BNB Fishing Mag | January 2024

Estuary • Offshore • Freshwater • 4WD • Camping • Touring

495

$

Includes GST

January 2024

Offshore action

Print Post Approved PP100001534 Volume 35, Number 1

Brisbane River snapper guide Exploring Cape Melville NP

Summer whiting ISSN 1832-4517

Rubble grounds in Moreton Bay

01 Proudly produced and printed in Australia

9 771832 451001

NEXT LEVEL FISHING

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pad tail slims

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mushroom + football Bush shake and dance shads drop and–glow ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 Pagesinkers 1

Page 2 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 3

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Page 4 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

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From the Bush ‘n Beach Fishing editor

C

YCLONE season is well and truly here, with Tropical Cyclone Jasper hitting the coast around Cairns and becoming a significant rain event.

Thankfully, there wasn’t too much destruction.

It certainly gets you thinking about what might have been, particularly if TC Jasper had taken a more southerly path, as some of the early modelling had indicated.

While we are in desperate need of rain, especially out west, I hope this cyclone season isn’t one for the ages.

As we put this edition to bed, I’ve had a chance to reflect on 2023.

Usually at this point, I’d say that I didn’t get out to fish as much as I’d planned, however considering almost seven months of 2023 was spent trekking around Australia, I probably can’t write that.

Yet since returning, life has been full-on and unfortunately some of the trip feels like a distant memory, even though it was literally only a few months ago.

Hopefully, I’ve inspired a few people to commit to a similar adventure.

I’d read articles by and spoken to several people who had undertaken similar trips, and the consensus was ‘do it, you won’t regret it’.

And they were right!

I'm only sorry we didn't go for longer – but hey, I can’t complain too much!

Future fishing Even though I feel there are more areas that need addressing in our fishery – sharks, artificial reefs and such

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– it has been pleasing to see Fisheries Queensland commit to the phasing out of gillnets on the Great Barrier Reef, rezoning the Great Sandy Marine Park and increasing protection from gillnet impacts in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

I understand FQ doesn’t have the resources but perhaps the people in charge – not sure who this is at the moment – need to address these other areas as a priority, so more work can be done on the ground.

With changes coming into effect from January 1, 2024, there will be a few major impacts on several commercial fishers.

By no means is this going to be an easy transition for some.

The government has stepped up and is providing a $185 million package to assist those directly impacted.

For more information on the changes and what support is being offered, go to daf.qld. gov.au/business-priori ties/fisheries/commer cial/future-fishing Fishing grants Fisheries Queensland has announced that applications are open for a number of community fishing related grants.

The Queensland Community Fishing Grants Program supports activities and projects that improve recreational fishing experiences or support traditional fishing.

It is great to see Fisheries Queensland understands recreational fishing is an integral part of the Queensland lifestyle and is so important for tourism,

attracting anglers from around Australia and the world.

Submissions close midnight Sunday January 28, 2024.

For more information, go to daf.qld.gov.au/ business-priorities/fish eries/recreational/com munity-fishing-grants New year In 2023, I had a real mix of very relaxing and super busy times – finding that balance will be my focus for the year ahead.

Life in general is busy, however we all need to make time to do the things we enjoy.

Though I try to do fishing trips at short notice, I find that if I put it in the calendar and commit to it, I end up spending more time on the water.

Weather plays a part obviously, so if a trip is cancelled, it’s free time or extra time I can spend with family and friends.

My daughters are getting to a good age now, they’re happy to spend longer periods of time on the boat without wanting to go home or getting ‘bored’, as my youngest often says.

New contributor While his face is not new to the magazine, Mitchel Zygnerski has recently joined the BNB team as one of our writers, taking over from his dad Heath.

It’s been a pleasure to watch Mitch grow his fishing passion over the years and I’m sure we will learn some new insights from his fishing adventures.

Welcome to the team, Mitch.

Staying safe Just to reiterate as we move into the silly sea-

son, and in light of recent accidents, all skippers are in charge of the vessel when at sea.

It’s important that everyone knows where the life jackets and safety gear are located on the boat.

I’m sure the authori-

ties will be out in force, so if having a beverage when boating, make sure you ‘drink wise’ or have a back-up licenced designated boat driver.

Take care and stay safe on the water in 2024.

Ben Collins

OUR COVER Estuary • Offshore • Freshwater • 4WD • Camping • Touring

$

495

Includes GST

January 2024

Offshore action

Print Post Approved PP100001534 Volume 35, Number 1

Brisbane River snapper guide Exploring Cape Melville NP

Sum spee

Summer whiting ISSN 1832-4517

Rubble grounds in Moreton Bay

01 Proudly produced and printed in Australia

9 771832 451001

NEXT LEVEL FISHING

slay 'Em baits GLOW STRIKE JIG HEADS HARD BODY LURES sinkers

BAITS THAT SLAY THE FISH

glow in the dark, bkk hooks

www.bnbfishing.com.au fish tail minnows 3d tail dancer prawns

pad tail slims

uv activated, bkk hooks

glow in the dark

tim stylianou, s tackle

’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page and dance shads mushroom + football Bushshake drop and glow1sinkers

PHIL landed a nice coral trout on a 5" plastic in 15m of water. Check out Gary Churchward's article on page 36 for the fishing action in the Gladston region.

NEXT EDITION: February edition will be on sale in news­agents from January 26.

JANUARY SUBSCRIPTION OFFER: See the subscription form on page 84 to subscribe this month to go in the draw to win one of five lure packs from S Tackle, valued at $69.75 RRP each.

NOVEMBER PRIZE WINNERS: Congratulations to K. Muckert, Laidley; L. Stratford, Narangba; M. Osko, Capalaba and R. Hoobs, Ormeau who will each receive an Okuma Avenger 3000 spinning reel and a BNB cap, valued at $115 RRP each.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 5

8

January 2024 contents Solid snapper from rubble ground. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Sean Conlon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P8 Brisbane River snapper guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Keith Stratford . . . . . . . . . . . . . P12 Tide Times - Brisbane Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P12 Family staycation fishing hints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Mark Templeton . . . . . . . . . . . P14 How to improve silly season catches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Sean ‘Skip’ Thompson . . . . . . P17 Summer whiting and crab secrets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Clint Ansell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P22 Magnificent spotted mackerel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Mitchel Zygnerski . . . . . . . . . . P24 Muddies, trevally and pelagics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Gavin Dobson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P26 Snapper, flatties and bream. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Brett Hyde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P28 S Tackle all day long. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P30 Fishing Events Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P31 Tuna, macks and barra. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Tri Ton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P32 Tide Times – Waddy Point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P34 Summer speedster basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Paul ‘Chief’ Graveson . . . . . . . P34 Setting new year fishing goals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Gary Churchward . . . . . . . . . . P36 $800k in grants for Queensland fishers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P38

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Fishing resolutions for 2024. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by John Boon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P40 Saumarez Reefs sortie. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Mick Clutterbuck . . . . . . . . . . . P42 Amazing Cape Melville adventures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Phill Kliese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P46 AMC's versatile Bar Crusher range. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Ben Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P50 Suzumar inflatable range has docked. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P53 Torqeedo reveals next-generation electric outboards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P54

37

BIA and Century Batteries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P56 Mercury launches new finance offer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P56 Product News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P58 Cape Melville National Park Queensland. . . . . . . . . . . . . . by 'Billabong' Bazz Lyon . . . . . . . P60 GME XRS-BT1 Connect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P63 Simply stunning southern WA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Ben Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P64 Heading home healthy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Craig Tomkinson . . . . . . . . . . . P67 Managing fuel usage when towing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Ben Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P68 Charter Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P70 Holiday barra fishing at Bli Bli. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Neil Schultz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P72 Big barra in Callide Dam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Helen Abdy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P74 Dam Levels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P75

42

Minimal changes to Queensland Fishery since 2015 . . by Brian Dare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P76 Going viral on Australia's carp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P78 Fixing our Queensland fisheries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Brian Dare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P80 Trading Post. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P82 Readers’ Forum ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������P83 Subscription Form ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������P84 Page 6 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

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17 Like us on Facebook (Bush ’n Beach Fishing Magazine), post your photos, share in the laughs and win prizes!

Check out our YouTube channel BNBFTV for boat tests, product reviews and other interesting videos.

33

Follow @BNBFISHINGMAG on Instagram to see cracking catches from all around the country.

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Subscribe to the FREE BNB e-news on our website to receive email updates packed with the latest fishing news and important information.

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Our website bnbfishing.com.au is updated several times a day with the latest news and handy fishing articles.

The Team

EDITOR: Ben Collins ADVERTISING: Chantal Rimmington PRODUCTION: Tiffany Brown Lisa Jones

Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine is published monthly by Collins Media Pty Ltd ABN 43 159 051 500 ACN 159 051 500 trading as Collins Media.

Phone 07 3286 1833 Email: ben@collins.media PO Box 162, Wynnum, Qld 4178 PRINTER: Spotpress DISTRIBUTION BY: Wrapaway Max. recommended retail price $4.95 (includes GST).

CORRESPONDENTS: Editorial contributions are welcome, as is news from clubs,associations or individuals; and new product news from manufacturers. Entire contents copyright. Nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. It is the responsibility of advertisers and contributors to ensure the correctness of their claims and statements. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 7

Vicki caught a nice southern Moreton Bay snapper trolling a Zerek Ripper Diver.

Ash boated this decent snapper drifting rubble ground with soft plastics.

A Zerek Flash Minnow Wriggly snagged a bay snapper.

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Page 8 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

Solid snapper from rubble ground

L

ET’S hope 2024 brings nice weather so we can all get out and chase a few fish.

With the weather warming up, a lot of people will turn their attention to chasing mackerel in the bay, but there’s another species to chase in summer – snapper.

Most anglers only target southern bay snapper in the cooler months of the year.

While there may not be as many around in summer, I find the quality is slightly better and you don’t have to go through a lot of undersized fish to catch the better legal sized models.

Also, I target these

Southern Moreton Bay

by SEAN CONLON

fish in a different way – I stop looking for snapper congregating around structure and start looking for them on flat rubble ground.

These fish tend to act like cows in a field, meaning you have to search harder for them, however when you do find them, the quality will be much better.

Finding the right type of area can be tricky but as a rule, look for spots where there is high current flow or where the tide flows relatively hard.

Often, these areas may be right in the

middle of the channel.

Other places to look at are where you might find wind and tide opposing each other.

In that particular area, the water takes on a rougher appearance to the water around it.

Don’t fish these locations when wind and tide are against each other.

Perhaps take a GPS mark of the area and come back later to fish it when wind and tide are in the same direction.

You’ll find it very hard to anchor as it’s * continued P9

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Solid bay snapper from rubble ground * from P8

not mud or sand but solid rubble – a lot of anchors will drag across the surface and not dig in – this is what I call ‘rubble ground’.

There’s lots of it in the bay and it’s dead flat.

There may be some features, however the bulk is completely stark, and most simply drive straight over the top of it.

Many people ask what do I look for there?

And do I need to find bait schools?

If you find bait schools on that ground great but actually the ground is the bait.

It’s a mixture of mussels, razor shells, soft corals, crabs and little squid.

For fish such as snapper that don’t chase baitfish, their teeth are designed to crush and eat this type of bottom, therefore the ground is bait.

Now, we have to remember that rubble

grounds can be rather large.

They can be over 1km long and 0.5km wide, and some can be as small as a few hundred metres long and 50m wide.

When fishing large areas, the correct technique is needed to cover them quickly and productively.

The best ways are either drifting with soft plastics or trolling with hard-body lures.

Now that we’ve found the ground and chosen the appropriate technique, the next thing we need is the right equipment.

One of the tricks is not to fish too heavy – a 3-6kg rod is all you’ll need.

Use a 3000 spin reel spooled with 15lb braid and a 20lb fluorocarbon leader.

For lure size, 90mm in either a soft plastic or a hard-body seem to be * continued P10

Debbie managed a 40cm bay snapper using the techniques outlined in this article.

Tick all the boxes and catch more fish!

FISHING TUITION

WITH SEAN CONLON

A four-hour off-water course for up to four people covering: Target species BOOK TODAY Moon phases Weather and tides Techniques Environment Tackle tips

0432 386 307 This snapper was caught using the techniques in this article on a Zerek Flash Minnow Wriggly.

www.bnbfishing.com.au

seanconlonsfishing@hotmail.com Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 9

A double southern bay snapper hook up – one with a Zerek Flash Minnow Wriggly, the other on a McArthy Baits lure.

Solid bay snapper from rubble ground * from P9

A few solid flathead are still about. This one was caught on a Zerek Live Shrimp Hot Legs soft plastic.

A happy customer captured his personal best 63cm flathead on a Zerek Live Shrimp Hot Legs soft plastic.

Page 10 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

what these fish prefer to chase.

If using soft plastics, you’ll need a variety of jig head sizes from 1/4 and 3/8oz, depending on the depth and current you’re fishing in, and pair them with a 3/0 hook.

There are a few more tricks to making this technique work, but they’re a little hard to explain in an article unfortunately.

These things are easier to understand when shown and put into practice on the water.

If you want to learn more about this technique, give me a call, I give courses out on the water that show you how to find this type of ground, what it looks like on a sounder and how the techniques work to give you the best chance of catching snapper.

Other than that, with the information provided here, hopefully you’ll be able to try it yourself and get a few more fish in the bag at the end of the day.

Let’s hope for good weather in 2024, that we can all enjoy the season and that the kids will be

able to do a bit of fishing during the school holidays.

If you want to learn more about fishing rubble ground or just go out on the water with friends, feel free to get in touch.

Even if you have a vessel, you may want to brush up on a few things without the hassle of getting the boat ready and cleaning it after, my contact information is below.

Enjoy the new year, be happy and have fun.

As we all know, with

our jobs and lives we are time poor, so if you can learn more to optimise your time on the water, why not – remember knowledge is key.

Until next month, stay safe on the water and, if you’re interested in our fishing tuition or want to do a fishing charter, give me a call on 0432 386 307, send an email to seancon lonsfishing@hotmail. com or check out the Facebook page Seano’s Inshore Fishing Charters and Tuition.

James scored a summer squire trolling a Zerek Ripper Diver.

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Email: admin@wynnummarine.com.au Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 11

Tide Times Early morning is prime time for snapper in the Brisbane River.

AUSTRALIA EAST COAST AUSTRALIA, EAST COAST COAST –– BRISBANE BRISBANE BAR BAR AUSTRALIA, EAST BRISBANE BAR LAT27° 27°22ʼ 22ʼSS LONG153° 153°10ʼ 10ʼEE LAT LONG

Brisbane River snapper guide 2024 2024

JANUARY JANUARY

C

Timesand andHeights Heightsof ofHigh Highand andLow LowWaters Waters ONTINUING on Times FEBRUARY MARCH MARCH FEBRUARY with last month’s

Time TimeZone Zone–1000 –1000 APRIL APRIL

Targeting Tips – Part 2

tips for0148 targeting 0058 1.98 1.98 0113 1.88 1.88 0220 2.16 2.16 0038 2.08 2.08 0148 2.28 0038 2.28 0141 2.15 2.15 0324 2.10 2.10 by KEITH STRATFORD 160058 10113 160220 1snapper 16 11 16 1 1 16 110141 160324 0653 0.48 0.48 0711 0.82 0.82 16 0834 0.85 0.85 0648 0.82 0.82in 0824 0653 0834 0824 0.89 1045 0824 0711 0648 0.89 0824 0.96 0.96 16 1045 0.92 0.92 the Brisbane 1316 2.47 2.47 1315 2.05 2.05 FR 1418 1.86 1.86 1234 1.95 1.95 SA 1351 1.66 1.66 MO 1351 1.59 1.59 TU 1629 1.51 1.51 TU 1316 TH 1315 FR 1418 FR 1234 SA 1351 TU TH FR MO1351 TU 1629 River, time of day0.70 isn’t 1949 2003 0.48 0.48 1948 0.68 0.68 2044 0.62 0.62 1856 0.65 0.65 1955 2003 2044 1955 2147 1948 1856 0.70 1949 0.79 0.79 2147 0.98 0.98 er 2.12 than this as important as fishing The Sir Leo Hielscher 0105 1.70 1.70 0153 1.99 1.99 0200 1.87 1.87 0326 2.12 2.12 0118 2.04 0249 0105 0200 0326 0118 2.04 0249 2.17 0251 0440 2.07 0153 2.17 0251 2.12 0440particular 2.07 170748 170954 170947 220652 220801 22the 17 220953 17 0652 0.74 0.74 17 0748 0.63 0.63 0801 0.94 0.94 17 0954 0.97 0.97 0734 0.93 tide.

0947 0.98 0734 0.93 0.95 1147 0.86 0.98 0953 0.95 1147the 0.86 spot, yet17 I find better Bridges have a lot of right 1323 2.17 2.17 WE 1402 2.28 2.28 1354 1.90 1.90 SA 1524 1.66 1.66 1313 1.80 1.80 SU 1507 1.51 1.51 1523 1.55 1.55 WE 1739 1.64 1.64 TU1323 WE 1402 FR 1354 SA 1524 SA 1313 SU 1507 TU FR SA TU TU 1523 WE 1739 2006 0.73 0.73 2047 0.51 0.51 2029 0.71 0.71 2142 0.70 0.70 1930 0.71 2056 2006 2029 2142 1930 0.83 2113 0.84 2316 2047 0.83 of 2113 0.84 2316 0.94 0.94 numbers here. structure underneath I’ve 0.71 caught2056 plenty 0155 1.69 1.69 0254 2.00 2.00 0300 1.87 1.87 0444 2.12 2.12 0210 2.01 2.01 in 0407 0407 middle 0155 0254 0300 0444 0210 2.11 0418 2.16 2.09 2.11 0418 good fish the them.

2.16rock0544 The wall at the 0544 2.09 180852 181131 181121 330743 330909 330836 331121 18 0743 0.85 0.85 18 0852 0.78 0.78 0909 1.03 1.03 18 1131 0.98 0.98 0836 1.01 1.01 18 1121 0.96 0.96 1121 0.86 0.86 18 1235 0.78 0.78 I’ve jigged up snapper the1.66 day.MO entrance of1235 the river 1404 2.06 2.06 TH 1454 2.07 2.07 1448 1.75 1.75 SU 1653 1.55 1.55 1406 1.66 1651 1.49 1406 1.64 1831 1.79 1.49 WE 1658 1.64 TH 1831 1.79 is a WE1404 TH 1454 SA 1448 SU 1653 SUof MO 1651 WE SA SU WE 1658 TH 2050 0.73 0.73 2136 0.54 0.54 2123 0.74 0.74 2255 0.75 0.75 2021 0.78coincide 2225 a0.90 2050 2136 2123 2255 2021 0.78 2225 0.79 0.90 2245 0.79 If you good 2245 good place to start and and jewfish from here 0256 1.71 1.71 0402 2.05 2.05 0417 1.93 1.93 0559 2.18 2.18 0324 2.00 2.00 0527 0324 2.28 0.85 2.11 0536 2.28 easy 0021 0.85 of 19 the0527 tide2.11 with 440536 when the tide started to is quite to fish.

190402 190559 440256 440417 44stage 190021 0844 0.95 0.95 19 1008 0.89 0.89 1034 1.05 1.05 19 1254 0.89 0.89 1005 1.03 1.03 19 1232 0.87 0844 1008 1034 1254 1005 1232 1232 0634 0.87 1232 0.71 0.71 19 0634 2.14 2.14 1452 1.95 1.95 FR 1554 1.88 1.88 1603 1.65 1.65 MO 1820 1.57 1.57 MO 1531 1.56morning 1811 1.59 1531 1.56 0.70 1.59lateTH 1812 1.81 1315 0.70 fish TH 1452 slow down. early or FR 1554 SU 1603 A1.81 lot of smaller MO 1820 MOan TU 1811 TH SU TU FR TH 1812 FR 1315 2140 0.71 0.71 2230 0.57 0.57 2231 0.73 0.73 2141 0.81 0.81 2353 0.86 2140 2230 2231 2141 2353 1914 0.86 1914 1.93 1.93 afternoon, you’re giving The current roars are inside along the wall, 0407 1.78 1.78 0514 2.13 2.13 0534 2.05 2.05 0013 0.73 0.73 0453 2.08 2.08 0630 2.17 0453 0630 0005 2.17 0005 0.67 0.67 0112 0.77 0.77 yourself good however if 0112 the 2.18 weather through the bridges on 200514 50534 200013 5 20 550407 5 5 20 5 5 20 0958 1.01 1.01 20 1134 0.92 0.92 1203 0.98 0.98 20 0700 2.26 2.26 1143 0.95 0.95 a 1323 chance 0958 1134 1203 0700 1143 1323 0.78 0640 2.41 0717 0.78 0640 2.41 20 0717 2.18 1549 1.85 1.85 SA 1705 1.73 1.73 MO 1725 1.63 1.63 TU 1352 0.79 0.79 1708 1.59 WE 1905 1708 1.59 0.56 0.62 1.73 1329 0.56 SA 1350there 0.62 are FR 1549 SA 1705 MO 1725 TU 1352 TUof WE FR TU FR 1329 SA 1350 bigger tides, so it’s best hooking up1905 to a1.73 qual-FR is favourable, 2234 0.68 0.68 2330 0.57 0.57 2343 0.68 0.68 1923 1.67 1.67 2310 0.76 0.76 2234 2330 2343 1923 2310 1911 1951 1911 2.00 2.00 1951 2.06 2.06 fished closer to the tide ity snapper. some very good fish out 0516 1.90 1.90 0620 2.23 2.23 0640 2.21 2.21 0116 0.66 0.66 0609 2.23 2.23 0057 0.76 0609 0057 0114 0156 0.76 0114 0.53 0.53 0156 0.69 0.69 21 0620 6 0640 21 0116 6 21 660516 6 6 21 6 21 1116 0.99 0.99 21 1257 0.87 0.87 1319 0.84 0.84 21 0750 2.33 2.33 1300 0.80direction 0719 2.24 1116 1257 1319 0750 1300 0.80 0719 0733 0754 2.24an- 6 0733 2.52 21 0754 2.19 2.19 change.

Wind is the 2.52 front.

1653 1.78 1.78 SU 1819 1.67 1.67 1837 1.68 1.68 WE 1437 0.71 0.71 WE 1826 1.71 1.71 TH 1403 0.70 1403 0.70 1417 0.44 0.44 SU 1422 0.56 0.56 SA 1653 SU 1819 TU 1837 WE 1437 WE 1826 SA TU SA SA 1417 SU 1422 other factorTHthat Bait fishing is an exAlso, are2.17 plenty 2330 0.62 0.62 2012 1.77 1.77 1948 doesn’t 1.86 2330 2012 1948 1.86 2002 2.18 2026 2002 2.18 there 2026 2.17 seem to affect the feedcellent way to find of underwater structures 0616 2.06 0031 0.56 0048 0.57 0207 0.58 0.58 0026 0.64 0.64 0145 0.67 2.06 0.56 0.57 0026 0145 0213 0236 0.67 0213 0.42 0.42 0236 0.65 0.65 22 0031 7 0048 22 0207 7 22 770616 7 7 7 22 1231 0.92 0.92 22 0718 2.34 2.34 0736 2.39 2.39 22 0832 2.38 2.38 0711habits 2.41 22 0800 1231 0718 0736 0832 0711 2.41 0800 2.29 0821 2.56 0828 2.18 2.29 in 7 0821 2.56 22 0828 2.18 yourself hooked up to a ing of snapper to target on the way up 1756 1.75 1.75 MO 1402 0.78 0.78 WE 1420 0.70 0.70 TH 1515 0.66 0.66 1400 0.64 0.64 FR 1438 0.65 0.65 1500 0.35 0.35 MO 1452 0.51 0.51 SU 1756 MO 1402 WE 1420 TH 1515 TH 1400 FR 1438 SU TH SU SU 1500 MO 1452 1926 1.67 1.67 1940 1.78 1.78 2050 1.85 1.85 1929 1.86 2024 1.97 1926 1940 2050 1929 1.86 2024 2050 2.34 2100 1.97 2050 2.34bridges.

2100 2.27 2.27 quality Brisbane River the river. to the 0024 0.56 0.56 0128 0.53 0.53 0146 0.46 0.46 0248 0.53 0.53 0131 0.49into 0227 0227 0.60 0.36 0.60 0306 0.36 0315 0.62 snapper.

Take0.49 considera0.62 I’ve Alternatively, 23 0128 23 0248 23 88 0024 88 0146 88 0131 88 0306 23 0315 0709 2.23 2.23 23 0808 2.41 2.41 0828 2.55 2.55 23 0909 2.41 2.41 0804 2.56 2.56 23 0837 2.32 0709 0808 0828 0909 0804 0837 0905 0900 2.32 0905 2.52 2.52 23 0900 2.14 2.14 the Brisbane Depending on who I found schools of 1336 0.82 0.82 TU 1455 0.70 0.70 1513 0.57 0.57 FR 1547 0.63 0.63 1449 that 0.51 SA 1509 1449 0.51 0.60 0.30 0.48 0.60 MO 1540 0.30 big 1521 0.48 MO 1336 TU 1455 TH 1513 FR 1547 FRtion SA 1509 MO TH FR TU MO 1540 TU 1521 1855 1.75 1.75 2020 1.71 1.71 2036 1.88 1.88 2124 1.92 1.92 2022 2.02 2.02 2057 2.06 1855 2020 2036 2124 2022 2133 2.06 2136 2.47 2.47 2133 2.34 2.34 River can get 2057 very rough 2136 snapper sitting under- have onboard my boat, 0115 0.48 0.48 0217 0.49 0.49 0241 0.34 0.34 0324 0.49 0.49 0229 0.36 0.36 0303 0229 0.55 0.36 0.55 0356 0.36 bait 0354 0354 0.62 there’s a decent neath and0.62 prawn I prepare to target them 24 0217 9 0241 24 0324 24 0303 99 0115 9 99when 99 0356 24 0931 0758 2.38 2.38 24 0852 2.45 2.45 0915 2.68 2.68 24 0943 2.42 2.42 0851 2.67 2.67 24 0909 2.32 0758 0852 0915 0943 0851 0909 0948 2.32 0948 2.43 2.43 24 0931 2.08 2.08 1434 0.71 0.71 WE 1539 0.66 0.66 1601 0.47 0.47 SA 1617 0.62 0.62 1534 0.40 0.40 SU 1537 1534 0.56 0.28 1550 0.46 0.56riv-TU 1616 0.28 WE 1550no 0.46strucTU 1434 WE 1539 with lures and bait. blowing up the FR 1601 SA 1617 SAwind SU 1537 TU FR SA TU 1616 WE schools with 1951 1.78 1.78 2105 1.76 1.76 2127 1.99 1.99 2155 1.98 1.98 2111 2.16 2.16 2129 2.13 1951 2105 2127 2155 2111 2129 2220 2206 2.13 2220 2.56 2.56 2206 2.39 2.39 It’s a very productive er and against the tide. ture in sight, so if you 0204 0.40 0.40 0300 0.47 0.47 0332 0.26 0.26 0357 0.48 0.48 0321 0.28 0.28 0338 0.54 0300 0332 0357 0321 0338 0444 0431 0.54 0444 0.40 0.40 0431 0.64 0.64 way to land multiple fish A big run-out tide with 10 0204 25 find the bait, it’s worth a 10 25 10 25 10 25 10 25 10 25 10 25 10 25 0845 2.51 0931 2.47 2.47 1000 2.76 2.76 1013 2.41 2.41 0936 2.71 2.71 0939 2.30 1000 1013 0936 0939 1030 1004 0845 2.51 0931 2.30 1030 2.28 2.28 1004 2.00 2.00 1528 0.61 0.61 TH 1617 0.65 0.65 1646 0.40 0.40 SU 1644 0.59 0.59 1615 0.33 MO 1603 0.33 0.53 0.53 WE 1650 0.31 0.31 TH 1618 0.47 0.47 WE 1528 TH 1617 SA 1646 SU 1644 SUa1615 MO 1603 WE SA SU WE 1650 TH 1618 20-minutes northerly few casts. * continued P13 2045 1.82 1.82 2144 1.80 1.80 2215 2.08 2.08 2225 2.03 2.03 2158 2.29 2.29 2200 2.20 2215 2225 2158 2200 2303 2241 2045 2144 2.20 2303 2.60 2.60 2241 2.41 2.41 makes things very un0252 0.34 0337 0.45 0420 0.22 0429 0.49 0409 0.25 0.25 0412 0.55 0.22 0.49 0409 0.34 0.45 0.55 0531 0.50 0.50 0509 0.68 0.68 11 0252 26 0337 11 0420 26 0429 11comfortable.

26 0412 11 11 0531 26 0509 0932 2.62 2.62 26 1008 2.47 2.47 11 1045 2.77 2.77 26 1041 2.38 2.38 11 1018 2.67 2.67 26 1007 2.25 1045 1041 1018 1007 1112 1038 0932 1008 2.25 11 1112 2.09 2.09 26 1038 1.92 1.92 1618 0.54 0.54 FR 1650 0.65 0.65 1728 0.36 0.36 MO 1709 0.57 0.57 1654 0.30 0.30 TU 1630 0.50 0.50 1723 0.38 0.38 FR 1647 0.50 0.50 TH 1618 FR 1650 SU 1728 MO 1709 MO 1654 TU 1630 SU MO TH TH TH 1723 FR 1647 I recently fished it in 2347 2137 1.86 1.86 2217 1.83 1.83 2302 2.16 2.16 2256 2.07 2.07 2243 2.38 2231 2.25 2302 2256 2243 2.38 2231 2315 2137 2217 2.25 2347 2.56 2.56 2315 2.41 2.41 these conditions 0340 0.29 0.29 0411 0.46 0.46 0507 0.25 0.25 0501 0.54 0.54 0456 0.29 0.29 0446 0.59 0340 0411 0507 0501 0456 0446 0620 0547 0.59and 0620 0.62 0.62 0547 0.73 0.73 12 1018 27 1041 12 1126 27 1108 12the 27motor 12 12 12 1154 27 1114 1018 2.69 2.69 27 1041 2.45 2.45 12 1126 2.71 2.71 27 1108 2.31 2.31 12 1059electric 2.55 27 1035 2.17 1059 2.55 1035 2.17 1154 1.89 1.89 27 1114 1.83 1.83 spent 1706 0.48 0.48 SA 1719 0.65 0.65 1807 0.35 0.35 TU 1734 0.56 0.56 1730 0.31 0.31 WE 1655 0.50 0.50 1757 0.49 0.49 SA 1717 0.55 0.55 FR 1706 SA 1719 MO 1807 TU 1734 TU 1730 WE 1655 FR MO TU FR FR 1757 SA 1717 2228 1.91 1.91 2248 1.86 1.86 2349 2.20 2.20 2329 2.10 2.10 2327 2.43 2.43 2303 of 2228 2248 2349 2329 2327 2303 2.28 2353 2.28the 2353 2.37 2.37 more time out 0427 0.27 0.27 0443 0.48 0.48 0554 0.34 0.34 0535 0.61 0.61 0543 0.40 0.40 0520 0543 0.65 0031 2.47 2.47 0630 0.79 0.79 water than in0520 it. 0.65 13 0427 28 0443 13 0554 28 0535 13 28managed 13 13 0031 28 0630 1103 2.72 2.72 28 1111 2.42 2.42 13 1207 2.56 2.56 28 1136 2.22 2.22 13 1139 2.36 2.36 28 1103 2.07 1103 1111 1207 1136 1139 1103 0713 1155 2.07 13 0713 0.76 0.76 28 1155 1.74 1.74 We 0.36 still TH 1753 0.45 0.45 SU 1746 0.65 0.65 1845 0.38 0.38 WE 1800 0.57 0.57 1803 0.36 1721 0.53 0.53 aSA 1239 1.70 1.70 SU 1752 0.62 0.62 SA 1753 SU 1746 TU 1845 WE 1800 WE 1803 TH 1721 SA TU WE SA 1239 SU 1752 2317 1.94 1.94 2320 1.89 1.89 2336 2.27 2317 2320 2336 2.27 1832 0.62 0.62 couple of snapper but it 1832 0514 0.29 0.29 0516 0.52 0.52 0036 2.22 2.22 0002 2.10 2.10 0012 2.43 0556 0514 0516 0036 0002 0012 2.43 0556 0.73 0119 2.34 0035 0.73 0119 2.34 0035 2.33 2.33 wasn’t very relaxing.

14 1148 1148 2.70 2.70 29 1141 1141 2.37 2.37 14 0642 0642 0.49 0.49 29 0610 0610 0.71 0.71 14 0630 0630 0.55 0.55 29 1134 1134 1.95 1.95 14 0815 0815 0.87 0.87 29 0721 0721 0.84 0.84 1838 0.44 0.44 MO 1814 0.64 0.64 1247 2.35 2.35 TH 1204 2.10 2.10 1218 2.13Brisbane 1747 0.57 2.13 0.57 1335 1.55 1.55 MO 1246 1.66 1.66 SU 1838 MO 1814 WE 1247 In the River,SU TH 1204 TH 1218 FR 1747 SU WE TH FR SU 1335 MO 1246 2355 1.90 1.90 1921 0.44 0.44 1827 0.60 0.60 1837 0.45 0.45 2355 1921 1827 1837 1915 1837 1915 0.77 0.77 1837 0.69 0.69 from the mouth to the 0007 1.96 1.96 0551 0.60 0.60 0125 2.20 2.20 0058 2.37 2.37 0011 2.24 0007 0551 0125 0058 0011 0215 0129 2.24 0215 2.21 2.21 0129 2.28 2.28 Leo Hielscher 15 0602 15Sir 30 0634 0602 0.36 0.36 30 1211 1211 2.29 2.29 15 0733 0733 0.67 0.67 0721 0.73 0634 Bridg0721 0.73 0.82 0.82 15 0930 0930 0.93 0.93 30 0827 0827 0.86 0.86 1232 2.61 2.61 TU 1843 0.64 0.64 1330 2.11 2.11 1300 1.88 SA 1208 1300 1.88 1.83 1.83 asMO 1454 1.48 1.48 TU 1354 1.61 1.61 MO 1232 TU 1843 TH 1330 FRes SA 1208 MO TH FR MO 1454 TU 1354 (formerly known 1921 0.45 0.45 2000 0.52 0.52 1912 0.57 0.57 1816 0.63 1921 2000 1912 1816 2016 1939 0.63 2016 0.91 0.91 1939 0.77 0.77 the Gateway0050 Bridge), 0031 1.90 1.90 0050 2.20 2.20 31 0031 31 0629 0.70 0.70 0720 0.90 0629 0720 0.90 there aren’t many plac1241 2.18 2.18 1250 1.70 1.70 WE 1241 SU 1250 WE SU es to hide from a0.71stiff 1914 0.65 0.65 1853 0.71 1914 1853 northerly or southerly © Copyright Copyright Commonwealth of Australia Australia 2022, Bureau Bureau of of Meteorology Meteorology © Commonwealth of 2022, First Quarter New Moon wind, though I prefer to Datum of of Predictions Predictions is is Lowest Lowest Astronomical Astronomical Tide Tide Datum target in this area.

Full Moon Last Quarter I’m sure at times snapMoon Phase Phase Symbols Symbols New Moon Moon First Quarter Quarter Full Moon Moon Moon Full New First Last Last Quarter Quarter Ganged 7Tru Turn hooks are perfect for snapper. per travel further upriv7 Time Time

mm

0022 1.70 1.70 0022 0609 0.64 0.64 0609 1245 2.26 2.26 MO1245 MO 1928 0.73 0.73 1928

Time Time

mm

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Page 12 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

mm

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www.bnbfishing.com. au

Targeting Brisbane River snapper * from P12

without too much effort.

Once you have the right gear and know where the fish prefer to feed, it can be fairly predictable.

I fish the same areas with bait as when fishing with lures.

Structure and bait are key, and if you can find both, you’re in with a good chance of hooking snapper.

I keep leaders as light as possible when bait fishing.

All that’s needed in areas with less structure is 12-14lb, but having 20lb is good insurance near rocky terrain.

I use ganged Tru Turn hooks – they’re expensive, though when a decent fish takes the bait, these hooks don’t miss or come out of the fish during the fight.

The two-hook 3/0 and

4/0 are perfect for most of the bait I use.

Quality fresh bait will out fish a packet of service station mullet every time.

My favourite bait is good old pilchard – they tend to attract more fish than all other bait.

Yet, squid and cuttlefish work well too, with whole whiting, mantis shrimp and prawns also good bait to try.

Pilchard act as a berley trail when the fish eat them and when smaller fish turn up to pick at them.

For me, the stronger stages of a tide are more productive when chasing snapper on bait.

The smaller fish stay out of the current, however snapper still feed.

You won’t get as many bites, though when you do it’s normally a decent fish.

When the tide slows, other species such as bream, moses perch and other smaller fish come out to play.

And eels, catfish, sharks and other vermin also turn up when the tide slows down.

This is when I switch to lure fishing again.

Good by-catch also turn up when fishing bait.

Jewfish, king threadfin salmon, grunter, tailor, cod and others that will regularly eat a well-presented bait.

Bait fishing isn’t for everyone, but it gets the fish in the boat and can turn a quiet day into a good session.

Having both options onboard gives you every chance of hooking up to a Brisbane River snapper.

Hope to see you on the water.

A range of fresh bait ready for a Brisbane River snapper session.

Jewfish are a regular by-catch when chasing snapper. Shaun caught and released this 70cm fish.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 13

Family staycation fishing hints

T

Pack the kids and the fishing gear, grab some bait and let them loose on one of the local piers.

Seth loves going to Cabbage Tree Creek to hook into local bream.

–WANTED– Pre-trained old fishing gear!

We will come to you if you have bulk gear!

0402 703 519 Page 14 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

HESE holidays are dragging, and the kids have done everything.

So, take them fishing and give yourself a break… you deserve it.

The days have been hot and muggy, so you don’t want to spend too much time in the car.

Perfect, no more than a 30-minute drive and you should be wetting a line.

The beauty about the Moreton Bay region is that we have so many waterways for you and the kids to explore.

From Toorbul, Bribie Island, Sandstone Point, Beachmere, Redcliffe, Brighton, Shorncliffe down to Nudgee – Moreton Bay is literally your own playground!

Give yourself and that credit card a well-deserved break, pack the kids, the dog, the fishing gear, grab some bait and let them loose on one of the local piers, riverbanks or even the beach!

You can spend hundreds of dollars going to theme parks and other attractions, where you fight crowds, sniffles and coughs, with an EFT machine everywhere you look, begging you to tap your credit card.

If you are relying on public transport, both Shorncliffe and Sandgate have stations, so you can come to visit us.

From where we are in Sandgate, it is a 10-minute walk to the ocean and the same for Shorncliffe.

I know most families are well organised when it comes to outings, but a time-saving idea I’ve mentioned be-

Northern Moreton Bay

by MARK TEMPLETON

fore is to have a stow bag packed with the essentials ready and waiting for you in the car.

Bottled water, sunscreen, spare hats, a basic first aid kit and another bag with a change of clothes, a couple of towels and of course an emergency toilet roll!

Kids will always find water to play in or will need a toilet stop 10 minutes after you leave home.

If you leave these small bags in the car over the holidays, it might just save you having to head home early or get you out of an embarrassing situation.

If you’re new to fishing and not sure where to start, go to tackle land.com.au – we’ve put together a website with fishing locations and angling techniques

aimed at new fishos or anyone who needs a refresher.

If you’re after some more ideas on taking the kids fishing, jump onto our website and have a read of the articles written by our customers, this could save you a headache – tack leland.com.au/posts/ This may be a rehash of information, however it’s still relevant advice.

Before you hit the water, double check your safety gear for serviceability.

Check the dates on your flares because if your gear is not up to speed, it will not save you or your family when it has to.

We’re frequently asked, “Should I have an emergency position indicating radio beacon?” * continued P16

Seconds after the bait hit the water, happy moments were on. Don’t touch these spikey fish or you’ll be in pain for a good couple of hours.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 15

Family staycation holiday fishing hints * from P14

Brodie did battle with a cracker 101cm jewfish.

Rowan landed an awesome 70cm flathead from the Shorncliffe foreshore.

Jed and a cracker 78cm Moreton Bay snapper.

A quiet achiever, Matt with a little flathead he decided to keep for a feed.

Page 16 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

Well, the default answer is, if you need immediate help and your phone is not working or you’re out of range, then all you need to do is flick the switch.

They are not cheap, they are not required in all regions, but an EPIRB could save a life if someone was having a heart attack, an allergic reaction or another emergency medical episode.

Food for thought.

No, we don’t sell them, but if you decided to get one, do a bit of research on a reputable supplier.

We have a new pro angler rising up through the ranks – Seth.

This fisho has so much enthusiasm and can pretty much do everything for himself, though is still learning safe fish-handing techniques from his dad, but I reckon he’ll be taking this job on too before you know it.

Seth loves going to Cabbage Tree Creek to hook into local bream and moses perch get a bit of attention as well.

Well done Seth.

We’re looking forward to seeing more great fishing photos from you soon.

Ian and I ventured out to Woody Point for a bit of ‘research’ and found out very quickly that this pier holds so many different varieties of fish.

Seconds after the bait hit the water, happy moments were all over us.

For those not familiar with these spikey little fish, don’t touch them!

If you do, handle with care because they have spikes both on top and underneath that will, in

some cases, leave you in pain for up to a couple of hours.

If one of the kids gets spiked, it will ruin a great day out.

We use a pair of longnosed pliers to release them.

Even if you know how to handle them, they will still find a way to spike you!

We also came across a cool little tripod fish.

Do you know where to find them?

Where you left them!

So easy to get a great photo of this species.

With the awesome weather, Brodie and Captain Jack hit the Moreton Bay water and dropped some local cuttlefish down.

Before he knew it, Brodie was doing battle with a cracker jewfish that did not want to play the game.

This stonker came in at 101cm and Brodie became the newest member of the 1m plus club!

Well done Brodie.

Rowan also took advantage of the good weather, heading around Shorncliffe foreshore with a friend in the tinnie to flick a few lures.

Before long he landed an awesome 70cm flathead.

This was one that many of us would try

to get a photo with, it was Rowan’s turn on the day.

Well done Rowan, an awesome catch and thank you for the photo.

Jed joined the great weather crew and was on the water hunting for a personal best.

While I’m not sure if it was a PB snapper for him, at 78cm it was a Moreton Bay cracker and certainly one to be very proud of.

Well done Jed, more fish and more photos like this please!

Now, a quiet achiever, whenever Matt drops into Tackle Land, he is either still wet, still muddy or a bit of both.

Fresh from his latest fishing quest, he heads straight to the wall of lures or tackle to replace the gear he just lost.

He always has a great time getting his feet wet and the passion he has for this awesome sport shows every time we ask how’d you go?

This little flattie is only one of Matt’s many awesome catches, he decided to keep this one for a feed.

Well done Matt, it will be great to catch up again.

Stay safe over these holidays.

Enjoy the time spent together and maintain the passion!

A cool little tripod fish. So easy to get a great photo of these.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Trolling for bass can be productive in January, though go early to beat the crowds and be organised, study the river bed contours on your sounder before the trip.

The author’s son Josh with the results of following a number of these tips, including location (drains off the flats), time (low tide) and presentation.

How to improve silly season catches

W

ELL, the holiday season is well and truly upon us now.

That comes with benefits in the form of some well-deserved leave for many of us, yet at the same time means bigger crowds lining up at boat ramps, plus more people on and around the water.

While it’s certainly not impossible, this can make fishing more challenging, particularly during popular daylight hours.

In order to get the best out of your silly season fishing sessions, there are a few things that you should know to ensure you have the best chance of success.

In this article, I will go through 10 of my favourite tips to help you achieve that success on the water.

Location, location, location It is long-held advice from real estate agents to buy your property in the best location you can afford.

And the same principle applies to fishing.

The best results come from the best locations – in terms of structure, cover, current, water

www.bnbfishing.com.au

Fishing Tips

by SEAN 'SKIP' THOMPSON

temperature and the presence of bait for fish.

During the holidays, many casual anglers take the easiest and closest option.

This may be the first gutter the sand track brings them to on the beach or the closest bank they arrive at along the edge of a lake or river.

If you want results, be prepared to travel and look around first.

The right time and tide I speak to a lot of people about their plans to hit spot X or Y because they heard it was good.

But when I question them further on time and tide, these seem much less important than the location.

The truth is they go hand in hand, as do other factors such as wind, water temperature and colour.

It’s much harder to control the latter, however choosing the right tide and time can be critical for success.

Don’t expect to catch a

bucket load of fish during the middle of the day, on a weekend or public holiday, in a boat in popular locations – Moreton Bay for example.

Likewise, be sure to target the best tide for the species you are chasing and according to the structure you are fishing, whether off the beach, bank or in a boat.

The right gear It’s one thing to get a fish to bite but another to hook and land the fish.

Going armed with the correct combination of rod, reel and line goes a long way to ensuring that.

Choose a setup that is well balanced according to the specifications on the line rating of the rod and reel.

Likewise, do your research on the right hooks for the right fish.

Even subtle variances in the thickness of the gauge of your hooks or jig heads can make a big difference. * continued P18

Huge bream are not fooled easily, so the right time to target them could be under the cover of darkness.

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How to improve silly season catches * from P17

Simple pre-trip tackle organisation, such as prerigged jig heads in different colours and weights, will have your line in the water longer.

The right gear, in the form of light gauge jig heads, will hook more fish in shallow water on light braid.

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Heavy gauge hooks are important for hard-fighting fish but will sink like a stone and be heavy and unnatural in their sink rate in shallow water or inside a small bait such as a worm or a yabby.

Keeping a low profile This tactic is well practiced by camouflaged freshwater anglers targeting trout or native fish when stalking them along a riverbank.

But it seems to go out the window for some anglers in their garish bright red, yellow and orange fishing shirts.

This can make a difference when wading, casting from the shore or from a boat in the shallows.

I prefer to stick to lighter blues according to sky and water colour or grey and light browns on overcast days in such areas.

Think like a fish This might seem a silly tip, yet it’s probably one of the most critical.

Observe your environment and think, if I were a fish, where would I be right now?

That means, look for shade, structure or cover when the sun is up, areas where the current flow is disrupted and will require less energy to hold position, and signs of food in the sand or mud, insect hatches or bait scattering in the water.

Fresh or live is best Put simply, live bait will out fish dead bait, while freshly caught or frozen bait will out fish ice-burnt bait from the bottom of the service station freezer.

Presentation is key Don’t spend a heap of money or time on fresh or live bait or the best lures and then present

them lazily and unnaturally positioned on the hook.

Ensure your bait or lure sits nice, straight and natural-looking on the hook – not bent or clumped up in an unnatural glob on the bottom of your hook.

In doing so, make sure the point of the hook is exposed for better hookup rates.

Scents and smells This is another area many anglers may overlook.

Touching your bait or lures with hands covered in petrol or oil from filling the car or boat up, or with sunscreen or after smoking will transfer unnatural smells onto the hooks and lines.

Using scents will not only help to disguise these but also make the fish think they are tasting a natural bait, not an artificial one.

Organisation Go with a fishing plan, including plan A, B and C, if one doesn’t work.

Don’t flog a dead horse, so to speak, if

your first plan doesn’t work.

Likewise, have spare rods and rigs ready to go for if you change your plans in terms of targets or get busted off.

Patience landing your fish Finally, you’ve gone to all this trouble catching your fish, so don’t blow it by rushing to land it.

Ensure your drag is not too tight – allowing for those final runs near the boat or shore.

Likewise, try to keep the fish’s head under the water – to reduce the risk of it jumping or thrashing its head to lose the hook – by dropping your rod low and sideways when fighting the fish, rather than pressuring it to swim upwards by having a high rod.

So there you go, I hope these tips help you catch more fish these holidays and into the future.

For more tips and reports, check out my social media pages, particularly Facebook @ Ontour Fishing Australia.

The author kept a low profile in blue camouflaged clothing on a sunny day in clear water, which helped to land this fish.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 19

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January24/11/2023 2024 – Page 21 12:19 pm

Georgie managed a monster whiting when trolling the river with a Samaki Redic Jerkbait DF50 lure.

The author scored a 41cm whiting while walking the flats.

Summer whiting and crab secrets

W

The author’s five-year-old daughter caught a bycatch legal-sized spotted grunter when targeting whiting.

Page 22 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

ELL, it’s a bra nd-new year with some fresh fishing opportunities, hopefully.

This can be a tough month to fish during the day because it’s hot, windy and at times stormy.

I used to be keen on night fishing but in recent years I much prefer to get out on the water in the early morning.

It’s a great time of year to catch big summer whiting on the yabby flats in the Broadwater and these fish are still plentiful in spite of the recreational and commercial netter fishing pressure.

There are two ways I chase whiting with my customers.

The first is drifting or anchoring in the Nerang River with beachworms.

While beachworms are not as good a bait as bloodworms, they still catch plenty of fish, are easier to get and are cheaper.

If the wind and tide flow are in the same direction and not too strong, I drift and cover shallow undulating sandy areas ranging from 1-3m deep.

Using soft-tipped bait-fishing rods, 10lb Platypus Platinum mo-

Broadwater Guide

by CLINT ANSELL

no line spooled on 2500 size spinning reels, a 2 or 3-size ball sinker, small swivel, at least 1m long 6lb fluorocarbon trace and a number 4 or 6 size baitholder hook, we then thread on just enough worm to cover the hook.

This way there’s not too much meat for the whiting to chew and you get better hook up rates.

It is very important not to strike too early or you’ll miss a lot of fish.

They will first mouth the worm, then crush it.

Wait until the rods fully load up before you lift and start winding the fish in.

There is a lot of by-

catch such as bream, grunter and flathead when fishing for whiting, so it pays to keep moving.

Remember, in Queensland whiting must be 23cm minimum size, bream 25cm, dusky flathead 40cm, barred grunter 40cm and spotted grunter 30cm.

When the wind is opposing or across the tide, I spot lock and cast the bait out from the side of the boat, then place the rods in holders and wait for bites.

If they’re timid, feed out some slack line to encourage them to eat the bait. * continued P23

James and his son Andrew hooked a great feed of whiting when on a Nerang River charter with the author.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Gold Coast summer whiting and crabs * from P22

At times, I’ll also troll for whiting in the river with hard-body lures.

For some reason, the new Samaki Redic Jerkbait 50mm lures in Coral Trout colour are consistent at getting aggressive strikes from big summer whiting.

The other fishing technique I love is wading in the shallows for whiting.

This is mostly done on the yabby flats at the Broadwater islands of Curlew, Wave Break and Crab.

These hold vast amounts of yabbies, which attract thousands of fish and stingrays to feed on them.

All we use is a wading bag, landing nets with elastic attachment to the bags, measurement ruler, long-nosed pliers, scissors, spare hooks

and a yabby bucket that clips around our waist.

Ideal rods are the Insalt Estuary Explorer 6’6” 1-2kg ultralight or Atomic Arrowz 7” 1-4lb, coupled with 1000 size reels and spooled with 4lb fluorocarbon line.

We then pump yabbies wading the flats in clear water and clean sand, with yabby holes no more than knee deep, and flick the yabbies out on unweighted hooks, while at all times slowly moving, with the bail arm open and finger on the line.

As soon as you feel a bite, let them run for 10 seconds then strike.

This is a guaranteed way to catch good fish, however you must keep moving to find the better quality whiting.

Essentially, it’s trolling yabbies by walking.

During either of these types of fishing, it is productive and good fun to put crab pots out near to where you’re fishing, in water 2-4m deep and baited with mullet or fresh fish frames.

Try to check and move them every two hours for a feed of beautiful blue swimmer and mud crabs.

Remember to release all female crabs and measure the males to follow the rules.

Also, make sure your pots and floats are legally correct and marked with your name, address and phone number.

Well, there you have it, some tips to catch some summer treasures.

Until next month, tight lines and cheers.

To book a charter with myself or Brad, or if you have any fishing related questions, visit gold coastrivercharters.com, SMS 0432 990 302, email fishingwithclint@ gmail.com or find us on Facebook – Brad Smith Fishing Charters.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 23

Magnificent spotted mackerel

G

Joe with a jumbo-sized spotted mackerel.

’DAY everyone, summer is finally upon us and with this comes all our pelagic that swim down with the warmer water and currents.

As always, spotted mackerel are one of the most anticipated species out of the lot.

And being more focused on the shallower reefs, they make easy pickings for boats of all shapes and sizes, ranging from small 4m tinnies all the way up to 8m boats.

When they’re on a hot bite and are very hungry, the massive schools of spotties that come down to the Gold Coast create awesome fun for everyone, allowing most boaties to bag out quickly.

With that comes many factors to take into consideration, includ-

The author with an early morning spotted mackerel.

Page 24 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

Gold Coast Broadwater

by MITCHEL ZYGNERSKI

ing water temperature, wind, water quality and sometimes even sunny or overcast weather.

I have found that when the water’s about 22-24C, with a southerly wind and overcast muggy weather, you’ll always be in for a very good session.

Another challenge that gets in the way are the coastal bars.

Personally, I prefer to go out of Currumbin Creek instead of the Tweed River, Tallebudgera Creek or the Gold Coast Seaway because it’s only a five-minute trip to Palm Beach reef.

But Currumbin is not for the faint-hearted.

Week to week, the shallow bar is forever changing, so solid local knowledge will always give you the upper hand.

Currently, the Tweed Bar is in very good condition – if not the best condition I’ve seen it in many years.

It has an awesome channel that allows you to run straight through to the middle of the bar.

The left-hand side, which always was the route, has become a bit shallow – causing a few rollers to come through that have almost caught a few people out.

Tallebudgera claimed its first victim the other week – the operator mistimed the lull and was impacted by the sets.

This had him and his crew on the rocks of Burleigh headland, leaving the boat high and dry.

After a few days, the crew from VMR

Currumbin dragged the boat safely off the rocks.

The Gold Coast Seaway as always is in very good condition, with boaties making the most of it and able to cross the bar on either a high or low tide.

The northern end is still unpredictable with the rolling swell coming through, making it treacherous.

Months beforehand, prior to thinking about heading out for spotted mackerel, I’m checking my tackle and setups – to give myself the maximum amount of time possible to get everything ready.

Bait plays a huge role in catching spotties.

I get myself a box of fresh pilchard and sort them into bags of 20s.

In a single session, you’ll use 20-30 pilchard, so always make sure you’re prepared and have extra bait onboard.

After many years’ experience fishing with both my father and grandfather, I’ve learnt from the best.

Having spent over 20 years chasing spotted mackerel themselves, they taught me to adapt from trip to trip.

Meaning always watch the sounder and wherever the bait is, spotted mackerel aren’t too far behind.

So, one day they could be in 15m of water and a couple of days later they may be in 25m of water.

I use a simple rig for mackerel – a small piece of wire with a Mustad Hoodlum hook and a * continued P25

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Magnificent spotted mack * from P24

swivel with a half pillie tail on the end.

If you’ve been out on the reef, you’ll have seen anglers winding as fast as they possibly can – trying their hardest to create a reactive bite using a spinner.

The trusty Halco Twisty in the gold colour is one of my all-time favourites, and I usually aim for 20-50g when choosing a spinner.

There aren’t many words that can describe the feeling of having the rod nearly pulled out of your hands when a spotted mackerel hits the spinner… other than wind as fast as you can and hold on for dear life.

Also, make sure you let the lure sink into the water column past the schools of fish to create the illusion of a fleeing baitfish.

Something important to remember is manners.

Every year fishing near Palm and Mermaid reefs I encounter a lack of them.

If you see people already anchored up, don’t go close and drop your anchor on top of them – you may be told to move on and possibly not very politely.

I manage this problem by being out at the reef earlier than most people and claiming a spot before 100 other boats show up.

One last thing… you’re not going to catch any fish sitting inside, so get out there and get among them because, as most people know, spotties don’t hang around for long before continuing their migration south.

Cheers and tight lines!

Brandan with a big metal-eating spotted mackerel.

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The author with a pair of quality early season spotted mackerel. www.bnbfishing.com.au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 25

Muddies, trevally and pelagics

H

APPY new year and welcome to the sabbatical

A coral crab caught in the Tweed River.

There’ll be heaps of crab pots in the water this month. You got to be in it to win it.

Small bream were everywhere with some good sized fish too, as Keira and Royce discovered.

Page 26 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

season.

Generally, the holiday period is fairly kind to fishos because warm water starts to push in a little more seriously at the beginning of January.

The rivers are fishing well too and everyone’s having fun!

It’s the season to be catching crustaceans and the mud crabs are being most cooperative.

Our rivers are chocka-block full of muddies.

Mostly they’re on the small side, with legal crabs in various stages of fullness, but at least there have been a fair few to sort through, which keeps interest levels up.

You know I enjoy including new captures, so while we’re on the subject of crab, now is the perfect time to mention that I caught a coral crab for the first time recently.

I sent the picture to a couple of friends who responded that they’d caught quite a few, so it would appear I’m a little slow at finally getting around to catching one.

A very attractive crab, I can report that they are tasty too.

I caught mine near Tumbulgum in the Tweed River when chasing mud crabs.

I’ve seen them come in on trawlers before, so you can imagine how surprised I was to catch one well upstream.

If you’re bait fishing for whiting in the Tweed or Brunswick rivers this summer, they both hold an inundation of small bream that will drive you mental.

These are great for keeping the kids interested, however they will quickly chew their way

Tweed to Byron Bay

by GAVIN DOBSON

through your bait supply.

In between bream are some whiting, but bream will most likely be 10 to one, if not more.

Trevally are also in great numbers, particularly bigeye.

Averaging good sizes, they are a lot of fun to catch on both livies and lures.

Flathead and small jewfish are still in good numbers too, though they are fairly spread out, with the bulk of them well upstream.

Mackerel will start to appear offshore now, and anglers are keenly anticipating their arrival.

With a massive rumour mill on who’s caught what and where, unfortunately there’s rarely any truth to the gossip in the early stages of the season.

The simple trick is to be out on the water and sooner or later you’ll be in the right place at the right time.

I always reckon Australia Day is when they start to turn up off Brunswick Heads in any real numbers, so before then, simply get out there and see what’s about.

You might be lucky enough to find a warm patch of water with some fish feeding in it.

If not, head out wider and chase some mahi mahi or early wahoo, possibly even a small black marlin.

Once you’re out wide, you could discover you’ve fluked a day without current and are able to catch some bottom species.

I recently did just that – chasing a few kingfish on Windarra Bank, I discovered there was no current, so I headed out wider and found teraglin on the bite.

Speaking of Windarra Bank, it will be a hot spot over the holiday period because a few pelagic turn up there in January.

Rat yellowfin tuna are a popular target, though there could also be some small early season wahoo there as well.

Throw in some amberjack, kingfish, cobia, snapper and other bits and pieces and no wonder it’s popular.

Most importantly stay safe, respect other boaties – both at the ramp and on the reef – and have a great time.

Mackerel are a hot topic at the moment. Keira with a spanish mackerel from last year.

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Ballina Bait & Tackle

by BRETT HYDE

The fishing around the Northern Rivers has been quite good in recent months.

Some cleaner than usual water and warm weather have both contributed to this in a significant way.

The only concerns will be if we have major rain events or east coast lows between now and Easter – the typical time of the year for these to occur.

Offshore, over the past month or so, the current has been ripping down the hill, making fishing most of the wider grounds a real challenge.

Still, good kingfish have come from the 48-fathom line and beyond, with most of the better fish nailing knife jigs in the 300400g range.

Pearl perch were found in a similar area but were a little harder to target due to the heavy current over summer.

A number of anglers managed to target a few fish on jigs, lately though bait was far better at grabbing their attention.

Great numbers of snapper have turned up on the 32-fathom line. * continued P29

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Snapper, mahi mahi, flathead and bream in Northern Rivers * from P28

This is fairly typical for this time of year and most anglers were using a combination of either octo-style jigs, soft plastics or cut bait.

Colour choice has been fairly mixed and varied, with brighter colours working one day and some more natural colours the next.

For the most part, 7” jerk shads have done the damage, with a 1.5-2oz jig head being the best weight option, given the current.

Both the fish aggregating device and the Waverider buoy have produced some mahi mahi during summer.

Unweighted live or dead bait having accounted for plenty of fish, though some of the larger models were taken using skirted lures being trolled or soft plastic vibes and surface stickbaits.

Mahi mahi seem to have hung around for most of last year, yet it was only in the past couple of months with the warmer current that the better quality fish began to show up.

I’m also fairly confident that we’ll see a run of spotted and spanish mackerel at any tick of the clock, so now is the time to start making some rigs in preparation for their arrival.

Back in the river, we’ve had a great summer, with the water quality excellent and plenty of fish from Wardell Bridge to the mouth.

The bulk of flathead were taken from the mouth of the river to Pimlico Island, and the hot weather had most of the better fish sit-

www.bnbfishing.com.au

ting in deeper channels to beat the heat.

Mullet, prawns and pilchard have all had some success recently on flatties, along with brighter coloured blades and soft plastics.

As is usually the case, the run-out tide was a little more productive for most anglers, especially if it was in the afternoon.

It was a similar story with mangrove jack as far as time and tide were concerned, however they were in better numbers further upriver.

Broadwater to the ferry was the better part of the river to target them, with a number of fish also popping up in North Creek.

Lately, whiting have been a little disappointing, with a few fish caught on bait during a larger run-in tide and surface lures on the run-out.

I was expecting this summer to be quite good for whiting, but as yet this species hasn’t lived up to expectations.

Let’s hope the back half of summer is better than the first.

Numbers of bream have been fairly consistent so far.

Bait such as prawns, mullet, worms and herring have all been productive over the past few weeks.

Some better quality fish were landed using very lightly weighted soft plastics, with minnow or prawn imitations working the best.

Further upriver, we’ve had a good season on bass in both the Richmond and Wilson rivers.

Frog and cicada im-

itations both worked well early morning and late afternoon, however during the heat of the day, there were times when spinnerbaits and chatterbaits were very effective options.

Given that we haven’t had buckets of

rain, the river is fairly clean, so the more natural colours with silver blades have been the best combo.

Around midday, throwing a few skirted jigs about has paid off too.

Any colour – as long as it’s mostly black –

has regularly tempted the fish, yet if the dry weather continues, it may pay to be a little more adventurous with your colour choice.

Well, that’s about all from me for this first edition of the year.

Until next month, tight lines!

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www.custommarinewelding.com.au Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 29

S Tackle creator Tim Stylianou has over 40 years’ experience fishing local waters.

S Tackle all day long

S

The three-dimensionally printed Fish Tail Minnow is the most realistic soft bait on the market.

Page 30 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

TACKLE has landed.

This bold new tackle brand launched at the end of August and is making waves in Queensland and, with its growing number of distributors, is beginning to roll across Australia.

The S Tackle premium fishing range was created by passionate Gold Coast fisho Tim Stylianou and includes Drop and Glow sinkers, Glow Strike jig heads, Slay ‘Em soft plastics and hard-body lures, with more new and exciting products in production.

Tim has over 40 years’ experience fishing local waters – from creeks to the continental shelf – and has dedicated hours to perfecting and fine tuning this range of tackle, determined to help anglers across the globe improve their fishing experience.

With his expertise and ambition, S Tackle aims to take everyone’s fishing game to the next level, filling the gaps and needs of the fishing industry.

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quality, Australian testing and meticulous attention to detail, anglers can trust this tackle to elevate their fishing.

Whether you’re a seasoned fisho or only starting out, S Tackle products can be relied on for superior performance and unforgettable fishing adventures.

Tim said, “The feedback from anglers has been great.”

“Anglers are catching more fish and chanting ‘S Tackle baby’ out there on the water.

“My own fishing game has massively improved with S Tackle, doubling the number of fish I catch.”

The unique range of soft plastics includes the three-dimensionally printed Fish Tail

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Available in 2.5”, 4” and 5”, the Fish Tail Minnow comes in WA Pilchard, Garfish and White Bait.

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The range of Pad Tail Slims are slimmer than others on the market, made with a thermoplastic material, round in profile and have an extended body for improved action in the water.

Anglers can select * continued P31

The Tail Dancer 3D Prawn soft plastic comes in 3” and 4.5” and a great range of colours. www.bnbfishing.com. au

S Tackle all day long * from P30

from a broad range of Glow Strike jig heads, available in mushroom and football shape on a BKK fine-gauge forged hook, which gives the jig heads a lip-piercing power-striking difference.

The glow in the dark jig heads are fitted with a slimline bait gripper that holds soft bait in position without distorting or bulging the plastic.

S Tackle also have a premium range of Shake and Dance Shads – a masterfully crafted hard-body fishing lure with BKK hooks that will entice even the most finicky fish.

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The good thing about S Tackle products is they are all ultraviolet activated and or glow in the dark, attracting a variety of species out of their hidey holes.

Visit stackle.com.au for S Tackle stockists or simply ask at your local tackle shop.

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S Tackle products are crafted with precision, made with top-quality materials and tuned with expertise, ensuring unparalleled durability and reliability for catching more fish.

FISHING EVENTS EVENT

DATE

LOCATION

2024 Fishing The Fitzroy's Nov 1- Jan 31 Fitzroy River, Qld $10K Thready explorerockhampton.com.au/Explore/ Competition Fishing-the-Fitzroy/10KThready Shimano King Feb 1-4 of Kings

Yeppoon, Qld kingofkings.live/tournament

National 4x4 Mar 15-17 Outdoors show

Brisbane, Qld 4x4show.com.au

Boyne Tannum May 3-5 HookUp

Gladstone, Qld boynetannumhookup.com.au

Womens Fishing May 11 - Jun 8 Southeast Queensland Classic womensfishingclassic.com.au Sanctuary Cove May 23-26 Gold Coast, Qld International Boat sanctuarycoveboatshow.com.au Show Glow Strike jig heads are available in mushroom and football shape on a BKK fine-gauge forged hook.

The Shake and Dance Shads are masterfully crafted hard-body fishing lures with BKK hooks that will entice even the most finicky fish. www.bnbfishing.com.au

Rainbow Beach Jun 1-8 Family Fishing Classic & Expo

Rainbow Beach, Qld rainbowsportsclub.com.au

Evans Head Jul 5-12 Fishing Classic

Evans Head, NSW evansheadfishingclassic.com.au

AFTA Tackle Show Aug 15-17

Gold Coast, Qld afta.net.au

Baffle Creek Family Sep 16-21 Fishing Festival

Baffle Creek, Qld bafflecreek.com.au

Flathead Classic Sep 24-27

Gold Coast, Qld flatheadclassic.com.au

Fitzroy River Oct 9-12 Barra Bash

Fitzroy River, Qld fitzroyriverbarrabash.com.au

To have your competition listed in the calendar, please phone (07) 3286 1833 or email ads@collins.media Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 31

Tuna, macks and barra

R SCAN QR CODE

Andre with his first queenfish.

SCAN QR CODE

Cal getting into trevally.

AIN eventually arrived in Queensland, and so did the incredible humidity.

And tuna came to our inshore waters, which was a nice little deal.

Along with them were a few spotted mackerel, which drew a sigh of relief from me.

However, rewind a couple of months and it wasn’t all smiles in November.

We started off with nice weather and were greeted with small numbers of tuna.

The beauty being they were close to protected waters.

Most of them were

SCAN QR CODE

Mike captured a nice golden trevally.

> Hervey Bay > Fraser Island > Sandy Strait

Get into the best fishing action!

Fraser Guided Fishing

by TRI TON

mack, however there were a few longtail mixed in.

The tuna soon got very fussy gorging themselves on small fry.

You really needed to do everything right to trigger strikes, with plastics outshining everything else we threw at them.

Among the bust-ups, we found scattered spotted mackerel, big ones too.

Occasionally there were school and broad bar in the mix as well.

Generally, these species are less fussy when compared to tuna.

It was easy to see them sometimes, though at other times I didn’t notice any telltale signs of their presence.

Good old slukks worked best for mackerel – as I highlighted last month, use a single hook.

Now before I leave the topic of spotties, if you are a catch and release angler, be careful with these fish.

They – and all mackerel in my opinion – are extremely fragile and the rigours of sportfishing can damage them.

Trebles mash their soft jaws and gills up, leaving them maimed

and probably destined to be shark food.

If you intend on not eating them, do not lift the fish out of the water because it will tear and break the mouth.

Try to shake the spotty free boat side.

Trebles make quick gentle shake-offs very difficult.

I use a Gillies Hook Remover.

And, if we are keeping them, as we approach the bag limit, I stop taking fish that have clean hook-ups and mouths and gills that are intact.

I know full well we’ll come across plenty of damaged fish to fill the quota.

But, if there are other fish species to chase, I recommend leaving the spotties.

Particularly if you’re not willing to take the damaged fish home for a feed.

I personally do not chase mackerel as a sportfish, unless it’s our final option.

Catch a few for a feed or get the monkey off the back and then it’s off to catch something that pulls some serious string.

Needless to say, my neighbours and I often * continued P33

Full and half day tours All levels of experience Experienced guide

www.fraserguidedfishing.com.au > 0427 230 261 Page 32 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

Andrew scored a solid broad bar mackerel.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Tuna, macks and barra * from P32

find mackerel fillets on our dinner tables.

So please, be respectful and responsible.

Outside of mackerel and tuna, were the occasional schools of trevally.

There’s always a chance of some big models at this time of year.

And both plastics and jigs work.

Using side scan, trevs are often found surface feeding around pelagic.

Well, that was when I could comfortably fish the bay.

Much of the month was rough as hell and I sat it out to protect an aging body.

Though one day, I decided to drive up to Monduran Dam to try my luck on barramundi.

It had been firing and the weather had been steady – not chopping and changing.

The moon wasn’t in our favour, but we gave it a shot.

At the worst, my boat would get a nice rinse – it has never seen freshwater!

We found fish in a bay not too far from the chaos of the main basin.

I decided to stay and plug away as we got hits and regularly watched swimming fish off the side scan.

I noticed that the hits came on the lighter leader and soft plastic rig.

Nearing dusk we got lucky and converted.

It was a beautiful way to end the hard grind of a hot day.

SCAN QR CODE

Bludger trevally showed Andre a good time.

Cal and his first barramundi from Monduran Dam.

GREAT SANDY MARINE PARK Image courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland

Zoning and management changes are planned to increase conservation across this iconic marine park and support and enhance the region’s much-loved recreational fishing lifestyle.

Learn more about the Great Sandy Marine Park Zoning Plan at www.qld.gov.au/greatsandymarinepark

Authorised by the Queensland Government, Brisbane. www.bnbfishing.com.au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 33

Tide Times AUSTRALIA EAST COAST WADDY LAT POINT LAT24° 24°58ʼ 58ʼSS LONG153° 153°21ʼ 21ʼEE LONG

2024 2024

AUSTRALIA,EAST EASTCOAST COAST––WADDY WADDYPOINT POINT(FRASER (FRASERISLAND) ISLAND) AUSTRALIA, JANUARY JANUARY

Timesand andHeights HeightsofofHigh Highand andLow LowWaters Waters Times FEBRUARY MARCH MARCH FEBRUARY

Time mm Time mm Time Time 0418 0.77 0.77 0458 0.68 0.68 0458 0418 1111 1.87 1.87 1150 2.02 2.02 1150 1111 1802 0.80 1823 0.59 1823 0.59 1802 0.80 MO TU MO TU 2337 1.30 1.30 2337

Time TimeZone Zone–1000 –1000 APRIL APRIL

Time mm Time

Time mm Time

TH1823 0.75 TH

FR1259 1.50 FR 1918 0.77 0.77 1918

1712 0.74 0.74 SA 1232 1.37 1.37 FR1712 SA1232 FR 1824 0.87 0.87 1824

1222 1.28 1.28 MO1222 MO 1756 0.87 1756 0.87

0508 0.85 0.85 0031 1.50 1.50 0508 0031 1153 1.77 1.77 0558 0.84 0.84 1153 0558 1845 0.78 0.78 WE 1240 1.84 1.84 TU1845 WE1240 TU 1913 0.64 0.64 1913

0058 1.48 1.48 0234 1.78 1.78 0058 0234 0643 1.06 1.06 0921 1.10 1.10 0643 0921 1227 1.53 1.53 SA 1415 1.35 1.35 FR1227 SA1415 FR 1904 0.74 0.74 2021 0.83 0.83 1904 2021

0005 1.67 1.67 0148 1.90 1.90 0005 0148 0612 1.08 1.08 0924 1.05 1.05 0612 0924 1144 1.45 1.45 SU 1407 1.27 1.27 SA1144 SU1407 SA 1750 0.77 0.77 1937 0.95 0.95 1750 1937

0145 1.80 0145 0323 1.80 0323 1.83 1.83 0917 0.98 0.98 0917 1048 1048 0.90 0.90 1410 1.25 1.25 WE 1639 1.38 1.38 TU1410 TU WE 1639 1918 0.90 0.90 1918 2140 2140 1.02 1.02

0047 1.31 1.31 0146 1.55 1.55 0047 0146 0613 0.94 0.94 0715 0.97 0.97 0613 0715 1238 1.67 1333 1.65 1238 1.67 1333 1.65 WE TH WE TH 1932 0.75 0.75 2006 0.67 0.67 1932 2006

0217 1.53 1.53 0353 1.85 1.85 0107 1.67 1.67 0307 1.89 1.89 0305 1.85 1.85 0421 1.81 1.81 180353 180307 180421 330217 330107 330305 0810 1.12 1.12 18 1112 1.04 1.04 0744 1.12 1.12 18 1051 0.99 0.99 1020 0.84 0.84 18 0810 1112 0744 1051 1020 1122 1122 0.83 0.83 1314 1.42 1550 1.27 1233 1.35

SA1314 1.42 SU SU1550 1.27 SA 1953 0.74 0.74 2131 0.86 0.86 1953 2131

1554 1.27 1.27 SU1233 1.35 MO MO1554 SU 1842 0.81 0.81 2100 0.99 0.99 1842 2100

1542 1.31 1.31 WE1542 WE 2100 0.86 0.86 2100

0214 1.36 1.36 0309 1.65 1.65 0214 0309 0728 1.01 1.01 0857 1.05 1.05 0728 0857 1327 1.57 1.57 FR 1436 1.49 1.49 TH1327 FR1436 TH 2020 0.70 0.70 2102 0.69 0.69 2020 2102

0330 1.62 1.62 0456 1.91 1.91 0330 0456 0957 1.10 1.10 1214 0.96 0.96 0957 1214 1424 1.32 1.32 MO 1717 1.27 1.27 SU1424 MO1717 SU 2050 0.72 0.72 2236 0.84 0.84 2050 2236

0229 1.70 1.70 0229 0943 1.07 1.07 0943 1401 1.27 1.27 MO1401 MO 1953 0.83 0.83 1953

1651 1.43 1.43 TH1651 TH 2228 0.74 0.74 2228

11 22 33 44

16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19

Time mm Time

Time mm Time

Time Time

Time Time

mm

mm

0534 0.96 0.96 0110 1.74 1.74 0508 0.98 0.98 0031 1.93 1.93 0026 1.81 1.81 0214 1.88 1.88 160110 160031 110534 110508 110026 160214 1148 1.65 1.65 16 0723 1.05 1.05 1106 1.57 1.57 16 0730 1.05 1.05 0723 0730 0959 1148 1106 0739 0739 1.05 1.05 16 0959 0.96 0.96 1823 0.75 1259 1.50

22

44

17 17

19 19

22

44

17 17

22

1533 1.30 1.30 TU TU1533 2017 2017 1.06 1.06

17 17

1723 1.46 1.46 TH 1723 TH 2243 0.95 2243 0.95

0416 1.89 1.89 0410 1.95 1.95 0506 1.80 1.80 190416 190506 19 440410 1139 0.92 0.92 1109 0.69 0.69 19 1151 0.76 0.76 1139 1109 1151 1711 1.33 TU1711 1.33 TU 2216 0.96 0.96 2216

1758 1.55 1.55 FR 1758 FR 2328 0.86 0.86 2328

0328 1.46 1.46 0420 1.77 1.77 0429 1.74 1.74 0546 1.96 1.96 0343 1.79 1.79 0510 1.89 1.89 0506 2.06 2.06 0543 1.80 1.80 200420 200546 200510 200543 550328 550429 550343 550506 0849 1.04 1.04 20 1042 1.04 1.04 1113 1.00 1.00 20 1248 0.89 0.89 1052 0.94 0.94 20 1209 0.86 0.86 1151 0.55 0.55 20 1214 0.68 0.68 0849 1042 1113 1248 1052 1209 1151 1214 1422 1.47 1550 1.37 1550 1.27 1813 1.32 1542 1.26 1755 1.40

FR1422 1.47 SA SA1550 1.37 FR 2107 0.65 0.65 2157 0.69 0.69 2107 2157

MO1550 1.27 MO 2155 0.69 0.69 2155

0425 1.59 1.59 0515 1.89 1.89 0425 0515 1012 1.02 1.02 1202 0.97 0.97 1012 1202 1521 1.39 1.39 SU 1702 1.31 1.31 SA1521 SU1702 SA 2152 0.59 0.59 2249 0.68 0.68 2152 2249

0519 1.88 1.88 0626 2.00 2.00 0519 0626 1207 0.86 0.86 1312 0.82 0.82 1207 1312 1701 1.27 1.27 WE 1853 1.39 1.39 TU1701 WE1853 TU 2300 0.62 0.62 2300

66

21 21

66

TU1813 1.32 TU 2329 0.79 0.79 2329

21 21

TU1542 1.26 WE WE 1755 1.40 TU 2121 0.80 0.80 2313 0.88 0.88 2121 2313

0444 1.92 1.92 0444 1142 0.78 0.78 1142 1658 1.33 1.33 WE1658 WE 2247 0.69 0.69 2247

66

1745 1.57 1.57 FR 1745 FR 2326 0.60 0.60 2326

1830 1.65 1.65 SA 1830 SA

0551 1.91 1.91 0554 2.13 2.13 0005 0.78 0.78 210551 21 0005 21 660554 1233 0.79 0.79 1227 0.44 0.44 21 0615 1.78 1.78 1233 1227 0615 1828 1.48 TH 1828 1.48 TH 2355 0.79 0.79 2355

1829 1.72 1.72 SA 1829 SA

1233 0.62 0.62 SU 1233 SU 1900 1.74 1.74 1900

0510 1.72 1.72 0602 1.99 1.99 0605 2.03 2.03 0014 0.72 0.72 0536 2.06 2.06 0626 1.92 1.92 0014 0.50 0.50 0040 0.72 0.72 220602 220014 220626 22 0040 1120 0.95 0.95 22 770510 770605 770536 770014 1253 0.89 0.89 1252 0.72 0.72 22 0703 2.03 2.03 1225 0.63 0.63 22 1258 0.72 0.72 0638 2.15 2.15 22 0645 1.76 1.76 1120 1253 1252 0703 1225 1258 0638 0645 result 1621 1.34 1805 1.30 1802 1.33 1338 0.75 1758 1.43 The 1859 1.56 of being 1301ready 0.37 for a spotted mackerel bust up.

SU1621 1.34 MO MO1805 1.30 SU 2235 0.54 0.54 2337 0.65 0.65 2235 2337 0549 1.86 1.86 0549 1214 0.86 0.86 1214 1715 1.31 1.31 MO1715 MO 2318 0.49 0.49 2318

88

WE1802 1.33 WE 2355 0.52 0.52 2355

TH1338 0.75 TH 1927 1.46 1.46 1927

TH 1758 1.43 TH 2344 0.56 0.56 2344

FR 1859 1.56 FR

1254 0.56 0.56 SU 1301 0.37 MO MO 1254 SU 1911 1.88 1.88 1930 1.84 1.84 1911 1930

Summer speedster basics

0644 2.06 2.06 0648 2.17 2.17 0053 0.64 0.64 0624 2.18 2.18 0030 0.70 0.70 0059 0.46 0.46 0116 0.70 0.70 230644 230053 230030 23 0116 1330 0.82 23 880648 880624 880059 0.82 1333 0.59 0.59 23 0737 2.04 2.04 1304 0.50 0.50 23 0657 1.93 1.93 0720 2.10 2.10 23 0715 1.71 1.71 1330 1333 0737 1304 0657 0720 0715 1857 1.33 1855 1.41 1407 0.70 1847 1.56 1322 0.66 1334 0.34 TU1857 1.33 TU

TH1855 1.41 TH

FR 1407 0.70 FR 1958 1.51 1.51 1958

H

FR 1847 1.56 FR

SA 1322 0.66 SA 1928 1.63 1.63 1928

MO 1334 0.34 MO 1954 2.01 2.01 1954

1317 0.52 0.52 TU 1317 TU 2001 1.93 1.93 2001

0626 2.00 2.00 0022 0.62 0.62 0044 0.43 0.43 0128 0.60 0.60 0032 0.44 0.44 0103 0.64 0.64 0146 0.48 0.48 0154 0.71 0.71 I 24 all,0103 I 1.91 hope 99 0146 240022 240128 24 24 0154 1302 0.76 0.76 24 0723 2.11 2.11 990626 990044 990032 0732 2.28 2.28 24 0808 2.03 2.03 0707 2.26 2.26 0727 1.91 0802 2.00 2.00 24 0747 1.66 1.66 1302 0723 0732 0808 0707 0727 0802 0747 1807 1.32 1403 0.75 1413 0.48 1434 0.68 1339 0.41 1344 0.62 1408 0.36 1343 0.51

SU 1344 0.62 TU 1408 0.36 WE WE 1343 0.51 SU everyone was TU Agnes Water 1957 1.70 1.70 2038 2.12 2.12 2033 2.00 2.00 1957 2038 2033 safe and well 0002 0.44 0.44 0105 0.59 0.59 0131 0.36 0.36 0159 0.59 0.59

by PAUL ‘CHIEF’ GRAVESON 0116 0.37 0.37 0135 0.62 0.62 0236 0.57 0.57 0234 0.74 0.74 0116 100002 250105 100131 250159 10over 25 0135 10 0236 25 0234 0705 2.13 2.13 25 0801 2.13 2.13 10 0817 2.35 10 25 2.35 25 0838 1.99 1.99 10 0750 the sea-10 2.28Christmas 0755 1.87 1.87 0846 1.85 1.85 25 0822 1.60 1.60 0705 0801 0817 0838 0750 2.28 0755 0846 0822 1347 0.65 0.65 TH 1439 0.71 0.71 1452 0.42 0.42 SU 1500 0.68 0.68 1415 0.36 0.36 MO 1406 0.59 0.59 WE 1443 0.44 0.44 TH 1411 0.53 0.53 WE1347 TH1439 SA 1452 SU 1500 SU 1415 MO 1406 WE 1443 TH 1411 WE SA SU son this1.77 con- 2124 1858 1.36 1.36 2018 1.41 1.41 2033 1.60 1.60 2055 1.58 1.58 2015and 1.80 that2027 2027 1.77 2124 2.18 2.18 2108 2.05 2.05 1858 2018 2033 2055 2015 1.80 2108 tinues as the new year 0331 rigged At this time of year 0048 0.39 0143 0.58 0217 0.35 0232 0.61 0201 0.38 0210 0.64 0331 0.71 with 031920g 0.80 and 0217 0.35 0232 0.61 0201 0.38 0210 0.64 0.71 0319 0.80 0048 0.39 0143 0.58 110747 260837 110902 260905 11brings 26 0823 11 0930 26Lures 0747 2.25 2.25 26 0837 2.11 2.11 11 0902 2.35 2.35 26 11 26 11 26 0905 1.93 1.93 11 0833 2.23 2.23 0823 1.82 1.82 of 0930 1.69 0900 1.53 1.53 0833 1.69 0900 a succession 30g TT slugs with a quick run around 1432 0.55 1512 0.70 1533 0.40 1524 0.68 1451 0.37 1429 0.58 1518 0.55 0.55 FR 1441 0.58 0.58 TH1432 0.55 FR FR 1512 0.70 SU 1533 0.40 MO MO 1524 0.68 MO 1451 0.37 TU TU 1429 0.58 TH 1518 FR 1441 SU MO TH TH 1950 1.41 1.41 2051 1.43 1.43 2122 1.66 1.66 2125 1.61 1.61 2100 1.90 1.90 memorable adventures.

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SU TH FR SU 2232 1.49 2223 1.44 1.44 2317 1.67 1.67 2329 1.97 1.97 2247 1.88 1.88 2232 1.49 2223 2317 2329 2247 and my peripheral viand into Bustard Bay. The other rod will run 0405 0.54 0.54 0359 0.75 0.75 0000 1.73 1.73 0555 0.96 0.96 0459 0.97 0.97 0059 1.96 1.96 0009 1.90 1.90 0555 0459 0059 0009 sion on the tips of each 150405 30 0359 15 0000 Unfortunately, a Halco Laser 15 30 1101 2.18 2.18 30 1039 1.85 1.85 15 0553 0.91 0.91 1132 1.52 30 15 15 15 1037 1.46 1.46the 0843 1.01 30 0729 Pro 0.94 120 1101 1039 0553 1132 1.52 1037 0843 1.01 0729 0.94 1736 0.53 0.53 TU 1713 0.76 0.76 1205 1.70 1.70 1728 0.75 0.75 SA 1619 0.74 0.74 1355 1.26 1.26 TU 1238 1.25 1.25 MO 1736 TU 1713 TH 1205 FRwind 1728 1238 SA 1619 MO 1355 TU MO TH FR was up then, how-MO in either Chrome Tiger rod watching to make 2329 1.49 1.49 2304 1.45 1.45 1824 0.69 0.69 2330 1.84 1.84 1852 1.02 1740 0.91 0.91 2329 2304 1824 2330 1852 1.02 1740 sure the lure action is at ever the forecast for the or Blue Fluoro.

0441 0.85 0.85 0604 1.04 1.04 0604 31 0441 31 1111 1.75 1.75 1120 1.36 31 1.36 a maximum potential. next day promised I’ll choose one of 1111 1120 1746 0.75 0.75 1658 0.81 WE 1746 SU 1658 WE Usually around this drop and aSU small0.81 win- the models that dives 2355 1.46 1.46 2355 dow of opportunity.

1-1.5m, giving me the time, the headlands © Copyright Copyright Commonwealth ofFirst Australia 2022, Bureau Bureau of of Meteorology Meteorology © of Australia 2022, Quarter NewCommonwealth Moon My mind was already opportunity with both hold nuisance schools Datum of of Predictions Predictions is is Lowest Lowest Astronomical Astronomical Tide Tide Datum thinking of a plan of lures to cover different of small aggressive Full Moon Last Quarter attack. depthsLast through the wa- grinners.

Moon Phase Phase Symbols Symbols New Moon Moon First Quarter Quarter Full Moon Moon Last Quarter New First Quarter Moon Full * continued P35 Two spinning rods ter column.

16 16 TU1807 1.32 TU

WE1403 0.75 WE 1940 1.38 1.38 1940

FR 1413 0.48 FR 1944 1.51 1.51 1944

SA 1434 0.68 SA 2027 1.55 1.55 2027

Page 34 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

SA 1339 0.41 SA 1930 1.69 1.69 1930

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Summer speedster basics * from P34

It’s quite common to see a slight load on your rod tip and the sudden change of swimming action in your lures, though not enough to totally take away the vibration.

This is probably more relevant when running lures in the 160-190mm size range.

Take the time to check that lure because, nine times out of 10, a small grinner may have been mouth hooked and has spoilt any chance of attracting a better quality fish.

Using the sounder for information is such an important factor when trolling – many times I find my excitement building with the images displayed on the screen and sure enough, as expected, one of the rods soon bucks into life.

When fishing alone, I find the method of trolling two rods allows me to control the situation without too many hiccups.

I have a rod holder for a spinning stick on the side of the console,

making it easily accessible in case I need a quick cast at any bustups happening under my nose.

If any opportunity unfolds, it’s no good looking around for that stick, trying to adjust drags or, even worse, trying to attach a lure.

Many of the anglers who write for this publication discuss attention to detail and preparation.

Whatever scenario unfolds in front of you, make sure you’re ready and pre-think the ‘what ifs’.

Little things, such as a gaff, have their rightful place where, without thinking, you can put your hand right on it.

The stainless-steel pliers and the sharp knife for bleeding a mackerel are exactly where they’re needed.

One of my photos shows the result of this advice.

I was trolling in Bustard Bay when, directly in front of the boat, a good mackerel bust-up presented.

I practically had a cast underway with my right

The author with a couple of well-conditioned mack tuna. www.bnbfishing.com.au

hand while still pulling the throttle control back with my left.

After landing the first fish, I could still hear the mayhem off the bow, so without hesitation, I grabbed the second spin combo, cast another slug and was instantly tight on another fish.

It wasn’t long before I had two lively fish on the deck ready to dehook and prepare for the Esky.

Fishing for summer speedsters such as queenfish, various tuna and mackerel can be a memorable experience and loads of fun, though anything with teeth can put your tackle to the test.

Routinely marking off a checklist is a good idea.

After landing a fish, run your fingers down your fluorocarbon trace and check for any wear and tear.

Check the lure’s trebles and make sure everything is in top condition.

I find that after several tuna have been taken on a single 20g slug, the trebles suffer slight damage, particularly from partially straightened hook points.

This is all it takes to ruin your session, giving poor penetration on future hook ups.

For a lot more durability, I’m now upgrading my hooks to the VMC 8527 Fishfighter size 2.

So, there you have a collection of several basics for helping to turn the odds back in your favour.

These are the regular methods I use when targeting the summer speedsters on our Discovery Coast.

Happy new year and tight lines for 2024.

Mack tuna can inflict damage on standard trebles.

Within five minutes, the Halco Laser Pro 120 had enticed two good school mackerel.

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Setting new year fishing goals

W

Mangrove jack will be firing over the next couple of months and surface is a great way to target them.

This one fell to a popper fished around fallen timber in the Boyne River.

ELCOME to 2024, I hope everyone had a happy and safe Christmas and new year period – whatever you got up to, whether holidaying or stuck at work.

Each year I usually set a few fishing goals to try achieving.

This could be a location I want to get to or a couple of species I want to concentrate on

Phil with a nice sized coral trout that took a 5” plastic in 15m of water. Fish this size are common over broken ground.

Sam and a nice school-sized red emperor taken on a 95mm Zerek Fish Trap from Rock Cod Shoal.

Page 36 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

Gladstone Region

by GARY CHURCHWARD

– catching either for the first time, more regularly or of a bigger size.

Having these goals gives you something to look forward to.

It could be organising an extended trip or researching the best techniques, locations and gear needed to target specific species.

My list for 2024 includes spending more time exploring the coastline and islands between Gladstone and north of Port Clinton or Yeppoon.

On the fishing front is getting back to spending time chasing big barramundi around Port Alma.

It has been a few years since I concentrated on barra fishing.

I’m still also chasing large black jewfish around the region – having found just-legal fish, though no trophy sized jewies.

The last fish on my list is a decent giant trevally.

I’ve scouted a few likely areas and when the conditions are right, I’ll try my luck.

Late November and into December we finally received rain.

While not enough to get the local rivers running, it gave farmers some relief and the grass a good watering.

It also got crabs on the move, with the rain flushing them out of their holes in time to find their way into pots for Christmas.

The summer temperature has definitely set in and early to mid-30C temperatures has seen an increase in afternoon storms.

One species that really fires in these conditions is the mighty mangrove jack.

The next few months are the best to get among these fish because they feed more actively and for longer periods.

They’ll be willing to take almost any lure or bait that gets close enough to their cover.

Surface lures are a great visual way to catch these fish and now is the prime time to target them using this method.

Chasing barra in local impoundments will be on the cards for the last month of the closure.

Awoonga Dam has been fishing well for the silver slabs, with late afternoon into evening resulting in the better numbers.

This is a great option for avoiding the daytime heat too, though keep an eye out for storms as Awoonga is a big open dam and can quickly turn nasty in unfavourable conditions.

Fingermark and grunter are still getting around in numbers in the river and harbour and this should continue through January.

Blue salmon have been lacking in numbers – it may be April before we see the arrival of any good schools of this species.

A few breaks in the wind have allowed for opportunities to head out wider and chase reef fish.

The shallower reefs and shoals have seen coral trout and redthroat emperor making up * continued P37

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Redthroat emperor have been common on the shallower reefs. This one took a 4” Berkley Gulp Shrimp.

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plastics work best to get a bite.

Longtail tuna haven’t shown up in any of the schools so far, however plenty of sharks were chasing hooked fish.

I suggest using slightly heavier gear to subdue the fish quickly and get it onboard as fast as you can.

A few school mackerel have been around as well.

The last few shipping channel marker poles hold them at times and a quickly retrieved plastic or metal will get their attention if they’re about.

Hopefully January will provide us with some good weather so we can get out on the water and enjoy what’s on offer.

Cheers and happy fishing from Gladstone.

F

the majority of catches, with the occasional tuskfish, stripey snapper and grass sweetlip also helping to fill the bag.

By concentrating on fishing the deeper more isolated ground, you will also see a few red emperor, jobfish and large-mouth nannygai coming over the side.

Typically, the wind picks up after lunch, so most trips are an early start and heading home early afternoon to miss the rougher water.

Mack tuna schools have been chasing the massive schools of whitebait up and down the coastline of Facing and Curtis islands.

The bait they’re chasing were 2-3” long, so small metal slugs and

UV

* from P36

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 37

03 5022 7 03 5152 3 03 5562 6 03 5443 5 03 5822 2 03 5174 1 03 9397 6 02 6024 6

$800k in grants for Queensland fishers to cast a line at and hook into

F Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner.

ISHERS are invited to apply for a share of $800,000 in funding on offer under the Queensland Government’s fishing grants program and Indigenous fishing and forestry grants programs.

Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Com-

The grants programs are helping to build a legacy of sustainable fisheries for our children and grandchildren.

Applications are now open. Visit daf.smartygrants.com.au for more information.

Page 38 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

munities Mark Furner said the grants programs are helping to build a legacy of sustainable fisheries for our children and grandchildren.

“These programs have been increasingly popular each year they have been run, and their benefits are invaluable,” Minister Furner said.

“The grassroots projects these grants support are helping Queenslanders build sustainable fisheries for our children and grandchildren.

“That means good jobs, better services and a significant contribution to Queensland’s great lifestyle.

“I expect there will be a very high level of interest in this year’s funding and I encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, recreational fisher groups, commercial and charter groups to apply as soon as possible.”

Applications are now open with funding divided between: • $250,000 for commercial and charter fishing initiatives that aim to address ecological risks and promote sustainable fishing practices • $250,000 for recreational initiatives that provide a benefit to recreational or traditional fishing in Queensland • $200,0000 for Indigenous-led fisheries and forestry projects in the Cape York region • $100,000 for Indigenous-led fisheries projects Queensland-wide.

Commercial and charter applications are open until January 28, 2024 and may include trialling alternative or innovative gear, in-

dustry modernisation, responsible or sustainable fishing methods or education, sustainable seafood promotion and promoting mental health initiatives within the commercial fishing community – visit daf. smartygrants.com.au/ QCCFG-2023 Recreational or traditional fishing applications are also open until January 28, 2024 and may include projects run by community based not-for-profit organisations, fishing clubs and incorporated associations and individuals.

In the past these have included kids’ fishing clinics, social-inclusion fishing and habitat restoration.

Applications under the Indigenous fishing and forestry grants programs are open until January 31, 2024 and are aimed at helping Indigenous peoples to have more economic opportunities around fishing and forestry in their own sea and land country.

Visit daf.smartygrants. com.au Funding for the Cape York region will support the development of new and sustainable Indigenous fisheries and forestry pathways, and the Queensland-wide funding will assist Indigenous businesses to purchase assets to scale up seafood production and processing – visit daf.smartygrants.com. au/CapeYork Applications can be made online.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 39

Fishing resolutions for 2024

A

Quinn Warren with a proud capture of a salmon on surface lure.

VERY big happy new year to everyone.

I hope the new year was brought in with a bang.

On the fishing front, I’d like to have a quick talk about goals for the start of the year.

I believe that setting new year’s resolutions is important for every fisho.

They don’t have to be ground-breaking, and you don’t have to shoot for the stars.

They can be as simple as ‘I want to catch a flathead’ or ‘I want to

If you’re wanting to efficiently target king threadfin salmon, having tools such as a Humminbird Mega 360 will help. You can see two patches of this species in front of the boat.

Dan Baker with a quality local trout.

Page 40 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

Capricorn Coast

by JOHN BOON

catch a flathead on a lure’.

If you’ve caught plenty of flathead, then maybe ‘I want to catch a flathead on a surface lure’.

Setting goals, working towards them and achieving them builds confidence.

If you need physical rewards to keep you on track, there’s nothing wrong with it.

Buy yourself the brand-new rod you’ve always dreamed of and make it the reward.

That’s enough of the new year cheer, let’s get down to what’s been happening locally.

With the closed barramundi season, there has been a fair amount of interest in king threadfin salmon.

I received quite a bit of positive feedback for the article I wrote on tips and lures for targeting threadies – a big thank you to everyone who took the time to post a comment on social media.

If you’re planning on targeting a thready in the Fitzroy River or its tributaries, then make sure to sign up for the Fishing the Fitzroy’s $10K Thready Competition.

The Rockhampton Regional Council runs this comp every closed season.

It gets some king threadfin salmon tagged with special tags and, if you’re registered in the event and catch a tagged fish, you could be $10,000 richer.

It would be heartbreaking if you either didn’t know about it or caught one and weren’t registered.

All the estuary sum-

mer species have been fishing well.

Mangrove jack and fingermark were caught regularly throughout Coorooman Creek, Port Alma and over into the narrows.

Skip casting paddletails into snags was the most reliable technique for jacks.

Many of the quality fingermark were caught by the live-bait brigade.

Fishing live mullet around wrecks and rock bars gave the best results.

During weather windows, the offshore fishing was fairly good, though unfortunately the sharks were out of control.

It’s not uncommon for anglers fishing around bigger structure to get only part of the fish to the boat.

If fishing pressured spots such as wrecks, the resident sharks will know you’re coming long before you get there.

Believe it or not, sharks are not dumb, they know how to get an easy feed.

The only way to try to get whole fish to the boat once the sharks have taken over is to move.

Try fishing less pressured areas and smaller structure such as isolated rocks or wonky holes – harder to find but absolute gold mines.

Coral trout were the main focus for fishos headed to the outer reefs.

Fresh flesh slabs and live bait have been working well.

If you catch something such as a big hussar or * continued P41

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Troy Newman with a new personal best fingermark taken on Molix RT Shad.

Quinn was out fishing with his dad Brenden looking for the tagged $10,000 king threadfin.

Fishing resolutions for 2024 * from P40

big iodine bream, don’t be afraid to put a few 8/0s through the back and send it back down.

Trout will attack a big live bait, no worries at all.

On closer ground, fern patches have worked well on smaller tides.

Fern can be hard to fish sometimes because

www.bnbfishing.com.au

the patches can stretch for kilometres.

The fish will hide down in the fern, making it difficult to identify fish-rich areas.

Solid red in the fern can give you an indication of good fish activity.

Another giveaway is bait hanging above the fern – predators will be

down in the fern pushing the bait up.

Well, that’s a wrap for this month.

The Shimano King of Kings competition is on early next month, so it’s time to get the comp gear ready.

And barramundi season will be open again then, so it’s smiles and happy faces all round.

Brenden Warren with a solid local mangrove jack.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 41

Dave scored a decent coronation trout.

A blue spot trout for Chen Li.

Saumarez Reefs sortie

N

Beating the taxman, James managed a solid yellowfin tuna.

One of the many sizeable green jobfish.

Page 42 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

EW member Mark Green received notification of a few vacancies on a trip to Saumarez Reefs on Big Cat Charters and, after a quick negotiation with his better half, was given the green light.

The preceding weeks were spent gathering and preparing gear and in no time he found himself at the Bundaberg Port Marina for a 9pm departure.

Located about 190NM northeast of Bundaberg, it takes a full day to get to Saumarez Reefs, so the night departure allowed plenty of time for rigging gear and for people to find their sea legs.

Fishos onboard for the trip consisted of bait anglers wanting to concentrate on table fish, die-hard sportfishers looking to jig, troll and throw poppers and a few who were happy to do a little of both.

On Sunday, the crew woke to a good 15-20 knot easterly, though anchoring behind the reef provided a little protection.

All teams hit the wa-

Power Boat Anglers

by MICK CLUTTERBUCK

ter at about 6am, with Mark’s troop set to fish the shallow 5-7m water while the breeze was still up.

The strategy was to anchor off one bommie and fish the face of others close by, then move every 20 minutes or so when the fish went off the bite.

Fishing was constant, with a mixture of sea bream – the Saumarez equivalent of redthroat emperor – and jobfish.

Mark was fishing lightly weighted when he was smashed on the drop.

There were a few tense

moments before he managed to drag a nice 75cm blue spot coral trout from the reef.

Not to be outdone, fishing buddy James was soon hooked up to what popped up to be a 94cm blue spot trout.

As the maximum size for these is 80cm, it was quickly released in good condition.

The afternoon session produced more sea bream and green jobfish from the shallows.

The sportfishing crew had also scored well, with nice jobfish and large blue spot trout, * continued P43

The conditions were perfect at Saumarez Reefs.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Sensational Saumarez Reefs sortie * from P42

along with the mandatory giant trevally.

Conditions on day two were much the same however, with a forecast of significantly improving conditions in the days to come, it was decided that the Big Cat would work its way to the northern end of the reef to take advantage.

Fishing around the wrecks was a bit slow on this day, though the fishos still managed to get some good fish on the ice.

The ante was upped for sporties as they located dogtooth tuna to stretch the lines and scored personal best GTs that came thick and fast, according to radio traffic.

As the wind abated for the afternoon, it was time to give the eastern side of Saumarez a try.

Starting at the 40m line, it wasn’t long before the crew found good fish, but with the fish came the taxman, which were not in a very forgiving mood.

After about 10 minutes, the decision was made to stop donating fish and head back in to spend the afternoon drifting the leeside of the passage in about 20m.

A decent mix of fish were landed, including sea bream, quality coronation trout, jobfish and a few no-take species such as red bass and paddletail.

On the way back to

anchorage, Mark trolled his Samaki Pacemaker, which was hit by a nice GT. The battle was brief and, after a quick photo, it was released.

He re-deployed the lure only to see his entire trolling outfit disappear over his shoulder – connected to something considerably bigger than the GT just landed – after failing to re-set the drag.

The day three forecast was for a light northerly below 10 knots dropping to a glass out on day four.

At the northern point of Saumarez, as planned, the fishos headed off to hit the 30m line with other crews, then would head slowly south to meet at a new anchorage by lunch.

If the fishing so far had been excellent, this day was next level.

It wasn’t long after the dories left for the morning session that the radio chatter fired up… big yellowfin, doggies and more.

The bait fishers joined the party with quality sea bream, jobfish and coronation trout coming onboard, which was pretty much the norm for the following two days.

Trolling between drifts also proved productive, with some nice jobfish landed and the Big Cat managing some nice wahoo when on the move.

Mark’s lure of choice

A nice sized yellowlip emperor.

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was his Samaki Pacemaker in Slimey Mackerel, though anything that looked like bait was slammed.

While Mark was securing some lines, his fishing buddy Dennis used a Rapala deep diver and managed a nice coronation trout off the troll after a quick cast.

Day four was glassed and didn’t disappoint, with good fish landed by those drowning bait and no shortage of tales of monsters that got away from the sportfishos.

The final day dawned with about 15 knots of northwesterly wind.

While the sportfishers continued to play out wide, Mark and his team drifted the 35m line, landing quality table fish at regular intervals.

Conditions were not as good as the previous day so, as the tide was high enough for access, a few anglers decided to take up the offer to walk around the exposed cay.

Mark and Dennis continued fishing and were constantly hit as they trolled back to start a new drift.

Dennis finally landed a small dogtooth that was released – his first fish on trolled lure.

Conditions deteriorated and by 3pm all were back onboard and ready to head home.

The 24-hour trip home was uneventful… spent chilling out, sleeping and watching movies, and they arrived back in port at 8pm.

Highly recommended, Big Cat Charters is an extremely professional operation tailored to ensure everyone has the trip of a lifetime, no matter your fishing style.

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James fought the battle and won against a cracker wahoo.

Can’t be upset with this monster coral trout.

Offshore reef fishing fanatics WANTED One of Brisbane’s oldest deep-sea fishing clubs has vacancies for new members.

Owners of suitable vessels encouraged.

All levels of experience. Those without own vessels also invited to apply. Approximately 15 deep-sea trips per year. One week-long fishing holiday to town of 1770.

Monthly meetings, video shows, guest speakers and free nibbles. 4WD beach fishing and camping. Inshore fishing also on the agenda.

Interested? Then call Dave (0455 125 358) or Tim (0436 625 590).

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Page 44 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

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Curtis was happy to land his target species of fingermark on a vibe.

Amazing Cape Melville adventures

A The big boat at sunset, anchored peacefully slightly offshore.

Cookie landed a pigeon pair of nice nannygai from 20m.

Page 46 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

FTER many months of planning, the time finally arrived for our Cape Melville adventure.

Eight people, four boats, five vehicles, a hybrid caravan and a trailer filled with gear.

Departing Brisbane, we made our way north, only stopping for fuel until we hit Rockhampton, when the big boat’s trailer decided to spit a bearing.

We had prepared for this, carrying a couple of spare complete hubs, so in no time we were off again and had pulled into Clairview for a night’s rest.

An early start ensued and at the end of a day of driving, Cardwell was in sight – it was time for a shower and feed at the local hotel.

Our next destination was Lakeland Roadhouse, where we filled boats, vehicles and jerry cans, with a total fuel bill of close to $2000 at $2.38 a litre.

This was our last place to get fuel for the next two weeks.

We were back on the

Reader's Report

by PHILL KLIESE

bitumen to Laura and then dirt road and tyre pressure down to get to Kalpowar Crossing, where we stayed the night.

The car towing the big boat and another car detoured to Musgrave and then to the Annie River to launch the big boat, which was to be driven from the river into Princess Charlotte Bay and around Bathurst Head to meet us at the Crocodile camping area the next day.

The car crew met us later that night at Kalpowar, along with the stragglers in the Toyota LandCruiser Troopcarrier and tinnie.

From there the roads deteriorated, so the going was slow from the Wakooka Rd intersection, taking almost five hours to travel about 120km to our beach campsite.

Over three hours we set up camp, made a fuel storage area away from everything, organised

shade with tarps and marquees, arranged the showers, toilets, tents, spit, fridges, solar blankets and more – only then were we ready for two weeks of fishing and crabbing.

Our first night, we sat at the campfire, had a trip post-mortem and talked about the next day’s plans.

Wind was our issue, however the next three days presented an opportunity for the big boat to go wide, while the smaller boats tested creeks and close islands.

Many crab pots were set and on day two we had over 20 mud crabs in the Esky, then later in the cooker.

The surprising thing was the number of estuary cod in the pots, including two that went to 60cm, plus a few small sharks and sand crabs.

At night, a couple of rods were set on the beach, which grunter, trevally and sharks * continued P47

www.bnbfishing.com. au

An amazing Cape Melville adventure * from P46

took the bait from.

All bait was garnered through the cast net activities either off the beach or at creek mouths.

Garfish was the main catch, along with small barramundi, queenfish, whiting, salmon, bream, barracuda and of course mullet of all sizes.

I’ll say now… the midgies!

Wow! Dawn and dusk saw these pesky pests in droves, and it wasn’t until day three that we’d learnt how to avoid the sting – though they were always around, with some finding their way into tents for a rather uncomfortable night’s sleep, or lack thereof.

On return from the wide trip, the big 8m boat had a couple of Eskies full of nannygai, trout, longnose and grass emperor, and more.

They did have shark trouble but pulling these fish from 20m was rewarding and fun, especially using vibes and soft plastics, with Cookie using light gear.

Brad, Brendan and myself were in the red 4.65m boat and found ourselves hooking extra-oversized queenies, spanish mackerel and golden trevally when trolling some islands to the northwest.

While on anchor, sharks loved our bait,

however we did pull some grassies, trout, cod, spanish flag, moses perch and trevors that got past them for a good-looking Esky.

One night’s dinner consisted of an entrée of freshly cooked mud crab and fresh-shucked black lipped oysters, followed by reef fish three ways and chips.

I even cooked a heavy carrot cake for dessert in the camp oven.

Sitting by the fire, sipping cold beverages, eating the ocean’s finest while overlooking the wide expanses of Bathurst Bay with the sun setting over the water… it does not get any better.

It took a couple of days to get the two boats’ anchoring systems working a treat, with unfavourable wind conditions and inconsistent tide movements, as well as taking precautions not to enter the water due to the apparent prevalence of crocodiles – though we didn’t see any, there was evidence of them, with our crab pots in nearby creeks crushed.

From our camp, it was an 11km boat run to the headland, which was a spectacular trip featuring mammoth black boulders towering to the sky.

From there, it was a short 1.5km run to Boulder Rock group, where we hid from the

big southeast wind.

There was no swell as such, only wind chop, so it was safe in the small boat but uncomfortable.

A further 5km northeast was Pipon Island, which provided shelter from the wind and was a great place to walk the beach for land-based fishing and exploring.

Schools of trevally swam passed us, big bust ups slightly out of casting range, sting rays, turtles, barracuda and wildlife abound in the crystal-clear water and unspoiled beaches.

Getting to the beach was tricky, however we found the ‘stick’ land marks and lined them up for a safe entry through the fringing reef system.

That system provided great topwater lure fun with trout, trevally and stripies making their presence felt.

The big boat with Curtis, Mollie, Cookie, Michael and Daryl onboard were out again, 30km from camp, in 20m of choppy water and the run pushing hard. * continued P48

Mollie was stoked with her personal best estuary cod.

Daryl was pumped to land a barramundi in a small billabong behind our camp.

find us on facebook • Win prizes • Post your brag • Chat to readers shots and writers • Join in on the fun • See who’s catching banter what • Have a laugh

A calm morning before the pesky southeast wind came. www.bnbfishing.com.au

www.facebook.com/bnbfishing Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 47

Michael hooked his first nannygai on a soft plastic.

Red boat skipper Brad cast to offshore bust-ups in front of our camp.

An amazing Cape Melville adventure * from P47

The creek boat and the ‘red boat’ at high tide looking east to Cape Melville.

Team ‘Red Boat’ consisted of Brad, the author and Brendan, pictured enjoying a quiet one before the sun went down.

Our site at Crocodile camping area at Cape Melville National Park.

Page 48 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

But their persistence and patience were rewarded with a good haul of reefies, including the elusive red emperor ticking off a bucket-list fish for Michael.

Of course, the bludger trevally were kept for crab pot bait.

We were also happy to catch land-based mangrove jack and barramundi in the creek systems to the west.

For our rest day, we hooked up the trailer and jumped into a couple of vehicles to go freshwater collecting from a small creek system about 3km from camp.

This creek also presented the opportunity for a well-deserved bath in the cool… no, cold water.

We filled the two 205-litre plastic drums and headed back to decant water to the van and other containers.

We had three shower set ups, with Team Outback Armour having a cold-water only one – though with the big drums sitting in the sun and it being 35C all day, a very warm shower at night was good.

And the other gang, Team Opposite Lock, with a heated shower in the van and a solar-heated bag one outside.

Daryl did a lot of evening cooking, with three nights being ‘roast beef and lamb’ slow cooked over the coals and spit.

Importantly, Curtis took a satellite phone to get weather updates and to stay in contact.

This is an essential item in these remote areas.

Not essential was our satellite television, which allowed us to watch the AFL and NRL grand finals, as well as Bathurst 1000.

On that note, how did the Broncos lose the GF? A funny thing was watching the local regional ads, with one for a pressure washer called the ‘Krapof’ on repeat.

The camps and beaches were reasonably clean on our arrival, with only a sprinkling of debris.

The creeks were so fishy – however, we didn’t chance a nighttime fish.

There were a few groups camped along the 10km stretch of Cape Melville National Park beaches, with an estimated 25 people in total while we were there, though none within sight of our camp.

They were at Granite, Oystercatcher and Wongai camping areas, and as the Department of

Environment of Science limits numbers to this remote area, advanced bookings are essential.

The end to our adventure came too soon and for the return trip, our teams split at Atherton Tablelands, with Team Outback Armour headed west to Forsayth past Mount Surprise and home via the Charters Towers inland route, while Team Opposite Lock returned via the coastal route.

Undertaking a trip such as this one, with big and small boats, is a mission and needs a great deal of planning.

The fishing was good, even spectacular at times, crabbing was off the charts, the scenery was awesome and the night skies were incredible.

With an average overnight temperature of about 25C and 35C during the day, keeping well hydrated was critical.

The wind was constant up there and would occasionally come in bursts.

The bindis at camp were annoying but a good pair of pluggers kept them from causing issues and the midgies can be managed if prepared.

And the sunsets… what can I say?

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TIN CAN BAY The Chandlery Bait & Tackle Shop 1, The Marina Emperor St, Tin Can Bay www.tcbchandlery.com.au 07 5486 4744

BRISBANE Neptune Marine Oceania Unit 1/3361 Pacific Hwy, Slacks Creek www.neptunemarine.com.au 07 3290 6370

SUNSHINE COAST Port O’ Call Boating 29 Production Ave, Warana www.marinecenter.com.au 07 5493 2255

WOODBURN Woodburn Marine 83 River St, Woodburn woodburn.marine@outlook.com 0402 512 603

GOLD COAST (NORTH) Slades Marine 16 Paradise Pde, Paradise Point sladesmarine@bigpond.com 07 5577 1011 www.bnbfishing.com.au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 49

BOATING & marine

The Bar Crusher 615XSR was put through its paces at AMC’s recent Bar Crusher Blitz.

AMC’s versatile Bar Crusher range

T Reverse chines on the Bar Crusher hull push water down and away, giving you a dry ride.

A large front casting platform makes lure fishing easy.

Page 50 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

HE team at Australian Marine Centre had their Bar Crusher Blitz recently – an on-water day where keen boaties got to test a mix of Bar Crusher boats.

I was fortunate to be invited to test and review a couple of the models, one of which was the Bar Crusher 615XSR – a hardcore rear-centre console, designed for fishing – the ‘R’ meaning the console is at the rear.

This model does come in a few different sizes, with the smallest being the 535XS and the largest, the flagship of this range, the 670XSR. It’s always good to have a few size options when you find a boat model you like.

This way you can work to a budget and still get the vessel you want.

Boat Review

by BEN COLLINS

Boat storage is a main consideration too when buying a craft, so having a few different sizes helps with this.

Most regular readers know I love all sorts of fishing, from whiting to marlin and everything in between, and this boat would be quite capable in scratching all of those fishing itches.

With 4mm plate bottom and 4mm plate sides, you have a solid vessel that can easily get offshore and target a mix of species.

The hull also features the Quickflow water ballast system.

If you are unfamiliar with this, it’s basically a chamber in the bottom of the hull that fills with water when at rest,

to give the boat extra stability.

Conversely, when you hit the throttle, the water flows out of the chamber and you’re on your way.

Combine these features with the 780mm freeboard, large reverse chines and you have a very stable fishing platform that allows you to easily move around the craft or safely reach over the side to land a fish.

All the things you want in a fishing boat.

Good stability at rest is also an advantage when using the raised casting platform.

In the Bar Crusher 615XSR the platform is relatively high, so there * continued P52

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BOATING & marine AMC’s versatile Bar Crusher range * from P50

The high sides and hull design ensure you have a stable and safe fishing rig.

There is ample room to walk around the centre console.

The large helm area easily accommodates 12” electronics and other essential items.

Page 52 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

is a step on either side to make access easier.

I like a high casting platform, even in bigger lure fishing boats such as this, as you get a much better view of your fishing area.

It allows you to aggressively work a lure with a mix of retrieves too.

And there’s plenty of room around the helm, which makes moving around the vessel easy.

At the stern, there’s a bench seat that can also be used as a raised area to fish.

Alternatively, it folds away, giving you extra space at the back.

This boat was fitted with a large bait board that had two built-in trays.

Having a bait board that is practical and can store a mix of items within easy reach makes life much easier when on the water.

A decent sized live well and boarding access finish on the rear of the Bar Crusher provide a good work and fishing station.

Even though you have ample room to move around the boat, the 615XSR hosts a substantial helm area.

With electronics getting bigger, you do need a decent helm area to house them.

And the helm on this craft incorporates a large shelf for storage.

Additional space can be found in the large side pockets that run basically from the stern to the casting platform.

In a centre console,

having plenty of storage can be challenging, but the Bar Crusher 615XSR seems to have this covered.

The beauty of the large shelves is that you can store plenty of gear and it’s within easy reach.

Even more storage can be found underneath the front casting platform.

Actually, there’s a huge amount of storage on this boat.

It is worth noting that the back edge of the casting platform can be removed to put a massive icebox in or, if you wanted to, even lay out a swag.

In terms of seating, there are several spigots for seats, which offer great flexibility – a bonus when having various numbers of people onboard.

The test boat was fitted with the ever reliable 140hp Suzuki, and it felt like a good match.

It had ample punch out of the hole and cruised nicely at mid-revs.

I tested this vessel after coming off the larger 670XT – which I’ll be writing about soon – so I was interested to see how it rode.

And I was impressed.

With about 4000 boats and jet skis hooning around the Seaway area producing wash, it provided the perfect testing ground to check how this craft handled.

Seated on one of the front seats, the ride was softer and smoother than expected.

The large reverse chines did the job too, pushing the spray down and away, giving a dry ride.

Overall, the Bar Crusher 615XSR is an ideal fishing rig – built tough, nicely laid out and well set up by the team at Australian Marine Centre.

This model had a Minn Kota electric motor fitted, which I would highly recommend.

Not only are they a valuable tool when lure fishing, they also make a great anchor or drift anchor when bait fishing in or offshore.

For more information on this or other Bar Crusher models, give the team at AMC a call on 07 3808 7333, or drop in and climb over the boats to get a real feel for them.

A couple of the boats that were on offer to test at the recent Bar Crusher Blitz on-water day.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

BOATING & marine

Suzumar inflatable range has docked

S

UZUKI Australia Pty Limited is pleased to introduce, with great pleasure and with more than a little excitement, some fun new additions to our marine range – the simply superb Suzumar range of inflatables and RIBs. Inflation, deflation, assembly, as well as attachment of accessories and the motor, are a breeze – the essence of simplicity – and carefully chosen and perfectly matched with a selection of Suzuki outboards ensures there is a pack-

age to suit everyone.

The versatile packages in the Suzumar range have ready-to-go pricing and are equipped with everything needed to get on the water – with no hidden add-ons whatsoever.

Truly a perfect example of ‘sail away with no more to pay’.

Because they are exclusively available from Suzuki Marine dealers, purchasing one will be as pleasurable and user-friendly as the boats themselves.

Every Suzumar package will of course be prepared and handed

over by a professional to whom care and customer satisfaction are bywords.

Customers looking to purchase a Suzumar package will be able to pay a $1000 holding deposit through su zukimarine.com.au to reserve their package.

The widget will advertise the packages as a ‘Sail Away’ price, which also includes all pre-delivery charges.

Their nominated dealer will then be in touch to organise a time to collect the order.

Visit suzukimarine. com.au

The levels of quality and durability of the Suzumar range perfectly partner Suzuki’s outstanding outboards.

Fish hard all day with no worries!

No more jammed, seized or broken cables.

Models to suit: Outboards Inboards Sterndrives Jets and Cats

Photo courtesy of Australian Master Marine

Hydraulic steering at its best All Australian made, HyDrive hydraulic steering systems offer a smoother ride and greater control in all weather conditions.

Call HyDrive Queensland on 07 3821 6580 for the name of your nearest authorised dealer. qld@hydrive.com.au | Hydrive.com.au | @hydrive_engineering www.bnbfishing.com.au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 53

BOATING & marine The new Travel electric outboard motors cater to a new generation of boaters seeking greener, cleaner and thoughtfully designed products.

Torqeedo has taken the original Travel electric boat motor to the next level with a range of new key features.

Torqeedo reveals next-generation electric outboards

A

S a leading innovator in electric boat motors, Torqeedo has raised the bar once again with the introduction of its latest product line – the Travel family of electric outboard motors.

The iconic electric outboard Travel motor has been delighting boaters with its outstanding efficiency, useful technology and easy-to-use design since 2005 and more than 100,000 electric Travel motors have been sold worldwide.

Now, Torqeedo has taken the original electric boat motor to the next level with a range of new key features.

Modular and customisable design The Travel family boasts a modular, flexible and customisable design, prioritising boaters’ needs and opening up a wide range of applications.

Four electric boat motor packages to choose from The Adventure Package pairs an 1100W Travel and a 1080Wh battery with an innova-

tive mounting and steering system that gets kayak anglers quickly and stealthily to their secret spots.

The Essential Package is the original Travel, redefined – pairing an ultra-efficient 1100W outboard motor with a 1080Wh battery.

The Range Package substitutes a higher-capacity battery – 1425Wh – for when you want to spend all day on the water, taking boaters even further.

The Power Package easily propels bigger boats, boats on coastal waters or that routinely experience windy wavy conditions, with its heavy duty 1600W direct-drive motor and 1425Wh battery.

Building your perfect electric boat engine Once you’ve selected the ideal package from the new Travel family, a plethora of charging, propeller and accessory options await, allowing boaters to tailor their electric companion to perfection.

Enhanced charging and display features The included 180W

Page 54 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

charger significantly reduces charge times, providing a more efficient charging process.

A backlit full-colour display enhances Torqeedo’s intuitive user interface, offering real-time range and runtime calculations.

The Travel family is equipped with TorqLink, Torqeedo’s advanced communications protocol, as well as Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, enabling seamless interaction with Torqeedo’s new smartphone app TorqView.

TorqView brings a host of new features to users, including maps, trip logs and over-the-air updates.

Motor updates can now be performed anywhere with an internet connection, ensuring the Travel remains up-todate, safe, reliable and efficient.

Torqeedo owners have the option to opt-in for system information collection, facilitating a fast and efficient service and maintenance experience through authorised service centres.

Precision steering and control options – remote or tiller steered The new-and-improved tiller features infinitely variable speed and steering controls, simplifying docking and launching.

Its ultra-precise, foldable and customisable design adds to the user-friendly experience.

Boaters can change the direction of forward and reverse, adjust friction and even operate while standing.

For boats with a rudder or steering wheel, the Power Package’s Travel XP offers a remote model, complete with everything needed to connect to standard teleflex steering.

An optional remote kit is available for converting a tiller-steered Travel.

The 90-degree tiltequipped transom mount design allows users to raise the motor completely out of the water, and the new three-stage rotation control lever provides quick selection between fixed steering, +/- 60-degree

steering and 360-degree fully rotatable steering.

Torqeedo’s commitment to the future of electric boating Torqeedo senior vice president branded retail Sven Mostögl emphasised that Torqeedo’s 18 years of experience in building the world’s best electric boat engine drive systems have been leveraged to create a user experience that caters to a new generation of boaters seeking greener, cleaner and thoughtfully designed products.

This launch marks the beginning of a new chapter for Torqeedo, reshaping the product portfolio and brand appearance, while taking a decisive step toward the future of electric boating.

When will the new Torqeedo outboard motors be available?

Anticipate the arrival of the new Travel family of clean boating products and accessories in early 2024.

Get ready to embrace the future of electric boating with Torqeedo, visit torqeedo.com.au for more information.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

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BRISBANE STONES CORNER MARINE 117 Old Cleveland Rd Stones Corner (07) 3397 9766 stonescornermarine.com.au

GYMPIE WATSONS MARINE CENTRE 52 Wickham St Gympie (07) 5482 2135 watsonsmarine.com.au

HERVEY BAY BAY CITY BOATING 55 Islander Rd Pialba, Hervey Bay (07) 4124 6988 baycityboating.com.au

www.bnbfishing.com.au

BUNDABERG BUNDABERG MARINELAND 95 Targo St Bundaberg (07) 4130 0500 bundabergmarineland.com.au

MACKAY REEF MARINE 26 Prospect St Mackay (07) 4957 3521 reefmarine.net

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 55

BOATING & marine BIA and Century Batteries

T

HE Boating Industry Association Ltd recently announced a partnership with Century Batteries, Australia’s oldest battery manufacturer with a history of designing, manufacturing and supplying batteries since 1928.

BIA chief executive officer Andrew Scott said, “BIA is thrilled to partner with Century Batteries to further our mission of enhancing boating experiences while promoting safe, responsible and enjoyable boating, as well as environmentally sustainable practices.”

“It’s great to have a quality brand such as Century Batteries on board to help industry and the boating public to power up their battery needs.”

The partnership will include educational campaigns to raise awareness about proper battery usage, maintenance and disposal – promoting a greener and more responsible boating environment.

Century Batteries, a

leading brand in the battery manufacturing domain, is recognised for its cutting-edge technology, reliability and commitment to sustainable solutions.

Century Batteries automotive general manager Shaun O’Brien said, “We are excited to combine our battery expertise with the Boating Industry Association’s deep-rooted connections within the boating community.”

“By leveraging our technological innovation and the BIA’s industry insights and network, we aim to educate marine business and the boating public on the importance of appropriate battery usage.”

The partnership between the Boating Industry Association and Century Batteries is a testament to the mutually shared commitment to driving positive change within the recreational boating sector.

For more information on BIA, visit bia. org.au

BIA president Andrew Fielding and Century Batteries automotive general manager Shaun O’Brien.

Page 56 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

Repower now and get a great rate on a new Mercury 25 to V6 225hp outboards.

Mercury launches new finance offer

M

ERCURY Marine is revving up the summer excitement for boaters, offering a retail finance deal on select 25 to V6 225hp outboards – just in time for the warm weather.

Mercury is offering a finance comparison rate of 4.99 percent on a range of select FourStroke and Pro XS outboards as part of the ‘Repower Now’ campaign, with this exclusive offer tailored specifically for upgrading purposes.

Now is the optimal time to invest and make that long needed upgrade.

Whether you’re seeking the reliability, power and efficiency of a FourStroke or crave the exhilarating performance, speed and acceleration of a Pro XS, Mercury has all your needs covered.

Mercury Marine Australia New Zealand Pacific senior marketing manager Anthony

Brown said, “We are thrilled to offer boaters seeking a new Mercury outboard the perfect opportunity to upgrade and repower with a brand new FourStroke or Pro XS engine.”

“The FourStroke and Pro XS are among our most popular motors, with a range of motors offered to ensure we meet the needs of all water enthusiasts, regardless of the size of their boat.

“Boaters can trust these outboards to deliver the reliability, power and efficiency they are looking for – whether it be a lightweight easyto-install engine or a bit more power – Mercury has something for everyone.”

The FourStroke and Pro XS outboards feature adaptive speed control, allowing the motor to effortlessly maintain desired revs per minute by seamlessly adjusting to changes in load or conditions without any manual tweaks to the

throttle lever position – a first for the outboard industry.

Furthermore, these engines boast exceptional fuel efficiency through advanced range optimisation.

Featuring a closedloop fuel control system, they meticulously fine-tune the fuel mixture ensuring optimal efficiency and allowing boaters to go further on every tank.

Backed by decades of marine power, innovation and product leadership, these outboards deliver legendary performance and the reliability, flexibility, power and efficiency to make your water adventures memorable.

Why wait?

Available through Mercury Finance Dealers only, the promotion runs until February 16, 2024.

Find a participating Mercury Marine dealer near you or checkout the rest of the Mercury Marine range at mercur ymarine.com.au

www.bnbfishing.com. au

POWER YOUR LIFESTYLE WITH MERCRUISER – BUILT TO PERFORM, BUILT TO LAST, BUILT TO ENJOY Mercury MerCruiser engines and drive systems are designed, tested and purpose built for the marine environment.

POWERFUL - High displacement delivering more torque FUEL EFFICIENT - Providing extended range DURABLE & RELIABLE - Complete peace of mind

Go online or see your nearest Mercury Dealer to discuss powering your time on the water.

Contact or visit us for more information.

AIRLIE BEACH

Whitsunday Outboard Centre 17 William Murray Dr, Cannonvale Q 4802 P: 07 4946 7286 www.whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au

BRISBANE

GOLD COAST

TR Marine Gold Coast 167 Currumburra Rd, Ashmore Q 4214 P: 07 5532 5812 www.trmarinegoldcoast.com.au

IPSWICH

Manly Harbour Marine 570 Royal Esp, Manly Q 4179 P: 07 3893 2199 www.manlyharbourmarine.com.au

Ipswich Marine Centre 45 Huxham St, Raceview Q 4305 P: 07 3294 3944 www.ipswichmarine.com.au

BRISBANE NORTH

SUNSHINE COAST

Holt Marine 25 Queens Rd, Everton Hills Q 4053 P: 07 3353 1928 www.holtmarine.com.au

North Coast Boating 22 Enterprise St, Caloundra West Q 4551 P: 07 5493 9376 www.northcoastboating.com.au

GOLD COAST NORTH

Onshore Marine - Horizon Shores Marina, Cabbage Tree Point Rd, Woongoolba Q 4207 P: 07 5546 2480 www.onshoremarine.com.au www.bnbfishing.com.au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 57

EZ Thread and EZ Bobbin

THE world leader in rod building technology, Fuji is proud to announce the launch of two ground-breaking products – the Fuji EZ Thread and EZ Bobbin.

These innovative tools are set to revolutionise the art of rod repair and building, making the process faster, more efficient and more enjoyable for anglers and rod builders alike.

Say goodbye to tedious and time-consuming rod wrapping!

The Fuji EZ Thread is an ingenious thread designed to simplify the wrapping process.

With its intuitive design and user-friendly features, even beginners can repair broken guides effortlessly.

EZ Thread adapts to any rod type and size, accommodating various thread thicknesses for complete customisation.

The thread lays flat, reducing gaps and allowing for a repair to be made from the guide foot down to the blank, as opposed to the traditional blank onto guide foot method.

This makes it easier to hold the guide in place while binding.

The threads come in two types, an opaque and transparent in a small selection of popular colours.

A perfect complement to the EZ Thread, the Fuji EZ Bobbin is a game-changer in thread management.

This innovative bobbin streamlines the thread control process, ensuring seamless thread release and preventing tangles during rod wrapping.

The EZ Bobbin ensures a consistent and smooth release of thread, preventing snags, knots and tangles for uninterrupted wrapping.

It has an easy-to-use tension adjustment mechanism allowing users to customise thread tension according to their prefer-

Page 58 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

ences, guaranteeing flawless thread application.

Frogleys Offshore director Michael Starkey said, “We are thrilled to present the Fuji EZ Thread and EZ Bobbin to the rod repair community.”

“These innovative tools embody our commitment to enhancing the rod building experience, empowering enthusiasts to repair rods with professional quality thread work in no time.”

Visit frogleysoffshore.com.au

threadfin salmon and mulloway to snapper, the 75, 95 and 110mm sizes have you covered from freshwater impoundments to blue water beasts.

Bring it on!

Visit ttfishing.com

Daiwa Bait Junkie Jig Heads

TT Quake Power Vibe

SHAKE it up!

The new TT Quake Power Vibe is here in three versatile sizes and 22 unique colours.

An intense research and development process has resulted in a new generation of soft vibe, with a sleek and realistic baitfish profile, forked tail and fins, complete with ultraviolet-reactive eyes that provide a solid strike target.

A holographic finish on the internal weight of transparent models adds realism, while the unique colours include natural baitfish imitations through to vibrant offerings loaded with UV-reactive highlights.

Built on a strong and durable stainless-steel internal frame that intensifies the vibing action, the Quake Power Vibe comes fitted with heavy duty split rings and 4X strong Japanese trebles – ready to take on all comers straight out of the packet.

From bass to barramundi, flathead to

DAIWA Bait Junkie Jig Heads offer a unique feature set that elevates performance for an often-overlooked category.

It all starts with the hook, and Bait Junkie Jig Heads are built around quality BKK hooks in combination with Daiwa’s SaqSas hook coating – a super-slippery Teflon-like coating that increases penetrating power of the hook point, providing a superior hook up ratio.

The totally unique bait keeper is the first thing to stand out – a design that evolved over 18 months and over 25 different prototypes.

The result was a jig head bait keeper that performs exceptionally well with stretchy materials such as Bait Junkies Elastomax and eliminates the soft plastic sliding off the jig head keeper.

The head design of the Bait Junkie Jig Head is a mostly cylinder-shaped concept, with a flat back for optimal clean rigging and a flattened ‘chin’ that, when used in combination with Daiwa’s buoyant Elastomax material, offers a ‘tail up’ posture when your bait rests on the bottom.

Attention has also been paid to packaging, with Bait Junkie Jig Heads coming in a resealable zip lock bag, including a weight and size sticker that can be easily removable and re-attached to a tackle box or storage tray for easy identification when you’re carrying a box full of jig heads in your boat or bag.

Available in both a 2X strong BKK heavy wire and 0X BKK light wire hook, Bait Junkie Jig Heads come in almost 100 different shapes and sizes to perfectly cater to your chosen lure and depth of water.

Visit daiwafishing.com.au

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Penn Spinfisher VII

BACKED by 60 years of saltwater domination, Spinfisher VII meets the needs of anglers who demand function and durability above all else.

Built from years of experience for anglers who seek a no-fuss ‘get-the-jobdone’ saltwater reel.

The Penn Spinfisher VII features IPX5 sealing, so whether it gets hit with a wave or you let it ride in the spray all the way home, you don’t have to worry about saltwater getting into the gearbox or drag system.

A full metal body and side plate keep the CNC gear system in precise alignment under heavy loads.

Now with an improved line clip design to secure heavier line and leader in place to minimise loose line and tangles.

Available in standard, live liner, long cast and backed by Penn’s 10-year reel warranty.

Visit pennfishing.com.au

TT Spintrix Inline Spinners

A MODERN take on the classic inline spinner, the TT Spintrix family feature a ‘beetle’ body shape and wide selection of colours, built on quality Mustad trebles for needle-sharp penetration and durability. www.bnbfishing.com.au

Available in sizes 1, 2 and 3 to cover smaller streams to larger lakes and impoundments, the Spintrix range accounted for trout, redfin, bass, golden perch, saratoga, Murray cod and more during the research and development process.

With a comprehensive range of 16 colours covering more traditional patterns, along with unique colours and patterns that include vibrant ultraviolet-reactive finishes, there’s a colour to suit varying water quality, light conditions and key target species.

Check out this proven freshwater favourite and left-field saltwater presentation at your local TT stockist.

Visit ttfishing.com

low-profile EVA grips, both reducing weight and increasing feel.

Okuma’s patented UFR technology in the tip section of the rod is designed so that long strand fibres running the length of the tip increases the strength and lifting power by up to three times that of a standard rod blank.

A two-piece design makes for simple transport and storage of all models.

Classic bait fishing actions, in a slick and modern range of rods, offering anglers a true sportfishing rod for targeting fish on bait.

Available in 7’0”, 9’0”, 10’0” and 10’6” models, with a suggested retail price starting from $99.90.

Visit okuma.com.au

TT SwitchPrawn+ Okuma Barbarian Pro Spin Rods

REQUESTS from anglers and the popularity of the Okuma Barbarian range of spin rods has inspired the release of the Barbarian Pro range, featuring upgrades across key models.

Praised as having the perfect actions for targeting bait fishing favourites – such as whiting, bream and luderick – the Pro series has maintained those soft tips, smooth actions and power in the butt section that allows fish to eat the bait with minimal resistance, while keeping hooks in the fish during the fight.

Along with the aesthetic upgrade of a deep blue blank, with pale blue tip and bright blue branding, these rods feature upgraded guides to premium SeaGuide stainless-steel guides with zirconia rings, an ergonomic cut-out reel seat and

SWITCH on the bite!

The TT SwitchPrawn+ metal vibration blade has a profile and action like no other, thanks to a thorough research and development program that produced incredible numbers of fish, along with a comprehensive list of species landed.

The weight positioning and extended profile of the blade create an intense vibration with increased water movement, while the trailing tassels and assist hooks make an irresistible strike trigger.

SwitchPrawn+ assists include ultra-sharp Owner black nickel chemically sharpened hooks for maximum penetration, while multiple tow points on the blade allow anglers to customise the action to suit their fishing scenario and target species.

Available in three versatile sizes and 16 unique colours – options include light natural, dark silhouette and more vibrant colour patterns – complete with many ultraviolet-reactive models and three-dimensional UV-reactive eyes to attract fish and trigger strikes.

Visit ttfishing.com

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 59

TOURING & exploring

Looking southwest towards Bay Hill.

Destination Cape Melville National Park Queensland

W

ITHOUT d o u b t , Queensland’s lesser-known Cape Melville National Park is one of Australia’s most remarkable coastal destinations for adventurous and self-reliant campers.

Tucked away in a remote far-flung corner of eastern Cape York, the park’s rugged and diverse landscapes stretch 70km from the Jeannie River northwards to the glistening waters of Bathurst Bay. The eastern section

Top End Touring by ‘BILLABONG’ BAZZ LYON

of Bathurst Bay offers wonderful beach camping in a singularly spectacular setting, excellent fishing and encompasses land and seascapes that are superbly rich in both natural and cultural history.

The long sprawling beach of the bay is dotted with groves of ancient gnarly wongai trees, which provide excellent shade from

the tropical sun and picture postcard views out across the northwest Coral Sea. Behind the beach lies an imposing mountain range composed entirely of jumbled giant granite boulders, officially termed the ‘boulder field’.

These rocks formed 120 million years ago when molten magma solidified underground

The rugged Melville Range forms an impressive backdrop to the beach.

Page 60 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

and was exposed over time as the surrounding landscape weathered and eroded away.

There is no shortage of camping spots.

Upon arrival at the wonderful vista of the beach, your first options are to either swing westwards towards Dead Dog Creek or eastwards before being blocked by another small tidal stream.

However, many more campsites are available even further east of this creek.

To access, return to where the main track first hits the beach, cross back over the small salt pan then immediately turn left and follow the eastward running track.

En route, you’ll cross a magnificent small jungle-clad stream that slowly contracts back as the dry season progresses.

Later in the year, follow a diverging track upstream to where water can be drawn from the crystal-clear boulder

pools at the base of the range.

Bathurst Bay’s iconic wongai trees are only known from Cape York and produce an edible fruit with a taste similar to a date.

This traditional food for the Indigenous tribe of the area – the Yiithuwarra (or saltwater) people – is also a staple for Torres Strait pigeons migrating southward from New Guinea to northern Australia during their annual summer breeding sojourn.

A plethora of marine wildlife can typically be observed from the beach, often without even leaving your camp.

Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, green turtles, flocks of terns and white-bellied sea eagles regularly patrol the inshore waters, while sightings of dugong and estuarine crocodiles swimming by are not uncommon.

Occasionally, huge * continued P61

www.bnbfishing.com. au

TOURING & exploring Cape Melville National Park * from P60

Queensland gropers will venture into the clear shallows and, with care, it is also possible to show children the gently flapping stingrays that are visible in most of the small creek mouths around low tide.

While a boat is definitely not necessary to enjoy the magic of Bathurst Bay, in suitable weather a seaworthy dinghy will allow you to venture out to the nearby islands, reefs and estuaries for some excellent tropical fishing.

The Great Barrier Reef comes closer to the coast at Cape Melville than it does anywhere else in Queensland, and its presence is signalled

by Pipon Island and its fringing reef, only 5km across the channel from Cape Melville.

Around the local reefs, it’s possible to capture tropical delicacies such as coral trout, red emperor and sweetlip.

Land-based anglers can target the equally tasty grunter, mangrove jack, trevally, Cooktown salmon and the evergreen favourite… barramundi.

The sandy beaches are also decorated with thousands of small shells, which will keep curious people busy for hours as they search out the more attractive specimens.

Few Australians know that Bathurst Bay was the site of the country’s worst maritime disaster outside of war.

In early March 1899, an intense tropical cyclone swept in from the

www.bnbfishing.com.au

Coral Sea and decimated a large pearling fleet that was anchored at the bay.

Remarkably, Queensland’s only meteorologist of the time – the colourful Clement Wragge – predicted the cyclone’s development from far off Brisbane, over 2000km away, with only the most basic of weather observations.

Tragically, there was no way to warn the unsuspected pearling fleet that was annihilated by Tropical Cyclone Mahina’s swift approach.

Mahina thrashed the area – 370 mariners were known to have perished, along with an undetermined number of Aboriginal people on the mainland.

The cyclone generated a 12m high storm surge that swept up to 5km inland, stranding large numbers of fish, porpoises, sea snakes and dugong.

One schooner, the Silvery Wave, managed to somehow stay afloat.

As the cyclone’s eye passed over, Captain Jefferson measured a barometric pressure of 26” – about 880hPa – the lowest ever recorded in the southern hemisphere.

From the few stories of survival, perhaps the most remarkable is of the two couples who swam 16km from Howick Reef to the mainland after their vessel sank.

A marble monument to the cyclone victims was erected about 600m inland against the eastern end of the Melville Range, the position of

the access track marked by a stone cairn on the beach.

Visitors may also find wreckage of an American air force Dakota plane that crash landed on the beach in 1945 after running out of fuel.

A number of the planes’ 22 occupants parachuted out prior to the beach landing, one of whom was never seen again.

The rest of the crew and passengers were subsequently rescued.

The Melville Range boasts a number of wildlife species that are found nowhere else in the world, apparently a result of the areas’ unique environmental conditions.

This includes three unique species – the Cape Melville boulderfrog cophixalus petrophilus, the Cape Melville shadeskink saproscincus saltus and the Cape Melville leaftailed gecko saltuarius eximius.

However, the list also includes one plant, which has gained a place in Australia’s more recent history.

The endemic foxtail palm wodyetia bifurcata is a handsome and hardy species that naturally grows only in among the rugged boulders of the Melville Range.

Discovered by western science in the 1970s, this attractive palm soon became the target of illegal poachers, who cut tracks through the dense bushland to gain access to the palms and received up to $5 a seed * continued P62

The heavy sand about 14km before the beach may necessitate airing down.

Sunset over Bathurst Bay and Flinders Group National Park.

One of the many fabulous shady camps at Bathurst Bay Cape Melville.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 61

TOURING & exploring

Nothing like an early morning fish.

Destination Cape Melville National Park Queensland * from P61

on the worldwide black market.

These smuggling activities were eventually stamped out by an intensive long-term bush surveillance operation by Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service rangers and Queensland Police, in an effort that became a unique part of Australia’s conservation history.

The main palm areas are on the inaccessible southern and western end of the range.

However, some can be sighted from a distance by crossing over the spring-fed creek at

the base of the range and gazing southeast towards the top of the boulder field.

Local conditions, logistics and getting there Becoming completely isolated during the summer monsoon season, Cape Melville National Park is accessible by four-wheel-drive and only during the tropical dry from August to November.

The downside of the area can be the blustery southeasterly trade wind that sweeps the area with astounding ferocity – we’ve had steaks

blown off our plates!

Frankly, if the forecast wind speed is 25 knots or more, a visit to Cape Melville is going to be a misery.

It makes plain sense to wait for better weather, if possible.

Taking good care of this special place is essential.

All rubbish should be taken out, soap should not be used in the pristine spring stream and cutting into the iconic wongai trees, or any other tree, is an absolute no no!

Burying fish frames, even high up on the

View towards Cape Melville, with wreckage of the wartime USAAF Dakota in the foreground.

Page 62 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

beach, is dangerous because it will attract crocodiles sniffing out a free feed and endanger campers.

The presence of crocodiles and marine stingers makes swimming in the sea hazardous, with the cool boulder pools of the spring creek offering a much safer and refreshing way to cool off!

There is no ranger base on the park – the rangers work their extensive area by 4WD and swagging it across the landscape.

Bathurst Bay can be accessed from Cooktown via the 220km long Starcke Coast, which is 10-12 hours, or via Laura, about 210km and 5-6 hours.

It is essential to be totally self-sufficient, and these townships provide the last opportunity to replenish fuel and food supplies.

Adequate freshwater should be carried at all times while travelling and supplies can be topped up at the stream at Bathurst Bay or at

another small spring stream on the main road 20km south of the bay – these being the only permanent supplies available year-round.

Beware that the soft sandy stretches may require the lowering of tyre air pressure.

It is recommended that travellers carry an air compressor for re-inflating tyres, the usual 4WD recovery gear, good sand pegs for holding tarps and tents for if it does get blowy and either a reliable satellite phone or high frequency radio for emergency communication with the outside world.

This is an ideal fair dinkum bush destination for well-prepared families and others with an adventurous bent.

The necessary camping permits for this magic natural place can be obtained online from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service website – qpws.usedi rect.com/QPWS/ Happy and safe travels!

www.bnbfishing.com. au

TOURING & exploring

The XRS-BT1 is an interface module providing full Bluetooth audio connectivity and wireless push-to-talk functionality to the full range of XRS Connect UHF CB radios.

GME XRS-BT1 Connect

I

N T RODUC I NG the all-new XRS Connect Bluetooth Interface Module and Wireless PTT from GME, the XRS-BT1.

The XRS-BT1 is an interface module providing full Bluetooth audio connectivity and wireless push-totalk functionality to the full range of XRS Connect UHF CB radios.

Bluetooth audio connectivity allows the XRS-BT1 to wirelessly connect to an extensive range of third-party audio accessories, including headphones, hearing aids and vehicle stereo systems, providing users with new and improved ways to

www.bnbfishing.com.au

stay connected.

Included in the kit is an adjustable steering wheel clamp, which provides a simple mounting solution for the IP67 wireless PTT button and a wired hands-free microphone with a 1.8m cable for easy mounting options.

The PTT clamp design provides access to the battery without the need to remove from the steering wheel, plus the PTT can also be removed from the clamp and mounted to an alternative location using the dash mount kit supplied.

For more information, visit gme.net.au

An adjustable steering wheel clamp provides a simple mounting solution for the IP67 wireless PTT button and a wired hands-free microphone with a 1.8m cable for easy mounting options.

The XRS-BT1 to wirelessly connect to an extensive range of third-party audio accessories.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 63

TOURING & exploring

A couple of little groms got ready to hit the waves on Yallingup Beach.

Swings and Roundabouts Cellar Door and Restaurant in Yallingup provided a good mix of local food and refreshments.

Simply stunning southern WA

T

We had Swings and Roundabouts to ourselves but it was well set up to cater for a huge crowd.

HE coastline south of Perth is littered with fantastic places to stay and explore.

You could literally spend months checking it all out, and you’re only 3-4 hours from Perth.

This is probably why so many people move here or why travellers end up staying for extended periods of time.

In fact, there were a few places we fell in love with and even went

A glorious sunset at Camp Grace.

Page 64 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

Family Adventures

by BEN COLLINS

so far as to check out a mix of properties for sale online to see how affordable the area was.

Unfortunately, most spots had already boomed, which was understandable given their proximity to Perth and what they had to offer.

Interestingly though, a lot of the boom was driven by people buying holiday houses.

Which, if you can afford it, is great but means accommodation becomes very expensive.

Thankfully, we were set up for free camping, though this can also be a bit of a challenge in Western Australia.

There’s a saying among travellers and it is ‘in WA you pay’ – which we found to be the case most of the time.

However, there are a few ways to minimise your spend and one is to get a Park Stay Pass, which you can get at a discounted rate if you are a member of RACQ. If you’re planning on heading to this part of the world, Yallingup, Eagle Bay and Dunsborough are well worth checking out, plus a host of small towns nearby.

Camp Grace This was our base camp when we day tripped to the above-mentioned places.

Situated right on the beach in Geographe Bay, Camp Grace was a clean and quiet campground that we really enjoyed.

As with several of the camps in this area, * continued P65

www.bnbfishing.com. au

TOURING & exploring Simply stunning southern Western Australia * from P64

there was a strong focus on church groups, but you don’t have to be a churchgoer to stay at Camp Grace.

On the beach, there was a volleyball net set up permanently, which kept the kids occupied while the better half and I relaxed watching the sun set over the water.

Our stay here coincided with a full moon, which rose before the sun set – meaning you had the sun setting over one side of the bay as the moon rose over the other – quite spectacular.

Busselton After originally visiting Busselton in 1996 when I was 21, I was keen to see how much had changed or stayed the same.

Well, hadn’t this sleepy little fishing village evolved.

Aside from the jetty, which is the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere, not much else was recognisable.

It still had its beautiful beaches and clear water, however the population

growth was staggering.

I guess when there’s a piece of paradise such as this on offer, people will flock to it.

Unfortunately, when we were there, it was a little overcast, so not perfect beach weather.

We did however do the train ride out to the jetty and checked out the underwater observatory.

It was cool to descend 8m and see the coral structure and fish life change.

The abundance of marine life was staggering, with the old pylons providing the perfect structure for coral to grow on and for fish to call home.

Bunbury Despite being told by a few WA locals and fellow travellers to give Bunbury a miss, we made the call to check it out and were glad we did.

Bunbury is a little different to several of the other small coastal towns in this region – its coastline is unique because the large spit was made into a port.

This means there is surf one side and a pro-

Swimming and walking along the beach was a great way to pass the time at Camp Grace. www.bnbfishing.com.au

tected waterway on the other, which also has a small marina-like area.

In some ways, it reminds me a little of Surfers Paradise – before the high-rises.

Hopefully Bunbury doesn’t fall victim to the same growth and expansion, as it would lose its small coastal town feel.

Our accommodation here was in a car park, where you could stay for up to 48 hours as long as you were fully self-contained.

That probably doesn’t sound too inviting, however the car park was next to a park that was next to a beach where, once again, we ended the day watching the sun set over the water.

Mandurah Mandurah really ticked several of my wish-list boxes as a place to visit or live.

Situated on the coast with traditional beaches, Mandurah has a large estuary system called Collins Pool.

From a fishing prespective, there are heaps of options both inshore and offshore.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get the opportunity to wet a line, yet I could see myself here, venturing for extended periods of time, once I eventually retire.

One thing we did do was to check out the Giants of Mandurah.

These are free outdoor exhibits hidden throughout Mandurah that are found by working out the clues in the Travellers’ Companion, * continued P66

All aboard at Busselton. On the train out we saw a few dolphins and schools of bait.

If you want a trip back in time, you can catch the train out to the underwater observatory.

The coral formations on the old wooden jetty pylons at Busselton were quite incredible.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 65

TOURING & exploring

Rottnest Island had a mix of white sandy beaches and coral reefs.

Simply stunning southern Western Australia * from P65

The kids really enjoyed finding the different sculptures located around Mandurah.

Three little cuties on Rottnest Island.

Page 66 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

which you can download or get from the tourist centre.

Searching for these sculptures was a great way to explore most of the town and to see what’s on offer.

Another spot worth visiting is the War Memorial, where the sculptures are meant to represent soldiers on the beaches where they fell.

Rockingham The seaside town of Rockingham is one of those places that you could easily immerse yourself in for an extended period of time.

This town has it all – cafes, restaurants, white sandy beaches, fishing, swimming, exploring and relaxing.

Plus, it offers a host of wildlife activities you can enjoy on the small neighbouring islands.

If you’re into walking, as we are, the walking trails expose you to the sheer beauty of this bustling fishing village.

Alternatively, you can kayak with sealions, swim with dolphins or head to Penguin Island.

We didn’t allow enough time at Rockingham unfortunately, so only scratched the surface of what was on offer.

Rottnest Island Home of the quokka, Rottnest Island is another must-do spot.

Unfortunately, it was totally booked out when we were there, which meant a day trip was our only options of checking the place out.

Apparently, it is getting harder and more expensive to stay here, and you find out why once you visit.

Even though we jammed as much into a day as we could, a long weekend or a longer stay would be better.

Our plan of attack, after catching the passenger ferry over from Freemantle, was to hire bikes and cycle around as much as possible.

Since we had a lunch

booking back at the town centre, this did limit how far we rode.

While not overly big, Rottnest is a little hilly, so you need a certain level of fitness to cycle around.

Rottnest also boasts a host of private beaches and snorkelling locations.

We didn’t bring the snorkels, though they will be packed next time we go – if we can stay longer.

Thankfully, we also booked a bus tour for the afternoon, which allowed us to see more of the island.

The bonus of the tour was that we learnt about the island’s history – very interesting… even staggering.

If you’re into history, definitely give it a search online.

Interestingly, there is a small school on the island that caters to the kids of employees who are permanently stationed on the island.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

TOURING & exploring

Heading home healthy

H

I, here’s the final part of our family trip along the Queensland coast.

For some reason, on the way down the Paluma Range I had a bit of a headache and had to stop many times on the drive back to our camp to go to the toilet.

After a couple of ibuprofen tablets and 60 minutes, whatever was causing the excess weeing went away.

Together with some prostate problems, this put the wind up us, thinking it may be related.

With this on our minds, instead of heading further north and across Queensland Gulf Country, the next day we packed up and tracked back the way we’d come, staying at a few of the same places.

A highlight of the trip back was that we stayed at the free camp at Lake Victoria overnight, it’s not far north of Biloela and is a lovely spot on the water’s edge.

We set up camp and a fire and enjoyed the night talking, eating and relaxing.

The following day we headed for home, arriv-

Touring Queensland - Part 3

by CRAIG TOMKINSON

ing at about 4pm.

We unpacked the fourwheel-drive and van and I put the van in the shed.

What an awesome trip away with the family.

Over the next couple of weeks, I saw my local doctor and had a prostate-specific antigen test, which was high.

I was booked in to see a prostate specialist and, after many tests including a prostate biopsy, I was found to be cancer-free… for now.

I was then booked in for a transurethral resection of the prostate operation.

A couple of months later and after a period of very dry weather, I thought I’d put a few crab pots in the Noosa River system.

The boat was ready with fresh fuel in the tank and a charge up of the start battery, a SuperCharge marine battery.

I gave the motor a run and loaded my pots, redoing my name and address on the floats and labels on the pots and

Ryan Kaukiainen with a couple of lovely Noosa River specials. www.bnbfishing.com.au

checking for holes at the same time.

With that done, I headed off for Boreen Point and launched the boat.

I put in four pots baited with reef fish frames and chicken carcasses then returned home.

I was back at daylight the next day to check them, scoring two nice bucks then and four nice crabs the next day.

Each day, as I moved my pots around, I tracked down where the bucks were and some days, started getting my bag.

Now I know it sounds like a lot of crab, but with a family of six, we soon ate what I’d caught from each day, plus we gave some to neighbours and other family members, so we never went over our limit at home.

After about two weeks of crabbing, we were sick of eating it, so I pulled the pots, washed them in fresh water, let them dry and put them in the shed.

Then I washed the boat and flushed the motor.

Surprisingly, I received a call that my TURP operation could be done earlier than originally scheduled.

Now, a couple weeks after the operation, things are back to normal and life’s great – one less thing to worry about when travelling.

Until next month, wee safe.

Nine decent crabs, lucky the author’s son checked the pots with him that day.

The author’s favourite way to eat mud crab – fresh white bread, butter and a heap of fresh crab.

The author’s four-wheel-drive and 5m Quintrex tinnie prepped to put pots in.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 67

TOURING & exploring

There are three main factors that contribute to fuel usage – total weight, wind direction and how you drive.

Managing fuel usage when towing

O If you have the right amount of power and the vehicle is set up for touring and towing, you’re on the right track to start managing your fuel.

Managing fuel can a make a massive difference in not only dollars spent or saved, but also when accessing remote locations.

Page 68 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

NE of the biggest expenses on an extended trip is fuel – in my case diesel.

Managing diesel usage can a make a massive difference in dollars spent or saved.

Our tow vehicle was a 2018 V8 twin turbo diesel Toyota LandCruiser and we were towing a 22’6” JB Scorpion Sting caravan, which weighed about 3300-3500kg for most of the trip.

There is an old saying that to get power from an engine you need to feed it fuel, which is true, however you can also use this theory to minimise fuel usage.

If you have the ‘right’ amount of power and the vehicle is set up for touring and towing, you’re on the right track to start managing your fuel.

It’s worth noting that before we headed off, I had the LC tuned – which has a towing-specific tune that’s engaged

Towing Tips

by BEN COLLINS

via the turn of a knob.

There’s also a power tune and lumpy-idle tune, as well as an immobiliser that I thought would be handy for when we were in remote country and away from the vehicle.

A tune is not the be all or end all, yet since the LC was out of warranty and we’re planning on keeping it for a while, I decided to go ahead with it.

That said, fuel savings can be made without a tune and really, to recoup the money spent on the tune would take a lot of driving.

However, there were noticeable savings in fuel when the towing tune was turned on – our LC displayed the fuel usage in a graph and we also calculated how many litres of diesel we used per

100km on each fill.

We did this religiously for about the first three months of the trip and our results ranged from 20-25 litres per 100km.

Pretty good considering we were towing a heavy van most of the time.

In my opinion, there are three main factors that contribute to fuel usage – total weight, wind direction and how you drive.

Other factors such as tyre pressure, road conditions and temperature also need consideration, however manage the first three and you’ll be on your way to punching out some good fuel figures.

Regarding weight, you may think there isn’t much you can do about it, though in our case there was. * continued P69

www.bnbfishing.com. au

TOURING & exploring Tips for managing fuel usage when towing * from P68

We had three water tanks that held 240 litres in total – two 90-litre for washing and one 60-litre for drinking – which meant we had about 240kg to play with.

It was actually a little more because I also had two empty 20-litre water drums and two 23-litre jerry cans that were empty most of the time… unless we needed to travel longer distances or were off road, or if cheaper fuel was a little further down the road that normally would have been out of range.

In short, the lighter you can make your entire setup, the less fuel you’ll use when driving or towing.

Wind direction is another big factor when it comes to fuel usage.

Thankfully, we had the wind behind us for the most part – which could have been due to the time of year or the direction we were doing the lap.

While you can’t control the weather, you can try using it to your advantage whenever possible.

I often checked out apps such as Windy to get an idea of wind direction for the coming days, so if required, we would alter the plan a little.

Which was as simple as leaving early in the morning instead of the afternoon.

While not actually wind direction, I would put aerodynamics into this category too.

Interestingly, I get the same if not better fuel economy when I have the car topper on the LC. My boat loaded is positioned very low and the car topper has a pointy nose, so it must part the wind around the relatively high fully off-road van – which is great!

However, for our recent lap, I didn’t take the boat but did put a kayak on the roof, which may also have helped to part the wind over and around the van.

The other main factor that you do have control over is how you drive.

While I’m not one to sit on 80km/h to save fuel, reducing your speed can save you fuel.

I prefer to get the rig up and moving, so we sat at about 100km/h most of the time, which seemed to be a sweet spot for us.

Also, I tow in S5, which stops the gearbox searching for gears going up and down small hills, and it reduces gearbox temperature and saves fuel.

Our LC has also been fitted with a Richards Auto Electrical Lockup Kit that helps in holding gears, so the engine isn’t revving up and down all the time.

By having steady acceleration and reading the road – speeding up when approaching a hill, backing off before getting to the top – you can maximise the distance you get out of your fuel.

As mentioned, there are more factors that will contribute to fuel efficiency and saving dollars, but these should get you moving in the right direction.

Each vehicle is different in how they tow, so a bit of trial and error is often the way to go to get your rig set up for some diesel-efficient travelling.

Each vehicle is different in how they tow, so may take a little trial and error for diesel-efficient travelling. www.bnbfishing.com.au

Other factors such as tyre pressure, road conditions and temperature also need to be taken into consideration.

Check out apps such as Windy to get an idea of wind direction for the coming days and use it to your advantage.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 69

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0434 002 644 Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 71

Holiday barra fishing at Bli Bli

S Kassie scored a barramundi on a pellet. This is the average size of this species at the Bli Bli Barra Fishing Park.

The pond named Barra Creek is very popular and provides the best opportunity to hook a barramundi.

UMMER school holidays are upon us once again, bringing opportunities to get the kids (or grandkids) into the great outdoors for some healthy pursuits.

A spot of fishing certainly falls into that category and during holiday season, the desire of young ones is often to catch something a little special.

In today’s economic climate, many parents are either time poor – working to pay off that mortgage – or resource poor… often both.

That puts extended trips to distant locations out of reach for quite a few, however in good news, there is a solution close to home.

On the Sunshine Coast, tucked in beside the Maroochy River and David Low Way is Bli Bli Barra Fishing Park.

As the name suggests, this complex is

Fishing for Sport

by NEIL SCHULTZ

a barramundi fishery, and what kid wouldn’t enjoy catching a barra during their holidays?

The barra fishing park has been operating for 23 years, so you can imagine how large some of the barramundi have grown during that time.

On site, there are three separate lakes to fish – Barra Creek, the Middle Lake and the ‘Big Boy Pond’.

Apparently, the latter pond is where the largest fish live, though there are some absolute crackers in all three lakes.

These lakes are manmade and well stocked with barramundi, as well as populations of mangrove jack, estuary cod, bream and such.

Mechanical aerators

Graham snared a decent fish on a pellet in Barra Creek at the fishing park.

Page 72 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

are used to maintain dissolved oxygen levels, which helps keep the fish healthy and active.

To maintain growth rates, the fish are fed aquaculture pellets daily and their condition reflects that high protein diet.

Rod hire is included in your entry fee, however you are welcome to bring your own suitable gear – remembering that there are big barra in the ponds.

Pallets are naturally the best bait to use at the park and can be purchased from the shop on site.

Lure anglers are welcome too, though all hooks on lure must be barbless.

Usually there are no definites with fishing, but here you’re guaranteed there’s a substantial population of fish where you’re angling.

Fishing at the park is 100 percent catch and release, so anglers need to treat the fish accordingly – keeping them wet and out of the water for the absolute minimum amount of time possible.

During summer, the park is open seven days a week from 10am to 5pm, with days divided into two sessions of 2.5-3 hours, one morning and one afternoon.

Bookings are essential for any sessions and participant numbers are limited for the enjoyment of all patrons.

Contact the park for bookings and details on 07 5448 7555.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 73

Jackson Sorensen from Moura and his 463cm jewfish.

Overlooking the dam with bushfires in the background. We were safe.

Big barra in Callide Dam n 2023 family fishing competition

O Jackson with most of his prizes.

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N the list of good barramundi dams in central Queensland is Callide.

For as long as I can remember, it has grown big healthy barramundi at a fairly fast rate.

Water quality must be exact for this to happen, and Callide Dam has the right conditions.

It’s not an overly big storage, so you’d think catching them would be quite easy.

Using the latest sounding technology available, they’re easy to find, but hooking them can be another matter.

Having said that, it is no different from any other stocked dam.

Every freshwater impoundment holding barra is different and Callide is no exception.

It is a case of figuring out how that dam works and, when you do, it’s so rewarding landing those trophy fish.

Visited often by southern anglers wanting to catch and land 1m barra, they come here be-

Dam Fishing

by HELEN ABDY

cause it’s an easy drive from Brisbane and the southern coast.

Lake Callide Retreat and Caravan Park is right at the lake and has all the accommodation needs you could want.

Powered and unpowered sites, cabins, grassy shaded areas, kiosk, ice – these are all available and at very reasonable rates.

There’s no excuse to not spend some time here.

A very good reason to go in October is because the Callide Valley Native Fish Stocking Association Inc holds its annual family fishing competition.

A group of passionate anglers put on a great weekend, with lots of great prizes and lucky draws.

During the comp, you can camp nearer the water or live it up a little and book into the

retreat right beside the event area.

While it was a while ago now, last October 27-29 was the family fishing comp at Callide Dam. The CVNFSA put on a great event, raising money for the purchase of more barra fingerlings to put in the dam.

Along with barra, yellowbelly, long tom, saratoga, eel-tailed catfish and sleepy cod can also be found in the dam.

The weather gods did not play the game for the 2023 competition, with the chilly night before having us all looking for coats – not normal.

That didn’t faze the anglers, however.

The next morning, they were out bright and early for a 4am start and the first 1m barramundi come in soon after. * continued P75

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Callide Dam's big barra * from P74

Sadly, the weather conditions probably had a lot to do with why the barra didn’t bite all day, though everyone was hopeful.

There were a lot of hits and dropped fish, but that’s fishing.

It’s what keeps us going back.

Barra love warm water, which makes them very active.

Unfortunately, when that sudden cold change came through, it slowed them down for the rest of the weekend.

Some anglers slowed their lure presentations down to get some hits, yet not all connected well.

Adam and Anna Turner from Bundaberg were first-time fishers to the dam – wanting to test their new range of plastics in various waterways.

Anna had her first cast at about 5am and nailed a 109cm monster straight up.

Her personal best barra that she was over the moon about.

She used a Pristine Lures PT150 Glow in the Dark, which is in the new plastics range.

The Turners have had a lot of success chasing barra with PT plastics but this was the first time using the glow in the dark version.

Anna’s barra turned out to be the best of the comp, which earned her best barra for the day and best for the weekend.

She also took home a couple of lucky draw and raffle prizes, making her one very happy fisho.

Over the competition weekend, some goodsized yellowbelly and eel-tailed catties came

www.bnbfishing.com.au

in too, which made a young angler from Moura, who’s dad took him to the event, very happy.

Jackson Sorensen won the casting competition, two lucky draws and the best junior eel-tailed catfish for the weekend.

He was over the moon and a bit taken aback that he’d won so much.

He’ll be back for the 2024 comp.

Even through the fishing was a bit on the slow side, plenty of happy anglers enjoyed the time spent together.

I find these family fishing event very relaxing and anglers are more than happy to help each other – particularly when it comes to assisting junior fishos with different methods, lures and how to use them.

Many young beginner anglers are sponges and want to know heaps.

Casting comps, trying to get a plug into a bucket or a hula hoop circle, get them keener and often, after the event, some will be out the back practising.

It was also great to catch up with Charlie Ladd from Freshwater Fishing and Stocking Association of Queensland Inc and to see the fish viewing tank.

It always gets plenty of attention with questions on the different species, plus having a pest fish tilapia on view sparked heaps of interest.

There was even a small barra, who was probably the favourite for the weekend.

Keep this event in mind for 2024 and help support the stocking group put more barra fingerlings in the dam.

Happy fishing.

Anna Turner with her personal best 109cm beast that won biggest barramundi.

DAM LEVELS CURRENT AS OF 13/12/2023

DAMS Atkinson * Awoonga Bjelke-Petersen * Boondooma * Borumba * Burdekin Falls * Callide * Cania * Coolmunda * Dyer/Bill Gunn * Eungella * Fairbairn * Glenlyon * Hinze * Julius * Kinchant * Leslie * Macdonald * Maroon * Monduran/Fred Haigh * Moogerah * North Pine/Samsonvale * Peter Faust/Proserpine * Somerset * Teemburra * Tinaroo * Toonumbar Wivenhoe * Wuruma * Wyaralong *

PERCENTAGE AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

69 58 84 81 92 87 20 30 96 61 100 38 97 86 95 77 89 84 97 95 86 51 69 78 100 89 98 70 86 94

65 58 82 79 90 83 20 30 92 54 99 36 97 84 92 77 88 79 96 93 84 51 68 78 100 86 95 69 85 94

59 57 77 75 83 76 19 30 81 48 97 33 88 82 89 70 86 72 94 90 80 49 66 77 98 79 87 66 81 92

52 54 72 73 77 69 18 27 73 43 95 29 79 80 86 62 83 64 91 86 77 47 64 75 95 73 87 64 77 91

50 54 76 75 75 73 17 25 74 40 95 30 75 79 85 60 82 60 91 86 77 46 63 75 94 70 88 62 76 93

For updates on dams, visit sunwater.com.au or seqwater.com.au *This symbol indicates that a Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish these dams.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 75

Minimal changes to Queensland fishery since 2015

B

RIAN Dare sent this information to BNB Fishing in June 2015 – he compares then to now in his article on page 80.

From June 2015 During the past four months and a change of government, the following points need to be talked about and brought to every freshwater angler’s attention: • Possession limit on silver perch • Fishing permit price change • The future • Regulatory impact statement • Workshops • River stocking • The future of stocking groups.

Possession limits on silver perch As from February 1, 2015, you are only allowed to keep two silver perch to eat per person.

It was five in possession prior… in rivers, streams and dams, with 30cm being the smallest size you can keep.

During a visit to Glenlyon Dam by our local Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol

Fishery Review

by BRIAN DARE

officers, we spoke at length about these changes.

Comment was made by the officers that they felt the change should have been two per person on rivers and streams, with the dams (or water storages), the limit of five should have remained due to the fact that the storages are put and take locations and are stocked by the local fish stocking groups.

This was mentioned to the Queensland Fisheries manager in Brisbane, who then advised that the decision was made and that was it.

I would advise that this situation needs to be looked at once again, with input from stocking groups and stakeholders, as this was treated as a quick fix to a comment that was put to all states through the Federal Government.

Our stocking group and others were not asked for input on the

MRAG Asia Pacific Taking Stock Annex 3.

Page 76 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

subject by Fisheries Queensland.

Glenlyon Dam has had 270,000 silver perch released into its waters, plus what has bred.

Our recent creel survey shows good numbers are being caught measuring between 1552cm.

For example, 14 in one catch with only four above legal size.

Over 10,000 silvers are released every year, so where is the shortage if the dams are well stocked?

Keep five as the limit for dams and two in rivers if not stocked.

Fishing permit price change from July 1, 2015 How many freshwater anglers in Queensland, as well as tourists visiting our state, know about the change to this format.

The new price for a permit 18 years and over will be $50 per person per year to fish our stocked impoundments.

If you have a pension, it will be $30 per person per year, or you can purchase a $10 permit per person per week.

That is $10 for a week, even if you only fish for a day.

Prior to the above change, it was $40 per couple or $40 per single person.

On a pension, it was $35 per couple or single person, and the weekly permit $8 per couple or per single person.

The future If the words ‘all water licence’ were to be brought up and have the following groups represent Queensland anglers on a committee involving the Department of Primary Industries

Fisheries sections of salt and freshwater, you may well be surprised by the result.

The groups to represent anglers should be: • Queensland Game Fishing Association • Australian National Sportfishing Association saltwater fishing small boats • Sunfish Queensland beach and estuary • Freshwater Fishing and Stocking Association of Queensland.

An across-the-board licence of $35 per person yearly, as set up by NSW, for all persons 18 years and over.

It works, and it works well.

We need the same format.

Then watch Queensland come back to being the number one state to fish!

I would advise that Glenlyon Dam Fish Restocking Group feels the price should remain as it is – no price rise for the next 12 months.

Discussion needs to take place before any major decision is made.

Refer to the MRAG Asia Pacific Taking Stock Annex 3 – can be found via a Google search.

Throughout this document, from the 17 meetings held, the words ‘all water licence’ have been used.

Regulatory impact statement On December 9, 2014, a regulatory impact statement was put out for freshwater fishing in Queensland, with comments to be received by January 14, 2015, which was then delayed to January 27, 2015.

During this time, an election was called and, of course, the above was pushed to the side.

About 400 answers were received, of which 200 were from mem-

bers of FFSAQ and the other 200 or so replies from anglers.

Keep in mind, Fisheries Queensland stated there were 50,000 anglers who fished in the freshwater regions of Queensland in 2014.

We have asked as a stocking group how well this important paper was advertised to the general public.

Glenlyon Dam Fish Restocking Group Inc received the notice and computer link through FFSAQ, not through Fisheries Queensland.

How did you hear of the release?

We received a verbal answer from within FQ that the notification must have been held up in the mailroom.

We are talking about a white paper that affects the whole of Queensland’s tourism and fishing requirements throughout the state for the next four years.

And it had to be answered on email, unlike previous papers where we could make comment as a group or individuals.

If you were the secretary of the stocking group and logged on, you couldn’t then voice your own opinion using the same URL. Where were the printed white papers we were once able to answer by post?

So, we have about 400 replies that will be used to formulate the running of our freshwater recreational pastime.

God help us.

We are always reminded that Fisheries’ core policy is to run and manage the rules, regulations and guidelines as per the Burns Enquiry 1996.

Workshops This reminds us of when, prior to 1989, it * continued P77

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Compare 2015's Queensland fishery to that of 2024 * from P76

was also part of Fisheries Queensland’s duty to restock fish into storages and streams, when fish were purchased south of the border and put into our waterways.

It was also during this time that FFSAQ was formed and the words of ‘no confidence in Queensland Fisheries’ were being bandied about.

One hopes this is not going to be the case in the near future.

For freshwater fishing, we require two workshops urgently to sort this mess out, one in the south and one in the north.

We have two major drawcards in freshwater fishing that bring tourists to Queensland… barramundi and cod.

We need to push these

again and bring fishing in the west back to the forefront.

It would be good to have the Minister talk to groups about the fishery within Queensland at selected venues that are within two hours travelling distance.

River stocking We are also seeing the stocked impoundment permit funds being earmarked to stock rivers and streams.

Not on!

Prior to the Newman Government’s win in the state elections, there was a grant of $168,000 given out to stocking groups who looked after these systems.

The grant money was allocated to amounts of $3500 to $6000, which covered sections of rivers and streams, depending on how far apart

the area’s local stocking groups covered.

This was done yearly as a show of good faith by the government of the day.

The amount should be returned but bringing it up to $200,000 per year would be well accepted, maybe as a grant from the Minister of Tourism.

This in itself will be a great boost to helping local townships out west with the tourism trade, spoken so much about by the premier of our state.

We understand that time is money in all facets of business and lifestyle, but it should be taken into account by both government and the public that we need to set guidelines and targets and we therefore need this $200,000 invested in our rivers now.

The future of stocking groups In the not too distance future, most stocking groups will cease to operate as they are at the moment, heading towards a lack of members within their districts.

There are older members within the ranks of the stocking group but no young ones to carry on the fight.

Let the oldies do it, let them run the raffles, we catch and release.

How do we get the young ones involved in the groups?

At some stage, our state government fisheries department is going to have to face the fact that it is their turn to pick up the ball and run with it.

There is no way out of it, as it’s going to be

the state government’s responsibility.

It is then we’ll hear that catch cry used all too often to duck out of questions asked… ‘It is Fisheries’ core responsibility to manage the fishery’.

That is something that hasn’t happened for the past eight years, regardless of which party is in the box seat… the department has been gutted.

When is the government of this state going to wake up to the fact that our recreational fisher is a major player in the tourism stakes and a money maker for Queensland.

Charter boat?

What charter boat?

Brian Dare Glenlyon Dam Fish Restocking Group Inc June 1, 2015

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 77

Going viral on Australia’s carp The release of the carp herpes virus would create a crucial window for native fish populations to strengthen their presence in the ecosystem.

To maximise the benefits during the critical recovery phase, we need to enhance habitat, manage river flows better, restore fish migrations and screen irrigation pumps.

You can take tons of carp out of rivers, but that doesn’t tend to damage the populations.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

T

HE carp herpes virus urgently needs to be released into Australia’s freshwater rivers if we hope to protect our native fish populations and habitats.

This bold move is supported by Dr Martin Mallen-Cooper, one of Australia’s most respected river ecologists, who was a guest on the OzFish Unlimited official podcast Ozcast - A look below the surface.

The release would create a crucial window for native fish populations to strengthen their presence in the ecosystem, a strategy he believes is essential for long-term ecological balance.

“The virus kills carp,” Dr Mallen-Cooper said.

“But it doesn’t kill all of them – maybe 40-60 percent.

“The idea is you suppress the populations so the impacts are less, and then native fish can take off.”

According to Dr Mallen-Cooper, the science

CREATING BETTER HABITAT FOR BETTER FISHING Page 78 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

and research is now strong enough for Australia to confidently release the virus.

But he warns that to maximise the benefits during the critical recovery phase, we need to enhance habitat, manage river flows better, restore fish migrations and screen irrigation pumps.

It is combining these actions with a virus release strategy that are critical to bolster our native fish populations.

“The science looks very good and the risks are very transparent, so the virus would give breathing space for native fish to come back,” Dr Mallen-Cooper said.

“The two-pronged approach here is we tackle carp and bolster habitat – but you have got to improve flows.

“This gives native fish the best possible chance at the same time.”

When quizzed about how to prepare for an operation of this magnitude, Dr Mallen-Cooper started with the potential effectiveness of the virus.

“The research shows that the virus is not a concern for native species, such as Murray cod and golden perch,” he said.

“Overseas, it only occurs naturally in carp species.”

Understanding the environmental impact First brought to Australia in the late 1800s, carp cause the most damage through their feeding habits.

Dr Mallen-Cooper explained that when carp are present in high densities, the suspended sediment could bring on more problems, including deterioration of water quality and in-

creased nutrient levels.

“Carp constantly stir the sediments by feeding,” he said.

“They sort of siphon sediment and filter out invertebrates, then blow the sediment back out so you get more turbid water.

“And if you get more turbid water, the light can’t penetrate the water and aquatic plants can’t grow in it, and that starts to change the whole ecosystem.”

Dr Mallen-Cooper thinks it’s a self-defeating spiral we are in.

“Carp are not just changing the ecosystem,” he said.

“We have changed the ecosystem to suit them – we have modified rivers and the way we’ve modified rivers suits carp.

“But we can turn this around.”

River clean ups A significant challenge is managing the aftermath of the virus and dead carp.

Just as we experienced with the Menindee fish kills in 2018 and 2023, dead fish raise community concerns around drinking water quality and the smell around our rivers and towns.

Dealing with dead fish of this magnitude is an important cog in deciding if and when the virus is released, but overall, the science and predicted results looks incredibly positive.

However, Dr Mallen-Cooper cautions that it’s wise to have a controlled release and strategy to go with it.

“We know what lots of dead fish do to water quality, so that’s an issue we have to be prepared for,” he said.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 79

Fixing our Queensland fisheries n No changes since 2015, on page 76

A Dr Martin Mallen-Cooper, one of Australia’s most respected river ecologists.

Going viral on carp * from P78

of carp in Australia, various control mechanisms have been implemented with limited success.

“In terms of methods of getting rid of carp, people have tried lots of things and on first glance they look pretty good,” Dr Mallen-Cooper said.

“You can take tons of carp out of rivers using cages at the top of fishways.

“You can also take out tons of carp by various fishing methods.

“But when you run the science around this, you don’t tend to damage the populations.

“You keep taking the population down a bit in local areas, but the carp keep bouncing back, from young fish or surrounding areas.”

In an interesting development, Dr Mallen-Cooper uncovers

the notion that the carp virus might very well get to Australian rivers anyway, through it being unintentionally introduced.

In his opinion, Australia needs to be ready for the virus regardless.

“This is a naturally occurring virus with a long history, so it’s not a recent mutation,” he said.

“This virus is already in carp populations in other countries.”

As Australia grapples with how to address its carp problem, you can tune in to the podcast for the full episode where Dr Mallen-Cooper offers valuable insights into the potential benefits and challenges of introducing the carp herpes virus for the revival of our rivers and native fish.

OzFish Unlimited

When carp are present in high densities, the suspended sediment can bring deterioration of water quality and increased nutrient levels.

Page 80 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

S we all know, in 2032 – eight years away – the Olympic Games are to take place in Queensland.

When it comes to saltwater and freshwater fishing in the Sunshine State, we were advised at a workshop in Mackay in October 2022 that the games would be the ideal time to showcase what we have to offer visitors from around the world.

The state administration received funding from the Federal Government to the tune of $169 million to the saltwater fishery for the 10-year period leading up to the games.

In the background and as far back as 2013, was the mention of an all waters fishing licence (or permit).

When MRAG Asia Pacific was asked to conduct a survey on what the recreational angler in this state wanted, of the 14 meetings, 12 locations asked for the all waters licence and two wanted funding of some type.

Then the Newman Government was voted out of power.

It was hoped the Labor Party would take the job of getting the licence up and running on.

It didn’t happen and later, in 2021, the MRAG report came out, with the new name ‘a draft proposal and guidelines format’.

Had the implemen-

Glenlyon Dam

by BRIAN DARE

tation of an all waters fishing licence taken place in 2015 at $0.10 a day (with no concession and a $10 weekly permit) for all salt and freshwater recreational anglers, about $365 million would be bringing the standard of fishing to the required level for the Olympics.

With the coming election in 2024, about 1 million recreational angler votes will be for the all waters fishing licence.

Fixing the fishery What is required is to have Fisheries Queensland as a separate and independent authority to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, with its own administration, office staff and director.

Currently, if we have a fish kill, we have to find a biologist from within DAF, and a team with the fisheries and species knowledge, qualified, skilled and trained in fisheries science.

We are not able to contact a biologist – lack of information on phone numbers.

Managers are not able to answer questions and contact DAF for advice, if available.

Our only alternative is to contact Dr Gavin Butler or Dr Leo Cameron at the NSW Grafton Research Centre, both of

whom work on freshwater species within the Murray Darling Basin in the northern section of this system.

Presently, things are looking up because of the floods in 2021.

A recovery of native fish took place with 12 species returning to upstream locations – both big and small fish in good numbers is a great sight to see.

Over time, we’ve come a long way.

In the mid-1980s, Brian Beattie and Alex Hamlyn would drive north to Queensland with cod, silver perch and yellowbelly to put fingerlings into the upper reaches, with Connolly Dam receiving these species in the early days of stocking.

This brings me to the question of when do we stop stocking native Murray Darling fish into rivers and dams… when is enough, enough?

To date, no research has been done on the stocking with results released.

We have possible hybridisation and changes taking place – is the stocking going to cause a problem with in-breeding and overuse of brood fish captured in the same locations each year?

It is hoped that by the time you read this month’s rant, the size * continued P81

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Fixing our fisheries * from P80

of silver and golden perch has been changed to 35cm for each of these species as a minimum takehome length.

With possession limits remaining at 10 for golden perch and five for silver perch.

Access It was good to read about the Dharriwaa Elders Group from Walgett finally having the gate that leads to the Barwon River and weir opened.

Eight years of work was involved in getting it sorted.

Admittance is needed across the board when it comes to access for fishing rivers in all states and territories.

No change Last but not least – and sorry if this upsets your holiday – on page 76 is a six-page release originally printed for this publication in 2015.

I asked for it to be reprinted and that you read it.

Strange isn’t it… no change in over 10 years.

Still no updated permit system, only $1.25 million raised and nothing on the 202122 or 2022-23 audit results on the sale of fishing permits from Fisheries Queensland.

From myself, Debbie, my two daughters and Damien, as well as the fish bin cleaner, we wish you a wonderful 2024.

Wayne Grey enjoyed his yellowbelly fishing.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 81

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February Edition Copy Deadline – Advertisements must arrive NO later than January 4, 2024

POST TO PO BOX 162, Wynnum QLD 4178 or EMAIL with a photo to ads@collins.media When completing this form please leave one square of space between each word (Hyphens, full-stops, commas, word spaces count as one letter) ALL ADS MUST BE PRE-PAID 1 1 2

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Page 82 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024

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Big game player Lex Neal with a quality red emperor taken on a recent epic Swains Reef trip.

Greg Mori

Super proud of catching a fish on her own rod, almost four-year-old Isla reeled this whiting in completely by herself. A very proud dad moment!

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I caught this ripper mahi mahi on a trip with Cape Moreton Charters.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 83

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 85

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, January 2024 – Page 87

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