SA BASS July 2017

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

has gone digital !!

GET YOUR FAVOURITE SA Bass MAGAZINE

DIGITALLY To go out during the cold winter to fish for bass can and will be a daunting task. Normal bass fishing conditions will be in sunny weather and targeting the structures, vegetation and the shaded areas that will produce fish during the heat of the day. Winter on the other hand does not give you any of those visible signs.

These are so called lean months. What can we do? The first thing we must do is try and understand what the bass are doing during these lean months. We need to understand the food chain which can be drastically reduced by the nature’s elements. Extremely cold weather conditions, will and can kill smaller bait fish and some of the aquatic life the bass has to stay alive on and so have a limited diet for these winter months.

There are many views on this! I believe that lure selection is critical, in extremely cold water, the bass will move only a minimal distance for food. In my view the bait must be equal or greater than the energy the bass spends to get to it.

Think about your own life style during the winter months; do you leave the comfort of your own home ten times a day to go to the shop or only once. Well it’s the same for a bass.

Why should the fish dash around for small items of food when it will not pay off for the energy expended to run down and catch it?

A good tip if you are fishing plastic baits is to keep your baits warm. I place a few imitations into a plastic bag and keep them in my pocket. This keeps the bait flexible and will work well in cold water temperatures.

Remember small attention to details like that will separate you from the rest of the fishermen, and you will catch more fish. The key to winter bass fishing is patience.

Best of luck to all the anglers that have qualified for the FLW South Africa Championship that will be held on the 13 - 15 July on the Vaal River. The teams have qualified from Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Western Cape with many top bass anglers of the country being part of this event. This will be the first tournament of it kind where the top two teams will qualify to go and fish the Costa FLW Series Championship in the USA. Well, being a member of one of the teams that has qualified for this historic event, best of luck to all the other teams and we see you all at the Vaal River. Yes, bring lots of warm clothing with you because it’s going to be cold!

Bennie Wiese / Editor

Y ONL pm R28

For your Apple, Android or Windows 8

Compatible with:

http://www.magzter.com/

2017 SA baars BASS MAGAZINE

SUBSCRIPTION Form Subscription Fees: South Africa Printed Single issue - R37.95 3 months - R109.95 6 months - R214.95 12 months - R429.95

Digital R27.95 R84.95 R169.95 R324.95

Neighbouring countries R759.00 for 12 issues Overseas by Air Mail R914.00 for 12 issues

Subscription fees are valid until 31 December 2017

Subscriber’s details: Start subscription with the ................................................... issue?

Name: ...................................................................................................................

E-mail: ..................................................................................................................

Postal Address: ..................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................

Postal Code: ...................... Tel: ..........................................................................

Gift subscription from: .........................................................................................

Tel: ........................................... E-mail: ...............................................................

Direct Deposit / EFT Payments: EFT – (Electronic Fund Transfer) directly to our account ABSA Bank Branch Code: 632 005 Cheque account: BB Print - 404 881 8651 Reference: “Sub + Bass (surname)” Fax/Email proof of payment plus this completed subscription form to 086 234 5052.

Contact us: E-mail: hannes@sabass.com BB Print, P.O. Box 24938, Gezina, 0031, Fax: 086 234 5052

SA BASS 01 July 2017

Photo by Patterson Leeth

ANYBODY CAN JOIN THE WORLD’S

JOIN FLW TODAY The world's largest tournament-fishing organization ANYBODY CAN JOIN AND ENJOY MEMBERS-ONLY BENEFITS: * A credit card type FLW membership card * 8 digital issues of FLW Bass Fishing magazine USA * 12 digital issues of SA BASS magazine * Access to digital FLW USA archives * Monthly members-only tackle giveaways * 10% off all FLW Gear * FLW Fantasy Fishing Members Advantage tools * Monthly FLW E-Newsletter Payment option - Direct Deposit / EFT Payments: Account name: SA BASS Bank: FNB Pretoria North Branch Code: 251 045 Cheque account: SA BASS - 620 243 03 068 Reference: “FLW + (surname)” Fax proof of payment plus this completed subscription form to 086 234 5052; E-mail proof of payment plus this completed subscription form to hannes@sabass.com

Subscription Fees*: Within the Republic of South Africa - R800 per annum (per person) *All local FLW members get full FLW membership; *FLW South Africa administrates all local membership entries. *Subscription fees are subject to the Rand/US Dollar exchange rate

Member’s details: YY / MM / DD Date of birth: .......................................................

First name: ...............................................................................................................

Last name: ...............................................................................................................

Landline: ............................................... Mobile: .................................................

Postal Address: ....................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................................

Postal Code: ...................... Gender: .........................

Contact us:

E-mail address: ........................................................................................................

E-mail: hannes@sabass.com BB Print, P.O. Box 24938, Gezina, 0031

Gift subscription from: .........................................................................................

Tel: ........................................... E-mail: ...............................................................

M R em 8 b 0 e 0 r /y sh e ip a r

www.flwsouthafrica.com

Limited offer

JOIN FLW TODAY The world's largest tournament-fishing organization and enjoy benefits like this:

Save R336

Sail blue

Vivid blue

Columbia PFG Bahama II Long Sleeve Shirt Designed specifically for the needs of anglers, this lightweight, durable nylon shirt dries fast, with mesh-lined cape vents at the back shoulder to keep you cool and built-in UV protection. * Omni-Shade UPF-30 * Quick dry * Convert to a short sleeve * Relaxed fit

Members: R639.oo each Non-members: R975.oo each

(excludes delivery cost)

See the outer back cover page for full membership benefits or visit our website www.flwsouthafrica.com SA BASS 03 July 2017

Contents

SA BASS Magazine

is published monthly (12 issues per annum)

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

Office hours:

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

Contact numbers:

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

Postal Address:

SA BASS, PO Box 24938, Gezina, 0031, RSA

Publisher:

Hannes Lindeque - hannes@sabass.com

Editor:

Bennie Wiese - bennie@sabass.com

Assistant Editor:

John Badenhorst

Field Editors:

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

Junior Field Editors:

Jean-Michel Gravenor

International Columnists:

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

Advertising Manager:

Wilma Lindeque - wilma@sabass.com

Subscriptions:

Hannes Lindeque - hannes@sabass.com

Facebook Administrator:

Chris Greenland

Digital subscriptions:

www.magzter.com

Layout and Design:

Storm Deezigns - dee@stormdeezigns.co.za

Distributed by RNA:

Jannie Junius (011) 248 3536

REGULARS & FORUMS 06

08

FLW “THE MENDOTA RIG” This refined version of a reverse Texas Rig is a good tool for shallow cover – Curtis Niedermier

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 welldefined niche market since April 2001. It enjoys the support and endorsement of nongovernment organisations, but is not affiliated in any way to these bodies or to any other publishing, environmental or political interest group.

Our mission is to promote bass angling as a socially acceptable and popular outdoor recreational activity, and in addition, to encourage acceptable angling ethics. As such, SA BASS provides pertinent information on a wide range of subjects. These include providing a platform for informed debate on issues affecting the sport of bass angling, providing information on bass angling strategies and techniques, bass angling waters and opportunities, and also creating awareness of new products.

Within this editorial mix, due consideration is given to developing the sport among all the 04 SA BASS July 2017

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

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

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

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

SA BASS “Newton on Cast Control” Every week I deal with clients who ask me to do various things to their fishing reels to get it to cast further, or cast lighter, or in some cases heavier lures.

– Dewald Vijoen

16

TOURNAMENT NEWS “Search Bait Tips” In the USA professional anglers have a list of baits (many vary from angler to vary) that they depend on for searching out bass.

– David Swendseid

SA BASS “BASS POLICE” In recent times, there has been the blurring of lines which, not so long ago, seemed to be so clearly defined. In our everyday dealings with others, we usually would err on the side of conservatism – Kevin Lofstedt

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.

18

20

CLASSROOM “Winter Blues” Right, so this past season for many anglers was probably not the greatest. Firstly we started off in very dry conditions nearing the end of winter and the upcoming spring.

– John Badenhorst

INTERVIEW “The Best Lure For Bass” “What is the best lure for bass?” a question I’m often asked. People who ask this type of question are typically always disappointed by my answer.

– Divan Coetzee

22

32

TACTICS “Vaal River Tips” With the FLW South Africa Championship that will be held on the Vaal River in the cold winter, all the anglers will be looking for that extra help to do their best – Bennie Wiese

34 36

40

INTERNATIONAL “Bank On The Wind Shoreline Bassin’ In Windy Conditions” Having experienced one of the best days of fishing I have ever had catching big bass and monster ssogari, from Geumho Lake to Tamjin River wire-to-wire, reinvigorates me with renewed enthusiasm and positivity for a scheduled return trip to the Yeongsan River – Fishingboy

TACTICS “So Much Action & Yet No Bites!”

The other week at the beginning of May, we fished Albert Falls Dam in KZN during a tournament.

– Mzi Tyhokolo

48

PRODUCT NEWS “COBB Cooking System” The patented COBB cooking system grills, fries, bakes, smokes, boils and warms. This unique light-weight cooking system is portable, simple to use and virtually smokeless.

SA BASS “Blanking” You’ve thrown the dice and made the plans for weeks ahead. Checked, double checked and even triple checked weather data for the same period for the last three years – John Badenhorst

KLASKAMER “Laat Winter Hengelgeheime” Geduld. Dit is seer sekerlik een van die belangrikste eienskappe van ’n winterbaarshengelaar. Ruk-en-pluk kunsvissies of, “jerkbaits”, soos die meeste van ons die ase ken, is sekerlik een van die suksesvolste ase die tyd van die jaar. Nou wat het geduld en die kunsvissies dan in gemeen?

– Philip Kemp

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS

38 30

SA BASS “Venturing on the Vaal River With Frans Swanepoel” I was asked the question not so long ago; what is my favourite bass fishery?

– Roger Donaldson

CLASS ROOM

“Power Of Weightless” Any bass angling fanatic must have the power of weightless fishing with them at all times.

The technique that will produce time and time, again! This is probably my favourite technique since I started hammering the bass lately on this technique!

– Louis Bezuidenhout

01

MY CAST

26

Cast-for-Cash - Tournament Results

44

GEAR UP

ON THE COVER “FLW Champion, Greg Gutierrez ” Image: David Swendseid SA BASS 05 July 2017

>> SA BASS

Newton

ON

Cast Control

Cast control knob. All cast control knobs regardless of brand or design works the same way. By applying more pressure on the spool shaft they essentially increase the startup force required to spin the spool thereby controlling the overall momentum

E

very week I deal with clients who ask me to do various things to their fishing reels to get it to cast further, or cast lighter, or in some cases heavier lures. Since the solutions to these problems are often not as difficult as the reel owner might think I decided to do an article on the subject.

It turns out that writing an article about reel set up is not as simple as one might think! You see, for me to effectively explain what happens when you cast a reel I have to take you back to high school and Newton’s Laws of Motion. Take note that this article looks at the physics of a reel in action; it does not take into account the human factors of timing and manual control!

Before I start, let me apologize to all science teachers, physicists and engineers reading this, for what follows is the very most basic explanation of Newton’s laws and it is worded to fit our fishing scenario! To explain how to set up your reel for maximum performance I will quickly recap Newton’s Laws:

1 2 3

Newton’s first law states that and object at rest, or in constant motion will stay in that state unless acted upon by an external force.

Newton’s second law explains that the greater the momentum of an object, the greater the force required to change its velocity. We will not bother with the maths here!

Newton’s third law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

These three laws govern the motion of every object on earth. The key thing for us as anglers to take away here is that it essentially describes a balance of forces and that, my friends, is what a successful cast really is. A balance of forces. Allow me to explain.

06 SA BASS July 2017

>> Dewald Viljoen* During a cast we have two separate objects in motion on two separate plains and the object of a successful cast, be far or near, is for both objects to come to a rest at approximately the same moment. A balance of forces.

The first object is your lure. It is an object in motion (flight in this case) and according to the first law it will only change from that motion if an external force acts upon it.

In this case there are three external forces, namely gravity, air resistance and line drag, that all working to change the state of motion and slow it down. Since the momentum of the lure is depended on the weight and size, the influence of the three external forces to chance its velocity, as explained in the second law, varies greatly, but since most people’s question is around the subject of cast light, weightless plastics, I will focus on that for the sake of ease.

The average four inch minnow bait weighs around 5 to 6 gram, or a little less than a quarter ounce, a relatively small mass for gravity to act upon. It does however have a rather large surface relative to its weight making it easier for air resistance to change its velocity quite quickly and thus not going very far. Add to this the cumulative effect of line drag and poor reel settings and its going almost nowhere!

The next object in motion is the spool of your reel. The spool starts of in a state of rest and requires a certain amount of external force to overcome its state of inertia. This force is provided, via the line attaching it, by the motion of the lure.

As the spool starts to move centrifugal force will try move the mass of the line wrapped around the spool away from the centre of the spool thus concentrating the mass of the line making it an object with a denser mass and thus a higher momentum requiring more force to change its velocity. In the process the outer layers of line is being thrown of the spinning spool and being carried away by the lure, in the process creating its own, growing drag acting upon the lure.

Since we have ingenuously designed reels with low friction bearings and since a spinning spool has a relatively

Centrifugal (pictured here) and magnetic cast control systems are in truth a braking mechanism whether through friction (as in a centrifugal system) or through magnetic force (as in a magnetic system) both are designed to bleed momentum of a spinning spool in a control fashion. In the end by adjusting the setting you control how much force is exerted.

Remember, the heavier the spool, the more momentum it will carry and the longer it will take to slow down, a lure landing before the spool stops causing an overwind. (https://office.com/getword)

small surface area compared to its mass, forces like gravity, air resistance and drag has very little effect on the momentum, which for most anglers will result in an over wind. Luckily reel manufactures have come up with ways for us to inhibit the spool momentum. They achieve this in two ways. First is to heighten the inertia of the spool. This is done though the cast control knob. This screw down cap exerts pressure on the spool shaft which means more energy is required to get the spool in motion and to keep it in motion. This is your main setting tool. The heavier the lure the more force can be applied here to control the momentum. For our lighter lures however this is usually set as low as possible while still making contact with the shaft. Never set the cast control a point where there is no contact with the shaft as this will cause the spool to move laterally in the frame and that will cost more distance as energy will be lost in the wrong direction.

The second method of control is a centrifugal system Different manufactures have different names for it and use magnets, or free weights, but in the end they all work on the same basic principal. All these systems are designed exert more force as the momentum builds and in doing so they gradually change the velocity of the spool, keeping the whole system in balance, resulting in smooth cast and a perfect landing. Well that’s the theory anyway. We all know too well that balance is very difficult thing to achieve and keep!

So let us cheat a bit! Using what we now know about Newton’s Laws and physics, let’s look at how we can get our reels to cast those light little lures. The easiest thing, if you can afford it is to buy a custom reel designed for light weights. A reel like the Shimano Aldebaran has a really light spool and high grade bearings which means it has a low inertia and requires very little force to get going but it is also a very shallow spool that only holds about 40m of 10lbs line which means it also has a low momentum and low velocity which makes it easier to slow down. The result

is a spool that starts easy and stops quickly but smoothly resulting in maximum distance casts without overwinds.

The quick fix if you do not want to buy a really expensive reel is to try and achieve the same thing with your reels.

First you can change the bearings in most reels with relative ease. While ceramic bearings are the easiest rolling bearings, they cost a pretty penny and depending on your reel they might actually make the situation worse! The best is to talk to a reel technician before you buy bearings. The next thing and most simple solution is to reduce the weight of your spool. There are a number of ways to do this, from fitting an imported aftermarket spool (the best but also most expensive option) to getting a good tool shop to drill and remove some material from your spool (be sure that you can get a spare spool for you reel before going this route!) or just plain simple low tech, reduce the line mass.

Reducing the line mass is as simple as spooling your reel with no more than 40m of 10lbs line. Don’t put any backing under it. Just 40m of 10lbs line straight on the spool. Sure, the spool will look empty but it will also carry less momentum and therefore lose velocity quicker, resulting in a more controllable light weight cast. The rest is just fine tuning your cast control settings to allow for changing conditions such as wind and lure design.

A final thought, when buying your next reel, a simple rule of thumb is to check the depth of the spool as to the design purpose of the reel. The shallower the spool, the more finesse the application. If you have any questions or require a more in depth explanation feel free to email me at dewald@hotreels.co.za. *Dewald Viljoen is a custom lure maker and the owner of Hot Reels Service Centre.

Contact us for a quote on any reel service or repair Services Repairs Maintenance

Authorized

Tel: 078 548 1301 Email: hotreeltec@gmail.com Service Center SA BASS 07 July 2017

GEAR

THE MENDOTA RIG

THE MENDOTA RIG THIS REFINED VERSION OF A REVERSE TEXAS RIG IS A GOOD TOOL FOR SHALLOW COVER

By Curtis Niedermier PHOTOS & ILLUSTRATIONS BY MATT PACE

T

he Mendota Rig falls into the category of “reverse Texas rig,” which, like the standard Texas rig, is a weedless, weighted soft-plastic combo. The difference is that everything has been flipped around.

A weight is attached to the bend of the hook instead of on the line above the hook eye, and the soft plastic – usually a craw – is rigged with the claws pointed “up” the line.

08 SA BASS July 2017

The concept of a reverse Texas rig isn’t new. A version called the Okeechobee Rig was introduced by Uncle Josh about a decade ago but is no longer being made, and anglers have been putting together their own variations over the years, usually for the purpose of punching thick grass.

The Mendota Rig version, which is named for Lake Mendota near the Madison, Wis., home of its designer, Jim Torgerson, offers anglers a complete, refined system that includes weights, hooks and soft plastics designed to fit together. The included weight only comes in 1/4-, 5/16- and 1/2-ounce sizes, so it’s not intended for punching the thickest of mats, but it’s still a good option for pitching and other vertical-type or lift-drop presentations. Steve McQuin, president of C to C Bait Co. in Beaverdam, Wis., the company that manufactures and sells the Mendota Rig, says it’s more of an all-purpose weedless rig for fishing around pads, brush and other shallow cover.

Here’s how to assemble it:

1.

2.

groove

eye

line

3.

4.

Tie on the hook.

Insert the weight’s spear point into the craw’s tail, making sure to align the line on the weight with the groove in the plastic. The weight’s eye should end up centered within the groove.

Twist the screw lock into the craw’s “head” – the opposite end compared to a normal Texas rig.

Bend the plastic so that the hook point can be passed through the eye in the weight and out the opposite side of the craw. It should end up in the open groove. Leave the hook point exposed or skin-hook it, depending on the cover being fished.

SA BASS 09 July 2017

Why Reverse It? A reverse Texas rig is compact, with no weight separation when it sinks or when it’s pulled over limbs or grass, which minimizes snags.

Hooksets can improve, too. If a fish bites the weight, which sometimes happens on the drop, the fish should get the hook point, and there’s no weight up the line to blow open the fish’s mouth when the hook is driven home.

When pitching or flipping with an ordinary Texas rig, the bait and hook flip end-for-end when the weight pulls the rig down into the water. When a fish bites it on the fall, the angler has to turn the bait with the hookset (see below) before the point can penetrate. Conversely, when the Mendota Rig sinks, the hook points up the line in the direction of the hookset. The entire force of the set is directed toward driving the hook into the fish.

Texas Rig

MIX & MATCH The following examples show popular soft-plastic creatures and craws rigged with the Mendota Rig weight and various hooks. There are likely several other hooks that would work with each plastic, and while these combos appear to fit well with the Mendota Rig weight, they haven’t been tested on the water to make sure that the hook can penetrate on the hookset. We’ll leave that step up to you.

MISSILE BAITS BABY D BOMB 4/0 WIDE-GAP WITH SPRING KEEPER

ZOOM BABY BRUSH HOG 5/0 EWG

ZOOM ULTRA VIBE SPEED CRAW 5/0 WIDE-GAP MUSTAD WITH SPRING KEEPER (INCLUDED WITH MENDOTA RIG)

Mendota Rig

ZOOM ULTRA VIBE SPEED CRAW 3/0 OFFSET-SHANK WORM HOOK WITH O’SHAUGHNESSY BEND

4-INCH BERKLEY HAVOC PIT BOSS 5/0 EWG MONSTER

STRIKE KING RAGE CRAW 5/0 OFFSET-SHANK WORM HOOK WITH O’SHAUGHNESSY BEND

ZOOM Z-HOG JR. 3/0 EWG

10 SA BASS July 2017

cont. on p12

contd. from p10

Mendota Advantages and Disadvantages The one disadvantage of the Mendota Rig weight compared to other similar reverse Texas rig weights is that it doesn’t come in any sizes heavier than 1/2 ounce. For that, you’ll need to consider an alternative such as the Zappu Sasuteki Sinker, which comes in sizes up to 1 1/2 ounce. Or you can make one with a heavy tungsten sinker and a piece of wire. Bend the wire in half to create an eye, and pass the two tag ends through the sinker. Bend them on the opposite side so the wire stays in place. It’s crude, but it works.

The advantage of the Mendota Rig as a whole is that C to C has already worked out all the details. The plastic is designed to fit the 5/0 Mustad hook that’s included, and a hollow space in the bait makes it 1 1/2-OUNCE ZAPPU SASUTEKI SINKER easy to hook the weight. Torgerson worked out the kinks to make sure the weight and bait are less likely to ball up on the hook and prevent a good hookset.

The rigid spear point is also a smart concept.

“The problem with a wire weight is if you set the hook really hard, those things [wires] just break,” says McQuin. “We wanted to solve that problem.

Another thing is they kind of flop around with the wire. It’s not really incorporated that well into the bait. We wanted to come up with a plastic that was actually designed to hold that sinker. The third difference is we’re the only ones that have a weight like this that has a skirt attachment.”

Plastics C to C sells three soft plastics that fit the system: a craw, skirted craw and tube. The tube is not a traditional hollow tube. It’s solid so a screw lock can be used.

McQuin says pretty much any soft-plastic creature or craw can be used, but you might need to tinker with the hook size or cut down part of the bait’s body to get everything to line up right. Widegap hooks and offset-shank worm hooks work with the weight, too.

Stocking Up C to C sells packages with one weight, one hook and four plastics for $9.89. Sinker packs, which are most popular, include three standard weights and one hook for $4.99 or three skirted weights and one hook for $6.49. Skirted weights come in only 1/4 and 1/2 ounce. They’re available at slopfrogbaits.com.

12 SA BASS July 2017

>> SA BASS TOURNAMENT NEWS

Search Bait Tips IN THE USA PROFESSIONAL ANGLERS HAVE A LIST OF BAITS (MANY VARY FROM ANGLER TO VARY) THAT THEY DEPEND ON FOR SEARCHING OUT BASS.

S

A Bass is going to let you in on a few secrets! Finding fish is more than using electronics.

Understanding fish behaviour and applying years of experience can bring you to various presentations that give you an edge in finding your tournament fish. Here are three top professionals sharing a little insight into searching for bass.

Roy Hawk deploys lipless recon The old lipless bait has made its way to stardom and winning tournaments. Casting and retrieving 14 SA BASS July 2017

Let the fish tell you how they want

the lure is the idea but the execution is strategic. FLW Star, Roy Hawk seeks out the heaviest thinnest lipless bait he can find. This type of lure (if found) can greatly increase your opportunity to covering water efficiently. A thin compact lipless bait by Realis is used

by Roy Hawk. The compact and heavy version of a lipless crank is deadly.

Not only does the angler get off an excellent cast but once the lure hits, it falls straight down allowing the lure to cover more topography efficiently.

Hawk mentioned the search bait will not only shine as a search-bait but will not come second to a big fish lure. Retrieves are as abundant and creative as movies and popcorn.

What is important is that you let the fish tell you how they want it. Hawk fancies using the lure but once he has located fish he will focus in on them with other baits and techniques. Most recently he did just that, finishing fourth at the FLW Lake Havasu event.

After searching, Hawk found the bass relating to secondary points and worked his magic from there.

>> David Swendseid*

Greg Guitierrez silent capture search Professional angler, Greg Gutierrez, won the 2017 FLW Lake Shasta event utilizing a different search presentation. His weapon of choice was “spybaiting”, the technique of silent capture but instead of using the technique to isolate and extract fish he employed it in a slightly different fashion. “I was actually rolling up on points and casting across them with a Spinbait 90 (Japanese spybait). I would make one of two casts across the point. If the lure got bitten, I would then back off from the area and stitch it with a Frenzy jig head and worm (similar to Shakey Head fishing)”, mentioned the pro. Running points and slow rolling his Spinbait across the point proved worthy. Once fish were located he could run a circle pattern to the areas again throughout the day.

Grant Goldbeck’s draw effect A third search technique not talked about until just recently is based on

“draw power”, utilizing a lure to draw out your quarry. Once seen, you can come back to the area and present to them specifically. What is unique about what Goldbeck does is simply the size of the tool used. The 2014 Bassmaster Elite Tour Pro has found a way to use giant swimbaits more regularly. In fact on several occasions each year Goldbeck will “pre-fish” with his giant swimbaits. “What folks don’t know, is many times you will go for days without catching a giant on a big swimbait. But what does happen is that many of the areas you target will get the fish to react. For example, following your swimbait out from a piece of cover but not eating the bait. Goldbeck and a handful of close friends started employing this search technique to their fishing. “What was cool is that you could see a school of bass leave the safety of a boat dock to pursue a big meal. As I began to do this more and more I saw how big fish related to an intruder (big swimbait).”

Goldbeck mentions, “...this isn’t about retrieve, it is more about show and tell... The giant swimbait profile keeps bass captive. Goldbeck uses two swimbaits to draw his fish. One is the Roman Made Mother and the other is the Onimasu. The Bassmaster Elite Pro mentions learning how to place the big swimbait for the greatest effect.

GOLDBECK’S ARSENAL OF SWIMBAITS

GREG GUTIERREZ’S WEAPON OF CHOICE WAS “SPYBAITING”

*David Swendseid is a professional bass angler in the USA and is currently the Research and Development specialist for DUO. He spends a great time teaching other professional anglers on how to execute techniques or learn new ones and also assist the international community on bass angling presentations. He pursued trophy bass records and held two lake records and an official state record. The study of fish behaviour and lure action is his forte. He currently contributes to about 16 international bass angling magazines, including SA BASS.

FLW Champion, Greg Gutierrez

SA BASS 15 July 2017

>> SA BASS The umbrella rig

BASS P LICE >> Kevin Lofstedt*

I

n recent times, there has been the blurring of lines which, not so long ago, seemed to be so clearly defined.

In our everyday dealings with others, we usually would err on the side of conservatism. However, put some cash in the mix, and all of a sudden we start losing sight of what we know is right and correct, and start looking to the rule book and guidelines for “loopholes” that suite our needs on the day. These “loopholes” are then exploited to give us the “edge” over our competitors. Money will do that to you! What am I getting at? Well, in order to make sure that those of us that have the tendency to look to “bend” the rules, the first line of action is to check the rules to see if they allow us to do something that some might consider unethical or illegal. This is the problem. Years ago, when most of these rules were put to paper, they factored in the general moral and ethical thinking of the day. As a direct result of this thinking, rules automatically assumed that there was a minimum level of ethics and morals in place.

In my opinion, the situation today is completely different, and any advantage, no matter how borderline ethical it may be, will be taken advantage of. Today, depending on whom you choose to speak to, you will find many, many loopholes which simply because of the “progress” of mankind, are not catered for, and subsequently you will hear the phrase “well, there’s nothing in the rules that forbids it”. Let me try to illustrate my point with a few “What ifs”.

What if someone invents a “cantilever hook that closes once you hook a fish” – Thereby guaranteeing that you will not lose the fish. (Not so much out of the question as we might think!)

Underwater camera drones… already here.

Fish “herding” sound technology to attract or herd fish into a particular area. Crazy? - Maybe not – how much cash you got?

Electronic “swimming lures” – been done already.

Electronic sound emitting crank baits – been done.

Multi hooked school baits – been done (“Umbrella rig” - I personally can’t believe the amount of discussion that took place around this particular “lure”. The fact 16 SA BASS July 2017

that it was eventually banned indicates that it was not considered ethical in most bassing circles.) Scary thought that some would even consider it in the first place. The lure manufacturer – laughing all the way to the bank. The fish – Sorry, nee!

Self casting/striking rods – already here.

These are just a few examples of the kind of things tackle suppliers and electronics suppliers would have us believe are “all good” – “screw the ethics, and gimme your money”. I guess what I am trying to emphasise is that each of us need to be the guardians of our Bass Universe. Our reliance on the ethics of the general angling population simply will not stand the test of what is ethically and more so, morally correct. We live in a land that is plagued with people that daily “bend the rules”, and we need to make sure that we do not accept this attitude in our sport. The African continent is a “bass poor” continent, and as such we need to do more than the rest of the Bassing World to protect these recourses. Whilst I have no intention of being overly critical, our federation needs to do a whole lot more in this regard. Our rules as they are at the moment have seen no significant changes for a long time. We need to take a long, hard look at them, and take whatever steps are needed to protect the fish. Right now, nobody is protecting the poor fish, and lure suppliers, motor manufacturers and boat manufacturers are all going full steam ahead to make sure that they’ve got something new and innovative to sell the anglers, and the poor fish are being fished to a pulp. The time to do something about this is now! Choose to do the “right thing”. If you think it’s dodgy, it probably is!

WORDS OF WISDOM: One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words: it is expressed in the choices one makes… and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility. - Eleanor Roosevelt Kennedy. *Kevin Lofstedt is a regular writer and a well known veteran bass angler with three times Southern Gauteng Colours since 1985. He is also the main founder of Clearwater Bassmasters Bass Chapter (1994)

COOK ANYTHING, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME

The patented COBB cooking system grills, fries, bakes, smokes, boils and warms. This unique light-weight cooking system is portable, simple to use and virtually smokeless.

dŚĞ ǁĞůů ĚĞƐŝŐŶĞĚ ĐŽŽŬŝŶŐ ƵŶŝƚ ĞŶƐƵƌĞƐ ĞǀĞŶ ŚĞĂƚ ĚŝƐƚƌŝďƵƟŽŶ ĂůůŽǁŝŶŐ ĨŽŽĚ ƚŽ ĐŽŽŬ ƉĞƌĨĞĐƚůLJ ĞǀĞƌLJ ƟŵĞ͘ tŚŝůĞ the Cobblestone makes your COBB searing hot on the inside, the base remains cool to touch on the outside and can be picked up and moved around while cooking. Each part of the COBB is dishwasher safe and replacement parts are readily available in South Africa.

Cooking delicious food on your balcony, in your backyard, on your boat or while camping has never been this easy. This is the future of outdoor cooking. This is the COBB.

Visit www.cobbonline.co.za or facebook/CobbSouthAfrica ĨŽƌ ŵŽƌĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ͘

>> SA BASS CLASS ROOM

Winter Blues >> John Badenhorst*

RIGHT, SO THIS PAST SEASON FOR MANY ANGLERS WAS PROBABLY NOT THE GREATEST. FIRSTLY WE STARTED OFF IN VERY DRY CONDITIONS NEARING THE END OF WINTER AND THE UPCOMING SPRING.

18 SA BASS July 2017

T

hen we had to contend with our favourite fish changing their behaviour to suit the low water conditions and act out their pre and spawn accordingly. Then came the rain and in many dams across the country we experienced nature taking care of itself with fish spawning yet again and in some places those we hunt kept us guessing by spawning as many as three times!!!

Confusing? Yes, for sure. Frustrating?

Even more so.

Speak to many anglers that fish either on social level or as competitors of the sport and most will agree to the frustrations experienced by many this past season. Delve a bit deeper and some might even admit to having more days out on the water pulling dinks or simply blanking.

For some there were factors to blame, sudden rise in water levels bringing more natural food and and and. However, those anglers that persevered got some fish and some of those even logged a new PB. Autumn has come and gone and according to the Weather man, we are in for a mild winter…..Yeah, right. I somehow have a feeling that this winter might just have a bit more bite than bark, but I could be wrong and if that’s the case then its happy days all round. As a person I don’t particularly like or enjoy winter months, you look outside, clear skies, no wind and the moment you step outside it feels like hell might have frozen over an no matter how many layers of clothing you have, the cold happens to sneak in somewhere to take a nip at you.

Trees are dead or in hibernation, grass

is brown especially in the upper reaches of the country and everything just looks drab in shades of brown and tan and then more brown and black from the odd veld fire. There is no mistaking it here folks, I prefer things to be bright with colour and vibrant with life and I honestly prefer trees and grass to be more a shade of green.

What has my dislike for winter have to do with those creatures of the deep?

Absolutely everything and if like me you always believed in the notion of our grandfathers about fish not biting during the months who’s names don’t have the letter R in it, then you are sadly missing out on what could be a rather fun time on the water.

Winter fishing for Bass is not for everyone and can in most respect be extremely challenging to say the least.

You have to challenge yourself to get up when it’s not only still very dark outside but as you walk across the crunching frost to your boat, the urge to return to the safety and comfort and snug between the duvet and electric blanket could also be another huge hurdle to overcome. Being up on the Highveld you will probably experience some form of heavy mist and fog on your journey during winter months. Getting wet while launching your boat at your spot could also be a challenge and hypothermia is very real and very dangerous indeed. You’re out on the water and after a few casts you can hardly feel your fingers and somehow something seems wrong with your reel until you realize that it’s simply ice freezing up in the guides of the rod and the level wind of the reel. Countless cups

of coffee later and around lunchtime when your body has finally thawed, you get into the swing of things.

Question is…..where are the fish?

Not in their usual haunts or hunting spots, not on their usual weed beds as these have all died down from the cold, not on your secret rock pile either as this is now covered in slimy green algae. Finding fish in winter is another massive challenge and someone once said, in winter you will find 90 percent of the fish in ten percent of the water.

When you look at it that way it sort of makes sense and the whole needle in a haystack theory fades a bit. Fish, especially Bass are creatures of habit and their strongest habit is to eat.

Think of the logic here, yes in winter many smaller fish and fry simply die due to the extreme temperatures but a reasonable amount of them do survive.

Where the survivors are or near them is probably where you will find those you seek. Deeper channels and drop offs have more constant variations in temperature and thus happens to be more comfortable for our friend the Bass. Believe it or not, even in extreme cold there are still some weed beds that will survive and this creates a haven for fry and due to the fact that the weed actually feeds off the feeble rays of the sun, it stands to reason that the water here will also be slightly more to the liking of Bass. The trick is to approach a venue with a plan in mind, work out a few options and take it from there.

By all means, try your secret spot, who knows? You might still find one or two late autumn stragglers. Due to water clarity as there is no more rain coming

in it is advisable to use more natural colours like Watermelon seed, Green Pumpkin seed and so on. Bass that you happen to see will see you from far away and they spook very easily so try making longer casts. Take what you know as slow, and slow it down even more. At times, I give my lure a twitch and then let it sit for up to a minute before the next twitch. Bass do not want to spend all their energy chasing something to eat in winter.

Give them something small enough that looks right, swims right and seems like it can’t get away and it becomes a different story. The take in most cases will be a slight feel of resistance like hooking into weed followed by a gentle swim away from you, towards you or to the side. Don’t become hasty as the fish could drop the lure in the blink of an eye and this might be the only decent bite you get all day. I find that smaller lures in the 2, 3 and 4 inch variety work best this time of the year and sometime I even go down to something as small as one and a half inch. Senko type of baits, various small paddle tail baits like the Seboko and even drop shot minnows on the right rig could result in a good fish. Check the banks that get the most sunlight, check windblown banks especially when the wind has been blowing in a specific direction for more than a day.

For years I always avoided as much as possible the prospect of getting on the water in the dead of winter until I had a long chat with an old buddy of mine and after overcoming the hurdles along the way I ended up fishing my first winter, three years back. The

fishing was so good that I ended up at least twice a week on the water. Same for the following year and last winter and here I sit writing this and already planning the trip for tomorrow.

Winter fishing has its hurdles and challenges, the cold, the mist, the discomfort and yet with planning it can all come together and be a truly rewarding day out. Would you rather be out on the water catching a few Bass o would you rather be sitting at home frustrated to the point that all you do is mope around the house and sit and watch YouTube clips about what you could be doing right now.

The good news is that winter is not forever although at some times it might feel like it’s dragging on forever and given my particular dislike to winter I can attest to this. Soon it will be time for pre spawn and searching for another PB and the prospect of warmer days ahead. Simply see winter fishing as practice time for the upcoming season and half the battle is already won.

Winter fishing for Bass is a challenge and you can sit at home or do something different and say to yourself…..Challenge?.....Challenge accepted!!!!!! *John Badenhorst is a keen angler himself, a regular contributor for SA BASS and a custom lure maker for Wolf Lures, Flies & Feathers.

SA BASS 19 July 2017

>> SA BASS INTERVIEW

>> Divan Coetzee

W

hat is the best lure for bass?” a question I’m often asked. People who ask this type of question are typically always disappointed by my answer. The truth is: there is no ‘best bait’ for bass, but there are baits that are better suited for a specific application or pattern. This is not what the client wants to hear though.

He effectively wants me to walk over to the shelf and point to the packet that will end his woes. Instead, I would painstakingly explain the concept of finding fish first, and then presenting your favourite bait to the fish.

Let’s suppose the magic lure does exist... you tie that sucker on and let rip. In your mind, do you see bass coming from far and wide, east and west to eat that bait? I didn’t think so... even if you possessed the unicorn, you still need

to present it to the fish. In other words: you still have to find the fish first. Salvation doesn’t come packaged with thirty different colours to choose from.

The other night I was prowling on the internet when I came across a clip ‘Go-to baits of the pro’s’. I nearly skipped over it, but something drew me in, or someone rather KVD (Kevin VanDam). Viewer’s had the opportunity to ask some questions of the pro’s, and in this case it was: “if all else fails, what is your go-to bait?”. KVD is a smart guy and I found it hard to believe that he would go on record saying that this bait is superior to that bait under any conditions.

So I decided to watch, and noticed a common trend. Here’s what they had to say. (I’m only using small snippets of the clips to convey the essence.)

I’m gonna use what I think is the most efficient to cover the water that’s in front of me

Kevin VanDam: “Well, there’s never just one bait you know, for me, I wanna look at the conditions that I have; water clarity, time of the year, habitat type, depth, and I’m trying to pick lures that are the most efficient for that set of conditions. To say that I have one go-to bait when everything else fails is not really the case. I’m gonna use what I think is the most efficient to cover the water that’s in front of me, based on the conditions that I have. We all have our own confidence baits, for me, in clear water, when things get tough, I know if I got to be able to cover water and be efficient, a jerkbait is a go to bait. Well, for the next guy, Casey Ashley, it might be a jig or a Shakey Head, or something like that. There’s no one answer for every situation you know, there’s always multiple ways to catch the bass, but you have to have confidence in what you’re doing.”

20 SA BASS July 2017

You have to have the ultimate confidence in what you’re fishing

Gerald Swindle: “99% of the time I throw a brown and green 3/8oz jig with a green pumpkin trailer. That’s my confidence bait, so when I get backed against the wall, and I’m gonna struggle, I’m gonna struggle with what I feel the most confident in.

This is just something I’ve thrown forever you know, I can throw it and reel it, I can burn it down a retaining wall, I can skip it under a dock and I can cast it 25ft deep in a brush pile. When I’ve got that in my hand I feel like I can do everything and still be productive, and if there’s a fish there I believe I can catch him. You have to have the ultimate confidence in what you’re fishing, you can’t ever second guess or doubt what you’re doing.”

I’m a West Coast guy, drop-shot, or a little wacky rig

Chris Zaldain: “I’m a West Coast guy, drop-shot, or a little wacky rig. I don’t care if the water is dirty or if you can see down 15ft. If I’m struggling out there I’m not afraid to break out the 6lb test line, and fish a weightless wacky rig - even a 4” worm, but most of the time it’s a 5 or 6” weightless worm, just pitched to the most obvious piece of cover. A guy might have been down that stretch with a spinnerbait or crankbait, but I feel I can go in behind guys and fish a wacky rig or dropshot and taunt that fish into biting.”

Interesting stuff. So what can we learn from these statements? Is it coincidence that these guys are, in fact, known by their ‘go-to’ baits / presentations. KVD gives the politically correct answer, but still admits to being jerkbait addict. Gerald Swindle will keep a straight face when he tells you he only fishes a jig and Chris Zaldain is a typical West Coast angler – light line specialist who is just as likely to throw a giant swimbait.

Over and above all the semantics, the core message remains: confidence. There is no substitute! You have to believe in what you are doing. This however, can only be achieved through experience and experience can only be gained through time on the water. See where this is going?

SA BASS 21 July 2017

>> SA BAARS KLASKAMER

Hengelgeheime >> Philip Kemp*

R Ruk-en-pluk kunsvissies werk goed in alle omstandighede, maar is beslis ‘n wenner in die laat winter

22 SA BASS July 2017

uk-en-pluk kunsvissies of, “jerkbaits”, soos die meeste van ons die ase ken, is sekerlik een van die suksesvolste ase die tyd van die jaar. Nou wat het geduld en die kunsvissies dan in gemeen?

Ons kan die tegniek egter ook beskryf as ’n “doen niks” tegniek. Hierdie tegniek sal egter sorg vir vis in jou skepnet.

Geduld is egter met dié tegniek, die wagwoord. Ernstige baarshengelaars is altyd op soek na nuwe uitvindings en tegnieke om hulle die voordeel bo die ander hengelaars te gee. Ten spyte van al die inligting wat hengelaars uit tydskrifte, televisieprogramme, seminare en op die internet ontvang, is dit die hengelaar wat nog verder met sy eie tegnieke en innovasies eksperimenteer, wat sukses behaal.

Ek het egter die afgelope paar seisoene ’n tegniek begin gebruik wat vir my groot sukses gebring het gedurende die laat winter en vroeg lente. Hengelaars is te geneig om in die laat winter/vroeg lente (voor broeiseisoen) te vinnig te wil hengel. Hierdie is egter die grootste fout wat hengelaars maak, omrede die vis nog steeds traag is om vinnig bewegende ase te wil gryp. Die groot geheim is egter om die aas stil in die water te laat suspendeer en geduld aan die dag te lê.

Nog ’n metode wat ook al goed gewerk het, veral wanneer die wind baie begin waai, is om ’n drywende ruken-pluk kunsvissie naby die oewer waar die meeste golfaksie is, te gooi, en die aas net te los dat hy dryf. Die baars sal die drywende kunsvissie met groot aggressie aanval. Dit werk ook beter teen ’n oewer met ’n steiler helling van 40˚ of meer.

Jy kan dus hierdie jaar gerus jou ruk-en-pluk kunsvissies vroeër uithaal. Onthou egter net dat die tegniek besonderse wilskrag en geduld verg. Hengel dus die laat winter met ’n aanbieding wat min baars al gesien het en jy sal verbaas wees oor die uitslag. *Philip Kemp is ‘n gesoute swartbaarhengelaar en ‘n gereelde bydraer.

SA BASS 23 July 2017

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

June 2017 Results Gauteng 1: Team Valet Storage - 5.540kg 2: Team Ranger G² - 4.940kg 3: Team Transaxle - 4.845kg 4: Team All out Angling - 4.445kg 5: Team Dr. Mag - 4.395kg

L-t-r: Wayne Louw, Mike Matthee, Justin Trentelman, Johan Cloete, Richard Dunn, Henry Peterson, Bruce McKinnley, Louis Bezuidenhout, Jaco Schoeman, Jan Schoeman

26 SA BASS July 2017

Mpumalanga Day 1 1: Team Core - 3.985kg 2: Team Cube Design Innovations - 3.69kg 3: Team Bass Couple - 3.045kg 4: Team EQB - 2.635kg 5: Team Zombie Bass - 2.17kg

Back: Martin Ferreira, Bertus Ferreira, Corné & Jacques Schoeman, Ruan Wahl, Hennie Schoeman Front: Michael & Andrew Hüsgen

Day 2 1: Team Berkley ABU - 3.97kg 2: Team X-Factor - 3.6kg 3: Team Cube Design Innovations - 3.515kg 4: Team Knotts Outdoor - 3.425kg 5: Team Bass Couple - 3.13kg

Agter: Nardus Harmse, Stephen Williams, Adrian Leite, Paul Venter, Huge Lerm, Keith Knott, Ruan Wahl, Hennie Schoeman Voor: Jacques & Corné Schoeman

Limpopo Day 1 1: Team Beli VC - 5.647kg 2: Team JV Hidrolies - 3.692kg 3: Team Fear no Fish - 3.222kg 4: Team Beli Tomato - 2.891kg 5: Team Oud &Jonk - 2.643kg

Back: Reed Eastman, Attie Barnard, Stefan Badenhorst, Billy Eastman, Wessel du Toit Front: Justy Varkevisser, Johnny Verster, Alex Kuisis, Wayne Eastman, Zack Verster

Day 2 1: Team Beli Tomato - 6.2kg 2: Team TFF - 6.027kg 3: Team JV Hidrolies - 4.985kg 4: Team Beli VC - 4.977kg 5: Team Limpopo Fuels - 4.974kg

Back: Billy Eastman, Leon Lordan, Attie Barnard, Justy Varkevisser, Andy Kyriacoudes Front: Wayne Eastman, Theo van Rensburg, Johnny Verster, Reed Eastman, Terry Papadopoulos

SA BASS 27 July 2017

KZN 1: Team R&R - 6.890kg 2: Team Yamaha Rapala - 6.305kg 3: Team Epic BassWarehouse - 4.245kg 4: Team Gamakatsu Outdoor 365 - 3.200kg 5: Team StrikeKing BassWarehouse - 2.915kg

L-t-r: Ross Summerell, Ronnie Thompson, Teun Schuss, Martin de Kock, Neels Beneke, Robert Olivier, Bryan Leppan, Michael Cannon

Thank you Garmin Dear Cast-for-Cash Management Team I am not sure anybody knew who I was before the recent competition at Bronkhorstspruit dam this weekend past. Let me quickly try and jolt your memory.

The little Hybrid boat with the 115 Yamaha on the back…. Yes, the one who has carpets that are falling apart… , the one who's fishing seats lean to one side…, the guy who gets blown off the dam because his trolling motor can't keep up with the wind… and yes, the one who fishes every comp without a fish finder and watches puzzled at the boats sitting in the middle of nowhere catching all the big fish.

Considering our standings I don't think my fish sense is that far off.

Well things are about to change drastically. We were the lucky winners of the Garmin echo 551DV at the Mpumalanga Cast-forCash event.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the tournament organisers for the hard work they put into the competitions and arranging all the sponsorship that enables these awesome prizes.

Please would you also forward my gratitude to Garmin for their kindness.

I can't thank you enough.

Kind regards Adrian Leite, Team X-Factor 28 SA BASS July 2017

Cast-for-Cash The SA BASS Cast-for-Cash bass tournaments are qualifying rounds to the FLW South Africa Championships in 2018.

Each team consists of maximum two persons per boat who are allowed to weigh five fish per day. Because it is a catch-andrelease event, teams are penalised for weighing any fish that cannot swim away from the way station. The top five heaviest bags for the day are declared winners at prize giving. Apart from the cash prizes contestants also have a chance to win various lucky draw prizes, but they have to be present at prize giving to receive the prize.

You don’t have to belong to a club to be able to participate.

Next event: Visit our websites for full results and tournament dates www.sabass.com and www.flwsouthafrica.com

Countdown May 2017 - Cast-for-Cash Report >> Hannes Lindeque

Sponsors & Benefit Providers: SA BASS would like to thank the following sponsors in supporting our Cast-for-Cash FLW tournament trial: Garmin SA, MasterCars Wonderboom, Yamaha SA, Brilliant Effects, Cube Design Innovations, Bass World, Arma Irius and World of Fishing.

Our Cast-for-Cash Winners for May: Gauteng: Team Valet Storage; Mike Matthee & Wayne Louw with 5 fish - 5.540kg Mpumalanga – Saturday: Team Core; John Wickham & Tristan Wickham with 5 fish - 3.985kg Mpumalanga – Sunday: Team Berkley ABU; Leonardus Harmse & Stephen Williams with 5 fish - 3.970kg Limpopo – Saturday: Team Beli VC; Justy Varkevisser & Reed Eastman with 5 fish - 5.647kg Limpopo – Sunday: Team Beli Tomato; Billy en Wayne Eastman with 5 fish - 6.200kg Kwa-Zulu Natal: Team R&R; Ross Summerell & Ronnie Thompson with 6 fish – 6.890kg Western Cape; - Season completed COUNTDOWN This month the SA BASS Cast-for-Cash / FLW mobile weigh station was back at Witbank Dam where Gauteng had their tournament.

fish the FLW South Africa Championship in July on the Vaal River.

There is one month left and Gauteng will have a double-up competition at the end of June to give teams a final chance to qualify. Mpumalanga and Limpopo just had their double-up comp this weekend.

At the July championship four anglers will win slots to represent FLW South Africa later this year in the USA at the Costa FLW Series Championship.

The Costa FLW Series consists of five U.S. divisions – Central, Northern, South-eastern, South-western and Western.

Each division consists of three tournaments with competitors vying for valuable points that could earn them the opportunity to fish in the Costa FLW Series Championship.

The top anglers from Canada, China, Mexico, South Korea and South Africa will also compete. The 2017 Costa FLW Series Championship is being held November, 2 to 4 on Kentucky Lake in Paris, Tennessee, USA. Our next tournament season starts in August 2017. Please visit our website www.sabass.com for all the dates and venues

We had less fog than last month and the tournament started just after 07:00 with no incidents. It was a cloudless day with a westerly wind. For some reason time just flew by and before we know it, it was time for the weigh-in.

All the teams managed to weigh their limit of five fish. In total we weighed 165 fish with an average weight of 0.657kg. The heaviest bags at Witbank were caught in the main dam on white spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jerkbaits and soft plastic flukes.

After this event the top anglers are certain of their invites to SA BASS 29 July 2017

>> SA BASS

VENTURING ON THE VAAL RIVER WITH FRANS SWANEPOEL I was asked the question not so long ago; what is my favourite bass fishery? Take me back fifteen years and I would have probably said that the Vaal River barrage! At that time the River boasted not only the seemingly endless banks of overhanging willow trees, slipways, jetties, and boat docks, but also a variety of rocky structures, flooded timber, reeds banks, tributaries, bridges, brushpiles and then a copious amount of lily pads too. >> Roger Donaldson*

T

oday the lily pads are practically non-existent since an eradication plan was implemented some years ago, but the fishing seems to have improved somewhat still as the resident species seem still to be flourishing like they did before.

Frans Swanepoel with a 2,8kg bass caught on the Vaal River on a misty autumn morning

30 SA BASS July 2017

I was anxious to get the most recent reconnaissance of the Vaal River Barrage and on scanning through my Facebook buddies I came across some lovely photos of largemouth caught

by Frans Swanepoel on his most recent outing on the river. Frans is a busy guy (mostly fishing I hope), but he still managed to get together with me and let us on to some great tips for landing better bass on the Vaal River.

Roger: Were you fishing a particular event at the Vaal River, or just social fishing, and was this over a weekend or week day?

Frans: Actually we were prefishing for the upcoming Cast-forCash tournament which SA Bass has successfully created. We are sitting in a great position and want to make sure we are always in with a shout so pre-fishing is a must in order to understand what the fish are doing. This requires that we understand which tributaries are contributing good quality of water to the river, learn about any new structures which have fallen into the river, assess what the visibility of the water is in different areas as well as water temperature and current or flow rate. All these factors can influence how the bass behave and where they will position

themselves and this doesn’t necessarily mean the bass will be in the areas we found them during practice, but it will provide some great insight nevertheless.

Roger: What species of baitfish are available in the Vaal River system?

Frans: This is a great question and the Vaal River has a really healthy eco-system. Although I haven’t personally seen all of the species the list does contain vlei-kurper, southern mouth brooder, a variety of barb and carp species, mudfish, mosquito fish, catfish, as well as small- and largemouth yellowfish to name a few.

I am sure that bass, just like the catfish and yellowfish at times will prey on all these species so it is amazing to see how they have all been co-habiting over the years. These are certainly not the only food source for the bass though. Once you’ve spent time on the river you will notice that other food types will include small birds, snakes, amphibians such as frogs, lizards, numerous insects which abound within the trees and overgrowth, as well as what is possibly the bass’ main source of food, the crab.

Roger: You caught some really good fish in practice. What depth of water were you looking into and what was the strategy?

Frans: There can honestly be such a menagerie of strategies or patterns to consider on the Vaal River. We have noticed though that sharp changes in water depth can attract bass as this is a great place for them to ambush their

prey. The area we located consisted of a 3 to 15ft drop-off. Interesting factors coming into play here would be current, sharp temperature changes, and an excellent place for bass to locate to for both feeding purposes and easy access to deep water. Furthermore, the area was complimented by a jetty and a rocky substrate which are certainly key elements to attracting bait fish.

The Vaal River water clarity can differ incredibly from one section of the river to the next, but where we were it was stained with a visibility of around one foot – relatively normal.

Roger: You were fishing at the beginning of April so I imagine the water temperatures would have cooled down somewhat by now?

Frans: Yes, the summer temperatures on the Vaal River can be fairly warm (27ºC) and the winter temperatures can drop to around 9ºC. So the autumn temperatures reflecting at 19ºC was pretty spot on for this

time of year. Bass fishing has the potential of being very exciting at this time as the bass can be quite aggressive when they feed up toward the winter.

Roger: Is there a particular rig, choice of bait and line you choose for the Vaal River?

Frans: I’m most often fishing around some intense structure so I like to fish with line that has good abrasion resistance and for this I only rig up with fluorocarbon line. I enjoy 10kg breaking strain for crankbaits and 16kg for worming. Following the baitfish is the key to finding the bass and although this is easy to say, the one way to actually do this is to cover substantial water using a crankbait. I also think I mentioned some other key ingredients which you should look for that will make a big difference.

Roger: What was the weight of the largest fish you caught and the average fish and how many bass were you able to land on the day?

Frans: We really enjoyed our day fishing and fortunately we were blessed with calm weather too so the fishing was good. The largest fish weighed 2.8kg and the average was around 1kg. All in all we managed to boat more than 20 bass for the day.

Roger: Has the Vaal River fishing improved over the years since the removal of the lily pads along the river?

Frans: I personally think the river is fishing the best now compared to three or four years ago. It seems like the bait fish have made a good come back and all the bass we caught on the day were in good shape! *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.

YOUR FRIENDLY FISHING TACKLE SPECIALIST

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

Completely Focussed on Fishing

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

SA BASS 31 July 2017

>> SA BASS TACTICS

Vaal River Tips

With the FLW South Africa Championship that will be held on the Vaal River in the cold winter, all the anglers will be looking for that extra help to do their best. >> Bennie Wiese*

P

ersonally I believe that drop-shop will be one of the key techniques to use. The greatest thing about drop-shot is that there is no wrong or correct way of fishing it. If you fish it a lot you will find different ways of fishing and would have experimented with the rig. On many tournaments that I have fished, it has saved me from blanking on the water and had placed me many times in the money.

I always have a drop-shot rigged rod at hand, if not on the deck it’s in the rod locker. I don’t fish it the entire day, but I will take it out if the fishing is difficult. My reason is that you don’t want to get tunnel vision by only fishing one method.

Most of the time anglers make the mistake of fishing it too fast. If the fish are aggressive they will bite anything that’s within reach, so the rig works when you move it trough the water. The next time you use it and you don’t have the same result you can lose confidences in it. The fish are not aggressive and will not hit the fast moving bait.

The normal way to fish drop-shot is the vertical presentation in deep water, anywhere from 6 to 50 feet.

It was not long before I had realized that you can use this technique very effectively as a horizontal presentation in shallow water and as a searcher technique to find a structure with fish surrounding it.

Certainly there are many other ways to give you more or less the same results. The difference is when you find the structure you can keep the bait much longer in the same area than any other technique. With most techniques if you stop retrieving, it will fall to the bottom, or move away from the structure, the bass are not always on the 32 SA BASS July 2017

bottom. Just remember if we talk about bass suspending they don’t always suspend in the middle of nowhere. Bass can suspend over structures and these bass can be targeted.

The nature of the drop-shot rig can keep the bait suspended over, or nearby the structure. The lure can be dropped to the bottom or wiggled if suspended to get the attention of the fish.

This represents a very normal appearance to bass. By using your electronics and learning how to read it, you can rig your hook at the right depth and you can place it almost “in their face”. Think of a fly in and out of your face, you want to smack it after a while, the same applies to bass. Give it some time and the bass will hit.

When it comes to drop-shotting most anglers will think of making use of tiny lures and thin line when there is clear deep water. I would personally say this must be one of the best ways to catch fish in a lot of different conditions.

Unfortunately most anglers only know one way to fish the drop-shot rig. The finesse way is not the only way to utilise this awesome rig.

You have to think outside of the box; heavy cover, line and bigger lures and a rod to match it. There are two circumstances when I will drop-shot within a heavy cover.

Heavy duty drop-shotting Think about pitching and flipping. You are going to pinpoint and almost fish vertical for the bass in grass, brush, heavy cover and in different structures. If you find the bass holding cover in shallower water like heavy grass or brush you can use your standard flipping and pitching equipment so that you don’t have to spend any money on

The finesse way is not the on to utilise the drop ly way -shot rig

By using your electronics and learning how to read it, you can rig your hook at the right depth and you can place the lure almost “in their face”

new tackle. When the bass are holding in 1 to 3 metres of water in structures this technique is a very deadly way to fish for them. Remember the bigger fish will always have the best spot on or in the structure. I will fish with bigger lures for these bigger fish. To go and target those big fish with the more traditional and lighter rigs will cost you big time. I prefer to beef up a bit on my tackle with 7´ to 7´6” medium heavy to heavy action rod with a 14 to 20lb fluorocarbon line; this will work most of the time when fishing lay-downs, or heavy submerged trees. I will fish with monofilament line that can handle more abrasion.

Then I would match it with heavier weights of 3/4 to one ounce on the bottom of the drop-shot rig. Almost any bait will work if you have confidence in it.

Vertical presentation The vertical presentation combined with the use of electronics can be very effective, if you can identify the structure with fish on it. By using your sonar you can position the boat on top of the fish. Now you can determine where the fish are holding and then adjust the weight on the tag of the rig. You are now ready to drop the rig next to the trolling motor by letting the line run out on an open bail. This goes on till the weight hits the bottom. Thereafter close your bail and raise your rod’s tip till you feel the resistance of the weight. An important thing to do is to drop your rod tip to ensure that there is slack on your line, which indicates that your weight is on the bottom. Softly shake the rod tip on semi-slacked line (you don’t have to shake it aggressively when you are targeting those non-aggressive fish) giving your bait some action. Softly shake it for five seconds, then stop for

about the same amount of time, then repeat the technique again. Some anglers will “dead stick” the bait for extended periods of time to they allow the underwater current to create movement of the lure.

A second approach is to let the bait drop to the bottom.

After the weight has touched the bottom, leave it there for a couple of seconds before lifting the line with the rod’s tip slowly off the bottom, but do not lift the weight off the bottom. The goal is to keep the weight placed in the strike zone and give it a few gentle shakes before you drop it back to the bottom. You can repeat this process over and over again while each time slowly moving the bait a short distance closer and closer towards the boat.

Horizontal presentation A horizontal presentation involves making a long cast past your target and then “dragging” the drop-shot rig along the bottom. While you are moving it back towards you, you can pause it and then move the bait in your target area. After shaking the bait in place on a semi-taunt line, you can then slowly drag the drop-shot rig closer towards you.

The third horizontal drop-shot technique is to allow the line to slack off after moving the rig forward and then shaking the bait on this slacked line for a few seconds. Then weigh the line, tighten up the line to see if you can feel a change of resistance on your line. If you feel something set the hook! If not, lift the sinker and move the rig a tad closer and repeat the process again. *Bennie Wiese is the editor of SA Bass magazine and an experienced provincial bass angler.

SA BASS 33 July 2017

>> SA BASS TACTICS

So Much & yet Action NO

BITES!

Matching the hatch resulted in this nice bass 34 SA BASS July 2017

Using a lure like this you can match the hatch

>> Mzi Tyhokolo

T

he other week at the beginning of May, we fished Albert Falls Dam in KZN during a tournament.

The interesting thing about this particular outing was that we were genuinely excited to go fishing the dam as a few things had changed and therefore promised some serious fish catching. A couple of weeks earlier we had been to the dam and caught quite a few fish in the 1,5kg range, so things were looking good.

So what was different?

It was May, so autumn (or fall according to the Americans), and bass are supposed to be in quite a rampant feeding mode in preparation for the winter. This fact was indeed true, so check!

The water level had risen about five percent and the water temperature was in the mid 30’s compared to the late 20’s of weeks earlier. Rising water meant fish were up shallow, which means they were feeding. This too was again the case, so check! So, barring a little stain in the water, as in a bit more than two weeks earlier, it was all systems go.

Cometh the day and we hit what we knew was the honey hole from a couple of weeks earlier and a few things were still true. There was plenty of busting and smashing inside the weeds and on the outer edge of the weedline. The fish were in a super feeding frenzy. There were millions of bait

fish everywhere (okay, maybe like hundreds of thousands), but you get the point, there were many. Every so often these would scatter like mad as they were being terrorised by whatever was gorging itself on them. At this point I would say: Bass! Many, many, many casts later, we did not have a single bite or fish.

Here the question was: Why? We fished the typical plastics; stick baits, flash-beaver, junior flukes, super flukes, jigs, and not a touch. So, again: Why? The answer to this came much later in the day when from sheer desperation I decided to not keep doing the same thing and hoping for a different result. The water was super stained, so jerkbaits were kind of not really a main consideration. Yet, this is what it took to unlock this mystery. Two or three casts with my silver jerkbait and bam! More of this and again bam!

We had to match the hatch! Not only in colour, but everything. We needed moving baits like the bait fish.

We needed small baits like the bait fish! We needed the right colour similar to the bait fish! So what did we learn with fishing conditions where the fish are well-fed and still feeding, and will not just eat anything?

We learnt that: 1. Time of year and understanding of fish behaviour will help; 2. Know their prey and its behaviour (they were feeding/chasing bait fish); 3. We needed to present baits that look like the baitfish and displaying the same behaviour; and 4. We had to cast where the fish were (kind of obvious, but it was important to cast between that scurrying baitfish).

So next time you are on the water, remember the concept of “match the hatch”. And do it in all respects!

SA BASS 35 July 2017

>> SA BASS

You've thrown the dice and made the plans for weeks ahead. Checked, double checked and even triple checked weather data for the same period for the last three years. >> John Badenhorst*

Y

ou’ve scrutinised every little bit of info you have in your slowly ageing memory bank, and notebooks and logs for the same venue for over a decade.

You’ve spooled new line, bought new lures that somehow seem better than the old ones, you’ve even gone to the extreme of purchasing a brand new rod fitted with a brand new reel and while happy and content you still dread the day your better half has to find out why there wasn’t any spare cash for her regular haircut... for three months!

Slowly the day draws near, sleep becomes a different aspect of your life and when you finally drift off to dreamland they are filled with screaming reels, bending rods and monster bass.

Planning and prep has been done to the absolute maximum as nothing will be left to chance.

Your fishing partner and yourself spend hours discussing the what has from the past and the what ifs of the near future.

Finally the day dawns although you hardly slept the previous night and that nagging tennis elbow on your casting arm is but a distant memory.

The sun rises over gently moving mist as birds sing their song to welcome a brand new day in Africa. Your heart and mind are at total peace as you launch without a single issue and sit silently listening to the sweet burble of the outboard motor. Waiting for the mist to lift and reveal the true splendour of your chosen pond for this day.

This day has been a long time coming, the moon is smiling down on its last quarter and even the planets and the star signs of the zodiac are in line.

The mist slowly lifts to reveal a breath-taking vista to the soundtrack of the early morning call from the local fish eagle.

Today is the day, today is planned and today should be better than any other.

You engage the gears and move out to your selected honey hole a couple of miles down the bank. Your heartbeat keeps pace with the increased revs of the engine as you shoot across water as smooth as glass, your ripples the only clue to your passing.

36 SA BASS July 2017

BLAN You slow down and creep up to your spot taking care to keep noise down to the minimum as your foot steers the trolling motor to perfection.

New rod, reel and lure in hand ready to do battle with the monsters of the deep. All around fish are taking bugs from the surface and leaving their watery dimples behind as proof.

Steady now... make your aim and cast. Absolutely perfect as the lure sails past this reed and that stick, over that lily pad to softly plop down on the very edge of the open space. The cast is so perfect that for a moment you think you heard the angels applaud.

Twitch, twitch... a sub-surface wave races out to right under your lure and stops... your heart almost stops as you know what will follow on the next twitch. Holding your breath you twitch again... nothing... nada... zip... but you know the fish is right there... under the lure.

In the meantime your partner yells happily... fish on bud... and inwardly you smile for him as you concentrate on what’s happening at your end of the line. One more twitch and it’s time to yank the lure out of that tight spot to avoid getting snagged.

Your partner releases a stunning fish in polished bronze, gold and every shade of olive and green. You high five each other and cast again... miracles do happen as you manage to drop the lure into exactly the same spot as the previous cast and this time the sub surface wave that races out from under the weed mat is even bigger than the last one. Your heart almost stops and it seems the whole world holds its breath... waiting, watching... twitch... another wave... twitch... nothing... twitch... nada... zip... zero... once again your concentration is broken by another happy announcement of... fish on... coming from the back of the boat. What’s wrong? You’re doing everything right, the cast, and the retrieve and yet it’s not happening.

KING Many more casts later and by now the angles don’t applaud anymore, they just mumble and you decide to change your lure and strategy. Cast… twitch… twitch… you feel a bump and your heart stops, you hold your breath waiting for the line to tighten and again nothing happens.

By now you’re at the point of telling your fishing partner to simply shut his mouth as he gleefully announces the arrival of yet another slab of a fish on the end of his line. Once again, you change your lure and your method only to have the same results… nothing.

You take a break to organise your thoughts and approach and with this, the bite dies down so you head out to the next spot.

A spot that has always been kind to you has in the past rewarded you for your efforts. You decide to go back to basics and use your old methods and make a couple of casts resulting in a few bumps to the lure and nothing else.

Not wanting to rub salt into your already bruised ego and self-esteem, your partner asks if he can make a few casts with your new rod to check its action and since you have caught nothing on it, you let him. First cast on your new rod with that new lure and the rod bends down in an arch towards the water as a monster engulfs the lure. You watch as your fishing partner fights it to the surface after an epic battle and slides the net under its gleaming body.

“Wow”, he says… “this rod has some nice backbone”. In the meantime you’re at a total loss for words. Handing you back your rod, he reaches for his other rod and makes a cast only

to immediately go tight into yet another good fish. This performance will repeat itself many times during the day and forever be burnt into your memory as one of the worst days you’ve ever had on the water.

Blanking is something that can and will happen to anyone, no matter how good you are. Ask many top anglers from around the world and yes, they too have had bad days and drawn a blank when it seemed that everything has to go right and yet it didn’t. No matter what lures they threw or what rod or method they used, the result was still the same. A big fat zero! It’s even harder to swallow this bitter pill when you have gone for months or even years without blanking even in the most severe weather or cold fronts you’ve managed to get at least one fish.

Some will say that they have lost their Mojo, or that the weather was to blame, or try and justify blanking, but personally I think that blanking is the universe’s way of making us as anglers humble again. For some anglers blanking is like a curse and it plays with their emotions and confidence and yet, those days when you blank only makes the days when everything does go according to plan so much better. Blanking is not nice, especially when everyone around you seem to be getting it right. Everyone else, except you of course.

There will be days ahead when you will blank. There are going to be days when you can’t even pay for a bite. When these days happen, take a step back and reflect on those good days and use this day of blanking as part of paying school fees for the future. It has happened, it happens to some angler somewhere in the world even today and it will happen to someone or even you tomorrow, but blanking is no reason to start selling your tackle and putting your boat on Gumtree in order to take up something less stressful such as golf. Blanking days will come and go; it how you deal with them that hones your skills as an angler for the future.

If you blank today, grab a rod and try again tomorrow and who knows, you might be pleasantly surprised. *John Badenhorst is a keen angler himself, a regular contributor for SA BASS and a custom lure maker for Wolf Lures, Flies & Feathers.

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

Arma Iuris is a national legal cost insurance company rendering a service to individuals and businesses for the past 11 years. The individual legal cost product consist of the following: We provide legal advice to our clients 24/7 by means of a 0861 emergency number which is answered by an attorney. / We draft and provide any form of legal documentation as needed by our clients i.e wills, contracts, agreements etc. / We render legal administrative services i.e firearm motivations (licensing and relicensing), pension fund enquiries, tax issues and problems experienced with service providers like local authorities etc. / We represent our clients nationally whether magisterial or higher court cases for civil or criminal law suits. Your spouse and/or all financially dependants also enjoy cover under this policy. / This service will be offered to FLW members at a reduced fee of R250 (VAT Excl). Terms and conditions apply.

SA BASS 37 July 2017

>> SA BASS CLASS ROOM

Power Of Weightless

Any bass angling fanatic must have the power of weightless fishing with them at all times. The technique that will produce time and time, again! >> Louis Bezuidenhout*

T

Havoc the Jerk

A Senko rigged weightless

Zoom Super Fluke 38 SA BASS July 2017

Quality bass on a weightless 4” Salty Sling in the Green Pumpkin colour

his is probably my favourite technique since I started hammering the bass lately on this technique!

Fishing weightless stick baits is prone to work in almost every type of structure our dams offer and is extremely versatile in almost any situation.

I always used to believe that it’s best suited for clear water lakes and this caused me to really struggle when the bite was tough in stained water. I didn’t have enough confidence in my favourite technique when the water was stained, which cost me some hard lessons.

After struggling two weekends in a row, I decided to go and try my favourite technique (expecting a blank). The conditions were extremely hard with constant down pours and fluctuating water temperatures but I stayed with my decision and put on a weightless Salty Sling. Before I knew it my line pulled tight and I set the hook on a 1,4kg fish!

It was at that moment when I realized how sensitive bass really are to the smallest of vibrations! With very low visibility the bass still managed to pick up my weightless presentation.

Weightless presentations can be used in any type of structure you are willing to fish with it!

Big rock piles, standing timber, laydowns, weedbeds, hydrilla, flooded grass, etc. This technique can be used anywhere!

The best lures to use weightless are any plastics that fall under the category “stick baits”.

Spring Depending on what phase of the spawn the bass are in, this will determine your presentation. If the fish are bedding your best bet will be a 4” Senko.

The slow shimmy onto the nest of the bass proves most irresistible to any aggressive fish!

When the fish are not on nests and still moving around from the depths to spawning banks, you’ll have more success power fishing your weightless presentation.

Power fishing involves fishing your weightless lure like a jerk bait with fast and constant jerks of the rod. You will notice the lure riding up in the water, as soon as the lure breeches the surface you must slow down a bit but not to the extent where the bass can take a good look at your lure! Remember you are trying to get a reaction strike from the bass.

Summer Autumn On hot summer days the presentation that delivers the best results for me is casting onto a spot, letting the lure fall naturally and then reeling out and casting to my next target. The bass will almost always inhale the bait on the fall if the fish is there!

As the water starts cooling down I’ll definitely stick to power fishing my weightless lure. Bass are already in a feeding craze this time of the year and jerking your lure past the fish proves irresistible to them. Remember that when you get a bite, DO NOT stop jerking!

The bass tend to lose interest if you stop the lure after he has hit it.

Ninety percent of the time, bass will come back for the lure when and if you continue jerking the lure.

Winter The water has turned cold and the bass are out deep. This means you’ll have to be looking for permanent structures to fish like bridge pilings, rock piles, etc.

The best presentation in cold water is to cast it past the structure and to let it fall on a slack line. Once on the bottom you can dead stick the lure for up to thirty seconds at a time. You lift the lure by lifting your rod tip and then letting it fall on a slack line and dead sticking it again.

The bite is very subtle and seen as the bass just inhales the lure.

There are a few different ways of fishing your weightless presentation depending on the water conditions and time of year.

Here I will try and elaborate on these through my own experience.

When buying your plastics you intend to fish weightless with, the most important thing to remember is high salt content!

The salt adds weight to the lure that allows you to make further casts and have more sensitivity that helps a lot with detecting bites. High salt content also allows the bait to drop through the water column a bit faster.

Senko types of baits are on the top of my list when looking for your classic style stick bait.

Zoom Super Fluke, Skip Shads

and Havoc The Jerk are the top three bait-fish imitation lures to be fished weightless!

When power fishing I recommend a baitfish imitating lure.

I use a seven foot medium heavy action rod with a soft tip that helps with casting and a nice back bone that helps when setting the hook.

Titanium micro guides on the rod makes for less weight, more sensitivity and better casting accuracy!

When picking a reel to use it is extremely important to use a high speed reel! I use an 8.1:1 ratio reel.

When lifting the rod tip you’ll feel a weight on the end of the line, now it’s important to reel up all the slack before setting the hook! A premature strike will make you lose fish!

With eleven ball bearings my reel is ultra smooth and allows me to make extremely long casts with minimal effort. The fast ratio allows me to pick up the slack quickly for an easy hook set.

When using this equipment and applying the tips and tricks mentioned, you’ll be catching more bass out of many different conditions in no time! *Louis Bezuidenhout is a passionate angler who is making his mark in the SA BASS Cast-for-Cash tournament trial.

SA BASS 39 July 2017

>> SA BASS INTERNATIONAL

Bank On The Wind

Shoreline Bassin’ In Windy Conditions Having experienced one of the best days of fishing I have ever had catching big bass and monster ssogari, from Geumho Lake to Tamjin River wire-to-wire, reinvigorates me with renewed enthusiasm and positivity for a scheduled return trip to the Yeongsan River.

Do not let this seemingly calm scenery fool you. The day is about to turn windy

U

nfortunately, our plans went up in smoke before it could happen, primarily because of severe weather conditions. According to local weather forecasts at the time, areas of the Yeongsan River are to be hit by winds exceeding speeds of 25km/h for most of the day.

Though 25km/h winds may not sound intimidating, on estuary rivers, however, it can create rough water conditions that expose small boats to dangers. Therefore, we took the logical decision to postpone our river fishing trip and opted to fish from the safety on the shore.

Speaking of wind, I have had some of the best days catching big bass, as well as other species in windy conditions that I would have literally passed on if it was not for my new found understanding to approach it correctly. Whenever the wind blows, it generates current

40 SA BASS July 2017

>> Words by Fishingboy >> Images by Fishingboy and Kang Hohyeong and condition that turns on largemouth bass and baitfish. The wind may not necessarily make fish feed, but it surely energizes the water. Despite the challenges windy conditions may bring, when the wind blows, it usually means good news for anglers who possesses the knowhow.

Wind energized quality We started off at an estuary creek followed by a reservoir in a farming village. We caught some fish, but none of those were big. Then, we proceeded to check out some areas along the banks of the tidal estuary, but unlike the previous trip, we were catching quality fish from the get-go in conditions that were very different because of wind generated currents.

I believe the change in currents had repositioned the fish in areas that made them more receptive.

Though the fishing had improved remarkably, the thing that I lacked were reaction bites. However, I know for a fact that the wind is a sure fire medium for some reaction bite action to come. As soon as we detected an escalation in wind activity, we got into the vehicle and headed straight for Geumho Lake. When the blows, no matter how hard the waves come crashing, the lake literally gets energized and it fishes so differently in a positive way.

Upsize for big bites Unlike my previous trip where conditions were mostly calm and slick, we encountered a totally different Geumho Lake during that windy afternoon. Primarily because of directional winds, we were catching quality fish from the get-go. I caught three bass on my first three casts, back-toback. The biggest fish was a 48cm and the smallest 46cm.

I was firing a weightless Texas-rigged Kut Tail worm in the direction of the wind and into open-water. I let the bait freefall onto underwater vegetation and rocks where I believe the fish were set up.

However, if you are gunning for big bites in windy conditions, weightless soft baits might not seem like a compelling pattern because the percentage of big fish that will strike the bait is markedly less than that of small fish.

When the wind howls, it is the time to upsize.

Despite the wind, the big bass were not in the mood to eat that morning

Extremely windy conditions mean that it is time to re-strategize for big bass with substantial appetite SA BASS 41 July 2017

I caught my first decent size fish of the day beside a wind-blown rice field

Swimbait fishing in the wind I targeted an area outside a breakwater, and my bait of choice at the time was a Gan Craft ‘Jointed Claw 148’ (#06 Lily White colour). Initially, I fished the bait deep, in areas where my weightless Senko and Kut Tail worm could only trigger small bass, hoping that bigger fish in that area would respond differently to a larger, more aggressive looking lure.

The immediate response that I got was remarkable but was short-lived. My lure was hit hard and the fish ended up breaking my 20lb-test fluorocarbon line on the hook set! Losing a big fish and a brand new swimbait was a huge setback, and I think I knew the reason behind that. Out of my own recklessness, I may have been fishing too tight to the rocks. In doing so, my line was actually in constant contact with rocks, and it ended up being compromised.

Nevertheless, the situation did not veer me away from my plans. I made some adjustments to the angle of my casts and proceeded to fish the exact areas with another swimbait. To combat the issues, I had to raise the tip of my rod in order to steer my line away from the rocks.

Mr. Kang catches a solid fish in wind-blown conditions on a finesse punch rig 42 SA BASS July 2017

Despite the wind, conditions were not looking good at the floodgates. The water was extremely muddy that day

The next fish that I caught turned out to be the big bite of the day I was searching for. I had no doubts or whatsoever that glidebaits were going to be the deal of the day, especially in windy conditions. The fish put up an exciting fight in rough water conditions. Measuring exactly 50cm, I caught the fish in practically the same area where I caught most of my fish.

Embrace the wind The wind made a huge difference to the day whereby it had contributed positively, especially during the evening where the fishing was spectacular. My advice to anglers who shy away from the wind is to understand it and utilize it to your advantage rather than fight it.

You should also keep in mind that glidebait swimbaits are just like any other lures in that their presentation must fit the conditions and the mood of the fish. When fishing in the wind, make sure your equipment is in top notch condition. To avoid unnecessary disappointments, be sure to check your line and knots for damages and re-tie regularly if required.

I hope you find this article interesting. Stay tuned for more exciting stories from South Korea in next month’s SA Bass. Thank you for reading. Fish hard, fish well and God bless.

Acknowledgements A big thank you to all my sponsors for their support and contribution: TCE Sports Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia), Nice Fish! Distribution (UK), Bitez (Singapore) and SportyFish (Singapore).

This is one of the biggest fish I caught on back-to-back casts upwind

The wind makes the fish more receptive and predictable, especially those big ones SA BASS 43 July 2017

>> SA BASS CONSUMER NEWS

1. RIVER2SEA RUCKUS LIPLESS CRANKBAIT >> Solly’s Anglers Conner Group

Sometimes to catch a bass you need to make a little noise. That is the premise behind the new River2Sea Ruckus lipless crankbait. Built to be one of the loudest lipless crankbaits on the market, the Ruckus has a dual frequency rattle system that imparts low and high frequency rattle noises into the water. The Ruckus also has the profile of a big baitfish, which helps it appeal to large bass that are in the mood for a big bite. The Ruckus is made with precise weight balancing as well, giving it a strong, tight wiggle on retrieve, and a deadly wiggle and waggle on the fall. Like the rest of the River2Sea line of lures, the Ruckus is made with highly detailed features and finishes. It is also armed with River2Sea’s exclusive black nickel Big Bite treble hooks. Pick up the new River2Sea Ruckus lipless crankbait and go make a Ruckus of your own.

2. SMITHWICK PERFECT TEN ROGUE >> Distributed by Sensational Angling Supplies

One of the most recent addition to Smithwick’s legendary Rogue series, the Smithwick Perfect Ten Rogue dives to depths of over 10ft to tempt hungry bass with its erratic, darting action and classic “Rogue Roll.” Its unique bill design helps it dive faster and deeper than ever before, and it also comes in several new, semi-transparent colours that are perfect for clear water and pressured fish. The newly developed colours also provide maximum flash at a distance, while remaining incredibly realistic close up.

Equipped with an internal weighting system, the tungsten balls inside of the Smithwick Perfect Ten Rogue produce a distinct “thump” that draws bass in from a far away and also provide increased casting distance. The Smithwick Perfect Ten Rogue combines the timeless Rogue frame with cutting edge colours and a newly designed bill to get down deeper.

3. BERKLEY SKINNY CUTTER 110+ RIP BAIT

44 SA BASS July 2017

delivers all of the same erratic rratic action. Effective with almost any retrieve, the Berkley Skinny Cutter 110+ Rip Bait provides maximum darting action and side flash, whether it is worked with a twitch, jerk, pause, rip, burn, or standard retrieve. Fitted with a coffin-shaped bill, the Berkley Skinny Cutter 110+ Rip Bait lunges down with a hard jerk for added depth.

Equipped with three razor-sharp Fusion19 trebles, the Skinny Cutter 110+ Rip Bait provides a flickering baitfish attraction that is sure to make the “cut.”

4. BERKLEY DIGGER CRANKBAIT >> Available from Knott’s Outdoor Paradise

Designed to dive down quickly, the Berkley Digger crankbait delivers an aggressive action and a lifelike detailing that big fish will destroy. Perfect for fishing steep banks, the Berkley Digger is fitted with a durable, angled bill, which gives it a tighter angle of descent and allows for more time to be spent in the strike zone.

Built with a chunky profile, the Berkley Digger crankbait generates an aggressive wobble and a seductive side flash that demands attention.

Fitted with two razor-sharp Fusion19 treble hooks, the Berkley Digger crankbait delivers an aggressive action that triggers a voracious feeding response.

5. RIVER2SEA’S S-WAVER

>> Available from Knott’s Outdoor Paradise

>> Solly’s Anglers Conner Group

Slightly narrower and lighter than its twin, the Berkley Skinny Cutter 110+ Rip Bait

Swimbaits continue to leave a major footprint on the fishing industry, and River2Sea’s new

S-Waver is set to make her mark. Featuring a natural SS-Action Action swimming motion, S-Waver will seductively wake the surface f e and call big game fish in for a closer look. Hold your rod tip up and S-Waver is a surface lure, allow the bait to slowly sink and the S-Action continues under water. The S-Action swimming motion is created by River2Sea’s exclusive Pin and Tenon Hinge and accentuated by her soft PVC tail.

That seductive wake will only be interrupted by the explosion of a massive strike.

the best features of the original and combines them with innovative alterations that make it perform better-than-ever. Slightly larger than the original, the River2Sea Bully Wa 2 Frog is designed with a sealed hook channel, which prevents water seepage and increases buoyancy.

Perfect for walking over open water and thick vegetation, the River2Sea Bully Wa 2 Frog features a keeled underside that allows it to sashay with more action and less effort. Offered in a number of awesome amphibian colours, the River2Sea Bully Wa 2 Frog has graduated from a schoolyard tyrant to a true enforcer on the water.

8. RIVER2SEA SPITTIN’ WA FROG 6. HILLBILLY POISEN STAND UP SHAKY >> Available for World of Fishing

The HillBilly Poisen Stand Up Shaky Head is manufactured in South Africa. It comes with a Mustard black nickel hook and available in black and brown. The Stand Up Shaky Head also has a heavy duty spring to keep the worm lure locked securely in place which makes it excellent for skipping. It enables the plastic bait to stand on end. Works well for deep water largemouth and smallmouth bass and also bedding fish.

7. RIVER2SEA BULLY WA 2 FROG >> Solly’s Anglers Conner Group

The River2Sea Bully Wa 2 Frog takes all of

>> Solly’s Anglers Conner Group

The River2Sea Spittin’ Wa Frog takes the proven keel shape of River2Sea’s Wa Frog and combines it with a unique cupped mouth, for a dynamic mixture of spittin’, chuggin’, and walkin’. The River2Sea Spittin’ Wa Frog is equipped with bubble-jets on the bottom of the mouth, which create an extraordinary bubble trail as it moves on top of the water. As versatile as it is enticing, the River2Sea Spittin’ Wa Frog is an excellent walking frog. You can also use short, aggressive pops for a solid chugging sound. The hollowbody construction of the River2Sea Spittin’ Wa Frog quickly collapses upon being bit and exposes the razor-sharp points of River2Sea’s Black-Nickel Double Frog Hook. Available in a number of colours, the River2Sea Spittin Wa’ Frog is perfect for working across matted vegetation and open water to draw heartpounding blow-ups.

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

has gone digital !!

GET YOUR FAVOURITE SA Bass MAGAZINE 14

BASICS “Bass Fishing – An Intro” MicropterusSalmoides, commonly known as largemouth bass, are widespread in Southern Africa.

MicropterusDolomieu, commonly known as smallmouth,bass are also found in Southern Africa, but are not as widespread – Richard Grant

16

CLASSROOM

28

18

TACTICS “Big Spoons for Big Bass”

22

STRATEGIES

24

BASICS “A Basic Guide on Boat and Outboard Selection for the Novice Angler (Part 1)” In the modern day and age of bass angling, it is becoming more evident that the modernized bass boat is becoming more of a necessity than a requirement.

DIGITALLY

CLASSROOM Many years ago one of my friends introduced me to an awesome p topwater bait – Bennie Wiese

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 01 38 56 50

30

“Short- or Long-Shank?”

What is one of the most over looked things that we miss when we are searching for the perfect hard bait? – Hendrik

MY CAST Cast-for-Cash - Tournament Results GEAR UP READERS-go-BASSING

63

LIFESTYLE – Boating & Birding – lossy Ibis” “Glossy

64

DESTINATION A – Kam K ‘Bati ‘B i Ri er Lodge L d

46

>> Bassin’ in Europe

54

>> Aloe Rock - Waterberg

UNIVERSITY “Sight Fishing” monster of only just over a kilo!

– Shandon Hawman

32

BASICS “Morning, Noon and Night” it may seem intimidating. You may be

34 36

INTERNATIONAL “Die RompslompSeisoen” Vir ‘n menigte hengelaar is daar basies net vier seisoene in ‘n jaar.

– Philip Kemp

BESTEMMING READERS’ COMPETITION 01

ADVERTORIAL everyday angler. Today’s angler deserves quality, durability and reliability in their gear and Vicious delivers all of that with attitude.

>> Subscribe and win with COBB

49

>> SA Bass Readers Competition – Raylite Ultimate AGM Battery

43

Win with GRIP Hooks

“Vicious Fishing Line”

MONTHLY GIVE AWAYS

TOURNAMENT NEWS

26 “Lure Strategies – How to get the most from Sensation Lures” To me bass angling has always been about the excitement of having so many choices of lures and colours to outwit a little green

ass Classic 2014” Clanwilliam Dam is South Africa’s premier smallmouth bassing venue, where the 26th Clanwilliam Bass Classic was hosted by the Western Cape Bass Angling Association.

– Craig Fraser

ITAGS Takes you directly to the SA BASS website.

ADVENTURE “MATCH MAKING 4X4” 4x4 has taken many people to the outskirts of the earth and it has brought pleasure to many people.

ON THE “Willie Swart” Image: Hannes Lindeque

VER SA BASS 03 November 2014

14

CLASSROOM

BASICS

COLUMNS & TMENTS

“Bass Fishing – An Intro” MicropterusSalmoides, commonly known as largemouth bass, are widespread in Southern Africa.

MicropterusDolomieu, commonly known as smallmouth,bass are also found in Southern Africa, but are not as widespread – Richard Grant

16

CLASSROOM

22

STRATEGIES

24

BASICS

Tournament Results

30

“Short- or Long-Shank?”

What is one of the most over looked things that we miss when we are searching for the perfect hard bait? – Hendrik

TACTICS

monster of only just over a kilo!

– Shandon Hawman

32

BASICS “Morning, Noon and Night” it may seem intimidating. You may be start with this new and wonderful hobby.

Nor Division Junior B Southern Division Junior Bass Angler

NTERNATIONAL

“A Basic Guide on Boat and Outboard Selection for the Novice Angler (Part 1)” In the modern day and age of bass angling, it is becoming more evident that

Bassin’ in Europe “Die R Seisoen” Vir ‘n menigte

MMING Aloe Rock - Waterberg

basies net vier seisoene in ‘ – Philip

36

ADERS’ ITION Subscribe and win with COBB

ADVE

SA Bass Readers Competition – Raylite Ultimate AGM Battery

icious F ay angler. Today’s angler deserves ality, durability and reliability in their ar and Vicious delivers all of that with

MONTHLY GIVE AWAYS 43

Win with GRIP Hooks

URNAMENT NEWS

To me bass angling has always been about the excitement of having so many choices of lures and colours to outwit a little green

Winter Bass Classic 2014” lanwilliam Dam is South Africa’s premier allmouth bassing venue, where the 26th lanwilliam Bass Classic was hosted by the Western Cape Bass Angling Association.

– Craig Fraser

ITAGS Takes you directly to the SA BASS website.

ADVENTURE “MATCH MAKING 4X4” 4x4 has taken many people to the outskirts of the earth and it has brought pleasure to many people.

R Image: Hannes Lindeque SA BASS 03 November 2014

For your Apple, Android or Windows 8

Y ONL pm R28

Compatible with:

46 SA BASS July 2017

http://www.magzter.com/

30 Minutes North-East of Pretoria Bass Fishing, Caravan Park, Self catering chalet & Conferences 134 Even, grass covered caravan sites with powerand water points Luxury ablution facilities at campsite 2 Dams stocked with Black Bass and Tilapia Water activities like pedal boats & rafts Swimming pools & Shop Conferencing facilities include: Black Bass Conference Centre seating 40 attendees Bosvark Conference Centre seating 14 attendees 18 En-suite luxury rooms

Office/Switchboard: 012-735 1650 | Email: Camping: camping@basslakelodge.co.za Lodge: info@basslakelodge.co.za

A unique holiday and breakaway resort Luxury accommodation|conferences|weddings a bass honey hole|boating|water skiing bird watching|hiking trails|heated swimming pool game viewing|quad bike riding|tubing Bring own quad - & watersports equipment No day visitors allowed.

Tel: 082-925-7251 GPS co-ordinates: S 26º 24’17.11’, E 30º 22’53.38’’, Lothair (Ermelo) SA BASS 47 July 2017

>> SA BASS PRODUCT NEWS

Cooking System

T

he patented COBB cooking system grills, fries, on your balcony, in your backyard, on your boat or while bakes, smokes, boils and warms. This unique light- camping has never been this easy. weight cooking system is portable, simple to use The Cobb Kitchen includes a COBB Premier, a griddle and virtually smokeless. plate, a chicken roasting stand, a frying pan, a frying dish, The well designed unit ensures even heat distribution a fenced roast rack and a COBB dome extension for those allowing food to cook perfectly every time. While the larger roasts. All of this packed in a handy carrier bag. But Cobblestone makes your COBB searing hot on the inside, that’s not all. We’re also throwing in a box of cobblestone the base remains cool to touch on the outside and can be and a pack of COBB disposable inner sleeves. The COBB picked up and moved around while cooking. Each part takes outdoor cooking up a level with the tools to create the of the Cobb is dishwasher safe and replacement parts are unimaginable! readily available in South Africa. Cooking delicious food For more information visit www.cobbonline.co.za or our Facebook page Cobb South Africa for more information.

BULK R100 big to u1p 0 r o f K BAC pies sale

ISSUES co

48 SA BASS July 2017

© 2017 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries

LIVE-FORWARD SONAR

SEE FISH SWIM IN REAL TIME

MAX DEPTH FORWARD / DOWN

UP TO 300 FEET

TROLLING MOTOR OR TRANSOM

MOUNT

I SAW YOU SWIM BEHIND THAT BRUSH. AND HERE COMES MY LURE FOR YOU TO AMBUSH.

PANOPTIX™ PS21-TM PANOPTI

LIVEVÜLIVEVÜ FORWARD FORWARD SONARSONAR

www.garmin.co.za www.garmin.co.za