Bass Fishing Magazine in South Africa

April 2023

SABASS Magazine is available at Spar, Pick ‘n Pay, C.N.A., Exclusive Books

SA BASS has been the leading bass magazine since 2001 for everyone who loves bass fishing.

ON THE COVER
“3.496kg; Ruben Roux @ Witbank Dam”
Image: Hannes Lindeque
 

FEATURES
. The art of bass fishing
Contending with and overcoming all the variable aspects of our sport is an art, an art that will never get old or ever become a lost art, that is for sure.

. Bass lures for autumn
Autumn fishing can be difficult at times, but for most part it means intense strikes, fast moving baits, and a variety of techniques to take advantage of.

. Autumn patterns
I would not call the autumn months, days of frenzied feeding, but definitely, a time when concentrations of fish can be found, and found during a time when competing for food will become more of a reality with each cooling day.

. How often can a bass be caught?
As weighmaster, I stand amazed at how many spectators grab their rods and make multiple casts in the release area at our monthly MLF bass angling tournaments. Do they really think that those stressed fish will grab their bait after they have been released?

. Get your angle right
The angle at which we present our bait to a waiting bass can often be the difference between success and failure.

. The best a bassing venue has to offer
We are blessed with some truly, pristine locations jotted all over our country that holds some big bass of world noting quality.

. A focus on laydowns this autumn 
They might not always seem like much from above but a whole lot is happening underneath the surface that escapes the angler's eye.

. Jerkbaits for all conditions
There is a perception amongst some anglers that jerkbaits catch small fish. Yes they are very efficient in catching small aggressive keeper fish, but some of my largest small and largemouth has come on them too.

. Terug na my wortels
Sedert my kinderjare het ek nooit weer die geleentheid gehad om in my tuisdorp te gaan hengel nie, en ek sou graag die damme waar ek my liefde vir baarshengel ontwikkel het, met my gesin wou deel.

. Tournament pressure
The sport of competitive bass fishing presents you with a myriad of variables, some we can manage and some that we cannot, so too are the demons that we unleash when the pressure sets in.

. How to approach weed lines
Many anglers fail to appreciate that a weed bed normally has two weed lines. One on the shallow side and one on the deep side.


DESTINATION
. Die Damhuisie

TOURNAMENT NEWS
. Cast-for-Cash Tournament Results
. Cast-for-Cash Tournament Report
. MLF TBC Tournament Report

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS
. My Cast
. Readers-go-Bassing
. Basics for beginners
. Op my houtbordjie
. International Angling News
. Gear Up
. Water levels in South Africa

March 2023

SABASS Magazine is available at Spar, Pick ‘n Pay, C.N.A., Exclusive Books

SA BASS has been the leading bass magazine since 2001 for everyone who loves bass fishing.

ON THE COVER
“4.12kg Tzaneen Dam bass”
Image: Ruan de Jager

FEATURES
. Top water tactics and lure selection
The visual nature of presentation and strike has a certain additive property to it, and let’s face it, nothing beats the feeling as a bass explodes and destroys your lure. Fortunately, there is more to top-water fishing than just the visual appeal thereof.

. Where to find the baitfish
We need to find the baitfish to find good concentrations of quality bass. Here are some pointers on where one can expect to find some of the more common baitfish species in our water around this time of the year.

. Catch-and-release
Taking care of our bass is important to both the public image and the future of the sport. Unfortunately, there are too many anglers who wait too long before they bring fish to be weighed

Autumn bassin’
. Autumn brings shorter daylight hours, cooler nights, and most opportunely for us anglers the desire for a bass to begin actively feeding in order to increase its fat stores for winter. 

. Big plastic baits
Fishing a big soft plastic can be very different from what you might be used to! The trick is to know when, where, and how to fish the monster softies to attract those really big bites!

. Farm dam basics

Just because these rural, country waters look rather simple to conquer does not mean the bass residing there are easy pickings. Farm dams can differ largely in size and shape but…

. Deep offshore cranking
Deepwater cranking has been one of my favourite ways of catching offshore bass for many years. This was initiated by watching videos lent by other bass fanatics. 

. Simple autumn tactics
Bass anglers are constantly searching for new ways to do things and sometimes all we end up achieving is overcomplicating the situation. Let’s rather try keeping things simple. 

. Lipless fishing
Just the idea of running a lure through underwater grass with two treble hooks dangling from its belly may appear to be an act of madness by most anglers. But in fact, you want your lipless crankbait to come in contact with the grass.

. Submerged weed lines
Hidden in the submerged weed lines you will find three things namely oxygen, shelter and bass.

DESTINATION
. Little Long Creek
. Hazelmere Dam

TOURNAMENT NEWS
. Cast-for-Cash Tournament Results
. MLF TBC Tournament Report

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS
. My Cast
. Readers-go-Bassing
. Basics for beginners
. Op my houtbordjie
. International Angling News
. Gear Up
. Water levels in South Africa

February 2023

SABASS Magazine is available at Spar, Pick ‘n Pay, C.N.A., Exclusive Books

SA BASS has been the leading bass magazine since 2001 for everyone who loves bass fishing.

On the cover
“Early bird”
Image: Roger Barrett  

FEATURES
. Big bass baits
The reality of it is that most of the lures we throw are significantly smaller than most of the food that our target-size bass consume on a daily basis.

. Fishing with light line
Light tackle is not restricted to winter or clear water, or when times are tuff. Light line is truly versatile and can be used at any time, and can be very effective when mastered.

. Let’s go light
The water was cold, the fish sneaky and discerning, but the light 6’10” spinning rod shouted the bite to me loud and clear! The venue was Albert Falls River…

. About grubs
Some people try to overcomplicate it, and a whole lot must still learn how to fish grubs. Most fishermen experiment with grubs and fail because they fish them too fast.

. The one hour challenge
An hour to crack the code under any condition is a pressure deal, but even if you have the luxury of a day at an unseen venue, adopting some of these tactics will undoubtedly increase your chances of success

. Catch & release tips
Sometimes we get a little too caught up in the moment and a slight mishandling could be detrimental to the fish we care about so much.

. Disease and injury identification

As bass angling stewards we strive to learn as much as we can about our dedicated cause. Sometimes it includes finding or catching bass that are diseased or injured.

. Frog fishing in Japan
Japan is at the forefront of research and development regarding bass fishing gear, techniques, and technologies.

. Wanneer die grotes wegkom
Wat baie van ons skrywers egter nie met die lesers deel nie, is die kere wat die grotes weggekom het…

. Post spawn strategies
On a trip to Boshkop Dam we found the fish in a typical post sp­­awn scenario. Although it was quite late in the season this part of the world seems a little cooler explaining the seemingly late post-spawn.

. Handling pressure
You just catch fish after fish and really feel confident in your abilities. Then when you go back there the next day and you cannot buy a bite.

. Fishing Shaky Heads
One of the most productive lures in a bass angler’s arsenal is Shaky Heads and very easy to use.

A little Shaky Head will often deliver bites in conditions when it seems nothing else works.

DESTINATION
. Thabo Se Dam

TOURNAMENT NEWS
. Cast-for-Cash Tournament Results
. MLF TBC Tournament Report

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS
. My Cast
. Readers-go-Bassing
. Basics for beginners
. Op my houtbordjie
. International Angling News
. Gear Up
. Water levels in South Africa

January 2023

SABASS Magazine is available at Spar, Pick ‘n Pay, C.N.A., Exclusive Books

SA BASS has been the leading bass magazine since 2001 for everyone who loves bass fishing.

On the cover
“Neil Engelbrecht - MLF Toyota Series International Co-angler Champion 2022”
Image: Hannes Lindeque

FEATURES
. Enjoy your summer bassin’
Summer fishing can be a real challenge but if you understand where to find them and how to catch them, you will be motivated to find bass and experience some of the best fishing of the year.

. Fishing trick worms
I don’t know where the name “trick worm” comes from, but one thing I do know and have experienced is that these worms disappear before your very eyes.

. Baars se IK onder die vergrootglas
Baars se gedrag is eintlik so eenvoudig, maar tog is ons as hengelaars geneig om dit so gekompliseerd te laat klink. Het baars dan ‘n hoër IK waarvan baie van ons hengelaars nie weet nie?

. A different kind of work
“How can running bass tournaments ever be related to work?” is a query that people like us get asked quite frequently.

. BFS Frogging
BFS, or Bait Finesse System angling, has become all the rage amongst a small yet growing group of anglers globally.

. The reaction bite
When those bites die off and things are looking bleak, turn your game up and get that reaction you’re looking for.

. Frog fishing in Japan
Japan is at the forefront of research and development regarding bass fishing gear, techniques, and technologies.

. When the going gets tough
Getting a bite can be frustrating during days when the bass are inactive but finesse techniques can come into play on about every dam and be fruitful.

. Midday summer bassing
When you find yourself out bassing in the sun and you’re feeling the full effects of summer just remember the bass are there and you can catch them.

. Boat positioning
Now that I know my boat will be in the right position, I can keep spending all my attention on refining baits and colours to trigger the right reaction from our green friends.

DESTINATION
. Bundu Bashing op ‘n drafstap
 
TOURNAMENT NEWS
.24 MLF RSA Bass Angling Tournament Dates for 2023
. Cast-for-Cash Tournament Results
 
MLF NEWS
.  MLF Toyota Series Championship report

INDUSTRY NEWS
. Mercury’s First V10 outboards


COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS
. My Cast
. Readers-go-Bassing
. Basics for beginners
. Op my houtbordjie
. International Angling News
. Gear Up
. Water levels in South Africa