Sight fishing for Bass

Loskop dam in Mpumalanga province of South Africa is fast becoming one of the prime Bass fishing destinations in this country. The climate in this region is moderate, with winter temperatures not dipping below zero too often. The result is that the dam's water temperature reaches 18 °C earlier in the year than most other dams. Now all Bass anglers know why 18 °C water temperature is important to Bass. It triggers the very exciting phenomena they (and anglers) have been waiting for - The Spawn! For obvious reasons Bass are most vulnerable during this time, I thus encourage all anglers to use this information with discretion and preserve our Bass population for future generations!

I'm not going to give you a complete guide to sight fishing for bass, this has been done many times and an internet search will deliver many links to articles with this information. As an introduction I will briefly mention the main factors involved when planning a sight fishing trip. It is important to have a good pair of Polarized sunglasses, bronze and dark green lenses works well in our waters. The water clarity is obviously very important, wind and uneven heating of the water body can have a major impact on visibility. Sunlight is important as it helps with better visibility, make sure that you always fish with the sun from behind you. This approach reduces unnecessary glare.

Equipment

I call it "equipment" and not "tackle" on purpose. You need more than good tackle to enjoy sight fishing. For successful sight fishing a good trolling motor is essential. Unnecessary squeaking and grinding noises will spook the fish and limit your ability to stealthily sneak up on the fish. In terms of tackle, I normally prepare 4 rods when I know that I'll be doing sight fishing, two heavy applications and two lighter applications.

Rod 1: A 7ft heavy action rod rigged with 20lbs braid, ½ ounce tungsten bullet sinker and a size 4 wide gap hook. I will normally fish this application with a 5" senko, fluke or creature bait.

Rod 2: A 7ft medium heavy action rod with 15lbs fluorocarbon, ¼ ounce tungsten bullet sinker and a size 2 wide gap hook. This application is fished with jnr. Fluke, 4" senko and finesse worms.

Rod 3: A 6.6ft medium action rod with 10lbs fluorocarbon rigged with a 6cm jerk bait.

Rod 4: A 6.8 medium action spinning rod with 6lbs mono, rigged with only a size 1 widegap hook. I use this as a weightless application to cast tiny 2" flukes in baitfish colors.

Sight fishing lures: Zoom jnr fluke and Rapala Xrap.

It is popular believe that you need very thin line to fish in clear water conditions. This is not really true as spawning bass is often very aggressive and anything in or around thenest will have the "bull and red flag" effect! When you find the bass on open gravel banks, use the lighter applications. If the bass sits in brush, timber or heavy vegetation the braid comes in handy.

Make sure that your reels are serviced and check your drag. A fish sitting is 2ft of water is nervous, when it realizes that it is hooked and shoots off into deeper water they are very difficult to stop!

Finding the Bass

It is important to apply your knowledge of spawning bass. This will reduce your "searching" time and increase your productive fishing time on the water. I always consider the wind and the sun when deciding where to start. If possible I choose the bank where I can have the sun over my shoulder and the wind from the front. The sun: having the sun over your shoulder means that you'll see the bottom better (less glare)and your shadow will not be directly in front of you. Thus the fish will not be spooked unnecessarily. The wind: if possible choose windless days, anything more than a very slight breeze will seriously hamper your sight fishing ability. If there is a breeze, fish in to it, it will improve your boat handling and positioning ability.

Finding Bass in clear water is not difficult. Make sure that your trolling motor is selected to "crawl" speed when you start working a bank, this will reduce the risk of spooking the fish. If you know where the nests are, you have to look for a greenish blur in the water. The Bass often has a turquoise reflection in the water, you'll soon learn to recognize it from a distance. The lateral line and vertical black bar on the tip of the tail is also helpful in identifying bass in water.

In Loskop dam there are many spawn areas. These are characterized by a point with rocks and semi submerged brush. In many cases submerged trees also provides enough cover for the bass to spawn safely. The northern shore of Loskop is littered with such areas. The cliffs on the southern bank are also a good place to look for spawning Bass.

Typical spawning area in Loskop dam

Technique

Weightless: Often while searching for Bass you'll stumble onto one unexpectedly. It will dart off the nest into deeper water. Make a mental note of the direction the fish swam into, it will more than likely lead you to a fat female waiting in the depths for the right time to drop her eggs! Now that you know there is a nest and guarding male be patient and circle around. Wait a while and approach the nest again. If the nest is in an open area without much cover, I normally start with the weightless tiny fluke application. Cast it past the fish, allow it to sink slowly and retrieve it into the strike zone. The fish's first reaction will be to circle the lure, approach cautiously to investigate and then stop right at the lure as if to say 'if you move - I eat!" That's when you oblige and give the lure a slight twitch, look closely and experience one of the most exciting moments you'll ever experience on the water! The male simply opens a BIG white mouth and inhale the annoying baitfish threatening his nest. Do not strike, but simply lift your rod firmly to set the hook. Remember your fishing with 6lbs breaking strain and you don't want to leave a fish swimming around with a snapped off lure in its mouth for a week or two. I found that with this technique I have hooked the fish in the upper lip 9 out of 10 times.

Texas rig: Inevitably most nests will be very close to or right under structure of some sorts. In Loskop this is normally indigenous brush, the type that does not break easily.This is where I pull out the heavy artillery. Start by pitching the lure past the brush and pulling it into the nest. More often than not the fish will simply swim away. Be patient, it will soon return. Repeat this exercise a few times. You'll see that the fish swims a smaller circle every time as it realizes that something actually threatens its nest. Soon it will start showing aggressive behavior. The fish will swim closer and stop right at the lure, making agitated movements with its fins and tail. This is when you know, the fish has your name written all over it! As soon as you have the fish's attention continue to tease it with the lure. This can be done by twitching the lure erratically or simply letting it bounce up and down in the nest. Once you get the "tail up" reaction from the fish, you better hold on tight! When you see this reaction, know that the fish will attack and eat the predator that's been irritating him for the past 5 to 10 minutes!

The author with a healthy Loskop Bass

Jerk bait: If you're on the water in "sight fishing mode" and the wind picks up unexpectedly, don't despair! Remember you have the 4th rod rigged with a jerk bait. Use the jerk bait to explore all the likely areas using your favorite jerking technique. Cast past visible structure or brush and start jerking your lure back towards the boat to get the desired depth. Once you are next to or directly over the nest, pause and let the lure suspend or sink into the nest. Be prepared as the strikes are normally unexpected and violent!

Conservation

You might ask how this guy can write about targeting spawning Bass and conservation in the same article. Well, now that I've explained in detail how to catch these aggressive spawning fish, I feel it's my responsibility to urge you to do this with care. Go out and enjoy this period, its exhilarating and fun but do it responsibly! Once you've outmaneuvered your prey take the picture and release it immediately. Also try not to target the same fish again on the same day. If annoyed enough or even injured the male will abandon the nest and disappear.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I did writing it. Use this information on your next outing and enjoy a day of unforgettable sight fishing. Remember there is only a short window period for this technique.

I just noticed that the sun is out and there is not a sign of any wind, see you later.

Ruffneck
Bassing.co.za Pro Staff Member

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