Team Lew’s SA (Bass and Artlure)
RUDOLPH VENTER
Bass, Artlure
RUDOLPH VENTER
I have been fishing competitively from the age of 7 and have always had a deep passion for lure fishing. It didn’t matter which species I was targeting, I love fooling them all on artificial lures. To date, I have caught more than 70 freshwater species on artificial lures in Southern Africa.
I have been privileged to fish all over SA as well at the Zambezi River, Kafue River, Letsibogo, Sand River Dam, Maguga Dam and Cahorra Bassa. One of the highlights of my fishing career was when I earned my first Protea cap as part of Team SA where we competed at Rutland Waters in England during the World Carnivorous from Boat on Lure Championships. I earned a second Protea cap when I competed at the Region 5 tournament held at the Kafue River.
My favourite species to target on lure include bream, yellowfish, catfish and carp. I also enjoy a bit of bass angling and fly fishing on the side. I love sharing my passion and expertise with others to allow them to also get hooked on the sport of angling and experience the joy it has brought me. I feel very strongly about Catch and Release as well as responsible management of ecosystems.
It is a privilege to be associated with trusted brands such as Salmo Lures, Molix, Lew’s, Fox Rage, Reks and Strike King. I’m also proud to be sponsored by Lowrance SA, Suzuki SA and Boating Boutique.
SHAUN FREDRIKSSON
Carp, Bass, Artlure
SHAUN FREDRIKSSON
Pro Staff angler at Fish on Africa.
I was born into a family of passionate fisherman who ignited my love for the outdoors, adventure and fishing!
I enjoy travelling locally and abroad to fish for a number of species using different techniques including fly fishing, artlure, specimen carp fishing and rock & surf angling. I have also competed in Bass tournaments for a number of years.
I am privileged to be a Pro Staff angler at Fish on Africa and thoroughly enjoy using and promoting the full range of top quality brands and products they distribute!
JOHANN ZWARTS
Bass
JOHANN ZWARTS
Fishing for me started out as a young boy going fishing with his father and brother…but soon turned out to be more than just a hobby.
Everything changed when we joined Rebel Bassmasters at the age of 13. Fishing junior divisional and working hard to achieve the Green&Gold jacket was my goal.
Throughout my 5 years of fishing junior divisionals, I managed to achieve my goal of getting my Protea colours for 3 years. The next step for myself is to work my way up towards the senior Presidents team.
I am also honoured to be part of the Salmo prostaff team and be able to work with them and getting the best results out of the products. On the sideline, I love to fish for different species as well as doing a bit of saltwater fishing.
MORNE STRAUSS
Bass
MORNE STRAUSS
I started fishing when I was 5 years old, I was fortunate to grow up on a farm where we had a lot of opportunities to fish.
I started fishing competitively in the Lowveld Bass Trail in 2013 and had success from the first comp with a number of wins and final podium finishes. My passion for bass fishing has grown a lot over the last couple of years, it’s almost an addiction. My favourite way of fishing is definitely with the 5.5 cm Rattlin’ Hornet.
I’m also sponsored by Suzuki Marine SA, Sakata Seeds and Marine Components in Nelspruit.
KIRK VAN REEUWYK
Bass
KIRK VAN REEUWYK
I grew up In Zimbabwe with fishing and boating being my passion and a way of life. My Father fished for the Zimbabwean team introducing me to the sport. At that stage and I would go fishing every chance I got … nothing has changed.
Since relocating to South Africa, I started getting into fishing full time and for the past four years, I have been doing competitive angling. Competing in the Joey’s Trail Tournament, FLW and Divisionals.
I have managed to finish in the Joey’s Finals for 3 years in a row. During the first Joey’s season, I came a close second by 50grams. I also made the Interprovincial team two years in a row. In 2018 we competed in Tzaneen and 2019 at Wiggleswade Dam.
My goal during the last four years has been to get my KZN colours and down the line my Protea Colours.
With my passion for boating and fishing, I have been working for the past few years building up my own boat shop, Kazmarine. My weekends are spent on the water as often possible.
My four PB’s bass has been caught at the following dams:
Zim Darwendale – 5.1kg
Albert Falls – 4.95kg
Midmar – 4.82kg
Inanda Dam – 4.9kg
DE WET NIEMANN
Artlure
DE WET NIEMANN
Ek woon in die Noord-kaap, anderkant Upington en is ‘n wingerd boer. Ek het my visvang loopbaan begin toe ek 9 jaar oud was. Eerst het ek in Namibia gewoon en langs die kus gehengel vir kabeljou en steenbras.
Later is ek Pretoria toe; hier het ek begin met oewerhengel, proewe gehengel en aan die weermag span behoort sowel as Junior Noord Transvaal klere verwerf.
Na jare se oewerhengel het ek oorgeskuif na spesiehengel. Die laaste 5 jaar hengel ek intensief met kunsaas in die somer. Veral in die Oranje-rivier naby kakamas. Ek spandeer baie naweke op die rivier en teiken graag grootbek en kleinbekgeelvis op kunsaas sowel as die monster baber van die Oranje.
Ek vang meestal van kayak af en dien ook as ‘n gids vir geelvis en baberhengel op die rivier. Ek hou van Salmo Lures omdat hulle geweldig mooi swem in die strome wat maak dat ek meer effektief in die rivier kan hengel en ek het al baie kwaliteit vis op hierdie kunsaas gevang gekry.
Brand Ambassadors
KOOS BONNEMA
Artlure
KOOS BONNEMA
I was fortunate enough to grow up fishing my father. I first started off with bank angling and later on progressed to specimen angling. While waiting for a bite I tried my hand at bass fishing.
I began following Artlure on angling forums and was interested in this facet. I reached out to Bernard Venter to learn more about Artlure and he referred me to Rudolph. Ever since the first trip with Rudolph, I became infatuated with this way of angling. I developed a special fondness towards yellowfish and have been blessed to catch some beautiful specimens. My aim is to catch trophies of all the species of yellowfish on Artlure.
I also enjoy targeting trophy kurper, carp, bass and carp on lure. My favourite lure is the 5.5 cm Rattlin’ Hornet. Other aims I have are to attain my provincial and Protea colours in Artlure Angling.
JACQUES LOOTS
Bass/Deepsea
JACQUES LOOTS
Fishing is and will always be a big part of my life. Since I can remember my dad and I fished for everything that swims in a dam or the ocean. As the years went on I have been fishing a lot of different species in the ocean and freshwater and started to realize that Billfish, Bass and Blue kurper was what I wanted to focus on.
Living right next to Witbank dam for the past 18 years I had the privilege to fish for bass almost every day off my life when at home. Also having Loskop just 80km from my home town made it easy to practice my love for fishing for the big Blues. I also had the privilege to have been a guide in Zambia for Tigerfish and also made a few shows for Supersport for offshore Billfishing .
Personal Best:
Bass 4.1kg
Marlin 200kg
Blue Kurper 2.2 kg
I currently compete in the Anglers4Anglers Bass Trail as part of Team Biggen Bass. If there’s one thing I have learned in fishing is to NEVER GIVE UP – you don’t stop till the time is up.
MUHAMMAD BULBULIA
Bass
MUHAMMAD BULBULIA
I am based in Mafikeng, NW, I am an Optometrist by profession and when I’m not seeing to patients I spend most of my free time on the water.
I’m 26 years old and started fishing at the age of 4 with my grandfather on his farm in the Majuba Hills of Newcastle. I owe it to him for inspiring the love for this sport in me, getting me hooked onto it from an early age as well as teaching me the importance of respecting my catch and releasing it to fight another day.
I love and enjoy all forms of this sport, Freshwater Bass fishing, Off-Shore Saltwater, Rock & Surf as well as freshwater river fishing for our many prized South African species. I have also spent many of my adolescent years wading the rivers of Parys, Potchefstroom, on the Vaal successfully chasing many trophy smallmouth yellowfish with my cousin Yaseen Patel. This is how Angling Africa, our amateur fishing team was born. Just a couple of kids catching and releasing tons of quality fish and creating content along the way.
I grew up fishing conventionally with soft plastics and Texas rigs, fishing from the many farm dams that the Majuba midlands had to offer. As I got older I began experimenting with newer techniques and fell in love with the art that is Bass Fishing and the many different ways there are to catch these fish. My fishing style is “slow and chilled” and I prefer to work lures slower than the usual.
Currently, I am fishing a Mojo Rig setup, Swimjig setup(Molix Kento), Spinnerbait setup (Molix FS) and have recently added a jerkbait setup to my arsenal (Salmo sting). I am proud to be part of TEAM FISH ON AFRICA and TEAM LEWS SA!
FRANK GOTTSCHALK
Bass
FRANK GOTTSCHALK
I started fishing for bass at the age of 18, I took part in a few ESA KZN events but at the time I was more into rock and surf angling because we stayed in Richardsbay.
My competitive angling career officially started in 2014 when I joined the Lowveld Bass Trail (LBT) my brother and I have quite a number of tournament wins and top 10 finishes under our belts. We managed to win the LBT final at De Hoop in 2016 and collected an AOY title for 2017. In 2018 we received our SABAA ranking, 2nd place for SA, received our President Colours and represented RSA in the US at the Bassmaster Team Championships at Lake Hartwell in December 2019.
My Current PB’s are Largemouth Bass 5,16kg (RSA) Smallmouth 1,86kg (RSA) and Spotted Bass 1,57kg (USA).
PASSIONATE ABOUT ANGLING
SINCE 2013
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