NOW WHAT?

L

Little Green Fish

Sealiner
U'r welcome, won't be going there today as I didn't pack the wader and the rain makes it very hard with office clothes to get close enough to the waters edge to make a cast and tomorrow I gotta drive around a bit (private work) so might not be able to stay outta the office all that long, but Friday I'll sure be trying again.
 
A

AYOBA!

Sealiner
lucky you...what I do not understand about the permit is how can Rietvlei allow you to fish without a permit ? should they not supply it ? like Rhenosterkop, last time I was there you either show your permit and fishing licence or buy one....again are we easy targets (sitting ducks)???
 
S

sustan

New member
thanks for the info LGF

So it was R40 entrance and then you need to buy the permit on top of that?

How long did you manage to fish for?

There are a couple of small crocs just over a metre but nothing to worry about. last i heard they were small and hang around the island and the reserve officials were trying to chace them upstream and keep them there. hippos you got to wach out for. iv seen them right in front of the sailing club.

regarding the permit, when we used to go there about 5-10 years ago for carp fishing you were able to get a fishing license from the reserve entrance or something. i never did this, my brother always went but its on the other side of the dam and worth maybe calling them or something to find out if they still sell them.
 
L

Little Green Fish

Sealiner
Managed three hours from 11:00 to 13:00 and had one bump but missed it, alot of fine green snot like hair-thin (not grass) in the water,

Yeah it was R40 for entrance and if You could buy the license it would be another R25 with the guy asking for a consideration of the additional R15 for the effort of having to drive to JHB for the license books.

RDW and Rhenosterkop are the only two Nature reserve Dams I know of that sells you the permit (hopefully replacing the license for the day) as to why it's not done at Rietvlei, anybody's guess, perhaps its just the African Way, of nailing people for fishing without a license although getting hold of one is impossible and then they get the green scorpions to fine you as they don't listen to "you have to sell me a license if I don't have one" and it's R750 finish and klaar (apparently).

Here's another thought, Livebait in GP is against the law (reffering to the guy that was arrested for the plat-annas) and as far as I know this is not the case in KZN and some of the other provinces.
 
C

camo shorts

Senior Member
Hi LGF, we just missed each other, I packed up at about 1115, then took a drive into the reserve for brekkie at the coffeeshop. Looking forward to try again once all the carpers have returned to work,lol.
 
L

Little Green Fish

Sealiner
Maaaan that's bad, well like you said once the CRAPPERS have all started working which should be this week, but I would like to add, the end of these perpetual rain storms, holy moly, don't get me wrong I am a waterbaby, I cannot keep out of it, even when it rains, I get the rain coat and do something in the garden that can be done in sunshine but this is getting to me now, a week of just sunshine would be so super.

Gonna take a chance with the crocco's and them hippo's with the waders, so this week I deffs go get them wet, hopefuly only with water and only on the outside.
 
C

camo shorts

Senior Member
Am not worried about rain either, spent many days wandering the Cape surf during rainstorms.

Does the extra amount of fresh water flowing into the dams affect the behaviour of bass? I saw hundred of 1cm long 'fry' moving between the reed beds.

looking forward to trying Monday from about 9am again.
 
D

Droomvanger

Senior Member
Eco-CAre Trust have done a extensive netting and catching project in Rietvlei in 1996 with nets and volunteer bass and artlure anglers from boats to see what species (especially bass and yellowfish) occurred in Rietvlei Dam before a lawfull restocking of smallscale yellowfish was done. The programme was broadcast on 50/50. No bass were found and very few yellowfish. Barbel was abundant and huge carp. If bass is in the dam it was restocked (unlawfully). 
 
V

Van De Jager

New member
Fished the dam yesterday, it was more sight fishing than anything else, pulling soft plastics right infront of their noses with little or no intrest, but managed to catch two small ones 600g - 800g. Fished the gullies from the first toilet onwards, the fish hold close to the structure  in pairs only on the right hand side of the gullies and you wouldn't believe the size of the fish I saw, Use a small bright lure with glitter or a little flash in it, and you will see the 2.5kg - 3kg ones come out to investigate or be spooked by your presentation. Will visit the dam tomorrow with a arsonal of small flashy lures. Yo camo shorts did you manage to catch anything yesterday?
 
V

Van De Jager

New member
Nope.... the gate keeper said that I would have to rent a chelet  to fish on that side of the venu, he probably thaught I wanted to catch carp, but will ask again tomorrow.
 
A

AYOBA!

Sealiner
Thanks ! much appriciated, also planning to fish there soon...but in the afternoon, what time they close ?
 
V

Van De Jager

New member
Around 19:00, went there today and the fish have dissapeared, only had a bump and thats it. Oh ya and the chelet side is still a no go area.
 
B

BigBass

Sealiner
LGF and others ...

I have fished at Rietvlei a couple of times in my life (trying for Carp and Bass), but I have not yet personally caught a fish of any description in that dam! I honestly cannot even recall getting a bite at that venue!

BUT there are still Bass in Rietvlei (Northern strain Largemouths and Smallmouths) - probably not too many and not too easy to catch ... The fact that none were netted does not mean there are not any. Fishing in the public area at Rietvlei and pollution would not have entirely eradicated the Bass population. As some reports indicate, Bass are still occasionally caught in the public area at Rietvlei ...

Also remember this thread? The one where I posted a pic of Poen Oelofse's 1973 4.2kg Bass?
http://www.sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=14412&forum_id=32&page=1

Anyone with a boat or float tube fishing areas other than the public areas (if this were allowed) would definitely find more Bass in Rietvlei even today ... Otherwise one can mostly expect occasional catches from the side early and late in the season (August, September, October, March April, May) in the public area when Bass are within casting range of lure and bait anglers targeting Bass and Kurper.  I would love to probe the deeper channels and ridges and fish the wall and rip-rap areas of Rietvlei (if only one could do so legally)!

Why do you think the Carp in Rietvlei grow so huge and are not overpopulated and stunted and have not turned Rietvlei into a mudhole? Is it a co-incidence that waters which contain Bass generally produce far better quality Carp and Kurper (less numbers, but bigger fish)?

In relation to excellent specimen carp fisheries, just think of Florida Lake (near Roodepoort), Rietvlei Dam (outside Pretoria), Buffelspoort Dam, Klaserie Dam and Kwena Dam - the list goes on ... Compare this to other waters where you may catch a lot of carp, but the chances of a specimen carp being produced are remote: Vaal Dam, Bloemhof Dam, Baberspan, Leeupan ...

Just my 2c ...
 
J

Jafta1

Senior Member
While staying in Groblersdal we had to net some dams that had to be emtied to get cleaned. We were able to net carp, kurper and barbel but believe me, the bass were a different story! They do not have fins that get stuck in the net like kurper and carp and they jump over the net where the floats keeps it afloat. We were only able to catch them by hand when the water was being pumped out of the dam and they got stuck in the mud. I am sure that is why the netting for bass in Rietvlei produced no bass.
 
S

sustan

New member
went there today...tried and failed. the northern bank is the public fishing bank so pre spawn/spawn should be good...im guessing thats when all the carp anglers catch the bigger females
 
C

camo shorts

Senior Member
Hi Van, had 1 enquiry on the spinner, when I reached the end of the road. 2 youngsters were catching kurper down there.
will go get some soft lures and try next weekend.
Permits were meant to be available Monday afternoon, but didn't confirm yet.
 
B

BigBass

Sealiner
sustan wrote:
went there today...tried and failed. the northern bank is the public fishing bank so pre spawn/spawn should be good...im guessing thats when all the carp anglers catch the bigger females
Click to expand...
Even though Rietvlei is a cooler highveld dam, the pre-spawn and spawn is long past ...:(

Best times for Bass from the bank at Rietvlei should be early and late in the season (August, September, October, perhaps some of November and then again March, April and May). Trying at night when it is cooler in the warmer months like right now, may also produce. Bass move a fair distance at night to feed and will be closer to the shoreline ...
 
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