Casting lines for rich reward

The 2016 Lowveld Bass Trail (LBT) season kicked off again this February. It offers all boating bass anglers the chance to experience the fun and enjoyment of bass fishing, irrespective of the competitive milieu, combined with one of the top paybacks in cast-for-cash-natured tournaments in the country.

The opening round was held at Kwena Dam on Saturday.

According to the latest available data from the Department of Water and Sanitation, the dam was at 51,7 per cent at the time compared with 100,8 per cent in 2015.

These decreasing water levels meant that figuring out how fish were relating to these circumstances would be a significant factor in bagging a limit, or drawing a blank.

Many anglers were eager to get back into the swing of things after four months away from competitive bass fishing, and started practising weeks prior. Reports were conflicting with some anglers finding fish, but the majority were struggling to get a bite.

Tournament day delivered much of the same. Of the 44 boats that registered, eight teams managed a full bag of five bass, while 17 ended the day without being able to put a bass in the live well. A total of 71 bass were weighed at an average weight of 0,654 kilograms.

This makes for bleak reading, but if one takes a look at last year’s two tournaments on Kwena Dam, it’s not that bad at all. Over those two events, 37 per cent of teams blanked and 125 bass were weighed at an average of 1,49 kilograms fish per team. The average weight was 0,83 kilograms with the biggest fish at 3,49 kilograms.

This year Herman Geldenhuys and Jannie Stander of team Thermocline weighed in a limit of 5,16 kilograms to take first place, just 800 grams ahead of second-placed Ambassadors.

According to Geldenhuys, they only had two fish on the boat with three hours left.

Among the top-three teams, there was no definite pattern and anglers were hooking fish using medium and deep-diving cranks, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and soft plastic jerkbaits.

Cranking with a Rapala DT10 (crankbait) took care of the biggest bass prize for LBT newcomer Bruce Engelbrecht of team Tribal, who weighed in a respectable fish of 2,365 kilograms.

There were a number of new teams that took part.

The next competition will be held on Saturday March 12 at Vygeboom Dam and should produce better results for the LBT field than at Kwena. The Machado Boat Club hosted a tournament at Vygeboom in

January and the winning bag was nearly eight kilograms.

Marchant van Aarde of team Bench Warmers weighed in the biggest bass at the annual Machado Boat Club Bass tournament, a giant for Vygeboom Dam at 3,53 kilograms. It was his first-ever bass tournament.

Entry fees are R500 per team. Registration will take place at the venue on the day and the skippers briefing will be at 05:45.

Top-10 teams:
1. Thermocline – R5 000 from Bazlcon, R1 000 from LBT – 512,160 points
2. Ambassadors – R2 000 from Venom Lures, R1 000 from LBT – 511,360
3. T&H – R2 000 from NTT Barberton – 510,595
4. Hazyview Midas – two hunting jackets valued at R1 800 – 59,830
5. Jaundre’s Plant Hire – Angling & Outdoor World voucher R1 000, Sakata hamper R600 – 59,580
6. Burn – two rifle scopes from Midas valued at R1 300 – 49,525
7. Poachers Solly’s – voucher R500, Liqui Moly hamper R400 – 59,510
8. Hooked Again – two foot pumps from Midas valued at R500 – 49,065
9. Alligators – two Midas hampers valued at R450 – 59,050
10. Imbongolo – two Midas hampers valued at R400 – 58,615

• Biggest bass: Tribal, 2,365 kilograms – R1 000 cash from Subaru Nelspruit

• Second biggest bass: Burn, 1,815 kilkograms – R700 Wittus angling voucher.