Winter bass fishing is not for the faint-hearted and we’ve always avoided it. Short days, icy cold nights, and very few fish, just never worked for us.
But this year we decided to give it another try, and headed to a place we found that ticked all the boxes. Cozy accommodation, close to the water and lots of fish. And further north so it’s hopefully warmer 🙂
Accommodation
Aqua Diqua is a secure nature estate right on the banks of the Olifants River. It’s situated on a wide part of the river between Loskop Dam and Groblersdal (see map below), directly opposite the popular Riverside Lodge.
The house we stayed at was perfect. There are 2 large bedrooms, each with en-suite bathrooms, a large living area, fully-equipped kitchen and even a scullery. And outside there is a large porch with a view of the river bank.
The big attraction though is the lapa area by die water. There is a large braai area, splash pool, and a deck stretching out over the river. We spent every night here sitting by the fire, fishing and just enjoying the African outdoors.
As accommodation goes this was absolutely perfect for us. The house can easily accommodate a family, and the area by the water has ample space for fishing and just lazing away.
Fishing
This part of the river has lots of crocodiles. So taking our little inflatable was never going to work. When we asked if there was a launch for the bass boat, our host, Deon, graciously offered that we make use of his barge. It’s a large float with a small motor, and made fishing up and down the river very comfortable.
So off we went down the river without much hope of catching anything this time of year. And as predicted it started off very slow as we tried a few different lures. But then we spotted a large bass chase a small papermouth near the side, so we switched to flukes and all of sudden winter bass fishing started to work for us 🙂
In the muddy water dark flukes worked really well and we caught dozens of bass all along the sides, especially in between reeds. We also had great success with grubs, anything with a chartreuse color got the bass excited and biting.
At night we also tried our hand at carp fishing while sitting by the fire next to the river. We caught a few barbel on biltong (almost losing a rod in the process), but unfortunately no carp or kurper this time. We also heard hippos in the distance, but luckily they never came close to our cozy corner.
While cruising down the river we also got to see another place called Seekoeigat which we would have booked at if Aqua Diqua was not available. It definitely looked like a great alternative along that stretch of the river, especially if you’re camping. We also caught lots of bass around that area.
Out & About
As usual we also explored the area a bit. We’ve been to all the establishments around Loskop Dam, so we went north towards Groblersdal.
Right next door we found Ruby River Resort which is another great accommodation option. Fishing might not be as lucrative here since it’s below the dam wall from Aqua Diqua and the river seemed a bit shallow and rocky. But inside the lodge we visited Bike & Barrel, which serves good food and cold beer with a beautiful view of the river below. Great place for sundowners…
We also visited Renosterkop which is just before Groblersdal. This turned out being the closest shop for basic supplies.
Summary
Aqua Diqua and the Olifants River was a great choice for this trip and it restored our faith in winter fishing. The fishing was excellent and the accommodation perfect. Being so close to Loskop Dam there are lots of options for excursions as well.
We’ll be going there in summer as well to hopefully have more success at night, and hopefully similar success during the day 🙂
(2 days)
bass x40 (small)
bass x10 (medium)
barbel x3 (small)
