Twelve very excited anglers set off early on the Saturday morning for a weeks fishing on the first official trip to the new Tzaneen Bush Camp Grounds. For some of the group Tzaneen dam was not a new experience but for most of the guys it was their first time fish this fantastic venue. Two long months of waiting and pre paring for the trip and finally we were on our way. The four hundred odd kilometre drive went quick and on our arrival at the main gate a quick group photo and filling water tanks before everyone was shown to their swims. For the rest of the day we all worked hard in the hot and humid weather getting our camps up and finding our fishing spots. As I made my way around all the swims just before sun set it was clear that all the excitement and heat had taken its toll on the guys and everyone looked a bit worse for wear. Most of the guys had taken there rods in but for some tomorrow was another day, and as the sun went down so did they. It was just after midnight when the two way radio woke me with news that Jaco Van Der Westhuizen on swim 7 had just landed a fish over 10kg. This was a good start to the trip and early the next morning I took the first photo of a stunning Tzaneen common carp weighing in at 12.45kg and a very happy angler. Jaco was on the money and also the only angler to land three fish in the first two days. His area was not an easy one and more than once he lost fish due to snag and rocky contour lines. As for the other swims things were slow but the guys kept on working hard to locate the fish. On my swim Bill Green, Chris Nel and Andre were all new to the waters. For Bill it was a whole new experience, very different from the waters he fished in France and Scotland.

Our first run came in the early hours and Bill was into a fish with us on the rubber duck following in the dead of night. Tzaneen is very well known for its population of hippos and being out on a boat at night is a nerve wrecking experience that I know all to well. We managed to de snag the fish and Bill was well chuffed with his first fish of 7.2kg. He also now knew that Tzaneen carp no matter the size were serious fighters and it takes some skill and good gear to land them. By day brake on day three a few good fish had been landed all between 8 and 10kg and a few good fish also lost. Most of the swims had taken fish other than swim one that were having a real hard time locating the fish. Cliff and Mike had a fish finder that went on the blink and for most of the trip they were fishing blind which didn’t help at all. Then to top it all a resident hippo decided to hang around their swim, this had the guy’s very nerves. More hippo reports came from the other swims and it seemed that we were slap bang in the middle of hippo country. On swim two Quinton and Gary had a hippo surfaced to close for comfort giving them a good fright. Also swim 6 Pierre and Jaco had a nerve wrecking experience when they heard a hippo right out side their tent. As we entered the half way mark of our seven day stay the fishing became very difficult and the baits lay for longer periods. At this stage all the swims had fish and even though swim one was battling they managed to get two good runs but could not land the fish. Quinton and Gary’s swim gave them a double run and they managed to land two great looking fish a 9.3kg and a 12.9kg within 10 minutes of each other. Everyone was having a good time even with the fishing being a bit slower than usual. It was on the second last evening that Jaco Grobbelaar on swim 6 managed to break is personal best and landed a 10.32kg common. This was a special moment and as custom he got a bucket of water for the effort and a new bench mark to break. All in all a very successful outing and out of the twelve anglers only four anglers didn’t manage to land a fish. Most of all everyone had learned a lot and from the feedback all the guys want to go back and catch the one that got away..

The end result had Jaco Van Der Westhuizen swim 7 landing 8 fish with two fish over 10kg and one over 12kg with a total run rate of 18 runs. Quinton and Gary on swim 6 had a perfect record with 6 runs and 6 fish landed with one fish over 12kg. Pierre and Jaco on swim 6 had 5 fish landed with one over 10kg and a host of fish snagging them up. Bill on swim three landed 4 fish between 7 and 10kg with a total of 8 runs. Dawie and Cobus on swim 5 landed 5 fish with one over 10kg and also lost a few good ones. Well done to all those that joined us on the trip and thanks for making it a fantastic outing. We look forward to the next group of anglers that will join us to the Tzaneen Bush Camp.

// Category Specimen Carp Angling // Add Comment »

With so many new anglers moving over from the conventional carp facet to specimen angling facet, there is a great need for information and know how. The Donaldson Specimen Benefit was put together by Louis Brits, who recognized this need. Louis and a group of old hands at the specimen facet had the opportunity to guide twenty four anglers at the benefit.

With some of the anglers being very new to the sport and others having done it for just over a year. Each swim had a guide that showed and shared his knowledge with the anglers. The benefit was held over three days and it was clear that everyone that took part was looking forward too the event. Some of the angling stores were there to display gear and bait on the Saturday before the seminars took place. A good four hour seminar saw allot of questions being asked and answered. During the first evenings fishing a few nice fish were landed. As for the anglers sitting with myself we had not managed to get any fish on the first evening.

But during the course of the second day we persisted and changed a few things regarding our baiting and fishing area and soon were rewarded with two very nice fish. We were well chuffed with landing two fish over 10kg and to top it all also managed a new Personal best. Our swim had three anglers on it Karel Van Heerden his wife Elrika and Neels Vermaak. Neels managed a 10.25kg common carp just short of his previous personal best and Elrika upped her personal best from 6.4kg to a stunning 10.58kg common carp. And in doing so had her husband perform the traditional water baptism which is custom when you break your personal best.

All in all a great event and im sure that it is going to become an annual event that will only go from strength to strength. Well done to the organizers for taking the initiative and making it work. Leisure Angling is glad to be associated with any event that promotes the growth of both angler and the sport.

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Leisure Lakes was started six years ago by a group of concerned specimen anglers that saw the need for conserving waters and the species found in them. It all started on a piece of private waters in Gauteng were it was clear that if someone didn’t step up and do something about the deteriorating state of the lake and the way in which it was being damaged by anglers, it would perish.

Six years later it’s proved to be a success story not only for the eco system and its inhabitants but for the facet of specimen angling as a whole. The specimen fishing club that was born from this initiative had grown over the years and more than four hundred new and accomplished anglers have passed through its gates. As a private specimen club it is one of the only of its kind in the country. With many of its members taking part on a provincial and world class level.

In the past two years Leisure Lakes has managed to take over management of two more prime waters, Boskop and the Tzaneen Nature reserve. With Tzaneen Nature reserve being a key project for Leisure Lakes. This project will be a first of its kind for Leisure Lakes and the aim here is to not close it to members only but to give all specimen anglers local and abroad the opportunity to fish for some of the biggest carp in South Africa, in a lake that gives the angler a true African fishing experience. The Leisure Lakes Tzaneen Bush Camp is nestled in the middle of the Tzaneen Nature Reserve with close to five kilometres of bank space and a vast amount of water. The Bush Camp has a total of nine swims all with their own pictures view and bounty full fishing features. No two swim are the same and all the swims have been placed far apart from one another so that every angler has space to fish and camp in peace and quite. In taking over the Tzaneen grounds Leisure Lakes have also taken it one step further and in a small way do their part in creating employment and supporting local business. The plan is to open a small shop on the premises that would supply all the necessary basics needed by those that visit the grounds. Due to the grounds being in a reserve all fishing will be done guided by a member from Leisure Lakes. Groups of between eight and sixteen anglers will have the opportunity to spend a seven night eight day stay in this magnificent location. Our first group of fourteen anglers will be departing on the 17th March. We will be doing four trips this year. The grounds will also be part of the South African leg of the World Carp Classic, a yearly event that sees the final of the event being held at Fanie Botha dam Tzaneen. For those interested to find out more about our guided tours please feel free to contact Barry at 0834555721 or 0126543703

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With 2011 having come to an end and a new year lying ahead we wanted to get the year off to a good start. We decided to go back to Fanie Botha dam in Tzaneen and fish a new area that has not been fished before other than on the last World Carp Classic in 2011.

We have been fishing this dam for the last six years and have a very good idea of how and where to fish it. But this was a new challenge and we had very little knowledge of what to expect from this unfished stretch of water. We knew that we would stick to our usual feeding strategies and that we would fish the structure areas but we had no idea of what and where the structure would be on the new waters, other than the little bit of Intel that we managed to scrape together before our departure.

Little did we know that a cyclone was about to hit the coast of Mozambique and this would have a direct influence on our fishing. The first two days the sun was out and it was humid, then the rain persisted for four days non stop. Reports came in of heavy rain in the Kruger Park and surrounding areas and this meant that the water level in the dam was on the rise. Every morning we were forced to move our pods further up the bank. By the time the rain stopped we were a good six meters further up the bank. Not something we had ever experienced next to Fanie Botha. For the first four days we had no action on the rods other than one barbel. Gideon kept on feeding an area at 70 meters out and persisted with his tactic of using fine feed and mass baiting his area. As the rain started to subside the fish started showing close to the bank and all over the 70 meter area were Gideon had been feeding. The sound of the first take raised our spirits and once the first fish reached the weigh sling we were well pleased. The runs started coming slowly but surely and we managed to land two fish of 12kg and four fish above 7kg and as usual had a few fish show us who’s boss and snagged us up in the thick of it. The new stretch of water was challenging to say the least, not only from a fishing point of view but also having to contend with a few hippos that seem to be local residents in the area. Some nerve wrecking times as we sometimes got a bit close for comfort to a group of hippos that lay on the opposite side of the bank.

As for the experience well, needless to say we had a fantastic time and once again learned a lot. We didn’t go home empty handed and with a total of 15 runs and 7 fish landed we were satisfied. We will be doing a few sessions on this stretch of water in 2012 and we are pretty sure that it will deliver some stunning new personal best catches in the future.

// Category Specimen Carp Angling // 2 Comments »

The renewal and new member sign up date for 2012 Leisure Lakes membership will take place on the 7th of January 2012.
All those interested in joining Leisure Lakes Specimen Club please take note of the following.

1. Leisure Lakes will have 120 memberships available for 2012.
2. Membership are reserved for specimen and bass angling only (no conventional angling allowed)
3. All specimen anglers looking to join must comply fully with the tackle requirements.
4. Membership cost R1200 per member (the fee covers members spouse)
5. All members will receive a set of club rules and regulations and fill in a membership form.
6. All members will receive their keys on payment.
7. Registration will take place on the 7th January from 9am to 2pm at Leisure Angling Tackle Store shop no 3 Clubview Corner Center Lyttleton Road Clubview.
8. If you are not able to make it on the day you will have till the end of January to join the club.
9. Please note that the club is for members only and we have a no visitors rule at the club (no exceptions).
10. We look forward to seeing you.
11. Any further queries contact Barry @ 0834555721 or barry@leisureangling.co.za.

// Category Bass Fishing, Specimen Carp Angling // Add Comment »

It had been four years since my last trip to the Orange River and a visit back to the river was long overdue.

Fortunately the timing was right. JC, Cliff and I found some time to spend a week down at the river. For the two guys that went down with me, this was something they had never done before and the excitement and anticipation grew as we counted down the days to our departure.

Prior to our departure I had made a few phone calls to the farmer to find out what the river and weather looks like. The weather seem to be all over the show and nothing was constant. Strange because this time of the year, being November, it gets real hot up in the Northern Cape and one never finds any cold spells during this period. It was a point of concern but never the less come hell or high water we were going.

On our arrival it was clear that the previous year’s floods had re shaped the river and finding the good fishing spots would be our first priority. To add to the trip we decided to take a day and raft from Prieska to the farm a distance of 37 km. To say the least, a gruelling 37 km with strong head winds and only three guys rowing, it went from a scenic down river trip to up hill battle to get to our end destination. We ended up abandoning the boat after 7 hours and walked a good 6 km to find a farm house so that we could get a lift to our destination. All in all an adventure on its own.

Some well deserved sleep and we were ready for a full weeks fishing. The river was low and clear, something one rarely finds on the Orange River as it usually runs pretty murky.

Things started of with a bang and Cliff managed to land his new personal best catfish of around 12kg within ten minutes of casting his bait. Then later the afternoon it was JC and he had a battle with his new personal best catfish of 24.75kg. They had both found out how hard these catfish fight and had a renewed respect for these strong fighting fish.

The rest of our trip was a series of ups and downs as the weather changed constantly. We found some great rapids and for most of the week found ourselves hammering the small mouth yellow fish on fly rods. This was great fun and the yellows were not shy to take our flies. By the end of our fishing week we lost track of how many yellow fish we caught both on crank baits and on fly. The yellow fish in the Orange are strong fighters and many a time you had to go running after them as they bolt into the main stream and down river. Not to mention the odd fowl hooked mudfish that pushed both tackle and angler to breaking point. There is a lot to be said for the magnificent fishing that the Orange River offers. Even though the catfish were scarce on this trip there was no shortage of fishing and it was a great trip all in all.

For those that get the rare opportunity to fish this magnificent river, go and fish it. You will not be disappointed.

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SA Bass teamed up with Jannie Steytler from Sensation to investigate some new techniques at Rhenosterkop Dam. Every Gauteng angler knows how well soft plastics can work but we wanted to test the effectiveness of alternative lures and tactics on our favorite home water…..

The Area:

Dam Wall section: 09:30am – 11:45am. Jannie starts by working the edges of the grass in the dam wall section of the dam. At this time of the year, bass like to pack up in schools on the deeper edges of the grass. The wind was blowing a stern 10km/h from the east so we picked the southern points of that section. Searching for reaction strikes, Jannie held the boat approximately 20-50m off the grass lines and threw crankbaits and rattletraps at the edges.

The Tactics:

Tweaking the grass: The idea is to approach the grass where it is a little sparser and cast a little longer with a shallow runner. As you reel back slowly you only need to keep a slight tension on the crank with a higher rod tip and it will “tweak” through the grass without hooking. If you feel a gap in the snags you can jerk it down harder for a reaction strike.

Controlled flutter: Throwing a rattletrap at deeper edges of the grass and allowing it to flutter down. As soon as it has fluttered for a few seconds you pull it in a few feet and allow it to flutter again especially if you feel some contact with the grass patches.

The Tackle:

Rods: Sensation Pro-Elite 741 (Medium Extra Fast Action Baitcasting)

Reel: Banax Infinity 6.2:1 Baitcaster

Line: Gamma 14lb Copolymer & Fluorocarbon.

Lures: Sensation Megacrank. Bomber Fat Free Shad & Fat Free Shad Jnr. Damiki Tremor rattletraps.

The Results:

The tactics employed definitely take time to learn and perfect but Jannie was already sharp to them. We immediately began taking fish from the grass edges at the dam wall and pretty much every point on the southern side of the dam as we made our way north-west. I explored the edges with a Mojo plastic but this proved most unproductive by comparison to the hard bait strategy. It appeared that the presentation of a crankbait or rattletrap to the edge of the grassline with a few sharp turns would produce a fish more often than not. If it did not, fluttering a rattletrap back to the boat would also produce strikes and we easily caught more than 30 fish in the 2 hour period we picked on the points. The average size of the fish was a steady 1 – 1.5kg so we decided to move around to another section and look for a better quality fish.

Sensation’s new Crankbait Series 

Sensation’s new Mega Crank SD4 crankbait series comes out in awesome colours such as carp and bream. We tested the shallow running series and found that it was quite maneuverable around grass and other objects. Teamed up with other gear such as the Pro-Elite series of rods and Gamma line, the bait is definitely  worthy of tackle box selection on a trip to Rhenosterkop.

Damiki Tremor

As the name would imply the vibration of this bait on the fall leaves nothing to be desired. It was designed with the controlled flutter in mind and accomplishes just that. It would seem largemouth bass are highly susceptible to the fluttering falling action of this bait and it allows for an outstanding option to the angler out of ideas.

Bomber Fat Free Shad

The regular and junior versions of this bait are winners. The conventional message of avoiding grassy areas with your crankbait falls on deaf ears with this bait. It easily tweaks round grass stems and with its slender profile and shape is engulfed deeper in the mouth, meaning easier hook-ups.

The Area:

Main Dam: Northern Banks. 12:30pm to 17:00pm. After looking in several shallow areas and attempting some sight fishing we decided to settle on an area that would be traversed by bass as they made their way between the deeper and shallow water. The reeds on the northern banks are often used as a hunting ground for Rhenosterkop bass so we strategically placed our boat outside the cover lines and worked from the deeper water. At first Jannie continued with the crankbait strategy but with one small change, as we were fishing deeper water he used a steady roll retrieve. As the afternoon wore on we drifted into the shoreline and switched to Sensation’s new Bass Buster swim bait.

The Tactics:

The Steady Roll: The easiest way to fish a crankbait and indeed the first way we all fish it. Long casts followed by a steady medium paced reeling action with no rod movements. Keeping your rod tip a little higher will generally provide a saver retrieve from snagging. This retrieve really puts the design of the bait to the test as it relies solely on the natural swimming action of the bait.

The Slow Roll: This tactic is best used with swimbaits. Sensation’s new Bass Buster, as with most swimbaits is designed for the most natural but attractive swimming action possible in the tail of the bait. So natural is that action that swimming the bait slowly past structure is all that needs be done for effective fishing. A faster geared bait caster will will achieve a beautiful slow roll on a swimbait with more energy conservation for the angler.

The Tackle:

Rods: Magma 731 Microguide. (Medium Heavy Fast Action Baitcasting)

Reel: Magma 7:1 Baitcaster

Line: Gamma 14lb Fluorocarbon

Lures: Sensation Bass Buster, Bomber Fat Free Shad, Sensation Shallow Runner

 The Results:

While it was still midday and early afternoon it was apparent that the majority of the fish were stacking up in the deeper zones. We definitely made a good choice about the interception points as we moved up and down and the spots would replenish themselves. A steady roll on a shallow running crankbait was bringing in heaps of fish but as the afternoon wore on the fish moved a little shallower and got a little bigger in average size. In the late afternoon we had moved right up into the reeds and slow rolling a Bass Buster swimbait was the key strategy. It was easy to execute and the fish loved the carp and bream colours so we began catching more and more fish until we had lost count. The ease of fishing and the aggressiveness of the attacks lead me to conclude that this was definitely the ultimate strategy on the day. The fish would engulf the bait and its sleek profile, soft body and single treble hook configuration meant that you would get the fish solidly inside the mouth but it was also relatively easy to unhook and release in good shape. This tactic got Jannie our best fish of the day of 2.1kg.

Sensation Bass Buster Swimbait

New on the shelves for your fishing pleasure this holiday. Sensation has outdone themselves with the unique design of this bait. Prototyped multiple times they have refined it to everything a local angler wants out of a swimbait. It has a soft body but firm skeleton so it can be fished in two ways. It can be twitched and fluttered and the soft body will have it looking like a feeding baitfish on structure or performing a dying flutter near the surface. It can also be slow-rolled and the skeletal rudders keep the bait upright and natural like a baitfish swimming along unawares. The colour range mimics small carp and kurper and the results would certainly attest to the effectiveness of that colour selection. Any way you would like to fish the bait it was the most productive on our trip to Rhenosterkop.

NEW SENSATION BASS LURES

NOW AVAILABLE IN STORE

// Category Bass Fishing // Add Comment »

Below are some catches Juan made at Wemmerpan as well as Homestead Dam (Benoni). He’s been targeting Homestead Dam for 3 months now. Well done Juan!

The first two fish were caught at Wemmerpan and the rest were all caught at Homestead.

// Category Specimen Carp Angling // Add Comment »

Its been a while since we fished this great piece of water. And every now and then we see reports of nice fish coming from it. Danie, the manager of the lake, has done some great things with the lake and this year had decided to turn it into a specimen water only. A good move on his part and with the new rules in place we are sure that this lake will be protected. We applaud owners that take the time to create venues were the environment and the fish are looked after.

With a new range of DT boilies that hit our shelves a few of us put them through their paces at Bass O Mania. The lake is known for some very strong fighting fish and it has a few nice size carp of up too 18kg in it. Predominantly fished with tiger nuts and other practical baits we decided to see what the effect of boilies would have on our run rate.

Our first session consist of a two day two night session and from what we could gather the fish had just come out of the spawn. Our ground feed consist of a small amount of maize and mini tigers around two hands full on the initial drop with a spread of 1kg 15mm DT pine crunch boilies spread over the area. Hook baits were snowman rigged with DT pineapple and high floro 10mm pop up. This was a winning combination and our two day session proved two things: that Bass O Mania loves boilies and that the fish are still in fantastic condition. Our total fish count was 15 fish with 10 between 7-9kg and the rest just over 10kg.

Our second session was a replica of the first one and we stuck to the formula and baiting procedure. This proved to be a wise choice and we achieved the same result from the boilies with 10 fish in total two over 10kg and the rest just over 7kg. From now on out this venue will only see us fishing boilies and I’m very sure that soon we will be followed by more anglers. We look forward to our next session.

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NOW IN STORE AT LEISURE ANGLING TACKLE AND BAIT.

5 PACKETS OF ANY TRIMA TOURNAMENT BAITS FOR R100

STOCKS ARE LIMITED.

// Category Bass Fishing // Add Comment »