R100 000 up for grabs at Driekoppies Dam Bonanza
Capping entries to only 30 teams will ensure each has a very favourable one-in-30 chance of claiming the impressive first place prize of a guaranteed R100 000.
It is all systems go for the biggest event ever to hit Driekoppies Dam.
This follows after the green light was given by the Komati Basin Water Authority (Kobwa) to continue with the much-anticipated R100K Bonanza, now set to take place over two days – November 14 and 15.
The recent easing of lockdown regulations progressed favourably and every day it looked more like the bonanza would become a reality as organisers endeavoured to host the biggest payout single-day tournament ever.
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This could, however, not be done without the go-ahead by Kobwa, a bi-national entity formed in 1993 through the Treaty on the Development and Utilisation of the Water Resources of the Komati River Basin, which was signed in 1992. The agreement was between the Kingdom of eSwatini and the Republic of South Africa
With its year-round warm climate, expectations are usually high when it comes to some of the area’s most sought after dams, like Driekoppies. As all went to plan, November will see an unprecedented event making its way there. In the biggest cash payout in the history of South African bass fishing, fishermen will stand a chance of walking away with R100 000 in cold, hard cash when Thermocline hosts the R100K Bonanza.
A payment of R10 000 per team secures you a one-in-30 chance to bag the big bucks. “The interest in the tournament has been phenomenal, with many teams already committing and entering. Space is limited to only 30 teams,” organisers said.
The business sector has also shown some interest in the possibility of sponsoring prizes, which will definitely see an increase in the prize values.
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Capping entries to only 30 teams will ensure each has a very favourable one-in-30 chance of claiming the impressive first place prize of a guaranteed R100 000.
Other prizes include cash for the second and third heaviest bags, as well cash for the biggest fish. All entry fees are refundable in the event that the competition is cancelled or postponed. For more information, including an entry form and copy of the rules and regulations, visit the Thermocline Facebook page or contact organisers on 083-524-0664 or 072-124-4518.
According to one of the organisers, William Myers, who currently sits in third place on the Lowveld Bass Trail (LBT) log with teammate, Herman Geldenhuys, the competition will not only offer an unmatched reward for the winners, but will also serve as a fundraiser for the Bassmasters Team Trials which they, along with only five other South African teams, qualified for. The Bassmasters, which was scheduled to take place in December, was postponed to December 2021.
Until recently, the remainder of the 2020 LBT has been cancelled. The competition is, however, expected to recommence on September 26, with two tourneys for the remainder of 2020. That being said, due to Covid-19 and the regulations, there are strict conditions and procedures to be followed. But as with the Bonanza, organisers are awaiting the green light from Kobwa to host the first leg at Driekoppies. The second leg is being planned for October 31 at Vygeboom Dam.
