FISHING COMPETITION 24^TH OCTOBER 2015 SIMMER ANGLING CLUB BIERMANS

So it’s been 9 months since the last time I’ve been fishing, well it felt like it’s been for ever. I decided to take out my fishing box and start preparing for my first fishing comp, as I opened my box I saw that my box was in desperate need of some TLC, when I sat down to start work on the cleaning I remembered something that I heard on a clinic that I attended that Sunday, I was told that good organisation in your box could greatly improve your fishing, if you have too much stuff in your box you tend to overthink the process and confuse yourself at the water. So I pulled out all the stuff in the box and started taking stuff off the list, I had 40 ball dips, 22 floats, 22 mutis and 12 sprays in my box.  That is not to mention all the other stuff I had in 2 spare boxes.  I decided to go back to basics and re-design my whole box.

As you can see from the photo I now only have only 20 ball dips in my box, how did I decide on what ball dips to use, I have gone back in my husband’s records and also gone on the Magic Baits Facebook page to see what has worked in the last 6 months all over the Vaal Dam. I also only have 10 sprays and 11 mutis or also known as concentrates in my box, I have also added two bowls in the top of my box to use as a work station and also to keep the baits out of the sun, and for competitive anglers it is a good way to hide your baits from the competition.  In the lower draw from front to back this is how I have laid it out the black boxes is for my traces example M0, M1, M1 ½, finger socks and policemen. Also I have 10 floats and then my spare spools.  The back row is all my mielies.

Now it is 5:30 am and we have just arrived at the water, I am now so excited about the day ahead, we all standing around getting ready to go down to the water, you can feel the excitement building up amongst everyone.  And we are off we start unpacking our stuff and getting ready for the 7am cast in. I open my box more confident than I have ever been.  Look I must admit everyone says fishing is like riding a bike, doesn’t matter when last you done it you can just get back into it, well it’s not, I was lost didn’t know where to start, so I started by opening my book where I keep record of what I used at certain venues on previous fishing trips, I then decided on 4x4 and VRM that has worked here for me on previous occasions, so I rigged up my first trace and when the 7am hooter went I casted in, it was amazing casting my rods again, no one can explain the feeling to you.  It wasn’t 10 minutes and I had my very first real run, but as I get the fish to the front the fish comes off. Frustrated and disappointed I baited up again and put my line back in again.  After a few attempts on my other rod of different stuff I decided to put on Warrior and Vaal king on my one rod and again I started getting the fish.  But with much frustration I still could not get the fish out, at about 1pm I decided to take off the float on my bottom hook, I remembered once someone told me that if you cannot get the fish out then there must be a reason and that most of the time it could be the float that is the problem. So with my next cast I covered the ball with 4x4 and some Vaal King down the shaft line and Almond x dough on both hooks, 10 minutes later I landed my first fish, I only wish that I could figure it out earlier. I ended up with 4 fish weighing 5.094kg.

So at the end of the day I used the following 2 combinations

Combo 1 – a stipe of warrior on the ball with Vaal King down the shaft line, with a spray of Clean Almond and almond X dough on both hooks,

Combo 2 – Covered the whole ball with 4x4 and a small dot of VRM at the shaft line on the ball, later the afternoon I added Duiwelsdrek to get the fish again.  I had Almond X dough on both hooks.

It was hard work and it really gave my fishing skills a test, but I must be honest changing the layout of my box made a big difference in my confidence and fishing skills. I would recommend any angler that wants to go competitive to do this, it is like having a fishing detox.

Enjoy your fishing

Sonia Le Roux