biggest from the south lake measured 53cm

oriented’ angler and he prefers to target active fish wherever he fishes, especially during summer. Though I like to power-fish whenever the situation arises, over the years I have also learned ways to fish slow and that is basically the key to my successes when I was facing new water conditions at Geumho Lake. Nobody likes to fish slowly when bass are predominantly active during summer. I fish slowly out of necessity and not by choice, especially during the post-spawn period where it pays to be methodical. Patience is a virtue when it comes to fishing weightless rigs because it is basically a long cycle technique that could take as long as five minutes in between casts. The Senko annihilates bass that will not respond to other weighted baits. It is essentially a ‘do-nothing’ lure that shines when it falls through the water column. The same goes for the Kut Tail Worm that wriggles more than it shimmies on the fall. Once your bait is in the water, you need to commit to it or get burned for bailing out on long casts far too frequently.

Tackle tips for weightless rigs My primary setup for weightless rigs starts with a Daiwa Tatula 702MHB, 7’ medium-heavy, fast action baitcasting rod that is paired with a Daiwa Alphas SV 105SH highspeed baitcasting reel spooled with 15lb-test Sunline Siglon 100% Fluorocarbon line. The weightless Texas-rigged Senko and Kut Tail Worm are heavy finesse lures and that

The Kut Tail Worm is as deadly as the Senko in clear water conditions

56 SA BASS December 2016

This is one of Mr. Kang’s biggest bass of the day

You do not need a bass boat to access prime fishing areas in South Korea as Kang reveals

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

is why you need to fish it with adequately stout tackle. Most of the time when I am using 5” Senko or 6.5” Kut Tail Worm, I prefer to use 2/0 or 3/0 size extra wide gap hooks. I prefer standard wire hooks because I believe it makes the bait freefall more naturally, which is crucial in triggering big bites in clear, open-water situations.

An outstanding day with more to come All in all, that was by far one of my most outstanding days in South Korea. My strategies worked, we read the water conditions to near perfection and hit the right areas at the right time. In my opinion, South Korea is truly an underrated country that deserves more credit and attention when it comes to bass fishing. Be sure to check out next month’s issue as I bring you more interesting insights into my first real experience on a tidal river bass fishery in South Korea. So, stay tuned as we get set for a full-on assault on the tributaries of the Yeongsan River delta in the South Jeolla Province. Thank you for staying tuned. Fish hard, fish well and God bless. Acknowledgements A big thank you to all my sponsors for their support and contribution: TCE Sports Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia), Nice Fish! Distribution (UK), Bitez (Singapore), SportyFish (Singapore)

Answer the easy question below and stand a chance to win a Deeper Smart Sonar PRO valued at R4,800! Deeper Smart Sonar Get the most desirable fishing tool for this fishing season Deeper Smart Sonar. It is designed to float on the water surface and scan the entire bottom and water column. It measures depth, water temperature, bottom structure, mark fish and then instantaneously stream all information wireless to your Smartphone or tablet. Deeper Smart Sonar PRO is a versatile castable sonar perfect for shore, kayak and boat fishing with a casting range of 100 meter and depth range of 80 meter. The Deeper Smart Sonar PRO Plus series has an extra built in GPS feature.

Order yours now from Cernotech in Fourways. Call 011-465-3047 or 011-078-4433 or visit their website www.cernotech.net

QUESTION: How does the Deeper Smart Sonar PRO transmit information to your Smartphone or tablet? To enter simply e-mail your answer to: competitions@sabass.com to reach us on or before 23 January 2017.

RULES: The prize may not be exchanged for money The closing date for entries is 23 January 2017. To enter simply e-mail your answer to: competitions@sabass.com The first correct entry drawn on the closing date will be the winner By entering this competition you agree to all rules and accept that the decision of the publisher is final and that no correspondence thereto will be entertained This competition is open to all readers of SA BASS except employees of SA BASS, BB Print and Cernotech and their immediate families.

>> SA BASS CONSUMER NEWS

2. SMART SONAR DEEPER >> Distributed by Cernotech in Fourways

1. J-BRAID DAIWA >> Available from Kingfisher

Whether you’re an ‘Urban Warrior’ or your battleground is the big blue. It’s just you against the fish – with bragging rights on the line, there’s no margin for compromise. Introducing J-Braid from Daiwa; made in Japan. J-Braid is soft, supple, strong and perfectly suited for spin and multiplying reels, Daiwa’s new, super high visibility Chartreuse J-Braid is ideal for the full spectrum of lure casting applications – from light tackle soft plastics through to rock and surf fishing. Every fishing warrior knows that supreme line management is critical for longer casts with less knots. J-Braid PE boasts all of that, with a smooth, round profile design, that wraps neatly and evenly onto the reel spool. The casting distance of J-Braid is complemented by its thin diameter – but don’t be fooled! Despite being thin, J-Braid is strong! Available in 300m spools in 8, 15, 30 and 50lb breaking strains. Strength isn’t compromised and it displays ultimate abrasion resistance for your added confidence to fish it in even the heaviest structure. Delivering strength and quality in perfect harmony, Daiwa J-Braid is designed to let you be a strong fighter. This new range of Daiwa J Braid is available at most leading fishing tackle stores countrywide. 58 SA BASS December 2016

Start fishing the Smart way! The new Deeper Smart Wireless Sonar floats on the water surface. The device measures 6.5cm across and weighs only 100 gram. It is fitted with a Li-Poly 3.7V rechargeable battery and uses a dual beam (290kHz / 90kHz) to scan the entire bottom and water column. It measures depth, water temperature, bottom structure, mark fish and then instantaneously stream all information wireless to your Android or iOS Smartphone or tablet. Deeper Smart Sonar PRO is a versatile castable sonar perfect for shore, kayak and boat fishing with a casting range of 100 meter and depth range of 80 meter. The Deeper Smart Sonar PRO Plus series has an extra built in GPS feature. It comes with a USB wire plus a neoprene pouch.

3. HILLBILLY POISEN JIG >> Available from Knott’s Outdoor Paradise

Like a potent shot of toxic poison, this highly evolved jig sits poised to deliver a deadly strike to its prey. The wide protrusion of the head

with a flat bottom provides extreme stability and balance to this design. The pronounced brow and recessed red eyes serve to anger and entice its prey. The Hillbilly Poisen Jig strikes a deadly blow with the Mustad Modified WideGap Impact Hook; digging in with stinging hook sets – faster and more powerful than other jigs you have tried. Add the Hillbilly Poisen Jig to your arsenal, and get ready to latch onto the big catch. Each Hillbilly Jig comes with a silicon skirt that flares up in the water and percents a bulky aggressive bait that prey won’t be able to resist.

4. SAVAGE GEAR LINE THRU 3D SWIMBAIT 6 >> Available from Bass Warehouse

An extension of Savage Gear’s award-winning Line-Thru Trout series, the Savage Gear Line Thru 3D Swimbait 6” provides all of the lifelike detailing and big-bass attraction as the original – now in a scaled-down profile. Designed from 3D scans of an actual trout, the Savage Gear Line Thru 3D Swimbait delivers precise anatomical accuracy that will coax the most seasoned bass into striking. Constructed with a forward-thinking line-through design, the Savage Gear Line Thru 3D Swimbait 6” features a specially-designed cavity in the back of the head that holds hooks securely in place and keeps them from tearing the bait. Once bass strike, the hook is designed to disengage

from the body, so fish can’t use the weight of the lure to spit the hook. In addition, the hook position also offers increased weedlessness in heavy cover and a stealthier appearance when bass are peering up from below.

6. REACTION STRIKE REVOLUTION SHAD SWIMBAIT >> Distributed by Hook on Bass

5. POWELL DIESEL SERIES RODS >> Available from Bass Warehouse

Powell Rods has every angler and every budget covered with the new Powell Diesel Casting Rods. The Diesel Series boasts Powell’s long standing tradition of performance and innovation - at a very refreshing price point. Don’t let the low cost fool you. These are rods designed for serious anglers, and each model has been proven through relentless testing by Powell’s top pro staff. Able to handle a multitude of bass fishing techniques, they feature Powell’s new D-Cell Multi-Matrix Matte Graphite blanks, which are designed to not only be extremely lightweight and sensitive, but also provide excellent durability as well. Also equipped with comfortable high quality cork split grips with no fore grip, Powell’s exclusive C-Guides and proprietary reel seats, these rods exhibit the comfort and features necessary to help you win. If you’re looking for responsive power, economy, and all out ruggedness, there is only one clear choice - the Powell Diesel Casting Rods.

The Reaction Strike Revolution Shad swimbait is a fantastic new lure from Reaction Strike. The segmented hard-bodied lure is hydrodynamically engineered to produce an incredible, life-like, articulated swimming action. The ultra realistic and detailed paint schemes, 3D oversized eyes and perfectly balanced weighting give it a natural look like no other swimbait on the market. Pre-rigged with premium chemically sharpened and strong VMC treble hooks, the Revolution Shad swimbait series is available in two sizes and two body shapes (shad and bluegill). This lure is already on the largemouth bass and toothy predator favourite meal list.

7. CASTAIC CATCH 22 >> Distributed by Hook on Bass

The new Castaic Catch 22 series soft swimbait features a revolutionary flexible Inner Armour fibre skeleton that provides structural strength and support and reinforces vital joint sections. A Castaic Catch22 is ultra soft, looks like a fish, swims like a fish (whether retrieved seductively

slow or burned back fast) and will last for 22 bass, guaranteed. Not only is a Castaic Catch22 durable, it’s irresistible too with its life-like swimming action that fish can’t resist. It’s the only soft swim bait that swims at any retrieve speed. Authentic, species-specific body shapes and paint jobs match the hatch. Available in 2”, 3”, 4”, 5”, 7”, 9” and 12”.

10. SUNLINE BASIC FC >> Distributed by Kingfisher

12. DAIWA TATULA CT CASTING REEL >> Distributed by Kingfisher

8. VICIOUS FLUOROCARBON >> Distributed by Hook on Bass

There are numerous companies building fluorocarbon line but none like Vicious Fluorocarbon. Built for extreme sub-surface applications, Vicious Fluorocarbon will get you more strikes and help you put them in the boat. They build fluorocarbon to withstand the toughest environments. Designed with high tensile strength and low diameter it is virtually invisible underwater and detects even the lightest of bites. Best of all, Vicious Fluorocarbon is built to withstand the toughest hook sets.

This supple 100% fluorocarbon is ideal when fishing FC straight through. It has been manufactured with single resin processing and marked every 75 metres so you know how much line remains on the spool. Basic FC is a fantastic mainline for finesse fishing for bream or bass. Use it as a mainliner an economical leader. Available in 300 meter spools.

11. HALCO MADEYES PADDLE PRAWN >> Distributed by Halco SA

9. VICIOUS BRAID MOSS GREEN >> Distributed by Hook on Bass

The definitive choice for strength and durability, the Vicious Braid Moss Green excels where monofilament and fluorocarbon fear to tread. Woven with the highest quality fibres, the line has virtually no stretch, allowing for bite detection at any depth and lightning fast hook sets. Designed with an advanced coating process, the Vicious Braid Moss Green eliminates abrasion and makes it resistant to the effects of UV rays and water absorption. For the perfect combination of power and finesse, the Vicious Braid Moss Green is the line you can count on. 60 SA BASS December 2016

Halco’s new soft plastic Rubber Stretch Technology (RST) ensures the Halco Madeyes range of soft plastics reflects the Halco ethos of a high quality, strike-effective product. Halco are determined to push the boundaries of traditional soft plastic colours and shapes and the new plastics range is a direct result of this innovative approach. Madeye’s RST is a unique rubber copolymer that possesses two advantages over standard soft plastics. RST is up to five times more durable than standard plastic, and is also buoyant, enabling the lure to float and wriggle when sitting on the bottom. A great all-rounder, the Paddle Prawn has a paddle tail that transmits vibrations through the water column, with thin, lightweight and durable legs and feelers that combine to add to the realistic profile of this new plastic.

The Tatula is back and lighter than ever thanks its new, compact design. It has the same level of versatility and performance that made the original a hit with anglers everywhere; it is also now available in a blazing fast 8.1:1 gear ratio. Delivering incredible casting performance for a wide range of bass fishing applications, the Tatula features Daiwa’s cutting-edge TWS T-Wing System, which solves one of the age-old problems with baitcasting reel level wind systems. It reduces the normally steep angles and friction that slow line flowing through a narrow line guide on casts. The wide top section of the T-wing allows line to run freely during casting, and when the reel is engaged on the retrieve the line is funnelled into the narrow lower channel of the T-wing for even distribution across the spool width. Daiwa’s new Air Rotation System also facilitates a smoother feel, effortless winding, and maximum free spinning rotation of the handle. Also equipped with Daiwa’s smooth ultimate tournament drag system with 13.2lbs of max drag, a longer, stronger drive gear provides increased power, and the 90mm handle has been lengthened and out-fitted with over-sized grips for increased cranking power. Packed with cutting-edge technologies and tournamentcaliber performance, the Daiwa Tatula CT Casting Reel is a beast on the water.

13. MCCARTHY BUZZ N’ FROG >> Distributed by Kingfisher

Built for swimming over heavy vegetation, the McCarthy Buzz N’ Frog has a sleek soft plastic body that is anchored to a hard head that won`t allow the bait to slide on the hook when cast or retrieved. The long legs of the frog kick in real time for natural buzzbait action. One of the unique features of the Buzz N’ Frog is that it is very effective on bass that blow up on the bait. Unlike a buzz bait, the frog can simply be allowed to fall and swim in the area, thus providing a second chance for the strike. Buzz N’ Frog is available in the following colours, Wazza, Red Poison, June Bug

Each unit also includes both trolling motor and transom mounts. Garmin CHIRP sonar, the most sophisticated sonar technology available for the fishing and boating public, provides amazingly clear target separation and definition because it puts even more energy onto the target than traditional sonar. It also includes sonar-recording capability that coordinates the timing of the sonar return with your boat’s position and saves digital information for playback on a computer using HomePort planning software (free download). You can also use the user data sharing cable to share waypoints and routes between multiple devices.

14. MCCARTHY SLINKY MCCARTHY SLINKY SWIMBAIT

16. GARMIN VIRB ULTRA 30

>> Distributed by King Fisher

>> Distributed by Garmin SA

15. GARMIN ECHOMAP CHIRP >> Distributed by Garmin SA

Delivering the power and precision of CHIRP sonar, the Garmin EchoMAP CHIRP Sonar Units offer some of the easiest-to-use, advanced sonar and chart plotting capabilities available today - all at a reasonable price point. Brilliant colour displays offer maximum viewing clarity in all light conditions as well, and the units also feature convenient Keypad Controls. Each unit also comes equipped with a fast, responsive 5 Hz GPS/GLONASS Antenna and pre-loaded LakeVu HD maps. Offering unprecedented convenience to boot, all of the cords also plug directly into the mount, allowing you to quickly install and remove your device from power and mount.

>> Distributed by Garmin SA

Garmin VIRB Edit is free video software that automatically generates great, ready-to-share videos of your experience – easily include G-Metrix graphics to tell a better story. A simple, automated video creation for incredible and fast video sharing and add G-Metrix gauges and graphs to your video. It comes with video editing tools: trim, split and combine video clips and can apply slow motion to video clips. Automatically synchronise video from multiple cameras, add music and adjust individual clip volume. Easy online sharing - publish directly to YouTube or export to computer.

19. LAGUNA 5BI DAIWA

The McCarthy Slinky Swimbait is a great addition to the already outstanding line of soft plastics that McCarthy offers. It features a ribbed mid-section and a paddle on the tail. These two features work together to create a vibration and movement that bass will search out and gobble up. Offered in a wide variety of colours, the McCarthy Slinky works wonders as a swim jig trailer or Texas rig. Available in these hot colours: Babwe special, Wazza, Red Poison, Watermelon Purple, Junebug.

18. GARMIN VIRB EDIT

>> Distributed by The Kingfisher

A 4K/30fps action camera with voice control and data overlays. The Garmin VIRB Ultra 30 is a waterproof, impressively small and lightweight. It records on command and proves how far, how fast and how high you went. Voice control lets you tell the camera to start, stop and “remember that.” That means more hands-free selfies when you’re looking fearless and easier editing when the action’s all done. GPS data overlays help you prove your story and a high-sensitivity microphone ensures clear audio capture in and out of the included waterproof case. The easy-to-use LCD colour touch screen even functional inside the waterproof case - lets you see what you’re recording. The 3-axis image stabilization captures smooth and steady video. Easily create and share videos that automatically highlight the best moments and live streaming video lets you instantly share your video with friends on YouTube.

17. GARMIN VIRB MOBILE APP >> Distributed by Garmin SA

Garmin VIRB Mobile App is a free application that turns your compatible smartphone or tablet into a Wi-Fi remote control for your VIRB action camera and allows you to easily edit and share your footage on the go. Use the app to view and control multiple cameras, review and edit captured footage, add G-Metrix gauges and graphs, add music and adjust individual clip volume, publish directly to video sharing services and locate lost cameras.

The new Laguna 5Bi series is our smoothest highest performing budget reel that we have ever released. Its features, durability and ultra smooth performance that are second to none. Featuring Daiwa’s innovations like Twistbuster II, Silent Oscillation and Infinite anti-reverse, this reel also employs 5 ball bearings, a high speed retrieve ratio and our Digigear II gearing system for ultra smooth rotation and feel. The ABS spool has a maximized core diameter and reversed taper meaning there is 100% useable line, no “dead” line buried deep in the spool, so you can fill it with line right up to the edge of the spool lip without fear of tangles. The rearward taper of the spool’s core helps prevent tangles caused by excessive loops of loosely wound or stiff line falling forward from the spool on the cast. This huge diameter spool lets line flow freely in larger coils and produces less line memory coil. The result is less casting friction for longer, easier casting. For ultra smooth cranking power Laguna uses Daiwa’s Digigear II system, this gear design ensures a perfect mesh between the ultra-tough, drive gear and pinion gear for ultra-smooth rotation and optimized speed, power and durability. Available at most fishing tackle stores country wide and at The Kingfisher in Durban. SA BASS 61 December 2016

CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS The size of each classified advertisement block is 44mm (w) x 40mm (h). Advertisers can book one or more blocks per issue. The cost is R271.00 VAT excluded, per block, per issue and is payable strictly upfront. Advanced payment can be made into our BB Print bank account at ABSA, account number 404 881 8651, branch code: 334 645 before the 25th of each month to appear two months later. Proof of payment plus a contact number must be faxed to 086 234 5026 or e-mailed to advertise@sabass.com

SELF CATERING COTTAGE

Self Catering Cottage t Off N11 Between Ladysmith & Newcastle t 6 Dams t 3 Beautiful en-suite bedrooms t Sleeps 6 t Fully Equipped t Bass Boat Available t Dam stocked with Trout Tel: 034 6511 664 - Cell 083 389 6614 www.thatcher.co.za

Tournament season starts in November 2017

62 SA BASS December 2016

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

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 63 December 2016

>> SA BASS LIFESTYLE

Black-crowned Night Heron

>> Jo Dreyer

orld Champs fever is in the air and I haven’t been as excited about Bass Fishing as I am right now. 6 of SA’s best represented our country in Portugal in October and it makes me very proud to say that one of them is my husband. You made us proud boys! I can’t help to say that thanks to Rudi’s hard work and dedication to the sport, I have become a dedicated birder and it has given me many opportunities to visit many dams and see many different species. Often when I go out on the boat, or even just on a birding drive I will see a bird I don’t have a photograph of yet and miss the shot. I have a hard time keeping myself calm when I miss the opportunity, but the great thing about Rudi’s competitive fishing, especially when it is the pre-fish stage of the competition, is that I know that there is a good chance that I will have another opportunity to get a photo. One particular water bird, which in my experiences is very shy and I have struggled on many occasions to photograph, is the Black-crowned Night Heron. The reason why it is shy is mostly because it is in fact a nocturnal bird. It is super quiet and finds the perfect roosting place to camouflage itself quite well. It is a small to medium sized heron which also contributes towards its elusiveness. Having said that, it is not exactly the most subtle bird. When it is flushed, you know all about it. It makes a sound that you would not think such a smallish, shy bird could make. 64 SA BASS December 2016

The Black-crowned Night Heron is a stocky, compact heron with a heavy, blackish bill, reddish eyes and yellow underparts. Its face is white with a yellow wash. The head has a black cap that continues into the black on the back. It has a fringe and its outerwing is grey and the inner-wing and back is black. The belly is also white with a yellow wash. Its legs and feet are yellow. It is a fairly common resident, however very illusive. It is not difficult to see or find, but let me tell you, it doesn’t sit still when it knows it is being stalked for a photo. This heron favours sluggish rivers with overhanging trees, lake shores (often in rocky areas), mangroves and rocky shores. It breeds singly or in loose colonies, usually alongside other herons and egrets. The nesting site is almost always over water, usually in reed beds, less often in trees, occasionally on bushed cliff-

faces overhanging a river. Their nests are usually dispersed through the colony rather than being clumped. The nest is a small saucer-shaped platform of reed-stems or twigs, not distinguishable from those of other small egrets and herons unless the bird is seen in attendance. The nest is built by the female while the material is collected by the male. The clutch size is 2 to 4 eggs laid at two day intervals. The eggs and chicks are brooded and tended to by both male and female. When I finally got my photo of a Black-crowned Night Heron you can just imagine how elated I was, however, this is usually the feeling with all my bird photos. Once again well done to the Protea Team for taking silver at the World Black Bass Championships and a very big thank you to all the support they received. Happy Birding

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