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Contents
SA BASS Magazine
is published monthly (12 issues per annum) by WJ Lindeque cc t/a BB Print (CK99/23366/23)
Office hours:
Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 08:15 to 16:15
Contact numbers:
Office: (065) 849 3264, Alternative: (083) 306 2718 Fax: (086) 234 5026
Postal Address:
SA BASS, PO Box 24938, Gezina, 0031, RSA
Publisher:
Hannes Lindeque - hannes@sabass.com
Editor:
Bennie Wiese - bennie@sabass.com
Assistant Editor:
John Badenhorst
Field Editors:
Bryan Leppan, Colin Willmer, Derrek Stewart, Dewald Viljoen, Divan Coetzee, Evert Laubscher, Gareth Dryden, Gordon Brown, Hendrik, Joe Dreyer, John Badenhorst, Kevin Lofstedt, Louis Bezuidenhout, Mzi Tyhokolo, Neels Beneke, Philip Kemp, Roger Donaldson, Rowan Zerf, Rudi Dreyer
Junior Field Editors:
Jean-Michel Gravenor
International Columnists:
Bertrand Ngim, Clint Skinner, David Swendseid, Gareth Rawlins, Matt Williams, Tylor Brinks
Advertising Manager:
Wilma Lindeque - wilma@sabass.com
Subscriptions:
Hannes Lindeque - hannes@sabass.com
Facebook Administrator:
Chris Greenland
Digital subscriptions:
www.magzter.com
Layout and Design:
Storm Deezigns - dee@stormdeezigns.co.za
Distributed by RNA:
Jannie Junius (011) 248 3536
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 welldefined niche market since April 2001. It enjoys the support and endorsement of nongovernment 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 02 SA BASS December 2017
country’s people (including the youth), and to the practical conservation of the country’s natural resources. Copyright is expressly reserved and nothing may be reproduced in part or whole without the permission of the publisher. All enquiries regarding editorial correspondence, manuscripts and photographs should be directed to: editor@sabass.com Address contributions to the editor. Manuscripts, photos and artwork will be handled with care, but their safety cannot be guaranteed. Enclose a stamped, self addressed envelope with all editorial submissions. The publisher and editorial staff are not responsible for researching and investigating the accuracy or copy right of the material provided for publication in SA BASS magazine. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this magazine, the publisher does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors or their consequences. Readers are advised to use this information with the understanding that it is at their own risk. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher, the editor, editorial staff or SA BASS Society.
REGULARS & FORUMS 06
FLW “History Made” The annual Costa FLW Series Championship consists of top anglers from ten U.S. and one International Division to advance to the Forrest Wood Cup based on their performances at the championship – Hannes Lindeque, Jody White, Curtis Niedermier and Matt Pace
14
CLASSROOM
“Frog Fishing For Summer Bass” Most of my fishing friends know that I adore frog fishing. From hollow bodies floating frogs to soft bodied buzz frogs I love them all! Pop them, walk them, slide them or buzz them, frogs are great search tools and in my mind the ultimate big fish attractor! – Dewald Viljoen
18
STRATEGY “Choosing the Correct Line” For so many anglers line selection is done as an afterthought – SA Bass
20
STRATEGY “Do You Have Shaky In Your Tackle Box?” Do you need to get a quick limit of five bass easily? Then you need to have shaky heads in your tackle box. – Gareth Dryden
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.
22
STRATEGY “Hot Summer Top Water” Just ask any angler; “what is the most exciting thing in bass fishing?”. A top water bite is described as “heart stopping” – SA Bass
36
INTERNATIONAL
44
CLASSROOM “Do You Speak Bass?” On a recent days fishing with my daughter a fellow angler came over to tell us how his day went. He said “hey, I dropped a slab today! I was pitching lay-downs and a pig exploded all over my Brush Hog.” – Gary Peter
“Early Season Mid-Depth Deal (Part 1)” In spring 2017, I had the honor of fishing with David Swendseid, the R&D Manager of DUO Realis U.S.A, on the Columbia River – Fishingboy and David Swendseid (DUO Realis U.S.A)
48
26 32
STRATEGY “Spinnerbaiting – Back to Basics” Most people believe they know how and when to fish a spinnerbait! Yes this little bent wire frame that has a lead head, a plastic strip skirt, a couple of metal blades and of course a single hook – Gordon Brown
TOURNAMENT NEWS
38 40
42
“Suzuki Wins Innovation Award at 2017 IBEX Show” Suzuki Motor Corporation’s new flagship four-stroke outboard motor, the DF350A, has received the National Marine Manufactures Association’s (NMMA) 2017 IBEX Innovation Award for outboard motors at the International Boat Builder’s Exhibition & Conference (IBEX), which was held in Tampa Florida, USA.
BOOK REVIEW “South African Fishing Flies” Penguin Random House has just released a new coffee table book on South African Fishing Flies – An Anthology of Milestone Patterns.
SA BAARS “Agter Elke Man, is daar ‘n vrou wat ook wil hengel” Kim Bain-Moore, Australiese professionele baarshengelaar, het haar eerste baars op vierjarige ouderdom gevang en het so die eerste vrou geword wat aan die wêreldbekende kompetisie, “Bassmasters”, deelgeneem het – Marlene Kemp
“The Team USA Experience, Meeting the Legends” At the beginning of October South Africa had the great privilege of hosting the 13th World Black Bass Championship on the Vaal river. This meant that we were able to host some of the best anglers in the world here at home – Gary Peter
INDUSTRY NEWS
COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 04
MY CAST
16
READERS-go-BASSING
28
Cast-for-Cash - Tournament Results
INDUSTRY NEWS “Lowrance SA Wins Navico Award!” Congratulations to Lowrance South Africa on winning one of only three prizes awarded at the Annual Navico Conference, held in Palma, Spain.
34
D.I.Y. “Bass Boat Trailers” Having recently acquired a new outboard, it became apparent that whilst my trailer was great (made it myself ), the brakes were really crappy. I knew this because it didn’t have brakes! – Kevin Lofstedt
ON THE COVER “A 4.5kg bass caught from a kick boat” Image: Phil Bouwer SA BASS 03 December 2017
has gone digital !! GET YOUR FAVOURITE SA Bass MAGAZINE
DIGITALLY Well its official; Michael Matthee made history at this year’s Costa FLW Series Championship on Kentucky Laky, USA to become the first South African to qualify for the Forest Wood Cup in 2018 in the USA. He also managed to finish ninth overall on day three of the event. What an achievement! Congratulations to the Henry Petersen, Wayne Louw, Justy Varkevisser and Gareth Dryden who also represented FLW South Africa. The conditions were very tough with local professional USanglers who blanked on their home water. Yet Michael and Henry managed to lead the South African team to victory. I believe that this year was very tough on most of us, and we all can’t wait to take a very well needed break with our families. Just a break to get away from the overcrowded cities and endless peak hour traffic frustration. Special time to spend with our loved ones and creating great memories with them. It is this time of the year where we can create great memories so that the stories will follow for many years to come, of the wonderful time we have spent with friends, families and loved ones. And if you are lucky to do some fishing, that could also be included in those special fishing memories with the story of ‘that big fish that got away’. For me, summer fishing during my pre-teen was always one of those incredible memories. It did not matter whether I caught anything, or how big or small it was. It will always be those special fishing moments that I will treasure for the rest of my life. As I grow older and I learnt about bass fishing, I started to try and create my own bass lures. It was quite a thrill for me, the first time I caught a small bass on one of my homemade lures, only made out of bird feathers. I am sure the action of making it vibrate on the top of the water like a fallen insect was more important than the way it looked, but it worked. I am looking at my first real Fenwick tackle box that I received as a hand me down. There is so much more fishing memories in this single box that I could ever imagine to describe. Just thinking of all those days I spent walking around the dam fishing, even those times I forgot to close the tackle box and had to pick up hooks and lures one by one, where they fell in the grass. It was not funny back then, but it definitely puts a smile on my face now! I’m sure if you sit back you could come up with and recall a few of your own fishing memories. You will recall those funny days, the awesome days, those not so lucky days. All of us have those very rich memories of fishing that gives us that passion to go out and fish again. In a way, I think it’s that part of life that keeps us young at heart inside. If you have some of those incredible memories that you treasure, please feel free to share your precious memories with the rest of our readers, we are all eager to hear about your special memory. You are welcome to write to us. So the next time you decide to take someone out to go fish, even if it was someone that never fished before, remember that you will be giving him or her much more than just a fishing experience, but a precious memory that they will treasure for a life time. Once again thanks to all the readers and advertisers that supported the SA Bass magazine for the last 14 years it’s much appreciated. And to all the well respected contributors for sharing all their views, tactics and secrets to help our fellow readers to learn more and to become better anglers, a big Thank You. We at SA BASS and staff wish you and your family a very blessed festive season. Bennie Wiese / Editor 04 SA BASS December 2017
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South Africa ANNER at the top
History Made
Justy Varkevisser weighing 3 fish for 8 pounds 4 ounces (Photo by Andy Hagedon)
Wayne Louw weighing one fish (1 pound 14 ounces) (Photo by Andy Hagedon)
Michael realising he is the winner of the International Division (Photo by Andy Hagedon)
New friendships made and shirts exchanged
Henry Petersen with his trophy for winning the International Friendship Tournament
The FLW South African team being interviewed during registration
06 SA BASS December 2017
)ROORZLQJ D YHU\ VXFFHVVIXO Č´UVW RÉ?FLDO )/: 6RXWK $IULFD &KDPSLRQVKLS WKDW WRRN SODFH DW WKH 9DDO 5LYHU 9DQGHUELMOSDUN ZKHUH RQH KXQGUHG RI WKH EHVW &DVW IRU &DVK DQJOHUV FRPSHWHG WR VHH ZKR WKH YHU\ Č´UVW )/: 6RXWK $IULFDQ &KDPSLRQV ZRXOG EH RXU IRXU )/: 6RXWK $PEDVVDGRUV HYHQWXDOO\ DUULYHG DW WKH &RVWD )/: 6HULHV &KDPSLRQVKLS LQ WKH 86$ The international anglers on stage at the Costa FLW Series Championship
>> Hannes Lindeque, Jody White, Curtis Niedermier and Matt Pace
T
he annual Costa FLW Series Championship consists of top anglers from ten U.S. and one International Division to advance to the Forrest Wood Cup based on their performances at the championship. In November 2017, 384 anglers from across the globe met on Kentucky Lake Tennessee to compete for huge prize money, two Ranger boats with Evinrude outboards, priority entry to the FLW Tour and ultimately for slots to the Forrest Wood Cup in 2018. Each International partner has four slots (two proand two co-anglers) and our four FLW South Africa ambassadors were; Michael Matthee and Justy Varkevisser. The two co-anglers were Wayne Louw and Henry Petersen. They were joined by Gareth Dryden who participated in the FLW International Friendship Tournament. Before the pre-tournament meeting on Wednesday all the international anglers visited FLW’s head office in Benton, Kentucky to strengthen FLW family ties and experience U.S. hospitality first hand.
The pre-tournament meeting later the day was held at the Events Centre in Paris, TN, which consisted of a “Costa Happy Hour�, registration and a buffet-style meal. Pictures of all the anglers were taken and legends, like Roland Martin, were met in person. The atmosphere was great and everybody looked forward to compete.
Conditions Day-1: It was overcast with high winds and half meter waves. Due to low water levels anglers had to navigate their way through a complex water way following marker buoys showing the river channel. There was no way that one could quickly take short cut and shoot across shallow sand bars and hidden hill tops. Day-2: We headed off to the launch ramp in heavy thundershowers. It was cold, wet and overcast. Day-3: There was a fog delay, but once the anglers were on the water the weather was confusing. We saw the sun for fifteen minutes and encountered rain. SA BASS 07 December 2017
Wayne Louw being interviewed on day one (Photo by Andy Hagedon)
The fishing was downright bad for most in the 2017 Costa FLW Series Championship on Kentucky Lake. Instead of a strong topwater bite or a taste of the winter umbrella rig bite, most of the top finishers – outside of tournament-winner Bradford Beavers – had to scramble around and fish odd patterns or do a little bit of everything. Out of 192 boats, only seven pros limited each of the first two days, and only Beavers managed three limits in a row.
Michael Matthee Day-1: Michael was in the first flight of the day. FLW USA supplied him with a Ranger boat fitted with a 250 Evinrude outboard and when we tried to follow him with the media boat he just disappeared from our sight. We caught up with him at his first stop, but soon lost track of him for the rest of the day. He managed to catch four fish weighing 11 pounds 9 ounces which gave him a good head start. Day-2: With South Africa taking the lead in the International Division all eyes were on Michael. He continued to weigh four fish, 15 pounds 8 ounces, and finished 9th overall over two days. Being under the top ten he continued to fish on day three. Up for grabs were $50,000 and a Ranger Z518C with a 200-hp Evinrude outboard.
Topping the International Division, Michael Matthee hails from South Africa and had never fished in the United States before dropping down on Kentucky Lake for the Costa FLW Series Championship. After only three days of practice, Matthee settled on fishing south of Paris. “I tried to look for deep and shallow water, a combination of the two,� says Matthee. “If my boat was in 10 feet and I was throwing up into 3, I was happy. And if I found a bank with chunk rock that was good.� On flatter banks he tossed a bone-coloured Heddon Super Spook Jr., and he relied on an umbrella rig with 1/8-ounce heads and 3-inch swimbaits on the steeper banks. All week, Matthee deliberately fished his topwater slowly with lots of pauses and avoided the crowded bars, instead focusing on the banks. “I had four [keepers] every day, and I caught every one of those fish before nine,� says Matthee, who only managed one keeper on the fog-shortened final day. “Today [Saturday] we left at nine.�
Top ten pro-angler places Place
Angler
Day-1
Day-2
Day-1&2
Day-3
Total bag
Bradford Beavers
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Justy On day one Justy managed to weigh 3 fish (8 pounds 4 ounces). On day two he was in flight one and we followed him with the media boat but soon lost track of him. Unfortunately, he couldn’t find any keepers and was out of the race.
Wayne Wayne had a terrible day one. Wayne and Michael caught keepers during their pre-tournament practise, but fishing from the back of the boat as a co-angler, was very difficult. Wayne had to adapt to the pro-angler’s fishing style and things weren’t going well. On day-2 Wayne had a new skipper and better luck. He managed to weigh a keeper weighing 1 pound 14 ounces.
Henry On day-1 Henry’s boat had mechanical problems and he couldn’t make the weigh-in in time. On day-2 while I was busy attending to my e-mails and admin, Henry suddenly showed up at 10 o’clock. Either I was seeing his twin brother (that he doesn’t have), or there was big trouble for him to be off the water. “I was disqualified for bad sportsmanship”, he said. I nearly had a stroke! “No - my partner had a heart attack and was evacuated to hospital”, he replied.
Michael Matthee won the International Division at the Costa FLW Series Championship and qualified for the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup. He also became the first international angler to also make the top-ten
Gareth & Tracey Dryden with their US pro-angler Rick Taylor
The proudest moment in our lives – our national anthym being played to honour our anglers’ victory (Photo by Andy Hagedon)
Michael’s first cast SA BASS 09 December 2017
Michael finishing 9th overall on day three (Photo by Andy Hagedon)
What a disappointment. What are the odds of having two bad days in a row! Travelling this far and after all the effort he has put in, only to see how his dream slips away was enough to make my stomach turn… At least he still had one opportunity and that was to compete in the International Friendship Tournament on day three.
Was it easy? Many of the local pro-anglers fishing on home water didn’t weigh any fish. In total only seven pros limited each of the first two days. If Michael didn’t drop his kicker on day two, he also would have managed to weigh in a limit.
Top ten baits: Topwater baits thrown on main-lake bars, flats and points, and umbrella rigs thrown in deeper areas, primarily on the main lake, were the go-tos. A few anglers also targeted shallow flats in the backs of creeks, and they mostly kept topwater in their hands when they did it. Otherwise, a few single swimbaits and vibrating jigs saw some work. On a tough and topsy-turvy Kentucky Lake, Bradford Beavers ground out about 15 pounds per day and came
away with his first big win in the Costa FLW Series Championship. Totalling up 15 bass for 45 pounds, 12 ounces, the up-and-coming Ridgeville, S.C., pro earned a $50,000 prize package and qualified for the Forrest Wood Cup for the second year in a row. “It is an incredible accomplishment that Michael won the International Division at the Costa FLW Series Championship and became the first international angler to also make the top-ten”, said Vice President of Operations, Dave Washburn.
Forrest Wood Cup Qualifiers FLW awarded 11 spots in the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup to top finishers at the Costa FLW Series Championship. The first six went to the highest finishing pro’s from the five U.S. divisions and the International Division. The remaining five went to the next five highest finishing pro’s regardless of division. Bryan Thrift, who already qualified for the 2018 Cup for winning the 2017 FLW Tour Angler of the Year, earned a double qualification, and so FLW extended an additional Cup invitation to the next angler down the standings at the Costa FLW Series Championship.
Day-2 take off - Justy Varkevisser (Photo by Kyle Wood 10 SA BASS December 2017
cont. on p12
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Thank you Thank you to our tournament partners; Garmin South Africa, Arma Iuris, SA BASS magazine, Yamaha Distributors and Hillbilly Poisen, who made this historic opportunity possible. FLW South Africa would also like to thank FLW USA and all the FLW international partners for making the 2017 Costa FLW Series Championship an unforgettable experience. In particular a special word of appreciation towards FLW USA for all their effort in presenting an international event of this magnitude and spoiling our anglers with various mementos.
Conclude
Visiting FLW head qaurters
Justy and Henry just had, to all our anglers. Anglers qualify through the monthly Cast-for-Cash tournaments in six regions to fish the FLW South Africa Championships from where the top four anglers get priority entry to the Costa FLW Series Championship. See our website www.flwsouthafrica.com for more information or visit us on Facebook. *Hannes Lindeque is the founder and publisher of SA BASS magazine since 2001, the tournament director of the SA BASS Cast-for-Cash bass angling tournament trial and FLW South Africa.
SA BASS magazine and the Cast-for-Cash Tournament Trial offer the same opportunity that Michael, Wayne,
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Frogg Fishingg
>> SA BASS CLASSROOM
Frog Fishing s s a B r e m m u S r o F 0RVW RI P\ áVKLQJ IULHQGV NQRZ WKDW , DGRUH IURJ áVKLQJ )URP KROORZ ERGLHV øRDWLQJ IURJV WR VRIW ERGLHG EX]] IURJV , ORYH WKHP DOO 3RS WKHP ZDON WKHP VOLGH WKHP RU EX]] WKHP IURJV DUH JUHDW VHDUFK WRROV DQG LQ P\ PLQG WKH XOWLPDWH ELJ áVK DWWUDFWRU 7KH WULFN LV WR áQH WXQH \RXU DSSURDFK WR IURJJLQJ
>> Dewald Viljoen*
F
rogging can be broken down into two main categories namely hollow body and soft body frogs. Each have their own special needs and after a lot of experimentation I finally came up with an approach for each of them that suited my needs and with a little luck it will help your frog fishing too. First, let’s look at hollow bodied frogs. These have been around for much longer than most people realize but only really came into its own when we started to use braided lines that really allowed us to start fishing these lures in areas where previously we would have been throwing away money! While all your equipment is important when frogging, when it comes to hollow bodies two things really stand out for me. Firstly is the rod. This is one area in your fishing that I feel you should opt for a specialist rod. Frogging rods walk a fine line between the finesse required for accurate casts and the brute power needed to handle heavy braid and to lift a big fish through thick vegetation. While most brands offer frogging rods in the 7’2� to 7’6� range, I prefer the slightly short 7’ offerings by Quantum. The second thing that is really important is the braid you use. With so many quality offerings available these days it is easy to get a little confused when selecting the right braid 14 SA BASS December 2017
for frogging. To me the breaking strain is not as important as the diameter of the braid. Again it is a balancing act. You want a braid that is thin enough to cut through grass and lily stems but thick enough not to cut into your reel spool when under strain. For me, I found the magic diameter to be around 0.30 mm. In most brands that will be between 50# and 65#. It is also important to look for a braid that has a round weave rather than a flat weave, as round weaves have less of a tendency to cut in. As for reels, as long as it is strong enough to handle the strains of heavy line and heavy structure, you should be fine. Since frogging is a technique where the rod imparts most of the action to the lure, the reel speed is not of critical importance. Hollow body frogs are shallow water baits, so fishing them effectively will usually require one to get in between the nasty stuff and we will often fish in areas where a push pole becomes a requirement as no one has yet built a trolling motor that can double as a brush cutter! The trick is to be watchful for surface action between the weed beds and lily pads and then be able to cast accurately and quickly when you see any activity! Depending on the make and model of lure you are using, pop, walk or glide the lure around likely spots, paying particular attention to natural ambush points
like openings or channels in the vegetation. The main advantage of a hollow body frog over buzz frogs is that they float and you can park them on the edges of a likely spot and allow the fish to work themselves up into an aggressive state, often resulting in a violent strike on a stationary lure! Buzz Frogs require a slightly different approach for me. Because for their lower weight and higher wind resistance they often cast like they have a parachute attached to them! They don’t go very far and they often don’t go in a straight line! A few years ago I over came the distance problem by starting to use a spinning rod to throw buzz frogs. A spinning reel is much more forgiving when it comes to lighter (or just plain odd casting) lures. The free running line will add a few meters to your cast and will also allow you to skip the frog around, tangle free! The other advantage is that you can get away with a thinner diameter braid, which will also add meters to your casting distance, and before I get complaints and lectures about the power of spinning tackle versus casting tackle, take a walk around your local tackle shop and you will notice that spinning tackle dominates the off shore market and the monster carp market, which means strength and power are not issues that the bass angler should be concerned about! The rod I use for instance is an 8 foot Shimano offering, designed to pull 60# King Salmon from fast flowing rivers. It weighs and handles no different from my bass rods and can easily dead lift a 4kg bass from the weeds! I have it paired up with a 3000 sized, front dragged Quantum Smoke and 30# braid.
I fish my buzz frogs of a heavy wire 5/0 EWG hook. While accuracy is an issue with both the lure and the spinning outfit, you can actually achieve quite an impressive level of accuracy and consistency with a little practice, and add to this the fact that a bass will often chase down and destroy a buzz frog from quite a distance, then a buzz frog makes sense as a search tool to put you on aggressively feeding fish, quickly! I like to work an area by fan casting a buzz frog, again concentrating on likely ambush spots. By slowing down over, or dropping the frog into pockets you can often trigger strikes from following fish. One of my favourite tricks with a buzz frog is to swim it halfway onto a lilypad, leaving the legs to dangle in the water for a quick “rest” then pulling the frog over the pad and back on its way. You will very often get hit as soon as the frog re-enters the water! With summer rapidly coming into full swing, frogs are a great way to search the shallows at dawn and dusk. We have even found that nature is a great help especially at dusk when frog choirs are often singing along specific stretches of shoreline. These are usually prime spots as the bass in these areas seem to be predisposed to eating frogs as part of their diet anyway! Until next time, enjoy the bounties of summer fishing and stay safe! *Dewald Viljoen is a custom lure maker and the owner of Hot Reels Service Centre.
SA BASS 15 December 2017
READERS
GO BASSING
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GROOT VIS My seun, Danie Roelofse (12), het hierdie 6.7 pond swartbaar in Rondeboschdam buite Middelburg gevang. Ek het persoonlik nog nooit so groot swartbaar gesien nie en wil dit graag met die lesers deel. Baie dankie vir ‘n puik tydskrif – Danie Roelofse
OPGEWONDE BOTSWANA I live in Botswana and love your magazine and l love bass fishing. I thought you might like to see my biggest ever bass of 3kg caught on a bass coloured crankbait at a private dam in Botswana – Philip Clark 16 SA BASS December 2017
Ek het laas in 2013 se Februarie en Desember uitgawes verskyn. Die hengel-gogga het my weer gebyt. Is daar ‘n moontlikheid dat ‘n mens ‘n artikel kan skryf en hoe sal dit werk? – Louis Jacobs Dankie Louis, jy is baie welkom om jou artikel aan die redakteur te stuur – Red.
BEST DAY I’ve been bass fishing since 2005. I was very lucky to purchase my first second hand Kick Boat in the same year. Nothing beats fishing from a kick boat. Sneaking into spots where a boat cannot go as shallow as 30cm. In September I was lucky enough to visit my favourite fishing spot Hazelmere in KZN. I’ve caught my previous PB there. I was out for juts another relaxing day on the water. Never did I realize that it was going to be one of my best fishing days on the water. I caught some beautiful fish including breaking my PB with a fat 4,5kg old girl just before the she spawned. What a day what a dam. I had to share it with you guys. Sorry about the photo’s I usually fish alone so selfies is the only way can take pictures. – Phil Bouwer, Durban North
GOGGA Hier is ‘n foto van my meisie, Sarai Fourie, se eerste swartbaar wat sy heeltemal op haar eie gevang het. Haar eerste baars-uitstappie saam met my was na Bass Lodge buite Klerksdorp. Die gogga het haar behoorlik gebyt en nou soek sy haar eie visstokke. Dankie vir ‘n goeie tydskrif. – Owen Williamson SA BASS 17 December 2017
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>> SA Bass
A
stroll over to the line department of a tackle store can be a daunting and expensive exercise. Line packaging all states the key words like “sensitivity”, “cast ability”, “abrasion resistance”, “low memory”, and “low visibility”. Unfortunately never are these elements discussed in context or within a fair comparison. Anglers are spoilt for choice, but in order to find the correct
combination between your fishing rod, reel and lure a lot of variables need to be considered. For the purposes of this article we won’t be discussing different line brands; however we will try and distinguish between the three major categories being monofilament, fluorocarbon and braided lines. Firstly let’s have a quick look at the key properties of each of these lines:
Braided lines
Monofilament line
Fluorocarbon line
Application of lines
This is something all by itself. Absolutely no or very little stretch is a key property. The line is normally very buoyant and will float. Braid is very abrasion resistant, but is also quite abrasive and special attention needs to be given when pairing with rod eyes. Braid is also very visible under water. As the braid is normally extremely limp and soft so line memory is hardly ever an issue to deal with.
As with all lines a lot of progress has been made with polymer compositions over the years in order to reduce the line diameter with increased breaking strength. Monofilament line is fairly cheap and has the ability to stretch significantly over a castable distance. The density of the line is normally close to or just slightly more than that of water, meaning that the line is either floating or slow sinking. As a last consideration the line is fairly UV resistant with very good abrasion resistant properties. Depending on the brand and diameter memory can sometimes be a factor to deal with.
Major technological advancements have been made in this section of the line isle. These lines can be extremely expensive even going up to few Rands per meter for the premium brands. A property of the fluorocarbon is that it commonly has a much lower stretch element when compared to monofilament. The density of the line is much higher than that of monofilament meaning the line sinks much faster. It can also be noted that fluorocarbon line, although several technological advancements has been made is fairly sensitive to abrasion. Line transparency below the water can be very good and this definitely adds a positive element for this category. Fluorocarbon is often quite stiff and due to this line memory on thicker diameters need to be considered.
When selecting a line, many anglers will go for the most expensive line believing that they will get everything they look for in one line. Unfortunately when going through the properties of different lines it can be seen that no specific line can fill all needs. Line stretch for example that is normally referred to in very negative terms can be a positive attribute in the right application. In many other ways all properties can be good for one application and act as a negative with another. So let’s have a quick look of typical application methods
18 SA BASS December 2017
Different lines have different attributes
“Do not leave cut fishing line at the water”
General notes Unfortunately not all lines are equal; some are just bad. A bit of experimentation will be justified until you find which one is good for you. There are however a few things that can be done to make sure your line selection is appropriate. Foremost is to match the line with the rod. Any good bass fishing rod should have a line rating specified close to the butt of the rod. This rating is made according to the absorption properties of the rod and will eliminate line snaps during hook sets. Always try and specify your line to the middle of this range and you know you will be safe.
Line diameter is something that deserves special mention on all grades of line. Keep this in mind “As thin as possible, as thick as required”. Thinner line will perform better and will result in you catching more fish, however if fishing heavy structure hooking up on a fish and then losing is just unnecessary and unethical. Line does deteriorate over time so be very wary of purchasing very old line or line that has been exposed to sun. If your line does happen to build up a bit of memory over time and coils as it comes of the reel, just secure it to something and stretch it out a bit more than a casting length. That should fix your problem, if it doesn’t it sadly time to re-spool and get some fresh line on there. I would like to make a serious appeal to all anglers out there. Fishing line is not biodegradable. This means if left outside it will last FOREVER. It gets blown around and does entangle birds and animals resulting in a horrible death. Anyone who has fish has seen these horrific sites next to our waters. There is really no need for that and always retrieve whatever line you lose and dispose of correctly. Do not leave it at the water or even throw cut down pieces into the water.
Soft plastic baits
Reaction baits
Top water baits
For your soft plastics you typically need as much sensitivity as possible as this is key to detecting the bite. Also a solid hook set is required to enable the hook to rip out of the plastic, and lastly line visibility under the water does play a key role. So fluorocarbon with its low stretch will provide a sensitive solution and the fact that the line sinks also makes it ideal if you want to throw weightless baits. A clear choice. However if fishing in very abrasive environment with lots of rocks or especially hard vegetation it is worth considering monofilament. Fluorocarbon very quickly develop scuff marks and in a pitching situation casting distance is normally quite short thus stretch plays a much reduced role and the abrasion resistance from the monofilament will be a benefit. Often I hear anglers pitching braid into the trees to gain more strength. I strongly appeal to these anglers to try and use a thicker diameter monofilament. Consider this, when braid is wrapped around a piece of wood once at a distance of 10m away the rough texture of the line will offer a lot of resistance and will be very hard to free up or get a fish out of that situation. Monofilament however will slide more easily over structure enabling you to get out of a sticky situation. When pitching and punching into heavy grass and thick soft vegetation braid is an ideal option to use in this unique situation. Major visual constraint that is present when using braid has less of an influence and secondly the abrasive properties of braid will assist in cutting through the grass when removing a fish from the thick salad.
Cranks, jerk baits, and spinner baits are retrieved at higher speeds and the hooks on these baits are normally exposed. Ideally, reaction baits are thrown on a slightly more flexible rod. This is done to absorb the initial strike from the fish and allow time for fish to take a lure into its mouth. So in this case a bit of stretch from the line can be a benefit, as it does add to the shock absorption when using a reaction lure. So for reaction baits monofilament should be your first and most common choice. But as with all fishing there is an exception, light diameter fluorocarbon can be very useful on crankbaits, it will allow the bait a few extra feet of diving depth and added sensitivity can be very well applied in the hands of an experienced fisherman. Please note; some thought must be given to the absorption properties of the rod used when using fluorocarbon on cranks.
This is where braid really brings a lot to the party. The fact that braid floats enhances the action of any top water bait. This allows the baits to be paused for longer periods of time as well as adding a lot of life to the presentation. Word of advice; many anglers use line with a breaking strain of ±65lb. There is really no need to use line this heavy and casting ability is greatly reduced with line this heavy. Twenty pound braid is more than sufficient for 95% of your fishing requirements and you should be able to cast that stuff like a rocket.
SA BASS 19 December 2017
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Do You Have SHAKY In Your Tackle Box? Do you need to get a quick limit of five bass easily? Then you need to have shaky heads in your tackle box. This must be one of the most productive lures in a bass angler’s arsenal and it’s not had hard to fish.
Various shakey head presentations
>> Gareth Dryden*
I
t can produce fish quickly and will produce kicker fish. A little shaky head with a straight tail worm trailer will often produce bites in conditions when it seems nothing else works. Spend time on the water and you will learn how to fish a shaky head. Spending time fishing it will give you an excellent way to develop confidence that can be applied to fishing other styles of jigs. I have put together some information that I hope will help anglers and make your fishing trip the very best it can be. Shaky heads were designed out of the need for a smaller, ball jig
A spring casted directly into the head to screw the trailer onto will maximize the trailer action 20 SA BASS December 2017
head, built on a light wire suitable for adding a finesse type worm. This technique requires a light wire hook for an effective hook set when using lighter tackle. Many anglers use spinning equipment for this fishing technique, with 6 to 10lb line, but it’s not a necessity. The rest use medium action bait casting equipment with monofilament line up to 12lb, or fluorocarbon line up to 14lb. The 60 or 90 degree hook eyes are the main differences between the shaky head brands available. The ninety degree angle provides the best vertical presentation regardless of the head shape. The round head is best for
a vertical presentation regardless of the angle of the structure it rests on. A flattened bottom is not necessary, and can really reduce the action somewhat. A straight tail worm is most popular and has great action. Most shaky heads come standard with a 4/0 hook and are not designed for use with heavy trailers like Brush Hogs and beavers. A 5/0 hook would be required for those trailer styles. Many different shaky heads have a spring casted directly into the head to screw the trailer onto; this will maximize the trailer action. A highquality spring will be somewhat flexible and have a wide gap to secure the trailer. Be aware of shaky heads with a fine, super supple spring, these ones do not hold the trailer firmly and will most likely tear out the centre. Anglers fish shaky heads just about everywhere with the exception of thick grass. They will work in deep and shallow water and are perfect for some of the toughest conditions you
A straight tail worm is most popular and has great action
are about to fish, like post front days and pressured fish. It is a very easy technique to master. Just cast the lure and let it fall. It is important to notice any line movement while the lure is dropping. Most of the hits will come on the fall. Some anglers will use the rod and gently shake the rod’s tip as the bait falls. Let the bait drop to the bottom. If it makes contact, shake it, pop it up and drop it to the bottom again, shake it, and continue to repeat this process. It’s important to move the lure with the tip of the rod and not the reel. Play around with the shaking and speed (fast hops, dead sticking it, small little hops) until the fish tell you what they want.
Guidelines Shaky heads are mainly used on relatively clean bottom areas and rocky areas at depths from two feet to as deep as you can comfortably fish. Any hard bottoms will be first place to start using shaky heads; docks, slipways, gentle contour break lines, inside and outside grass lines and ledges. The shaky head is most effective on shorelines or deeper flats where there are a lack of bottom cover; anglers will talk about “nothing banks.” In truth, these areas are likely to host some very inactive bass which are holding very close to remote cover like a large rock, ledge of gravel, a half buried log, etc. This shaky head presentation will help the angler find those bottom features and entice a strike.
How to set the hook Strikes will differ when you fish
shaky heads; the angler has to always be ready to set the hook. With time you will get a feel of when and how to respond to the strikes. Make sure that the hooks are always sharp. At times, strikes may be a distinct knock of an aggressive bass, which normally requires a swift snap hook set before the bass spits the lure. An inactive bass bite may be so light that it goes undetected except for unusual pressure on the line or a sideways movement of the line as the bass moves off with the bait. These pressure bites are best handled with a less aggressive hook set, simply reel quickly and forcefully pull upward. I hope this will help you. Once you start having success with shaky head you’ll start catching bass others can’t. *Gareth Dryden is a humble, yet a highly competitive individual, who takes pride in everything he does and is always striving to do his best, but also willing to impart his knowledge onto upcoming fishermen. For him fishing is not just a sport but a way of life, incorporating family and everyday life experiences who fishes the Cast-for-cash FLW tournament under team Hillbilly Poisen.
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Hot Summer
Top Water Just ask any angler; “what is thee most exciting c thing in bass fishing?”. A top water bite is described as “heart rt stopping”. g” The sudden explosion of a bass ad us When bass hit top water baits busting a top water lure is an adrenaline rush. ar most of it… th you will see and hear the hits are spectacular. >> SA Bass
T
op water lures are certainly the most abused of all. Bass are going to hit them hard from any direction. That’s why you must have sharp, quality hooks. Dull hooks will fail to get solid hook ups in all the turmoil when the bait gets smacked or pushed around. One more obvious quality: top water lures are available in a wide variety of colours. That said, the next question will most likely be: “Should I be fishing with a loud, big, lightcoloured lure, or should I be using a smaller, quiet, dark lure?”.
Poppers and Chuggers Once discontinued and brought back by popular demand, this extremely productive top water bait the Rebel Pop-R is truly a legend in its own time. It is one of those “must have” baits in any angler’s tackle box. Still, after many generations, bass still can’t resist this bait. Over the years many copies of the bait have been made by different lure companies and some made improvements. 22 SA BASS December 2017
Techniques Some top water lures attract bass with a loud popping sound. Retrieved with a fast rapid jerk-jerk-stop action over long flats with submerged water grass or weed lines is one of the best ways to fish these lures. Alternatively work the bait slowly, using soft pops and moderately long pauses between the pops. The question always is; “how long between the twitches and how many?”. Only the bass will tell you that. How hard to chug the bait? In more coloured water where fish are feeding more aggressively, use shorter harder chugs. If you need to fish slowly and still need to attract attention, use cup face baits like the Hula Popper. It is one of the oddest lures on the market. Use these baits in areas you know that hold fish. They work well around weed lines, stump fields and shorelines. In clean water with less active fish, chug it moderately and let the bait stay
still for longer after you have chugged it. Sundown is an excellent time to be fishing a popper. Another retrieve that seems to work really well, especially in the fall, is three chugs and a pause, repeated over and over. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try to let the bass tell you what they want. If a nice bass eats your bait while you’re picking out a backlash, then slow down, or if one tries to commit suicide while you’re reeling in fast to make another cast, then speed up. Very important is to fish the bait all the way to the boat. Many strikes will occur just before you lift your rod to make another cast. One last thing about technique, don’t set the hook until you feel the fish on the end of your line. If you set the hook when you hear the strike, you’ll miss probably 85% of your fish. I know that this is difficult advice, but you must just learn to do it.
When The best time to fish the poppers is as soon as the bass are starting to
Have you experienced a top water bite?
leave their spawning beds up to winter. Dawn, dusk and anytime when there is cloud cover will be productive. Just go to your favourite grass bed and start fishing around the outside edges. Normally the bigger bass should be concentrated on the points, indentations and anywhere that deeper water comes close to that outside grass edge. Don’t be afraid to throw this bait in the middle of the day, under a bright sun, with no surface activity in sight.
Line Line stretch, combined with the right rod action and drag setting allows for a good hook set without pulling free and helps in fighting the fish to the boat, especially when they make that frantic last run. I favour the stretch of monofilament line when fishing hard top water baits. Super lines or any of the other low stretch lines and braid will work. However, this requires a lighter drag and or softer rod action to avoid pullouts on the hook set or while fighting the fish. Most often top water lures will tend to “over run” the line and tangle the front hook when using a super line. To prevent this is easy; join the super line to a short (6 to 12 inch) monofilament shock leader without using a swivel. (A swivel will kill the action of the bait.)
Modifying baits If you are really into modifying baits, you can try cutting the lip to
change the “popping” characteristics. “Spitting”, “splashing” and “jumping” can be achieved with the right changes in the lip(s). Good with an airbrush? A custom paint job or simply adding an orange belly can often achieve results when the “standard colours” aren’t working. I rarely fish these types of baits right out of the box. The easiest change involves changing the front hook from the stock to a Vanadium VMC Round Bend #4. These hooks are incredibly sharp right out of the box and seem to increase my strike to catch ratio. Usually for the back hook, I will use feather type white bucktail also in size #4. As for colour, I usually start out with a bone or white/blue back first thing in the morning and switch to a chrome/blue or gold back when the sun gets up.
Tackle Brand and cost are irrelevant as long as you get the right action out of the bait. I still prefer a carefully chosen 6’6” medium action graphite rod. Proper rod action when working the bait, setting the hook and bringing the fish to the boat is what counts. For best bait control and action I directly tie the bait using a Palomar knot, choosing 12 to 15 pound monofilament line for most conditions and generally reserving heavier line for larger baits like the Spook. Lighter line will increase both casting range and accuracy and can result in more strikes.
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Spinnerbaiting – Back to Basics Most people believe they know how and when to fish a spinnerbait! Yes this little bent wire frame that has a lead head, a plastic strip skirt, a couple of metal blades and of course a single hook. >> Gordon Brown*
H
aving fished spinnerbaits The Damiki 1/4oz for over 30 years and have D-Seven is best for caught hundreds of bass up shallow water to 4kg, I always come back to basics. As I was introduced to some Damiki spinnerbaits recently. I become very excited testing the D-Seven and MTSrange. My first impression when removing the Ÿoz D-Seven and MTSspinnerbait from its packaging, I could sense this is a winner. The small profile wire frame, sleek lead head and single willow leaf blade (D-Seven) is great and will not snag easily. What’s deeper water when you need to get unique is that the blade size is stamped your spinnerbait down quicker. on it for easy reference and the high Blade type quality silicon skirt is held in place by Remember the rounder the blade wire and not the old rubber band type $PMPSBEP UIF NPSF WJCSBUJPO JU which perishes. creates. This is used for slow retrieves When fishing these spinnerbaits, in dirty or off coloured water or when I found that they run well at slow water temperatures are low and the and fast retrieves. They come through fish are not very active. cover very easily and have a good The willow leaf (long elongated) combination of vibration and flash. blade on the other hand has little Spinnerbaits are extremely versatile: vibration but puts off a lot of flash. Spinnerbaits with willow leaf blades t $BO CF VTFE UISPVHIPVU UIF ZFBS are used in clean to slightly off (winter and summer) coloured water. A lot of spinnerbaits t 'JTIFE TMPX BOE GBTU POF DBO CVZ IBWF B TNBMM $PMPSBEP t 4IBMMPX BOE EFFQ blade in front and a larger willow t $BO CF ÍTIFE PWFS TUBNQT MPHT leaf blade on the end. It is the most rocks through grass, over lily pads, popular combination which gives one practically anywhere. a combination of vibration and flash. Here are three basic things Colour to consider when choosing a Deciding on the blade colour always spinnerbait: works hand in hand with the colour of t ɨF XFJHIU TJ[F ž P[ ŀ P[ PS › P[ the skirt. Generally in clean to slightly off coloured water one would use a t #MBEF UZQF BOE DPMPVS white skirt and silver blades or white/ t 4JMJDPO TLJSU DPMPVS chartreuse skirt or olive silver with a Weight combination of silver/gold blades. In The two lighter sizes mentioned more off colour water plain chartreuse above are best for shallow water that or green pumpkin/chartreuse or gold JT ›N PS MFTT ɨF › P[ JT CFTU GPS silver with gold blades work well. 26 SA BASS December 2017
One must always experiment with different colours and combinations because bass don’t read these articles and follow their own reason.
How to‌ Using one of the lighter spinnerbaits and reeling in fairly quickly, just under the surface. You should be able to see your bait all the time. If there is any visible structure try running the bait into it (log or tree) through it (brush, grass or reeds) This technique is not only, very effective but also allows you to cover a lot of water. 6TJOH B ›P[ TQJOOFSCBJU BOE ÍTIJOH it much slower, allowing one to fish deeper water and structures (submerged lay downs, grass, rocks, etc) My choice of tackle is a seven foot medium / heavy fast action rod with ¹6.6:1 range bait casting reel. When it comes to lines, I use 15lb clear fluorocarbon for most of my spinnerbaiting. i#JH (BNFw MC HSFFO NPOPfilament will also do well. It is very tough, has good abrasive resistance and is very forgiving when having overwinds. It also comes at a very affordable price! Two things when anglers start spinnerbait fishing is their rods and lines are too light (8 to 10lbs). You always want to fish spinnerbaits around the heaviest and thickest cover therefore, using a heavy rod and line is essential. I trust you will enjoy and catch more and bigger bass as you start exploring and understand the basics of spinnerbaiting. *Gordon Brown is a multiple Protea bass angler and a regular SA Bass contributor.
Tungsten weights Highest Quality CAT’s Tungsten weights has a greater density than lead; therefore, it is much smaller CAT’s Tungsten weights are great for fishing heavy cover
1/4 oz
1/8 ozz
1/4 oz
1/8 oz
1/16 oz
1/16 6 oz
5/16 oz
CAT’s Hollow Frogs
CAT’s Creatures
CAT’s Worm Hooks
HOOK 1957 - (1/0-5/0)
HOOK 1957M - (1/0-5/0)
HOOK 3314 - (1/0-5/0)
Tel: (031) 261 42 33 | Fax: (031) 261 43 33 | Cell: 082 892 2674 PO Box 30478, Mayville, Kwa-Zulu Natal, 4058 E-mail: catsj@telkomsa.net | Website: www.catsfishing.co.za
HOOK 3197- (1/0-5/0)
October 2017 Results Gauteng
Gauteng 1: Team Mav erick - 9.14kg 2: Team Madfin - 8.41kg 3: Team Stompie - 8.40kg 4: Team HillBilly Poisen - 7.88kg 5: Team Knott's Nissan Woodmead - 6.99kg
L-t-r: Johann Zwarts,Gauteng Vikesh Parbhoo, Barry Devenish,2017 Clinton Jansen van Rensburg, Winners - October - Roodekopjes Dam Pieter Swanepoel, Anton Vogt, AndrĂŠ Pretorius, Nigel Potgieter
28 SA BASS December 2017
Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga 1: Team Sav age Gear - 4.365kg 2: Team J&B - 3.660kg 3: Team EQB - 3.270kg 4: Team VB Commander - 2.930kg 5: Team RTM - 2.915kg
Back: Brenden Howell, Vaughn Jonker, Jimmy van Eeden, Allen Bezuidenhout, Frank Gottschalk, Simon Bezuidenhout Front: Juan du Toit, Nuno Oviedo, James & Bernadette Symington
Limpopo
Limpopo 1: Team Ex terminator - 4.310kg 2: Team Fear no Fish - 3.780kg 3: Team Bass Hunter - 3.480kg 4: Team Selati - 3.165kg 5: Team Beli VC - 2.880kg
Limpopo Winners - October 2017 - Ebenezer Dam
SA BASS 29 December 2017
KZN 1: Team Bass Warehouse Fishtec - 5.835kg 2: Team Peter Maskell Auctions - 4.265kg 3: Team Gamakatsu Outdoors 365 - 1.395kg 4: Team Double A - 1.200kg
Bryan Leppan & Michael Cannon; Ashral Shaik & Neil Button; Robbie Olivier & Neels Beneke
Cast-for-Cash Orange Free State Our new O.F.S. region include venues like the Vaal River, Sand River, Klerkskraal Dam, Disaneng, Boschkop Dam and Vaal Dam. Don’t miss out! For more information contact John Bulpitt on 079-479-3582 or visit ou website www.flwsouthafrica.com
North West
North West 1: Teams Greens² - 4.650kg 2: Team Westv aal BM - 4.510kg 3: Team Raptor - 2.330kg 4: Team SA Rare Game Breeders - 2.250kg 5: Team Sav age - 1.160kg
Agter: Karel Lensley, Loutjie Louwies, Anton Vogt, PD Swanepoel Voor: Adriaan & Johan Zwarts, Pieter & Joe Khourie
30 SA BASS December 2017
COOK ANYTHING, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME
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South Africa TOURNAMENT NEWS
The Team USA Experience Meeting the Legends
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>> Gary Peter
t the beginning of October South Africa had the great privilege of hosting the 13th World Black Bass Championship on the Vaal river. This meant that we were able to host some of the best anglers in the world here at home. Of course without taking anything away from the other nations the huge hype was to meet the top bass pros from the states and legends in our sport. Lionel Botha our ex-Protea captain who immigrated to the USA to pursue his career in professional fishing was selected to represent the USA at the world cup. Lionel who was always a good friend of mine contacted me a few months before the event and we began chatting about the USA team and what I could do to help them when they arrive in SA. This presented me with the honour of getting to chat to some of the guys in the team prior to their arrival. I chatted weekly with their management, Lionel, David Frits and Charlie Evans a legend in his own right. We arranged performance “Crackleback” bass boats through Escape Boating for them to pre-fish on and use during the world cup which was an opportunity to present our local boats and industry to them and make new friendship FLW sensation and bass icon, Scott Martin, was to captain the team of, Fred Boom Boom Roumbanis, Scott Canterbury, James Watson, Mark Rose and of course legend and hall of fame angler and Bassmaster Classic Champion, David Frits. Wow, these icons of our sport were on their way to our shores and were going to fish right here at the Vaal River. The excitement was electric and all over social media and everyone was talking about it. Having been lucky enough to meet them and to get to chat to them I can honestly say that I have never met a bunch of guys who are so humble and accommodating to fans and everyone who wanted to talk to them. What stays in my mind is that each and every time I saw them they always had these huge smiles. Scott Martin and his TV-show sidekick Brandon (spinner worm) were so playful and full of fun and games. In an end what I took away from the experience is that they are just fellow anglers in this great sport of ours just
like every other angler at our local FLW events and social anglers you meet out on the water. I learned that bass fishing truly is an international brotherhood of good guys with a love an obsession for that green fish that drives us all crazy. They loved South Africa and said over and over how friendly and hospitable South Africans were and that “boerewors” is an acquired taste. They also said that the level of our anglers is very impressive. They did say the fishing is a bit tougher here than in the USA and all of them will definitely be coming back to spend more time here. Wow, how far our sport has come, FLW is now in South Africa and presents us all an opportunity to qualify to fish the Costa FLW Series in the USA; we have just hosted the best anglers in the world here on our home waters and our Protea Team boys did us all proud by winning the world championship, beating the USA “dream team of legends” into second place. We also got to meet and watch our heroes fish competitively at the Vaal River, who would have believed all that five years ago. I still have goose bumps writing this article. What our Protea Team showed us is that South Africans can FLAT OUT FISH with the best of them. So tackle up people and welcome to the next level of bass fishing in South Africa!
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Completely Focussed on Fishing
experiences g in h s fi t a e Gr reat tackle start with g g shoppin
All Your Bass Tackle Under 1 Roof
For more specific details: Follow and like us on Facebook: "Knotts Outdoor Paradise" keith.knott@outdoorparadise.co.za Shop 1-3, Nazarene Centre, 418 Ontdekkers Road, Florida Park, Roodepoort Tel: 011 - 672 1273 SA BASS 33 December 2017
>> SA BASS D.I.Y.
Having recently acquired a new outboard, it became apparent that whilst my trailer was great (made it myself), the brakes were really crappy. I knew this because it didn’t have brakes! >> Kevin Lofstedt* here’s been numerous occasions where certain box type vehicles have done their best to kill me and my boat, and with this extra weight of the new motor, I decided that I’d pushed my luck far enough. I looked first at drums, but I thought I could “beat” those with disc brakes. Easy peaky right? Mmmmmm, not so much. Also not as difficult as one might imagine. The first thing I did was have a look at some at some of my rich friend’s trailers and it wasn’t as complicated as I’d imagined. First, I measured the diameter of the hubs (Where the wheel bearings are housed.) I then looked at where the disc should run in relation to the leaf spring and the rim. The offset just coincidentally was virtually the same as is the case on a BMW front wheel – can’t remember which series. The disc also has four holes like my rims BONUS! All I then had to do was drill and tap a hole in the hub. So that when the disc is fitted, the four threaded holes in the hub line up with the holes on the rims. There were some caliper (Toyota Corolla) plates that needed to be laser cut. Also needed a spacer to ensure that the caliper was dead centre
1 The trailer’s original hub 34 SA BASS December 2017
of the disc. All I need to do now is find some way for the calipers to be activated when I applied the brakes on my bakkie. After searching high and low in South Africa, I turned my attention to e-bay! There I found a complete hydraulic actuator for a 6000lb trailer. I paid my money (R3000) and a couple of weeks later it arrived. Cool! Now all I had to do was remove my old trailer coupler and fit the actuator. Wanted to make that the mounting of the actuator was not reliant on welds not breaking or coming loose. I drilled holes through the frame of the trailer, fitted solid steel bushes, and mounted the actuator. All that was need now was the piping and the bleeding of the system… or so I thought! Anyway, bought a couple of five meter lengths of brake pipe and bent it to follow the profile of the trailer. Then found some rubber lined brackets to keep the piping from hooking on, or being snagged. Used 34 of these brackets! Taking no chances! Right, all done... Not so much. If I reverse, the actuator would apply the brakes. Oh, sh*t. I then did what all clever people do, I Googled it. I found that there is a “bolt on” shut off valve which blocks
2 The hub and caliper bracket
3 The disc brake assembly (side view)
4 The disc brake assembly (top view)
5 The complete hydraulic actuator
the brakes from being activated when in reverse gear. A very simple process that requires that you simply jump a live reverse light from your bakkies reverse light to the trailer plug on the bakkie. This cut off valve cost me R250 from e-bay, and took two minutes to install. I’ve had the system on for three months now and already I’ve thanked the lord that I’d done the modification because on my way back from Rust de Winter, a “gentleman” in a taxi decided that my lane was better than his, and tried to take me out! Thank heavens the system worked as advertised and I avoided hitting him TWICE! Once with my bakkie
6 The electric reverse cut off valve
and boat, and once in the head with my fist! If anyone out there plans to do the same modification, feel free to e-mail me and I can give you some pointers.
Words of Wisdom “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Albert Einstein. *Kevin Lofstedt is a regular writer and a well known veteran bass angler with three times Southern Gauteng Colours since 1985. He is also the main founder of Clearwater Bassmasters Bass Chapter (1994). He can be reached at kevin@sabass.com
Air Craw Swartbaars vreet omtrent enige iets en Damiki Air Craws werk baie goed waar krappe opgemerk word. Lug word in die aas se knypers vasgevang en maak dat die aas regop staan soos wanneer ‘n krap of kreef homself wil verdedig. Gebruik 14 pond fluorocarbon lyn, ‘n stewige swaaraksie stok en ryg die Air Craw aan ‘n Shakey Head loodkop. Alternatiewe stroppe waarmee hierdie aas gehengel kan word is Texasen Carolina-strop. Gebruik ‘n Texas-strop waar daar digte struktuur is en ‘n Carolina-strop in meer oop water met minder vashaakplekke. Gooi die aas uit en laat dit vir ‘n paar tellings staan voordat die aas stadig oor die bodem gebring word. Dit moet ‘n “stofstreep” maak soos wanneer ‘n krap oor die bodem sou beweeg.
Skandeer die QR-kode en sien ‘n kort video van hoe die aas onder water vertoon.
Besoek gerus jou naaste hengelgereiwinkel en vra vir Damiki se Air Craw gelaai met Bass Juice. SA BASS 35 December 2017
>> SA BASS INTERNATIONAL I caught my first smallmouth of the day on a Daiwa RPM Crank
The scenic view of the Columbia River Gorge in Lake Bonneville’s west pool
River conditions were still calm and slick near Hood River marina
Early Season Mid-Depth Deal
(Part 1)
Columbia River Smallmouth Adventure: Lake Bonneville (Hood River, Oregon) >> Story and Images by Fishingboy and David Swendseid (DUO Realis U.S.A)
I
n spring 2017, I had the honor of fishing with David Swendseid, the R&D Manager of DUO Realis U.S.A, on the Columbia River for early season smallmouth in some of the toughest and extreme river conditions I have ever come face-to-face with in bass fishing. In this two-part instalment, let us look at the day-two highlights of my trip to Lake Bonneville’s west pool in Hood River, focusing on crankbait fishing in the mid-depth range.
Endurance fishing The Columbia River is an immense fishery that is dominated by heavy current. It is also the largest body of freshwater I have fished to date. More importantly, when river conditions turn rough on the Columbia, it literally puts a whole new meaning to the term ‘endurance fishing’. Bass fishing on the Columbia River also demands endurance because when the wind blows it transforms the river into an ocean of waves where you will routinely be spending most of your energy battling rough water to 36 SA BASS December 2017
keep yourself balanced while you fish. You may be the most skilful angler out there but if you lack the stamina to endure the crashing waves, you will literally get beaten to pieces. Though I made it through the conditions on Lake Bonneville’s east pool on day-one, what I am about to experience on the west pool was something I did not see coming on day-two.
Lake Bonneville gets rough Launching at the Hood River marina, we ran downriver and pulled up to fish a protected cove to get things started. Besides the heavy current, wind and waves, conditions out on the east pool where we fished on day-one were immensely different to those in the west pool. The rough water conditions we encountered during our twenty mile (32km) run downriver was a challenge in its own right. Likewise, conditions in most of the protected areas were not better either. The strong winds and choppy water made it impossible for us to access certain areas.
We were constantly on the lookout for areas with conditions that would enable us to reach out to those high percentage areas while staying clear of the wind and heavy current. In all, it was a fine line between getting bit and getting blown out of your fishing areas so to speak. Though you can always work your way back to your spot, manoeuvring against the heavy current is tough, not even on a 120lb thrust trolling motor on maximum power. Safety is the top priority on the Columbia River, whether you are on fast runs or on the trolling motor.
A nice keeper size smallmouth on DUO Realis Vibration 62
The mid-depth deal We adopted the run-and-gun approach, either utilizing the trolling motor or the wind to drift into areas adjacent to heavy current. We caught fish off protected banks with points, bars and other features, in 2.4m to 4.2m of water. Some anglers call that the mid-depth zone. We often read about deep or shallow water cranking because the large majority of anglers believe bass live either in deep or shallow. On the Columbia however, we can pretty much rule out the shallow deal during the early season but cranking in the mid-depth zone can be loaded with potential, especially in areas that exhibit signs of warming. Early season smallmouths are by instincts creatures in survival mode. Cold water conditions in winter suppress their metabolism, basically shutting them down. In winter, bass can eat once and it can take as long as two weeks to break down the meal. However, when a warming trend is present due to prolonged periods of sunlight, the middepth zone can be productive but stability in conditions is what dictates fish activity.
As a case in point, do not limit yourself to transition waters in the 12m to 15m depth range during the early seasons. If water temperatures keep rising in the 7.7°C range, even minutely and remain stable for prolonged periods, the mid-depth zone is the deal.
Factors to consider Although mid-depth cranking can be highly effective on early season smallmouths, do not assume you can aimlessly crank around anywhere in 2.5m to 4m of water and catch fish all day. It is not that simple. Some of the primary factors to consider are water clarity, current, vegetation, channel intersections, sunlight, temperature and so forth.
Water clarity
Current
Vegetation
Wind and current are dominant factors on the Columbia River during the early season. When it comes to seeking out areas with the best water clarity, we were actually left without many options because most of the conductive areas we found were stained.
Current can have a major influence on mid-depth cranking. On the Columbia River, current can come in many shape or forms. Whether it is wind-generated current or current generated by the run-of-the-river dams, smallmouths will position themselves along current breaks to ambush and feed on passing forage.
Vegetation can also have a major influence on your middepth cranking success. Look for emerging vegetation. Dead vegetation leaves very little for living organisms.
Visibility was at best around 0.6m. Water clarity was not ideal but things worked out pretty well as we were able to hone in on fish that were moving shallow in 2m to 2.5m of water.
Another variable on wind dominated fisheries is that changes in wind direction can also cause changes to the direction of the current breaks.
Discerning emerging vegetation in stained or dingy water can be challenging. When faced with such a scenario, I would run my crankbait deep and utilize the bill to dig the bottom till I reel in the fresh looking grass. I will stop and concentrate on areas where I find the lush green stuff.
To be continued‌ SA BASS 37 December 2017
>> SA BASS BOOK REVIEW
Fishing Flies
P
enguin Random House has just released a new coffee table book on South African Fishing Flies – An Anthology of Milestone Patterns. This wonderful hard cover book does not contain an exhaustive reference to all South African flies, but is rather a collection of twenty three flies that, by virtue of their innovation in design, materials used and tying techniques, have helped shaped the thinking of fly-tying in South Africa. The authors, Peter Brigg and Ed Herbst, are both well experienced fly fishermen, established writers and write with authority. The book contains 176 pages, is easy to read and boasts with spectacular high quality full colour pictures on every page. Even if you are not an avid fly fisherman
you will still enjoy reading the adventures of the various contributors. “The stories behind the patterns are so interesting and uniquely South African”, said Gordon van der Spuy. “It is not just another book full of patterns, but a very special book about fly-tying and the history thereof in South Africa” said Jay Smit. Dr. Tom Sutcliffe, a house-hold name is the fly fishing community regards the book as “A wonderful read, full of variety, useful information, interesting personal insights and valuable advice on South African fly patterns and on how to fish them”. *For more information visit www.penguinrandomhouse. co.za or your nearest book store .
Burn Grub Grubs is one of my most favourite “go-to” baits. Over the years I’ve caught many bass on this lure, ranging from the average small bass to very big ones. We were spoiled on a recent fishing trip, fishing a private farm dam under extreme low water conditions. The water clarity was clear and underneath the submerged water-grass was an abundant of fish. The windy conditions were ideal for throwing spinnerbaits, but I opted to stick to my trusty grubs. Rigged with a very light Mojo sinker, a #1/0 size wide gap hook, I used a Damiki Junebug Burn Grub. For this light rig I used a 6’6” medium power, fast action spinning rod fitted with a 2000 series spinning reel and 8lbs line. We started off fishing a drop off at the inlet where I made my casts into the wind. To my amazement I caught a lunker which was still busy swallowing a small bass. Soon afterwards I caught another trophy size fish that was hunting close by. How many did we land? I lost count.
When things get tough, it’s time to throw a grub
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SA BASS 39 December 2017
>> SA BAARS
Agter Elke Man, is daar ‘n vrou wat ook wil hengel >> Marlene Kemp
Kim Bain-Moore, Australiese professionele baarshengelaar, het haar eerste baars op vierjarige ouderdom gevang en het so die eerste vrou geword wat aan die wêreldbekende kompetisie, “Bassmasters”, deelgeneem het. Vandag beoefen vrouens nog steeds regoor die wêreld hierdie sportsoort, en so ook het my liefde vir baarshengel begin.
Die skryfster met haar eerste swartbaar. Nou kan sy maar trou. 40 SA BASS December 2017
D
ie gogga het my in Februarie 2017 gebyt toe ek my eerste baars kon vang. Min het ek geweet dat die ervaring my lewe sou verander en ek so met my droomman, Maurice, sou kon trou, omrede my toekomstige skoonpa (toe) my plegtig belowe het dat ons nie mag trou voor ek nie my eerste baars sou kon vang nie. Maurice beoefen die sport al jare lank en hy het my met sy ervaring “lynwys” gemaak. Eers moes ek leer gooi. Wat ‘n storie was dit nie gewees nie! As my aas nie reguit in die lug opgetrek het nie, het ek omtrent my tone raak gegooi. Ek het dit uiteindelik wel reggekry. Die weer was moeilik, dit was koud en bewolk en ons het van die oewer af gehengel. Dit was modderig (turf ) langs die kant, maar met kaal voete en ‘n stok in my hand het ek die poging om ‘n baars te vang aange-turf. Ek het in Maurice se hengelkaste begin snuffel en wou met alle mag net al die helderkleurige ase aan my lyn vasmaak. Groot was my teleurstelling toe ek sou uitvind dat dit glad nie so werk nie. Maurice het aanbeveel dat ek na die kleur van die water moet kyk. Wanneer die water skoon is, gebruik ons ligte natuurlike kleure; wanneer die water troebel is, gebruik ons donkerder kleure. So besluit ek toe om eerder Maurice se raad te volg en te kyk waarmee hy hengel. Hy het ‘n donker plat paddatjie met twee lang agterbeentjies gebruik (swart Horny Toad). ‘n Swart “Horny Toad” moet dit dan nou wees, het ek gedink, en met groot teleurstelling al die mooi helder kleurige vissies in die viskas teruggepak. Natuurlik het ek nie geweet hoe om my aas aan die hoek te kry nie en manlief moes weer hand bysit. Ek het my aas naby die riete gegooi en het stadig my visstok se lyn styfgetrek en geduldig vir die byt gewag, sonder ‘n idee hoe dit sou voel as ‘n baars die aas sou gryp. Die volgende oomblik het ek ‘n pluk aan my lyn gevoel en sonder om te aarsel het ek hard vasgekap. Die baars het vasberade gespring, sy kop heen en weer geskud om van die ongewenste stukkie kos, wat nou skielik terugbyt, ontslae te raak. Die adrenalien het behoorlik deur my are gebruis terwyl ek inkatrol. Deur my stok hoog te hou en nie te laat sak nie, het ek met lam arms en bewende hande die lyn probeer styf hou. Hierdie baars het verbete aan my lyn getrek en vinnig het ek besef dat hierdie baars groter is as wat ek gedink het. Benoud het ek na Maurice geroep om my te
‘n Paar wenke vir toekomstige vrouehengelaars:* Onthou ‘n sonhoed * Groot sonbrille - verkieslik gepolariseer * Sonskerm met die regte faktor vir jou spesifieke vel
vir my ‘n riem onder die hart om te weet dat daar moontlik ‘n ander hengelaar, of dalk ook ‘n vrou soos ek, weer die baars sou kon vang. Ek sal enige avontuurlustige vrou aanbeveel om ten minste eenkeer in haar lewe die sportsoort te probeer, want wanneer hierdie vis jou byt, is daar geen einde nie. En dames, julle kan maar gerus die naellak, maskara en lipstiffies by die huis los. Lekker hengel en moet nie vergeet om julle stories en foto’s vir die tydskrif te stuur nie.
* Pienk visstokke * Jou man se viskas vir jou visvang-avontuur * Rubberstewels - anders sit jy ook met turftone. kom help. My toe aanstaande skoonpa het immers gesê dat ek en Maurice nie mag trou voordat ek nie ‘n baars kon vang nie. Groot was my verligting toe ek uiteindelik die vis aan wal kon kry. Ek het die vis op die wal uitgetrek en baie versigtig aan sy bek geraak om die hoek uit te haal. Maurice het my gewaarsku om eerder nie aan sy lyf te raak nie, maar eerder aan sy bek. Ons het ‘n foto geneem, want hierdie herinnering wil ek vir altyd teen my muur kan hang. My moed het tot in my turf-tone gesak toe my man vir my sê dat ek die baars weer sal moet vrylaat. Dit was egter
Tel 0861 282 282 info@armaiuris.co.za Authorised Financial Services Provider: FSP21529
Arma Iuris is a national legal cost insurance company rendering a service to individuals and businesses for the past 11 years. The individual legal cost product consist of the following: We provide legal advice to our clients 24/7 by means of a 0861 emergency number which is answered by an attorney. / We draft and provide any form of legal documentation as needed by our clients i.e wills, contracts, agreements etc. / We render legal administrative services i.e firearm motivations (licensing and relicensing), pension fund enquiries, tax issues and problems experienced with service providers like local authorities etc. / We represent our clients nationally whether magisterial or higher court cases for civil or criminal law suits. Your spouse and/or all financially dependants also enjoy cover under this policy. / This service will be offered to FLW members at a reduced fee of R250 (VAT Excl). Terms and conditions apply.
Armor Shad “Flukes” is alombekend en een van die beste sagte plastiekase wat omtrent in elke hengelaar se gereitas gevind word. Die Armor Shad is niks anders nie. Die beste manier om ‘n Armor Shad te hengel is sonder ‘n gewiggie sodat die aas ‘n baie natuurlike swemaksie het. Gebruik dit in of naby struktuur waar kleiner vissies gewoonlik teen roofdiere skuil. Die Armor Shad kan vanaf vlak- tot baie diep water gehengel word. In diep water kan die aas aan ‘n Mojo- of Texas strop gebind word. Mojo-sinkers word gebruik in en rondom watergras terwyl Texassinkers tussen bome en takke gebruik word. Gebruik ‘n 7ft medium swaar aksie stok, 12 pond fluorocarbon lyn en ‘n hoë spoed katrol. Die drie basiese kleure wat elke hengelaar gebruik is Junebug; vroegoggend, laat middag of wanneer dit bewolk is. Watermelon Red wanneer die water helder skoon is en groen watergras sigbaar is. Green Pumpkin werk goed wanneer die water effens ‘n kleurtjie het of die bodem klipperig is. Die aas word uitgegooi en ingebring met ligte gewrigaksies wat ‘n sieklike vissie naboots wat sukkel om te swem.
Skandeer die QR-kode en sien ‘n kort video van hoe die aas onder water vertoon.
Besoek gerus jou naaste hengelgereiwinkel en vra vir Damiki se Air Craw gelaai met Bass Juice. SA BASS 41 December 2017
>> SA BASS INDUSTRY NEWS
SA Wins Navico Award!
C
ongratulations to Lowrance South Africa on winning one of only three prizes awarded at the Annual Navico Conference, held in Palma, Spain. Mikala Plotz (National Sales Manager) and John Minnie (Technical Manager) were delighted to receive the award for the “Best Growth”! They are pictured with: Matt Hooper (Global Training Director), Lucas Steward (Lowrance Product Line Director), John Minnie, Sennur Yagmur (Independent Distributor Sales EMEA), Mikala Plotz, Jacob Scott (Lowrance product expert), John Scott (head of Product Management & Marketing), Gildas Le Masson (Director of Independent Distributors EMEA).
Lowrance forms 80% of Navico’s recreational market – making it the most popular marine electronic brand in the world! The conference is held for all the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Navico distributors and keeps them informed and up-to-date with all Navico products and processes. They are introducing many new and exciting features to Lowrance products – most of these will be accessible via free software updates. Keep a look out on the Lowrance SA Facebook page and in their online magazine! Look out for Lowrance’s exciting new wireless castable transducer - the FishHunter (coming soon)!
For more information - contact your nearest dealer or Lowrance South Africa (031) 368 6649.
VISION DRIVES PERFORMANCE
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42 SA BASS December 2017
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BASSIN KIDS OUTREACH PROJECT A Division of SA BASS Magazine & South African Bass Angling Sport Society
09 - 15 December 2017 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 065 849 3264 or 083 306 2718 to book your spot. For more information visit www.sabass.com or email wilma@sabass.com
3"/4" Swimming Frog
4" Flutter Craw Brown Pumpkin Copper
Watermelon Yellow Belly 32 Colors
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4.5" Big Foot Toad Watermelon Red Flake
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4.25" Flapping Hog Watermelon Red
4.25"/5.25"/7.5" Quiver Stick
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Watermelon Red Chart Tip
3.25" Crazy Craw Durban Poison Red
Black Special 32 Colors
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4.5" Winged Hog Gauteng Poison
3.5" Swim Ripper Black Blue Flake 36 Colors
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4.5" Curly Tail Stick Junebug Chartreuse Tail
3 3/4" The Thing Watermelon Gold
3.57" Punch Craw Clear Bream
33 Colors
24 Colors
SA BASS 43 December 2017
>> SA BASS CLASSROOM
Do You speak
Bass?
On a recent days fishing with my daughter a fellow angler came over to tell us how his day went. He said “hey, I dropped a slab today! I was pitching lay-downs and a pig exploded all over my Brush Hog.” >> Gary Peter
H
e continued: “When I felt it wolf me I stitched it solid. As I horsed that bus through the tuckers it busted and I saw it was at least a five. It revved me broken all the way to the gunnels and as I tried to lip it, it got unbuttoned and spat me. Eish! A dog!” My daughter started giggling and said to me “dad I didn’t understand a single word that man just said”. Thinking about what he just said I realised that we as bass fishermen really do speak a completely different language and so I began to translate from bass into English for her what he had just said:
“Hey, I lost a big fish today. I was underarm casting at submerged trees when a large bass surfaced near my lure. When I felt the fish bite I set the hook rather firmly. I pulled it away from the trees and when it surfaced I estimated the fish to weigh at least five pounds (2kg). It fought well and right at the boat the hook fell out and the fish swam away. Eish! A rather large fish. Having had a chuckle I decided to write a glossary translation of bass fishing terms into English so wives, family and friends can understand the bass fishing obsessive in their lives.
Bass translations Dink
small bass
Rip rap
rocks
Keeper
bass of 30cm plus
Lay downs
submerged fallen trees
Rats
small keepers
Mistress
your bass boat
Solid fish
bass over 1kg
Bass widow
wife
Pig
bass over 2kg
Bass orphans
kids
Dog
bass over 3kg
Back boated
Second class citizen who fishes second hand water and brings the sandwiches
Bus
bass over 4kg
Boat chow
lunch
Lost fish
bass always over 5kg
Wetties
cooldrinks
Scooped
landed with net
Sandbag
lie
Lipped
landed by hand
Boat partner
a relationship closer than marriage
Dropped / spat
lost fish
Mercury
your dog’s name
Pattern
what the fish are biting on
Berkley
your cat’s name
Blank / skunk
caught no fish
44 SA BASS December 2017
Mathematical formulas for bass Fish weight
weight divided by two and minus 500 gram
What you tell the wife you spent on tackle
Amount divided by ten and minus R1000.
Number of fish caught
Quantity divided by four minus five
How the wife knows its Saturday
the boats gone!
I hope this helps the layman, or person, to better understand the bass fisherman in their lives. Also please show patience and understanding when a fish is lost as I’m told the pain suffered by the angler is that similar to that of childbirth.
In closing; I leave you with great words of wisdom... Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime Give him bass tackle and you turn him into a liar! Enjoy the festive season. Tight lines, stitch those pigs with jigs, spank those dogs with hogs and remember to ride your boat like you stole it! The scariest part is; when you die and your wife sells off all your fishing gear at the prices you told her it was worth - Ed.
The author, a Berkley pro staff angler, with a bus which he stitched and horsed through the tuckers
SA BASS 45 December 2017
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46 SA BASS December 2017
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SA BASS 47 December 2017
>> SA BASS INDUSTRY NEWS
/// SUZUKI
WINS INNOVATION AWARD AT 2017 IBEX SHOW
S
uzuki Motor Corporation’s new flagship four-stroke outboard motor, the DF350A, h ha a received the National Marine has M Manufactures Association’s (NMMA) 2017 IBEX Innovation Award for outboard motors at the International Boat Builder’s Exhibition & Conference (IBEX), which was held in Tampa Florida, F l USA. IBEX Innovation Awards are prre presented to new marine products wh wh which best demonstrate distinctive technological te tec ec innovations and deliver deelii deli outstanding consumer benefits. benefi benefi fi Products must also be practical prac practi acti tii and cost-effective.
// THE FOLLOWING FEATURES OF THE DF350A WERE SIGNIFICANT FACTORS IN THE JUDGING:
t t t
t t
The largest V6 engine displacement, at 4.4 litres Suzuki Dual Prop System (for exceptional grip and acceleration) Direct Air Intake & Dual Injector (for achieving high compression ratio and efficient combustion) Dual Louver System (for efficiently separating air and water) Low Fuel Consumption.
This is the ninth Innovation Award won by Suzuki outboards, the largest number of awards in the outboard engine category of the marine industry. Suzuki’s winning record is a reflection of its commitment to innovative technology that makes boating more enjoyable for its customers. For more information on Suzuki’s new DF350A or their full line of 4-stroke outboard motors from 2.5 to 350 horsepower, please visit www.suzukimarine.co.za
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48 SA BASS December 2017
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