Ok, so i arrived at Aqua Via, at about 13:00 on Fr

MarvelousMark

Senior Member
Ok, so i arrived at Aqua Via, at about 13:00 on Friday weather was as hot as hell, so first knocked up camp, so i could escape the wrath of the SA son.

Finally got my rods in at about 15-00, and waited for a bite while i sat down to a nice cold one...

Within about half an hour got a really nice run, on my new rods, and proceeded to land the fish, unfortunately i was all by myself and once i got the fish to the edge of the swim I saw how big it was, I would say in the region of about 7-8kg's, and became really exited, i must have battled for about 3-4 min trying to net the fish with 13' rods, was trying to lift the rod strait up into the air, so that i could get the fish close enough to net it,but every time i got close or touched it with the net it took off like a steam train.

Eventually the bloke next to me strolled over to come and help me and I handed him the net..

Carried on trying to get the fish closer by lifting my rod strait up, and when the fish felt the net once again it bolted and dislodged the hook and i lost the fish..:cry1

Anyway the guy that helped my was kind enough to show me how to land a fish by myself, while minimising to potential for a hook pull, by keeping the rod flat with the eye's facing the fish and then pulling it up along side myself.

At least i have now learnt how to land a fish by myself, so all was not lost..:addn

Why it had to be with the biggest carp i have ever caught i dont know..!

Then at about 17-00 my mates arrived and started setting up camp..

Caught one more fish of about 2 plus..

The fishing was not to good after the sun went down and no one caught anything untill we went to bed at about 12-00, as soon as we were in our tents and ready to go to sleep my one bud's rod went off and he caught a nice 3-4 kg fish..

He ended catching about another 5 fish up until about 01-30. one being a barbel..

So the fish defiantly come on the bite there at about 12-00 onwards. :addnOnce again..HE he....

Starting to figure out this venues secrets...
 

MarvelousMark

Senior Member
You can see the son is much further to the west than the last time i was there.. Winter just around the corner boy's..!
 

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MarvelousMark

Senior Member
Anyway, woke up early for nothing as the fish wern't bitting, due to the cold front..

Anyway went to make a phone call and collect some wood and ice in the late afternoon and upon ariving back at our spot and unpacking the the wood i had bought, so that we could fish threw the night..

My rod went off and i landed a nice 5.6kg carp my new PB..! He he..
 

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MarvelousMark

Senior Member
Then the fishing started to pick up and we caught a couple of nice fish between the four of us, up until about 02-30 in the morning, when the tempo stated to slow down and we went to bed.
 

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MarvelousMark

Senior Member
The fish however didn't seem to be feeding as such, as there was no feeding on the bom and just sudden and sporadic pickups out of nowhere..!

WE even created a feeding for muddies in about 6-8 foot of water with absolutely no results what so ever...
 

MarvelousMark

Senior Member
When we woke up on Sunday morning the fishing had greatly improved and we started nailing the fish, in true Aqua Via style..
 

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MarvelousMark

Senior Member
Unfortuatly my wife was not there to take pic's of all the fish, but the biggest was 6.7kg's landed by Mike and Derek landed a 6 with my bast being 5.6kg's.

We also lost a couple of big fish in the process..

There was quiet a lot of snags in the water and line wich caused us some pain..

Next time we gonna take a nice sea rod with some staunch line and a trebbel and clean the place up before we fish the swim..!!

Here are a few more pic's
 

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Unlimited

Sealiner
awesome post!!! nice catches... we'll be going to kollege plaas (just a few km dam-wards) the first weekend in april, hope to pick those guys up between the catfish...

no grassies??? what bait did you use?
 

MarvelousMark

Senior Member
Hi Unlimited..

Baits we had the most sucsess with were Almond "S" with devils fork on the bom definatly produced bigger fish...!!!!  , Plain yellow floatie dipped in Vatikakie with vatikakie on the bom, Hasbeen with hasbeen and FX on the bom, and at night banjo with clean bom..

Also picked up a couple on perdeby, honey glo, caramel and plain...

Wind was blowing a bit but wasn't too bad..

fished at about 70 +.

And ja no grassies, muddies or yellows..!

Water was icy cold, could feel it on the sinker...

Suspect that there was a hail storm further up the river prior to our arrival..!
 
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