The beginners guide to gearing up for Bass fishing in South Africa
The fish
There's nothing quite like catching a beautiful bass. Whether it be the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) smashing a top water lure with the fury of a tiger, or the small-mouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) taken on something as simple as an in-line spinner, the thrill remains incredible.
Both these species are found in South African waters, and although they are not indigenous, they thrive in rivers and dams across our country, make for fine fishing, and if prepared correctly, makes a delicious meal.
What you need to start bass fishing
Although bass fishing equipment can be expensive, the beginner need not have all the latest goodies and gadgets to start enjoying this addictive sport. A basic kit will do just fine... at least, until you are totally hooked, that is.
Two basic types of kit
There are two basic types of kit to choose from for the beginner. This argument surrounds the rod and reel combination. The one kit is called the bait casting kit, the other the spinning kit.
How's about having both kits?
The ideal situation would be to have both kits, but since we're not all sponsored fishermen, and bass fishing tackle can be quite expensive, we'll only look at setting you up with a basic entry level kit.
The most important tools in your box
In this article I give more info on rods and reels than any of the other items you need to start bass fishing with. Why? These are the most important tools in your box. Lures and line can be replaced, but you need to start off with the correct reel and rod combination, to avoid frustration. A fisherman builds a bond with his reel and rod. You don't want to purchase a new rod or reel or both every two months.
Bass fishing rods
Your fishing rod becomes one of your best friends. Make sure the company you keep is good company. Be sure to buy the right rod for your bass fishing needs.
Rod length
In choosing a rod length that'll work for you, consider where you'll be fishing. This is important for a couple of reasons.
Problems with overly long rods
You don't want an overly long rod if you'll be fishing a river lined with trees or brush where your line can easily get hung up, unless you use the flipping technique (this is done with the casting rod). Also, if you're fishing with someone on a small water craft, you don't want to hook your partner while practicing mastering your cast.
When to use a long rod
A long rod obviously gives you that little bit of extra leverage for casting further. This is, however, not always necessary in bass fishing, since often you'll catch a lunker right by your feet!
Long rods are also used in a technique called flipping, which is a very useful technique when fishing for big bass hiding in thick brush. This technique is also useful if casting space is limited.
Problems with rods that are too short
A rod that is too short can cause a lot of frustration for the beginner angler. Throw a low grade line in the mix, and you'll be frustrated long before you've even had your first taste of a bass dancing on the end of your line. The problem is that your cast can be very restricted if your rod isn't long enough, and has too stiff an action.
When to use a short rod
Where casting space is restricted, and the angler is not familiar or comfortable with the flipping technique, it is best to use a short rod.
Rod action and power
There are three basic rod actions. Light, medium and heavy. The lighter the action, the limper the rod will be. Choosing the right action is critical for the beginner. If you know the fish in your favourite pond, dam or river is very small, go for a light action rod. As the size increases, so must your rod's action. Rod action is also a big determining factor in how comfortably you will cast, without disjointing your shoulder.
Baitcasting rods
The materials
A good bait casting rod is manufactured from carbon fibre and/or fibre glass composites. Some specialist rod builders manufacture cane rods, and these can be quite expensive, but for the ardent bass fisherman, this is a small price to pay for a beautiful work of art.
Length
Bait casting rods can be anything from five feet to seven or eight feet in length, depending on the angler's preference.
Line guides
In the case of the casting rod, the line guides are situated at the top of the rod, with the trigger at the bottom.
Bait casting line guides also come in all sorts of flavours. As a beginner, it is not necessary to purchase the rod with the most sophisticated line guide system on the market.
Rod handles
Yes, even casting rod handles are available in a huge range of different designs and materials. As mentioned before, the trigger is a characteristic of the baitcasting rod handle.
Pistol grip handle
The pistol grip is a very popular handle for short rods, and fits comfortably in one hand. This comes in handy when you need to cast in different areas at different angles.
Long handle
Another option, and certainly the more conventional one in terms of fishing, is the standard long handled grip, which is just a plain good ol' fashioned elongated handle of approximately 18 to 20 cm's. Again, a myriad of different designs are available in this category as well.
Split rear grip handle
This is a grip that is gaining popularity, though it's not that new. The grip is literally 'split' in two. This means that the rod blank is visible near the butt of the rod, but is covered with a cork butt.
Typical usage
Bait casting rods are favoured where lures are of considerable size and weight, and where less finesse is required. Spinnerbaits typically fall under this category.
Spinning rods
The spinning rod is definitely the more popular choice for beginner anglers, because of it's ease of use.
The materials
A good spinning rod is manufactured from carbon fibre and/or fibre glass composites. Some specialist rod builders manufacture cane rods, and these can be quite expensive, but for the ardent bass fisherman, this is a small price to pay for a beautiful work of art.
Length
Spinning rods can be anything from five feet to seven or eight feet in length, depending on the angler's preference.
Line guides
The spinning rod's guides are situated at the bottom of the rod. Spinning rod line guides also come in all sorts of flavours. As a beginner, it is not necessary to purchase the rod with the most sophisticated line guide system on the market.
Rod handles
The spinning rod range gives you somewhat less choice in handle types. The spinning rod does not have the trigger grip of the bait casting rods.
Long handle
The first option, and certainly the more conventional one in terms of fishing, is the standard long handled grip, which is just a plain good ol' fashioned elongated handle of approximately 18 to 20 cm's. Again, a myriad of different designs are available in this category as well.
Split rear grip handle
This is a grip that is gaining popularity, though it's not that new. The grip is literally 'split' in two. This means that the rod blank is visible near the butt of the rod, but is covered with a cork butt.
Typical usage
Spinning rods are used with smaller, lighter lures, where extra casting range is required, and where finesse and slower fishing is at the order of the day. Plastic worms typically fall under this category.
The spinning reel (good ol' coffee grinder)
The spinning reel is often referred to as a coffee grinder (well, at least in South Africa). This is usually the first choice of reel for the beginner.
The materials
The typical spinning reel housing is manufactured from steel, aluminium or graphite, with steel usually the cheapest, and graphite the more expensive option.
The spool
The spinning reel spool is located at the front, and lays parallel to the rod, where in the case of the bait casting reel, it is set at a 90 degree angle to the rod.
Gear ratio
The gear ratio of a reel refers to the amount of revolutions made with each complete turn of the handle. The more finesse you need, the less the gear ratio. The quicker you want to fish, the more the gear ratio of your reel needs to be. In general, the spinning reel's gear ratio is lower than that of the bait casting reel, which means slower fishing.
Ball bearings
Although bearings do make for a smoother action, it is best not to get caught up too much with how many ball bearings your reel should have. However, make sure your reel has bearings in the right places, to ensure not having to replace bushes on a continual basis. Typically, the spool should run on bearings, rather than bushes.
Line capacity
Line capacity refers to the length of line you can wind onto your reel. This can range from 91m of 2kg test monofilament, to 204m of 2.7kg test monofilament. Again, the range is humongous!
Fishing line
Fishing line makes up the third item on your 'what to get to start fishing' list. Choosing the right fishing line is critical. If you want your fishing experience to be really good, trust me, spend a little more on quality line. You won't know the difference until you've tried cheaper line, and got frustrated. The line on your reel can make a world of difference. A stiff line, or a too thick line, influences your casting action. A limp, more stretchy line makes the ride smoother.
The material
Fishing line comes in a wide variety of different materials. Monofilament (plain ol' gut) is still the most popular choice for bass fishermen. The right monofilament gives you a strong line with enough limpness in it to ensure smooth casting, and enough stretch, for that extra bit of feeling needed for bass fishing, and should your fish get stuck somewhere.
The thickness
Do not choose a line that is too thin. This is especially true in bass fishing, since you'll most likely be fishing heavy cover, like brush, lilies and trees. You don't want to lose your prize fish just because your line couldn't handle a little snag.
A line that's too thick can handicap your casting action. This means that you won't be able to cast very far without adding more weight to your lure.
Bass fishing lures
Fishing lures can be very addictive. Some people collect fishing lures simply as a hobby. The right lure will allure the fish, and not just the fisherman. Be careful of gimmicks. Although new products seem to come out on a weekly basis, it is good to have a collection of standard lures that you know will produce fish, and not just take up your fishing box space.
SOFT PLASTIC BAITS
Soft plastic baits are the number one choice for bass fishermen around the world. A soft plastic lure usually resembles something like a worm, lizard or baitfish. Soft plastic baits are practically weedless, which means you can cast them into trees, brush, lilies and what not else, without it hardly ever getting stuck.
The standard
The plastic worm is a standard soft plastic bait in all top fishermen's boxes. It is extremely versatile, and can be fished weighted or unweighted, as a top water lure or as a bottom lure.
Hooks to use with plastic baits
A few different types of hooks are available specifically for plastic lures. The L shaped hook is very popular. It ensures that the plastic bait stays in place, and keeps it from sliding down the shaft of the hook.
Hook size
Though different fishing spots call for different hook sizes, the 2/0 L shaped hook seems to be a happy medium to use for plastic lure fishing.
Weights
Special bullet shaped weights (sinkers) are available to use with your plastic baits. These can be made of lead or sink, and even plastic! Make sure you use the right size of weights for your plastic baits.
Get some toothpicks
Toothpicks are handy for keeping plastic lures and weights in place. By simply inserting the toothpick into the weight after putting it in place on the line, and breaking it off, you create an unobtrusive stay on your weight.
Spinnerbaits
Spinnerbaits are among the top five baits used by top fishermen around the world. They come in a variety of sizes, colours and blade combinations. What makes a spinnerbait so attractive is the fact that it is almost weedless. In other words, despite the fact that it usually has a huge hook, it hardly ever snags or gets hung up, unlike its smaller brother, the inline spinner.
Size
The size of your bait will most likely be influenced by the size of the fish in your favourite hole. Choose a small spinnerbait for smaller fish, and larger for bigger fish. Remember that the size of your lure will affect your casting action. If the spinnerbait is too small, you'll have trouble controlling your cast, and getting distance. If the bait is too large, you'll have trouble not snapping your line with each casting.
Colour
Choosing the right colour spinnerbait for your fishing hole is probably more of a trial and error undertaking, than a scientific calculation. I've found that purple, black, gold and white work best for where I fish, but this will not necessarily be the case for you.
Blade combinations
There is a huge selection of different blades and blade combinations available. The most popular blades are the Colorado and willow leaf blades. Using a single blade results in your lure vibrating with more density on retrieval. Using a double blade combination gives off more flash. Again, different situations call for different combinations.
crank baits
Crank baits are made from hard plastic or wood (usually Balsa wood), and usually resembles small baitfish. Crank baits also fall under the category of most popular lures. They come in different sizes, colours and depth range. Which crank bait to use depends on the conditions you fish in.
Depth range
Crank baits are available for shallow, mid depth or deep water fishing. If the fish are quick on the bite and in the shallows, you can use a shallow runner. Adjust the lure according to the depth of the fish, using a deep runner with a slow retrieval when the fish are deep.
Inline spinners
Inline spinners continue to be one of the most popular lures of all modern fishing time. I've found that inline spinners seem to work especially well with smallmouth bass. Since it is easy to get an inline spinner caught in brush, lilies or trees, it is best to fish it in open water, over rocky ledges or steep drop offs.
Colour
Inline spinners, like most other baits on the market, come in colours that are very natural, or colours that belong in the eighties, namely flashy neon pink, green and what not else. Choosing the right colour, again, is mostly a trial and error undertaking.
