Bass Fishing Magazine in South Africa

May 2024

SABASS Magazine is available at Spar, Pick ‘n Pay, C.N.A., Exclusive Books

SA BASS has been the leading bass magazine since 2001 for everyone who loves bass fishing.

ON THE COVER
“Urban bass fishing - South Florida, USA”
Image: Fishingboy

FEATURES
. Crash course in bass fishing - An Overview
I can only wonder how many people are there who would like to have a crash course in bass fishing. This series of short crash course articles is aimed at helping those new to the sport.   

. Autumn bassin’ made easy
This is an extremely productive and tactically simple time of the year to get results on your local body of water.

. Prowling for bass in backyard canals
Just like my past experience fishing for exotic species in South Florida, the bass fishing in small body of water in the suburbs blew me away for good reasons.

. Tournament etiquette
Integrating fair play and the correct protocol into your strategy will make you a more respected and accomplished angler.

. Bass behaviour myths
You have to go and experience bass fishing for yourself and find out that maybe not everything we are led to believe is actually the way it is.

. Master that cast
The usefulness of having mastered a few different casting techniques is often underrated by recreational bass anglers.

. Diet comparisons

Keep a bass’ natural feeding cycles in mind when out fishing, choose the right lure that meets all the requirements of a big bass diet, sand wait for that explosive hit.

. Die Heldesaal - Cotton Cordell (1928-2015)
As gevolg van Carl Richey Cordell se ligte wit hare het hy die bynaam “Cotton” gekry. Later het hy een van die wêreld se grootste kunsaas-vervaardigers geword.

. Herfs - Wanneer die eetklok lui!
Herfs is sekerlik een van my gunsteling tye om baars te teiken want die winter is oppad en die baars moet genoeg vetreserwes stoor om hulle deur die koue winter te kry.

DESTINATION
- Bobbejaankloof Bass en Karp Lodge

INDUSTRY NEWS
- Justin Hamner wins the 2024 Bassmaster Classic Championship 
- University of Montevallo Wins MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing Tournament
- TBC Leg #8 – Boskop Dam

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS
. My Cast
. Readers-go-Bassing
. NEW – Crash course in bass fishing
. Op my houtbordjie
. Basics for beginners
. International Angling News
. Gear Up
. Water levels in South Africa
. Towing tip & Find a Word

February 2024

SABASS Magazine is available at Spar, Pick ‘n Pay, C.N.A., Exclusive Books

SA BASS has been the leading bass magazine since 2001 for everyone who loves bass fishing.

ON THE COVER
IW Wilkins, Loskop Dam, MP
Image: Donovan Gradidge

FEATURES
. So, you want a bass boat?
“Rewarding” or “Regretful” can be your experience when deciding to purchase a bass boat in South Africa. One needs to know the particulars of how to choose a boat and get the best deal.

. Finding and fishing deep water structures
Let’s look at other types of structures and how to decide what is the best way, and lure to use.

. Fishing tips for beginners
If you have just started or have been fishing for some time using the information I will share, will turn the words “I can’t catch bass” into “check the fish I caught!”

. Go “dirty” to catch bigger
Really heavy structure provides big bass with the protection from the sun they want, and most importantly the perfect place from which they can ambush their prey.

. The mental side of bass fishing
When it comes tournament fishing your top anglers are leaders and not followers. For them bassin’ is then a mental game.

. Die Heldesaal - Ray Scott (1933-2022)
Hy was ‘n man wat beslis nie klein gedroom het nie, die PT Barnum van die baarshengelbedryf, die man wat nie net lugkastele gebou het nie, maar hulle laat waar word het. Hy was Ray Scott!

. Fishing weed lines
Weed lines need to be separated into two distinct types because bass orientate differently to each during seasons and other conditions can also play a role.

. Mind shift
I decided to limit my lure selection to two lures and two colours. Yes, it was a high-risk decision but I had a plan!

. Basiese baarshengel vir beginners - Deel 1: Voorbereiding

Swartbaars kan gevang word met ‘n handjie vol gerei op feitlik enige plek in die land. Die uitdaging lê beslis by die voorstelling van die kunsaas, die tegniek wat toegepas word en hoe die gerei effektief gebruik word.


DESTINATION
- Die Fishing Box Bass-toere
- Die Bokkamp

TOURNAMENT NEWS
. MLF Namibia Tournament News

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS
. My Cast
. Readers-go-Bassing
. Op my houtbordjie
. Basics for beginners
. International Angling News
. Gear Up
. Water levels in South Africa

April 2024

SABASS Magazine is available at Spar, Pick ‘n Pay, C.N.A., Exclusive Books

SA BASS has been the leading bass magazine since 2001 for everyone who loves bass fishing.

ON THE COVER
“Anglers Paradise, Joubertina, Eastern Cape”
Image: Kehan Labuschagne

FEATURES
. Early autumn tips
It’s this time of the year that bass are changing their ways and you as the angler will do the same.

. Fishing from a float tube
Float tubes offer anglers the ability to access hard-to-reach areas where bass may be lurking. Here are some advantages and tips for bass fishing from float tubes:

. How to outsmart autumn bass
If one can get to terms with the seasonal change now, you will certainly stay on the fish, with great success, right up and into winter.

. Fly tying for bass
Before you start tying your own flies for bass there are a few important things to remember…

. Tackling rip-rap sections from the bank
One area that I find to be very attractive to larger specimens of bass around this time of the year is no doubt the humble rip-rap sections.

. Bass angler etiquette
Each and every one of us who holds bass angling close to our hearts is an ambassador for the sport. So, what does bass angling etiquette actually entail?

. Die Heldesaal - Darrel J. Lowrance
Die volgende keer wat enige hengelaar sy Lowrance-visvinder aanskakel, kan hulle gerus vir Darrel Lowrance, die vader van moderne hengeltegnologie, onthou. 

DESTINATION
- Ghost Mountain Inn & Safaris
- Sundowner Flyfishing Adventures - Oxbow Country Estate
- Bass Lodge - Klerksdorp

INDUSTRY NEWS
- Suzuki Marine Launches the New Matt Black Series

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS
. My Cast
. Readers-go-Bassing
. Op my houtbordjie
. Basics for beginners
. International Angling News
. Gear Up
. Water levels in South Africa

January 2024

SABASS Magazine is available at Spar, Pick ‘n Pay, C.N.A., Exclusive Books

SA BASS has been the leading bass magazine since 2001 for everyone who loves bass fishing.

ON THE COVER
5kg, Shaun Becker, Bloemfontein, OFS
Image: Shaun Becker

FEATURES
. Big bass basics
It’s every bass angler's dream to get into a large lunker-sized fish that can hardly get its head out of the water because of its size and gives your rod a good dose of the bends.

. Deep water structures - Part 1
Very few structures are more important to bass than drop-offs or ledges while depths are relative.

. Fishing tips for beginners

If you have just started or have been fishing for some time using the information I will share, will turn the words “I can’t catch bass” into “check the fish I caught!”

. Summer power Power fishing variations
Everyone loves power fishing in the summer and it’s easy to understand why. But what happens when all that action suddenly stops? Is that the end of our power fishing session?

. Catching that first bass Taking someone new bass fishing
It doesn’t matter what your commitment levels are towards bass angling but at the end of the day the one thing  we all have in common is we love catching bass.

.Hengeltegnieke vir die somer
Om in die somer baars te hengel is beslis nie grappies nie en dit is belangrik om deeglik bewus te wees van die gevare wat baarshengel in die somer kan inhou.

. Die heldesaal - Forrest L. Wood
Die man met die groot hart wat nie net sy hart oopgemaak het vir baarshengelaars nie, maar ook vir die gemeenskappe rondom hom. Ek vertel julle meer van die hengellegende, Forrest L. Wood.

. Bassin’ in the shallows
Targeting bass in the shallows can produce some of the most exciting fishing any angler can hope for. Strikes tend to be ferocious and adding to the excitement is the fact that very often the angler can see the bass zooming in on the bait. It’s heart-stopping stuff.

. Driving with a loaded trailer - Part 3
Knowing how to tow a boat confidently and safely is a vital skill for any driver.


DESTINATION
- Green Thumb - ‘n Plaaslewe op sy beste

TOURNAMENT NEWS
. 2023 MLF Toyota Series Championship  

COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS
. My Cast
. Readers-go-Bassing
. Op my houtbordjie
. Basics for beginners
. International Angling News
. Gear Up
. Water levels in South Africa

March 2024

SABASS Magazine is available at Spar, Pick ‘n Pay, C.N.A., Exclusive Books

SA BASS has been the leading bass magazine since 2001 for everyone who loves bass fishing.

ON THE COVER
“Blessings, Greytown, KZN”
Image:  Jan van Zijl 

FEATURES
. Basiese oewerhengel
Al die beste hengelgerei in die wêreld sal nie vir jou vis vang as as jy nie presies weet hoe om die basiese stappe toe te pas nie.

. Don’t be scared of the “dock”
We all know that bass are structure orientated animals and it is also one of the most important things to remember when fishing somewhere we have not fished before.

. Autumn bassin’ tactics
Fish start migrating from their deep water summer hideouts and start focusing on eating as much as possible. Here are some bassin’ tactics for autumn.

. Fish Care
Here are a few major do’s and don'ts with regards to caring for the fish for both boat and bank anglers. 

. Wind currents and windbreaks
Bass fishing in windy conditions can sometimes get to a point where it’s actually just dam right miserable, but there are general advantages we as anglers gain when the wind starts to blow.

. Flooded grass
When autumn comes around each year bass anglers alike display a more evident sense of purpose because during the fall they know the big bass answer the call.

. Die Heldesaal - Tom Mann
Tom Mann word tot vandag in Amerika onthou vir sy besonderse vermoë om die natuur te lees en die gedrag van baars te kon ontleed.

. Late summer strategy
Here are some advice on how to make up for the tough times before winter sets in.

. The winning pattern
I firmly believe that confidence plays a crucial role in our success on the day. By this I refer to our mindset towards certain situations and techniques.

DESTINATION
- Dweba Lapa


MLF NEWS
. MLF Australia signs on as 17^th country
. MLF Toyota extends sponsorship


COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS
. My Cast
. Readers-go-Bassing
. Op my houtbordjie
. Basics for beginners
. International Angling News
. Gear Up
. Water levels in South Africa

December 2023

SABASS Magazine is available at Spar, Pick ‘n Pay, C.N.A., Exclusive Books

SA BASS has been the leading bass magazine since 2001 for everyone who loves bass fishing.

ON THE COVER
3.210kg, Brandon Bennett, Boskop Dam, NW
Image: Darryn Peplar

FEATURES
. Choose only 5 baits

Which baits will you prefer if you only may choose 5 baits? Here is my selection if I need to choose my top 5 favourite baits and explain why?

. Eyes on the prize
When out on the water, how much do we really take note of? What are we actually looking at, where is the concentration being channelled?

. Early summer bass fishing
We can still catch fish in the shallows but hear me out.

. My "go-to" bait

In the USA jigs are called the “million dollar bait” for only one reason, they have made many professional anglers millionaires.

. Summer is here
The long days of summer are finally here! You have been dreaming about these hot days all winter but to be a successful bass angler at the high of summer is not as easy as you have hoped.

. Bass and birds - A bass insight into who eats who 

The relationship between bass and birds is not really something most of us give much thought to. As bass anglers when we are in the zone and on the water, the last thing we think of doing is staring up into the sky and at the trees around us.

. Summer worming - Getting the most out of worms this summer 

Through all types of weather scenarios and at nearly any venue, if you fishing with some profile of plastic worm you stand a good chance of catching a bass. Worms are easy to use or manipulate which makes them favourites for beginners and professionals alike.

. Rede tot kommer?
Kom ons kyk na ‘n paar van die gevaarlike bakterie wat alledaags om ons is en wat potensiële gevaar vir ons almal se gesondheid kan inhou.

. Die Heldesaal - Jimmy Houston
Jimmy Houston is een van die legendes in die baarswêreld waarna soveel hengelaars opkyk. Ek vertel julle meer oor die flambojante Jimmy Houston.

. Fishing in the rain
If you spend all the money and time to go fishing and it starts to rain... and you are soaked, cold and the bites are few in between, it will become one of those trips you don’t want to remember.

. Driving with a loaded trailer - Part 2
Knowing how to tow a boat confidently and safely is a vital skill for any driver.


DESTINATION
- Tranquil Bass Track and Trout

TOURNAMENT NEWS
. MLF Toyota Series Schedule 2024


COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS
. My Cast
. Readers-go-Bassing
. Op my houtbordjie

. Basics for beginners

. Find-a-word
. Towing tip of the month

. International Angling News

. Gear Up
. Water levels in South Africa