Welcome to the Artlure Seminar

Welcome to our Artlure Seminar

Presented by: Rudolph Venter and Evert Laubscher

Brought to you by:

Rudolph Venter     

Junior Protea Angler and SAALAA cap Multiple record holder Salmo / Fox Rage pro staff Founder of Artlure Fishing South Africa 19 years experience

Evert Laubscher     

Salmo / Fox Rage Pro Staff Grew up in the Lowveld targeting bass, tigerfish and yellowfish Experienced in multiple facets of angling 28 years experience Provincial Artlure Colours

Barbel/Catfish on lure

Barbel on dipping 

Tackle Barbel Calling rod 300/5500 rounded baitcaster 100 lbs braid Lume/Sada barbel leadhead


Structure/habitat 365 days a year – right through winter! Flats with rocky/sandy/muddy bottoms On boulders or next to laydowns Cruising and suspended

or feeding on surface Reaction strike Visibility Catch most cats


Techniques: Drop the leadhead on whiskers Accurate dipping/small margin for error Enter water without making a splash/noise Adjust after breaking water and then drop Hold on! Lead to open water, loosen drag and fight

fish – keep tension on the line!

Barbel on calling 

Same setup as dipping



Except for using barbel leadheads as well as fast sinking large Lume Fast sinking Madpumkins or Sada Pumkinseeds, Salmo Sliders


Structure/habitat Vaal/Orange system ○ Inlets with discoloured murky waters ○ Shallow pans where they hunt on mullet, carp and yellows (30cm to 1.5m) ○ Also reeds, snotterbell and trees Rest of the country ○ Reeds, rocks, watergrasses, trees and

snotterbell ○ Not all dams are calling dams


Technique: 30-50cm line length between tip and

lure Start off splashing/plonsing softly 3 sets of 3 splashes with a pause in between Next start calling using your rod’s tip – quick horizontal shakes – fish/bird in distress Escalate intensity as time progresses Look for indicators – swirls, bubbles, bumps and mud clouds Hold on tight! Always a surprize!

Barbel on casting 

Tackle: 7ft Heavy Action casting rod 200 low profile baitcaster with 7:1 retrieve

and decent drag 50lb braid Lume large slow sinking madpumkin, 7 cm Salmo Sliders


Structure: Rocks and trees white with bird guano Reeds with guano where birds sleep/nest Next to rocky flats and riffs


Technique: Swirls ○ Look for concentrations of swirls ○ Cast pumkin on a swirl (pinpoint and asap) ○ Leave pumkin – strike when tap or line swim ○ Keep tension ○ Re-cast if cat misses/searches

Blind ○ Cast next to structure, closer = better ○ Leave dead still

Sight ○ Pitch in front of fish, jerk if necessary

Barbel on trawling 

Tackle 7ft medium heavy action spinning rod 2500 spinning reel 30lb braid (thin diameter 0.23) Lipless rattling crankbait, shallow running

crankbait and deep diving cranks depending on depth Rattlin Hornet 6 cm Hornet

Barbel on trawling 

Structure/Technique Look for swirls, shallow water (1-3m) with little

structure Outboard via idling speed Casting distance 20-30m Relatively loose drag Good when lure bumps on bottom Jerks Keep tension Heck of a fight!

Barbel on popping 

Tackle: 7-8 ft Heavy Action casting rod 200 low profile baitcaster with 7:1 retrieve and

decent drag (8kg drag) 50lbs braid 50lbs leader Power swivel (size 2) Popper Lume Medium fast sinking madpumkin, 7 cm Salmo Sliders S (Upgrade hooks and swivel, remove front treble)


Structure: Look for mullet jumping Rising catfish River inlets Shallow bays/ “panne” Stained water Around trees and rocks with bird activity Next to reeds Open water


Technique: Approach area stealth Make long casts Jerk, jerk, pause, repeat Vary how loud you pop until you find the most

effective volume Some venues prefer softer pops / harder pops Sometimes you need to “pause” longer between pops Often the cat will hook itself Have pliers or hook remover handy

Yellowfish on lure

Yellowfish on casting/trawling 

Tackle: 7ft Medium Action Spinning rod 1000-2000 spinning reel 17lbs Prism Braid / 10 lbs mono Hornets (2.5 cm to 5 cm), Rattlin Hornet and

Sparky Shad and 7 cm Minnow, Fox Rage French Spinners (size, small lipless cranks


Habitat/structure Deep pools with slow current (1.5 – 3m) Above & below rapids (gullies) Rocky bottoms/gravel bottoms Boulders/trees, above and below weirs Cliffs, small rocky islands, reeds in current


Techniques: Dam: ○ Trawl next to cliffs with ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

outboard on idling speed Closer to wall the better 1-3 m is strike zone Casting distance 20-30m behind boat Rattling lures Long casts to islands, walls and boulders Very slow retrieve, deep retrieval Relatively loose drag


Techniques: River: ○ Deep slow flowing pools (winter or largies) (1-3 m) ○ Below and above rapids ○ Long casts with a very slow retrieve (with the flow of the ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

current) Down stream and up stream as long as it gets down Rage Spinners, Hornet 2-4 cm, Rattlin Hornet, Sparky Shads Natural colours Relatively loose drag, keep tension Also cast and drift method

Pre-spawn Bass Tactics

Jerkbaits 

Tackle: 6.6 ft medium action spinning rod 1000-2500 spinning reel 17 lbs Prism Braid with 10 lbs leader Sting (new Rattlin Sting),

Jerk Minnow, other jerkbaits

Jerkbaits 

Tackle: 6.6 ft medium action casting rod 200 lowprofile casting reel 12 lbs Mono/Fluoro line Sting (new Rattlin Sting),

Jerk Minnow, other jerkbaits Setup must be as light as possible

Jerkbaits 

Structure/habitat Less than 3 m deep water Preferably clear waters with good viz Rocky flats and points Submerged boulders Hyacinth and “snotterbel” cover Often takes close to structure Nooitgedacht, Roodekopjes, Loskop,

Rietvlei, Mokolo

Jerkbaits 

Technique: Long accurate casts (close to structure) Jerk, jerk, pause Vary how long you pause and pace Sting mostly works better at a faster pace Keep rod tip down to prevent throw Don’t pressure fish too much during

fight Triple Grip hooks hold fish better

Cranking 

Tackle: Shallow water: ○ 7 ft spinning medium action rod ○ 2500 spinning reel ○ 17 lbs Prism Braid / 10 lbs mono ○ 4.5 cm Rattlin Hornet, 6 cm Hornet, DD10 Deep water: ○ 7.3 ft casting cranking rod (or medium action) ○ 5:4 or 6:3 casting reel ○ 10 fluoro line ○ 6.5 cm Rattlin Hornet, DD22 etc.

Cranking 

Structure: Stay clear of algae bottom or too much

vegetation Look for areas with hard bottom Boulders, trees, drop-offs Rocky points

Cranking 

Technique: Extremely long casts NB! Must hit bottom / structure Crank needs to reflect off structure

to trigger reaction strike Good option when bass are staging Reel slow to get bait down and then burn crank, you can pause for a second when lure reflects of unique structure Make sure diving depth is more than depth you are fishing

Finesse plastics 

Tackle: 7.1 ft medium heavy action casting rod 7:3:1 low profile casting reel 12 lbs fluoro / mono Fox Rage bass hooks Light mojo weight with gummy stop or

weightless Zoom Fluke, Paddletails, Lizards, Speed Craws


Structure: Shallow waters (less than 3 m) Look for structure (man-made, boulders,

“snotterbel”, brush etc In clear water long casts are important Bass often stay in the same area when

preparing for spawn, you can return to a spot to catch fish you saw earlier


Technique: Accurate casts Soft jerks or pull If you feel a tap or see the line moving,

strike! Make sure you set the hook properly Keep the rod down and the fish away from structure

Blue kurper on lure

Blue kurper on nests 

Habitat: Small bays with sandy bottoms Best if it has a few rocks and grass cover

also available Visibility important/white cheeks 1.5m to 30cm Often nests between grass patches Tire shaped with dark blue male and pale female


Tackle: 9/10 weight flyrod 500 spinning reel 20lb braid (thin diameter) Small jighead with extra large curlytail in

bright colours or nr8 hook with carolina rigged splitshot (10cm)


Technique: Find nests Wading best Otherwize park boat next to nest Wait for blue to return/or search for blue that stays on nest Hop lure quickly on blues nest or

around its face Watch for signs Quick take/be vigilant Hard strike Get out of structure Pic and release

Blue kurper on casting 

Tackle: 7ft medium action spinning rod (sensitive tip) 1000-2500 spinning reel 17lbs Prism Braid/8lb Mono (very thin diameter) Nr10-8 hook carolina rig splitshot

(30cm) – light as possible vs casting distance large/XL curly Casting distance very important

Blue kurper on casting 

Technique: Look for small splashes, swirls Back of bays in shallows Make long casts over kurper/on to bank Silent entry Slowly hop lure on bottom Strike hard when tension/fight

gently in open water

Redbreast kurper on lure

Redbreast kurper 

Habitat: Sandy and muddy banks Grass cover Borrows tunnels in the ground/loads of holes

in close proximity Every red has a few holes Protected by male fiercely Post spawn trees, flats with grass and rocky structure

Redbreast kurper on nests 

Tackle: 9/10 weight flyrod 500 spinning reel 20lb braid (thin diameter) Small jighead with extra large

curlytail in bright colours or nr8-12 hook with carolina rigged splitshot (10cm)

Redbreast kurper on nests 

Technique: Search for tunnels Drop lure in tunnels and work a hooping

action Sometimes bigger lures work better to aggravate them like small paddletails Bright colours If they spook when you come close use a casting setup

Redbreast kurper on casting 

Tackle: 7ft medium action spinning rod (sensitive tip) 1000-2500 spinning reel 17 lbs Prism Braid/8lb Mono (very thin

diameter) Nr10-8 hook carolina rig splitshot (30cm) – light as possible vs casting distance large/XL curly Fox Rage French spinners or 2 cm 2 cm or 3 cm Salmo Hornets Casting distance very important

Redbreast kurper on casting 

Technique: Work structure – cliffs, dead trees, laydowns,

brush, grey banks, rock piles and sandy flats with grasses Back of bays in shallows Make long casts over kurper/on to bank Silent entry Slowly hop lure on bottom Strike hard when tension/fight gently in open water Or work banks via spinner/hornet slow and low

Tigerfish on lure

Tigerfish in Rivers 

Habitat: Structure-orientated Drop-offs Changes in current Eddies Where still water and rapids meet Weed lines Side-channels


Casting Tackle: 7-7.6ft Heavy Fast Action Round-baitcasters with big spool 30 to 50 lbs braid 8 strand Nylon-coated trace min 30 cm NB! Not too big swivel, power vs size Lures: Crankbaits (modify if necessary, watch

action), topwater, Soft plastics, spinners and spoons, Salmo Wave 6 cm Hornets, 7 cm Executor 8 cm Perch


Spinning Tackle: 7-9ft MH to Heavy Fast Action 2500 to 4000 30 to 50 lbs braid 8 strand Nylon-coated trace min 30 cm NB! Not too big swivel, power vs size Lures: Crankbaits (modify if necessary,

watch action), topwater, Soft plastics, Fox Rage Pike and Willow Leaf spinners and spoons, Wave, big Sliders


Technique: Long accurate casts – longer in the strike

zone Trolling or casting Hook-up = feeding frenzy Think bass, experiment with retrieve speed Jerks Spinners/Spoons allow to sink Loaded strike, avoid sweeping strike, keep rod tip low to avoid being thrown

Tigerfish in Dams: 

Habitat/Behaviour: Pinnacles Under-water islands Think bass Little bit more lethargic, shorter fight Cliffs Kapenta/baitfish Fillet as trailer Lipgrip and pliers

Rock & Surf with Lures  





Rock and surf fishing is primarily thought of as bait fishing. There are however effective ways of targeting saltwater fish off the rocks, in the surf and in river mouths. South Africa has an extensive coast line, which provide us with many different opportunities to target saltwater fish on lure. A basic introduction to this exciting facet of angling.

Surf fishing: 



Species: Kingfish species, Wave Garrick, Bonefish, Grunter, Kob, Springer, Leervis, Shad Tackle: 9ft spinning rod, Med to Med/Heavy with a fast action. 4000 Spinning reel. 15 – 30lb braid. A Fluorocarbon leader is also an option (FG knot). But this is up to personal preference.

Surf fishing: 





Lures: Spoons and Salmo Wave, Plugs and poppers, Bucktail Jigs, Soft plastics (Up to ½ oz leadhead) in watermelon pearl, chartreuse. Techniques: Look for deeper sandbanks, deeper channels between sandbanks. Long casts. Technique depends on lure. Best time to fish: Incoming tide, especially in low light conditions when the predatory species are more actively hunting close to shore

Rock fishing:  



Species: Kingfish species, Stone bream, Blacktail, Wrasse species, Rockod Tackle: 6’6ft spinning rod, Med with a fast action. 2500 Spinning reel. 10 – 20lb braid. A Fluorocarbon leader is also an option (FG knot). But this is up to personal preference. Lures: Soft plastics (1/4 oz leadhead) in watermelon pearl, chartreuse for the bigger species and I prefer a 1/8 oz leadhead with a sandworm or camoworm imitation for the smaller species

Rock fishing: 





Techniques: Look for channels feeding the big pools, drop offs(Kingfish), white water where waves break over rocks(Stone Bream). Accurate casts, vary retrieve speed, retrieve with stop start twitching action on the bottom. Best time to fish: The incoming tide providing greater opportunity of landing some of the numerous kingfish species which frequent these waters, and the outgoing tide providing access to the many crevices and small caves in the reef which is home to species like rockod, stonebream, rainbow wrasse, and many more. I prefer rock fishing during low tide for the smaller species, this is great fun on light tackle any time of the day.

The END!

Thanks guys!!! Tight lines

But, wait…what about the lucky draw?