Fishing the Vaal River Part 1

After spending some time thinking about my next article topic, I thought it fitting to do a series about the place where I started bass fishing, the Vaal River. Let me start off by saying that I am by no means a Vaal river guru or expert, neither do I claim to be one. However having spent in excess of 1000 hours fishing the river over the last five years, I have, through hard work and the assistance of mentors improved my bassing success from the early days of bashing banks in the Taaibos Spruit. The Vaal river is a daunting stretch of water way, with every conceivable structure and cover being home to the many bass who thrive in the area.

Background

My story begins in the early 2000's, when driving home after a game of golf saw a bunch of cars parked next to the R59 bridge which crosses the Taaibos Spruit, a tributary of the Vaal. Intrigued as to what was going on, I veered off the highway and followed a bumpy sand road which led to underneath the bridge. I saw a group of anglers catching bass. I then decided that this was something I could do and rushed home, rigged my grandfathers old carp rod with a Mepps spinner and returned. After a few casts, I was into my first bass, and as they say.. "the rest is history".

That was the start of my bassing experience and also the start of what turned out to be a love/hate relationship with the Vaal River. After a couple of months of bank bashing and enjoying some reasonable success targeting bass inhabiting the Sasolburg Municipal fishing grounds, I realised that I needed to get onto the water to improve my bass hunting prowess. After a quick trip to East London to collect my Dad's old 3m cathedral hull dingy, I hit the water and soon the Vaal opened her arms and engulfed me. So bad was the passion that I was on the water twice a week end and even sometimes before and after work during the week. I was fortunate living so close to the river that I could be at my first fishing spot in the matter of minutes after hooking my boat in the garage.

The author with some of his early bass caught on the Vaal River using a 4" watermelon red Zoom Deadringer on spinning tackle

Vaal River Pollution 2005 - Hundred of dead carp and yellow fish polluted the shallows after a sewerage spill into the Klipriver. Heavy rains compounded the problem as years of silt and rotting leaves churned by the flowing water reduced oxygen levels in the water

The first known published report of bass being caught in the Vaal River around Vereeniging appeared in a Tight Lines issue which dated the catch in the late 60's or early 70's. However, many folk tales exist that bass were caught in the river as early as the 50's. Since then it has been rumoured that the river has also been stocked with over 100 000 Florida Strain fingerlings in around 2000. Whether this is fact or fiction is debatable, but what is true is that catch sizes have started improving in recent years with even a 6kg bass being apparently caught in the Loch Vaal area a few Decembers ago (as was published in a Bassafrica magazine).

For many years a 2kg bass was deemed a great fish, but in 2008, 3kg catches were the norm. With approximately 100km of fishable water between the Letaba weir outside Three Rivers to the barrage at Loch Vaal, the Vaal River also has numerous tributaries that hold bass. Unfortunately one of these tributaries, namely the Klipriver is also the source of many of the pollution problems the Vaal has had to contend with in recent years. Some of these spills, coupled with abnormal rain fall, have resulted in thousands and thousands of fish deaths

As unfortunate as this may be, the bass population seem to survive these adverse conditions and as soon as water conditions settle, bass are hunted by the passionate angler once again.

First impression of the River is that every spot looks "fishy". By that I mean the abundance of different structure and cover in the river leaves the beginner breathless and slightly confused as where to start. This includes, launch ramps, jetties, boat houses, retaining walls, rocky banks, reeds, lily pads, lay downs, points, drop offs and bridge pilings to just name a few.

I have over the years come to realise that the Vaal River bass tend to relate to certain types of structure and cover during certain seasons, which each year. It's not to say that this is a firm rule, but can be used as a guideline to eliminate possible unproductive water. In this series, I wish to cover the four seasons in detail and share my experiences as to where, what, why and how I have patterned the fish during the year.

I will also discuss some techniques and favourite lures that has in my experience, been most productive. I will unfortunately have to omit any reference to certain honey holes for fear of reprisal by some of my mentors and friends who have shared their knowledge with me in good faith. As some of the more experienced bass anglers will also by now know, there are no givens in this sport of ours as the bass can be unpredictable and will often do the exact opposite to expectations. The reasons for this are numerous, including water and weather conditions, forage availability, boat and fishing traffic.

Safety

I would l like to start this series by covering one of the most important aspects of fishing the Vaal River and that is safety. With the continual high occupancy developments along the banks, boat traffic has increased to alarming levels. Week ends and holiday periods are the worst, with many water enthusiasts trying to enjoy themselves to the fullest. This results in generally difficult fishing, as wake boats, jet ski's, high powered bass boats, small dinghy's and the odd paddler try to share a very narrow stretch of water. For the bass angler, this means knowing the rules of the river, wearing a life jacket and being proficient in the use of your craft. This includes launch ramp etiquette and knowing how to launch or trailer your boat in very choppy and busy conditions.

The one piece of valuable advice I can give you is to watch the wakes, anticipate the actions of possible inebriated skippers and go only as fast as conditions allow. A high level of patience and self constraint is also required for angling during these busy times. Also ensure you keep your boat positioned far enough from jetties and retaining walls so that a rouge wake does not catch you by surprise. Also keep an eye out for semi submerged logs which often float down river and can seriously damage your boat if collided with.

Favourite Lures

I started out fishing a watermelon red Zoom 4" dead ringer with a light split shot approx 15-20 cm above the hook. This light rig was easily cast using spinning tackle and accounted for many, many of my first bass. To this day, I still rate this rig as my "go to" lure for when conditions are tough or frontal. As I evolved and got into using bait casters, I quickly started experimenting with cranks and spinner baits. The one crank bait that accounted for most of our Vaal River 2kg+ bass, is the Dworf Wobbler, made by Strike Pro. As it only dives to 3 feet, I would often dip the rod into the water to get it down to 5 - 8ft which seemed to be an optimal depth most of the time. I do suggest upgrading the hooks despite them being fitted standard with VMC hooks, I found that the trebles are too thin and bend open easily. As I mentioned previously, this little crank was a killer and even gave me bag after bag in the middle of winter in 9 degree water.

Another favourite plastic bait is the 5" Senko in Junebug or watermelon red Reaction Innovations Little Beaver. Both these lures, when texas rigged on a 1/8 - 1/4 ounce bullet sinkers are sure bass catchers. Both lures can either be pitched or flipped or just hopped along the bottom. Lastly, the spinner bait, which is arguably the most versatile lure an angler can use, is a must when fishing the Vaal. I only became exposed to the finer art of spinner bait fishing after spending a day on the water with a friend who has been fishing the Vaal for in excess of 20 years. I stood in awe and watched how he caught pig after pig from lay downs, reed beds and lily pads. Since that day, I have always relied on spinner bait to produce the goods. There are many great lures I have not mentioned, but I can only commit to personal experience and acknowledge that you may have differing confidence lures that will still produce the results you desire.

Close

In part two, I will discuss bassing in the Spring, as that time of the year coincides with the spawn which usually starts end of August and lasts until end of October. This period in my opinion the second best period to fish the Vaal.

Tight Lines

Vaalboy
Bassing.co.za Pro Staff Member

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