SA BASS January 2017 by SABASS

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DIGITALLY This is the first issue for the New Year and we at SA BASS wish all our readers, advertisers, editorial contributors, family and friends a very blessed and prosperous new year. Above all we thank God for his protection and ask for guidance in the year to come. We are thankful for the rain received so far and trust that the devastating drought across the country will be broken and that all our dams will be filled. Many people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realise the far reaching effects of the drought and that it even influence the price of fishing lures. Many will have some New Year resolutions for 2017, even if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just to make new friends, or take someone fishing, or getting rid of some bad habits. Other may appreciate those precious moments with their loved ones and value each minute. Whatever you do; make the most of it! For those who struggle to get going, just keep in mind that nothing lasts forever and even bad days become ancient history. Because we are all human it is better to forgive, forget and move forward. We can only move forward if we have made reconciliation with the distasteful events and learn not to drag those negative feelings into the New Year. The beginning of a new year can also be an exciting time for those who love to compete. We congratulate all the winners of the first SA BASS Cast-for-Cash event that took part in November 2016, but although the new season has already started all bass enthusiasts are still welcome to come and take part in the series. In January the Cast-forCash will be hosted in all its regions and we invite you, the reader, to take part. Every angler has a chance to make it to the final event. To prove it; my partner and I missed the first two events of the 2016 season, but still managed to qualify for the 2015 final and finished in third place overall at the Champion-of-Champions. I cannot promise that it will happen to everybody, but what I do promise is that SA Bass magazine will continue to be on the shelves every month. This will be the SA Bassâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sixteen year on the shelves and still we have not been late or missed a single issue! It will also not happen this year. All the very best to everyone and may we all have a wonderful 2017! Bennie Wiese / Editor

Y ONL pm R28

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SA BASS 01 January 2017

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Contents

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

Advertising Manager:

Wilma Lindeque - wilma@sabass.com

Subscriptions:

Hannes Lindeque - hannes@sabass.com

Digital subscriptions:

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Layout and Design:

Storm Deezigns - dee@stormdeezigns.co.za

Distributed by RNA:

Jannie Junius (011) 248 3536

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 January 2017

(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.

STRATEGIES “Ultra Finesse Bassin’An Introduction” For some, the thought of downgrading your tackle to something much lighter than what you would normally use might seem rather daunting. – John Badenhorst

TOURNAMENT STRATEGIES “Summertime Bass Fishing” Summertime! Probably my least favourite season to fish for bass – Divan Coetzee

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.

REGULARS & FORUMS

TOURNAMENT STRATEGIES “Casting a Jig” Gareth Dryden is a highly competitive angler and has been fishing the Cast-forCash tournament trail for the first time in 2016 – Bennie Wiese

TACTICS “Chuggers” The water is calm; your thoughts are somewhere else and all you hear at the back ground is the popping sound of the chugger. – 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.

STRATEGIES “Barking Mad” My fishing partner and I were fishing one of our local ponds. – The Bass Addict

34 42

TOURNAMENT NEWS

INTERNATIONAL “Shore Bass Fishing in South Korea” Shoreline bass fishing is popular in South Korea. – Fishingboy

“Fishing FLW USA”

TOURNAMENT NEWS “Zimbabwe National Bass Federation” The 2016 Z.N.B.F. Evolution Insurance Champ-of-Champs fishing tournament was held at Claw Dam, Kadoma the first weekend of November – Gareth Rawlins

“Bobaas Bolopers in die Somer” Baarshengelaars wat hulle boloper-ase wegpak na die lente, mag dalk net hulle kanse averspeel om regtig mooi groot baars op sulke warm somersdae vas te trek – Philip Kemp

KLASKAMER

BASSER PROFILE

STRATEGIES “Summer Strategies Part 2” We’re into January and the heat in most parts of South Africa is peaking, with warmer water temperatures than any other time of the year. – Roger Donaldson

“SA BASS Cast-for-Cash Champion-ofChampions Wenners 2016 Frans Swanepoel en Lesley Montgomery” Die Afrikaanse gesegde lui: “aanhouer wen” – Hannes Lindequerik

FLW “Ask the Experts” Any tips on winter bridge fishing?

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 01

MY CAST

READERS-go-BASSING

Cast-for-Cash - Tournament Results

GEAR UP

LIFESTYLE – Boating & Birding – “Camouflage - What is Camouflage?”

SA BASS “Bassin’... The New Contact Sport” On a relaxed Wednesday afternoon and while on leave, myself and a few friends, who also happened to be on leave, decided to throw a line at one of our local spots. – John Badenhorst

INDUSTRY NEWS

30 32

FLW “Ask a Biologist” How big are bass home ranges? – Dr. Steven Cooke

FLW “Essential Skills” How to Tie a Leader to Braid – by TJ Maglio

48 50

>> The Legend Is Back

>> Junior Southern Division Divisionals

STRATEGIES “Getting Your Confidence Back” Bass fishing is one of the most challenging sports you can ever participate in. There are so many aspects that can affect your results – Rudi Dreyer

TOURNAMENT NEWS “Wrangler Angler” Adrian Luff is the first angler from the Eastern Division to ever become national champion and Wrangler Angler. – Bennie Wiese

SABAA NEWS READERS’ COMPETITION 18

>> Deeper Smart Sonar Readers Competition

>> Back issues Competition

>> Le Bonheur croc farm Destination Competition

ON THE COVER “FLW pro - JT Kennedy” Image: Jody White SA BASS 05 January 2017

>> SA BASS STRATEGIES

A variety of ultra light lures

Ultra Finesse Bassin’ - An Introduction For some, the thought of downgrading your tackle to something much lighter than what you would normally use might seem rather daunting. >> John Badenhorst

ightly so, as the thought has always been that bigger baits get bigger fish. However, this is not always the case as many anglers would agree where they have maybe even caught a personal best using some small nondescript lure. For those that have been toying with the idea of trying it out, firstly, no need to take a second bond on the house to be able to afford it and secondly, giving this kind of bassin might just surprise you with not only results, but delivering consistent results. As an angler I’ve also tried many different styles of angling for those olive and gold dwellers of the deep and for the past three years have specifically targeted my quarry armed with ultra finesse gear. I’ve tried many different rods, reels, lines

06 SA BASS January 2017

and techniques and have worked it out pretty well if I look at my catch ratio throughout the year including the cold winter months. The rods, reels and line that I mention in this article is based on my own experiences and preference and through trial and error have come out tops as far as delivering results are concerned.

Rod We all love a rod with just the right action and if it’s the right length it also means longer casting distances. When using ultra finesse baits, it is also very important to look at the line diameter you will be using, the weight including the

actual bait that you will be casting and the guides fitted to your choice of rod. During a recent tackle trade show I spent hours looking at what can only be described as toys for anglers; from rods to reels and lines and everything in-between. As I enjoy my ultra finesse angling, I spent more time looking at the new selections of rods on offer from importers and manufacturers than anything else. Here I prefer to go back to a rod that I discovered around three years ago. What makes this rod so different is the fact that as a spinning rod. The first three eyes are normal and what you would expect on a rod such as this. From there on up to the tip, the manufacturer has opted for smaller than normal guides, probably pretty close to being micro guides. When casting weightless baits or even lightly weighted baits, this rod due to its guide configuration allows the line being retrieved to have a slight bit of resistance and that helps to wind the line evenly onto the reel. With other rods, we tend to have to make every fifth cast as long as possible and to then reel in the line evenly in order to spool it properly. Or, you might be super frustrated when making your next cast and finding and over wind shooting through the eyes, robbing you of some precious fishing time. My choice of rod is also not made with standard graphite; instead it’s made using patented Duraflex graphite technology giving the rod superior stiffness and added backbone on a smaller diameter and length of blank. My

rod of choice happens to be the Sensation Power Plus Finesse rod in a 5ft6 length. This rod is rated for lures up to twelve gram and has a line rating of up to 5.4kg. It’s a wellbalanced rod, light and can be cast for hours on end without making the angler tired. And as I’ve mentioned, this rod has some serious backbone and having landed many fish between 2.4 and 3.6kg on this magic wand of mine, I can attest to its power.

Reel Next we look at choice of reel and here again it all depends on personal choice as some anglers might lean more towards their brand of choice. Obviously a well machined reel with a smooth drag and a spool big enough to hold up to 150m of line is mostly what I look at. Once again, after using various brands and options over the last three years, I came up with three reels of choice. Shimano has always been renowned for their quality of reels from coastal outfits to spinning reels and here I would opt for the Shimano FX1000FB. A light reel, well balanced and strong enough to which whatever it is jumping on the end of the line. My next reel of choice is the Daiwa Strikeforce 1000B. This reel has a smooth drag, plenty power and the heart of a warrior when combined with the rod I’ve mentioned.

Line Line choice is a very personal thing and as we know, we all have our favourite. being an ultra finesse angler I’ve

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SA BASS 07 January 2017

An ultra light rod

spent many hours going through different lines and after exhaustive testing of braids, fluorocarbon and the like, I’ve settled with a monofilament line that has not only proven its durability but has resulted in an improvement in my catch ratio due to its qualities. The monofilament line I’m referring to is called Ion Power with super low memory, superior knot strength and just the right amount of stretch gives the finesse angler the added edge. This line is a blend of 100% Nylon, spectra fibres and fluorocarbon. This line is also super thin, to give you an idea, 0.203 diameter line is rated at 5.40kg test and 0.261 is rated at 8.45kg. That is 18.63lb and for the technically minded, machine tested on the last one is at 46.72 ISO N. What this simply means is that I can use smaller baits, with smaller end tackle setups and due to its low visibility, I have a better chance of getting a decent bite and solid hook set. All of the mentioned above in a combination now puts the end game in your hands as the angler and the last thing to do is select your desired lure and rig and give it a cast. When it comes to lures, we have all experienced a situation where it seems that nothing we throw has a desired effect. It’s at times like these that I personally opt for smaller, less obtrusive lures like small paddle tails like the 6cm Seboko or even a three inch Senko type of bait. It could be that the fish are sensitive to conditions after a downpour or they are skittish due to water clarity or pressure from anglers. Whatever the reason, somehow it always seems to work when I decide to downscale my setup to something more in the lines of ultra finesse. Over time I’ve experimented with different lures and have found a constant producer to be a Mojo rig, 1/8 ounce with two gummy stops on thin line. A slow walkthe-dog technique has proven itself over years of using this method. Something nice to take note of is that many tackle manufacturers have also latched onto the ultra finesse idea and have started producing smaller soft plastics, tiny cranks and ultra finesse jigs for us to use and play with. Old classics like the Mepps inline spinners will under the right conditions prove hard to beat if this is your style of fishing. 08 SA BASS January 2017

For the top water angler there is even a whole range of small lures and frogs available to choose from so everyone’s tastes are being catered for. Over the last three years I have specifically targeted my fish using ultra finesse techniques and the results speak for itself. There are days when other anglers are scratching for a bite and yet my partner and I are getting good fish, and lots of them. Give this style of angling a gap, give it a test and who knows, you might just be pleasantly surprised by the results. Don’t forget to send your pictures for publication in our Readers-go-Bassing section – Ed.

An ultra light reel

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>> SA BASS TOURNAMENT STRATEGIES

Summertime

Bass Fishing The a utho rw ith a

2k gt ak en

>> Divan Coetzee

w llo sha

ummertime! Probably my least favourite season to fish for bass. Extreme temperatures and high volumes of water traffic is not my idea of fun… but none the less, I find myself on the water far more than I care to admit. To compound matters, the water levels of most of our dams are extremely low (at time of writing this article). Add some jet skis and recreational boat users and you’ve got yourself a tough day on water half the size it should be. How does one deal with all these variables? Let’s look at the scenarios we are likely to face during the oncoming months. Let’s say we get little to no rain, 10 SA BASS January 2017

Koos Language displaying a 2kg fish taken on a slow rolled spinnerbait

A 3kg taken during practice for a tournament

leaving our dams in the sorry state they currently are - slowly developing into dust bowls. Or, we get more rain than we can handle and our impoundments fill to full pool practically overnight. Let’s look at the most likely scenario first- little to no rain and dam levels continue to drop at a steady pace. Dams that were low initially will now be even lower. This translates back to warm, stagnant, oxygen deprived water, not typically what bass or any other fish species for that matter prefer. So what do the fish do to cope? They go deeper yes… but here’s the catch! What if your favourite dam does not hold water deep enough with the right dynamics for the bass to retreat to?

In my opinion they will gravitate towards the biggest baitfish population they can find, and become ‘resident’ in that area. The fact that there’s no deep water to return to, means they’ll stick close to the bait to avoid having to relocate said bait before each feeding period, and of course conserving vital energy reserves. It’s a trade off as the need to feed would be a greater constant. ‘Adapt or die’ someone once said. If conditions deteriorate to extreme proportions then eventually the bass will shut down and become dormant so to speak. Reluctant to move and pretty much just laying there on the bottom, if you want him to bite, you

Email: hillbillypoisen@gmail.com il Available at leading tackle shops

Nathan Pienaar contemplating the proportions of this fine fish

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

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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

12 SA BASS January 2017

have to get your bait to practically hit him in the face… a couple times. But at this point, all hope is gone. So what can you do to give yourself the best chance at a good days fishing this summer? Well, firstly avoid dams with very low water levels at this stage. Perhaps give them a go after the area receives some water influx from the river systems or even a decent downpour. Try to focus your attention on some of our deeper impoundments that have not been so heavily affected by the recent drought. It’s difficult to name one but you get the picture. Give your best during early morning and late afternoon, also on overcast and rainy days should you be so blessed. Avoiding the midday heat goes without saying. In terms of bait choices- I would stick to anything that makes bottom contact: jigs, Carolina rig, deep diving crank baits and slow rolled spinnerbaits. The actual presentation and colour selection is an article in its self. (More on that at a later stage.) Let’s look at the flip side; lots of rain and potential flooding. This is the best case scenario for us as anglers as well as the fish. All bank side vegetation has now been flooded and the baitfish will occupy these areas and start spawning en-mass. The vegetation provides ideal cover for rearing young. Bass aren’t stupid so they won’t be far behind, some might even spawn as well, but the main reason bass come shallow at this time is to eat. It’s a time of plenty you see, milk honey and what not. Bass can easily be spotted as they massacre baitfish in the shallows. Easy pickings you might think! But at this stage the bass become baitfish specific, meaning they prefer a certain species at a certain size. Matching the hatch becomes crucial at this point if you want any form of success. Down scaling baits and line size would be a good starting point. Going shallow at this time is definitely not your only option. I’m a firm believer that the majority of really big bass live as deep as conditions will allow. On water with little structure or contour breaks, look for areas where the thermocline and bottom intersect. Maintaining bottom contact with your bait is paramount, but enough has been written on these subjects so we’ll move on. I also preach to always fish to your strengths, so if deep water intimidates you, then do what you do best up shallow and vice versa. Keep in mind that you might strike out from time to time if you aren’t willing to expand your horizons. I’m not one to dictate which shade of watermelon plastic you should have on the end of your line; I believe the art of finding and patterning fish to be of far greater importance. Once you do this well, you’re catch rate will automatically improve and bait choices become less significant. I hope these insights guide you to making informed decisions about your preferred destination this summer, and keep in mind that our beloved sport is a game of variables.

>> SA BASS TOURNAMENT STRATEGIES

Casting a Jig Cast-for-Cash Gauteng Gareth Dryden “Team Hillbilly Poison” 14 SA BASS January 2017

areth Dryden is a highly competitive angler and has been fishing the Cast-for-Cash tournament trail for the first time in 2016. Married and father of two he started fishing a few years ago as a club and casual angler across the country, tormenting bass with his favourite jig; casting, flipping and pitching it wherever he had the chance. He prefers to cast a jig over pitching or flipping. “I see many anglers pitching or flipping jigs but I enjoy casting it as far as possible when I have an opportunity to do so” said Gareth. He believes that pitching and flipping have its place in more shallow situations such as when the bass are sitting tight to heavy structure. As soon as the bass are roaming it is time to make long casts, especially if the water is clean. The key is to present the jig as far as possible from the boat “This was a key strategy last year and paid off more than once. We had four podium positions during the eight event Cast-for-Cash season.” Many anglers where fishing soft plastic presentations in the same way but did not get the same results. We believe that bass are not used to jig presentations, especially on the much pressured venues.” There are many bait fish that feed close or on the bottom so jigs must be fished close to the bottom. Swimming the jigs, hopping or dragging it along the bottom normally works well in most conditions. If the water is cold and clean with a hard bottom, casting a jig will even be more effective where there are rocks and homing crabs. Gareth matches the colours and body size of the crabs around those structures and conditions. “I am no expert on electronics, but my fish finders assist me in identifying sudden changes in the bottom so we are able to fish the correct areas with jigs”. He suggests making long overhand casts which helps to keep distance from the target area. It also provides a better natural presentation in the strike zone. “Don’t spook the bass” says Gareth with a big grin on his face. Something else he will look for flats with scattered brush when the water is clean. Most anglers will avoid these areas because they are afraid of losing their precious jigs. “You must have contact with the structure to get the attention of the bass. Of course you will lose lures in the beginning but with time on the water you will learn to fineness those baits out of the structure. The reward is better when the lunker hits it and you can land it.” During one of the 2016 Cast-for-Cash events he pitched into trees but could not get a bite of any kind. He moved away from the tree and made a cast from a distance using a half ounce jig. The jig was falling on the outer edge of the same tree and the bass could not resist. According to Gareth casting a jig to steep cliffs will allow you to cover every depth in the area. Even if your boat may be sitting in very deep water it will be possible to fish from shallow to deep and cover the entire water column. Many anglers will fish cranks in the same conditions but the cranks only cover some of the strike zone, relatively fast. Jigs allow for a slower presentation all the way back to the boat; just

>> Bennie Wiese use the reel and slow roll the jig. When you are fishing venues where there is deep grass fish the grass edges and look for scattered patches. “You will find bigger bass on this scattered grass, especially when there is new grass growing.”

Get the correct jig for the job If you compare a flipping jig to a casting jig you will most likely not notice a difference. Only when you fish them you will notice it. Most flipping jigs are equipped with thick, strong hooks to withstand powerful hook sets and to pull bas out of heavy cover. They are perfect when pitching or flipping to shallow cover on a short line. When making long casts with these bulkier jigs you may not get the corrected hook penetration. “Most casting jigs have thinner hooks that makes the hooks set better over longer distances” explains Gareth. He also let us in on a secret; his favourite Poison jig is armed with a true grip hook which offers better hook sets. The design of the jig head is also unique with cavities, red eyes and flaring skirt that looks very aggressive and intimidating. It is his number one go-to jig. You will have more stretch on longer casts especially when using monofilament line. Therefore one needs a hook that penetrates easily, but will not pull open on bigger big fish. When fishing finesse jigs use thinner lines to match the lighter wire hooks. The weed guards are also important and can sometimes interfere on a long hook sets. Trim them a bit or fan them out and use super glue to keep them in place. “I only do this when I fish areas where there is not heavy cover” says Gareth. Most jigs are designed to pull easy through structures although there are some that may hang up. Rounder jigs work better in rocky and around lay-down structures but don’t work well in grassy areas. They tend to hang up more easily. “The best advice I can give is that anglers must have confidence in what they are using” said Gareth.

Gareth Dryden showing his lunkers

SA BASS 15 January 2017

Chuggers

>> SA BASS TACTICS

>> Bennie Wiese*

hen there’s the gold green flash of a bass thrashing the surface in a feeding frenzy. The chugger disappears for a few seconds. You feel the bass on the line… you reel the slack in and set the hook. All chaos breaks lose as the bass jumps out of the water with the lure stuck in its mouth; shaking its head viciously and disappears in the depth again. Fishing top water lures can be the most addictive type of fishing of all the known bass fishing techniques. Most of the time the strikes are visual and unforgettable. It will sent thrills down your spine. Even if you catch twenty bass on a day with soft plastic baits and only one on top water, you will most probably remember that one surface bite. Although there are many top water lures available there is one type I would favour to talk about - poppers or chuggers; as some anglers know them as. 16 SA BASS January 2017

These lures are normally made from wood or hard plastic with concave mouths, that; if you move them through the water, they will catch air and expel the bubble that will create the unique popping sound. I believe that it imitates bass feeding on the surface, but most anglers will tell you it mimics frogs. Next time, when you find bass feeding on the surface… close your eyes and listen – then you will understand why I am saying it. Bass are predators and don’t like it when intruders feed in their neighbourhood. They will go and investigate.

Where Chuggers will draw heart stopping strikes and will most of the time produce when other lures are unsuccessful. Maybe this is because bass are not interested in our normal presentations and will assault something that appears to be more

vulnerable. Chuggers can be pitched, flipped or cast very accurately into the target area and retrieved at various speeds past any grass lines, manmade structure, or any other potential hiding place. I prefer to fish these lures around rocky areas or deep submersed structure close to drop offs. Many anglers make the mistake and fish it only during low light conditions. I use them even when the sun is high in the sky with no shadows around. The bass will move into underwater shady areas that are not always visible, or go deeper into structure or down a drop-off. These lures work best in deep clear water venues, but will work in stained water as well. It is one of the best lures to use in shallow areas when it is raining, close to small feeder streams, or near deeper dropoffs, especially during dry seasons.

When Chuggers can be used from early

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tĞŝŐƚŚ ͗ ϭϵϴŐ ƌĂƐƐ WŝŶŝŽŶ 'ĞĂƌ ^ƉŽŽůĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ůŝŶĞ DƵůƟͲ^ƚŽƉ ^ǇƐƚĞŵ ϯ͘ϭ͗ϭ 'ĞĂƌ ZĂƟŽ ĨŽƌ ^ŵŽŽƚŚ ZĞƚƌŝĞǀĞ >ŝŶĞ ĂƉĂĐŝƚǇ ;ŵŵͬŵͿ Ϭ͘ϭϴͬϭϳϬ Ϭ͘ϮϬͬϭϰϬ

The water is calm; your thoughts are somewhere else and all you hear at the back ground is the popping sound of the chugger. summer up to fall; although in summer it will require you to tease the bass a bit more. Try and keep it longer in the strike zone. Adding feather tails to the lure will be a big advantage. The slight movement of the feather will draw the attention of bass. The challenge is to leave the lure as long as possible above their heads. Off course early morning and late afternoon will be the most productive times to fish chuggers around structure and shadow areas. When it is cloudy or overcast, chuggers can be fished the whole day because bass tend to stay longer in the shallows. They also stay longer in a feeding mood. The majority of anglers won’t use top water lures in the middle of the day. What they don’t realise is that not all bass move away to the deeper water. They only move to the closest comfortable areas. Whenever you find insects on or near the surface, like dragonflies, it

is time to take out poppers. Bass will be feeding on the hatching insects. An added feather tail will once again hypnotise the bass and draw strikes. For anglers who enjoys fishing after sunset, using poppers at night, will have great fun. Pop these lures on a steady slow retrieve, especially lures like the Jitterbug with its larger metal scoop in front. It is one of the best night fishing lures to use.

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Retrieve The best way will be to experiment with different baits and retrieve speeds. The normal retrieve is a sharp downwards jerk of the rod tip getting the lure to pop and let it sit still for a second or two. Pop it again the same way and then give it a slight pop. Most of the times; if there are a bass sitting under the bait, they will react on the subtle movement. Another retrieve is to get the lure to spit water. It works well when there are fry or small bait fish in the area.

Corrosion-resistant graphite frame and side plates Anodized U-shaped spool DƵůƟͲĚŝƐĐ ĐŽŵƉŽƐŝƚĞ ĚƌĂŐ ƐǇƐƚĞŵ ϲ нϭZ ďĞĂƌŝŶŐ ĚƌŝǀĞ ƐǇƐƚĞŵ YƵŝĐŬͲ^Ğƚ ĂŶƟͲƌĞǀĞƌƐĞ ƌŽůůĞƌ ďĞĂƌŝŶŐ ^ŝĚĞ ƉůĂƚĞ ĂĐĐĞƐƐ ƉŽƌƚ ĨŽƌ ƋƵŝĐŬ ƐƉŽŽů ĐŚĂŶŐĞƐ ǀĂŝůĂďůĞ ŐĞĂƌ ƌĂƟŽ͗ ϲ͘ϲ͗ϭ

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

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Poppers can even be retrieved using the “walk-the-dog” technique. Using different knots will make it easier to get different lure actions. The standard Rapala knot helps with the normal popping sound; where, as if you use the Clinch knot, it will help with the spitting.

Tackle A 6,6” medium action bait casting rod gives me the best action when using poppers as long as it has a fast, supple tip and strong backbone. When fishing over heavy grass I use a 6,10” medium heavy rod with a fast action tip. The rod must have more muscle to turn the head of the bass out of the heavy grass. The popper is usually tied to 14- or 17-pound monofilament line because mono floats better and keeps the head of the bait out of the water to work the popper more freely. Smaller poppers can be easily fished on very light tackle. (Note: Fluorocarbon lines are heavy and sink which will negatively influence the action of the bait.)

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

Tips Before you go and buy new poppers, have a look at the ones you have, or inspect the ones you intend to buy. Look at the concave mouths - they all differ, for example; the Chug Bug and Hula Popper’s edges are not as sharp as the Rebel or X-Rap poppers. Even the size of the mouths and angles differ, or the lower lip will be much shorter than the top lip. The difference will make the lure pop or spit more on the retrieve. If you need to lift the mouth a bit more out of the water, replace the back hook with a heavier hook - the head will then sit higher out of the water. It will create a bigger air bubble and give the lure a different sound. *Bennie Wiese is the editor of SA Bass magazine and an experienced provincial bass angler.

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.

JULY 2013

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JUNE 2013

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OCTOBER 2013

BASSIN’ IN Early Summer

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TECHNIQUES

kunsvissies in die laat winter

SIZE AND COLOUR

FISHING BUDDY

One Man’s View

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BUYING A SMALL BOAT

for Post-spawn

MIGRATION ROUTES

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expanded

>> THE MORNING GRIND >> IT PAYS TO EXPERIMENT >> OOR PADDAS EN PRINSE >> HUNTING BASS IN DIRTY WATER >> LITTLE LESSONS FOR THE LAND OF GIANTS

>> THE POWER OF ONE ROD >> BASS FISHING AND ELECTRONICS >> FINDING BIG PRE-SPAWN FEMALES >> APPROACHING YOUR TARGET AREA >> CRANKBAITS FOR PRE-SPAWN BASS

>> POST SPAWN STRATEGY >> SPRING SIGHT FISHING FOR BASS >> CHINA’S BASS FISHING NEW FRONTIER >> EXPERIMENT, EXPERIMENT, EXPERIMENT... >> WHERE DO YOU START YOUR TOURNAMENT DAY?

FOR EVERYONE WHO LOVES BASS FISHING

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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

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>> SA BASS STRATEGIES

Barking Mad My fishing partner and I were fishing one of our local ponds. The bite was a tad slower than usual due to the fluctuating barometric pressure but we still managed to get some good quality fish. >> The Bass Addict

s we were wrapping our activities up for the day, we watched a stunningly beautiful moon rise and posed the question... “What is your opinion on fishing during full moon?” Personally I don’t have any issues fishing during full moon and my catches speak for themselves during the last couple of seasons and even during the colder winter months. The one thing we can almost certainly agree upon when it comes to the full moon is that two creatures are very 20 SA BASS January 2017

seriously influenced by this lunar phase... werewolves and women. Even though the weather might be absolutely perfect in every single aspect, there are those anglers that will not even bother to rig a rod let alone venture out onto the water to hunt the ones that dwell in the deep during a full moon. Many studies have been done regarding our happy pursuit of fish during the different lunar phases and one only has to check out Google in this instance to find many varied

opinions around the subject. We all know that the moon and its phases influences the tides due to gravity and it only stands to reason that as fish have a very sensitive nature and can feel slight differences in barometric pressure that the moon will most certainly influence them too. As some anglers have found, during a full moon and especially when fishing clearer water impoundments, the bite seems to be remarkably slower than usual. A logical explanation for this could be that our quarry a.k.a. Mr.

Bass is actually spending his evenings under a full moon actively hunting. Mr. Bass is very sensitive to light and this is probably the reason that in some dams and rivers, the bite sort of dies down between the hours of 11am and 3pm. The sun sits higher and if there is no cloud cover, the harsh sunlight is actually a major bother for our Mr. Bass. In the evening though during a full moon, our Mr. Bass has enough light to hunt but it’s not harsh as the rays of the sun and this coupled with all his other senses makes him an extremely good hunter indeed. So, if Mr. Bass is out hunting all night and he has already had his fill, then I’m sure he is going to find a nice shaded spot for those harsh daylight hours to relax and unwind after a hectic night of chasing and eating other creatures that happen to swim, crawl or hop across his path. Research has found that for certain clear water dams, fishing during a full moon is like trying to blank on purpose and let’s face it, no one wants to blank out on the water. That just sucks.

Research and experience by many anglers have also shown an increase in fish activity and this is especially true in bodies of water where murky or stained conditions prevail. Some research in other words have shown that fishing during a full moon and the three days preceding this lunar phase and three days after will produce less than optimum results in our hunt for Mr. Bass. Then again, other research has been published that refutes this previous notion and advocates fishing during the full moon phase in order to land those big ones... In my personal pursuit of Mr. Bass and his extended family have not let the moon and its phases bother them much, if at all. I have caught many good quality fish before, during and after a full moon in both clear water dams and at venues where the water happens to be either murky or downright dirty. I have however found that more importantly for Mr. Bass is what the barometric pressure is doing at a given time or at a specific venue. To summarize... some anglers will

absolutely refuse to go out during a full moon and some anglers will relish the prospect of fishing during or around the full moon phase. Research advocates for both schools of thought but in the end it’s up to us as individual anglers and our personal choice to either fish or drool over pictures that other anglers post on social media. I suppose it also has a lot to do with your mindset as an angler and confidence in your own abilities to outsmart Mr. Bass. As anglers we also don’t have the luxury, or most of us don’t have the luxury, or finances to plan our next day off or our next outing purely based around the phases of the moon and so we have to settle for the conditions on a given day and make the most of it. If you want to sit at home during the next full moon, it’s up to you. Me, I will be out there throwing a line and I will be posting my pictures on social media. Hopefully I won’t run into any werewolves and as for the missus... it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

R13500

SA BASS 21 January 2017

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 bee considered.

This th’s mon R

WIN

LEKKER Ek het hierdie mooi 3.1kg swartbaar in November 2016 net voor 17:00 by Loskopdam gevang. Wat ‘n lekker gevoel was dit nie om so mooi vis te vang nie. Ek het ‘n Damiki 4.5 duim Mr. Jumbo Watermelon Gold grub gebruik. – Deon Joubert

Firstly thanks for the great magazine every month which I excitedly await for every month. I thought I would send in my proud PB bass caught on Theewaters Kloof Dam in Villiersdorp Western Cape on 30th October while pre-fishing for the tournament the following week. I caught it at about 11 o’clock in the morning on a crankbait and it weighed a handsome 3,95kg. Just shy of the 4kg mark. Well let’s say I am still shaking and to cap it off, we won the tournament. I fished with my proud father, Renier. So you guys… don’t think woman cannot catch bass, lol. Thanks again for a great magazine – Renette

READERS GO BASSING Mail aiil & Win Wi n

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

RETURN On a long awaited trip to Doorndraai Dam we managed these two bass early in the day. It is a very scenic dam and we will return very soon to meet some of the other residents swimming around – Koos & Jaco Visagie 22 SA BASS January 2017

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.

>> SA BAARS KLASKAMER Die skrywer met ‘n baars wat met ‘n SPRO padda gevang is

Bobaas Bolopers in die Somer

>> Philip Kemp*

Baarshengelaars wat hulle boloper-ase wegpak na die lente, mag dalk net hulle kanse verspeel om regtig mooi groot baars op sulke warm somersdae vas te trek.

en van die belangrikste kunsase in my arsenaal is ‘n boloper aas. Of dit nou ‘n Zara Spook, eierklitser (buzzbait), knalprop (popper), Crazy Crawler of paddas is, ek sal altyd ‘n stok met ‘n boloper-aas gereed hê op die boot. Wat hengelaars nie altyd besef nie, is dat nuwe areas altyd gefynkam kan word met ‘n boloper aas wat vinnig gehengel word. Tydens dae wat dit werklik warm word, sal baars soms

24 SA BASS January 2017

in die oop water inbeweeg van oorgangspunte af om kleiner skole vissies aan te val. So het my seun Maurice en ’n goeie hengel vriend van my, Evert Laubscher, dit agtergekom na ’n besoek aan die bekende Letsibogo in Botswana. Groot baars het skole klein vissies sommer in die middel van die dam, ver weg van enige struktuur, aangeval. Die eindresultaat was ’n pragtige vis van 5,8kg en menigte baars swaarder as 3 en 4kg. Hulle het net toevallig by die areas in die middel van die dam verbygevaar toe hulle die aktiwiteit bo-op die water sien. Hierdie aktiwiteit sal gewoonlik naby aan ’n oorgangspunt of ’n skielike verandering aan die bodemstruktuur wees, soos byvoorbeeld ’n rif in diep water. Die baars kan met ander tipes aas ook gevang word, maar ’n boloper-aas is ’n natuurlike aas om mee te hengel as baars op die oppervlak jag. Boloper-ase kan dus oor dieper water ook gehengel word. Ek het al ’n menigte baars in dieper water (15voet) gevang met min struktuur en soms geen struktuur op die bodem nie. Baars sal soms uit dieper water wat skoner is, ver na die oppervlak swem om ’n prooi uit te oorlê. Dit is juis dan wat ’n aas soos die Zara Spook skitter. In skoon water het ek al baars op die Spook vasgetrek in water dieper as drie meter. Ek probeer ook om die Zara Spook vinniger te hengel in warmer water. Anders as wat baie hengelaars glo, stop ek nie die Spook nie. Ek hengel hom so vinnig as wat moontlik is

Bobaas Bol

opers

Die skryw er se vrou , Renie

ce, met ‘n b gevang het aars wat sy met ‘n ra

asaas

tot by die boot of oewer. Hierdie is natuurlik ’n “walk-thedog” aksie. Wat ek probeer doen, is om die aas so ritmies as moontlik in te bring. Die baars is soms geneig om die aas dan sommer hier voor jou by die boot te gryp. Daarvoor moet jy seker maak jy het jou hartpilletjie gedrink. Die eierklitser of “buzzbait”,soos hy beter bekend staan, werk weer goed as die water vuiler is en in areas met baie waterlelies. Hier gebruik ek ook ’n konstante spoed as ek die aas inkatrol. Ek sal egter eksperimenteer met die spoed totdat ek ’n spoed kry waarvan die baars hou. Oor onderwater plantegroei werk die eierklitser net so goed. Die baars grawe hulself diep in die watergras in, maar die geraas van die eierklitser sal hulle gewoonlik lok uit die donker kolle. Een van die mees produktiefste aas is beslis langwerpige ruk-en-pluk kunsvissies (jerkbait). Ek verkies die Smithwick Rogue en Long-A Bomber. Hulle gooi lekker ver en maklik teen die wind en so kan ek groter areas met een gooi dek. Hierdie tipe kunsvissies kan dan op die oppervlak gehengel word, geruk en -pluk word met intervalle; of soos ’n harde kunsvissie net onder die oppervlak geswem word. Hierdie tipe harde kunsvissies is ook ’n baie goeie opvolg aas as die baars na die Zara Spook of eierklitser gryp en mis. Moet in die geval nie weer dieselfde aas, die spook of eierklitser gooi nie en probeer eerder die ruk-en-pluk kunsvissie as ’n opvolg aas. Indien dit ook nie sou werk nie sal ek ’n sagte gewiglose plastiek aas in die area gooi waar die baars sy posisie verraai het. Baars wat jou boloper-aas gryp en mis, is ’n algemene ding in baarshengel. Daar is egter so ’n paar “kulkunsies” om die probleem op te los. Die hengelaar kan ’n groot hoek se oog oor die weerhakies van ’n raasaas (buzzbait) skuif, gevolg deur ’n rubberpypie of ’n treilerhoek soos die wat ons op swaailemme (spinnerbaits) gebruik. Ek verwyder

Die skryw er met ‘n is. Die vis mooi baars wat o p sie is soos ‘n boloper ‘n ruk-en-pluk ku n op die op pervlak g svissie gevang ehengel

ook die drie-angel hoeke aan die lyf van die Zara Spook en heg hulle met spleetringetjies. Die hoek hang sodoende laer in die water en verbeter die kans om ’n baars vas te trek. Vinnig bewegende boloper ase is die beste manier om te bepaal of daar baars in ’n area is. Jy gaan dalk nie ’n baars vang wat na die vinnigbewegende aas gryp nie, maar jy gaan dan ten minste weet waar die baars hulle bevind. Nou kan jy die area meer sorgvuldig hengel. Ek moet erken dat ek boloper-ase net vir een rede hengel. Daar is net nie ‘n ander tegniek wat my meer plesier en opwinding verskaf as die van ’n boloper-aas wat skielik deur ’n baars gegryp word nie. *Philip Kemp is ‘n gesoute swartbaarhengelaar en ‘n gereelde bydraer. SA BASS 25 Januay 2017

>> SA BASS BASSER PROFILE

SA BASS Cast-for-Cash

Tony Lagesen aan ndd friend. n frie fr ien ndd. and

Champion-of-Champions Wenners 2016 Frans Swanepoel en Lesley Montgomery

26 SA BASS January 2017

>> Hannes Lindeque

ie Afrikaanse gesegde lui: “aanhouer wen”. Dit is ook die geval met die nuutste SA BASS Cast-forCash Champion-of-Champions-wenners, Frans Swanepoel en Lesley Montgomery. Ons wou graag die mens agter die mens bietjie beter leer ken en het aan hulle die volgende vrae gestel:

Frans Swanepoel 1

Waar woon jy? Benoni

Wat is jou beroep? Ek het my eie besigheid en ons verkoop veselglas en gom.

Aan watter hengelklub behoort jy? Western Bass Masters

Wat doen jy vir ontspanning? Ek vang swartbaars!

Op watter ouderdom het jy begin swartbaarhengel en waarmee? Ek was ongeveer 20 jaar oud en het met “crankbaits” gehengel.

Hoe groot was jou eerste vis - het hy weggekom? Die vissie het ongeveer 200g geweeg en het nie weggekom nie.

Wat is jou persoonlike rekordgrootte swartbaar? Dit was ‘n 4.2kg swartbaar wat ek in Loskopdam met ‘n Senko op ‘n “wacky rig” gevang het.

Wat is jou persoonlike hoogtepunte in die sport? Ek en Lesley het die 2016 SA BASS Cast-for-Cash Championof-Champions by De Hoopdam gewen.

Was daar vir jou noemenswaardige teleurstellings in die sport? Ja, my eerste nasionale kampioenskappe was nie na wense nie. Ek sal graag volgende keer wil beter doen.

10 Wat is jou ideaal - wat wil jy nog in die sport bereik? Ek wil nog my Protea kleure verwerf en Suid-Afrika op internasionale vlak verteenwoordig.

en die Vaalrivier) Ek verkies om diep te hengel, 20 voet en dieper maak my gelukkig. 13 Watter tipe boot het jy en hoe groot is die enjin? Ek het ‘n Nitro Z9 met ‘n 300 Verado 14 Hoe het kompeterende hengel verander sedert jy begin deelneem het? Vir my het dit makliker geword veral toe ek die verskillende damme leer ken het. 15 Het jy enige raad wat jy met beginners wil deel? Ek sal hengelaars definitief aanraai, die wat kompeterend wil hengel, om deel te neem aan die Cast-for-Cash toernooie. Ekself het baie geleer deur net mededingers dop te hou en prysuitdelings by te woon. Nou met die FLW geleenthede kan enige hengelaar se droom waar word. 16 Watter kunsaas sal jy vir ‘n beginner aanbeveel? Met ‘n Gary Yamamoto Strech-40 tipe aas kan enige persoon ‘n bass in enige dam vang. 17 Stel jou familie belang in swartbaarhengel? Nee, net in “shopping”. 18 Wat inspireer jou om ‘n swartbaarhengelaar te bly? Jy weet nooit hoe groot jou volgende vis gaan wees nie. Daarby het ek ook mense leer ken en goeie vriende gemaak! 19 Gaan jy vir die nuwe Cast-for-Cash / FLW reeks inskryf? Ja, defnitief - sien julle op die water. 20 Enige laaste opmerkings: Niks wen tyd op die water nie en moet nooit opgee nie - aanhouer wen! Letsibogodambass van 4.2kg

11 Wat is jou top-vyf gunsteling kunsase? Jig, Sterch 40, “paddle tails”, “jerkbaits” en “top water lures”. 12 Watter damme is jou gunstelingdamme en hoekom? Ek hou van diep damme (Roodekopjes, De Hoop, Loskop Frans se Loskopdambass van 4.2kg

SA BASS 27 January 2017

n Mooi Harties-bass van 2.7kg

Lesley Montgomery 1

Waar woon jy? Northmead Benoni

Wat is jou beroep? Ek is tans besig met my vakleerlingskap as elektrisiën.

Aan watter hengelklub behoort jy? Westerns Bass Masters

Wat doen jy vir ontspanning? Hengel, speel “pool” en kuier saam met vriende.

Op watter ouderdom het jy begin swartbaarhengel, waar, waarmee? Ek was 20 jaar oud gewees toe ek vir die eerste keer saam met oom Frans gaan hengel het. Ek het nie eens geweet hoe ‘n swartbaars lyk nie. Ons het by Grootdraaidam gehengel en vis gevang met Watermelon Red Flukes aan ‘n Mojo-strop.

Hoe groot was jou eerste vis - het hy weggekom? Ek het hom nie geweeg nie, maar skat die vis het ongeveer 300 gram geweeg.

Wat is jou persoonlike rekord grootte swartbaar? Wanneer waar en waarmee het jy hom gevang? My PB is tans 3.46kg wat ek twee jaar gelede by Roodekopjes op ‘n Little Spanky Durban Poison gevang het.

Wat is jou persoonlike hoogtepunte in die sport? Behalwe vir die vele eerste plekke by die Cast-for-Cash toernooie was dit om saam met oom Frans die 2016 SA BASS Cast-for-Cash Champion-of-Champions te wen. Ons het teen van die land se beste hengelaars gekompeteer. Was daar vir jou noemenswaardige teleurstellings in die

28 SA BASS January 2017

sport? Ja, as ons swak doen of as ek niks vang vir dag nie, maar dis visvang! 10 Wat is jou ideaal - wat wil jy nog in die sport bereik? Ek sal graag my nasionale kleure in swartbaarhengel wil verwerf. 11 Wat is jou top 5 gunsteling kunsase? “Jerkbaits”, “spinnerbaits”, sagte plastiese wurms, drop-shot en jigs. 12 Watter damme is jou voorkeurwater waar jy graag hengel - Hoekom? Roodekopjes, Vaaldam en Vaalrivier; want hulle is naby aan die huis en altyd ‘n uitdaging. 13 Watter tipe boot het jy en hoe groot enjin? Nee – ek het nog nie my eie boot nie. 14 Hoe het kompeterende hengel verander sedert jy begin deelneem het? Dit was heeltemal iets anders en rustig. Nou wil ek in elke kompetisie goed doen. Met die gevolg ons moet vinniger aanpas en besluite neem om vis in die boot te kry. 15 Het jy enige raad wat jy met beginners wil deel? Byt vas en moet nie tou opgooi nie. Wanneer dit voel of alles net te veel raak, sit jou stok neer, raak rustig en hengel stadiger. 16 Watter kunsaas sal jy vir ‘n beginner aanbeveel? Baby Fluke aan ‘n Mojo-strop 17 Stel jou familie belang in swartbaarhengel? Nee, dit is net ek. 18 Wat inspireer jou om ‘n swartbaarhengelaar te bly? ‘n Mens is heeldag besig en werk vir ‘n vis. Ek sit nie net daar en wag vir ‘n byt nie, dis glad nie vervelig om swartbaars te vang nie.

19 Gaan jy inskryf vir die nuwe FLW /Cast-for-Cash reeks toernooie? Ja, beslis! 20 Enige laaste opmerkings? Die Cast-for-Cash is baie goed georganiseerd en alles is altyd in plek. Ons geniet dit

baie om daaraan deel te neem. Ek stel voor dat indien enige iemand belangstel om kompeterend te hengel en baie wil leer, hulle by die Cast-for-Cash toernooie â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n draai moet kom maak.

SA BASS 29 January 2017

ASKâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2C6;BIOLOGIST BASS RANGES by Dr. Steven Cooke

Q. How big are bass home ranges?

â&#x2013; Fishing Tip: (KPFKPI C OCLQT YKPVGTKPI JQNG KU NKMG UVTKMKPI IQNF UKPEG VJG ĹżUJ TGVWTP GCEJ UGCUQP ;GV KVĹ?U PQV QPN[ C IQQF ĹżPF HQT YKPVGT ĹżUJKPI UWEEGUU 7UG KV CU C UVCTVKPI RQKPV HQT VJG URTKPI VTCPUKVKQP VQYCTF URCYPKPI CTGCU D[ NQECVKPI VJG PGCTGUV OKF FGRVJ UVTWEVWTG QT EQXGT DGVYGGP VJG YKPVGTKPI JQNG CPF UJCNNQY Ć&#x20AC;CVU 6JGUG CTG CTGCU YJGTG DCUU YKNN OQXG FWTKPI VJG RTGURCYP 0QY NQQM CJGCF VQYCTF VJG UJCNNQYU VQ CTGCU YKVJ VJG RTQRGT URCYPKPI UWDUVTCVG CPF [QW ECP EQPPGEV VJG FQVU QPEG VJG YGCVJGT DTGCMU CPF URTKPI CTTKXGU

Tel 0861 282 282 info@armaiuris.co.za Authorised Financial Services Provider: FSP21529

Meet Our Expert Dr. Steven Cooke is an associate professor and Canada research chair of environmental science and biology at Carleton University.

TJ Maglio produces the Ask a Biologist department. If you have a question youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to have answered by a fisheries expert, please email it to TJ at info@flwfishing.com. 30 SA BASS January 2017

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.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS FISHING 101

by TJ Maglio

How to Tie A Leader to Braid

raided superlines have a lot of benefits, but the upside comes with two big caveats: Braided line is too visible for clear water or high-pressure situations, and it’s tough to break if the lure snags. The compromise is to attach a monofilament or fluorocarbon leader. Several knots accomplish the task, but Quaker State pro Matt Arey prefers a double uniknot. Arey recommends a 6- to 10-foot leader, which is long enough to retie baits several times each day without having to replace the entire leader. Here’s how he ties it. 1. Overlap the two lines by about 6 to 8 inches and then double back the braid, creating a loop. (You can start with either line.) 2. Wrap the tag end of the braid around the leader and the standing part of the braided main line about six times, passing through the loop formed in the previous step with each wrap. 3. Lubricate with saliva, and slowly pull the tag end of the braid until the wraps draw together, but do not cinch it down all the way. 4. Repeat the process with the leader around the standing part of the braid. 5. Lubricate both sets of wraps, and slowly slide them together. Tighten by pulling the tag ends in opposite directions, then gently pulling the standing lines in opposite directions. Trim the tag ends to finish the knot. ■

32 SA BASS January 2017

IF YOUR WIFE ASKS “DOES THIS SKIRT LOOK GOOD?” AND YOU REPLY “YES ,IT MATCHES THE FORAGE.”

YOU’RE A CAST-FOR-CASH KIND OF ANGLER

The Cast-for-Cash tournament series, the monthly social tournament trail for all those anglers who are mad about bassing and mad about fun. For further information visit www.sabass.com

>> SA BASS TOURNAMENT NEWS Chicago

Fishing FLW USA

>> Neels Beneke

fter a long awaited wait since my last tournament at Kentucky Lake, I jet set back to the USA for the third and last tournament of the Costa FLW Series for the season at the Lake of the Ozarks. I was sitting in 28th position for the year standings going into this tournament and I knew I only had to do well enough to stay in the top 40 in order to qualify for the Costa FLW Series Championship. Arriving in Chicago I spent a few days touring the city before I flew to Lexington Kentucky where one of my friends that I met at a previous tournament lives. We planned to travel up together, splitting costs plus I get to practice a few days with him before the tournament starts. Driving some 800km to Osage 34 SA BASS January 2017

Beach, Missouri I must say it felt good driving a truck size ‘bakkie’ and towing a $40000 Ranger on the opposite side of the road. It gave me a little taste of ‘life on the road/tour’ as the pros would call it. Hours later and there it was, the Lake of the Ozarks. Set in the mountainous regions of Missouri, with million dollar homes right on the water edge and thousands of docks covering the shoreline. We stayed at the Wyndham Resort, right on the edge of the lake with a 180 degree view of the lake. The next day our practice started. We had three days of practice and the fishing was great. Basically all day we would be pitching and skipping docks with jigs, worms and more. Now and then we threw crankbaits alongside the docks. The docks are stacked up next to each other with only a few places where one would get a 50m

open stretch of bank. There I would cast a buzzbait or work a frog which I landed me a six pounder on day two of practice. Day 1 of the tournament started and I was paired with Pete Wenners. Pete managed to get a good bag with a nice 5lb fish which put him in the top 20 going into day two. I on the other hand struggled and came in empty handed. Day 1 was really tough as there wasn’t many fish caught and the ones I did manage to catch were just shy of the 15” limit. Day 2 I fished with Eric Schultz where I got to experience the speed of the Evinrude G2. Being able to get a few casts in more productive docks I weighed a few fish hoping it was enough to keep me in the top 40. I anxiously watched the top ten bags weighed on day three. After the

2017 Costa FLW Series Championship

It was a great privilege to meet legendary Forrest L. Wood in person

The author interviewed by the FLW Director of Tournament Operations, Ron Lappin

points were finalised I managed to cut a slim line, just slipping into 40th position and the last person to qualify for the 2016 Championship. Back to Lexington Kentucky I decided to stay in the USA for the next four weeks until the Costa FLW Series Championship and travelled around the USA a bit. I travelled to Los Angeles in California, Houston Texas and finally made my way up to Branson Missouri,

the host city of the championship at Table Rock Lake. After I booked in at the local hotel, I tried to make friends with some of the anglers there hoping I could practice with them but unfortunately they all already had co-anglers practicing with them. Another co-angler and I decided to hire a boat for a day and went exploring Table Rock Lake â&#x20AC;&#x201C; rather a very small part of the gigantic lake. We caught a bunch of small

Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest tournamentÈ´VKLQJ RUJDQL]DWLRQ announced that the 2017 Costa FLW Series schedule, which will consist of three events in each of the ÈÝH GLYLVLRQV È&#x201A; &HQWUDO Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western È&#x201A; DORQJ ZLWK WKH QR HQWU\ fee Costa FLW Series Championship to be held RQ .HQWXFN\ /DNH LQ 3DULV Tennessee. The top 40 pros and FR DQJOHUV LQ WKH È´QDO SRLQW standings in each division DIWHU WKUHH TXDOLI\LQJ tournaments will advance to the 2017 Costa FLW Series Championship, SURYLGHG WKH\ È´VKHG DOO WKUHH TXDOLÈ´HUV LQ D division. 7KH KLJKHVW È´QLVKLQJ SUR IURP HDFK RI WKH ÈÝH Costa FLW Series divisions EDVHG RQ È´QDO UHVXOWV at the 2017 Costa FLW Series Championship TXDOLI\ IRU WKH )RUUHVW Wood Cup along with WKH KLJKHVW È´QLVKLQJ SUR from the championshipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s international division and WKH WRS ÈÝH RYHUDOO È´QLVKHUV ZKR KDYH QRW DOUHDG\ TXDOLÈ´HG DV WKHLU GLYLVLRQ representative for a total of 11 Costa FLW Series pros advancing to the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of EDVV È´VKLQJ 2017 Costa FLW Series Championship, 2 - 4 November 2017, Paris Tennessee, USA SA BASS 35 January 2017

News Flash: The FLW South Africa tournament season has just started and all South $IULFDQ FLWL]HQV ZKR ZLVK WR enter the FLW South Africa &KDPSLRQVKLS LQ -XO\ PXVW TXDOLI\ WKURXJK WKH PRQWKO\ 6$ %$66 &DVW IRU Cash tournaments. The top four positions at this \HDUČ&#x2021;V )/: 6RXWK $IULFD &KDPSLRQVKLS JHW IUHH HQWU\ to the Costa FLW Series &KDPSLRQVKLS RQ .HQWXFN\ /DNH LQ 3DULV 7HQQHVVHH 7HUPV FRQGLWLRQV DSSO\

FLW South Africa will cover the travelling costs for the four anglers going across while FLW USA will provide the boats for the two â&#x20AC;&#x153;pro-anglersâ&#x20AC;?. The two â&#x20AC;&#x153;coanglersâ&#x20AC;? will be paired with some of the top pro-anglers across the world, including anglers from Canada, Mexico, China, and South Korea. Visit our website ZZZ ČľZVRXWKDIULFD FRP for more information. This was a nice size kicker in my bag

spotted and smallmouth bass which at least gave me an idea as to what to rigs to set up for. The pre-meeting commenced as it always does the day before the tournament and I must say this one was special and a highlight to my career. Walking amongst most of the well-known pros, doing interviews and getting very nice â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;free-beesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; from all the sponsors of the FLW Series was a real treat. Not to mention that I got to meet the founder of FLW and Ranger boats, Forrest L. Wood and thanked him for his interest in FLW South Africa. The day has dawned upon me as day1 of the championship was about to begin. I got paired with John Hansen III on day 1 and Eric Wright on day 2. John and Eric both caught schooling 36 SA BASS January 2017

bass out in 45ft of water, drop shotting trees during their practice days, so that was how we fished 80% of the time. On day 1 I cranked in the 20ft range when possible and caught three keeper six smallmouth bass but unfortunately I was unable to boat two of them as they unbuttoned right next to the boat - heart breaking. John and Eric stuck to their patterns found during practice which backfired on them and neither was able to weigh a fish and I only took one smallie to the scales. Not the result I hoped for but it was an awesome experience travelling all over the USA, fishing some of the best lakes and meeting new friends on the other side of the world. Hopefully next time I share my experience it will be as a boater with plenty more big fish photos.

Boat Package

Terms and conditions apply.

Please support the sponsors and benefit providers

November 2016 Results Gauteng 1: Team Madfin - 5.66kg 2: Team SA Rare Game Breeders - 2.46kg 3: Team Nev er Giv e Up - 2.26kg 4: Team Valet Storage - 2.19kg 5: Team Gel Ev ents - 1.99kg

1: Team Mav erick - 3.09kg 2: Team Crank Brothers - 2.39kg 3: Team Bass World - 2.28kg 4: Team Transax le - 2.25kg 5: Team Lombaard - 1.63kg

38 SA BASS January 2017

Mpumalanga 1: Team Core - 2.975kg 2: Team EQB - 2.755kg 3: Team Knotts Nissan Woodmead - 0.965kg 4: Team Mercury Pro Team - 0.86kg 5: Team Bru-Force Hatfield VW Commercial - 0.8kg

Shandon & Slade Hawman, Tewie Wessels & Martin Ferreira, Tristan & Nathan Wickham, Neels Botha & Craig Ninaber, Bennie Wiese & Joao Mendes

1: Team Outcast - 3.505kg 2: Team Stretch 60 - 2.195kg 3: Team Streaker - 1.235kg 4: Team X-Factor - 0.91kg

Juan du Toit & MornÃ© Mathee

Limpopo 1: Team Limopo Fuels - 4.294kg 2: Team Beli Tomato - 4.285kg 3: Team Bouw er - 3.771kg 4: Team Xterminator - 3.723kg 5: Team Fear no Fish - 3.546kg

SA BASS 39 January 2017

>> SA BASS CAST-FOR-CASH REPORT >> Hannes Lindeque

Sponsors & Benefit Providers: SA BASS would like to thank the following SA BASS Cast-for-Cash / FLW South Africa sponsors and benefit providers in supporting our tournament trail: Garmin SA, VW Wonderboom, Brilliant Effects, Bass World, Arma Iuris and Eligwa Club. Dawie Roux from Garmin South Africa attend the Gauteng event and had an opportunity to interact with contestants, promoting Garmin products and answering questions. He also handed out branded fishing shirts at prize giving and a fish finder unit which was won by Team Snot Rocket; Tim Welbeloved & Steven Jones. With the support of our sponsors, benefit providers and competitive anglers we look forward to a great season.

Cast-for-Cash Report The new SA BASS Cast-for-Cash season has just started and 71 teams entered the first event, entering both the Castfor-Cash Minnow and Cast-for-Cash Lunker Trails. The weather on the last weekend of November 2016 wasn’t great to be outdoors. We had on and off rains from Vandebijlpark up to Tzaneen which discouraged the not so brave at heart. Fishing in rainy conditions really asks for commitment, but those who did fish will say that fishing is great under these conditions. There are less competitors and less water traffic. Team Madfin were crowned Champion-of-Champions winners at our 2016 year end final we just had in October, held at De Hoop Dam. Frans and Lesley maintained their strength and won the first Gauteng event with a 3.2kg lead above second place. Overall the Cast-for-Cash Minnow teams proved to be very competitive and in Gauteng three of the top five positions were taken. In Mpumalanga two juniors, Tristan & Nathan Wickham, took the lead and won the Mpumalanga Lunker series region, but it was Team Outcast; Juan du Toit & Morne Mathee, who won the day overall, beating the lunkers with 530gram. Full results are available on our websites www.sabass.com and www.flwsouthafrica.com

Cast-for-Cash Update After the first event in its new format, management carefully reviewed certain trends among anglers and analyzed the results. Shockingly the so-called “Minnows” out-fished the “Lunkers”! The intention of the Minnow league was to draw beginner anglers who will compete on their own level while the Lunker level was for the more experienced anglers to compete for better prizes. Management decided to do away with the Minnow and Lunker two leg systems and continue with the original Castfor-Cash concept. From the next tournament all anglers will enter and compete on the same level and pay the same entry fee while all pre-registered teams will be able to draw their starting positions. 40 SA BASS January 2017

This will give all contestants a chance to win big prize money and most important, to fish the Costa FLW Series Championship in the USA.

Next event: Gauteng; 28 January – Rust de Winter Dam Mpumalanga; 28 January – De Hoop Dam Kwa-Zulu Natal; 28 January – Inanda Dam Southern Cape; 28 January – Buffelsjag Dam Limpopo; 29 January – Albasini Dam

Cast-for-Cash: How it works The SA BASS Cast-for-Cash bass tournaments are qualifying rounds to the FLW South Africa Championship to be held in July 2017. Teams may enter at the venue and pay the entry fees during registration, or may pre-register. Each team consists of maximum two persons per boat and members have to nominate who the skipper, co-angler and reserve angler for the season will be. Each team is allowed to weigh five fish per day but because it is a catch-and-release event, teams are penalised for weighing any fish that cannot swim away from the way station. The top five heaviest bags for the day are declared winners at prize giving. Apart from the cash prizes contestants also have a chance to win various lucky draw prizes, but they have to be present at prize giving to receive the prize. At the end of June 2017 the top 30% teams according each region’s end-of-season-points standings in Gauteng; Mpumalanga; Limpopo; KZN; Southern-and Western Cape will qualify to participate at the FLW South Africa Championship. (ALL participants fishing the FLW SA Championship have to be FLW members not later than 28 February 2017, membership is R800 per person per year and include). At the FLW South African Championship teams will win cash and many lucky draw prizes plus; the top two positions (4 persons) win the following fantastic prize: The skippers of the first and second place plus their coanglers advance to the Costa FLW Series Championship in the USA in November 2017 with the following expenses paid: free entry, air tickets, bed & breakfast and vehicle hire. FLW USA will provide two boats (one for each skipper). The TOTAL PRIZE VALUE is an estimated R50,000 per angler; that is R200,000 for four anglers! AND THERE IS MORE! One of the skippers from the international countries - that include South Africa, Mexico, South Korea, China and Canada will go through to the Forrest Wood Cup in 2018.

Cast-for-Cash Entry Fee: Pay R700 per team per event, or pre-register upfront before 25 January 2017 and be allowed to draw your team’s starting position for the day. The FLW Membership Fee is R800 per individual per year which includes membership benefits.

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>> SA BASS TOURNAMENT NEWS

Zimbabwe National Bass Federation Champ-of-Champs 2016 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Claw Dam The 2016 Z.N.B.F. Evolution Insurance Champ-of-Champs fishing tournament was held at Claw Dam, Kadoma the first weekend of November. >> Gareth Rawlins

he weather was predicted to be scorching hot the entire weekend as the rainy season had barely started the week before. The top forty anglers from the four classics fished this year all gathered to fight it out for the champion title and more importantly the Wrangler Angler title for best angler of the year. The tournament is fished by single anglers rotating in three flights over three days. The first day dawned with calm weather despite powerful winds the previous two nights. Due to the time of the year and the calm weather the hoped for surface bite never showed, and before long most boats were seen working the myriad ant hills and trees in the main dam. The top three positions were covered by the highly ranked Dave Collyer, Fraser Spiers and Radar Roberts. The top half of the field found their bags easily but the bottom half struggled to fill their live wells. Fish were caught on most baits, but spinnerbait, Senko and Flukes were the most successful. A lot of excitement and disappointment was caused by the huge bream nesting and living all over the dam, with several being caught on reaction baits. Day two provided the usual Claw Dam shut down due to boat pressure and those who could not find back up spots searching all over for the elusive fish. There seemed to be little pattern to work with and the bite would come on 42 SA BASS January 2017

and turn off very quickly through different areas. The same ant hills from the previous day would reload if given time, so areas were being worked over and again thoroughly. Day two overall leader Dave Beattie found a solid pattern in shallow oxygen weed which gave him a very strong seven point lead over second place Spiers and third placed Collyer. Angus Thompson, fishing very light tackle with a trick worm, came in with a very solid ten pound fish caught off the house in main lake, which he was sure was the same giant he lost the previous day. Despite the strong finish by the top anglers the bottom half of the field struggled with several failing to even weigh one fish. Day three was make or break as the top anglers in the field tried for big bags to get them to the top of the rankings. Conditions remained calm and as before the bite came on and off throughout the day. The best bags of the day were caught again off ant hills with trees but in most cases several visits were required to catch the fish. Despite the high water temperatures and lateness in the season, several bass nests and spawning females were spotted, which provided a great test of patience for those trying to get them to bite. By days end the best bags were again taken on spinnerbait and Senkos off anthills. Day two leader Dave Beattie proved too strong to catch and came in again with a solid bag to win overall by eight points over second placed Fraser Spiers. Day one leader Dave Collyer came in third, which was enough to clinch the Wrangler Angler title and an invitation to fish in the U.S.A. in 2017. Claw Dam is not the usual venue for championships but with Kyle Dam being so low it was decided to fish here instead. The camping site and amazing hosting performance put on by the local Kadoma Angling Club proved very successful and made the whole weekend enjoyable and stress free. Grateful thanks were provided to the hosts and also the organizers of Brandon Edwards, Neil Gulab, and Kevin Elkington. The sponsors Zimnat Lion and Evolution Insurance ensured that great prizes and kit were received by the winners and competitors.

Finish Positions 1st

Dave Beattie

58.489

2nd

Fraser Spiers

50.671

3rd

Dave Collyer

47.951

4th

Brandon Edwards

44.871

5th

Paul Rheeder

43.351

>> SA BASS INDUSTRY NEWS The new legendary GPSMAP® 276Cx

The Legend Is Back The GPSMAP® 276Cx, a versatile all-terrain GPS navigator

armin Southern Africa is excited to announce that the legend is back. The GPSMAP276Cx, an upgraded reinvention of the classic 276C. Since its launch in 2004, the 276C has proven in countless deployments all around the world to be Garmin’s most versatile all-terrain GPS navigator, ready for land and sea. The 276Cx provides the well tested classic functionality of the original with all the latest technological improvements of the last decade in a device truly as unique as the customer who desires such performance. The 276Cx now features both GPS and GLONASS for better performance in heavy cover, optional external antenna support (sold separately), HotFix for faster satellite acquisition and wireless connectivity features. For improved operation in demanding environments, there’s now a larger, sunlight-readable 5-inch display, as well as a barometric altimeter and 3-axis compass, which was not present in the 276C. “We’re excited to introduce a fresh and versatile update to the classic all-terrain navigator with the GPSMAP 276Cx,” said Marc Bainbridge, Garmin Outdoor Category Manager. “Back by popular demand, and updated to fit the 2016 user, the GPSMAP 276Cx can handle anything users want to put it through, no matter if they are out on the water, hitting the trails or simply cruising.” The larger display, familiar push-button controls, and the well-known highly customisable user interface makes the GPSMAP 276Cx as versatile and safe to use as its predecessor. There are a variety of rugged mounting options, and with an IPX72 water rating, it’s ready to withstand the elements. Another upgrade to the classic design is the new dual battery system, which is compatible with the rechargeable Li-Ion battery pack (included), traditional AA batteries (sold separately) and several powered mount options (powered AMPS compatible mount included). The 276Cx can get up to sixteen hours of battery life with the rechargeable batteries, and up to eight hours with AA batteries. The GPSMAP 276Cx comes preloaded with the Topo Active Africa, a worldwide basemap with shaded relief, and

a free subscription to BirdsEye Satellite Imagery3 to see real-life terrain views right on the device. Additionally, the GPSMAP 276Cx is compatible with a variety of optional maps including: Garmin TOPO maps, BlueChart® g2 HD marine charts, Custom Maps and raster maps. For enhanced navigation convenience it also features turn-by-turn and Curvy Routes routing with text-to-speech voice guidance on City Navigator® and routable Topo Maps. The device’s 8GB of internal memory can also be expanded using a microSD™ card (sold separately). The GPSMAP 276Cx also boasts a variety of new connected features. Using Wi-Fi® or when paired via Bluetooth to the Garmin Connect™ mobile app on supported devices, the 276Cx delivers Active Weather4 forecasts and animated weather tracking on the map page so users can always be aware of the current weather conditions. Additional app connected features include automatic uploads, smart notifications, LiveTrack and more. The 276Cx also supports ANT+® for external sensor integration, Bluetooth® headsets for voice guidance during navigation and Wi-Fi® for automatic updates. The GPSMAP 276Cx is the latest solution from Garmin’s expanding outdoor segment, which focuses on developing technologies and innovations to enhance users’ outdoor experiences. Whether hiking, hunting, geocaching, golfing, boating or dog training, Garmin outdoor devices are becoming essential tools for outdoor enthusiasts of all levels. For more information about Garmin’s other outdoor products and services, go to www.garmin.co.za

Services Repairs Maintenance Contact us for a quote on any reel service or repair Tel: 078 548 1301 Email: hotreeltec@gmail.com Authorized Service Center SA BASS 43 January 2017

>> SA BASS STRATEGIES

Sensational Summer Strategies

- Part 2

We’re into January and the heat in most parts of South Africa is peaking, with warmer water temperatures than any other time of the year. It’s time to consider our second part of this series on strategies for targeting summer bass.

John Donaldson playing an energetic largemouth bass on Roodekopjes Dam

>> Roger Donaldson*

The author’s son with one of the twenty bass landed in just one morning of fishing a weightless Senko

44 SA BASS January 2017

ass are an incredible species and their movements are largely decided upon according to seasonal weather patterns. The extreme temperatures of mid-summer can help us locate bass without too much confusion and a basic rule of thumb is that old story of fishing the shallows before dawn and around sunset. There is good theory in this and it is simply this; the very warm water temperatures with harsh sunlight will drain a large portion of oxygen from the shallow depths and this in turn makes it intolerable for bass to spend their time in this zone between the hours of dawn and dusk. There are exceptions of course, including the hours just before a rain storm (generally windy with intermittent sunlight penetration), as well as those welcome windy afternoons where the water surface is rippling and oxygen is churning through the upper water layers. Don’t forget these two excellent opportunities to rush into the shallows and take full advantage of the activity that takes place during these obvious, yet often over looked weather events. For the majority of our summer day though we should prepare ourselves for many warm hours with little to no wind at all, still surface conditions and rising water temperatures. These are the times of the day where fishing and finding bass are going to be testing. A great example of events overlooked was during a tournament on Rust der Winter Dam. At around midday we had agreed to have the events camera crew join us on board our boat. My fishing colleague, Peter Potgieter and I had been targeting deep, isolated strings of chicamba weed just off the deep edge of an abundant, dense vegetation line. The summer air was thick with humidity and every now and then our polarised glasses would suddenly fog up as an indication of changing weather conditions. The water surface was mostly very still and we were really having a jolly old time probably boating a fish on every cast!

It was evident that the shallow depths had been completely choked up with weed and depleted of oxygen. There was no activity there whatsoever. However, in the deeper water between 17ft and 22ft we were experiencing a mine field of activity. You really had to be very wide awake to fully capitalise on what was happening; within casting distance from the boat we noticed the shimmering evidence of schooling baitfish. This is particularly common in the summer as the shoals of young fry move offshore in an attempt to find cooler, oxygen rich water. This cycle in turn attracts the bass who accept gracefully and their presence can be quickly distinguished by the manner in which they ‘bust’ on the surface. ‘Busting’ is a term often used by anglers who are actually describing the exact time at which the bass attacks and engulfs its prey. The ‘busting’/ bursting sound on the water surface sounds quite different to that of a carp jumping, or even a catfish turning as it takes a breath of air from the surface, then tail slaps the water and returns to the depths. Although we tried to hoax the bass into accepting our top water bait offering they would not be that easily fooled – the top water bait simply didn’t resemble the food source that they were honed into. There was only one option which we could employ at the time and it worked with astonishing results - a weightless rigged soft plastic Senko. The bass were not interested in crankbaits, nor were they even remotely concerned about a spinnerbait gurgling, fluttering and flashing just below the water surface – almost too obvious, imposing. The Senko could be cast easily and accurately within 40m of the boat. As we would notice the swirl/bust on the surface we would whirl our streamlined little lures directly into the mix. The bait is weighted sufficiently to reach reasonable casting distances. However, once the lure landed on the water surface it really made a difference if you quickly gave the bait a good three solid jerks to imitate an escaping baitfish! On that particular day we had only an hour to revel in the splendour of landing a bass with every cast, as in the distance a dark expanse of cloud was approaching at speed across the Highveld horizon. There was an incredible storm brewing and with a sudden gust of wind we were reminded to take caution and head immediately for the safest location to wait out the storm. Be sure to keep an eye open for all activity on the water surface the next time you’re out fishing this summer and take every opportunity to cast at those tell-tale signs. Enjoy your time bass fishing and all the very best for the new tear. *Roger Donaldson is an experienced journalist and knowledgeable bass angler who has enjoyed many enlightening hours with many of South Africa’s top, competitive bass fishermen. As a competitive angler himself, he also enjoys sharing his expertise with fellow bass fanatics in the hope that they find the same joy in this unique sport.

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>> SA BASS

Bassin’...

The New Contact Sport

On a relaxed Wednesday afternoon and while on leave, myself and a few friends, who also happened to be on leave, decided to throw a line at one of our local spots. The fishing was a bit slow but the conversation amongst friends was the total opposite. Sometimes it’s not about the fish we catch but the company we share while trying to catch some fish. >> John Badenhorst

hile busy changing my rig, a WhatsApp message came through from one of our groups and the message stopped everyone in their tracks... “Off Duty Metro Police Officer Murdered While Fishing”. As details became available, it became clear that Coert Jordaan had decided to spend a leisurely day next to Aston Lake in Springs and try and catch a few fish. While fishing he was approached by two men apparently wanting some line to do hand line fishing with and as he bent down to his tackle box, he was first stabbed and then shot. Robbed of his phone, wallet, vehicle and service pistol and more importantly, robbed of his life. Sadly, this is not something new, the headlines might be slightly different but the bottom line is always the same... anglers getting robbed and killed while spending a day out next to or on the water. It does not matter to me whether you’re a carp angler, a fly angler or a bass angler; you’re an angler and although the species and methods of catching them might 46 SA BASS January 2017

differ, it’s still in essence all about angling. Being an angler makes you part of a brotherhood of anglers and here another senseless loss of life has robbed the brotherhood of a well-liked and respected brother. I couldn’t help but feel sad for his family and friends and although I didn’t know officer Coert Jordaan in person, that sense of loss has been and still is very real. Recently some folks were attacked by some men wielding sticks and pick handles leaving one angler to pay the ultimate price for his chosen sport and two others severely injured. Then there was also the situation that a float tube angler experienced not too long ago, after a few hours on the water he decided to go on the bank and stretch his legs for a bit and have some lunch. While doing this, two armed men approached and after robbing him of all his tackle and stabbing his float tube numerous times, he was then forced to strip every thread of clothing and left to make his own way back to where he came from. Years ago, kids would jump on their bicycles and head

to the local dam or pond for a bit of fishing and fun, some of these youngsters became very good at it and went on to become anglers with National Colours, representing South Africa on the international stage. Many of these kids grew up and to this day still enjoy chilling out next to the water for a few hours to relax. Back then, parents wouldn’t stress too much as they knew the kids were out there in the fresh air and there was no need to make arrangements to entertain the kids during school holidays either. These days, things have changed... not for the better either. Kids are getting robbed at knife and gunpoint of phones and bicycles while out fishing, anglers are getting robbed of their vehicles and personal belongings and might pay with their life when they resist. Gone are the days of just nipping down to the local pond for a few casts. These days, you first send a few buddies some messages to see who can join you for a few casts, there is safety in numbers and it does help if some of those number are armed. Anglers, hikers, runners and cyclists are all seen as so called soft targets by the criminal element because as an angler, you’re concentrating more on detecting a bite than some guys walking past. The level of criminal activity has changed the angling dynamic over the last few years and with all the incidents the question has come up... has angling or bassin’ in particular become a contact sport? It’s more and more apparent that anglers are becoming

targets of those with criminal intentions and one just has to wonder if it will ever be the change or when this might happen. At some venues one has to make absolutely sure there is a guard on duty or you might come back after a day out on the water to find the vehicle had been broken into or at least, the wheels have been removed from your boat trailer and let’s face it, you’re not going anywhere in a hurry now. Being stranded next to a dam without wheels puts the angler in a difficult situation and puts the angler at risk of further attack when darkness falls. It is also with alarming regularity that we hear of youngsters being confronted and robbed while bank angling even in broad daylight. We all love this sport so much and no one can deny the amount of money we as anglers spend in pursuit of our sport makes a decent contribution to the economy, and in some cases creating jobs for the local population around your favourite pond. Vigilance is obviously the key when planning your trip out on the water and not placing yourself at risk is of utmost importance. Using a public launch facility where other anglers are doing the same is also a key as we all know that there is definite safety in numbers. Not staying after dark in areas know to be hotspots also lessens the risk of being a victim. When we break it down, it’s clear that planning your trip is of utmost importance so plan carefully, be vigilant, be safe and get some fish.

SA BASS 47 January 2017

>> SA BASS STRATEGIES

Getting You Your Back

&RQìGHQFH Bass fishing is one of the most challenging sports you can ever participate in. There are so many aspects that can affect your results.

e all know that things get easier when you have confidence, but confidence is easily lost when things go wrong. Earlier this year I went into the National Championships on Clanwilliam full of confidence after a great pre-fish and practice day. I was onto fish that

could win the tournament. As luck would have it my fish left their hiding areas and moved into a bay after flying ant hatches (not known to me at the time). I was not able to find them and could not recover experiencing panic and extreme disappointment that just makes everything worse and ended up with my worst results ever. This was a big knock to my confidence. I then had to participate with the Protea team in the World Championships which was a great experience and we came within a hairs breath of winning the championship, but I was working hard and never felt like I was in the zone. Every fish was hard work and I was definitely in the mood where I was not expecting fish but hoping for fish which is the first sign of low confidence. The confidence I needed just wasn’t there. I knew this

The support of famliy and friends are very important 48 SA BASS January 2017

>> Rudi Dreyer

but tthere is very little you can do about it. You just have to work through it. When I got back home I had to start thinking about the first divisional for the Southern Division to be hosted on Roodekopjes Dam. I really needed to get back into the zone. Fortunately for me, Roodekopjes and I go back a long way and it has always been one of my favourite waters. It would always be a challenging event and the field consisted of many Roodekopjes legends like Justy Varkevisser, Darryl Quinton, André Pretorius, Johan Cloete, Frans Swanepoel and Hennie du Preeze to name a few. The dam had dropped significantly in the last two months before the pre-fish and was at below 60% when I arrived to work out some kind of plan. I spent a few hours scanning and identified areas with both rock and brush in the 10ft zone holding fish. I then proceeded fishing for them and made sure I knew how to catch them with both soft and hard baits. The weather forecast showed big rain forecasted for Johannesburg and I was convinced the Harties sluice gates will open before the event and didn’t want to fall into the trap again of locking onto a particular spot and then have conditions change on me. I found sixteen spots holding fish and decided that the rest of the plan has to be worked out during the event. The Harties gates opened just before the cut off started and the level continued to rise during the cut off. At the time of the event it was back up to 73%. I used the cut off to make sure I am ready to work out a plan on the day and only lock into something when it works on the day. The other thing I kept on telling myself is to

catch the fish I want to catch and to stop worrying about the other anglers. Whether I come first or 30th I will be happy if I catch the fish I want to catch. I rigged 22 rods with a variety of baits. I started tournament day on the top spot from the pre-fish. It was now at least four foot to deep and after fishing it from different angles for twenty minutes I left for the next spot. Next spot was too deep as well and I saw another angler catch a fish much shallower. I caught a small fish of shallow rocks on a point leading into a bay in the pre-fish and decided to go see how deep those rocks are now. I was already existed when I got there and my electronics showed me that they are now 10ft deep. I worked them from different angles and when I got to the right angle, loaded seven fish in quick succession. Suddenly everything felt right. They were eating one of my favourite baits and even though they were not of any great size I had limit at 6:45 in the morning and it was like a cloud had lifted from me. I spend the day running all the rocks in the same depth I could think of and getting angles right until I got bit. I caught 24 keepers for the day and weighed a 4.48kg bag. I was lying in fifth position. André came in with an 8kg plus bag and was in the lead by quite a bit. But I was feeling good because I knew nobody else was getting the numbers I was getting and this is a two day event. On day two I started at my seven fish spot from day one. I quickly caught four keepers although two were line touchers. I then made a cast not on the rocks but into a gap between the rocks which I could clearly see on my 360 unit. I felt the rod load up and leaned back into a solid fish. After a nerve wrecking fight that included four head shaking jumps I landed a solid 2.5kg fish. I now started looking for and targeting gaps between the rocks with my electronics. I kept on catching keepers and got rid of my line touchers but was now no longer interested in them. Forty five minutes later my lure stopped dead in another gap and I leaned back into it. The fish slowly

moved towards deeper water and I knew it was another solid fish. Another nerve wrecking fight followed and on the second jump right next to the boat I managed to slip the net under it and landed another 2.5kg plus donkey. I was shaking with adrenalin and all of a sudden fishing was fun again. I proceeded with this plan for the next hour and the keepers kept coming but I wanted another donkey. I remembered Rino Sada telling me about a big soft plastic paddle tail that he uses to catch the bigger fish and decided to give it a go. I couldn’t get a bite on or between the 10ft rocks and moved off to an isolated rock in 18ft of water close by. I casted on top of the rock, pulled the paddle tail off and gave it line as it swam down towards the bottom. I saw my line twitch, took up the slack and slammed the hook into another donkey. Another crazy fight followed and I could not help myself but to scream of joy as the fish slipped into the net. Another 2kg plus fish. Wow; what I feeling to catch fish like this under real tough tournament conditions! I ended up with seventeen keepers for the day. As luck would have it my family and friends came to watch the weigh-in and it was awesome to see their and my competitor’s faces when I threw my fish from the weigh bag onto the scale. My bag was 7.34kg. The other anglers did not have such a great day. Only two anglers caught a double limit for the weekend; Darryl and I. That puts my forty one keepers for the weekend into perspective. I was on the right plan and my execution was flawless. Forty one bites converted into forty one fish. I comfortably won the divisional as André, who was lying first after day one, had a tough day and didn’t bring any keepers to the scale. It is a great feeling and one has to enjoy and appreciate it when you get it right because the other side of the coin is a dark place and the difference between success and failure is a very fine line in bass fishing. But until the next disaster, my confidence is up again and I absolutely love this sport!

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>> SA BASS TOURNAMENT NEWS

Wrangler

ANGLER Adrian Luff is the first angler from the Eastern Division to ever become national champion and Wrangler Angler. One of very few to have made The President's Team after his first nationals in which he placed fifth at Inanda Dam and Protea Team after his second nationals on Tzaneen Dam. At Tzaneen he was crowned national champion and Wrangler Angler for 2015.

Adrian has just returned from the USA where he competed as Wrangler Angler at the B.A.S.S. Nation Championships.

>> Bennie Wiese Bennie: Tell use a bit more of yourself? How long have you been fishing? Why do you enjoy the sport? A: I’ve been an angler since I was a little boy. I enjoy the sport like a mountaineer to be honest, it’s him against the mountain, and me against the bass. I just don’t know who have it harder, sometimes I’m up against Everest… if you know what I mean. Bennie: Did you have any sponsor to help you on go to the USA? A: Yes, there were several parties involved. Mainly SABAA who gave R30,000 to cover flight tickets and so on. Columbia South Africa provided my clothing and Rage Tail from StrikeKing send me a nice collection of StrikeKing goodies. Unfair Lures in the US supplied all my hard baits and BASS Nation provided a Phoenix boat to fish from. They also covered my accommodation at the event. Bennie: What was your goal for this event? A: For me it was purely just to have the experience. I wanted to fish in the USA like most South African anglers would but for my first time across I didn’t want to over think or over pressure myself. I wanted to enjoy the moment.

Waiting for safe light 50 SA BASS January 2017

Bennie: What did you expected to find on that side sins it was your first time to the championship? A: I was pleasantly surprised. Texas was amazing! It sure makes me want to pack up the family and go. The people were great and the anglers in the event was very different minded to our local anglers. I was boat number twelve and the boats next to me really took good care of me; they didn’t have to, but they did. The tournament itself of course is at whole in a next level. The weigh-in of course with Jon and Dave on stage was awesome. Bennie: What were the conditions like? A: Windy, rainy, and windy. Bennie: How much time did you practice? A: I just had the one day. Bennie: What did you learn about this intimidating venue? (On practice; how many patterns did you find and did it help you in the tournament?) A: I found out about most things too late. They have something called green light fishing which I’ll leave for another time. That’s where I found my fish on day two.

On my way to the weigh-in

I was boat number 12

Bennie: What was your pattern going into this event and did you have a backup plan? A: There was no pattern for me, and even when I got 16 inchers they had no pattern. It was tuff. Bennie: What was your position from day one till the last day? A: On day one I finished somewhere at the bottom of the field with no fish to weigh. A lot of under size fish and other species took my lures. Day two left me in fourth place out of 120 boats, and I only had two fish. Bennie: What were your lures that techniques that worked? A: The only two lures that gave me the sizable fish was a KvD 1.5 and a Rage Bug. Bennie: What is your goal for the futures? A: For the past four years I have been fishing really seriously, but now I want to fish and have more fun while doing it and maybe recreate some lures. Bennie: Any thoughts and advice to anglers that look up to you? A: All I can say is to make sure you have a rock solid

teacher. Yes you need someone to guide your growth but a person that knows when to say “of you go!” Then be yourself. Fish the way you want to fish confidently. Then when the trip gets real it’s when you realize bass has just become all you think of day and night. Bennie: Tell us about your trip to and from the event? A: That was as much part of the experience as the event itself. I flew with Qatar airways and they were awesome. The flights were long but filled with good food and the newest movies. It was shaky at times but still great. The airport in Doha was really something. My change over time at the airport was eight hours at the airport on my trip to the US and back. The airport is super modern and many things to see. In the US I’ve spent most of my time with the Namibian anglers Alec and Corné, Neil and Heidi who I’ve met at the Zone 5 International. We had great fun, especially with Neil’s direction skills. But the man can drive! I want to just take this opportunity to thank my wife Nicolene for all the sacrifices she has made in order for me to live my dream. Early morning; waiting to launch the boats

SA BASS 51 January 2017

Southern division divisionals

Junior

>> SA BASS SABAA NEWS

Reece fished a top water lure and had a limit within thirty minutes

>> Reece Geldard

ost dams in Gauteng are very low due to the current drought and we were granted special access through one of the parents that is a member of Westvaal Bassmasters to fish 52 SA BASS January 2017

Klerkskraal Dam. It is a small windy dam with clean water and covered with water grass and weeds. On day one my plan was to fish a top water lure around deep holes in the early morning and I had my

limit within thirty minutes. I had a good keeper with my second cast that weighed 1.2kg, however when the wind came up I changed to a lipless crankbait and fished the edges of the grass banks.

It rained on and off the whole day and at about 2pm we had a storm. All the boats had to be pulled to the side due to the lightning and thunder. We were in contact with our team manager and he called the skippers to stop fishing and meet at the slipway until the storm passed. My five fish bag for the day weighed 5.38kg and I was in second place only 240g behind the leader. As there is no camping facilities at the dam we all stayed at a resort outside Magaliesburg. The resort has several small farm dams with bass and all the boys had fun smashing fish as the sun was setting. In the evening we were hosted to an awesome spit braai hosted by Pieter Khourie. All the parents and juniors had fun talking and enjoying the good food. On day two we changed boats and fishing partners based on our scores. My surface bite was not as good as day one with many small fish, but I was very confident. When it was my turn to control the boat I went to the areas I had found and just kept going. I found that the fish were smaller than day one but stuck with my winning pattern. When the wind came up I focused on the grass edges and was soon upgrading my bag to end with 4.85kg. Overall I won the last event for the season by just ten gram and as a group we had caught over 100 fish. All the fish were safely released to be caught again.

Results 1

Reece Geldard

20.23kg

Luke Kloppers

20.22kg

Joe Khourie

19.65kg

Kewan Nienaber

19.51kg

Tristan Frank

18.11kg

Bryce Geldard

16.94kg

Jordan Kreser

15.33kg

Cameron Stonely

14.93kg

>> SA BASS CONSUMER NEWS

1. WOLF LURES PADDLE CAT >> Distributed by Wolf Lures

The Wolf Paddlecat is uniquely and truly South African soft bait fresh from the Wolf Lures collection. Created to imitate juvenile catfish known as barbel in waters throughout Africa, it is a known fact that bass do predate on these juveniles. The Paddlecat measures 11cm, with its kicking tail going against normal designs, gives it a realistic side to side motion while causing maximum vibration in the water. This is truly realistic looking bait, and during its testing phase, proved to be an attractor of big fish and has resulted in some remarkable catches in a short space of time. The Wolf Paddlecat is available in all popular colours and packed eight per packet.

2. VMC REVOLUTION GLIDING JIG OKLAHOMA >> Available from Mias Angling and Scuba

Made for deep-water finesse fishing, the VMC Gliding Jig Oklahoma imitates the actions of a dying baitfish as it slowly descends towards the lake floor. Built with the profile of an Oklahoma Blade, the VMC Gliding Jig Oklahoma delivers a slow, side-to-side fluttering action that generates a tremendous amount of both flash and vibration. Deadly by itself and paired with a soft plastic, the VMC Gliding Jig Oklahoma features a fine, double-hook bait keeper that keeps baits rigged straight and properly. Available in a number of fish-catching colours, the VMC Gliding Jig Oklahoma delivers deep water attraction, without the super-sized profile and heavy resistance of a deep diving crankbait and a magnum spoon.

3. BASS ASSASSIN ELITE SHINER SWIM BAITSWIMBAIT 6 >> Distributed by Hook On Bass

The Bass Assassin Elite Shiner swim bait is the perfect bait for bass and it also works 54 SA BASS January 2017

wonders on other large game fish! They feature a medium sized paddle tail that gives it a superior tight wiggling action and is made of our super soft plastic. The Elites are infused with the B.A.N.G. combo scent formula fish attractant that makes them excel far beyond others like them on the market.

4. BASS ASSASSIN BOSS SHINER >> Distributed by Hook On Bass

This amazing piece of plastic can be fished in many different ways but the outcome is always fish on! Swim it in deep water for those big bass that hang out around the drop offs. Fish it in the flats over grass to bring those big ones up! You have to see the action to believe it. The oversized tail gives it a lot of movement in the water and the rings on the body displace even more water- itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ringing the dinner bell!

5. STANLEY BACK WEIGHTED DOUBLE TAKE HOOKS >> Available from Mias Angling and Scuba

Designed to plough through thicker cover and slop than the non-weighted versions, the Stanley Back Weighted Double Take Hooks provide the same performance and hooking capabilities - except the Back Weighted design keeps your bait even more balanced and less like to roll over as it moves through and around leafy obstructions. The extra weight also means increased casting distance, which is an important factor in frog fishing, especially

when the wind kicks up. A great choice with the Stanley Ribbit or any of you favourite soft plastic frogs, the Stanley Back Weighted Double Take Hooks are available in 4/0 and 5/0 sizes with 1/8-oz moulded-on weights.

6. STANLEY RIBBIT >> Available from Mias Angling and Scuba

Of all the baits out there, a frog is one of the most exciting lures to fish. Bass explode on the Stanley Ribbit. It’s absolutely heart stopping action. You can work this weedless wonder over logs, grass beds, and lily pads. Rigged properly you can work the Ribbit almost anywhere.

Perfect for bass, this kit contains selected lures, weights, jig heads, and beads plus expert advice and pro tips intended to help you catch the big ones. You’ll also find useful information including lure descriptions, rigging instructions, knot diagrams, fishing techniques, and more. Each kit measures approximately 6” x 9” large enough to hold everything needed for a productive day on the water, yet small enough to fit in your pocket or into a small tackle box. Great for beginners or experienced fishermen. All lures are assorted colours.

8. MEGASTRIKE ROLAND MARTIN BIG BASS SPINNERBAIT >> Available from Mias Angling and Scuba

7. CRÈME LURE TEXAS RIG KIT >> Available from Mias Angling and Scuba

The Crème Lure Texas Rig Kit contains all the best lures and rigging in one durable and convenient package. Each kit boasts up to eight separate compartments and contains an assortment of soft plastic Crème lures in a variety of popular colours. Each compartment has a zip-seal to keep lures and rigging organized and ready to fish.

The new Megastrike Roland Martin Big Bass Double Willow spinnerbait now had an articulating, swivelling head that moves full 180-degrees for better hook up ratios. The new articulating head means fish no longer have the leverage to throw the bait as they do with standard solid bodied spinnerbaits. Made from the highest quality components available, including super heavy-duty stainless steel wire and the highest quality blades, swivels, skirts, hooks, and paint, Megastrike Roland Martin Big Bass Double Willow spinnerbait is a big fish bait perfect for clearer water situations.

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

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Championship â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 28 to 30 July 2017

56 SA BASS January 2017

Here’s another easy e-mail competition for SA BASS readers! Answer the easy question below and stand a chance to win a free two night’s stay in The Waterside self catering apartments for two adults at Le Bonheur Crocodile Farm. Le Bonheur croc farm, a CITES registered breeder of the African Nile crocodile, is a destinations farm in Simondium and ideal for family day visits or overnight stays. It offers guided croc pond tours, catch and release fishing, a sprawling waterfront garden (ideal for picnics), pizzeria, and self catering apartments perched on the waterside.

For more information or bookings, please contact Le Bonheur Crocodile Farm on 021-863-1142 or e-mail info@lebonheurcrocfarm.co.za or visit their website www.lebonheurcrocfarm.co.za

QUESTION: Le Bonheur is a CITES registered breeder of what animal species? To enter simply e-mail the word “DESTINATION” and your answer followed by your name and telephone number to: competitions@sabass.com to reach us before 23 January 2017.

RULES: Regretfully no pets are allowed. The winner must make the booking directly with the sponsor. The prize may not be exchanged for money To enter simply e-mail the word “DESTINATION” and your answer followed by your name and telephone number to: competitions@sabass.com to reach us before 23 January 2017. 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 Le Bonheur Crocodile Farm and their immediate families.

>> SA BASS LIFESTYLE

Camouflage - What is Camouflage?

>> Jo Dreyer

It is the most amazing trait any living creature can have? The ability to hide or disguise yourself in plain-sight by which you blend in with your surroundings.

t is the most amazing trait any living creature can have. It is the ability to hide or disguise yourself in plain-sight by which you blend in with your surroundings. In fishing, it is important to be able to camouflage yourself as to not allow fish to see you. But how does this apply to birding? Some birds are so colourful and others dull. Some are small and some are big. So how do birds accomplish their ability to keep safe even though they are right there, even in front of their predators? The answer is very simple. Have you ever seen a beautifully brightly coloured bird in the middle of a dry, open grass field? Or have you ever

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seen a dull brown bird in a brightly coloured green landscape? To me this is unheard of, however, some will argue this point, as there are some birds that are exceptions to the rule, but those are most likely the ones who get caught easily. The Purplecrested Turaco for example will be found in lush, thick green forests that have rich-coloured leaves and shrubbery whereas a Tawny-flanked Prinia will be found flitting through long thick brown grasses. Both super camouflaged unless you hear them. Most often you will only see them if you know where to look or if they move from branch to branch or grass blade to grass blade if you happened to be looking there, and it is a dead giveaway with their call.

Camouflage is an integral part of survival for animals, plants and birds alike. Without it they would be more vulnerable than normal. With this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s article I have included one of the most elusive birds I have experienced to dateâ&#x20AC;Ś the amazingly camouflaged Nightjar. Apart from being able to blend in with their surroundings, they are very difficult to identify. They basically all look the same unless you hear their call. Nightjars are scarily well camouflaged. Rudi had his first divisional for the season for 2016/2017 on Roodekopjes Dam and we are fortunate to have friends that live in Kameeldrift Country Estate which is located on the dam, so we

stayed over for the weekend. With it still being developed and many stands still open for ownership, it was the perfect opportunity to roam the estate. I can never resist the opportunity to roam around a reserve if I have permission and access to it. At 11pm, Andrea and my friend’s daughter Mia and I set off to go in search of nocturnal birds. We weren’t even in the bush five minutes and we got a glimpse of our first nightjar as it flew up past the car and had disappeared into the dark, night sky over the trees. We were unable to identify it as it was too quick and we never even knew it was there until it flew up past the headlights of the car. The only way to see them is to drive slow and have a decent sized torch that one is moving slowly from left to right in front of the car. These birds look like rocks on the dirt road, which is where most people find these birds and even though I look at the road like a hawk, I am often right on top of them by the time I see them but then it’s too late, they get a fright and fly off. I have now honed my ability to see them by trying to look for what they would hide by or camouflage themselves with and have been successful in finding them easier this way. For example, we saw the Rufouscheeked Nightjar featured in this article because I knew they use similar coloured twigs, rocks and logs to hide in-between to look part of their surroundings. This particular photo was taken in broad daylight the following day. We couldn’t see it until we were really close and saw debris lying in the middle of the road. Andrea and Mia were birding using a fourwheeler and drove straight past it, but my friend Leoni and I, hot-on-theirheels, immediately spotted it by being higher up in the vehicle and knowing what to look for. Being higher up in a decent gaming type vehicle definitely gives you an advantage. It didn’t move, partly because it is nocturnal and because it knows in daytime, they will be easily seen if they as much as move

even just a whisker. It is remarkable how clever nature is. I called Andrea and Mia to come look at the nightjar and even though they were as close as we were to it, I had to explain in detail where to find it before they were able to see it. I enjoy a challenge and nightjars provide this very aspect making birding so much fun. The Rufous-cheeked Nightjar is not a water bird but I am mentioning it in SA Bass because it is often found when going on fishing trips and I cannot remember the last fishing trip we didn’t come across one. Nightjars are nocturnal insectivores that roost on the ground or along branches during the day. The identification is based largely on their tail and wing patterns. The Rufous-cheeked is more easily recognised partly because of its more reddish facial feathers along the cheek-line. However, if you are in an area where you will also find Fierynecked and Square-tailed Nightjars, you will need to either have heard it or look for the detail on its tail and wing in flight. Nightjars have dark-brown to light-brown and off-white, weave-like patterned feathers across the entire body. The pattern is similar to that of tree bark. The Rufous-cheeked Nightjar has a more prominent white wing patch close to the tips in comparison to most nightjars, in exception to the Squaretailed Nightjar which has a larger white patch. The tail pattern is difficult to use for Rufous-cheeked as it is similar to most nightjars with exception to the Pennant-winged; and Swamp Nightjar. However, to cancel out these two birds with similar wing patches, the Squaretailed is found more North and East of Southern Africa as opposed to the Rufous-cheeked which is found more South and West. It is a locally common intra-African migrant and prefers arid savannah, woodland and desert scrub. Roosts on the ground usually in areas shaded by vegetation. It lays two eggs directly on the ground or in

between woodland shrubbery or on leaf litter with no nest made. Before laying, the male calls monotonously close to the nesting site and becomes silent when incubation starts. Incubation, brooding and feeding is done by both male and female. The eggs are protected when intruders are close-by, by flattening out the body to become more camouflaged with its surroundings. It then flushes away when too close and then fakes an injury to distract the intruder from the eggs. When driving at night on a dirt road, be aware of these amazingly clever creatures and consider their livelihood. Take the time to look at one you manage to spot that you didn’t spook and appreciate its ability to elude even the most trained eye! Happy Birding

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>> SA BASS INTERNATIONAL

horeline bass fishing is popular in South Korea. Spurred by todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rising cost of boat ownership and limited access to prime fishing areas, shore fishing offers the only real angling alternative to many anglers all over the country. In this article, let me give you an insight into shore bass fishing at Gosam Reservoir and the Yeongsan River, of which are fisheries that bear no resemblance to each other as I take you from the north to the southern provinces.

Two faces of Gosam Reservoir Some say Gosam Reservoir unfolds like an oriental painting. I wholeheartedly agree on that. From a bass fishing perspective, however, I disagree. My sources tell me that Gosam Lake is one of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most highly pressured fisheries, primarily because of its proximity to the Seoul Capital Area. On weekends, the lake literally gets colonized by anglers from the city. I was there on a Saturday afternoon and the angling pressure was simply out of this world. Whether you are there for bass, carp or you name it, angling pressure on Gosam Lake could come in various forms, from boaters, boathouses, campers, wading anglers and etc. Whether you like it or not, it is a place where you have to embrace the angling pressure.

especially during the weekends, patience is a virtue. I stuck with my Texas-rigged worm and worked the area for hours and finally had my breakthrough just before sundown. Moments later, I caught another small bass on my trusty Yo-Zuri 3DS Popper and that was the best I could do, but it could have been otherwise. One crucial thing I learned at Gosam Lake is adapting to conditions and making adjustments. The fishing that day was not about patterning but how you respond and adapt to conditions that is in front of you. I ended up fishing badly at Gosam Lake, but the results of the day were pretty much irrelevant to my next destination, a tidal fishery known as the Yeongsan River that is located in the deep south of the country where I would soon be facing new challenges.

The road to Yeongsan River Tidal fisheries tend to overwhelm anglers. It is easy to see why. The flow in two opposite directions, effects of salinity,

Shore Bass Fishing in

South Korea

Tackling pressured waters My host for the day was K-pop music producer and fishing tackle businessman, Tama-san. We had originally planned to key in on the summer topwater bites, but our strategy hit a major snag from the get-go when we found out that the lake was down by approximately three or perhaps four meter, possibly for the farming seasons. With that, we had to readjust and restrategize. All in all, conditions were not great and we had to improvise right from the start. We started fishing the edge of a rocky shoreline with This used to be a spawning flat topwater plugs and it actually did for largemouth bass in Gosam not take long for Tama-san to land Reservoir his first fish of the day. I had a few bites but could not get dialled-in on the topwater bites. On a whole, the bites felt lethargic to and differences in water visibility adds another dimension to the fishing. Complicating things further, tidal fisheries me. can spread thousands of acres and may include multiple Adapting to conditions tributaries and channels. Did I feel intimidated by those No matter where you fish in Gosam Reservoir, conditions? Yes! 60 SA BASS January 2017

Tama-san caught this fish on a top water plug which bizarrely got jumbled with a drop-shot rig

My host, Mr. Kang with one of the many small bass he caught on a lipless crankbait

One of the prime fish holding spots which were left exposed by the receding lake The Texas-rigged Zoom Trick Worm was the deal of the day for me

Though the Yeongsan River may not possess all the charms and beauty of Gosam Reservoir, >> Words by Fishingboy from a bass fishing Photos by Fishingboy, Kang perspective, however, Hohyeong, Tama-san and it presents a whole M-Craft Marine new set of challenges. My primary focus then was simple, to understand the important factors and conditions that I will be facing in the main tributaries. Speaking of conditions, we would primarily be fishing in extremely muddy waters on river banks that are covered in thick vegetation.

Exciting cover fishing It was action from the get-go for us on the bank. Unlike Gosam Reservoir, where it was all about covering water at the right spots at the right time, the river irrigation channels we fished were full of fish. If you take a closer at some of the images, you will find that they are basically box cut channels, with shoreline cover on the opposing banks. The water inside the channel looked somewhat stagnant with a slight undercurrent and is extremely muddy, with approximately six inch visibility or less. We did not actually feel the effects of the tide. Fishing-wise, my strategy was pretty simple. The idea is to get your bait to penetrate the vegetation and travel as far as possible into the shoreline cover itself. I do not have to move my bait or impart fancy action. It is crucial that you watch your line so that you know exactly how your bait SA BASS 61 January 2017

is behaving underwater. We caught a ton of bass, but nothing over 1kg in weight. It was a numbers game though I believe there were bigger fish lurking down there.

Keep it simple Tackle management is an important thing in shoreline fishing and bank anglers should always streamline their gear. Though I recommend two rod and reel setups at a time, try to limit yourself to one, especially where you are fishing in hard to access areas. As a case in point, I had three setups with me at Gosam Lake all because I was in two minds whether or not to fish topwater plugs. Because of that, I ended up getting burned as I had a hard time managing my gear and tackle. Sometimes, having too much tackle can be overwhelming.

Stay positive and think logically

This is my biggest bass of the day

It took me four long hours to catch my first fish at Gosam Reservoir

Though I did not catch any big bass on what was actually my first bass fishing trips in South Korea, I learned a lot about shore fishing on ultra-pressured, semi-clear to muddy, tidal water conditions on the banks of two very contrasting fisheries. My aim that day was not about catching big bass from the get-go. Instead, I had to Mr. Lee of M-Craft Marine was our local contact

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focus on important factors to gain as much knowledge on the conditions that I would be facing when I am on the water. I ended up fishing pretty badly that day. My pitching and presentation were way off target and I actually struggled to get the timing of my hook sets right, but I refused to let

We had to fight our way through thick vegetation to get to the irrigation channels of the Yeongsan River

those setbacks bother me. Nevertheless, kept and open-mind and stayed positive and it was logical thinking that put me back on track. Tomorrow is a brand new day and that is what counts. Be sure to check out the next installment as we get set for the Yeongsan River delta. Thank you for reading. Fish hard, fish well and God bless.

Mr. Lee shows us how to catch some decent size bass on the bank of the Yeongsan River

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) and SportyFish (Singapore).

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LIVEWELL

ASK THE EXPERTS BRIDGE BASICS tips on winter Q. Any bridge fishing? A.

Q. A.

JIGGING SEASON

Q. A.

JERKBAIT SHADES

64 SA BASS January 2017

What are your favorite wintertime jigging baits? Terry Bolton, Paducah, Ky. – In winter, I use three types: Rapala Jigging Raps, traditional jigging spoons and blade baits such as a Reef Runner Cicada or Silver Buddy. The Jigging Rap, however, is my favorite among those. In my experience, it’s most effective in 20to 30-foot depths when bait is schooled along sheer drop-offs and vertical structure. It provides more action and glide compared to traditional spoons. It’s versatile, too. You can fish it straight up and down, or cast it out and rip it back to the boat with a lift-and-drop retrieve. I like black/silver and chartreuse/white in No. 9 (7/8 ounce) and No. 7 (5/8 ounce) sizes.

PHOTO BY CHARLES WALDORF

Tracy Adams, Wilkesboro, N.C. – For starters, I like cranking the riprap on the banks. My go-to crankbait this time of year is a Rapala Shad Rap – one that dives about 6 feet deep. I cast parallel to the bank, keeping it close enough that it bounces off the rocks. If that doesn’t produce, I will back off the bank a bit and throw a Megabass Vision 110 jerkbait for suspended fish. If the fish aren’t around the rocks, my next stop is bridge pilings, and I will work the jerkbait around them for a while. If all else fails, I like to try a drop-shot, shaky-head jig or umbrella rig on the pilings, focusing especially on the corners.

Q. A.

How do you select jerkbait colors? Any favorites?

DIGITAL PREPARATION How do you conduct lake studies heading into a new tournament season? Randy Blaukat, Joplin, Mo. – A lot of it depends upon my familiarity with the body of water. If it is one where I have past experience, I look for current information on four primary water conditions: temperature, level, clarity and changes in cover. Once I find out those four things, I can establish an approach for the event. If I am going to a new body of water, the first thing I do is check out Google Earth and get a visual for how it lays out. Google Earth has really transformed tournament preparation as it lets you pre-fish from your laptop in the comfort of your own home. I also conduct some basic Internet research on past tournament weights, techniques and other relevant information, in addition to current conditions. is compiled by Paul Strege. If you have a question that you’d like answered, email it to questions@flwfishing.com.

Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla. – As a general rule, I select the most natural color I can for the body of water I am fishing, based on the baitfish. In my experience, darker hues work best in stained water while lighter ones seem to work best in clear water. I really like the 6th Sense Provoke series of jerkbaits, and I have two favorite colors: copper green shad for stained water and shad scream everywhere else. ■