From the Bush ‘n Beach Fishing editor
IT is with mixed emotions that I pen the last editorial for the printed and digital edition of Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine.
After battling massive price increases in both print and postage, I have made the very tough decision to make the February 2025 edition the last print and digital publication of BNB.
Unfortunately, as it stands today, the magazine was literally priced out of the print and publishing game, despite having a very loyal and supportive advertising and subscriber base.
We’ve been fortunate, enjoying the good times and enduring the tough times, however with Australia Post controlling the distribution of the mag to subscribers, we were forced to fold our hand.
Just to break even would have meant tripling our cover price – and that goes against the core ethos of BNB.
While this is the end of the magazine, BNB Fishing will still be around.
Our Facebook and Instagram pages are very popular and, as I have a general interest in getting fishing and boating information out to fishos, these will continue, as will our website, which contains a host of fishing info.
As mentioned, I have a myriad of mixed emotions.
While this is the end of an era and the end of something my late father started, it is also the opportunity to spend more time with my family and hopefully start new adventures.
Fishing and boating are in my blood and my ‘job’ of getting information out to recreational anglers was something I truly enjoyed doing –and will continue to do, only in a different format or platform.
As several of you would know, seeing someone catch a fish for the first time or getting a personal best is often more rewarding than catching the fish yourself.
That same passion has been shown by our writers, who also have been keen to pass on their knowledge and wisdom –which is what made the mag great – a reliable and trustworthy source of information for a whole range of fishos.
There are thousands of stories I could retell about how BNB has helped anglers.
One not many of you would know, and one I find very inspirational, relates to two of our writers, Brian Webb and Sean Conlon.
If you are unaware, Sean has been a charter guide for many years, though when he relocated to
the Moreton Bay region, he didn’t know much about the bay.
Sean started reading BNB, particularly Brian Webb’s articles, which detailed heaps of information about Moreton Bay –I have included a one of Brian’s articles in this edition as our Cast from the Past.
The knowledge Sean took from Brian’s articles, combined with his own fishing prowess, allowed him to become a very skilful bay angler, who then put hundreds of clients onto either their first fish or a PB catch.
I feel this story typifies what Bush ‘n Beach Fishing was all about – a big family that loved fishing and were happy to see other fishos learn and grow, then shine.
Hopefully we can keep that legacy going through our social media platforms and e-news.
Subscriber refunds
Subscribers will be refunded on a prorata basis dependent on the number of months left on their subscription.
Please email your name, address, phone number and bank details (BSB and account number) to accounts@collins. media so we can process your refund.
Thanks
Following the Facebook post announcing February was our last edition, I was overwhelmed by
the support and well wishes that were received.
I have been slowly replying to most but, as you can imagine, it has been a chaotic time, so apologies if I haven’t replied to you yet.
I have been fortunate to meet so many wonderful people with similar passions
over the years.
It has also been awesome working with industry members on a business level – your support enabled us to keep delivering boating and fishing information to the recreational fishing sector.
Tight lines and see you on the water!
Ben Collins
BEN COLLINS landed this nice coral trout on a recent fishing expedition to Swain Reefs on Carlo II. Hopefully more time for fishing. OUR
DECEMBER SUB PRIZE WINNERS: Congratulations to A. Dickinson, Bli Bli; G. Murray, Thornlands; J. Mitchell, Alexandra Hills; J. Eldred, Stretton; N. Farrelly, Mulambin and T. Ash, Cabarlah who will each receive a $60 gift card to spend at Mad Keen Fishing.
JANUARY SUB PRIZE WINNER: Congratulations to R. Kaehne from Deception Bay. You will receive a white MX500 5W VHF marine radio from Oricom valued at $250 RRP.
Bait fishing GC beaches
Moreton Bay magic
Peel Island and surrounds
Fresh flushes out flathead
for jewfish
tips for Tin Can Bay
Barramundi are back on Freshwater features
February 2025 contents
Where it all began ............................... by Ben Collins ............... P8
Moreton Bay magic .............................. by Sean Conlon ............P12
Tide Times - Brisbane Bar ......................... .............................P15
Fresh flushes out flatties ......................... by Keith Stratford...........P16
Power boat angler adventures ................... by Mick Clutterbuck ........P18
Parting thoughts to improve your fishing ........ by Sean Thompson .........P20
John Crawford Marine bids BNB a fond farewell.. .............................P23
Fishing Peel Island and surrounds ................ by Brian Webb ..............P24
Sign-on day for RBAFC is February 2 P27
A six pack of fishy yarns .......................... by Justin Willmer ...........P28
Encourage young anglers ........................ by Mark Templeton.........P32
Superb Straddie sortie ........................... by Mitchel Zygnerski .......P34
Ocean Craft’s game changer ..................... .............................P38
Bait fishing Gold Coast beaches .................. by Clint Ansell ..............P40
Mackerel mayhem month ....................... by Gavin Dobson ...........P43
Pelagic party time ................................ by Brett Hyde...............P46
Boating & Fishing Events ......................... .............................P47
Year-round guide for jewies by Tye Porter P48
Top tips for Tin Can Bay .......................... by Chris Rippon ............P50
Nice bites for novices ............................ by Tri Ton ...................P53
Tide Times – Waddy Point ........................ .............................P53
Keep enjoying our great outdoors ............... by Paul 'Chief' Graveson ....P55
Barra season is back .............................. by John Boon ..............P56
Big barra bonanza ............................... by Gary Churchward .......P58
Farewell from Cape York ......................... by ‘Billabong’ Bazz Lyon ....P59
East on Gibb River Road – Part 3 ................. by Ben Collins ..............P60
AusArmourfest adventure by Craig Tomkinson P62
Freshwater favourite sooty grunter .............. by Neil Schultz .............P64
Moura Muddy Water Fishing Classic ............. by Helen Abdy .............P65
Dam Levels.
Queensland freshwater fishing. .
.............................P65
by Brian Dare ...............P66
P68 18 33 49
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EDITOR: Ben Collins
PRODUCTION: Tiffany Brown Lisa Jones The Team
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. 29 16 34 56
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
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Where it all began
AS a tribute to all involved in the Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine over the years, I have put together a summary of highlights.
Obviously, some of this was before I was formally inducted into BNB, so the following is to the best of my knowledge.
Initially, there were two separate publications – Bush ‘n Beach Offroad, which started in June 1989, and Boat and Tackle, which started a few months later in November 1989.
Both monthly titles were produced by Redel Publication, with Greig Roberts as the editor.
At the time my father, the late Ron Col-
History of BNB
by BEN COLLINS
lins, was a writer for both publications.
There was a slight change in April 1990, with the papers being produced as a combination publication and both titles on the masthead.
I believe the combination of the titles was to reduce the cost of printing and postage – ironic really.
Interestingly, the cost of the publication before the amalgamation was $1 each and the new combined edition was $1.50, pre-GST days.
Sadly, Greig passed away suddenly.
My understanding was that Greig had
not long before purchased a large printer/photocopier, back when these were the size of a car and essentially the same price.
A deal was made where Collins Speciality Media took over the repayments of the photocopier in lieu of the two titles on the masthead.
This meant the August 1990 issue was the first for Collins Speciality Media. While not a formal employee at this stage, as for any family business, you were required to help out whenever required,
* continued P9
Boat ’n Tackle was added in November 1989.
The two titles were combined into one publication in April 1990.
The first offical Bush ’n Beach publication.
Sad farewell to founding member Greig Roberts.
Where it all began
which mainly included mailouts and attending boat shows.
I offically made the cover of the publication in January 1991, though I had been in the background of several covers before then.
As a typical 16-yearold, I wasn’t that keen to have my photograph taken… well not for the one hundredth time holding the same sand crabs in a host of different positions.
Anyone who knew my father would understand what I am talking about.
he wanted to get the best photo and produce the best publication possible.
Since this was well before mobile phones, more than a few shots were needed because you wouldn’t know exactly how they’d turn out, not until you received them back from the film processing shop – how things have changed!
As the publication evolved, it took on a new look again with the January 1994 edition, now called Bush ‘n Beach Fishing.
But that was him –
Fittingly, a good friend of my dad’s – and now a good friend of mine – Bill
cover holding a quality offshore snapper.
With the change in title came a slight price rise to $2.
As I was looking back through the master copies in search of this data, it was interesting to see who and what were on the covers – hopefully we can digitalise all the old editions so they can be read again.
From 1994 through to 2000 there weren’t a lot of major changes, aside from an increase in page numbers and readers.
As the publication grew in popularity, a
* from P8 * continued P10
Corten adorned the
In about August 1990, Collins Speciality Media took ownership of Boat ’N Tackle and Bush ’N Beach Offroad.
The author’s first offical front cover shot with a haul of sand crab. This boat saw plenty of these come over the side.
In January 1994, the two titles combined into one. On the cover of this edition was legendary offshore angler Bill Corten with a solid knobbie and old Cruise Craft in the background.
Where it all began
* from P9
decision was made to go from a full newsprint newspaper to a gloss-cover magazine.
This change was planned to coincide with the 2000 Brisbane Boat Show, which my father was very heavily involved with.
Hence the September 2000 magazine was released with a gloss cover and with none other than whiting guru Wayne ‘Youngy’ Young holding a beach-caught tarwhine and bream.
The cover price for the glossy edition was $2.50 including GST.
Unfortunately, you never know what hand you are going to be dealt and in late 2000, both my father and I were diagnosed with cancer.
There’s no sugar coating this – it was a very tough time for our family.
Sadly, Dad’s was terminal, but he didn’t let people know because he had a very strong desire to prove the doctors wrong.
Those who knew him would attest to how stubborn he could be, yet he had fishing and boating at the forefront and was a passionate advocate for the recreational fishing industry.
Around this time, I came onboard as a full-time employee to learn the ropes and impart some of my recently acquired knowledge from my BA in business marketing.
I didn’t have a great deal of time working with my father but one thing was for sure, we were both passionate about the industry.
After Dad sadly passed in June 2003, just prior to his fifty-seventh birthday, I was left at the helm to forge my own path.
The amount of support at that time was incredible.
The team managed to produce the July 2003 edition before he went, with my fa-
ther in hospital still wanting to proof the pages to the best of his abilities.
From then, it was then my time to build on the solid foundations of the business.
The value of the recreational fishing industry became even more evident over the years and the whole industry grew at a rapid rate.
Being primarily Queensland and northern NSW based, we were blessed with awesome year-round fishing and a host of fish species to catch and places to visit.
These were the glory days of the magazine and people were elated to appear on the cover.
Then everything went pear-shaped with the arrival of COVID-19 in early 2020.
No one could be sure as to what was going to happen, or whether the world was going to end.
To support our advertisers, we did not charge them for the May and June editions of 2020 and the mag was produced only digitally, which saw it evolve yet again.
The July 2020 edition was the first of the A4-sized publications, which was received with mixed opinions – some loved it, while others preferred the original A3/ tabloid format.
This change in format was done for several reasons, including to reduce printing and postage costs, plus it was the format of the digital version of the magazine.
The change also saw the addition of gloss pages, with the aim of making it more of a coffee table or waiting room mag.
Though I do know firsthand, a large portion made their way to the dunny.
From there, the rest is history… until this the last issue.
Thank you everyone for the support over the years – it has been very much appreciated.
In September 2000, a gloss cover was added.
After the passing of Ron Collins, the author took the helm.
•
ICANNOT believe this will be my last article.
About 14 years ago, I walked into Bush ‘n Beach Fishing, then at Cleveland, to see Ben and his mum Sue to say thank you for putting a photo of my two-year-old son in the magazine… and that’s how it all began.
I didn’t even know how to write an article.
Yet here we are a fair few years later and I’ve written several.
by SEAN CONLON
To be honest, at the beginning I didn’t think anyone would even read my stories.
Luckily plenty of you did.
I hope that I was able to give you the information you wanted or needed.
A big thanks to all of you for reading my articles.
If you hadn’t have read them, I wouldn’t
have been able to do this for so long.
I didn’t realise that when I started writing for this magazine that it would open up so many doors, with certain aspects on fishing products, talking at boat shows and also being able to go out on some very memorable fishing trips.
I also wouldn’t have
Southern Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay magic
The photo that started it all off, the author with his son Max.
Max now has his own outstanding catches.
Moreton Bay magic
* from P12
been able to promote my fishing charter business as I’ve been able to in this publication.
I know that a lot of the success I’ve had with my business is down to BNB.
If I wasn’t able to showcase the type of fish we were catching each month in this mag, I don’t think my business would have
been anywhere near as successful.
So for that I say a very big thank you to Ben, Sue and the team for the wonderful help given to put my articles together each month.
When it comes down to it, we’ve been able to showcase some outstanding catches over the years, with rather solid spanish mackerel in southern
Moreton Bay, some fantastic stories of large jewfish that we were lucky enough to put onboard and solid snapper.
For the people who caught these fish, it was the catch of a lifetime.
And then to see their pictures in print afterwards was the icing on the cake.
I have a few diehard customers who have been with me for a long time.
They loved coming out, catching fish and then seeing themselves in BNB.
Unfortunately, a very tough decision was made as it’s simply not viable to print the magazine anymore –things are changing.
So, from my family to the BNB family, what you have accomplished has
The author’s wife has had a few standouts of her own over the years.
Rebecca boated a decent squire. These won’t be in short supply any time soon.
* continued P14
Impressive snapper have been caught in the bay over the years. This fish was from Potts Point.
Moreton Bay magic
been nothing short of amazing. Benny, you should be very proud of what you’ve achieved… I know your father, who started the mag
Marine Electronics
Sales, Service and Installations
so long ago, would be.
It is a fishing magazine, so I should probably finish off with a small fishing report.
At the time of writing, the water had started to clean up.
We’ve been catching plenty of southern bay snapper all around the islands, including Peel and Goat.
In the mix were some very nice grass
sweetlip, solid bream and the occasional dusky and sand flathead.
Most of the fish were caught drifting rubble ground, then as the tide slowed, we moved to isolated wrecks or structure with bait and soft plastics.
If the water dirties up, either find cleaner water or, if you can’t,
Plenty of southern bay squire are about and we’ll still be getting out there to chase a few.
A decent snapper caught on the reliable Zerek Ripper Diver.
A standout 18kg spanish mackerel trolled up on a Zerek Ripper Diver in southern Moreton Bay.
* from P13
Moreton Bay magic
use a good berley trail with bait – fresh pillies, squid and mullet fillet have been working really well.
Drifting the rubble grounds, we’ve had a lot of luck on soft plastics, from a Zerek Live Flash Minnow Wriggly to Zerek Flat Shad Pros and anything with a paddle tail.
Remember if the water is dirty, use darker coloured plastics.
Also, because sharks are a problem, I’ve been using heavier gear – 3-6kg rods and a 3000 spin reel with 15lb braid – it helps to get those fish back to the boat quicker.
Well, that’s it from me, thank you so much for reading my articles over the years. It’s been fantastic to meet so many people who have read them, like being in one big BNB family.
One day, I’ll be able to tell my grandchildren that I used to write for a fishing magazine. It has definitely been one of the highlights of my life. So, for the last time…
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 knowl-
edge is key. 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 sean conlonsfishing@hot mail.com or check out the Facebook page Seano’s Inshore Fishing Charters and Tuition. And check out the new Fish Goop page on Facebook.
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5 WE 0234 2.12 0844 0.85 1430 1.92 2102 0.59
6 TH 0345 2.14 1008 0.95 1541 1.72 2206 0.65
7
7 FR 0505 2.19 1146 0.94 1710 1.62 2321 0.66
8 SA 0620 2.29 1312 0.83 1835 1.64
9 SU 0036 0.62 0722 2.40 1414 0.71 1943 1.72
9 SU 0036 0.62 0722 2.40 1414 0.71 1943 1.72
10
10 MO 0140 0.55 0815 2.48 1503 0.63 2034 1.81
11 TU 0232 0.48 0900 2.52 1545 0.59 2117 1.89
12 WE 0316 0.44 0938 2.53 1621 0.58 2154 1.95 13 TH 0354 0.43 1014 2.51 1652 0.58 2229
Fresh flushes out flatties
WELCOME to final edition of Bush ‘n Beach Fishing.
All good things come to an end and rising costs signalled the end of this great magazine.
I’ve been writing for BNB for approximately 22 years.
I started off as a very keen fisho in my early 20s.
Before I started writing for the publication, towards the end of each month, I would be at the newsagency waiting for the magazines to come out.
I was fishing four to five times a week back then – I had a lot more patience than I do now.
When I started obsessing over mangrove jack, I would spend hours casting a variety of lures at the same snags until I’d get a bite.
I definitely don’t do that these days.
by KEITH STRATFORD
Back in the early days of writing for BNB, I spent a lot of time at fishing competitions.
My first-ever article was about the Flathead Classic, yet I rarely fish any comps these days.
Most of my fishing time is spent chasing flathead, jewfish, threadfin salmon and mangrove jack locally with my family.
I’ve met a lot of people through the magazine, some of whom have turned into lifelong friends.
Unfortunately, I was never great at getting my stories in on time – hence there’s been no shortage of reminder emails and phone calls over the years.
The crew at BNB have always been very patient and a pleasure
to work with.
That’s enough reminiscing and rambling…
Let’s have a look at what’s happening around Brisbane.
The rain has been relentless, keeping most systems fairly dirty. This has resulted in some really good fishing towards the mouth of the Pine, Caboolture and Brisbane rivers.
Flathead were the main species caught and have been in great numbers.
And the Caboolture River has produced the better-quality fish. It does struggle to clear after rain and always takes longer than the Pine River.
When the clean water pushed in towards the top of the tide, the fish were feeding.
Local Luring
Everyone loves catching flathead.
Amelia Stratford landed a nice flathead at the mouth of the Pine River.
Luke Stratford lures flathead like a pro.
Fresh flushes out flatties
* from P16
I’ve landed a few plus 70cm fish there over the past few months, with one stretching out to 79cm.
Bigger fish like that are few and far between in the Pine and Caboolture rivers.
Plenty of big fish were at Bribie Island, though they don’t come into the Pine and Caboolture very often.
Sharks have been thick, and they aren’t going anywhere in a hurry, particularly while nothing is being done about them.
It’s getting to the stage where it will be almost impossible to get their numbers under control.
The smaller ones are eating machines.
They swim around all day with their mouths open, chomping everything in their way.
Mangrove jack
will be feeding well with the dirty water around.
The rivers in Brisbane don’t have much structure towards the mouth, so once the water cleans up a little, the fish will be pushing back into the snags in the upper reaches.
The Brisbane River will have plenty of snapper feeding on the bait schools.
Jewfish will also be close by and there’ll be good schools of threadfin salmon hanging around the wharves at the mouth.
I’d like to thank you all for reading my articles over the years.
Thanks to Ben and the crew at Bush ‘n Beach Fishing for putting up with me for so long – I wish you all the best in the future.
Hope to see you on the water.
Power boat angler adventures
IT was sad to hear that this will be the last print edition of Bush ‘n Beach Fishing to go out to the fishing public.
The Power Boat Anglers deep sea fishing club has had a long association with BNB and would not have been around for as long if it wasn’t for their continued support.
Ron helped us out big time in the early days with a number of things, including sponsoring and donating the trophy for the Seventeen Seventy club competition.
That backing continued with Ben, who has been a guest speaker at our meetings over the years and always provided prizes and assistance whenever we needed it, particularly the Christmas raffles.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my 20-plus years as a scribe on behalf of the PBA club and look forward to participating in the future with BNB’s online presence.
Fishing over the break
by MICK CLUTTERBUCK
While there were no official club competitions over the Christmas break, that didn’t mean everyone sat at home twiddling their thumbs.
Some stayed put locally and went crabbing, while others headed far and wide for a well-earned break, and snuck in a little fishing too.
Brett Shalders went out with Nick on Christmas eve and found a mud crab honey hole that delivered a nice feed.
He followed this up with a fishing trip across the ditch to New Zealand that
proved very successful, bagging some nice snapper and kahawai.
Back on this side of the planet, there was quite good weather, which allowed access to the bay before the new year and saw many of our members out on the water chasing an array of species.
Dale McClurgh spent a little time off Wellington Point with his daughter Zoey, who showed her dad how things were done, catching a personal best slatey bream and grass emperor among other species.
Darry Eaves hit the
Big flathead, such as this 79cm fish, were feeding around the river mouths.
John boated a very nice grass sweetlip on a trip out with Helaine Wilesmith.
A nice catch of pre-Christmas mud crabs.
Power Boat Anglers
Power boat angler adventures
areas around Green Island chasing spotted mackerel and was rewarded with a couple of decent fish.
I may be wrong, but I haven’t heard of spotties in any large numbers as yet.
Though I’m hoping they show up soon and give the grinner population a bit of a spanking – these are simply out of control numbers wise at the moment.
Peter MacPherson took his new boat out for a christening with a crew of Sam and Michael.
They targeted Cape Moreton and came away with a nice feed of snapper and a respectable spanish mackerel for their efforts.
Helaine Wilesmith and John Hooker hit
out from Rainbow Beach, spending the day about 40km offshore.
They worked over their usual spots and ended up with a nice Esky full of quality fish, with the best being John’s snapper and grass emperor.
Wayne Evans is a new member and seems to be popping up on various boats targeting all sorts of species.
Robin Love had him on a trip in the bay where they came home with a mixed bag of summer and winter whiting.
He popped up again recently with Arthur Woo after another successful trip, this time chasing snapper.
I’ve got to say Arthur will be one to watch this competition season because
he continues to land quality fish on his trips out.
Brendon Tait thought he’d get out of Brisbane and do a few relaxing trips from Seventeen Seventy.
Sounded good… the only problem was the several hundred others who had the same idea.
The line up to the ramp stretched its way along the road, past the market grounds and, once off the trailer, finding a parking spot was an additional nightmare – I’m not sure how the fishing went.
Well, that’s about it for the last print edition.
A big thanks to all the readers of this publication, for supporting our club and the mag for such a long time.
Remember to get on Facebook and follow the Bush ‘n Beach Fishing Magazine page and continue to support them for all your boating and fishing news.
Thanks to Ben and everyone at BNB.
Meetings
Any interested parties are invited to come along to our monthly meetings, which occur on the first Wednesday of every month at ‘The Club Manly’ (bowls club), 26 Faine St Manly from 6.30pm for a 7pm start.
The first meeting for the new year will be Wednesday February 5, then on Wednesday March 5.
Safe boating.
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).
John Hooker was stoked with this snapper taken 40km off Rainbow Beach.
Zoey showed her dad how to do things, catching her personal best slatey bream and grass emperor.
Parting thoughts to improve your fishing
HI folks, sadly this will be my last article for this wonderful magazine.
It has been an absolute pleasure writing for Ben and the team and I hope you’ve gained some useful takeaways from my articles over the years – I know I’ve expanded my knowledge from the content of this publication.
One thing I learnt not too long after I caught the fishing bug in my mid 20s was that you never stop learning.
Learning as much from your failures as your successes. Do not be arrogant and assume you know it all.
Ask questions – listen, watch and learn to filter out the best from the worst advice.
But most importantly, don’t ever think you know it all – you don’t.
So, as a way of finishing up, I thought
by SEAN THOMPSON
I’d pen my thoughts on some of the simplest ways a beginner, and even a more experienced angler, can improve their fishing. Target your species
One of the most understated areas of improving your knowledge is the need to target your species.
I’ve heard the phrase ‘whatever’s biting’ a thousand times or more when asking someone what fish they’re chasing.
Always start with the end in mind – the best way to do that in fishing is understanding your available target species.
To do this, find some reliable information on your local state through books and fishing publication websites.
Also ask experts at your tackle shop.
You should try to
learn the basics for each of your desired targets and be realistic – for example, if you don’t own a boat, don’t think you can target offshore species.
The following is the type of information you’ll want to learn on each of your desired species in your area or the areas you’re visiting on holiday.
Season
What the best season to target these fish is.
For example, while flathead might be around all year in southeast Queensland, hot water in summer can make them a harder fish to find in the shallows, especially if the water hasn’t been cooled by rain or run off.
Location
Where the best place
The author’s son Matthew with the spoils of his angling efforts – a lovely flathead wading with only 3lb fluorocarbon line.
Mackerel need vastly different gear and leaders to whiting.
Live bait are the best bait, such as these prawns destined for barramundi.
Having a light jig head weight is important for catching flathead in shallow water.
Fishing Tips
Parting thoughts to improve your fishing
* from P20
to catch these fish is, whether you have a boat or not.
For example, beach, estuary, rocks, bay or offshore.
Time and tide
When the best time to target these fish is.
As a general rule, dawn and dusk are great times to target most species, however other factors can come into play too, such as tides and the size of the tide.
For some species, bigger high and lower low tides can be more productive in the four days or so leading up to a full or new moon.
Tackle
What the best tackle is – rod length and kilogram weight rating, rod action, reel size and line kilogram weight rating. Avoid ‘general purpose’ rods… I call them ‘no purpose’ rods.
For example, if you wanted to target whiting off the beach, go for a longer rod than for in a boat or in an estuary.
Buy a long 10’6” or so whippy fibreglass rod of about 2-4kg line on a small Alvey reel or 2000-2500 spin reel.
You will 100 percent catch more fish than a generic rod of about 8’ with a 4000 size reel, stiff tip and 15lb cheap pre-loaded line. The right weight
Once you have your seasons sorted and the right tackle, also consider the right weight
for your sinker, lure or lure jig head. In general, try to use the least weight you can get away with or, if you need to use a heavier lead to hold bottom in the surf or fast running river, try using a longer leader for a more natural presentation of the bait.
Fishing line type and ratings
Almost every day, guaranteed there’ll be a debate on social media in Facebook fishing chat groups about what line is better, braid or mono, and insist one is always better than the other.
Knowledgeable anglers will come to realise that each has its place, as well as fluorocarbon leaders, which are more abrasion resistant and have comparable properties to water in that they are harder to
see when submerged. As a rule, only if I’m bait fishing in anything but deeper reefs, I will use mono over braid for the stretch factor, allowing the fish to pick up the bait and run without direct resistance back on the rod.
Straight light-rated fluorocarbon is also an excellent option for chasing whiting wading the flats.
On the other hand, if I’m lure fishing, I want direct contact with the rod – no stretch – to detect even the most subtle hits of a flathead closing its mouth.
For this I use braid line and the brighter the better for seeing any hits or to know if the line has gone slack by reaching the bottom.
You still need a fluorocarbon leader
* continued P22
Tips for catching your own bait
Understanding the preferred structure for your target species is critical, like this yabby bank which held a bunch of whiting, bream and the odd flathead
The perfect setup to land an Australian bass, 6lb braided line, an 8lb leader, 2-4kg graphite rod and a deep diving lure.
Parting thoughts to improve your fishing
* from P21
though because it’s harder for the fish to detect, more abrasion resistant for sharp teeth and allows you a little stretch around the boat or shore at the end of the fight.
Likewise in deep water it can pay to use braid because with a strong current, by the time the bottom bite is registered on your rod, you may have missed it.
As a rule, I use about a rod length of fluorocarbon leader when lure fishing.
Also, learn to check the diameter of your line.
The diameter of a line can vary considerably, despite being rated to the same kilogram strength.
I prefer thinner diameter lines for casting, trolling and less current resistance in all but rugged territory, when thicker more abrasion-resistant line might be an advantage.
The right bait
Another big mistake of the casual angler is the reliance on service station bait.
That’s the type that has been sitting in the bottom of the freezer for months and is dull, dried out and freezer burnt.
The rule of thumb for bait fishing is live is best, fresh is second best and snap-frozen bait from a source with a lot of turnover, such as a tackle shop, is next best.
For beach and estuary anglers, invest in a
yabby pump and learn how to catch beachworms.
Also learn how to throw a cast net to catch live prawns and bait such as herring and small mullet.
You will beat dried out frozen bait 10 to one.
Worse case, if you’re time poor and must use frozen bait such as prawns, it can pay to peel them and throw the shells in for berley.
Speaking of which, berley and bait fishing go hand in hand.
Not too much and not too little to keep fish in the area.
Set your drag
One of the areas people lose the most fish is at the boat or close to the shore.
Why?
They have set their drag wrong – too tight – and when the fish has one last desperate lunge, the line snags under load.
As a rule, it is best to set your drag at about one third of the breaking strain of the line.
For some hard-fighting fish, such as mangrove jack, you need a very tight drag to extract them out of the snags but this is normally compensated by using a heavier leader less prone to breakage under the load.
Looking after your gear
Lastly, once you have gone to the trouble of buying the right gear, look after it.
Wash your reels down carefully using a fine mist spray, with
the drag done after use around saltwater –spray, dry them, back off the drag and put it in a dry place.
Likewise, the rod –give all the runners a wash.
Don’t put used hooks or lures back in a tackle box with others if they’ve been used in saltwater without also giving them a wash and dry.
Change your fishing line over from time to time too.
I will change leaders and traces after a session of heavy use as well.
And, if your reel drag gets sticky, get it serviced because it could cost you the fish of a lifetime.
Wrapping up
As sad as it is to come to the end of this article and magazine, I would like to finish on a positive note.
Let’s be glad that, thanks to Ben, his dad and the BNB team, we are much better off from the knowledge gained over many years from this wonderful magazine.
I’m glad I was able to play a small part, writing for the last decade or so.
To stay in touch for quality reports and information, do as Ben said and continue to follow the BNB socials and, if you haven’t already, give me a follow at Ontour Fishing Australia on Facebook.
Until we meet online or on the water, may you bag your mates and not your limit.
Even busy locations such as the Gold Coast will hold good fish if you target the right species on the right tide.
Having your drag set correctly when trolling is critical – too tight and the lure will pull out of the fish’s mouth due to the forward momentum.
Very light line needs a light drag because even small fish such as whiting can give you a great run for your money.
Beach fishing requires longer casts and therefore longer rods and matching reels.
John Crawford Marine bids BNB
DEAR Ben, the Collins Media team and fellow readers and writers both current and past, BNB has been a trusted go-to for anglers and boaters for decades, and the John Crawford team and I say thank you.
Each month, without fail, we have had the privilege of reading unique articles that have been penned from the magazine’s cohort of knowledgeable writers, sharing their valuable local fishing experiences and providing tips that
benefitted both beginners and the experienced angler.
Though this chapter of the printed version of the Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine closes, we look forward to the re-invigoration of the next ‘digital’ chapter, whereby
the continuation of knowledge sharing to an established boating and fishing community will continue.
Something that John Crawford Marine looks forward to being a part of.
On behalf of myself and the JCM team, a
heartfelt thank you. We have truly valued BNB’s collective efforts in promoting boating and fishing to the outdoor recreational community. Yours in boating.
Matthew Hodson JCM Managing Director
Queensland’s Used Boat Specialists
AST ASTfrom the past C C
Fishing Peel Island and surrounds
FEATURING
a great article from the Bush ‘n Beach Fishing mag archives, welcome to Cast from the Past.
Here’s a piece by Brian Webb from April 2020 with some tips on fishing Peel Island – our most popular post on the website to date.
Peel Island is inhabited by a variety of sea life including dugongs, turtles and dolphins, jellyfish following the current
Bay
by BRIAN WEBB
and, of course, plenty of fish and an occasional shark.
The island is a popular overnight and weekend anchorage for vessels, and Horseshoe Bay on the southern side is a great spot for sheltering from northerly wind, particularly during summer.
If you plan to camp
on Peel Island – now Teerk Roo Ra National Park – you will need to contact and book via the Queensland Government’s national parks and forests website.
In its early days, Peel Island was a leper colony, and the remnants and old jetty in the western shallows are protected as part of the heritage site.
From the spit to the top northwest corner is a green zone.
I work on the principle that once you reach the 2m contour, the green zone commences.
Another green zone is further north on the maze of sandbanks where the Amity Banks are located,
as well as a couple of small ones in the Rainbow Channel.
The island is fed by the channel, which stretches all the way up to Amity Point township and finishes near One Mile.
Peel Island and Harry Atkinson Artificial Reef are the two most-fished areas in Moreton Bay, and on weekends it’s often hard to find space to fish due to the number of boats.
The Rous Channel also has an effect on currents around the northern side of Peel.
The Rous lies about 5km from Manly and 2km northwest of Amity.
The reefs around Peel Island hold a variety of fish from snapper to grass sweetlip, spangled emperor, cod, tuskfish, trevally and squid.
Bream, the occasional flathead and whiting can be found from the Platypus wreck across to Bird Island.
Peel Island is also known to produce coral trout, nannygai, parrotfish and even juvenile red emperor.
If you have time and are after a feed of whiting, head north along the banks to the mouth of the Rous and Fishermans Gutter or outside the green zone on Amity Banks.
Fish the weed beds because a feed of
diver whiting is usually available, along with good squid.
The deeper water around Goat Island is one of my favourite jewfish areas and, though it sporadically holds reef species, the current can get strong. While the Rainbow weed beds hold grassies, spangled, tuskfish and squid as well as pelagics off Amity Point, the water north of Peel towards Harrys carries school mackerel (doggies), the occasional spotted mackerel, mack tuna and quite often longtail tuna.
Myora Reef also holds spangled emperor at times.
The houseboat wreck at Latitude (DDM): 27° 30.348’S, Longitude (DDM): 153° 19.303’E lies southwest of Peel Island and, while it’s worth the effort, fishing on top of the wreck will end in a multitude of snags because a trawl net lies over the top of it, so it pays to fish to one side.
This area, Hole in the Wall and around the beacon at South West Rocks fish best on the run-in tide.
If intending to fish Rainbow Channel, beware of the strong currents that inundate it.
It is the highway from South Passage Bar for large sharks
Target tuskfish with the right bait.
Moreton
The diversity of species available include little blue parrotfish.
AST ASTfrom the past C C
Fishing Peel Island and surrounds
* from P24
and pelagics moving back and forth.
Birds give away most of the bait ball positions, yet trolling the edge of both sides of the channel with spoon lures, paravane boards or Halco Laser Pro 160/190 lures can result in a pelagic hook-up and occasionally kingfish.
At times, structure such as the rock walls near One Mile and Amity Point, and the pylons around Dunwich, will produce good-sized bream and grunter.
The water from Peel across to Green Island can get very rough, especially with a strong northerly or southerly blowing.
The ramps at Raby Bay and Victoria Point offer the option of running with a northerly or punching into a southerly rather than travelling sideways across to Green.
On Peel’s north side is Lazaret Gutter, which is a small channel that cuts through the reef and ends in an anchorage.
The drop-offs southeast of this entrance down to Douglas Light are the main areas to fish for snapper, sweetlip and tuskfish, and the shallows near the Bluff often produce squire and grassies.
Off the Spit beacon lies the West Peel Artificial Reef.
These co-ordinates – Latitude (DDM):
27° 29.842’S, Longitude (DDM): 153° 18.642’E, Latitude (DDM): 27° 29.842’S, Longitude (DDM): 153° 18.945’E, Latitude (DDM): 27° 30.384’S, Longitude (DDM): 153° 18.642’E and Latitude (DDM): 27° 30.384’S, Longitude (DDM): 153° 18.945’E – form the rectangle for the artificial reef.
Two popular ways of fishing Peel Island’s drop-offs are anchoring with a berley trail and casting soft plastics and lures toward the drop-offs while drifting.
It’s not hard to catch a keeper if you put in the time and effort, and the weather and tides stay on-side.
I predominantly target blackspot tuskfish at Peel.
If these fish are not playing the game, I’ll chase squire and sweetlip.
Or I’ll head up the Rainbow Channel and target a catch along the eastern drop-offs.
The only bait I use are rock crabs and legal-sized sand whiting on very heavy rigs.
This is where a downrigger comes in handy for fighting the strong currents.
Another option is to use a single paternoster rig.
The key to catching fish on bait around Peel Island, especially
snapper, sweetlip and the occasional moses perch, is to fish as light as possible because these fish have seen plenty of boats and have had loads of bait thrown at them.
Fishing with soft plastics at night generally works on two principles – silhouette and sound.
First, use larger-sized plastics such as 7” in a dark colour because the bigger lures make better silhouettes against moon and starlight.
Second, noisy vibration lures similar to Jackall TN60s are easy for fish to find due to the sheer racket they generate.
Both methods work to get the attention of snapper, especially the bigger variety on dark nights.
Care must be taken when fishing these shallow reefs at night, as a dropping tide and shallow reefs can catch you out.
If anchoring for a night’s sleep, head to the relative safety of Myora or Horseshoe Bay.
During winter, anchoring near the cross-channel marker at the bottom of Goat Island and floating a live bait in deeper water can attract reasonable-sized jewfish and tailor.
Fishing the shallows from the Bluff across to South West Rocks
The author’s mackerel and tuna setup.
A variety of the pelagics can be found around the island.
Plenty of fish this size are to be found.
Swarms of jellyfish follow the currents off Peel Island.
AST ASTfrom the past C C Fishing Peel Island and surrounds
* from P25
can entice good-sized flathead, and often whiting at quiet traffic times during summer when less boats are at anchor.
The attraction of Peel Island is it produces a
variety of species, often more than other islands in the bay. Sounding near the artificial reef, coffee rock and wrecks, you can find nannygai around 35-45cm in size.
When fishing for snapper, I recommend using berley.
I’ve caught legal snapper and found my berley in their stomach numerous times, and the best berley is what you’re
using for bait. People worry about overfeeding snapper, but with how much these fish can hold in their stomachs and the amount of small fish around, I don’t think it’s possible to
overfeed your quarry. Berley does attract unwanted species, however I don’t mind this because it means the berley is working.
For a successful trip, I recommend fishing this island during the week when fewer boats and jet skis are around.
When considering where and what time to fish, remember it all comes down to wind and tides.
I prefer outgoing tides in the northern shallows and find afternoon tides best.
The place to target is not on the top of the shallow grounds but on the drop-offs because that’s where the fish will end up as the tide recedes.
Trying to fish on top of the shallows with bait is too hard – you’ll end up losing loads of gear due to the number of snags.
For night fishing, I prefer the waning crescent moon.
My theory is the dish-shaped moon holds fish but once it tips over, it empties the fish out, making them harder to find. So, what time of year is best?
I have caught snapper all year round in the bay, big and small, and though catches improve in cooler conditions, summer produces some decent fish.
Peel Island and surrounds attract an assortment of fish.
Sign-on day for RBAFC is February 2
THE Redland Bay Amateur Fishing Club has been a cornerstone of the local fishing community for decades, fostering a strong sense of camaraderie and tradition.
This rich history was recently highlighted through a post shared by one of our esteemed life members Wal Ninnes.
In the shared photos, you can see prominent local fishing figures whose names are proudly engraved on the club’s trophies, preserving their legacy within the community.
Over the years, the club has evolved significantly, growing from its humble beginnings at the Redland Bay Hotel to its current picturesque location on the waterfront of Redland Bay.
This journey reflects not only the club’s growth but also its commitment to providing a space for fishing enthusiasts to connect, compete and celebrate their shared passion.
The club hosts a variety of competitive events, embracing all types and styles of fishing.
These include inshore and offshore fishing, beach fishing, sportfishing and artificial bait competitions.
Open to men and women of all ages, these hard-fought contests highlight the skill, dedication and diversity within our
community, making the Redland Bay Amateur Fishing Club a true hub for fishing enthusiasts.
Sign-on Day for 2025 will be held on February 2 at the clubhouse.
If you can’t make it on this day, we will also be holding a meet and greet day for new members.
Alternatively, you can also sign up via our website www. rbafc.org
Our first trip will target grass sweetlip, with parrotfish as the backup species.
Sweetlip are commonly found around the southern bay islands.
For the best results, use lightly weighted bait with a running sinker directly to the hook.
My go-to bait for this species is prawns, which I catch during the prawning season and vacuum seal into packs of 30-40.
Fresh strips of bonito and mullet are also excellent options.
Both grass sweetlip and spangled emperor are known for their awesome fights, making them a rewarding catch.
Grassies in particular are one of my favourite species to eat.
To preserve their quality, bleed and brain spike them immediately after catching, then place them in an ice slurry.
A key tip for preparing grassies is to avoid cutting the gut cavity, as this can spoil the fish.
Looking ahead, our first beach trip is scheduled for March. Keep an eye on our website for details.
I hope to see you at the sign-on day on February 2.
Matt Savas RBAFC Sports Fishing Coordinator
The author with a grass sweetlip, his favourite eating fish.
SIGN-ON
Mark your calendars for our exciting fishing club sign-on day! Come meet fellow anglers, enjoy some refreshments and learn about our upcoming events. We can't wait to see you there!
With a rich history, RBAFC trophy winners include prominent local fishing figures, as evidenced in this newspaper clipping.
A six pack of fishy yarns
HOW do you even start to write a final article for a magazine that has brought many people so much joy, inspiration and information.
We’re all here because we love the sport and to a myriad of us it’s more than a sport, it’s a lifestyle, a passion and for me, the industry has also made up my entire working life.
Fishing is more than the fish, it’s about the adventures, experiences, time with family and friends, the amazing places that it takes us and the incredible people we meet along the way.
Shout out to the team who produced this great publication and to those of you who supported it.
I’m sure that once the mag wraps up there will be opportunities for us to support the BNB social media channels and other endeavours.
In the meantime, I’m signing out from these pages with a few fishy yarns.
Fish on! They went that way
A favourite story I often share is fishing
by JUSTIN WILLMER
K’gari with my wife, spotting and following schools of tailor in the four-wheel-drive, catching fish on metal lures and Z-Man 3” MinnowZ.
We said hello to a fisho and his son a couple of times as we rolled past, they were set up in front of their camp, waiting for a bite.
We stopped nearby, having a drink and a snack, when Sheri grabbed a rod and took off saying, “Tailor!”
I looked down the beach and saw the black patch almost directly in front of where the fisho and his son were fishing.
Sheri arrived in the middle of them, flicked a cast out and proceeded to fight and land a nice tailor, right in front of them.
Their response… “Hey, we’ve been fishing here all morning and haven’t had a bite.”
To which Sheri responded, “They’re not here anymore, they went that way.”
This left a couple of fishos with confused looks on their faces, Sheri with a solid tailor and me in hysterics.
The long walk
One family of fish that Sheri and I will never keep if they’re able to be released is trevally.
They are such an awesome fish, stubborn, with a head only a mother could love and why the giant trevally found itself printed on the polycarbonate mugs and wine glasses we handed out at our wedding.
Unfortunately, I had to keep one once because it couldn’t be revived – which was unusual for a trevally, particularly a GT – it was a long and unexpected fight in surf with a big shore dump and I couldn’t get the fish going again.
I was spinning 40g metal lures on a 13’6” surf rod with a spin reel, chasing tailor along with queenfish and smaller trevally, when the water ex-
* continued
Fishing is more than catching fish, it’s the places it takes you.
A look back at Breaksea Spit K’gari, where the big trevally ate the lure and the long walk that followed.
This fish joined the author on a long walk after a lengthy and unexpected fight.
Tackle Tactics
Spotting schools of tailor on K’gari.
They went that way! Sheri with a tailor landed chasing the schools.
A six pack of fishing yarns
ploded – I was hooked to over 1m of GT off the beach.
Fishing 30lb braid, it was always going to be a long fight.
And as much as I tried to move down the beach and change the angle, I would gain some simply to lose it again due to the fish using the waves and sweep to work me over… while I was fighting against a 13’6” lever!
After what seemed like forever – though it was about 25 minutes – I had the fish in the shore break, where it took a solid tumble a couple of times before I managed to beach it.
caught the tailor in front of.
Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads when they saw the fish.
I explained what had happened, gave them a few tips and then they proceeded to tell me about this person who had run down in front of where they were fishing, pulled out a tailor and then told them that the fish went that way.
I laughed and told them that was my wife.
We spoke to them frequently throughout the trip, sharing some information, and they caught some nice fish.
I eventually made it back to camp where the fish was made into fish bites to feed a few camps around us.
bies then relax and catch a few whiting from the kayak.
I generally fish with softer rods and Australian-made Platypus nylon monofilament line when fishing with bait, however I grabbed three lure combos spooled with braid, just in case we wanted to switch over to lures.
I had two rods out from my kayak and was baiting Sheri’s rod up when one of mine launched from the kayak, thanks to the more responsive rod and no stretch in the braid.
I then worked hard to try reviving it before realising it wasn’t going to come good.
My dad had always taught me to respect the catch, so I concluded that I was going to have to carry the fish over 1km back to camp… on the higher stages of the tide… with the sun setting.
On the journey back, I had to walk through a few campsites.
With the water high, I found myself walking through the camp of the crew Sheri had
A sad end, though the fish didn’t go to waste.
Bait fishing is stressful
My family has always fished and I’m lucky my wife quickly fell in love with the sport… or maybe it was more the camping adventures, camp cooking and meeting people along the way.
All our early fishing was with lures and one day I suggested we pump some yab-
It was cruising across the surface, so I cast Sheri’s unbaited rod over it, wound in and hooked the rod grip.
It all happened in a
* from P28 * continued P30
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An additional fish from the arduous bait session, this time a grunter.
Bait fishing is stressful. Sheri with a bream from a session that saw two rods lost and then recovered.
Whiting can’t resist a saltwater yabby and aren’t too trying to fish for.
A six pack of fishing yarns
matter of seconds.
I wound the escaped combo in and then wound in a bream!
So began Sheri’s dislike of bait fishing – other than whiting on K’gari – as it’s too stressful.
This was reinforced by de-hooking a couple of stingrays.
Then… you wouldn’t believe it, a lapse in concentration and my other rod launched from the kayak!
This time the escaped combo headed across my other line, so I picked that rod up, lifted it and shook it around, somehow tangling the combo that had made the surprise exit.
I wound it back in, and again, wound the fish in that had taken it overboard.
I wish I had been filming the session –it was one of the most bizarre fishing experiences I’ve had. I need to catch that fish
crew were and started catching yellowtail pike.
They couldn’t believe it – they eventually informed me that they were actually using red and yellow wool tied to a longshank whiting hook –we are still friends to this day.
When gathering them for bait, I have since caught yellowtail pike on whatever I could find in the boat, including strips of rag, foil chip packets and orange peel.
But if you really want to target them, tie on a Pink Glow coloured Z-Man 2.5” Slim SwimZ rigged on a 1/4oz 1/0 TT HeadlockZ Finesse jig head.
Though it wasn’t a fish I caught that inspired my obsession with lure fishing, it was one I lost.
I was jigging yellowtail pike when I hooked a small trumpeter on the wool.
My love of flathead and lures stems from an early experience fishing for yellowtail pike.
In winter, these fish school around jetties, rock walls and weed banks, and are great fun to catch, particularly for kids.
As I went to lift the trumpeter out of the water to unhook it, I saw a big brown head come up from the depths and attempt to eat it.
It was a monster flathead.
I lowered the trum-
peter back into the water, the flathead ate it and suddenly I was hooked up to the largest fish I’d ever encountered.
I wish there was a happier ending, but because of the light gear I was fishing, it quickly bit me off.
It did inspire me to pick up a few cheap lures from the Brisbane Boat Show though and I was soon on my flathead journey.
I’ve been framed
After years of fishing, I’ve always said that I would rather help someone else catch a fish than catch one myself.
One of my favourite trips was taking an intellectually disabled person fishing and allowing him to drive the tiller-steer tinnie.
The look of terror on his father’s face was priceless, though I always had a hand close to the tiller in case he tried to get too creative.
We stopped to fish off a sandy stretch of beach, pumped some yabbies and put some rods out.
After catching a few whiting, my dad filleted one, hooked
* from P29 * continued P31
When I was a youth, I remember watching a couple of young anglers catch them and I asked what they were using.
They said pink Hubba Bubba bubble gum. Off to the shop I went.
I grabbed my gum, put some on the hook, jigged it like the other
Some Hubba Bubba on a longshank hook and decades later the author is still obsessed with flathead on lures.
A six pack of fishing yarns
* from P30
the frame onto the young fisho’s rod, cast it out and then told him he was getting a bite.
He struck the fish frame with excitement, fought it like it was an epic battle and then was shocked when he landed a fillet-less fish!
Though he couldn’t speak, I recognised a few of the hand gestures he used when he saw my dad laughing. Good times.
I heard another story from his family… the young fisho had caught a big bream off the beach down the coast, brought it home and then wouldn’t let anyone fillet it.
The fish was kept in the freezer for a couple of years and brought out to proudly show any new visitor who dropped in.
Maybe not the best end for the bream but it certainly made the ‘angler’ happy.
And without social media, that was the most effective way to get a few likes. That’s your son
I’ll finish with one for my folks, who introduced me to fishing, taught me the ba-
sics and have always supported my angling obsession.
My mum and dad were watching the news – minor releases of water were coming from the local dam and gushing out through a pipe into the spillway.
In the middle of the foamy water was a rock with someone fishing off it.
Dad said to Mum, “Look at that moron,” to which she exclaimed, “That’s your son!”
The rock made it a simple cast into deeper water and, more importantly, the oxygenated water that bass were holding in, resulting in plenty of hook ups.
The water levels were fine, the walk to the rock was sketchy but safe and the water movement would simply push me back to the shallow edge if I did go in.
I was doing the miles to get the smiles, as we often do as fishos, while keeping everything as safe as I could.
In saying that, safety is always a key consideration when exploring, fishing and
going the extra mile to get the bite, so safety first... always.
Thanks for reading, stay safe and enjoy the fishing journey.
See you on the water.
It’s cool dad, I’ve got this. Aaron drove the boat before being fish framed by the author’s father.
That’s your son! A session saving lungfish following releases from the dam... and a sneaky bass session. Safety first!
Fishing... occasionally, it’s not even about the fish.
Encourage young anglers for our fishing future
WE recently received notification that this was to be the final edition of Bush ‘n Beach Fishing.
This was very sad news – the publication has provided so much awesome information, a great many stories of people’s triumphs and failures and an abundance of firsts and personal bests by our fishos.
The Tackle Land crew would like to pass on our personal thanks to Ben, Lisa, the rest of the team and to all those who sent photos in for us to share.
Our community has shown so much support over the years –thank you.
For our final contribution to BNB, I have picked a few stories from the many I received.
This wasn’t easy, I would have liked to submit them all.
We love seeing new
by MARK TEMPLETON
fishos come into the fold and young Wolf is a perfect example.
Wolf’s dad came into Tackle Land to grab some bait and young Wolf seemed very keen to share his version on how the day was going to unfold.
I asked dad if he could grab a photo of Wolf and his first fish, and this is what I was sent.
“My young fella Wolf – three – caught his first fish this morning.”
“Hooked and wound it in, all by himself –wasn’t so sure about holding it though.
“It wasn’t the biggest one we got today, but it was the first and that’s all that mattered to him.”
Well done Wolf, you have so many new adventures ahead of you.
Bede is not a newcomer, yet he is a young enthusiast with a great talent of hauling crackers over the side of the boat.
We received a photo of Bede with a very nice little bream caught at Garnet Rock, off Redcliffe.
His dad added a few words from Bede’s day out.
“Attached is a picture from my son’s ‘haul’ yesterday.”
“As per usual, he topped the tally board, so to speak.
“Bede had a great day and caught sweetlip, moses perch, sole, squire, wrasse and one cranky eel.
“Using Bream Pack bait and local squid purchased from Tackle Land Sandgate.
“Mark, he remembered your advice
Northern Moreton Bay
Bede with a nice little bream from Garnet Rock, off Redcliffe.
Three-year old Wolf caught his first ever fish – he’s hooked.
Evelyn came out on top with an awesome whiting. Her brother Ellis was happy to share the fishing spotlight.
* from P32
– he said to me last night at dinner, ‘Dad, do you know why I caught so many fish… because I dropped my bait under the boat.’”
It is so rewarding to have the privilege of passing on information, tips and advice to these young anglers.
I was once told that what you know, passes with you, so share as much as you can with the ones that want to listen and learn, they will appreciate it.
Young Ellis is back.
Not only is he still catching cracker fish, but he is also sharing the limelight with his sister Evelyn.
I’m not sure if Ellis passed on a few of the professional tips he’s picked up when fishing with dad to his sister, but Evelyn certainly came out on top with an awesome whiting.
Well done Evelyn, many more great catches await you.
Another returning young fisho is Tori.
As you can see, Tori was only a little
stoked with the 110cm cobia he caught from the Ted Smout Memorial Bridge area.
We have seen an abundance of cobia being landed, and a lot of gear destroyed too.
Normally in this area, live or dead herring are the best go-to bait for many species.
If you want a chance of hooking up to one of these brutes, jig up some live herring, send them out unweighted and wait.
Word to the wise, don’t leave your rod unattended.
Well done Tori, a perfect trip and awesome rewards.
It is our pleasure to introduce female angler Bless.
When trolling off Cape Moreton with proud dad Adam, Bless hooked her very first spanish mackerel.
Adam said they were trolling a Halco Laser Pro Deep Diver 2m in King Brown when it was smashed in typical spanish fashion. Bless did well to play this one out and get it in the boat before it got taxed.
Well done Bless, you will be teaching young Jett a thing or two before he knows it.
I am so glad that we could bring you stories of awesome young fishos for this the last issue.
It was totally humbling to have had the opportunity to write, share and be part of the BNB family.
I will miss the ‘no pressure but I need your article’ email from Lisa every month.
We wish the entire team from Bush ‘n Beach Fishing all the very best and we thank you for bringing so much pleasure to our lives.
Thank you from the Tackle Land crew and our awesome community!
Be safe out there and maintain the passion.
Bless hooked her very first spanish mackerel on a Halco Laser Pro Deep Diver 2m in King Brown.
Tori was stoked with the 110cm cobia he caught from the Ted Smout Memorial Bridge area.
Superb Straddie sortie
MANY fishos dream of having a trip of camping, fishing, crabbing and perhaps enjoying a beverage.
Well, after many years of trying to align a trip with my two closest friends, it finally happened.
While it was originally going to be only three of us, it quickly turned to five, with a friend’s brother coming along and another friend wanting to join in on the fun.
Our destination was South Stradbroke Island.
After about a week of planning food, drinks and how many days we were going to stay, the dates were set and we all got prepared.
With five going over, we ended up taking three tinnies – a 4.1m, a 4.2m and a 4.35m.
Once packed, in the six years of owning it, I’d never seen my tinnie so full of gear – it was a bit of a surprise.
Launching from Ho-
Gold Coast Broadwater
by MITCHEL ZYGNERSKI
rizon Shores, it was only a 15-minute boat ride over to the island.
We set off at about 11am on Thursday and had our camp sorted by 1.30pm. It was then time to organise the crab pots and get them in the water.
We had enough bait to last a week – from spotted mackerel and mahi mahi heads to mack tuna and bonito, we weren’t going to run out.
Having taken 12 pots, we decided to divide them up, with six pots out for blue swimmer crab and six out for mud crab.
By the time we’d found nice holes and run-offs for the crabs in small secluded creeks, this took about 90 minutes.
Then the fire was started and the tins cracked open.
First-night fever hit us all fairly hard –safe to say there were a few sore heads the next morning.
Though this didn’t stop us from checking the pots at about 6am.
As we had secured only two sand crabs for the morning, we pulled the pots out and tried new spots and sections.
After heading to Tipplers for lunch, we set out once again to check the pots.
This time we were welcomed by a few more sandies and one good-sized muddy.
Though with five of us, these crabs weren’t
going to go very far. After pumping some yabbies up, we were keen to hit the sandbank directly in front of us for whiting.
It’s safe to say we definitely hit them, with six good-sized whiting over 30cm, it was then time to fillet them to have for lunch the following day.
We ate like kings on the island.
I went offshore the day before and got into some good-sized dolphinfish from the fish aggregating devices, so everyone smashed the fish down in some fresh wraps by the fire, with a drink in hand.
Waking up at 5am, the crew were frothing to get out and check the pots, but the tide stopped us from getting the boats out, so we had to wait a few hours.
Finally the time came and we hit the crab jackpot, ending the morning check with six blue swimmers and eight muddies – we had a good feed on our hands.
And, when pulling the pots up, we also got a present.
A fishing rod that had been on the bottom for a fair while decided it wanted to come back up, and much to our surprise, the rod wasn’t in bad shape.
One of the crew decided to keep it to try cleaning it up for reuse.
The crew were stoked with this haul of mud crabs.
The author boated an awesome mahi mahi.
A close up of a healthy mud crab.
Superb Stradbroke Island sortie
Lunch was sorted from the day before, with the sand whiting becoming fish wraps.
Friday night marked the meal as a lamb roast in the camp oven over the fire.
After cooking for roughly 2.5 hours, it was ready to come off – the rolls with gravy didn’t last long.
Saturday was the day we cleaned and split the crabs into halves and cooked them in a pot over the fire.
Once all the halves were cooked and placed into a saltwater brine, it was time to dig in.
While sitting in crystal-clear water up to our chests, we devoured the crab – with low tide approaching,
all the empty crab shells littered along the beach were revealed.
With the crew still frothing over our previous whiting session, we decided to have another crack – but only small whiting were caught, though we still had heaps of fun.
Really that’s all you need – good friends creating amazing memories and watching fantastic sunsets over the water.
Finally, Sunday had come around and sadly marked the end of our trip.
The whole morning was spent packing up and waiting for the tide to come in – morale was low within the group.
So, one final beverage to say farewell was in order before the trek home started.
With that ends the trip and marks the end of Bush ‘n Beach Fishing mag.
It has been an honour to write for this magazine, following after my father who had contributed many articles over the years, and I am sad to pen this my final article.
Thank you Ben and the BNB team for giving me the opportunity over the past year –it has been awesome.
Tight lines everyone, I hope to see you on the water in the future.
Raise a glass to Bush ‘n Beach Fishing mag – you will be missed.
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Bait fishing Gold Coast beaches
HI everyone, it certainly has been a wet summer.
This has made for great whiting fishing, and for the usual grunter, bream, tarwhine and mangrove jack, if you can find where they are after heavy rain.
One type of fishing I love doing after heavy rain is land-based beach fishing.
It is one of the most enjoyable fishing activities, and you can catch a great feed.
We are fortunate on the Gold Coast to have a wide range of spots to cast a line land based, all within short driving distance.
Beaches near river and creek mouths are especially good after rain, when bait and fish get pushed out of estuaries.
by CLINT ANSELL
Around the Gold Coast these include the Nerang River, Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin Creek.
When planning a beach fishing excursion at this time of year, the first things you need to look at are wind direction and speed.
If the weather is calm and the swell not too big, you can pretty much fish any beach.
If a northerly wind is forecast, the beach next to the Spit is a good option.
If the wind is a southerly or southeasterly, the southern end near Currumbin Creek mouth is good.
The main target species in the surf zone
during this period are whiting, bream, tarwhine, dart and flathead.
My favourite bait is fresh beachworms, which can be caught locally or bought at bait shops.
The setup is the same as I use when boat fishing for whiting, which is a Shimano Maikuro 1-4kg 7’6” rod paired with a 2500 size reel.
Spool the reel with 10lb Platypus Platinum monofilament line.
The trace consists of running ball sinker –#3 size, or larger if the surf is rough – a small swivel, then 1m of 10lb fluorocarbon leader connected to a
The author with a clean surf-caught bream.
Damo was stoked with the giant trevally that nabbed his live silver biddy bait.
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Using yabby as bait, Andrew was happy with this decent whiting.
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Bait fishing Gold Coast beaches
#4 size Decoy hook. Thread just enough worm on to cover the hook, this ensures a better hook-up ratio and you don’t go through the worms as quickly.
To ensure a good bite period, there are a few key factors to look for.
Around low tide is best, depending on the tide sizes –generally the last two hours of a runout and the first two hours of run-in tide work well.
Looking for little gutters and drop-offs also helps because the fish like to sit in them to feed.
Often the fish are in close to shore too, so you don’t need to cast out very far.
Also, as for other types of fishing, keep moving if you’re not getting bites.
I will start fishing directly in front of where I park the car, then walk 1km south or north and back.
Lastly, each time I cast out, I will slowly wind to keep in contact with the weight of the sinker and bait each time a wave pushes them closer to shore.
To be mobile on the beach and keep fish, a wading bag is handy.
Bleed fish and kill them straight away if you intend to eat them, and dip the base of the wading bag in the surf to keep it cool.
Carry a box of spare hooks, swivels, sinkers and leader, as well as long-nose pliers, scissors, lip grips and a rag.
Surf fishing with beachworms – simple but very effective.
Well, it’s sad to see the end of Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine.
It has been a great pleasure and honour to have been a writer for this publication for the past five years.
Congratulations to Ben and the team for having produced such a quality publication for so long.
A great fishing magazine that has brought so much pleasure and knowledge to so many people, it will be missed.
Even in this ever-changing digital age, there’s nothing like holding a physical copy of something in your hands. I remember being on holiday somewhere, buying the latest Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine and happily reading it while sipping a morning coffee.
Great memories and good times that will never be forgotten.
To book on a charter with myself or Brad, or if you have any fishing related questions, visit goldcoas trivercharters.com, SMS 0432 990 302 or email fishingwith clint@gmail.com, or find us on Facebook at Brad Smith Fishing Charters.
Michael boated a decent sized spotted grunter that fell for fresh beachworm.
Damo hooked a nice bream on beachworm in the surf.
Mackerel mayhem month
WE’RE in the thick of mackerel season now.
A lot of boats were chasing mackerel throughout January and were fairly successful.
It’s an encouraging start, though February is always a much better month for these inshore pelagics.
Damien and Gary came out for a run with me recently and we had a good afternoon catching a few.
Damien handicapped himself by having to wind a fish in on a left-hand wind reel – something I’m not too good at – but he got the job done
by GAVIN DOBSON
without too much bother.
It was quickly converted back to a righthand wind I can assure you.
I recounted the story to them of the time I took a bunch of young anglers out and the fish were on.
I was driving the boat, so the crew converted all my reels over to left-hand wind.
I forgot to change them back for the next trip out and, to make matters worse, Murphy got involved and gave me a triple hook up.
I landed all three fish in a very uncoordinated manner, cursing the foreign exchange students and my auntie for asking me to take them.
Though, I could only blame myself really.
Unapologetically, all my photos this month are of mackerel.
Sure, there are other species to chase in February, but the majority of boats will be concentrating on the close reef speed demons.
I’ve been stocking up on high-speed
Gary with a summer and autumn favourite, spanish mackerel.
Tweed to Byron Bay
* continued P44
Even the author managed to get a barree.
Mackerel mayhem month
* from P43
slugs for spinning for the spotted variety.
Mostly I don’t use wire in front of these lures, but I’m always in two minds.
On one side, you lose a lot of lures without wire, with the flip side being that you get a lot more bites without wire.
Sometimes I run a 2cm length of 18lb wire to a tiny black swivel in front of the slug and while this does reduce bite offs, even this tiny piece of wire reduces the amount of hits on the lure.
I think I might run this bit of wire early in the morning or if the fish are really on the chew and leave it off when the fish are a little more fussy and harder to coax into biting.
With a bit of luck, this compromise might save a few lures each trip.
So, the other species you can catch offshore this month…
Wahoo are an obvious target, with Windarra Banks and Mackerel Boulder near Julian Rocks the two main reefs to try in this neck of the woods.
High-speed lures in minnows and weighted skirts are the goto technique for these fast fish, which are triggered by colour and speed.
Towing big dead bait is also effective.
Juvenile black marlin have made a decent show through January and will continue to
be caught throughout February.
Kingfish and amberjack are also on the cards and it’s always worth putting your leftover live bait down for a quick look before you chuck it over the side and head home.
Mahi mahi are the other main species this month and should be hanging around the fish aggregating devices.
If we get blue water in close, they can come inshore, and a few have been caught on the Brunswick local reef already this year.
In the river, mangrove jack have been going off big time, with the Tweed and Brunswick rivers holding some sizable beasts.
And with all the fresh, jewfish are also readily available. Mud crabs are becoming more prevalent and starting to fill out, improving as summer moves along. If the weather cooperates, February is a cracking fishing month.
Lastly, I would like to say goodbye to all the readers of Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine.
Twenty-nine years ago, Ron Collins took a chance on a young angler and gave him a start in the publishing industry.
Since then, I have contributed to other fishing and shooting magazines, but BNB has always been my favourite publication. Thanks everyone.
Max with an early season spanish mackerel.
Keira cradling a spaniard. She had to go hard to avoid the sharks.
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Pelagic party time
HELLO all and welcome to this month’s edition.
As you may or may not be aware, this is the final issue of this publication.
I must say, it’s a sad day when it comes to the point of not continuing.
I know it happens to plenty of businesses, and as for this magazine, many of them have been around for a very long time. It still doesn’t make it any easier to comprehend or deal with.
& TACKLE
Ballina Bait & Tackle
by BRETT HYDE
So, for the final time, before I say my final thank yous and goodbyes, I would like to give you a rundown of what’s biting and where.
Offshore we’ve had some great days on the water, with plenty of fish hitting the decks.
The current had been quite good until recently, with reports of 1-2 knots being fairly common.
Unfortunately, this week the speed has picked up and far more consistently we’ve seen 2.5-3 knots.
Though this makes fishing difficult, the increase in current speed will be the trigger that brings more pelagic species such as mahi mahi, mackerel, marlin and wahoo to our section of coast.
The fish aggregating device has produced some mahi in the past couple of weeks, though the quality varied considerably.
Live bait were fairly thin on the ground, so most boats were forced to use pilchard or lures to target these dolphinfish.
Those not keen on the traffic jam around the FAD and wave rider buoy have concentrated on the 32-48 fathom line for quality snapper, flathead, pearl perch and amberjack.
Heavy knife jigs, octo-style jigs and bait
such as squid or mullet all produced fish over the Christmas break and will continue to be good options over the next month or so.
The close reefs have been very quiet lately, however I do expect to hear about good numbers of mackerel in the next few weeks, particularly off Lennox Point – so get those wire rigs ready for the toothy crew.
Back in the river, the water quality has improved significantly over the past month.
Good quantities of flathead have been found in the lower reaches of the river.
Some of the better-quality fish were showing interest in large soft plastics or swimbaits, particularly early in the morning in the shallows.
As the days warm up, most fish will migrate out to the deeper channels to beat the heat.
For lure throwers in the deeper water, 3-4” soft plastics or vibes have produced most of the flatties.
For the bait brigade, pilchard and prawns will be the go.
The warm weather seemed to fire up mangrove jack too.
The rock walls in Emigrant Creek as well as with the walls upstream from the Burns Point Ferry have been the best bets in recent weeks.
Suspending hard-
Pelagic species have shown up.
Mark and John had a productive day trolling off Ballina.
Pelagic party time
from P46
body lures in either a red or gold colour worked a little better, given the water is still discoloured during a run-out tide.
The larger run-in tides have produced better numbers of whiting, with some good fish taking the usual bait or surface lures.
Over the past couple of weeks, both creeks and the main river produced good quantities of mud crabs.
Emigrant Creek was probably lacking a little on the quality side, yet on the whole, the numbers were solid.
Some small giant trevally have popped up from the ferry to Broadwater in the past few weeks too.
Small metal spinners, surface poppers and even a few soft plastics were all crunched by these aggressive speedsters, so keep an eye out for them if you are fishing in and around this part of the river.
Summer’s not a great time of year for mulloway, though there were a few schoolsized fish coming from the breakwalls on both bait and lures.
And a couple of better-quality jewfish have appeared on the tide changes in the deep holes between the ferry and the mouth of the river.
That’s me done for the final time.
I won’t lie, this has brought a tear to my eye.
So, as I say my final goodbye to you all, I also have to say a massive thank you
to our editor Ben, for giving me the chance to write for this great publication all those years ago.
He took a chance on me, particularly as I hadn’t previously written for any publications – I will be forever grateful for the opportunity.
Thank you to Lisa and the rest of the crew in the office for chasing me up, making sure I had my articles and photos in –most of the time late. Your efforts were always appreciated.
Through my articles I hope I’ve helped you catch a fish or two when you’ve visited our little piece of paradise.
I also hope I’ve passed on some helpful information to the anglers who have read my articles.
To the readers, thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting Bush ‘n Beach Fishing over the years – without you, there wouldn’t have been a magazine.
I must say I will miss it incredibly.
It feels as though I grew up reading BNB – soaking up tips and techniques from great writers past and present for my own fishing. Once again, thank you all so very much. And, if you see me out on the water or you’re in Ballina, drop into Ballina Bait and Tackle to say hi or follow me on the socials.
Well, that’s all from me.
Until we meet again – tight lines and happy times.
BOATING & FISHING EVENTS
Capricorn King Jan 31-Feb 3 Yeppoon, Qld of Kings kingofkings.live/tournament
SCGFC Classic Feb 22-25 Sunshine Coast, Qld scgfc.com.au
Humminbird Lake Mar 14-16 Lake Monduran, Gin Gin, Qld Monduran Barra masa-fishstocking.org.au/ Classic
Moura Muddy Water Apr 19-20 Moura, Qld Classic Fishing facebook.com/groups/MouraFish Competition Stocking/ Pirtek Fishing Apr 26-27 Australia Challenge pirtekfishingchallenge.com.au
Boyne Tannum May 2-4 Gladstone, Qld HookUp boynetannumhookup.com.au
Sanctuary Cove May 22-25 Gold Coast, Qld International Boat sanctuarycoveboatshow.com.au Show
King of the Pin May 30-Jun 1 Alberton, Qld kingofthepin.com.au
Rainbow Beach Jun 8-14 Rainbow Beach, Qld Family Fishing rainbowsportsclub.com.au Classic & Expo
Weipa Fishing Jun 13-15 Weipa, Qld Classic weipatownauthority.com.au/
AFTA Tackle Show Jul 24-26 Gold Coast, Qld afta.net.au/
Fitzroy River Oct 28-31 Fitzroy River, Qld Barra Bash fitzroyriverbarrabash.com.au
Womens Fishing Nov 8-23 Southeast Queensland Classic womensfishingclassic.com.au
To have your competition listed in the calendar, please phone (07) 3286 1833 or email ads@collins.media
Year-round guide for jewies
BACK in January 1992, I was competing in a fishing competition held at Brunswick Heads.
After the final weigh-in, a tall soft-spoken man by the name of Ron Collins approached me and asked if I would be interested in writing a monthly column about the fishing activity on the far north coast of NSW for his fishing paper, an offer of which I accepted.
My first article went to print in the 1992 April edition, and so began my 33 year and 11 month association with what I believe to be hands down the best fishing magazine printed.
I had the privilege of Ron staying at my house on several occasions and to this day my two eldest boys,
who obviously were very young back then, still chuckle about the famous honking goose sound he would make for laughs when his name comes up in conversation.
Hell, Ron was the only human on planet earth to get me on the sea at night, let alone during the day.
It was off Evans Head in a Cruise Craft 650 Outsider, and it was the only time I went to sea without being sick.
Initially, I covered the area from Wooli and Minnie Water in the south up north to Lennox Head, but after quite a few years the late Squidgy Palmer took over the Evans Head area and my fellow scribe Brett
by TYE PORTER
Hyde from Ballina Bait and Tackle covered the Ballina and Lennox Head region. After losing Ron, his young son Ben took over the Bush ‘n Beach Fishing reins –to say Ben is a chip off the old block would be an understatement, albeit minus the goose call.
I am now 65 years old and have spent just over half of my life writing for this publication, which in all aspects is far more than simply a fishing magazine – it is a family of staff, writers and readers who share the passion of fishing.
As a direct result of writing for BNB, I have made quite a few lifelong friendships,
Just Jew
Solid jewfish are taken from our headlands on lures during the day, as long as you have a nice cover of white water.
April to August will see large schools of jewfish move into the lower reaches of the rivers, such as the Richmond, Tweed and Clarence, to feed on the migrating mullet.
Year-round guide for jewies
* from P48
which I cherish every day.
To Ben and his beautiful mother Sue, I want to thank you both for the support and everything you have done for me over the years – Lord knows I’ve been a pain in the arse from time to time.
I wish you and your families health and happiness for the future.
To you the reader, thank you for your support too.
I hope you’ve been able to benefit from some of my tips over the years to get your dream jewfish.
So, for my final fishing wrap up, I will briefly give you a short list of what to look forward to this year.
Jewfish on the northern rivers of NSW, especially Ballina and Iluka, can be caught 365 days a year, but you have to be adaptable – the accompanying photos show this.
From now until the end of April, when the mullet run begins, jew can be taken during daylight hours from the headlands on minnow lures, as long as there’s a good coverage of white water.
While at night, they can be caught at the same location in calm water, as long as your lure doesn’t dive more than 1m and you retrieve very slowly.
The beaches will give up big jew day and night too, with live mullet being a good bait.
However, if mullet are unavailable, don’t
hesitate to spin up a good-sized tailor and use it.
Again, the breakwalls will provide jew year-round day and night, though during the day tough bait such as octopus is a must.
If you don’t use a live tough bait, the bream will tear soft offerings such as squid to pieces in seconds.
Squid either whole or sliced is my preferred dead bait for jew from the walls at night, with live yakka coming in a close second.
While on the low tides, I also like slow rolling 6” paddle-tailed soft plastic lures, which often work when jew are not taking a bait.
If you are still trying to catch your first jew, the period of late April through to the end of August is your best shot.
This is the time of year when vast schools of jewfish enter the lower reaches of the rivers to meet and feed on the annual mullet run, with the mullet moving down from the upper tributaries to spawn.
The mullet run ends by June yet the jewfish stay on, gorging themselves on the smaller fan-tailed mullet that come down with their bigger cousins but don’t actually run to the sea.
They congregate in the lower reaches of the river systems and can be found near any form of structure imaginable, usually staying around until the end of August before
moving back upriver. Fishing the slack high water after dark is the prime time during winter and, as I have said numerous times, keep all lights off and let your ears do the work.
Jewfish can be heard busting into the small mullet, which in turn makes them fairly easy to find, but if you insist on shining torches everywhere, you may as well pack up and go home.
Regardless of where I’m fishing or what bait I’m using, I do not feed line off my spool when a fish takes my bait.
I simply give them the down of my rod and strike hard once.
This month will see both longtail tuna and spanish mackerel start to show up along the local breakwalls and headlands, and these hard-fighting fish will hang around until mid-June before heading back north for the winter.
Live garfish are the main bait used for both species, however older anglers such as myself much prefer to use surface popper lures and sight fish by casting at the fish we see swimming by.
If you happen to see an old codger in a white Toyota 4Runner bumming around the breakwall, feel free to say hello as I may be able to give you the latest news on where the fish are biting. Oops, I was about to say ‘until next month,’ silly me.
Sadly, it’s God bless and goodbye. Safe fishing.
Top tips for Tin Can Bay
G’DAY crew – happy new year and hello 2025, let’s hope it’s a good one for everyone.
I hope you had a lovely Christmas and were able to spend a bunch of time with the people who mean the most to you over the break.
Now, I missed the January issue because we were so flat out with the shop – there wasn’t time to do a write up, let alone go for a fish.
So, what’s been caught over the past couple of months, and where have they been biting?
Leading into the school holidays, we had a good week’s worth of rain dumped on the east coast and it sure made the creek run brown.
I’m not too sure how much fell but there was a string of very wet days in Tin Can Bay.
We spent one Sunday out in it chasing mangrove jack and it took me three days to dry out, it rained that hard.
by CHRIS RIPPON
But we did get fish and had a laugh. With the rain event coinciding with the lead up to the full moon and some big tides, the crabs were on the march.
Customers reported that many were caught – from the upper reaches of the creeks to out on the flats.
Some friends and I spent a couple of late nights walking a few mangrove flats and managed to pick up a good feed by simply scoop netting them.
It was great fun, and the kids had an absolute ball.
All you need is a good head torch, a pair of boots, a net and a sense of adventure.
Though note that there are restrictions on what sized net you can use, so jump on the Queensland Fisheries webpage and check out the rules before you give it a try.
Don’t forget, if you need any gear, we can kit you up in the shop with all the right stuff.
So, these balmy days and nights mean one thing to us at the shop… we need air conditioning. No, seriously, it means jacks are chewing and they have truly turned it on this year so far.
We’ve had many reports of fish in the upper 40cm to early 50cm range being caught, with both bait and lures working well for fishos.
I said it in my previous article and I’ve said it many times before, if you are using bait, make sure it’s fresh or live.
With a good quality bait, you will easily double your catch rate.
Live herring, whiting, mullet and pike will serve you well. Yet remember, if you
Tin Can Bay
A nice mangrove jack for Isla.
maki Vibelicious.
Tahni and Jacko got into a few crabs recently.
Top tips for Tin Can Bay
* from P50
are using these species as live bait, they need to be legal size.
Lures… well, there’s no hiding what I like to use – 4.5” Molix RT Shads for skipping, 4” Z-Man Diezel MinnowZ, 3.5” Molix RT Shads and 80mm Predatek Divers for rolling the face of snags and rock walls, Redic DS80 and Lucky Craft Pointer 78XD are two of my favourites and do catch fish.
Snapper, Teebar and Carlo creeks have all been fishing exceptionally well over the past few weeks.
Still up in the creeks, some nice blue salmon have been hunting baitfish and prawns in the dirty water, with a few reports of even the king variety showing up towards our end.
We’ve also had reports of quality grunter being caught in the creeks, though I’m yet to find them myself.
For the bait fishos, live flicker mullet and live prawns are a sure-fire way to target these salmon.
Personally, I’d fish 30lb fluorocarbon leader at a minimum for them because they can rasp you off quickly.
Me, well I’m always going to throw a soft vibe for salmon – Zerek Fish Trap, Samaki Vibelicious and Jackall Transam all work. And I’m not too fussed on colour.
If anything, I’ll tend to match the water colour on the day.
Throughout the bay, a good run of small reef fish has shown
up on the small reefs, ledges and rubble patches.
Nannygai, tuskfish, grass sweetlip, snapper, maori cod, cattle dog cod and every other type of cod in the ocean, and even a few juvenile red emperor have made an appearance.
While not all of legal size, they are great fun to play with, especially on light tackle.
And if you have kids onboard, they’ll have a ball.
If you spend time working through the small stuff, you will put a feed together.
Feeding strips of mullet or squid down will see you pull a few critters off the bottom, that’s for sure.
Howard and I have been using 85mm Samaki Vibelicious recently and have been having a phat time doing so.
The best thing has been watching my son get buckled by a couple of nice cod and some legal sized grassies on his 10lb setup.
I’ve also been finding a few schools of squire in the 40-45cm range at a few of these spots – at that size, they are beautiful eating, particularly when baked whole.
My go-to for snapper has been a Biwaa Curly Grub 3.5” rigged to a 1/6oz 2/0 TT ChinlockZ, 8lb braid with 12lb leader.
Watermelon Red in dirty water and Kaleido Star in the cleaner water are my choice of colours.
I’ve found the key
here is to find the bait, the squire won’t be too far away.
And as always with snapper, you need to fish as light as you can on the jig head.
So, as you are reading this, I’m sure you now know that this will be the last printed Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine.
On that note, I’d like to say a farewell and thanks for reading my waffle for the past few years.
I hope it was entertaining and that it inspired you to get out there, enjoy the outdoors and perhaps helped you to catch a few.
To Ben, Lisa and the team, thank you for extending the deadline for me to get my – always late – articles in on the twelfth hour… you have been brilliant.
And thank you for creating a little slice of our Australian fishing culture, I’m sure it will be missed by all your readers.
Well, that’s enough waffling on from me to start the year off.
I hope everyone has a great 2025, that you catch plenty and get out on our beautiful waterways for a play.
Don’t forget, if you need a bit of local intel, pop into the shop and hit up any of our friendly staff, we are here to help.
You can find us out the front of the marina on Emperor St, just look for the big white sheds and the Shimano flags, The Chandlery Bait and Tackle. Tight lines and farewell.
Brett with a good sized cod from a recent trip out with Great Sandy Sports Fishing.
Tahni boated a decent Tin Can Bay mangrove jack.
Megan hooked a good-sized blue salmon.
AUSTRALIA EAST COASTWADDY POINT
ICOULD not miss writing in the final edition – thanks crew for waiting for a busy and crook guide.
I’ve been busy because it’s the silly season after Christmas, and surprisingly, the weather has been quite good – bar the storms and showers, hence why I’m probably going to get pneumonia.
The fishing after the crazy rain we’ve had has been fairly steady, yet there were a few lulls here and there.
Quiet times in summer are when no surface bust ups can be seen.
In fact, the regular spotted mackerel migration has been very patchy here this year. These surface speed-
sters help tick the days over – without them it can make for a long day.
Along with tuna, they are a massive drawcard for the tours in this area. They are also relatively easy to catch. The visual appeal of surface fishing also adds to the excitement of this method of fishing.
This is excellent for novices, and they are usually the type of crew I expect at this time of year – many crews of dad and kids, and mum and kids.
A few trevally have been about, though not as many as I’d expected, particularly
1
2
16 TH Time m 0252 0.56 0942 2.15 1618 0.69 2156 1.44
17 FR 0328 0.65 1016 2.04 1652 0.74 2232 1.42
after the amount of rain we’ve had.
18 SA 0403 0.75 1047 1.92 1724 0.78 2312 1.41
0252 0.56 0942 2.15 1618 0.69 2156 1.44 17 FR 0328 0.65 1016 2.04 1652 0.74 2232 1.42 18 SA 0403 0.75 1047 1.92 1724 0.78 2312 1.41
I would have thought I’d see them feeding on bait in the nutrient-rich water – maybe there’ll be more in February. They have at times been caught while we were spinning deep for school mackerel, which can certainly wake the crew up.
1 SA FEBRUARY Time m 0314 0.49 1002 2.18 1630 0.49 2225 1.61
16 SU Time m 0337 0.75 1007 1.85
1.43 2204 0.60
19 SU 0442 0.86 1119 1.81 1759 0.79
19 SU 0442 0.86 1119 1.81 1759 0.79
20 MO 0003 1.42 0534 0.97 1155 1.69 1837 0.80
20 MO 0003 1.42 0534 0.97 1155 1.69 1837 0.80
21 TU 0111 1.44 0642 1.07 1234 1.57 1920 0.79
22 WE 0230 1.51 0809 1.13 1323 1.45 2008 0.77
For the most part, trevs are found by using the scanning equipment, especially when the school is large.
0605 2.07 1245 0.81 1805 1.35 2348 0.53
10 FR 0517 1.93 1147 0.90 1703 1.36 2257 0.57 11 SA 0605 2.07 1245 0.81 1805 1.35 2348 0.53
23 TH 0341 1.60 0952 1.13 1426 1.34 2100 0.75 24 FR 0439 1.71 1110 1.06 1540 1.26 2154 0.72
21 TU 0111 1.44 0642 1.07 1234 1.57 1920 0.79 22 WE 0230 1.51 0809 1.13 1323 1.45 2008 0.77 23 TH 0341 1.60 0952 1.13 1426 1.34 2100 0.75 24 FR 0439 1.71 1110 1.06 1540 1.26 2154 0.72
25 SA 0527 1.82 1204 0.96 1647 1.24 2249 0.67
25 SA 0527 1.82 1204 0.96 1647
It makes it easier for me to follow them around and accurately drop a jig into the school.
26 SU 0607 1.92 1247 0.85 1746 1.25 2338 0.61
12 SU 0651 2.19 1333 0.73 1901 1.38 13 0038 0.49
12 SU 0651 2.19 1333 0.73 1901 1.38 13 0038 0.49
2 SU 0359 0.59 1045 2.07 1710 0.53 2315 1.63
2 SU 0359 0.59 1045 2.07 1710 0.53 2315 1.63
3 MO 0451 0.74 1129 1.91 1752 0.59
3 MO 0451 0.74 1129 1.91
4 TU 0013 1.66 0554 0.90 1216 1.72 1837 0.65
5
6 TH 0249 1.77 0918 1.07 1429 1.38 2035 0.76
6 TH 0249 1.77 0918 1.07 1429 1.38 2035 0.76
7 FR 0404 1.87 1104 1.01 1601 1.30 2147 0.77
7 FR 0404 1.87 1104 1.01 1601 1.30 2147 0.77
8 SA 0506 1.98 1209 0.91 1720 1.30 2253 0.74
8 SA 0506 1.98 1209 0.91 1720 1.30 2253 0.74
9 SU 0558 2.06 1253 0.83 1821 1.35 2348 0.67
9 SU 0558 2.06 1253 0.83 1821 1.35 2348 0.67
10 MO 0643 2.13 1326 0.75 1906 1.42
10 MO 0643 2.13 1326 0.75 1906 1.42
11 TU 0036 0.60 0724 2.16 1358 0.69 1945 1.49
11 TU 0036 0.60 0724 2.16 1358 0.69 1945 1.49
12 WE 0118 0.55 0803 2.16 1432 0.66 2022 1.55
12 WE 0118 0.55 0803 2.16 1432 0.66 2022 1.55
13 TH 0156 0.54 0839 2.12 1505 0.66 2056 1.57
13 TH 0156 0.54 0839 2.12 1505 0.66 2056 1.57
14 FR 0232 0.58 0911 2.05 1536 0.69 2128 1.58
14 FR 0232 0.58 0911 2.05 1536 0.69 2128 1.58
15 SA 0304 0.66
15 SA 0304 0.66 0939 1.95 1602 0.72 2201 1.59
Nice
When they are fussy, a smaller profile or a lighter soft lure can trick them.
After the rain, we had a good flush of grunter.
They are a tasty catch on lures and will eat many presentations, from soft vibes and jigs to, of course, soft plastics.
They are a schooling fish so can be caught in numbers.
On light rods they pull fairly hard.
Now, I would like to take some time to thank Ben.
Thanks for the opportunity to write for the publication.
Thanks also for supporting my business, I appreciate it immensely.
It’s been a long journey – I think for me personally, it’s been close to 10 years of writing.
I can only imagine how much dedication it takes to do a whole edition every month for 20 years at the helm.
Truly a labour of love I think, taken on by following in the footsteps of family.
I wish you the best.
Thanks to all the staff that put up with
my tardiness and the quality of my submissions.
Even for the final edition, I was late. Two names come to mind – first Dan, who moved on many a moon ago, and Lisa who now has that job, thanks very much. Always chipper and never a task too difficult.
At least my photos were rarely of poor quality… we even made it to the cover a few times, even though I would never shoot in portrait.
It was always a nice surprise to see one my clients beaming back at me as I slid the magazine from the white envelope.
It’s a sign of the times, in a decade, children won’t even know what a magazine was.
The tactile experience of reading –turning a page, smelling the fresh print, accidently tearing the cover.
Thankfully the sharing of ideas and concepts has always been the purpose of the publication, so the information will live on in the digital age. Even so, I feel a sense of loss.
Archer with a fat longtail tuna.
This morwong was Owen’s first fish on a lure.
Keep enjoying our great outdoors
HI all, well what can I say – February is the last issue of this iconic magazine.
I remember reading the words of so many talented scribes speaking of isolated fishing and camping destinations, of fishing techniques and achievements.
I think it’s safe to say that Bush ‘n Beach Fishing helped inspire many of us to live a life full of outdoor adventures.
It was Brian Webb who asked me for some fishing pictures to use in a couple of his articles.
Later he commented, “Why don’t you submit an article and a few pictures of your own?”
I did and then somehow kept writing until now, so thanks to you for reading.
Agnes Water
by PAUL ‘CHIEF’ GRAVESON
It has been fun for me to share a few yarns on everything I enjoy about the outdoors – surfing, fishing, caravaning, bow hunting and of the few larrikin characters we met along the way.
So, what are the final words I wish to put on paper?
It’s simple… look after our beautiful outdoor environments – from our outback to the ocean.
Get out and enjoy, yet be careful with the footprints left behind.
BNB has always been a grassroots magazine with strong family values, and what I wish to see for the future is that both our children and
grandchildren have the same fantastic opportunities as us.
We need to feel the sand between our toes, paddle onto a wave, camp under a million stars and feel that line go taut whether we’re on a beach, a kayak or in a boat.
A perfect epitome of this was a recent trip undertaken by our great friends Jeremy and Maryanne.
Their two kids Chad and Zoe and nephew Josh were heading out for a few days of exploring the southern Great Barrier Reef around Lady Musgrave Island.
Sleeping under the stars, fishing the reef and snorkelling during the day.
Watching nature and giving the youngsters unforgettable memories and life lessons.
I’ll let the pictures do the talking of the fun they had.
Just for the record, Jeremy and my son Garrett were always part of the crew in those Brisbane River days.
I’ve been so blessed to be associated with this fantastic magazine, working with Ben and the production crew.
Thank you to every one of the mag’s readers.
I’ve enjoyed meeting so many of you and it really has been a blast.
Keep well and keep getting out there.
Good on you Mezz.
Chad’s first fish with a spear.
Zoe got among them.
A nice trout for Jezz.
This is what Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine is all about.
Josh with his personal best.
Barra season is back
IT was a long three months, though I’m pleased to announce that the wait is finally over.
As of February 1, you can legally catch a saltwater barramundi and keep it, if you wish.
Seeing as it’s the reopening of barra season, we will look through some tips and techniques to get a few more of those chrome superstars on the deck.
The first tip is a basic one yet probably the most important, though many anglers either overlook it or don’t take it seriously.
Ever heard the expression that most fish are caught in the lounge room?
areas and checking weather reports – it’s all relevant.
Nothing will annoy you more than the failure of gear that’s under your control.
There are issues that will occur when you’re out on the water.
Occasionally they’re plain old bad luck, though at other times some may have been preventable.
by JOHN BOON
navigate menus as second nature is very important.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been asked, “What sounder should I buy?”
The best piece of advice I have is to buy the biggest screen you can afford.
Do your research on what brand will suit your needs.
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This expression refers to preparation.
You can never overprepare.
Everything from tying leaders onto rods, attaching clips, spooling reels, changing trebles, sharpening hooks, researching
My advice is that any time something happens, make sure you learn as much from it as possible. It may be difficult not to get frustrated but remember, there’s no failing in fishing, only achieving and learning.
The second tip is to learn how to use your electronics. Understanding what your sounder is telling you and being able to
I love my Humminbird gear and believe the Apex has the best side and down imaging available on the market.
At a minimum, you want a decent side and down imaging sounder on your console and an electric motor with a spot-lock function on the bow.
As well as learning sounder functions, learning how to drive your electric motor is equally as important.
continued P57
Nate Archer scored this massive slab.
Nathan with a decent saltwater beast.
A very proud Keegan Lowe caught the family’s first-ever barramundi.
The author with a nice school-sized barramundi caught off timber on a suspending Lucky Craft Pointer.
Capricorn Coast
Barra season is back
* from P56
Being able to position the boat in the right spot and retrieving snagged lures will also become second nature.
The more time you spend on the water, the better you will get at mastering your electronics.
If you’re having trouble understanding your sounder, there are plenty of on-water and online sounder training courses.
Being proactive as to what your fishing career requires is big business.
No one is going to hand you the results on a silver platter.
Anglers who have become highly skilled have all put the hard yards in.
The third tip is to be open minded.
Nothing will make the learning process tougher than being uncompromising.
Being closed minded will see you unwilling to consider ideas and opinions that differ to your own, which will be to your detriment.
Trying different techniques is awesome, whether anyone else has given it a go or not.
I know of an American bass angler who comes to Australia to fish the barra ABT series.
He tried a bass technique for barra, and it assisted him in winning one of the events here.
Don’t be afraid to try different techniques, even if other
people laugh at your ideas.
Remaining open minded will lead to things such as keeping a diary to crack patterns.
You can never remember every little detail about each trip, so it makes sense to record all relevant data.
Open minded anglers are proactive and highly motivated to achieve their goals, both on and off the water.
They listen to advice and also try to help other anglers achieve their goals.
They have a great attitude and the ability to consume knowledge, learning from every experience.
Trust me when I say that this is the path to take.
Have you ever run into a close-minded angler at the ramp or maybe know one personally?
These people are super negative and very toxic.
They will blame everything and everyone else for their inability to achieve and get the results they want.
Surrounding yourself with other open-minded anglers will create a positive group and then hopefully you will create a brain trust.
That’s it from me.
Hopefully some of these tips will help assist you in chasing your dreams.
Stay safe while on the water.
THERE’S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO VISIT LAKE AWOONGA!
Just 30km south of Gladstone in Central Queensland, Lake Awoonga offers something for everyone - whether you’re casting a line for Barramundi, enjoying a peaceful campsite, or exploring scenic hiking trails.
All Lake Awoonga and Boynedale Bush Camp facilities are free for visitors to enjoy.
For more info, please visit www.gawb.qld.gov.au
Understanding your electronics is very important. Can you tell what’s barramundi and what’s timber in this Humminbird Apex side imaging shot?
Brendan Wales boated a solid local barramundi.
Big barra bonanza
G’DAY all, it’s finally February.
Many will be excited for the first day of the month because it signals the opening of barramundi season.
Trebles have been changed, split rings checked, jig heads modified and tackle bags restocked with favourite lures.
The best tip I can give you is to make sure every piece of gear is up to standard, as big barra can and will quickly find anything that’s not up to scratch.
During the closed season, I found a few small schools of barra around Gladstone when chasing other species, though mainly they were spread out, in ones or twos.
To consistently chase barra, the Fitzroy River and Port Alma –with the introduction of the net-free zone many years ago – are the best places to find good numbers and sizes of saltwater barramundi.
Finding information on fishing around Rockhampton is easy now, with plenty of written articles, YouTube, fishing shows and social media showcasing what the area has to offer.
Locally around Gladstone, barra are a bit harder to actively target in numbers because you don’t typically find them in schools.
You’ll find an occasional fish near bridge pylons and deep headlands but more commonly they are caught
Gladstone Region
by GARY CHURCHWARD
around deep timber mangrove edges and rock bars.
Both lures and live bait work well.
If lures aren’t working and you know barra are there, try a live bait – it will often get the bite.
Barra can be an extremely frustrating species to target because they’ll show up clearly on most sounders, so you know where they are, but more often than not they won’t bite.
Patience and being willing to spend hours fishing the same location will eventually see you catching a few of these chrome-sided beasts.
I recently spent a few days with a friend exploring and fishing the area around Cape Capricorn, on the northern outside of Curtis Island.
Yellow Patch, on the inside of Cape Capricorn, is a picturesque safe anchorage.
Though getting in on a low tide can be
a challenge, however once you’re in, there’s a deep channel that you can happily sit in on all tides.
From there you have access to the nearby islands of Rundle and Hummocky, the rocky outcrops around them and the wrecks and rubble patched throughout the area. There are also a few creek systems at Yellow Patch and along the coastline heading north towards Cape Keppel.
We didn’t look at any of these creek systems, spending our time fishing off Rundle Island chasing coral trout, sweetlip and other reef species. We did manage a few good fish, but the sharks were a constant menace, taking most of the better fish before we could get them to the boat.
Schools of mack tuna were thick around the cape and were easily tempted to take a fast worked
* continued P59
Barramundi is back on the target list, with this one taking a slow-rolled plastic over a rock bar in a creek up the narrows.
Yellow Patch is a special place. The view looking down from one of the smaller dunes.
Sam caught a mangrove jack recently using a live mullet.
Phil with a couple of nice coral trout from a double hook up at Rundle Island.
Big barra bonanza
* from P58
slug, though again, sharks were nearby chasing most of the fish we hooked, so after catching a couple, we left them alone.
We trolled for some mackerel the area is known for, yet after an hour or so with no luck, we gave up on that idea.
Targeting trevally around the pressure points and current lines that can run off the rocky outcrops and headland around Hummocky Island was something else we tried.
Possibly a little under cooked in the gear department and not having ever done anything like this before, we didn’t have high hopes of hooking or landing a fish.
And we definitely weren’t expecting Phil to hook up to a huge giant trevally on the first cast of the morning.
Unfortunately, this didn’t last long.
Even with me driving the boat away from the rocks at a fair rate, this fish was pulling line just as hard in the other direction.
It found the bottom after a minute and left us in disarray.
We tried for another hour but with the swell increasing, we gave this idea a miss, to be tried at another time.
As we were at Hummocky Island and the swell was
on the way up, we took the opportunity to head back through the narrows on a high tide and miss the rough ride home.
All up, it was a great few days in an awesome location – we caught good fish, lost many more and saw some unreal scenery.
It’s definitely somewhere I’ll be heading back to soon.
As this is the end of an era for this fantastic fishing magazine, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ben and the Collins Media crew for their support over the past 10 or so years and wish them the very best for whatever the future brings.
It was very rare that I had an article in on time, yet never did I get a nasty word said to me, just friendly reminders that my article was due and could I please get it in as soon as possible.
Also, a massive thank you to fellow contributor Keith.
He’s the one who pushed me to start writing articles many years ago, and my wife for helping me out over that time.
Finally, I would like to thank you, the readers, for purchasing the magazine over the long history of this great publication.
Cheers and happy fishing from Gladstone.
Farewell from Cape York
SADLY, it’s the end of an era.
But what a fantastic era!
The first time I picked up a Bush ’n Beach Fishing magazine, way back in 1991, I was struck by its down-to-earth practical content and general great vibe.
Around then, editor Ron – Ben’s dad – took me on as a scribe for Cape York and other far north Queensland destinations for all things bush and beach in that area and occasionally more broadly.
It has been a fabulous time, with the mag continuing its quality and no-nonsense character under Ben after Ron’s passing.
As a reader, I’ve particularly enjoyed the amazing diversity of articles covering fishing, camping and travelling from across Queensland into northern NSW and often further afield.
What has changed over that time?
York
by ‘BILLABONG’ BAZZ LYON
Two things really stick out.
First, incredible improvements in technology, with fishing gear, boats and especially electronics and outboard motors.
Second, the number of people getting out and about.
That does put more pressure on resources – we all have a role to play in looking after the very nature that provides for such wonderful pastimes and experiences.
Nature’s bounty is not endless.
We truly do live in
the best country in the world and need to keep it the best in every way.
With so many lifestyle magazines having to fold in recent years due to a variety of modern ‘causes’, I am super impressed with how long Ben and the team have kept BNB going, given the circumstances. To these fabulous people and all you wonderful readers, thanks for the great ride.
I wish you all the very best for the future.
The author with a juvenile Queensland groper from the Weipa area.
Cape
Josh Lyon with an endangered speartooth shark.
OURING OURING & exploring T T
East on Gibb River Road – Part 3
THERE seems to be an almost untouched beauty to the Gibb –it has so many wonderful and amazing places to explore.
One such spot up at the top of my list of destinations to visit prior to starting our trip was Mitchell Falls.
I don’t know whether it’s the remoteness, spectacular scenery or a little of both that makes it a popular destination for the more adventurous –which includes us.
The effort required to get there is considerable, so having the right gear is essential.
This way you can safely make it in and out without too much trouble.
Our plan to tackle Mitchell Falls was to leave the JB Scorpion caravan at the base camp in Munurru (King Edward River) campground and
drive to the falls.
by BEN COLLINS Family Adventures
While it is possible to camp at Mitchell Falls, it is recommended that you do not take caravans in there.
Unfortunately, we didn’t take any extra camping gear, so our plan entailed driving into the camping area, walking to the falls and a helicopter ride back out.
We would then return to the van – a lot
for one day, but it was our only option.
As it turned out, not taking the van in was the right decision.
The track was very narrow in parts, with sharp corners and several creeks that had average entry and exit angles.
It would probably be possible to do it, especially with a support vehicle, but why punish your gear when
* continued P61
The ridge near the top of the falls was a great spot to stop for lunch.
Mertens Falls was very picturesque.
Experiencing the view of Mitchell Falls from a helicopter was very memorable.
On the hike into Mitchell Falls, there were several places you could explore the rock cliffs in search of Indigenous art.
OURING OURING & exploring T T
East on Gibb River Road – Part 3
* from P60
you don’t have to?
Mitchell Falls
The four-tiered Mitchell Falls is an iconic Kimberley attraction and one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Australia.
Also known as Punamii-Uunpuu to the Wunambal people, the falls were carved through sandstone by the waters of the Mitchell River, producing layers of mesmerising emerald-coloured pools from which the water tumbles from one to the next.
Getting to the falls can be done either by helicopter, by walking or as we did, a bit of both.
The hike in was over very rough country but the track was well worn and easy to follow.
There was also plen-
ty to see en route to Mitchell Falls, with several detours splitting up the 4km plus hike.
A mix of waterfalls, pools of water and Indigenous art can be seen by venturing off the main trail.
Mertens Falls is one such detour well worth the effort and at about 2.5km from the start of the hike, it is a good place to take a breather.
Though as we were on a schedule – due to having the helicopter flight to take us back out booked for a specific time – we didn’t venture into the water here.
Part of the reason we opted for the helicopter ride was to see these extraordinary falls from a different perspective – particularly as you’re not allowed to use drones in
the national parks.
As you approach the falls, it’s possible to get a good glimpse.
We stopped here for a break and to take in the sheer beauty and remoteness of the place.
The final part of the hike crosses the Mitchell River, which can be very slippery and, depending on how much rain there’s been, the water can be flowing quite quickly.
A catch-22 situation because you want the water there so the falls are at their most picturesque, but that does make crossing much harder.
Thankfully, there were a few different pools to swim in at the top of the falls, and we are always keen for a freshwater dip when the opportunity arises.
* continued P62
Locked and loaded in the back seat. Matia put her hand up to be co-pilot in the front seat.
The girls were keen for a helicopter ride over the falls.
OURING OURING & exploring T T
East on Gibb River Road
* from P61
The other side of the falls offers another view, which is more in line with a typical postcard photo.
It was then time to jump aboard our chopper and see more of the beautiful countryside.
If heading to the falls, I would highly recommend getting the helicopter ride one way at least. We opted for a slightly longer ride back to see even more of this remote place.
El Questro
After a truly enjoyable time off grid on the Gibb, we were excited to be heading back to a more populated area, El Questro station.
In November 2022, the G’day Group, owners of El Questro, announced the signing of a deal that secured a 99-year lease on the El Questro property and returned 165,000 hectares of pastoral lease land to its Traditional Owners.
However, you are still able to stay at the property and it offers a mix of accommodation options, varying from remote camping to
river-view rooms.
We opted for the powered campsite.
For the extra money, we often found it was worth getting a powered site because it would allow us to top up batteries and do a few loads of washing.
At El Questo, there’s plenty to keep you busy or you can unwind and relax.
You aren’t slumming it either.
There’s a steakhouse, which we checked out, the Swinging Arm Bar, where we chatted to fellow travellers, or the Cantina, a takeaway restaurant.
Aside from all the eating and drinking, there are a host of gorge tours you can do, which I will detail next month on bnbfishing.com.au
A link will also be posted on our Facebook page Bush ‘n Beach Fishing Magazine. Make sure to like and comment so it keeps coming up on your feed.
The beauty of having it on this platform is that you can ask a question and we can give you more information about our awesome adventure.
AusArmourfest adventure
HI, Tonk here. I packed up the Toyota LandCruiser 80 Series four-wheel-drive and our old wind-up Jayco caravan with my sons Troy and Gavin and we headed north.
Our destination was Cairns for AusArmourfest2024, which is the biggest working military tanks and machinery display under cover in Australia, I think, and during the event, people pay to ride around in them.
It’s held at Smithfield, north of Cairns.
We had three days to get there because Gavin had booked and paid for our tickets, plus booked and paid for a caravan park nearby.
Day one was a lovely run up the highway to the Stanage Bay turn
by
off, where we free camped in the blue metal dump pit overnight.
Next day was a pea-souper – the fog was so thick as we worked our way to Smithfield, lifting after a hour or two. We headed north steadily, pulling up to stretch our legs and walk around every
few hours.
At the end of day two, we free camped 70km out of Bowen.
It was a great camp – we had a fire and sat around it, taking photos of the stars.
The next morning, a couple of emus dropped in to visit us as we were packing up.
* continued P63
Outside the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum. The tank is a Kanonenjagdpanzer, also known as a JPz 4-5.
CRAIG TOMKINSON
Cairns Event
Our camp on Beachmount Rd to Wunjunga.
OURING OURING & exploring T T AusArmourfest adventure
from P62
We punched north and arrived at the Gordonvale free camp, but as it looked full, we headed directly to the Lake Placid Tourist Park near Smithfield early, calling ahead to ask if they had a spot for us for the night before our actual booking. They did, so we booked an additional night for $74.
As we were too early to get into the caravan park and couldn’t set the van up, we went for a drive, finding the locations of both the AusArmourfest and the Skyrail, which we were going on after the armour event.
When it was time to book into the van park, we drove back, set the van up and had a shower.
We were thinking of going for a drive to buy something for dinner, though as there was a restaurant at the van park, we bought three works burgers for $10.50 each – they were lovely.
The next day, we headed to AusArmourfest for the whole day.
Wow, what an awesome event – so many working tanks and gear in a huge shed. Included were German gear and tanks – very rare, with only
a couple in the world still drivable – Japanese machinery, Russian, American and English.
You name it, they had it.
From very old to some still being used in Ukraine.
I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I did.
It was an awesome day – people riding in the tanks and troop carriers, and the final parade of all the tanks and gear was unreal.
Once over, we went back to the van park and had burgers again for dinner, they were that good.
Next day, we packed the van, hooked up and drove to the Skyrail as soon as it opened.
I must say, I was scared all the way up but loved it after that.
I had been on it once before, about 20 years ago.
We went up and back for a few hours, with the views over Cairns and the scrub taking our breath away.
Once down, we headed south to Crystal Creek and free camped near the beach overnight.
With plenty of mosquitoes at dusk, make sure you have a good supply of Thermocells or mozzie coils if visiting this spot.
We love the Mortein 30-pack of coils that
come in a tin, as these are fire safe.
The following day we had brekky, packed the van and headed south to Ayr.
We turned off at the Mcdesme service station, on the north side of the Burdekin Bridge towards Charters Towers, and headed to the Burdekin Falls Dam or Dalrymple Lake.
I’ve been wanting to go to this dam for about 30-40 years and I must say it was awesome – so big.
And, in dry weather when the spillway is not flowing, you can drive along past the water outlets and beside the dam wall, which we did, while towing our van.
We crossed below the dam and headed south on a lovely dirt road for about 100km.
We stayed at the Bowen River Hotel overnight for only $10 for the three of us, with hot showers, plus we had a great feed at the pub.
The next day, we headed south to the Stanage Bay turn off, camped the night and made our way home the day after that. It was a fantastic trip with my sons, albeit a short one because my son had to get back for work.
Be safe out there on the roads.
Inside the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum for AusArmourfest 2024.
The enormous Burdekin Falls Dam or Dalrymple Lake.
The dam wall measured about 400m wide and 50m high.
The author and his son Troy in the Smithfield Skyrail gondola.
Freshwater favourite sooty grunter
FOR the greatest part of my 58-year fishing career, freshwater environs have been the venues of convenience, if not always choice.
Living close to some of the sunshine state’s premier freshwater angling lakes and rivers makes them a temptation too great to resist.
Only a handful of species make up the bulk of our popular freshwater angling targets, of which we all have a few personal favourites.
This month’s subject is very close to the top of my list for several reasons, not the least of which is its performance on the end of a line.
Densely muscled with a broad tail generating peak low-end torque, the fight of a sooty grunter could probably best be described as determined.
These chunky little beasts are essentially the freshwater equivalent of a mangrove jack – smash and grab ambush predators.
They have the ability to dart from cover, hit a lure and be on their way back into a snag before the angler realises what’s happened.
Sooties will crunch a lure and continue to chew on it even after being landed, turning hooks into metal macrame.
These muscular little battlers even feel strong in the hand. By comparison, a trout feels soft, similar to a raw sausage, while
Fishing for Sport
by NEIL SCHULTZ
sooty grunter feel like a brick wrapped in wet leather.
In riverine environments, sooties rarely exceed 2kg in weight yet have been recorded at an astonishing 7kg in large lakes.
An average stream sooty is about 30cm and even at that size they can be a handful on sportfishing tackle.
Lure casting is the most popular method of hooking a sooty, with shallow diving minnow-style lures in the 50-65mm range an ideal choice.
Hooks and rings need to be strong to withstand the punishment dished out by the tough mouths of these fish.
Casting to undercut banks and snags will put the lure in the strike zone, as sooties hang tight to cover during the day.
Don’t overlook small pools.
These fish are quite at home in tiny streams, as long as there’s shade and the water doesn’t get too warm because warm water holds less dissolved oxygen.
If you really want an adrenaline rush, try casting surface lures.
Dawn and dusk tend to be most productive, though after dark can draw plenty of strikes if you are fishing relatively open water.
Casting to snags at night is not necessary nor recommended, as sooty grunter venture
from cover to chase shrimp and small foraging fish.
Several species across northern Australia are all commonly referred to as sooties, but all are superb sportfish targets.
On a scale from one to 10, I rate these a firm awesome!
Thank you and farewell
Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine has been part of my life as a writer for 40 years. I began writing newsletter-style pieces for Ron and shortly afterwards kicked off my ‘Fishing for Sport’ column in January 1996.
During that time, I’ve not missed an issue, taking my total tally of articles to somewhere near 340, with the number of photographs approaching 2000.
That monthly deadline was the catalyst that kept me writing through all the hurdles and distractions life threw.
It will be quite unfamiliar not having this great publication in my future and I’m uncertain what I’ll find to fill the gap.
I do owe a debt of gratitude to the Collins family, the team who’ve worked on the publication over the years and, of course, the dedicated readers, without whom the magazine would never have existed.
Thank you all.
Ideal sooty country, a clear rainforest stream shaded throughout the day.
A stereotypical sooty grunter, dark and perfectly proportioned. This is the most common colour morph.
Sooty grunter smash surface lures with as much aggression as any other freshwater species.
Fysshe Salmon with a quality sooty. Check out the tiny stream in which it was living.
Moura Muddy Water Fishing Classic
IN the central west, the Easter period means two things – easter eggs and fishing at Moura.
Easter is the time of year when the Moura Fish Stocking Group Inc runs the Moura Muddy Water Fishing Classic.
And for 2025, this will be April 19 and 20.
An easy time to remember where to be.
It is held at the campgrounds directly on the river, outside the mining town of Moura in the central west.
The Dawson River is home to the mighty saratoga.
Anyone who loves freshwater fishing will love saratoga.
They are a very old species of fish, beautifully marked and when hooked, they jump with spectacular antics.
In this part of the river at this time of the year, there’s a reward for catching the tagged saratoga during the comp.
The right one will land you $1000.
Toga aren’t the only species on the list of
fish to get you a prize, even a fork-tail catfish is worth catching.
A regular who has been going to Moura for this event for a very long time is Dave ‘Hodgie’ Hodge, from ‘Hodgie the Barefoot Fisherman’.
He makes the trek down from Townsville way each year and we have trouble getting him to leave.
He’s the best inspiration for young fishos and an angler with a lot of enthusiasm, keeping everyone entertained all weekend. It is always a great weekend of fun and fishing, catching up with friends.
Sometimes it’s raining, sometimes it’s flooding, but whatever the weather, there is always fish to catch and fun times to be had.
Catering for everyone, they have the biggest and best food menu.
That’s because they have the best kitchen staff who simply love
Outback Fishing
by HELEN ABDY
to put food in your belly.
Friday night, you grab a feed and a beverage, set your chair up in front of the big screen and watch movies, with the river and moon in the background.
The films are supposed to be for the kids but… well, I suppose we’re all kids at heart.
Just to make the campgrounds a little more comfortable, there are hot and cold gold coin showers available year-round. Check out the Moura Fish Stocking Group
on Facebook for any more information.
I am making my article short this month because this is the last time Bush ‘n Beach Fishing is putting out a printed magazine. It’s very sad.
In 1997, I started writing on and off over the years for this publication and I reckon we had the best.
On behalf of all the loyal members of the Moura Fish Stocking Group, of which I have been a member for a long time, I want to say a huge thank you to Ben and the team for all your support over the years.
You have stood by us for many years now and your mag will be missed on the shelves.
I’m sure all our repeat fishos who attend this event will also miss having BNB as part of the weekend.
On behalf of the Freshwater Fishing and Stocking Association of Queensland Inc, I would like to thank Bush ‘n Beach Fishing Magazine for all their work and assistance over the years in helping us put our newsletter together, which I send out each month to stocking groups, assisting in their efforts to keep the fish stocking of our waterways what it is today.
Your monthly mag will be missed by so many.
Thank you Ben and the BNB team.
Atkinson * Awoonga
Dave ‘Hodgie’ Hodge shows off the awesome saratoga that call the Dawson River home.
Queensland freshwater fishing broke and broken
AS the editor mentioned in the December 2024 edition, all we know to date is that there has been a name change once again, to the Department of Primary Industries. It’s not known where Fisheries stands with the name change. Broke and broken Freshwater fisheries as we know them are in dire straits, from the standpoint of funding and direction for 2025 onward.
In 2015, when a yearly permit for 18 years and over was $35, $1 million was raised.
However, in December 2024, it was announced that only $1.368 million was the total collected for that year.
A measly $368,000 improvement in nine years?
What’s going on?
Answer… it’s too expensive currently, plus it’s set to increase to $65 annually soon. Make it $36.50 for the next 10 years and
watch the return.
That in addition to locking in a weekly $10 charge too.
Points of major concern
Funding and permit cost.
Lack of biologists –only nine available for all freshwater related.
Only two doctors of science for freshwater related.
Requirement of research in storages.
Yearly workshops not bi-annual north and south.
Total lack of freshwater Fisheries boating and Fisheries patrol members – 12 extra required immediately.
Brood stock inspections by biologists and rotation of while brood stock annually.
Contact details of members within the main office, currently no phone numbers are available.
Conflict of interest
by BRIAN DARE
within the DPI, otherwise have Fisheries as a separate department to agriculture.
Have a senior department member of the Minister’s office make urgent visits to all stocking groups and have another department member take notes and questions to be answered.
The time given at workshops was not long enough for questions and answers, and no actual qualified staff were present to answer questions.
What hasn’t taken place is the actual breakdown of the past four years of sales of weekly, yearly and concessional permits, totals sold and funds collected from each permit.
Possibly, you’ll find, due to the annual permit being too costly.
Look at the NSW permit cost over the
Glenlyon Dam
The Moriandis with a 58cm yellowbelly.
Children released golden perch fingerlings on New Year’s Eve.
Queensland freshwater fishing
past 10 years and the monies raised.
I am not talking about an all-waters fishing permit, only a freshwater permit.
I would also like to know how many weekly, concessional and yearly permits were purchased when prize money for tagged and caught fish was set into action.
The overall picture does not show much of a return with regards to sales of annual fishing permits.
Finally, the stocking of fish species in storages that have to migrate downstream to breed in brackish water.
These events take place when floodwaters flow out of storages on the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range, not so on the western side. What allocation is set aside for these events and where will future required funds come from?
The permit scheme as we know it currently will not cover these events.
Once again, the new year at Glenlyon saw 80,000 golden perch released from boats and along the storage bank by the children camping with their parents.
support and items donated during the event.
There are still more yellowbelly and silver perch to go in.
About 5000 cod were also stocked over the Christmas period.
The fishing was quiet as many anglers found that the numerous cod were small and hit anything that moved.
Good yellowbelly and silver perch were caught in solid numbers, which made up for the lack of large cod.
Given the storage is still at a good height from now to winter, this season should see big cod caught from March onward.
We will find out during the lure makers competition, which is held twice each year.
GLENLYON DAM TOURIST PARK
The New Year’s Eve raffle featured 70 prizes and the auctions raised $8000 for the evening.
Many thanks must go to the visitors and regular campers to Glenlyon over Christmas for their kind
Mitch Petrie caught cod every outing at Tenterfield.
Now that summer is in full swing, it’s fun chasing bull sharks in any river system. They’re great fun on light gear and get your heart racing – the drag screams when fighting a bully. Our morning session was amazing and fun, with lots of laughs and good times had.
Nicholls
Adam
Will and Augustine crushed the estuary cod recently in a Brisbane creek. Lauren Haynes
Our granddaughter caught this awesome 71cm snapper in 65m of water north of Cape Moreton. Naomi Butler
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