It is extremely difficult to find the words to explain or describe the vast differences when it comes to fishing in the United States compared to South Africa. It is somewhat impossible to explain to an American what it feels like to fear for your life when fishing a lake, without sounding extremely melodramatic. Likewise, having an enormous selection of fishable bodies of water, even in a desert, with a wide selection of fish species, is a foreign concept to most South Africans.
South Africa does offer great fishing, but the vast majority
of fishermen are limited to very basic fishing with carp and catfish being the
only options. It is much easier (and more affordable) to drive 50 miles and
attempt to catch carp, than driving 500 miles and paying a comparatively
exorbitant fee for a charter to find some tuna. This is still true for the USA,
but even in the middle of the Mohave desert, I have more options for fishing
near me, than I had in my old hometown of Pretoria. Thus, most of my fishing
in SA was spent trying to find the carp willing to take my baits above the
fisherman next to me.
By South African standards, I am a real novice when it comes
to carp fishing. I doubt that I would be able to make a full year of fishing
videos without spending large amounts of money. Spending more time on the water
does of course, vastly improve your chances of figuring out how to catch some
fish, but in my opinion, it is easier to find fish in the US. I believe this is
down to the management of the water and the fish species within. Annual fish
stocking, made possible from license fees that get used for what they are
intended for, and the opportunity to target different species actually lowers
fishing pressure, even with more people fishing.
I often find that when I am struggling, I return to what I
know; carp fishing. But I have never fished for carp from a dock. It was here
at Lake Mead’s Callville bay that I would get my opportunity. These are some
abandoned docks, almost like a boat graveyard. I started fishing here for bass,
but after seeing many carp cruising around, I had to shoot my shot. The first
fish had me wrapped around the dock and I lost my setup. But soon, it turned
into a frenzy with five fish landed in an hour. By this point, I decided to stop
fishing - who knows how many fish I could have caught? It is these unexpected little
experiences that often stay with me, and these moments are what I am hunting
for.
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