BNB Fishing mag | Mar 2017

Features & reports inside

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March 2017

Freshwater features

Print Post Approved PP100001534 Volume 28, Number 3

Prawning tips for Moreton Bay

Topwater tactics Sound advice on sounders

Luring for longtail tuna Fishing Cape York in the wet Mixing it with mangrove jack Offshore action on Gold Coast Fishing with Ray – Bats style ISSN 1832-4517

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Page 4 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

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Inside this month Jacks & prawns

Hervey Bay

P12

P37 Bass from kayaks

Cape York

P53

water regularly between work commitments (trying hard to avoid the busy weekends!) to net plenty of these tasty crustaceans.

The bank at the western end of ‘The W’s’ produced a reasonable number of prawns for us during the last trip out on a falling tide.

On arrival, as Rob

OUR COVER

STEELE PETROVIC with a cracking mangrove jack taken on a paddle-tail soft plastic. For more jack action, check out DEAN GALPIN’s article on Page 22.

Phone (07) 3286 1833 Fax (07) 3821 2637 Email: ben@bnbfishing.com.au Internet: www.bnbfishing.com.au PO Box 387, Cleveland, Qld 4163 Unit 2, 39 Enterprise Street, Cleveland, Qld 4163 AFTA PRINTER: Rural Press, Ormiston DISTRIBUTION BY: Fairfax Max. recommended retail price $4.50 (includes GST).

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

G IN

FISH ING ’S

E TUR FU

A

LI

☛ continued P6

EDITOR: Ben Collins ADVERTISING: Ben Collins, Liz Gosling PRODUCTION: Jo Hendley, Daniel Tomlinson

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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.

AUST

APRIL edition will be on sale in newsagents from March 31. See subscriber offer on Page 76 to go in the draw to win one of two cool pairs of Mako polarised sunglasses valued at $299.95 each.

pulled out the net I looked at the sounder and saw a good show of prawns on the bottom, and being the good wife I am, told Rob to pull his finger out and get the net in the water.

As the net wafted down, Rob gave a nod of approval and when it hit the bottom, he gave an upwards jerk on the rope before commencing the retrieve.

It’s amazing how many prawns still escape and the surface of the water erupted with prawns as Rob pulled up a good couple of kilos.

We thought we’d hit the mother lode but the number of prawns netted in following casts dropped.

We had favourable conditions, with a slight northerly blowing and thankfully only about 10 other boats on the prawns located on the drop-off at the northeastern side of Pannikin Island.

Once the prawns had seemingly disappeared after giving the area a good search with the Lowrance HDS-9, we moved onwards to the southern end of Russell Island to give the kids a cooling swim on the sandbank.

It’s still a little challenging with the kids on board because they don’t always do as they’re told, often stand on the rope or the net, and always seem to be in the wrong place when the cast is being made.

God love them though because they do try to help by lifting the icebox hatch and picking up the prawns that end up on the floor.

As always, plenty of tasty food seems to keep them occupied, as do the toys that are a must to

ATI ON

by LEEANN PAYNE

CI

With cast nets flying, the prawning season is definitely in full swing, so the next couple of months marks a great opportunity to get out and chase them.

We’ve been hitting the

Fishing Australia

O

I

F you’ve been lucky enough to hit the water in the past month around Cabbage Tree Point, Jacobs Well and the southern section of Moreton Bay, you’ve probably noticed the large number of boats congregated in certain areas chasing prawns.

N

FIS

AS

S

Prawns come on in southern Moreton Bay

Prawns in Moreton Bay ............by Leeann Payne.................................P5 Fishing with Ray..........................by Mati Bats.........................................P7 Offshore action................................. by Jordan ‘Grinner’ Koschel.................P9 Longtail tuna tips............................. by Joseph Cormack...............................P11 Prawns and jacks ........................by Keith Stratford..............................P12 Southern Moreton Bay ..............by Sean Conlon .................................P14 Summer species..........................by Lachie Baker ................................P15 Land-based prawning................by Sean ‘Skip’ Thompson ...............P16 Sound advice on sounders.......by Peter Herbst..................................P19 Basics of lure fishing.................by Chris ‘Britto’ Britton....................P20 Boating Safety .............................by Colin Hinder..................................P21 MJA Fishing Tournament..........by Dean Galpin..................................P22 Broadwater Region ....................by Wayne ‘Youngy’ Young ..............P23 Gold Coast offshore ....................by Scott Van Burck...........................P25 Topwater tips ...............................by Brad Smith ....................................P26 Looking for mackerel.................by Heath Zygnerski ..........................P28 Tackling the heat ........................by Darren Rama ................................P30 Tweed Coast.................................by Gavin Dobson ...............................P31 Fishing around Ballina ............. by Brett Hyde.....................................P32 Evans Head ...................................by Gary ‘Squidgie’ Palmer .............P33 Iluka wrap-up ..............................by Tye Porter ......................................P34 Trip offshore from 1770 ..............by Mick Clutterbuck ........................P35 Sunshine Coast............................by Wade Qualischefski...................P36 Hervey Bay fishing trip ..............by Daniel Tomlinson ........................P37 National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo..............P39-42 Fishing the Bunker Group.........by Joel Johnson................................P43 Fraser Guided Fishing................by Tri Ton .............................................P44 Bundaberg Region ......................by Brad Young ...................................P46 Reef species still firing .............by Chris Raimondi ............................P47 Exploring North Burnett ............by Jon Banks .....................................P48 Boat Review .................................by Ben Collins ...................................P49 Wild river bass from a yak .......by Paul ‘Chief’ Graveson ................P52 B.A.S.S. Kayak Series ................by Drew McGrath .............................P52 Kayak trolling tips.......................by Nathan Palmer.............................P53 Charter Directory ................................................................................. P54,55 Gladstone Region....................... by Gary Churchward .......................P57 Hinchinbrook News ...................by Todd Eveleigh ..............................P58 Stanage Bay .................................by Von Ireland....................................P59 Torres Strait and Cape York .....by Matt Potter ....................................P60 Barra in the wet ..........................by ‘Billabong’ Bazz Lyon .................P61 Aussie Adventure........................by Craig Tomkinson .........................P62 Product News .............................................................................................P64 Somerset Dam ............................ by Andrew Mitchell ........................P65 B.A.S.S. Australia Nation..........by Drew McGrath .............................P66 Recipe ........................................... by Melissa Frohloff..........................P67 Barra on the bite ........................ by Donna Gane .................................P68 Hot surface bite ...........................by Noal Kuhl ......................................P69 Freshwater Impoundments ..... by Matthew Langford......................P70 Plastics the pick in the heat ... by Steve Wilkes ...............................P71 Border Rivers cod........................ by Neil Schultz..................................P72 Glenlyon Dam.............................. by Brian Dare ....................................P73 Northern NSW ............................ by Matt & Nick Wells .....................P74 Trading Post.................................................................................................P75 Subscription form ......................................................................................P76

PRO TE CT

This is the kind of result you want every cast. A good sounder can pinpoint the schools worth targeting.

P60

HIN G T R A D E

W

HEN reading Tye Porter’s article this month, I took special note of where he said he’s been writing for Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine for 25 years and it got me thing about the history of the mag and its writers.

Over the years, we’ve been very fortunate to have a host of experienced and dedicated fishos write for the mag, which has ensured top-quality content for you to read each and every month.

Although a few of these faces have changed over the years, I still regard all past and present writers as part of the BNB Fishing family and crew.

Another couple of writers who immediately jump to mind as ultra-longterm contributors are Bill Corten and Gavin Dobson.

I’ll have to do a bit of research and let you know how long they have been penning fishing tips and techniques for but at a guess I would say they are around the same vintage as Tye. I also find it interesting and humbling that we now have second-generation writers as part of the team.

Those who read the mag a decade or two ago might remember a young lad by the name of Glen Baker, who was a gun Moreton Bay angler.

I recently spoke to Glen at a Yamaha event about his son Lachie, who now writes a regular column for the mag.

Amazingly, Glen said Lachie is miles in front of where he was at that age, which can only mean good things for Lachie in coming years.

Glen said Lachie caught his first barra on a lure at the age of six, whereas he was 26 and on his honeymoon when he ticked that one off the bucket list.

In fact, Glen said Lachie actually called it before it happened as well.

They were fishing the estuaries around Hinchinbrook Island and as they were driving past a drain, Lachie said he’d read about fishing drains and he was going to get a barra out of that one.

So he flicked in his gold Bomber, gave it a few twitches and was on.

On another note, we’ve seen more updates on white spot disease, with prawns collected outside the Logan River carrying the disease.

They weren’t huge numbers of prawns, but it is concerning nonetheless.

Unfortunately, I don’t know if the authorities are sure of the best plan of attack to keep the disease quarantined in order to eradicate it, which is probably an even bigger concern.

We will continue to keep you updated in the mag with the latest findings, but be sure to check out bnbfishing. com.au for breaking news.

You are also welcome to subscribe to our free email e-news by clicking the link on the website.

The e-news is sent out a couple of times a month and contains a great mix of fishing and boating information.

Ben Collins

January prizewinner CONGRATULATIONS to Pieter Eksteen, Redland Bay who has won an awesome fishing prize pack valued at $360.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 5

Brendan Watt held a painted cray that came from a prawning session near Karragarra Island.

An Esky full of prawns is a lovely way to end a session on the water.

Prawns come on in southern Moreton Bay

Selina with a couple of small prawns.

☛ from P5

keep young minds entertained.

I believe our three-yearold John will be the fisherman because he is so intrigued by the process and is forever asking the why, where and how questions when in the boat.

Five-year-old Selina on the other hand is quite happy to curl up on the deck and catch up on some sleep.

I can see already what we’ll be dealing with when she’s a teenager.

On the way back to the Cabbage Tree Point boat ramp, we had a few throws of the net at

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Rocky Point where we picked up more prawns but nothing really worth mentioning.

What is worth mentioning is you should try to avoid clothing with buttons because the net can get caught up on them, which is pretty annoying and embarrassing!

Lamb and Karragarra islands are just two of the places worth trying for prawns, as are the banks heading south opposite the Logan River (western side of Russell) and south towards Jacobs Well.

Another trip to Karragarra with Brendan Watt and Rob was very successful, with the boys

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landing their bucket bag limit of 10 litres each quite quickly.

As an added bonus, a painted cray was netted, a species not entirely unusual for the area but nevertheless an interesting find in the net.

The prawns were on quite early in the morning and plenty of boats were about.

It’s great when despite a large number of boats people actually work together and do not get in each other’s way.

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can enjoy their prawning session.

If you are new at prawning, definitely practise using the cast net at home before venturing out.

Locally, the Cabbage Tree Point boat ramp can become quite busy because we’re really lacking boat ramps in this part of the world (and the parking that goes with them), so it’s important to make sure boats are launched and retrieved briskly to make the traffic at the ramp flow more smoothly.

Reversing a boat can be a nightmare for some people and admittedly I’m not the fastest, however Rod Har-

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MORETON BAY BOAT TRIMMERS

A nice feed of squid caught in the Rous Channel.

Ray and an 80cm jewfish landed with support from one of the boys.

Fishing with Ray – Bats style T

IRED of fishing South Australia’s waters alone, Ray Johnstone posted an unusual ad on Gumtree stating he was looking for a new fishing buddy because his fishing buddy had recently passed away.

It wasn’t long before the ad went viral and was shared to social media by The Courier-Mail.

I remember reading the article after a friend tagged me on the post and being absolutely gobsmacked.

I felt like something needed to be done immediately.

So I made a simple comment saying: “Hey Ray, you’ve probably found your new fishing buddy and probably won’t see this message. However, if you do, do not hesitate to private message me. We have a couple of boats that can make it a smooth ride and can put you onto the fish, without having to chip in for any of the costs.”

I honestly didn’t think this comment would make it to Ray. I then decided to message The Courier-Mail to see if anyone there could help.

The following morning, I woke up to my phone going wild with messages from people all over Australia.

My comment had received over 1600 likes and everyone was getting behind me to try to bring Ray up to Queensland.

Later that morning, I finally got in touch with Ray and offered him an all-expenses-paid trip to Queensland, staying on Stradbroke Island for two nights and doing exactly what we would on a normal family getaway.

Ray accepted my offer and was making his way up to Queensland the following Monday with grandson Ivan.

The trip was not only about fishing.

It was about bringing Ray to Queensland to ex-

Fishing Trip

by MATI BATS

perience what this beautiful state has to offer, and more importantly, putting a smile on his face.

Upon arrival, I was informed it was the pair’s first-ever plane ride and the excitement on their faces was priceless.

We made our way to Cleveland where we caught the ferry to Stradbroke Island.

The plan for the first day was to settle in, do a bit of sightseeing and really just get to know each other.

A lot of people were asking me: “What does a 22-year-old talk about with a 75-year-old?”

The answer was simple… everything.

We had this bond where we were giving each other crap within the first couple of hours of meeting.

Everyone kept asking if I thought of Ray as a grandad, but no, I saw him as a mate and treated him the same way I would have treated any of my other mates.

I kept telling him there was nothing he couldn’t do and to never let anyone tell him he was old.

On the second day, we got up early and took a ride in my family’s GradyWhite 228, which made for a smooth day in Moreton Bay for Ray. The morning consisted of a lot of whiting and squid fishing before we made our way to Peel Island to try for a jewfish or two.

Sharks were doing what they do best and making our lives hard, but with the help of one of the boys, Ray was able to get his hands onto a nice jew.

We showed Ray the beauty of Horseshoe Bay at Peel and then decided to head back to Stradbroke for a lunch my mother had prepared.

I don’t think Ray and Ivan had ever seen so much food in their lives!

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Ray thought we were trying to fatten him up with all the Greek cuisine, and truth be told, he probably did put on a few kilos!

Later in the afternoon, I took Ray and Ivan to Point Lookout to experience the breathtaking views.

The boys were absolutely stunned by the island’s beauty and there was still so much more to see.

We made our way back to our Amity Point Eco Shack where we spent the rest of the afternoon chilling out and having a few beers.

We were booked on an 11am ferry ride home the following day but managed some four-wheeldriving and beach worming early in the morning.

I gave the boys the full experience, which included helping a couple of people who had become stuck in soft sand.

This was a trip I will never forget.

Everyone keeps saying I changed Ray’s life, but the truth is, he changed mine.

When we do something so often, it begins to seem normal and we start to lose the sense of value in it.

My family has been going to Straddie for as long as I can remember, but this was the trip that changed my views on the place.

What we have at our doorstep and take for granted is crazy.

The number of people who live in Brisbane but have never been to Straddie is even crazier.

If I could give any bit of advice, it would be for everyone to open their eyes and see what’s in

front of them.

We live in the most beautiful country in the world and it’s up to you to explore it.

I must thank the whole of the Australian population for this trip, because without the support I received from people far and wide, it may not have happened.

Just as importantly, I also thank my family members for what they did.

These people go day in, day out supporting every decision I make in life.

Without them, I would be nothing.

The aim of this trip was to get Ray to Queensland and put a smile on his face.

Well this was achieved at the airport as soon as I shook his hand.

The rest of the trip was about having a good time and giving Ray the complete Queensland experience.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 7

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A little black marlin Mick hooked decided it didn’t want to play the game just before the tag shot.

Absolute chaos on Australia Day

W

HEN working full time it’s sometimes hard to get out fishing, and as you likely know, you can find yourself day dreaming at work and thinking about being on the water.

The bug had started to itch for me after a few solid days of work on the job site, so I jumped on the phone, knowing I had a day off coming up, and called my mate Jay Graham who is top dog when it comes to marlin fishing.

After organising it with Jay, the trip was a go.

The morning of Australia Day arrived and we were blessed with absolutely amazing weather comprising variable wind, no swell and not a cloud in the sky.

Mick Reed, Julz Reed and I met Jay at the harbour and quickly boarded Chaos in anticipation of the day to come.

We hadn’t come up with a plan of attack but decided we would use light tackle and see if we could get a few black marlin before heading wider with the heavy tackle to go after a big blue.

As we made our way out to the grounds, Mick and I rigged up a number of skip and swimming baits.

You want to have plenty of these baits rigged up because the marlin bite can be so full on that you need to be able to grab another one straight out of the Esky and send it back into the spread.

We soon arrived at where Jay thought the fish might be holding, so Mick and I set the spread up with two swim baits in the corners and two skip baits on the riggers.

The spread was set and we turned around to find Julz doing her best Sleeping Beauty impression on the couch.

We had a good laugh until we were interrupted by one of the 8kg outfits absolutely screaming with a little black marlin putting on a show.

The baits hadn’t even been in the water five minutes, so we were pretty pumped.

Offshore Action

by JORDAN ‘GRINNER’ KOSCHEL

Mick charged straight out and got stuck into the fish while I cleared the spread.

Then from the tower came the call of: “Are you ready?”

When Jay says this, you want to be ready to wind as fast as you can as Jay mows the fish down in reverse.

Jay’s driving skills made quick work of the little black and I was able to make a perfect tag shot into its shoulder.

With the tag in, it was time to leader the fish and remove the hook from its mouth.

It swam off perfectly and left us with a score of 1.1.1 (strike; hook-up/pulled line; tagged/

gaffed) after 10 minutes of fishing.

We were stoked to have tagged a fish that quickly.

It was only 7.50am but we had to crack a beer to keep with tradition after tagging the first fish.

We eagerly reset the spread because we thought we were in for a huge day but things slowed for a couple of hours.

This was frustrating because we knew the fish were there as we were getting short strikes and spotting them but couldn’t hook up.

Time went on and finally the Shimano Tiagra 16 started ☛ continued P10

A prime example of the gear needed to stand the test against a solid billfish. Note the beautiful weather the author was gifted with.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 9

The tag shot on a small black marlin. Always aim for the dark bit on the shoulder of the fish and not any lower.

This is why marlin are so good at throwing hooks. Their acrobatics can shake hooks free with ease.

Absolute chaos on Australia Day

☛ from P9

The author hooked up to a blue marlin. You have to be ready to scrap it out with these fish because they are very stubborn fighters.

screaming as a little black marlin went skipping across the surface but unfortunately it threw the hook that was pinned in the swim bait.

Word soon came down from the master in the tower that he wanted to see a real one now.

This simply means Jay wants to see a big blue, so the light tackle rods were put into the racks and the heavy gear brought out.

We set off towards the continental shelf and on

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the way decided on our spread of lures.

As soon as we arrived, the spread hit the water and we hit the couch for a relaxing day of trolling.

Little did we know what was about to take place!

I got up to grab a beer and out of the corner of my eye spotted a really nice fish ‘bill whack’ the lure on the right rigger.

Before I could even yell out, the marlin crash-tackled the lure and the Tiagra 80 started to sing.

I quickly picked up the rod and put it into my stand-up gimbal belt while Mick cleared the spread.

At this point the blue marlin was going nuts and jumping everywhere.

With the gear cleared, Jay called out: “Are you ready Grinner, keep up!”

We started to get a decent amount of line back thanks to Jay’s driving but the fish had other ideas and shot down deep.

I knew I was in for a scrap.

Half an hour went by in the scorching heat and I was feeling every bit of the 33C with no wind, but I knew what was on the end of the line was worth it, so I continued the fight.

Jay’s exceptional driving helped plane the fish back up through the water column and get it to the surface where Mick hit

the big blue with a perfect tag shot.

The hooks were soon out of this beast and it was set free and swimming away in good health.

This was only day one out of the three we had planned on marlin fishing, so we were stoked to finish 2.2.1 on black marlin and 1.1.1 on a healthy blue marlin.

We were left pondering what the next few days would have in store.

Game fishing competition It was the first morning of the Sunshine Coast Game Fishing Club’s All Ports competition (Saturday, January 28) and with our experience on Australia Day, we were pumped.

We weren’t treated the same as we were on Australia Day though, dropping a nice blue and failing to get any of the little black marlin we found.

The old saying “there’s always another day” was thrown around the boat and lucky for us that day was Sunday.

We changed our tactics and decided to go light.

Jay once again put to work his mastery of the game, taking us to a spot he thought might be holding fish, and wasn’t he right.

While letting out a skip bait, a black marlin came and took it.

This bait had literally been in the water for 10 seconds.

The bite resulted in our first tagged black marlin for the morning going to Longy.

The rods were soon back out, the spread was set and within minutes another black marlin was on.

Unfortunately, this fish jumped off and in doing so seemed to set the trend for our day.

We hooked multiple marlin but being the tricky species they are, they repeatedly found a way to throw the hooks and get off the lines.

We saw a lot of billfish and hooked more than 10 fish but only ended up tagging three marlin for the day.

I learnt a lot from this day because the best way to learn is from mistakes you have made.

All in all, it was a great few days on the water with great mates.

Thanks for the good times.

If you would like to join me on a day like this, give me a ring on 0413 128 056 and I can organise a charter with you on board Moreton Island Fishing Charters’ Firebird.

It’s not just marlin you can pick up when trolling.

Species such as this big dolphinfish Stu Dows pulled in are very common.

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The healthy blue marlin the author was lucky enough to catch.

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Moreton Bay longtail tips

A

FTER weeks of northerly wind and rain dirtying Moreton Bay, the conditions have finally eased.

The good news is longtail tuna have moved into the bay in big numbers.

Reports of tuna are coming in thick and fast from the Rainbow Channel all the way to Bulwer on Moreton Island.

Some of the bait schools amassed in these areas simply need to be seen to be believed.

We’re talking bigger than a football field of small baby blue pilchards 10m deep in places.

The bait is tightly packed yet the bait schools are spread for kilometres.

Finding the bait and fish is very easy at present because birds are everywhere, as are the boats chasing tuna.

If you can find a school to yourself, you’re in for seriously fun action because the fish are fired up and smashing big stickbaits.

My last two trips have resulted in fish caught on-

Tuna Tales

by JOSEPH CORMACK

ly on the Zerek Zappelin 160mm.

I was initially downsizing my stickbaits to a closer ‘match the hatch’ size of 80-100mm with no luck.

Plastics are accounting for a few fish but the larger stickbaits seem to be doing most of the damage.

This is a great bonus this early in the season because the bigger lures allow longer casts, so you are less likely to spook the fish by getting too close.

Speaking of boat position, your approach speed and outboard noise are major factors in your success or failure at landing one of these spooky sportfish.

Try to slow down well short of your cast length from the school and approach them slowly and quietly.

If another boat has beaten you to the school,

The first longtail on the deck for the morning.

you’re best to leave them to have a shot alone.

After all, two outboards are a lot noisier than one.

Turning off your outboard as you approach can also be a major factor in shutting a school down.

The change in noise is almost as bad as racing in too fast and too close.

Just remember to position the boat correctly.

You want the fish feeding directly towards you if possible.

They rarely turn around to hit a lure going in the opposite direction to all the bait they are feeding on.

Another thing often overlooked is the sun’s direction and angle.

Just like us, tuna cannot see as well when looking directly into the sun.

Position the boat so you are looking into the sun.

After all, you should be wearing quality sunglasses while the tuna are not.

I have recently upgraded my stickbaiting rods to a couple of the new Wilson Venom Stickbait models.

It’s always a big decision when changing rods because so many options are on the market these days.

I ended up going with the two lighter models.

The 15-30lb is a great all-round stickbai ting rod that can also throw plastics

rigged on a 1/2oz jig head.

It makes for quite a versatile rod, with the everpresent grunt of all Venom rods to help get the tuna up fast.

If you were only going to run one rod to cover all bases, this would be a great choice.

My other Venom Stickbait rod is the 30-50lb model.

What can I say?

This thing is a beast and casts large stickbaits far better than anything I have previously used.

It has masses of power to stop those bigger fish quickly and effortlessly.

As a good mate of mine recently said after a session using these rods: “They just feel perfect in your hand and fill you with confidence knowing you have so much control once you hook up.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

If you’re in the market for a new stickbaiting rod, check these out.

You won’t be disappointed.

Now’s the time to get out and enjoy chasing these speedsters.

It will never be easier than over the next few months.

I hope you get the chance to head out and land a few on beautiful Moreton Bay. We really do live in paradise and not many know just how amazing this stretch of water is.

Enjoy and respect it.

David with a quality longtail sight cast in 1.5m of water.

Jamal with a Zerek Zappelin-crunching longtail on the new Venom Stickbait rod.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 11

Kye Turnbull hooked this jack down deep during the middle of the day.

Kye landed this cracker jack over the Christmas holidays.

Prawns and jacks the pick to chase

M

ARCH is a great month to be on the water in search of a mixed feed in southeast Queensland.

Prawns, crabs and a variety of fish species will be available this month.

The days will get a bit shorter and the temperatures should begin to drop as the month goes on.

Prawns Good numbers of banana prawns will be on the cards again this month, with March one of the most productive months of the year.

All the rivers and creeks hold prawns at this time of year.

The best way to find out which ones are prawning better at any given time is to get out there and have a look around.

Serious prawners gener-

Nathan Turnbull with a solid jack.

Local Luring

by KEITH STRATFORD

ally don’t give a lot away, especially when it comes to spots and tides.

Getting out on the water and keeping your eyes on the sounder and the other boats is the best way to find out what is happening in your local stream.

Prawns can move very quickly between tides and are excellent at disappearing as soon as the tide reaches a certain level, especially in the shallower creeks.

The deeper rivers tend to hold large schools of prawns for a longer period.

As a general rule, the last half of the run-out tide prawns better than

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the top half of the tide.

This depends on the location and size of the river or creek, but in the larger rivers the prawns normally school up in the deep holes on the bends as the tide bottoms out.

Quite often the prawns will begin to spread out once the tide starts to flood in again.

This might not happen straight away and can change from spot to spot.

I’ve found the smaller creeks that run off Pumicestone Passage to be very influenced by the first flush of an incoming tide.

These creeks are generally shallower and the holes a lot smaller.

Prawns tend to move more quickly in these systems and once they get moving it can be very hard to find them in any great numbers again until the tide drops.

The bigger rivers such as the Brisbane, Pine and Caboolture cop plenty of pressure and continue to produce huge numbers of prawns.

The Pine and Caboolture rivers have numerous deep bends that can hold prawns, so a sounder can make finding them much easier.

I run a Lowrance HDS12 on my tinnie and if I can’t see prawns on the down scan, I won’t throw my net.

It shows prawns up so well that you can pick and choose the schools that are more dense.

Yes, it may sound like cheating, but prawning cuts into my fishing time, so I like to maximise my casts.

I’m not greedy when it comes to prawns and most of the time I’m happy with a kilo or three.

If I only have to make a few throws to achieve this, then I’m a satisfied prawner!

Good-quality electronics make prawning simple.

An electric motor makes

prawning a lot easier and allows you to stay above the net while it sinks to the bottom of the deepest holes.

An electric is also handy to move around all the boats when it’s busy to find the better numbers of prawns.

Mangrove jack March is a really good month for chasing mangrove jack in southeast Queensland.

At this time of year the fish tend to school up at the mouths of larger rivers that are fed directly from the ocean.

The rivers that run off Moreton Bay don’t have the ocean access that places such as Noosa, Mooloolaba, the Tweed and the Gold Coast Seaway have, so we don’t get the large schools of jacks schooling around here.

I don’t know if the fish actually leave the rivers off Moreton Bay to move offshore to spawn because I’ve caught very healthy numbers of jacks right up until winter in previous years.

Most of the rivers that feed into Moreton Bay also lack the depth and structure to hold good numbers of jacks to-

wards the mouths.

No doubt a number of fish move in and out of these rivers to spawn, but I can’t see how they can hold around these river mouths for any decent period before moving offshore.

It’s hard to keep track of their movements because they change from year to year and depend on the weather.

Most of the larger rivers see big schools of jacks move to the mouths around Christmas and again around April and May. My mate Nathan and his son Kye took advantage of these movements over the Christmas break, catching good-quality jacks out of a large school of fish during the middle of the day by sinking pilchards into a deep hole in a Sunshine Coast river.

A great effort in a very busy system.

This is an excellent month to gather a feed of prawns and hopefully tangle with a mangrove jack.

The bottom half of a run-out tide in the afternoon is a perfect recipe for both.

I hope to see you on the water.

Prawns have been very active in the rivers and creeks around Brisbane.

Expect plenty of by-catch while cast netting prawns.

Mullet are normally welcome and provide good crab and shark baits.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 13

This 43cm squire hit a Zerek Ripper Diver trolled over rubble ground.

A typical bream caught while trolling a Zerek Bulldog Crank along the mangrove line.

This bream ate a fresh green prawn.

How to deal with the heat in southern Moreton Bay

S A pan-sized fish taken on a Zerek Live Flash Minnow Wriggly while drifting across rubble grounds.

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ORRY about not having an article last month.

I decided to spend a bit more time with the family and less time working.

With all the strong northerly wind, the water is very dirty and hot in southern Moreton Bay, making the fish a bit tougher to catch.

These conditions are pretty normal for this time of year but the water temperature is higher than I’ve experienced over the past few years, so we will have to see if it affects the fishing over the coming month.

The usual water temperatures over summer are 26-27.5C but on our last trip, the temperature around Macleay Island was 29.5C and in front of Weinam Creek it was 31C. By the time I got into the creek itself it was 31.9C, which is the highest water temperature I’ve ever seen in the bay.

You have to remember that these are surface temperatures and whether or not it’s getting that hot in the deeper water I don’t know.

Tick all the boxes and catch ch more fish! sh!

FISHING TUITION

Southern Moreton Bay

by SEAN CONLON

So how have we attacked the fishing?

Well it’s pretty simple, I just keep working on getting a mixed bag of fish for the clients.

I will target bream around mangroves, pontoons and rocky outcrops on the shoreline.

Moored boats with plenty of growth on them are the best at the moment because they also create a bit of shade from the hot sun.

Casting and trolling hard-bodies such as the Zerek Bulldog Crank has worked well and there’s nothing wrong with trying the good-old fresh prawn or prawn-style lure since plenty of prawns are in the system around the southern bay islands.

A few flathead are around but you have to work for them.

I’ve found trolling on high tide around the mangrove lines where the prawns are being caught is key to picking up flathead.

Considering the heat, a lot of flatties will move

into deeper water of 5-8m and onto the rubble grounds around the islands.

Casting soft plastics in the deep water with 1/4oz jig heads seems to work well, while for the bait fisho, fresh prawns, mullet and squid are ideal.

Plenty of squid are around at the moment.

You’ll find snapper around the southern bay islands and Peel Island at the moment.

Several smaller ones are mixed in but persist and you’ll find the quality fish.

Work the rubble grounds, artificial reefs, wrecks and bigger pinnacles with soft plastics and trolled hard-bodies to pick up a few.

If bait fishing, always use good fresh prawns, squid and mullet fillets.

My best bit of advice is to employ a berley trail, though it may attract sharks.

Really big bull sharks have been around and they are unfortunately

taking many of the quality fish.

For everyone who has told me they’re finding it tough lately, that’s been the consensus across the board.

Don’t be disheartened because it gets like this sometimes.

The odd fisho says they’re catching plenty but most are finding it quite hard going.

As always; persistence is the key.

You just have to keep getting out there and putting your line in the water.

At the moment the best chance for a feed is prawns and crabs, so if the fishing is a little slow, maybe get the cast net out and set a couple of pots.

If you take a few crabs and prawns as well as the odd fish, that should see you through until the better months, which aren’t far away.

As I say to the fishos on my courses, chase what is on offer.

When you try to catch species that are not on offer, it makes life harder.

If you’d like to join me on a charter, phone 0433 732 310, check out more tonbaycha r ters.com.au or visit the Moreton Bay Charters Facebook page.

If you would like to know more about our night tuition classes, feel free to give me a call on the above number.

Until next month, stay safe on the water.

This 41cm squire was hooked while casting a Gobblers Curl Tail at schools of fish spotted on the sounder.

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

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moretonbaycharters.com.au m.au Page 14 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

Zerek’s Live Flash Minnow Wriggly accounted for this bay island squire.

Unfortunately, when you find good numbers of fish, big sharks are often hanging around and they steal the best ones.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Warm weather has fired up a few summer species H OW hot has the weather been lately?

The heat isn’t all bad, with many species on the bite in the warmer weather.

February and March are favourite months of mine because sweetlip (grass emperor) in Moreton Bay are usually chewing their heads off.

Later in this article I will discuss tactics for targeting these dirty little brawlers.

But before I talk about

Moreton Bay Young Gun

by LACHIE BAKER

sweetlip, I had a fun session chasing bass recently.

I haven’t fished for bass that much, but the few sessions I’ve had have been enjoyable.

Fellow Suntagger Liam Fitzpatrick and I headed out in his canoe to try for bass in a freshwater lake.

First cast of the morning resulted in a very random flathead.

It was a bit of a “what the?” moment, followed by a laugh.

I soon landed a bass that ate a vibe slowly hopped through a school of fish marked on the sounder.

Things went a bit quiet, so we decided to troll to cover more ground.

I deployed a Zerek 69mm Tango Shad, which was smashed by a solid bass.

Dan Powell landed a Moreton Bay spangled emperor.

Liam got a couple of bass of the same size.

We then went back to vertically hopping vibes and Liam hooked a large yellowbelly.

Moving on, we started throwing lures at the deep edges and my lure was inhaled by a big catfish, much to my disappointment.

After a few more hits for no result, the temperature dramatically rose so Liam decided to call it a morning.

Most of my fishing these days is done with artificial lures, but recently I have been getting back to basics and using a variety of cut baits.

As I mentioned, February to March is a good time to chase sweetlip in Moreton Bay. I recently had a decent session in the bay, with three anglers landing 28 fish in an afternoon.

It was a mixed catch including sweetlip, spangled emperor, squire and parrot.

We were on a bit of a mission on this particular afternoon because fishing guru Daniel Powell had to tag nine squire to earn his tagging achievement award.

The pressure was on to

A bass taken on a Zerek 69mm Tango Shad.

☛ continued P16

This bass grabbed a 65mm Zerek Fish Trap.

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3397 4141 Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 15

The technique involves trapping the prawns by bringing the two nets together.

This is what you are looking for: beady red eyes!

Land-based prawning in Moreton Bay

T

HE recent spread of white spot disease in the Logan River has been well publicised of late and is sad news for both our prawning industry and recreational prawners.

You will come across the odd legal mud crab.

Unfortunately this one had to go back because it was too small.

All the equipment needed for land-based prawning.

Lara with a grass emperor tagged and ready for release.

But all is not lost for the recreational prawner, with options in Moreton Bay and beyond.

March sees the banana prawn season at its peak in southeast Queensland.

Generally, these banana prawns are considered the domain of boat-based prawners with cast nets.

However, at this time of year land-based anglers can try their luck for them in deep holes close to riverbanks and boat ramps or off jetties and wharves.

Urangan Harbour at Hervey Bay is one location where you can have good success from the jetties inside the harbour.

If you head further south and across the border into NSW, the south coast’s estuaries are currently experiencing another bumper year for land-based prawning.

There, the greasyback (or bay) prawns are taken using underwater lights and scoop or drag nets (which are legal in NSW).

Some prawners have been taking their bag limit of 10 litres around the new moon.

Fishing Tips

by SEAN THOMPSON

Moreton Bay shallows What is less well known is land-based prawners can also catch bay and tiger prawns on foot in the shallows of Moreton Bay. These prawns can be located in very shallow water (often less than 60cm deep) during low tide at night around areas of mud/sand and ribbon weed.

At high tide, the prawns are a much more difficult target.

This is because the water is too deep to access them, particularly in areas surrounded by rock walls such as that from Lota to Wynnum North.

The prawns also move around much more in the deeper water rather than sitting stationary on the bottom around low tide.

Therefore, the best time to target them is two hours before to two hours after low tide.

This is in accordance with the tide rule of twelfths, where you get only 1/12th and 2/12ths, respectively, of the tide movement in these hours (see table below for more information).

The other good news is

A solid flathead was a nice way to start the day.

Warm weather has fired up a few summer species ☛ from P15

find the fish, and luckily we had the experience of my old man on board.

We caught a couple of quality fish in the shallows, including a 44cm spangled emperor and a few squire around the 40cm mark, which made for good fun on light tackle.

The rig I prefer to use in shallow water of 1.5-4.5m is straight 8kg monofilament down to a 000 sinker on a 6/0

Mustad Penetrator hook.

If fishing over coral, I like to use a longer rod of at least 8’.

My preference is the Wilson Live Fibre 9’, 4-6kg spin rod and either a baitrunner-style reel or 6” Alvey.

The reason behind the longer rod is simply to try to turn the fish’s heads quickly and steer them away from the coral.

If fishing deeper water, I often use a shorter graphite rod and braid to

Page 16 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

feel more bites from the smaller fish.

I like to run about 1.5m of leader to the braid, then a 4 ball sinker (give or take, depending on current), a swivel and about 1.2m of 15lb leader.

Depending on the size of the bait I’m using, I will run either a 5/0 or 6/0 hook.

My favourite baits include bottle squid, poddy mullet, gar fillets and hardyheads.

Another great way of

targeting these reef fish is waiting for the turn of the tide and then using a light jig head to slowly float down a plastic.

I like using plastics of 3”-5” in a jerk shad profile.

Sweetlip like hot, steamy mornings and warm nights around the full moon.

They will be around for another month or so, so get out there and have a crack!

Smoking drags and sore arms.

access to these prawns does not depend on a new moon.

In the NSW estuaries you can only chase them a few nights either side of the new moon, but in Moreton Bay the right tides come around every second week.

So in March, there will be about 12 nights where you will get at least two hours to chase prawns before 11pm in the low tide period after dark.

If you are a night owl, you will get even more nights at them!

Apart from tide, the other key influence on their numbers is weather.

The best conditions to bring them into the shallows and spot their beady red eyes is a hot, still day and a calm night.

The less wind chop on the water, the clearer the water and the further away you can spot them.

You want wind of less than 15 knots, but ideally less than 10 knots.

Before you head out, check the Seabreeze website or app for the latest localised wind readings.

Equipment Because the tiger and bay prawns in the Moreton Bay shallows are in shallow water and quite spread out, underwater lights like those used in the NSW estuaries are not effective.

A DIY headlamp is a better option.

The light from the headlamp will spot the red eyes of the prawns at night.

I use a 7W LED (or 50W in the old halogen wattage scale) lamp on my cap connected to a switch and a 12V, 9A battery in my backpack.

This is very effective and much brighter than even the best headlamp on the market.

Be aware that the prawns can be scattered, so you may need to walk several hundred metres each night.

You will sometimes find aggregations of them in areas, though still not enough to throw a cast net over.

Even if you did throw a cast net, this would only spook other nearby prawns and make them flee from the shallows.

Therefore, I carry two prawning scoop nets and a cooler bag over my shoulder to transfer the prawns after I have a few in the bottom of the nets.

The key with this method of prawning is using the two nets in tandem to maximise your success rate.

Both Fisheries Queensland and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service staff (responsible for the Moreton Bay Marine Park) confirmed it is legal to use two scoop nets.

The nets just need to be in your control, not staked, and their size must conform to the current regulations, which are available from daf. qld.gov.au/fisheries/recrea tional/rules-regulations/ gear-tidal-waters Word of caution Prawning on foot at night in Moreton Bay is not for everyone.

You need to trudge over 100m of boggy mud flats to reach many worthwhile prawning locations.

It is also very dark and you will see, hear and feel a lot of things that go bump (into your legs) and splash at night.

You will see stingrays, crabs and a range of

weird things such as giant toadfish.

Thick-sole reef shoes are a must for protection.

Be aware too that you are in open water in the dark at night.

Over the years I have only ever spotted one small shark in the shallows where I prawn, but I have no intention of chasing prawns out further than thigh depth.

While you may not get as many prawns as cast netting for banana prawns from a boat, I prefer this style of prawning for a number of reasons.

It is a greater challenge; you are under the stars on foot and away from the crowds and cast net rage; you can catch the odd mud crab as a bonus; the kids love it; and it is great exercise.

Good luck if you give prawning a go this month.

For more tips, advice and giveaways, check out my Ontour Fishing Australia Facebook page.

Until next month – bag your mates, not your limit!

This haul was taken by the author on a solo mission.

A pot of prawns destined for a prawn curry.

Tides and the rule of twelfths The amount of tide movement in each hour of the tide after high or low.

1st hour

1/12

2nd hour

2/12

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3/12

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3/12

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2/12

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 17

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White spot disease detected outside Logan River

N

EW test results confirm that the virus which causes white spot disease in prawns has been identified in a new location near the Logan River.

As part of the ongoing surveillance program, more than 100 prawns taken from a site just south of the mouth of the Logan River have returned positive test results for the virus that causes white spot disease.

Of the more than 8000 wild-caught prawns since early December only seven positive results have been detected until now.

Biosecurity Queensland is investigating the cause of the sudden spike in positive cases.

All pathways are being investigated to identify the source.

Sampling and testing will continue to monitor the survival of the virus in the wild and to assess if it has established in

natural waterways.

There remains a large number of samples currently undergoing testing at various laboratories.

The results will continue to inform the approach to the current program, including surveillance activities.

The national Aquatic Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Disease has endorsed the current disease control program as the best way to manage this issue.

Work will continue to decontaminate the affected aquaculture farms in the area, and further discussions will take place with the individual farmers, industry and national authorities to identify strategies to allow prawn farming in the area to continue.

The restrictions on the movement of crustaceans and worms from the Logan and Albert rivers will remain in place while work is undertaken with the sea-

food and prawn farming industries on a plan for the next season.

To stay up to date and for further information on white spot including how to identify prawns carrying the disease, visit

bnbfishing.com.au and daf.qld.gov.au If you suspect white spot disease, you must report it to Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 or the Emergency Animal Disease Watch hot-

line on 1800 675 888.

You can also subscribe to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries aquatic pest and disease alerts for regular updates on the white spot disease response.

Photo: gassman.com.au

Insights into snapper genetics

N

EW research shows there are two genetically different snapper stocks off the Australian east coast, where it was previously believed all snapper were part of a single stock.

Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries scientist Dr Jess Morgan said this was the first project to use fine-scale sampling and highly variable genetic markers to measure the number of genetically distinct snapper stocks that occur off eastern Australia.

“Our research shows one snapper stock is found off

the coast of Queensland and NSW and that a second, genetically different snapper stock is found from southern NSW south to Victoria and Tasmania,” Dr Morgan said.

“We found a high level of genetic mixing among sites in the northern stock, which is good news if a depletion occurs at a local level because the stock’s genetic diversity would still remain in neighbouring populations.”

Fishers collected 470 snapper fin-clip samples from nine locations off Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.

Highly variable genetic

markers in the fin clips, called microsatellites, were screened to look for differences among sampled locations.

Dr Morgan said the microsatellite data was analysed using a number of different methods, all of which confirmed the two distinct genetic stocks.

“The two stocks meet and mix around Eden in southern NSW,” she said.

“The location of the boundary separating the genetic snapper stocks appears to have shifted further south since the mid-1990s when a different type of marker, allozymes, detected a genet-

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While it’s likely that the location of the boundary separating the stocks varies depending on the east Australian current and other environmental conditions that influence fish movement, knowing where these stocks interact provides important information that can be used in future snapper sustainability assessments.

Senior DAF fisheries scientist Dr Wayne Sumpton said the research showed the importance of consistent data and methods being used across jurisdictions for stock status assessments.

“Part of the challenge in assessing the sustainability of east coast snapper as a whole has been that different jurisdictions often take different approaches to assessment and use different criteria for defining stock status,” he said.

“This project seeks to address this by providing a database of consistent, standardised information including snapper catch

data, size and age of fish as well as biological information such as growth and spawning data from Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.

“This database will be particularly useful for Queensland and NSW because the data can be used to model the entire stock rather than each state doing its own modelling and stock status assessment.”

Snapper is an important recreational and commercial fishing species in many parts of Australia.

Off the east coast, a range of different methods are used to catch snapper including line fishing, trapping and trawling.

This research is part of the inter-jurisdictional snapper management in eastern Australia project funded by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and the Queensland, NSW and Victorian governments.

For more information about the project, visit frdc.com.au

www.sun2seauvprotection.com.au Dr Jess Morgan

Page 18 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Sound advice on sounders

M

ODERN sounders, particularly the new side-scan sounders, have changed the way some anglers go about their fishing.

So much so, I have moulded the way I fish around them.

A side-scan sounder not only shows what is directly underneath the boat but also well out to the left and right.

Their ability to cover large amounts of water and give detailed images of both structure and fish has totally changed fishing for me.

In this article I will touch on things I have picked up over the past few years because a number of anglers ask me sounder-related questions on a regular basis.

I will admit that I am by no means an expert on side-scan sounders because I run my units in auto mode most of the time and my experience is limited to Lowrance and Simrad products.

I have, however, spent a lot of time on the water and relied on my sounders to help me find and catch fish week after week.

Following are several questions I regularly hear from those who are thinking of buying one.

Are they worth the money?

My usual response to this question is: “For me, 100 percent.”

Since owning my Lowrance/Simrad sounders, I have caught fish I wouldn’t have without them, found huge numbers of fish holding on structure and learnt a great deal about different species and their movements.

These sounders can quickly identify or eliminate areas to fish, which can really increase anglers’ ‘fishing time’ on the water.

I will often head out and only start fishing in an area if I am confident fish I want to catch are there, based solely on what my sounder has displayed.

These sounders suit

Sounder Tips

by PETER HERBST

my style of fishing but I wouldn’t recommend a side-scan sounder for a fisho that solely targets deep water offshore or pontoons in very shallow water.

Water that is too deep requires a massive scan and smaller objects will be difficult to see, while fish residing in very shallow water can be difficult to distinguish from the bottom.

Fishing in open water under 30m is where I feel a side-scan sounder performs best.

Will they show me fish and structure I can’t find with my old sounder?

The big plus to these sounders is the amount of water you can cover and the detail with which both structure and fish are depicted.

You can guess the type of structure on a sonar-only unit but side-scan units give a clearer picture.

Sunken boats, trees and rocky outcrops are clearly identifiable with a side-scan sounder, appearing as more than just the blurry coloured blobs you see on a sonar-only unit.

Finding structure is nice but I go fishing to catch fish, so I want my sounder to show me where they are.

Side-scan sounders have distance markers on the display, which allows the angler to judge how far from the boat the fish is.

Casting at a fish with an idea of what species it is, how many there are and exactly where they are based on the sounder image is a pretty awesome thing!

How big should I buy?

Any size unit is going to be better than none, but bigger is definitely better.

A big unit will allow more data to be displayed at once and generally makes it easier to see.

Splitting the screen with different data such as GPS, sonar and side scan

can be more practical with a large unit and far too difficult with a small one.

Identifying fish is generally easier with a bigger unit as well, especially if running a fairly wide scan.

I have spoken to a number of anglers who have bought a small unit and they wished they had saved up a bit longer to get a bigger model.

My advice is to get the biggest unit you can comfortably afford, as long as it is practical for the boat, and put it in the best position you can.

How do I read them?

Buying the sounder from a shop with knowledgeable staff members who can explain how to use the unit is sometimes a lot more valuable than getting it a bit cheaper from somewhere that offers little to no help at all.

It can be a lot to take in, so don’t worry too much if it seems difficult at the start.

Time on the water is one of the best ways of working out what it is you are seeing on your sounder.

Try going to an area where you know what is on the bottom or where structure you can see above water goes to the bottom, such as bridge pylons.

This will help you get an idea about seeing the structure and the shadow created by it.

Fish are no different, and they will appear on the sounder with a shadow behind them.

The distance between the image and the shadow will give you an idea of how far off the bottom a fish is.

A shadow well away from the fish means it is higher in the water column than one with a shadow near it.

Have a look at the screen shots and they may help as well.

This an awesome sounding, with thick numbers of fish picked up under the boat on the sonar screen in the top left. Bulk fish are seen to the left on the side scan from under the boat to about 20m out.

No fish are seen on the sonar screen in the top left. However, fish are seen across the whole left side scan 10-15m from the boat holding close to the bottom. A few fish are on the right side near the bottom of the screen 15-25m away from the boat.

Lots of fish are seen to the left, 5-15m from the boat. Some bait is present mid-water under the boat, as seen on the sonar screen top left.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 19

The basics of lure fishing

■ How to choose, rig and present soft plastics

S

INCE the end of the bream tournament year we’ve endured really bad weather and opportunities to get out have been limited.

The three plastic types the author generally turns to – all from the Atomic Plazos stable.

Measuring up a curl tail grub.

A correctly rigged and straight curl tail grub.

Measuring up a minnow.

A correctly rigged and straight minnow.

I have taken a couple of jaunts offshore with good success, but luring for bream has taken a back seat in recent months.

However, I thought it might be worth writing a couple of articles to help anyone looking to start out luring.

I read an article recently that talked of a big shift from bait to lures among recreational fishos, suggesting it’s a split of up to 50/50.

I think luring for bream saw a meteoric rise over the past 12 years but it has started to plateau.

As someone who started out solely fishing bait, I know how hard it can be to switch to lures, as I did over 12 years ago, and in a lot of ways you start again on the knowledge curve.

Recently I have gone a bit ‘retro’ as I have developed a bug for offshore fishing and also gone back to my roots by whiting fishing using hand-dug bloodworms – all in between my bream tournaments using solely lures.

When I started out luring with good mates Anthony Wishey and Rob Kwiatkowski, we were reasonably accomplished bait fishers and thought luring would be easy.

While we developed skills quickly, it was a hard slog, and mastering some basics up front would have been beneficial.

First, you can fish lures with very light gear.

I was used to 10’6” rods with 6” Alveys and 6-12lb monofilament line (up to about 20lb around reef).

When I moved to lures, I eventually got down to 3lb braid and 2lb fluoro-

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Page 20 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

Fishing Basics

by CHRIS ‘BRITTO’ BRITTON

carbon on 7’ carbon fibre rods that you could balance on one finger.

The presentation of lures can also be a lot lighter.

I was used to running up to 6 and 8 ball sinker rigs (but also down to 000) and heavier-gauge hooks where the bream would pick up the scent or movement of the bait and inquire about it as it slowed on the bottom.

With lures, and in particular soft plastics, fish will take them on the bottom, the drop and the surface.

Adapting your approach to take this into account will increase your catch rates and is something to bear in mind when selecting a jig head.

So, back to the original topic – you’ve decided you want to try soft plastics but you’re not sure how or where.

Here are a couple of ‘rules of thumb’ to get you started.

When to choose plastics Many different lure types and presentations exist, and soft plastics are but one.

Soft plastics are the right choice in a wide number of situations but before I get into that, consider how soft plastics work.

They are generally rigged to a lead-headed jig to provide weight, so will sink either vertically or in a flutter (depending on jig selection) and can be jigged using that weight.

Additionally, with a bit of practice they can be ‘skip cast’ into tight structure where a hardbody crankbait cannot go.

With that in mind, here are some situations where I reach for a plastic: • When fishing deeper water. By deep, I mean anything deeper than the reach of my deep crankbaits.

• When fishing very tight structure where skip casting is required, such as around boats and pontoons, and even mangrove lines with dark shaded areas.

• When fishing vertical or aggressive structures including rock walls and underwater reefs.

Outside of the above, I will also choose plastics on open flats where a hard-body is not the best approach (such as in really weedy areas or on open sand patches) or where I would like a really quick, darting retrieve.

Which plastic to choose When I first started lure fishing for bream, while so many options were available, I ended up with

three main plastics in my box: minnows, curl tail grubs and lures with tentacles or thin trails hanging off them.

Here are my thoughts on which plastic to reach for: • Minnows – minnows are fish-shaped with no real inbuilt action; you need to impart it. To this end, I will generally pick up a minnow when fishing locations where I want a quick and/or darting action, such as on flats or where I know baitfish are in the area.

• Curl tail grubs – these are awesome because the curl tail on the back of the grub imparts its own action when it sinks. Jig head selection is critical to ensure it sinks at the right rate. I generally pick these up when I want to target fish on the drop (a favourite in canals) or where fish are shut down.

I believe the tail’s extra action can sometimes tempt fish to bite.

• Other lures with multiple tentacles or claws – you have a number of options here but Atomic Prongs are a good example. My theory is that while they don’t have a curl tail’s action, the thin claws or tentacles attract fish as they move around.

I pick these lures up in the same situations as the curl tail grub and will cast them out when the grub isn’t working.

How to rig Now you have chosen a plastic, the next thing to do is rig it correctly.

This is critical, because if it isn’t rigged right, it won’t work.

If you think about how the lure needs to work, this gives a guide on the best way to rig, but the most important thing is to get it both straight and balanced: • Measure the jig head along the top of the plas-

tic to see where the jig’s hook is likely to exit the plastic. Remember where this is or put a small mark into the plastic with the jig head.

• With the point of the hook, start threading the plastic on from front dead centre.

• Feed the plastic down the hook until it reaches the point you marked or remembered earlier.

• Twist the plastic to allow the hook point to exit.

• Snug the jig head up against the face of the plastic so there is no gap between the jig head and the start of the plastic. At this point you might need to slightly move the plastic around to make sure it is straight on the hook.

Ideally, the plastic should look the same as it did before you put a jig head into it; that is, not twisted or bent.

If you do all that, you should have a well-rigged plastic ready to go.

You will get used to assessing how well you’ve rigged a plastic but early on a good test is to drop the rigged plastic in the water next to the boat and see how it swims.

If it goes around in circles, something is wrong (normally not rigged straight or with a weight imbalance).

How to fish and retrieve Now that you have chosen and rigged your plastic, the next part is to actually cast and retrieve it and hopefully tempt a fish to bite.

Any number of techniques and retrieves will work but here are two that have accounted for plenty of fish over the years.

It would be worthwhile mastering these before trying variations.

The hopping technique This is a classic soft plastic technique and lends itself very well to a curl tail grub presentation.

This technique fishes all the way to the bottom from the cast, so requires

a jig head light enough to allow a slow descent to the bottom.

I always watch the line as the lure sinks because it is not uncommon for a fish to rise and hit the lure as it sinks.

The tell-tale signs are the line straightening or even making a small ‘tick’.

If this occurs, simply take up the slack and feel for the weight of the fish.

If a fish doesn’t take it on the drop, when the lure gets to the bottom (when the line stops moving), I will impart two or three quick lifts of the rod tip.

The aggression of this lift varies from a very subtle lift to a really quick succession of lifts.

Just change it up until something works.

I then let the lure sink back to the bottom and repeat the process.

If I haven’t had a bite after three or four repetitions, I will wind in and start again.

Eighty percent of your bites come on the drop – something to remember!

The darting technique This technique lends itself well to the minnowshaped profile.

With this technique, the lure is thrown out and when it gets to the bottom or close to it, you quickly retrieve the lure with a sideways swipe of the rod (as opposed to vertical).

The idea is to get the lure darting across the bottom rather than rising, imitating a baitfish going about its business.

It is a good technique for targeting fish on the bottom but is not great in really deep water because of the angles on the line.

With this technique, the majority of strikes come on the pause between swipes as fish inquire after the lure stops moving.

There is so much more I could go into, but this should get you off to a decent start.

I hope it is of assistance!

All you need to get started.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Vessel trip planning – be prepared and be safe W E should always take time to plan our boating activities, even for the smallest trips.

Try to get into the habit of pre-departure checks at home, either the night before or the morning of your trip.

Following are some basic pre-trip checks.

Engine check Connect the earmuffs, start the motor, make sure it will start and ensure it is running OK. Identify that your impeller is working correctly.

This is indicated by the stream of water coming from the motor which is a result of the tell-tale pumping water from the engine.

If your tell-tale is not producing a solid stream of water within 30 seconds, you may overheat the motor, potentially due to a faulty or worn-out impellor.

However, it could be a more innocent cause such as the tell-tale outlet being blocked by a mud wasp nest or similar.

Time to investigate.

Also, check any fluids and the general condition of your motor as well as the battery and its connections, the throttle and steering cables.

Electronics Make sure all electronics and navigation lights

Boating Safety

by COLIN HINDER

are in good working condition.

If you have a marine radio on board, perform a simple radio check.

Check the bilge pump works too.

Also keep spare fuses on board for any of these items.

Safety equipment Be sure that all your safety gear is correctly located in the boat because you may have removed some items after the last trip.

Be aware of the requirements for safety equipment to be carried on board.

Have a procedure or system in place whereby you regularly check the condition and expiry dates of all equipment.

I recommend that you try to put all safety gear on the boat in a ‘grab bag’, which should be placed in an easily accessible area of the boat with nothing stowed on top of it.

In case of an emergency you can quite easily take the bag with you if you are required to abandon ship.

Make sure you are familiar with the methods of use for all your safety gear.

Be sure life jackets are

serviceable and the correct type for the trip as well as suitable for your passengers.

Weather and tides You have many options for checking the weather, and the wind is what will affect your day the most.

Know your boat’s limits.

Check the Bureau of Meteorology website (www.bom.gov.au) for wind strength, direction and possible changes.

Other websites such as Seabreeze, WillyWeather, Windguru and PredictWind are all handy and accessible from your smartphone.

Look at the tides you will encounter for the day, knowing the changes and range of the tides.

Have a contingency plan to reach sheltered waters in case the wind turns nasty.

If launching or retrieving your boat at the bottom of the tide, get some local knowledge of that ramp prior to use.

Fuel Check your fuel level and top up if required.

Make sure you have enough fuel for the journey you wish to undertake.

To be safe, you want to have a third of a tank

in reserve at the end of the day.

Always calculate the worst case because strong wind and current will affect the consumption.

If carrying spare fuel, use only approved containers.

Fuel should be fresh too; don’t use stale or contaminated fuel.

Hull and trailer Complete a visual inspection of your hull and trailer, ensuring no identifiable hazards.

Make sure your bung plugs are either secured in the boat or are readily available.

Double check they are fitted prior to launching.

It is recommended to carry spares too.

Check your trailer lights and make sure your boat is tied down to the trailer using an appropriate strap and any loose items in the boat are stowed correctly.

Supplies Ensure you have suitable clothing for the trip and enough fresh drinking water and food for the day, with extra just in case.

Navigation Know exactly where you plan on going and how long it will take to get there and back.

If you have a GPS, try leaving tracks on your journeys, marking any hazards you encounter.

The Beacon to Beacon

Guide is a great publication and is like a street directory that can be used to help navigate your trip.

You can also downland a smartphone app called Navionics that turns your phone into a marine GPS. Stability Overloading your boat is dangerous.

Stow any loose items while travelling to avoid injury and any sudden weight change in your boat.

Check your builder’s plate for information on maximum capacities.

Before you go Get into the habit of telling people where you are going for the day including the ramp you are leaving from, your planned direction and destination, a description of your boat, your time of return, how many people are on board and a contact number or type of radio on board.

The easy way is to log on with your local volunteer marine rescue or Australian volunteer coast guard.

These are free services and the operators will prompt you with questions.

If people do not know where you are and something bad happens, how do you expect them to help or find you?

Just as important as logging on is logging off once you have safely returned.

Safety brief For any new passengers on your boat, it is crucial to give them a safety briefing.

Show them where your safety items are and how to use them.

Tell them where your life jackets are stowed and remember that if they are not 100 percent visible, you need to label their whereabouts with a red/ white life jacket sticker.

A life jacket demonstration is also important.

This is your duty of care as the responsible skipper.

Have you ever tried put-

ting a life jacket on in the water in the dark?

If you are by yourself in the boat, always wear a life jacket because if something happens no one will be there to help you.

It is highly recommended that you join your local marine rescue organisation.

The small fee will give you peace of mind.

Take the time to have a chat to the staff about becoming a member and get information such as what radio channels are monitored in your area and the contact details.

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www.redcliffemarine.com.au Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 21

MJA Fishing Tournament – March 24-26

I

T’S back again – the Gold Coast’s number-one mangrove jack fishing tournament is getting ready for peak jack season with the tournament dates set for March 24-26.

The author with a solid fish caught on his favourite lure for this time of year.

Nathan Hugget will be keen to pull similar numbers to his efforts in the November comp.

New sponsors have come on board for the next MJA Fishing Tournament in the form of Mako Eyewear, Revolve Storage Systems and Tackle N Fish.

Returning sponsors include Dream Kayaks, 2DEEP, Marquee Events, Caino Lures, BCF Oxenford, JML Anglers Alliance, Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine and Weapons Custom Rods.

The major prize for the biggest jack will be a $500 BCF voucher, Weapons custom jack rod and an awesome trophy designed and made by Mick Molnar Marine Art. The prize for the longest total length of jacks in centimetres is a $500 JML Anglers Alliance prize pack.

Heaps of new major prizes are up for grabs in our lucky draw.

Once again, the lucky draw prizes are worth the entry fee tenfold.

The team at Dream Kayaks has put together

Brock Perry lifted one of the locals.

by DEAN GALPIN

the major lucky draw prize, with the Beast kayak worth nearly $1200 to be won by a lucky entrant at the presentation, among many other quality prizes including rods, lures, clothing and tackle.

More awesome sponsors will ensure only top-quality equipment is provided that can stand up to the hot and salty Queensland conditions as well as the straight-out slaughtering that Gold Coast jacks can hand to you on a daily basis.

Our goal is to keep improving the quality of prizes for competitors while holding the best value-for-money tournament on the Gold Coast.

We’ve seen so many pictures on social media of Gold Coast jacks being caught and more importantly released over summer.

The March comp is sure to turn out massive results.

With a record-hot January behind us, it’s been awesome to see anglers taking catches of 10-plus jacks in one session.

Other anglers are getting new PBs and people like me are still getting doughnuts with the odd bust-off here and there.

It is fantastic to see so much support within the jack fishing community, with a lot of banter between anglers who have developed friendships through the MJA Tournament and recreational jack fishing.

In saying that, it’s important to remember we are not all photographic experts and if there is something you don’t like in a photo, try to make constructive rather than negative comments.

In the most recent November tournament, 75 jacks were landed and at least half that number were lost.

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An interesting point I’ve noticed is fish are holding on the same bridges as they did at this time last year.

Sometimes I think: ‘I wish I actually kept a fishing journal rather than just trying to remember everything.’

Plenty of anglers use them successfully and after noticing patterns over the past few years I sincerely believe they are a good idea.

I’m sure you have your own tactics for pre-fishing the tournament and I really hope you do well.

Remember, this is a catch and release tournament, so we encourage this style of fishing all year round.

It doesn’t take long for

more prizes than ever to give away, so make sure you set aside time to attend.

As well as prizes, heaps of funny stories and tales of tragic ends for terminal tackle are thrown around over a sausage and cold drink.

At the November competition, we had a redraw on a Shimano Stradic reel and the Beast kayak, so definitely attend the presentation on Sunday, March 26.

Make sure you check out all the up-to-date information by searching for MJA Fishing Tournament on Facebook or @ mjafishingtournament on Instagram.

Good luck for the peak of this year’s season and don’t forget to sign on early at BCF Oxenford.

We look forward to seeing you at the competition!

STS Marine has all your chandlery needs covered

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In-house services are an STS specialty, with splicing (three-strand, eight-plait, double braid and Dyneema) and wire swaging services (150 tonne press on site) able to be performed day in, day out.

Commercial boaties are well looked after too, with everything

OLD Coastbased STS Marine stocks and sells industry-leading marine products to both the recreational and commercial boating sectors.

The business keeps over 4000 product lines and sells direct to the public in store and online.

As well as being a Humminbird and Minn Kota Pro dealer, STS Marine has all your recreational boating needs covered, from safety products such as flares, EPIRBs, life jackets and fire extinguishers to stainless hardware, boat maintenance products, ropes and mooring supplies.

Should STS Marine not have an item in stock, contact one of the friendly staff who will happily source your needs.

from anchor chains to trawling nets on offer.

For all your chandlery needs, don’t hesitate to contact STS Marine on 07 5564 6908.

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a big angry jack to want to feed.

As the tournament gets bigger, it gets busier.

We are trying our best to streamline the busy signon process as much as possible, so will set up a pre-pay system at BCF Oxenford that hopefully speeds things up.

So when you head in to BCF Oxenford to get all the gear you need prior to the tournament, be sure to pre-pay and sign on.

The entry price will be $35 if you pay prior to the event and $40 if you pay at the sign-on on March 24.

This fee covers our insurance and other costs we have had to take on as the tournament has grown.

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Have an open mind when heading offshore ■ Tips for whiting, tailor and crabs

F

ISHING can be funny sometimes.

The weather hasn’t made fishing easy lately, but something good seems to happen most times anglers get out.

This has been the case offshore.

Mackerel started late

Broadwater Region

by WAYNE ‘YOUNGY’ YOUNG

this year and while it hasn’t been a great season, solid jew and big snapper turned up and have been keeping us busy.

Brett with one of the big jew caught offshore in late summer.

Our offshore fishing hasn’t seen us targeting any particular species, rather just seeing what’s out there.

We’ve followed a very simple process of going to GPS marks, finding spots holding bait and anchoring up.

Then we berley up heavily for the first couple of minutes before releasing a slow and steady stream of berley to attract any good fish in the area.

Once caught, we keep our fish in a large live well.

We know the berley works well because this live well usually has pieces of our berley in it when we clean it after the trip.

The berley normally consists of small pieces of chopped-up pillies, but prawn shells and even fish frames in a scaler bag hung on the back of the boat can work.

Our most popular bait is whole pillies on a gang of hooks or a two-hook snooded rig.

Other successful baits have been whole squid and flesh baits such as bonito, mullet and trevally.

Lately though, the fish have stopped biting on pillies an hour or so after sunrise and have started biting again once a different bait is used.

Having more than one bait on board is important to success.

We hardly saw a jew offshore through the cooler months last year but we’ve landed four this year and lost just as many more.

No bait is out-fishing any other because jew are scavengers and will take most baits.

Jigging a few livies is a good idea because the struggling baitfish can attract predators to the area.

Not a lot of snapper are being caught but their quality is good enough to make it worthwhile trying for a couple while waiting to see if the mackerel turn up.

The best area has been the 40m line but the current can be bad at times.

If this is the case, just move a little closer inshore and you will nor-

The author with a big jewfish taken offshore on a flesh bait. Notice the darker colour of these offshore fish.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 23

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mally find better fishing conditions.

Like most of our fishing, the lighter the line, the more bites we seem to get.

Most of our bottom fish are taken on 15-20lb braid and 20lb leader.

The bottom structure off the Seaway doesn’t consist of the big pinnacles you see on larger

reefs to the north.

Our structure comprises gravel and smaller 3-5m pinnacles, which hold the better fish.

Plenty of good areas exist, and it is just a matter of heading towards Diamond Reef from the Seaway, reaching the 30m depth line and keeping an eye on your sounder for fish and structure.

A quality estuary cod landed by Nick in the Broadwater.

Some of our well-known reef areas are very heavily fished and finding your own smaller area will result in better and more consistent catches.

Back in the estuaries, we are starting to suffer the effects of the lack of rain.

Even the whiting fishing has slowed, or should I say we have had to chase them harder.

This has been the difference between getting a few fish and getting a good catch of quality whiting.

Sitting in the one spot and expecting them to come to you just hasn’t worked lately.

The 20-minute rule has had to be used.

That is, if you haven’t put a whiting in the Esky in 20 minutes, you move to a new spot.

Sometimes you don’t have to move far but it does help your catch rate.

The best tide for whiting fishing at the moment is the last half of the runout.

I am sick of saying “if we get good rainfall, the whiting fishing will get better�, so I think we just have to put up with the way it is and do our best.

In the Broadwater, decent whiting have been caught during the day on the sandbanks north of Wavebreak Island up to Sovereign Island.

Small yabbies are the better bait and can be pumped from the sandbanks in the same area.

You will also get the odd flathead as by-catch.

This month will see a few early season tailor and bream around the area.

Just keep an eye out for bait schools, bust-ups and birds diving into the water.

The beaches will begin to produce a few early tailor as well, especially around Jumpinpin Bar. Tailor and the odd good size jew will be in the gutters on the bottom end of North Stradbroke Island.

If you don’t mind driving the boat north of the Broadwater, decent catches of prawns have been taken from Jacobs Well up to Russell Island.

It’s still worthwhile having the crab pots out too.

Look in the Broadwater for sand crabs and the northern Broadwater between the Aldershots and Couran Cove for muddies.

I often hear about fishos losing crab pots and believing they have been stolen.

I spend a lot of time on the water both day and night and think a lot of

these ‘stolen pots’ are just placed in the wrong spots.

Setting crab pots in deep channels is just asking for trouble.

When driving around at night it is easy to accidentally run over these pots and either bust the float or cut the rope.

I have had to swerve at the last minute many times when coming back from the Nerang River to avoid hitting crab pots.

These deeper channels also have very fast tidal flow and can move your crab pot a long way from where you placed it.

This month is a great time to get out and have a fish.

The weather should begin to cool and hopefully the fish will be on the chew.

Until next month, fish for the future.

Regular Nerang River whiting fisho Brett with a 40cm-plus fish.

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Blue water needed offshore to bring on mackerel and marlin

A

S the Gold Coast leaves summer behind, the tourist capital cannot complain about poor weather.

The biggest problem this summer was the lack of blue water, which meant low numbers of marlin and mackerel.

Mahi mahi showed up for a rewarding run early in the season but then decided to holiday elsewhere.

Hopefully all the above species will make a last dash in late February and into autumn.

To ensure a feed of fish for the hundreds of charter guests this summer,

Fish the Deep

by SCOTT VAN BURCK

reef fishing was the only productive option.

Good numbers of teraglin, flathead and tailor saved many a charter.

The odd legal snapper came aboard but nothing worthy of the record books.

Those on board in early January lucked out and caught a 90kg marlin, one of two for the day.

One was kept and the other set free.

The one taken home saw all anglers on board fed

for many nights.

We have been waiting for a change in wind direction for a couple of months.

The wind will ease for a day and then revert back to blowing a strong northerly, which means back to reef fishing for the reliable species.

It was a very hot summer, so days on the water gave those on board a slight break from the intense heat.

Hooking and releasing

Kevin O’Brien with a beautiful dolphinfish.

the odd shark made for interesting fishing.

Sharks put up a good fight and our charter clients took many pictures when they were brought up alongside the boat, but the clients were also very relieved to see the magnificent creatures released back to the depths.

Australia Day was a great one to be out on the water.

Although very hot on land, the sea breeze provided relief for those on charters.

Boats decked with Aussie flags were wall to wall in some fishing areas.

A few boats were lucky and got the odd mackerel, marlin didn’t play but teraglin were plentiful, with reasonable size fish snagged.

A number of guests even managed double hookups.

As the Gold Coast moves past the hottest month of the year, all fishers are crossing their fingers for an increase in mackerel numbers.

Those enjoying private charters will be hoping black and striped marlin are tempted to take live bait.

Hopefully we will have more exciting catches to share with readers next month.

Snapper have been an occasional capture over summer.

Daniel Nelson landed a spectacular maori cod.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 25

John See with a tea-leaf trevally caught on a Bassday Sugapen fitted with Atomic Trick Bitz assist hooks.

Quality whiting are common topwater lure takers in very shallow water.

Topwater tips and tactics

G

’DAY everyone, in this month’s article I talk about one of my favourite forms of fishing: using surface lures.

Nathan Baxter with a hard-fighting giant herring that devoured a Bassday Sugapen.

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The thing I like about surface lures such as poppers and stickbaits is their versatility.

You can use them in less than a metre of water for whiting, bream and flathead or cast them in any depth of water for pelagics including trevally, tailor, queenfish, tarpon and giant herring.

Seeing a fish smash your lure on the surface is a buzz for any angler.

On my charters, I have a couple of rods set up for surface every day.

You never know when you might encounter surface feeding activity during a trip and it is good to be ready to get straight into the action.

All you need is a light 7’ flick stick in the 2-4kg range matched with a small spinning reel loaded with 6lb braid and 6lb fluorocarbon leader.

My favourite surface lures are Atomic K9 Walkers and 70mm Bassday Sugapens.

I have been using Samurai Inflict 3-8lb rods for some time now and have found the soft tips of these rods really helpful in imparting action on the lures.

When buying a rod, look for something with a softer tip because it will double as a great all-round soft plastic rod.

I have recently been experimenting with fitting Atomic Trick Bitz assist hooks to the rear of the lures, which has helped my strike rate.

The technique for using these lures is relatively simple and involves making the lure walk across the surface with a rapid left to right flicking action known as ‘walking the dog’.

The lure coming across the surface at a reasonable speed and spitting small squirts of water in front of it will induce a reaction strike from an array of species as they interpret the lure to be a panicking prawn or baitfish.

It is hard to describe how to make the lure walk across the top, but if you wind your reel with your right hand, cast the lure out and point the tip of

Gold Coast Guide

by BRAD SMITH

the rod to where the lure lands and then move the tip to 2 o’clock across the right-hand side of your body.

Then steadily wind while wobbling your wrist and hand, not your whole arm, with small continuous left-to-right movements.

There is no doubt the technique involves a degree of co-ordination, but with work and practice it will come to you.

A recent client said it is a bit like patting your head while rubbing your belly.

Keeping a loose grip on your rod and a loose grip on the reel also helps with refining the technique, which is nearly impossible to achieve while choking the rod and reel.

When targeting pelagics, it is important to remain aware of any bird or surface activity giving away the presence of fish.

You could also fish current lines or areas where clear and dirty water meet.

Targeting the more common species such as flathead, bream and whiting is a more consistent way to use surface lures because these fish will nearly always be found cruising around shallow bait grounds.

The areas that fit the bill should be in no more than 60cm of water and might have yabbies, worms or

soldier crabs as permanent residents.

It is important to note that you can fish too deep but you can’t fish too shallow with this technique.

In fact, some of the best whiting and flathead I have caught have come from water less than 15cm deep.

While fishing over the

shallow flats, activity seems to spike an hour either side of tide changes and a bit of wind chop on the surface breaks the surface tension and can help the fish to bite.

A great thing about this technique is you don’t need a boat to catch fish because most of our rivers and creeks have plenty of shallow grounds that can be fished by walking along the bank.

I look forward to speaking to you next month.

Pelagic species such as queenfish go into a frenzy chasing a well-worked surface lure.

Bream are a regular catch on surface lures.

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This solid spaniard hammered the author’s pike.

The last thing the author’s livies see.

Pulling out all the tricks to hook a mackerel

H

Mitch with a giant herring taken on 6lb.

AD enough of the sweltering heat yet?

With little rain, the ageold saying of “a drought on land is a drought at sea” has sort of rung true.

Offshore fishing has been very quiet lately, with not much to talk about.

We are still waiting for the spotted mackerel to arrive.

Moreton Bay has seen good numbers of spotties

Insights into boat insurance

B

USH ‘n Beach has brought Nautilus Marine Insurance on board to expand the fine print and provide readers with clear, easy-tounderstand and helpful tips on protecting their boating assets.

Nautilus will also be answering your boat insurance questions of a general nature and offering a great bi-monthly prize for the best questions received.

The prize will be a custom-built 15-24kg Nautilus Marine-branded overhead 5’6” light game and reef fishing rod crafted by Gary Howard and featuring Fuji guides, a graphite reel seat and roller tip.

Each rod has a retail value of about $300.

Just email your questions to qld@nautilusin surance.com.au Who stole my true value?

Here’s a quick quiz that will show you how to cover yourself against one of the most common but most unwelcome surprises relating to boat insurance.

The scenario You paid $50,000 for your new boat, motor and trailer just over two years ago.

You’re a very proud owner and have kept it

in immaculate condition.

You have had your boat insured for $50,000 since you purchased it.

Its new replacement cost today is $55,000.

Someone steals your boat.

The insurer says they will pay you $35,000.

Which figure do you think you should be paid? $35,000; $50,000 or $55,000?

Or some other figure?

The answer It is quite possible that you will be paid $35,000 – well short of what you now need to go shopping for a replacement boat.

However, had you taken the time to review the value of your boat when you renewed your policy, you could have been paid out thousands more – perhaps almost the entire $50,000.

So how did this come about?

Some policies state they will pay the full replacement cost of, in this case $55,000, if any total loss is suffered within a certain time frame of purchase or policy inception.

However, after that time frame, they automatically default the sum insured to ‘market value’.

Because you have not done anything to con-

firm the actual market value of your boat, your now stolen boat is given the value of comparable models of comparable age – the market value.

And that means your boat, which you no longer have in your possession to prove just how immaculate it was, will most likely be paid out at market value price.

So here’s what to do.

Check your policy thoroughly.

If it defaults to market value after a certain time, go to a respected marine dealer, probably the one you bought your new boat from, have the dealer inspect it and appraise its true value and prepare a market valuation form.

Then, when you renew the premium, attach that accurate market valuation form to your policy renewal form and get your insurer to double check the premium.

You might be paying a few dollars more because the value of your boat is recognised as being higher, but when it all goes pear-shaped, you can expect to be paid the ‘immaculate condition’ figure that you now have agreed with your insurer, rather than a depreciated market value figure that was based on averaged value.

You can contact Nautilus Marine Insurance on 1300 780 533 for any boat insurance requirements.

Nautilus Marine Insurance’s Damian Pugh checked out the prize rods with custom rod builder Gary Howard.

Any advice contained in this article is of a general nature only and may not apply or be right for you as it does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any advice provided in this article, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

Page 28 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

Gold Coast

by HEATH ZYGNERSKI

but they just haven’t arrived on the Gold Coast.

Down south, from Coffs Harbour to South West Rocks big 6kg or better fish are in great numbers.

It seems the northerly wind that lashed us late last year and brought the cold water in close has done a number on us, with the majority of schools hanging wide and bypassing their usual haunts.

This is nothing unusual and it’s happened several times in the past.

The result is a hard slog of a season where you have to pull out every trick in the book to get a good feed of mackerel.

Reports of catches of two or three fish have been the norm since Christmas.

I’m hoping for a late run as the fish head back north, most likely in late March or April.

When this has happened in previous years, I tend to forget about the fickle spotties and just target spanish mackerel on the same grounds using livies and deep-diving lures.

The spaniards, for whatever reason, tend not to be as affected by the cold water as much as the current.

The harder the run, the better the fishing for spaniards tends to be.

If they are around, a well-presented live bait won’t last too long.

Mixed in with them will be cobia, yellowtail kingfish and the odd wahoo.

Out wide, marlin fishing has been fairly lean.

Most boats have been getting a couple of strikes but nothing like last year.

Again, you’ll be working hard for your fish.

On the other end of the scale, the fishing has been very good in the rivers and creeks.

Plenty of mangrove jack, flathead, whiting and other sportfish such as giant herring have been regular catches.

I had a bit of a session with my young bloke Mitch and some mates one afternoon and livies weren’t lasting more than

10 minutes before getting hammered.

These fish provide excellent sport on light 6lb gear but you do lose your fair share to snags and bite-offs.

Mitch and his mates have been getting into spearfishing of late and they’ve been coming home with a good feed every trip.

Flathead and whiting have made up most of their catches.

However, it’s their GoPro footage I’ve been interested in.

Getting a bird’s-eye view of the terrain and seeing how and where the fish lie has opened my eyes to how to attack the local creeks.

Seeing the dozens of big flathead lies on the sandbanks has spiked my interest in giving the creeks a good crack for flatties in

coming weeks.

Going by the numbers, it seems they are schooling up to spawn, so only take what you can readily eat and let the big girls go.

The boys are only using hand spears, so they are having to work hard for their catch.

The local bars are in OK shape.

Tweed Bar hasn’t changed much since last month; just keep an eye on the back bank.

If heading around to Kirra Reef, keep an eye out for the new nets.

Several new ones are in place, so ensure you replot them on your GPS. Currumbin Creek Bar is getting better.

You can get in and out on the low tide by running down the gutter.

Tallebudgera Creek Bar still only has a small channel but it is deep.

The Seaway is as per usual and you need to keep an eye out to the north.

‘Til next month, screaming reels to you all.

A 60cm-plus flathead the boys scored while spearfishing.

A jack caught by Mitch that hammered a poddy mullet.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 29

A surprise jack landed on a 5-weight fly rod while chasing trevally.

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S it March already?

After a very eventful and hot summer, we have a lot to look forward to this month, with plenty of fishing opportunities on offer in both fresh and salt water.

With water temperatures on the Gold Coast still hovering around a warm 27C, planning a trip is quite difficult because you have so many options to choose from.

In the fresh water, bass fishing in the creeks and rivers has been productive because the warm water has given the bass a reason to push upstream to feed on fallen insects and little crustaceans before winter causes them to spawn and sends them back to the salt.

The techniques that have paid off when targeting bass differ depending on the time of day.

During low-light periods, use surface lures that mimic insects that have fallen into the water.

A successful method I have employed is hitting a tree with the surface lure

Bonito

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and then letting the lure fall into the water.

After a really long pause, make consecutive small twitches with the rod tip and whack, you should be on.

During the day, fishing deeper with weedless craw imitations such as the Fish Arrow Flash-J Craw and TT ChinlockZ jig head has generated a bit of interest when the bass are shut down and holding tight to structure.

Casting as close to the structure as you can, employ a few small hops to make the bait look injured.

This has been one of the best seasons for Hinze Dam saratoga, with reports of consistent numbers every trip on a variety of techniques.

Anything from deep cranks to spinnerbaits, swimbaits and surface lures is enticing the toga.

Interestingly, these fish

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are not afraid to eat in the middle of the day.

The easiest way to find them is to keep an ear out and eye open because they often patrol the surface looking for vulnerable baitfish, so casting in the direction where you heard/saw a fish can often result in a bite.

Saratoga are great sportfish and are renowned for their aerobatic displays.

However, this is when they are most likely to throw the hook.

In the salt, the fishing has been good for all species from bream to mangrove jack and bull sharks.

Bream have been caught using multiple techniques but for consistent numbers I have found deep crankbaits along rock walls very productive.

This technique can also result in by-catch of the occasional cod, trevally or jack.

The popularity of mangrove jack fishing is continuing to grow here on the Gold Coast due to their elusive nature and exceptionally hard fight.

At any size, people are often happy to claim they have caught one because even the smaller models put up a great fight.

Jacks are very opportunistic and can be quite aggressive once they switch into feeding mode.

Locations with lots of structure are ideal because they not only hold baitfish but can be used by jacks as shelter to hide in if they feel threatened.

Rock walls, bridges and pontoons are all good places to begin when targeting these fish.

I have found bigger lures

such as the Pontoon21 Cablista 90mm work well because they resemble the majority of mullet and herring in our local waterways.

But if you think about it, elephants eat peanuts, and smaller lures will still account for a few fish.

Bull shark pups seem to be popping up in larger numbers but not size, with most ranging from 70cm to 1.5m.

The best baits are live freshwater mullet.

I run an N.S Black Hole Hurricane 15-30lb rod, 3000-size reel and 30lb braid.

My gear won’t stop any monsters but makes for a great little challenge on the smaller models.

The best thing to do is get out there and give everything a try to test your luck.

Give it a go!

Numerous average size bull sharks are cruising around the canals.

A Fish Arrow Flash-J Craw pinned this bass as the sun rose higher in the sky.

This Hinze Dam saratoga hit a 110mm Fish Arrow Huddle Minnow after the author saw the fish rise.

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A solid jack hooked on a Pontoon21 Cablista.

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Some mackerel about when southerly blows â– Reef species more prevalent

O

N the odd occasion when we get a southerly change blow through, the fish seem to bite their heads off.

I think the fish are as sick of the persistent northerlies as we are.

I’m mostly talking about reef fish here because mackerel have been pretty patchy at the best of times.

A light southerly change was due one recent afternoon, so Jason and I headed out, hoping for a few reef fish.

I wasn’t too hopeful for a mackerel because the northerly wind had kept the water cool.

The fishing was a bit quiet earlier in the afternoon, with just a few squire and moses perch caught.

As it neared dark, the wind started picking up from the south and the fish began biting.

The harder it blew, the more the fish bit, and by dark the light southerly change had turned into 20 knots-plus.

The fishing just got better and better and snapper started hitting baits as soon as they landed on the water.

Tweed to Byron Bay

by GAVIN DOBSON

Deeper down, I pulled the hooks on a jew but it seemed even the jewfish rose to the surface to feed as Jason cast a bait out and immediately set the hooks.

We presumed it was a good snapper but upon getting the fish to the boat we discovered it was a 7.5kg jew.

It had taken a surface bait in 20m of water.

Lewan and I headed back the next afternoon in glassed-out conditions and the fish certainly didn’t bite like the evening before.

Fish were there but they weren’t crash tackling the baits on the surface.

I put a live pike on the bottom for a jew and missed a bite.

Assuming the bait was gone, I started winding in and was halfway up when I got another bite.

I sat the bait at this depth for another minute and nothing happened, so I continued winding in and

just as I was about to lift a mangled pike out of the water, a jew grabbed it.

I lifted the fish in the boat and put it on the ruler: 69.5cm.

All that for an undersized jew!

I dare say it followed the bait all the way up from the bottom as opposed to the jewfish the night before, which was actively feeding on the surface.

We had a live bait out all afternoon for a mackerel and nothing touched it, so getting towards dark I wound it in to get it out of the way.

Lewan then had his hooks bitten off his floating bait and my live pike was bitten off as well.

I was regretting taking the mackerel bait out of the water but had no more livies.

A while later, Lewan cast out a floater and hooked what he said was a good squire.

After a few winds of the handle, the fish started

jumping and in the dark we could hear it splashing around.

Lewan lifted a good greenback tailor over the side and revealed the culprits that had bitten us off earlier were tailor and not mackerel.

I shone the torch in the water and could see a fair ☛ continued P32

Jason with a surface-cruising jewfish.

Mackenzie and her 43.5cm whiting. She’s set the bar high!

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I hope you are coping with the heatwave we’ve endured over the past month.

We have certainly felt it around the Northern Rivers area and it has affected the fishing to some degree.

The main concern right now is the potential for a fish kill after the prolonged heat and dry spell.

If we get a serious flood in the Richmond River in the next few months, we could be looking down the barrel of the same tragic events as 2001 and 2008.

Let us all hope this does not happen and we reach winter safely.

Having said all this, a small amount of rain would certainly help things at present, but the weather gods have not been overly kind to us, so I am not expecting much of a change in the near future.

More often than not, we have had to deal with strong northerly wind, which has hampered a lot of fishing efforts.

Most of the problems have been for the off-

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Ballina Bait & Tackle

by BRETT HYDE

shore boaties, because the northerly wind has prevented the warmer current from pushing in close to the coast and bringing the pelagic species with it.

I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed this month that I am finally right and we will get warm water in close, meaning the mackerel and mahi mahi will show up in some consistent numbers.

If you haven’t made some already, now would be a great time to make rigs up in preparation for the arrival of the spotted and spanish mackerel.

Both these speedsters have razor-sharp choppers, so you are going to need a bit of wire in the tackle box.

The lighter the better for the spotties because they can be fairly picky at times, so I would look at 18lb or 27lb single-strand wire.

Spanish are generally less fussy and are larger fish on average, so I would recommend at least 44lb wire, though most anglers will use 58lb or even 69lb if bigger models are around.

Once again, singlestrand wire is quite popular when using live baits, but often anglers will use multi-strand wire when trolling with lures because it is considerably more flexible and will give the lures a much more natural action through the water.

As for the other offshore species, we have had reasonable reports of snapper and good-quality flathead out on the 32-fathom line.

Most of the fish landed have eaten pilchards and mullet but a number of snapper have also taken a liking to brightly coloured soft plastics, octopus jigs and slow-pitch jigs.

With the heavy current out there at present, you will certainly need heavier weights, so I would make sure you are using jigs from 80-200g depending on the current and wind on the day.

Out wider, kingfish, amberjack and pearl perch have been a little on the quiet side.

The northern 48s have been the pick of the spots, but on some days the constant northerly wind and strong current have made fishing this deeper water nearly impossible.

The current has forced a lot of the baitfish to hide behind pinnacles and ledges for cover, so these will be the types of structure to target or search for when you are out there next.

Unfortunately, the

beaches and to a lesser extent the rock platforms have been fairly quiet over the past month.

Black Head up to Seven Mile Beach at Lennox has been the best area to try your luck.

Scattered reports of tailor have been coming in and they have been caught on the usual baits such as pilchards and bonito but are also taking a mix of metals from 25-85g and surface poppers from 80150mm.

I suspect the variety of baitfish congregating in this area lately is the reason for the vast differences in effective lures.

We have seen everything from white pilchards all the way up to small bonito and enormous slimy mackerel hanging around, so I am guessing the tailor have enjoyed a wide and varied diet.

Whiting, dart and flathead have also been slightly poor in numbers and quality.

To some extent, they were heavily pressured over the holiday period and don’t appear to have bounced back as well as in the past.

The better numbers of fish seem to be around South Ballina Beach, and the usual baits such as

worms and yabbies have produced most of the fish.

Back in the Richmond River, the fishing has been better than on the beaches.

Flathead seem to be making their way upriver slowly but surely.

Larger numbers of fish have been taken from the Burns Point Ferry up to Broadwater in the past few weeks.

The usual baits of prawns, pilchards, mullet and live herring have all produced fish on the runout tide, with the deeper areas holding better-quality fish.

Whiting and bream have been inconsistent but much like the offshore species, I am putting some of that down to the constant northerly wind barrage.

Recent larger tides seem to have stirred up the mud crabs, with extra-large models coming from the middle reaches of Emigrant Creek and the main river above Pimlico during the run-out tides at night.

Smaller GTs have been popping up in North Creek over the past month but the better-quality fish have made a few brief appearances upriver around the sugar mill.

Make sure you take the heavy gear with you because these fish are up to 70cm long, can certainly pull like freight trains and like to steal lures at any opportunity.

Well that’s all from me this month.

Until next time, tight lines!

Kevin with a bass.

Some mackerel about when southerly blows ☛ from P31

few tailor swimming around, so we hooked a couple more before they moved on and we headed home.

As I mentioned earlier, mackerel have not yet fired this year.

A few spanish are being captured but nothing in any numbers.

It’s the same with the spotties, with only a handful coming back to the ramp for the season.

All pelagic species have been mostly absent thus far this season.

Mahi mahi are at the FAD some days but not in large numbers and not feeding aggressively.

Cobia still aren’t around and I haven’t heard of even one small black marlin caught inshore from this area.

Likewise, yellowfin tuna and wahoo have been absent.

The beaches have been nearly impossible to fish of late thanks to all the

cornflake weed and unfortunately this has also accumulated in bulk in the lower Brunswick River.

This has made fishing for bream and whiting near-on impossible, but surprisingly tailor and trevally are feeding in amongst the cornflake weed.

Small white pilchards are in the river in large quantities and seem to try to hide amongst the floating weed.

The fisher armed with a spinner has been able to work the surface and mostly stay on top of the weed to catch a few fish.

Further upriver away from the dreaded cornflakes has seen OK fishing.

Whiting aren’t super thick but good ones are around.

None better than Mackenzie Meal’s 43.5cm fish pictured on the previous page.

As you can imagine,

the big whiting put up a great fight after taking a yabby bait.

I know a few hardcore whiting fishers who have never captured a fish of this length, so a big congrats to Mackenzie.

The water is nearly bath temperature in the river and this means even the deepest holes can be fished for jacks, which have been caught in good numbers lately.

Estuary cod are plaguing jack fishers, eating all manner of lures and baits aimed at jacks.

They are a great fish in their own right, so have a good look at them, take a pic and release them because they are protected on this side of the border.

Hopefully we can get a bit of decent weather this month and search out a few pelagics, but if not, the rivers will produce a feed.

All the best. www.bnbfishing.com. au

Making the most of your fishing options

W

HAT a start to mackerel son it has been, constant northerly making the water cold.

slow the seawith wind very

We have had a couple of days of southerly wind and then a week of northerlies sees water temperatures go from 24C to 19C in the blink of an eye.

Baitfish are there but the toothy critters are not, as I have heard of only seven mackerel being caught in the past month.

Hopefully the mackerel are on the chew by the time you read this.

Very nice snapper and kingies have been captured on the wider grounds and a few trag have been taken at Josies and the Patch.

If chasing mackerel, I would head out to the bait grounds near Snapper Rock to load up with slimies and yakkas and then try the south grounds.

Troll here or set livies

Evans Head

by GARY ‘SQUIDGIE’ PALMER

under floats and see if the mackerel show up.

If you don’t get any bites in an hour, head wider for snapper, kingies and trag.

The beaches have had their moments, with several solid tailor and small soapy jew caught, but the standout fish has been whiting.

The whiting are big – and I mean kidney slappers – some I reckon you could strap a saddle on and ride them home.

Find a decent gutter with a bit of wash in it to locate the whiting.

It doesn’t need to be deep, it just needs to have movement in it.

Don’t cast to the back of the gutter, rather cast into the wash with live beach worms or pipis.

Remember to fish lightly with a size 6 long-shank hook and no more than a

Bream just love Atomic Hardz.

number 2 surf sinker.

I use ball sinkers because I like to walk the gutters but a lot of fishos prefer surf sinkers because they don’t roll as much.

Remember you cannot take pipis away from the beach in NSW. This means pipis can’t be taken more than 50m above the high tide mark, so don’t be caught with them in your car or bait bucket as you leave the beach because big fines apply and the fisheries officers have no sense of humour.

We have spoken to a few fishers who have been caught out not knowing this law.

Bream and dart are in some of the beach gutters around Broadwater and Patchs Beach and taking pipis and cut baits.

Very big shovelnose rays are being caught and some fishers are surprised at the size of these fish.

The blue-spotted shovelnose are seriously big and they are coming into estuaries to breed.

Years ago I caught one weighing about 100kg and have been smashed by many more that have just gone mad and spooled me.

I used to target them because they are really nice eating but these days my body won’t stand up to the epic fight.

There’s nothing like fishing 200lb line with a big, angry shovelnose on the end of your line and adrenalin pumping through your veins.

The Evans River has been fishing pretty well, with bream and flathead in the lower reaches around the bridge and whiting upstream.

As I said last month, the best time for whiting has been the run-out tide due to the colder water.

If you’re after a feed of whiting, I would try the beginning of the south wall near the doggy bag rack.

Use light line and a small sinker, or no sinker if possible, and worms as bait.

Whiting seem to hang in this area and they are normally very big, but forget it if there is a lot of boat traffic.

I would fish here of an early morning or just on dark.

This spot is also my goto area for flathead but you need to be in a boat with an electric motor to effectively fish for them.

Drift over the rocks and then use the electric motor to get back to the start and drift again.

I like soft plastics for flathead but you could use white pillies as well.

Out on the headlands, lots of sharks are being taken on live bait, with fishers targeting mackerel losing bait to the sharks.

These sharks put on a brilliant aerial display when hooked.

And if you land one, they’re not too bad on the plate either.

Jewfish and bream are around the headlands as well.

Tailor are there too but you will have to move around to find them.

Joggley Point is worth a shot for tailor but fish with a friend because this spot can be dangerous as it is very open.

Red Hill is another great whiting spot at this time of year, with worms and pipis the best baits.

I have landed very big bream there but it can get a bit dangerous in rough seas unless you fish from a mostly safe ledge.

Chinamans and New ☛ continued P34

Kevin released a bass.

Kevin and a small bass caught on a spinnerbait.

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Hit and miss for mackerel offshore ■ Tye ticks over 25 years with BNB

C

O N SI D E R I N G a heck of a lot of Bush ‘n Beach readers would be 25 or younger, I am suddenly feeling very old.

This month completes my 25th year of writing for this great publication.

My first article was published in the April edition of 1992.

I met the late and great Ron Collins at a fishing competition at Brunswick Heads where Ron asked if I would be interested in writing a fishing report on the NSW north coast.

For many years, I covered the coast from Minnie Water in the south to Lennox Head in the north, but these days I only cover the Clarence Valley area from Minnie to Black Rocks because Ballina/ Lennox Head is well covered by my good friend Brett Hyde of Ballina Bait and Tackle while Evans Head and surrounds has Squidgy Palmer keeping readers informed.

During the past 25 years, I have made many lifelong friends through Bush ‘n Beach and continue to meet readers on a regular basis.

To Ben and all the crew at Bush ‘n Beach, thanks for everything you have done for me over the years as well as putting up with me missing the copy deadline every single month, without fail.

Who knows, next month I may finally get my article in on time to kick off my 26th year in style.

On the fishing front, cold offshore currents have caused boaties no end of frustration in their search for pelagic species such as spotted and spanish mackerel.

I was recently talking to

e k a t u o y t ! s a r h e t W t a m . . . u o y h wit

Page 34 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

Just Jew

by TYE PORTER

a local commercial fisher who told me that one day the mackerel would bite their heads off and then for the next few days the water would go cold and green and even though he could see hundreds of fish under his boat, they simply would not bite.

The same fisher has been having better luck while fishing the shallow inshore waters off Woody Head and boating big cobia as by-catch while targeting sharks, with his best day yielding four cobia between 9kg and 33kg.

The amazing thing about this is all the cobia are being taken only a couple of hundred metres off the beach just north of the access track on Shark Bay. At the time of writing, spanish mackerel and longtail tuna are yet to make an appearance along the Iluka breakwall, however it is merely a matter of time before they do.

The only pelagic species to be taken from the wall to date (other than tailor) are bonito, with quite a few of these little critters falling to 30g metal slices.

Iluka’s breakwall has been fishing really well for big tailor on lures, with 14cm Rapala X-Raps the most common lure used.

The last hundred metres of the wall to the point has seen the bulk of the action, with fish from 1.52.5kg a dime a dozen.

School jew are in reasonable numbers along both the Iluka and Yamba breakwalls, with fish

around the 7kg mark biting well on squid and soft plastics.

Sadly, large jew have been missing in action, however this should begin to change this month as both flat-tail mullet and the larger sea mullet begin to congregate in the lower reaches of the Clarence River for their annual spawning run.

Main Beach at Iluka has been fishing extremely well for big tailor, with Lismore angler John Pellagreen leading the way by catching quality fish to over 3kg on bonito strips.

The southern end of the Iluka Bluff has also been

holding fair numbers of smaller tailor for anglers using lures, along with a few hard-fighting turrum to 7kg.

Inside the mighty Clarence River, big lizards are being boated along Middle Wall on live herring, with Palmers Island fisho Rhyan Buckley and Danny Wicks of Yamba two of the many anglers getting amongst the fish.

Further upstream, Browns Rocks is producing reasonable numbers of school jew on plastics and live herring, along with the odd solid bream and flathead.

Big numbers of pansized flatties are being boated at Brushgrove on green prawns.

Whiting numbers have dropped off somewhat, however a feed can still

be found using either live yabbies or beach worms around the sand flats as well as along the southern bank of Goodwood Island.

The beach along Shark Bay has been a bit hit and miss due mainly to the howling northeasterly wind that has been hammering the coast, however if you can manage to get out early of a morning before the wind gets up, a feed of bream, swallowtail dart and whiting is on the cards.

All in all, I expect March to see the landbased pelagic season kick into overdrive along both the Yamba and Iluka breakwalls and the odd good size jew begin to be boated in the lower reaches of the river.

Until next month, safe fishin’.

Young Iluka angler Rebekah Ellis had fun landing bonito from the Iluka breakwall during February. Sadly, bonito have been the only pelagics taken to date.

Making the most of your fishing options ☛ from P33

go

nline o r e d Or m.au o c . s r bble

Zealand beaches are great spots to get away from the crowds and some of the whiting and bream on these beaches are big.

You can also catch very large dart on pipis and worms.

The beauty of these areas is you can walk around to Snapper Rock and fish for jew, snapper, bream and whiting, but once again take a partner with you because Snapper Rock is well known for rogue waves taking your feet out from under you.

I have met a few waves there and the rocks aren’t soft.

Snapper Rock is not a bad spot for blackfish either, and you can gather weed and cabbage in the rock pools.

That’s it for this month because I’m off

for a week of fishing Bjelke-Petersen Dam while staying in one of the villas at Yallakool Caravan Park.

It is a family holiday with my better half, daughter and her partner.

I’m really looking forward to this trip, even though dams are not my thing as I love wild fish.

However I’m excited to chase yellowbelly, bass and of course to fish somewhere different.

I have never targeted red claw, so that in itself will be interesting and Corey Goldie is going to show us the ropes, so hopefully I’ll have a few pics and a story for next month’s edition.

‘Til then remember: limit your kill, don’t kill your limit.

Tight lines and smelly fingers. www.bnbfishing.com. au

Sweet trip offshore from 1770

J

EFF Sorrell was out enjoying a lunch when he received a call from a mate telling him he had just hooked up his boat and was about to depart for a fish at 1770.

With the challenge accepted, by the time Jeff had arrived home, organised a crew and checked the forecasts, it was 2pm.

Ray was keen to go for a fish and raced home to grab his gear.

Jeff got the Sea-Trek out of the shed and started loading all the required gear and equipment.

These days he has a list on the computer of all the gear he needs to have in the boat for such trips (tells us it’s an age thing) and it helps to make sure something important (tackle box, bait, sounder, snake lollies) is not left behind.

Last was a quick trip to the shops to grab enough food for two days on the water and by the time Ray got back everything was ready to roll.

They departed at 7pm with the boat fully loaded and the only stop they would be making was when they arrived at the ramp.

Arriving at 2am, right on low tide, they launched and dropped anchor among the moored boats to get a couple of hours of sleep while the tide rose enough to get out of the river.

Daylight saw them join the conga line of boats heading offshore to take

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Power Boat Anglers

by MICK CLUTTERBUCK

advantage of the good forecast.

First stop was to the spot where Rod Henderson caught his 14.5kg red emperor last October.

They picked up really good shows on the sounder and it wasn’t long before decent fish started to hit the deck.

First a brown maori cod, then a couple of goodsized tuskfish followed by a very welcome 4.1kg coral trout that absolutely smashed Jeff’s bait.

Ray’s rod had been sitting in the holder gathering dust while the action was going on but he was soon scrambling to get hold of it when it buckled over on a good fish.

Jeff quickly dispatched his trout and was on the net in a flash, waiting to go into action.

Colour soon appeared and in no time the net was under the fish and it was high fives all round.

It’s always a great feeling to put the first red of a trip into the boat and this one tipped the scales at 6.7kg.

The guys continued to catch a few decent fish throughout the rest of the morning but by midday the lack of sleep was taking its toll.

With the fish having a rest, it was time for the lads to do the same, so they cruised into the

shallows on the southern side of Fitzroy Reef and dropped the pick to grab a couple of hours’ sleep.

Once they awoke, what was left of the afternoon was spent fishing the shallows with plastics and unweighted baits.

They managed to catch and mostly release a fair swag of redthroat emperor and a lone green jobfish before heading for the lagoon for a good night’s sleep.

The next morning, they were pretty keen to get cracking early and only one boat beat them out of the lagoon.

Heading out to some country in 60-65m with no wind and little current, the fishing was easy as they set about filling their quota on really goodsized tuskies and a few redthroat.

They also managed to add more trout to the tally, with Ray scoring the first of the morning at just under 60cm in length.

Through the morning, a few baits were occasionally taken by small whaler sharks, so when a whole mullet fillet was grabbed, initially no one was getting too excited.

Jeff called it for another shark until good head shakes had him taking a second guess.

The sight of a crimson glow down deep had the

hearts racing and soon Jeff had his best red for some time at 10.6kg on the deck.

Of course, the next time a mullet fillet was eaten it was called as a red until a long screaming run put paid to that theory.

A 20-minute tussle later saw a whaler with its high dorsal fin rolling around beside the boat.

It was perfectly hooked, with one of the linked 7/0s inside its mouth and the other outside, meaning it was never going to bite anything off and it took neat knife work by Ray to get close enough to cut the leader without losing all the gear.

Another highlight on this day was when a really big cobia followed a hooked hussar to the boat.

The fish kept cruising around them, so Jeff took the sinker off, dropped the hooked hussar back overboard and the cobia immediately swam over to grab it.

Ray had his camera out and was taking good footage of this big fish as it kept trying to slurp the hussar off the surface while Jeff kept hoisting the hussar out of the water to make sure the cobia couldn’t grab it.

After teasing the cobia for 10 minutes, the hussar was taken off the hooks and dropped back over the side.

The cobia quickly swam over and engulfed it before casually cruising off.

The boys also had a school of small dolphin-

fish around the boat for a while but chose not to try to hook any of them because they weren’t wanted for the icebox.

Once again, they spent the afternoon chasing redthroat in the shallows and they willingly obliged.

The better ones were kept but most were released.

By this time there was growing concern about the longevity of the ice supplies, given they had been out for two pretty hot days.

The fish in the icebox were nice and cold and ☛ continued P36

Ray boated this stunning 6.7kg red.

Jeff Sorrell with a 4.1kg coral trout.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 35

Tide Times Sponsored by

AUSTRALIA EAST COAST - BRISBANE BAR

Ryan Crealey with a sizeable spanish mackerel. Inset: Chicko Vella landed a maori sea perch. Photos: fishingnoosa.com.au

March munchers on the move F

ISHING on the Sunshine Coast over the past month has been sensational, with March shaping up to be very lucrative.

WADDY POINT - FRASER ISLAND

Offshore fishers have seen top catches of spanish mackerel.

Pick of the spots have been Arkwright Shoal, Outer Bay at Noosa, Sunshine Reef and Old Woman Island.

The start of the season was a little slow until we found the fish were just sitting deeper than usual.

Trolling deep-diving lures such as the Nomad Design DTX Minnows in 165mm and 200mm, which dive to 10m and 12m, and the Samaki 140mm and 180mm Pacemaker DD has seen anglers enticing mackerel.

If bait is your weapon of choice, try SureCatch prerigged chin guards in 85g and 115g when trolling with a pilchard or slimy at idle speed.

Spotty mackerel are being taken on trusty 2540g metal slugs, with the River2Sea SeaRock Ultra Flash Pilchard the pick because of its baitfish profile.

A high-speed retrieve is the key to a successful trip.

Halls Reef and Jew Shoal have seen local anglers landing a mixed bag of reefies including snapper, sweetlip, cod and tuskfish.

Most fish are taking pilchards, squid and fresh mullet strips.

Our famous coral trout are bitting well on Sunshine Reef, with live yak-

Sunshine Coast

by WADE QUALISCHEFSKI

kas and big pilchards the better baits.

Don’t forget to keep your bait hard on the bottom when chasing trout.

If you call into the Davo’s stores, we stock a ready-made trout rig perfectly designed for catching the critters.

Outer Gneerings, Murphys and Coolum reefs have all produced snapper, sweetlip and moses perch on squid and pillies.

The other option worth trying at these close-in reefs is jigging Palms Slow Blatt jigs in 30g and 40g sizes.

Letting these superb little lures flutter to the bottom and then jigging them back up has been responsible for the bigger snapper.

In the Noosa River, bream and whiting have been on the chew at the river mouth, dog beach and Frying Pan. Live baits such as worms and yabbies have been the winners.

Using a basic running sinker rig with a size 4 bloodworm long-shank hook, size 2 or 3 sinker and 6lb fluorocarbon leader is the way to go.

A lot of baitfish have been holding in the lower reaches, which has led to quality flathead up to 90cm being caught.

Use live bait caught in the area or small pillies and whitebait to secure a lengthy lizard.

Soft plastics such as the

Trip offshore from 1770 ☛ from P35

not wanting to run any risks, the decision was made to head in.

The sun was just starting to set and with a light northerly blowing, the cruise back to shore was pleasant to say the least, with the rising moon just on dark showing there was plenty of water to safely navigate back to the ramp.

All in all, it was just about a perfect fishing trip and one of the

better ones they’ve enjoyed for a long time.

Next meetings The next club meetings will be held on Monday, March 6 followed by Monday, April 3.

Meetings are held on the first Monday of the month at the Bulimba Bowls Club located in Quinn St, Balmoral.

Please feel free to come along and meet us.

Until next month, safe boating.

Keitech 3” and 4” Easy Shiner and trusty Z-Man EZ ShrimpZ are irresistible to flathead in this area.

Woods Bay is fishing very well for trevally and tailor around dusk and dawn, particularly for anglers trolling hardbodies such as the Zerek Tango Shad 69mm and River2Sea Live Minnow 65mm.

Live baits fished on the run-out tide at the back of Noosa Sound have produced a few mangrove jack.

If heading upriver, try fishing the Tewantin ski run where the elusive school jew are being caught on soft vibes such as the Samaki Vibelicious Thumper Tail.

The Maroochy River has improved, with trevally and the occasional tailor chasing bait over the river mouth and into the estuary system.

The best location to access these fish is the

beach on the inside of Pincushion Rocks.

Using fresh mullet and bonito strips on a two-gang rig is the best method.

Twin Waters is producing mangrove jack on bonito fillets and suspending lures around the bridge pylons, while trevally have mostly been taken at the mouth of Twin Waters canal.

Giant trevally have been chasing baitfish in front of the rock wall at Oyster Bank Rd on the top of the tide.

I have achieved the best results by throwing Blue Blue micro jigs at the GTs and retrieving quickly.

Whiting are in good numbers around the Black Banks, Picnic Point and Chambers Island.

Yabbies and worms are the best baits, with the Bassday Sugapen the pick of the lures.

Maroochy Waters has seen quality mangrove jack taken at night.

Ballista Lures, which contain a LED light that imitates a bleeding baitfish have enticed these superb fighting fish.

The beaches from Mudjimba to Peregian have

held dart in good numbers, with the bigger fish hooked at dusk on pipis.

A few tailor have started to pop up and using pillies on the last of the run-in should secure a feed.

Double Island Point is fishing well, with goodsized whiting taken on worms and peeled prawns in the shallow gutters along the beach on the start of the run-in.

Jewfish have been cruising the high water at night, so fish the last half of the run-in for a better chance.

Fresh mullet and live beach worms are the best baits for jewies at the moment.

When using worms for jew, make sure the hook is an extra-strong 1/0 or 2/0 and load it up with plenty of bait.

For all the latest information and up-to-date bar and fishing reports, visit fishingnoosa.com.au Don’t forget to drop into Davo’s Tackle World Noosa or Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola to find out where the fish are biting.

Tight lines and bent spines!

Dave Rodgers scored a quality flathead.

This beautiful mangrove jack was hooked by Ryan Sinclair.

Page 36 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Moolies, mongies and mackerel

F

OR quite some time, editor Ben and I had been hanging out to go on a Hervey Bay fishing trip with BNB contributor Tri Ton of Fraser Guided Fishing.

Well the stars recently aligned and Ben and I jumped in the race Astra on a Sunday afternoon to make the nearly four-hour trek to Hervey Bay from Brisbane’s bayside.

With Ben at the wheel, Tri and I were flicking messages back and forth and while the weather forecast was looking good, Tri’s fishing forecast was not.

According to Tri, water temperatures skyrocketing to about 30C in preceding days had turned the fish right off the bite and spread them out across Hervey Bay’s massive expanse of water.

Not exactly what we wanted to hear about an hour from Hervey Bay, but we knew Tri would put in the miles to get us the smiles.

After catching a few fitful hours of sleep in 30C heat in the weirdest Airbnb stay ever, Ben and I met Tri at the Uran-

Fishing Trip

by DANIEL TOMLINSON

gan Boat Harbour ramp at 5am.

Tri had advised us to bring minimal gear because he supplies everything from jig heads and rods to lunch and snacks.

Nevertheless, Ben and I rocked up with five rods between us (four Ben’s, one mine!) as well as a tackle bag each and an Esky.

Ben left his Wilson Venom GT Popping rod in the car after Tri mentioned it would be too heavy for anything we’d be chasing.

While the forecast was for a five-knot easterly wind, the reality was more like 15 knots, though we didn’t expect it would give us any issues in Tri’s 6m Galeforce.

After Tri expertly tied an FG knot to connect his 40lb leader to my 20lb braid, we set off, punching northeast across the big bay.

Ben and I both grew up fishing Moreton Bay but neither of us had much, if any, experience fishing

Hervey Bay, so we were glad to be learning from someone with as much first-hand knowledge as Tri. Our first stop was over significant bait schools signposted by flocks of birds just 15 minutes out of the harbour.

I was itching to get my Z-Man 5” Bubble Gum StreakZ straight into the school but Tri said there was no point due to the total absence of predatory fish on the surface and sounder.

So off we went, still heading northeast towards Rooney Point on Fraser Island.

About halfway to the point, we spotted a small flock of birds working the surface and bee-lined straight for them.

Both mack and longtail tuna were hitting the surface and Tri urged us to get our lures in there, pronto.

I cast my Z-Man right into the thick of the action and cranked it back as fast

as I could while Ben hurriedly tied on a metal slug made by his mate and old scribe Ron Mole.

My plastic came back having been knocked around and not swimming correctly, and by the time Ben was rigged up, the fish had completely disappeared.

From start to finish, the action had lasted about 20 seconds.

We were a bit disappointed to have missed the fish but also hopeful because we’d encountered some action.

After milling around in this area for a while, shooting to and from bustups without success, Tri decided to leave these finicky fish behind and head right up Fraser to Rooney Point.

As we neared the point, we could see numerous flocks of birds working the surface and slashes of white water left, right and centre as mixed tuna species tore into baitfish with vigour.

It was action stations for the next few hours as Ben and I landed numerous longtail and mack tuna as ☛ continued P38

On the way to the fishing grounds.

Big mack tuna were the order of the day early on.

COMPETITION DATES COMPETITION

LOCATION

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Mar 10-12

Normanton Barra Classic B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Atomic Pro Series Round 4 ABBT* Bass Qualifying Round 2 B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Teams Event Round 3 ABBT* Bass Qualifying Round 3 B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Atomic Pro Series Round 5 B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Teams Event Round 4 ABBT* X-Factor Teams Series Round 2 B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Atomic Pro Series Round 6 B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Atomic Pro Series Round 7 ABBT* X-Factor Teams Series Round 3 Storm Intense Pro-Angler Bass Tournament Round 2 ABBT* Bass Qualifying Round 4 B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Atomic Pro Series Final B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Teams Event Final Bowen Family Fishing Classic

Apr 14-16

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Spotted mackerel were prevalent but generally avoided due to their average fight.

DATE

Mar 11-12 Mar 25-26 Mar 25-26 Apr 1-2

Apr 20-23 Apr 22-23 May 6-7 May 13-14 May 26-28 Jun 10-11 Jun 17-18 Jun 23-25 Jul 20-23 Jul 28-29 Jul 29-30 Aug 5-6 Aug 24-27 Sep 8-10 Sep 16-17

Blue Rock / Glenmaggie VIC – bassaustralia.com.au Boondooma Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183 Borumba Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183 Lake St Clair NSW – bassaustralia.com.au Dawson River – Graeme McGreevy 07 4997 2010 a/h or Zelma Lewis 0428 971 932 m.a.f.s.g@bigpond.com Normanton – Albion Hotel 07 4745 1218 E: barracomp@hotmail.com Lismore NSW – bassaustralia.com.au Cania Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183 Boondooma Dam – bassaustralia.com.auB.A.S.S. Bjelke-Petersen Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183 Cania or Somerset dams – bassaustralia.com.au Glenbawn NSW– bassaustralia.com.au Bjelke-Petersen Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183 St Clair NSW – bassaustralia.com.au Wivenhoe – bassaustralia.com.au Cania Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183 Boondooma Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183 Somersest Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183 TBA – bassaustralia.com.au TBA– bassaustralia.com.au Bowen – Russ McCabbin 0428 776 653 or 07 4786 3899 E:bowenfamilyfishingclassic@yahoo.com.au

Sep 23-24 Borumba Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183 Sep 28-30 Rockhampton – Shara VanHaeren 0429 923 243 Oct 6-7 Boondooma Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183 Oct 28-29 TBA – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183 Nov 4-5 TBA Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183

*Australian Basstasstic Bass Tournament To have your competition listed in the calendar please phone (07) 3286 1833, email design@bnbfishing.com.au or fax (07) 3821 2637

Yamaha Motor Finance gets you easily powered up and on the water quicker than ever.

Ben had his work cut out using a 9’ rock fishing rod.

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Ben boated a solid longtail on the ‘Mooley’ slug.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 37

Moolies, mongies and mackerel ☛ from P37

The author’s micro longy (mongy) smashed at 5” Z-Man StreakZ.

well as spotted mackerel.

By lunchtime, Ben had caught several longtail tuna on his ‘Mooley’ slug (aptly named by Tri) but my Z-Man had enticed nothing but mack tuna and mackerel.

Throughout the day and as we chowed down on the tasty lunch provided

by Tri, we talked about tactics for the species we were targeting.

Tri certainly has a lot of experience chasing Hervey Bay’s pelagics and Ben and I found it very interesting to learn from him, whether he was instructing us on our retrieves or fighting the fish close to the boat on our (sort of inappropriately

long) 9’ Lox and Samaki rods.

He had a number of trump cards for us to play over the day, which improved our catch markedly.

I won’t give away too much here; you’ll have to book a charter if you want to get the full run-down from the man himself!

It had been a long time since I’d caught decent size pelagic fish and I’d forgotten just how much fun it is to have your lineburning retrieve stopped in its tracks as a super-fast sportfish takes off in the other direction with your lure in its mouth.

Having not previously caught mackerel on anything heavier than 10lb gear, I was amazed at how

little fight the good-sized spotties put up on our 2030lb gear.

After the initial hit and run they basically came straight to the boat before one final run boatside, so after landing a couple for the table, we didn’t cast at any more to avoid unnecessarily injuring them and potentially turning them into shark food.

However, after later eating one of the spotties with my family, I can see why they’re such a popular target right around northern Australia.

Very tasty indeed!

After lunch, the plan was to get me a longtail tuna before calling it a day.

With conditions worsening, we headed in closer to Fraser to escape the significant wind chop before tracking south towards the harbour, hoping to spot bird activity on the way.

About halfway back, we saw a few birds with the occasional boil and jumping tuna below.

Tri motored over and seeing a tuna jump clear of the water, called it for a longy.

I fired my Z-Man in and Tri told me to stop the cast in its tracks because the fish was coming at the boat.

I grabbed the spool to stop the cast mid-flight and the plastic barely entered the water before it was hammered and line peeled off my Shimano Saragosa.

The fight was ‘longy like’ according to Tri, but unlike Ben’s longtails, which took quite a while to get to the boat, I was pretty much poling this fish in.

We were a bit disheartened, thinking it was probably yet another mack tuna, but as the fish came alongside, we realised it was in fact a micro longy; a mongy!

High fives all round celebrated our goal achieved, but before we headed for the harbour, Ben was on to yet another big longtail on the Mooley slug.

This fish was absolutely jetting for Bundaberg and not taking no for an answer, keeping the drag on Ben’s Pflueger Medalist singing as it readily peeled off 30lb mono.

Tri kicked the 140hp Suzuki to life and gave chase, with Ben eventually wearing the fish down and bringing aboard a seriously solid 95cm longtail tuna to cap the day off nicely.

While Ben and I had arrived with hopes of catching more exotic species such as queenfish and golden trevally, chasing these fish would quite likely have resulted in a doughnut due to the extreme conditions.

However, thanks to Tri’s knowledge and guidance, we ended up having a very enjoyable day fighting hard against good numbers of solid fish while learning several new tricks in the process.

If you would like to test your skills against big Hervey Bay sportfish, I can strongly recommend a charter with Tri. To get in touch regarding an all-inclusive trip, call 0427 230 261, email tours@fraserguidedfish ing.com.au or visit the Fraser Guided Fishing Facebook page.

You won’t regret it!

Ben’s chunky 95cm longtail provided a fitting end to the day.

Page 38 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

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FRIDAY, MARCH 31 – SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 | BRISBANE RNA SHOWGROUNDS

Exciting new features announced for National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo

T

HE National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo will return to the Brisbane Showgrounds from March 31 to April 2 this year, bringing thousands of fishing, boating, camping, 4x4 and outdoors products and exciting new show features.

The show will feature a plethora of industry-leading exhibitors including Brisbane Yamaha, Brisbane Marine, Cunningham Marine Centre, Boating & RV, Spirit Paddle Sports and Hot Tackle.

These marine exhibitors will feature alongside outdoor favourites Opposite Lock, ARB, TJM,

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Mega Cheap Campers, Oztent and Stoney Creek Campers, cementing this as southeast Queensland’s leading event for recreation on both land and sea.

New in 2017 is the merging of the popular Fishing and Campfire cooking stages to become the Catch & Cook Stage.

The new stage will provide a wealth of tips on both fishing for and then cooking your catch, along with a range of other outdoors meals.

Also back by popular demand will be the Outback Stage, a revamped Action Arena featuring the thrilling Offroad Rush Team, and the Eagers

Holden Proving Ground to keep all family members entertained throughout the three-day event.

New to the show this year is the Base Camp, an interactive presentation featuring your favourite exhibitors in a free and fun campground environment.

Visit the Base Camp to ‘try on’ the outback lifestyle and see how it fits.

Grab some tucker, sit around the campfire, listen to the bush balladeer and swap your best bush tales.

Special guests and industry experts returning to the show include Paul Worsteling from TV’s IFISH, Rick, Jamie and Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling from The Offroad Adventure Show, ex-AFL legend and host of The Great Australian Doorstep Peter ‘Spida’ Everitt, Jase Andrews and Simon Anderson from All 4 Adventure, one of the most recognisable faces in Australian four-wheel-driving John ‘Roothy’ Rooth, Graham and Shaun from 4WD Action and local Brisbane weatherman Paul Burt.

Show director Paul

Mathers said the new and improved 2017 show is not to be missed for the best of the best in fishing, boating and marine lifestyle.

“Fishing and boating are favourite pastimes for Queenslanders, so we have ensured our 2017 show will have everything you need for your next trip on the water,” Mr Mathers said.

“Whether you are looking at snapping up a bargain on a new fishing rod or tackle box, or are considering a more substantial item such as a boat, we will have you covered at the National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo.

“The show will host leading exhibitors from the marine and outdoors industries, from not only Brisbane but all across Australia.

“It’s the perfect opportunity to get in touch with suppliers from all aspects of the industry, and to browse the latest and greatest products available.

“The sheer volume of exhibitors that will be showcasing products un-

der the one roof ensures our visitors are receiving the greatest deals, as each exhibitor competes for your attention.

“And don’t be afraid to ask exhibitors for any special offers – remem-

OPENING TIMES Friday 9am - 6pm Saturday 9am - 6pm Sunday 9am - 5pm ENTRY PRICES Adults $18 Pensioners $13 Kids under 15 FREE Adult two-day pass

$30

☛ continued P40

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 39

FRIDAY, MARCH 31 – SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 | BRISBANE RNA SHOWGROUNDS

Exciting new features announced for National Wright Fishing Tackle featuring Noeby 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing and Boating Expo ☛ from P39

ber, they are here to sell and they want your business!�

But the show isn’t just about the bargains and latest products – visitors should take advantage of the opportunity to hear from special guests and industry experts. “Each of our special guests is equipped with

insider tips and fantastic stories to tell when it comes to the great outdoors – whether it’s the latest fishing spot, how to get the most out of your tools and products, or even how to get started in fishing or 4WDing, it’s worth taking a few moments to find out what advice they can offer you,�

Mr Mathers said. “The stage schedule is

jam-packed with great presentations and talks across the three days, so be sure to check when your favourite guests will be appearing on stage and factor this into your day.�

Getting to and from the Brisbane Showgrounds will be effortless, with plenty of visitor parking on site, along with a free shuttle bus service from

Roma Street and Fortitude Valley stations over the weekend.

A parcel pick-up point will also be available for any bulky items that you buy on the day, so you are free to explore the show at ease.

Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine readers receive a special discounted price on tickets to the National 4x4 Outdoors

Show, Fishing & Boating Expo.

To take advantage of this deal, buy your tickets online at 4x4show. com.au/BRI and use the code ‘BEACH’ upon checkout.

For further information about the show, including stage line-ups and a full list of retailers and exhibitors, visit the show website.

WRIGHT Fishing Tackle & Co is the exclusive Australian agent for Noeby Fishing Tackle.

We pride ourselves on product knowledge to make sure you get the right product that suits you.

With local anglers using the gear, we can ensure we relate to your every fishing need.

Attend the National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo to meet the Wright Fishing Tackle team and try out the fishing simulator along with the lure tank at site EB64.

About Noeby Fishing Tackle

Noeby Fishing Tackle was established in 2005 and the company is equipped with a professional R&D design team, recruiting a number of senior designers and professional fishers from Europe, the US, Japan and Australia to develop a variety of fishing lures, rods, lines, tools, bags and other equipment.

Noeby has always maintained a better attitude to constantly strive for excellence in everything from production to marketing services.

For more information, visit wrightfishingtackle. com.au

Protect your car from rust with ERPS

For the past twenty years ERPS has been designing, testing, developing and producing its ELECTRONIC RUST PREVENTION SYSTEMS from their manufacturing facility on the Gold Coast of Australia. ERPS are proud of the fact that they still produce a quality Australian made product. +DYLQJ DOO DVSHFWV RI SURGXFWLRQ LQ KRXVH IURP FRQFHSW WR WKH ÂżQLVKHG SURGXFW QRW RQO\ JLYHV better quality control but also enables ERPS to produce custom made systems.

Over the past twenty years ERPS has produced V\VWHPV IRU PDQ\ GL໤HUHQW DSSOLFDWLRQV IURP D *UDQG Piano, Coca-Cola dispensing machines, Lockers at water parks, Housing, Concrete Batching Plants, Boats, Motorcycles, Earthmoving, Mining and Military Equipment, to name just a few.

With advancements in production methods, ERPS continues to update and develop its product range and looks forward to building on a solid foundation to take the product forward into the next twenty years.

Phone

1800 332 899

today for your nearest distributor or visit

www.erps.com.au Page 40 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

IF you’re a keen fisher, avid four-wheel-driver or general outdoors enthusiast, chances are you’re a fan of adventure.

Whether it’s bush, beach or just cruising on-road, your vehicle is the go-to travel companion for all things outdoors.

Amongst the excitement of heading out, it can be easy to forget about the extreme conditions our vehicles endure and unfortunately, many of us overlook the natural battles our vehicles face day after day.

Of these, perhaps the greatest and most forgotten is the endless fight against corrosion and rust.

Rusting is an electrochemical process where metals are returned to their unrefined state via the combination of iron and oxygen.

Because this reaction is a natural process, it is happening every moment

of every day.

Combining the presence of moisture and salt causes this process to accelerate, amplifying the rust in your vehicle.

How then can you win this seemingly unending war?

Simple: ERPS. For over 20 years, Electronic Rust Prevention Systems has been designing, testing and manufacturing its systems right here on Australia’s Gold Coast.

Over this time, ERPS has established itself as a world leader in rust prevention and evolved a passion for protecting customers’ ways of life.

No matter what you put your vehicle through, there’s an ideal ERPS system just for you and the technology couldn’t be easier to use – just set and forget.

For full details, call ERPS on 07 5534 3899 or visit erps.com.au www.bnbfishing.com. au

FRIDAY, MARCH 31 – SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 | BRISBANE RNA SHOWGROUNDS

Brisbane Yamaha set to impress at show

BRISBANE Yamaha will have a huge range of fishing boats on display at the show, from the best-selling Baysport range of fibreglass boats to the Australian-made Quintrex range of aluminium boats.

Dealer principal Aaron Goodchild said Brisbane Yamaha has come up with unbeatable value on drive-away packages for the 2017 range of Baysport Boats.

Baysport has purpose-built fishing and weekender models available in the 5.45m, 5.85m and 6.4m sizes in addition to the dedicated offshore fishing model, the popular 600 Offshore.

“But the big news is the all-new Baysport 640 Overnighter making its debut at the show,” Mr Goodchild said.

“It is set up with all the features you’d want for hardcore offshore overnight fishing, with a comfortable and dry ride that Baysport is famous for.

“Baysport Boats have proven build quality and the soft and dry ride of the Baysport hull makes it unbeatable on the water.

“All Baysport models feature a full composite transom, and combined with the proven foamfilled fibreglass stringer system, ensures peace

of mind for the life of your boat against any chance of structural failure that you would find in other brands with wooden transoms.

“This attention to detail is why Baysport has been the largest-selling fibreglass boat range in Queensland for the past five years.

“Be sure to ask the question about the transom when you are buying a boat.”

In addition, all fishing models are equipped standard with bait tank, kill tank, tackle and rod storage and an easy-clean fibreglass floor.

All models in the Baysport range are built for overnight stays, with full-length bunks and camper covers.

“Before you buy any other brand of boat, do yourself a favour and water test a Baysport with the Brisbane Yamaha team,” Mr Goodchild said.

“You will be impressed, I guarantee it.”

Brisbane Yamaha is Australia’s biggest-selling dealer of the award-winning Quintrex range of aluminium boats.

“And there’s a reason for this,” Mr Goodchild said.

“We offer unbeatable prices and once again we will have the biggest display of any brand of boat at the show.

“Brisbane Yamaha stands by its brands and we have the best deals on Quintrex and Yamaha packages in Australia, and the just-released F25 and F90 Yamaha outboards will also be available at the show.”

And don’t forget Brisbane Yamaha is the largest-selling Yamaha outboard dealer in Australia and offers an exclusive six-year warranty on four-strokes when bought and serviced at Brisbane Yamaha.

Brisbane Yamaha also offers in-house Yamaha Motor Finance and Yamaha Marine Insurance, making it a one-stop shop for expert advice and servicing on boats.

Come and see the huge display at the show or visit brisbaneyamaha.com.au

Great show deals at Brisbane Marine

ence, Brisbane Marine’s staff members have the knowledge to get you on the water in your dream boat quickly and without fuss.

For more information, don’t hesitate to swing past the Brisbane Marine stand at the show and have a chat to the helpful team.

You can also give the dealership a call on 07 3889 3033 or visit brismarine.com.au

Visit Cunningham Marine Centre BRISBANE Marine is a one-stop marine experience offering sales of boats, motors, trailers, chandlery, lubricants, electronics, insurance and service to outboard and inboard engines.

The north Brisbane Mercury-certified service centre services all brands and deals with commercial engine sales as well as MerCruiser repowering, Mercury Verado, Mercury Optimax and Mercury Racing sales and service.

The Clontarf-based marine dealership is the exclusive Queensland dealer for both Streaker and Anglapro boats and both will be on display at the National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo.

Streaker’s design philosophy of ‘no wood, no rot’ ensures that when you buy a Streaker Boat from Brisbane Marine, you’re entering a long and prosperous relationship.

Anglapro meanwhile, offers quite possibly the longest hull warranty of any mainstream aluminium boat brand at five years, so you can rest assured you’re making a safe investment when buying one of these tough tinnies.

With over 100 years of combined experi-

23-25 Snook St, Redcliffe, 4019

CUNNINGHAM Marine Centre is a leading marine dealership based in Clontarf on Brisbane’s northside.

With a large range of boating accessories in stock to get you on the water safely and in style, Cunningham Marine Centre’s experienced staff and quality service have seen the dealership go from strength to strength.

Stop by the Cunningham stand at the show to check out the latest and greatest innovations from SmartWave Boats, Revival Boats, Bluefin Boats, Brooker, Mercury Outboards and MerCruiser, all at the best price, of course!

Being a certified Mercury dealer, Cunningham Marine Centre is more than happy to service and repair your existing Mercury motor as well as perform ongoing maintenance on new and used boat purchases.

Only quality brands at affordable prices are stocked at Cunningham Marine Centre, with Humminbird GPS and sounder units as well as MotorGuide and Minn Kota electric motors on offer.

So whether you’re chasing a new boat package or just a bit of extra gear to freshen up your existing rig, Cunningham Marine Centre will look after you.

Visit the helpful team at the show to discuss your needs or jump on the website at cunning hammarinecentre.com.au

Boat show specials to get you on the water!

PH:3284 8805 cunninghammarinecentre.com.au E: boats@cunninghammarinecentre.com.au

All packages are ready to go and include on-water costs

4200 SmartWave > Mercury 30hp 2-stroke

Brooker Bowfisher 485 > Mercury 60hp 4-stroke

$9900

$28,890

4.50 Bluefin Scoundrel > Mercury 60hp 4-stroke

4.55 Bluefin Wildcat > Mercury 60hp 4-stroke

$23,480

Brooker 4.55 Stealth

$28,990

Revival 640 Deluxe

> Mercury 60hp 4-stroke

> Mercury 150hp 4-stroke

$25,990

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PICTURES FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY.

UNBEATABLE MERCURY 75-115HP FOURSTROKE RANGE

115HP FOURSTROKE – UNEXPECTEDLY COMPACT MERCURY 115 LIGHTEST

OPTIMAX 1.5L OVER 4% HEAVIER

YAMAHA F115B OVER 5% HEAVIER

170kg

171kg

EVINRUDE E-TEC OVER 8.5% HEAVIER

SUZUKI 115 OVER 12% HEAVIER

177kg

182kg

HONDA 115 OVER 33% HEAVIER

THE NEW MERCURY 115HP FOURSTROKE COMES IN AT AN INCREDIBLY LIGHT 163KG* MAKING IT THE LIGHTEST IN ITS HORSEPOWER CLASS.

163kg

www.bnbfishing.com. au

217kg

*Based on Mercury’s 115hp (L) model. Information based on manufacturers’ claimed horsepower and weight figures.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 41

FRIDAY, MARCH 31 – SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 | BRISBANE RNA SHOWGROUNDS

BOG OUT Vehicle Recovery Kits IS BOG OUT the world’s most practical vehicle recovery kit?

That’s the question fourwheel-drive enthusiasts raving about BOG OUT are asking inventor Paul Aubin.

Paul is a resourceful and inventive north Queensland family man who became obsessed with his invention of a vehicle recovery kit, which he deems a ‘must have’ for all 4WD owners.

Like many great innovations, BOG OUT is simple and effective in its concept.

It is designed to be a harness that captures a bogged tyre, effectively turning wheels into winches.

Simply attach one end of the BOG OUT to the

bogged wheel and then secure the other end to something strong and sturdy.

All the driver has to do is simply drive slowly out of trouble.

One of the many positive features of BOG OUT Vehicle Recovery Kits is they are so strong, yet light, compact and easy to store.

“They will easily tuck away under a seat, in the glovebox or in a small storage compartment of just about every vehicle,” Paul said.

“Try doing that with any of the other recovery gear on the market.”

BOG OUT Vehicle Recovery kits are available in single or twin packs, and twin packs are highly recommended.

Paul will be demonstrating how BOG OUT works at the National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo.

Paul said one of the most common questions he’s asked is: “How much strain will the BOG OUT take?”

The answer is BOG OUT is modular and more than one can be used.

A single has been tested to four tonnes of pressure, and twin units a massive eight tones.

Independent testing organisations are researching and testing to define exact figures.

The units are each 4.5m long and are effective in mud, sand and snow.

BOG OUT vehicle recovery kits can be used for either forward or reverse driving and one person can successfully get a vehicle out of trouble.

The standard BOG OUT resembles a ladder and is 370mm wide with rungs spaced 280mm apart.

This fits all 4WD tyre widths, and diameter doesn’t matter, with the BOG OUT team even using it on tractors.

After use, simply wash

the unit in water, dry and re-store in the handy back sack before stowing for future use.

A single person can undertake a BOG OUT recovery easily because BOG OUT does not rely on another vehicle, which is important when travelling independently offroad.

Many enthusiasts have already declared BOG OUT as one of the most versatile, economical and reliable vehicle recovery devices available anywhere in the world.

Hand-made from exceptionally strong, highquality materials, BOG OUT is designed, tested and made in Australia.

“We’re looking to partner with more dealers and are very open to conversations with all retailers regarding becoming a BOG OUT sales dealer,” Paul said.

BOG OUT Vehicle Recovery Kits are available online at bogout.com and the Australian dealer network is growing every week, with more 4WD accessory stores being added to the national dealer distribution network.

Evakool – tailor-made fridge solutions FISHING, boating and a love of the outdoors are synonymous with our Australian lifestyle, but whether away for a day, week or month, your enjoyment of your trip is very dependent on your choice of 12V fridge or icebox.

How often have you heard fellow travellers complaining that their fridge is struggling to keep cold or they are tired of melting ice, warm drinks and throwing away spoilt food?

Unfortunately, all too often budget-conscious travellers’ buying decisions are based solely on price.

The result is their joy at ‘snapping up a bargain’ is short lived because they soon discover their fridge or cooler just cannot cope with our harsh Aussie environment.

Don’t let an inferior product spoil your holiday!

Do some basic research before buying.

How will the fridge cope in temperatures over 40C? Is it suited for off-road travel?

What is the warranty?

Is the brand supported by a national dealer network?

Fortunately, quality does not necessarily mean expensive.

Established in 1994, Evakool today proudly offers Australia’s largest selection of 12V refrigeration and iceboxes, catering for all applications and budgets.

Evakool’s comprehensive range includes traditional chest fridge/ freezers suitable for

basic camping and fitment into camper trailers, boats and the back of four-wheel-drives to a variety of uprights for use in caravans, motorhomes and rural properties.

As a local manufacturer, Evakool also offers camper trailer manufacturers and suppliers the option of a tailor-made fridge/ freezer, built right here in Australia.

Why wait?

Visit evakool.com today.

SHOW SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS Subscribe, renew or extend to Bush ‘n Beach Fishing at the 2017 National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo and receive these great offers*.

$50

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* Offers only available at the 2017 National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Fishing & Boating Expo from March 31 to April 2, 2017.

While stocks last. Pictures for illustration purposes only.

Page 42 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Finding new ground around Bunker Group

A

S another working week rolled through, the upcoming weekend had me thinking about what might be on the agenda.

An inviting weather forecast began to take shape and before long my good mate Ross and I were conversing about potential trips.

Late that Friday afternoon we had a plan in motion, deciding to travel offshore early Saturday morning to the Bunker Group of reefs for exciting reef fishing action.

With Ross’s dad Peter keen to skipper their brand-new Quintrex Trident, we made the frantic dash to 1770 late Friday afternoon.

After preparing the boat and all our gear, we launched late that night and anchored off the caravan park where we were staying.

The excitement was overwhelming, to the extent that little sleep was had that night, but with an alarm ringing early Saturday morning we leapt out of bed and swung straight into action.

It wasn’t long before we were on board and making tracks towards the mouth of Round Hill Creek, eager to get out there.

We set out that morning aiming to land quality fish, so first we headed to bait grounds only a short distance from the mouth.

With bait jigs rigged and ready, Ross and I dropped down and began trying to catch slimy mackerel or baitfish of a similar description to add to our offerings for the day to come.

We drifted across various patches of likely territory but didn’t bring as many over the side as we’d hoped, so instead decided to start our journey to Fitzroy Reef.

Being a new vessel with new electronics, we had very few marks around this reef, so after a fairly smooth trip out we began using the sounder to find structure holding fish.

We were soon positioned over very inviting-looking reef in just over 20m of water, which seemed an ideal destination to kick off our day.

By this point I was like a coiled spring, absolutely itching to send a live bait down, and finally the time had come.

We deployed our first baits as we drifted across this fishy-looking patch of reef and it wasn’t even a minute before my bait had its first inquiry.

Bundaberg Offshore

by JOEL JOHNSON

Solid thumps soon turned into a buckled rod and I was hooked up.

Eager to see what the first fish of the day was, I tried my best to keep my composure and not rush it, which resulted in a cracking redthroat emperor coming over the side.

Not wasting any time, this fish was destined for the icebox and another livie was rigged and on its way to the dangerous depths.

This time nobody encountered any bites for a period, but as we drifted over a slightly shallower patch of reef, my livie was smashed and it felt like something far more desirable.

Sure enough, as I fought the fish to the surface, the iridescent spots scattered over the fish’s bright orange flanks confirmed my suspicions and I excitedly landed a beautiful coral trout.

We drifted across the same patch of reef a number of times with little success, so once again set off with eyes on the sounder in search of new ground.

Throughout the day we hopped from patch to patch, with some areas producing coral trout and other reef dwellers and others giving us little to skite about.

Over about four hours we slowly but surely brought great fish over the side.

With storms steadily building on the horizon, we feared the beautiful glassy conditions we were surrounded by would soon change to something far less favourable, so Peter made the call to try one more spot before heading for home.

After finding another likely looking structure, we sent our baits below with hopes of a cracker to wrap up the day.

Time ticked over with nothing worth mentioning being landed and we began thinking about stowing the gear and heading home.

Suddenly, my large strip bait was hammered by a powerful fish that had me bent at the knees as it tore line towards the bottom.

I knew I had hooked something significantly larger than anything the day had offered us so far, so I muscled the fish off the bottom before playing

it to the surface.

It was another beautiful coral trout, but this time in a size category worth bragging about.

While not my biggest ever, this fish certainly topped off an already awesome day on the water.

We soon began our trip home, and as predicted, the conditions changed from ideal to quite messy by the time we neared the creek mouth.

After setting out with fairly limited knowledge of the area, through the use of technology and refined rigs and techniques we deemed the trip a success.

It’s not always about going out for a huge haul of fish.

Coming home with quality fish that you worked for gives you a different kind of feeling of accomplishment and enjoyment after a day on the water.

It’s about getting out there and amongst it, so make the most of what your local waters have to offer when the opportunity arises.

One of many redthroat emperor caught off 1770.

For more information visit your local dealer

Brisbane Brisbane Yamaha 174 Eastern Service Rd, Bruce Hwy Burpengary Q 4505 T: 07 3888 1727 brisbaneyamaha.com.au

Gold Coast Broadwater Boating Centre 46-48 Brisbane Rd, Labrador Q 4215 T: 07 5529 1777 broadwaterboating.com.au

Sunshine Coast Caloundra Marine 8 Baldwin St, Caloundra Q 4551 T: 07 5491 1944 caloundramarine.com.au

Springwood Springwood Marine

“Oh no! They’ve got a Top Ender!�

“We don’t stan nd a chance!�

3DFLÂżF +LJKZD\ Slacks Creek Q 4127 T: 07 3297 8200 springwoodmarine.com.au

Gold Coast Surf Coast Marine 50-54 Brisbane Rd, Labrador Q 4215 T: 07 5563 7733 surfcoastmarine.com.au

Tweed Heads Tweed Coast Marine 32 Machinery Dr, Tweed Heads South NSW 2486 T: 7 5524 8877 www.tweedcoastmarine.com.au

Toowoomba Water Skiers Warehouse

www w.qu .q q int n rex rex.co ex.co om.a au

91-93 Neil St, Toowoomba Q 4350 T: 07 4637 9511 waterskierswarehouse.com.au

A beautiful coral trout taken while fishing in beautiful conditions offshore.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 43

Longtails are coming! Hopefully a sign of things to come in the next few months, so book a charter now.

Jake scored a PB golden at a very large 114cm.

More travel time due to hot water I

Sam got into a few regular-sized goldens. The Dragon Maggot grub dominated that day.

A fisho’s dream

Fraser Island Fishing Units IN DIAN HEAD For bookings or inquiries contact:

Cliff Andreassen 07 5449 9346 or 0428 712 283 bearfish@bigpond.com www.fraserislandfishingunits.com.au

> Hervey Bay > Fraser Island > Sandy Strait

T’S damn hot!

This heat is crazy, with the water temperature in Hervey Bay hovering around 30C and making fishing a bit more difficult.

When the water was a few degrees lower, the fishing wasn’t easy but we were still catching fish steadily.

This hot water has turned up later than usual because generally it is January that will see 30C water.

I was hoping it would stay at 28C but the heatwaves of mid-January and early February have tipped the scales.

It is as if the surfacefeeding schools head off to more stable water.

And for me that means

Fraser Guided Fishing

by TRI TON

more travel and less time wetting a line.

However, when we’ve found the schools, the fishing has been relatively easy.

Primary targets have been mack tuna and spotty mackerel but at the time of writing, patches of longtail tuna have been putting on a show.

Most of the longies are micro sized.

Some are average and the rare monster fish will crack 110cm.

At whatever size, they are tough adversaries and will battle to the

Get into the best fishing action!

Full and half day tours All levels of experience Experienced guide

www.fraserguidedfishing.com.au > 0427 230 261

Page 44 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

death if you let them.

I hope these early longies are a sign of a steady season through autumn.

Drop me an email at tours@fraserguidedfish ing.com.au if you want to sample some of this fun.

Ben and Dan from BNB HQ recently spent time on a charter with me, and you’ve probably already read their article on Page 37 that no doubt trash talks my service!

Before the crazy heat, we were teetering on the edge of productive fishing and the fish down deep were still playing and making life bearable.

Last month I mentioned we were still getting trevally and some of them were rather large.

A good sign that the fishing wasn’t super hot was how the deep fish were tricked into striking.

Most bites came on slow-moving plastics, and I mean slow.

Often the bites were very gentle too.

Anglers were surprised when they were soon locked into a brutal battle with one of Hervey Bay’s thugs.

But all good things come to an end.

First the sharks started becoming unbearable and suddenly it was like a switch was flicked – boom, quiet times for deep water in February.

I am sure I could get bites in certain areas, but my goodness the sharks are ridiculous.

Any crews ‘feeding the

sharks’ need to reassess whether they are truly catch and release anglers.

Especially when they’re feeding the sharks slowergrowing species such as trevally, rather than tuna, which grow much faster.

Tuna are also more likely to swim to the surface when sharks are in pursuit, so are less commonly hit by the voracious predators.

If you are constantly losing battles to sharks, move!

Another thing to consider during shark season is tackle.

Do not go in undergunned.

Being sporting doesn’t just mean fishing light.

If sharks are present it also means giving yourself the best chance of landing and releasing the fish unharmed rather than fighting the fish to the point of it being unable to swim quickly from harm that may be lurking just out of sight.

When bringing fish in, be ready with cameras and take photos quickly.

Something many anglers don’t understand is how to lift a fish with a rod.

‘Keeping the head up’ does not mean letting the fish get its head down and then trying to lift it again.

Short, regular lifts are the best, not ever letting the fish get its head down.

Keep one hand on the reel constantly, ready to gain a quarter turn if that’s all that is on offer.

Make more turns if and when you can.

Short lifts best utilise the power of the rod.

Lift higher and the tip will bend dramatically.

The rod tip cannot sustain the weight of a fish, and consequently you will let the fish lower its head when you lower the rod.

A slight flick of its tail and suddenly you have lost your advantage.

However, with its head up, a flick of the tail gives you an advantage.

I often see much bravado talk in regards to the ‘nuts’ of a rod, but little talk of the ‘nuts’ of an angler.

And the true nut is the one on your shoulders – can you keep your cool?

Can you sustain the rhythm of the stroke with heavy seas, dodgy footing, a fish that just won’t break and the taxmen below?

But I guess that is what keeps us coming back; the thrill of being a tad out of control, battling and then being triumphant.

Jacob with a cracking 110cm giant herring.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Mixed fishing results around Double Island

H

I, it’s Craig To m k i n s o n here.

Well what a flop the mackerel off Double Island Point have been.

They started with a rush and now nothing.

I hope things have changed by the time you read this.

I have a feeling the mackerel are out wider because we have seen plenty of tuna about 15 nautical miles east of DI. Lately I have not had to put my crab pots in because my mate Murray has been cleaning up on sand crabs in Lake Weyba and has dropped us off a couple of great feeds of the tasty buggers.

I am told Lake Cootharaba is still going well for mud crabs too.

On the recent charters I have done with Matt on board Baitrunner, the reef fish have been hit and miss.

On the first trip we headed up along Fraser Island and off the first mark early got good size hussar and grass sweetlip as well as a few mixed reef fish.

As the morning went on, things turned quiet and it was hard going, with four or five fish off every hang.

The day got away and on our last hang Matt

www.bnbfishing.com. au

found jelly bean-sized yakkas, which were converted into three estuary cod up to 15kg and more mixed reef fish.

On the next trip out, we headed east and drifted because it was lovely and calm.

The clients landed decent maori cod and mixed reef fish.

We moved around, drifting over a few marks for tuskfish and iodine bream, which are great eating with their super-white flesh as long as they do not stink of iodine.

Every now and then, small mack tuna and northern bluefin tuna would bust up not far from the boat and one client was all over it.

He cast out his white fly-looking jig and was on straight away.

He landed a couple of mack tuna and small longtail tuna and the rest of the clients said they would make great sashimi, so they were brain spiked, bled and put in the ice slurry fast.

The standout fish of the trip was a 17kg amberjack, which gave the bloke who caught it a good workout.

‘Til next month, be safe on the water.

Craig Tomkinson

Fitting new bushes to a 60hp Yamaha four-stroke

M

Y 60hp fourstroke Yamaha outboard has done a fair few miles on the back of the boat up to Weipa and back as well as around home.

I noticed it was getting a bit of play around all the pivot bushes on the trim and tilt pin and on the big threaded pin the motor hangs off, so I went into Ray Scholes Marine at Noosaville and ordered new bushes.

A few days later, I got a call saying they were ready to pick up and $132 later I had five new bushes.

To fit these bushes, first you need to tilt the motor up as high as it will go, then stack blocks of wood on top of one another to the height of the motor leg.

With that done, tilt the motor down until the blocks take the weight of the leg.

Then either trim the motor up or down a little until the pin is loose.

With circlip pliers, take the circlip out, then the pin and the bushes.

Pack the new bushes with grease and replace them, put the steel pin back in and refit the circlip.

Now lift the leg, take away most of the blocks and then tilt the motor right down until when vertical its full weight is on the blocks and you can wiggle it to move on the top pin.

Lubricate and undo the

32mm nuts on both side of the motor.

Before you start to pull out the pin, tie a couple of ropes or ratchet straps around the motor and back to the boat as a safeguard to stop the motor tipping over once the pin is out.

If the pin will not come

out, get one 32mm nut and put it on backwards on the thread on one side, then put the other nut on the right way on the same side and lock them up tight against each other.

Then with a big shifting spanner, slowly undo the shaft.

Once out, trim the mo-

tor up and you will be able to remove the old bushes.

Grease and replace the new bushes, lower the motor back to the right spot and grease and replace the shaft by screwing it back in.

Unlock the 32mm nuts, fit them back where they

came from and tighten them up firmly.

Trim the motor up, take the block of wood away and job done.

My motor has noticeably less movement now, so it was well worth replacing the bushes and checking the shaft was not worn.

Craig Tomkinson

Two 32mm nuts locked together to unscrew the shaft.

Motor in the right spot to get the bushes out.

Motor on blocks of woods and ready to work on.

Motor upright and ready to start on the top bushes.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 45

Grams separate first from second in Miara Trophy

F

ROM humble beginnings as a few mates geeing each other up about who was the best angler, the Miara Trophy is now a hotly contested ‘competition’ between a group of great mates.

Doug with a quality sweetlip offshore from Bundaberg.

On one day of one weekend each year, members of this competitive group of locals hit the waters of the mighty Kolan River in an effort to prove they are the best angler for that year, with their gaze tightly focused upon the next blank space on the Miara Trophy.

The 2017 Miara Trophy will be remembered for many things: the record number of anglers and boats that participated; the record number and

Bundaberg Region

by BRAD YOUNG

size/quality of fish; the unusual (that is, unbelievable) baits that saw the two biggest fish landed; the secretive manner in which competitors hid their fish until the ‘final reveal’ at the weigh-in; the need to weigh the two longest fish because they were difficult to separate on length alone; and the competing feelings of jubilation/success versus disappointment/disbelief for the first and second placegetters, respectively.

Traditionally, the comradery and friendly sledging following the competition ensures all have

a great time around the fire sharing a few cold ales, though it has been reported that Finn is still mumbling about the huge difference a few grams can make.

Geoff and daughter Lisa took home the Miara Trophy again in 2017 following their victory in 2016.

Finn and Sharyn came in a very close second place.

Yes, only separated by a few grams, Finn will remind you.

I am sure early planning is already being put in place in preparation for the 2018 competition,

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including a checklist of equipment to ensure crucial items such as landing nets are not forgotten.

I look forward to the 2018 competition and again enjoying the friendship and hospitality of a great bunch of people.

Heat and wind The past month has seen us hammered by an almost non-stop heatwave.

High temperatures and insignificant brief ‘cool changes’ have seen the country dry out and water temperatures remain high.

The rivers and creeks are crying out for a run of fresh water to cool things down and liven up the action.

For those keen to chase a Lake Monduran barra, the water temperatures in the dam should see barra actively feeding.

This option is a good one when offshore conditions are poor and especially when a northerly wind is blowing.

A few days of hot northerly breeze helps raise the water temp, with the barra then responding to the warmth and becoming more active.

I managed a quick and casual offshore trip on Australia Day, with a

late morning start and not much of a plan except to get the boat out onto the water and enjoy some time with my son Lachlan.

By the time we arrived at the ramp, we had collected Doug and Daniel who decided they would join us.

My initial (very basic) plan was for Lachlan and I to simply drag a few lures around and see if we could jag a spanish mackerel for fun while keeping the other eye on the sounder for small pieces of productive country.

We pointed the bow of the Signature out through the mouth of the Burnett River and enjoyed a great run out to our starting point.

A steady easterly wind ensured the seas were calm and regular.

As an aside, for anyone with a vee-bottom fibreglass boat without trim tabs, I can only suggest that a set of tabs is one of the best investments you can make.

Tabs keep a vee hull boat upright and not leaning to one side or the other due to wind or the weight of the crew or the Esky on ☛ continued P47

Lisa’s winning fish. Its thick shoulders saw it win by grams.

Durability, Quality and Innovation Cody, Lisa, Finn and Willy showed off their fish.

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Page 46 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

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ADRIANS MARINE CENTRE 28 Ritchie St, Bundaberg QLD 07 4153 1819 E: adriansmarinecentre@bigpond.com W: adriansmarinecentre.com.au

STEVE FLEETWOOD MARINE 10 Morgan St, Gladstone QLD 07 4972 9463 E: sfmarine@tpg.com.au

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Leanne presented the Miara Trophy to winning angler Lisa.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Grams separate first from second in Miara Trophy ☛ from P46

one side of the boat.

The Lectrotabs I installed have been great and problem free and have really allowed me to get the best ride and performance from the Signature Variable Deadrise Hull.

Once in our fishing zone, the main challenge was trying to keep cool under a scorching sun, with only a light breeze for relief.

I love my hard top in these conditions because it provides great shade.

We ended up trolling along a small area just short of the 15 Mile and worked hard for about an hour without success before deciding to give up the trolling and give bottom bashing a go, despite it being late morning.

Daniel had a couple of old marks nearby, so we anchored up and dropped lightly weighted baits towards the bottom.

Lachy and I landed a few smaller fish that we converted into bait and it wasn’t long before Daniel had further converted one of these baits into a

lovely sweetlip.

He was slowly wafting a lightly weighted bait towards the bottom and waiting for a larger fish to take it, ignoring the annoying bites of smaller fish.

We ended up with a good feed of fish, bolstered by the three sweetlip Daniel landed.

With the casual approach to the day, our rod and gear selection was very limited and far from ideal but we used what we had to enable us to fish.

Doug used a spool of 40lb leader as a handline and landed a couple of fish, while Daniel concentrated on drawing out more sweetlip.

All in all, we had a great trip enjoying good conditions and excellent company.

What better way to spend Australia Day?!

Enjoy the fishing and crabbing over the next month.

As always, I can be contacted via the BNB website bnbfishing. com.au, by email at fishnboat@bigpond. com or mail at PO Box 5812, Bundaberg Queensland 4670.

Until next month...

A cracking coral trout landed on light gear.

A solid red emperor.

Reef species still firing offshore T

HE warmer months in southeast Queensland are usually associated with pelagic speedsters as anglers hit the water with trolling and casting gear in tow.

Black marlin, mackerel species, tuna and dolphinfish tend to hog the headlines over summer but if you play your cards right, a fair bit of joy can be had deeper in the water column.

Summer can be a tough time to bottom fish offshore, with strong currents and stiff northerly wind typical.

However, over the past few months we have enjoyed several relatively long stretches of good weather, particularly in the mornings prior to the afternoon northerly sea breeze kicking in.

On the occasions when conditions have allowed for a trip offshore, we

Fishing Trip

by CHRIS RAIMONDI

have found the reef species to be feeding in very fishable conditions.

Apart from a couple of days off Fraser Island, the current hasn’t been too bad, but having said that, each area is different.

Judging the current is always difficult but generally big tides around the full and new moons will see it running fairly hard offshore.

Occasionally that logic goes out the window, and the aforementioned trip off Fraser Island saw some of the toughest, nigh-on impossible conditions I’ve fished in terms of current.

One key factor when fishing for reefies over summer, particularly in shallower water, is the

amount of bait that constantly gets harassed by pelagic species.

Generally, areas that hold a lot of bait and large numbers of predatory pelagics will also harbour reef species such as grass sweetlip, squire, coral trout, moses perch and cod.

On a recent trip to Burnett Heads, we ventured offshore to an area that often holds a lot of bait and even more mackerel over the warmer months.

Our tactics were to rip metal lures vertically off the bottom as well as float lightly weighted pilchards through the water column.

The macks just weren’t in the mood on this day.

We managed to hook a few spotties and schoolies

but the battles didn’t last long, with hooks pulling numerous times.

The one fish we did get close to the boat was a 15kg spaniard that just cruised by and eventually busted off the 30g metal slug.

I’ve never seen a fish ‘get away’ so slowly; it just kept cruising by, almost proud of its new mouth piece, as if it was saying: “Are you boys even serious, using that gear to try to catch me?”

We turned our attention to reef species for the afternoon, travelling a short distance to rubble grounds in about 25m of water.

We scouted around, looking for the best show of fish in what is a fairly open area.

The Minn Kota electric motor was deployed to our advantage, using the spot lock function to hold us in areas where fish were

marked on the sounder.

The Ulterra model with auto retract and deploy makes positioning the boat a near-effortless task.

Using light gear, 20lb braid and leader on 4000-size spin reels, we deployed lightly weighted pilchards and were crunched immediately.

Amongst the frustratingly hard-fighting triggerfish (leatherjacket), we nailed parrotfish and cracking grass sweetlip in the 45-55cm range before I hooked a much more solid fish.

After a battle on the bottom, I got the better of it and a few minutes later, a coral trout of about 3.5kg was in the boat.

We’d caught coral trout in that area before but had done so on live bait and heavier gear.

To get one on 20lb was a real thrill.

That was until we made ☛ continued P48

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 47

Exploring the North Burnett region I RECENTLY travelled to Gayndah with my parents to visit my brother.

The author with his first-ever catfish caught on a Prial First Crank.

The author’s dad with his first fish taken on a hardbody lure.

A catfish hooked on a Damiki DTSCO-40.

The last time I visited the Burnett region, I tried fishing the Burnett River without success.

So a few days before we left on this trip, I jumped onto some forums to try to discover other spots that might be worth a go.

The forums revealed the species that could be encountered included native fish such as eel-tailed catfish, fork-tailed catfish, lungfish and spangled perch, as well as stocked fish including Australian bass, yellowbelly, barramundi and the odd silver perch.

I suggested my dad take his car topper with a little 2.5hp motor, which would be perfect for navigating the river.

After arriving at Gayndah on Saturday and having lunch with the family, my dad, brother and I rigged up our rods and headed out to investigate a new fishing spot.

A relatively short drive out of town, we located the track down to the riverbank.

We unloaded the tinnie, geared up and were on the water in no time for a spot of afternoon fishing.

We had three rods on board, all in the 2-5kg range with Shimano reels loaded with 4kg Platypus mono.

My rod of choice was a 1.2m Gladiator Cape Yorker rod because it is easy to transport and much more manoeuvrable in a small, crowded boat.

Being able to get right up into the snags with the tinnie also meant I could sacrifice the casting distance offered by a longer rod.

Each of our rods had a

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0427 729 688 Page 48 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

by JON BANKS

10lb fluorocarbon leader with a small, shallowdiving (90-120cm) hardbody.

We started by trolling downstream to get an idea of the riverscape and we could see some shady structure hanging over the water at the river’s edge.

One of the most important things I have learnt about fishing freshwater rivers, creeks and streams is the fish in these systems love the shade.

We passed numerous fallen trees and branches that looked like the perfect hiding place for fish but all were in direct sunlight.

So we continued trolling the area without coming across anything, but looking at the next section I was positive we would find fish in the shady snags.

We changed tactics and switched to a cast and retrieve method to really get our lures deep into the structure where the fish should be holding.

It was tough going, with no action for the better part of the afternoon, even though we had put in a tonne of casts.

After what seemed like my hundredth retrieve, I suddenly felt weight on my line but without a strike.

It felt like I was dragging in a tree branch, so I slowly lifted and wound until I could detach my lure from the log.

Then as the branch got closer to the boat, it started to fight back and the drag started to run.

After a decent fight, I managed to pull in my

very first fork-tailed catfish, which measured about 60cm.

The fish had completely engulfed my lure, so I had to put my whole hand into its mouth to extract it.

Catfish have nasty spines on their pectoral fins, so care is needed when handling them.

We took some photos and then released it to fight another day.

We continued casting amongst the snags as we floated back towards our starting point and as we drifted into one snag my brother prepared to start the outboard.

I quickly threw my lure into the timber and as I twitched it out over a log I saw a big, dark shape race out to attack it.

I felt the rod load up and yelled to my brother to slow down.

Once again, this fish was pulling drag and kicking hard but I eventually netted it and brought it into the boat.

A quick measure at 45cm, a few happy snaps and my second catfish was back in the water.

We kept at it until this section of timber ended and then trolled back to our launch point without further strikes.

On Sunday afternoon, I suggested we try an early morning fish before going home on Monday.

I set the alarm for first light and my dad and I were on the river by sunrise.

We decided to travel upstream this time.

It wasn’t too long before my dad got a strike and was fighting his first fish.

quality coral trout, again around the 5kg mark.

If only we hadn’t mucked around chasing mackerel for most of the day!

The shallows weren’t the only area producing good size fish over the warmer months.

Reasonably light wind made a few trips to the wider grounds possible, searching for quality fish in deeper water.

As mentioned, the current has the capacity to wreck your day, particularly in deeper water, but ways around it include playing with your drift, using a parachute anchor and even setting up the boat on different angles.

Obviously, your sinker or jig head weight is a key factor too, but sometimes the heavier the sinker, the

more belly in your line, which can actually make fishing more difficult.

Anchoring or spot locking using an electric is also an option but it really comes down to conditions on the day.

It’s handy to keep all these tricks up your sleeve.

The wider grounds definitely weren’t at their best but we still managed to chip away and land good fish.

A more recent trip towards Lady Musgrave Island saw us encounter more sharks than we ever have before.

Big bronze whalers monstered our baits all morning and then in the afternoon we were harassed by several large schools of juvenile sharks;

It was swimming hard and pulling drag, managing to fight well above its size.

My dad directed it into the net and we brought it on board for photos before releasing it.

We had reached the end of the timber on this side of the river, so motored to the other bank.

With the sun rising behind this bank, plenty of shade was created by trees that had fallen in the water.

The first fish I hooked was a tiny spangled perch whose eyes were clearly bigger than its belly be-

cause it wasn’t much bigger than the lure.

After that, I managed to hook and land another three catfish, with the biggest going 54cm, making it a very satisfying morning.

Having caught my fill of fish, I concentrated on directing the tinnie so my dad could easily cast into the snags and hopefully get another fish, but there was no such luck.

So we packed it in and headed back to the launch point, happy with our North Burnett fishing adventure.

The car topper tinny loaded up.

A selection of lures used on the trip: Prial First Crank; two Damiki DTSCO-40s; and an Austackle Sakana SD.

This solid catfish hit a Damiki DTSCO-40.

Reef species still firing offshore ☛ from P47

Rob boated a hard-pulling amberjack.

Reader’s Report

a quick move and I was immediately man-handled by what seemed like an even better trout.

The fishing gods smiled upon me once again by keeping my 20lb leader away from the reef, and soon enough I was hoisting a 5kg trout aloft for a photo.

The hot afternoon bite continued, with a heap of quality grassy sweetlip keeping us entertained.

In another positive sign, we landed a stack of justundersized red emperor.

Even at 45-55cm long, reds fight hard, and they were great fun on the light gear.

It would have been even more fun if the odd one was longer than 55cm!

Our tactics remained the same and we continued moving constantly while looking for fish marking on the rubble grounds.

We would spot lock on an area, fish it for a few minutes and then move on.

The tactics were paying off and as they say, good things come in threes.

That was certainly the case on this day as I miraculously boated a third

Ganno’s beautiful blue maori cod.

some even feeding on the surface like tuna in one spot.

We dodged the sharks to put together a typical catch of hussar, parrot and redthroat emperor, with the highlights including a red emperor, a big blue maori cod and a solid amberjack.

With the warmer tem-

peratures still around for a few weeks yet, it’s worth breaking up the pelagic hunting with a bit of bottom fishing, particularly on the shallow grounds.

Considering there’s a heap of bait in most inshore areas, the quality reefies won’t be far behind.

Catch ya!

The author with a pair of lovely coral trout.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

The new Polycraft Tuff Tender and Yamaha 6hp fourstroke make a solid car topper package.

One-up speeds of about 27km/h are possible.

The tri-hull design cuts through small chop and aids stability.

Poly performs with Yamaha 6hp four-stroke

W

ITH more and more people hooking up the camper trailer or caravan and heading to remote locations, the need for functional car topper boats has increased.

The Polycraft has two rear seats which can be used for storage and also double as a vantage point to cast lures.

Irrespective of whether you are throwing the car topper on the roof of your car or custom racks on your camper trailer, one of the most important factors to consider is the weight of the boat.

It is also imperative to find out what your car and camper can legally carry, so you know what boats will suit you.

Polycraft has recently modified its 3m Tuff Tender and made a lightweight version that comes

topper is an engine that is well matched to the boat.

You need to be able to lift and carry the engine and store it somewhere where it won’t move while travelling.

To find out how this new boat went, I caught up with Will Lee from Yamaha and we took the Tuff Tender and new lightweight portable 6hp four-stroke Yamaha for a run out of Wellington Point.

This new Yamaha was designed to be lightweight, compact and economical, which are all the features you need in a portable engine.

Comprising a single cylinder, the 6hp is ultraeasy to use and features a

Boat Review

by BEN COLLINS

in at only 68kg and is rated to 6hp.

As the name suggests, Polycraft builds plastic roto-moulded boats, which makes them ultra-tough.

I can attest to this firsthand because I’ve had a 4.5m Polycraft for about 10 years and it has copped a fair beating.

You don’t need to be as precious with a Poly as you might with some other boats.

This is especially handy considering you may have to drag a car topper across the ground, roll it over

and perform various other manoeuvres to get it into position and onto the roof or camper racks.

Additionally, if you do happen to drop your Poly, little or no damage will be done.

In anticipating the struggles of lifting a boat onto a roof, Polycraft has incorporated a couple of recessed grab rails on each side of the boat.

Previously, the Tuff Tender was rated to 15hp but weighed a fair bit more.

Another thing to consider when picking a car

specially developed fourstroke overhead-valve design delivering excellent combustion efficiency as well as economical and smooth running.

A handy feature of the new 6hp Yamaha is the location of the fuel filler for the inbuilt tank, which is now positioned at the front of the engine and on an angle for easier filling.

You have the option of running a tote tank, but the engine is so economical you may not need one.

This is a good thing because you won’t have an extra tank taking up space in the boat if it is not needed.

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SINCE 1989 Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 49

Poly performs with Yamaha 6hp four-stroke ☛ from P49

Grab rails on the side of the Polycraft car topper make it easier to load and unload.

operation, a built-in primer is located under the cowl, which just needs to be pumped a few times before starting the engine.

Yamaha has also ensured the engine is truly portable, weighing only 27kg.

The engine features Yamaha’s oil leak prevention system, which is an ingenious innovation allowing you to lay the engine on its front or side without compromising the oil seals for hassle-free transport and storage.

This feature opens up the way the engine can be transported, making it even easier to pack and stow for long journeys.

Yamaha has also achieved a perfect parallel balance position from the carry handle, making the engine easier to carry.

The parallel carry position means the portable engine can be carried with your arm ful-

ly extended without the skeg touching the ground.

In terms of performance, the 6hp engine features a threestep shallow-water drive system that will come into its own when tackling Australia’s shallow rivers, estuaries and creeks.

A five-step trim adjustment can be modified depending on water conditions and boat load for optimum engine performance.

So how did all this translate to on-water performance in the 3m Tuff Tender?

Well, it was a nippy little rig.

Initially, both Will and I got in the Poly and had a bit of a play, performing a few different manoeuvres that the boat and motor handled with ease.

The tri-hull design of the Polycraft meant it cornered very sharply and was also relatively stable.

It was even possible to stand up and flick lures at the mangroves.

As with any small boat, you need to be a little conscious of weight distribution.

I’m no featherweight but the boat felt very safe with the two of us on board and planed easily.

Obviously, the boat performed a bit better with just one person aboard, which was evident when I filmed Will taking it for a spin (take a look on the BNBFTV YouTube channel).

In fact, it was quite spritely, with the Yamaha 6hp fourstroke revving out to an estimated top speed of 27km/h.

The Polycraft ate up the slightly choppy conditions as it skimmed across the waves.

If you are in the market for a car topper or tender, it would be well worth considering the 3m Polycraft Tuff Tender matched with the economical 6hp Yamaha four-stroke.

For more information, visit polycraft.com.au and yamahamotor.com.au

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If you love to spend your leisure time on the water, visit Australian Marine Centre and you will be seriously impressed.

In fact, the hardest part will be choosing a Formosa that you like the best.

The Formosa Marine Tomahawk series offers everything from open boats to hard tops.

Choose either the Offshore range with self-draining decks or the Classic range and spend the savings on customising your boat with a huge range of optional extras.

Check out the full range of boats and options online at formosamarineboats.com.au It has always been Formosa’s mission to advance its boats to handle the Australian environment yet keep them affordable without skimping on quality and strength.

The V2 Hull is the latest advancement in hull design.

It has a sharper deadrise, giving a softer ride, an improved trim range and increased performance, as well as extra floor structure for a solid under-footing and side extrusions to hide fuel lines and wires for a clean interior.

All V2 Hulls include a

heavy-duty aluminium bow roller and a Formosa-designed Tow-Catch.

The bow roller is engineered to suit manual deployment and drum winches.

For solo deploying and retrieving at the boat ramp, the Tow-Catch, a hook and eye design welded to the keel, makes life a breeze.

Check with your dealer regarding a suitable trailer or accessory to take advantage of this feature.

Australian Marine Centre will be showcasing its Formosa Marine stock at the Gold Coast International Marine Expo at Coomera from March 17-19.

Drop by the AMC stand and learn all about the exciting possibilities that boating has to offer.

Leisure time with family and friends will make family memories unforgettable.

AMC will feature popular Formosa Marine models such as the Centre Console, Territory and the latest in innovation, the X Bowrider.

Fish, wake, ski – do it all with the new X Bowrider range.

Designed to take the family out skiing or wakeboarding one day, you can then transform the X for offshore fishing the next.

AMC will be the first to showcase the X in Queensland at the Coomera show – a boat not to miss!

The Centre Console was designed to provide the ultimate in deck space.

The wide and generous freeboard that Formosas are renowned for gives a great versatile platform to suit a variety of fishing and boating needs.

Pictured is the new 480 Offshore in the Centre Console range.

It has an aluminium selfdraining deck, 4mm hightensile 5083 plate hull, twin flip seat with large storage box, transom door, transom storage hatches, folding screen, heavy-duty dive ladder and SeaStar hydraulic steering.

More features are listed online.

Territory models have a large forward fishing platform and rear centre console with the driver’s seat base mounted behind the console.

This model was designed to handle offshore conditions and has been tried and tested with Formosa Marine’s Northern Territory customers, hence the name.

Australian Marine Centre is located at 3491 Pacific Highway, Springwood.

For sales or service, phone 07 3808 7333 or visit amc boats.com.au For more information on Formosa Marine’s range of boats, visit formosamarine boats.com.au

The new Formosa Tomahawk 480 Offshore Centre Console.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

AMM perfects extreme hard-core trailer performance

A

LEADING plate alloy boat manufacturer has now gone hard-core in design and production of boat trailers for off-road use with the launch of its Extra Heavy Duty series – a range even more robust than its existing Off Road models.

Fully independent trailing arm suspension mounted on 16mm-thick alloy location plates; two Gabriel heavy-duty shock absorbers per wheel; a four-bag Cruisemaster adjustable air suspension system; massive 285/75/16 tyres on alloy rims; a Hitchmaster DO45 all-terrain drop-on

coupling that allows the trailer to articulate at radical angles; a 6mm-thick heavy-duty box section main frame; and massive ground clearance – the list of near-bulletproof features goes on and on.

Australian Master Marine created its new design in response to requests from customers who are pushing further and further into remote locations to access almost unheard-of fishing destinations.

The first trailer completed to the new Extra Heavy Duty Off Road design specifications is for a 7m stealth black AMM Centre Console kitted to the hilt.

The trailer even includes an on-board air compres-

See your authorised Mercury MerCruiser Dealer today

sor for inflating tyres and the air bag suspension; a fully automated on-board water supply system that automatically flushes down the trailer’s vital components with fresh water after launching and retrieving; two spare wheels including one with its own stub axle and bearings so it can become a massive front dolly wheel for extricating the trailer from near-impossible situations; a swing-aside drawbar extension that adds 3m of extra space behind the vehicle’s tow bar; electric and manual winch systems; and an automatic launch and retrieve system.

And in typical AMM precision manufacturing form, every upright sup-

porting the hull has been individually measured, cut and welded into place.

AMM director Mr Barton Thomas said the struts are custom made for every boat to reduce the likelihood of damage to the hull when travelling in extreme situations.

“The Extra Heavy Duty is like an off-road trailer on steroids – it boasts immense strength to tackle the harshest of conditions,” he said.

“It is a significant step up in capability from our regular Off Road range of boat trailers.”

AMM Off Road trailers can be inspected at the company’s headquarters at Brendale on Brisbane’s northside and australian mastermarine.com.au

BRISBANE SOUTH | Coorparoo Marine 57 Cavendish Rd, Coorparoo Q 4151 P: 07 3397 4141 E: info@coorparoomarine.com.au W: coorparoomarine.com.au

BRISBANE | Holt Marine 25 Queens Rd, Everton Park Q 4053 P: 07 3353 1928 E: info@holtmarine.com.au W: holtmarine.com.au

HERVEY BAY | Hervey Bay Marine Services 2 Driftwood Court, Urangan Q 4655 P: 07 4124 9955 E: info@herveybaymarine.com.au W: herveybaymarine.com.au

BRISBANE NORTH | Brisbane Marine 306 Duffield Rd, Clontarf Q 4019 P: 07 3889 3033 E: info@brismarine.com.au W: brismarine.com.au

IPSWICH | Ipswich Marine Centre 45 Huxham St, Raceview Q 4305 P: 07 3294 3944 E: enquiries@ipswichmarine.com.au W: ipswichmarine.com.au

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 51

K AYAKING & canoeing

Wild river bass from a yak

A

FTER the holiday season finishes, the number of campers dwindles and the Mary Valley region slows to its natural flow of life.

A small run-off gully with a typical array of timber is a common area to see deer drinking at the creek’s edge.

The occasional truck hauling logs from the state forests rattles its way along Yabba Creek Rd and as the sound disappears into the distance nature takes over with a symphony of birds and insects.

Many anglers travel directly to the region’s beautiful Borumba Dam to try their luck chasing freshwater species.

The dam is a wonderful fishery thanks to the work of the local Lions club and the Borumba Fish Stocking Association.

I’ve been invited by the group to be present at an upcoming release day and I’ll cover that event with an account of the fingerlings’ journey from hatchery to release.

The author’s Daiwa 2500 TD Sol/Ian Miller 6’ Raider Yak makes an ideal combination for bass in tight snags.

Kayaking

by PAUL ‘CHIEF’ GRAVESON

Like many of our southeast Queensland dams, Borumba relies on water releases as part of the dam’s strategies and operating procedures.

During this time, a small percentage of fish stocks are lost through the floodway into the creek and river systems.

These escapees thrive and help build numbers among native fish populations.

The meandering creeks and waterways of the Mary Valley offer exciting hidden locations consisting of rock bars, fallen trees and deep holes.

Here you’ll find skinny-water locations where you carry your kayak over shallows before entering another stretch of water complete with a range of new snags to fish.

It doesn’t take long before you leave the noises of civilisation behind, the mobile is out of range and it is highly unlikely you will encounter another angler on the water.

A far cry from my Brisbane River adventures of previous years.

It’s here you’ll find yourself in the habitat of Australian bass, saratoga and cod.

It is such a special feeling as you paddle along a wild creek system early of a morning, with the humidity becoming uncomfortable and your sunglasses continuing to fog up with condensation.

In our Queensland summer, the bass are just as wild as the conditions.

From December to Feb-

ruary the wild fish will push as far upstream as they can manage.

As we move out of summer, the fish will venture towards tidal waters to spawn.

I haven’t the slightest doubt about why the Australian bass is considered such a prized sportfish and hard-slogging adversary.

You have to be an opportunist to survive in these small bodies of water and aggression best describes the feeding behaviour of bass.

Insects, crustaceans and small fish make up the majority of their diet but small animals such as lizards and frogs also make welcome prey.

A wild bass of about 1kg is a reasonably sized fish, though on average, wild bass are a lot smaller than the fish caught in impoundments such as Borumba Dam. For an old salt like me, I really don’t think the novelty of catching this species will ever dwindle and my respect continues to grow.

Being required to use a stealthy approach involving manoeuvring the kayak into position to put a cast hard into a snag hidden beneath the undergrowth just enhances the quality of my fishing experience.

The stillness of the day and total lack of water flow lulls me into relaxation.

On a recent trip, a blue kingfisher hit the water a few metres away and a

large water dragon scurried off a dead log into the cover of the bankside vegetation.

My senses just about overload in this environment.

Creek banks offer endless options for ambush and every cast leaves me concentrating intently on that retrieve past the strike zone.

Then without any prior indication, my lure is smashed, the rod bucks into a loaded working curve and line is pulled from a firm drag as the fish dives for the snags.

These wild bass pull hard and if they don’t get their way they will change direction and head for another snag.

You have to keep pressure on the fish, bullying it as much as possible and keeping it from escaping to the fallen trees.

All this happens within seconds of hooking up and it is why I rate bass as such a formidable opponent.

Give a bass a chance at any stage of the fight and it will take it, leaving you to think about the lost fish.

I’ve encountered fish that stretch me in all directions and finally run towards me, diving deep to brick me on a submerged snag directly un-

der the kayak.

It leaves you thinking about fishing with a heavier outfit but you need to remember the finesse approach likely impacted on your successful hook-up in the first place.

It’s no good fishing safe and heavy when the percentage of hook-ups is severely affected and you can’t raise a strike.

The answer is to find that happy medium.

Long-time readers will know of my love for casting lures at bream in the Brisbane River and I thought I’d miss the finesse approach of light tackle fishing for bread and butter species but Australian bass have opened up a whole new game and I’m loving it.

I would just like to apologise for the average quality of the pictures.

I find it impossible to take decent pictures when fishing these areas alone.

The sheer angles of vegetated banks make it impossible to set up bankside shots.

Releasing these fish back into the waterway in prime condition is my main concern, not getting that perfect picture, which can take time to set up.

Until next time, I hope to see you enjoying the Mary Valley.

Cheers, Chief.

A wild Mary Valley bass taken on an Ecogear SX40.

Native Watercraft B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Kayak Series

T

HE start of the year is always an amazing time full of new beginnings, especially in the bass tournament scene.

Glenn Hayter and his Native Watercraft major prize.

Glenn Hayter with the winning bag at Clarrie Hall Dam.

Page 52 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

The anglers are charged with energy because they know everyone starts on zero points, and the Native Watercraft B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Kayak Series is the beginning of something very exciting for kayak anglers in Australia.

For the first time, the kayakers have a genuine chance to win a trip to the US to compete in a B.A.S.S.-affiliated event with all expenses paid.

The anglers can also win an incredible Native Watercraft kayak at each and every round.

We recently headed to Clarrie Hall Dam in northern NSW for our first round and found a great field of competitors vying for the $4500 major prize.

What an awesome event it turned out to be.

Clarrie Hall is a magical

B.A.S.S. Australia Nation

by DREW McGRATH

bass fishing location and the perfect place for kayak fishing.

The lake didn’t disappoint, with plenty of bass landed and a tight finish that had emotions running high through the field.

Glenn Hayter from Sydney took out the round ahead of Coffs Harbour angler Dayne Taylor, with

young local Zac Travis rounding out the top three.

Glenn sat quietly in striking distance all through the tournament, and in the final session weighed an impressive 1.93kg bag to take home the Native Watercraft Slayer 10 Propel worth $4500.

Using one of the most popular bass lures in Aus-

Dayne Taylor placed second in the first kayak round.

tralia, the 3” Berkley Gulp Minnow in Smelt colour, he presented the plastic tight to weed beds and caught his bag with ease in each session.

Dayne on the other hand used the new Jackall Chubble and worked it in front of the long, steep weed edges in a jerkbaiting motion to create the bites and win cash and gear valued at over $1000.

Zac used a home-made buzzbait to entice the big strikes from the larger specimens.

Zac ended up one bass short of his six-bass limit and must be wondering what could have happened if he had managed an average-sized keeper in session one.

All in all, it was an amazing start to the series and a perfect introduction to what is going to be a first-class kayak series for the next three seasons.

If you like kayaking, this is definitely the series for you.

You can find out more at bassaustralia.com.au

Zac Travis is one to watch in future after he finished in third place.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

K AYAKING & canoeing Bass are suckers for trolled lures.

Benny nabbed this bass on a spinnerbait.

The author trolled a deep-diving hard-body to entice this bass.

Trolling tips for kayakers

H

I and welcome to this month’s edition of BNB.

I have enjoyed a fantastic month of bass fishing.

My mates Benny and Nicko recently showed me a new and relaxing way to hunt down these hardpulling brutes: trolling by kayak.

I call it ‘lazy fishing’ but it’s heaps of fun and produces great results.

I’m sponsored by Viking Kayaks Australia and Viking’s yaks are perfect for the fishing I do.

Kayaks play an important part when targeting bass in our area.

I’m new to the freshwater trolling scene but I’m hooked.

3WAYSFISHIN – Fresh Water

by NATHAN ‘NATH’ PALMER

We have been taking our yaks to a river near Morpeth, about 20 minutes’ drive east of Maitland.

Morpeth is popular for its history, cafes, antique shops, clothing shops, ice cream shops and the famous pub, which is a must for a quality steak

Benny was happy with this bass.

Spinnerbaits and bass are a match made in heaven.

A solid bass on a hard-body.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

and a cold one.

Farms are scattered throughout the area and amazing farmhouses line the riverbanks.

The tree-lined banks are beautiful, with the old willow trees above and below the water making it heaps of fun targeting bass in the snags.

We have lost a few lures while trying our best to tempt the hard-fighting fish out from their tight surroundings, but if you’re not in the snags, you’re not on top of the fish, so you have to put aside the cost of your favourite lure and go for it because you never know how big that next fish is going to be.

I’ve been using great lollies from Zoomy Lures and Last Cast Spinnerbaits and trolling them with unreal results.

It’s a shame I have to work or else I would be on the water every day using these lures.

So let’s get into this trolling adventure.

On my Viking kayak I have a 30lb electric trolling motor supplied by Haswing Marine.

I twist the handle to its first or second setting (fast walking pace) and then run a diving lure or spinnerbait to 3m, which is the perfect depth for targeting bass in the rivers.

Besides the tree-lined banks are man-made structures such as rock walls.

For some reason, bass like to hang out along the walls as well.

Benny and Nicko told me the bass would be bigger when trolling past these

different structures and I soon found they were right.

In the snags, on most occasions the average bass was in the 30-40cm range and the fight was great, but when we hit the walls our reels screamed.

Along the walls the fish put up a different fight altogether.

Several bass just under 50cm were landed, which was awesome.

When trolling past the snags in the tree-lined areas, the bass would rush out from the branches and slam our lures but strangely they would not run back to the snags, rather they would fight out in open water.

I thought this was weird but it was great to know my lure and fish would make their way safely to the net.

When trolling, I found if the lure or spinnerbait was not at least 25-30m behind the kayak, the lure would not swim as it was designed to.

The penny dropped when I realised the boys had caught five fish each and I’d hooked zilch while running the lures closer.

My tally changed after having a chat with Benny and Nicko and listening to what works for these two great anglers.

I can’t thank them enough for the info they shared with me.

The next day was very hot and we decided to get on the water early around 3pm because the barometer was starting to climb and this would be the best time to target bass.

After setting up my Viking and the boys doing the same to their canoe, we were on the water and straight into the bass.

Within five minutes of launching we were hooked up and knew we would be in for a treat.

Since I was new to trolling for bass, I felt I would do the right thing and let the boys lead the way upriver while I picked up whatever bass they missed, or as the boys put

it, I could fish their dirty water.

I had no problem doing that because they did miss a few and I got the rewards.

After travelling about 15km upriver it’s understandable why most fishos call it lazy fishing.

You cover much more ground than casting your lures at every snag.

On the way back to the ramp and with not much light left, the guys showed me great spots where they like to use surface lures.

This kind of fishing really makes sense to me now.

They use deep-diving lures to troll when the sun is high in the sky and then as the sun is about to go down, they get to enjoy surface fishing for bass.

With the barometer still climbing, we knew we would see great surface hits.

We did and the surface bite was fantastic.

I’m looking forward to chasing these hard-pulling native fish again very soon.

I’d just like to finish with a huge congratulations to Benny and his amazing partner on their second child.

‘Til next time, stay safe on the water and I hope you score a few for the barbecue.

If you would like any more information about where we have been fishing for bass, jump over to my 3waysfishin Facebook page and I’ll fill you in.

River bass over 40cm put up one hell of a fight.

Nick was happy with this thumping bass.

It’s good to cool off after a hard day’s fishing.

The author’s yak was locked and loaded.

A good amount of length on the water helps the Viking make swift progress.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 53

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 55

Dan Townsend, Jamie Carter and Nathan Rayner with a sizeable hammerhead shark caught, tagged and released at Fraser Island using a Daiwa Sealine with 100lb mono and 400lb leader.

This Coomera jack was taken on a Lucky Craft GSplash during a hot late-afternoon topwater bite.

Jacob Freiberg

Summer with her big Gold Coast trevally hooked on a live herring during Australia Day. David Hopper

Me and a mate took his 12’ tinnie off Caloundra on a recent weekend and landed this monster spanish mackerel on a slow-trolled livie and 15lb braid.

We nearly tipped the tinnie over getting it in!

Kirk Watterston

Brant Barr was stoked to land this cracking wild bass in skinny water.

My mate Brett landed this beast of a jewie and he hasn’t stopped smiling since.

Mulligan

This 96cm barra was caught at Fairbairn Dam near Emerald and was released.

It was landed on a Killalure Flatz Rat hard-body, Daiwa BG 2500, 20lb braid and 30lb leader.

BJ Bianchi

I recently got a Gold Coast barra on surface.

The fish went 60cm and was caught on a surface popper during a night session for jacks.

Levi Bell

G’day, was just hoping you could throw my girlfriend’s fishing pics in the mag. Her name is Jess Clark and both fish were taken on live bait in the Fraser Coast area.

Ryan Holdsworth

To have a photo of your catch featured in Readers Forum, simply email ben@bnbfishing. com.au with a good quality picture, your name and details or hop onto our Facebook page and send us a message.

■ Readers Forum ■ Readers Forum ■ Readers Forum Page 56 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Land-based options around Gladstone

P

LENTY of good land-based fishing options exist around the Gladstone region.

With the help of technology such as Google Maps, social media and fishing forums, you can get a good idea about where the fish are biting and how to get to them.

Without a doubt, the most well-known landbased fishing spot would have to be the hot water outlet at the back of NRG Gladstone Power Station.

Its reputation for big barra is renowned and deserved because it consistently produces barra well over the metre mark.

Salmon will also be caught here when they are running and queenfish will regularly take poppers off the surface.

Fish are drawn to the higher water temperature created by the returning water that NRG uses for cooling.

This is especially important during winter and why barra are a common catch there year-round outside the closed season.

The pylons of the main bridge that crosses the Calliope River are easily accessible from both banks.

On the town side, rocks cover the bank and run into the water towards the edge of the pylons.

Bream and cod are regular captures, as is the occasional barra, fingermark and jewfish.

Devils Elbow, halfway up the Calliope River, is another good location with steep rocky dropoffs where quality fish can be landed.

You can find the dirt tracks that get you there on Google Maps.

They lead past some houses, so be considerate and keep the dust and noise down.

Gladstone Marina is a popular spot and on a weekend it is common to see lots of people fishing the rock-lined edges.

It has many wharves but you are not allowed to fish most of them and you will soon be chased off.

But if you can get down to the water’s edge and fish under or around them,

Gladstone Region

by GARY CHURCHWARD

you may be surprised at what you catch.

A live mullet could see you hook anything from cod and jacks to trout and trevally.

It really does give up some surprises.

Fishing with prawns or strip baits will see hordes of bream and moses perch keeping you busy.

The opposite side, or Auckland Creek, has just been revamped and named East Shores with a boardwalk that extends over the water.

In a few spots it’s extended more and has facilities for fishing.

I have seen large schools of herring around the pylons.

This would be a great place to fish at night with numerous lights shining in the water.

I would expect to get salmon and the odd grunter and trevally.

Barney Point features good rocks in shallow water but they are worth flicking shallow-diving lures around.

Barra are caught here, as are cod and bream if you are using smaller lures.

Toolooa Bends boat ramp has a great floating pontoon that allows you to fish the rocky outcrops on the downstream side.

On occasion, I have been there and spoken to people who have taken decent catches of grunter and bream.

Barra, mangrove jack and fingermark will also come from the rocks downstream of the pontoon.

The current can run hard through here and it is best fished as the tidal flow slows, preferably during the first and last of the run-out tide.

If you have a four-wheeldrive, you can travel along the beach to the Lillies and target whiting and flathead.

Access is gained near Boyne Smelters and you will need a permit to travel on the beach.

I have seen police pa-

A barra hooked on a soft plastic in the Boyne River on a charter.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

trolling the area, so going without a permit is not worth the risk.

The mouth of the Boyne River is another great spot to chase a feed of whiting and flathead.

The pontoon at the boat ramp is a popular place to wet a line, with whiting, bream and the occasional barra hooked there.

On the Tannum side of the bridge is a rock ledge where I have heard of anglers taking good-sized parrotfish and sweetlip.

You can also get to the first pylons of the bridge from both sides of the river.

These pylons consistently hold large schools of herring, trevally, bream, fingermark and barra, with most hitting vibration lures, though a 4” plastic or live bait will work.

The highway bridge at Benaraby is an easily accessible location where you can get numbers of barra from the deep holes near the bank.

You will often see schools of tarpon breaking the surface as they feed and a small blade will soon be hit when cast around the schools.

People swim around here but I would be extremely careful considering the number of bull sharks that get around this section of the river.

You can access other parts of the Boyne River too, just jump on Google Earth or Maps to check out the access points.

Wild Cattle Creek is a shallow waterway that dries out at low tide, leaving deeper pools that the fish move into as the tide drops.

You can pump yabbies to chase whiting or walk along the edge of the deeper sections flicking soft plastics for flathead and barra.

You don’t need a boat to catch quality fish around Gladstone.

I spent the first few years fishing here without a boat and caught plenty of good fish.

I still fish some of these locations when I am short of time or if the tide suits the location.

On the fishing front, barra season is in full swing, with lots of reports of big numbers and size coming through.

The Fitzroy River is fishing well.

The town section was still dirty during February after the last lot of rains.

If we receive no more rain, expect the city reach to really fire.

Most of the fish are coming from Port Alma in the cleaner water on both live baits and lures, though you will need to move a bit to find fish willing to bite.

Both the Calliope and Boyne rivers have seen their share of barra caught and Gladstone Harbour has been fishing extremely well for barra since the season opened on February 1.

Port Alma is fishing well for threadfin salmon and grunter.

The deeper holes would be the first places to try.

Surface fishing has produced the goods, with trevally and queenfish hitting surface lures with vigour.

The number of mangrove jack taking surface lures has been the surprise packet.

Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing has put clients onto quite a few good size jacks as well as trevally on surface in the Boyne River.

Expect to see blue salmon numbers increase towards the end of March as the temperature starts to cool.

Hopefully we see better numbers than last year, which was one of the worst salmon seasons I have seen since moving here.

Bream will become more common as the temperature drops and bream fishing will only get better as they start to think about schooling for breeding season.

March is a fantastic time to get out fishing, whether you are land based or in a boat.

Cheers and happy fishing from Gladdy.

Phil caught this trevally on a 90mm Maria hard-body. Plenty of these fish are taking surface lures at the moment.

You can’t help smiling when catching good size jacks on surface. This one was captured on a Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing charter.

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www.kareemarine.com.au Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 57

Mathew and Mark fished a skinny creek.

Mathew and one of many jacks taken on Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ.

Hinchinbrook offers a host of fishing options B

ARRA season is upon us again and we have been getting a lot of rain around Hinchinbrook Island, which is fantastic for the fishery in the long run.

Mark’s GT smashed a popper.

Mark and Mathew scored double hook-ups all afternoon while micro jigging.

Unfortunately, it can make for tough fishing at the moment with all the cold and fresh water running into the systems.

This tends to shut the fish down for a week or so until things settle.

After that we should see good numbers of prawns, which in turn will produce good numbers of barra, jacks and threadfin salmon.

Regular father and son clients Mark and Mathew come fishing with us most years, booking a fishing package for five days at a time.

On their most recent trip, the guys caught great numbers of fish.

The awesome thing about the Hinchinbrook area is you can mix it up.

For the first couple of days we fished Hinchinbrook Channel, the coastal creeks and surround-

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Hinchinbrook News

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ing areas chasing salmon and jacks, which were our number-one species during the barra closure prior to February 1.

We enjoyed good success, catching quality salmon and a few jacks in the channel, but we had a much better day in the coastal creeks where we got excellent numbers of jacks by fishing skinny sections of creek on foot and casting lures to little shaded gutters on the opposite side of the sandbank.

It was great fun!

If you ever get out walking the banks in tropical north Queensland, you must always be croc wise by standing a good distance from the water’s edge and never turning your back on the water.

Casting little Lively Lures and Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ is the go and let’s just say there was some competition between the father and son team.

But I think Mat ended up getting ahead of his Dad on the second day, catching about 10 fish in 20 minutes including some great jacks.

When the tide was full, we used Frookup Vibes in the deeper holes, marking up salmon on the sounder

by positioning the boat on top of the schools.

We cast upstream, letting the vibes sink to the bottom before hopping them back to the boat.

Even gently lifting and dropping the vibe under the boat achieved success.

The great thing about Hinchinbrook is the diversity.

The next day was spent bluewater fishing and catching table fish for the boys to take home.

Father and son landed awesome cobia, cod, nannygai and even red emperor.

Once the boys had a feed of fish in the Esky, we went

micro jigging and they were hooked up for the rest of the afternoon, with lots of fun and laughs.

On the last day, we went popper fishing in the morning and the guys managed to score cracking GTs, with amazing takes and a bunch of laughs followed by an afternoon of micro jigging.

Mat and Mark captured epic nannygai on the jigs as well as spanish mackerel, golden trevally and many other trevally species.

It was the perfect way to round out the trip.

Trying to pick six photos of the trip to run with this article was a challenge because the boys caught so many fantastic fish.

Until next time, Cracka-jack with Crackajack Sportfishing Adventures.

This golden trevally hit Mark’s micro jig.

Experienced local guide Come on a Hinchinbrook wilderness fishing holiday and tick some of those trophy fish off your bucket list – barra, mangrove jack, coral trout, GTs, sooty grunter, spanish mackerel, black marlin queenies, nannygai and more!

Todd & Raylene Eveleigh T: 07 4777 2968 M: 0417 192 318 E: barra@crackfish.com www.crackfish.com Page 58 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

A cracking nannygai Mark scored on a micro jig.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

All stars align at Stanage Bay

H

OWDY all fishers and tourists planning on visiting Australia’s beautiful and pristine Stanage Bay, Shoalwater Bay and the surrounding islands.

Thank you one and all who have been following and providing input with the Australian Defence Force saga over the past few months.

The ADF had proposed land acquisitions on and around the Stanage road but has now backed down, so a big thankyou to everyone who took the time to put their names on petitions against the acquisitions.

Stanage Bay

by VON IRELAND

I feel quite proud of the fishers, businesses and residents of Stanage Bay who were a small part of the force behind the government backing down on this agenda.

To date, locals and fishers have had no recognition for their part in this outcome.

So once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

As a small business owner, fisher and tourism

Spanish mackerel have been running hot in the warm weather.

promotor of Stanage Bay, I can once again smile, laugh and enjoy a good night’s sleep.

Now into the usual gossip.

The road into Stanage Bay is reasonable until the army turn-off, and then the games begin with pot holes and corrugations.

As per usual, remain vigilant, drive to the prevailing conditions and you will arrive at your destination in one piece.

Then you can enjoy a quiet ale while you move into your holiday rental and put a snag or two on the barbecue.

The estuary has been alive for some but not quite as good as previous years for regular barra fishers due to the lack of

run-off rainfall.

Father Nature has directed the rain south again.

I wish he would leave nature alone and let the Mother handle it.

Recently, Terry did well during a short fish near the boat ramp, catching blue parrotfish, cod and grunter.

The mighty monster muddies have been potted in some creeks but others have been barren.

This is probably because of the patchy rain, hot water and constantly moving food sources.

The reef and islands have produced great catches when everything has aligned.

As per usual here at Stanage, you need the three P’s: persistence, patience and passion.

Double Rocks Reef (not to be confused with Two Round Rocks Reef) is always good for a quick squirt out and back for

Red emperor have been chewing for those anglers willing to put in the time to find them.

smaller fishing boats.

Lucy Ravel Point, Barren and South Barren reefs and Black Swan Rock are more productive, close-in locations.

All can fish particularly well for barra, grunter and fingermark.

For those wanting to follow the coastline a little closer to Shoalwater Bay, you can’t forget to sound out the shoals such as Donovan, Turn, White, Lingham, Osborn and Skull.

They all provide very interesting fishing at different stages of the tides.

If you choose to fish the bigger tides, always remind yourself you will need a lot of lead, a parachute anchor to slow your drift, and the fish will appreciate a little structure to hide out of the current.

While so many locals choose deck winches when chasing reef fish, an increasing number are also using rods and braid for the finicky fish.

So until the hot bite starts, keep the berley and light gear handy.

Then when the bite starts, get ready to drop the big guns and have the bait board full of pillies, squid, mullet fillets and big prawns.

Fill the berley pot, drop the anchor and get ready for a good time.

I hope all this information helps you.

Until next time, keep those rods wet.

Night can be a great time to find big red fish.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 59

A long way from home. The author took this photo of a remote sand cay with his DJI Phantom 3 Professional drone.

Cape York is a wild place. The author experienced the best and worst of the wet season weather all within a few hours.

Exploring Torres Strait and Cape York during the wet

T

HE 2017 wet season has been a cracker, with Cape York and the Torres Strait copping a good drenching.

Black jewfish fight very hard on the bottom but suffer badly from barotrauma in deeper water. They love structure and deep holes and are often caught alongside fingermark.

Gary Jones and a solid red and coral trout pulled from 35m.

The northwesterly wind brings the monsoon rain, which gives the mangrove systems of Cape York a real flushing and springs everything back to life.

Those fortunate enough to live in the tropics year round can take advantage of the best fishing conditions, which occur at the beginning of the year.

Between the heavy downpours and storms are periods when the wind often completely drops out and the seas turn glassy calm.

Keen fishos make the most of these opportunities to explore the more remote reef systems on the east coast of Cape York Peninsula.

The gamble is the weather can be unpredictable and storms can brew quickly, turning the seas into a washing machine and putting a real dampener on things.

We managed a couple of epic long-range trips recently, venturing about 80 nautical miles from home base on Thursday Island.

These remote missions

The author boated a quality fingermark. If you find structure with big overhangs off Cape York, there is a good chance it will hold these fish.

Page 60 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

Torres Strait

by MATT POTTER

take careful planning and fuel calculations because help is a long way away.

With everything packed the night before in a mate’s 6.6m Trailcraft centre cab, we waited for the first glint of light in the morning before launching the boat.

During the wet season, floating debris such as large logs are pushed out of the Cape and Papua New Guinea river systems and become a real hazard on the water.

The first adventure was a huge day trip and we couldn’t have asked for better weather.

We first checked out a high spot we found using the Navionics app.

A large rock was covered in bait, so we threw out a couple of Rapala X-Rap Magnum 30 hardbodies and as I was about to drop the third lure in, the first two reels started screaming simultaneously.

After a couple of blistering runs, we boated two spanish mackerel of about 10kg.

What followed was one of the best mackerel sessions I’ve had in a long time, with the rods peeling over within seconds of clicking the boat into gear.

We released all the smaller fish using pliers on the lure while the fish were still in the water.

We kept a few of the better fish for the table as well as reef baits.

The crew tried dropping a couple of baits to the bottom but the mackerel bit us off before we could get down.

They love shiny snapper leads.

Next we travelled a few more miles to hit an area we hadn’t fished for a couple of years and thankfully found the nannygai in residence were hungry.

We dropped squid baits and mackerel slabs to the bottom on our double

paternoster rigs with 10oz snapper leads.

Over a couple of hours we managed to pick up quality large-mouth nannygai and returned the small-mouth variety back to the water because they don’t seem to suffer as badly from barotrauma and in my opinion aren’t as good to eat.

Along with nannygai, we managed coral trout, sweetlip and a fingermark (golden snapper).

We left the fish biting and headed into a small sand cay to refuel.

I sent the drone up for a bird’s-eye view and got great footage of the surrounding reef and an isolated storm cell.

The water was crystal clear and I regretted not packing the dive gear.

We headed back out and put a couple more grassy sweetlip and nannygai into the box.

It was now mid-afternoon, so with a healthy Esky and a lot of miles to cover, we decided to make tracks.

The second trip was a little more eventful because we opted to camp in the boat for a couple of nights while exploring a little further than the previous trip.

We left late one afternoon in glassy seas and arrived at our destination on dark.

We dropped the baits and hooked straight up, landing large-mouth nannygai, a cracking fingermark and a black jewfish.

Unfortunately, the sharks soon found us and we lost any decent fish we couldn’t skull drag up.

We persisted and simply continued to chew through our valuable supply of hooks and snapper leads.

In the end, the sharks were so bad we couldn’t even get our baits halfway down without being bitten off.

We could see about a dozen smallish bronze whalers circling the back of the boat.

Disappointed and buggered, we put the rods back in the rocket launchers and headed into the shelter of a small island to sleep.

The next morning, we trolled up a couple of spanish mackerel to use as bait and decided to bottom bash rubbly ground in 35m of water.

We instantly got quality bites on the big mackerel slabs, which certainly got our attention.

Failing to hook up, we rebaited with mackerel and dropped again.

This time I came up tight on a solid fish.

This thing fought all the way to the top, which had

me thinking it wasn’t a nannygai, fingermark or coral trout, all of which would get barotrauma in this depth of water.

As it neared the surface, “good red!” was the call.

A solid 10kg red emperor was lifted into the boat and there were high fives all round.

In the shallower waters (20m or less) around Thursday Island, we get quite a few juvenile reds but the deeper waters further east (25-45m) produce the better specimens.

After a couple of pics, everyone eagerly dropped again and it was a threeway hook-up, with everyone getting stretched.

Halfway up, the fight slowed, which indicated the fish had barotrauma ☛ continued P61

Matthew Arkell with the final red of the trip before the weather turned nasty and the crew bolted for shelter.

One of the fingermark that made it past the sharks while night fishing. Whole fresh squid is a gun bait for these fish.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

How to target barra during the wet season

O

NCE many years ago, we took my wife’s sister-inlaw Joy fishing for her first time ever.

It was in Lakefield National Park and we were trying our luck on the banks of the Bizant River.

The river looked promising and was running a decent fresh from pretty good storm action.

Joy’s first cast went perhaps a whole 2m; not bad for a novice.

Just as she was pulling the lure from the water, a huge barra swiped at it but missed.

There was a massive boil as the fish rolled away, and Joy exclaimed with a little surprise: “I think I got a bite.”

All of us watching of course groaned in total disbelief.

After the second cast, she was on, with a hookup right at the bank, and a truly memorable though rather chaotic fight ensued.

With help, the cracker 106cm fish was finally landed, admired and released.

That example highlights that if you can find the right spot, barramundi fishing during the wet and in the months immediately following can be mind-blowing.

This is when the water is warm, which stimulates fish metabolisms.

Barra are also more ac-

Cape York by ‘BILLABONG’ BAZZ LYON

tive, which contributes to their healthy appetites.

And food is abundant, the result of big-time breeding throughout the food chain.

There’s no doubt barra have been pigging out on the plethora of small fish and prawns during wet seasons for eons.

The spot on the Bizant where we fished was a classic, with a junction where a small, dirty, running feeder creek entered the main river.

The barra were hot, patrolling the coloured water line and smashing anything active, including our Nils Master lures.

Such places, where two inflows join, can be hot spots at any time of year, but especially during the run-off period.

Many rivers on Cape York and in the Gulf of Carpentaria dry back to permanent holes during the year, separated by dry sandy or rocky stretches.

When water flow cranks again, fishing both the upstream and downstream ends can really fire – the same applies to billabongs.

Barramundi wait keenly to get out and are usually hungry as anything.

Breeding size fish are

after sustenance to help them on their long journeys to spawning grounds at river mouths or nearby coastal areas.

These fish are often quite dark or golden in colour, reflecting the time spent in tannin or darkercoloured water.

You can usually catch fish that have already bred too.

They would have formerly lived downstream with unimpeded access to river mouths but now move to inhabit upstream habitats.

These fish are commonly chrome plated with a pink sheen and yellow tail.

Regardless of which direction the barra are moving, they will frequently concentrate around rapids, cascades and waterfalls in the hunt for tucker.

However, even in the time of plenty that the wet season is, the fickle barramundi is never a sure thing.

Many times we’ve enjoyed a scorching session one day, returning later in seemingly identical or at least similar conditions to catch zilch.

An often-ignored habitat that barramundi favour is rocky headlands.

This solid barra came from the Weipa area.

They will usually inhabit the lee side of a point, especially if it features mangroves.

On the higher part of the tide they will move well into the shallows, ambushing prey from tree roots, boulders and the usual snags.

Such places can be great to fish due to the presence of oysters, though you’ll usually have to wait until low tide to crack a few.

Prawns will now abound in rivers and creeks as well as along beaches.

Prawns are a great target for anyone adept at throwing a cast net.

It can be a bit of a tossup whether to eat them or keep them for bait.

If there’s any quantity involved, I reckon they’re better in my stomach than a fish’s.

Depending upon the intensity and duration of the wet season, March often heralds the mud crab season.

They will typically congregate near river mouths and begin moving upstream as freshwater flows start slowing.

At this time of year, muddies on the Cape hang in the zone of water where the salt mixes with the fresh.

Later in the dry, they spread more widely.

All round, March can be a snodger time of year in the far north, taking care of course with the weather and the crocodiles, which are, like the barramundi, very active.

After a surprisingly slow start to the wet in the southern Cape, the rain has well and truly cranked up, with most rivers at least receiving moderate flows.

Here at our place just out of Cooktown, we received over 1000mm in the first seven days of February.

From about Weipa north benefitted from much earlier storms.

In other news, my kids very generously gave me an Abu Garcia Revo Beast for my birthday, which is reportedly one of the best baitcasters on the market.

It’s high time to go and christen it!

Have a cracker!

Barra will be firing during March.

Spots like this one just downstream from rapids can go off.

A good haul of muddies.

Waiting for the hit.

Exploring Torres Strait and Cape York during the wet ☛ from P60

and weren’t reds.

Three fingermark were lifted aboard and we shared more high fives.

The Esky was glowing red and gold and everyone’s eyes were glued to the sounder.

We worked the area for a couple of hours, picking up a few more red emperor to 9kg, quality sweetlip, coral trout and fingermark.

Of course, we lost a quality fish to the taxman but that is to be expected.

A large storm we had been watching had now closed in and the seas www.bnbfishing.com. au

were whipped into a confused mess.

We took shelter on the lee side of a small nearby island and hoped the storm would soon pass.

It didn’t.

With lightning and thunder crackling all around us, we felt very uneasy sitting in the boat in the middle of nowhere, so decided to go ashore for a look around.

Another crew of blokes from Thursday Island who had been spearfishing the area also came in to find shelter.

Their visibility under water had quickly deterio-

rated as the storm stirred up the reef.

It was a long afternoon and after nearly four hours we tried heading out to see if conditions had improved but soon turned back for the shelter of the island.

We cooked up some fish, had a few beers and sorted our anchorage for the night because there was a big low tide in the early hours of the morning and we don’t like the boats to go dry.

Our plan was to fuel up in the morning and work our way back to Thursday Island, island

hopping if necessary.

It was a wild night of heavy rain and being tossed around on anchor.

The weather hadn’t improved in the morning, but we fuelled up and slowly made our way home.

While fibreglass boats are known to have a smoother ride than alloy rigs, the big plate alloy Trailcraft ate up the messy conditions and handled beautifully.

The trip hadn’t quite gone to plan because we had hoped to do a bit of spearing and work the small sand cays in the area by throwing poppers

and metals for GTs and trout.

However, we certainly couldn’t complain because we had great fish in the Esky.

It took us about four and a half hours to return to the ramp.

While the weather certainly is unpredictable in far north Queensland during the wet, with careful planning you can access mind-blowing remote fishing.

Check out our new Facebook page ‘Fishing Missions – Northern Australia’ for footage of these and other trips.

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Page 62 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

H

I, it’s Craig Tomkinson here with part two of our quick trip around Victoria and NSW.

Carrying on from last month, from Apollo Bay in Victoria with its lovely beaches, we made our way up the coast.

What a beautiful drive.

The road hugged the coastline right up to Lorne and I found it better than the first part of the Great Ocean Road.

From here we headed inland to bypass the big cities because they create too much traffic for us.

We drove through Winchelsea and then Inverleigh before taking the back roads to Ballarat, Bendigo and on to Echuca, where we booked a ride on a paddle steamer on the Murray River.

By the time we arrived, we had just missed one and the next trip left in 45 minutes, so we drove around town, found a caravan park and booked a cabin.

Once booked, time was up and we drove back to the wharf to board the Alexander Arbuthnot.

This old girl was built in 1923, is 22.8m long and 4.57m wide.

She’s powered by a 10hp Ruston & Hornsby steam engine that turns the paddle wheels at 28rpm and gets along at five knots.

It’s manned by the skipper, the engineer and a deckie.

Our mob was the only group on board, so after 10 minutes I went and had a chat to the skipper.

He was a top bloke and a great skipper.

It was pretty cool to watch him let the water flow turn the old girl around at the end of the trip.

We got chatting and I

Aussie Adventure

by CRAIG TOMKINSON

asked him what he did on his days off.

He said he loved going fishing for cod and asked me if I wanted to go fishing with him for the day.

I said I would love to but I had promised my wife there would no fishing this trip.

He said that was fair enough.

The hour or so we spent on the boat was fantastic and I highly recommend going for a trip on a paddle steamer if you are down this way.

The next day we headed north to Deniliquin in NSW where the big Deni Ute Muster is held and then on to Narrandera, Wagga Wagga and Young for a feed of cherries.

We found a farmer selling cherries direct to the public from his packing shed and he was a nice bloke.

I got talking to him and said I’d heard on the news that it was a bad year with bugger-all cherries around.

He said that’s all BS to drive up the prices in the big chain stores.

According to him, it was one of the best-ever seasons in the area and cherries were everywhere.

He said he has about 60 acres of cherries, selling a few different varieties.

He showed me in his cold room where he had hundreds of 5kg boxes of cherries that were just picked and washed and would be sold in the next few days.

This bloke and his wife sell 90 percent of their cherries direct to the public from the shed for $10 a kilo, sorted.

I bought one box but could have bought as many as I wanted for as little as $7-8 a kilo, unsorted.

I tell you, they were the best cherries I have ever eaten.

We ate cherries until they came out our ears.

Just after we left the cherry farm heading towards Bathurst, we passed a police car going the other way.

Next minute it spun around with its lights on and pulled us up for a random breath test, which I passed with flying colours because I do not drink.

He said the main reason he pulled us up was because we had three people in the front of the LandCruiser wagon.

He wanted to check the person in the middle was wearing a seatbelt and that the four-wheel-drive was registered as a sixseater, which it was, and my wife did have a seatbelt on.

After that brush with the

law we continued to Bathurst where we booked a cabin and went to see if we could do a couple of hot laps around the race track in the 80 Series.

We found the track and it was open, so I stopped on the number-one spot on the grid, gave the old girl a few revs, popped the clutch and we were off around Bathurst.

Yes it was steep but not as bad as people had led us to expect.

The track was smooth too and it was a heap of fun.

We did two laps, pulled up and took some photos.

What blew me away was the fact that people live right beside the track.

The race must drive them mad over the few days it’s on.

We spent the night in the cabin and the next day headed up to Parkes to check out the big satellite dish, which was great to see.

Next we travelled to Dubbo and went to Taronga Western Plains Zoo. It took us a couple of hours to check out the zoo and it was the only dud of the trip.

It was not worth the money because heaps of the animal displays were shut.

We stayed the night at Dubbo and then the next day drove to Goondiwindi, Warwick and then home.

That last leg of the trip was a long day behind the wheel but the roads were in great nick, so it wasn’t too bad.

Over the 10 days of our adventure, we travelled 6200km, which cost us about $950 in diesel.

The helicopter flight I talked about last month was $915 but worth every cent.

Accommodation in units and cabins cost about $1250 for eight nights and for Donna, the kids and I it was great having a toilet, shower and cooking gear at our fingertips.

Our tucker and entry fees for attractions added up to roughly $1200.

So all up the trip cost us about $4300, which is not a cheap holiday in comparison to trips closer to home, but it was a memorable one, that is for sure.

Stay safe on our roads.

The author and his son Magregor at Bathurst.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

C AMPING & outdoors

Convenience and comfort for a better adventure F ROM the larrikin TV personalities on All 4 Adventure and veteran Australian outdoor brand Rhino-Rack comes the swag you’ve been waiting for: the All 4 Adventure Rhino-Rack Swag.

This swag has been designed to tackle even the toughest and most unforgiving terrain.

Waterproof and durable,

this domed unit is strong enough to be laid down on almost any surface without fear of tearing – it even forms a protective outer shell when rolled up.

The screens are made from the highest-quality mesh to ensure the swag is midge proof and even the smallest biting insects are kept out of your sleeping sanctuary.

Within the body of the

Hints on how to keep your caravan cool in the heat

T

HERE’S nothing like hitting the road and camping out in Australia’s wilderness, with long days, balmy nights, barbecues and wildflowers by the highway all part of the adventure.

The only downside is trying to keep cool when the heat becomes unbearable.

Here are some proven tips for keeping caravans cool during the warmer months.

Airflow Once you’re stopped for the night, open the doors and windows wide so hot air doesn’t get trapped inside your caravan.

If you have a poptop, be sure to open the vents so hot air can escape.

Just keep your flyscreens closed to keep out bugs and flies.

Close your blinds By keeping blinds and curtains closed, you can keep the sun out and help the air inside your caravan stay cooler.

It’s a simple trick, but can make a big difference.

Switch lighting Halogen and incandescent lights tend to generate a lot of heat.

A better option during hot weather is to switch to fluorescent or LED lighting, which not only produces light more efwww.bnbfishing.com. au

ficiently but also generates less heat.

Cook outside Make sure you stay somewhere with a wellequipped camp kitchen.

Indoor ovens and stovetops can quickly make any caravan feel stuffy, so it’s best to cook outdoors as much as possible when you’re camping during summer.

Insulate Caravan insulation will pay for itself in both summer and winter.

These days, most caravans are built with proper insulation.

However, if you’re having your caravan custom-built or upgrading an existing van, then make sure it’s properly insulated in both the roof and walls.

Trees are your friend Use nature to your advantage by camping near large trees that can provide plenty of shade during the day.

Bring out the big (cooling) guns If you’ve done everything above and your caravan is still unbearably hot, consider investing in air-conditioners or mobile fans, especially those designed for caravan use.

We hope you stay cool on your adventures and don’t forget to take care of your furry friends if they have joined you on the journey.

swag is a thick, fully bonded, water-resistant, self-inflating mattress, featuring four valves for fast inflating or deflating when you’re in a hurry.

Add the non-slip base and 190T polyester foam core and you get the perfect recipe for an amazing night’s sleep.

The All 4 Adventure Rhino-Rack swag also comes with a compact, adjustable and anodised 25mm-diameter pole built to resist rusting and easily hold the roof of the swag.

Thanks to an easy grip and twist lock mechanism, you’ll be afforded fast setup and pack down, leaving you with more time to get on with your escapades.

The three end poles are in a league of their own, each 11mm in diameter,

making them thicker than most swag poles on the market to stop breakage during setup or pack down, as well as withstand extreme conditions and help the swag hold its shape.

The All 4 Adventure Rhino-Rack Swag even boasts guy ropes with reflective strips to improve nocturnal visibility for a safer camping experience.

With its easy-access interior and external zippers and the backing of trusted names All 4 Adventure and Rhino-Rack, this swag will come through for you when you need it to.

To buy the swag and for more information, visit all4adventure.com The All 4 Adventure Rhino-Rack swag has a RRP of $599.

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Send details to Bush ’n Beach Fishing magazine E: ben@bnbfishing.com.au PO Box 387 Cleveland 4163

New Fish Inc. Wing stickbait

Samaki pliers are strong and feature enhanced ergonomic handles for comfort in the palm, grippy teeth for grasping those slippery hooks and fine yet strong features for split ring use or gang hook applications.

For more information and stockists, visit samaki.com.au and follow Samaki on Instagram and Facebook for updates.

Mustad larger filleting knives

THE Fish Inc. Lures Wing is a 120mm, 50g sinking stickbait that resembles a pilchard in both size and profile, making it dynamite on everything from tailor and salmon to kingfish, tuna, dolphinfish, mackerel and aggressive reef-dwelling species.

The colour range and finishes are first-class, from natural baitfish colours such as Sardine Red Belly, Natural and Bonito to more reaction colours including Gold Back and Pink Back.

The Wing comes fitted with heavyduty Owner trebles, ready to fish straight out of the packet.

In the water, it comes to life with a sweep or punch of the rod tip and will be a go-to lure in the arsenal of beach, rock and boat anglers with its generous casting weight and the versatility of being able to fish it fast and high in the water column or sink it to the desired depth.

Check out the Wing and other models in the Fish Inc. Lures range at tackletactics.com.au Buckle up!

Available in seven colours with a SRP of $25.95.

Samaki Stainless Steel Pliers

MUSTAD has released two new quality knives for anglers who have a need for a larger filleting knife.

The two knives (MT41 and MT42) are Teflon-coated to ensure durability and reliability and the edge is super sharp to allow performance straight out of the packet.

Coming with a belt scabbard, both knives will be ideal for big fish such as kingies, tuna, barra, mackerel, wahoo and they’ll even be handy around the home for carving up roasts and steaks.

Super sharp with an easy to maintain edge and the quality that is Mustad, these Mustad knives will become a staple for many years to come.

For more information, visit wilson fishing.com.au

Shimano Ultegra reel

SAMAKI brings you an in-depth range of stainless steel pliers.

The range includes fine and medium split-ring pliers of 150mm and 180mm in length, long-nose pliers of 150mm and 215mm, a bent-nose reef THE Ultegra family of reels has long plier of 290mm to allow for an easy been a cornerstone of the Shimano roll of the wrist for hook removal product range globally. and the very popular 280mm multiIn 2017, the Australian market will purpose plier with gang hook opener. see the awaited introduction of the The team at Samaki has invested Ultegra FB series, designed and built time and energy in research and de- with inspired performance in mind. velopment to create rust-resistant pliAt the core of the Ultegra FB series ers using a blend of surgical stainless sits the Hagane Gear, a cold-forged steel and nickel. piece of metal that is crafted with Page 64 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

micron accuracy for the ultimate in smoothness and longevity.

X-Ship provides robust gear engagement under heavy loads during the fight as the enlarged drive gear and supported pinion gear ensure that extra-smooth feeling.

To further enhance performance, 5+1 shielded A-RB bearings feature in all models ranging from 1000 through to the compact 5000.

The drag output ranges from 3kg to 11kg, depending on the model.

Target species can range from finesse trout fishing to chasing pelagic speedsters.

Providing the Ultegra FB series with vital resistance and protection against intrusive saltwater penetration is achieved by the addition of Core Protect.

A hydrophobic spray is applied to the roller clutch, body and line roller, forming an invisible protective barrier that will oppose water entry and prevent the onset of corrosion.

Additionally, specially designed seals are fixed to the handle and shape of the body, combined with protective plates that sit within the bottom of the body, forming an additional protective barrier.

A rigid XGT-7 body forms the reel’s outer shell and provides the added strength and durability required to target hard-fighting species.

An aluminium screw-in handle design provides added stability and removes any unwanted play.

To enhance angler comfort, G Free Body has been incorporated, and as a result shifts the reel’s centre of gravity closer to the rod, making the Ultegra FB ideal for extended sessions on the water.

The cold-forged aluminium spool and improved rotor design provide an additional weight reduction advantage for anglers.

A silver base with gold highlights has been used to provide the premium cosmetic finish that all Shimano reels have become renowned for. www.shimanofish.com.au

New Mako Ronin sunnies

AUSTRALIAN company Mako has been making high-quality sunglasses using class-leading, optically correct Japanese and Italian glass polarised lenses for decades.

Mako has the largest array of polarised lens choices in Australia, perfect for all outdoor activities.

The team at Mako has also recognised that most fishos want to look good as well as spot fish, so they’ve developed the Ronin frame.

This stylish new frame will have you looking cooler than an ice cream in summer.

What’s more, you can wear them while fishing or cruising the streets with the missus and eating the ice cream.

Lightweight TR-90 arms make them some of the most comfortable sunglasses you will wear while a large lens reduces glare and protects your eyes.

The Ronin will be available in a variety of High Definition glass lenses suitable for a wide range of fishing and outdoor pursuits.

Mako’s proprietary High Definition filter removes some yellow and orange wavelengths of light that cause

blurring, especially at distance.

This results in a clearer view at a greater distance than what is possible with the naked eye.

The Ronin has a wrap frame that will sit close to your face and keep the glare from entering around the sides of the frame.

Made of impact-resistant nylon, the Ronin features rubber nose pads and rubber on the arms to keep the sunnies from slipping off while your girlfriend strokes the back of your head telling you how good you look.

Featuring an ultra-tough pin hinge, the Ronin has a cutting-edge decentred glass lens ensuring no distortion and an internal mirror delivering a scratch-resistant life no matter where you leave them.

For more information, visit mako eyewear.com.au

Jarvis Walker Fishing Shirt

to troll faster with a wider trolling spectrum to attract a variety of aggressive fish species.

The lure is also known for its flexibility to troll at high or low speed, with an ideal troll speed for most pelagic species being six knots.

The Samaki Pacemaker handles this speed with ease and can increase its speed up to 15 knots.

Structurally sound, the Pacemaker incorporates a one-piece stainless steel welded wire, heavy-duty split rings, VMC 3X Perma steel hooks, realistic fish eye, prism tape insert and the original Samaki-designed colour concepts including Slimey, Yellowfin, Stripey and Pilchard.

Get out on the water with the new Pacemaker to target tuna, mackerel, wahoo, barramundi, kingfish and more.

The Samaki Pacemaker is available in 140mm and 180mm in two diving depths each, ranging from 2m to 8-10m.

For information and stockists, visit samaki.com.au or follow Samaki on Facebook and Instagram.

Atomic Arrowz rod range

THE Jarvis Walker Fishing Shirt is a classic-style long-sleeve polo made from 165gsm polyester.

The 100 percent polyester fabric is moisture wicking and will keep you dry, cool and comfortable on a hot summer’s day, whether you are walking a beach casting lures, fishing bait up a creek or trolling lures offshore.

It’s sun-smart too, offering UPF30+ UV protection.

The two-colour navy-white pattern is embroidered with a small white Jarvis Walker marlin logo on the chest – a neat design that is sure to be popular with anglers who like a simple and comfortable fishing shirt without the busy designs you see at the boat ramp these days.

The classic design is finished with a ribbed polyester V-neck with collar for added sun protection as well as ribbed polyester cuffs.

The Jarvis Walker Fishing Shirt is available in six adult sizes from small to XXXL. Visit jarviswalker.com.au for more information.

Pacemaker new colours

NOTORIOUS for its high-speed trolling ability, the Samaki Pacemaker is now available in two outstanding new colours: UV Squid and Mahi Mahi.

Pacemaker’s sleek design has been tweaked and fine-tuned to allow you

INTEGRATING the most advanced designs with the finest materials including Fuji components and performance-focused full-graphite blanks, Atomic Arrowz rods are equal parts precision, poise and power.

Designed in Australia for Australian species and anglers, this series is made for both bait and lure angling.

Featuring four series: Estuary, Offshore, Barra and Bream Specialty, Arrowz is the rod range of tomorrow created for the anglers of today.

The Estuary series has four spin models from the finesse special 70SUL designed for ultra-light bait and lure fishing to the heaviest model in the series, the 70ML. This series delivers refinement, precision and lightness.

The Offshore series has superior muscle and control.

These four 7’ spin rods feature ultrarefined fore and rear neoprene grips and are great value for money.

In the Barra series, there’s one spin and two baitcaster rods, all with neoprene fore and cork rear grips.

The Bream Specialty range comprises the Bream Surface 70BS and Bream Crank 70BC. You get the finesse to feel the subtlest of bites and the blank sensitivity and control to twitch, rip and pop baits.

RRP for the Arrowz rods is $179229.

For more information, check out frogleysoffshore.com.au www.bnbfishing.com. au

Tailspinners a real standout

T

HE hot weather has made fishing conditions tough for anglers over the past month, however the fish have continued to consistently show up.

Early mornings and late afternoons seem to be the better times, however some days have produced fish in the middle of the day.

Pelican Point and Queen St have been the most consistent fish-producing areas.

Fish there have taken a variety of lures from hard-bodies to tailspinners, blades, spinnerbaits, metal slugs, soft plastics and Mask Vibes, with most lures accounting for some fish.

The standout would probably be a tailspinner retrieved with a slow roll or trolled.

However, if you have a

Somerset Dam

by ANDREW MITCHELL

favoured technique that you’re confident in, use that.

We had a quick session in early February to check what lures were working and we ended up with a fish every cast from 10 attempts with 10 different lures, so lure choice is probably not the most important factor.

Making sure your lure is at the right depth and in the fish’s face seems to be the key.

The fish in these locations have been moving in and out of deeper water but have generally been caught around the 6m mark.

The fish have been very scattered, with no big schools on the sounder.

These two fish came from two customers trolling Smak hard-bodies and both were very happy to catch a feed.

Smaller schools of five to 10 fish have occasionally showed up.

The Spit has been very on and off.

It will fish well for a couple of days and then produce nothing for a week.

The fish have been of good size though, with plenty coming in over the 50cm mark.

The top end of the dam has been very similar, with certain areas producing really good fish but it seems to be luck of the draw as to what day they are biting.

Kirkleagh Flats have produced great fish in good numbers on some days but left anglers wondering where they went wrong on others.

We have not had many reports from the timber over the past few weeks but those we have received have talked about yellowbelly and lots of tilapia.

Yellowbelly have been taken on spinnerbaits and Jackall TN60s in the rattling variety and Spro Aruku Shads.

I think any noisy lipless crankbaits would work.

Tilapia are still very thick and would be my suggested target for bait anglers and those chasing a feed.

Shallow bays with water temps a little higher than normal are good places to start.

You won’t need to be out too early or late to

Lake Borumba – low water levels equal closed ramp

D

UE to lower water levels, the boat ramp at Borumba Dam was closed in November 2016 and a temporary ramp was installed for visitors.

The temporary ramp is accessible by fourwheel-drive vehicles only.

If the water level continues to drop, Seqwater will be required to close the temporary boat ramp.

Boat ramps at a num-

ber of Seqwater lakes are currently closed due to low water levels including Lake Baroon (northern only), Lake Atkinson and Lake Dyer.

Stage one of Borumba’s boat ramp upgrade was completed in August 2016, with stage two due for delivery in early 2017.

Upgrading the existing boat ramp was the safest and most costefficient solution for

improving accessibility to the lake.

It has been designed to meet Australian safety standards, however it becomes unsafe to use when water levels are much lower than usual at the lake.

Seqwater will continue to monitor water levels at Lake Borumba in coming weeks and provide further updates.

For more information, contact recreation@se qwater.com.au

catch them because they will bite pretty much all day long.

Saltwater yabbies and worms have been the best baits.

Red claw numbers have been pretty good over the past few weeks.

Between 3m and 5m seems to be the best bet for setting your pots.

If you can find areas with weed on the edge at this depth, you should see really good results.

Rockmelon seems to be the best bait.

If using meat products or fish remains, please be vigilant and check your pots regularly because we have had a lot of reports of small turtles making their way into traps set with meat products.

Turtles and traps do not go well together.

Most times they will tear their way out and leave you with a ruined trap, which is often mistaken for someone poaching and cutting your traps.

Don’t forget to stop in and see us at Somerset Dam. We are at the water’s edge in the day use area at Lake Somerset Holiday Park and have all the gear and advice needed to find and catch the fish.

Garry Harman with a bass from a morning session. The 50cm-plus fish fell victim to the new Smak Tailspinner in his custom colour ‘Harmo’.

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steeringandsuspensionwarehouse.com.au Ashley Grant stood at the closed Borumba Dam boat ramp. Photo: gympi etimes.com.au

www.bnbfishing.com. au

1300 4STEERING

f Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 65

Mick Johnson with some of his winning bass.

Mick held the winner’s trophy at Boondooma.

Steve Otto lifted the Tonic Eyewear Big Bass of the tournament.

Garmin Boondooma Brawl event T HE Pro Series has seen incredible firsts recently, with a lot of new faces turning up to the Garmin Boondooma Brawl presented by Atomic.

Jaimen Tunstall brought home second place in the Pro division.

Lloyd Brown claimed his first Co-Angler title.

Kyle Lewis with his prizes for a second-place finish in the Co-Angler section at Boondooma.

Page 66 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

A local angler fishing in his first-ever event took out the title in a very tight tournament.

New beginnings are incredible, and sometimes all it takes is that first step and you can find yourself in a totally new place.

Mick Johnson took that first step, along with many other new anglers, and

by Sunday afternoon he knew exactly what tournaments had to offer and what he could achieve.

Don’t kid yourself – one of the hardest things an angler can do is win a tournament at this level.

So many things must go right, so many things can go wrong and the Atomic B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Series has the best anglers in the country competing at an incredibly high level.

These anglers live and breathe fishing.

They research, practice and continually look for an edge over the competition, which is why they are considered the best in Australia.

Anyone can go out and catch a bass when no one else is on the lake, but add 80 to 100 other competitors chasing that same dream, with the pressure of boat noise, sounders pinging and all the other elements that come with the Pro Series and the bass are never that easy to catch, especially the quality ones.

Lake Boondooma is

B.A.S.S. Australia Nation

by DREW McGRATH

starting to feel like a very good old wine.

It is definitely getting better with age and it seems every time we go back it sorts the field out and offers huge riches to anglers.

Considering about 300 live bass were weighed in during the Garmin Boondooma Brawl as well as the huge number of undersized bass, by-catch and upgraded fish boated, I would say over 1000 fish would have been caught by the field over the three days.

I am not sure many Australian lakes can boast numbers like that, and the people organising and running the stocking program in the area need a big pat on the back.

Mick Johnson not only figured out a better way to catch the bass at this round, he did it totally in his own style, catching the largest 6/6 sack of the tournament and taking home over $4000 in cash and prizes.

Fishing a Shads Ribbed Candy on a 1/2oz jig to the top of the ledges, Mick slowly retrieved the lure back down the face.

He went through a few different colours but found the most successful was White Bait, which has a natural look.

Mick used a Samurai Inflict rod matched to a Shimano Stradic 1000-size reel spooled with Exact Depth Braid and the ever-

reliable Sunline fluorocarbon leader for the critical connection.

Jaimen Tunstall came in a close second place and used a Palms Slow Blatt spoon-type lure to catch his limit and claim about $2000 in cash and prizes.

Steve Otto rounded out

the top three by using a Smak Spinnerbait.

He also claimed the Tonic Eyewear Big Bass of the event.

Lloyd Brown of Brisbane claimed his first title in the Co-Angler division and had an absolute ball.

He said it has taken 12 months to win his first event and he has learnt so much in that time.

Lloyd is just loving his fishing.

In second place was Kyle

Lewis of NSW and placing third was newcomer John Francis from Kingaroy, who was just happy to catch one bass, let alone nearly take the win.

New beginnings are brilliant and we saw a lot of them over the past month.

With nearly three tournaments every month until September, I expect we will be seeing a lot more as the year goes on.

Happy fishing!

A massive Boondooma bass landed by Mick.

John Francis with a solid bass in his first-ever tournament.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Catch and release longest native winner Sheldon Free.

Clayton Williams with a Crinkle Creek Garden Art prize.

Recipe

Major boat prize winner Matthew Wyrill in his new rig.

2017 Boondooma Dam Yellowbelly Fishing Comp wrap-up and results B OONDOOMA Dam Yellowbelly Fishing Competition spokesman Terry Allwood said the lake fished extremely well for the 2017 event, with 260 fish going through the catch and release section and another 329 in the gilled and gutted section.

by MELISSA FROHLOFF

Italian mince with spinach fettuccine Ingredients • 1.5kg beef mince • 1/4 cup rice oil • 500g jar red wine and Italian herb sauce • 350g Kalamata sliced and pitted olives • 360g sundried tomato strips • 260g char-grilled capsicum • 2 x 410g cans chopped tomatoes • 1 cup red wine (shiraz) • 1 1/2 cups beef stock • 200g chopped salami • 1 tbsp sea salt • 2 large onions • 6 cloves garlic, crushed • 2 carrots, grated • 3 shallots, finely diced • 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped • 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped • 500g spinach fettuccine www.bnbfishing.com. au

Method 1. Preheat 15” camp oven and place over a bed of coals.

2. Place oil in oven, lightly brown onions, garlic, shallots and carrot.

Remove from oven and set aside.

3. Add salami and mince to camp oven and brown. Add beef stock and simmer over low heat until stock reduces to half.

4. Add remaining ingredients and sautéed vegetables back into the oven, stirring to combine all ingredients, and simmer for 30 minutes.

5. Remove camp oven from coals and place lid on. Sit beside the fire to keep warm and intensify flavours.

6. Heat 11” camp oven, three-quarter fill with water and bring to the boil.

7. Place 550g spinach fettuccini in 11” oven and cook as per instructions.

8. When cooked, drain fettuccini.

9. Plate up pasta, serve Italian mince on top and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.

Serves 12.

Lucky draw prizewinners.

The competition set new records for the second year in a row, with a huge attendance of 1013 entrants including 208 juniors.

Cash and other prizes were presented at the end of each of the three sessions, with overall competition winners announced at the conclusion of the event.

The water level in the lake was sitting at 33 percent, which together with the extreme heat and blue skies set the scene for a great weekend of camping, fishing and family activities.

Profits from the event are used to supplement fishing permit funds from the Queensland Government and to date about 4.9 million fingerlings have been stocked into Lake Boondooma.

The catch and release category of longest native targeting Australian bass and yellowbelly, proudly sponsored by Thug Lures, was won by Sheldon Free of Palmwoods with a yellowbelly measuring 540mm, which saw him taking home over $300 in cash prizes and a trophy.

Jye Gilmore put in a solid effort to walk away with the most fish (bass and yellowbelly) caught and released throughout the competition, with a tally of 11 fish presented to the weighmaster.

The heaviest yellowbelly title, sponsored by Corey and Nikki Goldie of the Lake Boondooma kiosk, was claimed by Jim Dunn of Wondai with a yellowbelly weighing 2.405kg.

Jim walked away with $410 in cash, a number of prizes and a trophy.

The winner of the heaviest bass section, sponsored

by Wondai Accounting and Tax Services, was Russell Gscheidle, with a bass of 1.27kg securing him a paycheque of $370 plus prizes and a trophy.

Hanwood Fish Hatchery champion junior angler for yellowbelly was Nicolas Holmes of Mount Rascal with a yellowbelly of 1.985kg.

The junior bass prize was claimed by Jake Richter of Toogoolawah with a bass weighing in at 1.38kg.

The 3.4m Bluefin boat, motor and trailer package was proudly sponsored by

Lake Boondooma kiosk and South Burnett Regional Council and won

by Matthew Wyrill of Yarraman.

The Dragon kayak was won by Daniel Gleeson of Chinchilla.

Congratulations to all the winners and thankyou to everyone who attended and made the event such a success.

With over $20,000 in profits for fish stocking from the weekend, the future for Lake Boondooma’s fishery is looking very healthy.

Next year’s competition will be held on February 10 and 11.

Entry costs will remain at $20 for adults and $5 for juniors aged 16 and under.

The ongoing support of our many generous

sponsors ensured a wide range of prizes and lucky draws were available for all competitors, and more than $40,000 worth of cash and prizes were given away.

Food and drink stalls were provided by local community groups and the South Burnett Region-

al Council’s great camping facilities were put to good use by campers staying at the lake.

Additional information on the local area and past fishing competitions can be found on the Proston Online website at proston online.info Terry Allwood

Heaviest yellowbelly winner Jim Dunn.

Junior bass winner Jake Richter.

Heaviest bass winner Russell Gscheidle..

Jye Gilmore caught and released the Junior yellowbelly winner Nicolas Holmes. most fish.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 67

Nathan with his first barra.

Elaine landed her first barra for the day.

Monduran barra on the bite â– Tips for handling and releasing barra

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Barra Havoc

Conditions at Lake Monduran have been awesome to say the least.

The dam is sitting at about 85 percent capacity and is falling consistently due to the hot days and irrigation pump-outs.

This is exposing the vast weed beds throughout the dam, making it easier to locate habitat where barra might be.

In saying that, the whole dam looks good, with almost every bay or point giving off that fishy feeling.

Catches have been taken all over the dam, from the basin to beyond.

The barra are mostly in the 50-80cm range, with the odd bigger fish catching anglers by surprise.

Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to fish because the change in light makes the barra more active.

As a bonus, the cooler temperatures make it more comfortable for anglers.

Some awesome surface

Monduran Dam

by DONNA GANE

popping sessions can be had late of an afternoon and into the night around the weed edges.

This type of fishing is so much fun.

Getting to see a barra smash your surface lure is unforgettable.

Fishing of an early morning and into the day, shallow-diving minnows are working well, with anglers moving to deeper divers and soft plastics rigged on 1/4-3/8oz jig heads as the sun rises and conditions heat up.

Try areas with deeper water close by and bays with timber in the middle and weed on the fringing banks.

These locations provide all the comfort barra need to hang around for extended periods.

The thrill of catching a big barra is something you will never forget and so is the feeling of releasing such a magnificent creature back into its natural environment.

To release a barra is one thing but to do it in a way that ensures it has the best

chance of surviving takes a bit of thought.

A few large barra have been found floating in Lake Monduran of late and this is most likely due to being caught and released improperly in the extreme heat.

Here are a few simple things you can do to increase the barramundi’s chances of survival and make its capture less stressful and release successful.

Use good-quality line, traces, rods and reels.

Using light line and tackle/equipment that is not up to the task only sees big fish lost with lures and hooks still attached.

When fishing light line and light rods and reels, it takes too long to land a big barra, totally exhausting many fish and bringing them to near death before even reaching the boat.

A barra that is brought to the boat quickly is in much better health and less stressed.

Once the barra is beside

TAC K LE

HOME OF WORLD RECORD BARRA

the boat, decide where to put the barra in the boat, making sure your chosen place is not hot.

This is best done by wetting the carpet or truth mat on which you intend to lay the barra.

Remember that on hot days even wet carpet can heat up very quickly.

The best way to remove big barra from the water is with an extra-large knotless net.

Do not use lip grippers and drag the fish over the side of the boat.

Gently place your barra down and remove the lure as quickly as possible using a strong pair of bentnose pliers.

To hold your fish up for a photo, never lift the whole fish up by the jaw.

This will almost certainly kill it because you will break the gill latch and/or cause spinal damage.

Grab the fish via the mouth and slide your other hand under the middle of the fish.

If you can, run your arm parallel to the fish for added support because this spreads its weight more evenly.

Take a quick photo and then it’s time to get the fish back into the water.

Lower the barra gently back in the water and either swim it by hand or with the aid of the boat idling forward.

Because of the heat, not

a lot of oxygen is near the water’s surface, so make sure the water is deep enough to swim the fish down deeper.

As the fish’s strength begins to return it will fight more against your restraints and it will be time to release.

To ensure the absolute best chance of survival, it pays to drive away from the capture area while swimming the fish and release it near bankside structure if possible.

Always be careful when handling these magnificent fish and treat them with the respect they deserve.

They are extremely strong and powerful, so always be aware of their razor-sharp gill plates and large dorsal fins.

Considering how productive this time of year can be, relatively few boats have been on the water at Lake Monduran lately.

If you decide to hit the lake for a fish or spend a bit more time on a fishing holiday, you could end up having the whole place just about to yourself.

A big thankyou once again to Jamie Bein from Lake Monduran Barra Charters for supplying great pictures.

Don’t forget to stop in at Barra Havoc on your way to Lake Monduran for all the latest fishing tips.

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at Lake MonDuran

Dennis Harold with his world record 44.62kg, 134cm long, 107cm girth barra caught from his kayak at Lake Monduran in 2010.

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A cracking big barra captured on Lake Monduran.

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Sarah Wolski is a very competent angler in targeting, capturing and landing Murray cod and had probably the most coolly controlled reaction the author has seen from a surface lure novice.

Georgie and Jaime Lea Price with local cod guru Scott Vlietstra enjoyed an amazing session of surface lure action in the Darling Downs skinny waters.

Hot surface attacks I

CUT my teeth on freshwater fishing in large impoundments and concluded that barometric pressure, moon and weather cycles played little part in catching native fish.

A location downstream on a neighbouring property saw Joe Brown land his first Murray cod on a surface lure in recently stocked waters.

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DAM LEVELS CURRENT AS OF 13/02/2017

DAMS

PERCENTAGE

However, in wild rivers and creeks, there is too much evidence to the contrary to not believe these factors play a role.

Murray cod and yellowbelly love a climbing barometer, especially prior to a new weather front moving through.

I’m lucky enough to be able to fish any section of the Darling Downs creeks and water level alone can often tell you the types of fish responses you’ll receive.

Each creek has its own diverse ecosystem.

Long unbroken lagoons can be sitting at normal water height but where a natural blockage occurs, downstream chain pools can be very low.

If this is the case, a property owner downstream obviously has the pump turned on, sucking water out of the creek.

Normal flow height sections of creek can blow you away with the consistency of hookups, while below the blockage can fish quieter than an ant peeing on cotton.

One recent Friday outing saw a low-level downstream section of creek as the chosen fishing location.

Unfortunately, I had no choice because our small contingent of fishos was having a get-together there.

Fresh Water

by NOAL KUHL

Expecting a dull afternoon, it actually turned out to be one of the best surface lure sessions I’ve experienced.

The sweat beads rolling down my body from the high humidity told me it could be a great session, despite the water level.

The best part of this day was having some non-anglers among the barbecue revellers who after a demo cast or two on using surface lures were getting in on the action and catching their first fish – all of which ended up being cod.

Taking each of the new recruits to a reliable spot increased the chance of them landing their first fish, and no one was disappointed.

Even though most of the usually submerged structure lying in the centre of the creek was protruding above the surface, which can make native fish shy about moving into open water, the Murray cod went mongrel chasing lures.

Miniscule gaps between red river gums and bottlebrushes that are often devoid of fish became pockets of surprises, with old sandpaper jaws snapping at anything thrown near them.

One pocket and one fish is usually the deal, so moving on is a good idea.

Once you have mingled with a few cod, it’s easy to know

what size of cod you are tackling from the surface strike.

Small cod are aggressive and sharp, loud water slaps are their calling card.

The big boys of 5kg upwards more often make a wallop noise, which is followed by a large rounded paddle tail disappearing into a boil of water.

These are the last moments of the fight if a heavy leader is not tied on.

Over 20 days, six fishing sessions on other properties saw the same result when the barometer was high and the air muggy.

The anticipation of when the surface hit is going to happen usually materialises when you least expect it, and a dud cast can turn out to be the winner.

And being surface lures, you’ll only get snagged from a wayward cast unless the native fish catch you unaware and bury you in the timber, rather than the significant risk you run with using diving lures and snagging on underwater structure.

I use longer rods over 2m in length due to the accuracy needed in pinpointing lures in close confines.

I also spool up with 10kg Dyneema line due to its lightness for casting and general strength.

SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB 5 Atkinson 5 5 5 5 5 88 Awoonga 87 87 85 84 82 40 Bjelke-Petersen * 39 36 32 28 23 47 Boondooma * 45 43 41 38 36 90 Borumba * 88 82 77 72 72 98 Burdekin Falls * 93 88 83 95 101 84 Callide * 82 80 72 69 66 86 Cania * 84 82 79 77 74 53 Coolmunda * 100 97 92 81 75 7 Dyer/Bill Gunn * 9 7 7 7 7 100 Eungella * 100 98 97 100 101 49 Fairbairn * 50 47 43 46 45 42 Glenlyon * 70 70 70 70 68 99 Hinze * 98 97 96 95 93 88 Julius 87 85 100 104 99 98 Kinchant * 93 87 77 93 95 20 Leslie * 32 31 29 18 17 87 Macdonald * 82 77 71 62 56 100 Maroon * 100 99 99 99 98 94 Monduran/Fred Haigh * 93 92 90 89 85 93 Moogerah * 95 93 91 90 87 65 North Pine/Samsonvale * 63 60 58 56 54 62 Peter Faust/Proserpine * 62 60 57 60 60 80 Somerset * 79 78 77 76 75 97 Teemburra * 93 91 92 99 101 48 Tinaroo * 44 39 34 39 45 100 Toonumbar 98 93 93 88 81 80 Wivenhoe * 78 76 74 72 71 91 Wuruma * 91 87 85 81 81 101 Wyaralong * 100 99 99 99 97 For updates on dams, visit sunwater.com.au or seqwater.com.au *This symbol indicates that a Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish these dams.

www.livelyluresonline.com.au www.bnbfishing.com. au

Porcha Sloss with her very first Murray cod capture using a surface lure cast on the outside run of fallen thickets protruding from the shallows lining a bank.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 69

Water level drops but fish captures still high

B

OTH dams in the South Burnett are fishing the best they ever have, despite low water levels.

Ben Faro scored a cracker bass on a deep flat.

Ben Faro held a brace of bass from BP Dam.

Boondooma Dam is producing big quality bass and golden perch while Bjelke-Petersen Dam is holding good numbers of fish of varying species.

If you’re thinking about visiting for a fish, you can’t go wrong with either dam.

The South Burnett is the place to be for fantastic freshwater fishing.

Boondooma The dam at this time of year is beautiful early of a morning and there’s plenty of wildlife to watch and enjoy throughout the day.

With the summer bite patterns continuing, it makes for exciting fishing, particularly later in the afternoons.

Lately the trend has been to fish the timber in the Boyne and Stuart arms with 5/8oz Bassman Spinnerbaits and lipless cranks during the morning.

In the afternoon, target the deeper sections of the dam up near the dam wall and

Lachlan Wheeler with a monster 65cm yellowbelly from Boondooma.

Freshwater Impoundments

by MATTHEW LANGFORD

rocky edges with 1/2oz-rigged Ecogear Power Shads and curl tail grubs.

I usualy start fishing in the timber early of a morning because the fish are in amongst the trees looking for an easy meal.

In the arms, the fish are holding very close to structure and you’ll need to get your lures in as close as possible to get a bite.

Look for spindly timber – trust me there’s a lot of it.

Lures of choice for this scenario are 5/8oz and 3/8oz Bassman Spinnerbaits and any sinking lipless crankbait.

Give your lure up to five seconds to sink before starting a slow wind.

It’s important to make sure you have a lure retriever with you because you will occasionally get snagged on the trees.

But if you’re getting snagged, you know you’re in the thick of it.

Keep moving from tree to tree or structure to structure and persist because your lure will eventually be eaten by a hungry fish.

In the afternoon, fish tend to bite better in open water when the water heats up.

I’ve found the fish in the timber move further into the structure as the day progresses, so the fish in the open, deeper water are easier to target.

To find fish in deep water, use your sounder to spot the fish sitting in that optimal depth of 4.5-7.5m.

When you’re happy you’ve found a good concentration of fish, pull up and begin casting 3”-4” soft plastics rigged with 1/2oz heads.

With a big long cast over the fishy areas, let the jig head sink for seven to 10 seconds and then begin a slow retrieve to the boat with a couple of twitches mixed in.

Continue this technique until you feel a few taps on the plastic.

When you feel a tap, it’s important to keep that slow wind

going (without striking) until you feel weight on the line, then slowly lift the rod tip until you feel the weight of the fish.

At this point the fish will know it’s hooked and make great runs back into deeper water.

Keep your drag fairly loose so the hook doesn’t pull during the fight.

Anglers are picking up great bass and yellowbelly by trolling around the deeper sections of the dam targeting suspended fish.

Make sure you have plenty of deep divers handy.

Lures that dive to about 5m will be the ones that consistently get you onto fish.

Bait fishers are getting amongst a mixed bag of fish in the timbered arms using worms and fresh shrimp.

It may even pay to move to the main basin and let your bait suspend under the boat in the 4.5-7.5m range.

Drifting with the wind is a great way to cover water with your bait under the boat.

Eventually it will cross paths with a hungry fish or two.

Red claw numbers are starting to pick up, with the occasional big one mixed in.

Make sure your pack the opera house traps if you’re coming out for a day or two.

Bjelke-Petersen If you fish with bait and want a good feed of fish, the timber is the place to be.

Tie off to any trees close to the old creek line and you’re in with a great shot of getting a feed.

Shrimps, worms and saltwater yabbies are the pick of the baits.

Red claw are moving around and reports of good catches are coming in.

Most are being taken near rocky walls and ledges, with soft vegetables the key to getting big red claw in the pots.

If you’re keen on trolling, I suggest using 5/8oz spinnerbaits, 3/8oz blades or any deepdiving hard-body in front of

the main dam wall, around the island at Lightning Ridge and around Bass Point.

If you’re not familiar with these areas, drop into the kiosk and ask the team members because they’re always happy to help.

If you’re a lure fisher like me, I’ve found a lot of fish hanging off the deeper edges and steep drop-offs in the main basin early of a morning and late afternoon.

However, if the steep edge has timber on it too, you’re doubling your chances at a good fish.

Casting 1/2oz spinnerbaits into these areas seems to be the most productive method.

Cast your spinnerbait up tight against the bank and slowly retrieve.

Also target the areas either side of and between spindly trees.

I’ve caught good bass using this method.

Not only are the edges producing quality fish but later in the day when the sun is higher in the sky I’ve found the bass move out onto the deeper flats.

I recently had a few sessions on one such flat with Ben Faro and we landed excellent hauls of good-quality bass using 1/2oz-rigged plastics.

Long casts, letting the plastic sink to the bottom and using a burn and kill retrieve are the keys to getting fish to hit the lure hard.

Lightning Ridge and Bass Point have been the most productive areas for schooled fish, so give it a go if you have the chance.

Park news As I write, both dams have low water levels but there’s still plenty of water and room for activities such as skiing and fishing.

Don’t let the water levels deter you from visiting.

As far as fishing goes, my prediction is we will start to see more regular catches of 50cm-plus bass come from BP Dam. BP may just become the big bass capital of the country within a few short years.

Some very exciting times ahead.

Until next month, tight lines and bent rods.

Bill Schloss and a massive metre-long saratoga from the Boyne arm of Boondooma.

Page 70 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Rhyleigh always enjoys tagging along for a fish at Moogerah. She was well rewarded on this occasion with a great yellowbelly.

In very hot, tough conditions, Jai still managed to land quality fish at Moogerah.

R E S H WA T E R fishing has been a bit tough lately, well at Moogerah Dam anyway.

certainly know their fresh water too, particularly Moogerah.

Their catches always amaze me, particularly in hot, difficult conditions.

They are champion anglers, which is an award that Shane Whell recently won at the Sports Tuition Bluefin Fishing Classic at Moogerah.

The event this year has been moved to September 1-2, so pencil that into your diaries.

However, in the immediate future, the next comp Sports Tuition will be involved with is the Austackle Moreton Bay Madness fishing competition.

This competition is just a small part of a major festival taking place at Pelican Park, Redcliffe.

It would be great to see as many BNB readers as possible attend.

Sports Tuition is coordinating the fishing competition component, which is designed to be family friendly, so bring the kids along.

As usual, they will be spoilt with giveaways.

The briefing will take place at night on Friday, April 28, then the comp will start on the Saturday and conclude on Sunday.

An incredible prize pool will be topped off with five Bluefin boat packages.

The entertainment is also sure to be a hit and your fishing competition fee will give you entry into the festival.

Saturday night’s headline act is Guy Sebastian, which is a performance worth more than the cost of entry to start with!

Anglers will be gifted a sample bag with plenty of freebies and they’ll also be given the opportunity to win the Bluefin boat packages.

For further information about the festival, and to register for the fishing competition, go to low fest.com.au

Plastics the pick as water temperature peaks F Fishing in the extreme heat hasn’t been that enjoyable and the fish haven’t liked it much either.

On one day, an angler reported to me that he saw about 50 dead fish floating on the surface.

The dead fish included massive bass around the 55cm mark, and interestingly, some big tilapia.

It will be interesting to see what effect the tilapia have on the dam in future.

In the heat, anglers using live shrimp didn’t have any luck.

The shrimp were rolling pretty quickly too, but the fish just weren’t touching them.

On one day, Shane Whell’s sounder recorded the water surface temperature at 36.8C. Now that’s just ridiculous!

We were burning our feet getting into the boats.

During this phase of extreme heat, the only success came through the use of soft plastics, which obviously annoyed and

Freshwater Fishing

by STEVE WILKES

The plastic that did all the damage was the Berkley Gulp Jigging Grub in Pumpkin Seed colour on a 1/8oz TT jig head. stirred the fish up to attract the bites.

In my experience, it’s rare in fresh water for lures to out-fish live bait, but that was the case in the heat.

The plastic that did all the damage was the Berkley Gulp Jigging Grub in Pumpkin Seed colour on a 1/8oz TT jig head.

And again, the anglers dominating the catches at Moogerah with the plastics were the Whell boys.

Super-keen daughter/

granddaughter Rhyleigh, to her credit, also battled the heat for well-deserved fish.

She is a little champion.

There is no doubt the Whell boys are mad-keen fishos.

They have been instrumental in forming a fishing club on Facebook.

Just search for FishNutz and you’ll see plenty of photos of different species.

The boys have been smashing the jacks in the Nerang River but they

It wasn’t just the yellas taking Jai’s Berkley grubs; this cracking bass also couldn’t resist.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

When you release a big fish, you know someone else will someday get the same enjoyment you just had.

Jai Whell released this Moogerah yellowbelly to fight another day.

Jai Whell with a solid yellowbelly that fell to a Berkley Gulp Jigging Grub. On this day the plastics were the most productive.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017 – Page 71

Reacquainting with Border Rivers cod

L

IKE all anglers who genuinely care about the welfare of Australia’s freshwater cod species, those in my family abstain from all contact with the fish for at least three months each year.

Danger Mouse strikes again. Running just under the surface, the wake created by this and similar lures is enough to attract cod without the need for any additional noise.

It wasn’t only the cod biting. Check out this lump of a golden that found the Creek Cobra irresistible.

During September, October and November, a closed season prohibits fishing for Murray cod in riverine environments.

Catch and release fishing during the closed season is not OK, being an infringement of the fisheries legislation in all states.

Fisheries research has shown that if a male fish is removed from his position guarding the nest, even for a few minutes, he will abandon it, resulting in the loss of the entire brood.

Even if removed for mere seconds, when released more than a few metres from the actual nest site, the same result is inevitable.

You can imagine the devastation that can be wrought by a couple of capable anglers fishing a stretch of river during the closed season while the fish are aggressive.

This can realistically result in the loss of a full year’s spawning along the entire body of water fished.

Graham’s Sand Viper accounted for a score of fish on the weekend including this typically well-marked specimen.

Fishing for Sport

by NEIL SCHULTZ

Apart from the obvious benefit to cod populations throughout their range, an unintentional bonus from the closed season is a fishery that has been rested for a quarter of the year.

Avid cod enthusiasts look forward to opening weekend each December with understandable enthusiasm.

Recently, my oldest son Graham and I journeyed to the Border Rivers region of Queensland/NSW for a weekend of lure casting, just to reacquaint ourselves with one of our favourite angling targets, the Murray cod.

Shallow water dominated the freestone stream we were visiting, with very few substantial snags for the cod to use as cover.

Here it is undercut banks, any sizeable stones and most commonly, aquatic vegetation that provides ambush points for hungry fish.

Lure choice in this water is radically different from what we would use in the trap rock gorge country further south with its steep banks and deep pools.

Years of experience catching cod in shallow waters has shown a handful of lures to be extremely effective, resulting in a few firm favourites.

It should be no surprise nor is it coincidence that all the lures that have earned a place in my tackle box for cod fishing are designed by Aussie anglers for local conditions.

Although body shape, overall size and silhouette vary widely between them, all have a few common characteristics.

All swim, or can be intentionally worked at shallow depths.

The action is strong, with each having either a wide sway or exaggerated body roll.

Producing that fishattracting action at quite slow retrieve speeds is the third common trait of the lures we elect to carry

when walking these shallow streams.

One of the first I clip onto my line is a variant of the most innovative and original freshwater lure design to be seen in the past 30 years.

The brainchild of a quiet achiever from Kingaroy, Flick Robertson, the Cobra was unique, original and so effective that it spawned a generation of flop copies and similar imitations.

The original Cobras are deep divers, not suited to this shallow-water scenario, but the wide-actioned, shallow-running version of the Cobra 20+, the 80mm Creek Cobra, is a genuine cod magnet.

A larger lure, also designed specifically for Australian fresh water as a purpose-made cod lure is the Cod Lolly, a 120mm timber lure that is very effective in a wide range of scenarios.

This lure was originally crafted by the pocket knife of Kevin Clark, a man with half a century of lure design under his belt and an even longer record of caring and campaigning for his beloved green fish.

Worked slowly, the Cod Lolly has enough inherent buoyancy to keep it swimming at a shallow depth with a realistic wide, rolling swagger that cod find attractive.

Another large lure that is a radical departure from what most anglers look for in a cod lure was originally designed with large barramundi in mind.

From the computers of Predatek Lures designers came the Sand Viper, a shallow-running, slenderbodied lure with an incredibly lifelike snaking action.

During the decade or so since its inception, the Sand Viper has been a secret weapon in the tackle boxes of cod anglers fishing the high country streams of NSW. Surface lures are a must-

have in the tackle box of anyone fishing for shallow-water cod.

Plenty of good Aussie surface lures are on the market, with the Secret Creek 100mm Freestyler a common sight on the end of my son’s lines.

One of my personal favourite surface lures for riverine cod is the lessbulky 60mm Ripple Paddler from Gidgee Lures.

I have found that not only is the smaller lure easier to control during the cast (a bonus at night) but it achieves a higher hook-up rate on the average-sized fish found in shallow water.

When we got our first look at the river, with a bridge not far from our campsite, we couldn’t resist a few casts as the last hour of daylight was upon us.

Graham tied on his battle-scarred Freestyler and was into a small cod before I’d even opened my tackle box.

Among the array of lures, an old piece of cedar painted all white stood out in the post-sunset gloom, so was quickly clipped onto my leader.

This was an old (circa 1991) lure of my own making, back when I was hand carving a few lures for sale to members of the local sportfishing club (Ipswich United Sportfishing Club).

Originally sold as the Murrumbidgee Mouse, the all-white variants were nicknamed ‘Danger Mouse’ due to their effectiveness on Murray cod.

I still carry a few of these old lures whenever I venture into cod country and in spite of their dings and scratches they work remarkably well.

This timber mouse is not a surface lure, instead swimming just submerged with a very wide sway, leaving a natural wake across the surface.

It took only two casts with the Danger Mouse to attract a fiery little cod and the hooks found their mark on the first strike.

Our ‘few casts’ before setting up camp turned into a pleasant session lasting into the darkness,

finishing with the fish still biting and a dozen cod caught and released, a little wiser for the experience.

Next morning we got an early start, armed with a rod each and a handful of lures in our backpacks.

This shallow river was narrow enough for us to fish from the bank, so we hadn’t bothered bringing the tandem Hobie kayak.

Leap frogging as we went, each allowing the other plenty of casts at prime locations along the river saw us both racking up a tally of small to average-sized cod, a good sign that the river had largely been left untouched in preceding weeks.

Only two things detracted from the pleasure of the morning for us: large tiger snakes sunning themselves and what seemed like an impossible number of flies!

We couldn’t breathe without inhaling them once the morning air warmed with the rising sun.

I am a little embarrassed to admit I was almost killed by a fly when one flew straight down my windpipe into my lungs, resulting in an uncontrollable coughing fit.

Panicking a little, I was beginning to think I may die on the riverbank, not from something with status like a snake bite or croc attack, but an insect.

Fortune shone on me and I found a buff in my pack to cover my nose and mouth, but poor Graham was regularly choking on the rotten things.

By mid-morning we’d had enough of the flies and sun but were quite satisfied with our tally for the two sessions of exactly 50 cod caught and released between us.

We could have put in another session late that afternoon, but as we sat in camp relaxing with thumbs bloodied from fish’s teeth, feet sore and faces sunburnt, we were happy to just chat about the day’s events and watch the flying foxes cruise overhead as the light faded from the western sky.

South Burnett lures in fishing fun

N

EARLY 40 anglers from seven teams recently converged on BjelkePetersen Dam to try their luck at the South Burnett Interclub Fishing Competition.

Beau Britton with a BP Dam yellowbelly.

Page 72 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

Kingaroy Sportfishing Club hosted the event to encourage participation in sportfishing, share ideas and techniques and enjoy a social get-together with likeminded fishers.

Anglers reeled in an average of 12 fish each over the two-day event, totalling a whopping 429 fish.

The average size of fish caught was down, but still equated to a combined length of 112m, which is enough fish to stretch the full length of

a football field!

Kingaroy Sportfishing Club president Shaun Manthey was delighted with the turnout.

“We had people come from Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Brisbane and Ipswich as well as a strong contingent from the South Burnett,” he said.

Shaun thanked his committee members for their hard work in putting together an event to be proud of.

“It just shows what a high standard of competition can be achieved in our local area,” he said.

“Fish were almost exclusively caught on lures, handled with care and returned to the water ready

to fight another day, some sporting a pink tag.”

Kingaroy Sportfishing Club is affiliated with the Queensland branch of the Australian National Sportfishing Association, which is a not-forprofit organisation that promotes sport, conservation and integrity in fishing.

The ANSA Queensland executive committee also made an effort to attend the event and have a fish.

ANSA Queensland president Nathan Johnston said, “For interest, we organised a match at the event where an executive committee member was pitched against a Kingaroy Sportfishing Club member in the same

boat in a point per fish competition.”

“I was pretty confident going into the match, however we were roundly defeated in all instances except for Bob Dover, who is a local club member as well as the monitoring co-ordinator on the executive committee.

“It seems nothing can replace time fishing local waterways and the knowledge that comes with that intimacy.

“This is one of the benefits of these interclub fishing events, because you can learn more by talking with and observing the local club members than you could in a

☛ continued P73

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Rivers should start to fish well for natives ■ Pollies sitting on hands, as usual

O

VER the past two months we have released 140,000 golden perch as well as 10,000 silver perch into Glenlyon Dam.

We have yet to release any cod this year, with these little fish still growing in the ponds.

Rivers and streams should receive stocking over the next 14 months thanks to the new Stocked Impoundment Permit format.

Having attended a Murray-Darling Basin Authority meeting in Toowoomba, I brought up the fact that access to local rivers and streams in NSW is getting more difficult.

This is because of actions taken by Local Land Services in NSW, and after mentioning this fact, I was advised by a member of the Queensland Murray-Darling committee that the same type of format is to be implemented in Queensland.

Here we go again – anglers get it in the neck once more, only this time the Queensland freshwater anglers will be stocking rivers and waterholes they won’t be able to access.

Glenlyon Dam

by BRIAN DARE

Elections are still a while away but I can’t wait to see what is promised by the two major parties.

An all-waters fishing licence, more boat ramps along our coastline, fenced parking areas for your car and boat trailer, CCTV cameras in place for 24-hour surveillance… I can keep dreaming but it won’t happen.

Still, I would love to see a committee comprising two members from each of the following: the Queensland Game Fishing Association, Australian National Sportfishing Association Queensland, Sunfish Queensland, Freshwater Fishing and Stocking Association of Queensland and Queensland Seafood Industry Association.

They should then meet every two months in Brisbane at the Fisheries Queensland office to control the details of funding Queensland anglers’ needs and administering

the $20 million collected from a yearly fishing fee of $35 for all anglers 18 years and over.

Until that happens, the system will keep running at a loss of $20 million a year.

We’ve seen no action from the MRAG report, no action from the government’s Green Paper, no action from Fisheries Queensland, and no biologists employed to fill vacant areas since Fisheries Queensland was pillaged.

Sitting on hands won’t work.

It seems more and more like we need to look at other political factions to at least listen to what we want to see being done.

A project on Murray cod has never been completed or written up, nor has legislation on the keeping and taking of some popular freshwater fish outside their range, and no legislator has been employed to cover this area of fisheries rules and regulations.

South Burnett lures in fishing fun ☛ from P72

month of fishing trips otherwise.

“We saw this play out in the fish captures, with more fish landed by everyone on the second day following informal discussions at the barbecue on Saturday evening.

“We held a state executive committee meeting in conjunction with the Interclub Competition and I was very impressed with the organisation and support by the friendly local club as well as the Yallakool venue and facilities.”

Nathan said this year is special because it is the 50th anniversary of sportfishing in Australia.

“To celebrate the milestone, there is an Aussie sportfisher conference, fishing competition and fishing expedition being organised at Cairns in September, and anyone interested is welcome to attend,” he said.

More details on that event can be found on the ANSA Queensland website at ansaqld.com. au The Champion Club for the Bjelke-Petersen outing was Bribie Island Sportfishing Club, with Matthew Cutler from Kingaroy Sportfishing Club taking out the Champion Angler award.

Senior male and jun-

Chloe Manthey landed a bass.

Club captains lined up.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

ior angler awards went to Shaun and Blake Manthey, respectively.

Best senior female angler was Maddie Doherty from Redcliffe Peninsula Game and Sportfishing Club.

The Hardest Working Fisherman award went to Neil McNeill from Southern Brisbane Sportfishing Club.

Kingaroy Sportfishing Club is now turning its focus to the Tag-a-Toga event based at Borumba Dam near Gympie and being held on March 11 and 12.

“The event is open to the public and designed to deliver both enjoyment for anglers as well as increase the knowledge of the southern saratoga,” Shaun said.

“The Kingaroy club recently partnered with the Boondooma Fish Stocking and Management Committee to stock 70 breeding size fish into Boondooma Dam, with the aim of establishing a self-sustaining population.

“The idea is that local anglers have fun targeting this revered sportfish while also compiling information that can be used to determine the relative success of the recent stocking.”

More details, including how to get involved in the Tag-a-Toga event, are available at both the Kingaroy Sportfishing Club Facebook page and the ANSA Queensland website.

Nathan Johnstone

The freshwater ‘secondclass’ anglers (compared to saltwater fishers) have been slapped with a price rise in permit fees but they’ve had no results or information from Fisheries Queensland or for that matter workshop meetings (Management Advisory Committees or Zonal Advisory Committees).

In the past we had regional advisors; staff members from Fisheries Queensland with whom we could discuss local issues.

In addition, habitat officers were volunteers who kept an eye on regional issues in regard to habitat and riverbank management, while coastal officers handled the saltwater side.

Now they’re all lost to the system.

A complete shambles.

Moving on to fishing, Tom Wollbank from the Ballina region started the season with a PB cod of 110cm and John Monk caught a large 105cm cod.

I’d better not leave out John Wade and Loyd Whillman, who also landed a cod each over 80cm.

All anglers have done well on yellowbelly too, with blades working well on them and silver perch.

The storage is sitting at 68 percent capacity.

I would like to see a good inflow over the next few weeks in the lead-up to Easter and the growing season.

The rivers are starting to slow upstream of Glenlyon, Pindari, Copeton, Leslie and Coolmunda dams.

However, from Yelarbon to Goondiwindi the rivers are flowing quite fast.

If using canoes and kayaks, be careful.

Plenty of bait is in the rivers, so the fishing should be firing.

Please take home all your rubbish and fish frames to help keep the water clean.

Tom Wollbank from Teven, NSW, landed a 110cm cod on a Laurie Donahue lure.

John Wade from Port Macquarie, NSW with an 80cm-plus cod caught on a Koolabung lure.

John Monk of Brisbane hooked a 105cm cod while trolling a huge spinnerbait.

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Matt and a 106cm Faust barra hooked on a Zerek Flat Shad using the new Venom Swimbait rod.

Damo Mills with a cracking 118cm Copeton Dam cod that nailed his 1oz Bassman DT Spinnerbait.

Rivers and impoundments still producing plenty W ITH the year rolling along at a rapid pace, there’s been plenty of fish on offer for those willing to put in the hard yards.

All fish big and small love the Zerek Flat Shad, just like this little river cod that absolutely made a mess of this lure and blade setup.

Tim O’Dea with a barra from Awoonga.

Tim O’Dea wins at Awoonga Basstasstic tournament

I

T was all smiles for Tim O’Dea of Brisbane after he won the Barrabasstasstic barra tournament at Awoonga Dam during January.

Tim has been fishing the Barrabasstasstic tournaments for five years now, and this was his first time winning a tournament.

He scored $500 cash and an Evakool 48-litre Icemate icebox for his win.

Tim said he pre-fished the dam and landed a couple of good-sized barra so thought doing the same things in the tournament would put him in with a chance.

He said he saw so many barra on the sounder that he thought at some point over the weekend they may just fire all over the dam.

As it turned out, this was not the case, and even with line breakages and near-misses, it was Tim’s weekend.

Most of the 42 anglers who fished the tournament were very pleased with the weather and numbers of barra seen.

It was agreed that it would only be a short time before good numbers would be caught on a regular basis.

All anglers went home with great prizes, and even if they did not catch a fish they got a

by MATT & NICK WELLS

Bassman Spinnerbaits have come up with the goods at Copeton in deeper water.

The ever-popular Zerek Flat Shad has been enticing a few big cod in the rivers too.

Hot new gear for 2017 Wilson Fishing has great new gear on the market in 2017 after being released late last year.

Wilson Lure Wrap The Wilson Lure Wrap will ensure you don’t get any more tangles when trying to use multiple rods.

It’s now easy to store your rods in a locker without having to remove your lures each time.

The Lure Wrap also makes things easy when laying or strapping rods to your deck.

It’s a very low-fuss, useful tool.

Wilson’s Lure Wrap

comes in packs of two and is a great investment to protect yourself and your fishing gear.

ATC Valiant CF spin reel A new addition to the impressive ATC reel lineup is the Valiant CF distributed by Wilson Fishing.

Three models in the range comprise 800, 2000 and 3000.

The 800 and 2000 have up to 4kg of drag and the 3000 has a mega 7kg of drag for those unstoppable fish.

With 10 + 1 stainless ball bearings, the reels are incredibly smooth and super light.

A great match for your Venom spin rods.

Venom Swimbait rod With the ever-increasing popularity of swimbaits, particularly for Murray cod and barra, Wilson

has filled a big gap in the Swimbait rod market with the introduction of a 7’6”, 30-60lb, two-piece Venom Swimbait rod.

Just holding this rod, it’s easy to see how effortless it would be to cast big lures for hours on end.

We first used this rod on tough Peter Faust Dam barra last year and it was very impressive and super light.

Just don’t get too excited if you want to keep your hooks bent because this rod has serious pulling power.

For any further information regarding this month’s article or any previous, please don’t hesitate to give us a like and contact us via our Wells Brothers Fishing - Official Facebook page.

To find out more about the great new gear from Wilson Fishing and Zerek, jump onto wilsonfishing. com.au and check out the all-new revamped website with all the information on the best fishing gear in Australia.

chance at winning the lucky draws.

The Lake Awoonga Caravan Park prize was won by the Grant family of Woodford.

Once again, a big thanks to the sponsors because they make these events great and ensure they’re lots of fun.

We are working on introducing a second barra event in early spring before the next January event in 2018 at Awoonga.

Russell Nowland

Tim’s barra on the brag mat.

Page 74 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

The impoundments and rivers are looking very healthy and producing quality fish.

Keepit Dam is hovering around 70 percent capacity after dropping from nearly 100 percent due to daily releases for cotton farming.

Split Rock Dam is sitting at about 30 percent, which is a great level for trolling runs.

Chaffey Dam is at 100 percent capacity at its new level and has opened up huge amounts of surface area and awesome new points and drop-offs to fish.

The ever-popular Copeton Dam is holding about 50 percent capacity and has been producing quality fish.

Zerek Fish Traps have produced many golden perch at Chaffey while

Northern NSW Fresh Water

Damo Mills with a bucket-mouth Copeton cod taken on a Bassman 1oz DT Spinnerbait rigged with an 8” Rick’s Fish On Cod Grub.

Matt held a river cod taken on a 7” Zerek Flat Shad.

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Page 76 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, March 2017

Unbeatable Mercury 75-115hp FourStrokes

B

OASTING less weight and high displacement, the brilliant 75-115hp Mercury FourStrokes generate abundant torque and immediate power so they accelerate better, get boats onto the plane faster and provide optimal fuel efficiency at cruising speed.

Mercury engineers have also ensured these engines are significantly quieter and smoother than the competition, with up to 50 percent less vibration and 50 percent less noise than comparable outboards.

They are also available in Command Thrust format.

With a larger gearcase and gearcase torpedo, combined with a biggerdiameter prop, Command Thrust outboards provide greater leverage and control, lifting heavy boats onto the plane more easily and holding them there without effort at lower speeds.

Twin rig boats can benefit as well, with Mercury’s 115hp FourStroke available in counter-rotating format.

Now even more attractive From January 28 to April 21, 2017 these unbeatable outboards are available with stunning free upgrades worth $1541.

Specifically, anyone buying a Mercury 75115hp FourStroke from a participating Mercury dealer will receive: a VesselView 502 multi-function touchscreen display upgrade from the standard VesselView 4; and Mercury Active Trim – the industry’s only GPSbased automated trim system.

The new VesselView502 has a larger 5” display and a multi-touch interface that can show data for up to four engines and is capable of interfacing with broadband sonar

with CHIRP, down-scan imaging and a full-featured chartplotter.

Equipped with a micro SD card slot on the back of the unit for installing maps and gauge updates, it also comes with internal high-speed 10Hz GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and is GoFree cloud-enabled.

Mercury’s new Active Trim system automatically and effortlessly trims an engine or engines.

Not only does it make boating easier and more fun, it also improves engine performance and

cuts fuel costs.

With a patented integrated GPS-based control system, Active Trim takes into account both the boat’s speed and engine rpm when deciding on the ideal trim position, so Active Trim can be used on high-performance boats as well as family runabouts.

To learn more about this unbelievable deal on Mercury’s unmatchable 75-115hp FourStrokes, go to mercurymarine.com. au or visit your nearest participating Mercury dealer.

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UNBEATABLE 75-115HP FOURSTROKE

MORE COMPACT AND MORE POWER 115HP FOURSTROKE – UNEXPECTEDLY COMPACT MERCURY 115 LIGHTEST

OPTIMAX 1.5L OVER 4% HEAVIER

YAMAHA F115B OVER 5% HEAVIER

EVINRUDE E-TEC OVER 8.5% HEAVIER

SUZUKI 115 OVER 12% HEAVIER

115HP DISPLACEMENT COMPARISON HONDA 115 OVER 33% HEAVIER

2.4L

2.4L

2.2L 2.0L

(54kg Heavier)

2.1L 2.0L

1.8L

1.8L

163kg 170kg

171kg

1.6L 177kg

182kg

217kg

THE NEW MERCURY 115HP FOURSTROKE COMES IN AT AN INCREDIBLY LIGHT 163KG* MAKING IT THE LIGHTEST IN ITS HORSEPOWER CLASS.

NEW MERCURY

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THE ALL NEW MERCURY 75 –115HP RANGE HAS HEAPS OF IT, HELPING OUT GUN OTHER 4-STROKES IN THE CATEGORY.

*Based on Mercury’s 115hp (L) model. Information based on manufacturers’ claimed horsepower and weight figures.

See your authorised Mercury Marine Dealer today.

BRISBANE Karee Marine 1776 Ipswich Motorway, Rocklea Q 4106 P: 07 3875 1600 E: sales@kareemarine.com.au W: kareemarine.com.au

COORPAROO Coorparoo Marine 57 Cavendish Rd, Coorparoo Q 4151 P: 07 3397 4141 E: info@coorparoomarine.com.au W: coorparoomarine.com.au

MARYBOROUGH Fraser Coast Boating 120 Richmond St, Maryborough Q 4650 P: 07 4122 1770 E: frasercoastboating@bigpond.com W: frasercoastboating.com.au

BRISBANE NORTH Cunningham Marine Centre 23-25 Snook St, Redcliffe Q 4019 P: 07 3284 8805 E: ian@cunninghammarinecentre.com.au W: cunninghammarinecentre.com.au

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NORTHERN NSW Tweed Coast Marine 32 Machinery Dr, Tweed Heads South NSW 2486 P: 07 5524 8877 E: dan@tweedcoastmarine.com.au W: tweedcoastmarine.com.au

BUNDABERG Adrians Marine Centre 28 Ritchie St, Bundaberg Q 4670 P: 07 4153 1819 E: adriansmarinecentre@bigpond.com W: adriansmarinecentre.com.au

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CAIRNS Aussie Marine 5 Hannam St, Bungalow Q 4870 P: 07 4033 8800 E: sales@aussiemarine.com.au W: aussiemarine.com.au

GOLD COAST Onshore Marine Horizon Shores Marina, Woongoolba Q 4207 P: 07 5546 2480 E: onshoremarine@ozemail.com.au W: onshoremarine.com.au

SUNSHINE COAST North Coast Boating 264 Nicklin Way, Warana Q 4575 P: 07 5493 9376 E: sales@northcoastboating.com.au W: northcoastboating.com.au

CAPALABA Mike’s Marine 9 Smith Street, Capalaba, Q 4157 P: 07 3390 3418 E: admin@mikesmarine.com.au W: mikesmarine.com.au

INNISFAIL Coastal Marine & Outdoors 178 Edith St, Innisfail Q 4870 P: 07 4061 8272 E: joel@coastalmarine.net.au W: coastalmarine.net.au

TOOWOOMBA Water Skiers Warehouse 91-93 Neil St, Toowoomba Q 4350 P: 07 4637 9511 E: info@waterskierswarehouse.com.au W: waterskierswarehouse.com.au

CLONTARF Brisbane Marine 306 Duffield Rd, Clontarf Q 4019 P: 07 3889 3033 E: info@brismarine.com.au W: brismarine.com.au

IPSWICH Ipswich Marine Centre 45 Huxham St, Raceview Q 4305 P: 07 3294 3944 E: enquiries@ipswichmarine.com.au W: ipswichmarine.com.au

Come and see us at the Gold Coast International Boat & Marine Expo – March 17-19

Extreme Alloy Boats by New Zealand’s No 1 boat builder 645 Extreme 745 Extreme 605 Extreme Game King Game King Game King

FROM

$73,000 DRIVE AWAY

Mercury 135hp 4-stroke

Fisherman 449 Side Console

$18,400 DRIVE AWAY

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545 Extreme DEMO

$56,000 DRIVE AWAY

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Renegade 440

Renegade 480 455 Dominator

DRIVE AWAY

Mercury 60hp 4-stroke

• Live bait tank • Live well • Painted sides • Dunbier braked trailer • QLD regos

DRIVE AWAY

$31,000 DRIVE AWAY

Mercury 50hp 4-stroke

• Custom bimini • Nav lights• Dunbier braked trailer • QLD regos • Smooth water safety gear for five people

Sunseeker 510

Side Console

$36,800

Mercury 80hp 4-stroke

DRIVE AWAY

• Front and rear cast deck • Sports side console • Live well and bait tank • Dunbier braked trailer • QLD regos

UNBEATABLE UNBEATABLE

Mercury 90hp 4-stroke

• Nav lights • Bunk cushions and infill • Custom bimini • Dunbier braked trailer • QLD regos • Safety gear

115HP CRUISE SPEED 115HP FUEL CRUISE EFFICIENCY SPEED FUEL EFFICIENCY MERCURY’S NEW 115HP VS. CURRENT FOURSTROKE AND OPTIMAX VS. CURRENT FOURSTROKE AND OPTIM FOURSTROKE g/kWh

MERCURY MERCURY 75-115HP 75-115HP FOURSTROKE FOURSTROKE RANGE RANGE

$22,700

340

340

330

330

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$23,500

Mercury 250hp 4-stroke

Breezaway 440

Mercury 90hp 4-stroke (13 hrs)

• Best value • Front cast deck •10 side ribs • Dunbier trailer • QLD regos • Smooth water safety gear

Side Console

Taking orders for mid-2017 delivery

Mercury 150hp 4-stroke

DELIVERS UP TO 14% BETTER CRUISE SPEED ECONOMY

300

290

290

280

280

270

270

260

260

PREVIOUS MERCURY FOURSTROKE 1.7L

BSFC dyno testing; data is an average of 60%-80% rated MERCURY PREVIOUS NEW MERCURY engine speed based NEW OPTIMAX MERCURY MERCURY OPTIMAX on standardMERCU ICOMIA emissions test.

FOURSTROKE 115hp 1.7L 2.1L 115hp 115hp 2.1L 11 Photos for illustration purposes only.

SU SC N ATA

IPSWICH ROAD

DS T

WIC

OA HR

D SERVICE RD

Randolph St

IPS

WY

HM

WIC

IPS

Blackd own St

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