Quarries - Bassing.co.za

Whether you live in the Western Cape or in the hustle and bustle of the inner city our countries rich mining history have left quarries dotted all over the country. At some stage, surprisingly a lot of these quarries have been stocked with our little green friends and many now have thriving populations with some fish exceeding the 6kg category. One quarry that I frequent had reports of a 7.4kg bass being caught in Dec 2006 and I well believe it as I have often witnessed large fish patrolling the deep drop offs.

The type of structure offered in quarries is almost endless and although a lot more concentrated offer more diverse fishing grounds than most larger impoundments. During my excursions I have found that, trucks, old gravel roads, sunken buildings as well as the more common types of structure such as reeds, timber and substantial drop offs are common place in quarries.

Quarries offer endless possibilities and are normally a lot closer than you may think. You would be surprised at the quality of fish that some of the small quarries offer.

If you live in or around the suburbs the chances are high that you have a quarry a lot closer than you may think. They make for excellent morning or afternoon get a ways when you can't afford the time to spend the whole day at the water or traveling long distances to your local fishing waters. Most quarries have deep banks which make them almost impenetrable to boats and one is forced to explore the banks on foot or for the more adventurous take to the water in a float tube or small inflatable.

Water conditions are mostly stable throughout the year. As there is typically a lot of deep water, temperatures do not to fluctuate drastically and tend to stay warmer for longer when winter sets in, and cooler for longer during the heat of summer.

Water visibility is normally good and in extreme cases I have had up to 8m water visibility in gin clear water.

Sight fishing can be one of the most exhilarating forms of fishing, mix some top water action into the equation and I am sure you will have several heart stopping moments. However this type of fishing is not easy and requires stealth and patience but is very rewarding and worth the effort.

My first target area is always against the reeds with a weightless super fluke on 10lb line with a neatly tied and well trimmed knot. The reeds are often only a meter thick and stop right at the edge of a sheer drop off. Initially I am not trying to entice fish to come up the drop off, I am targeting fish that may be hiding in the reeds. It becomes paramount that you get your lure in as tight to the reeds as possible and retrieve it parallel to the reeds. I have watched fish lurking in the reeds that pay your lure no attention, but get your lure a little closer to the reed line and bingo that same fish that just ignored your lure on the last cast is on.

If I notice fish coming up from the drop off I will change rods and work a top water bait like the Zara spook, torpedo or popper as close to the weed line as possible. It is important to remember when sight fishing that if you see a fish taking interest in your lure, carry on with what you were doing all the way until it is totally retrieved. Often people get excited and stop, expecting the fish to take the lure but not realizing it is the action of the lure that attracted the fish in the first place and once that action stops the fish looses interest in it and inevitably swims away without your lure.

Another technique I often use when fishing quarries and could be incorporated when fishing any drop off is the simple split shot rig. Simply put on a 0.75g or smaller if you choose split shot, about 5cm in front of the hook. Choose a plastic lure such as a brush hog, lizard or any creature bait that displaces water when it is naturally falling. The method is very simple and basic, just cast in down the side of the drop off and let the lure slowly sink. As most fish will take the lure whilst it is falling you have to watch you line like a hawk, often movement in your line will be the only indication that a fish has picked up your lure. When the line starts to go slack you have either reached the bottom or have fallen onto a ledge of sorts. I particularly like using 14lb mono-filament line in white for this, as it just seems to complement the split shot and natural sinking qualities of the lure. I choose white as it becomes super hi-vis when you use it in conjunction with polarized sun glasses but remains low-vis in the water.

For deep structure such as sunken buildings, broken down and long time abandoned machinery as well as trucks I use a drop shot rig with either Jnr flukes or some form of worm. The main difference between a drop shot rig and any other bass rig is that the weight is at the end of the line and the lure is anything from 10cm to a meter and sometimes higher above the weight. The method is to get the weight to the bottom and suspend the lure some distance above it. Without lifting the weight of the floor you need to slowly twitch the tip of the rod and cause the line to go taught and then slack giving the lure the action it needs. It is useful to have a light action rod and a super limp line with lots of stretch when using the drop shot method to avoid lifting the weight off the bottom.

Quarries can offer the fisherman many challenges and lots of entertainment. I would suggest studying your place of residence and surroundings on Google earth which is free and downloadable from www.googleearth.com you may surprise yourself and find a quarry or three just down the road, just as I have done.

A typical South African Dolomite quarry.

Reproduced with the permission of the author
pomerob