RossCo91

I am looking at getting an another Action cam, I started off with a cheapie, HP AC100. ( which has been great by the way! Just the mount broke. ) I watch alot of the Youtubers and although I wont be making content like them I'd like to record my days out. Heres where I am looking for advice, Firstly which Camera should I go for, GoPro being the good choice because its waterproof but is there anything over in the USA that competes and would be worth looking at? ( I am from South Africa ) Next would be how would I mount it? Chest Cam? Or fixed either near the console or motor? And lastly, whats the best advice when it comes to battery life, I know most camera's only last two hours? I see some people wire the charger into the boat if they mount it on the boat so its continuously charging, good idea? I also know mic quality is something to look at, although I'm not planning on making instructional videos more so a catch montage over a few months is there anything else to look at there? Love to hear all of your input!

Thank you for all the suggestions. I am considering adding VT-2 vents to the live well, I'm going to try a few things and in a few weeks Ill post what helps for future viewers.

My whole rig including the oxygenators and pumps are from the states:)

The problem happened in one livewell, and now is happening in the other but I do know that the water isn't heating up. I'd love to do the chemical break down test but again in this country that wont happen unless I fork out ALOT of money. I can however do the PH test, I never add anything into my wells. I've been toying with the idea of putting a switch onto my oxygenators and turning them off to see if I have the problem occur still.

No, don't lose any water when I run.

Hey everyone, I'm looking for some advice, I am having a problem with fish deaths in my livewells, To give you some background, I am from South Africa our waters may not be as clean as you have them in the states but we have 50 boats on the water and none of them are experencing this problem on the scale I have. I have a Skeeter, which is two seperate livewells, Spray bars and Oxygenators. I fill up my one well when I get my first fish, and fill up the second when I have my 3rd fish, I have spray bar on auto every few minutes, and I also pump in new water on auto at the same time. This is mainly happening at one dam where one side of it is Gin Clear and the other at the moment has a thick green slime from hyacinth. I had this problem in the left hand well and not the right to begin with, I'd check my fish every 30minutes and one interval to the next all 3 of them would be dead belly up, sometimes already stiff, at first I thought this was after I run to a spot which takes me 20/30 min. However I cleaned my leftwell throughly with Miltons ( used to clean babies bottles ) as it was recommended and had not been back to that dam in a while, I never really had problems for the past two months, However this past weekend I did go back to that dam for a competition and I had the very same thing happen in the other live well. All three dead after a run. The other two fish the other side absolutely fine. I am catching most of my fish in the shallows but I honestly cannot work out what is going wrong. I've now been told to wash my livewells with coarse salt and nothing else. Here are some of the things that I thought may be killing from talking to other anglers, but I don't fully understand how that can be right as one side are always fine, the other all die. The oxygenators reacting with something in the water quality. The fact I am pumping in new water, and may go from the clean to the dirty and the difference in the water is killing them. Some sort of electric surge going through the well when I am running from spot to spot ( I have cheaped when its idle and its fine ) I literally lost second place this weekend because of fish deaths and its frustrating as I don't know what to do. Looking for any advice. Thanks in advance!

Thank you all, You've given me plenty to think about! Ill now just have to adapt on the day!

So I thought I'd pick the brains of some experts. As this is not something I can easily find articles on. Scenario. Drought conditions brining the lake down to 24%. Droughts lasted two years. Fish are just coming off a post spawn pattern. We have rising condition. 24-27%. With flow into the lake. Not yet flossing vegetation. This is mudding up over half the lake. This is a very small lake with limited spots on a tournament. It usually fishing as an offshore bite when full. How would you approach this. I've been trying to follow fish deeper by with fishing pressure and little to no structure pass 15ft it isn't too Easy. The temp is around 73. I've tired the river inlet areas which are about 4-8 foot and very muddle with rattle traps and chatter baits without much luck. But want to know if they fish would move to flowing water to eat. Side notes. This lake is in South Africa

hahahaha, ok so feeling a little stupid about the no Carp aspect , Love the idea of a lipless crank! Something I haven't thrown in a while, What colours would you go as I have a white one and a Gold one. Gold it is!

Ok guys, I am here to pick your brains a little, I have a little comp in two days, it’s at my local dam which is been very tough lately due to the water level being so low, at the moment there is no reeds/ vegetation on the banks for the Fish to hold to so its deep fishing. However this week we have had some of another species of fish spawning, ‘ Carp’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carp )not something I believe you get in the USA. I don’t know that much about them myself, but with the eggs just hatching I would imagine they are schooling, and they wouldn’t really be sticking to any trees more just open banks, not places I usually fish for bass due to the lack of structure. So here is what I am asking, I want to take a technique to try and mimic these fish as the bass will be feeding on them. I have attached a picture of what they look like, In my mind running a White and Gold Fluke on a Carolina rig, or a X-Rap Jerkbait off the banks till quite deep. How else could I tackle this, there is a very limited window in which these fish spawn, which falls right on my comp, and I feel this is something I need to take advantage on. Hopefully I’ll be able to link a report back about this if it works out. ( Again I am a Member from South Africa if you are puzzling what I am asking about) Regards Ross (Fish in the picture caught by a friend Tjaart - After many hours of trying!)

For me it depends on the setting, On social days out, I'll be in no Rush, I'll go to new spots to try new things, I'll always try hook one fish on the day with a known technique to boost the confidence and to make sure the fish are biting. On a competitive aspect, I will try get in practice before, on the practice days I'll cover as much water as I can to have enough spots so that I don't panic on comp day. Comp day I'll aim to my best producing spot first to get limit, for me Limit is always key, doesn't matter about the size, I find I am far more relaxed for most of the day then and fish better, In the last hour of fishing if its going well I'll tie on a bigger bait hoping for just a big bite.

Done and Done already. Clubs been invaluable. Tackle store makes me poor but spend alot of time there, the shop assistants don't even try sale me stuff anymore I must be doing it right then.

I try get on the water twice a week, which while Working and studying on an evening is quite a bit! Nothing compares to time spent on the water, but I enjoy filling those gaps. I can easily say every time I am on the water, if the fishing is easy or tough I always take away a new lesson, I'm extremely driven. Our Frog bite here is just starting again, so it will be very hard to put that rod down for a good 6 months!

Hey guys, I’ve been quiet since my introduction, but I’ve been reading more then I write. For a those of you who didn’t see it, I am a Rookie angler who is getting into the competitive scene here over in South Africa. Fishing for around 18 months now, and enjoy learning every chance I get. Anyway onto my question. I follow this forum, and two local forums and google plenty of articles on *** and bassresource as well as watching the FLW and BassMasterElite series on youtube ( As we don’t get them here ) also plenty of other stuff on youtube. What else can I do? Where else is there to look and to learn. My best biggest curve is to turn diving crankbaits into a confidence bait, not something I am managing to do too easily at the moment. Also my main question on this thread is what are the best bass magazines to subscribe to in the states? I was hoping to see if I could get 2/3 subscriptions going ( cost dependant ) as a way to learn, but I haven’t a clue what magazines are the best/ most informative. Anyways thanks for the time! Tight lines! Ross

Always use a trolling motor here when fishing, I don't trawl "drag" my bait behind me, but I'll pitch a Jig until I find a spot where I get a bite then I will slow down and work that area slower.

5/0 with Both. I try and get a thicker hook for the toads. My colours are Fluke: Water Melon Red Water Melon Baby Bass Toad: Water Melon Red Brown Pearl Water Melon Red And Always in a dip!

The suspending Jerk bait Xrap has to be one of my favourite lures to cover water with.

Thanks Guys!

I've had similar situations before, Luck is always an element in bass fishing but I don't think that is just the reason, Like you said you have been working your techniques and when he catches and you don't you can feel anxious or annoyed, a multitude of emotions. It's seems to be a silly thing when you think about it but you are casting into area's you from your experience think there should be fish, where as your friend is just there casting where-ever and is more relaxed when he is fishing, That is why he could be catching more. So what you need to try and do next time, is be relaxed, slow it down and enjoy the day being on the water even if your not catching, as soon as you get uptight in even the slightest it hampers your fishing.

I use a Damiki Grub myself. But I look for a bait that gives off high vibration with its action. I'd actually love to know if this is the right logic.

I would also say go for the Shimano over a Lews, I myself am an Brand addict to Shimano, Rods and Reels. I have used the E and own a G and would say they are both great reels, If you are a first time buyer I would look for something on clearance such as the G, Just what ever you do stick to Shimano it's money never waisted!

Thanks all - Just a little bit about me http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/141742-south-africa-nagle-dam-kzn/?p=1578077

Sorry having trouble uploading all of the pictures due to size, but these two show all 3 fish spoken about

Here are two reports I put in a digital magazine that we get here, I thought you guys might enjoy hearing about fishing somewhere else in the world. This is in a very small dam ( perhaps a puddle from what you are used to ) Called Nagle.( -29.594670, 30.638357 ) I realize that my measurements are in KGs/Grams – but 1Kilo ( 1000G) is around 2.2 Pounds. So it was a cold Monday morning a public holiday my Friend Zane and I decided to take my newly purchased boat down to my favourite dam Nagle, we got there around 5:30 and launched not realising how cold it was, winter had definitely set in that morning. After trying some top water action by the slipway we did not have any luck so we shot around to the weir hoping for some better luck before the sun came up. Still not even a nibble until around 8:30 , by then we had warmed up a little. Fishing was very slow think I had picked up 3 fish by 10am, we then decided to go visit our crocodile and see if he was there ( he was ). We then started working the cliffs , We threw cranks, Texas rigs, Jigs, Even wacky set ups and we struggled to find many fish, I think by 12:15 I was on around 9 or 10 fish and Zane about 3, all very small. With the biggest around 600G. Then pulling my Texas rig down the cliffs I saw my line stop on sinking then watched it as it started going to the right, thought to myself ‘ Hang on a second ‘ Gave it a big strike and then it started swimming. Managed to wrap around the trolling motor, under the boat a few times, probably one of the best fights I had ever had from a fish. Every time I had it close to the boat with Zane hanging off the side with the net he started stripping my line again. I thought to myself ‘ This must be a new personal best’ we finally got in on the boat I sat down trying to get the hook out, my hands were shaking with the adrenaline, My boat partner said I screamed like a girl when we got it on the boat, I couldn’t argue. Got my scale out and to my surprise only weighed around 2.6kgs - 200g off my PB. I then put her in my live well as I wanted to see how she’d fit in, and just put a new bait on and cast in the same spot. I then watched my line sink and it hit the same shelf. So left it there was talking to Zane how my heart was still racing, and how sick it would be to catch two to snap a picture with a bus in each hand, I then looked towards my line again and it was moving, I thought it had just fallen a bit further but reeled in some slack and struck, I felt something was there didn’t think it was too big so started to bring it in, asked Zane to grab the net, and brought it to the surface and then we saw that it was even bigger than the last, but at the same time she was us and was off! Now having some experience from the last fight the trolling motor came out of the water first and I let her take line, was a brilliant fight kept getting her closer to the boat and she’d take off 20 metres again. But after a while we get half of her in the net (Only owned a small net ) and got it on the boat. Couldn’t believe the Size 3.70kg on the dot. Breaking my PB of 2.8kgs. Must say it was definitely one of my best days on the water. Not many fish but the fights from both of these were just incredible. Big thanks to Zane for the help. Very happy to have this on my record after just a started fishing the previous year. Our second trip - I had checked the weather all week as I knew a big cold front was about to hit and slowly I saw conditions for Saturday look better, so the next question I had was where to go, I have my first attempt of divisionals coming up in October at Midmar a dam that I had not yet fished, so even though it was cold I decided to make the trip that way. I had my friend Zane join me, the last time he had fished is when I caught my previous PB that was featured 2 issues back. We got to Midmar minutes before the gate opened and set off, not to cold I was pretty keen on attempting new waters. I headed to some spots I looked up before going to get in that early bite. That’s when I noticed the water temp 13degrees! Perhaps it may not sound cold to many of the fisherman that are outside of KZN but for a ‘coastal’ dam that was cold. We started on some tree’s which should of held fish - They didn’t. It was a pretty bleak start, not a fish to be seen or a bite to be had. We tried many spots and well – all those comments about Midmar being hard were true! Not wanting a blank for the day around 10:30 we started discussing going to another dam. We had Alberts, Nagle or Inanda on the cards. Alberts the condition would not be much easier and Inanda had Y-Bass although we knew there were some good fish being pulled out there we headed to my favourite Nagle. Not having been back since the last trip 2 months back I started on a few of my favourite spots but nothing. We had about 2 hours on the water before I had my first bite. Before even knowing how big it was I asked Zane to get the net, his reply was ‘ It’s not gonna be big enough for the net’ – Then she rised! What a beauty! She was hooked properly so I let her play the line for a while. After that first rise she wanted to just head for the depths, about a 5 – 10 minute battle she come up close enough to Net. I wasn’t sure if it was close to being my PB as the mouth was smaller, but put it on the scales it went 3.6 – up to 4.1 ( My heart racing ) But settled on 3.9KG Clearing my last PB by 200G. But what great fun, I only managed one other fish that day and one more to break me off. All in all a great day!

Hi Guys, Just an international member here, I follow a few of my local forums here but I thought I would branch out. A little about me : I have been bass fishing just over a year now and have fallen in-love with the sport, I thoroughly enjoy the competitive side. I've only had about 6 months off of a boat, before that I fished from a floattube/ Kickboat. I am very much still a beginner through, I have not been able to broaden my fishing styles outside of soft plastics. I'm 23 and very hungry for knowledge, I sure I am going to have plenty to read through here and many of my own questions. I follow the FLW and Bass Master Elite series through youtube ( It's the only shows I know of and I have access to over here, if you can suggest anymore I'd be very grateful) Our dams/'lakes' here are much smaller than the states, so techniques may vary, one such thing is fishing spoons here is unheard of. I am competing this year in our biggest fishing competition, which runs over a year. If you have any questions about South Africa feel free to ask. Tight lines all.