Age: 40
Hometown: Cape Town, Durbanville
Favourite Fishing Venue: Theewaterskloof, Western Cape
Personal Best: LM 3.32kg - SM 2.89kg
Boat & Motor: Rebel 532 Sport, Evinrude E-TEC 200HP
Division Representing: Western Division
Favourite U.S. Angler: Michael Iaconelli
Sponsors: BWG & FPS Attorney's
Bass Digest: Hi Freddie, thanks for taking time out of your day to partake in our “KNOW YOUR PRO’S” article for Bass Digest. We hope to familiarise Bass Digest readers with our local pro’s.
Freddie Steyn: Thanks Guys, I really appreciate what Bass Digest and the whole team does for the sport.
Bass Digest: Where and when did your passion for bass fishing begin?
Freddie Steyn: I think from my dad. I have memories and some old photos where my Dad and I, spent weekends on my uncle’s farm in Ficksburg catching bass. My dad’s passion for fishing encompassed all facets of the sport, and I always tagged along. This love for fishing laid down by my Dad is the main reason I love and enjoy Bass fishing today.
Bass Digest: What are your preparations leading up to an important tournament event?
Freddie Steyn: This is a tough question… Personally, there are many aspects. The most important one I have learnt is not to over complicated things. By this, I mean that you become so pedantic that everything must be in place that you lose your natural instinct to catch bass on the day of the event. Besides this I will do the following:
- I do a thorough boat check. I do this first because if something needs repair I will have the time to do it prior to the event.
- Do research on the Internet and canvas social media platforms for information on the dam. A great tool is Google Earth. One aspect not to miss is to find out what the prevailing winds do on the dam and make yourself familiar with them. This research will guide you to determine areas on the water where you want to start as “hot spots” and other areas to ignore
- Spend time on the water. I have adopted a plan to do my pre-fishing a week prior to the cut-off weekend. The thought behind this is that there are fewer anglers on the dam and secondly it allows me to pre-fish the dam at my own pace. If I am not satisfied with the pre-fish I can always go back the following weekend
- Once your pre-fishing is done you can scrutinise your tackle. First on my list is terminal tackle and then I will work on the pattern found during pre-fish. I always have two or three versions of the pattern.
Probably the most important for me is my “go to” box. This is a box of crank, plastics etc., that I will use on tournament day. I have found that if I pack this “go to” box it saves me a lot of time on the water by not having to scratch through tackle and eliminates my self-doubt. Only if the conditions have changed will I consider the other tackle on my boat
- Lastly I always remind myself to have fun. This is the basis for my love of the sport. Also it is a given fact, the more fun I am having on the water the more I catch
Bass Digest: What has been your most recent tournament success?
Freddie Steyn: I had an awesome year with regards to regional fishing. I ended 4th overall for the year, with 2nd, 3rd and 4th place finishes. I am still waiting for the elusive first tournament win, however I am positive it will come one of these days, maybe at Nationals at Inanda, you never no!
KZN Overall Champion 6 Times
3 Times National Champion
Bass Digest/August, 2014