Vaal River

[Hawkeye]

No doudt many of us have see the fotos doing the rounds on the internet of the Vaal River sluice gates being opened and the raised water levels ?
Well I guess that flooding can also fall under the Weather Pressure etc topic. I drove over the Vaal 2 days ago and the water was really dirty brown and fast flowing,. I got to thinking of my next Bassing trip on the Vaal and what my strategy would be.
Surely the fish would be affected by the sudden change in current and water quality. Thei "familiar" habitat has now been disturbed, moved washed away , deepened .How would they react. :blue-question: My guess is that they would probably relate to quiter sections of the river near cover.... call it" shelter" for want of a better word, so they would not use that much energy "fighting " the current. I suppose they would rely more on their lateral line for hunting their prey because of the now dirtier water. Once the water has calmed and cleared a bit they would probably seek out new structure, drop offs etc.
This will make for interesting fishing in the next few months. What do you think :blue-question:

[August]

shees...I always find these post serious rains and dirty water conditions very very tough!!

It tzn I always felt that the fish is not to keen on that new flooded GREEN brush standing in the water. Its like the stuff has to die first before they move in there. I always then find the fish on the old water line, fishing dead brush. But there is always people getting them in those brush so I know Ive not got it 100% right yet.

Spinner baits
DLN DD22
in light colors for me

xraps

And a texas with a lot of noise (bigish tungsten and a lekka bead) and vibration and usually very dark to pitch black

[Jeremy]

I always felt that the fish is not to keen on that new flooded GREEN brush standing in the water. Its like the stuff has to die first before they move in there.

I have also found that recently. All the dams in KZN are overflowing and all the green stuff is flooded. It looks like such a great hiding place for bass but I just can't seem to catch them in it. They have been slightly off in isolated cover and even in open water.

The new SA Bass has an article on fishing dirty water by Richard Watson, just haven't read it yet. :blue-biggrin: