The Bass Insider Issue 1 September
Dam topographic maps are the angler’s equivalent of a roadmap. Without a map, an angler would have to turn on his depth finder and drive in random until he locates structure. But by studying a map and marking likely spots, the angler can then motor into the vicinity, turn on his depth finder and find the spot quickly by using shoreline references and a circling, searching pattern. In South Africa it sometimes is an absolute mission to get hold of topographic maps. However your Department Of Water Affairs has maps of all registered dams in South Africa. To get hold of them is the mission, I managed to get hold of the maps that I was looking for and can confirm that they have maps for the following dams: Witbank, Bronkhorstspruit, Tzaneen, Injaka, Albert Falls, Inanda, Midmar, Clan William, Theewaters, Kwaggas, Harties, Heyshope, Loskop, Middelburg, Wriggleswade and Vaal River. Getting hold of these maps cost me a fair amount of money and some of the maps is of poor quality and very big. The maps will always be worth every penny you spent if used correctly. CATCHING BASS ALONG RIVER CHANNELS I’ll usually start out trying where creak mouths dump into the old river channel. I’ll also check channel bends (VERY IMPORTANT both inside and outside). I’ll mainly just be looking with my depth finder for the right combination of elements. I also want to see fish on the sonar, I never try a deep spot if I don’t see what I think are bass returns. I don’t see every fish I catch but, I want to know there is something down there before I spend time trying. I will head straight where the creek empties into the river channel, and I’ll idle across the creek channel with my depth finder on. If all the fish returns show up on the one side of the creek I will concentrate on the structure I find that coincides with the depth. Or if I don’t see any activity deeper than 12 feet, I’ll know to stick to shallower structure. Learning this activity zone gives me a starting point. Once over the right channel edge I look for fish that is holding close to the bottom, these are the feeding fish, the ones I feel I can catch. I will then cast deep crank baits, jigs and various plastic rigs. I will hit a spot, test fish it with a minimum of casts, then move somewhere else if I don’t get a strike. I will normally throw crank bait if the structure is shallow enough, 12 to 14 feet, to drag the lure across the bottom. I hold the boat of the deep
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