Will & Dre» Gauteng Dams

Fishing at Baja dam

Andre — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:07:11 +0000

A few years ago Bronkhorstspruit dam contained only 13% of it’s overall water capacity , causing rapid growth of grass in areas not previously exposed to sunlight. Excessive growth of plants such as grass and hyacinth can have a major effect on your fishing trip and it is essential to choose your fishing spot carefully.

With limited knowledge of the bank at Baja dam and with only a small amount of time to fish , we decided to take the gamble and drove to Baja dam late Saturday afternoon. We arrived as the sun was setting and immediately knew that the success of our fishing trip was going to be determined by the spot we choose. We quickly identified three of the available fishing spots as possibilities. The difference between a successful session or the dreaded blank can be determined by the thoroughness of testing done before a venue is chosen. We immediately eliminated two of our potential spots by casting different sized weights and dragging them along the bottom.

With the venue elimination process behind us our focus shifted to the preparation of our ground baits , feeding spots and of course the different hook baits and dip flavours. In the hours that followed we lost a total of 4 fish between 2am and 4am. This was to say the least frustrating and we had to rethink our strategy. Bigger hooks , smaller baits was the verdict and Willem thankfully saved us from a blank with 2 decent sized carp within minutes of each other.

This trip was a reminder that there are a lot of factors to consider when planning your fishing session. The spot, weather, baits and tackle used all play an important part when it comes to your success (or lack thereof). Every now and again we are reminded that there is still a lot to learn and practice , and all that we can do is to persist … persist … persist

Fishing Roodeplaat Resort

Willem — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:41:37 +0000

The past weekend we finally visited Roodeplaat dam for some winter fishing. I arrived at the Roodeplaat Dam Resort at about 17h00 on the Friday afternoon. Perhaps just a bit later than I would have liked because the sun was already setting and setting up camp in the dark is not one of my favourite endeavours. But none the less, after a few minutes I had a fire going and I had my lines in.

At about 20h00 one of my friends, Gideon joined me. The whole night went by with only some movement on one of the lines. I “kapped” it real hard but found that the hook link was cut in half. I changed the rig and tried again, regularly changing and experimenting with different baits, but to no avail.

The next morning Andre woke us up with his car doors as we were still sleeping next to the fire. It was a cold morning with a bit of wind which later went away. In the afternoon some of my other friends joined us for a braai at the dam. It turned out to be a great afternoon party in the sun.

The fishing wasn’t that great though. We caught nothing the whole afternoon. The guys next to us caught a few Kurpers on artificial spoon-type baits.

After the friends left and I was busy packing up my other friends called and said they’re on their way, so I slept over again. This time round the fishing went somewhat (but only slightly) better as I changed my rigs to braid, which could not be cut in half by whatever was cutting it in half, and I managed to catch a small barbel on some custard dough which was strange, because he could have gone for the worm on the other hook.

All and all I was happy with the conditions at the dam. The water seems clean and the banks are neat.

Bass fishing at Bass Lake Lodge

Andre — Thu, 05 May 2011 15:29:06 +0000

The weekend of 22 -24 April 2011 we visited Bass Lake Lodge with a few friends. This wasn’t a fishing trip per se, but I still managed to sneak two bass rods and some lures past the ever watchful eyes of my wife.

Bass Lake Lodge is close to Pretoria on the Melotto road, past Roodeplaat dam. The resort itself is wonderful and I have to compliment the management and staff on their excellent client service and clean facilities. The best phrase to describe this resort will probably be “exclusive four star camping”. Staff are always on hand to assist with setting up the camping area, washing dishes, distribution of free welcome drinks or whatever you may require. Bass Lake Lodge is VERY wife friendly and the bathrooms are almost cleaned on an hourly basis, there is even a room especially for the ladies, complete with big mirrors, plugs for their hairdryers and ample space for makeup kids. For the boys, there is a bar where they can watch some rugby or just have a drink or two, and then of course two beautiful bass dams.

The colder weather and the large amount of children made fishing difficult and unfortunately I have nothing to show for my efforts, but I promised myself to visit again in the off peak season. If you are planning a holiday with your wife and kids and are looking for a save resort where you can fish, this resort is definitely recommended. We will post some information regarding the pricing and location of the resort as soon as possible.

There is still fish in Roodeplaat dam

Andre — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 11:22:17 +0000

The past weekend we decided to visit Rietvlei dam again, unfortunately we forgot about the school holidays and was informed that we will have to book at least one week in advance.

Sunday morning I decided to drive to Roodeplaat dam and have a look at what happened during the past year. I was pleasantly surprised to see no hyacinth and a large number of keep nets in the water. I intorduced myself to a man named Stan and he was more than willing to let me take a few photo’s of the fish he caught during the day. Stan caught more than 12 carp between the sizes of 2 and 3 kilograms, all in beautiful condition. It seems like there is still fish in Roodeplaat dam and we will definitely make a point of visiting.

Preparing groundbait for an unknown fishing venue

Andre — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:00:28 +0000

This comming weekend we will be fishing at a new venue and we decided to write a few posts on the preparation that is done when venturing into the unknown. We will start with an explanation on the groundbait that is used and then move on to topics such as hook baits, rigs, strategies and target areas. The dam we are fishing at this weekend is a small farm dam that is rearly fished and hosts a variety of fish species such as carp, barbel and bass. We will mainly be targeting carp and barbel while keeping ourselves busy with some bass fishing during the quiet periods.

Because the dam is rearly fished it is important to keep the groundbait as natural and flavour free as possible. When fishing at an unknown venue it is wise to attract fish with natural groundbait and slowly introduce flavours as you experiment and become more confident in the flavours that are working. A good groundbait to use at a new venue is a mixture of mielie pips (maize) and a ready-to-use-just-add-water groundbait such as popcorn, manufactured by MG Baits. Because we are unfamiliar with the feeding patterns and structures at the venue, it is a good idea to make sure that our groundbait consists of particles of different sizes and textures. This will ensure a groundbait with particles floating at different levels, increasing our chances of attracting more fish.

Read more about how to prepare a basic groundbait on our How to prepare a basic groundbait mixture for carp fishing page. This page will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to prepare a basic groundbait.

Fishing for Barbel at Bon Accord dam

Andre — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 09:24:58 +0000

Altough we are passionate carp anglers we enjoy most fassets of modern day fishing and were never more reminded of this fact than when we hooked a small barbel at Bon Accord dam in January. Despite the small size of the barbel , it still caused utter chaos and reminded us of it’s immense fighting power. Barbel is the omnivore of fresh water and will eat almost anything you put in the water. At Bon Accord dam the barbel are plentiful and can be caught on the usual baits such as small fish heads, platannas and chicken liver.

In January we did not target barbel per se, but managed a few takes on earth worms. Keep in mind that earth worms produce catches of various species and sizes and when targeting barbel, bait such as platanna is recommended. Also keep in mind that catching with platanna is not legal in all nine provinces of South Africa , so do your research beforehand! In future articles we will focus a bit more on how to catch this amazing fish, covering topics such as bait, rigs and venues.

An update on the hyacinth and pollution problems at Bon Accord dam

Andre — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:48:56 +0000

Hyacinth is a common problem experienced at fishing waters in and around South Africa and many people have been battling with this intruder plant over the past decade. Bon Accord wasn’t overseen and during a few occations in the 2010 fishing season we were left with a sea of hyacinth obstructing each and every available fishing spot. It is with great excitement that I announce that most of the hyacint have been removed since, and that fishing can once again be enjoyed by young and old.

I do however have to point out that there is still a small amount of hyacinth present, mostly a problem when the wind picks up forcing these plants to the side.

Sadly the conservation of all other areas around Bon Accord dam are lacking.Papers, bottles, cans and other litter can be seen lying around the once beautiful grass banks while staff members strole past leisurely picking up the minimum required.

Brookwood Trout Farm

Andre — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:46:24 +0000

Fly fishing is just one of the many facets in the exciting world of fishing and late 2010 we decided to see what all the comotion is about. Joe, one of our close friends and fellow anglers recently started the beautiful sport and invited us along on a trip to Brookwood trout farm.

There are four dams on the property hosting a variety of fish species such as trout, bass, kurper and carp. The main attraction however is the trout. For our first trip we decided to merely tag along , attempt to catch a bass or two and leave the fly fishing to the experts.

The venue is an excellent training ground for beginner fly fishermen , providing them with equipment for hire and small densely populated dams. For the intermediate or professional this is perhaps not the ideal fishing spot but rather a place to relax or practice their skills.

At this beautiful location just outside of Johannesburg, you can spend your time fishing, have a picnic , braai or just relax. Facilities are spotless and your fish are cleaned and packaged, ready to go when you leave. So when I decide to one day attempt the finer art of fly fishing, I will be sure to include Brookwood trout farm as one of my frequent training grounds.

Bon Accord fishing at the start of 2011

Willem — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 09:12:30 +0000

The first day of the new year is a good day to start fishing, and that’s exactly what we did!

Rigging up for a fresh start

Being an angler, early mornings every now and then is inevitable, so it was early rise on the first day of the new year to do some last minute preparations before hitting the road. We have decided to fish Bon Accord dam because it is so close and because it was back to work again on Monday.

By the afternoon all was set up and we had already made a feeding spot a bit further down the so called “hotel” side of the Bon Accord dam, but it was only by 5 ‘o clock that we had the first one in the net. It was a barbel, caught on Andre’s rod, brought to the dry ground by my brother Riaan, since Andre was away at that time. Although the barbel was not very big it put up quite a nice fight.

Andre with Bon Accord Barbel

During the day we all had a few runs but somehow most of the the fish escaped. Riaan caught a few plastic bags and a baby carp. Andre also caught a baby carp just a moment or two later, which just shows that Bon Accord dam is full of fish life.

Riaan caught nice size plastic bag

He also caught a small carp

Not a good way to start a year, but luckily non of us blanked, as I caught a small carp just after dusk. Mind you, I have serious problems recalling this event. Luckily Andre took photo’s to remind me.

I caught a typical Bon Accord Carp

After that nothing much happened. It started drizzling and a few Bon Accord crabs came out of the water to the light. Andre’s bait was taken by something which we believe was a barbel, because he used bait fish.

One of those Bon Accord Crabs

The next morning I went to pick up my friends, who were to join us for the day.

In the past Bon Accord dam’s water was seriously infested with Hyacinth. This seems to be much better now but the banks were quite polluted by careless anglers who, despite the fact that dustbins are provided, simply throw their garbage in the grass beside the dam.

Dirty banks

Despite the very wet conditions, it was a good and fun first outing for 2011!

Great buddies who joined us

Crocks and Hippo’s in Rietvlei dam?

Andre — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:00:18 +0000

When I was walking around taking a few photo’s on my last trip to Rietvlei dam, I came across this very interesting sign.

Crocs and hippos in Rietvlei dam

I once read a question about crocks in Rietvlei dam on a forum somewhere but though it was a joke and didn’t read to much into the subject. Looking at the above image this might actually be true. One of our readers, I only know him as Hannes, left a comment regarding our post Dissapointed in Reitvlei dam and explained that the little fence was errected to keep three of the hippos that migrated from the Marais dam at bay. I find it difficult to believe that this fence would prevent a three ton animal from passing, but then again I’m not a hippo expert and perhaps there is a reason for errecting a fence that is not even half a meter in height.

Fence at Rietvlei dam

For the people that wondered about the catch and release policy at Rietvlei dam, the policy applies to all carp bigger than 4.5 kg, here is the sign.

Rietvlei dam catch and release policy