SA BASS May 2017 by SABASS

South Africa: R39.00 (VAT included) Other Countries: R34.21 (Tax excluded)

May 2017

Issue 193

How to...

* Create a Google Earth History Chart * Select the Correct Jig Trailer * Select a Boat Partner * Isolate Patterns * Rig for Speed * Fish a Senko

>> Breaking Down Spinnerbaits >> Autumn Bass Strategies >> Fishing with Confidence >> Destination - Tolderia Resort

For Everyone That Loves Bass Fishing

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DIGITALLY It is once again this time of the year which truly separates the ultimate anglers from the rest of the school. Whether you’re new to the sport or have years of experience, you know that the fishing gets tough when that could breeze breaks through. Most anglers pack their tackle away but don’t feel the urge to do the same. Why not? There aren’t any bass that bite! It is so freezing on the water. I struggle to make a lot of casts, because my body feels frozen solid. I can give you many reasons why you should be even more motivated to fish in the colder seasons of the year. First of all it is great for your confidence. How can struggling in the cold be great for your confidence you ask? That boost you get after weighing in a limit bag at a competition where majority of boats blanked, because it was a difficult venue. That boost you will also receive when you reel in one bass after the other. Although you would have to make a lot more casts and not lose enthusiasm when there are not many bites. Remember that bass are cold blooded. As the air temperatures drops so does the water temperature. This causes the bass to move less. Even though the bass are less active they still have to feed! Confidence is key when it comes to fishing. Another way to build up your poise is to become a specialist with specific bait. When you are out on the water practicing you should only select one type of bait for the day. It would sometimes become frustrating, but you should focus on taking notes on that bait. What technique works best? What structure works? What colour works in what temperature? It is also ideal to listen to fellow fishermen stories and note what their key to success is. For example some anglers believe that using fragrance works in cold wintery conditions. I don’t personally agree with this belief. I believe that bass use their sight sense first. There after they use hearing and lastly their smell sense. Therefore I would focus on the colour of the bait. These are just a few ideas. Not all techniques work for all anglers. Once you have built up your capabilities on one type of bait, don’t stop there! You should never limit yourself on just the one type of bait; you should start building up your confidence on the rest of your tackle as well. One more thing I have learnt about fishing in the winter is that the fish tend to bite more in the early hours. It seems like the saying “the early bird catches the worm” also applies to the water. So brace yourself “winter is coming”. Put on your long johns and pack in a flask of what will get you through the coldness and go embrace the inner angler. Bennie Wiese / Editor

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

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Contents

Editor:

Bennie Wiese - bennie@sabass.com

Assistant Editor:

Chris Greenland

Field Editors:

Bryan Leppan, Colin Willmer, Derrek Stewart, Dewald Viljoen, Divan Coetzee, Evert Laubscher, Gareth Dryden, Gordon Brown, Hendrik, Joe Dreyer, John Badenhorst, Kevin Lofstedt, Louis Bezuidenhout, Mzi Tyhokolo, Neels Beneke, Philip Kemp, Roger Donaldson, Rowan Zerf, Rudi Dreyer

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Jean-Michel Gravenor

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Bertrand Ngim, Clint Skinner, David Swendseid, Gareth Rawlins, Matt Williams, Tylor Brinks

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REGULARS & FORUMS 06

CLASSROOM “Isolating Patterns” In the previous two articles we discussed how to identify potential fish holding areas at home by using Google Earth, then going out on the water to further explore these areas with your electronics, and to ascertain whether they are holding fish or not – Divan Coetzee

TECHNOLOGY “How to…Create a Google Earth History Chart For Your Lowrance HDS Units” This topic has been debated a lot and there are a few ways to do this – Rowan Timmer

FLW “Rigging for Speed” Equipment tips and adjustments for maximizing top-end speed – Joe Balog

About SA BASS magazine:

SA BASS, which is editorially and financially independent, is a monthly magazine catering exclusively for the bass angling community in Southern Africa. SA BASS is distributed country-wide by RNA to outlets, not only in South Africa, but also in Namibia, Swaziland and Botswana. SA BASS is designed as a specialist bass fishing publication and has catered for a well-defined niche market since April 2001. It enjoys the support and endorsement of non-government organisations, but is not affiliated in any way to these bodies or to any other publishing, environmental or political interest group. Our mission is to promote bass angling as a socially acceptable and popular outdoor recreational activity, and in addition, to encourage acceptable angling ethics. As such, SA BASS provides pertinent information on a wide range of subjects. These include providing a platform for informed debate on issues affecting the sport of bass angling, providing information on bass angling strategies and techniques, bass angling waters and opportunities, and also creating awareness of new products. Within this editorial mix, due consideration is given to developing the sport among all the country’s people 04 SA BASS May 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

FLW “Breaking down Spinnerbaits” Terry Bolton identifies the key components of spinnerbait design and selection. – Matt Williams

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.

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

“Autumn Bass Strategies – Unlocking The Pattern!” We are at it again, as we ponder what to do next time we find ourselves on the water searching for that fish of a lifetime – Mzi Tyhokolo

INTERVIEW

60 28

BESTEMMING “Tolderia” Hengelaars is altyd opsoek na daardie stukkie hemel op aarde, ‘n privaatdam met minimum hengeldruk en baie vis. Wel, daar is wel so ‘n plek; Tolderia. – Hannes Lindeque

TACTICS “Compact Angling: Tackle Management for Small Craft” If there is one question that every angler has had to face at some point in his fishing career it is this: How much tackle do I take with me? – Dewald Viljoen

SA BASS “The Death Of Bass Clubs In R.S.A.” It seems that club fishing is doomed to become the “Ugly Sister” to competition fishing in South Africa. – Kevin Lofstedt

SA BASS “A Day on the Lake – De Hoop Dam” There’s been a lot of fishing pressure on popular De Hoop Dam on the Steelpoort River, near Burgersfort, Limpopo and rightfully so as it has some absolutely wonderful fishing opportunity for anglers. – Roger Donaldson and Dudley Fourie

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 01

MY CAST

READERS-go-BASSING

Cast-for-Cash - Tournament Results

GEAR UP

INTERVIEW “Lure Designer - Mashiro Adachi” South Africa’s first interview with renown lure designer Mashiro Adachi. – David Swendseid

KLASKAMER “Al Die Eer Aan ’n Bootprop” Miskien lees jy nou hierdie artikel juis oor die eienaardige opskrif en omdat ek daarin geslaag het om jou aandag te trek. – Philip Kemp

CLASS ROOM “Fishing a Senko” The slower the better! There is no way you can fish a Senko too slow. – Gareth Dryden

STRATEGY “Fishing With Confidence” It can take several years to build up your fishing confidence and only one bad day on the water to break it down and doubting every decision you make further on – Bennie Wiese

“Select the Correct Jig Trailer” There has been numerous articles about jigs and trailers; how, when and where to fish them – Bennie Wiese

INDUSTRY NEWS 58

TOURNAMENT STRATEGIES “How to…Choose the Right Boat Partner” I have been fortunate to fish the last 6 years with Kevin Naidoo (aka the Cuzzy). Kevin and I met whilst we were members of Pietermaritzburg Angling Club (“papgooi” club) – Barry Blunt

>> NRF FAMILY COLD & FLU HAMPERS >> The New 2017 Nissan Navara

READERS’ COMPETITION 12

>> Phokoje Bush Lodge Readers Competition

SA BASS “Set Out On a Quest …To Go Where No Man Has Gone Before!” I have had many days enjoy listening to tournament guys discussing strategies, maps and bait selections for their upcoming tournaments. – Colin Willmer

ON THE COVER “Wessel du Toit – Injaka Dam, March 2017” Image: Hannes Lindeque SA BASS 05 May 2017

>> SA BASS CLASSROOM

ISOLATING IN THE PREVIOUS TWO ARTICLES WE DISCUSSED HOW TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL FISH HOLDING AREAS AT HOME BY USING GOOGLE EARTH, THEN GOING OUT ON THE WATER TO FURTHER EXPLORE THESE AREAS WITH YOUR ELECTRONICS, AND TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER THEY ARE HOLDING FISH OR NOT. >> Divan Coetzee*

ow we’ll discuss patterning. How does one effectively pattern fish? First, let’s look at the definition of a pattern: ‘a regular and intelligible form or sequence discernible in the way in which something happens or is done.’ I can’t explain it any better than that. From the definition it is clear that one can apply the word to both presentation, and fish movement. For me personally, patterning fish movement takes priority over presentation. Let me simplify; if you can’t find them, you can’t catch them. Knowing this, there is only one logical place to start: fish movement according to seasonal stages. Understanding fish movement throughout the year is of critical importance, knowing when the majority of the population will be where, helps eliminate dead water.

06 SA BASS May 2017

Let’s look at what the text books tell us: Winter: “Fish go deep in search of stable water temperatures. They will often suspend in or above the thermocline if present. Fish will also make use of old river channels with a steep drop off. They will feed, but for much shorter duration of time.” Spring: “Early spring coincides with heavy feeding activity in anticipation of the spawn. Fish move shallow. Males build nests in shallow backwaters and larger females remain close by. Moon phase and water temperature will trigger the spawning process. Afterwards the males remain shallow to protect the nest (fry) whilst the female returns to deep water staging areas to recover.”

Summer: “Fish start to retreat to deep water areas in search of baitfish and favourable temperatures. Fish may hunt shallow during early morning, but would retreat to deep water in the absence of suitable cover.” Autumn: “Falling temperatures trigger fish to move shallow and feed in anticipation of winter. Fish will remain in such areas until conditions become unfavourable and will then retreat to deep water.” This is fundamental knowledge and please take into

account that the terms ‘deep’ and ‘shallow’ are used loosely. Now we’ll look at targeting specific zones according to the seasonal stages, once again we’ll start with winter. The majority of the population will be deep throughout the day. This means fishing baits that get down to the bottom. Now technically everything, given enough time, will sink to the bottom, but this is no good. Too much time is wasted waiting for an improper presentation to reach the target zone. You know the old saying about keeping the bait in the strike zone for as long as possible. So what gets down quick? Anything that contains about half an ounce of lead will do nicely. Carolina rigs of different weights, jigs, large spinnerbaits, drop-shot, shakey head’s you name it. Next we divide these presentations up into two groups, namely aggressive and finesse. As you’ve guessed the drop-shot and shakey head will form part of the finesse approach, and everything else forms part of a more aggressive approach. With regards to the Carolina rig, I like to have two rods rigged in this fashion. One gets a 3/8 ounce weight and the other a 5/8 ounce. Both will have totally different baits attached to gauge what the fish respond to. Start with the more invasive presentations first and work your way to the lighter ones. Work the area thoroughly to try and assess what the fish prefer in terms of presentation and depth. Experiment with the cadence imparted and give each bait an equal opportunity in order to make informed decisions. During early spring the fish start to move shallow.

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They tend to gravitate towards shallow shale areas in order to spawn. The idea now is to cover water quickly to locate active fish. So what covers a lot of water quickly? Shallow running cranks, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, frogs to name a few. Once you are satisfied that there are fish in the area, then you can slow down by using a weightless bait or Texas rigged plastic. No bite is random and one should learn to pick-up on subtle nuances. For the summer time I like to employ a mix of winter and spring tactics. Starting off early and covering lots of water while the sun is still low. Afterwards heading to the deeper haunts to tough it out in the African sun. Autumn requires a similar approach except that I might stay shallow a bit longer before heading deep, and then returning to the shallows in late afternoon. Now that we’ve covered fish movement and the best suited techniques. We can look at bait and colour choices. Everything in fishing is relative and every impoundment unique. What worked ‘here’, might not work ‘there’, and what made the difference today, might not help you tomorrow at all. Be sure to keep an open mind. A good rule of thumb would be the deeper you fish, the more presence is needed from your bait in order to be noticed. Think about that for a second. The same goes for windy days, stained water and heavy cover. The majority of our bass are either crab or fish eaters. Obviously they feed on other organisms as well, but the bulk of their diet consists of the above mentioned. Common sense thus dictates that one should present baits that mimic crab and baitfish. Only one lure imitates a crab properly (jig), but baitfish imitations are endless: crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, top water lures, swimbaits, soft jerkbaits and the list goes on. Once again, the baits that move a lot of water would be considered aggressive baits, whilst soft plastic jerkbaits would be the finesse option. As far as colour selection goes, I would recommend sticking to basics, brown and black for jigs, Watermelon, Green Pumpkin, black and Junebug for plastics; white, silver or gold for spinnerbaits. Crank- and jerkbaits should preferably have a white belly with darker back like black, blue, green, brown, purple, etc. In the end it all comes down to preference - what type of angler you are and what you like to throw? Remember that your bait needs to get into the strike zone and remain there 08 SA BASS May 2017

for as long as possible. So ask yourself this: ‘this bait I’m picking up, will it cover the zone that the fish are holding in? Will it stay in that zone? Is it visible at that depth, and am I matching the hatch’? We often get side-tracked by semantics and lose touch with the basics... Another factor to consider would be that on any given day several different patterns may yield similar results. In such an instance, attention to detail is vital and recognising subtleties can make a huge difference to your day. Let me give an example: I recall a particular outing to a private dam in KZN, the dam has an excellent population of bass, but by ten o’clock we had nothing to show for our efforts. The previous day we had hammered the fish along a weedy drop off that runs the length of one shoreline. We were four people on the boat so I decided to take a break and give the guys some space while I watch them toil. Sitting behind the console and minding my own business I noticed on the sonar that fish were rising up to the boat and dropping back down. This got me thinking… The guys were casting to the weedline, letting it sink to the bottom (about 10ft) leaving the bait still for a couple of seconds, and bringing it straight back for the next cast. This drew the attention of fish, but they were not given an opportunity to get to the bait (or so I thought). The boat was positioned in about 20ft of water, I reached for the closest rod, in this case a Texas rigged grub, flopped the bait over the side and gave enough line to reach the bottom, immediately a fish came up to look at the bait and followed it down… but no bite. Not discouraged by any means I decided to leave the bait suspended whilst I enjoy the comforts of leather seats and cup holders. So much for my theory on giving the fish time to eat it. Then, out of nowhere came that familiar tap. The first bite is the most important, now I know that what I’m seeing on the sonar unit are in fact bass, and they are willing to eat. Yet something was off, fish in such concentrations should be easier to catch. Changing rigs was all it took, shaking a drop-shot in their faces drove them dilly, it much better represented what they wanted to eat at the right depth. The previous day these fish were patrolling the weedline and eating everything in their path, and the next day they had dropped back into deeper water due to an approaching front and preferred 4” baits. Then Peter discovered something we’ve been missing - the big bite. From the back of the boat he proceeded to boat pig after pig. All falling to a slow rolled spinnerbait in the areas that we had already fished with the drop-shot. Needless to say I made the switch. These larger fish were there all along, but we were content to fish the shallows on the first day because we did fairly well in relative terms. This left us blind in one eye and unwilling to change. The fact is our day one bag was about 6kg, and prior to Peter tying on a spinnerbait on day two, we stood on about 7kg. In the end our bag weighed 13kg. If I was fishing a tournament against Peter that day, he would have had nearly six kilos on me, I call that a proper hiding. Some food for thought… *Divan Coetzee works at Pro Fishing Shop and is a session fishing guide

>> SA BASS TECHNOLOGY

HOW TO… CREATE A

GOOGLE

EARTH HISTORY CHART FOR YOUR LOWRANCE HDS UNITS

1 2

Step 4: 4 Locate your Google Earth cache folder. Normally it is here: C:\Users\yourname\AppData\ LocalLow\Google\GoogleEarth\

Step 5: Direct SAS planet to the Google Earth ccache ca ch he location

Step 1: Download SAS Planet. https://bitbucket.org/ sas_team/sas.planet.bin/downloads/

Step 2: In the SAS planet folder you will need to add two tile storage files. The files you need are: https://bitbucket.org/greverse/greverse.bitbucket.org/ downloads/TileStorage_GC_1.0.0.8.7z https://bitbucket.org/greverse/greverse.bitbucket.org/ downloads/TileStorage_GE_1.0.0.9.7z Once you have these, copy and paste them into the SAS planet folder that was created when you did the download. down w load.

Step St tep 3 3:: IInn th the ma maps aps p subfold subfolder der in tthe hee main maain SAS SAS pla planet anett folder copy and paste this file : https://bitbucket.org/greverse/greverse.bitbucket.org/ downloads/GeoCacherDirect.zmp downloads/GeoCacheerDirect.zm mp

10 SA BASS May 2017

Okay, that’s hard done and have O Ok ay th hat at’s’s’ the h ard d pa part r d oon ne an nd you onlyy h ave to av do this once on the initial setup.

Step 6: Open Google Earth and select the

Step 7: Open SAS Planet and choose Earth

historical date you wish to use. Now you need to make sure that the whole image has loaded, which basically means zooming in as much as you can so that the tiles are downloading to your cache. Basically as you vie vi e in Google Earth the tiles you view are being saved view aautomatically to the cache folder you found just now. You au ju us need to scroll around the dam so they activate and just do download. This allows you to reopen Google Earth and vie vi view e previously viewed places quickly without having to re download the tiles. Click your way along the dam until yo you can see it is fully downloaded. When you are done, clo cl o Google Earth. close

(Google Earth) as the target map.

> Rowan Timmer* >> er*

his topic has been debated a lot and there are a few ways to do this. Most involve a painstaking and timely process to get right. This method will change your life if you have attempted these maps before. After loads of trial and error, trolling the net and private help from an internet friend in the USA, I perfected this method a few years back and have been keeping it a secret until now. The time has come to share it and ultimately get guys onto making these maps quickly and easily themselves. I use this particular method to make maps exclusively for my Lowrance Units. There are a few things you need to install and change on your PC’s before this will work, but once they are done its really simple. Bear with me.

Step 8: Find your dam location on SAS Planet and then select the version date that you used in Google Earth on the time line.

The h istoori riccal cal iimagery mag aggery yo you u vi view ew d iin ewed n Go G ooggle Ear a th t historical viewed Google Earth should now be displaying on SAS Planet.

Step 9: Outline the area you want to build with the yg Polygonal tool and click the ggreen tick.

The picture piicctu ture re aabove bove bo vee sshows hows thee h ho i toori is r ca call im ima age auto too historical image ov overlaid and referenced in Google Earth. No more stretching and pulling to fit the image, it is done automatically. Once you are happy with the image (do a small test one otherwise it will be too big for your PC to handle) delete the .KMZ file you built. The step above iss purely for test purposes and once you have got the h ha hang of this you don’t need to do it. You will now have to res restart the image build step as before but save the file with th h file extension from .KMZ to .ZIP. This is important. the It m ust bbee a .ZIP ust P eextension. xteens nsion. n C n. liick start. startt. must Click

10 Step 10:

Selection m manager. anaager Clickk on the stitch tap and choose KMZ for or G Garmin armin Ov Overla Overlays ays

t 1 12: 2 12 SStep tep 1 11: 1: 11 SStep

Create Cre reat eate te a target tar et folder targ ta fol olde d r on de n your you ourr desktop d skkto de top p and and save the build to that folder. The file extension is now MZ Zw hicch hi ch aallows llllows you u to t ope pen in nG ooglle Ea E rtth to check. .KMZ which open Google Earth

You will Y illl now h il have a zip-file i fi fill iin your target folder. Download 7ZIP from the net and use that too extract the files. Right click the zip folder and choose 7ZIP/ Extract here. It will save a .KML file and a folder 7Z called “files”. Delete the zipped folder you don’t need it ca anymore. an nym ymo e.

tep 13: 13: 13 SStep

Insight Ma Map M p Cr Creator. C eato t r. D Download ownl ow nload d th the free software from the Insight store. You will have to register an account and go through the steps of buying online. There is no fee but you need to do it this bu way w and they will email you the download link. Save the wa program and open it up. p pr SA BASS 11 May 2017

14 Step 14:

Map creation: Select Raster mode under the menu headings, view/processing modes/raster mode window.

15 Step 15: 16 Step 16:

Select your target folder that contains all the .KML file and image folder.

Choose your zoom levels. This basically determines how far out you can zoom before you lose the image, and similarly, how far you can zoom in without losing detail. Normally I like to set as 0.5 to 64. The maximum resolution relates to how far out you can zoom and the min resolution is how far you can zoom in. This is determined by the quality of the image in Google Earth.

17 Step 17:

Select a destination folder. Create another folder on your desktop called AT5. Click build and wait patiently. It will take longer the bigger the map is. If you select sellect a rea se really allllyy h high igh zoo zoom om llevel, eve vel,l, tthis h s will hi will als also lsso sl slow ow w iitt do down down. wn.. wn

Here’s another easy e-mail competition for SA BASS readers! Answer the easy question below and stand a chance to win FREE accommodation and boat hire at Phokoje Bush Lodge in Botswana, right next to Letsibogo Dam. The prize includes a four night stay in one double chalet for four persons (two double beds) valued @ P810 per/night PLUS three days boat hire @ P1000 per/day. Total value is P6240 (pula). Phokoje Bush Lodge offers 11 ethnically thatched self-catering chalets (4 and 6 sleepers) and 12 clustered rooms. All rooms have satellite television and are fully air-conditioned. There are also camping facilities available with ablutions and power points. Firewood, ice and boats to hire are also available at an all inclusive rate. Phokoje Bush Lodge provides the ideal environment for team conferences, building, workshops, corporate functions and weddings.

For more information or bookings, please contact Phokoje Bush Lodge on +267-260-1596 or email them savvas@phokojebushlodge.com or visit their website www.phokojebushlodge.com

QUESTION: Near what famous fishing venue in Botswana is Phokoje Bush Lodge situated? 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 20 May 2017.

RULES:

Regretfully no pets are allowed. Make sure you have a valid passport to enter Botswana. 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 20 May 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 Phokoje Bush Lodge and their immediate families.

Step S tep 18: 18 O Open the h ffolder ld where h the h fi fil files l saved d until il you see a list of AT5 files. Copy and paste these to a folder called ShadedRelief on your SD-card. Make sure it is spelled just as it is here. Also make sure the card is clean and contains no other maps.

19 Step 19:

Insert in your unit: Under chart options, select Shaded Relief, and photo overly full. Normally your unit will ask you if you would like to load the chart and then this step can be left out as the map will load automatically. Once you work through this you will see that the hardest part of this whole process which is saving and overlaying multiple images back into Google Earth has been done automatically with this method and you will only have one image to process. The longest part of the operation will be letting IMC build you the map. If you get stuck or need me to email you the links, feel free to drop me a mail basstimmer@gmail.com *Rowan Timmer is a Protea Angler and a member of the Western Division. He is on the Varkenelli Customs and Lowrance pro staff teams.

READERS

GO BASSING

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

Th mo is WI nth’s

New PB Keanu did it again at the last club competition at Bronkies. He did not only break his PB but finished second overall, missing out with only a few grams. This nice bass was caught on a Wolf Black Fury. – Keanu Mendes

HAMERKOP DAM

IMPROVED PB TWICE We went fishing at a private dam and caught these two lovely bass 15 minutes apart on my own lure before 06:00. I improved my PB twice... both were released to fight another day – Neil de Beer 14 SA BASS May 2017

Got to Secunda and couldn’t wait to wet a line. I had lunch and spent time with the family. Phoned my cousin and we were ready to go. I took Jopie’s advice on where to fish in Secunda and got to Hamerkop Dam and setup a jig with a Wolf Paddle Tail. Started fishing and I was on one after the other. Quick five fish and decided to give my cousin my rod to fish with. People around were just looking and asking what was I catching these fish on. I told them it was Wolf Lures. Anyway caught over ten in between and it got quiet. Just before sunset I saw some movement in the reeds and decided to cast in that spot. Boy oh boy, I was on and I got myself this beauty. The bass just weight under 2kg and was released – Hassen Jogee

NEW PB! We went bass fishing for the day in the Olifants River just below the Loskop Dam wall and I was rewarded with my new 1.28kg PB. The bass was caught on a Green Pumpkin Mr Jumbo grub. The fish bass was released again. – Paulo Gama

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

TRICKY Here is a picture of my catch. I caught this guy in Witbank Dam fishing off a kayak. Being the only kayakfisherman in the area and taking pictures was tricky. I estimate the fish at 1,5 to 2kg and it was taken on a Texas rigged Culprit Watermelon Gold Beetle through some heavy cover on a hot Saturday afternoon in March. Thank you for a great magazine! – Louis Swart

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 BASS 15 May 2017

TAKEOFF

BOAT RIGGING

RIGGING FOR SPEED

EQUIPMENT TIPS AND ADJUSTMENTS FOR MAXIMIZING TOP-END SPEED By Joe Balog

16 SA BASS May 2017

PHOTO BY D.W. REED II

ass boat junkies have always been obsessed with speed. Fast boats were a novelty in the early days of bass fishing, but became a necessity as the advent of tournament bass fishing brought speed to the forefront. A fast boat meant shorter travel times between spots, which allowed more casts, and, in some cases, beating the competition to the best spot in the first place. While larger boats and higher horsepower limits have led to fewer anglers pushing the envelope in terms of top-end speed, savvy tournament pros – particularly those accustomed to making long runs on massive bodies of water – still find value in getting all they can out of their bass boats. Here’s the inside track on going fast.

Proper Motor Height The key to going fast on the water begins with having the outboard height set correctly. Once a laborious process, changing outboard height on most bass boats is now as easy as turning a dial to raise or lower a hydraulic jack plate, which is now standard on most rigs. If you don’t have a hydraulic plate, invest in one if possible. Proper engine height can still be obtained with a manual plate, but it greatly increases the time and effort required to achieve the best setting. Regarding engine height, many bass boat owners believe the key to speed is to adjust trim, but they’re off the mark. “To go fast, you want the nose of the boat as low as possible,” says Alan Stinson.

[including fuel, anglers, batteries, etc.], so we perform tests with that load,” says Mark Hanson, Mercury Marine’s lead hydrodynamic technician. Hanson says boats react negatively to heavy loads, so weight must be continuously considered. In fact, Hanson often refuels several times throughout the testing cycle to ensure the heavy weight of full fuel tanks is taken into consideration. A different prop is often required to lift a boat that’s full of gear, and pitch size must be adjusted. With the correct prop and weighting determined, run speed trials at different motor heights. Hanson begins by performing an anti-ventilation plate (AVP; commonly referred to as the cavitation plate) measurement. This determines the height of the AVP above the centerline of the hull. Boat owners can do it themselves by running a straight edge from the center bottom of the hull to the motor. With the motor trimmed down, the AVP should start about 6 inches above that line. Adjust the jack plate to achieve that mark. From that starting point, run tests on the water to determine the best trim angle and whether or not the motor should be raised or lowered with the jack plate. The objective is to get most of the boat out of the water without the excessive use of trim while maintaining a smooth, stable ride. Through experimentation, you should be able to dial in what works best for your rig.

Tackle Load A hydraulic jack plate is a valuable tool for maximizing speed.

As mentioned, weight is a major factor in achieving speed. “Loading the front of the boat is enemy No. 1,” says Stinson. Stinson, who was known to weigh each pro team member boat when it came into the factory, recalls once moving 273 pounds of tungsten weights and plastics out of the front of a well-known pro’s boat. “Put all the heavy gear in the back,” he insists.

Stinson is credited with designing and building many of the first modern bass boats in the 1970s for Skeeter. With more than 40 years of experience, he is responsible for many cutting-edge hull designs, and for helping evolve bass boats into what they are today. Any discussion of the evolution of speed in bass boats circles back to him. Stinson says that keeping the nose low creates less wind drag and actually places less of the boat in the water. In contrast, trimming up lifts the nose, pushing more of the rear of the boat down and creating more hydrodynamic (water) drag. “That causes a wake,” Stinson adds, “and a wake is a telltale sign of drag.” Before setting engine height, consider two variables: First, be sure your boat has the recommended prop for its outboard. Each prop has an RPM range in which it performs best, and if your outboard isn’t capable of turning the prop within that range, consult your outboard manufacturer’s list (readily available through your dealer) of prop recommendations for the motor. Second, be sure to run tests in real-world conditions. If it’s tournament top-end you’re trying to improve, load the boat for a tournament. “A tournament fisherman carries Even a small tackle load can add up to a lot of weight, which can rob from top-end speed. about 1,500 pounds of gear in the boat

SA BASS 17 May 2017

FLW_17-33.qxp_Layout 1 3/29/17 9:12 AM Page 32

This allows the front of the boat to ride above the water line, with less drag farther back. The difference in top-end speed due to proper weighting could be as much as 7 mph, says Stinson. To get a better idea of what a modern tournament angler’s tackle load weighs, I weighed a few tackle boxes from my front compartment. Remarkably, a small box of tungsten weights, along with a binder-style box of soft plastics (one of three I often carry), weighed close to 13 pounds. This likely represents less than 10 percent of the tackle found in the front of many tournament pros’ bass boats. All of it can rob valuable miles per hour.

Drive It How you get on pad makes a difference in speed, too. “Trim it up on pad, then, when wide open, bump it down for a quick 1-2 count,” adds Hanson. This pushes the nose down slightly, raises the rear of the boat up out of the water and reduces drag. Hanson claims two or three such adjustments can often gain an additional 3 to 4 mph.

Side-scan transducer placement must be carefully considered for best returns and minimal drag.

in side-scanning technology – mounted up and away from the boat’s running pad. There should also never be anything interfering with the rotational side of the propeller (the right side for most bass boats). Anything mounted to the boat’s bottom to the right of the prop introduces air into that seam of water. The air then “sticks to the blades of the prop, and it won’t bite,” says Stinson. Cavitation is the result.

Know When to Quit

Search for Speed Thieves Anything on the bottom of the boat can rob top-end speed, so Stinson recommends in-hull transducers when possible, or having external transducers – like those used

Speed fans might think there’s more to be done to increase speed. But for the most part, Stinson says, there’s not, short of actually modifying the hull. But what about wind drag? “Boat speed is 90 percent hydrodynamics and 10 percent aerodynamics,” he claims. Stinson says the biggest aerodynamic influence is hull drag. Removing pedestal seats, windshields and the like does little, if anything, to help gain top-end speed. “At that point, you just need a different boat,” Stinson jokes.

WHEN TO CONSIDER A CUSTOM PROP

Historically, swapping to a custom prop has been a way to gain speed, but the stock props on today’s modern rigs are perfectly capable. However, owners of older rigs might still see improvement with custom props, and those running boats extra-high might require a “chopper” or cleaver prop to prevent blowout. Several custom prop shops have earned high accolades in the bass boat world, including Mark’s High Performance Propellers near Indianapolis, Ind., and Performance Propeller of Nashville, Tenn. Both can tweak and repair stock props. ■

18 SA BASS May 2017

GEAR

SPINNERBAITS

BREAKING DOWN SPINNERBAITS TERRY BOLTON IDENTIFIES THE KEY COMPONENTS OF SPINNERBAIT DESIGN AND SELECTION

By Matt Williams

PHOTO BY CURTIS NIEDERMIER

erry Bolton didn’t write the book on spinnerbait fishing, but the personable FLW Tour pro and hard-core “blade” nut from Paducah, Ky., probably could. His spinnerbait prowess is largely credited for his success as a tournament angler and his membership in FLW’s $1 million club. Part of his success with the classic lure can be attributed to the fact that the Ranger pro has learned – through trial and error – how various spinnerbait components can be combined to make a spinnerbait more effective in different fishing scenarios. “The main thing is learning which type of spinnerbait is best suited for a specific purpose, be it slowrolling on ledges in 20 feet of water, fishing around rocks and boulders, or fishing around brush or grass,” he says. Here’s how the 12-time Forrest Wood Cup qualifier breaks down one of the most versatile bass fishing lures ever introduced. 20 SA BASS May 2017

Strike King Burner

Heads 1. Keel or Minnow Head

Terminator T-1

Bolton Bo olton says this style of head creates resistance as it comes com through the water, causing it to rise up or run closer to the surface with less effort and slower retrieves than other head styles. Where it shines: In situations when the fish are aggressive and the angler wants to burn the bait just under the surface around grass or in clear, open water. Where it doesn’t: Fishing around treetops, bushes or brush piles. “When it hits a limb, the bait has a tendency to roll on its side, and it doesn’t correct itself very quickly,” says Bolton. “This exposes the hook and increases the chances of hanging up.” Examples: Terminator T-1, Strike King Burner

Nichols Pulsator

2. Bullet Head

War Eagle

Bolton Bo B lt says b baits it with ith a pointed i t dh head d ttypically i ll run true, true right themselves quickly and come through heavy cover extremely well. Where it shines: Fishing thick brush, bushes, treetops or grass, mainly because the head design resists wedging in limbs and causes the bait to “come back to center” quickly after contacting cover, which helps it resist hang-ups or fouling. Where it doesn’t: As good as the head performs in brush, it’s susceptible to wedging in rocks. Examples: War Eagle, Nichols Pulsator

Accent

TACKLE PHOTOS BY MATT PACE

3. Round or Pill Head

Stanley Wedge

Bolton Bo olton says this head is wider than most most. It’s a good all-around performer that can be used in a variety of situations and cover. Where it shines: Slow-rolling around rock and stumps on ledges. The wider head is less prone to wedging and doesn’t cut through water as smoothly as other head styles, which allows Bolton to maintain better contact with what the bait’s doing. It doesn’t come through heavy cover as well as a bullet head, but it still gets the job done around brush and grass. Where it doesn’t: Flooded bushes with lots of small limbs. Examples: Stanley Wedge, Accent SA BASS 21 May 2017

Hammered Smooth

Blades 2. Style

1. Texture Blades Bl ades are either hammered (stamped or dimpled) or smooth smooth. “A a rule, smooth blades are the best choice for deep-water “As applications because they have less resistance,” Bolton says. “Less resistance makes it easier to fish the bait deeper and keep it there.” Bolton likes hammered blades for shallow applications, particularly when the water is dirty or stained. The hammered texture produces extra flash, and the added resistance makes it easier to fish the bait shallow at slower speeds.

Colorado Indiana

Willow Leaf

22 SA BASS May 2017

Willow leaf: The willow-leaf W willow leaf blade does doesn’t pr produce as much vibration as other blade styles, but produces a tremendous amount of flash and comes through brush and aquatic vegetation with ease. Bolton says willow-leaf blades are well-suited for a number of different situations in shallow water or deep. He likes them mostly in clear or slightly stained water that is relatively warm – 55 degrees and up. The willow leaf is his bread-and-butter blade when fishing deep ledges or grass beyond 10 feet deep. Colorado: The round Colorado blade produces a significant amount of vibration or “thump,” which allows an angler to retrieve the bait at a relatively slow pace and keep it in the strike zone. The extra vibration can be a big plus when dingy water hampers a bass’ ability to see, but Bolton also likes it in cold water. The Colorado is the traditional choice for nightfishing and is Bolton’s choice for slowrolling mid-range depths around riprap, rock points or bluffs. Indiana: The teardrop-shaped Indiana doesn’t displace quite as much vibration as the Colorado and produces a little less flash than a willow leaf. This is Bolton’s favorite blade for stained and off-color shallow water. “It gives you the best of both worlds, plus you can fish it a little deeper, say 10 feet, at faster speeds with a larger head size if you need to,” he says.

Double Colorado

Double Willow

3. Arrangement While W hile there are bass spinnerbaits available with as many as fo ffour ur blades blades, single and double mod models ar are the most popular. Bolton throws a lot of tandem setups and says that altering blade style and size is a good way to custom-tailor a bait to the conditions. “The thing you always need to remember with any blade combination is that the bigger the blade you put in front, closest to the head, the more vibration you will take away from the blade on the swivel,” he says. “However, what you give up in vibration you will gain in flash and lift.” For example, Bolton says he can essentially throw a bulky 1-ounce spinnerbait where he’d normally use a 1/2-ouncer by placing a big No. 7 Colorado blade on the swivel and a No. 4 or No. 5 Colorado in front. “You’ll give up some vibration doing that, but you’ll gain a tremendous amount of flash and lift that will enable you to fish it effectively in shallow water that’s off-color or cold while producing a really big target at the same time.” Just the opposite can be accomplished by going with a small-blade combination. “If I’m fishing in clear water and I want to fish a spinnerbait faster and deeper, I may downsize my blades to something like a No. 2 willow in front of a No. 4 1/2 willow,” he adds. “That will take away some of the lift and allow me to fish the bait faster.”

Metallic Painted

4. Color Ni Nickel ckel and copper blades rule, rule but Bolton says colored blades have a place. Chartreuse is popular on northern smallmouth fisheries, while red can be effective in extremely dirty water. “Another situation where I’ve had good success with colored blades is on cloudy, rainy days when fishing around grass,” Bolton says. “White willow-leaf blades can be a killer in that situation, especially during the fall.”

SA BASS 23 May 2017

Wire Arms

Trailers

Bolton is a big fan of using a trailer on his spinnerbaits for adding bulk and increasing the size of the bait’s profile, especially in deep-water applications where visibility is limited. “When you get down there in 15 to 25 feet of water there isn’t a whole lot of light penetration,” he says. “That’s where I like some sort of ribbon-tail trailer about 3 1/2 to 4 inches long. They aren’t near as easy to find as they used to be, but you can bite down a worm if you need to. A Zoom U-Tail is a good one.” One of his favorites for shallow water is a Zoom Fat Albert grub. In clearer water where speed is important, he likes a split-tail trailer.

24 SA BASS May 2017

Length and gauge of the wire arm have a direct impact on performance and durability. The length, as measured between the head and the line tie, plays a big role in how well the bait will come through cover. “Generally, the shorter the distance between those two points the more weedless the bait will be,” Bolton notes. The length of the arm between the line tie and the rear blade is important, too. This portion acts as a weedguard for the hook. Bolton likes for the arm to extend between the hook point and barb when it is collapsed against the hook. “At the very least I want it to reach the hook point,” he adds. “Anything shorter and the chances of getting hung increase when the bait makes contact with cover.” Wire diameter is gauged in thousandths of an inch. Any wire smaller than .042 is considered light by Bolton’s standards. He says the smaller the wire used in constructing a spinnerbait frame, the more vibration it will produce when the blades are churning. However, some durability is sacrificed as a result. That’s why Bolton steers clear of light-wire spinnerbaits while fishing deep. “Set the hook on a big fish with a light-wire spinnerbait with 60 to 70 yards of line out in water that’s 20 feet deep and the chances are good the wire is going to open up, flex or straighten out,” Bolton says. “I think that can take your hookset away to a degree and possibly allow fish to get leverage on the hook point, both of which can translate to lost fish.”

Zoom Fat Albert Grub

Zoom Split Tail Trailer

Zoom U-Tail

Trailer Hooks Adding a trailer hook will sometimes help catch short-striking fish, but Bolton is selective about where he uses one. “About the only time I’ll use a trailer hook is when I’m burning a spinnerbait in really clean water for smallmouths or spots,” he says. “I’ll never use one around shallow cover or in a dirty-water situation. A spinnerbait catches good-quality fish. I’m of the opinion that if you get it around the right kind of fish, you aren’t going to need a trailer hook to catch it.”

Skirts

Skirts are usually made from silicone or Living Rubber, and come in varied lengths and strand counts. Bolton says he will occasionally modify a stock skirt or swap one out altogether. “Skirts are something you can play around with by removing strands or trimming them to get just what you want,” Bolton says. “If I’m fishing in really clear water I may remove some strands. If I’m in really dirty water, I may swap out a silicone skirt for a Living Rubber skirt to add some bulk and make it more visible.” ■

SA BASS 25 May 2017

>> SA BASS STRATEGIES

Autumn Bass Strategies –

Unlocking The Pattern!

We are at it again, as we ponder what to do next time we find ourselves on the water searching for that fish of a lifetime.

>> Mzi Tyhokolo thing happens to our little friends when it’s too hot or too cold, their metabolism slows down and food, or your lure, takes a back seat. So, now that we know this, how does autumn change this deal?

ell, worry not as I will try to guide you with a few pointers for autumn fishing so that you are better prepared to have a productive day on the water the next time you are out. You see, bass are from the sunfish family of fish, whose body temperature is very sensitive and susceptible to the temperature of the water. Imagine yourself in the middle of winter when it’s freezing cold and all you want to do is snuggle up and sip hot chocolate, or in the heat of summer when you want to do nothing but sprawl in a cool room and do nothing but reach out for a super cold drink from your couch. Same 26 SA BASS May 2017

Autumn - Feast time for sure! The reason that autumn produces some of the best fishing is because of a few things which we will now consider, which make the bass all the more keen to eat up. Water temperature starts to drop as the debilitating heat starts to recede and paving the way for the winter. The cooler water not only makes the fish more active but it draws them to the shallows where there is grass, more oxygen and food, which are all a recipe for active bass ready to smash your lure. Shorter days means that the sun raises a little later,

keeping the brightness at bay and extending the period for that awesome morning and afternoon bite. The fish get a lot bolder with lower light conditions and remain in the shallows much longer. This is especially important in our clear water dams. Food becomes plentiful in the shallows this time of the year as well, and the bass think of nothing else but the buffet that awaits them in the shallower water. Water levels and vegetation. With the improvement in water levels in most dams around the country, the water has moved up into the grass, and this provides bass with both food and shelter. A perfect combination for an awesome day of fishing.

So, what pattern should you fish in autumn? There are two parts to this concept of a pattern, first you need to figure out where the fish are and second, how to catch them. The first should be a little easier to figure out now given what we have been talking about regarding the time of year it is. So, locate grass flats near major river channels or what is called fish migrating routes, back of bays, secondary bays and pretty much any flat with grass or structure in the water should hold some fish. Your chances of success are tripled if you happen to find bait fish in the same shallows.

So, now that we know when they should be, what baits do we use? Remember one thing here, the fish are in an active feeding mood and so don’t skimp on moving baits. My top five baits would be; lipless crankbaits or what most call rattle traps. Throw these along the grass edge and retrieve with moderate speed. I love these as they are such easy baits to use, throw and retrieve and… hang on. My second favourite here is a weightless fluke or soft jerkbait. This I will throw as far back into the sparse grass and just twitch it back to the boat through the grass. Be careful and use decent strength line, minimum 10 -12lb fluorocarbon line, depending on whether you fish trees or grass and similar vegetation. Third, and this is when the big boys come to play, throw that frog. Depending on the density of the vegetation you can chose whether it’s the horny toad type from which you cast and retrieve steadily or you use the popping retrieve type frog. By the way, you don’t only fish frogs in grass, fish them on open flats too or just off the bank. The strikes are among the best in bass

fishing so be warned, if you have a weak heart, bring an extra pair of underpants. Fourth, I would say a jerkbait and preferable on a more open flat or bank with shallow water. The think with jerkbaits is that they are so good you may be put a fish on the boat at every cast. And often the first two or three meters of your retrieve is when these get eaten. Fifth, and not certainly least, spinnerbait. This bait still continues to put fish on the boat even in an era when it seems like there is a new bait every week. Throw this bad boy into the slick grass and between the trees and retrieve away. These are generally snag proof and will put fish on the boat, especially if there is a slight breeze blowing onto the ban you are fishing. There is a myriad of baits out there which various people catch plenty of fish on but I have chosen the ones listed because I have had great success with them.

SA BASS 27 May 2017

>> SA BAARS BESTEMMING

Tolderia

Hengelaars is altyd opsoek na daardie stukkie hemel op aarde, ‘n privaatdam met minimum hengeldruk en baie vis. Wel, daar is wel so ‘n plek; Tolderia. >> Hannes Lindeque*

eleë net duskant Swaziland, anderkant Ermelo, 276km vanaf Pretoria en weggesteek tussen plantasies is een van die mooiste plekke op aarde. Dit is nie ‘n plek wat jy sonder jou gesin wil besoek nie. Vier luukse wooneenhede is omring met uitgestrekte grasperke waar oud en jonk kaalvoet kan hardloop en speel. Vir diegene wat nie op die massiewe plaasdam swartbaars wil gaan jag nie, kan die pragtige natuurskoon bewonder, na die talle voëls luister, met berg- of motorfietse deur die plantasies ry, óf sommer net sleg voor die DStv lê. Met geen lugbesoedeling in die omgewing nie, was die aandsterre iets om te waardeer. Maar... Tolderia is nie ‘n plek waar jy kan bekostig om laat te slaap nie. Oppad na Injakadam vir Maartmaand se Cast-forCash het ons vinnig by Tolderia

>> Die eenhede is lu uukser as die gem mid ddelde huishou uding 28 SA BASS May 2017

‘n draai gemaak. Die indrukwekkende plaasdam het voor ons gelê en ons kon maar net raai hoeveel groot visse in die dam nog nooit ‘n kunsaas gesien het nie. Die dam beslaan 50 hektaar, is 350m wyd en langer as 1km. Elke hoek en deel van die dam skree “vis”. Daar is twee lanseerblaaie waar bote te water gelaat kan word. (Die beste een van die twee is oorkant by die “damhuis”). Die damwal is baie hoog en die water is helderskoon. Reg rondom die dam is daar groot rietbosse wat dit vir die manne met handlyne onmoontlik maak om vis uit te haal. Vir hulle is daar baie beperkte toegang tot die water en hengel vanaf ‘n boot word sterk aanbeveel.

>> Die “damhuis” soos gesien vanaf die water

‘n Entjie verder aan die westekant is daar geweldige groot sandsteen rotsse wat langs die dam lê, met diep water en ‘n digte rietbos. Ons het baie sukses gehad op die punte van hierdie rietbosse. Die wat nie elektroniese toerusting op die boot het nie, gaan bo-oor een van die mees produktiefste areas in die dam vaar sonder om dit te besef. Daar is verskeie onderwater bome wat ‘n jagparadys vir roofvisse is. Die enigste sigbare teken is ‘n klein dobbertjie wat kragbote waarsku om nie kortpad oor die stompe te neem nie.

al om

Hier is genoeg ruimte vir alm hulself te geniet

>> D lanseerblad naby Die die wooneenhede

Versteek in hierdie stukkie paradys is ‘n onthaalarea groot genoeg vir 80 mense

Onthaalarea met die swembad in die voorgrond

SA BASS SA BAS BAS BA SS 29 9 May 2017

>> Die onthaalarea uit ‘n D ander hoek gesien In die sloepe naby die wooneenhede is daar waterlelies, riete en kanale. Dit is ook die enigste van twee plekke waar oewerhengelaars vanaf die kant ‘n lyn in die hoofdam kan kry. By die unieke damhuis is daar mensgemaakte strukture wat vis trek. Die area voor die motorhuise was baie produktief en het ons lank besig gehou. Links van die damhuis is daar ‘n groot baai met ‘n ou damwal onder die water, verskeie dooie bome, waterlelies, grasbanke en nog meer. Teen die oostelike oewer is daar verskeie rietbosse met inhamme waar ons ook vis gekry het.

>> Die “damhuis” is baie privaat en het groot ruite wat uitkyk oor die dam 30 SA BASS May 2017

>> E Elke eenheid het sy eie verhitte privaat swembad

Kunsaas wat baie goed gewerk het, was goudkleurige swaailemme (spinnerbaits), Super Flukes (Watermelon) aan ‘n Mojo-strop, Stretch-40 sagte plastiese wurms en “rattle traps”. Die beste van alles was die vroegoggend en laatmiddag “popper”-aksie teen die riete. Ons het soveel vis in een dag gevang dat ons opgehou tel het. Die grootste vis het ons by die damwal gekry, maar ek is seker as ons meer tyd gehad het om stadiger te hengel, kon ons groter vis uithaal.

Behalwe vir die hoofdam is daar ook nog vyf ander damme waarby ons nie uitgekom het nie. By hierdie damme is daar nie lanseerblaaie nie en opblaasbote sal beter werk. Hierdie damme is oortrek met watergras en het verskeie oop kolle wat beslis geteiken moet word. By die hoofdam is ‘n paar kajakke beskikbaar vir die wat sommer naby wil hengel, en vir die wat die hele gesin op die dam wil uitneem, kan met bestuur reëlings tref om die vlot te gebruik.

>> Die D onthaalarea se volledige kombuis is agter die “mure” versteek

Punt #3 se hengelarea

Punt #6 se hengelarea

Wooneenhede Die eenhede is luukser as die gemiddelde huis-houding. Elke eenheid het drie private slaapkamers, elk met sy eie volledige badkamer en ingeboude kaste. Die hoofslaapkamer het ‘n koningsgrootte bed, lugversorging en DStv, die tweede kamer het twee dubbelbeddens en die derde kamer het twee enkelbeddens. Die oopplan leefarea met lugversorging (en ‘n kaggel); DStv, sitkamerstel, eetkamer en kombuis is baie gesellig. Die kombuis is goed toegerus met alles wat nodig is en van die beste kwaliteit. Alhoewel die eenhede daagliks gediens word, is daar ‘n skottelgoedwasser en tuimeldroeër in die opwaskamer. Op die voorstoep en onderdak is ‘n goed toegeruste braai area met selfs ‘n handewasbak. Hout word voorsien aangesien daar nie ‘n tekort van is in hierdie boomryke wêreld nie. Elke eenheid het sy eie privaat verhitte swembad wat misleidend diep is. Daar is geplaveide, dubbele, onderdak parkering by elke eenheid reg langs die kombuis vanwaar die boot se batterye gelaai kan word. Wat selfoonopvangs betref is die sein maar swak en is daar net op sekere plekke opvangs. Wat selfoonopvangs betref het Vodacom goeie sein gehad, maar met MTN was dit ‘n gesukkel. Die damhuis het sy eie besonderse braai-area en staan heeltemal privaat weggesteek in ‘n pragtige tuin; mooi genoeg waar troufotos geneem kan word. Die huis het twee slaapkamers, twee badkamers (een en-suite), ‘n binnehuise tuin en groot eetkamer. Die privaat swembad buite is verhit en by die onthaalarea is addisionele toilette en storte.

Geriewe Die plaas is 1900 hektaar groot en spog met sy eie private landingstrook van 1100m. Verskeie groot buitelug vertonings was al by Tolderia gehou wat tot 2,000 mense geakkomodeer het. Die amblusiegeriewe 32 SA BASS May 2012

Punt #5 se hengelare

is in ‘n baie goeie toestand en die perseel het parkeer- en kampplekke vir soveel mense. Karavane en tente is welkom en kragpunte is beskikbaar. Die amblusiegeriewe is nie oop vir almal nie en daar word net gekamp tydens georganiseerde byeenkomste.

Om plek te bespreek kontak Mariaan by 082-925-7251

Die grootste verrassing en waarvoor Tolderia beslis onthou sal word, is sekerlik die onthaalarea vir 80 mense waar uithang troues, funksies en konferensies gehou kan word. Die area is versteek onder natuurlike rots-oorhange tussen gevalle sandsteen blokke en watervalle. Die area spog met sy eie, volledig toegeruste kombuis en kroeg. Vir diegene wat Tolderia wil besoek is daar goeie en slegte nuus. Tolderia is oor naweke vir die volgende paar maande reeds vol bespreek. Die beste tyd om hierdie juweel te besoek is dus tussen Maandae en Vrydae. Die voordeel is; geen dagbesoekers word toegelaat nie. Om op te som; Tolderia is veilig, pragtig, rustig en het baie vis!

Wessel du Toit meet een van Tolderia se baie visse

SA BASS 33 May 2012

>> SA BASS TACTICS

Compact Angling: Tackle Management for Small Craft If there is one question that every angler has had to face at some point in his fishing career it is this:

How much tackle do I take with me? >> Dewald Viljoen*

t is a question that is of particular importance to small craft anglers, where a lack of space is the driving factor behind the decision, but the answer could proof valuable to any travelling angler. I am not saying that my choices, or system is the best, or final word in tackle choice, but it is rather intended to demonstrate a thought process in tackle management. Clearly as a kayak angler I am rather limited in the amount of tackle I can carry with me, but I have found that my kayaking tackle choices have spilled over into my other fishing choices. While my kayak can easily carry in excess of 60kg in tackle the problem is accessibility. Kayaks have limited deck space (obviously!) and while most modern kayaks have plenty of in hull storage, access to these storage spaces often require the angler to disembark. Clearly not the ideal option. My system is quite simple. I should be able to carry everything I need in a single trip to the car! This of course meant that I had to put my tackle â&#x20AC;&#x153;needsâ&#x20AC;? under serious

34 SA BASS May 2017

review! The uncomfortable truth about us as bass anglers is that we are tackle addicts. We buy and acquire tackle with any serious thought to our actual needs or habits. Yes, I said habits. As much as we are addicts that buy tons of new stuff, we tend to be creatures of habit that fall back on only a handful of techniques and lures for 90% of our fishing. So here is how my approach works. It requires a hard and honest look at how you as an angler approach your fishing. The first thing you get out of the way is the idea that you are going to use every rod you own on every trip you take. Years of surveys and polls, from all over the bass fishing world shows that most anglers tend to use between three and six techniques to catch the bulk of their fish. Personally, I think that six rods are more than enough in most cases and often on the kayak I take only three or four. Every angler has a favourite technique, no exceptions! This is the first rod you pack. Following this method, select your next favourite rod. If you are anything like me, your back up technique is usually your

favourite, up or down scaled. If this is the case then take two rods for a similar technique but limit yourself to your most confident four or five rods. Now pick your last rod. I usually try to pick a technique that I am either trying to learn or a general purpose rod that can be pushed into service at multiple techniques. The next choice to make is terminal tackle. Obviously this is heavily dictated by the technique choices you made but it is important to be realistic about catch rates and tackle loses. Remember that every single item takes up space and weight, no matter how small or light. Also keep in mind that even on an extended trip you only spend one day at a time on the water. So only take what you will need for a single day. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make some educated guesses to prove the point. I am sure that it is safe say that the average soft plastic lure is good for at least two fish per lure (depending on brand and rigging method it could be much more!). That means that a packet of ten lures is good for twenty fish! A good days fishing in anybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s books! A hook is good for ten fish so even with a 50% tackle loss rate, ten hooks should last the average angler more than two days. Same goes for weights, bobber stoppers, beads etc. When it comes to lures we all have our preferences too. Most of us will do more than half of our fishing with a particular lure in a particular colour. This is the first lure you should pack. Then pick your next two favourites and stick to it! You will very seldom need more than three colours of your favourite technique, and if you are familiar with the waters you are fishing you will probably only need one or two! I stick to two full packets of bait per full days fishing and I almost always come home with a few lure left over even on a very good day! This selection process works for all baits! Once you go past your top three confidence techniques and lures you catch averages drop dramatically anyway, and once you get into that territory it is a slippery slope and you will rapidly fail at multiple techniques!

All that is left now is to pack your camera, scale, sunblock and sustenance. Like I said earlier, this is my own approach. It is merely an insight on how I as a kayak angler think about tackle requirements. Hopefully you can find some use from it and apply some of it in your own fishing and travels. Until next time, stay dry and safe on the water! *Dewald Viljoen is sponsored by Canoe & Kayak Centre, the owner of Hot Reels Service Centre, partner and designer at AfriBaits.

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 35 May 2017

>> SA BASS INTERVIEW

Lure Designer 36 SA BASS May 2017

Mashiro Adachi

South Africa’s first interview with renown lure designer Mashiro Adachi

n the world of JDM there have been some historic achievements. Japanese Domestic Market made the greatest impression in the US professional bass circuits. Most of the time the introduction of these lures would sneak their way in via the western USA and slowly creep east. During this time many Japanese lure designers began to surface. One name in particular, after 25 years, continues to echo Japan’s lure unique lure designs. Although, still young, he is considered one of the oldest most established brilliant lure designers, Mr. Adachi. This JDM development really became a name in tournament angler in the mid 90’s. “There were a few of us that had access to Japan lures in the late 80’s and more in the early 90’s. It was kind of an exchange. For example, in the early 90’s I had friends selling garage made swimbaits to Japan and I had friends importing JDM lures to the California. What was nice is that we had a few lures other tournament angler didn’t have [laughing] and couldn’t figure out how to obtain them. I sold Lucky Craft jerkbaits for US$40. The quality was excellent and the function was similar and in some cases better than US domestic baits.” said, DUO’s USA R&D specialist, David Swendseid. At the same time, there was an emerging JDM designer, named Mashiro Adachi. Mr. Adachi (as he

>> David Swendseid* prefers to be called) graced the steps of several Japanese lure companies with his passion. SA BASS magazine had a rare opportunity to interview Mr. Adachi, now the CEO of DUO International. DUO is considered a premier Japanese company and Mr. Adachi is well respected in Japan. His creations have reached seventy countries. DUO maybe best known for creating the world wide finesse technique called spybaiting. Its phenomenal growth and acceptance in professional bass angling has sky rocketed. It is noted as the fastest growing finesse tournament technique. Enjoy this expose’ with DUO’s chief designer. SA BASS: Mr. Adachi we thank you for this opportunity! Mr. Adachi: Thank you for inviting me. It is my honour. SA BASS: Is it true that your aspiration to design lures began at a young age? Mr. Adachi: Yes, I believe it was at age 12. I began designing because I was impressed with fish profiles and especially their eyes. My attempt to create believable lures with meaning eyes was a goal of mine. SA BASS: When you speak of inspiration how this does drive you? Mr. Adachi: I have always seen the lure as the main tool for the angler to accomplish the sometimes difficult task to draw the predator to commit.

Every lure I attempt begins with a carving? SA BASS: Do you carve from wood? Mr. Adachi: I respect woodcarving but I choose to actually carve from a thermal polymer. It is called acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. This is how I created some of our most efficient lures. SA BASS: How long does it take for a lure designer to become good? Mr. Adachi: Hmmm, actually it takes (I think) a very good lure designer maybe another ten years to perfect his discipline. Maybe for me it was a little longer. I entered the IT industry for a short time and it did not make me happy. My passion was lure design. SA BASS: Your rapid acceptance in the bass fishing tournament world is impressive. It definitely speaks of your innovation, but in your opinion; what is DUO best known for? Mr. Adachi: DUO is not just a company. It is a believe system. We are truly a full JDM company. Our bass lure line is called Realis. We begin our lure idea in-house, and then we design in-house. We follow all manufacturing and production in house. Our investment in research and design is significant. So we have advantages over other companies. Many Japanese companies outsource their work to other countries. This lowers cost issue and details like quality. With DUO SA BASS 37 May 2017

we have complete quality control from beginning to shipping. Our focus is to continue create high quality, high functioning lures that possess realistic characteristic in actions and appearance. It is an expensive process. SA BASS: Is this commitment dedicated to all your lures? Mr. Adachi: This depends on the lure. For new projects, there are times where it takes longer than three years and if it’s simply a change in size, then it may be completed within a year. Either way, we do not allow any of our products to hit the production line until we are confident of its ability and it can achieve its purpose. This always takes time and also prevents us from joining in on the race to produce lures which are “popular” in a certain give time. I am managing this company with a long term vision so time and costs are factors I have to live with. I must say though, my style has given a big headache to the sales team. SA BASS: We have seen a following of your lures in Bassmasters and even more recently in FLW Series and Tour events. Congratulations for your successes. We saw that in 2016, three separate FLW pro wins. Spybaiting was witnessed and mentioned. Now the spinbait lure(s) has changed suspended fishing. Mr. Adachi: The only problem is that anglers tend to keep such productive fishing techniques secret. I personally understand this secrecy in anglers, but please share this technique so many other anglers can also join in on the fun. It was invented to make anglers better. Now the spinbait is used in other countries on other species also. SA BASS: We have had the opportunity to read up on a lure which seems to have gain recent success as well. It is said the G87 is arguably one of the longest casting deep diving crankbaits in existence. Deep cranks have been around for ages so to recently extend the barriers is impressive. Mr. Adachi: There are many lure manufacturers around the world and countless designers who work in those companies. I know there are many designers out there who simply chase what is “in” or “popular” and have a tendency to create thin and meaningless 38 SA BASS May 2017

products in a very short span. They might not have had a choice business wise, but personally, I don’t think this is acceptable. Many deep cranking lures on the market don’t actually get down to the specified depth or require anglers to use thin line. Is this acceptable? A 10lb bass may attack your lure 6m down, but anglers are limited to use 8lb line? We are not competing against others to get a lure down deep? We want get the anglers to catch fish! To be honest, the G87-20 is at 80% of my ideals. In reality, I can design the lure to dive deeper with a lighter resistance. For a G80 model, it is possible to get it to dive down to 25ft and a G90 body will be able to get down to 30ft of water. SA BASS: Mr. Adachi, we could talk “shop” with you for days. We thoroughly appreciate this interview. As you may know FLW is now up and running in South Africa and see how many FLW pros have won or done well on your products will interest our bass anglers as well. Is there anything you would like to add? Mr. Adachi: Our focus on lure development is structured around research. In the USA for example, professional bass angling is huge and amateur tournaments even bigger. We are currently working on products specifically designed to handle the variables of professional bass fishing. Some of these details will be revealed at the ICAST 2017! SA BASS: Mr. Adachi we want to thank you for your time and look forward on seeing your products in the tournament field. Mr. Adachi: Thank you for your interest. It was an honour to present DUO to your magazine. *David Swendseid is a professional bass angler in the USA and is currently the Research and Development specialist for DUO. He spends a great time teaching other professional anglers on how to execute techniques or learn new ones and also assist the international community on bass angling presentations. He pursued trophy bass records and held two lake records and an official state record. The study of fish behaviour and lure action is his forte. He currently contributes to about 16 international bass angling magazines, including SA BASS.

IF YOUR DIARY IS PLANNED ACCORDING TO THE MOON’S PHASES.

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

Set Out On a Quest …

To Go Where No Man Has Gone Before! I have had many days enjoy listening to tournament guys discussing strategies, maps and bait selections for their upcoming tournaments. This does change as the level of fishing goes up from a club comp to a money tournament, divisional and in the end nationals. >> Colin Willmer

have had many days enjoy listening to tournament guys discussing strategies, maps and bait selections for their upcoming tournaments. This does change as the level of fishing goes up from a club comp to a money tournament, divisional and in the end nationals. The one thing I have noticed is that the circle of trustees shrinks at every level. The group becomes smaller quickly as soon as trust was broken or something was not shared. Let’s be honest in the end the bass is the only winner. There are thousands of them and we manage to land 200 of them a day (40 boats; 5 fish). This was obviously a part of my bassing tournament life and took me a while and a very experienced boat partner to get it out of me. On tournament day he would walk around and talk to everybody, sharing a cup of coffee and just enjoying himself. The second tournament I just had to ask what this was all about and his simple answer actually caught me off guard, “Relax Shamwari, the fish are going nowhere.”

40 SA BASS May 2017

I am the guy that had his boat in the water forty minutes before the start and checking rods for the fifth time, rethinking my first set of lures that was tied on and had enough tackle in the boat to stock a tackle store for a season. The first tournament we fished together we were fortunate enough to win that one and I learned one of the most important things of my fishing life that day. Fishing Rust de Winter I was confident with a pattern and starting spots was easy to pick, but then it happened. At 07:10 on my way to the river my partner pointed to a bay and asked me to stop. Being the first tournament together I decided to be polite and comply to his request. After stopping I looked at him with a large question mark on my face.

“What ?”, he said all smiling. “Why did we stop” I asked seeing all the other boats flying past. “What do you mean; we are fishing” he said digging in an old five litre ice cream bucket for a jip or something. “Where, I asked”, while looking around. “That bay”, still scratching in his bucket. Now here is the problem; none of my practise days, or the info gathered, or even the last five years of fishing ever included this bay. As a matter of fact I have never even seen anybody in this bay. So my all my KVD, DVD’S were shouting at me not to fish in this spot. In the end being a good boat partner I stood up, put the trolling motor in the direction of the “chosen” bay and set off. On entering the bay I have made three or four casts with a fluke and my partner still has not found the rod in the rod box he was going to use. After the second fish went into the live well he joined me, all relaxed and smiling, tapping me on the shoulder “Pack them Shamwari, pack them in”, he said lighting a cigarette. We won by fishing out of my trained mindset and just relaxing and fishing his favourite way. He had a saying especially in the morning on take of “Find us virgin water and we will be fine”. He did not care where it was. This taught me to take my head out of my live-well and

start fishing and this applied very well when fishing dams or rivers that I did not know or have never been on. I went on holiday to a dam I have never seen or fished but always wanted to. This was really a big piece of water and the spot options were endless and we were still on the bank. I had my boys on the boat so wanted get some fish quickly and instead of running to all corners of the universe we just started fishing and had one of the best days of fishing ever. We must have travelled 100m from the slipway before getting the first bite. This only became significant to me when I heard that the divisional tournament, two weeks later, was so tough and many of the guys blanked. The fish we caught were everywhere; well everywhere we fished. Listening to a story of a divisional angler on a lake he did not know; he was leading a star studded field after the first day. I spoke to him the Monday after. I listened to a guy not telling me about exactly where he was, or what lure he was putting out there, but heard a guy that remembered every bite in detail and every lost fish like it was the last one on the lake. I thought to myself; “that’s awesome”. The funniest thing is that he did not win in the end but finished well placed. He was more chuffed with the fish he caught than not winning the divisional. Now that’s fishing! *Colin Willmer is an experienced provincial angler and representative for Rapala South Africa Distributors.

YOUR FRIENDLY FISHING TACKLE SPECIALIST

YOUR FRIENDLY FISHING TACKLE SPECIALIST For more specific details: Follow and like us on Facebook: "Knotts Outdoor Paradise"

Completely Focussed on Fishing

keith.knott@outdoorparadise.co.za Shop 1-3, Nazarene Centre, 418 Ontdekkers Road, Florida Park, Roodepoort / Tel: 011 - 672 1273

SA BASS 41 May 2017

March 2017 Results Gauteng 1: Team Valet Storage - 5.18kg 2: Team New Anchor - 4.47kg 3: Team Madfin - 4.14kg 4: Team Cobat Transport - 3.95kg 5: Team Gel Ev ents - 3.85kg 6: Team X-factor-Six -8 - 3.68kg 7: Team Bass Outlaw s - 3.59kg 8: Team All out Angling - 3.56kg 9: Team T-Shirts - 3.34kg 10: Team Ty can Roofing - 3.33kg

42 SA BASS May 2017

Mpumalanga 1: Team Knotts Nissan Woodmead - 6.955kg 2: Team Green Fish - 5.15kg 3: Team Bass Couple - 4.88kg 4: Team Berkley ABU - 4.64kg 5: Team Core - 2.765kg 6: Team Buco Witbank - 2.755kg 7: Team Last Cast - 2.69kg 8: Team R&R - 2.245kg 9: Team Mercury Pro Team - 1.89kg 10: Team EQB - 1.83kg

Limpopo 1: Team Beli VC - 5.855kg 2: Team Fear no Fish - 5.815kg 3: Team Beli Tomato - 5.01kg 4: Team Limpopo Fuels - 4.175kg 5: Team Oud &Jonk - 3.005kg 6: Team Poachers - 2.485kg 7: Team Fish Eagle - 2.445kg 8: Team JV Hidrolies - 1.56kg 9: Team Bouw er - 1.283kg 10: Team Slabbert - 1.28kg

SA BASS 43 May 2017

KZN 1: Team Gamakatsu Outdoors 365 - 9.445kg 2: Team Epic Bass Warehouse - 6.62kg 3: Team Top Deck - 5.62kg 4: Team Predator - 5.565kg 5: Team One 3 Fishing - 4.835kg 6: Team Strike King Bass Warehouse - 4.11kg 7: Team Alw ay s Wet - 3.335kg 8: Team R & R - 3.105kg 9: Team SPRO Outdoors 365 - 1.445kg

W-Cape 1: Team Berkley Hav oc - 7.49kg 2: BassInc. - 7.21kg 3: Team Echo - 6.63kg 4: Team Finesse - 5.31kg 5: Team Varkenelli - 1.15kg

Andy de Jager

44 SA BASS May 2017

Cast-for-Cash The SA BASS Cast-for-Cash bass tournaments are qualifying rounds to the FLW SA Championship. Each team consists of maximum two persons per boat who are allowed to weigh five fish per day. Because it is a catch-andrelease 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. Next event: Visit our websites for full results and tournament dates www.sabass.com and www.flwsouthafrica.com

Still Wet March 2017 - Cast-for-Cash Report >> Hannes Lindeque

Sponsors & Benefit Providers: SA BASS would like to thank the following sponsors in supporting our Cast-for-Cash FLW tournament trial: Garmin SA, VW Wonderboom, Yamaha SA, Brilliant Effects, Cube Design Innovations, Bass World and Arma Irius. Still Wet In our 16 years of presenting the monthly Cast-for-Cash bass angling tournaments we only had two events where we encountered such rainy weather, but since November last year, we had rain at every event, every month. We are greatly thankful for the comfortable mobile weigh station kindly provided by Brilliant Effects. The fuel consumption of the VW Amarok was highly impressive towing this massive rig through the mountain-passes of the Lowveld. Our average fuel consumption was 6km/l (16.67 litre/100km) Every month the SA BASS Cast-for-Cash / FLW rig visits a different region to provide maximum publicity to our sponsors. The weigh station looks quite impressive and cannot be missed. The mobile rig is equipped with a stage, two electronic scales, a sound system, onboard power supply, onboard toilet facilities and even a sleeping quarter for the organiser. This month the rig visited the beautiful Mpumalanga Lowveld where Limpopo held their two day tournament at Injaka Dam. Participants stayed at the luxurious Numbi Hotel only 26km from the dam at a discount rate. Saturday turned out to be overcast. The big red Yamaha buoys provided order at the start of the tournament. The fishing was tough, as usual, but we only need one fish to have a winner. Some our country's best anglers took up the challenge. Justy Varkevisser and team mate Reed Eastman showed what size of fish were hiding in the deep. Their bag weighed in at 5.855kg and on their heels was team Fear No Fish with a total bag weight of 5.815kg. For those who didn't manage to catch anything still had Sunday to try again. Sunday morning was just plain miserable. Cold showers poured down on the anglers and the hot

cup of coffee provided at weigh-in was welcomed. Just after prize giving the sun suddenly emerged and the rest of the day turned out to be wonderful. Our March Winners: The top winning teams in each region were as follows: Gauteng: Team Valet Storage; Mike Matthee & Wayne Louw with 5 fish - 5.18kg Mpumalanga: Team Knotts Nissan Woodmead; Joe Mendes & Bennie Wiese with 5 fish - 6.955kg Limpopo: Team Beli VC; Justy Varkevisser & Reed Eastman with 5 fish - 5.855kg Kwa-Zulu Natal: Team Gamakatsu Outdoors 365; Neels Beneke & Robert Olivier with 5 fish - 9.445kg Western Cape: Team Berkley Havoc â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7.490kg Next event: Next month the SA BASS Cast-for-Cash / FLW rig will be visiting Gauteng at Witbank Dam. Visit our website www.sabass.com for all the dates and venues

Cast-for-Cash Limpopo SA BASS 45 May 2017

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>> SA BASS INTERVIEW

Select the Correct

Jig Trailer

There has been numerous articles about jigs and trailers; how, when and where to fish them. I decided to ask Joao Mendes about his views on selecting the correct jig trailer for different fishing conditions. >> Bennie Wiese*

is team has been doing extremely well on this year’s Cast-for-Cash tournament trial and I spent a day with Joao on his boat. I have taken the opportunity to ask him about his views on jig trailers. “The first thing about jig trailers is that there are many colours and sizes to use. Not going off the subject but for the casual angler, jigs are jigs. Not true. Anglers will just maybe see the different jig sizes and many colours. There are different head designs and hook sizes that’s part of choosing the right jig for the correct condition and matching it with the proper trailer.” The jig itself has been around for many years and must be one of the most versatile lures around. “It will all come down to where and how you are fishing the jig. The chances are really great to catch bass on about any type of water with a jig, any time of the year.” He adds “I personally believe that you can have more success if you are more versatile in picking the trailers for your jigs. There’s a lot to it, but it’s also pretty straightforward and basic when you break it down.” Here’s how Joao goes about selecting the jig trailer for different conditions:

Water depth “The first thing that I will consider will be the water depth I am going to fish. Generally I am going to fish the shallow areas and prefer the old style chunk trailers like the Chunk of Super

48 SA BASS May 2017

Chunk. These types of trailers have been around for many years and still produce fish. They don’t have lots of action but work will when pitching or flipping the shallows water areas.” Joao tells me that there’s an important exception when he is fishing a swim jig in the shallows. “Yes, the swim jig is deadly in the shallow and I will always have one ready on the boat to make some cast in the shallows. When using swim jigs I will most of the time use twin tail type of trailers. These twin tails have a lot of action even when fishing them slow.” Twin tails also work extremely well on football jigs, especially when you are crawling the football jig slowly across the bottom. The reason being that twin tails are very sensitive to the slightest movement of the lures.

Water clarity Water clarity also plays a great part when picking the correct jig trailer. Mendes explains that: “Most of the time I will use bigger bulky trailers when fishing dirtier water. You need the trailer to display more water. The dirtier the water the more the bass need to use their lateral lines to find the fodder. Especially a big twin tail or a creature bait like the Brush Hog moves a lot of water and makes it easier for the bass to find it.” Joao also adds that “When I am fishing clear water I will scale down on line sizes to make further casts. The jig’s trailer will also be scaled down to move faster through the water. The

more time the bass has to look at the bait the bigger the chances are for them to find something wrong with it and move away from the bait.”

Colours Joao believes that the trailer’s colour is highly influenced by the water’s clarity. “When I am fishing dirty water, I like dark colours that show up well or offer a good silhouette so the bass can find them more easily. If the water is clear, I like natural colours like green pumpkin or watermelon that blend in with the surrounds. I believe to keep it easy for as long as possible. On bright and sunny bluebird days lighter natural colours works great for me. I try to match fodder in the venue I am fishing.” Joao also adds that; “The darker colours work better for me when it’s over cast or when fishing deeper water.” On a sunny day glittered trailers can attract more attention from the bass; the colour will change its appearance the deeper it goes. For example a colour like red will lose its look and change to black where as black and white loses their appearances last. Contrasting dark and light colours will give the angler a more natural affect as well as give a visual presence to the lure in changing conditions. Lastly Joao says; “When water is stained I found that bass will be holding closer to the bottom or structure. I will always look for banks that have a type of slope between 30 to 45 degrees. It allows bass to quickly move between the shallows and deep water without wasting excessive energy. And with the colder months approaching the bass will move more lethargic as the temperature drops. So it is important that you slow down your presentation and that you match the colour of your trailer as close to the fodder as possible.” *Bennie Wiese is the editor of SA Bass magazine and an experienced provincial bass angler.

>> SA BASS CLASS ROOM

Fishing a

Senko The slower the better! There is no way you can fish a Senko too slow

>> Gareth Dryden*

love fishing Senkos in the grass. When fishing clear water making long cast seems to be the key for me. When you made a cast have a bit of slag in the line but don’t lose contact with the Senko. Most of your bites will happen when the lure is still falling, it might take a few miss strikes before you master the detecting the bite in the beginning. Because the lure is falling slowly you might get impatient but this needs to happen. Another cool thing about a Senko is that it is designed to fall perfectly horizontal, gliding to the bottom and that makes this lure so successful. The slightest twitch and the Senko will dart side to side while staying in the horizontal position. Senko lures are heavily impregnated with salt and makes it heavy enough to fish weightless with a baitcaster rod, but if I can make a suggestion, use it with a spinning rod. Use a medium or medium heavy rod. The size of the hook that you will use will all depend on the size of the lure, but rig it weightless. Rigging the hook

ANOTHER COOL THING ABOUT A SENKO IS THAT IT IS DESIGNED TO FALL PERFECTLY HORIZONTAL, GLIDING TO THE BOTTOM AND THAT MAKES THIS LURE SO SUCCESSFUL. 50 SA BASS May 2017

is the same as any other lure and finishes it off by skinning the tip of the hook. This bait is ideal for weightless fishing. When fishing deeper areas one can add and weight to get it down a bit faster, I prefer to add a pencil weight that won’t hamper the way off the decent, otherwise it will defeat the purpose of the bait. I try to put the weight in the centre of the bait, see how it falls and if the bait is not descending horizontally move the weight. A normal take from a bass will be the bass inhaling it, and not an aggressive bite. You might not even detect the bite and you might miss the bass. When setting the hook, set it in an upwards direction the moment you feel the line jump or if you feel more weight on the line. Due to the fact that the bite is almost undetectable you will have a 50/50 chance of missing the bass, or having a gutted hook set. Always make sure that you always have a good long pair of forceps available on the boat, it will make your life and the bass’s life so much easier when removing the gutted hook.

Unfortunately the design of the lure can cause your line to form twist in the line quickly. This will be quite frustrating at times. In my efforts to avoid these types of twists the best solutions I could come up with is to use a very small swivel about 300mm in front of the hook. When fishing a lot off vegetation it is almost impossible not to get hung up in the grass and in return that will cause your Senko to be pulled off the hook and that hurts the action in the water. The best fix for this is to always have some super glue on the boat. Glue the tip on the hook shaft next to the hook eye. This will also save you a lot of frustration in the end. Another advantage of having the glue on board is that you can quickly fix a torn lure when you are running out of the colour that is working. Some other tricks I like to use small glass rattles which can be inserted in the Senko, but it needs to be the long thin ones. The glass rattles normally have a thinner profile than the plastic ones. In the areas with only patches of grass will insert a small weight to be able to move around from one patch to another If you fish Senkos you should know that they come in different sizes from a 3” to 7”. I prefer to use 5” Senkos most of the time, but I have had a lot of success with the 3” and 4” when the bass are being difficult. The question “does size really matters” still seems to be answered, but I’m not going to take that chance.

WHEN FISHING DEEPER AREAS ONE CAN ADD AND WEIGHT TO GET IT DOWN A BIT FASTER, I PREFER TO ADD A PENCIL WEIGHT THAT WON’T HAMPER THE WAY OFF THE DECENT, OTHERWISE IT WILL DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF THE BAIT. Over the years a variety of colours have been introduced and everyone across the world has his favourite colour in his tackle box. I must confess that I have quite a few favourite colours at my disposal and I always make sure that my stocks are topped up at all times. Give the Senko a try. I think you’ll be glad you did. After you got used to the uniqueness of this lure, you’ll discover it has great fish catching abilities. Be patient and positive. “After all, they call it fishing, but the goal is catching.” *Gareth Dryden is a highly competitive individual, always giving his best. He fishes the SA Bass Cast-for-Cash tournament under team HillBilly Poisen.

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SA BASS 51 May 2017

>> > > SA SA BASS BASS

De Hoop Dam

Fishing in the shallow vegetation was certainly a good pattern along with the combination of timber and rock

>> Roger Donaldson and Dudley Fourie

here’s been a lot of fishing pressure on popular De Hoop Dam on the Steelpoort River, near Burgersfort, Limpopo and rightfully so as it has some absolutely wonderful fishing opportunity for anglers. The completion of this dam in 2014 left fishermen with a tremendous amount of flooded trees, submerged rocky islands, ledges and river channels to navigate and explore. There the bass can seek abundant refuge and grow large, including for the fact that their prey will also have inexhaustible area to breed and thrive. I’ve spent only one full day on De Hoop and since that time one year ago I’ve been imagining all the potential hideouts which could present some quality fish. It was just two weeks ago however, when I was connecting with my Facebook friends that I learned about my friend Dudley 52 SA BASS May 2017

Fourie and his success on the dam. I caught up with Dudley and asked him if he would kindly share his experience in light of rescuing me from the sleepless nights I’ve had dreaming about the dam’s potential. Here’s Dudley’s recount of his recent event when I interviewed him after fishing the Southern Division third fish-off on De Hoop. Roger: “Please give readers an idea of what depth of water you were fishing in?” Dudley: “I’ve noticed that it’s one of your favourite questions to start with, but rightfully so, as the water depth which bass are found in is constantly changing. It can depend on numerous factors, including temperature, weather conditions, seasons, water clarity. Keep in mind that bass are constantly on the lookout for food. By keeping you focus on where the bait might be you will already be

Another healthy fish from De Hoop Dam and an example of the water clarity on the day

tracking towards the bass. In this case I was predominantly focusing on depths of 3 to 8ft, but trying to find these areas with deep water nearby was my ultimate challenge.” Roger: “Why did you choose that water depth and did temperature influence your decision?” Dudley: “During the practice I wanted to confirm my thinking and focus on confirming where the bait might be. Practice consists of a lot of looking and not as much fishing. I started by searching the shallow areas hoping to spot a few bass or baitfish. Essential in this part of the strategy are a pair of polarised sunglasses which allow me to see through the glare on the water surface. Almost immediately I spotted large numbers of undersize (less than 30cm in length) bass and the odd ‘keeper’ (30cm and over) gorging themselves on very large schools (perhaps thousands) of bait fish in the shallows. This was a dead giveaway that there should be larger bass in the vicinity. Temperature can play a very big role too. Often in the warmer months you will find a tremendous amount of water life in the shallow depths in the early and late afternoon. But as the months lean towards autumn and the temperatures cool down the shallow depths can be a popular area for the most part of the day. The water temperature then was 62 to 68ºF (16 to 20ºC).” Roger: “What was the water clarity on the dam at the time and how did this affect your choice of lure and fishing line?” Dudley: “The river section was fairly stained with 1 to 2ft visibility. However, the main lake areas cleaned up quite nicely - around 3 to 6ft visibility. I chose my line to suit not only the water clarity, but the type of lures and rigs I was going to fish too. On the day I opted to rig up with 12 and 14lb fluorocarbon line. I really appreciate the penetrating sensitivity which this line promotes. When fishing in this De Hoop’s thick structure you’ll also need to take advantage of a super tough, abrasion resistant fishing line.”

Roger: “How did you make a decision on what rig to use and how to you bait up?” Dudley: “My primary choice was a 1/8 and 1/16oz Mojo rigged with a 4” Senko. This was my finesse approach specifically downsized to match the baitfish size. My secondary choice was a 3/16oz Texas rigged with a slightly larger 5” Senko, great for pitching into the timber and weed pockets as it will rarely get snagged up. Thirdly, I chose a 1/4oz spinnerbait with double willow leaf blades. The choice of blades tracked at the perfect speed in the windy conditions during the course of the day. The spinnerbait is deadly in these situations and attracts any ‘reaction’ bite with its impressive baitfish imitation. Lastly, I found natural colours were certainly the more deceptive option.” Roger: “Was there any particular type of structure that were you targeting and does this differ from season to season?” Dudley: “In practice I found a combination of rock, tree and weeds was the key, and two of my main areas had this concentrated in the area. The fish seemed to re-load there much quicker than the ‘traditional’ areas. Season to season definitely sees these fish locating to different areas and De Hoop is constantly evolving. Interestingly, when we first visited the dam we would fish structures in depths of 30 to 40ft with great success. Conversely, this past weekend I didn’t go deeper that 12ft. Although I succeeded in the event and located some great fish it was still conclusive to say that they were very well fed and you had to work very hard to get them to bite!” *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. SA BASS 53 May 2017

>> SA BASS TOURNAMENT STRATEGIES Barry Blunt and Kevin Naidoo has been fishing partners for the last 6 years

How to… Choose the Right

Boat Partner

I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO FISH THE LAST 6 YEARS WITH KEVIN NAIDOO (AKA THE CUZZY). KEVIN AND I MET WHILST WE WERE MEMBERS OF PIETERMARITZBURG ANGLING CLUB (“PAPGOOI” CLUB). 54 SA BASS May 2017

>> Barry Blunt

hilst we were not friends immediately, we gradually became friends during our tours throughout the province for leagues, club championships and the like. Our friendship really got cemented during a national championship at Klipfontein Dam in Vryheid. KZN won and we were both selected to attend National Trials at Klipdrift Dam in the North West. We travelled to this event together and share a chalet. It was then that we became good friends. Shortly after this event I hung up my “papgooi” rods and started to delve into a bit of bass and barbel fishing from my newly acquired skiff. As I was still a member of PMBAC I was allowed to fish their club

competitions and weigh in bass for points. During these competitions Kevin would be bank fishing, and saw the fish we were bringing to weigh in. After a few events he asked me to take him bass fishing. By then I had a dedicated bass rig with “TV’s” and I set about showing him how it’s done. We caught good fish and the bug had bitten hard. We fished a few more times and eventually, our competiveness found us looking for some guys to compete against. The BETT series had just begun and we decided to enter as team “Top Deck”. This was the start of our partnership. To say we were not formidable competition is an understatement and it took us two years before we finally started to hold our own.

I have now relocated to Gauteng and as such am not competing competitively yet. The lead up to the move got me thinking as to how I would a find a partner as well suited as Kevin was. After all we never ever discussed who did what, paid for what and so on. We just clicked and got on with it. So after some reflection I realized that there are a few fundamentals required in order to have success on the water, and having a functioning team that gets everything done without effort or drama. These fundamentals are as follows;

Friendship As mentioned before it is imperative that boat partners are good friends. Fishing can be rewarding and very frustrating. By being good friends and understanding each other’s moods, reactions and quirks makes it easier to deal with adversity, be it lack of success, losing a monster fish at the boat or simply life interfering with the thought processes on the water. You need to have things in common that you can talk about for nine hours on the boat. I am in the road construction industry and Kevin in the building industry, two very similar fields. This allows us to pass the time talking about the contracts where are on. We have fun when we fish. Banter flies all day and at times guys wonder how we can fish together with all the nonsense going on.

Trust This is very important in my mind. For tournament anglers to be successful they need to trust each other. Trust that their team mate has done his share of preparation, homework on patterns and spots, gathering information from other sources (interestingly we belonged to different clubs and would bring a wealth of extra knowledge to the team via these sources) boat preparation and maintenance, weigh point sharing and so on. If any of these items were to be neglected, the result of the fishing event would be compromised. To develop this trust once must assign responsibilities to the individual team members. We never did this officially. When we started out, I had the boat so I dealt with boat issues, fuel, servicing, mapping and the like. Kevin handled logistics, food and often provided the tow vehicle. Later on he bought a boat and we changed duties. Kevin handled the boat and vehicle; I handled accommodation, drinks and bribing Natalie, Kevin’s wife, to make us her signature boat burgers. We never spoke about these items leading up to an event we just did them automatically and trusted that the other had as well.

Strengths and weaknesses I strongly believe that our diverse fishing abilities have made us the formidable team that we are today. I was traditionally a power fisherman who loved to cover water quickly to find active fish. Kevin, however, was a more thorough angler, spending time to pick apart the

areas and find the sweet spots or force the fish to bite. Now we are both just as capable in either. We try new techniques all the time and then share them until both of us have mastered them. When we started Kevin was not into electronics and fancy finder technology, that was my job. Find the fish and he will catch them. As the years went on and we upgraded and learnt, he realized that this is a crucial part of competitive bass angling. He is now as competent as anyone in using these to good effect. In a nutshell having these varying strengths and weaknesses provides a learning opportunity for the team members. Over time your weaknesses wane and you become more proficient, making you a more valuable member of the team.

Socio-economic standing Whilst some may not think this is important, it is critical that the team members have a similar socioeconomic standing. I have heard many an argument, at the waters, between team mates complaining about partners not contributing towards the costs of competing. This is a game of high costs and it is crucial to know that both parties can pull their weight. It is also good to know who will cover what, even if not balanced 50/50. Lastly we share our winnings. Sometime the winnings were kept by me to pay entry for another competition. At times we used the prize money to purchase tackle, maps or boat spares. The rest of the time we split it. When I won the Albert Falls Classic I never once considered that it was my boat. It was our boat. We made the decision to sell it, we decided the asking price and we split the proceeds. I am certain there are many other important issues to bear in mind, but these to me are the basics. Kevin and I still fish together every chance we get and are in contact daily. I still assist him to prepare for his competitions and vice versa. I am now fishing with my longest serving partner, my son Hayden, and we are loving competing together again. A different dynamic but comfortable like old “tekkies”. Tel 0861 282 282 info@armaiuris.co.za Authorised Financial Services Provider: FSP21529

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>> SA BASS STRATEGY

It can take several years to build up your fishing confidence and only one bad day on the water to break it down and doubting every decision you make further on.

Fishing With

Confidence >> Bennie Wiese*

rom experience one will realize that building confidence is a gradual process. Like everything else it is all about time and place. Fishing in many different situations all over the country, at different times of the year, and competing against different anglers is part of the process. Having a reliable information network will also be to your advantage. Also pay attention to how bad you did and compare it with how good your buddies did on the same venue. By just listening to what they are saying on how they were fishing, where and what they were doing can give you clues to what you have done wrong. I will analyze my day’s fishing to try and figure out what I have 56 SA BASS May 2017

done wrong and what I should do differently. I make mental notes and then apply it the next day or during my next trip at the same venue. Having another ace card up my sleeve will boost my confidence, but make no mistake, if you do not apply this knowledge it won’t do anything for you confidence. You are most likely to discard the information instead of improving your skills. There are pros and cons in trying to compete in fishing tournaments. Imagine you are all hyped up to go and fish the next event and the worse happen; you don’t even finish close to the top positions. Mixed emotions will run through your mind; ‘why did I think I’m good enough for this level;

why did I embarrass myself like this to compete against top anglers?” and so you will break down your confidence in a matter of seconds. If you do want to fish in the big leagues then don’t set yourself up for failure. Know what you are getting yourself into from the start and know who you are up against. Yes, by doing well you will boost your confidence big time but you will have to maintain your success to keep it there. By setting yourself alternative goals you will maintain your confidence as well. For instance if I’m fishing a local Cast-for-Cash tournament where the rules are that there is no size limit, I set my goal of getting my limit with a minimum size of 300mm. I will not

keep anything smaller than that. Doesn’t matter how difficult the fishing is, because I believe once you get your limit you naturally will relax a bit and lose your focus. When you weigh-in bigger fish and you see other anglers weighing smaller fish your confidence will go through the roof. And even if don’t win you will see that you did something right. Any time when you go out fishing your number one goal should be to get a minimum size limit and in doing so your skill will be improving a lot. It doesn’t matter who the angler is and what his skills are, if he does not have confidence in his abilities he will not perform. But know this; your confidence can be perfect and your skills are what are needed, you can still come off the water with no limit. Then you should be able to realize what the problem was. The bass might have had locked jaw, then you can’t lose faith in yourself, keep your confidence up and learn from that experience. There are a few ways to help you build confidence. When you are really serious about competing, you will have to do your homework, prefish, study your weather forecast, trust in your own skills as an angler and you will get there. But always remember one thing; once you’ve reached your goal and had a few wins there is only one way to go and that is down. If you allow your confidence to deflate because you’ve lost a few competitions it will be so much harder to get back on top. Very few can keep up with being on top all the time and if you are like me who has to work for a living it will be very difficult to go pre-fish all the time. The only way to be on top all the time is to be basically living on the water and not everyone is able to do that. Lastly, keep doing what you are doing, work hard, keep yourself positive and you will get there. *Bennie Wiese is the editor of SA Bass magazine and an experienced provincial bass angler.

>> SA BASS INDUSTRY NEWS

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58 SA BASS May 2017

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>> SA BASS CONSUMER NEWS

1. ASSASSIN TEMPEST >> Available from Knott’s Outdoor Paradise

Assassin rod is a well established brand and has entered the bass fishing arena. The Tempest rods were designed for large- and smallmouth bass fishermen. These rods are also perfect for finesse fishing other key fisheries (as estuaries). The incredible design and sensitivity built into these rods makes them the perfect tool for precision fishing. These rod are made out of highly sensitive HMC-grade blanks with reinforced carbon cross technology uniquely shaped rear EVA butt for greater comfort and grip when fighting large fish. Fitted with new Fuji Sealed O-Series guides for increased casting accuracy and perfectly set up for braid. Each rod comes with a carry bag. Available in a multiple action spinning and baitcaster, one and two piece models.

2. RIVER2SEA WHOPPER PLOPPER >> Available from Bass Warehouse

Less invasive, yet just as effective as the original, the River2Sea Whopper Plopper delivers the same signature top water disruption as its noisy brother, minus the internal acoustics. Perfect for targeting pressured and easily spooked fish, the River2Sea Whopper Plopper features a stickbait style front-half and a rotating backside, which delivers a heavy sputter as it moves across the surface. Whether you crawl it super-slow along weed lines, burn it over miles of wind-blown bank, or employ slight twitches to generate an attention-grabbing splash, the River2Sea Whopper Plopper Silent flat-out gets bit. Built to cast like a bullet, the River2Sea Whopper Plopper Silent is incredibly effective at all speeds, making it a great tool for honing-in on the most productive speed and rhythm for that particular day.

imitation that sets the bar for all other search baits. Designed to be the ultimate “Go-To” bait, the Storm 360 GT Swimbait features a custombuilt head and body shape, which result in a seamless fusion of metal and plastic. Incredibly easy to rig, the body is moulded with entrance and exit holes along the body for a flush fit every time. Built with an extreme attention to detail, the Storm 360 GT Swimbait’s extended 60-degree line-tie ensures the perfect angle of retrieve and an enhanced action cast-aftercast. A true multi-species workhorse, the Storm 360GT Swimbait’s lifelike rattling jig head produces an alluring acoustic that tempts both freshwater and saltwater predators. Complete with a premium finish and exclusive 3D holographic eyes, the Storm 360 GT Swimbait is capable of fooling the most discerning predator, from bass-to-pike-todrum. Backed by custom VMC Coastal black forged hook, the Storm 360 GT Swimbaits deliver unequalled effectiveness that all anglers can appreciate, from the occasional bank walker to the seasoned professional.

3. STORM 360 GT SWIMBAIT >> Available from Knott’s Outdoor Paradise

The Storm 360 GT Swimbait offers a highly detailed, universally appealing baitfish SA BASS 59 May 2017

>> SA BAARS KLASKAMER

Al Die Eer Aan ’n Bootprop Miskien lees jy nou hierdie artikel juis oor die eienaardige opskrif en omdat ek daarin geslaag het om jou aandag te trek . En ja, dit was juis my idee, want sien, hierdie artikel is juis ‘n moet vir elke maniese baarshengelaar om te lees. >> Philip Kemp*

Die skrywer met een van die mooi baars wat hy vasgetrek het

it was lekker om weer van my ou hengelvriend, Evert Laubscher te hoor en om ’n afspraak, om ’n lyntjie te gaan natmaak, met hom te maak. Evert se boot was tot die Vrydagmiddag nog by Rino Sada om ’n paar verstellings aan die boot se treiler te maak. Ek was maar redelik skepties oor die hengeluitstappie omrede die weerburo ’n bloedige warm dag vir ons in die vooruitsig gestel het. “Lyk my jy het sag geword”, het Evert opgemerk toe ek na verskonings begin soek. ’n “Sagte outjie” is ek beslis nie; en ja, dit sou lekker wees om weer vir ’n slag met Evert skouers te skuur en net weer vriendskapsbande te versterk. By Roodekopjes aangekom, was dit vinnig boot regkry, stokke en

60 SA BASS May 2017

hengelgerei en natuurlik bottels en bottels water en energiedrankies. “Evert, waar’s die bootprop?” So ’n beklemming het my en Evert vasgegryp. Nodeloos om te sê, ons kon die prop net nêrens kry nie. Die prop het by Rino agtergebly na die verstellings aan die trailer - Asof die oproep na Rino toe net eintlik ’n goeie verskoning vir Rino was om gou die prop al die pad van Pretoria af vir ons te bring, en natuurlik ’n stokkie of twee ook in te pak, was gewis. Ek het selfs begin dink dat Rino dit opsetlik gedoen het net om ’n ekstra tydjie op die water deur te bring. Rino het ek egter opgesom as ’n man met baie integriteit en ek twyfel of die prop opsetlik nie teruggesit is nie. Ek en Evert het egter vir tyd en

wyl ’n prop uit ’n ander deel van die boot gekry om te pas. Rino was egter reeds op pad en niks hou ’n Sada weg van die water nie. En daar staan hy toe en wag op die oewer. Bruingebrande bene, skalkse glimlag, visstokke in die een hand, klein sakkie onder die arm, en twee botteltjies “Cream Soda”. Weet die man dan nie hoe warm dit vandag gaan wees nie? Net twee botteltjies? Dis mos nou hopeloos te min vir hierdie versengende hitte. En ja, daar begin seker een van my meer onvergeetlike hengelsessies in ’n lang tyd. Rino se openhartigheid, sy bereidheid om kennis te deel en natuurlik sy kennis van Roodekopjesdam is net iets ongelooflik. Die dam het in die afgelope paar weke geweldig vinnig gesak soos die geval was met al die damme in ons land. Sommige klipstapels was net onder die wateroppervlak en selfs vir die geoefende oog nie sigbaar nie. Een van die klippe, vol merke, was moontlik ’n

Rino Sada het met sy ligte “spin”-stokkie en ‘n klein geveerde loodkoppie heelwat vis aangekeer

stil getuienis van ’n boot of twee wat met hom kennis gemaak het. Dit het my laat sidder oor wat moontlik kon gebeur as ons nie ’n “gids” op die dam gehad het nie. Ek beskou myself as ’n hengelaar wat darem weet waar die voor- en agterkant van ’n visstok is, en daarom glo ek om te fokus op my eie stylle en tegnieke van hengel. Ek kon dadelik sien dat Evert en Rino albei kunsaashengelaars is. Natuurlik het hulle elkeen ook ’n ligte “spin”-stokkie met ’n klein geveerde loodkoppie en Sada krulstertjies gereed gehad om ’n karp of baber mee vas te trek. Beide was egter besig om die een baars na die ander aan te keer met ‘n klein junior waggelstert (paddletail) vissie op ’n ligte Texas sinker. Ek, daarenteen, het vasgebyt met my Mr. Jumbo grubs in die hoop dat ’n groter baars in my aas sou belangstel. Seker een van die interessantste dinge was dat die meeste areas wat Rino aan ons uitgewys het, stil was. Daar was nie ’n ander boot in sig nie. Dit was juis in die areas waar ons die een baars na die ander kon vastrek en selfs ’n mooi baber van bykans 8kg. Dit het my vertroue in Rino se kennis versterk. Hierdie man weet klaarblyklik dinge wat baie ander hengelaars nie weet nie, en hy was bereid om die waardevolle kennis met my en Evert te deel. Rino kon nie die hele dag saam met ons op die water spandeer nie, dalk omdat al twee die “Cream Soda” botteltjies leeg was… ek weet nie. Dalk het hy gevoel dat hy ook nou nie al sy kennis op een dag met ons

wil deel nie. Op daardie stadium het hy reeds ’n pragtige groot karp met ’n loodkoppie vasgetrek. Met die aflaaislag merk ek verskeie manne wat besig was om hulle bote op sleepwa’s te laai. Dit was verseker ’n teken dat min hengelaars die dag suksesvol was. Ons het op daardie stadium reeds meer as twintig baars aangekeer. Natuurlik wou niemand op die oewer ons glo nie. Ek het volhard met my Mr. Jumbo grub op ’n Texas-strop en die onderwater klippe geteiken. Op een van daardie “geheime” areas van Rino keer ek toe twee mooi grootbaars aan. Hoe dankbaar was ek nie vir daardie bootprop wat Rino vergeet het om terug te sit nie. Al die eer aan daardie bootprop. *Philip Kemp is ‘n gesoute swartbaarhengelaar en ‘n gereelde bydraer.

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

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62 SA BASS May 2017

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Tel: 082-925-7251 GPS co-ordinates: S 26Âş 24â&#x20AC;&#x2122;17.11â&#x20AC;&#x2122;, E 30Âş 22â&#x20AC;&#x2122;53.38â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Lothair (Ermelo) SA BASS 63 May 2017

>> SA BASS

The Death Of

Bass Clubs In R.S.A. >> Kevin Lofstedt*

t seems that club fishing is doomed to become the “Ugly Sister” to competition fishing in South Africa. I belong to a club, and if the truth be told, I am the first to admit that my participation has left a bit to be desired. I ask myself why? This is what I believe is at the core of the “Death of Club Fishing”. Some of the other activities causing a decline in club fishing are the unbelievable amounts of “alternate events” on offer. Some of these include. The SA BASS Cast-for-Cash tournament trial, EBASS, divisional fish-offs, regional fishoffs, interprovincial fish-offs, and then there’s the attempt to create camaraderie with inter club fish-offs and internal club championship tourneys. On any given weekend, there is always one of these going on, or practice for one of these. This of course is no one’s fault, but is the inevitable natural progression of things. The solution? I don’t know! But hopefully by putting it out there we can come up with ways to make this all work. Maybe you’ve got to award and add points at Provincial Level Scores that promote fishing at club Level. In other words, if you support your club by paying subs (which, as far as I know, is a requirement to join SABAA) and you participate by fishing “X” amount of in-house comps, then for each in-house, we should maybe award two points toward your provincial and or regional scores. If not, then the question begs asking why you need to be a club member to join SABAA? The situation as it stands now is untenable, and is, in my opinion, not sustainable. The whole set up from the juniors upward seems to pivot around a few selfless dads to give up vast amounts of their own fishing time in order to promote their son or daughter’s fishing career. As a by-product of this, they (the fathers) then indirectly become the mentors to the whole junior team. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a bad thing, but I remain convinced that there must be a better way. One thing that must be addressed is the financial input (sponsorships) from large, medium and small tackle suppliers. Also let us not overlook that same input from boat and motor 64 SA BASS May 2017

manufacturers and or suppliers. They have a moral obligation to put their money where our mouth is. At the end of the day, club’s need to get creative in the way that they handle the core issues in running a successful club. It benefits no-one if the club is simply a meeting place to discuss regional or divisional and other competitions not directly associated with club affairs. I’m not for one minute implying that one aspect of the sport is more important than the other, but I do have to say that I find it a bit disingenuous for those involved at their respective levels to feel they are entitled to full support from their clubs, when in effect many “ordinary” members wishes seem to be deemed less important than the “national or provincial” agendas. This is usually evident when in-house venues are decided. These are chosen so as to be of benefit to regional and provincial fishermen and women. So, what’s wrong with that? I’ll tell you. If the venue is chosen and it’s not where next week’s regional is, those regional fishermen opt to practice for “their” event, as opposed to attending the inhouse. Subsequently, club in-houses then become a tool for supporting divisional fishermen and women. Is this right? I don’t know. What do you think? At the end of the day this is a very difficult situation, and all need to come together to find a solution. As things stand at this time, clubs are on “life support” and I don’t know how much longer they can survive.

Words of wisdom: “You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind” Joyce Meyer. *Kevin Lofstedt is a regular writer and a well known veteran bass angler with three times Southern Gauteng Colours since 1985. He is also the main founder of Clearwater Bassmasters Bass Chapter (1994).

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