Responsible angling

[Bassassin]

I fished the Classic the weekend and I did not see fish nesting. Some single fish hunting in the shallow water, but no nests. Did not see any fry either. How do we know what time of the year do they really nest. Late rain and time of water to settle, I believe play a roll. Just asking ? Kwaggaskloofdam were skipped last season and with the low levels Brandvlei also rested.

I saw at the the classic the bags that came out and were surprised how many fish were still caught after the Nationals. No big fish but a lot off small fish. It's not the small fish that I am worried about at this moment, but where are the big fish.

Do they have enough food, did they get smarter or does the cook brigade play a role. I saw with my own two eyes, how day campers caught a 1,6kg smallie 100m from the weight station on a life platanna on Sunday. That was the average smallie sizes in the past at Clan. The other problems that we saw were plenty Carp and 1 barbel.

@LaRocks - I just don't see how one 1.6 kg fish observed being caught by a bank angler compares with 60 odd, top bass anglers catching prime spawning bass - 600 by my calculation. Even though you may not personally have seen one on a nest, I can suggest with some confidence that the guys who came back with winning bags did. All followed by sticking them in a live-well for 8 hours or so, subjecting them to weigh-in and photo session and then releasing them over 20 km from their nest!

Sorry mate, just doesn't compute, sounds like somebody telling themselves the things they want to hear so they sleep better at night ;-)

Im just going to leave this here...

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U26eteI1iBI[/youtube]

@TheBee - Amen, what more is there to say? Very sad when it's multiplied by many times, maybe 50 or 60 boats over 2 days, in a prime smallmouth dam, where bass have no official protection! And all organised and attended by people and organisations that claim to have bass conservation at heart? I don't think so!

@BFSA - It's the truth that anybody, or any organisation that chooses to participate in, or arrange any organised bass tournament during the spawning months in South Africa in general, and on our prime Smallmouth lake in particular, cannot claim in any way shape or form to have bass conservation in mind. When the bass have all gone (again in the case of Theewaters) the anglers who really care about bass will know where the finger needs to be pointed. By then of course it will be too late, and we'll all have to to find something else to fish for - and all that will be left will be carp and barbel. And the guys with million rand bass boats will sit with expensive garden decorations and their finger up their @#$.