Fishing the Vaal River Part 3

In part 2, I covered the predominant patterns in spring and in Part 3 will look at the hottest month being summer. As mentioned previously, the contents of this series of articles is based on personal experience and is not cast in stone due to the ever changing conditions. I am led to believe that of late, fishing the Vaal River is tough due to heavy rains and a related sewerage spill; however I hope by applying some of the methodology described, you will increase your success rates.

As summer approaches, water warms up considerably and bass tend to become less active from mid morning to mid afternoon. A few years back, I couldn't seem to raise a bite during these periods and resorted to carp fishing from my boat to pass the time instead. That was until I discovered a little secret during a club competition and since then my ability to catch bass regularly in summer improved exponentially as the pattern repeated itself season after season. The secret I discovered is the charming willow tree. There are hundreds that line the banks of the river, each one a potential bass haven.

By now most of us already know that bass are even more finicky than our better halves, have worse mood swings and share the shocking ability to leave us dumbfounded and speechless at the drop of a hat. I have found that the Vaal bass would prefer one type of the same category of cover over the other during certain periods. A subtle change between presenting your offering to a green leafy twig or a dry, dead one, both protruding from the same tree could mean all the difference. Some days they will relate to the green ones and some days to the brown ones, so take special note when you catch your first bass and try and replicate.

The author with a keeper caught in the willow tree twigs in the background

No way in???? Hidden treasures lie behind the wall of saplings

The trick here is to learn to fish the Willow trees effectively and by doing so milk the schools that frequent this superb summer habitat. I was taught a valuable humbling lesson one competition. I honed in on a popular Willow tree and proceeded to cast all and sundry for over an hour and not picking up a single bite. As I moved off the spot, a Vaal stalwart moved straight into my dirty water and I watched in awe how he proceeded to catch a limit in 15 minutes from that same tree.

Through many hours of trial and error, I soon also learnt how to catch these fish. Two of the most productive lures I've used in this application is the 5 inch Junebug Senko and the 4 inch Smallie beaver in watermelon red. These baits are Texas rigged on a ¼ ounce bullet sinker which is pegged to the line. By then I had not discovered the "holy grail" appeal of the fluke and would urge you to consider taking along a pack or two in a dark colour. The technique is to pitch the lure to various spots, starting with the outer edges, slowly working your way to the trunk. Accessibility may be challenging due to the numerous semi submerged branches or the wall of saplings that hang dangling in the water. A way to overcome this challenge is to approach the tree with your boat next to the bank and lift up the saplings to gain access.

Target the shady area as well as any twigs you see protruding. Allow the bait to drop on free spool and watch for a movement in the line as often you don't feel the bite on the take. I would recommend using a medium heavy, or heavy rod spooled with braid as a kicker could wrap you up in the submerged branches very easily. Often repeated casts to the same spot are necessary to illicit a strike and remember to carry on targeting the same spot even if you have already caught a fish as usually there are more than one. Once you have cleaned the tree, pop back a while later as the specific tree holding fish on a particular day could reload with new fish. Another technique I have used with good success is to cast a spinnerbait or crank bait past the hanging saplings and as the lure is retrieved quickly it passes underneath the branches producing a strike

Remember to mark the productive willow trees as these usually will be the same haunts the bass will use the following year. If you are in a hurry one way to eliminate potential unproductive trees is to look for ones that intersect or are adjacent to another type of cover. An example would be a jetty positioned next to a tree or samplings dangling in front of a reed bed. Another popular spot at Millionaires bend has willow trees surrounded by beds of lily pads. Please also beware of hazardous critters when moving through the saplings as spiders, snakes and bees will be unwelcome fishing partners. In part four, the final instalment in this series, I will cover the predominant patterns in both the autumn and winter seasons.

Vaalboy
Bassing.co.za Pro Staff Member

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