Targeting Bigger Carp at the Vaaldam – Part 1

Michael Cato

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A Deep-Dive Into Depth, Flavour Selection, and Proven Methods for Consistently Larger Carp

Catching a bigger carp — or simply a bigger-than-average one — is something every angler hopes for, especially when fishing at the legendary Vaaldam, arguably the most popular freshwater angling destination in South Africa. Over the years, I’ve spoken to countless anglers from every discipline:

Social anglers

Competitive bank anglers

Light Tackle Boat (LTB) anglers

Bait boat specialists

Across all these groups, one factor emerged as the single most important element in consistently catching larger carp at the Vaaldam.

1. Depth Is the Number One Factor

Regardless of technique, bait, or venue section, anglers fishing in deeper water consistently outperformed those fishing shallower zones when it came to carp size.

From comparing catch data, personal results, and discussions with top anglers, the conclusion is clear:

> To catch bigger carp at the Vaaldam, you must get your bait into deeper water — ideally 3 to 5 metres, with 4 metres being the sweet spot.

Light Tackle Boat & Bait Boat Data

Anglers operating in 3–5 m consistently averaged 2.5–4 kg carp. This held true across dozens of sessions and competitions.

2. A Personal Example – My First LTB Competition

My first Light Tackle Boat competition at the Vaaldam highlighted this perfectly. We anchored in 4 m of water between Jackie Leonard and Kees van der Walt, after pre-feeding with Cooked Kaboem Mealies and Hemp Seeds the day before.

My Top Combinations for the Competition

Combo 1:

Banana X Small Bleeding Floaties

VRM Small Bleeding Floaties

Banana X Boldip

VRM Boldip

Combo 2:

Banana X Small Bleeding Floaties

Monster Carp Small Bleeding Floaties

Escape Boldip

Monster Carp Boldip

Result:

✔️ 49 carp
✔️ 108 kg total weight

Another strong confirmation that depth, feeding and the right flavour profile work together to produce bigger fish.

3. Joint Testing With Kenny Hills

I have had many sessions and in-depth discussions with Kenny Hills, a multiple club champion in bait boat competition fishing. Kenny has always maintained:

> “If you want bigger carp at the Vaaldam, get into deeper water.”

We tested this repeatedly.

Test Setup

Kenny: Fishing with his bait boat in 3–5 m

Me: Casting long distances (up to 140 m) but still only reaching 2–2.5 m

Results

I caught more fish numerically, averaging ±1 kg

Kenny caught fewer fish, but consistently in the 2.5–4 kg range

The conclusion was undeniable.

4. Why Bank Anglers Catch Smaller Carp

Having fished 200+ bank angling competitions at the Vaaldam, I learned that the dam’s extremely gentle slope prevents bank anglers from reaching depths beyond 3 metres — even with very long casts.

This results in

High numbers of fish

But average weights of 500 g – 1 kg

And even smaller fish in many club competitions

Bigger carp simply spend more time in deeper water.

5. Example: Social Session Near Rooibult

At a private section near Rooibult, we used a bait boat to drop baits at 4.5 m and pre-fed heavily with Cooked Kaboem Mealies and Hemp Seeds.

The result:

66 carp

226 kg total

My Top Hookbait Combinations

Island Combo

Large Hard Island Floaties

Island Mealies

Island Spray

DCX Boldip

Banana X + VRM Combo

Banana X & VRM Small Bleeding Floaties

Banana X Boldip

VRM Boldip

Banana X + Monster Carp Combo

Banana X & Monster Carp Small Bleeding Floaties

Escape Boldip

Monster Carp Boldip

Again — the depth zone played the biggest role.

6. Kenny Hills’ Proven Big Carp Approach

Kenny’s consistent results at the Vaaldam come from a mixture of depth, experience, and carefully chosen bait combinations.

“Die 3 Tenore” – Kenny’s Favourite Boldip Trio

Kenny’s most trusted flavour trio is:

Banana X Boldip

Foxtrot Boldip

Stinkgogga Boldip

He jokingly calls this “Die 3 Tenore” (The Three Tenors):

> “When they start singing, the reels start running!”

Kenny’s Favourite Large Bleeding Floaties

He almost always fishes Large Bleeding Floaties with a Chooby Bait backing.

Favourite Large Bleeding Floaties:l

Banana X Large Bleeding Floaties

VRM Large Bleeding Floaties

Pink Sweet Large Bleeding Floaties

Ani X Large Bleeding Floaties

Honey Glow Large Bleeding Floaties

His Favourite Chooby Bait Flavours

Plain White Chooby

Traction Chooby

VRM Chooby

Banana X Chooby

His Top Vaaldam Big-Fish Presentation

VRM Large Bleeding Floaties paired with a Kariba Worm

Small Bleeding Floaties Kenny Uses

GAG Small Bleeding Floaties

Bluegum Small Bleeding Floaties

From the Gem Range

Kenny loves using:

Sapphire Floating Gems
with …

Banana X Large Bleeding Floatie + Banana X Chooby backing

This combination has delivered numerous big carp for him.

7. Kenny – a Mihanzi Session

> “I went to Mihanzi at the Vaaldam with friends and family — the caravan park side. It’s a great place, but the stands are only 15 metres wide, and because of the curve of the bank, we were squeezed in and sometimes cast over each other.

I fished at 150 m, and only when I tried Magic Baits’ Sapphire Floating Gems and Sapphire Liquid Gems did the fish really switch on.

My great friend Chris Britz climbed into the carp properly. His bait was Sapphire Floating Gems.

He caught around 40 carp, including 20 over 4 kg, and several between 5–6 kg.”

8. A Secret to Kenny’s Success: Cypri Liquid Carp Food Feed Booster

Kenny considers this one of the best feeding additives ever produced.

Translated Review:

> **“The Cypri Liquid Carp Food Feed Booster gave me goosebumps immediately.

For years I’ve searched for something to mix into feed that improves aroma and nutritional value.

It contains amino acids, minerals, vitamins and proteins — making feed far more attractive. It’s easy to use: add 30–60 ml to your feed water, mix well, and then prepare your feed.

It makes your feed smell exactly like fresh sweetcorn. The fish are lucky I didn’t eat it myself! The smell comes from the corn extract in the product.

I used 30 ml and the results exceeded my wildest expectations.

This product is an absolute must.”**

9. Kenny Hills’ Final Words

> **“I fish mainly with Large Bleeding Floaties and part of my success is using Chooby Bait flavors as backings.

The two Chooby Bait flavors that give me the best results are Plain White Chooby and my favorite, Traction Chooby.

I don’t play with the Chooby Bait on as a backing — I prefer a big backing.”**

10. Another Successful Bait Boat Angler: Chris Britz

It would be impossible to discuss bigger carp at the Vaaldam without mentioning Chris Britz, another highly accomplished angler.

Chris was active in Competitive Bait Boat Angling and achieved several wins, consistently performing at a very high level.

Chris’s Preferred Bait Style: The Gem Range

Chris regularly posts his catches on the Magic Baits Facebook group, often showcasing results using Floating Gems and Liquid Gems.

Some of his favourites include:

Garnet Gems

Red Jasper Gems

Citrine Gems

Tanzanite Gems

Sapphire Gems

Chooby Baits in Chris’s Success

Like Kenny, Chris relies heavily on Chooby Baits. They play a major role in his success.

Chooby Flavours Chris Uses

Spookasem Chooby

Plain Chooby

Traction Chooby

Sweetdoughs in Chris’s Presentation

Since the launch of Sweetdoughs, Chris has incorporated them effectively.

Sweetdough Flavour He Prefers

Caramel Sweetdough

Feed Additives

Cypri Liquid Carp Food Feed Booster

Chris also regularly uses — and praises — the Cypri Booster, evident from his posts.

A favourite Bait Presentation: Mealie + Floatie

Chris often uses a highly effective combination of:

VRM Mealie (hooked)
paired with

VRM Bleeding Floatie

Chris’s Trusted Boldips / Muti Flavours

Chris is one of the biggest supporters of Swiss Boldip, proudly tasting it at almost every session.

Other boldip / muti flavours he trusts include

VRM

Stinkgogga

Banana X

Spookasem

HLX

Just Black

Monster Carp

And a specific spray: Yellow Navigator Spray

Floaties Chris Always Trusts

VRM Bleeding Floaties

Monster Carp Bleeding Floaties

Banana X Bleeding Floaties

GAG Bleeding Floaties

Vampire Candy Soft Floaties

Final Conclusion

If you want to target bigger carp at the Vaaldam:

✅ Get your bait into 3–5 m of water (4 m is ideal)

✅ Feed properly with strong particles like Kaboem & Hemp

✅ Use proven flavour combinations

✅ Consider Large Bleeding Floaties with Chooby backings

✔️ Incorporate Floating Gems, Sweetdoughs, and Cypri Feed Booster

✔️ Learn from anglers like Kenny Hills and Chris Britz

✅ Build a solid feeding area

✅ Understand that shallow bank zones naturally produce smaller fish

When depth, flavour, feeding strategy and bait presentation align — the size of your carp at the Vaaldam increases dramatically.