With
the onset of the rains,
many factors come into
play on fish populations,
often making them harder
to catch. Most of
Africa's dams experience
considerable draw down
through the dry months,
leaving them low and
vulnerable to large
inflows once the rains
begin. If, as has
happened this year,
exceptional rains are
received, the impact on
the fishing can be quite
significant. Often, a
sea-saw effect will be
noticed as conditions
fluctuate, with fishing
sometimes being very
good, while at other
times, dismal.
While
there is no easy answer
for these varied catch
returns, and to answer
all the questions would
probably take an
encyclopedia, it does
help to understand a
little of what happens to
bass when their
environment changes
dramatically, and also
how to tackle that
phenomenon we only
experience for a brief
while annually - dirty
water.
During
the winter months, the
water level in most dams
drop considerably.
Sometimes this
concentrates the fish and
makes them easier to
find, more often it gives
them a severe case of
lock-jaw. Then come the
rains, the dam level
starts to rise, flooding
new shorelines and
scattering the fish over
a wide area, as well as
triggering spawning
cycles and other natural
phenomena.
At
the end of winter, the
grass cover on the land
surrounding a dam may be
thin or non-existent and
the first good thunder
storm removes the loose
top-soil and washes it
downhill, a scenario
aggravated by poor
agricultural practices
now common-place along
many streams and rivers.
The first water to flow
into dams is often muddy
and this has a twin
effect on the dam. Most
notable, the water is
stained chocolate brown
and visibility is down to
zero. Secondly, the new
water brings with it
nutrients that stimulate
the lower end of the food
chain.
This
initial influx of dirty
water, combined with the
increase in day-time
temperatures should
trigger the bream and
other indigenous fish to
start spawning. They move
into the shallow areas
and concentrate their
numbers around the
nesting sites. As
predators, bass will not
be far behind ready to
exploit the explosion and
make real gluttons of
themselves.
With
the rains, the shoreline
will spring to life with
grasses and other plants.
As the water level rises
further, this grass will
be flooded and provide
both food and refuge for
young fish. Bass know
this and patrol the outer
edges of the grass-line
in search of a quick
meal, and will be seen
busting baitfish in the
shallows.
A
big Willowleaf
spinnerbait swum past
these edges can result in
arm-wrenching strikes. As
the water visibility is
poor, try a noisy,
splashing retrieve with
this lure. Experiment
with a noisy buzzbait or
a Tornado lure. Also try
shallow diving Fat Raps
in chartreuse, Perch or
Fire-Tiger. Surface lures
with propellers, ripped
across the surface in
front of the weed-line
might be the answer. If
the rising water is very
dirty, and the fish are
in a passive
(non-aggressive) mood,
you may be forced to
resort to large plastic
worms and jigs, cast into
holes in the grass.
Normally,
the rising water will
increase the amount of
fishable shoreline. Look
for islands, anthills and
points with steep sides.
Here, the land area will
be reduced and the amount
of "land to water
edge" decreased. The
resident fish will now be
concentrated into a
smaller area of
shoreline.
Dirty
water is almost always a
factor at this time of
year, and in some parts
of the country, it never
really clears. Dams like
Sebakwe, Manyuchi and
others are renowned for
their dirty water, and
anglers who frequent
these venues must learn
to cope with muddy water.
Knowing a bit about how
to tackle dirty water
will stand you in good
stead while the dams fill
and settle during the
rains.
It
is thought that fish
generally hold closer to
structure - trees, rocks,
drop-offs etc. - in dirty
water. Casting accuracy
is all-important, and
learning the finer arts
of pitching and flipping
will often make the
difference between
catching fish... and not.
Manyuchi Dam in the
Lowveld is one of those
bodies which seldom
clears, and here bass
seem to feed largely on
crabs which are picked
off of standing timber.
Dropping a jig to sink
down the tree trunk will
often draw a strike.
While
noise generating lures
like surface lures,
buzzbaits and
spinnerbaits are an
obvious choice for dirty
water, jigs and other
soft plastics are often
used to great effect but
need to be fished close
to structure. Choose dark
colours (research shows
that blue is a good dirty
water colour with high
visibility), and a good
bulky size. Dress the jig
with a crawfish or other
bulky plastic worm or
lizard, creating a
sizeable target which
shows a good silhouette
in dirty water. Using a
Rattleback jig, or adding
rattles to the lure is
often a good thing. When
using traditional plastic
worms, anglers often rig
small glass beads between
the bullet sinker and
hook. As this is cast and
retrieved, the bead
knocks against the sinker
or hook, emitting subtle
clicking noises.
When
fishing jigs, use a
strong (up to 10kg), high
visibility line. Due to
the dirty water and the
manner in which these
lures are fished, the
visible line will have
little effect on the
fish, but aid the angler
greatly. Apart from
improved casting -
because you can see what
you are doing - the line
will often act as a bite
detector, visibly
flicking or twitching as
the bass subtly inhales
the lure - often on the
drop. These takes are
seldom felt, and would be
missed without the aid of
a high visibility line.
When
casting or pitching the
lure in dirty water, a
noisy entry is not a bad
thing. The splash as a
bulky lure plops into the
water will often attract
a bass' attention, and
help him to home in on
the offering. Deflecting
the lure off the target
tree is another way of
announcing its arrival to
the waiting bass. Because
fishing dirty water often
requires getting really
close to structure, find
a tree with small (strong
enough to support the
line, but weak enough to
snap should the fish
pounce on the lure), twig
like branch just above
the water, onto which the
line can be hooked,
allowing the lure to drop
vertically down the
trunk. To accomplish
this, accuracy is again
an important factor. But,
if you are to keep the
lure on target, and in
the strike zone longer,
casting over a twig in
this fashion will prevent
the lure from penduluming
back toward the rod tip
before the fish has had a
chance to see it.
Finally,
when fishing plastics in
heavy brush or structure,
some anglers apply one of
the various bait scents
available. While the
attracting ability of
these products are
questionable, and often
times depends on the
angler's confidence, a
little lubrication on the
bait goes a long way to
keeping it from snagging
in exposed branches.
Plastics have a nasty
tendency of wrapping
themselves around twigs
and sticks at the
slightest contact. With a
bit of lubrication, the
bait simply slides
through, dropping into
the water. If the
attracting qualities of
the scent actually works
too, then it is a bonus.
While
fishing dirty water may
be difficult, fishing
when the water is still
rising is probably the
hardest angling you will
encounter in the whole
angling calendar. Start
fishing with a plan, but
if you are not getting
results, do not be afraid
to change your approach.
It pays to spend a bit of
time just observing what
is going on around you.
Watch and listen for fish
moving around or feeding.
Hearing the unmistakable
crash of a big bass
feeding in the grass will
give you a place to
start. Look for the bream
- the bass will not be
far behind.
A
bass is not a sociable
fish, nor is he a
"good
neighbour" to the
other fish in a dam or
river. His aggressive
behaviour, coupled with
his gluttonous feeding
habits can be his
greatest weakness. Think
of him as a schoolyard
bully and plan your
strategy accordingly.
A
typical selection of
lures which work in
Manyuchi. Crabs are
prolific in the dirty
waters of Manyuchi, and
most fish caught and
gutted showed a preferred
diet of crabs. Centre top
is a real crab from the
dam, while below a
plastic imitation, which
when rigged Texas style
and fished among the
trees, produces fish:
Below,
a jig rigged with craw
creates a bulky target
for bass:
And
a soft plastic with high
visibility blue claws
rigged with a glass bead
for added sound:
A
secret to keeping the
lure in the strike zone
longer- as close to a
tree as possible - is to
pitch it over a small
(not too sturdy) twig
just above the water.
Note also the high
visibility line which
makes this technique
easier, and also acts as
a bite detector when
strikes are not felt:
“Ant”
Williams
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