SCL Small Craft League

Last weekend the WP SCL circuit made its way to Poortjieskloof Dam for the fourth tournament of the 2026 season—and what a weekend it turned out to be.

Winter made its presence felt early, as a powerful cold front swept through on Friday, bringing heavy rain and even snow on the surrounding mountain peaks. Despite the harsh conditions, the anglers showed their commitment in full force. An impressive field of 51 competitors—the biggest turnout of the season so far—arrived ready to take on the challenge. Even more remarkable was the fact that every single angler managed to boat their full 5-fish limit.

Saturday greeted the field with cold but calm conditions, a welcome change after Friday’s weather. The day remained largely stable, with only a light breeze picking up around midday. The bass were cooperative throughout, with fish being caught consistently from start to finish. However, it was a game of half centimeters, as most anglers relied on small upgrades over the course of the day to climb the leaderboard.

As expected, the tight fishing conditions led to a closely contested event, with very little separating the top competitors.

Top 10 Results:

1. James Chislett – 217.0 cm
2. JP Conradie – 192.0 cm
3. Charles Pitout – 191.0 cm

4. Tim Erasmus – 188.0 cm
5. Reich Lategan – 182.5 cm
6. Neels Botha – 181.5 cm
7. Jurie Swart – 181.0 cm
8. Andrew Thomas – 181.0 cm
9. Jonty Vice – 180.0 cm
10. Fritz Dippenaar – 179.0 cm

Congratulations to Brendon Baxter with an impressive 52.0cm taking Big Bass and to James Chislett on a standout performance and a well-earned maiden victory, putting together an exceptional bag to break the 200 cm mark. With such a competitive field and consistent catches across the board, this event will certainly be remembered as one of the highlights of the season so far.

The WP SCL now looks ahead to the next stop, with momentum building and competition tighter than ever.

Quick turnaround from Lomond and we’re back on the road—heading down the iconic Route 62 to take on Poortjieskloof.

With one of the first cold fronts rolling in later this week, things could get seriously interesting out there.

This event also marks the halfway point of the season—everything to fish for from here on out. Let’s go!

SABAA are thrilled to announce, with the support of our title sponsor Mercury, SABAA MLF South Africa.

This exciting collaboration marks another step forward in growing and advancing the sport of bass angling in South Africa."

A few photos snapped by the WP SCL. If you haven't been on the water at Lomond now you know why we love coming back.

You can't have a WP SCL tournament weekend without lucky draw prizes. A massive thank you all our sponsors

WP SCL Bass Fishing Report – Lomond Wines (Near Gansbaai)

The WP SCL circuit returned to one of its favourite venues this past weekend, Lomond Wines just outside Gansbaai, where 46 anglers lined up for an exciting two days of competitive bass fishing.

Firstly, a big thank you to our hosts at Lomond Wines for opening up bright and early and welcoming us with much-needed coffee — all while putting up with the usual early-morning fishing banter! This venue continues to be a firm favourite among anglers, and it’s easy to see why.

Day 1 – Fighting the Wind
Saturday brought tough conditions, with strong winds testing anglers’ boat control and decision-making. Despite the challenge, the bass were still on the bite, and an impressive 43 anglers managed to secure full 5-fish limits — a clear sign of the dam’s quality.

Leading the pack after Day 1 was Jonty with a solid 204cm bag, followed closely by Byron Mitchell on 195cm, with Marius Hickley in third. As expected at Lomond, the leaderboard was incredibly tight, with very little separating positions — setting the stage for a decisive second day.

Day 2 – Game On
Sunday delivered far better weather conditions, opening up the entire dam and allowing anglers to spread out and explore new water. With improved access and changing patterns, it became all about making the right adjustments and putting together another strong limit to either climb the leaderboard or defend a top spot.

Big fish was shared by three anglers, a first for the WP SCL. Monique Lategan, Marius Hickley and Jonty Vice with 51.5cm

TOP 10
1. Byron Mitchell - 377.5cm
2. Jonty Vice - 375cm
3. Marius Hickly - 369cm
4. Dylan Cockerell – 365cm
5. Monique Lategan – 363cm
6. Werner Du Toit – 360cm
7. Jean Brink – 359cm
8. Reich Lategan – 358.5cm
9. Richard Blair – 356cm
10. Anton Van Tonder – 356cm

With multiple tied scores and minimal differences between positions, Lomond once again proved to be a venue where every half cm counts.

Wrap Up
Another fantastic WP SCL event filled with tight competition, changing conditions, and quality fish. A big thank you to all anglers who took part and once again to Lomond Wines for hosting us — we look forward to the next one!

Bigger and better!

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On Friday night Roy the 2025 Angler of the Year gave a seminar on his winnings ways and some tips & tricks. As you can see it was well attended.
Thank you Roy for always being so willing to share.

Prize giving and lucky draws go hand in hand at the WP SCL.
Our sponsors are very generous sending vouchers, cash and products.