Custom Bait Shack

That perfect looking point, just out of casting range. Every bank angler knows the feeling. 🎣

A float tube gets you there for a fraction of the cost of a boat, and it gets you there quietly. We cover the gear you actually need, the safety rules that are not optional in African waters, and how to position yourself once you are out there.

Have you ever fished from a tube? Tell us how it went 👇

Read the full guide 👇
https://custombaitshack.com/blog/float-tube-bass-fishing-african-dams/

Fish it all the way in. 🎣

Most anglers lift the lure out as soon as it gets close to the bank. Bass often follow a lure right to your feet before they commit, and that last metre is where a lot of fish are lost before they are ever hooked.

Slow it down at the end. Then lift.

Renanda Bass Fishing Competition - Dullstroom, 3 October. 🎣

R5 000 cash for the overall winner, and lots of other prizes on the day. Lines in from 09:00 till late, then prize giving and dinner at 18:00 with lamb on the spit.

Entry is R250 and includes dinner. Dinner only is R150, and kids under 12 pay half price.

Bookings close 15 September, so don't leave it. Tickets on WhatsApp: 082 458 5221.

Lowveld Largemouth Series — last round before the finals. 🎣

Vygeboom Dam, this Saturday 12 September. Registration from 05:00, captains meeting 05:45, launch at 06:00. Tags back 15:00 and prize giving at 16:00.

Entry is R600 per team. Launch fees are sorted separately by each team with Oppidam.

Last chance before the finals. For more information: Allan 071 459 4198.

Keep your shadow off the water. 🎣

In shallow, clear water your shadow sliding across the surface will empty a bank before you have made a single cast. Keep the sun in front of you where you can, stay low, and approach from the side rather than walking straight up to the edge.

Fish it first, then step closer.

Most anglers cast far more than they catch. Not because the fish aren't there, but because the lure keeps landing in dead water. 🎣

We break down how to read points, drop-offs, wind and water clarity so your first cast lands where a bass is actually holding, no boat required.

Where's the first thing you check on a new dam? Tell us below 👇

Read the full guide 👇
https://custombaitshack.com/blog/how-to-read-water-find-bass-african-dams/

Fish the inflow. 🎣

Where a stream or river runs into the dam, the current carries food in with it. Baitfish gather on that seam, and the bass sit just off the edge of it waiting. The stained water also gives them cover to move up shallow.

Find the seam and work it.

Fish the windy bank. 🎣

Most anglers head straight for the calm, sheltered side of the dam. The wind is doing the work on the other side, pushing plankton and baitfish up against the bank, and the bass follow the food. The chop also breaks up the light and makes them far less cautious.

Take the messy side.

That sudden thump halfway through the drop, gone before you even register it. Is that where most bass strikes really happen, or are you missing bites once your bait hits bottom?

We break down how to tell a fall bite from a bottom bite, why bass ambush a falling lure, and when a slow drag along the bottom actually out-fishes the fall instead.

Ever missed a hookset because you weren't watching the fall? Tell us below 👇

Read the full guide 👇
https://custombaitshack.com/blog/bass-strikes-on-the-fall-vs-bottom/

Fish the shade line. 🎣

On a bright, still day the bass are not sitting out in the open water. They tuck into the shade under overhanging trees and along the bank. Find the line where the shadow meets the sunlit water and work your lure right along that edge.

Cast into the dark side.