Specimen SA

11/08/2026

First trip to Tzaneen Dam ✅ Weekend done right!* 🎣🌞

*South African Wild Waters Carp’ing* at its absolute best.

This is the *most beautiful place I’ve ever fished* — bush, water, and those sunsets... unreal.
And the *nicest hot weather* to go with it ☀️

But don’t get too relaxed... *BE AWARE OF THE HIPPO* 🦛 They’re around!

The fish though... *the hardest fighting carps I’ve ever caught* 😤💪 Those Tzaneen *golden slabs* fight like nothing else.

*Biggest fish for the trip: 14.25kg* 🔥💛

Big thank you to *Specimen Carp Essentials* and *Signature Series* for the support with the *Level 5 Feedmix* and *Hempseed Oil*. Top quality for a top venue.

What a weekend. Tzaneen, you’ve got my heart.



Wikus Maritz

06/08/2026

02/08/2026

Weekend fishing trip: Roodekoppies Dam 🌊🎣
Cold front + Full moon = tough conditions... but the fish still played ball!

Massive thank you to Specimen Carp Essentials for the bait. The bait did exactly what it needed to 💪

Hookbaits that did the damage:
15mm Pineapple-Plus pop-up
15mm Orange & White Tjop Tjop / BG pop-up

Ground bait & Particles:
H**P SEED | BUCKWHEAT | WHITE MAIZE | TIGER NUTS

Results from the weekend:
19.850kg — Abri Scholtz 🔥 2nd PB
17.600kg — Abri Scholtz 🎉 1st PB
17.200kg — Stefan Pieterse PB
15.375kg — Barend Fouché PB

Huge congratulations to everyone on their PBs! Grinding through cold front and full moon conditions makes those PBs feel even sweeter 👏

Here’s to more weekends like this on the bank.


Wikus Maritz

26/07/2026

Weekend well spent at Roodekoppies Dam!* 🌊☀️

What an unreal session with the boys. Big fish, PBs, and perfect weather.

A massive thank you to *Specimen Carp Essentials* for the bait — it absolutely delivered 💪

*Bait used:*
*15mm Pineapple-Plus pop-up*
*12mm Tropical Punch pop-up Paired with a skinned tiger nut*

*Results from the weekend:*
*22.425kg / 49.45lb* Wikus Maritz_ 🔥 NEW PB
*20.625kg Michael "The Legend" Cufflin_ 🔥 NEW PB
*18.800kg* Johan Kotze_ 🔥 NEW PB
*17.650kg*
*15.075kg*

Huge congratulations to everyone on their PBs! So proud of you 👏

Here’s to more weekends like this.


Wikus Maritz

05/07/2026

*BANKED IN A COLD FRONT* 🥶🎣🔥

Tough weather, tough bite, tougher anglers.

A brutal cold front rolled in this weekend, but the fish still had to eat. Proud to say the *Specimen Carp Essentials* range stood up when conditions tried to shut us down.

*Session Highlights:*
- *Annabelle’s FIRST EVER carp* – 17.575kg landed like a pro! Massive congrats, Annabelle! What a way to start 👏
- *Riaan Scheepers – NEW PB* – 20.8kg of pure Roodekoppies gold! Well done, Riaan! 💪

*What Got The Bites:*
All fish this weekend came on *Specimen Carp Essentials 15mm Pineapple Plus Pop-Ups* and *15mm Tropical Punch Pop-Ups*. Bright, strong, and exactly what the fish wanted in the cold water.

Cold front or not, quality bait gets results. Huge thanks to *Specimen Carp Essentials* for the backing and for making bait we trust when the going gets tough.

When it’s freezing, windy, and the dam looks dead… that’s when you know who’s got the right gear in the bucket.

Wikus Maritz

28/06/2026

*ROODEKOPPIES DAM – WEEKEND WRAP UP* 🎣🔥

What an EPIC carp session we had at Roodekoppies Dam this weekend! The rods were screaming.

*The Numbers Don’t Lie:*
1. 18.200kg
2. 17.950kg – _New PB for Shane Horn!_ 👏
3. 17.250kg
4. 16.875kg
5. 15.500kg
6. 15.075kg
7. 14.925kg
8. 12.325kg

*What We Ran:*
Every single fish came out on *Specimen carp Essentials 15mm White/Yellow Two-Tone Pineapple Plus Pop-Ups*, presented on a spinner rig with a #2 curve shank hook. That combo was absolutely deadly all weekend.

Huge congrats to Shane Horn on smashing his personal best with that 17.950kg beauty!

Massive thanks to *Specimen carp Essentials* for backing us with bait that delivers when it counts. When the big fish come knocking, you want Specimen carp Essentials on the hair.

Already counting down to the next session.

Wikus Maritz

14/06/2026

What a day it has been and what a great weekend!
We managed to land a few more beautiful Vaal River characters, each carp unique in its own way. Every fish tells a different story, and every moment on the bank is a blessing.
I'm incredibly grateful to share these experiences with my family. Time spent together, surrounded by nature and doing what we love, is something I'll never take for granted.
Feeling truly blessed.
Nothing catches more fish than confidence. 🎣🙏

13/06/2026

We managed to land several carp this afternoon, and I'm incredibly grateful for every one of them. Being able to share these moments with my son makes it even more special. Time on the bank, making memories together, is worth more than any fish. 🎣🙏

13/06/2026

The Vaal River in June can test your patience, but persistence often gets rewarded. Let's see what today brings. Nothing catches more fish than confidence. 🎣