MERCURY AMATOLA BASS CLASSIC 2014
Bass Digest/April, 2014
Organiser Reportback
The annual Amatola Bass Classic held at Wriggleswade Dam over the weekend of the 8th and 9th March attracted some 83 boats with over 160 anglers competing to win a bass boat worth close to R250 000!
Although the weather predictions were for cool wet weather, thankfully the heavy rain only set in later on the Sunday.
Ben Van Huysteen from Cape Town held the lead after day one with a fish of 1.980kg. Being very familiar with Wriggleswade he knew this fish was certainly not safe. Day two is always tough and although many anglers struggled to find size fish, some very good fish were caught. Andrew du Plessis from East London caught a fish of 1.985kg on the Sunday; however their scale on the boat showed this fish to be under the leading fish so they didn’t rush to weigh it in. When they did weigh in and the fish weighed 1.985kg, it dawned on them that they were actually in the lead and the boat was
theirs! Sadly though, this was short lived and Shaun Fredriksson from Nelspruit weighed in a fish of 2.550kg to take the lead which he caught on a white spinner bait in the upper reaches of Blaine’s bay. Shaun was extremely nervous as he bounced between the two weigh stations to see if his fish would be beaten. Ultimately he was victorious.