Lowveld Bass Trail hauls in a bronze medal at SABAA nationals
The Lowveld was represented by 32 anglers at the SABAA nationals, with two teams managing to finish inside the top 10.
The Lowveld Bass Trail (LBT) contingent excelled at the South African Bass Angling Association (SABAA) Team Tournament Trail Nationals in Albert Falls on November 7 and 8, reeling in a bronze medal with a few anglers also receiving Protea colours.
The nationals are the most prestigious event on the SABAA calendar and the LBT was among the favourite trails going into the competition. LBT won the SABAA Team Tournament Trail Nationals last year after hosting the competition on Injaka Dam.
For the tournament, a total of nine trails (leagues) are represented by a varying number of teams of two. A total of 63 teams took part in the nationals this year. LBT was represented by 16 teams and 32 anglers who have consistently proved to be the very best during the various LBT competition days throughout the year.
The pre-tournament seeding saw a handful of the LBT teams in the top 15, which meant that the trail was well poised to make a charge for the national title for the second year running. However, when competition time came around, things didn’t quite pan out the way LBT had hoped, as conditions were tougher than anticipated.
In spite of this the anglers still knuckled down, giving it their all to fight for a place on the podium and were duly rewarded for their efforts. When the hauls were tallied and the bag weights counted, the LBT anglers had managed to work their way into third place overall. Team Fish on Africa was LBT’s best-performing pair as brothers Morné and Jaco Strauss finished eighth overall.
In 10th place was the father-son duo Daryl and Carter McKenzie as the next best LBT team and the only other one to finish in the top 10. While things might not have gone their way in the team competitions, LBT was well represented in the nominations for the Proteas and Presidents teams.
The Strauss brothers along with Charl Carey and Hannes van Wyk received Proteas nominations. Meanwhile, Craig and James Stephen, André and Philip Whitfield, Jacko Kannemeyer and Niel Deysel were nominated for the Presidents team.
