Bass Fishing Magazine in South Africa

August 2024

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

ON THE COVER
“3.870kg, Juan Bekker, Private Dam, Zimbabwe ”
Image:  Juan Bekker

FEATURES
. Crash course in bass fishing
Choosing the right bass fishing reel is essential for effectively presenting your bait or lure and landing bass successfully. Here are some factors to consider when selecting a bass fishing reel.

. Electronics for South African Bass Fishing - Part 2
The transition from a ‘Depth Finder’ to a ‘Fish Finder’ can be a very costly one and thus great care must be taken to make informed decisions.

. The art of dead-sticking
The slowest of all approaches where you’re likely to catch the flu quicker than anything else if you add up the amount of time you spend just standing there holding your rod and waiting for spring to hurry up.

. Surviving the chaos…
Bass fishing is awesome, piloting a high performance rig is insanely mind blowing but any of this done in a way that dampens spirits, hampers fun or questions safety, should not be done at all.

. Die Heldesaal - Gary Yamamoto
Selfs vandag nog as hengelaars ‘n Senko aan hulle hoeke sit weet hulle dat indien dit ‘n Yamamoto aas is, jou kanse soveel beter is om die vis van ‘n leeftyd te land.

. Baarshengel in die maande sonder ‘n “R”
Menigte hengelaars is onder die indruk dat baars nie in die snerpende koue wintermaande gevang kan word nie.

. Largemouth Bass Fishing in the Pacific Northwest (Part-1)

It is interesting to note that unlike largemouth bass in warmer parts of the U.S.A, bass in the Pacific Northwest are capable of spawning in water temperatures around 12°C to 15°C, as we have seen this with our own eyes.

. Improving bass commitment in a smaller strike zone
It’s not impossible but it definitely isn’t easy to be a successful bass angler in wintertime. But, when things do line up and you have paid your dues the rewards can sweet.

. The A to Z about carp fishing: Roodekopjes Dam
Roodekopjes Dam in the North West province has become renowned as one of South Africa's premier specimen carp fishing destinations

DESTINATION
- Amanzi Privaat Wildreservaat

READERS COMPETITION
- Win a FishTec HD Fishing Chart valued at up to R4,000.oo!
 
INDUSTRY NEWS
- Suzuki Marine’s New Stealth Line™ Outboards

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS
. My Cast
. Readers-go-Bassing
. Crash course in bass fishing
. Op my houtbordjie
. Basics for beginners
. International Angling News
. Gear Up
. Water levels in South Africa
. Towing tip & Find a Word

January 2024

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
5kg, Shaun Becker, Bloemfontein, OFS
Image: Shaun Becker

FEATURES
. Big bass basics
It’s every bass angler's dream to get into a large lunker-sized fish that can hardly get its head out of the water because of its size and gives your rod a good dose of the bends.

. Deep water structures - Part 1
Very few structures are more important to bass than drop-offs or ledges while depths are relative.

. Fishing tips for beginners

If you have just started or have been fishing for some time using the information I will share, will turn the words “I can’t catch bass” into “check the fish I caught!”

. Summer power Power fishing variations
Everyone loves power fishing in the summer and it’s easy to understand why. But what happens when all that action suddenly stops? Is that the end of our power fishing session?

. Catching that first bass Taking someone new bass fishing
It doesn’t matter what your commitment levels are towards bass angling but at the end of the day the one thing  we all have in common is we love catching bass.

.Hengeltegnieke vir die somer
Om in die somer baars te hengel is beslis nie grappies nie en dit is belangrik om deeglik bewus te wees van die gevare wat baarshengel in die somer kan inhou.

. Die heldesaal - Forrest L. Wood
Die man met die groot hart wat nie net sy hart oopgemaak het vir baarshengelaars nie, maar ook vir die gemeenskappe rondom hom. Ek vertel julle meer van die hengellegende, Forrest L. Wood.

. Bassin’ in the shallows
Targeting bass in the shallows can produce some of the most exciting fishing any angler can hope for. Strikes tend to be ferocious and adding to the excitement is the fact that very often the angler can see the bass zooming in on the bait. It’s heart-stopping stuff.

. Driving with a loaded trailer - Part 3
Knowing how to tow a boat confidently and safely is a vital skill for any driver.


DESTINATION
- Green Thumb - ‘n Plaaslewe op sy beste

TOURNAMENT NEWS
. 2023 MLF Toyota Series Championship  

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

December 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
3.210kg, Brandon Bennett, Boskop Dam, NW
Image: Darryn Peplar

FEATURES
. Choose only 5 baits

Which baits will you prefer if you only may choose 5 baits? Here is my selection if I need to choose my top 5 favourite baits and explain why?

. Eyes on the prize
When out on the water, how much do we really take note of? What are we actually looking at, where is the concentration being channelled?

. Early summer bass fishing
We can still catch fish in the shallows but hear me out.

. My "go-to" bait

In the USA jigs are called the “million dollar bait” for only one reason, they have made many professional anglers millionaires.

. Summer is here
The long days of summer are finally here! You have been dreaming about these hot days all winter but to be a successful bass angler at the high of summer is not as easy as you have hoped.

. Bass and birds - A bass insight into who eats who 

The relationship between bass and birds is not really something most of us give much thought to. As bass anglers when we are in the zone and on the water, the last thing we think of doing is staring up into the sky and at the trees around us.

. Summer worming - Getting the most out of worms this summer 

Through all types of weather scenarios and at nearly any venue, if you fishing with some profile of plastic worm you stand a good chance of catching a bass. Worms are easy to use or manipulate which makes them favourites for beginners and professionals alike.

. Rede tot kommer?
Kom ons kyk na ‘n paar van die gevaarlike bakterie wat alledaags om ons is en wat potensiële gevaar vir ons almal se gesondheid kan inhou.

. Die Heldesaal - Jimmy Houston
Jimmy Houston is een van die legendes in die baarswêreld waarna soveel hengelaars opkyk. Ek vertel julle meer oor die flambojante Jimmy Houston.

. Fishing in the rain
If you spend all the money and time to go fishing and it starts to rain... and you are soaked, cold and the bites are few in between, it will become one of those trips you don’t want to remember.

. Driving with a loaded trailer - Part 2
Knowing how to tow a boat confidently and safely is a vital skill for any driver.


DESTINATION
- Tranquil Bass Track and Trout

TOURNAMENT NEWS
. MLF Toyota Series Schedule 2024


COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS
. My Cast
. Readers-go-Bassing
. Op my houtbordjie

. Basics for beginners

. Find-a-word
. Towing tip of the month

. International Angling News

. Gear Up
. Water levels in South Africa

November 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
4.540kg, Jevan Schapira, Loskop Dam, MP
Image:  Hannes Lindeque

FEATURES
. Understanding how territorial bass really are
When it comes to the question of how territorial are bass really it was obvious to me that this was one of those subjects that needed further investigation. 

. Bassin’ in early summer
With the spawning beds vacated, the bass are in search of food, and wherever the food is, you will find action. The pattern will be determined by what time they feed − early morning, late morning, etc.

. Be different
If we only use baits and techniques available to every angler through the obvious channels of supply, then surely we will only be as successful as every other angler will be.

. Basic boat positioning
If we were more premeditated and precise with our boat positioning we would most definitely put more fish in the boat right?

. Die Heldesaal - Bill Dance
Ons kuier in Die Heldesaal by Bill Dance. Hy is beslis een van die voorlopers in die baarswêreld, en is in Amerika amper meer bekend as die president van die land self.

. Driving with a loaded trailer - Part 1
Knowing how to tow a boat confidently and safely is a vital skill for any driver.

INDUSTRY NEWS
. Garmin completes acquisition of JL Audio

 
DESTINATION
- Prime View Adventure and Leisure
- Ghost Mountain Inn

TOURNAMENT NEWS
.22 - MLF RSA National Championship 2023 - Loskop Dam
.26 - Tournaments for the 2023/24 season

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS
. My Cast
. Readers-go-Bassing
. Op my houtbordjie
. Basics for beginners
. Find-a-word
. Towing tip of the month
. International Angling News
. Gear Up
. Water levels in South Africa