Bassing around at Renosterkop

[E.T.]

Friday morning saw me and a mate head on out to Renosterkop.
Now I have heard good things about this dam, fishing wise and also some bad stuff security wise.
I was pleasantly surprised with both the fishing and the self appointed security/helpers/ launchers/ cleaners/ jack of all trades. These okes help you unpack, they help you get your boat in the water and they look after your car whilst on the water and when you return they help you pack up again too.


Now we went out with inflatable boats and electric trolling motors. I would say that we were on the water by about 7am and the top water column was already registering 21 Degrees on the Fish Finder. Immediately I knew that we are going to return as holy men, cause the sun were going to burn all hell out of us.


I started off with fishing some poppers over the grass patches. After an hour I had nothing to show for my efforts, so I changed to a White and Orange Marabou Streamer and on my first cast I was into my first bass.
At 9:30 I was on 5 already with this one coming to hand....



Now I was fishing a 5wt and it was great fun pulling bass this size.
I took a bit of a break after this fish and hovered like a bee over my cooler box. The sun was scorching and I kept on getting some iced water and cold drinks into my system.
I decided that I would like to cast out some nymphs for the shy Kurper I saw in the grass. A few cast yielded nothing and then I decided to chuck them into a small gap in the grass and as soon as the nymphs hit the water this feisty specimen came to hand.....



The fishing slowed down and I would say that about 13:00 or so I started moving back slowly towards our launch site. I did a drift over an area of about 50 meters and landed another 6 in quick succession. I then moved off to catch up with my mate and fished a little bay closer to our launch area. Here I hooked up with another 4 in quick succession.





Now in this short time I managed to connect with 6 more bass in between that I lost fighting through the grass cover. I lost a couple of takes too, so in all fairness I do believe that this venue is a 30-50 Bass per day sort of venue.
Friday was a recce for me and I was finding my feet on this huge piece of water.
I did fish an array of flies. Baitfish, Poppers, Large Profile Flies and had no results on them whatsoever. What did work for me time after time was the Orange and White Marabou Streamer. This is a weedless fly tied on a #10 Streamer hook and when you retrieve it, it swims about 5-10cm below the surface right over and through the weeds. Yes I did get stuck a few times, but nothing that a hard strip could not get rid of.


This trip was the 3rd trip in a row where I have caught bass on small nymphs.
Just goes to show, when the big stuff is not working, go small.


Thanks for looking

[WalkersKiller]

Very nice Koos!

[E.T.]

Thanks Garreth. Look its hard work casting a fly line the whole day, but when the bass are doing their part, it so worth it.


My arms and shoulders knew they worked hard Friday night. My wife called me at one stage and asked who invited the Hunchback of Notredam into the house, I did not think that was funny.

[WalkersKiller]

  good hard work pays off with the fly for sure!

[Rory]

Nice fish Koos!

[E.T.]

Thanks Rory

[E.T.]

Boys and Girls


I decided to hit Renosterkop again on Saturday. So I got up and left quite early.
Was there at first light. Got air into the boat and mounted the electric trolling motor, my gear and off I went. Was on the water before 7am.


Decided to go to the usual spots and on route I noticed some fry jumping and I stopped. Took the fly rod and made a cast, two strips and I was into my first Bass of the morning. Released the fish and continued to my usual hunting grounds.


The water was way colder than in January, it was also lower than January. So I would end up casting and snagging up with the Orange and White Marabou Streamer in the grass/weeds. So I literately had to make casts into the gaps between the grass and this was no easy task with the wind that blew like crazy. At one stage I thought I was going to get seasick with all the waves, luckily the wind died down to a little breeze at about 11am.


I was only rewarded with fish with well placed casts. Fished the 8wt for a good part of the morning and then changed to the 5wt. Immediately the 5wt felt like a 1wt in my hands compared to the weight of the 8wt and the reel. It's a heavy outfit, but long casts in tough conditions is a breeze with that rod and the Rio Bass line even makes roll casts off the water a charm. Now I am not a good caster, but this line does wonders for any fly fisher. You lift it from the water flick it back and release line on the forward cast and the line would just shoot out like crazy. Was very impressed by it.


I worked hard for my 20 Bass. I caught anything from too small to mention to Bass in the 1.5kg range. This did not put me off as most of the Bass Anglers only managed to catch fish in the 800g range and the fish did not came out in numbers, so all and all I was happy with my efforts.


One thing I did enjoy was getting bass the size of my hand on the nymph. I would chuck the nymph out to sighted fish. Let them investigate it and give it 2 or 3 strips and watch them take it. This was really fun.


The only Kurper I spotted was small fry and they get hammered by the Bass. One bass came out under my boat in the shallows and it chased a little Kurper. Poor thing could not even escape by jumping out the water, as the Bass of about 30cm just followed it and took it clean out the air on the jump. My prediction for Kurper in Renosterkop is like Helies Comet, you know of it, you might have seen it, but in your life time you will never see it again. Bass and illegal netting has ruined the Kurper.


Will post one or two pics later.


Thanks for watching

[WalkersKiller]

Nice report Koos, must of been lekker sight fishing for the juvie bass on nymph!!!! Its a pity about the kurper though...

[E.T.]

The Carp are plenty though. Saw them jump a lot and also spotted a few "Snorre"
Look it's not just Renosterkop, Kurper in just about all the Dams these days are becoming more and more scarce.