Potch dam skins

[August]

Potch dam Skins

Today Westvaal bassmasters had a skins comp at potch dam, followed by a braai and prize giving for the previous season.

Just a quick explanation of how skins work for those who does not know (I didn’t). The dam is broken up into six pizza slices (looks like it), called zones. The competitors draw a starting zone. You get to fish each zone for a hour, where after you move to the next zone. After each hour there is also a weigh in. Any size counts. Biggest bag for that hour wins. You are not allowed to go fish another zone than the one allocated to you for that hour. You would put in R20 per skin. Thus 21 anglers is R420 per zone (skin), if you win all six zone, R2520 up for grabs. 6 zone, six hour, six chances to win. Fun!!

05h15 and we were in zone 2 first up. We did not get a nip, nothing! Not a good start. At 06h10 first weigh in was up. You had to go give your score even though you had nothing. The first skin is done, 5 to go. Now this is the lekker part. This new zone is like a mini little comp. You have to get the skunk off the boat AGAIN, and if you screwed up, or did well first time around the playing field was now level again.

Next up zone 3, jetties. We started working the area next to the jetties and soon I landed my first fish, about 300g. A little while later I landed the next one, very small one, but weight none the less. Just like that the zone was done. Got nowhere with those two, but at least weighed my first few fish.

Next up, zone 4 for us. We started on a reed bank and sommer quickly I had a fish on board, but not big. We moved down without real inquiries. I wanted to fish a little stretch of the dam wall in this zone, where I fished the only other time I was on potch and actually got some fish. Got there, whipped out an Xr6 and boom, on. Next cast on again. Few casts later and in again. Three fish in short succession. I also dropped two more. I was a bit more optimistic about this round. 08h10 came around and it was time for weigh in again. I managed to scrape a win on a skin! Whoop whoop. My four fish weighed a whopping 1.2kg :blue-badgrin: :blue-biggrin: :blue-lol: :blue-rolleyes: .

The next zone we had some more action with less results. I quickly landed a fish on Jerk, now getting the skunk of in every zone after the first one fairly quickly. Then Flip hooked his first fish, and decent it was. He was about to lift the nice sized fish onto the boat throwing the skunk off the other side, when his line gave way! Heartbreak hotel! He soon after landed his first anyway. He then got stuck in another nice fish in the thick stuff and was millimeters away from landing it when it came free. Pity, as he would have taken that skin. We both weighed 1 each this time around.

Next zone, next comp, next chance. Zone five I landed a pox fish on a spinner bait, not big but the skunk gone, after that I only got one more on plastic and lost two nice fish in the thick stuff. I weighed another two fish. By this time it was getting difficult to land good fish.

The last zone I only got one small fish. I weighed it just to see, and it was a whopping 80grams!!!! To think that thing smoked a Xrap!

All in all a very fun day. I landed 10 fish in total. Between 21 anglers 99 fish were weighed and the biggest was 1.2kg. The biggest skin weight was 2.5kg, by Morne de Beer. Not a single person won more than one skin, at least I got one. It was really competitive and fun. Afterwards we had a lekka braai en doppie. I must be honest. I am really loving it with the Westvaal club. The social fishing is awesome, and the way everybody mingles is a lot of fun, and way better than previous clubs. It’s a real showcase of how much fun a club can have!

Thanx for making me a part.

[bblunt]

Nice report and well done!

[Navrik]

Thanks August - nice report. A skins at Kwaggas would be very interesting.

A bit disappointed not to see a photo of the 80gram beast :blue-biggrin:

[Ernst]

this sounds like so much fun and it gives you 6 chances at winning this is brilliant thanks for the nice report.

[Ernst]

BM should make a gallery spot for small bass to see how small and how greedy they are hahahahahaha i got a very small fish 10cm max this weekend on a 7" senko wit a 4o hook.Ninja also got one same size as his lure looked like a xrap some time ago.

[Debbie]

Interesting concept - these Skins.

Thanks for the report back. How big is Potch Dam?