“Proof That Not All Fish Spawn Together”
Arno Van Der Merwe
On the 9th of October 2025, I set off for Flora Country Ranch Adventures in Evander, owned by Peet Hattingh. My fishing partner for the day was Chillinky Naidoo, and as we arrived, the first thing we noticed was plenty of carp thrashing in the shallows — clearly in full spawning mode.
Most anglers would’ve taken one look at that and said, “No chance today.” But I remembered something I’d read not long ago in one of Michael Eduard Cato’s articles — he said:
> “Not all fish spawn at the same time, so even during the spawn, you can still find the ones that feed.”
Those words stuck with me, and I decided to test them.
I went deep with my new 13.6ft Razors, open spool, and set my 11ft Rocket around 50 metres out with chicken hearts soaked in Carnivore, hoping for barbel. My first rod went in at 08:00.
For my feed mix, I used a 50/50 blend of Popcorn and Heavyweight, boosted with Cypri Liquid Carp Food Feed Booster — a deadly Magic Baits combo that always builds confidence.
🎣 My Setup
Left Rod:
Top Hook: Banana X Small Bleeding floaties with HLX Chooby as backing
Bottom Hook: Two small soft Warrior floaties
Bomb: Monster Carp Muti and Pearl Liquid Gems
Right Rod:
Top Hook: White Warrior Small Bleeding floatie with Caramel X sweet dough backing
Bottom Hook: Double Minties DUO floaties
Bomb: Honey Glow Muti and Garnet Liquid Gems
Extra Rod:
Chicken hearts soaked in Carnivore for barbel
The first hour delivered one barbel, then another in the next — a good start considering the spawning activity. But around 10:00, everything changed. Myself and Chillinky suddenly found ourselves in a rhythm, catching beautiful 2.5kg to 3.5kg carp roughly every 30 minutes.
By the time the lightning meter warned of a storm moving closer at about 15:00, we were still pulling fish while packing up. I ended the session with 11 carp and 4 barbel — proof that the bite never really stopped.
Driving home, I couldn’t help but smile. Michael was right — not all fish spawn at the same time. Even when most are distracted in the shallows, there are always a few out there feeding confidently.
That day at Flora Country Ranch Adventures was the perfect reminder: if you fish smart and keep faith in your bait, the results will come.
Big thanks to Michael Eduard Cato — the magician behind Magic Baits — for the products that turned a “quiet” day into one I won’t forget.
> Once again, the Magic Lingers on…
The Magic Lingers On (Country Version)