Species Information: Smallmouth Bass; Piscatorial Enemy Number One

Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieu)
Smallmouth Bass were introduced into South Africa’s river systems in 1940 (Water Research Commission, 2007). For a good map of bass fishing areas in South Africa read this article by pro angler and fishing journalist Christie Thomas (http://www.christie-thomas.com/bassfishingsa.php).

More Information:
South African Bass Angling Association: http://www.sabaa.co.za/tips/articles/smallmouth_bass.htm
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallmouth_bass

Fishing Tips

According to the Cape Piscatorial Society (http://www.piscator.co.za) the smallmouth bass is a fine sporting fish and they can be readily taken on fly tackle both in the trout streams of the Western Cape and almost all of the rivers and still waters in the warmer parts of the country. Fishing with surface bass bugs, nymphing or with large subsurface lures the bass offers a legitimate target for the fly angler. Smallmouth bass can be taken on standard dryflies and nymphs as well as larger patterns such as woolly buggers, woolly worms, Walker’s killer, Hammils Killer, Mrs Simpson, Dragonfly nymphs, Clouser minnows, marabou muddlers, snake flies and many more patterns imitating crabs, insects, fish, frogs and the like

Piscatorial Enemy Number One

South Africa’s natural habitats are being colonized by alien species at great rates. Introduced species, particularly North American gamefishes such as largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, are pushing out indigenous species and threaten to lead some of them to extinction. According to WWF-South Africa’s, Living Planet Report, a killer lurks in the rivers of the Fynbos region of the Western Cape. Many of the province’s key rivers, stretching from the Olifants-Doring on the West Coast to the Gamtoos River near Port Elizabeth, are infested with invasive alien fishes. These invaders are the main reason why 15 of the 19 indigenous fish species found in the region are listed as threatened. Their numbers are being decimated by alien predators and by the destruction of their natural habitat by factors such as water extraction, pollution and bulldozing of river beds. The alien fishes which threaten the indigenous species are bluegill sunfish, carp, largemouth bass, Mozambique tilapia, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass and sharptooth catfish. WWF argue that the piscatorial enemy number one is the North American smallmouth bass which is the single most destructive of these alien predators. Read more here: http://www.panda.org.za/livingworld.pdf.

The Global Invasive Species Programmes notes that some invasive alien fish species were introduced to Africa primarily for recreational angling, or sport-fishing. These include the largemouth bass, the smallmouth bass, the rainbow trout and the brown trout. Both of the bass species are native to North America, and are aggressive predators of fish and aquatic invertebrates. While the largemouth bass favours clear, standing or slow-flowing waters, the smallmouth bass prefers flowing waters such as rivers and streams. In South Africa, it is considered primarily responsible for the threatened status of most of the indigenous fish species in the Western Cape’s rivers. Read more here: http://www.gisp.org/downloadpubs/gisp%20africa%202.pdf

More Information
Water Research Commission.2007: Poor Decisions of the Past may cost Cape its Living Gold, Published in the Water Wheel, September/October; internet: http://www.wrc.org.za/downloads/waterwheel/sep-oct%2007/yellowfish%20p%2020-23.pdf
WWF-South Africa Cape Rivers and Stream; internet: http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/ecoregions/cape_rivers_streams.cfm
Charles Griffiths and Jenny Day.2004. Aquatic Invasive Species in South Africa-Impacts and Management: Presentation to the 13th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species http://www.icais.org/pdf/20Monday/pm/Charles_Griffiths.pdf
South African River Health Programme
http://www.csir.co.za/rhp/index.html
Convention on Biological Diversity: The Ecological and Socio-Economic Impacts of Invasive Alien Species on Inland Water Ecosystems
http://www.cbd.int/doc/ref/alien/ias-inland-waters-en.pdf

General Information

South African Bass Angling Association: http://www.sabaa.co.za/
Bass Fishing South Africa: http://www.bassfishing.co.za/bassingnews
Fishing in KwaZulu Natal: http://www.kzn.org.za/kzn/42.xml
Federation of Southern African Flyfishers: http://www.fosaf.co.za/index.html
SA Bass Magazine: http://www.sabass.com/
Big Bass: http://www.bigbass.0catch.com/index.htm
Bass Fishing South Africa: http://www.adssa.co.za/abc_tipsrunner1.htm
Bass Africa Magazine: http://www.bassafrica.co.za/