BRAND AMBASSADOR
JAMES VAN ROOYEN
funds for his very fi rst boat when he turned
10 – a 3m dinghy (which he helped his dad
refurbish) with a 5hp Mercury motor and a
Lowrance X65 unit!
“ That was my introduction to Lowrance
– and I never looked back. Liz and her
team have been awesome in their
ongoing support of my fishing career,
giving the right advice and technical
support as I upgraded my units over
the years.” He said.
O ur Brand Ambassador and champion
Bass angler in Namibia, 30-year-old
James van Rooyen, has been chasing
these elusive fi sh for as long as he can
remember. He’s also fi shed competitively
for 23 years and all along Lowrance has
been his closest companion.
Born in Durban and spending many
weekends and holidays at the family’s
fl ower farm in the KZN Midlands, gave
the youngster loads of free time and
the opportunity to hone his fi shing skills
at the local farm dam.
After entering a Satellite Skins
competition (aged seven) at Hanover
Dam, where he caught a 1.5kg Bass
to win the Top Junior prize - it was
settled… Bass fi shing was for life!
Fortunately, earnings from his role (as a
baby) in a Sanlam advert, provided the
At 15 years old, James sold the dinghy
and bought a Galaxy bass boat with a
75hp motor which was fi tted with an Eagle
Cuda 128 and an Eagle Fish Mark 320. He
spent endless hours fi shing off this boat
and learning to navigate his Lowrance
units and eventually he was rewarded
with Natal Junior colours. (All this in-
between his schooling commitments at
Hilton College).
In 2006, aged 18, he sold the Galaxy and
bought an X16 with a 150hp Merc motor
which was kitted with a Lowrance LMS 520
and a Fishmark 320.
Once he matriculated, James spread
his wings further north and moved to
Zimbabwe’s Lake Mteri, where he worked
at the Lodge for several years as a guide
for Bass. He also upgraded his boat to a
VX70 with a 225hp Mercury motor and
two Lowrance LMS 522 units.
During a short stint back in Durban,
he came into Lowrance SA and bought
the latest new models, the HDS 5 and
HDS 10 units. He also got to meet
Jim de Heer from Navionics, who
encouraged him to test and use the
LSS1 Structure Scan unit with side
scan imaging These were put to good
use on his return to Zimbabwe.