SA BASS Oct 2016

Bassing with

Buzzbaits

9 771 607 42 700 2

16010

has gone digital !!

GET YOUR FAVOURITE SA Bass MAGAZINE After our announcement last month that SA BASS got the exclusive license to begin sanctioning FLW bass-fishing tournaments in South Africa we have been quite busy preparing for the new tournament season.

Also during our visit at the annual SAFTAD and National Boat Show we experienced a positive vibe and that everybody was very excited with us. It gives the whole industry the boost we need to make the sport of bass fishing better for everybody.

The timing of this announcement was perfect as we are now in spring and ready for the new bass season. It has been a somewhat warm winter for me and if not a bummer. Having said that, what would spring and summer have in stall for us?

Will we receive the very much needed rain to fill our dams again? Hopefully not heat waves again, but who knows?

Now in spawning season we need to be careful in how we are going to take part. Protecting ourselves from dangerous sun rays or taking care of the breeding stock we catch. Always make sure you consume enough fluids to keep you hydrated - trust me sun stroke is no joke. You might think you will be going out for just a few hours and end up staying the whole day because the fishing was good. It is then when you are so close to water but yet so far. The moment you realise that you are thirsty it is already a bit late, dehydration has kicked in.

Don’t wait until you feel thirsty; take a sip of water every half an hour.

Always remember to your wear a hat, sunglasses and good quality sun block. I heard that scientists have said that 2016 has been the warmest year in recorded history and we as anglers know how harsh the sun can be.

While it’s very important to take care of yourself, you also need to take always care of the spawning bass you are going to catch. Quickly take a couple of selfies and return the fish back to the water. The fish is there to spawn and the longer she is kept out of the water the more eggs she will throw due to stress. If you are fishing a tournament then take extra care.

Always keep ice on the boat to keep the water cool and try to go and weigh the fish as quickly as possible.

For those who want their trophy; you don’t need to take the fish home. There are so many skilful taxidermy, like André van Rooyen Taxidermi advertising in this issue, that they don’t even need your big mama. Work quickly and take the measurements, head to tail and measure the girth. Take many pictures so that the taxidermy can replicate your trophy and release the fish at her nest. She is that big because she has good genes and we need those genes for future generations.

In the end you might have your own methods for staying healthy on the water, but if there is just one thing I can advise you, it is that you must “always wear sun block” and read SA BASS. We look forward to hear from you. Please send your letters to the editor and don’t miss our special feature of two FLW Bass Fishing magazine articles - hot from the States!

Happy fishing!

Bennie Wiese / Editor

DIGITALLY Y ONL pm R28

For your Apple, Android or Windows 8

Compatible with:

http://www.magzter.com/

SA BASS 01 October 2016

Driving through the river instead of taking the bridge?

Amarok can. Now with an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

Volkswagen Amarok.

Greatest load capacity.

McCarthy Volkswagen Wonderboom Cell: 083 488 8529, Tel: 012 567 9345

Commercial Vehicles

SA BASS Magazine

is published monthly (12 issues per annum)

by WJ Lindeque cc t/a BB Print (CK99/23366/23)

Office hours:

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

Contact numbers:

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

Postal Address:

SA BASS, PO Box 24938, Gezina, 0031

Contents

Publisher:

Hannes Lindeque - hannes@sabass.com

Editor:

Bennie Wiese - bennie@sabass.com

Assistant Editors:

Grant Hewitt

Language Editor:

Frederick de Bruyn

Field Editors:

Clifton Hack, Derick de Bruyn, Dewald Viljoen, Gerrit du Toit, Gordon Brown, Hendrik, Joe Dreyer, John Badenhorst, John Bulpitt, Kevin Lofstedt, Lourens Joubert, Marco Grobler, Philip Kemp, Reed Eastman, Roger Donaldson, Rowan Timmer, Rudi Dreyer

Junior Field Editors:

Jean-Michel Gravenor, Nicholas Milligan

International Columnists:

Bertrand Ngim, David Swendseid, Mark Bilbrey, Richard Grant

Advertising Manager:

Wilma Lindeque - wilma@sabass.com

Subscriptions:

Hannes Lindeque - hannes@sabass.com

Digital subscriptions:

www.magzter.com

Layout and Design:

Storm Deezigns - dee@stormdeezigns.co.za

Distributed by RNA:

Jannie Junius (011) 248 3536

REGULARS & FORUMS 06

12

04 SA BASS October 2016

the country’s people (including the youth), and to the practical conservation of the country’s natural resources.

Copyright is expressly reserved and nothing may be reproduced in part or whole without the permission of the publisher. All enquiries regarding editorial correspondence, manuscripts and photographs should be directed to: editor@sabass.com Address contributions to the editor.

Manuscripts, photos and artwork will be handled with care, but their safety cannot be guaranteed. Enclose a stamped, self addressed envelope with all editorial submissions.

The publisher and editorial staff are not responsible for researching and investigating the accuracy or copy right of the material provided for publication in SA BASS magazine. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this magazine, the publisher does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors or their consequences. Readers are advised to use this information with the understanding that it is at their own risk. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher, the editor, editorial staff or SA BASS Society.

FLW BASS NEWS “Flat-Sided Crankbaits” A specialised crankbait for a more subtle approach – TJ Maglio

14

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

FLW BASS NEWS “The Tin Man” Disavowing conventional bass fishing wisdom, John Cox’s recent win at the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup in a simple aluminium bass boat proves that bigger and faster isn’t always better.

– Rob Newell

18

MASTER CLASS “Rod selection” Having the correct fishing equipment is as important in fishing as it is in any other sport.

– Japie Botha

MASTER CLASS “Bassing with Buzzbaits” On a recent business conference I was invited to stay at my boss’s home in a golf estate on the main road down to Inanda Dam and it reminded me of a late spring buzzbaiting adventure I experienced there.

– Roger Donaldson

How to use QR-codes 1. Open the QR-code reader/scanner app on your smartphone. Most smartphones models often have an app pre-installed. If not, visit your phone’s app store and download the app.

2. Keep a steady hand while the QR-code is centred on the screen.

3. As soon as it is done scanning, whatever information should present itself for your viewing pleasure.

24 26

MASTER CLASS “What Bass Eat” Late spring is a great time of year.

The dog days of winter are gone and I’m heading shallow and fishing aggressively.

– Bryan Leppan

KLASKAMER “Om te Waad is Beslis ‘n Wenresep” Ons gesels alewig oor wie se boot dan nou kwansuis die vinnigste is, of waterenjin die meeste perde het, wie se visvinder die binnekant van die vis se bek kan sien of wie dan nou die beste of meeste stokke en katrolle het.

– Philip Kemp

30

32

44

55

CLASSROOM

56

“Harare Bass Chapter visit to Mteri” Harare Bass Chapter had booked the self catering lodge at Mteri for the long weekend in August.

– Clint Skinner

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 01

MY CAST

20

READERS-go-BASSING

22

Letters to the Editor

46

Cast-for-Cash - Tournament Results

64

LIFESTYLE – Boating & Birding – “Great Crested Grebe”

38

>> Cash Back Campaign from Navico

61

>> SAFTAD Show

52

>> SABAA National Champion 2016: Wayne Easton

58

>> Southern Division Juniors Tournament Report

INTERNATIONAL “Namibia at the B.A.S.S Nation” The NBAA – has been fortunate enough to send Neil Engelbrecht to a B.A.S.S. NATION Championship event held in America this year.

– Hendrik Pretorius

“Smallmouth Bass When It All Comes Together” There aren’t many places in the world that can compare to the wilderness areas of Southern Africa – Evert Laubscher

60

ZIMBABWE FISHING

SMALL BOATING “Kick Boat in Southern Cape” Bass fishing in the Southern Cape has been pretty awesome for me over the last few years but something really special recently popped into the “how” part of bass fishing – Adrian Luff

CLASSROOM

“Lock Jaw” For the last two weeks I have been listening to anglers talking how great this spawning season will be and how easy it is to catch spawning fish – Bennie Wiese

40

“Why Judge?”

As an avid angler I have spent many happy hours on our local and international waters hunting those that dwell in the deep.

– John Badenhorst

SA BASS “Is There a Future?”

After my first full season of kayaking, I look back and wonder if kayaking is really a viable alternative for the bass angler.

– Dewald Viljoendrik

36

42

OUTREACH

INTERVIEW “Justy Varkevisser Wrangler Angler 2016” The South African Bass Angling Association National Championships 2016 was one of toughest championships in many years and the ultimate price was up for the take – Bennie Wiese

INDUSTRY NEWS

SABAA NEWS

STATEGIE “Die “Hornets-Nest” Tegniek” Die swartbaars se broeityd is op hande en dis alombekend dat dié tydperk van die grootste baars lewer. Maar hoe gemaak?

– Louis Bezuidenhout

ON THE COVER “John Cox landing a kicker” Image: Andy Hagedon (with courtesy from FLW Bass Fishing magazine) SA BASS 05 October 2016

The Tin Man

'LVDYRZLQJ FRQYHQWLRQDO EDVV ȴVKLQJ ZLVGRP -RKQ &R[ȇV UHFHQW ZLQ DW WKH )RUUHVW :RRG &XS LQ D VLPSOH DOXPLQLXP EDVV ERDW SURYHV WKDW ELJJHU DQG IDVWHU LVQȇW DOZD\V EHWWHU >> Rob Newell

S

ometimes winning bass tournaments is not so much about the actual technique used to catch the fish as it is just getting to the winning fish.

Such was the case with John Cox’s 2016 Forrest Wood Cup victory at Wheeler Lake in early August. The Cup trophy that now rests in his home is the result of being able to reach the fish and not necessarily the techniques he used to catch them. “Once they got to where I was fishing, anybody else could have caught them,� Cox says.

But the reason “anybody else� didn’t catch them is because “anybody else� in a conventional 21-foot glass boat with a 250-hp outboard couldn’t have reached the area where Cox found his winning fish as easily as the champion did.

Cox’s boat was smaller and lighter. His 20-foot aluminium Crestliner with a 200-hp Mercury Verado allowed him to hop over numerous logs as he journeyed his way some six miles back into skinny Cotaco Creek to uncover an untapped population of resident bass.

Over the course of four days, Cox plucked 54 pounds, 13 ounces of bass (Âą24.5kg), mostly from Cotaco Creek, to become the first pro angler to win a national professional bass fishing championship from an aluminium boat and earning the nickname “Tin Manâ€? within the bass fishing world for his use of a “tinâ€? boat. The vitals to his victory were his vessel, the area and then the lures.

Running Tin “What really helped me in practice was low water� – Image: Andy Hagedon 06 SA BASS October 2016

An aluminium boat has been Cox’s calling card on the Walmart FLW Tour since he won a Red River Tour event

Image: Garrick Dixon SA BASS 07 October 2016

Ζ MXVW ZDQW ȴVK WR VKRZ WKHPVHOYHV

John Cox landing another kicker – Image: Andy Hagedon

out of a tin boat in his rookie season in 2011. He has owned full-sized glass bass boats in the past, but he returned to aluminiums because they are more efficient for his style of fishing: shallow-water stump jumping.

Cox is the first to admit that there are downsides to aluminiums when compared to glass. But for every negative, Cox counters with a positive.

Here, he breaks down some of the key differences:

takeoff when all the boats have passed him and he is still coasting down the lake.

“It gives me a few more minutes to think about my game plan,” he says. “I like studying the subtleties of banks as I cruise down the lake. Noticing how a bank flattens out here, or the water colour changes there, or a heron is spearing shad on a point over there – I can’t see those details when I’m ripping down the lake at 70mph with tears streaking out of my eyes.”

1. Speed

2. Fuel capacity

Aluminums are slower than glass, but being passed by faster boats, especially at takeoff, does not bother Cox one bit.

“I’m simply not a speed freak,” Cox laughs. “Even when I could go fast I didn’t. On the last glass boat I owned, I put 658 hours on the motor, and only like four of those hours were over 5,700 RPM. The rest were at 3,500 to 4,500 RPM. “I’m not into boat racing,” he adds. “In my opinion, if you’re having to race others to a fishing spot, it’s not the winning spot anyway.”

Cox actually enjoys the window of time shortly after

Fuel capacities of aluminium are typically inferior to glass boats as well. Cox’s current boat holds just 32 gallons, which pales in comparison to the tanks in bigger glass boats.

But Cox insists that problem has largely been offset by fourstroke outboards becoming smaller and lighter.

“Four-strokes used to be so big and heavy that putting one on aluminium defeated the purpose of having aluminium,” Cox says. “But now four-strokes are smaller, so I can take advantage of their ultra fuel efficiency. My Verado is a 200-hp motor, and it’s stunning how little gas that thing uses. My range with 32 gallons is far more than I ever need.”

08 SA BASS October 2016

John Cox – Image: Andy Hagedon

3. Rough-water handling, space and stability Glass proponents also tout better rough-water handling, more room and better stability, all of which mean little to Cox when compared to the tradeoffs he gains in lightweight aluminium.

“I’m not looking to run to Pelee Island on Erie,” Cox says. “That’s not my style. If we go to a big lake and it’s rough, I stay close. It doesn’t bother me.

“As far as storage room goes, I carry like six rods and a couple bags of tackle – that’s it,” he continues. “I’m not trying to store 42 rods under a deck and manage hundreds of pounds of magnum spoons, swimbait heads, drop-shots and 10-inch worms. I have plenty of room for what I carry.”

“With glass you have to call your buddies to come help push or tow you off,” he adds. “With aluminium, I just get out, push off and I’m on my way.”

5. Electronics rigging Cox says the only thing that really bothers him about aluminiums is not being able to “glass in” a transducer into the hull like you can do in a glass boat.

“The only way to mount a transducer on aluminium is on the transom, and I always break it off from going over logs and stuff,” Cox says. “I had a new transducer on for the Cup and broke it off in practice, so I didn’t even have a depth finder in competition. I honestly could not even tell you how deep my best spot was. I still have no idea.”

4. Shallow-water performance What Cox does relish is an aluminium boat’s ability to get on plane quickly in shallow water. His rig gets on plane in just a foot of water with his Atlas jack plate all the way up. Instead of idling for miles because he can’t find “enough water” to get up on pad, he is able to jump up fast and buzz in and out of backwaters with ease. And when he hits something on plane, which is inevitable with his fishing style, he says the boat tends to “pop up” instead of “torqueing sideways.”

“Trust me, I’ve hit plenty of stuff in both glass and aluminium boats, and the aluminium is so much more forgiving,” he says. “The boat goes up and over, and most of the time I hardly even feel it.” Cox has also “planted” both types of boats on sandbars.

Forrest L. Wood handing over a cheque to John Cox – Image: Garrick Dixon SA BASS 09 October 2016

'XULQJ SUDFWLFH KH LQWHQWLRQDOO\ ȴVKHV ZLWK D GL΍HUHQW VHW RI OXUHV WKDQ WKH RQHV KH SODQV WR WKURZ LQ WKH WRXUQDPHQW

“All I knew is that duckweed means frog fishing, so I tied on a floating frog,” – Image: Andy Hagedon

Cotaco was money On the first day of practice for the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup, Cox put all the advantages of his aluminium boat to work, buzzing, hopping, jumping and ploughing his way far up into Cotaco Creek.

“What really helped me in practice was low water,” Cox says. “It was down about eight inches, and that’s what gave me a big advantage in the aluminium. If the water had been up like it was in the tournament, I think guys in glass boats could have found the same area.”

Cox’s key area back in Cotaco was a bit wider, straighter and deeper than the rest of the creek. Big trees cast dense shade that protected the water from the sizzling August sun.

A look at Google Earth reveals that Cotaco is also drainage for several springs in the area where Cox was fishing, which helped keep the water cool.

“I’m not sure how much cooler it was back there,” Cox says. “My transducer was broken off. But I’m guessing maybe 8 to 10 degrees (Fahrenheit) cooler. If you put your hand in the water, you could definitely tell it was cool. And there was bait everywhere. The place just looked and felt awesome.”

Once Cox started sampling the creek with a rod and reel in practice, it didn’t take him long to determine what lived there.

10 SA BASS October 2016

“I caught a good one on a spinnerbait, rolled the hook over and had a couple more good bites,” Cox says. “Then my brother, who was practicing with me, caught a couple of nice ones. As we were leaving the creek, he said, ‘This is Money Creek, baby!’

“I thought he was serious,” Cox laughs. “I said, ‘Is this really called Money Creek?’ I had no idea where we were.”

Duckweed When Cox returned to Cotaco the first day of the tournament, he got a little surprise in his preferred stretch.

“There was duckweed everywhere,” he says. “I have no idea where it came from. I guess it washed down from above. There had been some duckweed in the little feeders and sloughs off the main creek, so maybe it all floated out when the water came up. A lot of it had piled up against the lay-downs where I wanted to fish.

“All I knew is that duckweed means frog fishing, so I tied on a floating frog,” he continues. “It was game on. When I skipped that frog up under a tree to a mat of duckweed, a good one would blast it. It was crazy.”

Cox took an early lead on day one with 16 pounds, 11 ounces, and from that point on, the rest was history. Cox would go on to pull another 15 pounds, 10 ounces from Cotaco on day two to build a lead of 6 pounds, 7 ounces at halftime.

“In my opinion, if you’re having to race others to a fishing spot, it’s not the winning spot anyway.” – Image: Andy Hagedon

Though he tried a couple of other backwater areas on days three and four, he always returned to Cotaco to keep his competitors at bay, winning the event wire-to-wire with final limits of 11 pounds and 11-8.

He says the area changed each day due to fluctuating water levels, his fishing pressure and the duckweed sliding around, but the changes really didn’t require much in the way of a tactical change. He just kept walking the frog at a very slow speed past visible cover and under shady trees, plus anywhere the duckweed mats were thick.

“Getting up there to find that area in practice was the key to the whole thing,” Cox says. “I really didn’t know if it would hold up for four days, but it did.”

Bait and Switch When sampling creeks and backwaters during practice, Cox takes an interesting approach to his fishing. During practice he intentionally fishes with a different set of lures than the ones he plans to throw in the tournament.

This was the case at the Cup on Wheeler.

“During practice, all I am looking to do is cover water and get a couple bites,” Cox says. “I just want fish to show

New FLW Tour Rules Helped Cox In 2016, FLW enacted two new rules at the Forrest Wood Cup that played into John Cox’s favour in winning the event. First, pros were allowed to use their own boats all four days of the event. Second, this year’s Cup featured non-fishing marshals instead of co-anglers. Cox believes both changes helped propel him to victory.

“Obviously, using my own boat all four days was a big help,” Cox says. “That was a huge incentive to keep pushing my way up that [Cotaco] creek. I knew the farther I went and the more logs I jumped, the better my chances of separating myself from the rest of the competitors.”

themselves. At the Cup, I found those fish [in Cotaco] on a spinnerbait. I caught one on it, then rolled my hook over and had a couple of more good ones boil on it. That’s all I needed to see.”

Other search lures Cox employs during practice include heavily-weighted pitching plastics that sink fast and topwater walking baits. Once he returns in the tournament, Cox brings his shallow-water A-team, including swim jigs, ChatterBaits, buzzbaits, buzzing toads, floating frogs, lighter pitching plastics and a wacky-rigged Yamamoto Senko.

His winning lure at the Cup ended up being a Jackall Iobee frog in bluegill or black, which he tied to 50-poundtest braid on his own custom-built frog rod – a 7-foot, 4-inch, fast-action, heavy-power rod built on an FP885MHX blank. He also mixed in a white 1/4-ounce buzzbait for a few other keepers during the week.

“That duckweed is really what forced me to commit to those surface lures,” Cox says. “I caught a couple other tiny keepers in another creek on other stuff, but the frog was the deal for the bigger fish in that scum.”

Cox also believes that having a co-angler the first two days, like in a regular-season Tour event, would have pressured his fragile area even more than necessary.

“Anybody who was with me who could cast a rod and reel would have caught fish out of there,” he says.

“With so many good fishermen as co-anglers, I’m guessing they could have easily pulled out another 12 pounds per day behind me. But not having a co-angler allowed me to fish how I needed and manage those fish carefully. There was not much left in that place on the final day. If 15 to 25 pounds had been removed by coanglers, it no doubt would have cratered my chances of winning.”

SA BASS 11 October 2016

FLAT-SIDED CRANKBAITS

A specialised crankbait for a more subtle approach

To novice anglers, any old hard wooden or plastic plug with a lip is referred to as a crankbait. They all wobble, dive on the retrieve and, periodically, come back ZLWK D ȴVK DWWDFKHG

W.E.C. Hicky

>> TJ Maglio Photos by Matt Pace

T

o the crankbait die-hards of the Carolinas and the Tennessee River region, though, the word “crankbait” itself is just a heading used to refer to many different styles of plugs, each with a very particular time and place to shine.

From those regions comes an old-school crankbait style that’s now one of the fastest growing: the flat-sided crankbait. It’s a style that Wallmart FLW Tour pros Wesley Strader and Alex Davis both use to achieve incredible results, albeit with different twists. Flat-sides typically shine when the bite is tough and in the spring or fall, and while summer is still in full swing in the South, the shorter days and cooldown period of autumn are just a few weeks away for many bass anglers. Now’s the time to prepare.

Alex Davis targets Submergent Grass Flats When: “The flat-sided crank is quickly becoming one of my go-to baits in almost any situation where anglers would normally throw a lipless crankbait. For me, it’s 12 SA BASS October 2016

Jackall Jaco 58

Megabass Flap Slap

P.H. Custom Lures Skinny P

Storm Arashi Rattling Flat

Lead Image Crankbait

Wesley Strader W3

Rapala Shad Rap

Strike King Pro Model Lucky Shad

usually any time the water temperature is between 45 and 55 degrees (Fahrenheit), when the bass are sluggish and want something with a less aggressive action.”

Where: Davis breaks out the flat-side around submergent grass flats. In the fall and spring, big bass relate to the deeper grass lines found on these flats in many bodies of water, and they wait for shad to pass by.

How: “I like to throw a plastic bait such as the Jackall Jaco 58,” says Davis. “It has the excellent tight wiggle of a wooden bait, but casts farther. I throw it on a G.Loomis GLX 843 CBR [7-foot, medium-power, moderate-action] cranking rod paired to a Shimano Curado reel with 5.1:1 gear ratio and spooled with 12- to 14-pound-test Sufix Elite monofilament.”

Wes Strader Targets Rocky Points, Riprap When: “I’ll throw a flat-sided bait just about any time the bass are feeding on shad and the water temperature is below 60,” says Strader. “If you’ve ever seen shad swimming in the fall, they just slide through the water with almost no action. Flat-sided plugs imitate this better than almost any other plug. It’s a natural-looking deal, and bass can’t resist them.”

Where: Strader relies on the flat-sided crankbait a lot in the fall to imitate shad, which he finds on rocky areas with a depth change – rocky points and steep riprap banks, for instance. He says bass like such areas because they can hang on the bottom when inactive, but still easily come up shallow to feed if a school of shad swims by.

How: “If it’s not made of balsa, it’s not on the end of my line,” Strader says. “I’ve been carving and tinkering with crankbaits for a long time, and there is something different about how a balsa bait moves compared to a plastic plug. Old School Balsa Baits is a company I’m working with to make hand-carved plugs available to everyone. My signature-series flat-sided plug is called the W3. That thing is as good as it gets. It casts a mile and catches anything that swims. I throw it on a 6104 Powell Max 3D [6-foot, 10-inch, mediumpower, moderate-fast] cranking rod paired to a Team Lew’s Lite reel with 10-pound-test Gamma Edge fluorocarbon.”

Baits to try Plastic Flat-Sided Crankbaits Jackall Jaco 58 The Jaco 58 is designed to offer the subtle appeal of a fleeing shad, while featuring many of the high-end features of modern plastic cranks, such as an internal weighting system, rattles and razor-sharp hooks.

Megabass Flap Slap Despite its weird-sounding name, the Flap Slap has a serious following of Tour pros – they just don’t talk about it. Featuring a super-tight wiggle, it can be fished with a slash-pause action and comes with top-notch finishes and hardware typical of Megabass products.

Strike King Pro Model Lucky Shad Designed to imitate the silhouette and shape of a shad, the Lucky Shad features a subtle wiggle and free-floating rattles. Because it’s made of plastic, it’s more durable than similar balsa baits.

Storm Arashi Rattling Flat Designed around a tough circuit-board lip with a selftuning line tie, the Arashi Rattling Flat is one of the more durable flat-sided cranks on the market. It maintains the great tight wiggle that anglers want in the cold-water period, while adding loud rattles and first-rate hooks.

Old School Balsa Baits Wesley Strader W3 Designed by one of the best in the business, Wesley Strader, the W3 is carved from hand-selected balsa and features the natural, enticing wobble that can only come from a wooden plug. A multi-step finishing process minimizes cracking and swelling, and the bait comes with top-notch hooks and split rings.

Rapala Shad Rap One of the originals in the flat-sided game, the Shad Rap has probably duped more bass than all other flat-sided cranks combined. Rapala has perfected the tight wiggle with the Shad Rap, and it’s available in an abundance of sizes and colours.

W.E.C. Hicky Zoom owner Ed Chambers’ hand-carved crankbaits have built a reputation with diehards for quality and fish-catching ability.

The Hicky is a 2¼-inch-long flat-sided plug designed to catch bass in the shallows all season long. It features a circuit board bill and high-quality finishes.

P.H. Custom Lures Skinny P Another bait by a master hand-carver – Phil Hughes of P.H. Custom Lures – the Skinny P is a winner for anglers looking for the perfect combination of tight wiggle, natural profile and realistic colours.

SA BASS 13 October 2016

>> SA BASS MASTER CLASS

d o Rselection

14 SA BASS October 2016

Notice the rod’s action when a force is applied

Having the correct fishing equipment is as important in fishing as it is in any other sport. Let us compare it to golf, surely you can complete a round of golf with one or two clubs but it will be very frustrating. >> Japie Botha*

I

n this month’s article I will focus on basic rod selection. With the range of bass fishing techniques rod manufacturers have developed rods to make longer and more accurate casts. A fisherman can now pick the perfect tool for the job to catch a fish, and I’m not even talking about fish finders. Why would you not want the most suitable rod for a given situation? If I have the choice to cast more accurately, work my bait properly, detect more strikes, and set the hook to land a fish I will definitely do what I can to make it easier.

Selecting the correct bass fishing rod starts with lure or technique you want to use or apply. We all know that you can catch a bass with any type of rod but it will not make you a better angler in the long run. Back to golf, I can probably play a reasonable round of golf with my seven iron and my putter but I will not develop my skills when it comes to driving and chipping. If you know the different features of a rod and how it affects your ability to catch fish then you are one step closer in selecting the correct rod for the job.

There are three things to consider when you select a rod: power, action, and length. I will personally always try to get away with the longest rod that I can because of my length and the added distance that I get out of a cast. The only exception where I like a shorter rod is for pitching because a longer rod adds to the effort of the pitching action. All three elements directly influence angler fatigue and this is what you want to prevent if you have to fish in multiple day tournaments like national championships or international tournaments. Let’s consider power and action and then compare it with two techniques.

Power Power is simply the force an angler has to apply to make a rod bend.

Heavier action rods require more power to bend, while light action rods bend much easier. Rod manufacturers categorize rods as light, medium, or heavy. There are also in-between levels such as medium/light or medium/ heavy. I mainly use G.Loomis rods and they use a number system to describe the power rating one to five where one means medium-light action and five means extra-heavy action.

Action Rod action describes how and where the rod flex when a force is applied.

It is also an indication of how easily the tip will bend. Actions are similar among most rod manufacturers.

Variations of speed are typically used to describe action: moderate fast, fast, extra fast. Variations of “fast” better describe how quickly the rod stops bending and transfers power to the blank of the rod. An extra fast action rod will bend more or less 100mm before transferring power to the blank.

A moderate fast rod will bend nearly a third of the way down the rod blank.

I have to say that it took me years to understand why rod action is so important. To put in simple: action balance the power of the rod for casting and fighting a bass. Have you ever felt that a rod just does not feel or cast right? You are probably applying a technique to a rod that is not designed to be used with that technique. Have a look at the summary that I’ve compiled and try to match your rods with the techniques in the table. These are my personal choices and there will definitely be other opinions but I hope that it will help when it comes choosing the right rod.

SA BASS 15 October 2016

Let’s compare two techniques to explain how the different power and tip actions improve casting baits and landing fish. Crankbaits and spinnerbaits have different dynamics for casting and use different hooks to land a bass.

There are three things to consider when you select a rod: power, action, and length

Crankbaits

Spinnerbaits

When using a crankbait an angler needs a variation of a medium power and action rod. A lighter action rod will flex more and allow for better hook ups when a fish strike. It will also prevent a fish from easily ‘pulling loose’. Treble hooks have very little space for the hook to penetrate the jaw of a fish and are actually designed to grab the skin inside the mouth of a fish. The medium power and action rod will bend and allow a bass more time to take a lure deeper into its mouth during a strike. The action also allows the rod to bend when a bass jumps, which again prevents the hooks from tearing free from the skin.

A lighter action rod also helps to get extra distance when casting. When the rod is pulled forward to cast, the weight of the lure will flex the rod’s tip. This action builds energy in the flexing of the rod which is called load.

The load is then released when the rod comes forward and stops when the bait is released. This allows for a longer cast but can also be the reason why a rod does not feel right as mentioned earlier.

Rod action needs to be balanced with lure weight. A light lure will not be able to flex the rod tip to help casting unless it’s a light action rod. It is possible to overload the rod when casting. This will typically happen when a lure is too heavy for the rod’s action. A good rule is to use the lightest action possible to effectively cast the bait.

When fishing with spinnerbaits I like to use at least a medium/heavy power rod because of the larger/thicker hook on the spinnerbait. A good hookset is very important to drive the hook through the jaw of a fish. If you don’t get a proper hookset you might find that the bass will for ‘no reason’ just throw the bait after a few seconds.

Setting the hook may require quite a bit of force and therefore need the heavier rod. Similar to the crankbait rod, a lighter action will also allow for more load and longer casts. However, spinnerbaits can get heavy and if the action is too light, the rod may become overloaded, which decreases accuracy. A medium/heavy rod with a fast action therefore provides a great balance for most spinnerbaits. When fishing heavier spinnerbaits I would go for an extra fast action rod to improve my casting.

Choosing the correct rod will improve your fishing and make each fishing trip more successful. Increase your hooksets and you will catch more fish. Get your rods together and make sure you can optimally use them to get the best results they can offer.

One last cast at the golf topic.

Legendary golfer Lee Trevino said that if your concentration is getting bad, take up bass fishing.

Guide to seven basic bass fishing techniques 16 SA BASS October 2016

*Japie Botha is a passionate bass angler and has represented South Africa for bass fishing on international level.

NEW

I "E8;: -.>5/ I 1-@ '1-810 '1-9?

I %A-85@E 81-@10 ;;@?

I 06A?@-.81 '4;A801> '@>-<? ;> - /;92;>@-.81 5@ I B-58-.81 5: '5F1? @;

NEW Suggested Retail Price

R849.

4 8 ;F +1534@?

I 8-01 '75>@ ;8;A> ;9.5:-@5;:?

4;?1: E (41 $>;?

I '859 5:1 1-0? +5@4 -?1> &10 E1?

I -88 1->5:3 'C5B18?

I A58@ : '75>@ (>-581>?

I B-58-.81 5: 4->@>1A?1 >11: +45@1 '1DE '4-0 $A9<75: $A><81 -:0 4->@>1A?1 I B-58-.81 :

99

I $>1/5?5;: -88 1->5:3?

I 534 '@>1:3@4 >-<45@1 ;0E '501 ;B1>?

I :;05F10 8A95:5A9 '<;;8 I :25:5@1 :@5 &1B1>?1 I 1:@>52A3-8 -?@ ;:@>;8 'E?@19 I 1-> &-@5; I 3 >-3

NEW

each

PREDATOR LIGHTWEIGHT GHT NYLON WADER

R769.

99 each

NEW

R34.99 each

Suggested Retail Price

R54.99

from

R BAITSS BASS HUNTER SPINNER

PIONEER CROSSFIRE BAITT CASTER

Suggested Retail Price

I 5 %A-85@E $-5:@10 53 1-0?

I B-58-.81 5: +45@1 4->@>1A?1 8-/7 -:0 $5:7 C5@4 $-5:@10 E1?

I ;F I 01-8 2;> &5335:3 +5@4 -?? A:@1> (11:E +11:E >A.?

Suggested Retail Price

I :@13>-@10 .

3 '/-81 I ";: '85< &A..1> >5< I ;>>;?5;: &1?5?@-:@ '@-5:81?? '@118 '<>5:3 -:0 -C? I :/8A01? 06A?@-.81 -:E->0

Suggested Retail Price

R599.99 each

Suggested Retail Price

NEW

BASS HUNTER JIG HEADS

R239.99

NEW

I &A3310 <8-?@5/ 9;A80 5:61/@10 I ;:B1:51:@ @;;8 4-:31>? ;: .;@4 ?501??

I >19;B-.81 @-/781 @>-E? C5@4 5:05B50A-88E -06A?@-.81 /;9<->@91:@?

I ->31 ?@;>-31 /;9<->@91:@ ;: @;< 2;> -88 .A87E 5@19?

I :/8A01? >19;B-.81 ?4;A801> /->>E ?@>-<

each

PREDATOR 023 TACKLE BOX

PREDATOR LIP GRIP

I 534@ C1534@ =A5/7 0>E 9-@1>5-8 I 06A?@-.81 @; 25@ -88 ?5F1?

I A58@ 5: <>;@1/@5B1 :1/7 28-< I 06A?@-.81 0>-C ?@>5:3

TM

I 1?53:10 2;> 05<<5:3 <8-?@5/? ?A/4 -? C;>9? 3>A.? 1B1: ?75>@? @; <>;0A/1 599105-@1 <1>9-:1:@ /;8;A> ?/1:@ /4-:31?

I '/1:@10 B->51@51? 011<8E <1:1@>-@1 @41 8A>1 @; <>;0A/1 - 8;:3 8-?@5:3 ?/1:@ I 5< : 38;K 0E1? ->1 - 9-5:?@-E 2;> 1B1>E ?1>5;A? -:381>G? @-/781 .;D #F

Suggested Retail Price

R169.

99 each

SPIKE IT

Suggested Retail Price

R84.99

each

I ;:?@>A/@10 C5@4 1-BE A@E "1;<>1:1 -:0 *18/>; 9-@1>5-8?

I 1?53:10 @; 25@ 9;?@ ;C $>;2581 -5@/-?@5:3 &118?

C4581 25@@10 @; >;0? ;> 8;;?1 I +588 <>;@1/@ E;A> 1D<1:?5B1 >118? 2>;9 @41 ?A: -:0 0-9-31 /-A?10 0A>5:3 @>-:?<;>@

Suggested Retail Price

R139.99 each

PREDATOR FISHERMANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FISHERMANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HAT H

BASS HUNTER NEOPREN NEOPRENE NE REELL COVER

Suggested Retail Price

Suggested Retail Price

R89.99

from

R499.

99

Suggested Retail Price

from

I $/ 534 !;0A81? >-<45@1 ;:?@>A/@5;: I J -:0 !105A9 1-BE -/@5;:?

I '<85@ A@@ 1?53: C5@4 534@ +1534@ * >5<?

I A65 '@E81 &118 ?1-@ I 'A<<8510 C5@4 $>;@1/@5B1 -3

B BASS BA HUNTER RODS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; CCASTING A & SPINNING

I 1?53:10 @; 711< E;A> >;0? ?-21 ;>3-:5?10 -:0 @-:381 2>11 I +;>7? 1D@>1918E C188 C41: ?@;>5:3 9A8@5<81 >;0? 5: .;-@ 8;/71>?

I B-58-.81 5: @C; /;8;A>?

I 1?53:10 @; 25@ 9;?@ .-?? >;0? A< @; J

BASS HUNTER UNTER ROD RO OD SOX SOX â&#x20AC;&#x201C; CASTIN SO CASTING & SPINNING

R959.99

each

I ;:?@>A/@10 )?5:3 '@>;:3 534@C1534@ !-@1>5-8?

I , ;:B1:51:@ ->>E -:081?

I , '<>5:3 8;-010 '@-5:81?? '@118 06A?@5:3 $5:?

I +588 //;99;0-@1 !A8@5<81 &;0? A< @; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; <51/1

PREDATOR 210A ADJUSTABLE ROD TUBE

TM

Available at all reputable tackle stores nationwide. Trade Enquiries only: 011 802 0942 mias@iafrica.com | E&OE

>> SA BASS MASTER CLASS

Bassing with Buzzbaits

B

uzzbaits can surely fit into the “There’s no way a bass is gonna eat that thing” category of lures.

This is however far from the truth. However, there are times of the year when the bass simply can’t resist the noise of a buzzbaits thrashing propeller blades gurgling, bubbling and buzzing across the water surface.

Whoever conceptualised the design of this lure was truly in tune with a bass’ aggressive feeding behaviour, as well as the fishes’ protective conduct in the presence of their fry. These are the two reasons why we are able to attract the most aggressive bites from bass with this most imposing bait and we are entering the perfect time of year to put it to the test.

The buzzbait really proves its weight in gold at this late spring, early summer season. The young fry have hatched and in their shoal they are soaking up with warmth offered by the sunlight penetrating the shallows.

At this time the parent female/hen is applying its best efforts to fending off any predators who plan on making a

>> Roger Donaldson* quick meal of the vulnerable fry. If you’ve ever had the opportunity of owning an aquarium and managed to breed tropical fish you would see how susceptible the fry are to other resident fish.

Interestingly, the bass is really not interested in eating anything entering its space at this time. Instead it only rushes in and fends off the intruder with a thorough brandishing, including biting and often a generous tail swiping too. This behaviour is really quite admirable to watch. Bass are truly relentless around this time!

For the angler to find the right spot to try his luck with a buzzbait shouldn’t be too difficult either. A set of polarised sunglasses will give you the ability adroitly sight-fish the shallows, whilst keeping a sharp eye out for the twinkling of tiny fry schooling just beneath the surface. Often the fry also

Sean Keefe with an energetic, healthy fish caught at De Hoop Dam on top water

On a recent business conference I was invited to stay at my boss’s home in a golf estate on the main road down to Inanda Dam and it reminded me of a late spring buzzbaiting adventure I experienced there.

18 SA BASS October 2016

create a shimmering presence on the water surface which is noticeably distinguishable from the smooth, undisturbed and uninhabited surfaces of the shallows.

Once you’ve located a target zone you can make a cast 5 to 6m past the designated strike zone. Casting past the target area is most important for two reasons; 1.) It will prevent the lure from crashing into the target area, scaring off the large hen and dispersing the fry.

2.) When starting your retrieve you will notice that your buzzbait will initially swim beneath the water and requires at least 2 to 3m in order for the lure to break the surface and start ‘buzzing’ along the top of the water. Once you get the hang of it you can actually start your retrieve before the bait hits the water and this will prevent the bait from sinking too far beneath the surface and a quicker ‘call-to-action’ time.

The buzzbait is designed so that the weighted spine which is often painted toward the skirt area of the lure acts as a keel for the bait and so runs at the lower point.

The propeller/s must remain on top during your retrieve.

Without the churning, bubbling action generated from the buzzbait’s blades you will see no success. It is essential that you retrieve at a speed fast enough to make sure you impart the necessary ‘buzzing’ action which this lure is famous for.

This may also require that you lift your rod tip to a 45 degree angle or more in order to get the lure to pop up quicker.

An important factor to remember when rigging up with

your buzzbait is to use fishing line that will not drag the lure beneath the surface. Keep in mind that line such as fluorocarbon line does not float easily like monofilament and even braided line. Personally I would choose monofilament line as it is easy to rig, inexpensive, and casts with very little complication. Simply match the line weight to the lure weight and you’re “A” for away.

More than that, you’re only really left with the choice of buzzbait to use. I’ve tried to be very creative in the past, but this never really helped at all. I urge anglers to stick to the stock standard buzzbaits available, which will include the following: - Single propeller blade - Mainly the black skirt colour, yet an option for white will come in handy - Two sizes to keep in your box; the smaller 5cm and the larger 10cm lures Rig up and get into the shallows with your new buzzbait’s.

Hang on tight, as you’re in for a great surprise!

Enjoy your time bass fishing. *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 19 October 2016

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.

KEEN I’m a young, but very keen angler and like to fish for all types of species. My dream is to become a professional angler some day. Here are some pictures of bass I have caught.

Thank you for a great magazine and all the information you share – Jared Welgemoed

BEST CATCH I caught this bass on a home made crankbait in the river down the road – Shaun Neethling 20 SA BASS October 2016

This month ’s

WINN

ER

HOOKED

EERSTE My vriende het my genooi om saam te gaan swartbaars vang in ‘n plaasdam naby Sterkrivier. My eerste swartbaar het 1.5kg geweeg en is gevang op ‘n Junebug Speed Worm.

Die vis weer vrygelaat. Dankie vir ‘n goeie tydskrif.

– Jacques du Plessis

On Saturday, 20 August, my little 5 year old daughter was desperate to go fishing with her daddy on his little boat.

She was so eager to use her new pink fishing box and pink rod. Well... it didn’t take much to twist daddy’s arm and off they went with a packed picnic, and loads of energy.

After about an hour or so of fishing... little Bella’s rod nose dived and the the game was on! Oh my! What a happy little girl after she caught her biggest bass ever! Of course photos were immediatly sent home to mom and big sister to share in the excitement. This little girl is HOOKED! The bass weighed 0.6kg – Lisa Scheepers

READERS GO BASSING Mail & Win

E-mail your picture and details of your catch to editor@sabass.com and stand a chance to win a BASS HUNTER 150PC. STARTER KIT sponsored by MIAS Woodmead.

Please send us good crisp pictures of good quality. Pictures sent electronically must be at least 250KB. (We prefer pictures of 1MB). Potential cover pictures must be at least 3MB. All photos published in Readers-Go-Bassing are for the exclusive use of SA BASS magazine.

Any photos previously published, or published by other magazines will not be considered.

SA BASS 21 October 2016

EDITOR

LETTERS TO THE

Dear Sir, Greetings from sunny Botswana. I hope you are well and looking forward to the coming season. I am writing on behalf of the Botswana National Angling Association (BNAA), the voice of recreational angling interests/lobby in Botswana. We would like to bring to the attention of all anglers visiting Botswana from the SADC countries and abroad; a few flash points that have emerged over the last few seasons. We would be very grateful if you could voice our concerns in your “Letter to the Editor” section of your monthly publication.

Letsibogo Dam, Botswana, has become a popular venue for world class bassing and has subsequently attracted the cream of the sport to Botswana. The country values tourism in all its forms and puts a heavy emphasis on the

VISION DRIVES PERFORMANCE

sustainability of tourism resources. Botswana is a very arid country and water bodies are few and far between. Letsibogo is the primary water storage facility in Botswana and the authorities are monitoring the situation pertaining to recreational angling and its environmental impact on the reservoir. Amazingly, they are still allowing licenced angling amidst an uproar of bad behaviour and contraventions that threaten the sustainability and ecosystem of the dam.

Please be as kind as to advise all anglers frequenting Letsibogo dam of the following concerns: 1) The use of internal combustion outboards (motors powered by fuel and oil)are prohibited.

2) Floatation vessels have to be sprayed by Department of Water Affairs to minimise weed and other waterborne infestations.

3) There are no litter disposal facilities at the dam. Patrons are requested to carry refuse bags and take personal litter back to their respective lodges for safe disposal.

4) Catch and release - Recreational angling laws currently insist on this practice. BNAA has been reliably informed of a few groups from RSA that have removed copious quantities (freezers) of “spawning females” during that most vulnerable part of the breeding cycle. Local lodges are being urged to discourage this unsustainable practice.

5) Competitions - Expatriates are advised that competitions staged on Botswana waters have to be authorised by the Department of Fisheries and are subject to a fee to be paid to the said department.

6) Professional guides - Guided tours to Letsibogo may require a work permit to earn and guide in Botswana.

7) Angling licences - Please carry recreational angling licences at all times (obtainable from registered/licensed lodges locally). Get a copy from your lodge as you may be asked to produce it as is the case in RSA. In order for us all to enjoy the privilege of angling on this phenomenal dam, the BNAA requests that all visiting anglers abide by the rules and regulations. Don’t get…

“BANGED UP ABROAD.” Kind Regards SALIM ESSACK; Vice chairman: BNAA

It’s clear to see why Ballistic eyewear is the first choice for outdoor and sporting apparel. Designed, developed and put to the test, Ballistic eyewear meets the strict USA and Australia standards, ensuring protection from all the elements. With 100% UV protection, UV400 A,B & C and Polyamide nylon frames, you can face any outdoor sport in style and comfort.

Because lets face it, when you’re conquering the outdoors, quality, protective eyewear simply makes sense. So choose Ballistic eyewear for your next adventure and see for yourself.

POLYAMIDE NYLON FRAMES

22 10 SA SA BASS BASS October 2016 June 2012

1MM POLARISED LENSES

100% UV PROTECTION

www.brentoni.co.ca +27 21 706 6064

Completely Focussed on Fishing

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

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

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

>> SA BASS MASTER CLASS

What Bass Eat Late spring is a great time of year.

The dog days of winter are gone and I’m heading shallow and fishing aggressively.

In my arsenal you will find big topwater baits, pitching baits and swimbaits. >> Bryan Leppan

B River 2 Sea Whopper Plopper

Missile Baits Craw Father

The author with a good size largemouth bass

Bigger baits catch bigger fish

24 SA BASS October 2016

ass might not quite be as manic just yet... chasing down buzzbaits and horny toads but the time is coming as summer draws closer. So for now, when it comes to my topwater lure selection, I’ll be fishing slower yet aggressive topwater baits to get the attention of big bass to get them to react. Both topwater baits and swimbaits have great drawing-power, meaning that bass will travel quite a distance to attack them.

Whopper poppers, Zara Spooks, hollow body sunfish or frogs are the order of the day in this regard. They can all be worked slower if needed and also paused without them sinking and becoming ineffective.

Pitching and punching is very effective because you are literally dropping the bait in front of the fish’s mouth, putting it right where they are. The baits are suddenly in their face and they have to react. They normally instinctually react aggressively buy attacking the bait and this is why this technique is so effective. Pitch or punch your bait into the thickest cover that you can find to get the biggest bites. You might need to go as heavy as 2oz with your tungsten punch weight to get your lure thru the cover.

Swimbaits are fast becoming hugely popular in South Africa, from small paddle tails to 12 inch trout versions and the like. They are incredibly realistic and have an exceptionally large drawing-power for big fish.

Once you progress past the idea that small baits like four and five inch paddle tails are not actually considered swimbaits, a whole new world of bass fishing will open up for you. Paddle tails are just paddle tails and swimbaits are something completely different!

Swimbaiting does require a whole different mindset that’s for sure. It also requires different equipment. As far as mindset goes, you need the confidence that bass will eat them - they are not too big. Fish with confidence and stick to it while expecting only a few bites for the day. Most people understandably fish for ‘bites’; the more the better and that’s fun however there is no focus on size of the bass that you want to try and catch. The mindset of getting as many bites as possible in a day is a conservative mindset that in my opinion limits ones opportunity to hook up with your next PB. In my experience you’ll have to catch plenty more fish on small plastics to get a good fish, say three kilos. If you went straight for the kill and just stuck with throwing a seven inch Real Trout or even bigger, you’ll see how quickly those three kilo fish get in the boat!

>> SA BAARS KLASKAMER

Om te Waad is Beslis ‘n Wenresep

Die skrywer in sy waadpak

Ons gesels alewig oor wie se boot dan nou kwansuis die vinnigste is, of waterenjin die meeste perde het, wie se visvinder die binnekant van die vis se bek kan sien of wie dan nou die beste of meeste stokke en katrolle het. Snaaks genoeg, dis beslis nie die vraag wat daardie ou groot groen monster met die groot bek gaan vra as hy jou aas gaan vat nie. >> Philip Kemp*

H

oeveel keer is dit dan nie daardie hengelaar, wat in sy eenvoud daar in die vlakwater, met net een stok en ‘n paar eenvoudige asies in sy sak, die grotes aankeer nie? Van my grootste baars het ek as kind in groot plaasdamme in Natal sommer so van die oewer af gevang, terwyl ek heuphoogte in die water moes rondstap om by die regte areas uit te kom. Om te waad is beslis ‘n wenresep.

Die lente is beslis die tyd om enige, nat agter die ore, groentjie hengelaar 26 SA BASS October 2016

touwys te maak oor hoe baars aangekeer kan word in die vlakwater.

Om egter te waad in die vlakwater het sy voordele en dit is beslis nie ‘n tegniek wat die hengelaar net in die lente hoef toe te pas nie. Hengelaars wat die tegniek bemeester het, sal maklik erken dat dit die tegniek is om groter baars aan te keer. Waad is baie effektief in kleiner damme, groter damme, sowel as riviere en strome.

In die regte omstandighede sal ‘n ervare hengelaar wat waad, selfs meer baars vang as hengelaars op bote of

hengelaars wat net van die oewer af hengel.

Daar is verskeie faktore wat waadhengel meer produktief maak. t 8BBEIFOHFMBBST LBO AO BSFB CFUFS deurwerk as ‘n oewerhengelaar en boothengelaar omrede baie areas vir die oewerhengelaar en boothengelaar nie toeganklik is nie. t #PPUIFOHFMBBST NBBL HSPUFS lawaai in die vlakwater met hul sleepmotors wat baars vinnig op hul hoede kan plaas.

t # PPUIFOHFMBBST IFU PPL AO IPĂ&#x2018;S profiel as gevolg van hul hoogte op die boot. Dit kan baars in die vlak water afskrik. Onthou, as jy â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n baars sien, is die kans baie goed dat hy jou lankal gesien het. t AO #PPU JT FHUFS TFMGT WJS EJF hengelaar wat waad â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n uitstekende vervoermiddel om by areas uit te kom. Waadhengelaars sal baie keer met â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n klein bootjie in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n area inbeweeg, die bootjie op die oewer los en dan verder waad. Ek sal soms die bootjie met â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n tou aan my vasmaak en saamsleep terwyl ek waad. Sodoende kan ek my verversings en ekstra visgerei saam karwei. Indien daar geen wind waai nie, is dit verbasend maklik om â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n boot saam met jou te sleep op die water. t 8BBEIFOHFMBBST LBO EFVS FFO WPFU versigtig voor hom te sit, voel as daar â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n rand onder die water is wat skielik wegval na dieper water. Om op die rand langs te hengel sal natuurlik baie produktief wees. Die kleinste skielike verandering in diepte kan â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n baie produktiewe area oplewer. Die hengelaar kan dus, sonder sonar, self uitwerk waar die dieper water begin en die vlakker water eindig. Dit is ook belangrik om die areas te merk en te onthou vir die toekoms. t Hengelaars wat waad kan ook parallel met die oewer hengel en sodoende â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n groter area dek met net een gooi.

Sodoende bly jou aas langer in die sone. #FQMBOOJOH WPPS KZ HBBO IFOHFM JT CBJF belangrik. Indien daar topografiekaarte van die dam beskikbaar is, moet die hengelaar hulle beslis bestudeer. Die struktuur van die dam sal vir die hengelaar wys waar om te begin hengel.

Selfs ou brĂťe en jetties onder die water kan struktuur en dekking wees vir CBBST #Z FFO WBO NZ NFFS QPQVMĂ?SF damme, is daar â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n pad met â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n laagwatersementbruggie onder die water. Hierdie is een van my mees produktiewe areas in die dam. #BJF IFOHFMBBST HMP EBU EJF ESB WBO gekamoefleerde klere help om nie baars die skrik op die lyf te jaag nie. Selfs my waadpak is gekamoefleer en ek probeer

om nie â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n te helder hoed of pet te dra nie. Een van die belangrikste aspekte van waadhengel is om â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n gepolariseerde bril te dra. Om â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n pet te dra saam met die bril help ook om die weerkaatsing van die son op die lens te verminder.

Die hengelaar wat waad word so deel van die natuur en alles wat om hom gebeur, dat baars ook die hengelaar as deel van sy habitat begin beskou. Die hengelaar moet ook deel word van dit wat om hom gebeur deur al sy sintuie te gebruik om waar te neem. Deur net die wateroppervlak dop te hou vir die geringste kolk van die water waar â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n vis dalk sou draai, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n klein vissie wat spring om uit die kake van â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n groot baars te kom, kan tekens vir die hengelaar wees waar die baars hom bevind.

Dit is verskriklik belangrik vir die waadhengelaar om saggies en onopsigtelik in die water voort te beweeg. Hengel stadig, treetjie vir treetjie, en bly bewegingloos staan in die water vir lang tye terwyl jy hengel.

Dit is belangrik vir die hengelaar om kort akkurate gooie te kan maak.

Hierdie tegniek lewer meer baars op as lang onakkurate gooie. Lang gooie is nie nodig as die water saggies benader word nie. Die vaskap is ook makliker oor â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n korter afstand en so ook die beheer van die aas. As gevolg van lang onakkurate gooie moet die hengelaar ook soms in die produktiewe area inbeweeg om sy aas wat aan â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n tak of riet vasgehak het, te gaan los maak. Dit bederf dan die hele area as die baars dan bewus is van jou teenwoordigheid.

Waadhengel in die nag is een tegniek wat deur baie hengelaars misgekyk word. Dit is in die gevalle egter belangrik vir die hengelaar om die areas reeds goed te ken waar daar gehengel gaan word. Met naghengel kan die hengelaar nie nog soek na â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n produktiewe area om baars te vang nie.

Na gelang van die kwaliteit van die dam waarin jy hengel, sal ek op warm somersdae nathengel. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n Swembroek, langmouhengelhemp en waterskoene of sommer net goedkoop seilskoene (tekkies), werk dan baie goed. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n Hengelbaadjie soos die wat forelhengelaars dra, werk ook skitterend. Hierdie baadjies het meer

PRICE FROM S.R.P. R39.95

7" Lizard

Baby Bush Pig

8pp | 7 Inch

12pp | 4.5 Inch

Bush Pig

7pp | 6 Inch

Frog

5pp | 4 Inch

D-Ringer

12pp | 6 Inch

Baby Flounder

10pp | 4 Inch

Flounder

10pp | 5 Inch

Super Flounder

Baby Sincro

Sincro

Twitch Worm

4pp | 6.5 Inch

10pp | 4 Inch

9pp | 5.5 Inch

12pp | 6.5 Inch

Cla e h t f Gathering o

nâ&#x20AC;Ś

www.cullem.co.za

Henro van Rooyen wys dat jy nie â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n waadpak nodig het om mooi baars te vang nie

as genoeg sakke om toerusting te dra t AO 8BBETUBG XBU EJF IFOHFMBBS WPPS TPPT BBT TLĂ?SUKJF UBOHFUKJF LOJQQFSUKJF hom op die bodem kan druk om en ander toebehore wat die hengelaar die diepte te toets kan â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n hengelaar NBH OPEJH IĂ? baie help om sodoende te weet hoe diep dit is met die volgende tree Daar is egter heelwat veiligheidswat hy gaan gee. Om skielik oor â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n faktore wat â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n baarshengelaar in ag rand te trap of in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n diep gat, kan moet neem: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n hengelaar sy lewe kos as hy â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n t .PFU OPPJU LBBMWPFU JO AO EBN JOTUBQ waadpak aan het. Die waadstaf kom nie. Stukkende glasbottels, geroeste gewoonlik met â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n gespe waarmee die blik en skerp klippe kan â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n mens se hengelaar dit kan vasmaak as dit nie voete ernstige skade aanrig. benodig word nie. t %JF XBBEIFOHFMBBS XBU NFU AO waadpak hengel wat tot onder sy arms opkom, moet verkieslik â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n gordel om sy middel buite om die waadpak dra. Indien jy dan in die moeilikheid sou beland, kan die water nie in jou waadpak inloop nie. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n Waadpak vol water trek die hengelaar reguit af bodem toe in dieper water. t #FXFFH TUBEJH #FIBMXF EBU EJU baars afskrik, as die hengelaar vinnig beweeg, kan die hengelaar ook tree vir tree voel met sy voete wat op die bodem aangaan. Oppas vir gladde klippe op die bodem. Moet nooit al jou gewig dadelik op die voet sit waarmee getree word nie. t 4UBBO XZFS NFU KPV CFOF 4PEPFOEF 28 SA BASS October 2016

is die hengelaar meer gebalanseerd en staan meer vas. Dit is veral belangrik in strome en riviere. t 0QQBT WJS CPEFNT NFU TBHUF modder. Hengelaars kan heupdiepte wegsak in die modder en as jy dan nie iemand het om jou uit te sleep nie, kan jy vir â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n wyle in daardie koue water vertoef. t 0 Q POCFLFOEF XBUFST JT EJU SBBETBBN om â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n lewensreddingsbaadjie te oorweeg. Veral in riviere met vinnigvloeiende strome. t 8FFT WFSTJHUJH JO BSFBT XBBS EBBS moontlik krokodille en seekoeie kan wees. Ek het nog nooit â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n hengelaar gesien wat met â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n waadpak op water kan hardloop nie.

Laastens wil ek net graag vir die hengelaars vra om nie in vlakwater waar daar moontlik baarsneste kan wees, te waad nie. Soms sal â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n baarsmannetjie wat â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n nes oppas jou mooi laat verstaan jy is nou naby aan sy nes, maar dit is nie altyd die geval nie.

Lekker hengel en plaas asseblief ons baars terug waar hulle hoort vir ander om ook die hengel te kan geniet. *Philip Kemp is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n gesoute swartbaarhengelaar en â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n gereelde bydraer.

Ismail Gani Centre, 4842 Opperman St, Witbank 5FM n

Fax: (013) 692-6810

More than just a destination store...

MON-THUR: FRIDAY: SATURDAY: Email:

9am - 5pm 9am - 12pm & 2:15 - 5pm 9am - 1pm ganisangling@gmail.com

VARIOUS SELECTIONS OF END OF RANGE STOCK TO CLEAR COME IN-STORE & HOOKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;EM

SHIMANO SIENNA 2500FD WAS r676 NOW r379

SENSATION BASS ZONE SPINNING ROD+ MITCHEL AVOCET 2000+SPARE SPOOL

SHIMANO SEDONA 2500FD WAS r812 NOW r499

FISH INC WORM HOOKS NOW r12.50

QUANTUM METRIX BAITCASTER

SENSATION PRO ELITE ROD (ALL MODELS)

QUANTUM PLASTICS WAS r69 NOW r9.99

BERKLEY POWER BAIT r60

CULLEM PLASTICS 5PKTS FOR r99.99

TRIMA LURES WAS r106 NOW r24.99

WAS r759 NOW r499

WAS r399 NOW r199

WAS r693 NOW r499

Visit our website for our Catch of the Day: crazy 1 day promotions / monday tiger fishing/tuesday bass fishing/ wednesday fly fishing/thursday rock and surf/friday deep sea fishing/saturday carp fishing

CLEARANCE ON WIDE RANGE OF PLASTICS 4PKTS FOR r100 www.ganis.co.za

facebook.com/GanisAnglingWorld

013 692 7199

082 823 6046 / 072 123 4328 T&Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S APPLY

>> SA BASS

Is There a Future?

After my first full season of kayaking, I look back and wonder if kayaking is really a viable alternative for the bass angler.

>> Dewald Viljoen* orld or rldwiide kay ayak a fi fish s in ing ha hass expllod ex ded ed.. In n th hee USA A kayyakks haave been eeen th the bi bigggges estt gr g owth ow wth th seeggm men entt in i bass asss fis fish hiing in ngg. In In Soou uth uth h Affrric ica howevveer, how ho r, the he gro row wtth in in kayyakk fi fish sh hin ing h ing haas be been en mosttly mo ly con onta tained tain in ned ed to th the he sa salt ltwa wate ter ma marrkkeett. Afte Affte A ter myy fi firs rst yyeear rs ar kay ayyak akkin akin ing I ca cann annot nn n noott seeee why hy th hee pop po pu ullaarity rity ri ty of ka kaya aya yak bbaass ass ssin ng ssh hoou uld ld noott exp xplloode de overr the ov he nexxt ffeew seeas asoon ns ttooo. o. As w wiith th moossstt th thin hin ings gs iin n bass ass fi as fissh hiingg, th the up pta takkee of th he So Sou utth Af Afrriica can mark ma mark rket et is ssllow w as aan nggllers ers ge er get u usseed d to tth he iid dea ea and nd sad sadl sa dlly, y, the he laacck off ava vail ilabbiillit ity an and op opttiioon ns. s. Whi hile le I am ext am xtre xtre reme melyy foorrrtu ttu u un nate na te wiitth my my sp poons n orrssh hiip p frroom Caano C noe an and Kay Kaaya K yak Worl Worrlld iin Wo n Raan nd dbbu urrg, rg,, to ha havvee acc cces ess es too a var arie ietyy of fis ie fishi hin ngg kayyakks, s, it ne neeed need d dss ttoo be rreeco cogn gniizzed d 30 SA BASS October 2016

that th haatt it wi willll tak ake a wh ake whil ile an il nd su sust sttain aine ai need d in nte teere rreest st fro rom th he pu ubl blic to ggeet a la larggeerr var arie iety of vveess sseells aavvai ailaable aila ble in bl in the he loccaal m lo maark rket et.

Th mosst in The inte tereesstting ing tth in hiin ng fo forr me m oveer tth he sseeasson o waas th w the he ni nich che that th haatt kay ayak aks fil fi l in in thee who hollee bas asss fissh fi hiin ngg spoort r t. W Wh hille it it is a wh whol o e as ol aspe pect c of th ct thee sp poorrt oon n its ts own wn, iitt allsso m wn, maake ake k s a pe perffec ectt tr t an nsi s ti t on toool froom fr m ban ank nk aan ngl glin lin ng to booaat an angl glin lin ng. g It is i a gre reat att tool to ool ol to tteeac eac ach an angl gleerrs of of allll aggees th he fin finer er det etaaiils ls of ind of ndivvid idu uaal fis fishing hiing h ng an nd d I can see e a very ery cl er clea eeaar plac pl ace ce fo for it it at a ju juni nioorr div ivissio ivis iona nal le leve evel, veel,l, wheere re the he rela re lattiive velyy loow w coosst and aan nd in in sel elf re reli eli lian a t aasspe pect ct of kkaaya yakkiingg is pe perf rfec ect p ect pllaattfo form form m to tteeac ach yo ach you un ngs gsters tteers rs the ro th rope p s of pe of bas assss aan nggllin ingg..

For years South Africans have taken to the water in all manner of small water craft, from kick boats and canoes to rubber ducks and dinghies and while some people might argue that there is not much of a difference between these vessels and kayaks, the truth is that the modern fishing kayak is just as much a high tech fishing hull as any purpose built bass boat. With design features like extra storage, stand One can target concealed fishing areas from a kayak

up stability, high load capacities and long range ability and bassing kayak offers most of the features of a full sized bass boat at a fraction of the price without the need for an extra garage, a tow vehicle and an additional fuel bill. As the facet gains in popularity we will see more and smaller venues catering specifically to the needs of kayakers and I predict that over the next few years kayaking will continue to grow locally and hopefully to a point where we will see clubs and tournaments dedicated to the kayaker.

The 2015/2016 bass season will not go down in history as a season of spectacular catches. With Southern Africa going through the worst drought in living memory and dams running dry at a rapid rate, opportunities for record catches were far and few between. As is the norm with tough seasons, we have seen a large number of bass boats going up for sale and people abandoning fishing for activities with higher success rates. The reality of fishing as a pass time is that these cycles happen and unfortunately many anglers will sell equipment and will be lost to the sport because the reinvestment will be too high, but hopefully kayaking can provide a more affordable alternative and we can entice a few more anglers not only to reinvest but to explore new territories. So, to the question, is there a future for kayak fishing in South Africa? Well, I think the answer is most definitely, yes! Will it happen over night?

Honestly, no. The obstacles we face in terms of choice, exposure and the general perception regarding anglersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cultivated ideas of what makes a bass angler will take time to change, but I think in a few years it will be the preferred method for many anglers to get on the water and we will get used to seeing more paddlers on our popular waters. I for one can hardly wait for the day though! *Dewald Viljoen is sponsored by Canoe & Kayak Centre, the owner of Hot Reels Service Centre, partner and designer at AfriBaits.

LAND YOUR

TROPHY SENSATION BASS LURES

ULTRA POP

4.5g | 5cm | 4 Colours

JERK MINNOW SD3 & SD4

SD3 7g | 7cm | 7 Colours SD4 10g | 8.5cm | 7 Colours

FLAT BOY CRANK

8.5g | 5.5cm | 5 Colours

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

www.sensationtackle.co.za

>> SA BASS CLASSROOM

There aren’t many places in the world that can compare to the wilderness areas of Southern Africa. These remote locations often have some of the most unspoilt fishing waters imaginable. So what more can you ask for than breath taking scenery together with screaming reels. >> Evert Laubscher*

R

ecently I was part of a pro staff team that travelled to the Baviaanskloof nature reserve in the Eastern Cape in pursuit of smallmouth bass. This trip was to be the first time any of us would target this species extensively, which meant good preparation was essential to achieve success. Although the fishing was tough in all aspects, the preparation and planning we did ensured our success.

After fishing hard for two days in the river section of the Kouga Dam with reasonable success, we decided to make the ±3km hike downstream to the main dam on our third and final day. We opted to take a small inflatable boat and electric motor with us, so we could have access to more water once we reached the main dam.

The river wasn’t deep enough to use

the motor until we reached the dam, so we had to pull the inflatable most of the way down. The scenery on our hike down was absolutely breath taking, with the gin clear water, white sand and a densely vegetated riverbank complementing the landscape. We came across many Cape buffalo and leopard tracks, as well as two baboon carcasses, presumably killed by leopard. The closer we got to the inlet of the dam, the water got deep enough to drift downstream on the inflatable.

The water also changed to a coffee colour with more submerged timber and rocks on the south-western bank.

We had our minds on getting to the deeper water of the main dam, and therefore almost ignored this structure.

My friend however had other plans and made a short cast to one of the many stumps with a popper. As he was working the popper back to the inflatable the water exploded behind the lure as a big fished turned on it.

Even though he didn’t get a hook up, this was all the convincing we needed to get our rods ready. We all made a few casts off the inflatable, which inevitably resulted in chaos with the limited space and treble hooks flying all over the place. This prompted us to beach the inflatable on the nearest sand bank and rather fish from the bank, but not before we landed two fish off the boat. This proved to be a very good decision, as the next couple of hours produced some of the best freshwater fishing I have ever experienced.

SMALLMOUTH BASS

WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER 32 SA BASS October 2016

By changing the angle, and fishing from the inflatable, we managed to get a few more fish to bite

I decided to make my way back up stream on the south western bank to fish the timber and rock we passed on our way down. Although we had had some good success with the Salmo 4.5cm rattling hornet, I opted to fish the thicker cover with a black paddle tail on a light sliding Mojo rig on a 3/0 hook. This little paddle tail closely resembled the gobies we saw in the river further upstream. The area I was fishing still had a steady flow of water, so I made casts slightly upstream of

the standing timber and then worked the paddle tail back to the bank with a jerk, jerk, and pause retrieve. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t long before I felt the ever familiar tap, tap on my 12lb fluorocarbon line, so I leant back and set the hook. The fish felt like a good size, giving me a good run for my money and trying its best to wrap me in the standing timber.

A few moments later I lip landed a beautiful smallmouth bass of 1.82kg.

I worked my way further up the bank pitching the standing timber and big

boulders that were in relatively shallow water. I saw a big boulder just visible under the surface in about four foot of water, so I made a cast just past the boulder and started my slow retrieve. I pulled the paddle tail over the boulder and let it sink on the other side. As the lure was slowly falling I felt the fish take it, and I set the hook on another big fish of 1.81kg. I proceeded to land several more fish with this technique and they all gave a very good account of themselves.

SA BASS 33 October 2016

Making our way down stream was a lot less work than coming back!

It was remarkable to see how many fish were holding in about a 100m stretch of water. I believe the steady flow of water together with the structure and angle of the bank resulted in the fish schooling in this area in preparation for the spawn. Due to the stained water it was vital to make very accurate casts tight to the structure in order to get the fish to react. When the bite eventually slowed down, we decided to fish of the inflatable in the main dam. We managed to land two good fish on the Salmo 4.5cm rattling hornet, but the bites were few and far in between. Therefore we decided to fish the same productive bank off the inflatable, thinking that a change of angle could entice a few more of these schooling fish into biting. This proved to be the case, as we were once again into some good fish. I managed to achieve an 8.44kg five fish bag for the day, before we had to start our gruelling hike back up river to the campsite. Every drop of sweat was definitely worth the effort, as all of us managed

The Salmo 4.5cm rattling hornet proved to be a very effective lure 34 SA BASS October 2016

to land some good fish.

Needless to say as I am still recovering from what was a very physically demanding trip. My knee still hurts, and I’m still scratching all my tick bites, but this only brings back the fond memories I have of an unbelievable experience in a true wilderness area of our beautiful country.

Take note that due to the remoteness of the camp, you need to be well prepared when embarking on a trip like this as there is no cellphone reception and the venue can only be accessed with a 4x4 high clearance vehicle. Testament to that is the fact that it took us about three hours to drive the last 60km to the campsite. You must also be prepared to go without running water and ablution facilities, there is however an “eco-toilet” in camp. *Evert Laubscher is a well known name in the angling world and a pro staff angler for Salmo Lures.

This 1.82kg smallmouth did its best to wrap me in some standing timber

Psonar sonartechnology technology in perfect True CHIRP sonar technology in perfect True CHIRP technology in perfect True CHIRP in perfect True CHIRP sonar technology in perfect orkcapable capablecombos combos fully network capable combos fully network fully network combos fully network capable combos pperformance erformance, erformance f ease off use andd feature f t integration i t g tii with ith i h the thh GPSMAP Gi Give Give your your boat b boat boat t the th the the perfect fperfect t combination combination bi ti of ofperformance, fperformance, ormance ease ease of of8”, use and the the GPSMAP Give your boat the perfect combination off performance, performance, perfo ease of f use use and dand ffeature feature tfeature integration i 16” t integration ti with with ithwith th the GPSMAP G Available with 7”, 10”, 12” orintegration multi-touch widescreen displays, di pplays, Give your perfect combination of pe erformance rformance ease of use and feature integration with theGPSMAP GPSMAP GPSM GPS MAP Gi Give ive7400 ive your yxsv ourxsv bboat the h perfect p /fsonar combination b combo of f pperfo performance, pe perf formance ormance, rmance rmance, rma , ease eea a7”, e of f use u 8”, and a 10”, an d12” ffeature fea e 12” ea tor ure16” integration int16” t multi-touch g amulti-touch tiio with with thwidescreen th the hwidescreen GPSMAP A 7400 chartplotter chartplotter / sonar combo series. series.

Available Available with with 7”, 8”, 10”, or displays, splays displays, 7400 74 xsvxsv chartplotter / sonar combo series.

Available withwith 7”,most 8”, 8”, 10”, 12”12” or 16” multi-touch widescreen displays, splays plays ldisplays, athepplays, IRP sonar, the sophisticated sonar technology available for combo series.

Available 7”, 10”, or 16” multi-touch widescreen 7400 chartplotter / sonar series A 7” 8” 10” disp 74 7400 400 400 xsvfeature cchartplotter hartplotter plbuilt-in o advanced / sonar combo b1kW series series.

Available Ava ailable ilsonar, ilable l blsonar, with wi ith thhthe 7”, 77””,most 8”, 88””sophisticated , 10 10”, 10” 0”, 12” 122” or o 16” 166” multi m multi-touch lltittitechnology tou touch to h widescreen wiiddavailable e cr for n displays, displays ddisp displ dis dithe isspllays lays, ays ys, tthey they feature built-in advanced 1kW dual dual CHIRP CHIRP the most sophisticated technology for the they th feature built-in advanced 1kW dual CHIRP sonar, thethe most sophisticated sonar technology available for the eRP both Garmin CHIRP DownVü sonar andsonar CHIRP SideVüavailable scanning sonar that built-in CHIRP sonar, most sophisticated sonar technology available thet they feature built in advanced 1kW dual CHI CH P sonar for fo r th they h hey ey y feature f fe built built-in b il l in i advanced d d 1kW k dual d l CHIRP CHIR sonar so , h he e p h hi i s ti i t d s t h n l gy ava va il lable l bl l f th h sonar, the most sophisticated sonar technology available for the fishing fishing and and boating boating public. public.

They They also also include include both both Garmin Garmin CHIRP CHIRP DownVü DownVü and and CHIRP CHIRP SideVü SideVü scanning scanning sonar sonar that at fifishing fis and boating public.

They also include both Garmin CHIRP DownVü and CHIRP scanning sonar that atthat s bbo on the with options.

All this public. sonar fihi higinand and b i tin boating public publ bliThey bbl chThey Th also ilude dbo both h Garmin Gmwater, i HIRP CHIRP CRRP CH RPall-in-one DownVü DnVü Vüdtransducer V and an CHIRP CHSideVü C RP SideVü SSid Vü V scanning ng son i plus onar h fprovides fifis fishing sfishing shing hhing ng d boating bdthe oa gi public. public pscanning bl bbli blic iscanning The yh also allsonar olimages include incl i include inc de dl on beoth th h Garmin Gthe i CHIRP CH HIR DownVü Do D Vü transducer and CHIRP CHd RP C Sid iiddoptions.

V Vüd scanning cann canning a this ni this ssona nnarsso that h that both SideVü sonar provides the clearest clearest sonar images the on water, water, with with all-in-one all-in-one transducer options.

All All plus plus provides pr the clearest scanning sonar images on the water, with all-in-one transducer options.

All this plus pabilities.

It is quite simply the finest combo series Garmin has scanning sonar water, transducer options. images all in options plu all-in-one pr provides rprovides rovides ro ovides iddes the hthe clearest l clearest a and scanning anning annin an i full in sonar so r iimages s capabilities. on o on the h the water, watwater water with itiquite hwith all allll simply in iall-in-one n one on neone transducer tfinest tr d combo options. options opt option tiseries ions nseries All AGarmin lll this thi hAll hi i this plus pplu l plus premium premium navigation navigation and full networking networking capabilities. quite is ith simply the finest combo Garmin has premium navigation and fullfull networking capabi capabilities. ilities It It is isItItquite simply the the finest combo series Garmin hasnhas networking capabilities. isi quite Garmin has premium navigation and cap pabilities simply the finest combo series pr premium r re remium emium i um navigation nav na a i i and d full f ll l networking ki capabi capabilities. bi ilities. ilities il ili i It is i quite simply i l the h finest fi i combo b series i Garmin i has h ever ever offered. offered. offered. evever ever offered offered. ever ver offered. offered ffoffere f ff ded.

5 TTo learn lTo learn more, i itvisit garmin.co.za/marine2015 i co za/marine2015 / i 2015 more, visit garmin.co.za/marine2015 To learn more, more visit garmin.co.za/marine2015 garmin To learn more, more visit garmin.co.za/marine2015 garmin co za/marine20 015 5 TToo learn l more, more, visit vi itit ggarmin.co.za/marine2015 garmin garm rmin co za/marine2015 / i 20 2015 ©201 ©2014 GarminGarmin Ltd. orLtd. its subsidiaries subsidiaries or its subsidiaries ©201444©2014 ©201 Garmin Ltd Ltd. or its ©2014 ©201 4armin Garmin orsubsidiaries its subsidiaries ©2014 0144 G 01 Garmin armin Ltd Ltd.Ltd. or its

® G GPSMAP GPSMA S AP 7400 7400xsv 00 v Serie Series SSeries ei ® ® 740 G GPSMAP 74 7400xsv ®400 GPSMAP PSMAP S Series ®P7400xsv GPSMAP GPSMA AP A 7400xsv 7400 S Series GPSMAP GP PSMAP 74 PSMAP 7400xsv 7740 400x 00xsvv Series Se iiesrries

>> SA BASS CLASSROOM

Lock Jaw For the last two weeks I have been listening to anglers talking how great this spawning season will be and how easy it is to catch spawning fish. They are all getting their tackle ready and everything that goes with itâ&#x20AC;Ś

>> Bennie Wiese*

O

ff they went fishing but the bite was hard and few. Even pulling bass from their nests was an impossible task. On fishing programmes it always looks easy when the top anglers catch fish all over the place.

36 SA BASS October 2016

In fact, it is not always that easy.

When you out on your favourite piece of water and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re alone the fishing can be great, even on public waters.

Fishing your favourite dam on any given week day can

be the best time to be there, but comes the weekend you think that you went to the wrong fishing spot. The reality of fishing pressured waters will stare you right in the eye.

Unfortunately itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not always that easy to fish our sweet spots during the week. Instead we have to race other anglers for the spot over the weekend and we all know that the spot only holds so many fish.

If you think about it, how many good fishing days did you miss while spending time at the office? If I think about it there were many and it drives me crazy.

We all have to work and only have weekends for fishing. Sadly, many times when we eventually get to the water the fishing sucks. Must we go home and call it a bad day? No; stay and figure it out. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even think about coming back later with the hope that the fishing will be better. Stick around and learn by spending time on the water. The more time you spend on the water the more experience you gain.

If you have ever dreamt of being at the top of your game in this sport then this is where you have to work harder to get that few bites to win. Change the direction you approach structure, or change from spots, but just do something different to find that one extra bite.

Anglers that did well on the day were anglers who did something different than usual. They stayed out longer, worked harder and tried many different presentations to get that extra bite. Look at the score board and you will see anglers weighing fish even if the condition were tough.

The question is; what can you do to get those locked jaw bass to bite? The first thing to do is do make a head shift and mentally adjust your point of view. They say there is no reality â&#x20AC;&#x201C; only perception.

Tough conditions can help you recognize new possible opportunities. If the fishing is extremely difficult and you can overcome it mentally then you will be fine. After all there is no challenge if the fishing is easy.

Sometimes when the fishing is tough it helps to sit back and re-think your approach. What could be happening in the area? The bass could not all have moved to the opposite side on the dam. Maybe there is heavy fishing pressure on the area you are fishing. Then look for areas where there is less pressure. If it is because of bad weather then maybe you need to slow down and make sure every cast is on the structure you are targeting. I am convinced bass will move to the next location where it will be most comfortable for them. If you were targeting bass in the shallows during rainy conditions and the sun comes up, the bass will move out of the direct sunlight to where they will feel more protected in the shady side of a drop off or grass line.

Sudden changes in weather, water levels or water temperatures can force bass to move longer distances, especially during the spawning period.

Tips t ' JTI NPSF UIPSPVHI JO UIF BSFB ZPV BSF ĂŤTIJOH BOE NBLF sure to slow down. t 'JTI NPSF UIBO POF UFDIOJRVF CFGPSF ZPV SVO PĂŞ UP UIF next fishing spot. Be patient and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rush to the next fishing spot too quickly. t ɨJOL PVU PG UIF CPY BOE TFF JG ZPV DBO ĂŤTI UIF TBNF BSFB or structure from different angles. t 8IFO ZPV VTF ZPVS FMFDUSPOJDT BOE ZPV DBO JEFOUJGZ ĂŤTI in the strike zone, make multiple casts with different techniques, more than once. Especially in areas you have seen fish on the sonar. Under these tough conditions the strike zones will be very small and you have to be very accurate. t 8IFO ZPV BSF QJUDIJOH PS ĂŹJQQJOH EPO U SVTI UIF CBJU PVU of the potential strike zone, let it soak for a few seconds before you retrieve it. t 8IFO UIF ĂŤTIJOH JT UPVHI MPPL GPS UIJDL WFHFUBUJPO The bass will be hiding in there. t %PO U GPSHFU UP VTF SFBDUJPO CBJUT MJLF DSBOL MJQMFTT or spinnerbaits. These baits can normally deliver good quality fish under tough conditions. The key will be to CPVODF PS EFĂŹFDU UIF MVSFT GSPN TUSVDUVSF PS UIF CPUUPN The erratic bounce will result into a reaction bite. t .BOZ BOHMFST UIBU * LOPX XJMM EPXO TJ[FT UIFJS MVSFT BOE lines, especially if there is a cold front. Most of the time these baits will create some bites. Drop-shot, light Texas rigged 4â&#x20AC;? ring worms and small fineness jigs will normally work for me. t *G JUT UPVHI XBSN weather conditions bass will only feed for very short times of the day and by rotating your fishing areas will help you to intercept some of those feeding fish.

The above are some of my tips that have worked for me over last few years to get a limit when the conditions were tough. Most importantly; these tips are not of much use if you are not fishing with confidence. *Bennie Wiese is the editor of SA Bass magazine and an experienced provincial bass angler.

SA BASS 37 October 2016

>> SA BASS INDUSTRY NEWS

Lowrance Cash Back Campaign from Navico

A

nglers! Here’s an opportunity not to be missed!

Navico is running another Cash Back Campaign – where they’re actually offering money back for buying select Lowrance or Simrad units. (That’s right – Lowrance SA is

now also offering Simrad GO5 and GO7 units in South Africa)!

This special offer runs for two months only (1 September till 31 October 2016) – just in time for spring!

Those looking to save on their next purchases should contact their nearest Lowrance dealer, who will assist with step-by-step instructions on the claims process.

Here’s how it works: Fourteen days after buying a qualifying unit - customers can claim money back from Navico, which will be deposited directly into their own bank account.

An online form is completed and submitted to Navico direct, with proof of purchase (invoice), personal information and banking details. There is also a postal option, which will, of course, be more time-consuming.

This is the list of the qualifying Lowrance and Simrad units, along

with the exact amount of cash that can be claimed back for these specific units: Lowrance HDS: HDS12 Gen3 - R3150.oo HDS9 Gen3 - R2370.oo HDS7 Gen3 - R1580.oo Simrad GO: GO7 - R1185.oo GO5 - R790.oo Claim forms must be submitted online before 30/11/2016 and no claims received after this date will be accepted.

The rebate received can be used to buy another unit - either as a backup fishfinder or GPS or as a gift for a friend.

For more information call Lowrance South Africa (031)-368-6649 or your nearest dealer. *Terms and conditions apply!

NOW BACK IN SOUTH AFRICA

38 SA BASS October 2016

ANY ANGLER, ANYWHERE. HOOKâ&#x201E;˘ fishfinder only and chartplotter/fishfinder models represent a radical approach to the basics. No gimmicks. No skimping or shortcuts.

Just the basics the way they were meant to be: reliable, well-made and perfectly suited to your lifestyle. All at a price that makes good sense.

To see all the HOOK models visit lowrance.com/FND.

Insight Genesis and mapping options available from www.gofreeshop.com.

LOWRANCE SA Phone: (031) 368-6649 E-mail: sales@lowrance.co.za Website: www.lowrance.co.za

>> SA BAARS STATEGIE

“Hornets Die Nest” Tegniek Die swartbaars se broeityd is op hande en dis alombekend dat dié tydperk van die grootste baars lewer.

Maar hoe gemaak?

Fotos van baars wat met die “Hornets-Nest” tegniek geflous is

40 SA BASS October 2016

>> Louis Bezuidenhout

A

l hoe meer hengelaars (van alle soorte) gaan nou op die vlakwater begin toesak opsoek na daardie groot swartbaars. Onthou net dat die baars ook gaan aanpas by al die konstante hengeldruk en dit veroorsaak dat die baars nie meer baie aggressief gaan optree teenoor die sagte plastiekaas wat deur meeste hengelaars gebruik word nie. Dus moet hengelaars altyd opsoek wees na nuwe tegnieke en bereid wees om iets nuuts te probeer. So ‘n nuwe tegniek is die “Hornets-nest” tegniek!

Die tegniek is deur Koos Bonema ontwikkel.

Hy is ‘n gesoute kunsaashengelaar en ‘n fantastiese swartbaarhengelaar. Koos pas gereeld die “Hornets-nest” tegniek toe en dit het gelei tot talle groot vangste van neste af wat deur konstante hengeldruk gegaan het.

Koos het besef dat die baars nie meer aggressie teenoor normale kunsaas en meer onnatuurlike kunsaas toon nie.

Uiteindelik het hy ‘n tegniek ontwikkel om die natuurlike vyand van die swartbaars se neste, naamlik die kurper spesies, na te maak met ‘n kunsvissie genoem ‘n Hornet.

Hornets is beskikbaar in ‘n groot verskeidenheid kleure en groottes wat die verskillende tipes kurperspesies in Suidelike Afrika naboots met ongelooflike realistiese effekte.

Die tegniek behels dat die hengelaar een groot Mojogewig, verkieslik tungsten, aan die lyn heg en seker maak dat die gewig vrylik kan beweeg, daarna word ‘n kunsvissie aan die lyn geknoop.

Die ideale gewig is tussen kwart en twee onse. Die grootte van die gewig word bepaal deur die diepte wat gehengel word en die grootte van die kunsvissie.

Vir die tegniek word ‘n 7-voet middelmatige aksie-stok, saam met fluorocarbonlyn, gebruik. Die aksie van die stok verseker dat daar nie te veel druk op die baars gesit word nie en die fluorocarbon verseker dat die lyn styf gehou kan word, wat die kanse verminder dat die baars die kunsvissie kan gooi.

Die doel is om die kunsvissie se unieke lip teen die gewig te kap en dan te laat dryf tot voor die baars se gesig; dit

boots â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n kurper perfek na wat op die eiers van die baars voer.

Die stok se punt moet laag gehou word en met â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n lae vee-beweging moet die kunsvissie teen die gewiggie kap sonder om die gewiggie te ver te laat beweeg. Die doel met die vee-beweging is om die lyn meer vrylik deur die gewig se gaatjie te laat gly sonder om die gewiggie op te tel wat die vis kan afskrik. Hoe hoĂŤr die stok, hoe skerper is die hoek waarteen die lyn deur die gewig beweeg. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n Skerper hoek veroorsaak meer wrywing en maak dat die gewig vinniger beweeg en dit is wat jy wil vermy wanneer die gewiggie reeds op die nes lĂŞ.

Die aantal stampe en hoe gereeld die kunsaas teen die gewiggie stamp, is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n persoonlike keuse.

In kalm weerstoestande sal Koos kunsvissies met meer natuurlike kleure gebruik en verkies hy die 6cm Hornet RIP (Real Identity Perch). Hierdie kunsaas lyk net soos â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n vleikurper.

In moeiliker omstandighede, soos sterk winde en bewolkheid, kan mens egter helderder kleure gebruik, soos byvoorbeeld chartreuse. Dit maak net die kunsaas vir die hengelaar meer sigbaar. Natuurlike kleure sal nogsteeds in moeiliker omstandighede ook werk, aangesien die baars veiliger sal voel en die kunsvissie vinniger sal aanval. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n Belangrike punt van die tegniek is die hoeke wat gebruik word se kwaliteit. Maak seker dat die kunsvissie se hoeke vlymskerp is sodat, wanneer die vis die kunsaas vat, hy eintlik homself vang.

Hierdie tegniek lok vinnige en uiters aggressiewe aanvalle deur beide die mannetjies en wyfies uit. Wees dus gereed vir enige reaksie. Waak egter dat die gewiggie se beweging nie die vis afskrik nie, maar maak net seker dat die gewiggie in die regte plek is; dit is in die middel van die nes.

Die kanse om aggressiewe byte te kry is soveel groter as die tegniek op die regte plek in die nes toegepas geword, meer bekend as die â&#x20AC;&#x153;sweet spotâ&#x20AC;?.

Let wel, hierdie is nie â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;n manier om visse te â&#x20AC;&#x153;jigâ&#x20AC;? nie, aangesien die vis self die kunsaas aanval.

Baie sterkte en hengel asseblief verantwoordelik â&#x20AC;&#x201C; plaas die groot teelvisse terug.

>::Ć&#x2DC; Ÿ@ ,.

Try these creatures from CATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S in POPULAR assorted colours

'LVF /L]DUG

Âľ &XUO 7DLO :RUP

Âľ -HUN 0LQQRZ

5LQJ :RUP

)ORDWLQJ 7RDGV

´ <RPDPD

Tel: (031) 261 42 33 3 Die â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hornets-Nestâ&#x20AC;? tegniek

&HOO Â&#x2021; )D[

)D[

[ 32 %R[ 0D\YLOOH .ZD =XOX 1DWDO =XOX 1 ( PDLO FDWVM#WHONRPVD QHW

ZZZ FDWVĂ&#x20AC;VKLQJ FR ]D

>> SA BASS OUTREACH

>> John Badenhorst*

T

hose that do not think of the preservation of our fish species the way we do, and don’t see that wholesale wiping out of those fish is a problem. Some of these fillet-and-release anglers will sit with earthworms and a long stick and take EVERYTHING they catch, from the smallest to the biggest. Some while ago, I got rather frustrated with such an angler and approached him. When I told him that wholesale slaughter of the smallest to the biggest can result in a depletion of fish, his reply was simple and at the time angered me... “There will always be lots of fish”.

So angered was I that the urge to stomp on his bamboo and cut his lines was an urge that was extremely difficult to control. I didn’t and wisely walked away from what could have been a group confrontation with me being the single angler against six other guys.

Two months later, I happened to be at the same water and busy setting up the inflatable for launch and this same

42 SA BASS October 2016

man was there again and again catching fish after fish and everything was going into a bag to take home. This time was different though, he was alone, so I stopped doing my boat and went over for a chat. You see, I had time to think things over and I suppose if I didn’t have a job and also needed to eat or feed my family, conservation would be the last thing on my mind. I found his name was Christopher Magaqa. Chris was one of the many unemployed in our country, and basically fishing for his survival. He would keep some fish for his own consumption and sell the others he caught to members of the local community. This money that he got would be used for other food, like pap, bread and basic essentials. My friend Kevin joined me and we had a chat and I introduced the two to each other. I then made Chris an offer... look after our cars for a fee but take only three fish of medium size. Gladly he accepted, and soon we were off to do some fishing. Getting back after a good day on the water, we found that not only were our cars okay but

they had been washed too. And our new friend had kept to his word and had only kept the fish that he had caught before our arrival. This arrangement went on for a while and soon Chris was making some decent money over weekends when fellow anglers wanted to visit the dam and have him look after our vehicles. Over time, we built a friendship with Chris and one day standing on the bank a group of us were getting fish after fish on plastics. Chris came over and asked us to teach him how to catch bass with our methods.

We put some money together and bought him a rod and reel and supplied him with some plastics and proceeded to teach him the different retrieves and walking the dog, etc.

He was bright and a quick learner and soon was getting more fish than his peers, and to their astonishment he was releasing them again.

Over a period of six months he had proven his trustworthiness and went beyond what members of our group had expected from him watching our vehicles. As a lure developer and in the process of expanding our business, my better half and I had a chat and decided to make Chris a job offer. At the time he was living in a squatter camp near Springs in less than ideal conditions. Chris has become a mainstay in the business and grows every single day. He has also become an incredibly good angler and having learnt from myself, Valerie and others and taken our tips and methods and developed his very own style of fishing with

plastics. The season is not even fully here yet and he has gone on to out fish many of the people that taught him how to target bass. We even entered him into a competition on Facebook where he won a new rod and reel and within two days after getting his prize had caught a healthy 1.2kg bass on the new outfit.

The point of all of this is this... it’s easy to judge when you’re not in a situation yourself, it’s easy to criticize.

But how many will take the time to find out more, to educate and to try and help? Agreed, this will not work for everyone, and I know of some good hearted anglers that have tried and failed. The sad thing is that there are still those other hook-and-cook anglers that will continue to slaughter and plunder. I have even seen in person and in pictures of anglers with big fancy boats going to prime bass venues and take up to 100 decent sized fish between four of them, only to slaughter them in a room at a guesthouse. I would put that down to simple greed. It shows that a little bit of compassion and education can, in most cases, go a long way towards uplifting an individual and it shows as in this last paragraph that for some, no matter what education they have, their greed will always give them an excuse for plunder. *John Badenhorst is from Wolf Lures, Flies & Feathers and a keen angler himself.

PRETO RIA

Shop N o2 322 Ga , Lighting W rsfonte arehou Tel: (0 in Road, Wa se Building 12)348 terkloo 0207 / f 348 95 Glen 97

Fourways Crossing

Johannesburg

Tel: (011) 465 2937 / 072 274 2783 Cnr William Nicol Dr & Sunrise Blvd Email: sollys4ways@telkomsza.net Open Sundays 9:30am to 13:30pm

Tel: (011) 493 1848 / 493 1452 Cnr Booysens Rd 151 & Garland Rd Email: sollys@netactive.co.za / sollysjhb@gmail.com

Rustenburg

Vereeniging

Shop 13, Matfar Motor city Howick Avenue, Waterfall Mall (Next to Hyundai) Tel: (014) 537 2107 / Cell: 072 252 8852 Email: sollysrtb@gmail.com

47 Voortrekker street Tel: (016) 422 5545 / 455 2513 FFollow us on

Facebook & Twitter

SA BASS 43 October 2016

>> SA BASS SMALL BOATING

Kick Boat in Southern Cape Bass fishing in the Southern Cape has been B pretty awesome for me over the last few years but something really special recently popped into the “how” part of bass fishing.

>> Adrian Luff*

O

bviously like most people I started as a bank angler, forever dreaming of fishing of a bass boat.

So anything that floats came up as an option at a stage. But being a boater now for a few years after fishing of kayaks, paddle-ski and even a tractor tube I must admit that getting on a pontoon kick boat was a great deal of fun.

The number one selling point on the type and model I got into is that I ain’t got no wet bum! And that was a big bonus. The other awesome part is that this specific pontoon boat had a rod holder that could carry several rods so I could fish several techniques and this to me is critical, because I’m used to it on the boat.

A good idea is to always fish with a buddy, so a good friend of mine, Chris Henning, soon after seeing my pontoon boat got himself one as well and boy did we have fun. All of a sudden we could hit the farm dams that always looked awesome but where we couldn’t launch a boat.

44 SA BASS October 2016

So we went on one of our first adventure and to make it more fun we fished two dams. We decided to fish as a team trying to fill one big bag (boat habits die hard). We started off on a body of water we do actually sometimes fish from a boat but we wanted to try the pontoon boats on a bigger body of water as well. So once we arrived we allocated certain areas to each angler so that we don’t cover the same water and off we went. We landed several fish, the bag was full and the culling started.

As we continued up the lake Chris started to cast a spinnerbait along the bank close to reeds while I was fishing a bit deeper with a Carolina rig. I just heard a sudden shout and as I looked up all I could see is my friend’s rod bending like it was stuck! He was on and the fish wasn’t giving up easily. What I found funny was the mumbling going on and the kick boat spinning around as the fish kept on swimming around in circles. It was a sight to smile

for. Shortly after a very happy Chris revealed an awesome 2.49kg beauty. Now you must understand, in the Southern Cape bass over 2kg is always a big moment. My biggest fish ever in the Southern Cape was 3.2kg. After a quick photo shoot the fishing continued.

Our bag kept crowing during the course of the day and we kept culling as we went along. Chris added another 1.72kg and I got a 2.11kg cranking big tree lay downs along the bank. I did a short cast as I knew where I wanted my crank to go and slowly reeled it down as I felt it tick on some of the tree branch tips and tried to pause it for a second every time it did. It was a classic tick, tick, BOOM! I was on! A beautiful fish came up to try and shake the crank and felt what Chris had experienced earlier the day. My boat started spinning around as this big fish kept swimming around me. Eventually I landed a remarkable 2.72kg and she concluded our bag at 10.34kg. We were happy with the

fishing but even happier with our kick boats.

I had five rods on mine plus a whole crate of tackle and my net. This made me feel more comfortable as a boat angler as I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to fish all the techniques I normally do.

The day was done. We deflated our pontoons and packed both of them in the back of my vehicle with ease.

The ride home was an opportunity to reflect on the day and what worked and what didn’t.

From our experience we’ve learned that fishing with long tights keeps your knees from burning; medium length flippers helps on bigger water and most of all, kick boats are a lot of fun - even for anglers who own bass boats. *Adrian Luff is a product ambassador for Thornveld Angling and Chairman for Garden Route Bassmasters SA BASS 45 October 2016

>> SA BASS TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Gauteng Money Winners Datum: 27 August 2016 Venue: Hartebeespoort Dam UITSLAE: 1 2 3 4 5

5.30kg, Team Blue Water Gear - Frans Swanepoel & Lesley Montgomery with 3 fish, won R4500 cash 4.85kg, Team Never Give Up - André Pretorius & Tony Ernst with 4 fish, won R2000 cash 3.55kg, Team Gel Events - Shawn John & Peet van der Schyff with 2 fish, won R1500 cash 1.88kg, Team Oupa - Frik Strydom & Ian Boswell with 1 fish, won R1100 cash 1.69kg, Team Bass Boys - Ferdi de Klerk & Chris Greenland with 1 fish, won R1000 cash Lesley Montgomery & Frans Swanepoel

GROOT VIS:

1st: 2.32kg - Team Blue Water Gear: Frans Swanepoel & Lesley Montgomery who won R500 2nd: 1.99kg - Team Gel Events: Shawn John & Peet van der Schyff 3rd: 1.88kg - Team Oupa: Frik Strydom & Ian Boswell

Back: Peet vd Schyff, Shawn John, Frik Strydom, Ian Boswell, Chris Greenland, Ferdi de Klerk Front: Lesley Montgomery, Frans Swanepoel, Tony Ernst, André Pretorius

VERSLAG: Oor die algemeen is Hartebeespoortdam bekend as ‘n “moeilike” dam, maar dan ook is die swartbaars in die dam in ‘n gesonde kondisie en lyk soos rugby-balle.

Die vorige week was daar ‘n ander hengelkompetisie op die dam gehou en gerugte van hoe die hengelaars gesukkel het, het versprei. Slegs een vis was ingeweeg. ‘n Week later was die Gauteng Cast-for-Cash ook op Harties.

In ons geval is daar geen minimum lengte waaraan die vis moet voldoen nie. Dit was ook darem ‘n week later en hopelik het die hengel intussen verbeter.

Dit was Ferdi de Klerk wat vroegoggend ‘n groot vis van 46 SA BASS October 2016

1.69kg kom inweeg het. Van die ander hengelaars het vroeg lyne uitgetrek en is huistoe. In totaal het twaalf spanne iets kom weeg maar geen span kon egter ‘n vol sak van vyf visse weeg nie.

Alhoewel André Pretorius en Tony Ernst vier visse ingeweeg het, was hulle sak nie swaar genoeg om Frans Swanepoel en Lesley Montgomery se sak van drie visse, 5.3kg, te klop nie.

SPONSORS: SA BASS would like to thank McCarthy Volkswagen Wonderboom for the VW Amarok double cab towing vehicle.

Die wenstrategieë kan as volg opgesom word:

Team

Structure

Best time

Depth

Lure

Colour

Rig

1.

Team Blue Water Gear

nests

morning

6ft

fluke

black

Mojo

2.

Team Never Give Up

nests

whole day

2ft

grubs

white

D-shot

3.

Team Gel Events

nests

whole day

3ft

Senko

Grn Pmpkn

w/less

4.

Team Oupa

channel

afternoon

8ft

fluke

Durban poison

Mojo

4.

Team Bass Boys

hyacinth

morning

jerkbaits

clown

-

GRAND PRIX STANDINGS* Die jongste stand op die punteleer onder die top tien spanne is as volg: 1.

964-points

Team X-Factor Six 8

Jooste Wasserfall & Tobie Uys Frans Swanepoel & Lesley Montgomery

2.

901-points

Team Blue Water Gear

3.

863-points

Team GR82Fish

Robert Tuzza & George Paar

4.

848-points

Team Greens

Kamlesh Parbhoo & Adriaan Zwarts

5.

838-points

Team New Anchor

Calman Grobler & Dirk Smith

6.

830-points

Team Never Give Up

André Pretorius & Tony Ernst Clint Dalglish & Alastair Vorster

7.

826-points

Team Wolf

8.

820-points

Team Bass On

Riaan Spangenberg

9.

816-points

Team Oupa

Frik Strydom & Ian Boswell

10.

813-points

Team Bass Boys

Ferdi de Klerk & Chris Greenland

*A Grand Prix system is used to determine the End-of-Season-Points standing, as follows: the winner of each monthly tournament receives 130 points with following positions receiving points on a decreasing scale (ie: 129 for second, 128 for third, 127 for forth and so on). Each team will receive an additional ten (30) attendance points for each tournament attended.

Limpopo Wenners Datum: 28 Augustus 2016 Venue: Ebenezerdam 1

4.744kg, Team TFF - Leon Lordan & Theo Janse v Rensburg met 5 visse

2

4.156kg, Team Wacky Rig - Gert Smith & Frank Greef met 5 visse

3

4.137kg, Team Varkenelli Customs - Justy Varkevisser & Alan Kenney met 5 visse

4

3.896kg, Team Booyah - Christie Thomas & Willem van Dyk met 5 visse

5

3.674kg, Team JV Hydraulic’s - Wessel du Toit & Johnny Verster met 5 visse

Team TFF, Team Wacky Rig, Team Varkenelli Customs, Team Booyah, Team JV Hydraulics SA BASS 47 October 2016

VERSLAG: Ebenezerdam is bekend vir sy kleinbekswartbaars en die naweek het drie spanne kleinbekke kom inweeg. Justy Varkevisser het drie gevang waarvan een 0.958kg geweeg het en Johnny Verster twee op spinnerbaits. Team TFF het ook een van 0.98kg gevang.

Johnny Verster

Justy Varkevisser

GRAND PRIX STANDINGS* Na afloop van die laaste kompetisie is die huidige puntestand as volg: 1.

1023-punte

Team Xterminator

Andy Kyriacoudes & Riaan Bam

2.

1014-punte

Team TFF

Leon Lordan & Theo Janse v Rensburg

3.

998-punte

Team Bouwer

Eugene & Len Bouwer

4.

997-punte

Team JV Hydraulicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Wessel du Toit & Johnny Verster

5.

901-punte

Team Slabbert

Robert & Jaques Slabbert

6.

878-punte

Team Lannie Motors New

Paul du Toit & Wayne Dames

7.

856-punte

Team Geartec

J van Rooyen & Hannes de Jager

8.

769-punte

Team Beli Tomato

Wayne Eastman

9.

372-punte

Team Fear no Fish

Stefan Badenhorst & Paul vd Merwe

10.

370-punte

Team Wacky Rig

Gert Smith & Frank Greef

10.

370-punte

Team DO-MI-NUM

Attie Barnard

BULK R100 big u10p to r o K f C BA sale

ISSUES copies

48 SA BASS October 2016

Mpumalanga Wenners Datum: 27 August 2016 Venue: Rust de Winter RESULTS: 1 4.245kg, Team D.A.M Frik & Vaughn Jonker with 5 fish 2 3.590kg, Team Midnight - John Wickham & Nathan Wickham with 5 fish 3 3.270kg, Team VC Tyron Mortimer & Brad Costa with 5 fish 4 3.050kg, Team Stretch 60 - Mike Cloete & Piet van Wyk with 5 fish 5 2.780kg, Team Bass Fever - Flip & Manie Maritz with 5 fish

BIG FISH: 1 63kg - Team Midnight Nathan Wickham

L-t-r: Bradley Costa, Tyron Mortimer, Piet van Wyk, Mike Cloete, Flip Maritz, Manie Maritz, Nathan Wickham, John Wickham, Frik Coetzer, Vaughn Jonker

GRAND PRIX STANDINGS* The top ten latest standings are as follows: 1.

1006-points

Team Stretch 60

Mike Cloete & Piet van Wyk

2.

1004-points

Team Go Fish Custom Baits

Buks Human & Louis Cooper

3.

973-points

Team 460

Jaap Pienaar & Wikus le Roux

4.

959-points

Team Vortex

Divan Coetzee & Rowan Zerf

5.

950-points

Team Bass Masjien

Dewald Pretorius & Jaco vd Merwe

6.

921-points

Team Hengelvriend

Anton Bouwer & Boet Grabie

7.

893-points

Team Go Fish Custom Baits 2

Arthur Symington & Chanelle Stewart

8.

860-points

Team Bass Couple

Jacques Schoeman & Corne Schoeman

9.

832-points

Team Crewless

Grant Baker & Sean Campion

10.

777-points

Team MMS

Alfred Siegl & Darren Hockly

CURRENT TOP THREE GRAND PRIX STANDINGS Net om te wys hoe sterk die kompetisie in en tussen die streke is, is die top spanne uit elke streek is as volg met Mpumalanga wat twee spanne aan die bopunt van die punteleer het: 1.

LP

1023-punte

Team Xterminator

Andy Kyriacoudes & Riaan Bam

2.

MP

1006-points

Team Stretch 60

Mike Cloete & Piet van Wyk

3.

GP

964-points

Team X-Factor Six 8

Jooste Wasserfall & Tobie Uys

Cast-for-Cash 2016 Season Upcoming Events: Date

Gauteng

Date

Mpumalanga

Date

Limpopo

01 Oct

Vaal River

24-Sep

Arabie

25-Sep

Tzaneen Dam

29 Oct

Champion-of-Champions

29-Oct

Champion-of-Champions

29 Oct

Hannes 082 416 5524

Lizette Jonker 073 487 7266

Champion-of-Champions Wessel du Toit 083 271 0048

Visit our website www.sabass.com for all the results, tournament-information, -schedules and -rules.

The results are also available on our Facebook page SA BASS 49 October 2016

REPORT: We set off on our next adventure early morning in August. With little and no knowledge of Rust de Winter (hubby once there and my first time), we were feeling motivated and excited. We arrived at Rusties at about 09:00 on Thursday and with our croc-pole on the boat, we would fend off any croc trying to board. Yes, a crocodile pole, you heard it correctly. Talking to a lot of fellow anglers, they told us about the crocs trying to get onto the boats and me fishing at the back; I was not taking any chances with leatherheads... If they were looking for trouble I would dish it out to them. Imagine me wrestling a croc like Crocodile Dundee.

We launched at the main dam and started to scan the banks for any signs of fish. The water temperature was early morning about 16.9ºC, which was a better indication for activity than the previous weekend’s 13ºC as told to us by friends. We picked up a few beauties in the bay next to the dam wall. Scanning all the points and drop off ledges we found bass at a depth of 14 to 15ft in the main dam. We would return the following day to still find them there. We proceeded to the socalled Salad Bowl (grass line stretching along the shore between main dam and Crocodile Bay) and cast a few times with spinnerbaits and Texas rig into the pockets with no luck. From the shore to where the grass line extended into the dam it ranged between in depth of 1 to 7ft. We fished the outer parts, not even thinking there was a chance of bass in the shallows. Moving towards Crocodile Bay, we found a couple of anglers pre-fishing for the competition. They warned us not to go too far up river because it was shallow and they hit a submerged rock going there. Again we came up empty with nothing to show and hearing this warning we thought we will not jeopardize our motor.

There was no too little cell phone reception and who do you call when you run into trouble out there. Definitely not Ghostbusters...

On Friday we arrived early at the dam to find about seven fellow anglers geared up and ready to pre-fish for the competition. We knew people pre-fished for comps but never knew how much time was actually being spent by others on the water just before a competition.

It is a costly exercise to pre-fish and the only reason we were there this time, was because we were on annual leave and made it part of our vacation plans. We sticked to our guns, fishing the points and ledges and having great success again. The water temperature went up to 19ºC on this day and the sun was burning down on us at 31ºC in the mid afternoon. After two days on the water we felt prepared but still not confident enough as where and how to fish Rusties.

Competition day arrived and the pull away was quite strange. I think only two or three boats pulled off to the left from the launch

50 SA BASS October 2016

>> Team Bass Couple area while everyone were racing towards Crocodile Bay and the Salad Bowl. With the knowledge we gained the previous days, we were sure we had a solid pattern; 14ft of water, natural colours, points and ledges. After about two hours with no fish on the boat yet, we were the only ones on the main dam. Still hopeful our pattern would pay off we were reluctant to head towards the other side. This is where phone a friend would have come in handy, but with no signal that was off the table. My hubby landed one on a drop off ledge with a drop shot rig at only about 13:00. I started to become anxious and even depressed.

What were we doing wrong today? One our friends came past and told us they hammered the bass at the Salad Bowl in about one to 2ft of water. They caught about 20 small bass there. This put us into panic mode. With no luck previously at the grass line, we had no idea how to fish there. This was in the closing stages of the competition at about 14:45pm (cut off at 16:00). Again one of our fellow anglers told us they hammered the fish in Crocodile Bay. We set off to these points and tried our luck. With only less than one and a half hour left we tried spinnerbaits, curly tails and I can’t even remember what else. It was in a panicked frenzy. The one team was pulling the fish on board like Durban’s sardine run and I must be honest, it was not good for my soul which was sent to hell each time they landed one. Just could not manage to get anything.

Well what I can say is, we never gave up and had a good learning curve on Rusties. It is very different ball game in competitive angling.

No one can take away the knowledge you gain by having these difficult days. Pre-fishing can be your worst enemy. You go in with a mindset of you have a pattern, you will be fine. Sometimes it pays off and in our cases it does not.

What we have learned... if everyone goes right and you have not landed a bass early following your pattern, adapt, adapt, adapt and do not panic. The game has changed and you need to change as well (follow the leader). Murky water shallows was key in Rusties this time. People fished the grass pocket shallows with extreme success on natural coloured curly tailed lures. Our feeling of utter disappointment has now changed into a feeling of determination to do better on Rusties next time around. We would still love to know what brought on this pattern change... the evening wind, the rise in water temperature or just plain bad luck?

Conclusion - Rust de Winter bass are vegetarians because they love the Salad Bowl... and; a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work. Until the next time.

The choice of champions The new 115 Pro XS provides power where its needed !!! Higher torque for get up and go, and superior wide open throttle strategy adds performance to this new 4 stroke.

Faster Top Speed More top end speed than our standard 115 FourStroke. The higher rpm range delivers improved performance out of an alreadypowerful engine.

Quick Acceleration The ability to run lower-pitch props puts the boat on plane faster, reducing acceleration time by up to 2 seconds. Anglers are now able to carry more gear and have an edge when returning for weigh-in.

Battery Charging The new idle charge feature provides up to 48% more battery charging at idle speed, supporting the greater power demands of modern electronics and accessories. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more you will be able to stay on the water for longer.

>> SA BASS SABAA NEWS The fish were not easy to find

Once a year, the top 50 anglers from all around the country converge to do battle, with the ultimate prize being selected into the national squads and receive their Protea or Presidents Colours.

SABAA National Champion 2016:

WAYNE EASTON

>> Bennie Wiese*

T

his year it was the Western Province’s turn to play host to the tournament. The event was held on Clanwilliam Dam during 8th to the 12th of August.

After three days of hard fishing one of the most respected anglers in the country, Wayne Easton, from Kwa-Zulu Natal was crowned National Champion 2016.

SA BASS congratulates Wayne and thank him for the following interview.

Bennie: Tell use a bit of yourself? (How long have you been fishing? Why do you enjoy the sport?)

Wayne: I’ve been fishing since a very young age. Born and grew up in Bulawayo till the age of 13, so for as long as I can recall it was barefoot fishing of some sort we did. Mostly chasing bass in Matopos, Inyankuni dams, etc. I can still clearly recall a pack of pre-rigged purple grape creme soft plastic worms my dad brought home from the army. We moved to KZN when I was in standard 7 (1989) where I fished anything and everything; salt, fresh, river, still, but still bass stayed as firm favourite. I just enjoy being outdoors and loving the splendid wonder of nature God has provided us with. Fishing keeps me connected, reminds me to appreciate life and give me time to think. Not to mention the great friends I have made in this sport. I love taking my two sons Eli (7) and Zach (4) fishing too. I’ve been moved off the sneaker controls already.

Bennie: How did you qualify for the Nationals? (What was your history?)

52 SA BASS October 2016

Wayne: Fished Nationals for the first time last year (Tzaneen) and finished a very happy 24th. Continued participating this divisional season and was very fortunate to make the KZN Team again this season. Had my first (and only) disqualification for a late tag (99 points down the drain) at Midmar event 6. Ended the season tied 10th and only went to Nationals when Gavin Richardson stepped down. It was indeed a lesson learnt and chances appreciated season!

Bennie: What was your goal for this event?

Wayne: My goal is and always will be to win. I love competing and only aim to do my very best.

Bennie: What were your chances before the Nationals to be the Wrangler Angler?

Wayne: Little to none to be honest. I did not even think of that.

A 24th at the 2015 Tzaneen Nationals I can honestly say these things don’t even cross my mind. All I looked at was getting my best 5 fish per day and let the scoreboard tell the story.

Bennie: How much did you practice? (How many times did you fish Clanwilliam before you started to practice?)

Wayne: I had first fished Clanwilliam about 8 to 10 years ago from a kick-boat in the river section. Had never been on a boat on Clan till day one practice at this year’s Nationals.

Bennie: What did you learn about this intimidating venue?

(All the days you practiced, how many patterns did you find and did it help you in the tournament?)

Wayne: I did not get the opportunity to practice. A combination of the dam busy filling and the long cut off time didn’t make for the perfect practice. From what I hear some practices were rather tough. Something which may have put me off if I had gone. As it went this year, everything worked out just right. It was my time. I found good fish right when it was needed. It is hard for me to say in tournament ‘practice’ how my day went. I’ve learnt to take only the positives from the day and not let it dominate my actual tournament days too much. I found fish in 12 foot on a light Mojo rig, shallow bites on a Jewel swim-it jig in practice at Clan. Kept the happy practice news (that the smallies liked the big profile Swim-it jig plus 5” paddle tail) and caught two key fish on day one on both those techniques.

Bennie: What was your pattern for this event and did you have a back up pattern?

Wayne: My main pattern was shallow feeding fish in 8 foot or less in the backs of tapering bays. I watched the wind to keep the warmest water moving shallow and concentrated on those areas. Had a back up pattern working channel swings and offshore rock piles in 8 to 12 foot.

Wayne Easton with two Clanwilliam smallmouths

R13500

SA BASS 53 October 2016

The final results were as follows:

A smallmouth from close up Bennie: What was your position from day one till the last day: Wayne: Day 1: Leader first with 6.42kg (5fish), Day 2: Third with 5.14kg (4 fish). Day 3: First and lucky to get the biggest bag of the tournament on the last day. Saving the best 7.40kg for last! Included two good largemouths that had started moving up on that last day. Check out the (recorded live weigh in) Bennie: Did you change your strategy during the event?

Wayne: Not really. I don’t think many anglers had a solid strategy with the fishing so tough. I was lucky to settle into a reliable pattern just after lunch on day one and was fortunate it lasted for three days.

Bennie: What is your goal for the Wrangler Angler (will you go and practice in the USA?) Wayne: That goal, although now quite possible, is something I could only have dreamt of three weeks ago. I sure would love

1.

32,960 points

Wayne Easton

Natal

2.

31,580 points

Allan Ross-Watt

Western

3.

31,160 points

Martin de Kock

Natal

4.

29,860 points

Michael Matthee

Northern

5.

28,420 points

Freddie Steyn

Western

6.

27,520 points

Stephan Britz

Western

7.

26,940 points

Justy Varkevisser

Southern

8.

26,000 points

August Lingnau

Southern

9.

25,520 points

Darryl Quinton

Southern

10.

25,440 points

Mike de Wet

Western

11.

24,980 points

Tinus Barnard

Northern

12.

24,840 points

Shane Estran

Natal

13.

24,380 points

Charl Englebrecht

Northern

14.

23,900 points

Richard Eldridge

Eastern

15.

23,620 points

Hugo Lerm

Southern

to follow the ranks and have a solid go at the American tours but without contributions from major sponsors, for me as it stands now, I would not be able to do it. Let me make it first. Let’s see the path forward. A Nationals Win along with Presidents Team nomination is amazing for me. I still can’t believe it!

Bennie: Any thoughts and advice to anglers that look up to you?

Wayne: If you haven’t done so already get out there and join your local bass club and fish their social events. Once you are happy with that have a go at fishing a SABAA divisional season in your area and just have fun! Maybe even fish it together with a mate to share costs. Fish within your means and budget. The added pressure of keeping up and having the best electronics, fastest boat, side-scan, down-scan, hole shot, etc isn’t totally necessary to fish these events. Just turn up and fish. You can get all the kit when you are able to later.

I promise you will learn in leaps and bounds from the other anglers. You’ll be sure to make a few good friends also!

Best bassing regards God bless your travels and adventures!

Wayne *Bennie Wiese is the editor of SA Bass magazine and an experienced provincial bass angler.

Contact us for a quote on any reel service or repair Services Repairs Maintenance 54 SA BASS October 2016

Tel: 078 548 1301 Email: hotreeltec@gmail.com Authorized

Service Center

>> SA BASS INTERNATIONAL

Namibia at the B.A.S.S Nation

Neil Engelbrecht

The NBAA – has been fortunate enough to send Neil Engelbrecht to a B.A.S.S. NATION Championship event held in America this year. >> Hendrik Pretorius

“

The road towards qualifying for this prestigious even was tough” Neil said. He has been fishing for many years and has always dreamt of competing on such a high level against the top guys from other countries.

Neil is the person whom every Namibian Bass angler is grateful for as it is through his commitment and leadership on the NBAA Exco that Namibia qualified to become members of B.A.S.S and a new addition to the Bass family.

Bass Nation Qualifying event was held in November 2015 on the famous Von Bach Dam. Neil started his day blind on the water, not being able to practice the day before, he had to go out and fish blind. He said, “I don’t usually go on fishing history, so I knew I had to come up with something good and it had to be fast”. This helped him to ignore the usual “spots” and he started to take into consideration the current weather, water temperature, clarity etc to find the hiding places the bass were at.

Neil managed to fight his way to the top for the first place crown and the opportunity to compete in the 2016 B.A.S.S. NATION CHAMPIONSHIP to be held from Thursday the 17th November to Saturday 19th November on Lake Conroe, Montgomery, Texas.

I asked Neil some interesting questions and his answers follow shorty: Will you be able to practice beforehand?

“The official practise will be held on Wednesday 16th November, but this year is the first time that contenders will be able to attend pre-pratice from the 12th to 14th November on the lake. I will thus be going earlier to make use of this opportunity to familiarise myself with the venue”.

Is the B.A.S.S. Nation Event a dream come true for you?

“YES, to be able to compete with the best amateur anglers in the world on one of the best fisheries the State

of Texas has to offer is a dream come true. Being involved with the Namibian Bass Nation from the start it has always been a goal for me to qualify for this event”.

Do you think that some anglers will try to intimidate their opponents on and of the water to rattle their cages?

“The pressure of being able to compete in this event will be huge by itself and I don’t think other anglers get to much involved with the international competitors that attend. All international competitors are seen as underdogs by the local anglers which in itself can be a blessing as spectator boats will not be a concern for me.”

Would you like to thank someone or sponsors for the support they have given you to attend this prestigious event?

“I would like to thank the executive of the Namibian Bass Anglers Association and in person Richard Grant, president of the Namibian BASS Nation, for his devotion to our beloved sport. I have been involved with the administration of both the NBAA and the Namibian BASS Nation and know just how much effort and time he has to put in to make this possible. This year even more so with the severe draught that Central Namibia is in. He not only has to run the sport but think about keeping our fish stocks from disappearing as more and more of our dams are running empty.”

The excitement in Neil’s eyes is evidence enough that he is truly excited to attend the 2016 B.A.S.S. NATION CHAMPIONSHIP. The fishing friends and family in Namibia wish Neil Engelbrecht all of the best and hope that he lands some Texas “monster” bass.

We at SA BASS and all our readers wish Neil all the very best for the B.A.S.S. NATION CHAMPIONSHIP and look forward to publish a follow up article - Ed. SA BASS 55 October 2016

>> SA BASS INTERVIEW

Justy Varkevisser

2 16 Wrangler Angler

The South African Bass Angling Association National Championships 2016 was one of toughest championships in many years and the ultimate price was up for the take.

A

ident, Craig Justy Varkevisser and SABAA pres 08 SA BASS 56 October May 20122016

Fraser

>> Bennie Wiese*

fter three days of hard fishing in tough conditions, one of the most competitive anglers in the country, Justy Varkevisser, from the Southern Division was crowned Wrangler Angler 2016.

SA BASS and our readers congratulate Justy on this remarkable achievement as this was the seventh time he was crowned SA Wrangler Angler. This achievement gives him access to fish the B.F.N.C. (B.A.S.S. Federation National Championship) which dates back to the 1980’s. We thank him for the following interview: Bennie: From what age did you start fishing and why do you enjoy the sport?

I started at the age of four; back in the days when my dad was farming in the then called Rhodesia. I enjoy the sport as there is no one else to blame for failure; it’s just you against the fish.

Bennie: What was your history to qualify for this year’s Nationals?

I qualified for nationals via the mighty Southern Division - undoubtedly the strongest division under the SABAA umbrella. It was an extremely frustrating season as I did not manage to win even one of the divisional events last season.

But as we all know this sport is dominated by consistency and not by squirrels locating the odd pile of nuts. Anyway, even with a demanding season I still managed to secure the number one spot in the division.

Bennie: Did you have goals for this event?

As with all national based events, the goal is to always perform well and maintain a good history to stay within the Protea team nominations.

Bennie: What was your history to become Wrangler Angler this year?

Over the last few years I have been fortunate to retain a good history based on consistent finishes at national events.

So heading into the 2016 event I once again had a good chance to achieve B.F.N.C. contender. I believe the system robbed me of gaining it back in 2015, but that’s political, so let’s not go there.

Bennie: Did you have time to practice for Clanwilliam this year?

This year due to the move to Tzaneen of the residential and business premises, I had very little spare time on my hands. The family was number one priority and therefore did not manage to spend any time prior to the 21 day cutoff. Looking back on it though, I am sure that due to the lake level fluctuation from nearly empty to capacity in a few days proved useless to anyone that spent hours and thousands of Rands pre-fishing and mapping, etc.

So much emphasis on mapping seemed to be the talk of the town prior to this event which is really not a big thing for owners of Humminbird 360 systems. Simply drop the 360 into the lake and BOOM. It all shows up.

Bennie: Did you gain any new knowledge about this venue in the practice day?

Practice day was extremely frustrating from a fishing point of view. The day was also really short due to the serious mist. I threw a few baits around without getting a single bite on the day. I did manage to look at a lot of potential areas with SM3000 driven SI and the 360 function. This would prove helpful as the tournament progressed. But there sure was a hive of very agitated bees in my pip after practice day.

Bennie: What was your standings from day one till the last day?

Day one; I started out in the river system and managed two fish cranking a channel bend. But after a few hours without any further action I headed out to the central area of the Clan-system looking at spots I had marked near the river channel and old water line. Once I settled in and got into a rhythm I managed to boat another three fish including a good one of 1.5kg plus. I’m just thankful to have boated five for the day. The way that I had caught and targeted those last three fish made the gears mesh and lead me to believe I was onto something possibly. I ended up in 18th spot after day one.

Day 2; I headed out with the intention to target the deeper plan again. Using the 360, I managed to find isolated chunk rock just of the channel in 25/30ft. I landed seven fish for the day which pulled me up to the ninth place.

Day 3; I repeated the same process and only had four fish in the box with an hour to go. Fortunately the wind picked up as it usually does in the Cape. I decided to go shallow with reaction baits. The fifth bite of the day came with only thirty minutes to go. The fish decided it would rather swim free than spend time in the boat. At this point the world was not a pleasant place. With minutes to spare I made a long

My advice to guys coming through the ranks to the federation is; get on this train and get on it quick.

Proof is in the pudding

cast over a shallow grass point and hooked up with a real good one to end the day. I was placed seventh after final day.

Bennie: What is your goal for the Wrangler Angler event (will you go and practice in the USA?) This will be my seventh visit to the B.F.N.C. I’m hoping to just get the break needed to move on with my career in bass fishing. There are so many things that need to go your way in order to win that event. Well, maybe this time around it will all line up. I will spend some time in the States prior to the event.

Bennie: Any advice to upcoming anglers that look up to you?

My advice to guys coming through the ranks to the federation is; get on this train and get on it quick.

Any last thoughts In closing, just wanted say how much this new Humminbird Tech has helped me achieve along this federation path. The 360 has to be most unbelievable tool I have used in my career. It simply just adds value to the task of finding and catching these fish. Paired with the Autochart function, it simply puts more fish in the boat than I have imagined catching, and at the times it matters most. *Bennie Wiese is the editor of SA Bass magazine and an experienced provincial bass angler.

SA BASS 57 October 2016

>> SA BASS SABAA NEWS

Southern Division

Juniors Tournament Report

Jason Harrison

>> Ian Geldard*

T

he opening round of this year`s Southern Division Junior bass fishing tournament was held at Bronkorspruit Dam on the weekend of 6 and 7 August 2016. The weather was icy cold with morning temperatures of -2ยบC at 5.30am that warmed up to a great warm day at 23ยบC. The water temperature averaged 12ยบC with clear water and the dam level was 69 percent.

Juniors under the age of 18 years represent various clubs from around Gauteng that are affiliated to SABAA and they fish in four events from August to November. The main objective is to make the eight man squad to represent the Southern Division to fish at the annual national tournament which will be at Wriggelswade Dam in the Eastern Cape in March 2017. In this event juniors that qualify will represent South Africa as Junior Protea anglers and they fish against a strong Zimbabwe team.

The season was pre-spawn with groups of male bass moving closer to the shallows and although the big females were not caught the boys had good catches. The objective 58 SA BASS October 2016

is to catch a daily limit of five bass with a minimum length of 30cm and the boys were able to upgrade their bag limits throughout the day by changing fishing patterns to attract bigger and more aggressive fish. The biggest fish caught was only 1.03kg however more than 80 fish caught on Saturday and although Sunday was a bit tougher the top boys still had good fishing.

The successful fishing pattern was to fish a drop shot rig slowly in the early cold conditions changing to a reaction pattern with twitch baits as the day warmed up, and then to constantly move to fresh spots to look for new aggressive and bigger fish.

Two boys are randomly drawn to fish on a bass boat fitted with a trawling motor and live-wells. The boys then rotate who has control of the boat every two hours whilst the boat skipper acts as a marshall to ensure fair play and to assist with the independent netting of the fish once caught. The boys are responsible to check the length of the fish to ensure that each one complies with the length limit

Cameron Stonely presenting his big fish of 1.03kg

of 30cm. Should a bigger fish be caught then they return their smaller ones to the dam whilst keeping an eye on the five fish limit to ensure that they are healthy. The Southern Division practices catch and release where all fish once weighed at the end of the day are returned to the dam alive and well to be caught again one day.

On Sunday the starting order was based on their finishing position from Saturday and this ensured that those who had found fish were able to remain competitive by launching first to go to their chosen spots first. At the end of day two the boys attend a prize giving with certificates awarded for the first three positions as well as the biggest fish. The final results will be carried forward to the next event to be held at Roodekoppies Dam on 10 and 11 September and become the starting order for the new event.

Final results: 1. Jason, H 16.88 points 2. Luke, K 17.24 points 3. Tristan, F 16.03 points 4. Bryce, G 17.22 points 5. Reece, G 16.05 points 6. Kewan, N 16.69 points 7. Joe, K 11.18 points 8. Jordan, K 9.76 points 9. Cameron, S 11.21 points Biggest fish was caught by Cameron, S â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1.03kg *Ian Geldard is the Divisional Manager of the Southern Division Juniors.

The Southern Division Juniors SA BASS 59 October 2016

>> SA BASS ZIMBABWE FISHING

Harare Bass Chapter

visit to Mteri

Harare Bass Chapter had booked the self catering lodge at Mteri for the long weekend in August. We had decided to make the most of what is normally better fishing and fish three league events in a row on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday. >> Clint Skinner

T

he trip down for most was easy enough and all eight boats settled in ready for an early but chilly start at first light. Fishing was slower than it had been in previous weeks but everyone was soon busy with the fish on Zara Spook soon making their presence felt.

Everyone managed five fish limits ranging from 3kg to 13kg. Keith Bydawell and Dave Evans leading the pack each having boated a 10lb fish during the course of the day to add the kicker that was needed. Keith and Guy Harvey taking team for the day. Known as team Darwendale due to heroics at Darwendale for the last few years it was good to see them coming good at another dam.

Day two dawned and some sore bodies took a little longer to get ready. Overall fishing was tougher for most with bags between 4kg and 10kg. Mark Phillips taking Duma with a 3kg fish that hit a buzz bait in the early afternoon under clear and bright skies. This was the first time Mark had ever thrown a buzzbait in his life so proof that its always worth trying things outside of the ordinary.

He and his partner Kyle Basson also winning the days team event for a clean sweep.

Changing weather greeted the third day. Pre-frontal clear skies, no wind and increased temperature found many teams unable to locate the keepers that had been dismissed on the previous two days but Mteri does not disappoint 60 SA BASS October 2016

with most still finding five fish. Clint Skinner and Damon Mesley had found a bite no one else found pulling ten or more keepers off every tree on a ridge ending the day with more than hundred keepers having been boated.

Unfortunately they also lost what was potentially a PB with an absolute giant spitting the hook close to the boat after a prolonged fight.

Day three weigh in again saw 4kg to 9kg bags though with stories of giant fish seen in the shallows making the next generation.

Overall the baits that produced were Senko in 6 and 7 inch, fighting frogs, jigs and flukes. Many a fish fell to crank baits including a few of Mteri’s famous bream.

Harare Bass Chapter donated a gas stove to the lodge and with that addition it was a most pleasant weekend.

The fires burnt long into the night as stories were told and retold.

Given the bass moving up Mark Phillips and I decided to have a last cast early on the Tuesday morning and what a decision it turned out to be. The front had blown in and it was overcast and with 2ft swells but the fish came calling.

Mark throwing his now “favourite” buzzbait quickly took a solid 12kg limit. An hour’s fishing that neither of will forget quickly and will see us anxiously planning the 2017 trip to this gem of a dam.

>> SA BASS INDUSTRY NEWS

SAFTAD Show (South African Fishing Tackle Agents and Distributors)

>> John Badenhorst

R

ecently the annual SAFTAD Show (South African Fishing Tackle Agents and Distributors) was held in Johannesburg and being a writer for SA Bass Magazine, I was invited to have a look at the new inventions and all the new toys coming up for this next season. It just so happens that our local SAFTAD show takes place only a few short weeks after the International ICast Tackle show and the technology unveiled here is some of the latest that was on display in Europe about a month ago.

A trade show like this is not open to the public and even tackle shops need to get invites in order to attend. The idea is to bring the importers, distributors and the tackle store owners and reps together over a period of a weekend to unveil the latest innovations in all facets of angling, from Bass, to fly fishing, deep sea, artlure and specimen angling. Before the tackle shop owners place orders for their specific clientele, they are educated and introduced to all the new stuff that will be available for the upcoming season. The purpose behind this is simple yet effective. By showing the tackle store owners how the new toys work, they can in turn show their potential customers the obvious benefits of using X or Y baits and A or B lines for specific purposes.

This then allows the tackle store owner the comfort of creating an order from

the distributors for the equipment or gear he or she feels will be of greater benefit and importance to his or her clients.

Wow, what an experience with most of the tackle importers and distributors well represented from line manufacturers and sports clothing, to the latest in terminal tackle and electronics, it was good that it was held over a period of two days as although the location was not very big, one needed to spend at least two days browsing and asking questions and joining discussions just to get to grips with the basics of what is on offer.

The stands were well set up and represented by people that know the industry and their products and this in itself was an eye opener for a first timer like me. The added bonus was that every single representative could explain in detail how his or her product works and how it would with the right technique help the angler to improve on his or her catches. From a brand new range of Stretch soft plastics coming out of Australia to magnificent swimbaits, the latest in fly fishing technology and exotic destinations down to specialised rods and setups to target barbell. It was all on display.

So, whats new? Lots and lots; I could write a book, no actually two books about all the new goodies and toys that will for some anglers make it a much better season to come. In our next issue, I will elaborate on some of these new inventions and their purpose and correct use. Some of these will also be featured on our Gear Up section of this same issue.

In the meantime, the season is upon us, go out there, get some sun, get some fish and keep an eye on SA BASS Magazine for some very interesting toys coming to a tackle store near you.

CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS The size of each classified advertisement block is 44mm (w) x 40mm (h). Advertisers can book one or more blocks per issue. The cost is R271.00 VAT excluded, per block, per issue and is payable strictly upfront.

Advanced payment can be made into our BB Print bank account at ABSA, account number 404 881 8651, branch code: 334 645 before the 25th of each month to appear two months later.

Proof of payment plus a contact number must be faxed to 086 234 5026 or e-mailed to advertise@sabass.com

SELF CATERING COTTAGE

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

Tournament season starts in November 2017

62 SA BASS October 2016

The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading hook

The hook demanded by the best bass anglers everywhere.

Gamakatsu offers the sharpest, thinnest and strongest hooks available. Our high quality hooks are available in all forms for the descerning bass angler.

Distributed by

| Tel: 011 791 2635, Fax: 011 791 2782 | gadams@stealth.co.za | www.stealth.co.za

SA BASS 63 October 2016

>> SA BASS LIFESTYLE

>> Jo Dreyer

Great Crested Grebe

W

e recently joined Rudi on his fourth SABAA National Championship hosted by the Western Cape at Clanwilliam Dam. Once again we went as a family to support Rudi. The drive down was absolutely amazing. Even with the extreme drought conditions, the N1 and N10 highways produced a tremendous amount of scenery. I have no problem with driving far and pitched in on doing some of the driving, which can sometimes be dangerous as when I see a bird that is of interest I can make sudden stops or erratic movements with the vehicle we are in and to top it all, we are towing a boat. I personally think it’s a good way to keep everyone on their toes. The drive down is definitely worth it. The landscape is ever changing and doesn’t disappoint.

Granted, there are times where you see the same landscape for kilometres and kilometres but being a birder this is no problem. We saw, at an average speed of about 100km/h, believe it or not, Ludwig’s Bustard, Southern Black Korhaan, Karoo Korhaan and Blue Korhaan. Don’t worry, these I saw when I was a passenger, and each time Andrea and I almost broke our necks to see them, but identified them spot on. At one point we also stopped to do a stretch and take a few Karoo selfies, (yes, the bug bit me too, but it’s the best thing to do when you want to be in on the family photos too) and saw a rare vagrant from East Africa.

What are the chances of that? Completely out of its range and not in its correct habitat. A Golden Pipit. It sure helps to be a birder if you cannot sleep in the car on such long journeys. It makes the trip just that much shorter as you have something, really fun to do.

64 SA BASS October 2016

I was asked to be the photographer for the tournament and this month’s article covers a bird we saw on the water an and w wh while I was photographing the anglers. A big thank you too Ian Versveldt that was so patient in taking me closer to so of the birds so that I too could get a bit of action so some on the water. on The Great Crested Grebe is one of three grebe species ffoo found in Southern Africa and is commonly found in S South Africa close to the Gauteng and Free State regions a well as the lower western side of the Western Cape. as Its habitat includes large lakes and pans, rarely in estuaries and sheltered bays making its concealed nest from floating soaked plant material on the fringe of vegetation on the water. It lays between 3 to 4 eggs aan nd both parents build the nest, tend to the nest, eggs and and young.

The Great Crested Grebe is the biggest of the three grebes and is easily identified not only by size but by its long neck. It also has a dark distinctive crest, rufous ear and start of neck with a white face. It almost looks like it is wearing a feathered mask. The eye is a red-black colour and the bill is dagger-like and black. The neck is a white-grey in front and black at the back. The back and wings appear black but is mottled between black and very dark brown.

The Great Crested Grebe is about 56cm in length and is un-miss able on the water. They too, like the Little Grebe, dive down and appear elsewhere but are much easier to find again. I have only ever seen them swimming together in pairs but have heard they have been found swimming solo for long periods of time. Great Crested Grebes eat small fish, tadpoles and freshwater invertebrates.

I thoroughly enjoyed Clanwilliam, it is a really beautiful dam and town, and truly hope we will be visiting the area again soon. It has a wonderful array of things to do and doesn’t disappoint. The Cedarberg is just around the corner and the little town itself hosts quite a bit to do and has great restaurants and little curio shops. The Cedarberg also hosts a wealth of information regarding the first and early settlers as well as the Khoi San people who inhabited our beautiful country so many thousands of years ago.

I say, don’t pull your nose up when you know you have a fair distance to travel, look at the prospect of learning new things on the way before you throw it to the way side.

Happy Birding