Hi There
Thanks for the welcome! Much appreciated.
Unfortunately I have the catch records that proves that the fishing results at RDW is declining quite badly. As an example, this past Saturday we finished 5th in the monthly comp with a tiny little bag of 3.5 kg, and we only caught our limit fish at 15:15! The winning bag was below 6kgs, and there were some very knowledgeable anglers taking part in the comp like Izak de Beer, John Bulpitt and Gordon Brown.
Two or three years ago I would not have bothered to take a 3.5kg bag to the scales in a comp at RDW at the end of November.
Yes, I agree that some of the spawning areas are not accessible to the hook and cook brigade. I would estimate about 20% of the spawning fish can do so without being targeted. Maybe this contributes to RDW holding up for so long.
I guess (hope?) that the murder of 3 and 4 kg females will continue until the fishing declines to a point where it is not worth driving to RDW any more. Hopefully the number of inconsiderate anglers will then reduce accordingly, and give the fish stock an opportunity to recover. The reason (in my opinion) that RDW has held up relatively well to date is simply because it is just such a perfect bass habitat and there is so much cover and structure. I don't think it will hold up for ever though.
This cycle is busy happening at Harties as in general Harties is regarded as much less productive than RDW. However, if I were to go fishing socially this coming weekend, I'd launch at Harties in stead of RDW simply based on expected results.
I just find it totally heartbreaking to see a net with at least 30 huge females being lifted from the water and but in the back of a vehicle. The fish is not prepared and kept cold to be enjoyed at home. I can not believe that a single family could consume that amount of fish without wasting it. In any case, bass is not that tasty!
Maybe I'm just being nostalgic, but damn I miss those days when you sat in a boring meeting on a Wednesday morning and ran your index finger over your course thumbs said to yourself "I must remember to take an extra packet of watermelon seed flukes on Saturday"
To each his own, I guess.