Tactics and Photos: Sean Tucker
Not very far from Gauteng on the rolling hills of the Highveld sits a very special dam that has stayed under the radar from Specimen anglers for many years. This carp gem on the coalfields of Mpumalanga is called Rietspruit Dam, not to be confused with the Rietspruit Dam of North West. The dam was built as an irrigation dam for surrounding areas of Kriel including the large coal mining operations in the area. The dam sits right next to one of Kriel’s mining communities that was built to house coal mine workers at the nearby
The Dam
The main body of water is quite large and stretches almost 2km in length and around 300 to 400m across to the far margin in places. It also has a river inlet section which runs in from the south with its own smaller dam wall and angling resort. The carp in these waters will absolutely blow your mind with a recorded lake record of no less than 24.3kg and bass up to 4.8kg. And not only are there big carp but also incredible looking scaly mirrors to be caught.
There are 2 main resorts on the dam from where anglers can camp and fish from. The first and most popular resort sits on the northern bank called Rietspruit Heron club. Entering this resort you are greeted with a row of low hanging willow trees on the bank separating each swim. The willow trees reminded me very much of Donaldson Dam on my first visit but in terms of views and facilities it really is exceptional.
The swims also have nicely built braais and there are clean bathrooms with hot showers as well. The other angling resort sits on the River section of the dam and is called Boesmanland Lapa. This resort is just as nice with green grass along the bank and neatly build braais on every swim. The river stretch is about 150m across to the far margin which caters perfectly for anglers who prefer short range fishing.
Tactics
When targeting Rietspruit it’s important to know that you might not get many bites but the fish that do pick up your hookbait will be special in every way. On Heron club side the contour slopes down very gradually until you get to a small dip in depth which is the old river bed and usually sits around 5 – 8m depth depending on water level. This is normally a good area to drop a bait and have produced well at night. The other prime area for presenting a bait is over on the farside margin close to the grass bed. The carp seem to love patrolling the grassy margins and you can sometimes spot them cruising around when drifting in that area. Which is why being stealthy and quiet whilst on the boat also helps your chances a lot. The bottom is sandy and muddy in most places. On the river side at Boesmanland Lapa one can target the far side reed margin which can go up to 6m depths and is fairly deep right against the reeds. The perfect spot for big patrolling carp.
Bait
A good mixture of carpy particles have always been a winning approach. Mixing Tigernuts, White and Yellow Maize with a good helping of hemp seed is without a doubt a great ground bait for most South African wild waters and Rietspruit Dam is no different. Fishing a fruity flavoured critically balanced Tigernut hookbait topped with either a bright fake maize or even a small popup have brought loads of success in the past. In winter time fishy flavoured boilies fished over a handful of freebies have also done well.
Other info
Both fishing resorts at Rietspruit Dam have good security and is perfect for the family. There are facilities like Swimming pools and other activities like Quad Bike trails on offer as well. Make sure you keep your camera at hand for some spectacular sunsets over the water. Always be safe at the water side and make the most of every moment.
Bookings
Rietspruit Heron Club – http://www.rietspruitdamheronclub.co.za/
076 756 9372 (Stand bookings)
Boesmanland Lapa – https://boesmanlandlapa.business.site/
076 947 9075