Early Summer Bass Fishing

As winter fades away and the first hot sunny days make their appearance, anglers from all over the country start to plan their upcoming bass fishing trips to slay some hogs. During this time of the year there are more quality specimens in the shallow water which gives even the most novice angler the opportunity to hook up with a new personal best. Anglers have the option to target either bedding bass, bass protecting their fry or bass which are finished with the spawn and actively hunting. Generally, a lot of fish will hold in 3 meter deep and shallower water during this time of year. Once summer is in full swing, the water temperatures will rise too much which will cause many fish to move to deeper waters. I prefer the temperature to be between 17°C and 20°C as this is when I experience the best bass fishing. Personally I enjoy fishing three venues close to Pretoria/Johannesburg during this time to get some bucket mouths on the boat, namely Roodekopjes Dam, Rust de Winter Dam and Witbank Dam. Roodekopjes Dam (close to Brits): Roodekopjes normally fishes extremely well in early summer. There are abundant bass around with a fair amount of decent specimens. The biggest advantage of fishing this venue during the early season is the relatively clear water it offers. Once the heat of summer hits Roodekopjes, the water suffers extreme algae blooms which turn the dam into a green mess. Though it is still possible to have a good time here after the water has turned, most anglers prefer the dam where you have some form of visibility - with the clear water anglers have the option to do some sight fishing and also work with topwater baits. When fishing this dam, I would look for bass around boulders and rocky areas, or on standing timber/lay downs as well as around areas with snotterbel cover. If you find a combination of this structure, you are in for a treat. The dam always has areas with low visibility, so if you want to fish in the clear sections, just make sure to fish areas located above the wind. When targeting standing timber try casting creature baits next to the trees and working squarebill crankbaits through the branches. Spinnerbaits are also normally a winner as there are small bass fry around which the spinnerbaits imitate. Rudolph Venter Weightless flukes or light mojo-rigged flukes will also produce on most days. I normally work this bait by just lifting the rod tip so the bait slowly lifts off the bottom and then flutters down. When fishing in the clear sections of the dam, it is crucial to make long casts to get some distance between you and the fish you are trying to catch. Remember that all these venues receive a lot of fishing pressure, so the big fish will have learned to escape to the deep or go lockjaw once they notice an angler in their vicinity. Rust de Winter Dam (past Hammanskraal): Rust de Winter or “Rusties” as it is commonly known, has recently been producing more and more big fish. Previously it produced mainly small fish with the occasional kicker, but on most trips now one has a good chance of hooking up with a big fish. The dam always has great visibility and has experienced an increase in bait fish in recent times. The only worry regarding this venue is the low water level which has caused a great deal of vegetation to disappear. The majority of the dam boasted sufficient vegetative cover, but now it is largely limited to the “Salad Bowl”, around the island and a little bit at the river inlet. Johan Janse van Vuuren with a Rusties lunker taken on a Rattlin Sting jerkbait. With the disappearance of vegetation, there are several rocky areas which are now perfect for working with crankbaits and jerkbaits. The Salmo Squarebill has produced some lunkers there of late. Because Rusties has very clear water natural coloured baits are recommended when fishing this venue. Weightless flukes and senkos are also popular. Johan Smit with a lunker taken at Rusties on the Salmo Squarebill crankbait - a good early summer bait. Where you find patches of vegetation, a hollow-body frog worked over the cover or topwater hardbaits working on the fringes can also produce lunkers. Hopefully we get good rains this season so that it fills up again. Witbank Dam Witbank has also been producing loads of bass recently and the odd kicker as well. The average size is respectable, and you can easily catch an average of over 1kg during this time. Even when the big ones are shy, it is fun to keep busy while smashing the hordes of smaller bass. The dam offers a good mix of structure, both artificial and natural. One needs to cover water and fish the different structures to find the pattern for the day. I have experienced great results fishing in the Gorge just past Maanlig Resort. The jetties often yield bass. Topwater, walk-the-dog type baits can put you on the money during the early morning bite. Spinnerbaits, underspin-rigged paddletails, weightless flukes and Nedrigs produce well on most days. I like to find vegetation and fish on the edges of the weeds when fishing this venue. Fishing squarebill crankbaits on the cliffs in the Gorge is also a solid pattern. Morne Strauss recently experienced a fantastic day of jerkbait fishing at Witbank Dam. My go-to bait during this time of year for all three venues are jerkbaits, particularly the Salmo Rattlin’ Stings. I find this bait enables you to cover a lot of water quickly and because the bass are generally holding to the shallows, the bait moves effectively through the strike-zone. I also find that heavely pressured bass struggle to deny a jerkbait’s erratic action. Especially when I see a bass protecting fry, I love to pause my jerkbait below the fry. This often leads to the protective parent ferociously smashing the jerkbait. Whether you are working next to docks, around boulders or on the edges of vegetation, don’t forget to make a few casts with a jerkbait to see if they prefer a reaction lure. So, go out there and hope you go tight with a new personal best! Remember to release the big ones for someone else to enjoy and always handle them with respect.