BNB Fishing mag | June 2018 by bnbfishing

Cold weather, hot fishing!

450 Includes GST

June 2018 Print Post Approved PP100001534 Volume 29, Number 6

Moreton Bay snapper guide Top Turkey Beach trip Winter whiting warming up Catching flathead around Brisbane Plenty of action on offshore reefs

Barramundi booming Great options on Gold Coast Cool time to target cod Sunshine Coast beach fishing Janowen Hills 4WDing fun Freshwater features Gladstone going off

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Inside this month Flathead fire

Offshore action

P35

P14

Turkey Beach

Freshwater species

P40

wasn’t wrong. Dad had an early knockoff at 2pm and we were on our way around 2.30pm. The drive took roughly seven hours because we pushed fairly hard and only stopped once. A feed from the Puma servo outside Gin Gin and we were on our way. Arriving at Dan’s at about 9.30pm I got straight to work, rigging up for the next day. I rigged rods with vibes, plastics and hard-bodies of different shapes and sizes to try to cover a few different bases. The trip we had been

OUR COVER

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

* continued P4

Ben Collins Daniel Tomlinson Ben Collins, Ashleigh Bartlett Jo Hendley

www.bnbfishing.com. au

EDITOR: SUBEDITOR: ADVERTISING: PRODUCTION:

AUST

JULY edition will be on sale in newsagents from June 29. See subscriber offer on Page 68 to go in the draw to win a durable and waterproof Techniice canvas swag valued at $238!

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.

E TUR FU

TYE PORTER celebrated 40 years of spinning the headlands and breakwalls for tuna with Alvey reels and surface poppers by landing this 17.5kg longtail at Iluka during the first week of May. For more land-based game fishing action, check out TYE PORTER’S article, Page 28.

planning for weeks had finally come around and I hardly slept a wink. The alarm went off at 4am and we were up, dressed and ready to go in a flash. We were on the water soon after and it didn’t take long for fish to start coming over the side. Goldspotted rockcod were in plague proportions but we also found some nice fingermark measuring 40-45cm along with several grunter. Plastics thrown along rock walls and around pylons produced the bulk of the fish. We had a couple of standout fish from the first day. One very cool fish was a stud Queensland groper, which nailed one of the new 120mm Zerek Tango Shads while twitching and pausing for barra on a rocky corner. This slob hit like a train and ripped a fair amount of locked-up 40lb braid off my baitcaster but I hung on tight and fought like hell to get the fish away from structure. I had a feeling it wasn’t the metre barra I was after but I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised. I wasn’t totally disappointed when the big groper surfaced because they are awesome-looking fish. After a few quick pics and a tag going in for research, the groper was immediately returned to the water. Queensland groper is a protected species, so it is in both yours and the fish’s best interest that they have a healthy release. Dan also boated a nice 71cm barra from the same spot, which he tagged and put back in the water before I could pull the camera out for a photo. Dan had the same reaction to this fish as I would to a bream or 40cm squire. Just goes to show he’s

ATI ON

by LACHIE BAKER

Dad and I had been invited to fish with local legend and fellow Suntagger Daniel Powell. Dan has tagged 5000 barra and over 10,000 fish in total, so when you get to fish alongside someone with a reputation like this in their local area, you may feel a little excited. We planned to leave on a Thursday afternoon but before we left I picked up some new goodies from Wilson Fishing, including the new 120mm Zerek Tango Shad. I gazed upon this lure and thought ‘man, you are gonna get eaten’ and I

Fishing Trip

T the time of writing last month’s article, I was preparing for a fishing trip to the Gladstone region.

FIS

Sensational Gladstone fishing

Gladstone fishing trip.................by Lachie Baker...................................P3 Winter whiting..............................by Sean ‘Skip’ Thompson..................P6 Moreton Bay snapper.................by Mark Templeton.............................P9 Brisbane Northside.....................by Mitchell Townsend.....................P10 Recipe.............................................by Melissa Frohloff...........................P10 Fish n Chicks.................................by Syl Cron..........................................P11 Reef fishing....................................by Adam Foley....................................P12 Flathead fire..................................by Sean Conlon..................................P14 Bay snapper on bait....................by Brian Webb....................................P16 Guide to flathead..........................by Keith Stratford...............................P18 Power Boat Anglers....................by Mick Clutterbuck.........................P20 Wilson Fishing puzzle page......................................................................P21 Fishing with little mate..............by Robert Payne.................................P22 Winter species out early...........by Darren Rama.................................P22 Options in rivers...........................by Brad Smith.....................................P24 Fun fishing on Gold Coast............by Wayne ‘Youngy’ Young...............P24 Covering all bases.......................by Heath Zygnerski...........................P26 Wide reefs worth the run..........by Gavin Dobson................................P27 Lontail tuna v sharks...................by Tye Porter.......................................P28 Ballina round-up.............................. by Brett Hyde............................................P29 Evans Head bream.......................by Gary ‘Squidgie’ Palmer..............P30 Newcastle.....................................by Nathan ‘Nath’ Palmer.................P32 Sunshine Coast.............................by Wade Qualischefski....................P34 Offshore action.............................by Jack O’Brien.................................P35 Options around Inskip Point........by Craig Tomkinson..........................P36 Tuna species continue...............by Tri Ton..............................................P38 Burnett River bream....................by Brad Young....................................P39 Turkey Beach trip.........................by Bill Corten......................................P40 Back on the ‘Bidgee....................... by Neil Schultz.........................................P41 Sea Jay 630 Vision review........by Ben Collins....................................P42 Insights into insurance...............by Nautilus Marine...........................P44 Yak Hunters round-up.................by Craig Dawkins..............................P46 Canoe go camping.......................by Dan Owbridge...............................P47 Charter Directory.................................................................................. P48,49 Readers Forum..............................................................................................P50 Product News...............................................................................................P51 Gladstone Region......................... by Gary Churchward........................P52 Offshore on fire.............................by John Boon......................................P52 Stanage Bay..................................by Von Ireland.....................................P54 Cracker barra boom....................by Todd Eveleigh...............................P55 Australian Lure, Fly & Outdoors Expo....................................................P56 Return of the waterman.............by Paul ‘Chief’ Graveson.................P57 Doing the Cape – part two....... by ‘Billabong’ Bazz Lyon.................P58 Pre-fish for NT Barra Classic......by Robert Payne.................................P58 Janowen Hills 4WD Park..........by Greg Bell........................................P59 Monduran Dam barra................ by Donna Gane..................................P62 Competition Report..................... by Russell Nowland.........................P62 Freshwater Impoundments...... by Matthew Langford.......................P63 Catching cod in the cool............by Noal Kuhl.......................................P64 B.A.S.S. Australia Nation...........by Drew McGrath..............................P65 Glenlyon Dam................................by Brian Dare......................................P66 Trading Post..................................................................................................P67 Subscription form.......................................................................................P68

PRO TE CT

The author with a typical Gladstone Harbour fingermark.

P63

HIN G T R A D E

HOPE that most BNB Fishing readers took the time to have a read of the Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017-2027 and fill in the relevant surveys.

Some important questions were posed in the surveys, so you really needed to have your say. Unfortunately, recreational fishos can be a little complacent when it comes to putting pen to paper, or in this case filling in the online surveys. The old thinking of ‘she’ll be right’, ain’t so true anymore. Fishing is big business, whether we want to admit it or not. Recreational fishos contribute more to the Australian economy than any other sport in Australia. But the resource needs to be sustainable and there are several stakeholders who are keen to have a piece of the pie, including the commercial fishing sector, indigenous people, the Greens, the tourism industry and so on. I probably should list all political parties as when there is an election on the cards they all do whatever they can to secure preferences from other parties and votes from different sectors of the community. This is a shame because what is important gets shelved behind winning the next election, so it can take much longer to get things happening than it should. If any business operated like our political leaders, it would soon go broke, but that is a story for another day. Hopefully, and I do say that with a bit of apprehension as I’m not sure what is going to happen, the reform of the east coast fishery is one we can happily embrace. I’m apprehensive because some of the questions in the surveys were worded a little ambiguously. I’m not sure why, but it might have been to trick people into answering in a particular way. However, I may just be getting a little cynical in my old age, but recreational anglers have been stung before. I would love to be proven wrong. As I have mentioned before, our fishery is basically self-regulated, so unless the government is going to throw endless funds at enforcing the changes, the changes need to be accepted. And for fishos to accept the changes, they must be fair and just, with any alterations backed by scientific evidence or significant data, not just what a few people may or may not be saying. This is a great opportunity for the current Queensland Government to make its mark on the political landscape and deliver results for the recreational fishing sector. But it’s a double-edged sword and the government runs the risk of losing significant support if it fails to deliver. Ben Collins

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 3

Sensational Gladstone fishing trip * from P3

done it once or twice before. We moved further along a rock wall and came to a point where Dan and I let fly and landed our lures right on the sweet spot. I hooked up first and knew it wasn’t anything special, so I began to winch a cod to the boat in order to have another flick.

Dan also hooked up to a cod of similar size, but as he was bringing it in it got eaten in a big way. We made the call that he hadn’t been sharked but had been ‘codded’. The big brute slugged it out down deep but Dan got the better of it and before long it was on the surface and in the net. It was quite an eyeopener to see a 35cm goldspotted cod on the

The author scored a striking Queensland groper on the new Zerek 120mm Tango Shad.

Dan Powell held a cracking blackspotted rockcod that ate a smaller cod.

back treble of a vibe and a 74cm blackspot on the front. What a pig. You can clearly see why their freshwater cousins eat massive topwater wakebait lures. The poor little goldspot was mangled, crushed and scratched up but still swam away OK when we threw it back. When I went to Wilson prior to the trip, I also picked up one of the cool new Mustad Graphite Boat Bags. I thought it looked pretty flash until this slob of a cod pooed over everything in the boat, including my new bag. I don’t think the memory of the stench will ever leave me. We pulled up the Minn Kota and moved further up the harbour where we had a hot bite on blue salmon. While I had caught them before, I had forgotten how hard they go for their size. I have no doubt they would pull an evenly sized king thready backwards. The day went on and while we were still catching fish, the action slowed a little. Dan had mentioned he was working on a juvenile fish sampling project where he has to measure, weigh, record and occasionally tag species such as yellowfin bream, pikey bream

and moses perch. While these aren’t the most glorious fish to catch, they all play a part in the ecosystem, so we put on a small rig consisting of a hook, sinker and banana prawn and got to work. It was slightly challenging on 50-80lb leaders intended for barra but none of us could be bothered changing them over to lighter leader to accommodate. Lucky for us, the fish weren’t exactly fussy. We spent half an hour collecting samples and then went off in search of better fish, which I found in the form of a PB fingermark. Casting a Zerek Fish Trap vibe towards a rock wall and hopping it back saw me slammed in the last few minutes of the first day. While not a monster, a decent 52cm fish was a nice way to end the day. For the first session we tagged over 60 fish and threw back countless more cod and other unwanted species. After washing the boat and enjoying a few cold beverages, we were back in the shed rigging up for the next day, with new leaders, trebles and lures going on in anticipation. Stay tuned for the rest of my Gladstone round-up in next month’s edition of Bush ‘n Beach.

Suzuki Marine extends warranty for commercial operators

UZUKI Marine is pleased to offer its commercial operators extra peace of mind by announcing the extension of its commercial warranty to two years for outboards sold from May 1, 2018.

This means that any four-stroke outboard from 2.5hp to 325hp bought by a commercial operator in Australia will be covered for two years/1500 hours or one year/unlimited hours from the date of registration or commissioning, free of charge, with the option of transferring any remaining warranty in the event the outboard is on-sold. National service

manager Ty Hawkins believes this announcement will only help to strengthen Suzuki’s reputation in the commercial sector. “Suzuki has been the power of choice for an array of commercial operators for many years as our outboards are highly regarded for their reliability, quality and exceptional performance,” Mr Hawkins said. “We want to reinforce our commitment to our commercial customers by continuing to offer them the ultimate fourstroke outboard and backing our product by extending their warranty for a further 12 months without charge.” Under the new war-

ranty terms, outboards purchased must be manufactured from 2018 onwards and be maintained and serviced at each recommended service interval by an authorised Suzuki service agent to qualify. Should the outboard’s operating hours exceed 1500 during the first 12 months, the warranty will revert to the one-year, unlimited hours coverage. Suzuki’s range of fourstroke outboards are supported by a network of over 90 authorised sales and service dealerships across Australia. For more information, visit suzukimarine.com. au or contact your local Suzuki Marine authorised dealer today.

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Queensland aquaculture production going swimmingly

ON FIDENCE in Queensland’s aquaculture industry remains steady, with a small increase in production last financial year.

Following a visit to a fish hatchery in Gladstone, Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said the annual Aquaculture Production Summary shows aquaculture production grew by 1.1 percent to more than 7869 tonnes in 2016-17. “Despite industry pressures including white spot disease, the total value of aquaculture decreased by just half a percent to $119.7 million, compared with figures from 2015-16,” he said.

“Even though some prawn farms in southeast Queensland were affected by white spot, the overall value of prawn production fell by only $2.7 million because north Queensland farms increased their production. “On the whole, Queensland’s aquaculture industry has been growing at a rate of 5.2 percent per annum since 1999-2000.” Minister Furner said the Queensland Government is keen to expand aquaculture, which has the potential to develop into a much larger industry, supplying local seafood and generating jobs. “Queensland aquaculture employs more than 530 full-time equivalent

workers and the gross value of production represents 38 percent of the total state value of fisheries production,” he said. “The industry also supports a substantial number of off-farm services that have flow-on benefits for employment and

regional development. “As a government, we are progressing with the identification and promotion of aquaculture development areas to help grow the industry in a sustainable way.” Central and north Queensland accounts for the majority of the aqua-

culture industry’s value and production. Prawn farming was the sector’s largest employer with more than 292 fulltime employees. The 2016-17 Aquaculture Production Summary for Queensland is available online at publi cations.qld.gov.au

The research project ‘Assessment of options for utilisation of virusinfected carp’, involves laboratory-based processing trials as well as commercial-scale trials of processes that produce usable carp-based products including fertilisers, compost, fishmeal and aquaculture feed ingredients. Lead researcher Dr Janet Howieson from the School of Molecular and Life Sciences at Curtin University said the objective is to provide the NCCP with a range of efficient, effective and appropriate uses for carp biomass, and that all methods are being carefully explored. “The research is designed to deliver detailed cost-benefit analyses of the various carp utilisation processes being investigated, including attention to harvest strategies, transport logistics and fish quality at various

locations,” Dr Howieson said. “Identifying local solutions and a communitybased approach to using carp biomass is a key component of the project.” Researchers recently completed a commercialscale trial in partnership with Goulburn Valley Water in Victoria to separate two tonnes of dead carp into solids for local composting trials and liquids for further laboratorybased digestion trials looking at biogas production. Another 300kg of whole carp was sent to a nearby worm farm. This followed a similar trial in Port Lincoln, South Australia, using enzyme hydrolysis to break down 10 tonnes of carp biomass into smaller peptides and amino acids, which can be used for organic fertiliser or as an aquaculture or animal feed ingredient. Outcomes for the remaining bones and scales are also being investigated. “We are considering the feasibility of using carp waste as insect feed, specifically for the black soldier fly, which produces larvae that can be used as high-quality aquaculture

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feed,” Dr Howieson said. “Products from the insect larvae feeding trials will then be tested in fishfeeding trials to evaluate market opportunity.” A large-scale composting trial is also being undertaken with carp biomass, with different composting methods and substrates being tested and monitoring and evaluation being conducted throughout the trial. NCCP national co-ordinator Matt Barwick said identifying economically viable and productive uses for carp is an essential part of the NCCP’s cleanup strategy. “We know there are large volumes of carp in our waterways, so working out what to do with the carp biomass if biocontrol proceeds provides us with a measured approach to help inform NCCP recommendations and the subsequent decision-making process,” Mr Barwick said.

“One of the most frequent comments received at our community consultation sessions relates to how we can best use potential carp biomass. “We are encouraging the public to engage with the NCCP to share their thoughts and opinions in relation to the impact of carp, the proposed methods for reducing carp numbers and possible options for carp biomass use. “It is a collaborative plan and one that we’re keen to ensure reflects the thoughts and opinions of all stakeholders.” Other NCCP research projects under way include completion of trials testing the susceptibility of non-target species to the carp virus, strategies for cleaning up carp if the carp virus is released and biomass estimations to determine how many carp inhabit Australia’s aquatic environments.

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The author’s youngest son held a nice bag of winteries.

Winter whiting warming up

ESPITE their name, winter whiting are available throughout the year in southeast Queensland, simply gathering in greater schools in winter.

I have been on a few trips and while the whiting haven’t been thick, good bags have been available if fishing the right places with the right baits and techniques. While it is not rocket science and you don’t need expensive gear, I have talked to a few people back at the ramp who haven’t had any luck. This article gives a few tips on the how, when, where and why for winter whiting. Locations I do most of my winter whiting fishing in southern Moreton Bay. Here I target them at the edges of channels in 2.5-3m of water during the top half of the tide but move to deeper water of 3-4.5m of water on the bottom half of the tide. However, if it is a clear, sunny day with no chop on the water, I find the fish tend to seek deeper water, so target 3-4.5m of water at any stage of the tide. In terms of actual locations, you want to be looking for a mix of silty and muddy bottoms. The places to start in Moreton Bay are on the banks such as Chain, Maroom, Banana, Pelican and Amity (outside the green zone), plus around the edges of the Rous Channel, the Small Ships Channel, Fishermans Gutter and the Moreton Island Sandhills. On a recent trip with my son and his mate, we also found enough for a feed on the flats to the north of Wynnum Creek, but they are not in the numbers they were a decade ago. Finding the fish Another thing I tend to do in terms of starting locations is

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Fishing Tips by SEAN THOMPSON

either go back to a spot where I have caught fish in the past month or so, or search through my GPS waypoint ‘diary’ to find a location where I have caught a bunch of winteries in the same month in previous years. A third option is to just look around for a flotilla of boats, but to me half the fun is the pride in finding the fish yourself. If I can’t find any schools by drifting once I arrive at my spot, I will search in the general area in a grid pattern using my Lowrance StructureScan (side scan) technology. If I can’t find any fish nearby, I will then head off to another waypoint from the same month from a previous year, or where I have caught fish this season, whichever is closest. Drift or anchor? Generally I find my best results on winter whiting have come from drifting. I believe this is because the fish are presented with moving baits that appear more lifelike and because the fish need to react quicker in deciding whether to take the bait or not. That said, it is more frantic fishing if you and a friend have three or four rods out. You can have rods going off, fish in the boat flapping around and not much time to sit back and enjoy a morning coffee or afternoon beer! Then again, when is catching fish a bad thing?! To ensure I drift back over the spots where I caught fish, I like to mark as many fish as I can on the GPS and drift back over the most productive areas. When you head back to the

The author with a recent double-header caught using the rig described in the article.

Page 6 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

top of your mark, make sure you arc around in a wide circle to avoid motoring over the spots where you caught fish, and if you can, avoid motoring over where someone else is about to drift. It can spook the fish in shallower water and creates a wake, so be sure to show some common courtesy to others. If you prefer a more relaxed style of fishing, or you find the school is tightly concentrated in an area, it is worth anchoring. A good idea is to anchor slightly up-current from the school and cast your baits back to them. When at anchor, I try to concentrate the fish in the area by dropping over a berley bucket. I like the larger pellet berley mixed with Stimulate with Ultrabite because these don’t fall through the berley bucket easily and give the fish too much of a free feed. In fact, to ensure I am releasing just a thin trail of attractively scented berley, I place the pellets inside a lingerie washbag before I put it in the berley container. Note: it is a good idea to buy your own bag for a couple of dollars from Kmart and not use your partner’s! I also make sure the bucket is weighted so it sits on the bottom and the current doesn’t carry the berley away. Give the rope on the berley bucket a couple of pulls every five minutes or so to keep up the berley trail. Finally, if the fish are quiet while at anchor, try a slow retrieve because this can fire them up for the same reasons mentioned above for drifting. Baits and lures For many years now I have sworn by the 2” Berkley Gulp Sandworm Nereis in Bloody colour. You just thread them straight along the hook and over the eye like you would a real worm. These lifelike, heavily scented soft plastic lures have little feelers on them that make them look like real sandworms, which is why they are effective when moving over the bottom. I find these lures catch as many if not more fish than real worms, and often entice bigger fish as well. * continued P8

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Light gear and the fighting whiting – brilliant fun for young and old!

Fox showed that fine, light-gauge Tru-Turn hooks are perfect for piercing the mouths of winter whiting.

Winter whiting warming up in Moreton Bay * from P6

All you need to create a finely scented berley trail for whiting fishing at anchor.

The one proviso is there must be a little bit of swell or ripple on the water to ensure the lure is moving alluringly under the water. When conditions glass out, I find them far less productive and switch to worms or yabbies. In terms of real bait, my number-one preference is worms, especially reddyed frozen worms if you can get them, with yabbies a close second. While live bloodworms are a fantastic bait for winter whiting, they are expensive to buy and hard work to dig. I know a few people who swear by squid strips cut into thin strips and covered with red dye to look like worms. Likewise, peeled prawns will also catch you fish, though they never seem to be as good as worms for me.

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Rods, rigs and tackle Like all my whiting fishing in a boat, I use 7’-9’, 1-3kg whippy rods coupled with either a small 500 size Alvey or 10002000 spinning reel. The longer, soft and whippy rods are best so the whiting can grab the bait and run without feeling too much resistance. I like to run 6lb mono line on my reels because this is strong enough to lift a couple of whiting on the rod into the boat. I also like clear fluorocarbon traces of 6-8lb breaking strain, using 8lb when I run two droppers. Consider using Australian-made Platypus line, and the Super-100 variety is one of the thinnestdiameter monofilaments going around. My favourite rig for winter whiting is a doubledropper paternoster rig. I use a small number 10 swivel and two tagless dropper loops with a fixed sinker on the bottom. I separate the swivel and the two droppers as well as the sinker on the bottom by at least 30cm each, making a trace of about 90cm in length. Additionally, I make a few spare rigs and wrap them around a small piece of pool noodle. I prefer light-gauge small hooks to minimise the amount of bait I need to use (and to match up nicely with the Gulp lures). By far my favourite hooks are the Mustad Fine Worm in size 6 or the Tru-Turn Aberdeen hooks in size 6. The light gauge also means less unnatural weight for the fish when it picks up the bait. If using yabbies, you can go up to size 4 in both styles of hooks.

Another little trick is to add two or three 1cm-long pieces of red tubing or a couple of red beads on top of your hooks for added attraction. One more trick is to ensure you aren’t handling your baits and lures when your fingers smell like sunscreen, fuel, oil and so on. If they do, rub a bit of bait scent on your fingers, then wipe them dry with a rag before touching your rod. If the action is quiet around the change of tide, I will also add some scent to my baits such as ProCure Inshore Saltwater, which tends to improve results. Hooking the fish While it is one thing finding the fish, hooking them can be a little frustrating at times and so a bit of patience is called for. I actually like to leave my rods sitting parallel to the water in a rod holder, or lying as low as possible in the boat. With long rods, whippy tips and a light to medium drag setting, the fish can pull line off the reel but under a bit of resistance, meaning they will often hook themselves. If on the other hand you like to hold your rod, when you feel an inquisitive bite, quickly drop the rod tip so it is pointing to the water and peel off about a metre of line to give the fish some slack to allow it to run a little without any resistance. As you feel the line begin to pull off the reel, lift the rod tip firmly but not too roughly and wind the reel as you do. Once you hook the fish, make sure you keep the tip up, because if you drop it again quickly the line

will act like a rubber band and ping the hook out of the fish’s mouth. As you are fighting the fish, the telltale fight of a whiting is fast darting and diving runs. I find ‘pests’ such as undersize sweetlip and longtoms will fight higher in the water column. So remember that the next time you want to ‘call’ a fish as a whiting to your mates or family. Scaler bag Finally, rather than scaling or skinning a whole bunch of fish back at the ramp, there is an easier way. Make sure your fish are nice and firm by keeping them in an ice slurry in the Esky. The best way to do this

is with a 1:1 ratio of ice and salt water. Then at the end of the session when the fish are firm, I put them in a scaler bag (available at most tackle shops) and tie it off to the stern of the boat with a 2-3m rope. I then motor off at sufficient speed for the bag to spin on the surface in the wash for a few minutes, which effectively scales the fish. Good luck and I hope you get out and pick up a nice feed of winteries this winter! Until next month, if you want more tips, reports and a good laugh at some of the memes and videos, jump on and like my Ontour Fishing Australia Facebook page.

Keeping your long and whippy rods low to the water will mean the fish will easily hook themselves.

The author’s favourite style of frozen worms and lures for winter whiting.

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Tackling Moreton Bay snapper and tailor

NAPPER, come on down!

June is an awesome time of year for getting rugged up, grabbing a mate and searching for a feed of snapper. A few spots reasonably easy to access either landbased or by boat or kayak will produce a good feed. Traditionally, we like to start at the mouth of the Brisbane River and work our way back upriver (generally no more than a five to 10-minute leg) until we find little drop-offs or rocky areas. The only real problem we have had is figuring out what they are eating on the day. Snapper’s diet can change from day to day. One day they will be smashing squid heads and the next day yellowtail fillets and pieces of or whole large prawns. I guess it is a good problem to have, unless it is your turn to buy the bait… Most of the fishos I talk with swear by getting a berley trail working, be it

Northern Moreton Bay by MARK TEMPLETON

old prawn shells, leftover pillies and mullet chunks or even pellets mixed with a good grade tuna oil. Berley will unfortunately bring about the ‘rubbish’ fish as well but that is the price you pay for a shot at a cracking snapper. For those new to making berley, a little trick is to add two or three handfuls of sand to the mix before the tuna oil. When mixed, the tuna oil will stick to the sand and when released will disperse the berley scent through the water column (add the sand after the blender!). Snapper are quite partial to soft plastics and hard-bodied lures, be they trolled or cast. Don’t be afraid to flick out a Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ or Zerek Ripper Diver. Rug up and get out there!

Arno with a stonker snapper landed from his kayak.

Persistence can pay dividends if you take your time and investigate the area well. Arno put cracker fillets on the family table with a 6.1kg snapper caught in the Moreton Bay area on his kayak. Everyone has their own style of attacking new fishing territory and young Tyler Browne has his own idea of what has been working well on his family holidays. The following advice is from Tyler: “When I go fishing in an unfamiliar place, I focus on a key point – I must match the hatch. Normally when you arrive at a new fishing spot, you should look for the local bait and what the fish would be feeding on. They could be feeding on fish, crabs, prawns or muscles and barnacles, so whether you use bait or lures, it is crucial you select something that represents the type of food the fish are targeting. Even if you fish a spot regularly and look at the bait the fish are feeding on, you should look even closer and take note of the size and colour of the bait. The finest detail could be the difference between triggering a strike from a big fish or spooking that big fish.

I recently caught my first queenfish, which would not have happened if I didn’t look closely at the bait the fish were feeding on. The little details you observe can catch you anything from whiting to the most finicky bream and nailing the details is one of the best ways to catch more and bigger fish more regularly. When using soft plastics, it is also important to consider the weight of your jig head and where in the water column your target species is lurking. So, if you are fishing the first 1-1.5m of water you should use an extremely light jig head (1/16oz1/40oz) so it descends naturally and looks like an injured baitfish. As your lure slowly sinks, a host of species feeding towards the surface will be tempted to relieve you of your favourite lure. When targeting fish holding tight to structure, you want as heavy a leader as possible without spooking the fish (6-10lb). But when you are fishing in an area with less snags and structure, you can go lighter so they cannot see the line (2-6lb). I hope this helps you catch the fish of your dreams.” Tailor For those who don’t mind a nice tailor fillet on the table, now is the time to get out there and bag a couple.

Good size schools have been seen around the Moreton Bay area from Straddie to Bribie and solid tailor have been among them. Dust off the casting gear, sharpen those trebles, salt up some pillies or blue baits and get into them. I will be keeping an eye on a few spots locally that have produced great catches over the years (and cost me a bit of gear at the same time!). Nudgee Beach, Shorncliffe through to Brighton, Scarborough and Bribie Island will be on the watch list but Sandgate pool just after dark on a high tide has always been a preferred starting point for the crew. If you have not chased tailor before, keep it simple to start with and grab some 2/0-4/0 gang hooks, a small sinker, a good handful of pillies or blue baits (I prefer salted blue baits), a couple of mates, a Thermos of coffee and of course a couple of BandAids. If tailor are in the area you should have a solid feed before long, but you should also have a good chance of nailing flathead, bream and jewies as by-catch. Like any type of fishing, you just never know what you’re going to go home with! Wherever you end up, enjoy the time, fish with a mate and most importantly, maintain the passion.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 9

Snapper can’t resist the 5” Entice Twitcher!

The perfect eating-size flathead.

Cold conditions, hot fishing on Entice Bungee Baits

This blubber-lip bream was awesome by-catch while targeting flathead in the Pine River.

A good-sized flathead caught on a 3.5” Entice Gruby.

HE cold weather has finally arrived, with some chilly mornings and westerly wind on the water.

That means species such as flathead, bream, snapper, jewfish and squid will be prevalent through the southeast Queensland estuaries. Luckily enough, I have been able to test out new gear on a number of these species and the results speak for themselves. Flathead are great to target during winter when they are spawning. This means they are schooled up, with a bunch of smaller male fish sitting around a larger female. This can result in cracking sessions catching large numbers of flathead. It is so important that we take care of flathead when they are caught, especially the larger females. These female fish are carrying thousands of

Brisbane Northside by MITCHELL TOWNSEND

eggs and are easily injured if not handled correctly. Always have a hand under the fish’s belly, supporting its weight. It is best to keep the fish horizontal, rather than hanging it vertically from a pair of lip grips or your hands. To catch these flathead, I have been using Entice Bungee Baits, which are available at Tackle World Lawnton. These soft plastics are made from a superstretchy material, meaning they will not tear. This is great when fishing for flathead because their raspy mouths easily tear some soft plastics. The 3.5” Gruby has been my go-to in the Blood Worm and Blue Glimmer colours. I have caught numerous

flathead and bream on this lure, as well as cod, flounder and even a large blubber-lip bream. I love to fish the last few hours of the run-out tide, using the 3.5” Gruby rigged on a 1/6oz, 3/0 jig head. Fishing areas such as creek mouths at this time is perfect because the bait is pouring out and the flathead will be lying in wait. If you catch one flathead, cast, cast and cast again because as I said, the flathead are schooled up at this time of year. The cooler weather also means snapper are about in numbers. I have been fishing some rocky areas around Redcliffe and Bribie Island with great results. I like to arrive at my spot just before first light

so I can set my drift according to the tide and wind. A Minn Kota electric is crucial for this type of fishing, as I use its ‘north up’ feature. I position myself on the top side of the rubble and slowly drift along the edge of the structure. North up allows me to keep the boat pointing in the direction I want to drift and simply adjust the speed. This means I can keep the boat facing into the tide but drift back at a slow pace. This is a great advantage because I can stay right next to the structure I want to fish and it means my bait looks natural when drifting through the water. I have been using the Entice 5” Twitcher in Pearl White and Blood Worm colours to get the bites from snapper. It can be frustrating at times because the snapper

are usually quite finicky, so using a light leader is essential for getting bites. However, structure and light leader don’t go well together, and I have already lost some crackers this season. Entice Bungee Baits come in a variety of profiles and colours and the material they are made from means they last through multiple fish. Their very realistic swimming actions make them irresistible to fish. Hopefully the cool conditions continue and light westerly wind greets us on the water. The fishing should be red hot but if you’re after any advice, don’t hesitate to message me through my Pine Boys Facebook page or come and see me and the team at Tackle World Lawnton. We are more than happy to give you some pointers and spots around Moreton Bay. Until next time.

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Venison and bacon fry Ingredients • 400g venison liver • 400g bacon • Two cloves garlic, crushed • One large onion, thinly sliced • 2 tbsp butter • 1/4 cup flour • 1 tbsp mixed herbs • 100g rich gravy mix

3. Heat a frypan to medium, add butter, onion, garlic and sauté, then remove.

Method 1. Slice liver into thin strips. 2. Put flour and mixed herbs in a plastic bag. Place strips of liver in a bag and shake to coat with seasoned flour.

7. Stir until gravy thickens and serve on a slice of toast.

4. Turn up the heat and cook the bacon until brown, then remove. 5. Follow directions on the packet and make the gravy. 6. Fry liver in pan until golden. Reduce heat, add onions, garlic, bacon, gravy and simmer.

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Prep time: 25 min | Cook time: 20 min | Serves 4 Page 10 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

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Cool weather signals snapper in SEQ

RRR, it’s starting to cool down, which means snapper!

Many snapper have already been caught in Moreton Bay and they are of great size. You want your bait close to the bottom for these fish because they like to hang around the bottom in water from 5-100m deep. The majority of snapper have been caught on the old faithful pillie. Make sure you run at least a two-hook gang and pin the top of the pillie with the top hook. Put the hook through the top of the head and make sure the point of the hook comes out under its chin. I find this keeps the pillie nice and secure so it doesn’t fly off when you cast.

Fish n Chicks by SYL CRON

Try to keep your pillies cool because they go very soft and fall apart if left in the open for too long. Snapper will also take soft plastics and other baits but pillies are a favourite bait. Despite the fish being out in the bay, we have had terrible fishing weather lately. Lots of wind has made it hard to hit the water. I visited Blakesleys Anchorage over the Labour Day long weekend, battled the winds and got very wet, but saw plenty of pelagic action. School mackerel were busting up and ample bait

Five-year-old Bodhi with a 28cm bream.

was around, so we rigged up with fresh hardyheads, which were like lollipops to the fish. We had several runs and bust-offs but caught many fish just off the beach, which made the trip worthwhile. Plenty of sand crabs were about too and resulted in a nice afternoon snack. I recently came across a new product called the Strong Arm Strap, which now lives in our boat. This is a strong and durable device you can use for anything, but it works particularly well when launching a boat or help-

ing in times of need such as a beaching. We would have had to wait hours for the tide to come in recently, but luckily we were one step ahead and had our strap ready to go. I highly recommend storing one of these in your boat. You can also use the strap for pulling out tent pegs, carrying a heavy Esky and much more. The first Fish n Chicks fishing seminar was held this month at VMR Brisbane, Shorncliffe. Doug Burt from Tackle World on the Gold Coast attended and gave a very informative talk on whiting, bream and flathead fishing. We talked about baits, habitats, rigs, behaviour and much more.

Amanada caught a school mackerel off the beach.

A massive thankyou to the crew on that day for all their help, we really appreciate it. Doug gave away lots of freebies and everyone left with a smile, a new trick and a full belly from the free sausage sizzle. New mates were made and fishing adventures were planned. I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce five-year-old Bodhi. This little guy is a very keen fisherman. Can you believe Bush ‘n Beach is his bedtime story book? He’s into fishing shows too – no cartoons for this little man. Bodhi recently hooked a 28cm bream at Deepwater Bend in the North Pine River on his last worm while singing his ABCs to his mum. He wandered away and all of a sudden his reel went off. He had a big battle on his hands with this fish but fought hard and landed it all by himself. Bodhi is a catch and release fisherman and he does not yet know that the next time he picks up his bedtime story book he will see himself in it. I cannot wait to hear about his reaction. Go Bodhi! A recent barramundi fishing boys’ trip was an experience to remember for Jaymee, Alex and Adam. The boys flew by helicopter from Darwin to ex* continued P12

The Fish n Chicks fishing seminar with Doug Burt held at VMR Brisbane.

A successful barramundi fishing boys’ trip for Jaymee, Alex and Adam.

The Strong Arm Strap in action.

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Sweet session beyond South Passage Bar

A This new isolated rock the author found is only small but holds great numbers of fish.

Seeing the bigger snapper on the sounder before you catch them is always great fun.

The author’s uncle caught this big cod and it took a long time to get the fish to swim away in decent health.

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FTER what seems a very long run of crappy weather, it is starting to cool down, the wind is swinging around to the west and the current is dropping out more regularly.

I find when the singlets come off and the jumpers go on it’s usually time to start having a go for some of the bigger snapper that make their way in close at this time of year. While they won’t be caught as frequently as in July and August, they are still there. So with a recent break in the weather, I thought I would put the game fishing gear away and try my luck with some reefies. On this trip I took my dad, uncle and brother out off South Passage Bar. The plan was to get some live bait and start shallow, then work our way south and as the wind dropped out through the day head wide and chase pearlies before coming back in shallow in the afternoon for another shot. Getting about 20 livies and not wanting to miss the peak snapper bite, we headed to our first spot in 48m of water. My brother and uncle used paternoster rigs while my dad and I float lined pillies slid inside squid tubes. I like to snood this rig but a set of 5/0 7766 Mustad hooks works great as well. We like to run 80lb Shogun swivels between our hooks to make rigging the bait much easier and let the bait move more freely while it’s floating down the water column. It was a bit quiet for the first 20 minutes but then

Offshore by ADAM FOLEY

the old man hooked up to a good fish and we knew we had the first decent snapper of the season on its way up. While not huge, a good snapper of 77cm went into the box and made for a great start to our day. About 10 minutes later, I was next to hook up to a solid fish and this one had a bit of line peeling off the Shimano 6500 Baitrunner. Another solid snapper of 82cm was boated, along with a squire for my brother, an amberjack and a quality yellowfin tuna. We decided to head south to another area in the same depth and try our luck on a few more snapper. It was quite windy at this stage, so I put the sea anchor out to slow the drift and we plucked away at more squire, pearlies and big maori cod. It was nearly midday and the prediction was for a glass-out by 1pm. I hear a lot of whinging about the weather forcasters but in my opinion they do a bloody good job. I always go off the Bureau of Meteorology charts and MetEye and as usual they were spot on with a 1pm glass-out. So we made our way out into 100m and sounded around some marks I have previously pulled good fish from. While we could see good shows of fish on the sounder, we could hardly get a bite. This was the case for the next couple of hours.

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As we moved deeper, we started to get a few fish but not the number we were looking for. So we decided to move in shallow again because the afternoon was getting on. As I said in a previous article, when travelling from spot to spot I try not to take the same route twice. You never know what hot spot you might have just missed. Once again this theory proved itself and while travelling at 25 knots I came over an isolated rock with a tiny bit of bait on it. At 25 knots, even the smallest bit of bait showing on the sounder will be a lot bigger once you pass back over at a slower speed. In this case, when we circled back we found there wasn’t too much bait holding on the rock, rather, great numbers of fish! I could not wait to get a bait down to the bottom to see what was down there, so I got the boys to drop baits and it was relieving to see them all hook up to good fish at once, with squire, pearlies and tuskfish coming over the side one after the other as well as some maori cod, moses perch and the biggest cod I have ever seen. This poor fella didn’t look well and after 40 minutes of swimming the cod, popping its swim bladder and trying to get the big fish going again, it eventually swam away. With enough fish in the box for everyone, we decided to start heading in but on the way I once again came over big fish on the bottom not too far from structure. There was no current or wind, so I easily found the fish again on the sounder and dropped a bait on one rod and the new River2Sea Chasebaits Smash Squid for the first time on another. Both baits were abso-

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that was us done. Once again, this demonstrates that having your sounder reading perfectly will result in catching more fish and finding more spots. Until next time, happy fishing.

A solid cobia hooked on a River2Sea Smash Squid.

A couple of sizeable snapper caught by the author and his dad.

The author’s uncle landed this big cod and it took a long time to get the fish to swim away in decent health.

Cool weather signals snapper * from P11

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lutely smashed by solid fish. After a while, my old man pulled in a greatsized cobia and I was sure that’s what I had on too. Once I wrapped up the painful fight, I boated another cracking cobia and

perience the Northern Territory life with buffalo, crocs, wild boars and of course barramundi. It wasn’t long before the boys wet their lines and the barra were quick to bite. Jaymee landed an 80cm barra on a threetreble Bomber in silver and black. I’d like to share a tip I recently learnt from a Fish n Chicks’ member. We all know how cheap blade steak is, right? Well now you can use it when fishing.

Get some thinly sliced blade steak (the butcher will usually slice it for free), cut the thin strips to replicate worms and then soak them in tuna oil. You can store this bait in the fridge or freeze in zip-lock bags in session-size portions. Even if you reel in and still have bait on, give the steak another dunk in the oil and throw it back out. It’s a very cheap and effective way to have bait stored and on hand for when you get the fishing urge.

Bream love it. Fish n Chicks ran an awesome competition for Mother’s Day. We received so many amazing stories and photos and thank all who entered. Stay tuned for the winner to be announced and the prize revealed in our next story. A huge, belated happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there. I hope you all got breakfast in bed and lots of prezzies. You deserve it. Until next time, remember to stay safe and tight lines. www.bnbfishing.com. au

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Simon and his daughter Rebecca with a double hook-up on lizards caught while trolling Zerek Bulldog Cranks.

Tane held a 69cm lizard that nailed a Zerek Tango Shad.

Flathead fire in cooler weather

OW, what a difference a drop in temperature makes.

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After having a pretty ordinary summer where we didn’t get out very much, the fish have definitely come on the chew in the cooler weather. Good size bream, tailor, small school mackerel and flathead are all biting well. I think we could be in for a great winter if the temperatures keep dropping over the coming month and the weather patterns become a bit more stable. The standout species for me is flathead. Plenty are around and they are quite willing to take either cast soft plastics or trolled hard-bodies. They are great sportfish on light tackle, and if you want

Southern Moreton Bay by SEAN CONLON

to take one home for the table, they are great to eat as well. I’ve been working a rather large area for these fish and no matter where I’ve been, I have found flathead. That tells me either we could be in for quite a good flatty season or it could just be an early season. Only time will tell. The numbers are certainly there and we’ve been fishing for them on high tides around the mangrove lines and then on low tides around the edges of drop-offs and drains. They’ve been caught by casting soft plastics and troll-

ing hard-bodies. We have even hooked flathead on banana prawns as long as the stingrays, pike eels and other vermin don’t get the bait first. We have used 2-4kg rods with 2500-size spin reels spooled with 6-8lb line to handle the flathead. I’ve had a few fishers come on the boat with their own 2-4kg rods that have a softer action than our boat’s rods and I’ve noticed the softer rods do not impart quite enough action on the plastic, hence those anglers catch fewer fish. * continued P15

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Tim caught and released this 86cm croc on a Zerek Bulldog Crank fished very light with a 5lb leader.

To test your plastics, hold them like this and if they bend over, use a lighter jig head than if they stand upright.

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Flathead fire in cooler weather * from P14

So if you are looking for a rod for flathead, I’d suggest a 2-4kg stick with a medium action. The stiffer tip helps if throwing 1/4oz jig heads too. On the other hand, the 2-4kg rods with a softer action are perfect for trolling little hard-body lures for flathead. When you’ve got the force of the boat moving forward and the fish hitting the lure going the other way, the softer rod tip gives a little more and helps absorb the pressure of the fish hitting the lure to prevent pulling hooks.

The softer tip also allows you to see and feel the lure’s action to make sure it’s swimming correctly. Something I’ve changed in my time of plastic fishing for flathead and other species in Moreton Bay is using different size jig heads with different types of lures. This is only my point of view and not everybody may agree with this. So here we go, let’s see if I can explain this on paper. I find soft plastics made of a softer material are more effective with a lighter jig head such as a

Ryan captured a flathead on a Zerek Live Cherabin.

1/6oz or 1/8oz. These plastics are great for the more subtle finesse approach of an early morning and when there’s no breeze to contend with. Making long casts with light 4-6lb braid, the lure flutters to the bottom and because it’s softer you can make a gentler lift and don’t have to rip it as hard to get the action you want out of the plastic. The lures made from stiffer plastic are often more buoyant and with these plastics I’ll use a 1/4oz to 3/8oz jig head. This can be advantageous if we have to con-

Hayden hooked a solid flathead on a Zerek Tango Shad.

tend with the breeze. Additionally, you may have a mate who can’t cast as far as he or she needs to, and by giving your mate that different plastic with a bigger jig head, suddenly that angler can get a bit more distance to land in the strike zone. And by fitting a stiffer plastic with a bigger jig head, it will sink faster and therefore you’ll get a bit more action out of it on the sink. Then when you make your lifts, rip the rod a little harder to put more action into the tail of the lure. This is why I feel you need those two different types of plastics in your tackle box for the bay. Believe me, I have found all these little things can make a really big difference. It’s definitely flathead season right now, so if you want an in-depth tutorial on how to target flathead to catch more of them more often, I am running tuition nights at Redland Bay as well as tuition days on the water to show you how. If you’d like to join me on a charter, give me a call on 0433 732 310, check out the Moreton Bay Charters Facebook page or visit moretonbay charters.com.au Until next month, stay safe on the water.

Stacer releases Revolution Hull – forget everything you know about boating

RAND new for 2018, Stacer has started a boating revolution with the release of its Revolution Hull.

The new Revolution Hull is the natural evolution of the famous Stacer Barra and Assault Pro Hulls. Combining concave bottom sheet design, EVO advance pressing and a raised chine, Stacer has created a highperforming hull that glides over the water, providing a more wellbalanced ride with superior stability under way and at rest. The release of the Revolution Hull coincides with Stacer’s new model release for 2018 and

features across its new range of runabouts – the Seamaster, revamped Crossfire range, new bowrider range – the Wildrider and of course the Stacer favourite the Assault Pro. Stacer national account manager Dominic Smith said he believes the Revolution Hull is the greatest development in the history of Stacer boats. “The hull, built in a manufacturing process unique to Stacer, is high performing and glides over the water, providing a more balanced ride with superior stability under way and at rest,” Mr Smith said. “Everyone who has been lucky enough to

go for a ride in a Revolution Hull Stacer is extremely impressed by the performance and it will definitely have an impact on the market once the word gets out. “Built upon the everpopular SF Series and Evo Advance Hull, go and visit your local Stacer dealer to experience the difference for yourself.” You can see the Revolution Hull first at the Adelaide Boat Show from June 15-17 and the Melbourne Boat Show from June 28-July 1. For more information on the all-new Revolution hull, visit your local Stacer dealer or head to stacer.com.au

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chor or drift for snapper, a good knowledge of your sounder and GPS is imperative.

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Moreton Bay

by BRIAN WEBB

artificial reefs and these can be great places to start as well. Snapper move around, so don’t think you’re not in with a chance if you don’t have any marks or no one has given you the secret spot. The reason charter operators who target snapper are so effective is they fish every day and can follow the fish. They will go back to the general area where they found them the day before and drive around watching their sounder until they find them again. You need to do this too.

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Just going straight to a mark, anchoring and dropping baits is lazy and will not yield a great result. The best thing you can do is have a few different spots you plan on heading to all within a reasonable distance of each other. Get the GPS co-ordinates, enter them in your unit and name them. If you don’t know how to do this, you need to go back to the drawing board and learn how, as understanding your GPS is a simple part of modernday boating and something that could save your life as well as help you catch more fish. Look at the seafloor you are driving over on your sounder and try to find structure, holes and lumpy areas, drop-offs, reefs and sunken ships and anything that isn’t just flat bottom as it will often hold fish. In the shallows, I will drift with baits in the same areas I talked about fishing plastics last month, but on any good rising structure I’ll anchor and drift baits back in a good berley trail. Bait and berley Snapper eat different baits at different times of the year, with the menu comprising various baitfish, squid and pretty much anything they can get their big mouths around. Knowledge of your local area will give you better insight into what they’re feeding on but you can always be confident using pilchards, squid and fresh fish fillets. Fresh bait will greatly increase your chances of success and if you haven’t had the chance to catch it yourself, try to buy the best bait you can find. Spending a bit extra by going to the local markets to source fresh bait will net better results than using frozen bait from the petrol station. These days, a number of good bait companies have some very nice products you can find at your local tackle shop. You should fish a variety of baits in a spread and most of the time you’ll find the fish end up choosing one more often than another. When you see the fish favouring a certain bait, switch most of the rods to that bait, but if the bite slows, mix it up again. I believe berleying in

ily inhabited by sharks is necessary to keep fish around. When I fish for snapper I berley hard and berley the whole time. You can use various items for berley such as fish pellets, cubed pilchards and chopped fish and carcasses. Pretty much anything that gets the fish feeding and keeps them under the boat will work. I don’t believe it’s necessary to fish the same bait you are berleying, but if you’re berleying pilchards it’s obviously good to have pilchards out on a couple of rods. However, many times I have been berleying cubed pilchards and while the pilchard baits went untouched, when I cleaned the fish and checked their stomach contents (which you should always do) I found stomachs full of pilchards. Keep a good variety of bait on hand and lots of berley to keep your options open. The best way of distributing berley is via a berley bomb, which allows you to quickly and effectively drop berley to the bottom or anywhere in the water column and distribute the berley by tugging on the cord. I highly recommend investing in one of these devices. Be sure to keep checking and changing your baits and keep berleying the whole time. Pests, peckers and a host of undesirables are going to ruin your well-presented bait, so if that rod tip is moving but not buckling over, there is a good chance the bait will soon be gone or destroyed. Bait fishing for snapper is never a sit back and have a cup of coffee and wait affair. That kind of fishing is for lazy hacks who don’t catch fish and you don’t want to be one of those. You should be constantly rebaiting, changing rods around the spread, getting baits ready to rebait hooks, berleying, watching the wind, checking the barometer, chopping more berley, keeping the lines tight, berleying again and always keeping your eyes on the rod tips. A slight lack of concentration could mean missing the fish of a lifetime. If you do all this for 30-60 minutes and have no bites, reel in the lines, up anchor and start the sounding process again. If you don’t go home completely knackered at * continued P17

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Page 16 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

This snapper fell to a whole squid on dusk.

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Snapper fishing the shallows with bait * from P16

the end of the day, you’re not doing it right. The spread More rods means more activity, more baits, more action and therefore more fish. The more rods, the better, up to what you can control at one time. There is no point having three rods go off at the same time if you’re going to end up in a tangle and lose all three fish. The more you practise this technique, the better you will become at controlling the situation. Be wary of wind against water and your lines moving under the boat, around the prop and tangling with each other. Tangles will always happen and you will have to deal with them. Having different-coloured line on every reel will allow you to deal with tangles more efficiently and help you keep track of which rod is which. When casting, send some of your baits quite a distance from the boat, put others just behind the transom and drop some straight down, trying to cover as much ground as possible with your spread. If you’re fishing in really strong current or deep water, running multiple rods may not be a possibility because they will just tangle non-stop, so fish as many as the conditions and law allow (in Queensland up to three fishing lines are permitted per person, consisting of a total of six hooks). Rods and reels I believe that when fishing

for snapper, going as light as possible without running the risk of losing fish will give you the most enjoyable experience. Snapper fight well but they are not pelagics, so don’t overdo it. In shallow water with minimal current, use rods rated at 6-8kg with 2500-3500 reels spooled with 12lb braid and 8-10kg fluorocarbon leader. This will enable you to enjoy the smaller fish while still handling the fight of larger specimens. If you’re fishing waters with hard-running currents where large sinkers are necessary, you will need to upgrade your rods and line accordingly. In some cases, this may mean you need to fish 15kg rods and only a few rods in the spread. Rods 7’ in length are ideal and you should choose something with an action that doesn’t load up too quickly. A rod that loads up really fast will cause the fish to feel the weight quicker and it may be spooked before the hooks are set. Rods that are too soft will have the opposite effect and you won’t be able to firmly set the hooks quickly enough. Snapper have an amazing ability to spit hooks that aren’t set firmly. Try to get a rod with a medium action. Reels with a baitrunner or free-spool function are advantageous when fish are finicky but require greater concentration on the angler’s part and you have to be quick to grab the rod and set the hooks. Fishing free spool means you

Chopper tailor caught on floated whitebait.

can’t use circle hooks and you should stick with suicide-style hooks. If you try to strike with circle hooks you will pull them straight out of the fish’s mouth. Rigs The rig you use will vary depending on conditions and the area you fish. For slow-running water where not a lot of weight is needed, a running sinker rig with twin snelled or snooded hooks using 30lb leader of about 2m length is ideal. A small 1 ball sinker on your main line with a small luminous bead to protect your rod tip is a very effective rig that can handle a variety of baits. I mainly use a two-hook rig with my baits, which keeps the bait looking more natural. The days of whacking a hunk of any old bait on a hook and tossing it over the side and catching fish are long gone. Oh sure, you may luck out and park above a school of fish determined to take a trip to your frying pan – but not often. Don’t get me wrong, fish do get caught on frozen baits, especially purpose-caught baitfish such as pilchards. But much of the fish frozen for bait is by-catch, as tough as old boots and probably as palatable. Many people use these tough baits because they stay on the hook longer and stop pickers stealing the bait. If pickers are plaguing you and your baits are being scoffed before a decent fish can get hold of them, try going way up in bait size and cast this bigger bait further back in the berley trail. Bigger fish often hold back, below and further down the trail than smaller fish. There is a simple rule for bait fishing – the better the quality of your bait, the better quality of fish you are likely to catch. Freshly killed bait retains the oil, blood and other attractants to your prey. A butterflied fish fillet on a two-hook rig is one of the best natural-looking baits you can offer a fish.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 17 30/01/2018 12:40:31 PM

Guide to catching flathead around Brisbane

INTER has hit southeast Queensland with a bang.

Ashlee Levy landed this flathead on a 4” Z-Man Curly TailZ in Space Guppy colour.

The author came across this aggressive flounder while chasing flatties recently. It ate a Z-Man 3” MinnowZ in Electric Chicken.

May saw chilly mornings around Brisbane and with them came a sudden drop in water temperatures. This brought an early start to the flathead season, with good catches already being taken from most of the rivers and creeks around Brisbane. June will see temperatures drop lower as the month progresses, which will see a few other species making their way into the rivers in larger numbers. Flathead June is flathead time around Brisbane. The cold water gets the lizards fired up and it’s not uncommon to land large numbers during each session. All the rivers and creeks that run off Moreton Bay will hold plenty of flatties keen to belt a lure or bait over the next few months. When they are feeding aggressively, they can be quite easy to catch. A variety of techniques will successfully land flathead, including trolling hard-bodies, casting and jigging plastics, live baiting and drifting wellpresented baits. When the flatties aren’t feeding actively, it’s an excellent time to try a few different lures or techniques. It can be handy to have a few tricks up your sleeve

Local Luring by KEITH STRATFORD

for when they are quiet. Cracking a new pattern is very rewarding and it can turn a slow session into a really productive one. I always go out with a plan, but I also make sure I have a couple of backup plans to ensure I give myself the best chance of getting into the fish. Casting soft plastics is an excellent way to nail a few flathead. They rarely turn down a well-presented plastic and this is probably the most popular and enjoyable way to catch them. It’s also a very active way to target them and although it takes a certain degree of skill on the angler’s part to catch large numbers consistently, it’s still possible for beginners to have success. Lure selection is very important when casting soft plastics but the most important part is jig head selection. Knowing the area you plan on targeting decides the size and weight of the jig head. Depth is the most important factor, but tidal flow and wind also need to be considered. I rarely choose a jig head under a 1/4oz when chasing flathead. The only time I will go lighter is if I’m targeting shallow water over weed beds or tight

into mangroves. Flathead are ambush feeders and will happily eat a plastic retrieved at a fair pace. They have a surprising turn of speed and can be very aggressive when actively feeding. I’ve watched them follow the plastic for a few metres before eating it. They aren’t the slow, sluggish fish a lot of anglers think they are. Once the water gets over about 1.8m in depth I like to go slightly heavier with a 3/8oz jig head. The extra weight allows you to cover a lot of area quite quickly. A 3/8oz jig head can be used in deep water up to 9m at times, as long as the current isn’t too strong. It’s very rare to need anything heavier while chasing flathead in the rivers and creeks around Brisbane. Most water is under 6m deep and a 3/8oz head will do the job fine. Hook size also needs to be taken into consideration. I don’t like to use plastics under 3” long for flatties because the smaller flatties and bream can become a bit of a pain. A 2/0 or 3/0 hook will suit a 3” plastic perfectly. I like to use the range of Z-Man plastics from TT Lures.

Z-Man has a massive range to choose from and the material the plastics are made from is very durable, tough and stretchy compared to most other brands. One plastic can catch a huge number of fish before having to be replaced. The range includes every type of plastic you will need for flatties anywhere. The 3” MinnowZ are one of my favourites. These little plastics are dynamite on a lot of species and flathead can’t get enough of them. You have a lot of colours to choose from that will cover all conditions you’re going to come across. The 4” Curly TailZ are

another excellent flathead plastic. These plastics require very little movement to get the tail moving and the flatties can’t resist them. The 3” ShrimpZ is another addition to a great flathead plastic line-up. I’ve had really good sessions on these prawn imitations and it’s not only flatties that will eat them. You can also choose from a large range of stickbait and jerk shad plastics. I prefer to use a plastic with a lot of tail action, but the 3.75” StreakZ has proven itself as a great little flathead plastic, especially when the bite is a bit tough. * continued P20

The 4” Z-Man Curly TailZ has been getting plenty of bites lately.

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Northside prawning session nets results

RUCE Carrol and Stefan Slomka both happened to have a Tuesday off and with a favourable forecast they decided it was more than a good opportunity to try for a feed of prawns.

Not wanting to keep the idea to themselves, Stefan posted a note to that effect on the PBA Facebook page the day before and also raised it at the Monday night club meeting. Needless to say, quite a bit of interest was indicated so a quick plan was hatched of where and when to meet. The next day saw Scotty with his son Jack as well as Dale, Col, Bruce, Stefan and his son Robbie all at the ramp at the crack of dawn. Dale said he knew a super-secret spot X where the prawns were bound to be and if they promised to keep it to themselves, he’d take them there. They all agreed and followed Dale out to said se-

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cret spot and got to prawning… along with the 50 other boats already there. Prawn season would have to be one of the busiest and craziest times to be on the water. There are people who know where to go and what to look for and others who just head out looking for a group of boats. It’s not uncommon to pull up alongside a mate in the middle of nowhere to have a chat and within a minute have a dozen boats around you casting nets. The water in the target area was quite deep and they all had to extend their ropes by a few metres. Deep as it may have been, the prawns were there and the boys were on from the first cast. The size and numbers were not as good as at Nudgee a month previously but they still had plenty of fun. John and his skipper joined the others after about five minutes. They had launched about 10km south and motored straight up because spot X seemed to be where the prawns were firing. Unfortunately, they used some cheap rope to extend their cast net’s reach and it snapped just as they were starting to connect. When it comes to nets, some cheapies will do the job but if you can afford a custom top-pocket model, that is definitely the way to go. By far the best I’ve found in recent years are the ones from Dave’s Cast Nets. He makes them locally and you can find him on Facebook or give him a ring on 0433 355 417. You won’t be disappointed.

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Page 20 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

Everyone was getting a nice handful each cast, with the occasional kilogram shot coming aboard. After a while the wind picked up but so did the prawns. Dale was on fire and bagged out first among the PBA boys. It wasn’t long after that when everyone decided to call it quits and head back to the ramp. At the ramp they cracked a couple of coldies and compared catches, with just about every boat having bagged out with 10 litres per person. It was a great day and shows what being in a club is all about. MacGyvering I’m on Facebook a fair bit and find it good for keeping in touch with friends and seeing what others are up to, and occasionally I come across some gems. My old school buddy Donald Thompson posted the attached pics from Shute Harbour and I love everything about them. It was a great dad and son moment and just goes to show you can make do with anything if you use a bit of imagination. The MacGyver in the picture is Josh with his son Max. Josh’s mum Sarah bought the reel at an op shop for $1 and the spoon and sticky tape were from their holiday flat. Tackle wise, I’m told Josh never leaves home without his trusty assortment of hooks, sinkers and swivels, and bait for the day was some stale raisin bread. Obviously it worked well, with a nice bream to show for it. On another subject and

not so much doing a MacGyver but more like fixing the aftermath, I’ve had a mass of messy wiring under my boat’s console and while I may have contributed to it, I really think it’s been mostly like that from new. It’s always driven me nuts and I’ve always wanted to get it sorted properly, but like a few other things on the boat I’ve never quite got around to it. Last year I saw some snaps of a job completed by Tony Dummer for Nabeel Issa from Navico on his private boat and I was pretty impressed. I contacted Tony and organised for him to give the wiring some ‘love’

and the results were excellent. Everything is now clearly labelled, tidy and with a couple of improvements to make the whole electrical system more practical for me. Anyway, if you need some wiring done, don’t hesitate to contact Tony on 0427 335 007 and he’ll get you sorted. Next meeting The next club meeting will be held on Monday, June 4. Meetings are usually 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. Safe boating.

The PBA prawning crew after a successful outing.

The MacGyver special.

Zac with his bream taken on the MacGyver outfit.

Guide to catching flathead on lures around Brisbane * from P18

If you want to check out the range of Z-Man plastics, pop into Tackle World Lawnton and see Steve and the boys. They have a huge range of TT jig heads and ZMan plastics and will point you in the right di-

rection if you have any questions. That’s it for this month. Next month I will talk about the type of gear needed for chasing flatties and I’ll go into a bit more detail about which plastic to use and where. I hope to see you on the water.

Z-Man’s 3.75” StreakZ has proven very effective on flathead around Brisbane.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 21

Jumpinpin provided the perfect setting for a beach fishing session.

The author loved spending quality time fishing with his son.

Magical times fishing with little mate

HOUGH there are a lot of places where it’s a bit hard to take little kids fishing, I’ve been fortunate enough to have my little mate John with me on the past couple of trips.

Young John enjoyed landing this bream around a canal pontoon.

I was a bit nervous to begin with when shooting a promotional video with Yamaha at Jumpinpin because John can be a mischief maker, but he was on his best behaviour. Our first stop was to the Hooked Online tackle and bait shop where we called in to see Brett to pick up some worms we had ordered as plan B. We then ventured to the Pin Bar where we pumped yabbies along an exposed sandbank for a session in the surf on the other side of the spit on the northern end of South Stradbroke Island. This is a great little place

John and the author with good-sized mud crabs caught in the Proserpine River while on holidays.

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that you can get to by boat and the walk across isn’t too far to experience some surf fishing. With John picking up the yabbies, it wasn’t long before we had enough bait for a session on whiting and swallowtail dart. After a bit of a play in the surf, John settled down enough to fish for our target species. It’d been a while since I had fished this location, so I had all fingers and toes crossed that we could catch something for the camera. As it was, I need not have worried because our yabby and worm baits were taken with gusto. After talking John through playing the fish, he was left to his own

devices to catch his own. He has practised his casting in the backyard, however I had to help him because the fish were a little further out than where he could reach. I was actually quite surprised how well he picked up surf fishing and he was adept at walking backwards and using the wave motion to wash the fish ashore, keeping the rod tip down. John is quite ambidextrous and can wind both right and left handed, which is good because the fishing was fast and thankfully easy, so rods were getting swapped quite regularly. John soon relaxed, forgot about the camera and enjoyed his first surf

fishing session. Our cameraman Andrew was pretty happy that he didn’t need a second take. I think it’s great to let kids experience this type of fishing because sometimes fishing from the boat can be a bit restrictive for younger ones and they really enjoy the freedom of sand between the toes as much as us big kids. John caught solid numbers of dart and to top it off, landed a good-sized whiting. We then tried our luck at boat fishing and were happy to catch a few more fish in the vicinity of the Pin. Canals and rivers are also idyllic places to take kids fishing because once again they have the freedom to play and run around when the fishing is slow. Canal fishing can be reasonably easy at times,

especially if you’re fishing for someone’s ‘pet’ bream below their pontoon. Kids don’t care about logistics or whether some may consider this type of fishing cheating. I believe any fish counts when you’re a kid and John enjoyed capturing bream. We had a chance to head to Cairns over the school holidays, however our trip to Cooktown was cancelled due to a landslide thanks to ex-tropical cyclone Nora. Charters in the Cooktown area are once again under way, so we’ll have to give it a go next time. We had a quick session on Peter Faust Dam in the middle of the day for one bite and no fish but will fly up there with John in future because all he wants to do is catch a barramundi and a marlin.

Winter species out in force early I T’S easy to see winter is setting in, with some cool mornings ahead.

May has been a very productive month for fishing, with our common winter targets out in force early. Offshore, people are seeing the positive signs of snapper and pearl perch popping up on our closer reefs and hitting micro jigs and soft plastics. Trevally are beginning to be matched in competitiveness by tailor early in

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the morning and late of an afternoon. The two fish seem to be swimming in mixed schools around the Broadwater and harassing all the prawns and baitfish hugging tight to structure. Tailor are already being caught in good numbers from Sundale Bridge right through to Jumpinpin. They can be hooked

with many techniques but are best targeted when they are seen feeding on baitfish on the surface. Using surface lures and getting them to strike on the top is the most visual and exciting way to hook up. Trevally are still around and doing the same thing, which is making life very hard for baitfish.

One thing I’ve noticed in the past few weeks is the variety of trevally on offer, with big-eye, giant and golden all captured of late. Jewfish are becoming more of a target species

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Winter species out in force early * from P22

the slack water. Bream are beginning their spawning period, so finding large schools on the sounder in the main channels will be possible and this will see large

numbers of fish caught if you can stay on top of the school. Flathead are becoming more regular captures and will continue to improve as it gets colder. Rewards are coming

This standard-size Hinze bass was hooked while fishing the banks.

from both fishing deep with soft plastics at the Pin and Seaway and casting lures onto the shallow flats. A technique that will be seen a lot more this year after it increased in popularity and success last year is the use of swimbaits on the flats. Many stories have been told of flathead coming up and eating smaller hooked fish, which got people thinking ‘why wouldn’t they attack large lures then?’ And swimbaits fit the description perfectly. Using a larger lure in shallow water allows for a visual bite. Though numbers probably won’t be high, the quality of fish and sight

of seeing a big fish hunt down a lure is worth it. In the fresh, the bass closed season in tidal waters runs from June 1 to August 31. So from about St Brigid’s Primary School to Weedons Crossing in the Nerang River is a no bass fishing zone, as is the weir at Clear Island Waters and the weir in the Coomera River. With fisheries officers beginning to patrol these areas, it’s not worth the risk. And this closed season is in place to promote a successful breeding season to replenish our river systems with more bass. Fishing impoundments for bass is allowed all year round, and with the

A nice Hinze Dam saratoga caught as the lure hit the water.

fishing Hinze has to offer, there is no reason why you wouldn’t target bass in the dam! Lately the fish are showing up more frequently on the banks as they look for an easy meal early before staying deep all day. Fishing small jerkbaits and slow-sinking jointed lures has been successful, as has the use of weedless soft plastics. Saratoga are showing up more often too, making them an easier target. They regularly come to the surface and when they swim off they leave a very noticeable swirl. Generally, casting within the proximity of the swirl generates a bite. Fishing larger artificial baits in these colder months can be a wise option because the fish will often prefer a larger meal to fully satisfy them while expending the least amount of energy. Fishing banks out of the sun is the best option for bass because they’ll stay higher in the water column in the shade. The sun doesn’t seem to affect toga as much and they generally stay in the top 1.5m of the water column looking for bugs, frogs and small baitfish hiding among the branches near the surface. Rug up this month and get out to try your luck at a bit of everything!

Luke with his PB flathead on a soft plastic.

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Hopping the lure from shallow water back into the deeper channel resulted in this school-size flathead.

This jewfish took a Fish Trap in Fat Betty colour fished in a 10m-deep hole.

Winter options in the rivers

’DAY everyone, here we are in the first month of winter and even though the daylight hours are shorter and early morning starts can be brisk, good fishing is on hand.

Tommy, aka the Twerking Turtle, with a nice flathead caught on a Zerek Fish Trap.

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Some anglers underestimate how good the flathead fishing is through the cooler months. In fact, I get some of my best figures on flatties through winter when the water temperature averages 20-22C. The best place to target flatties on lures and bait at this time of year is the flats and shallows, particularly on the runin tide. The fish will move out of the channels and up onto the flats to feed on bait moving around shallower and sometimes slightly warmer sun-heated water. If the shallow grounds you choose to fish have some scattered seagrass beds, this is a bonus because the seagrass gives the baitfish a place to hide. Try to fish as close as possible to these seagrass beds without getting your lures or bait caught in the weed itself because the weed will just foul up your lures and bait. Bait fishers would be best using whitebait,

by BRAD SMITH

while accurately cast soft plastics and trolled shallow-running hard-bodied minnows are ideal for lure users. Another fantastic way to catch flatties at this time of year is to fish the edges of these same shallow grounds on the first two hours of the run-out tide. What will happen is the flathead will move off the shallow grounds to wait on the deeper drop-offs for the bait that is forced to retreat off the bank with the receding tide. Through winter it is also worthwhile checking out the deep holes in the rivers for a few flatties. Use your sounder and look for big bait schools holding near the bottom because a flathead is bound to be waiting in ambush under these bait balls. And while sounding the deep holes through winter, keep an eye on your screen for any big fish markings because this is an excellent time to target one of our apex species, the mighty mulloway. Mulloway, or jewies as they are more commonly

known, will frequent the deepest holes in the rivers, especially if there is an abundance of bait because these big fish need a lot of food to sustain them. The tide changes are the best times to target jewies and it doesn’t seem to matter whether it be a change from high to low or low to high. Live baits such as herring and poddy mullet would be best for bait fishers but my favourite method is to fish down deep with metal blades and soft plastics. One lure I have been using in recent times with great success on both flathead and jewfish is the Zerek Fish Trap. It comes in a range of sizes and colours but my favourite is the 65mm model in Fat Betty and Flying Bear colour codes, though if the water is a bit dirty I also like Barred Grunter. The 65mm Fish Trap weighs 10g, so sinks to the bottom quite quickly. This lure is also solidly built, with a one-piece wire running through it

to the hooks, which is perfect for big jew and flathead. I use the Fish Trap with the same technique I employ for soft plastics and blades, and that is to have them hopping vertically or horizontally in 30cm jumps along the bottom. To achieve these equal 30cm hops is as simple as twitching your rod tip

with equal 30cm movements. I like to have the lure moving with small hops because this keeps your lure in close contact with the bottom, which is the zone where the flatties and jew will be feeding. Well everyone, I hope you stay warm and this article helps you get some results this month.

Zerek Fish Traps in Fat Betty colour have worked well for jewfish and flathead.

Even cute little soapy jew are willing to attack Fish Traps.

Having fun while fishing the Gold Coast

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Gold Coast Guide

or walking the beach for most of the night much less appealing.

These days, my fishing trips are all about enjoying myself, having fun with mates and of course catching nice fish. Overnight fishing trips are a great way of landing the bigger, more cautious fish and for the younger fishos are excellent for learning to catch fish very quickly. In busy areas like the Gold Coast, the fishing can be much better late in the evening once most of the boat traffic has disappeared and just the fishers are on the water. Bream, jewfish and tailor fishing can improve greatly after dark because the fish are less cautious and will move up into shallow water to feed, especially on dark new moon nights on the beaches. In the estuaries, bream will move in to feed around rock walls and this

Broadwater Region by WAYNE ‘YOUNGY’ YOUNG

is where unweighted yabbies and prawns will catch good numbers of fish. This is a very successful way to fish the Seaway rock walls land based at night. Using a sinker will result in lots of snags while unweighted baits will stay above the snags and look very natural in the water. Jew in the Seaway will be much more active at night as well, feeding on the big schools of mullet that congregate in the Seaway at this time of year. The change of tide is always the best time to chase jew, especially in the fast-flowing Seaway. Around the pipeline and the eddies at the end of the rock walls of Wavebreak Island are the best spots to try. The slower tides be-

tween the full and new moons are well worth trying as well, with the couple of days before the new moon probably best.

Live pike, mullet and even legal size whiting are the better live baits, with tailor and mullet flesh the best of the dead baits. Tailor in the Broadwater will use the cover of darkness to drive bait into the shallows near sandbanks * continued P25

Gordy held two snapper from his recent offshore trip.

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Having fun while fishing the Gold Coast * from P24

and rock walls to feed. The sand and weed beds to the north of Crab Island and the rock walls on the outside of Sovereign Island are ideal areas to look for them. Another spot producing tailor is the edge of the main channel south in front of Marina Mirage down to Sundale Bridge, with lots of lights on the water to attract baitfish. The easiest way to find and catch tailor at night is to troll 8-10cm diving lures about 20m behind the boat at two to three knots. Keep a close eye on your sounder for bait schools. Scattered bait usually means only a few predators around but a tightly bunched school of bait on the sounder means lots of predators nearby. Now, for us old fellas who like to fish during the warmth of the day, whiting numbers in the Nerang River have been good. The only drama has been finding them because every trip they seem to be feeding in a different area between Sorrento and Carrara. On our last trip, we tried four spots before we put a fish in the Esky. Once we found them, we put a good catch together in a couple of hours. In the Coomera River,

the area between Paradise Point and Sanctuary Cove is the better bet this month. As always, bloodworms are the best bait. If you’re new to fishing either the Nerang or Coomera rivers for whiting, the best advice I can give is to fish near the channel markers. Using your sounder to locate any depth changes on the sandbanks, remember the whiting will tend to feed in the shallows but always use the deeper water nearby for protection from predators. Offshore fishing has been good but Mother Nature has really been giving us a hard time lately, with wind, rain, swell and last month an increase in current, which made bottom fishing tough. Some good fish are around though, and this month will be even better as the snapper move onto the closer reefs. I usually travel the 7km out to the 40m-deep reefs. For the next couple of months, both the 30m and 35m reefs will hold good fish too. Always try to fish as light as the current allows and make sure you keep your bait a metre or so above the bottom to avoid the rubbish fish such as grinners and red cod. Flesh baits can be best when a lot of pickers are

around because they tend to last longer and give the bigger fish a chance to find them. These close-in reefs off the Seaway also hold good jewfish for those fishing early morning or late afternoon into the evening. Yakkas can be jigged on these reefs and are excellent baits for jewfish. It is not uncommon to run into the odd cobia here as well. Learning to read what your sounder is showing you offshore is very important for catching fish.

Knowing the difference between baitfish and bigger fish that show up as arches on the sounder is key. I have a large Garmin sounder on my boat that is excellent for showing up both bait and larger fish. I always have it in auto mode and it works extremely well without having to fine-tune settings all the time. However, I recommend turning the sounder off once you’ve started fishing because the constant pinging from the trans-

ducer can spook the fish, even in 40m of water. Crabbing has slowed right down now but a few sand crabs are still around the weed beds in the Broadwater for those who put in the time. It’s a bit early for any big numbers of flathead but this month should see a few start to turn up in the smaller channels and drains north of Crab Island to the northern mouth of the Coomera River. ‘Til next month, fish for the future.

Pete landed a couple of quality whiting recently.

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The author with a good snapper caught from the close offshore reefs.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 25

Mitch was rewarded for his early morning efforts with a metre-plus giant herring.

The author with a solid late-season mackerel that hammered a big live bait.

Covering all bases on Gold Coast I

T’S time to bring out the UGG Boots and tracky dacks as winter kicks off with a bang.

Already we are starting to see more consistent, settled weather, offering offshore fishers magical days on the water. While the air temperature may be dropping, the water temperature is still hovering around 24C and at that temperature the pelagics will hang around. At this time of year the transition period is pretty exciting because you simply don’t know what you are going to get, especially with big bait schools of pilchards moving up the coast along with the mullet run. The water has stayed gin clear on the close reefs, so you need a stealthy approach by limiting your noise and being mindful of the shadow of your boat. Snapper are the fish most anglers will be chasing and I’m super excited about exploring new ground I’ve found over summer. It’s only recently that I’ve started to utilise my Garmin GPS/sounder to its full potential, using ClearVu and Quickdraw. Quickdraw is a game changer and I’m able to

Go wherever and whenever the fish are biting with confidence! Made in Australia for our tough marine environments Photo courtesy of Australian Master Marine

Page 26 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

Gold Coast by HEATH ZYGNERSKI

put myself exactly where I need to be when anchoring or drifting. For those who don’t know, Quickdraw allows you to create your own contour maps, with 30cm contours giving you an unparalleled view of the bottom. It breathes new life into that spot you always fish and thought you knew like the back of your hand. While on the subject of Garmin, I have to give the company a huge shoutout for excellent customer service for resolving an issue I had with my mapping card. The Garmin team had it all sorted in a week with no fuss. Back to the fishing, at this time of year when chasing snapper we regularly get snipped off by late-running spanish mackerel. These are normally huge fish, so soaking a big live tailor, slimy mackerel or pike is a great option if you find your float lines are getting bitten off. Some of our biggest

spaniards going 25kg or more have been caught in the cooler months, along with wahoo and black marlin. So be prepared and cover all bases with the right tackle to do the job. I went to using braid for snapper last season after getting dusted up constantly the year before. However, I didn’t get a good enough crack at snapper last year to decide if I’ll keep using braid for float lining or go back to mono, but I’ll be sticking with braid for the moment. I love mackerel fishing, but there is something super special as you see that line fly off the reel from the run of a big-old snapper, and even more so when you see that deep red colour down deep as you bring the fish to the boat. Besides snapper, jewfish, jobfish and spangled emperor will be on offer on the close reefs. Some good kingfish will be hanging on the reefs too. Out wide, one of the

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tastiest fish in the sea, pearl perch, will begin schooling up to spawn. These fish show up as a triangle on the sounder and will hit just about any bait sent down to them. The ever-trusty paternoster rig is perfect for targeting pearlies. In the rivers and creeks, the fishing has been sensational. Good flathead have been caught on the banks and drop-offs. Mangrove jack show no sign of slowing and some absolute horses have been caught. Giant herring have made a resurgence as well, with some fish going better than a metre. These fish thrive in skinny water and while the water temperature hangs in there, so should the fish. I’m afraid the local bars aren’t getting any better. Tweed River Bar is still very shallow inside the walls and on the back bank. It was only 3.5m deep on my last crossing and that

was on a half tide. Currumbin Creek Bar is a mess again, with no real channel. Boats have been caught trying to get back in with no water on the bar, meaning they’ve had to wait for the tide to run in until almost the top. Take extreme caution if using Currumbin. Tallebudgera Creek Bar has a small gutter heading out but once at the wall, it’s just a big bank. You have nowhere to run at Tally and once you are committed that is it, you have to take on whatever the swell throws at you. The Seaway is also getting messy, with banks forming to the south of the bar and of course to the north. What was once a deep, relatively safe passage is now a channel where you need to use caution and be aware of the tides and swell, especially in smaller craft. ‘Til next month, bent rods to you all.

The business end of a mackerel. They are members of the razor gang for good reason.

Mitch with a healthy late-season mangrove jack.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Wide reefs worth the run n Watch out for whales Well it’s been a repeat this month. However, things are set to change in the shark department because I won’t be chasing mackerel this month. The sharks have been savage this year and will only get worse in years to come. During May I always wean myself off mackerel and out to the deep water. This year hasn’t quite worked like that because the weather has limited opportunities to head wide and when you can get out there, the current has been pumping. On the plus side, even though the current has been running we haven’t had to keep our baits on the bottom for long because pearl perch have been prevalent. Motoring back up to your marks all the time reduces the number of drops you can do in a day and burns a lot more fuel but at least the fish have been there. This is encouraging because when the stars align and the weather and current allow, really good fishing will be on offer. Starting at Windarra Banks of a morning this month should see a few snapper float lined or jigged on soft plastics. A kingfish or amberjack might stretch your arms too. From there, if the day allows, the choice of deep reefs beckons anywhere from 32 fathoms to the continental shelf. On the 32-fathom line, a few parrotfish and squire will be around and flathead, trag and pearlies will also be on offer. The 42 and 45-fathom depths will see more of the same as well as kingfish, amberjack and jew. The 50 to 55-fathom line should fish well for snapper, pearl perch and bonus tasty reefies such as rosy jobfish, pigfish and so on. Fishing in close should be OK this month, with snapper and jewfish the main targets here at Brunswick Heads. Off Tweed Heads, June is usually a great month for targeting spangled emperor. Night fishing is popular at this time of year and for good reason because this is when the shallows can fire. If you are new to the idea of night fishing offshore, grab a copy of last month’s BNB and read Bill Corten’s article on the subject. Night fishing is a completely different experience, and everything is harder at night. The whales will begin to move through this month, which just adds to the difficulties of night fishing. Even of a daytime it is getting more dangerous with the whales, so slow down, especially across the paths they usually travel. On their migration north they like to move in the 24 www.bnbfishing.com. au

Tweed to Byron Bay by GAVIN DOBSON

A pod of whales came through and they looked like massive green glowing torpedos. I was nervous as always, but what a sight not many can say they have seen. to 32-fathom corridor. Unfortunately, Windarra Banks is right in the line of fire and as much as I like night fishing there at this time of year, it is a dicey place to be anchored at night. I have had some very unnerving experiences there over the years. It’s bad enough drifting but when you’ve got an anchor rope they can get tangled in, it gets seriously dangerous. Many a night I’ve sat on the bow with a knife to the rope as a pod of whales comes through. One night I was anchored on Windarra Banks on the new moon and phosphorus was thick in the water. A pod of whales came through and they looked like massive green glowing torpedos. I was nervous as always, but what a sight not many can say they have seen. Anyway, back to the jewfish. My cousin Melissa has been back diving again and she knows I like footage of the fish I target. I’ve always kept my baits well off the bottom when targeting jewfish but I always wonder if they should be higher. I’ve had jew hit baits on the surface before in water 20m deep. On her most recent trip, Melissa filmed a fairly large school of jew milling around and she had to swim a fair way up off the bottom to get the footage. Knowing I would be curious, she checked her gauges and found the school was 10m down in 20m of water. I know they weren’t feeding but they aren’t the bottom huggers a lot of people think they are. If you are catching wobbegongs, you are definitely too low! This month it’s time to get on the beach of an evening and fish for tailor. Tailor seasons aren’t what they used to be but it’s still fun when the westerly blows and the surf flattens off. Finding a good hole before dark and getting ready as the temperature plummets is exciting. Having the right gear for the weather is necessary, unless you are from down south and find our winters mild. I hate the cold. I’ve always worn wetsuit pants and booties over the years for night beach fishing and this has suited me well but this year it’s go-

ing to be waders to try to keep the aches and pains away. I fished alongside a bloke for years who only wore footy shorts and a Tshirt, even on the coldest winter’s night.

Apparently it was like a Canadian summer’s day to him. Cut baits of bonito, mullet, pike, yellowtail and slimy mackerel make good baits to supplement the standard pilchards and usually produce the bigger tailor and jew. In the rivers this month, bream will dominate catch bags. Blackfish will also be a common target. Over the past few years, mud crabs have hit their peak in June. Forget that old saying that you only catch crabs in months containing the letter ‘R’. As I write, quality mud crabs are everywhere and I don’t spell May with an R.

A school of jew milling around in midwater were snapped by Melissa Peachey.

Melissa with a cracking reef jewfish.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 27

This longtail tuna taken by Hank Merhi of Sydney in early May was the only fish landed during a day of carnage on the Iluka wall in which a dozen mackerel and tuna fell victim to a shark feeding frenzy.

The author celebrated 40 years of spinning the headlands and breakwalls for tuna with Alvey reels and surface poppers by landing this 17.5kg fish at Iluka during the first week of May.

Longtail tuna v sharks on Iluka breakwall

HE land-based pelagic season came to a grinding halt mid-May after a couple of days of howling westerly wind followed by large 3-4m swells that lasted for several days.

Red Arthur with all that was left of his small tuna after the sharks had a meal.

HT showed exactly why he is a renowned gun angler in the Sydney region by guiding this 22kg tuna through a maze of sharks.

Land-based game guru Ted McLean of Ashby captured this quality spanish mackerel from the Iluka breakwall on a live gar in May, which saw him clock up 45 years of LBG.

Page 28 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

Sure, you may still be in with a chance of landing a longtail tuna off the walls and headlands during June, however I would take a good supply of coffee and pies as hook-ups will be few and far between. The good news is the first two weeks of May saw the Iluka wall really fire for tuna, with several nice fish taken by anglers lucky enough to get them to the gaff before they were devoured by ravenous sharks that moved in in large numbers. Sydney anglers Hank and Milly Merhi, Red Arthur and Ahmed Dennaoui were unlucky enough to be fishing for tuna and mackerel on the wall as the sharks moved in. While the lads managed to land a handful of solid mack tuna and Hank scored a little longtail tuna of about 11kg, they returned to Sydney feeling gutted after hooking about a dozen tuna and mackerel on their last day, only to see every fish eaten by the sharks. Red hooked the biggest tuna by far that day (about 25kg), but sadly as the fish was about 40m from the gaff the water turned red with blood as four sharks tore it apart, just like all the others that were hooked. Days later, Red made a surprise return visit on the Mother’s Day weekend with Sydney fishing guru HT who featured in my column last month. As I mentioned last month, HT is a noted gun angler in the Sydney region and bugger me if he didn’t put his talent on show again this trip. The very first bait HT put in the water got scoffed by a horse tuna and instantly we all thought there was no way he could land such a big fish with the number of sharks that were around. Fifteen minutes into the fight, the fish began arcing about 50m out when

Just Jew by TYE PORTER

we saw two huge sharks begin their attack on the distressed fish. One shark attacked from the left at speed while the second came from the right, but at the very last instant HT put his reel in free spool to allow the tuna a chance to avoid the sharks, which it did, and watching the sharks headbutt each other had us rolling in laughter. I’ve seen funny stuff like that in rugby league where two teammates miss the opposing player and head clash, but I had never seen it happen in the wild. The sharks soon regrouped and the hunt was on again but this time instead of free spooling his fish, HT locked up the drag and ripped its head out of the water, and keelhauled it to Mischa who was waiting with the gaff, which he sunk home first shot. It is very hard to put into words the feat that HT achieved with this fish,

but all who witnessed the fight were left in awe at the skill he displayed during the fight. Red once again fed the sharks with every fish he hooked, however he did end up with the head of a jellybean-sized longtail. This trend continued for the next week, with the only fish making it to the gaff being hooked by Woombah angler Dave Deveigne, and even it had teeth marks along its tail. Prior to all this carnage, I waddled out with good mate (and gaff man) Ted McLean of Ashby and snared a 17.5kg longtail on my trusty 700A5 Alvey reel and surface popper, which marked my 40th year of spinning for tuna with an Alvey reel. I reckon it was a pretty good effort for two old codgers with a combined age of 123 years, not to mention the combined land-based game fishing experience of 85 years. Although Ted missed

out on a fish that day, he did manage to celebrate 45 years of LBG by snaring a spanish mackerel the following day on a live gar. Most anglers this month will probably begin to focus on species such as jewfish and bream as winter finally takes a hold and both these fish move into the rivers in good numbers to meet the large schools of mullet pushing out to sea on their annual migration. Naturally enough, the bream do not eat the mullet whole as the jewfish do, but they love the roe the mullet deposit along the retaining walls, wharves and other structures. I have often been asked how I find a good spot to fish for jew in the rivers during winter and the answer is pretty simple. Concentrate on looking for schools of flattail mullet during the day on high water throughout the first 4km of any river system. The fish will be found milling around bridge pylons, jetties, piers, retaining walls and other structures such as fallen trees and drain outlets.

When you find such spots that are holding mullet, simply return to that location at night during the slack high water because sure as eggs the jew will know they are there as well. This month I would concentrate on using live mullet for jewfish inside the rivers from the boat or shore, while off the breakwalls you won’t go wrong with fresh squid, live yellowtail and live tailor (minimum size 30cm in NSW). Off the beaches try swimming a live mullet or tailor out in any rip you can find, and off the headlands hard-bodied lures and feather lures should do the trick. The local beaches are fishing well for bream, tarwhine and school jew on live beach worms and yabbies, with late reports of sizeable tailor coming from the point of the Iluka wall on lures and Back Beach on whole gar. June will see excellent catches of big snapper coming from offshore as the pelagics head back up north. ‘Til next month, safe fishin’.

Evans Head Fishing Classic returns with Australian Fishing Tournaments at the helm

N the back of the successful 2017 Evans Heads Fishing Classic, Australian Fishing Tournaments is returning and will once again be managing this world-class fishing competition and making a significant contribution to the local economy in the process.

The Evans Head Fishing Classic is synonymous with family fun, and now well into its twenties it has continued to add new and exciting ways to get everyone involved. Last year the organising committee made changes to the event with the addition of the Catch ‘n Snap entry system. It allowed anglers to enter photos instead of whole fish.

Anglers photographed their competitive catch on brag mats, then had the option to keep the fish or release them back into the water. The photo comp is based on length only. It was a huge hit and will continue in 2018. The 2018 Evans Head Fishing Classic will run from July 6 to July 13 and there is over $100,000 in prizes including two boats for the main draws as well as hundreds of random prizes. The broadened competition fishing zones continue opening up more spaces and places for anglers to fish: launch from Byron Bay to Yamba and fish both estuary and offshore. For AFT and entrants, this delivers a contin-

gency for bad weather and frees up more fishing opportunities. It also takes pressure off local fish stocks. Over the weekend, come down with the little ones for the Cadet Competition on Saturday and Sunday, a two-day competition for juniors, with prize pools open to all budding anglers under the age of 16. Champions, competitors and all attendees will be in the running for a total prize pool of over $100,000. All seven-day competitors have the chance to win one of two boat, motor and trailer packages sponsored by Quintrex/Evinrude E-TEC. There is a host of other prizes from sponsors including Lowrance,

Samurai Rods, Wilson Fishing, Hobie Kayaks and Frogleys Offshore. The prize pool is going to be better than ever. The Evans Head Fishing Classic will be held on the riverbanks outside the Woodburn Evans Head RSL Club, who are strong supporters of the event. Fish categories include snapper, pearl perch, mulloway, tailor, kingfish/cobia, amberjack/ samson fish, whiting, bream, blackfish and flathead. Cadets can target the usual estuary suspects of flathead, whiting and bream, with trag added back into the mix this year. To enter or find out more, visit evanshead fishingclassic.com.au www.bnbfishing.com. au

Cool change hits Ballina hard n Snapper offshore n Tailor on beaches n Bream in rivers

ELLO and welcome to this month’s edition.

Unfortunately, if this past month is anything to go by I think we are going to have a particularly wet winter. The one saving grace in this recent weather pattern is the bulk of the rain has fallen over the coastal fringe and inland areas have not seen a great deal of it. This has meant that while a small amount of colour is in the water at present, it is certainly not the usual chocolate brown you would expect after 200mm or more of rain. However, it is shaping up as though we may get quite a bit more over the next couple of months, but fingers crossed the weather department is a little off on this one. Something they have been spot-on about is the sudden drop in the mercury over the past week or two. Winter has certainly hit hard and that westerly wind is definitely contributing to this. Even though I am not a fan of the cold, it is a very productive time of year for those willing to brave the chill in search of their favourite winter species. Despite the cooler weather, a few of our summer species are still hanging around. Offshore, the odd mackerel is to be had but I would say that by the time this edition is on stands they will be close to gone. The good part is we are starting to see the first signs of snapper moving onto the close reefs such as Lennox, Black Head and Riordans. At this time of year it is great fun to experiment with lightly weighted soft plastics and very tiny slow-pitch jigs in this shallow water. Most of the reefs I mentioned are in the 1025m range, so a jig head weight between 1/8oz and 3/8oz should be plenty. Some anglers make the mistake of thinking that just because they are fishing offshore, they require heavy gear. Quite the opposite is the case, particularly in the case of some of the betterquality snapper, jew and even the odd tuna that will be haunting these areas. I have a few favourite colours of soft plastics I like to use, but I think the best idea is to have a few options and be willing to try them all until you can narrow down what they are interested in on that day. The FAD is holding some mahi mahi still, and thankfully the current has slowed considerably comwww.bnbfishing.com. au

Ballina Bait & Tackle by BRETT HYDE

Good-quality pearl perch, flathead and snapper have all been taking live and dead baits such as mullet and pilchards. pared to this time last month. Live baits such as slimy mackerel and yakkas are still tempting these fish, and the odd larger model is showing up out a little wider and taking skirted lures trolled around. The more natural colours seem to be producing more fish, so stick to skirts with blue or green in them. The 32 and 42-fathom lines have also been fishing a little better, with the current slowing a little. Good-quality pearl perch, flathead and snapper have all been taking live and dead baits such as mullet and pilchards. Hopefully the current will continue to slow over the next month so we can start to target kingfish and amberjack on the wider grounds and even look to the shelf to chase deepwater species such as blue-eye trevalla, bar cod and bass grouper. Back on the beaches, things have been a little quiet in the past couple of weeks, but I expect results to improve over coming weeks now the weather has settled a little. Prior to the lull, most beaches were producing chopper-sized tailor on lures and bait. The usual baits such as mullet, pilchards and garfish have all been good options. Seven Mile, Angels and Main beaches have had good formations, but most beaches were holding fish, so get out there and check them out when planning your next trip. We should see a good run of bream along with tailor this year if the tailor numbers are anything to go by, and the bream are great by-catch when you are chasing tailor. We have seen a few school mulloway showing up on the beaches also, and they seem to be happy grabbing worms, mullet and even a fresh strip of tailor. I think I will be putting a big slab bait out the back of the gutter the next time I am on the beach having a fish for tailor. In the Richmond River, the cold weather has certainly slowed the crabs. This combined with the smaller tides at this time

of year has not helped anglers trying to catch their last feed of crabs for the season. If you want to try your

luck, I would wait until the tides improve around the full moon and keep your crabbing equipment in 2-4m of water because this depth will probably be a little warmer and more to the crabs’ liking. Bream have been loving this recent cool change, but those bigger tides will also suit them as they start to march in from the beaches in preparation for their breeding run. Metal blades, soft plastics and even soft vibes are all great lure options at this time of year as the bream hug the river bottom. The only downside, if

it is a downside, is flathead and school jew can also show some interest in these lures and they can be a bit tough to handle on the light gear we use for bream. Before I go, just a quick reminder that June 1 marks the beginning of the closed season for bass and estuary perch. This closed season means you can still legally fish for them through our rivers but can’t take any home while they are making their breeding run down to the salt. That’s all from me this month. ‘Til next time, tight lines!

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 29

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The good thing about the rain is it will help the bass get downstream to breed, and with bass closed season in place from June 1 to August 31, that’s a good thing. Just remember, in NSW you can target bass during closed season but you cannot take or have any in your possession. I will not chase bass at breeding time but some do and it is perfectly legal. There is still a lot of hoo-ha about fixing the Richmond River. I get a bit sick of some idiot thumping his or her chest proclaiming what they are going to do. It’s been going on for years. What a load of crap. Some people have no idea what to do, so they bring in this expert and then that expert… you know what an expert is? It’s a drip under pressure, and that’s about the extent of it. I really don’t think I will be around by the time they decide what to do or how to fix it. We fishers have said many times you need to buy back some of the cane areas around the upper reaches from Broadwater to Lismore and replace the cane with the proper grass that was there hundreds of years ago before we stepped in and buggered the lot up. Get rid of the farmland grasses and put back the original vegetation. I see talk on some web pages about pro fishers taking mullet on their migratory run. This has been going on for years and the mullet are still migrating and their stocks are OK. In some instances the mullet run is better than before. I know a number of people hate this happening but the pros are allowed to make a living, just like us. In our area the pros are doing it right. They know if they decimate the stocks that’s the end of their business, and I know they don’t want to kill their income. We fishers should let them do what they know and keep our noses out of it. Yes, I used to hate it, but I have learnt heaps

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Evans Head

by GARY ‘SQUIDGIE’ PALMER

over the years about what pros do. I have gone down to where they are working and watched and there is very little, if any, bycatch, and if there is it goes to nursing homes to make meals for the elderly. Give these pro fishers a break. Moving on to the fishing, bigger bream have started to show up on the beaches around Evans Head. One was weighed in at 1.3kg, which is not a monster but it’s a good start to the bream season. I saw a few comments on Facebook stating the 1.3kg bream was a bub compared to fish 30 years ago. I remember those days when a 1.8kg bream was a small fish, but unfortunately I think the days of big bream catches are over. We would catch 10 bream all over the 2kg mark on herring fillets and I have mentioned before the 2.6kg model caught on Airforce Beach by Patchy years ago. The norm now is around the 1kg mark, which is still a nice fish. To get the big bream, we use an 8 ball sinker, 1/0 bait-keeper hook, 30cm leader and fresh herring fillet. You can use gar or mullet but herring is best in my books. Find a nice gutter with an entry and exit and cast at the entry, walking with the current as your bait heads to the exit. If the gutter is long you will be able to pick up bream, flathead, jewfish and tailor. I have caught many a fish in these gutters and early morning and late at night are the best times. The thing that buggers you up is the bloody idiots who come along in their 4x4 and shine their headlights on the gutter or on you just to see what’s going on. Gee that pisses me off. Blackfish are slowly moving into the Evans River. It’s a bit early for them but I’m not complaining. My mate Wayne Lodington has me lined up for an attack on the luderick. The best bait for early in the season is cabbage weed, which you can gather from the headlands. I will be using a shotgun rig comprising two hooks, one with cabbage and one with weed (horse hair) if I can get some. If not, cane drain weed will do. I’m not a huge fan of cane drain weed but it does work. While not particularly effective here at Evans, if fishing the Ballina walls it’s the duck’s nuts. Our blackfish must be fussier than Ballina’s. Don’t overload your hooks with bait, use just enough, and deploy berley to get them firing. On the flathead scene, big crocs have been caught on live herring

and poddy mullet. For us lure users, Lively Lures Micro Mullets in pink or green have worked a treat. I just love Samaki vibes too. I’ll leave the colour of the vibes up to you but my favourites are Whitebait, Pearl Shrimp, Mullet and Pearl White. They are really easy to use. Simply lift and drop them on the retrieve or even troll them. I sometimes slow roll them too. They are available in a wide range of sizes and I’ve even used the small model for bream and bass. The Thumper Tail models need to be worked a bit more but boy do they catch fish. The vibration of the tail must send fish mad. Out on the headlands, bream, jew and some very big tailor are biting. A few black drummer, or pigs as we call them, are chewing as well. These fish are bloody good eating. This type of fishing is not for the faint-hearted because these brutes fight dirty and you will need heavy artillery to catch them. I run a 2/0 heavy-gauge hook, 000 ball sinker and a really strong swivel. You will need your jewfish rod or stronger and bait of cunjevoi, halved rock crabs, peeled prawns or weed. You will need to berley up with bread mix and a bit of tuna oil. I have used 20lb line and failed miserably. Some anglers use 4050lb line and really hang on and enjoy the fight. You need to be fishing the washy areas at

headlands and don’t let your bait hit the bottom, instead keeping it about 3m below the surface, depending on the depth of the spot you are fishing. Just don’t fish on the bottom and don’t go too shallow or all the undesirable fish will take your

hard-earned bait. While I could write more about drummer and other fish, that’s it for me this month. ‘Til next month, remember: limit your kill, don’t kill your limit. Tight lines and smelly fingers.

Horse hair and cabbage weed are both very good for blackfish, though early in the season cabbage is best.

Low tide revealed pylons covered in oysters, making the perfect bream spot at a higher tide. Oysters are a dinner bell for big bream.

A great spot for targeting big bream and flathead is rock walls. It will be feeding time on the run-in or run-out, so long as the oysters are covered. But if you cast about a metre from the wall on low tide, bream will still be there because heaps of wall is still under water.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 31

Offshore, river & beaches fishing well

H Ben Canvin was at it again.

A 60cm-plus fish for the author.

The author with a 58cm flathead.

I and welcome to this month of BNB.

The fishing has been pretty good around Newcastle, with great catches on the beaches, in the harbour and up and down our amazing rivers. Large flathead, bream, whiting and jew are around, as are snapper offshore, so let’s get into it. Anglers have been catching flathead bag limits on nearly every outing in the harbour and Hunter River, with some crackers among them. Best bets have been Raymond Terrace, Hexham, Stockton Bridge and any sandbars around these spots. Huge numbers have been taken at Raymond Terrace heading up past the Hunter River Tavern towards Hexham on the small sand bars in the middle of the river. The first long rock wall on the right as you head upstream has seen good numbers with solid crocs in the mix. Most fish have measured 45-70cm and these are perfect table size fish to take home for a feed. Soft plastics are the go here and prawn imitations are the standout. You can’t go past a Pepper Prawn 50-100mm Berkley Gulp model but even the 100mm paddletailed Squidgies in most colours will get you a feed. Try to pick a colour that matches the hatch, and at the moment heaps of mullet, whitebait and small prawns are running up and down the rivers, so it shouldn’t be hard to choose. Just make sure you beef up your leader because some by-catch jew will give you a little surprise when they turn up. The rivers are looking OK after the small flood last month but the fresh has done its job because the fish are on the bite again. Heading downstream towards Hexham Bridge, drifting along the left-

Ben Canvin with a snapper of the average size caught.

Page 32 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

3WAYSFISHIN – Newcastle by NATHAN ‘NATH’ PALMER

hand side on a run-out tide is a very productive spot where I see many anglers fishing. I always hear about cracker fish landed here including bream, flathead, jew, tailor and estuary perch. It must have something to do with the bridge and how the tides run through. You can see little eddies flushing water back towards the bank and creating slower sections of water that the larger fish lay in and wait for bait to be swept past. You never really know what you will catch here but it is a great spot to wet a line. Heading further downstream towards Newcastle Harbour, you’ll come across many small creeks that branch off the river. Pulling up in front of these on a run-out tide presents the perfect situation to cast a few plastics or hard-body lures. They’re great spots to throw out a few crab pots as well. I place two traps in the first creek I’m fishing and an hour later after casting a few plastics I check them and then move to the next creek and repeat. Most times I score a few crabs to complement the flathead, which is always a bonus. I’ve noticed a lot of driftwood throughout the rivers at the moment, so please take care if travelling at night because some large logs have moved down and are now sticking out of the mud and sand. These lumps of wood will wreck your boat or even tip you over, so please take care and slow down at night, even if you know the rivers. Stockton Beach has been a good place to wet a line over recent weeks, with great tides playing the game with the busy lives we all have. Having an afternoon run-in or early morning run-out tide has seen ripper tailor, jew, bream and whiting hooked along the beach. Try your luck over the back of the soccer oval for some great gutters, and you won’t have to cast a mile to get a few. Night-time jew fishing with live baits has seen good results. Having so many gutters with entry and exit points means the fish will turn up at some stage. Put in the effort and you should land one or two. Get your tides right, play the waiting game and hold on. While you are waiting

for the jew to turn up, wet a line for tailor because bucket loads of them are about including the odd big one. Camping on the beach is still not allowed and I’m not sure when they will let us camp there again. The ban is due to all the large storms and accompanying erosion. Some sections are closed off with the council saying camping has had a huge impact on cultural sites. The safety of campers is a concern too due to all the traffic moving through the beach overnight. I’ve heard of close calls where people are camping throughout the dunes and some 4x4s nearly drive over them. We are lucky someone hasn’t been seriously hurt or killed. I’m hoping council works out a plan to allow campers to sleep in peace and not have to worry about traffic coming close to them. In Newcastle Harbour, around the chip yards is one of my favourite places to target big bream, flathead, jew and a lot of other treats. A few mates were fishing there recently late of an afternoon and they caught big flathead by drifting poddy mullet. Several 80cm-plus flatties were caught by using the electric motor and drifting 3m off the rock wall in about a metre of water. They hooked up big time on nearly every pass. I’m looking forward to catching up with them soon so I can see what this action is all about. They said tide was not a problem because the big girls were on the bite regardless. It was all about placing their live baits between

different depths to find where the fish might be sitting on the rocks. Around the corner from the chip yards is the sand banks in front of Orica smelters. This is a great spot to cast a few worms for some whiting and bream and have a fish with the kids. I fished there recently and brought home a feed of whiting. It’s good to see the whiting are still in good numbers. If you want to try fishing surface for whiting, it’s a great spot to learn because of the rock platforms. With good polarised sunnies you can see how the popper works and watch the fish chasing it down. It’s loads of fun and my best whiting surface lures are the Rapala Ultra Light Pop in any clear, prawn or pink colour and the Jaz Zappa walk the dog. Check out some YouTube videos if you’re knew to this kind of fishing. Once you get your first fish on a popper or surface lure, you will be hooked for life. Jewfish are still hanging around Newcastle Harbour. The big breakwall on the Stockton side and the small breakwall behind Stockton pool are the best spots for getting a few solid jew. Night-time has been the go, with the larger fish caught from two hours before the top of the tide to an hour after. The jew have been on the bite after the big rains but the tailor have been thick and not the best for live bait because the jew seem to have gone off them. You can get live yakkas and slimies from the big breakwall on the Stockton side and if you can keep them alive you’re in for good fun. If you want to chase down tailor, just use pilchards or any oily baits and it won’t take long to get a feed. Just remember to bleed the tailor straight away and put them on ice to enjoy a good feed. A little recipe to try with

tailor is to boil three large potatoes (cut in pieces) and a whole onion together, then poach about one kilo of tailor for 15 minutes in shallow boiling water in a deep frying pan, then drain and set it aside. After my potatoes are done I mash the onion and potato together, add the poached tailor along with butter, garlic and shallots and roll into balls ofany size. I coat them in flour, egg wash and crumbs (repeat twice) and put them straight into an electric fryer. Wow, they are a treat to eat and great for the kids. They’re also good as a cold snack on the run. Heading outside, snapper are the target in the Mud Hole. It’s only a 10-minute trip from Newcastle Harbour and has proven a very productive spot on the past few outings. The snapper have not been really big but 2kg models have been great to bring home for the table. We have been trying a new way of fishing of late. We have been scoring a lot of bonito but because we like to use plastics when chasing snapper, we decided to cut bonito strips 100mm long by 20mm wide and then feed them onto our jig heads like we would plastics, with the hook sticking out of the flesh side, not the skin. We cast these out and lifted the rod tip as we would a plastic to catch the snapper. Though we tried plastics and dead baits with our other rods at the same time, for some reason the bonito strips on the jig heads performed best and our catch rates went through the roof. We only ended up using one rod each because it became full on to manage the others. Give it a try the next time you’re out. That’s all for this month. I’m about to head off to Townsville for seven days and have a fish and some R ‘n R with the family. I hope I can get a few fish and send some pics in to the BNB crew for the next edition. Stay safe on the water.

Nick Berry landed a 3kg snapper.

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Jeremy Hoover landed a cracking snapper off Mooloolaba. Photos: fishingnoosa.com.au

A good example of an early season pearl perch from North Reef.

Surf’s up on Sunshine Coast n Tips for catching jewies n Flathead firing

HE action in May usually indicates how good the winter fishery will be and I can safely say it looks pretty good.

WADDY POINT - FRASER ISLAND

Page 34 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

We were blessed with a lot of good rain earlier in the year, with solid falls on and off thanks to cyclone Iris, which gave the rivers a much-needed flush. Because of this, the rivers stayed a little dirty for most of April and combined with a cold winter on the forecast, the fishing this month will be at its best. The beaches will be great, especially the gutters from Peregian to the southern end of Maroochy’s North Shore. Jewies have been on the move, with fish to a metre caught on the new moon weekends in April and May. You will see fish this month regularly weighing in at up to 15kg. The perfect baits to secure these silver ghosts include fresh mullet fillet, bonito fillet and live beach worms. When using fresh strip baits, make sure you’re fishing with the correct rig. Tru-Turn Hooks manufactures a ready-made strip bait rig perfect for this style of fishing and consists of two hooks joined by a swivel, with the top hook bigger than the bottom and attached to a trace ready to tie directly to your main line. Another rig that has started to grow in popularity is designed for fishing with live beach worms. This rig is best used at night on the open beaches with a rising tide. It consists of a Tru-Turn 090 worm hook on a running sinker rig. This hook features two bait-holders at the top of the shank and is forged, which makes it extra strong but also very light. It’s important to use a heavy sinker to anchor the line securely in position. When placing the worm on the hook, ensure you feed part of the worm over the eye and onto the line and use the entire worm. It may help if you wait for a second or two after a bite before striking to ensure the hook is swallowed into the stomach.

Sunshine Coast by WADE QUALISCHEFSKI

When a jewfish swallows the hook, it will tend to be a little slower during the fight than if lip hooked. For up-to-date jew reports, call in and see the guys at any of the Davo’s tackle shops and we will point you in the right direction. Chopper tailor catches are on the improve, with most fish taken on the run-in tide along the open beaches at first light. If wanting to land good size tailor around the 5kg mark, head to the beach and use bonito strip baits after dark because the bigger fish love to hang around the deeper holes at night. This rig should be anchored heavily using a large star sinker to give the bait longer in the water because large tailor will cruise up and down the gutter looking for a feed. You will occasionally find smaller fish chewing on the bait, but don’t be concerned because this attracts the bigger tailor’s attention and brings them straight to your bait. Good-quality dart have been taken on the Peregian to Mudjimba stretch of beach, with traditional baits such as pipis and worms fished on baitholder hooks delivering the better catches. The Noosa River has to be one of the best systems on the coast if you love chasing trevally. Good-sized giant trevally have been coming from around the coastguard boats near Munna Point as well as the inner Woods Bay. Surface presentations have been the way to go, with smaller walkers such as the Ecogear PX55 and poppers including the Shimano Brenious Rise Pop doing the damage. When fishing these smaller surface lures, it is a good idea to upgrade the trebles to cope with the bigger fish. Smaller golden trevally and tea-leaf trevally have been getting throughout the river and eating 3” plastics and small vibes

such as the 6cm Entice Assaults. Bream are increasing in numbers as the water temperatures drops. Small grub-pattern soft plastics and lightly weighted flesh baits have been fishing well around structure such as bridges and pontoons. Mangrove jack are still feeding and taking live baits, with night-time anglers having the most success. Tailor are taking live baits throughout the river, with the river mouth in the low-light periods your best bet. Flathead are also in great numbers, with many fish well over the legal limit of 75cm landed of late. These big breeding females are protected and are vital to the sustainability of the fishery. So take a quick picture for the brag wall and release the fish as soon as possible. Flathead lend themselves to soft plastic fishing because they tend to lay in wait for prey to approach, so it is not hard to find an area that presents as their ideal feeding ground. Fishing the run-out tide and working the drop-offs near mud and sandbanks will most likely net you a result. If you are in a boat, drifting slowly down the edge of a bank and fishing prawn-profile plastics is a great way to target flatties. Z-Man ShrimpZ have become my favourite, with many in the colour range having a chartreuse tail. Flathead seem to love brighter colours and these work a treat. In the Maroochy River, bream and diver whiting revel in cooler water. Bridge pylons and jetties are a great place to start when chasing large bream. Whiting have been in good numbers and hitting worms, yabbies and soldier crabs. You can also target these fish with lures. Poppers worked across

the surface are great fun and can get amazing results. Areas including Chambers Island, Black Banks and Cotton Tree have all produced nice whiting on the incoming tide. Trevally are also in good numbers in the river, with the most common being giant trevally, however we are seeing more and more diamond trevally in the system. Queenfish and tailor are also on the chew, with quality fish taken on the run-in tide. Try fishing the areas around Goat Island or the jet ski run. Offshore temperatures have decreased, with the pelagic run coming to an end. The reef fishing, however, has greatly improved. This is the time of year when we get those perfect light wind days with temperatures hovering around the mid-20s and crystalclear seas. The close-in reefs are flawless at this time of year, with the Mooloolaba area very popular during the afternoon and into the night due to its safe river mouth. Close areas such as Murphys, Inner and Outer Gneerings, Currimundi and Mooloolaba Nine Mile are my favourites. Three 5/0 Tru-Turn hooks rigged with large pillies or small slimy mackerel is the ideal rig. When bottom fishing, use only two hooks in a gang instead of three. If the fish are a little hesitant before dark, drop your bottom fishing rig

back to one hook in a lighter gauge such as the Mustad Octopus. This will not only improve the catch rate but also increase the size of the sweetlip caught when fishing these reefs. Noosa’s two finest reefs, North and Sunshine, are presenting good snapper, pearl perch, moses perch and cod. This year’s coral trout season went a little longer than usual, with good fish still caught in May. So don’t be surprised if you land one of these superb table fish. Best baits have been mullet fillets, squid, pillies and live yakkas. Out wider on the Barwon Banks, try fishing the deeper water around the 90m mark. This is where I find large pearlies, big snapper and venus tuskfish lurking. Whole squid and flesh baits rigged on a paternoster rig have generated the better results. One final piece of information is to take caution when travelling at sea during the night. A lot of whales will be passing through at this time of year, so be very vigilant when travelling in the dark. Don’t forget to check out fishingnoosa.com.au for all the latest up-to-date fishing and bar crossing information. The knowledgeable teams at Davo’s Tackle World Noosa and Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola can provide you with the right equipment, bait and advice to ensure success.

Nathan Smith picked up a golden trevally from the shores of the Noosa River.

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Unbelievable experience for two young fellas

LL through the working week I had been planning a fishing trip offshore because conditions were looking mint.

I had teed things up with my mate Nick to take his boat offshore bright and early on a Saturday morning. We decided to chase pelagics and reef fish using soft plastics and a variety of other lures while the weather was playing the game. Once we reached our first GPS mark, we began throwing around the plastics.

Offshore by JACK O’BRIEN

Most people fishing for snapper and other reef fish will throw bigger plastics in 5”-8” sizes, however Nick and I have found fishing with slightly smaller plastics of 3”-4” works a treat on the reef fish. We find letting our plastics hit the bottom is the biggest key to success. Engaging with the bottom will result in more

Nick scored an early morning grassy.

bites and a lot more hookups, so finding the right jig head for your plastic is a must. We were fishing in 1520m of water for most of the day and found a 3/8oz jig head worked well. Sometimes having too heavy a jig head will lower the lure’s effectiveness. Anyway, on the first cast of the day Nick hooked a solid grass sweetlip. He was using a Z-Man 3” MinnowZ in Opening Night colour. While our lures were sinking, we’d check for any sudden movements in our line, which would indicate a fish striking the lure on the drop and can happen regularly. After a fun battle on light gear, I netted Nick’s grassy, took a quick picture and put it straight on the ice. It was such a beautiful morning, especially land-

The author’s grass sweetlip.

The author hooked up to a marlin on a 2-4kg rod.

A grassy nailed on a Z-Man Trick ShotZ.

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ing the first fish while watching the sun come up. We knew we were fishing the right spot as not only was the fishfinder showing a good reading of fish but we kept getting hits while flicking our lures. I was next to hook up and the fish was fighting really well on my 2-4kg rod. I was throwing Z-Man’s new Trick ShotZ for something different and it worked. My fish ended up being a solid grassy that was a keeper as well. As the day went on and we continued landing many more grassies and other smaller reef fish, we decided to head off to see if we could land a tuna before pulling the boat out of the water. With no luck in hooking a tuna, we both stopped fishing for a second and took in the awesome glassed-out conditions. While enjoying the moment, I said to Nick: “Did you see that thing on top of the water over there?” Before I could even think about casting, Nick’s lure was already in the water, so I cast slightly further than him towards the weird-looking fish. I could not believe what happened next. Zzzzzzz, line was absolutely peeling off my Shimano Sustain 2500-size reel on my 2-4kg rod. It turned out I was battling a marlin. Yes, a marlin! It was jumping and doing all sorts of wicked stuff, so I asked Nick to grab the GoPro pronto and Nick was able to film the whole fight. Well, the whole 10 minutes before the hook pulled. I could not believe I had hooked a marlin while chasing tuna with a metal slug. It was the coolest experience of my life. And while only small, the power of this fish was insane. I was annoyed I lost it but so happy to experience it at the same time. We both had a ball filming and doing something we love. As you can see in the photos, we were wearing my newly designed singlet. I have my own Facebook page called Flick Strike Fishing and a YouTube channel of the same name. I created the Facebook page about three years ago simply because I absolutely love getting out on the water and exploring what our country has to offer, especially with good company. If you would like to watch the marlin action or any of my other videos, feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow my page on Facebook to keep up to date with my adventures.

COMPETITION DATES COMPETITION

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 35

Options around Inskip Point n Exploring the Mary Valley

The interesting Strangler Cairn.

An old gold mine shaft in the Mary Valley.

I, it’s Craig Tomkinson here.

With the colder weather arriving, bigger snapper should start to make more of an appearance up and down the coast towards the end of June, the reef fishing should be good and the run will have backed off out wide. My mate Dave Kowitz and I were planning to be up at Cape York by now enjoying warmer conditions and pulling in a few coral trout and fingermark, but things out of our control changed our minds, so instead we will set up camp at Inskip Point for 28 days. Why 28 days? That’s as long as you can get a permit to camp there. We will put our crab pots in because once the first cold snap occurs, big full bucks will head into the deeper holes around Bullock Point area. One good thing about the colder weather is the bait will last two days in the pots, but if you have a good supply of fresh bait you’re better off changing it every day. We will also chase squid and we find the smaller pink jigs work best, though you need a mix of colours because they will take different colours on different days. We just use the cheapest jigs we can buy. I got my last lot from BCF in Noosaville and

Noosa to Fraser Coast by CRAIG TOMKINSON

they cost about $3 each on sale. Our weapons of choice for squidding are our 7’ boat whiting rods and 2500-size spinning reels spooled with 6lb mono main line and 12lb fluorocarbon leader. I make a single paternoster rig with a 30cm-long loop sitting about 60cm above a 4 or 5 ball sinker and drift along in eight to 12m of water. I just leave the rig sitting on the bottom and when a squid hits the jig the rod slowly loads up. We use two rods each; one we hold onto while the other goes in a rod holder. Sometimes all four rods will load up at once, and as soon as that happens you should mark that spot on your GPS so you can drift that line again and again until the squid go off. You will catch more squid if there is movement in the tide. Out the front of Norman Point in the deeper water is a good spot to try. Just drift through the deep hole and the boats moored there and also try in front of Carlo Creek entrance and up under the powerlines. If you have a bigger boat, a run to Poona is always worth it.

Drift near the channel markers in the deeper water of about 8m and you’ll find miles of country. We eat some of our squid and use the rest for live bait and cut bait for fishing offshore because it’s the best. Hopefully the weather plays the game while we’re at Inskip and we get out over Fishermans Gutter and catch a feed of reef fish. If it’s calm but the swell is up we will tow the 5m tinnie to Double Island Point, launch in the bay and slip out the front. If it’s blowing a southwesterly we will fish Mudlo in close, around the bar leads reef or between Fishermans Gutter and Rainbow Beach as you can find bits of rough ground

along that line once in 35m of water. But if it’s great weather we will fish the eight mile ground out from Rainbow Beach, and if the weather is really good and oily calm we might head out 30-40km to chase a red and a few spanner crabs. I have not yet wet a line this month, but we recently took a family drive in our trusty 1990 80 Series LandCruiser wagon to Booloumba Creek in the Mary Valley to do the loop walk to the old gold mine and the Strangler Cairn artwork. I always love the drive out through the Mary Valley towards Kenilworth. We parked at the day-use area and started our walk, which was about 8km for the round trip. It took an hour and a half to reach the Strangler Cairn because we were taking photos of birds and different things along the way.

I must say the Cairn was an impressive and wellbuilt rock formation, but the cost of $700,000 to build it did not impress me much. It’s sort of the Blue Poles of the Mary Valley scrub and I hope it pays for itself over the years. On the return leg, we walked up to the old gold mine. Now that looked hard work for the old timers who dug the 60m shaft straight into solid rock. I hope they found a bit of gold for their bloody hard work, but probably not, or it would be bigger by now. It took us about three hours to complete the walk. If you are in the area, look it up and have a go. You need to be reasonably fit because the track has some steepish bits, and make sure you wear good walking shoes. ‘Til next month, be safe on the water.

The author in front of the sign at the start of the walk.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 37

Big longtails are still lurking. Bryce scored his PB on a rare glass-out day.

Mike (left) with a XXXL cobia caught on a 60g Volante jig with trusty Sunline FC100 40lb leader. A 35-minute battle was not bad for the old boy!

Tuna species continue as consistent targets

HE fishing at Hervey Bay continues to be solid but the weather has yet to become stable, with plenty of wind and rain.

Rob with a lovely golden and even lovelier weather!

Colin held a nice longtail.

> Hervey Bay > Fraser Island > Sandy Strait

However, we’ve seen a few nice days with excellent conditions. At the time of writing, longtail tuna are the main target. Interesting to note is mack tuna are by far the more prevalent species. Catch rates are low when compared with longtails because they are much more finicky. Both are eating soft plastics readily but are a bit shy on surface lures. Much of the bait eaten is ridiculously small. If you were keen on fly fishing, this would be your time to shine. There is a good chance tuna will play a strong role on char-

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ters in June too. That would be great, because they present an awesome way to start your lure fishing career. And even in winter, we occasionally catch longtails while targeting snapper. I get the feeling the two species may even school together at times. Another species that will continue biting into winter is trevally. Goldens definitely school with snapper. Brassy trevally should get thicker in certain areas. Most are smaller but some will rival the much larger goldens in terms of pulling power. The first run of a brassy or tea-leaf trevally will often have you thinking it’s a fair-sized golden or big snapper. The snapper put up a fair battle themselves, however they lack the endurance of a pelagic. And generally, the sheer size and weight of pelagics makes for a more testing battle. I prefer to run lighter 2030lb leaders for snapper because they are generally a bit more wily than pelagics and the smaller tides and cooler weather create better water conditions with greater clarity. The 20lb outfits are lighter in power and will most often run a 3/8oz or 1/2oz jig head. I like grubs and soft vibes on these sticks. The 30lb rods are my pelagic sticks, with the only change for snapper a switch down from 40lb leader. They run 3/4oz and 1oz heads with soft grubs, prawns or jerk shads. Heavier lures give more bot-

tom contact and a much more accurate presentation when targeting fish revealed on my Lowrance side scan/sonar unit. Sharks continue to play their role in dictating how we plan our days. I hope they start to move on this month as the weather cools. We have had a few brisk starts so far and we should have an excellent snapper season if it gets nice and cold. Last year the weather was quite mild. Another shark-like creature is the cobia, and I’m often asked how I land them. My answer is “preparation and patience, and a seriously big net”. Trying to boat a 30kg-plus fish that is lazy but has a cranky boatside disposition can get testing and dangerous. I recently lost a big boy because a few things went wrong. First, go and buy a big net (I use a Wilson one) with silicone or rubber mesh to minimise scale and slime damage. The big net also helps lift the fish, minimising damage caused from rough handling. The sheer weight alone can hurt big fish if you don’t cradle them. If you can lift them out gently, take a boatside image marlin style. Remember it is catch and release, not catch and let go half dead. Wear some gloves, because you may need to handle the big sucker with your hands and those dorsal spikes are nasty. It also helps if you’ve got a second person.

Firstly, battle the big fish until it is fairly worn out. By big, I mean over 140cm. Weight wise, cobia can vary greatly because their girth can be so different depending on condition. The fish may still beat you up boatside or while in the boat, so stay clear. They aren’t the most athletic fish, but they are cranky and tough, which is helpful because we can take a bit of time when positioning for photos. Having said that, be prepared and be fast. When you position the net, the fish will shy away if still green. Do not thrust the net at the fish. As the fish’s head approaches the net, see if it can be steered gently over the waiting net, and this is where some gentle coercion with hands is helpful. Any handhold other than the gills is good. The dorsal spikes, pectoral fins and lower jaw are all good areas to grip. A second person may also grab the tail gently to help ease as much of the fish into the net as possible. The angler can help by releasing tension on the leader because a taut leader may prevent the fish sliding deeper into the net (like a bumper bar against the net frame). Cobes are floppy fish with a very thick tail. That section, if allowed to flop about, can give the fish enough momentum to slide out of the net. Once secured in the net and if not thrashing too much, support the cobia’s entire body and lift in unison. Take happy snaps and make sure you fully support the body weight.

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Burnett River bream fishing by BRAD YOUNG

Best bream baits As I outlined earlier, my preferred baits include mullet fillets cut into strips, mullet gut, fresh prawns and cooked prawns. Bream are recognised as scavengers, so many baits can yield a fish. It is more about finding which bait they are responding to the best. Bream will also attack yabbies and sprat (herring), which are relatively prolific local baits.

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Tony Quinn has been successful already in bream season 2018.

flats, rock walls and outcrops, with the bream scavenging as they go. They can be caught at other times but these have been the most successful for me. I have also enjoyed fishing for them at the very bottom of a 2am tide, and this proved to be a very fruitful night’s fishing… but I am finding those really late nights/early mornings a little harder to fish now! As always, I can be contacted via the Bush ‘n Beach website, by email at fishnboat@bigpond.com or post at PO Box 5812 Bundaberg West Queensland 4670. Until next month…

Can you have it all in the one outboard?

fishing there that I still refer to when fishing around Bundaberg. Rod, reel and gear I prefer to use an Alvey reel when fishing for bream. Partly because of tradition but also because the humble Alvey is the only reel that lets you cast a bait into the oncoming tidal stream and keep in close touch with your line as your bait drifts back towards you. This enables you to fish very light and helps ensure the fish do not sense your presence. I usually spool my reels with 3-4kg monofilament line. Platypus and Schneider are my two favourite manufacturers, with the Platypus often showing its good abrasion resistance over rough country. I prefer to fish with green/brown line to make it a little more difficult to see in the water and I always fish as light as possible. With the 3kg line, I often use a 4kg trace to protect the terminal end from abrasion as well as from larger bream and the occasional flathead. My preferred rod is 8’9’ in length with a light (whippy) action. The light action allows me to feel the bite while providing little feedback to the fish. If I am fishing deep and/or fast-flowing water, I will generally use a sinker large enough to anchor the bait to the bottom and match this with a trace of about a metre in length. This length of trace allows the anchored bait to move more naturally in the water. In shallow water, usually less than 2.4m, or water where there is not much tidal flow, I will use a lighter sinker and shorter trace or no trace at all. On some occasions, when fishing hard up against a rock wall or pylon, I will only use a splitshot sinker or no sinker. Some of my best nights fishing have been using a size 1 hook baited with a fresh prawn, tossed hard up against a rock wall. Here, the feeding bream find it hard to ignore.

Location Bundaberg and the surrounding district provides many options for anglers. The entire length of the Burnett River provides both land and boat-based anglers with innumerable choices. The Kolan River, Baffle Creek and Round Hill Creek are also good for targeting bream. It’s a matter of timing For me, the prime times to fish for bream are in the lead-up to the full and new moons. Here, the building tides at dawn and dusk will see fish moving in with the incoming tidal stream and following it over mud

E MI

The Bundaberg Show holiday at the end of May has long been recognised as the ‘official’ start to the winter bream fishing season, though it is already possible to score a good feed of this species in the river. The other bream run occurs as we approach summer, usually during November/December. Often, the winter run will see more fish caught but of a lesser size, while the summer run results in the opposite. The Burnett River was recognised as an iconic bream fishing river in years past, similar to the revered Jumpinpin area in southeast Queensland. As with Jumpinpin, many anglers who targeted bream as they made their annual run turned it into a tradition. While Jumpinpin required access to a boat to fish the preferred areas (as evidenced by the long line of wooden dinghies being towed to the fishing spots in many historical photos), the Burnett and other Bundaberg regional rivers and creeks provide land-based anglers an excellent opportunity to fish for bream from the bank. I have fished for bream since I was about 12, often visiting my cousin’s home in Brighton for a couple of days of bream fishing. From his house we would be dropped off, or in later years drove ourselves, to the area where Nundah and Cabbage Tree creeks join. Here we fished from the bank using long, lightaction rods and Queensland’s iconic Alvey reels spooled with 4kg line. We would target the early morning rising tide and use fresh prawns, cooked prawns and mullet for bait. The cooked prawns were often the best bait because the many trawlers that berthed in these creeks were often still washing their decks down as they entered the creek. Our take was that some of their ‘waste’ was in fact pieces of cooked prawns and the fish had been well trained regarding this highly prized offering. It is the lessons I learnt

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N case you were not aware, we are entering one of the key bream fishing times for the Burnett River and other local estuaries.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 39

The author with the best goldband snapper of the trip.

North Reef light on a glassy sea. It was an excellent night-time reference point.

Bad weather abates for Turkey Beach trip

T last the weather gods have taken pity and provided us with some nicely settled days.

A typical late-afternoon snapper for Damien Loosemore from one of many deep lumps found with the sounder.

This snapper was part of a double hook-up with the largest redthroat of the trip.

Ollie Gjorgioski enjoyed the benefits of good boat positioning over a Moreton 37s pinnacle.

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Additionally, falling water temps and a slighter current have really helped to work over those favourite locations in the backyard. After a spell of several months of bad weather, it’s been interesting to visit some of the spots that see a good bit of boat traffic most of the year and observe just how well the fish have stacked up in a short period. For example, some nice teraglin have been biting on the 29-fathom reef, parrot on the flatter inside ledges of the 33-fathom, good pearl perch on the low ridging back ledges of the northern 35-fathom and even some nice snapper during the day on Square Patch. Some of the lesserknown places I like to fish have benefitted from the spell of bad weather too and it just goes to show you can nurture spots you come across for the long haul if you don’t get greedy and hit them too frequently. Speaking of spells, it had been seven months since we last went to Turkey Beach for a fish out on the Capricorn and Bunker Group reefs. We really enjoy those trips and the fishing is good too. We like to explore, push ourselves to be more inquisitive and get out of the standard routine of fishing where everyone else goes and look for something different. We found ‘something different’ this time by venturing a little further than on past trips and working deeper water just to see what happened. Spending time in the areas less frequented paid off and clocking up the kilometres burning precious fuel while working a broad criss-cross pattern helped identify some new ridges of reef and isolated structure. When we had recorded enough info it was time to work our way over them all and test the water. It was nothing different to what we do on the reefs at home, except this time we spent more time on anchor around tide changes on spots with excellent fish shows down deep, and we had a two-day window of great weather to enjoy and take our time. The fish species initially weren’t much different to what you’d generally find

Fishing Trip by BILL CORTEN

on the inshore reefs, except coral trout weren’t present. A reasonable red emperor and plenty of hussar, redthroat emperor and parrot came aboard, then George and Damien landed some big pearl perch that were well out of the ordinary. Things were looking up. After a while it went quiet, so given it was close to a tide change we decided to anchor on a steep piece of nearby structure covered in fish life. The anchor held perfectly in more than 80m and the run was only slight. George hit the jackpot first with a cracking red emperor that actually managed to pull drag on his 925 Alvey. A rare feat, as that Alvey was done up tight and the broomstick had one hell of a bend in it while ‘King’ feathered the base of the reel with his big palm. Once he started winning line, the Alvey went into that deep clunk, clunk mode that only happens when a big fish is hooked and Damien and I just gave each other that look, as George had done it again. It was high fives after the gaff was sunk and we got straight back into a hot bite until after the tide started running hard again. The braid was pushed to its limit and the upgrade to Wilson 80lb fluorocarbon on the rigs and snelled Mustad 8/0 Octopus UltraPoint hooks was proving very successful. After that hot session, these rigs became the standard for the rest of the trip because they showed minimal wear and the hooks really held their points after a thrashing on plenty of hungry fish. There was already a good feed in the box and we were then inspired to work out on the deeper pieces of structure identified earlier in the day and try our luck. I’m running a mediumfrequency 1kW transducer on the 12” Garmin and we know from experience that switching over to CHIRP mode filters out the smaller fish and shows the bigger target fish as individual dots. On the first deeper spot, we went straight to using CHIRP mode because some big dots were on one side of a steep rise.

Placing the boat up the drift line for the first drop yielded Damien a nice snapper, so on to the next one and another big patch of red dots saw large goldband snapper come up on the electric reels we had bought second-hand from Japan. It was a pretty exciting afternoon doing the rounds of these pieces of structure because it was new country to us and was our first serious test of the electric reels in deep water. For the after-dark tide change, it was back into where we had anchored earlier and that’s where we stayed the night. On a glassy sea in a boat filled with upright flotation you feel really safe and don’t worry about much, provided you have some sort of watchkeeping arrangement. The redthroat emperor had moved in and most of them measured 50cmplus, but nothing big hit during the night so it was a good sleep well south of the shipping lane. North Reef light was a good night-time reference point and it was comforting to see the big ships passing well out of our range. Next morning saw us pulling anchor early after first light and out of curiosity we headed over to where the trip had started for a quick drift. The bigger pearlies were suddenly going nuts for the big baits and it was hard to leave them, but we had more exploring to do out deeper. On the goldband spot, we had to sound around to find the fish because they had moved to another part

of the reef overnight and it was a totally different drift line. The good news is the goldbands were still there, as were huge pearlies and big snapper. George made another spectacle of himself with a great double hook-up of the largest redthroat of the trip and a big snapper. We were impressed by the consistent size of the parrot and redthroat out deep and the quality of the pearl perch was top shelf. It was a pretty full-on morning and we were doing things like lifting the rigs to the depth the big dots were at on the sounder and getting slammed by snapper and redthroat. Sometimes they were just goldbands or even pearlies, but that was better than letting the big

hussar steal the baits first. Check out the photo of a pearl perch coming up through the beam of the transducer after Damo hooked it in the middle of a patch of fish on the back side of a ridge in about 100m of water. Yep, great conditions and the electric reels made life easier too. It was fun watching the rods buck and bend at various stages of the fight, wondering if it was the taxman visiting. You just don’t realise how good you have it when you can grab a sandwich to chomp on while another big fish is being wound up, but as George correctly said, he still prefers the Alvey setup when fishing less than 100m of water. * continued P41

The author had to put the sandwich down to get a photo of the electric reel delivering another goldband snapper to the transom.

The vertical line on the sounder screen is a pearl perch in the beam of the transducer being wound up from about 100m.

George Baumber with the best red emperor of the trip.

Damo’s pearlie that was shown in the transducer beam above.

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Back on the ‘Bidgee

HEN I left you last month, Rose and I were at Gundagai on the Murrumbidgee River, the second stop on a week-long road trip around inland NSW and ACT.

Finding fishing the river in that part of the country to be rather hard work, we spent only two nights in town before heading for loftier altitudes. Our drive from the town where the dog sits on the tucker box took us southwards through Tumut and up into the Snowy Mountains National Park. At the very top of the range the drive was broken with a few distractions, the first being dodging feral horses as they bolted across the Snowy Mountains Highway. Astounding numbers of these large animals were seen right across the higher sections of the highway, with some mobs numbering several dozen. Where the highway crossed the Eucumbene River, the temptation to break out the trout rod was too great, so a pleasant hour passed while I walked upstream flicking a spinner around. Clear water flowed through freestone riffles into deeper pools that looked promising enough to keep me picking my way through tussocks that effectively hid anklebreaking rabbit holes. No fish were seen rising and only one smallish trout made a half-hearted follow of the lure, so I legged it back to the car to arrive puffing clouds of steam in the chill mountain morning air. A little further south along the Snowy Mountains Highway brought us to the largest and possibly best known of the lakes in the region, Eucumbene, which was where we chose to stay for the next few days. Basing ourselves at Lake Eucumbene allowed us to exercise two angling options: trout in the still waters of the lake and cod in the uppermost reaches of the Murrumbidgee. Having a few lures in the box that I wanted to give more time on cod water, the river was the venue for the first afternoon. Adaminaby, right in the heart of some of NSW’s premier trout water, might not be on the radar of many cod anglers, but it is a short drive across the ridge line into the valley through which the ‘Bidgee flows. Driving east from Adaminaby, the first bridge over the ‘Bidgee doesn’t provide access to the water, here the river flows through flat farmland and the owners of the properties flanking this www.bnbfishing.com. au

Fishing for Sport by NEIL SCHULTZ

crossing have prominent signage posted, barring entry. Studying a map of the area showed a couple of small roads/tracks in the area that looked likely and the first of those I tried gave access to the river. This hilly country was very different from the flat fertile valley just out of town. In place of grassy banks and still, clay-bottomed pools with plentiful aquatic vegetation, I was now looking at dry, stony ridges covered in sparse sclerophyll forest of red stringybark, brittle gum, mountain white gum and wattles overlooking rocky pools in semigorge terrain. Although I was a long way from any cod water I’d seen before, this was familiar terrain, similar to many of the cod streams I frequently fished closer to home. Picking my way through the rocks and scrubby wattles along the river, I put cast after cast into very fishy-looking pockets of water. Cast after cast made it back to my feet unmolested in spite of the fact that this section of the river looked like it should hold cod. I surmised that perhaps at these high altitudes the winters are too cold, or it was just too far geographically removed from the cod strongholds down on the warm plains far below. Upon reaching the turnaround point, just for more comfortable repetitive casting, I changed from the large lure I’d been using to a battlescarred Murrumbidgee Mouse, an old timber lure I was making in 1990/91. A cast laid parallel to the bank to run along the trunk of a barely visible snag brought the strike that snapped me from my thoughts back to reality. Conveniently, a patch of grass on a sandy soak made an ideal spot to step into the water to safely unhook, photograph and release a handsome Murray cod in the 50-55cm range. By now the sun was racing towards the horizon on the surrounding hilltops, so I quickly fished my way back to the car to avoid running out of daylight while in the scrub. While in the Snowies, it was a forgone conclusion that I’d spend some time chasing trout and the next couple of days were passed doing just that. Three days later and several hundred kilometres downstream, I rendezvoused with the

‘Bidgee once again, this time in the ACT not far from its junction with the Molonglo River. Walking upstream from our chosen access point took us through a range of environs, from rocky holes, sandy snag-strewn waist-deep pools to runs lined with grassy banks and willows. Promisingly, the first few pools we encountered were fairly shallow, fast flowing and liberally studded with beer kegsized rocks that I thought should have provided a home for at least a few cod. Less promising however, were the boot prints in abundance at every spot I stopped to cast and along every wallaby track we followed. Clearly the area had seen extremely heavy angling pressure during recent days (a week prior to our visit was a long weekend). As ideal as these reaches looked, the 5/8oz tandem spinner I was using (for snag resistance) didn’t attract the attention of any cod, not I’m sure through any fault of the lure, just the apparent recent fishing pressure. Evidence of passing boots became sparser as we made our way further from the access point, as is common. The majority of weekend anglers don’t venture too far as it is too difficult to carry their Eskies and so on. Slowly making our way upstream, further from the easily accessed stretches of water near the launch point, brought us to a few deeper, slower-flowing pools. Reasoning that any cod present were likely to be a little lure shy after the long weekend and wised up to standard artificial baits, I supersized to a meal-sized offering. On went one of the OarGee Malibu surface lures, which at 115mm long, 36mm wide and 42g are a decent chunk of hardware, with a sizeable silhouette in the water. Here the walking was easier because we’d exited the tangles of wattles and thickets of casuarinas into open grassy areas of scattered eucalypts with willows and bottlebrush right on the water’s edge. Forty-plus years of flicking lures around cod water has ingrained in me the habit of probing the submerged roots of bankside trees. It was the root ball of only the second overhanging willow tree I swam the lure past that produced the first strike for the morning.

This was a short-range cast of only 6-7m, so you can imagine the amount of flying spray from a hook-up on a surface lure against a heavy drag. That stunning strike produced an equally impressive fish for such skinny water that was only knee-deep right across the stream, with a tiny shaded pocket twice that depth hard against the roots of the tree. Hard-fished shallow streams usually carry cod averaging about 45cm, so I was more than satisfied with this fish that comfortably topped the 70cm mark. Some anglers have shied away from the big Oar-Gee Malibu for fishing small waters because of its imposing size and very loud rattles. Personal experience has proven that even small cod will aggressively respond to the intrusion of the Malibu into their domain. It definitely appears the fish’s response is an attempt to eat the lure. Apparently the wide action of the Malibu grabs their attention because it imitates a prey item. Buoyed by the encounter with such an impressive fish, I sent the Malibu into every likely looking spot with renewed enthusiasm. Just 15 minutes later, a smaller fish in the 4550cm range powered from its lair on the far side of the pool to visibly chase down and grab the big lure from the surface mid-retrieve. Easily subdued on my 50lb cod gear, this average-sized fish was unhooked in the water and released, no worse off for the encounter bar the single pinprick in its top lip. Our morning continued, with us making a little more headway upriver and plenty of good-looking water in the slower pools thoroughly covered on the way. Three more well-conditioned cod ranging from a little tacker of about 35cm to a chunky 60cm fish all crunched the Malibu, despite the bright conditions. Shallow water can be like that when the fish are in the mood to feed. Shallow-running and wake-making lures remain effective long after sunrise. Once the sun cleared the top of the steep mountain behind us, the fishing slowed and I was sweating, so we wandered back to the car, a little surprised by, but very content with the results. Some of the exploratory trips we undertake are tough with little success, while others reveal gems of locations that provide substantial reward for effort.

The extreme upper reaches of the ‘Bidgee, flowing through country more renowned as trout water, holds a sparse population of cod. One of the author’s veteran Murrumbidgee Mouse lures was dusted off for the occasion.

A few minutes’ drive from Canberra put the author and Rose onto the ‘Bidgee where this, the first of five cod for the morning, was tempted by the Oar-Gee Malibu.

Bad weather abates for Turkey Beach trip * from P40

Ditto with the overhead reels too. After another frantic session, we had to do a careful recount of the fish so as not to exceed any bag limits. We were so close to the limit and glad of our self-imposed larger minimum sizes that we called it and went back into exploring mode to identify more lumps and bumps for the next trip before heading home. Having watched the beam of the North Reef

light during the night, we headed inshore to it for some photos on a glassy sea when heading home and ran over so much ground outside the green zone along the way that we didn’t even bother marking it. Battery power management is critical if doing one of these big solo trips, especially if using electric reels. The battery wired to the electric reel plugs installed by Trymax Marine Electronics is the house battery and we kept it isolated from the start battery when-

ever fishing, and when sounding around or under way we opened the isolator to allow the house battery to charge off the big alternator on the Yammy. Monitoring the voltage meter on the electronics screens showed the benefits of this strategy and it worked a treat. We’ve all been eating well in our households since the trip and family and friends are enjoying the benefits too. You can bet it won’t be seven months until the next trip.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 41

BOATING & marine Tough conditions a breeze for Sea Jay 630 Vision

HEN arranging a boat test, one of the main weather concerns is rain, as digital SLR cameras don’t like getting wet.

However, when recently testing a few Sea Jay models we had no rain, but the wind from ex-tropical cyclone Linda made taking photos and getting good audio on videos extremely difficult. On the up-side, conditions were nearing atrocious at the mouth of the Burnett River, perfect for putting the Sea Jay 630 Vision through its paces. Unfortunately, the photos don’t do justice to how wild the weather was.

Boat Review by BEN COLLINS

Before launching, I had a discussion with Garry Fitzgerald from Sea Jay and Will Lee from Yamaha about the engine they had matched to the 630 Vision. Rated to a maximum horsepower of 200, I had some reservations about the 150hp four-stroke Yamaha fitted to the test boat, feeling it might struggle when loaded. However, both the guys assured me the 150hp was a great match for this rig in terms of performance and fuel economy.

Plenty of space for electronics at the wide helm.

✩

Well, I was soon proved wrong. Hole shot with two people on board excelled, with the 630 Vision getting to 40km/h in about 4.5 seconds, which is awesome for a boat this size. Similarly, when wound out to wide open throttle (in a quick break from the wind), the speedo reached a tick above 71km/h while using fuel at a rate of about 1.2 litres per km. At a more comfortable speed for the conditions the Sea Jay 630 Vison cruised at around 37km/h, which was achieved at 3500rpm and with fuel consumption close to 0.5 litres per km. Given the 210-litre underfloor fuel capacity, this dedicated fishing rig can easily venture to more remote or isolated fishing destinations. As mentioned, this is a dedicated fishing boat. Sure, you could easily tow a tube or have a family day cruising around, but its primary function is fishing.

With an overall length of 6.3m and a massive beam of 2.48m, which is just under the legal limit of 2.5m, you end up with ample room. Combine this with a clean and practical layout and you have a boat that can be used for a variety of fishing applications. The raised platform at the bow not only gives you a massive amount of storage but is also a great vantage point for throwing lures at a mix of fish species. It also makes getting to the anchor ultra-easy. The centre console configuration allows for easy movement around the whole boat, with plenty of rails to grab if needed, which again attests to the fishability of this rig. Even with the easy access around the helm, the wide beam ensures your centre console is of significant size. The beauty of this is it gives extra protection from the elements, which can be handy in a centre console, though it was surprising how dry the ride was given the conditions. Another advantage of a

large helm is you have plenty of room to install electronics. This particular rig had a Garmin sounder/GPS unit, GME radio, Yamaha gauge, trim tab controls and switch panel, with heaps of room left over. In addition, a couple of handy shelves, one with a lip above the dash and another under the dash, are * continued P43

The Sea Jay 630 Vision had a dry ride in rough conditions.

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BOATING & marine Tough conditions a breeze for Sea Jay 630 Vision * from P42

perfect for storing items like your phone and wallet. Behind the helm is a massive area from which to fish. Even with a very large icebox you would still have plenty of room to move around and not feel cramped. Large side pockets that run from the stern to the front casting platform provide additional storage on each side of the boat.

The upswept bow and Samarai Hull ensured the boat cut through the chop.

A dedicated tackle tray has been built into the rear transom, which is also where you’ll find the twin batteries. They sit on a raised platform behind a panel to stay protected from the elements while remaining easy to access. As for rod storage, which you obviously need in a serious fishing rig, you can stow five on the bait board, which also has two drink holders and a compartment for pliers, sinkers and other odds

A boat for every budget...

and ends you want to keep handy. An additional six rod holders can be found on the targa, which keeps them well out of the way, as well as a few more in each gunwale. As with all Sea Jay boats, the finishing and attention to detail is topnotch and I think the quality of Say Jays and the pride in workmanship is one reason why more and more fishos are keen to own this brand of boat. Combined with the proven performance of the Samurai Hull comprising a 5mm bottom, 3mm sides and solid keel plate, the newest and largest Vision in the range will surely impress even the most fastidious of fishos. Overall, the Sea Jay Vision punched above its weight in testing conditions and came up a winner. The only thing I would

change is the checker plate floor. I know some people swear by it and love how it performs, but I would prefer something like SeaDek. One of the best things about dealing with Sea Jay is the team is happy to customise your rig to your liking, so if there is anything you want modified or done differently, it can easily be added to the build so you get your ultimate boat. For more information on the Sea Jay 630 Vision or other models in the range, check out seajayboats. com.au On the website you’ll also find a list of dealers, so you can visit the one nearest you. And to get the lowdown on the bulletproof 150hp Yamaha, which performed better than expected on this big boat, head to yamaha-motor. com.au

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There was ample room between the console and gunwales.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 43

BOATING & marine Insights into boat insurance

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.

The scenario In a previous column, we explained how you could be entitled to claim a rebate on your boat insurance premium if you advised your insurer in advance that you were undertaking not to use your boat during particular months of the year. Marine insurance specialists such as Nautilus Marine call it ‘lay up’, which is primarily designed to cater for trailerable runabouts and personal watercraft (it does not cover vessels berthed in a marina or at a pontoon). But that is not the only way to secure a refund on your insurance premium. When you sell your boat, you are also entitled to claim a rebate on the unused portion of your policy, if you pay

an annual premium. Obviously, under a month-by-month payment, you would simply advise your insurer that you did not wish to continue with coverage of your vessel because you had disposed of it. In Queensland, you simply need to provide copies (photographs, scans or photocopies) of the transfer of registration documentation lodged with the Department of Transport and Main Roads. With Nautilus Marine, you can even do this up to 21 days after the sale of your boat and provided that the evidence you supply stacks up, you will get the rebate. It is very good advice to keep a couple of copies of your sale and transfer of registration documentation. Therefore, always issue a sales receipt if you sell a boat and get it signed by the new owner. Similarly, always ask for a signed receipt if you buy a boat. You can supply one copy to your insurer to claim a rebate and you can keep the other to

protect you against any subsequent action involving the boat you previously owned. For example, if the new owner or someone else commits an offence involving the vessel, such as driving at excessive speed through a restricted area, you have clear evidence that you have no association with the boat or actions, irrespective of whether or not the new owner correctly lodged their documentation. Sometimes it is wise not to claim the rebate immediately, particularly if you think you are going to buy a new boat immediately. That’s because boat insurance specialists including Nautilus Marine ordinarily give you 21 days of automatic coverage for your new boat. Leave the policy in place, buy your new boat, take it home and then advise your insurer of the change in details required for insurance coverage. During this changeover period you will be covered, even if your new boat is worth more than

the one you just sold. The overarching premise on all matters relating to boat (and every other form of insurance) is to be very upfront. Don’t try to cadge the facts or blur the realities. Explain the facts to the very best of your ability and let the insurer advise you of the best course. If you believe the decision is unfair, there are formal procedures that can be invoked to have those concerns considered at a higher level. But unless you have started off on the right foot with a full disclosure of the facts, then you’re going to find yourself stuck in the propwash before you even start. Finally, as with all insurance policies, always

check your product disclosure document and if you have a query, ask for clarification. If you need further information, you can contact Nautilus Marine Insurance on 1300 780 533 for any boat insurance requirements. Win a Nautilus Prize Package Nautilus will also be answering your boat insurance questions of a general nature and will be offering a great bimonthly prize to the best questions received. The prize is a Nautilus Marine merchandising pack comprising a collapsible chiller bag, a handy marine sports bag and a cap. Just email your questions to qld@nautilusin surance.com.au

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 44 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

Sea-Tags a simple man overboard alarm system

EA-TAGS wristbands are man overboard alarm systems that continuously send a signal to smartphones equipped with the Sea-Tags app. When a Sea-Tags device is submerged in water, the communication is lost and all smartphones currently monitoring the wristband will trigger an alarm and save the GPS position at the time of the incident. It is also possible to configure the app to send a text message to an emergency contact. If a MOB alarm is triggered, the smartphone left on board will send a text to the emergency contact with the GPS position of the boat when the signal was lost. The emergency contact can then contact emergency services and give them the GPS location. After an alarm is triggered, the Sea-Tags app continuously displays the boat position, as well as the direction and distance

that separates it from the point where the communication with the device was first lost. The app also includes a manual MOB alert and allows the user to easily contact emergency services. In Crew Mode, no mobile network coverage is necessary. Monitor your crew and let your crew monitor you by connecting wristbands to all phones on board using the app. The Sea-Tags app displays the MOB’s position, the real-time position of the boat and provides real-time updates of the heading and distance to retrieve the MOB. Download the Sea-Tags app, pair your beacon using the QR code, start monitoring and you will be ready to hit the water. To get your hands on a Sea-Tags wristband, visit the website of exclusive Australian distributor Boating & RV at boat ingandrv.com.au or visit your nearest store today.

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K AYAKING & canoeing

SA admin Mathew Bini with his prize.

The NSW group after the second round of the National Series.

Round two of National Series

HE Yak Hunters National Series round two has wrapped up, with 110 anglers enjoying successful events held in four states.

The Queensland round winners.

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Victoria’s event was held at Paynesville, with bream the major target species and flathead the secondary species. The Wilderness Systems Elite Series in Victoria saw Stephen Majera walk away with first place, followed by Evanos Stanmarinos in second. The Perception Pro-Am Series resulted in Lex Forbes coming away with the gong, while Brendan Smith was the runner-up and Gayr Slykerman captured third. South Australia’s event took place at West Lakes with a total of 13 anglers. Anglers were chasing bream but many different species were caught throughout the day. Alex Whitehead took first place in the Wilderness Systems Elite Series, with Luke Oleson second and Andrew Helps third. The Perception ProAm Series saw gun fisho Chris Miller take the honours, SA admin Mathew Bini place second and Matthew Gorne was hot on his heels in third. In the Yak Hunters birth state of NSW, a total of 26 anglers battled it out at Hen and Chicken Bay on the Parramatta River. Bream were targeted and some cracking fish were caught and released throughout the day. Out of 18 anglers in the Wilderness Systems Elite Series, Dan Rappolt took the win, with Ben Milliken in second and Josh Richards in third. Eight anglers entered the Perception Pro-Am Series and Mark Nissen paddled away with first, Jason Rumph second and Bruce Tozer third. The Queensland round was held at the Panamuna

Outrigger Canoe Club on the banks of the Mooloolah River. Trevally was the nominated species, with reports of impressive hauls in the days leading up to the event. A total of 56 anglers competed on the day, making for a large group on the water. The Wilderness Systems Elite Series saw Mark Pedersen finish in first place, Scott Bryant in second and Shaun Wooderson in third. The Perception Pro-Am Series resulted in Lee Major taking the win and Brendan Eustance and Sam Steele bringing home second and third, respectively. Round three of the National Series is now open for entries, with spots filling fast. Sign up before it is too late. Yak Hunters Australia

is proud to partner with the Black Dog Institute for a fundraising event to help the institute combat depression. One hundred percent of entry fees gathered will be donated to the Black Dog Institute. This charity event will be a team-based comp, with bream the nominated species to catch, photograph and release. Each team can consist of a minimum of two people and maximum of four. The team’s four biggest fish of the day will be submitted and the team with the greatest overall length of four fish will take the honours and prize on offer. Depression is a dark place for many people and Yak Hunters Australia is proud to help the Black Dog Institute. Yak Hunters Australia has many members who suffer from depression,

with members ranging from the armed services to emergency services and many other walks of life. Depression does not discriminate and Yak Hunters Australia will help fight the fight. Yak Hunters South Australia hit 500 members recently and continues to grow steadily. Yak Hunters Australia is on target to hit 10,000 members in coming weeks. Head over to the revamped Yak Hunters Australia webpage at yak hunters.com to check out the fresh look and new merchandise. We’ve got a bunch of great merch now available online, including a variety of clothing, customisable sublimated fishing shirts, phone cases, towels and loads more. On the website you can also find news items and focus pieces, event wrapups and plenty of kayaking information. Go online today and join the Yak Hunters team. Craig Dawkins

This member was sporting a serious yakking setup.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

K AYAKING & canoeing

Canoe go camping

ES, I’ll admit I love canoe puns, they never seem to get old for me.

Something else that doesn’t get old for me is camping out of a canoe. The attraction very much lies in the simplicity of it. Loading a bunch of gear into a canoe and getting on the water is easier than most people realise, so here’s a bunch of reasons why I think camping from a canoe is one of the most underrated experiences you can have with your family in the great outdoors. The first is carrying capacity. The misconception most people have about camping from a canoe is you need a high-tech backpack and ultra-lightweight, space-age camping gear. The perceived effort involved seems to stifle the urge to ‘just do it’. Unlike a kayak paddler or hiker, the canoe paddler is not obsessed with every kilogram going into their pack. Most two-person canoes have a carrying capacity over 300kg, which means that even with two burly blokes paddling you still have room for 100kg of gear! Gone is the worry of buying ultra-light tents

Canoeing by DAN OWBRIDGE

and camping gear, or for that matter having to carry freeze-dried foodstuffs. The canoe camper has the capacity to carry ample provisions, camp chairs, standard tents and even a few cold beverages. Which leads to the second reason: cost. Not having to buy expensive lightweight gear significantly reduces the cost of camping gear. Most people have a basic camping setup stored somewhere in their back room. A canoe’s larger carrying capacity is usually more than adequate to carry the average setup, plus the cargo area in the centre of a canoe is like the tray of a ute. The only limit is your imagination! In addition, canoes themselves are quite inexpensive when compared to other expedition watercraft. An average canoe suitable for camping will cost between $1500 and $2000, compared to an equivalent kayak that will often range from $2000 upwards. Note here I said suitable for camping.

The upper reaches of the Brisbane River make for a stunning downriver trip.

A 10’ sit-on-top kayak is not really going to cut it for multi-day camping trips. Carrying a canoe is also a simple matter. The best way to carry a canoe is upside down on standard roof bars, riding on its gunwales. No need for expensive cradles or tie-downs and you’re able to have gear stowed inside the hull if you’re short of space. The third reason is simplicity. That canoe design has remained largely unchanged for thousands of years is no big surprise. The secret to their effectiveness lies in their simplicity of design: an opentop boat with enough beam to carry large loads and remain stable but with sleek-enough lines to be powered easily by one or two paddlers (or more, if you consider the famous voyageur canoes of Canada). What this delivers to modern-day paddlers wanting to get away from it all is a craft that is easy to paddle, can carry heaps of gear, is easy to load and unload, and is robust and most importantly versatile. What more could you want? The last and perhaps most compelling reason is location. We are blessed in southeast Queensland with a range of wonderful waterways with campgrounds located along their banks. A few of my favourites are listed below. Ngumbi campsite on Wyaralong Dam Access to the campsite is via hiking, cycling,

Canoes on the Noosa Everglades as part of a Duke of Edinburgh trip along the length of the Noosa River.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

horseback riding or paddling. The paddle trip is an easy 6km journey from the boat ramp near the dam wall, with camping available either in the old homestead or surrounding grounds located on top of the ridge. It’s a great stop-off point if you’re doing a paddle to Lilydale camp at the other end of the dam. Upper Brisbane River (spillway to Kholo) The navigable length of the upper Brisbane River is 56km, with numerous campsites along the way (some by prior arrangement with landholders). The river lends itself very nicely to downstream canoe journeys and a local shuttle service is available for shorter durations. Noosa Everglades Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service has done an amazing job of preserving this pristine wilderness and converting it into one of the premier paddling destinations in the world. Extensive camping sites are available from Fig Tree Point at the start of the everglades to Harry’s Hut and right through to campsite 15, located 40km upstream. With the exception of Harry’s, all these sites are hike-in or paddle-in only. Wivenhoe Dam While different from the others in that access to the campground can be had via motorised vehicles, Wivenhoe has the potential to offer a great canoe camping experience. Our suggested journey would be from Harmon Cove through to Captain Logan campground, camping the night there. The second day’s journey would then be from Captain Logan across to Billies Bay. Alternatively, you could camp at Captain Logan and do day trips from there. Both are awesome! Other notable mentions are Bribie Passage, Mary River and if you fancy venturing south of the border: the Clarence and Nymboida rivers. Just remember, the only thing more enjoyable than camping from a canoe is camping with a whole bunch of canoes, so bring your friends! If you require any more information about camping from canoes and destinations in southeast Queensland, give me a call at One Tree Canoe Company on 0424 001 646 or check out onetree canoe.com

Canoes loaded up for an overnight camping trip.

Lake Wyaralong is a perfect destination for canoe camping with a backdrop of the Scenic Rim mountains.

CLASSIC AUSTRALIAN-MADE CANOES

Canoes | Repairs | Hires 0424 001 646 | onetreecanoe.com Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 47

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A fine specimen boated on a Moreton Island Fishing Charter.

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www.fishncruisecharters.com.au Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 49

I recently landed this jewfish in the Brissie River. Eti Alefosio

A new PB barra for myself and my daughter. Hers went 96cm and my one measured 126cm. Nothing like run-off fishing in the NT. Leonard Eichmann

Hey guys, Love the magazine and thought I’d share this golden trevally I caught at Hervey Bay on a Z-Man 5” jerk shad and TT Lures 1oz jig head. Kirk Fox

Amazing trip to Dundee Beach with the crew from Value Liquor Group. Congratulations to Richard Dennis our host on catching his first barramundi, and it measured 112cm! He caught it on his first barra rod, a Bone Voyage four-piece travel rod using an ATC Combat baitcaster and Zerek Barra-X Pro 170 in Fat Betty colour. Thanks to Matt Brittain from Dundee Beach Fishing Charters and the legendary Mick Mannix who was his guide as well as Lex Neal for organising his gear. What a great fish! John Carmody

Here is one of a few Moreton Bay snapper I caught in 3m of water on plastics. Joshua Buse

I caught this monster coral trout in 70m of water, 200 nautical miles off Bundaberg at Cato Island. It hit about 25m off the bottom while jigging for doggies with a Black Magic jig rigged with Old Man Flasher Rigs assist hooks on a Zeikel Bloodline PE4-8 rod with a Shimano Stella 14,000 reel. Ben Davey

I hooked this 134cm jewfish off a northern NSW beach using light gear. Henry Phillips

Hi, my nine-year-old son Andy caught and released his first-ever barra at Monduran Dam on a hard-body lure recently. It measured 71cm. Jason Klein

My first wild bass on a home-made fly. Jade Gibb

Cassie Doyle with a Mud Island squire hooked on a plastic. Don Green

Two 80cm snapper from Eight Mile Reef Burrum Heads. Adrian Baker

I hooked this big threadfin on an Ima Koume 90 heavy vibration lure from Bait Tackle Store in the Brisbane River. Jacob Freiberg

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 50 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Send details to Bush ’n Beach Fishing magazine E: ben@bnbfishing.com.au PO Box 387 Cleveland 4163

Mustad Lip Grip

flathead through to offshore favourites including snapper and pearl perch, and even coral trout. They are particularly effective on jewfish. Tough rubber construction with a wire running through the lure allows them to stand up to even the toughest adversary. RRP from $13.95. Visit atomiclures.com.au or face book.com/atomiclures for more information.

Blade N Tails Ultralight Elite

MUSTAD has upgraded its MT21 Lip Grip with new additions that make this great tool even better. For starters, the new cosmetics make this tool jump out, with anodised blue and black the theme throughout. The grip arms have also been tinkered with, changing from a one-arm operation to a two-arm operation. The handle has been toughened to allow larger fish to be easily controlled. Add in the existing features such as a coiled lanyard for securing the tool to your belt or boat, single-handed operation and a weigh scale to 40lb and this Lip Grip is a great accessory for anglers fishing from the bank or boat. Check out the range of Mustad tools here at wilsonfishing.com/Products/ Accessories/Tools/Mustad-Tools

Atomic SemiHardz Tims Prawn

SOFT lifelike lures in minnow and lipless shapes are extremely popular for targeting a wide range of species, from snapper offshore to bass in impoundments. This is partly due to the wide range of retrieves that can be used and the variety of depths they will work in. The Atomic Semi-Hardz range was one of the first and continues to be at the leading edge of these lure designs and materials. Prawns are a staple for feeding fish in all depths of water and it makes sense that the Atomic Semi-Hardz range adds a colour already present in the iconic Atomic Hardz range. Tims Prawn, a shrimp pattern, quickly became a go-to for anglers all over the country when it was introduced in the Hardz line-up and now that popular natural colour is available in the full range of Atomic Semi-Hardz Vibs in 40, 50, 60, 75 and 110 as well as the Minnows in 40, 55 and 65mm models. Semi-Hardz can be fished from the surface down to any water depth, making them usable in a wide range of conditions and for a huge range of species. Atomic’s ambassadors have already used the lures to land whiting and www.bnbfishing.com. au

THE Blade N Tails range of Live Fibre rods set a benchmark many years ago and the new Ultralight Elite builds on that solid reputation with a rod built specifically for lure fishers. The Ultralight Elite uses Fuji KFrame silicone guides to deliver smooth casting and high performance whether casting small bladed lures or jigging soft plastics in the trees or over the flats. These guides are strategically placed to increase casting distance and minimise friction and sharp angles. The rear end has been upgraded as well, with the use of high-performance EVA merged seamlessly into a comfort grip reel seat that fits perfectly in the palm of the user’s hand. The rear grip has been split to provide the perfect balance while in use. Rated at 4-8lb, the 7’ one-piece Blade N Tails Ultralight Elite is a rod ideal for fishing small bladed lures for bream, flathead, golden perch and bass, as well as lightly weighted plastics for a host of estuary species and golden perch, redfin and trout in the fresh. The Blade N Tails Ultralight Elite redefines what Australian-built quality is in a market full of imports. Visit wilsonfishing.com for more information.

Majorcraft Dangan Braid

BRAID revolutionised the fishing market, delivering more sensitivity and improved casting distance for multiple fishing styles. It is generally available in four and eight-strand varieties and Majorcraft has both. As the name implies, four and eight refer to the number of microfilaments weaved together. The difference is in the end product, with eight-strand being smoother and rounder. This is because the fibres are woven differently to four-strand and the bundles are smaller, with a more even circumference along the length of the line or weave.

It produces a supple, smooth line that is less likely to sing through the guides. Eight-strand is generally more expensive to produce while four-strand is regarded as robust and less supple but better able to deal with the demands of offshore bait fishing for instance. It is also cost effective for a wide range of activities. The new series covers general angling and squid fishing, with line available in both four and eightstrand, offering a top-quality line in two options. The Dangan Braid’s original yarn is a super-strong, polyethylene fibre made by Tobyo, which is custom twisted in a Japanese factory to develop a braid with lower stretch and higher sensitivity. The Dangan comes in a range of strengths and is user friendly for beginners as well as having the performance needed for lure-casting anglers. Both variants have a super-smooth, slippery surface coating that reduces friction on guides and the reel, which increases casting distance and enables better line lay. Majorcraft Dangan offshore and inshore line is multi-coloured in 10m increments, making it suitable as not only a casting line but a jigging option too. It is available in 150m and 300m spools from 12-50lb. Dangan Egi is pink and available in 8, 10, 12 and 14lb line classes in 150m lengths and can be used for estuary fish such as bream too. Visit majorcraft.com.au or facebook. com/majorcraftaus

Atomic Hardz Black Beauty

the highest-quality materials including hard impact-resistant plastic and pin-sharp hooks. They are tuned to swim straight as soon as you get them out of the packaging. RRP is from $16.95. Visit atomiclures.com.au or face book.com/atomiclures

Z-Man BeanieZ

Okuma Azores Blue spin reel STAY warm while looking cool. With the weather cooling, it’s perfect timing for the arrival of Z-Man’s BeanieZ. Made from quick-drying 100 percent acrylic, these comfortable beanies feature four top-seam knit construction and are embroidered with the Z-Man ‘Z’ in a one size fits most cool weather headwear option. A quality Richardson Sports product, a company that has served the sports team market both in the US and internationally upon a foundation of authenticity, reliability and unmatched passion for quality since 1970. Today the company is a recognised leader in the sports product industry, delivering performance-inspired headwear to millions of athletes around the world. It makes sense that the company would make headwear for the largest recreational sport in the world… fishing! Available in Black/Grey and Charcoal/Grey with a SRP of $19.95. Fish on! www.z-man.com.au

THE new upgraded Okuma Azores Blue spinning reel offers anglers a true heavy-duty saltwater reel and big fish stopper that won’t break the bank. Designed specifically for saltwater fishing with proven power features and a patented interior design, the Azores Blue is much more durable, stronger and smoother than other reels in its class. Features include 6HPB + 1RB corrosion-resistant stainless steel bearings that are more than 10 times more resistant to salt water than standard stainless steel bearings, dual antireverse system for maximum security, Corrosion-Resistant Coating process and HDGII: Corrosion-Resistant, High Density Gearing. Impressive drags, thanks to multidisc carbonite and felt drag washers for DFD: Dual Force Drag, is a system designed for maximum highend drag pressure, efficiency and overall smoothness, providing maximum drag pressures well above many equivalent size reels, including those in much higher price brackets. The Azores Blue reels feature an impressive 13kg maximum drag on the THE Mustad Landing Gloves are de- 4000 and 5500 sizes and a brutal 20kg signed to help anglers land fish with- maximum drag on the 6500, 8000 and out damaging their hands. 9000 sizes. These are heavy-duty, reinforced ALC: Rigid diecast aluminium gloves designed for offshore fishing, body, sideplate and rotor combined however, in Australia anglers chasing with MSS: Carbon Mechanical Staraspy-toothed fish such as flathead bilising System, stabilises the spool and Murray cod will appreciate the shaft at three key stress points to build of these gloves. eliminate flex under pressure, meanSpecifically designed for handling ing strength, durability and minimal fish, the gloves feature a flip top on the index finger, Velcro wrist strap flex, keeping internals aligned and and heavy-duty padding in all the running smoother. The feature list continues with Hyright places. dro Block watertight drag seal, maMustad Casting Glove The Mustad Casting Glove is a great chined aluminium handle for added all-round fishing glove designed to be strength and machined aluminium used while casting big lures on big spool with LCS, long cast lip. All these features and more combine tackle offshore. A mesh matrix top fits like a second to create a truly affordable saltwater skin and is also highly breathable to reel capable of handling trophy-sized saltwater fish. allow sweat to evaporate away. SRP for the 4000 is $179.90, $189.90 Extra padding has been included in high-stress areas where line and for the 5500, $209.90 for the 6500 and tackle constantly come in contact with $219.90 for the 8000 and 9000. www.okuma.com.au the glove. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 51

Mustad fishing gloves THE Atomic Hardz range is one of the most comprehensive hard-body lure line-ups ever developed. It began with the Crank 38, which quickly became the go-to lure for estuary anglers chasing bream and flathead. From there the range rapidly expanded to include multiple models such as the Shiner in both barra and bass lure sizes. Today there are over 28 variations across topwater, shallow, mid and deep-water depths. Predatory fish often chase silhouettes and their effectiveness is undeniable in many environments. The new Black Beauty colour has been designed with that in mind. It is a predominantly matte black in finish, with a red eye and a vivid orange lightning pattern over its back. The chin also has a subtle touch of orange. The Hardz lure line-up encompasses a large range of other natural colours designed specifically for Australian saltwater and freshwater environments. Whether floating or suspending, Atomic Hardz are effective in a wide range of situations. Some work well with a stop/start retrieve, while others can be paused right next to structure where holding fish will often strike out of frustration. Atomic Hardz are made using only

Able to be used day in and day out, the Mustad Casting Gloves will help you fish safely and securely. Mustad Sun Gloves The Mustad Sun Gloves are UPF50+ rated, giving you the best protection from the sun available. These lightweight gloves feature reinforced grip pads so rods and reel handles are held securely while the thumb, index and middle fingers are cut off to allow for extra tactile feel of your tackle while fishing. A strong Velcro wrist strap ensures a perfect fit of these brilliant sunprotection gloves. www.wilsonfishing.com

Using technology to your advantage

OST people go fishing to get away from computers, phones and screens, but these days they can be an everyday part of your fishing life.

Phil used Google Earth to find car access to the top of a creek to score a couple of jacks.

Spending time checking tides, wind, weather and where the fish have been caught lately can all help you spend more time catching fish and not driving around looking for them. The internet can be a great tool to research anything from where to get fresh bait to where your favourite lure is on special, accommodation and new locations.

Barra are still an option. This one took an 80mm Maria hard-body fished as slowly as possible after repeated casts into the same spot.

Gladstone Region by GARY CHURCHWARD

Visiting Google Earth is a must when looking at new locations for your next adventure, showing access to boat ramps, how to get there and what waterways are fishable. It comes into its own for finding little creeks and lagoons that can only be accessed by car, and being able to save and send the locations by phone saves getting bad directions from your mates. Facebook has a page on just about every region you want to fish, and if you look at Gladstone and Rockhampton you’ll find two or three pages dedicated to fishing each place. These are great platforms on which to ask questions and find out what’s been caught in the area or even see who has a spare seat for a trip. Fishing reports are also posted on tackle shop Facebook pages, giving you current reports on what’s biting where and on what. YouTube has fantastic fishing videos to watch and is fabulous for learning how to tie knots and fish new techniques and lures. It’s a great way to spend those rainy days when

you’d rather be fishing. Many people who have YouTube channels spend a lot of time and money to produce great videos. Phone apps are another useful tool to keep you up to date with the weather while you’re out enjoying the great outdoors. By using all the available information, planning a trip is a lot easier than it used to be and takes away the guesswork. This allows you to plan what to take and what extra equipment is required for the journey. And with the developments in sounder technology, you can access most of this through your sounder while on the water. On the fishing front, the Boyne Tannum Hookup was run and won over the Labour Day long weekend. As usual, the weather was not fantastic, with the wind picking up Saturday afternoon and Sunday. This didn’t stop people from getting out wide on Friday and early Saturday, with good catches for those who tried. The anglers who decided to stick closer to land and fished Gladstone Harbour and the rivers

and creeks also caught good fish. As the weather continues to cool, expect blue salmon to become a mainstay of your catch as they school to spawn. Deeper sections of the rivers and harbour will hold more consistent numbers of fish, though the odd school will be found hunting along the flats. Bream and flathead will bite strongly as the weather cools and will be in all the usual spots. The Fitzroy River will only get better for threadfin as it continues to clean up from the rain earlier this year. Barra are a viable target right through winter in the river, with just a bit more patience needed to find decent numbers. This will be the case around Gladstone as well, with live baits getting a bit more attention than lures because the fish are a bit more sluggish in the colder water. Grunter will still be in good numbers around gravel banks and in deeper holes. These fish have taken off in numbers. Crabs will be worth a shot because the ones caught at this time are typically full, so what you lose in numbers you make up for in quality. Cheers and happy fishing from Gladdy.

Offshore on fire I

T’S been a long time between drinks but I’m pleased to say we have had a couple of magnificent weather windows here on the Capricorn Coast.

Janene Jones was fishing with hubby Thomas when she caught her second-ever barra at 115cm. The mighty Fitzroy produced the goods.

Aaron Lancaster with a donkey of a spanish mackerel.

Page 52 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

However, the first item on the agenda is boat ramp parking. We only have one alltide access ramp for offshore waters, which is at Rosslyn Bay Marina. The trailer parks always overflow on weekends when the weather is good. Throw in a few months of crap weather and just about everyone who owns a boat wants to get out on the water at the first sign of a flat ocean. This problem needs to be addressed because

Capricorn Coast by JOHN BOON

once again trailers were parked up on kerbs and on the access road into the marina. Nothing leaves a sour taste in your mouth like returning home from a trip on the water to find a fine under your wiper blade. We keep getting BandAid fixes like a few more trailer parks but you can’t stick your head in the sand over this issue forever. A few local groups including the Central Queensland Boat Ramp Action Group have been fighting the good fight and trying to get the issue fixed. Another all-tide ramp would be ideal but the cries for help seem to be falling on deaf ears. Let’s hope we get some relief very soon as it would be a shame to see tourist dollars leave the area because of this problem. Now let’s have a look at what’s been happening on the offshore fishing scene. The first big mover and shaker is large spanish mackerel. Fishers haven’t had to travel very far to get into sizeable spaniards.

The Keppel islands have turned over fantastic specimens from such places as Barren Island, Man and Wife and Outer Rock. Talking with mad-keen mackerel fishers, most have said floating and trolling quality baits including garfish has been working well. If you’re like me and have a fairly relaxed approach to mackerel fishing, then a couple of hardbodies out the back and working pressure points can be a great technique. The Rapala X-Raps are a favourite among locals, however my most reliable mackerel lure to date would be the gold and orange Halco Laser Pro Crazy Deep. I seem to be able to get a hit on this lure when others fail. It’s always good to have a few ‘go-to’ lures in the box. The other major players offshore are red emperor, nannygai, coral trout and grassy sweetlip. Most of the guys who pushed wide were rewarded with quality catches. The last set of tides that coincided with good weather were spot-on.

We were about halfway leading up to the full moon from the neaps. These are my preferred tides and diary entries have shown them to always be productive. We were lucky enough to get our Cruise Craft serviced just before the last patch of good weather. We had a few minor dramas that needed attention as well. Brent and the team at Rifen Marine in Rockhampton did an outstanding job (as always) to get the boat back to us so we could saddle up for an offshore adventure. My old man accompanied me for this trip. It had been over four months since the Cruise Craft had seen the water. You could say we were well overdue. We launched early in the morning to avoid the crowds and set off on a calm ocean. We stopped at Barren Island for a few quick drops and found hungry small and large-mouth nannygai as well as cobia. It’s always a great feeling when you secure a feed from the first drop, especially when it’s not far from home. We pressed on and hit a patch of wonky holes about 50km from the harbour. * continued P53

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Some good-sized grassies are around. The author caught this one off a Cap Coast wonky hole.

Lyle Smith landed a quality Fitzroy River king thready. How about those colours?

Offshore on fire for pelagics and reefies * from P52

The fishing was slow compared to usual and we put that down to arriving right on the bottom of the tide. We persevered and were rewarded with largemouth nannygai, more cobia and goldspotted cod. Just before we moved, we put quality grass sweetlip in the Esky too. The day was starting to look glorious, with some nice fish on ice already, and it was only mid-morning. We pulled up at a deep wreck where we added a few more nannies to the box and some live baits in the tank. The next stop would be chasing coral trout and redthroat emperor off an 8m bommie found a few trips ago. The old man put some baits down and I opted for a slow-pitch jig. I was pretty happy to pull a nice redthroat off the first drift. What happened next would be the end of our fishing trip. I never go near fish with hooks in them until I’ve got a set of lip grips on them to make them easier to control for hook extraction. I was holding the top of my leader above the jig and reaching for the lip grips with my spare hand.

The redthroat went mental and rolled up the line, sending the top assist hook into my right pointer finger and embedding past the barb. My dad reacted quickly and got the fish off the jig but the damage was done. We tried to move the hook around to see if we could poke it through and cut the barb off but it was in a crappy spot with the point right next to the bone. We decided to wrap it up and head for home. It wasn’t the pain of the hook that was the problem but the fact the trip was now ruined on such fantastic tides and weather. A big kick in the guts, so to speak. A quick visit to the hospital and the hook was removed. Funnily enough, due to the good weather I was the third person that day to walk in with a hook stuck in a body part. At least the hospital staff can judge what the weather is doing by the injuries that come through their doors. Good friend Dan Baker had been out a couple of days before our trip and did really well. His crew bagged a heap of large-mouth nannies, grassy sweetlip and a couple of quality reds. Dan said he was heading for the main reefs but hit

a mark halfway out and filled up. They turned around and headed home with a full Esky and only using half the fuel they had allocated for the trip. How good is that! Around the estuary grounds, muddies have been on the move, with once again the larger tidal movement the peak times. Top catches have come from Coorooman Creek and Port Alma. A fair few floaters (empty crabs) have been found between the quality, so make sure you check before putting them in the Esky. We spent a couple of days at Port Alma recently and were amazed at the number of small fingermark and juvenile black jewfish getting around. Estuary fingermark numbers seem to have dwindled over the past few years. Sure, the odd one is caught here and there but productive sessions on them are few and far between. I’m glad to report we caught a number of cranky little fingers.

Most were undersize but it’s a great sign for the future. They fell for vibes hopped across the bottom. Estuary wrecks and rubble beds are the main places we are seeing them. The Fitzroy River still looks like a chocolate milkshake, with the town reaches still recovering from the minor flood a few months ago. The barra and threadies are starting to make their way back up the river, so hopefully by next month the town reaches will be back online. From June 7-9 we will see the very first Frenchville Sports Club Barra Bash. From what I’ve been told, the maximum number of 50 teams has been reached, which is fantastic for a new comp. A swag of prizes and prizemoney is on offer. Keep an eye out for the results over the next couple of editions. That’s it for me this month. Be sure to stay safe while out on the water and most importantly, have fun.

Jacob and Mathew Milner took advantage of great weather and got into the reds.

Bill Weder caught a mighty-fine red emperor.

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8 B ALDWIN STR EET, CALO UND R A Q LD 4551 | PH 07 5491 1944 Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 53

Red emperor is the prize species many anglers come for. The beautiful Stanage driveway.

This young angler was stoked with a fantastic barra capture.

Ripper action on reef and in estuary

OW, what an awesome month May turned out to be.

It was a great effort to land this absolute monster cod.

A solid Stanage Bay estuary cod.

Stanage Bay Marine

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info@weiparentacar.com.au Page 54 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

As predicted, we had good tides, windows of decent weather and legal size fish caught with or without a boat. Land-based fishing on the beaches, bays, rocks, creeks and reef can be very exciting. The monster and normal muddies must have been famished because I do not know of anyone who set good heavy crab pots with big fresh baits and came home empty-handed. The estuary was alive with bream, cod, flathead, barra, fingermark and grunter. Although I have seen the pics, anglers with Vodafone and Optus cannot forward their pics to me until they leave Stanage Bay. Only Telstra phones work at Stanage Bay and surrounding areas. Even the Telstra reception is intermittent, and so too are the EFTPOS machines in the two shops. On the reef, nice catches were taken using both soft plastics and dead baits. Anglers were rewarded

Stanage Bay by VON IRELAND

with a real mix of species, however the competition below the surface was ferocious, with sharks waiting until the best red fish was hooked and leaving only the head. The township of Stanage Bay came alive during the Boyne Tannum Hookup, with a lot of southern anglers unable to resist Stanage Bay’s allure. The big unsealed driveway into Stanage Bay has weathered storms lately, with the potholes easier to see, the corrugations softer and the creek crossings pretty. There’s no dust to complain about, just a bit of mud. June should produce excellent fishing and mud crabbing as more fishers target the reef and islands in the larger windows of calm weather. The next edition should be adorned with reef fish pics. Be sure to swing by Stanage Bay Marine &

Accommodation for your chance to win a fishing shirt and cooler to match. Weigh in a legal size fish or crab at the tackle shop in the boatyard and you could score a cap, bucket hat, cooler or sun shirt. Keep in mind your catch doesn’t have to be huge, just legal size. Come by and join in the fun and laughs. I now carry a huge range of mackerel and barra lures that work in this area, as well as quality bait and big bags of ice at city prices. The green pastures and prizewinning fat cattle sleeping or grazing on the floodplains are worth slowing down for a picture to show friends and family. The graziers vehemently fought the Australian Defence Force when the ADF tried to buy them out. Bookings are still available for 2018 at Stanage Bay Marine & Accommodation.

For any information on the area, call me on 07 4937 3145, email me at stanagebaymarine@big pond.com or find us on Facebook. And for the best gift ever, simply buy a one-year subscription to Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine for your loved one. You would be surprised who loves to read this

mag, and remember not everyone has a computer or the internet. I’m sure many doctor’s surgery waiting rooms, chemotherapy wards and hospitals would appreciate having fishing mags past or present donated for their patients too. Until next month, enjoy the pics and keep those rods bent.

Muddies were majorly hungry during May.

There’s more to Formosa Marine boats

LU M I N I U M plate boat manufacturer Formosa Marine consistently show its determination to build quality boats.

The smallest developments add up to more value when buying a boat. Read on for latest from Formosa Marine for 2018 so far. • A new and improved scupper design for the self-draining decks includes a bungy tension cord for a tighter seal in extra-choppy waters. Scuppers are standard on Offshore models and an option for Classic models. It’s a very handy design, allowing water to flow off the deck in rough waters or while giving the boat a wash. • The Aluminium

Raised Casting Deck is now a standard feature on all Territory models. A new aluminium anchor well called a ‘Custom Nose Deck’ is now available as an option for the Territory casting deck. • Discover more activities with the Removable Bait Board and Bait Tank design bolted to the transom. Remove it for boating or swap it for a Removable Ski Pole. • The BowActive Ladder option is proving popular on the X Bowrider models, giving you handy access to shore via the nose. • A new Bunk Extension Boards with Cushion design is available as an option for Half Cabins. • Customise your next boat with one of the largest ranges of optional extras on offer.

Check out all the options available for each model on Formosa’s website. Celebrating 20 years of boat building Formosa Marine is Australian owned and now operating in its 20th year. To celebrate, Formosa is installing a free Railblaza StowPod on every Bait Board with Bait Tank option added to each 2018 boat order. Southeast Queensland Tomahawk dealer: Australian Marine Centre Australian Marine Centre will be showcasing the Formosa Tomahawk range at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show from May 24-27. After the show, visit the dealership’s display

of Tomahawks at 3491 Pacific Highway, Slacks Creek. Offering the boating know-how you need AMC has a dedicated sales team on hand to help you get on the water with the right Formosa Tomahawk model to suit you. The dealership also stocks a range of Garmin quality electronics,

Minn Kota electric motors and power up with the ultimate four-stroke Suzuki outboards. AMC offers full service capabilities and a complete range of spare parts to ensure you remain on the water. For more information, phone Rod on 07 3808 7333 or visit amcboats. com.au or formosama rineboats.com.au

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Cracker barra boom after rain

ARRA fishing has really heated up since the floods, with lots of fish around between 50cm and 85cm and our customers really enjoying fantastic barra action.

We have had lots of clients lately who have never caught barramundi or who haven’t done much lure fishing. They have been doing trips with us to learn the ropes and crack their first barra. Anyone who has fished with us knows how dedicated I am to helping you achieve your goals while improving your angling skills and having fun. Let’s face it, the fun bit is catching fish. A couple of things I have noticed with lure fishers from down south coming up north is they fish a very

Hinchinbrook News by TODD EVELEIGH

tight line on their lures at all times. This is fairly critical for bream fishing but up here it can actually work against you in a couple of ways. First, being tight to your lure at all times means in our stronger current the lure never actually sits still, and I find 90 percent of the bites we get occur when the lure pauses. Second, when you actually get a bite you will likely miss the fish or hook it lightly on the outside of the mouth, so when the barra jumps it will throw the hooks very easily. We teach clients to retrieve by tapping the rod tip

This beautiful fish was captured by Phil.

Aaron showed some class in landing this fish.

A hard-body-munching barramundi.

like a drumstick on a drum and springing the line from loose to tight to make the lure dart from side to side erratically without leaving the strike zone. I make sure to impart big pauses between the taps on loose line. Having loose line after each tap of the rod allows the lure to sit stationary after the initial twitch and also be inhaled by the barramundi when the fish comes up behind the lure and sucks the lure and water around it into its mouth, exhaling the water out its gills. Having that bit of slack allows the lure to go further back into the fish’s mouth and significantly increases your hook-up rate. It will also give you better hook positioning in the mouth to land those fish. Just changing the retrieve increases bites to hook-ups by at least 50 percent but more importantly converts hook-ups into landed fish about 80 percent of the time. I’ve noticed that clients will change their technique as I’ve instructed until they catch a fish, at which point they immediately forget what works and revert to their old technique. It is really important to try to stick to what works. Change your retrieve rates from fast to slow, lengthen your pauses and keep changing your retrieve until you get a bite. The hardest part is then remembering what you were doing when you achieved the bite. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Another thing I’ve seen novices do is cast into a snag and have a fish come out and swipe at the lure but then on the very next cast throw the lure 50m up the bank away from the fish that showed interest. If you get a strike or follow, try to cast back into exactly the same spot a few more times.

Often you will find the same fish will come back or others will pounce on your offering. Don’t throw your lure away from the fish, throw your lure to the fish. Another funny thing with barramundi is they will congregate on certain trees, and it is usually the last big snag at the end of a run. If you happen to hook or catch a fish, I find hitting the spot lock on the electric and keeping the boat in the same position to keep casting into the same spot and bringing the lure down on the same angle can result in catching a dozen or more fish off the same snag. It’s funny how the lure must come down at the same angle each time to get the bite. This sometimes means the person at the back of the boat catches all the fish and the person at the front doesn’t get a touch, and this is simply due to the angle of retrieve. Another thing to keep in mind when barra fishing is to think about when you are getting bites. Is it in the first couple of twitches off the bank or is it when the lure reaches its optimum diving depth? By picking up on these little things you can work out what lure is working better for you and why. I find if you are getting the bites on the first couple of twitches, a floating lure is the go. When the fish are taking the lure at its optimum diving depth, suspending lures are best because when you get the lure to the desired depth you can work it more slowly and keep it in the fish’s face longer. Try to stay in touch with what is going on and when the fish are biting. I hope this article helps you catch your first barra or improve your catches if you’re a seasoned veteran. Until next month.

Experienced local guide

Tom with a beautiful bronze barramundi.

Tim was happy to boat this hungry barra.

Dan with a chunk of a Hinchinbrook barra.

Full-day inshore or offshore charters 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!

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A solid specimen for Phil.

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What started seven years ago as a celebration of Australian lures and lure making has rapidly grown to an event that satisfies all anglers, whether they be fresh or saltwater focused. This is unlike every boat show you’ve ever been to that leaves you wondering ‘where’s the tackle?’ The Lure Show will completely satisfy your every need and want to add to your tackle collection. It’s two days of non-stop fishing-focused action. With Australia’s biggest collection of lure makers all under the one roof, the expertise on offer is unparalleled. Carving, painting and lure swimming demonstrations and general lure-making advice is as thick on the ground as the tackle bargains in the room. Everyone is selling. The Lure Show turns the Ipswich Showgrounds into the biggest, most diverse tackle shop around. You are guaranteed to find things you don’t yet know you can’t live without. You won’t want to miss the lure demonstrations at the casting tank. Here you will find the lure makers giving guidance on how their lures have been designed to swim and how to get the most out of them. The presenters’ hub is where

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you’ll be able to pick the brains of some of the most knowledgeable anglers around including Jake Newmarch (Newmarch’s Fishin Mission); Liam Fitzpatrick (JML Pro Staffer); Brendan Goulding (Fish and Whipz); and lure-making legend Peter Pakula (Pakula Lures). You’re likely following them on Facebook, watching their YouTube videos or checking out their Tweets – now is your chance to meet them face to face and talk all things fishing. Got some old wooden Australian lures lying in the garage that need a new home? Bring these to the Show because you won’t find a hungrier pack of collectors anywhere in this wide brown land. These guys are also keen to help you sort your own collection out and are more than happy to help with identifying

any lures you’re not quite sure about. Love an artistic lure or new design? The Lure Show Award entries are always a crowd favourite and a brilliant showcase of the craftsmanship, creative talent and skill of our local lure makers. They seem to get better and better every year. When’s the last time you paid $10 to get into a show? Combine this with free parking and you get in and out of the Lure Show for less than half the price of any boat show on the east coast! Tickets are available online now. Group discounts are available for fishing clubs, so get in touch at lureshow.com.au Don’t forget to like the Lure Show on Facebook (facebook. com/AustralianLureExpo) and stay up to date with all the 2018 Show news.

FACT BOX What:

2018 Australian Lure, Fly & Outdoors Expo

When:

Saturday June 16 and Sunday June 17

Where:

Ipswich Showgrounds, Ipswich

Time:

9.30am – 3pm Saturday; 9am – 3pm Sunday

Web:

www.lureshow.com.au

Tickets:

Adults $10, kids under 16 free (when accompanied by an adult). Pre-purchase tickets online to avoid the lines.

MAGAZINE

HACK the dates in the diary, on your phone or on the wall in the shed because you’ll want to make sure you’re making the trip to be at Queensland’s Ipswich Showgrounds on June 16 and 17 for the 2018 Australian Lure, Fly & Outdoors Expo, or as we all fondly call it – the Lure Show!

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* Offer only available at 2018 Australian Lure, Fly & Outdoors Expo. While stocks last. Pictures for illustration purposes only.

Page 56 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

www.bnbfishing.com. au

C AMPING & outdoors

Just add water to your life

ATER makes up 60 percent of our human bodies, covers 71 percent of the earth’s surface and without it we will die.

I’m sure as a reader of Bush ‘n Beach you would probably love to float, fish, dive, swim or just play in it. Decades ago, the term waterman was used to describe someone who practised all the above and lived for the water. These were people such as George Greenough who became a legend of the ocean. A man who changed the face of surfing and helped introduce the shortboard while designing and refining fin shape and flexibility, which increased the performance of all surf craft. He was a standout ocean photographer and film maker who designed and built his own water housings for his cameras. He produced and filmed The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun, a surfing classic, and his outstanding camerawork was seen by the legendary band Pink Floyd. So impressed were they with his talent, Pink Floyd donated the soundtrack for his next film Crystal Voyager. I’m sure these films have influenced many of our youth, and with GoPro technology and thanks to the internet, we can watch many fishing, hunting and surfing clips produced by talented youngsters and amateurs. Sunshine Beach local Harrison Biden and friends have produced some fantastic videos over the years, capturing the essence of surfing and the simplicity of enjoying the ocean. It seems in the ‘80s and ‘90s we lost something

Outdoors by PAUL ‘CHIEF’ GRAVESON

special, both in our respect for the water and for others who shared it, but I feel a whole new generation of undiscriminating watermen are paving the way. Google ‘De’fer//Harrison and Zye’ and watch as the boys share one of their earlier offerings from about five years ago to restore your faith in our younger generation. Let’s get back to George Greenough, who was also a keen fisher and designed boats and rescue craft. Would you believe his rescue craft designs are used by the US Navy, Coast Guard and National Guard? Greenough is still playing in the ocean today at 77 years young and I believe he still hits the surf on his surf mat around Broken Head in NSW. What an unbelievable example of a waterman. I often hear of our kids now sitting at home playing on computers and rarely finding time to venture outside, but I’m glad to say I’ve noticed a real renaissance in what I believe is a return to those earlier days. It seems our next generation is developing an open mind in relation to the water. I’ve seen some talented young surfers who are as happy walking the longboards as they are carving on a shortboard. The same young guns are happy to grab a bodyboard, have a blast and simply play. If the wind blows up or the swell drops, you’ll find the same kids with a 7’ graphite rod matched to a 2000-size reel exploring

our waterways and enjoying what the water has to offer. Armed with a selection of plastics and hard-bodies, they express the same enthusiasm and love for all their water-based activities. I don’t know about you, but I feel this is an indication of our future generations camping, surfing, fishing and creating their own new adventures in southeast Queensland. It’s keeping alive the essence of what Ron Collins captured in producing Bush ‘n Beach in the early days and what Ben Collins and staff continue to provide today. Give me half a chance and you would find me tossing a hard-body around snags in Yabba Creek for bass, fishing the Noosa waterways for saltwater estuarine species, paddling Noosa Heads or surfing the north coast beach breaks. As a teenager of the ‘70s, I explored the realm of kneeboarding on our Gold Coast and northern NSW points and beaches. George Greenough was a legendry exponent in shaping and riding kneeboards and spoons (a unique type of kneeboard). It seemed to be a discipline of surfing that disappeared from our southeast Queensland region except for a number of hard-core individuals who continued to ply their trade, though it remained

relatively active in our southern states. As I’ve noticed the changes in surf culture, I’ve also noticed less discrimination as many young surfers choose to use longboards, bodyboards and stand-up paddleboards. I’ve even seen several wave skis catching a few waves around the Sunshine Coast. I’m waiting for a call from David Parkes at Friar Tuck Kneeboards to give me the nod to pick up my new 6’ fish-tail four fin. David Parkes is a sixtime Australian kneeboard champion and he has been designing and shaping kneeboards for 30 years. He started shaping boards for Friar Tuck under the watchful eyes of owners John and Peter Ware in Brookvale Sydney and years later had the opportunity to buy the company. It continues to trade out of Byron Bay where David produces quality boards that have been refined over decades to today’s high-performance profiles. Of course, some things just don’t need to change and classic single-fin retro styles are still produced out of the Parkes/Friar Tuck establishment. I’ve always advised to buy the best-quality fishing gear you can afford, and this also crosses into all your different outdoor activities. Attention to detail is paramount in achieving success, no matter your obsession, and David Parkes continues to supply quality.

Water continues to lift our adrenalin levels and tickle our sensory glands, whether fishing, boating or surfing. While reflecting on the renaissance of the Waterman concept, I happened to walk into a large shop where a major player in the surf gear industry had released a new range of clothing: ‘The Waterman’. I looked over the symbolic design that depicted surfing, diving and fishing and felt reassured about my observations of our youth once again reclaiming the outdoor indulgence of the water. I can imagine them fourwheel-driving to remote beaches, camping under the stars, surfing and fishing our river systems and beaches. Maybe there really will be a return to an early era when the waterman ruled. Stay safe and enjoy what Mother Nature has given us.

Well-known waterman Peter Biden styling at Noosa.

Harrison Biden at Little Cove, Noosa.

Young Jack Schnieder enjoyed the outdoors, showing how to do a creek crossing.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 57

C AMPING & outdoors

The superb view looking south from the Archer Point lighthouse.

The iconic Nifold Plain.

Doing the Cape – part two B

EFORE leaving Cooktown, where we left off last month, to continue further up Cape York, I have to mention two other great local attractions.

Rinyirru’s rivers and billabongs are famous for their barramundi fishing, this one caught by Josh Lyon.

Boys fishing just below the Hann Crossing.

Archer Point is not far from Cooktown (the turnoff is about 11km south and signposted) and offers superb scenery and good beachside camping. It can get seriously windy here, but has some sheltered spots. There’s a story about a wind monitor that was set up at Archer Point a few years ago to test for suitability for a wind farm. Apparently it blew over! It’s well worth driving up to the lighthouse where you can view the mountains and coastline of the Wet Tropics southwards, and Cape Bedford and surrounds to the north. Back in town, fishing from the Cooktown wharf while munching on fish and chips is mandatory. Seeing as we are already

Cape York by ‘BILLABONG’ BAZZ LYON

in Cooktown, I suggest we continue the journey by travelling through Rinyirru National Park to Musgrave. The alternative route is to go west to Lakeland, and then up the Peninsula Development Rd, through Laura and so on. However, you can do that on the way home. Now, should you have a spare day or two, it is well worth going up to Hope Vale Aboriginal community and then out to Elim Beach before doing Rinyirru. This is a place of stunning coastal scenery, with coloured sands just to the north. You can only access these at low tide, and you must stay high on the beach. Countless vehicles have been lost after people have tried driving too low and

become badly bogged. Eddie’s Campground is a cracker spot to camp for a bit. Eddie is a local Aboriginal elder and great to talk to. When your time here is finished, backtrack to the Battlecamp junction south of Hope Vale and continue west through the beautiful sandstone Battlecamp Range. A stop at the picturesque Isabella Falls on the way is a must. Because this trip is planned for roughly a fortnight, we’re not going to Cape Melville National Park. That magical place is out of the way and warrants a trip of its own. So, into the vastly different but equally appealing Rinyirru National Park, formally known as Lakefield.

You really have to get off the main road to see many of its attractions, with almost limitless bush camping areas. One of the first is Horseshoe Lagoon, only 3km off the road, which is a large waterlily-covered billabong that provides an excellent introduction to the Cape’s beautiful wetlands. This is a great spot if you are into photography and nature. Continuing, the historic Old Laura Homestead near the Laura River provides a good insight into the ‘hard as’ pioneering days. The homestead was abandoned in 1957 when flooded by the Laura River after cyclonic rain. Going north, you’ll find many riverside bush camping areas where you can also fish. Most of these are several kilometres away from the main road. We have camped at 12 Mile, Old Faithful, Dingo

and Mick Feinn and loved them all. Kennedy Bend is good too, but is too close to the road for my liking. Catfish Waterhole (no camping) is picturesque and often a good place to spot fresh and estuarine crocodiles basking on the bank. Kalpowar Crossing is the only developed camping area, 3km from Lakefield ranger base, with flushing toilets and cold showers. It’s a pretty spot set above the Normanby River, and boats can be launched from the bank near Kalpowar Crossing to fish a cracker stretch of upstream river. It’s well worth setting yabby pots for cherabin and red claw anywhere in the freshwater rivers and billabongs of Rinyirru. Just north of the ranger base, turn right to check out Red Lily Lagoon with its amazing spread of lotus lilies. * continued P59

Pre-fish for NT Barra Classic

T the time of writing, I’m at the Banyan Farm Tourist Park for the NT Barra Classic.

Fishing with good mate Gary Chambers, an absolute gun fly angler who has caught thousands of barra on the Daly River, I had a great first session on the river, picking up 43 barramundi to 87cm on the long wand. It was brilliant getting back into this style of fishing that is ultra-productive on the Daly. We look for eddies and obvious fish-holding structure and anchor or tie off the boat and cast to the snags.

Fishing Australia by ROBERT PAYNE

Weighted chartreuse colours are our favourite flies and are cast towards the snag and allowed to sink before stripping in against the tide. The line burns on fingers as these fish take the flies is crazy, and you really have to hold tight to your fly line and not give the barramundi an inch because they will macramé your fly line back through the snags. Leeann and I went through probably a doz-

Page 58 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

en fly lines when we stayed on the Daly for six months because the fishing is nothing short of brutal, but amazing fun. Although this is a super-productive form of fishing, unfortunately some of the rules of the competition make it very difficult to fish fly as successfully as we could, which is a shame because no doubt this method could take out a Barra Classic or Nationals competition.

On that note, I must congratulate Team Edge Rods of Craig Griffiths, Karim De Ridder and Wally Wilton who took out this year’s Barra Nationals on the Daly River. It was an outstanding effort from the Queensland boys who had never fished the river before and smashed the local competition. Awesome stuff using techniques learnt fishing Queensland rivers and taking out many barra comps on the east coast. Special mention to Karim De Ridder who also took out champion angler.

The author with a fly-caught Daly River barramundi.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

4WDING & off - road

Janowen Hills 4WD Park

ANOWEN Hills 4WD Park is one of those underrated, under-acknowledged fourwheel-drive destinations.

Located about two hours southwest of Brisbane, Janowen Hills is situated in the foothills of the Great Diving Range at Goomburra Valley about half an hour outside Warwick. Janowen Hills 4WD Park was established in 2004 by husband and wife team Janette and Owen. They set out to create an adventure park that catered to all needs, from campers with 2WD vehicles to grey nomads with caravans through to those with competition trucks who want to compete in winch truck competitions and Ultra4 Racing. On this trip we headed out with Ben in his 105 Series LandCruiser, Dean in his mental Suzuki, Jordan in his GU Patrol, Darren in his D22 Navara and a number of Darren’s mates. We had two distinct classes of capability and willingness to tackle tough tracks, so spent the weekend driving in two groups but often crossing each other’s paths. When Sammy and I arrived, we were greeted with a set up camp and

4WD Trip by GREG BELL

broken LandCruiser. Poor Ben had just fitted his newly purchased Fox remote reservoir shocks before heading out. When tackling his very first track, he noticed his rig was overly bouncy. Ben had pinched an oil line and the shock spurted all the oil out! He pulled off the shock for the trip and once back home replaced the oil line, refilled it and chucked the shock back on. We were truly impressed with the campsite; with wide open camp areas and a beautiful running creek on one side and large, funfilled hills on the other. Janowen Hills 4WD Park has competitive pricing, with campsites costing $15 per person, per night and 4WD permits costing $30 when you camp between two and eight days. The park also features flushing toilets, hot showers that cost $1 for three minutes, ice able to be bought from within the main campground, a local shop with all your general needs and a recovery service for those who get into

Dean’s Suzuki got on mad angles crawling a deep rut.

sticky situations. After waking to the calming sounds of the creek flowing and birds singing, we cooked up a breakfast feast and hit the tracks. We left the camp and were at our first challenge literally within 30 seconds. The track climbs up a water course where the rain runs down from between two hills, resulting in some deep off-camber ruts perfectly set to test your rig. Dean being Dean, he managed to land his Sierra on top of a boulder almost as big as the tiny Suzuki. With a bit of whisky throttle, Dean managed to create some horrendous sounds and scramble his way off the beast of a pebble. As with most tracks we do, Ben and I got into a bit of a competition of who could crawl the track more easily and pick the better line. Fortunately for Ben, he didn’t have to do much because the big 105 Series LandCrusier flexed its way through and did all the work for him! But seriously, the man can steer, and sadly, I rode the wall a little too much, which caused the Milk Carton to slip sideways and ruin a previously clean run. Oh well, it ended better for me than old mate who came up behind me. He lined up his standard 100 Series LandCruiser at the start of the track and waited for me to finish. Sadly, but not surprisingly, his standard Cruiser became stuck on a large tree root a few metres in. We then spent the next

The crew posed for a shot in the play pen.

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45 minutes trying to work out how to recover his pride and joy without damaging it. After successfully getting old mate out, we all headed to the play pen. Janowen kindly provides a section of park specifically designed for * continued P60

Dean’s Sierra put on a show while climbing a side track.

The Milk Carton sat in a gnarly position while a recovery was organised.

Doing the Cape – part two * from P58

I’m not going to mention all the rest of the camping spots throughout the park. They are all great, with varying amounts of shade. It’s worth knowing for keen fishers that Browns Creek, Bottom Whiphandle, Basin Hole and Camp 20 on the North Kennedy all offer access to tidal water. Browns Creek campsite has virtually no shade. Don’t forget the crab pots! At the Hann Crossing, check out the small waterfall downstream but don’t drive across the rocky surface nearby. This is a special place for the Lama Lama people. Indeed, explorer William Hann (who the crossing is named after) in his journal noted that ‘tracks come from all directions here, showing this to be an important meeting place for the natives’. Heading towards the western boundary of the park, you cross Nifold Plain, an expansive open savannah dotted with

thousands of termite mounds. This is one of the iconic landscapes on the Cape and offers great opportunities for photographers, especially around sunset and sunrise. A track takes off to Low Lake, just before Saltwater Creek, where good numbers of waterbirds can usually be seen. This lake dried up during a drought in the 1980s, with the resident crocodiles burying themselves in mud until the next rains came. From here it’s only about 40km to Musgrave Roadhouse, formerly one of the vital telegraph stations on the Cape. This is a great place to camp overnight, maybe grab a feed and generally soak up the Cape York atmosphere. Freshwater crocodiles inhabit the dam just near the camping area and are harmless unless interfered with. From here it’s pretty well a straight driving run up to Coen, 110km away. You’ll have great views from the top of the Bam-

boo Range, and if you have time, can divert to Port Stewart. The turn-off is about 29km south of Coen. You can experience superb estuary fishing here, as well as abundant mozzies and sandflies,

something that all too often goes with good fishing. Well that’s it for part two. Next month we continue our exciting journey towards the tip. Safe travels!

Freshwater crocs in the Normanby River.

Early morning on the North Kennedy River.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 59

4WDING & off - road

Janowen Hills 4WD Park * from P59

Darren’s D22 struggled its way along a challenging track. He decided he needs a front diff locker.

The Milk Carton got a log stuck between the exhaust and gearbox while crawling a rocky creek bed. The author was stopped in his tracks.

All the crew pitched in to free the log from under the Milk Carton.

hooning, with a wide open muddy section meaning you are free to cut ‘fully sick hoops’, race each other and simply drift around. The area has a markedout track that has been used for a number of events over the years and in the middle of the area are large dump truck tyres to flex on and a set of wombat holes to play on. In true style, Dean put on a show for the crowd, with his Sierra dosing its head off and mud flying everywhere. Later in the day, we were cruising along when we heard a call over the UHF that one of the guys in our group had gone off on his own and found himself stuck in a rocky section with his steering completely locked up. Ben went to his aid while I talked him through a checklist of symptoms. I was able to diagnose Chris’s D22 with a worn and bent idler arm, bent drag link pins and possibly damaged tie rods. With a little help from Ben, they were able to free the steering. After a stern warning from myself regarding what they were in for if they did not take it easy, they jumped back on the tracks and continued. Later in the afternoon we noticed one of the cars coming towards us but the D22 was nowhere to be seen. Chris was deep into the park when, as I expected, he bent his tie rod into a banana. For those who don’t know, I used to drive a D22 Navara and even with custom-made chromoly tie rods I never went offroad without a spare set of tie rods – along with a wide array of other spares.

TOUGH GEAR FOR TOUGH TRUCKS

Long story short, we arrived at Chris’s D22 and his tie rod was bent almost at a right angle. One wheel was facing straight and the other was on full lock. After some deliberation, we decided the best course of action was to give up our day jobs and become bush mechanics. We used a double-sided offset ring spanner, some cone washers and two bolts to make a makeshift tie rod assembly before we spent an hour limping the D22 back, re-tensioning the bolts every 10 minutes. Once back at camp, we stripped the tie rod assembly down and heated the tie rod in the fire. After some less than skilful blacksmith work, we successfully straightened it and it was ready to go back on. Thankfully the tie rod sat straight enough for Chris’s steering to be (mostly) aligned so he could drive home the following morning. And yes, he replaced the part as soon as he got home. What happened to Chris is not an isolated incident.

D22s are well known for bending tie rods, idler arms and drag link pins. Performance Suspension Racing has developed an entire kit to replace the standard steering components, which simply can’t handle the increased pressures caused by fitting larger tyres and tackling challenging tracks. If you own a D22 and haven’t sorted your steering

yet but like to tackle tough tracks, then please give us a call or flick us a message via our Flexible 4WD Solutions Facebook page. I promise you that spending the money on quality components is much cheaper than paying for a complex recovery when you are deep in the bush! Until next time, stay safe on the trails!

Chris’s tie rod was bent like a banana.

The Milk Carton flexed while it crawled a deep rut.

Find your next off-road escape with BFGoodrich tyres

FG OODR ICH Tyres Australia has launched an innovative new 4x4 navigation app that allows off-roaders and those with a passion for exploring the outdoors the opportunity to download, upload and share their favourite tracks and points of interest with not only their friends, but others in the 4x4 community.

Developed in collaboration with the awardwinning Melbournebased technology consultancy Transpire, the free app offers both live tracking and offline maps to download at no charge. Apart from being a handy tool for anyone venturing off the beaten path, users can also

share their off-road passion (trail information, 4x4 tips, points of interest on tracks, vehicle details and modifications) with friends and likeminded enthusiasts. On the launch of the app, BFGoodrich Australia marketing manager Tim Hoare said, “Our customers are enthusiasts who love to explore nature, challenge themselves and share those experiences with their friends and others within the off-road community.” “Whether you’re joining a weekend expedition with the local 4x4 club or overlanding through the Simpson, the Off Road Escape app simply allows more people to access and explore the hard to reach parts of our country, in

the same way our tyres do.” The Off Road Escape app features the following functionality: • Free offline maps for download; • Create a profile with your vehicle information; • BFGoodrich 4x4 tips and advice (from your website); • Live tracking – record my drive; • Ability to plot a route; • Save pins with notes; and • Search for locations and enjoy offline maps. The Off Road Escape app is freely available through the Apple iTunes Store or visit bfg o o d r i c h. c o m. a u / offroad-escape.html for further information.

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0401 221 596 Page 60 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

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5-star ANCAP safety rating on all MU-X models and 4x4 D-MAX Crew Cab models built from November 2013 onwards and 4x2 D-MAX Crew Cab High Ride models built from November 2014 onwards. ^5 years/130,000km whichever occurs first, for eligible customers. Excludes trays and accessories. >The Capped Price Servicing Program (“CPS Program”) applies to Eligible Vehicles with a Warranty Start Date on or after 1/1/15 at Participating Isuzu UTE Dealers only. The 5 years Capped Price Servicing covers the first 5 Scheduled Services for 18MY and later vehicle models for up to 5 years/75,000km (whichever occurs first) and for 16.5MY and 17MY for up to 5 years/50,000km (whichever occurs first). CPS Program is subject to change. For full terms & conditions and current pricing visit isuzuute.com.au/service-plus.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 61

CatCh barra

at Lake MonDuran

Bruce and his son Geoff fished with Jamie Bein for a day and got three barra in total. The biggest was 82cm and the others measured 70cm. Geoff is pictured holding his 82cm barra.

Julie and her barra. All barra have been caught on Reidy’s B52s and soft plastics such as Hollow Bellys.

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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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Page 62 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

S the days and nights cool, we feel the effects of winter approaching.

This time of year is becoming very popular for chasing barramundi in our Queensland impoundments. It is terrific weather for southern-state anglers to venture north for their holidays, as our temperatures are still over 20C in the day but can drop to single digits through the night. It’s funny to hear people say you can’t catch barra in winter. This is totally untrue. They still have to feed in the cooler months. However, your tactics need to change. Generally our water temperature doesn’t fall much below 20C at 3m deep and that seems to be the most productive depth throughout the year. Areas near the original river channel such as shallow bays and points the breeze is blowing into are the prime places to be. From the main basin right up to Two Mile, good size barra have been exciting anglers. Seeing catches so wide-

Monduran Dam by DONNA GANE

spread throughout Lake Monduran confirms we have a very healthy and productive lake. All fish, from baitfish to metre-plus barra are in pristine condition. Looking at areas in the lake with warmer water as the day progresses will produce active fish in the late arvos. In the morning, look at areas that cop the first warmth of the sun. Shallow-diving and slow-rising lures have been the most favoured in recent times but other lures and soft plastics have edged their way into the tackle boxes of many a barra angler. The buoyancy of your lure or soft plastic can be altered to suit a different style of fishing but you should test how the action has changed. Adding extra weight, heavier hooks and rings, and even filing a bib can all change the run of a lure or soft plastic. When looking for tackle for targeting the sought-

after barramundi, always take note of Reidy’s and Halco lures. They are made in Australia for barra anglers, with the right colours and adequate hardware. Soft plastic hardware is also important and a couple that are strong and reliable are the Threadybuster and Reidy’s Fish Snakz. Impoundment barra are rewarding to hook up to, with some young anglers getting GoPro footage to remember and brag about the occasion. Fishing big barra lakes is not easy. It is a challenge, and that’s what makes it so rewarding when you achieve success. Continue with patience and persistence and you will come out a winner. To recap: fish the warmer bays, cast close to timber and structure, be stealthy when venturing into prime areas and use slow-rising shallow divers with a pause and retrieve motion.

Enjoy your time on our beautiful Lake Monduran because the scenery is remarkable and the abundance of birdlife enhances its tranquillity. Call in to Barra Havoc on the highway next to Tyrepower as you pass through Gin Gin 25km south of the lake. We will help you with all your fishing inquiries and needs. Or before leaving home, check out our website barratackle.com.au to find a wide range of fish-

ing gear for all types of fishing, specialising in barramundi. A big thanks to Jamie Bein of Lake Monduran Barra Charters for the photos from his latest guided tours. A guided tour can always help in terms of both technique and secret fishing spots. Don’t forget to keep your Stocked Impoundment Permit up to date because SIPS funds help to ensure great fishing for future generations. Happy angling.

John with a quality barra that put up a great fight.

Terry Allwood takes back-to-back wins at Basstasstic qualifiers

ERRY Allwood of Wondai put on a great display of angling skills to win for the second time this season at round two of the Basstasstic qualifying series held at Cania Dam.

He won at Boondooma Dam in round one and stormed home with the win this time around. On the Friday pre-fish, he didn’t land a single fish. He was expecting disaster but put his mind to the job of finding fish and landed two good bass in each of the three sessions over the weekend, beating 46 anglers to win the event. His scores were 830 points in session one, 810 in session two and 784 in

Competition Report by RUSSELL NOWLAND

session three, which gave him 2424 points to take the win. The weekend proved tough for most anglers, so it was a really good effort to claim back-toback victories. Terry also won the Evakool Big Bass prize and cash pool with a 437mm to the fork Cania bass. Overall, he took home $1460 in prizemoney. His closest rival on the weekend was Matthew Langford of Kingaroy who came second with 2381 points. Matthew put in a huge effort for this result, as it was a tough fish for

all 47 anglers, and he was rewarded with $700 cash. Third place went to Barry Reynolds of Nambour. Barry had a great weekend with three good measure-ins to finish with 2343 points. He walked away with $500 cash for his efforts. Junior winner Emma Wojtasik of Nambour had a really good score of 1731 points and won the Bill and Cindy Schloss donated prize of a pack of lures. For more on the Basstasstic series, visit barrabasstasstic.com

Terry Allwood was the winner of round two at Cania Dam and also picked up the Big Bass prize.

Matthew Langford finished in second place at Cania.

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Winter fishing patterns begin in the South Burnett

T’S been an interesting month of fishing in the two impoundments of the South Burnett.

With the slight influx of water and cooler weather setting in, there’s been a lack of consistent fishing as the water and season settles. As I write, the fishing has improved over the past few days and captures of big natives in Bjelke-Petersen and Boondooma dams are being reported. The water temperatures are slowly starting to drop but warmer afternoons have prompted the fish to bite well. It’s been a very warm month with only a few mornings cold enough to pull on the jumpers. The fish seem to be somewhat quiet in the mornings but as the day warms, they really start firing. Boondooma Boondooma has started to pick up and bigger bass and goldens are being caught on a variety of techniques as they move into shallower water. The past month has seen some inconsistency but good size fish are starting to be captured. The great thing about Boondooma is you can catch fish in many different areas on a variety of techniques. In the mornings when it’s cooler, I like to head up the

Freshwater Impoundments by MATTHEW LANGFORD

arms of the dam and fish the edges. I’ll cast a 3/8oz Bassman Spinnerbait or lipless crank to the edge, let it hit the bottom and slowly wind it out. The fish tend to move up on the edge during the night and will generally feed until the sun hits the water and starts to warm. This can be a great way of catching big fish early, especially if you’re in the timbered arms and there’s a lot of structure near the edge you’re fishing. Another option is fishing the many weed beds that line the edge of the dam, where jerkbaits are a great option. Cast the jerkbait up to the weed edge and crank it down a couple of winds, pause it and then begin a series of twitches as you wind. Remember that when fishing close to the weed you will contact it regularly, so just give the rod tip a quick flick to get the jerkbait free. Be patient with this technique because the bass sitting in the weed pockets will eventually come out and hit

Ecogear ZX blades are a real standout when the weather starts to cool.

Annette Langford with a nice bass caught by casting to the weed edge.

The author scored a colourful yellowbelly on a spinnerbait retrieved from the edge.

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the jerkbait hard. This is also a great option for catching big yellowbelly, particularly in the afternoon when the water is warm. After the sun has been up for a while and the day starts to warm, I always move out to the deeper sections of the dam and target the schooled fish sitting on the flats. Sound around until you’ve located a good showing of fish. At this time of year I generally search around the 4.5-7.5m depth range. Once you have located a school, you have a few options for casting at the fish to entice a bite. Half ounce-rigged plastics, tailspinners, blades, spinnerbaits and soft vibes all have their place on the flats and it’s just a matter of trying a few lures until you find one that consistently catches fish. Bait fishers are picking up good numbers of fish in the timbered arms by tying off trees and fishing with live shrimp and worms. You can buy bait at the kiosk, but if you want the best bait, use opera house pots to catch your own shrimp from the weed around the dam edges. Trollers are picking up good fish around the weed edges, along the rock walls near the dam wall and in the timbered arms with spinnerbaits and deep-diving hard-bodies. Lake Barambah Fishing on BP Dam (Lake Barambah) has slowly improved, with some nice catches of bass and yellowbelly coming in, particularly during the warmer afternoons. Due to the warmer afternoons and cold mornings, the fish have generally been staying out deep in the 4.5-7.5m zone. If it’s a cool morning, I will target the weed edges with spinnerbaits, blades and tailspinners. It helps if the edges have spindly timber mixed in with the weed because the fish tend to move up and feed around this structure early in the morning. Later in the day, especially if it’s warm, I will move out deeper and target fish sitting on the deeper flats of about 6m. The fish have been spread out over the flats next to Lightning Ridge and Bass Point and wide of Treasure Island and wide of the Quarry. The best way to target the fish in the deep is with blades, tailspinners and soft vibes. Sound around these areas until you find a good show of fish on the sounder, and then go through the above lures until you find one that gets you onto a couple of fish and stick with it. Make long casts and ensure the lure stays in contact with the bottom regularly. Use either a hopping retrieve or a dead slow roll along the bottom. Persist with this long enough and you will eventually get a bite. Trollers are picking up quality bass by trolling deep-divers and spinnerbaits along the bottom in 3.6-4.2m in the above areas. Bait fishers are picking up nice catches of bass and goldens in the timber on shrimp, worms and yabbies, but be aware the water is shallow be-

fore the timber. Red claw are still coming in, with quality catches taken from the rocky areas of the dam as well as in the bays with weed coming out from the edge. Park news Don’t forget you can book a fishing charter with me on BP and Boondooma dams. If you’d like a great day out and all the info and knowledge to catch bass and yellowbelly in our two great dams, make sure you give me a call on 0408 658 592 and I’ll be happy to take you out for a great day’s fishing. On a final note, it is with great sadness we must say farewell to Corey and Nikki Goldie who have been managing the two parks for the past few years. They have done an amazing job and have always been very welcoming to the many thousands of visitors who have come to the South Burnett. I wish them all the best with their future endeavours. They will be greatly missed. Until next month, tight lines and bent rods.

Billy Schloss held a cracker bass caught in the shallows at Boondooma on a spoon.

y Guided b g f o rd n a L t t a M

Australian Freshwater Fishing Charters 0408 658 592 | australianfreshwaterfishing.com

DAM LEVELS CURRENT AS OF 14/05/2018

DAMS

PERCENTAGE

DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY 18 Atkinson 14 10 15 14 11 100 Awoonga 100 98 100 98 97 19 Bjelke-Petersen * 19 17 22 22 22 46 Boondooma * 45 42 44 42 41 101 Borumba * 100 101 101 100 100 82 Burdekin Falls * 74 79 110 104 99 84 Callide * 83 80 79 77 76 99 Cania * 98 97 99 98 97 79 Coolmunda * 67 52 49 45 43 7 Dyer/Bill Gunn * 9 4 9 8 5 95 Eungella * 92 92 94 100 100 32 Fairbairn * 28 26 29 27 26 72 Glenlyon * 68 58 57 54 50 100 Hinze 100 99 102 101 100 77 Julius 74 72 100 98 95 77 Kinchant * 54 52 68 84 86 14 Leslie * 13 12 12 11 11 103 Macdonald 98 102 103 101 102 98 Maroon * 98 97 100 100 99 101 Monduran/Fred Haigh * 101 102 101 100 99 92 Moogerah * 92 89 92 91 89 76 North Pine/Samsonvale * 75 72 90 90 89 72 Peter Faust/Proserpine * 68 67 81 73 72 80 Somerset * 77 77 78 79 77 99 Teemburra * 92 91 93 98 98 40 Tinaroo* 36 47 74 95 97 100 Toonumbar 99 99 100 100 100 72 Wivenhoe * 71 68 78 77 77 100 Wuruma * 100 100 100 99 98 97 Wyaralong 98 97 100 99 98 For updates on dams, visit sunwater.com.au or seqwater.com.au *This symbol indicates that a Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish these dams.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 63

Stalking Murray cod requires some ecology homework in needing to know where the fish might be lurking and practice on the backyard lawn to make those pinpoint casts that can mean the difference between getting a strike and spooking the fish.

Catching cod in the cool D

ON’T give up on surface fishing just because the weather cools.

Scotty Vlietstra quickly removed the hooks from this cod so it could be tagged and released to fight another day.

Perseverance is its own reward. I often find autumn and early winter can be a bit of a mixed blessing when it comes to Murray cod fishing in rivers and creeks on the Darling Downs. From March onwards, regional newspapers feature pictures of anglers

Luke Gaske with a standard size Murray cod on the Downs waterways thanks to past restocking efforts. The good news is they will grow much bigger!

The author with a thumping 15kg cod caught on surface.

Page 64 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

Fresh Water by NOAL KUHL

with Cheshire Cat smiles holding quality cod hammered from impoundments such as Leslie and Coolmunda. Native fish activity does slow in the cold and when I have to take a dip to retrieve an expensive lure, on my return to the creek bank it’s noted how difficult it is to swipe a credit card between the butt cheeks. So I don’t blame the fish for not wanting to be in a party mood during the frigid times. The Condamine River at Cecil Plains, Dalby and Chinchilla has in years past revealed good-sized Murray cod on spinnerbaits in autumn – and even at the start of winter – and as much as I get a better strike rate of yellowbelly and Murray cod on diving lures, it’s the use of surface lures that keeps me angling. I can understand why trout anglers get motivated about stalking and outwitting an animal that has a brain the size of a pea. With subsurface lures, you are taking the potential meal to the fish, whereas with surface lures you are motivating the fish to come to you. Understanding cod ecology and where ‘old sandpaper jaws’ is likely to be hiding means reading the water that much better. Cod are creatures of habit and instinct, like many fish species, and often they are not hungry when they snap at your lure, it’s more to do with territorial aggression. They want the intruder removed. I regularly witness cod sideswipe surface lures and to the angler’s good fortune sometimes the hooks get embedded enough to share a Kodak moment. Smaller cod track from behind the lure with a bow wave revealing their presence just before belting the lure with an almighty smack and water splashing about. That shockwave goes up the fishing line and is as easily felt as an electrical shock by fingers gripping the rod handle. In the mornings, to sleepy eyes and soft hands that explosion seems magnified tenfold.

Larger cod tend to attack from underneath and gulp down the lure. The tailfin is the only indicator of a strike. After that, knowing you have something good on your line, the adrenalin rush kicks in and takes over if you can believe what your eyes just saw. Very rarely have I seen Murray cod swimming on the surface and when I did I was of the opinion they would not participate in my fishing session. That idea changed recently. I was on Oakey Creek checking over the newly planted trees in the riparian zone when I saw a cod that I guessed to be about 6kg coasting around a hole. Fishing rods are always at the ready for me, stored along the Cruiser’s ceiling, so it was a matter of grabbing the closest outfit with a surface lure already clipped on to 80lb leader and gelspun 20lb main line. When I returned to the spot, the cod was slowly moving away from me, looking like a lost shopper dawdling up a grocery aisle trying to remember what it needed from the shelves. In this case, an overhanging bottlebrush tree offered a sheltered getaway. With plenty of prior casting practice in confined waters, the lure landed several inches in front of the cod, which gave me enough time to engage the

bail arm before it took a swipe and missed. A repeat cast with the cod now coming towards me had me looking somewhat forlorn as it dove out of sight like Jules Verne’s submarine. I made a dozen more casts in the general vicinity without any interest from the cod. Disappointment was overwhelming before I remembered they are creatures of habit and instinct. This cod was annoyed at the intruder interrupting its sunbaking session. And like so many smaller cod I have stalked before, it too moved away to another area. Not far, just enough to be left alone. I just had to figure out where that new location was because I predicted that on the next close encounter it wouldn’t give a warning and instead just gulp the lure down its cavernous gob as if to say take that! The waterhole was roundish, with a full cast making it to the narrows at either end. Condamine couch carpeted the terrain, receding to large river red gums that provided a mottled umbrella of shade over the deep pool. So I moved about 5m upstream and cast 90 degrees across the dozen or so previous lure tracks, plonking my lure near the merge of tall stands of grass on the adjacent bank. First was the familiar wait for the ripples to dissipate and then a couple of short rod tip jerks, stop and wait, and finally the pitter-patter noise of the

lure walking back on a steady wind in. When the lure got to where it cut through the other lure tracks, the cod launched itself from the depths and took the lure down without any wary conscience. The hooks stuck fast and it was a matter of controlling the cod’s movements away from its lunges towards the snags poking out of the shallows and wearing it out in the safety of deep water. I had a couple of scares while at the bank getting ready for landing, but with a steady tack of guiding the rod through some branches at the bank, I kept the cod clear of any entanglements. Lip-grippers secured, the cod was cradled into my arms at the water’s edge so as not to stretch its neck by lazily lifting it. It was only when the cod emerged fully from the water that I realised my guessed weight was some way under its true value of 15kg. I’m still amazed at how in a few years these barren riparian zones and fishless waterways on the Darling Downs have changed dramatically to now offer such treasured memories. The fish stocking groups involved in these thankless volunteer tasks have to be commended. Many new top guns turn up to rehabilitated creeks and rivers and catch native fish very easily nowadays, posting their catches on social media and believing the success comes down to their talent. So often they don’t know the full story.

Big specimens require special attention when handling in and out of the water. A quick photo and tag will ensure the fish has a better chance of getting over the unfamiliar ordeal it has been subjected to.

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Matthew Langford was the champion Pro at Cania after catching a bumper bag of bass.

Matthew with the title and winner’s cheque.

Langford claims the Tonic Cania Clash

EADING to the Tonic Eyewear Cania Clash for the fourth round of the Berkley B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Series, we didn’t know what was ahead of us and how the lake would handle pressure from some of the best bass anglers in the country. The good news is the lake performed very well, not being too easy but also allowing anglers to fish to their strengths for the length of the tournament. Cania is truly the Glenbawn of Queensland, with steep rocky banks in some areas, open wide flats in others and timber-lined creeks allowing the bass to position themselves in many different locations. Cania will definitely be on the calendar in coming seasons, so look forward to venturing further north than previous years and enjoy what it has to offer. One thing standing out with the recent results is the anglers who have come through the Co-Angler system have now matured into the topline anglers, with the top three Pros at Cania being B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Co-Anglers in the past. These new-age anglers have done their apprenticeships, new techniques are coming into play and it seems they have the arsenal to catch the fish on all lakes in any conditions. These hard-core bass gurus also present very well on stage and to the general public, lifting the professionalism in the

B.A.S.S. Australia Nation by DREW McGRATH

sport to the benefit of all fishing in Australia. With three different anglers taking the lead over the weekend, one angler stood above the field in the end and walked away with over $3500 in cash and prizes, cementing his position as one of the best modern-day bass anglers. Matthew Langford followed the correct pathway, stuck to his guns and is now only two trophies short of fulfilling a grand slam of titles on the B.A.S.S. Australia circuit. Winning a Co-Angler event some years back, Matthew also ended up claiming the Co-Angler of the Year title, the Rookie of the Year title and now he’s well on his way to becoming Angler of the Year for 2018. If he wins that title and the accolades that come with it, including the trip to the US to compete in the 2019 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, he will just need a B.A.S.S. Australia Championship trophy to complete the slam. In the Co-Angler ranks at the Tonic Eyewear Cania Clash, it was a different story. Cameron Jones led the field wire to wire and dominated from the outset, fishing a combination of techniques for the duration of the tournament and landing quality bass throughout the weekend.

Jake Schwerin fished hard and ended up second in the Co-Angler division.

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Champion angler – Matthew Langford Junk fishing is here to stay. What is it? It’s when anglers fish multiple techniques throughout a session to suit the locations. Flip a jig on a rocky bank, then move offshore and hit a deep tree with a spinnerbait, then move along a bit further and use a vibe along a flat. It’s all about fishing the location and using multiple techniques to cover different levels of the water column, giving you more opportunity in a shorter time. Get used to this technique because anglers including Matthew are using it to put more fish in the boat. Matthew stuck to this plan for all three sessions during the Tonic Eyewear Cania Clash and focused on quality bass, not quantity. His four main techniques involved jerkbaiting Nories Laydown Minnow Deeps tight to the edges, using an underspin matched with a Nories Inlet Shad 3.2” on the flats, mixing it up to a Nories Wasaby spoon in deeper water and fishing a Bassman Spinnerbait Single Colorado in the weed pockets around the trees. He used multiple setups for each day and had more than one rigged for each technique, which left his front deck looking like a rod locker, but he always used Millerods matched to Shimano reels. In the wash-up, Matthew’s six from six bag weighed a total of 6.79kg, winning him the Tonic Cania champion trophy, Berkley $3000 cheque and Tonic Eyewear. With the points on the board, Matthew is ready to go to the next level and pursue the Angler of the Year title. A lot of competitors are still mathematically in the race to beat him, so he has to be on his game for the next two rounds, but with his home lake of Boondooma hosting the

final round, he is set up for an exciting finish to the season. Second place – Nick Anderson Nick is growing in confidence every time we see him at a tournament, and this second-place finish will be a great booster for the young man from the Lismore area. Coming to Cania for the first time, Nick was open about the fact he was just there for experience and hoping to learn from the weekend. Well he did a lot better than that and only lost the tournament by a mere 20g at the final weigh-in. Nick struggled a little in practice, but found an area producing the right kind of bass to be competitive. On the first morning of competition, his Co-Angler hooked a quality bass on the first cast and they knew they had found the right mix of technique and location to be competitive. Fishing the upper reaches of the lake, Nick was targeting 4.5-6m of water adjacent to the old river where the bass were moving through and feeding. Using a Kistler KLX Spin medium-light 6-12lb rod matched to a Daiwa Freams reel, Nick employed a combination of Nories Wasaby spoons in AYU colour and Hot Bite Gang Banger Spoons in Lickety Split colour for the duration of the tournament. The real key was in presentation and retrieve, which involved very small hops off the bottom and allowing the lure to sit tight to the lake floor. The bass would bite well early in the session and fall off once he had taken some out of the schools. Releasing stung bass into the area may have been what caused the shut-down. Nick’s six from six bag weighed 6.77kg and earned him the secondplace trophy and Berkley $1500 cheque. Having competed in only three events so far this season and having a tough one at Somerset, Nick is sitting in 24th place on the AOY ladder. With two more reasonable results he could push up into the top 12 and have a shot at the Mo-

tackle $10,000 AOY Invitational held later in the year. Third place – Jaimen Tunstall Jaimen Tunstall has been on the brink of winning a tournament for a few years and seems to be getting better every season. With another cheque to his name, he is realistically within reach of the AOY title and is almost cemented in the top 12 for season five. Supporting a new major sponsor for this round, Jaimen switched all his gear to the Frogleys stable and it produced for him all weekend. Finding a long bay close to the old deep riverbed, Jaimen found a huge number of bony bream lined up in the weed beds, possibly spawning, and the bass were there and ready to eat. The area was quite small, so his biggest concern was keeping the location to himself, and luckily no one else came along. Using a 1/2oz Bassman Spinnerbait with silver blades to represent the bony bream, Jaimen threw long casts into the area and made sure to bump into the weed blocks, laydowns and standing timber, which triggered the bass to bite hard. The perfect outfit for the technique was a Samurai Refraction RFB302-70 matched to a Daiwa reel with Unitika main line and leader. Jaimen ended up with a six out of six bag weighing 6.67kg to nab the third-place trophy and Berkley $800 cheque. Look out for Jaimen towards the back end of the season. Champion Co-Angler – Cameron Jones Cameron Jones fished multiple techniques to secure his victory in the Co-Angler ranks of the fourth round of the Berkley Series, but his go-to was fishing a jig along walls that had a combination of rocks and large, deep, standing timber. Becoming a bit of a guru with the jig, Cameron has built a lot of confidence using this technique and has a particular outfit and * continued P66

Nick Anderson placed second in the Pro division after a strong performance.

Jaimen Tunstall has proven a force to be reckoned with this season, finishing a solid third at Cania.

Champion Co-Angler Cameron Jones is fishing very well of late.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 65

Australian Lure, Fly & Outdoors Expo is on again

ELL folks, as you read this it will not be long until the Australian Lure, Fly & Outdoors Expo at the Ipswich Showgrounds on June 16 and 17.

Young Nicholas Lecei with his PB yellowbelly at 54.5cm hooked on live bait.

This Glenlyon cod was caught on a surface lure.

With that in mind, it’s time to hone your lurebuying skills if you are a lure collector. You can easily identify these people – they will have a bag over the shoulder, their eyes will be looking everywhere and they’ll be talking to themselves trying to find bargains. Or you might see others picking up on new trends and possible future collectible lures not at this stage classed as valuable, but soon to be. For those who have an old tackle box found at a sale or gifted from a family member, bring it in! This is your chance to get IDs and valuations free of charge, except for the charge of collectors running to meet you and waiting with ‘baited’ breath for the lid to be opened. They’re like kids in a lolly shop. While it is not really as dramatic as that, it is a chance to get good money for collectible lures. I leave the collecting

Glenlyon Dam by BRIAN DARE

side of lures up to Mrs Dare, as Debbie can talk about lures for hours. I prefer to flog the hell out of them fishing. So while Debbie is talking about lures, I sneak off to make a few purchases. Now this is where you see a kid in the lolly shop. For the past five years I have used the excuse of “Look Deb I’ll go round and photograph all the lure stands and meet and talk to the new lure makers, you’re going to be busy”. This has worked, but after the shows I have sometimes found a number of my new selections in Debbie’s mix of collectible lures. I can’t quite work out why this happens… could be I made the mistake of putting them in with a bunch of lures Debbie collects, I guess. I mentioned fishing and I must say the past three months have comprised one of the best fishing periods in quite a while at Glenlyon Dam. And it can only get better. At the time of writing, the storage is at 50 percent

capacity with no outflows. That could change because the area is very dry, with no major rainfall to date, and we would like to see winter rainfall out west for farms, towns and rivers. Not far around the corner is cod and catfish breeding season. By early July we’ll see movement along riverbanks and ledges as the male cod start to work

on getting nesting sites up and ready for real estate visits by female cod. I can tell you she is a very particular housekeeper. Clean, neat and tidy is what she looks for, and I suppose a bit of style and flair in her selected mate. By the end of July, you will see movement all around the dam, with these big fish looking after their selected sites. You can spot them not only from where we watch from the dam wall but also by climbing above rock ledges around the

dam and watching what takes place. You only need to be about 4m above the locations with a camera sporting a lens filter to take away the glare on the water to photograph the action. By the end of September, it is all over for another year, but to actually see what takes place is great. In the near future we will be hearing of major changes taking place regarding closed seasons in our northern Murray-Darling basin for our iconic Murray cod. * continued P68

Stuart Rowland with a river cod.

Langford claims the Tonic Cania Clash * from P65

Third-placed Co-Angler Matt Sauer with his prize pack.

presentation that works well for him all over the country. The bass wanted a very slow draw and lift while the bait was on the bottom, so he used an Atomic AAS-70L matched to a quantum Smoke to get the job done. Adding in the occasional shake, he could feel the bites loud and clear with the Sunline main line and leader material and his go-to jig was a Molix MF Jig in Watermelon

colour with a 2.5” Molix SV Craw. Trailers are becoming absolutely critical when any angler is fishing a jig, spinnerbait, chatterbait or similar as they entice the bass to bite hard and hold on longer in the critical moments of the bite. Cameron’s six from six bag weighed a neat 6kg and he won the Tonic Cania Co-Angler champion trophy, Berkley $576 cheque, prize pack and Tonic Eyewear. The win puts Cameron

GLENLYON DAM TOURIST PARK A great place to fish! • Powered and Unpowered Sites • No Domestic Pets or Generators • Kiosk • Ice • Gas • Petrol • Amenities Blocks and Laundry • BBQs • Hire Boats • EFTPOS • Fishing Permits

14 CABINS bookings necessary

GLENLYON DAM TOURIST PARK via STANTHORPE 4380 Contact Debbie or Brian Dare for more information or for bookings

Ph: 02 6737 5266 E: glenlyondamtouristp@bigpond.com Page 66 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018

just one point behind Jake Schwerin in the AOY title race, and with two events to go, this is going to be one tight finish to the season. The Champion Co-Angler for the season will walk away with a Tabs Boat and Honda Marine package valued at over $22,000. Second place Co-Angler – Jake Schwerin Jake Schwerin used a completely different technique to the other top anglers and proved how versatile the anglers are becoming and what a wonderful fishery Cania is. For Jake it was a no brainer – he saw steep lined banks with shadows on them and little weed, so felt the best technique would be to use a reaction-style bait to present to the bass. Jake fished a combination of lipless crankbaits for the weekend, with the main lure being a silent Jackall TN60 in Brown Dog colour with a G.Loomis Spinnerbait rod in 8-12lb. Using a Shimano Metanium DC reel spooled with 10lb Spiderwire main line, he employed 14lb Sunline leader to finish off his critical presentation and achieve a six from six bag weighing 5.34kg to win a Tonic Cania Prize Pack and Atomic Arrowz rod. With only two rounds to go, Jake has the runs on the board in a very consistent season so far. He will be looking to

finish the season off with a bang. Speaking to him after the event, he said he hasn’t spent that much time at Boondooma or Lake St Clair, so it will be interesting to see how he fares in those rounds. Third place Co-Angler – Matthew Sauer Matthew Sauer used Halco Twisties all weekend to land his five from six bag, which pushed him into third place in the CoAngler ranks. He fished a little deeper than the above anglers and focused far more on schooling bass spread out at different locations of the lake. The bass were sitting suspended at 6-7m in 12m of water but were following the lure down once it went through the school, so Matt used two to three winds of the reel to get the slug off the bottom before letting it flutter back to the bottom. The fish struck on the drop and Matt was able to load up the G.Loomis rod matched to a Shimano reel on regular occasions over the weekend. He used 8lb Berkley FireLine in 8lb and finished off his presentation with 10lb Black Magic leader to score his five fish weighing a total of 4.61kg and walk away with a Tonic Cania prize pack. Only two events in and with two solid results under his belt, Matt would really be in contention for top spot if he had a

few more rounds under his belt. Regardless, he may look at travelling to the final rounds and competing for the title. The Cania Clash wrap Special thanks needs to go to the North Burnett Regional Council and Brett the caretaker of the Cania Gorge boat ramp area. The location is clean and the setup great, with wonderful fishing and picturesque bush walks. Cania should be a destination on everyone’s radar. Thanks to Doug and the crew at Tonic Eyewear because they have been on board since day one and have fully supported the B.A.S.S. Australia tournaments. Tonic’s sunnies are amazing and if you are looking for a pair of stylish, high-quality sunnies, give them a shot. The B.A.S.S. Australia Nation team including Cameron Jones, Tracy Brown and Lauren Kelly again worked flawlessly, so thank you all for your help. Next round sees us head to Lake St Clair for the decider of the NSW AOY and to set up the final on Boondooma. The fishing is always incredible at that time of year, so get over to the registration page at bas saustralia.com.au and get in now. www.bnbfishing.com. au

Bush ‘n Beach merchandise HOLIDAY RENTALS BUXTON – Modern brick home, fully s/c sleeps 7. Fish the Burrum, Gregory, Isis & Cherwell Rivers & Hervey Bay from one Great Location, OS $350 p/w Ph 0428 262 976. RUSSELL ISL FOR FAMILIES OR INDIVIDUALS – 3 bedroom $350/week or $30/night. 0404 866 571.

FOR SALE & WANTED BAYSPORT 640 SPORTS - Yamaha 150Hp EFI 4S 152 hours-just serviced and beautifully optioned! Sealink tandem trailer, Furuno sounder, Garmin GPS, hydraulic steering, VHF radio, approx. 170L U/F fuel tank, Trim tabs, EPIRB, Sun covers, Walk through transom, Plumbed L/B tank, Bait board, Rocket launcher @ $55,995 she won’t last long! …- Call the team at John Crawford Marine today Ph: 07 3890 2322 more photos online at www. johncrawfordmarine.com.au CAMPBELL CRAFT 6M CENTRE CONSOLE (2011). If you are looking for a Centre console that can take on the rough stuff, look no further. Powered by a Suzuki 90hp four-stroke with 80 hours, the boat features an alloy custom targa top, hydraulic steering, Lowrance Elite-7 HDS, under water lights, VHF radio, dual-axle alloy trailer, spare wheel and long rego. Come and have a look at this great offshore fishing boat priced at just $34,990 drive away. Call Trevor at Karee Marine today on 07 3875 1600. CLARK 427 PURSUIT OPEN ALUMINIUM TINNIE (2016) with Mercury 30hp outboard. No-fuss fishing boat with side decks, a front casting platform (with front hatch and bulkhead) and rear step and rails. Perfect boat for both estuaries and lakes! $8990. Call Wynnum Marine on 07 3396 9777 or visit wynnummarine.com.au CLARK 510 NAVIGATOR PLATE SIDED RUNABOUTMercury 75Hp EFI 4 Stroke (just serviced), Oceanic braked trailer, Garmin colour GPS/Sounder, GME VHF radio, painted hull in striking blue, Bimini top, seating for 5, Boarding platform, Safety gear. Great value family allrounder and fishing package! Now reduced to $24,995 - Call the team at John Crawford Marine today Ph: 07 3890 2322 more photos online at www.johncrawfordmarine.com. au CRUISE CRAFT OUTSIDER 575 (2010) powered by Yamaha 115hp four-stroke with only 73 hours. Stainless steel folding targa top, rocket launcher, front and side clears, sliding targa extension, storm cover, spot lights, Lowrance HDS-8 GPS/ sounder, Lewmar electric anchor winch, dualbattery system and so much more. Perfect family fishing boat. $59,990. Call Wynnum Marine on 07 3396 9777 or visit wynnummarine.com.au LATE MODEL USED ALUMINIUM BOATS WANTED from Quintrex, Stacer, Ally Craft, Stessco, Bar Crusher, Bluefin, Brooker and Clark – Make selling your boat simple and hassle free - Cash or Consign – John Crawford Marine Queensland’s Used Boat Specialists since 1964 www.johncrawfordmarine. com.au Ph. 3890 2322

PROCRAFT 430VP SC 2016 IN AS NEW CONDITION! Suzuki 40Hp EFI 4 Stroke trans. Balance of factory warranty, Dunbier trailer, Response stereo, Baystar hydraulic steering, 2 pedestal seats, Upgrade painted hull, Safety gear, 4 rod hoders, LED cockpit light, UF bow storage. Amazing value fishing package! Why buy new? Save $000’s at $19,995 tow away …- Call the team at John Crawford Marine today Ph: 07 3890 2322 more photos online at www.johncrawfordmarine.com.au QUALITY USED BOATS WANTED. We have been in business 50-plus years and have clients chasing boats now. Call us today to see how we can assist you. Cash paid or consign. Northside Marine – Ph 07 3265 8044. QUALITY USED FIBERGLASS BOATS WANTED from Haines Hunter, Signature, Cruise Craft, Baysport and Whittley – Make selling your boat simple and hassle free - Cash or Consign – John Crawford Marine Queensland’s Used Boat Specialists since 1964 www. johncrawfordmarine.com.au Ph. 3890 2322 QUINTREX 510 FREEDOM SPORT (2009). 90hp Mercury Optimax with 131 hours and alloy trailer. Just reduced to $28,500! Northside Marine – Ph 07 3265 8044. SEAFOX 236CC - $5K PRICE DROP NOW $74,995 tow away - Suzuki 300Hp, 194 hours, tandem axle alloy trailer, Lowrance HDS 8 combo GPS/ Sounder, VHF radio, 400l freshwater, deck wash, approx. 550l fuel capacity, Allot T Top and so much more…- Call the team at John Crawford Marine today Ph: 07 3890 2322 more photos online at www.johncrawfordmarine.com.au STABICRAFT 1600 FRONTIER (2016) with 70hp Yamaha and Minn Kota i-Pilot. Like new and just $41,900. Northside Marine – Ph 07 3265 8044. STABICRAFT 1850 (2013) Yamaha F150 with 81 hours, heavy-duty Redco trailer, 80lb Minn Kota 24V electric motor, Simrad NSS8. Heavily reduced to $53,900! Northside Marine – Ph 07 3265 8044. STACER 509 EASY RIDER (2013) in very good condition powered by a Mercury 75hp that’s done only 83 hours. Includes bow cover, bimini, front and side clears, rear storm cover, Fusion stereo, Lowrance HDS-5, Lowrance marine radio, Rear folding lounge, dual batteries and Stacer alloy trailer with a spare wheel. Drive away today at $24,990. Call Trevor at Karee Marine today on 07 3875 1600. SURTEES 750 GAMEFISHER LOCK-UP CAB. F250XCA, 139 hours. Fully optioned and with 300litre fuel tank. Price reduced to $146,900. Northside Marine – Ph 07 3265 8044. WANTED – LATE MODEL USED BOATS. Cash or consignment. When you buy a used boat from Karee Marine you know it has been through our workshop and checked over. A RWC is given with each boat sold. We have a fully insured undercover showroom so your boat will not be left out. Call Trevor at Karee Marine today on 07 3875 1600.

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Bar crossing courses: • Hands-on experience crossing coastal bars safely • Direct supervision mastering all bar crossing skills • Fine-tuning of skills in breaking swells and white water • On-water training in the safety of a Cruise Craft Explorer 685 filled with upright buoyancy to naval architects’ specifications • Overcome your fears and learn vital skills as part of an onwater course

Offshore fishing courses: • Comprising a night of theory and a full day’s practical training on offshore reefs • Finding reefs • Locating different fish species • Bait rigging • Shallow and deep reef fishing techniques • Using a full range of rods and reels • Sounder and GPS instruction • Offshore anchoring • And much more

Contact Bill Corten T: 07 3286 3647 M: 0447 233 247 0447 ( a f f a i r ) E: reel_affair@yahoo.com Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2018 – Page 67

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Another thing coming up is the report on a 10-year study undertaken on the northern basin cod, which should be available around October or November this year. It has been a long, hard slog, with results turning up with each research trip and new information to check out. Some major highlights of the project include: • Finding Murray cod nesting sites; • Locating eggs at sites on the river; • Finding the proud dad standing guide; • Seeing eggs hatch (and filming all the above); • Catching small cod in night traps; • Finding fully mature

46cm female cod breeding at seven years of age in the river; • Finding a 54cm mature male cod at 13 years old; • Locating eight nesting sites being used each year in the river; • Implanting tracking devices into river cod; • Watching cod breeding habits on the dam at Glenlyon; • Filming and photographing cod over 110cm in length; • Finding and recruitment every year; and • Classes showing up yearly as cod replenish at sizes smaller than 55cm, proving the slot limit needs to be watched and changed. The above is only the tip of the iceberg. Let’s hope this scientific work is used right now,

not like the work Stuart Rowland and others did back in 1987 that will be used for the slot size format in 2116. We will wait and see. Footnote Could I also suggest that when heading back to Brisbane you check out the two Murray cod on the right-hand side of the bridge at the rest area north of Warwick. So when leaving Warwick’s main shopping street on the New England Highway, turn right before going over the bridge that crosses the Condamine River that runs through the township. As these two fish age you will see them even more clearly as they are carved in limestone rock. A job well done.

Return completed form to: Bush ’n Beach Fishing PO Box 387, Cleveland 4163 ph 07 3286 1833 or fax 07 3821 2637 or go online www.bnbfishing.com.au

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Goondiwindi Fish Restockers release yellowbelly, Murray cod and silver perch

HE Goondiwindi Fish Restockers recently released 70,000 yellowbelly, 3000 Murray cod and 5000 silver perch into the local reaches of the McIntyre River at a cost of almost $18,000. These funds were raised almost entirely

from raffles at the Railway Hotel held every Friday night. So come to the Railway every Friday night for your chance to win a prize in our raffles. Tell us about your latest catch or bring a photo and put it on our pin board.

The restockers would like to thank all our regular supporters who buy tickets each and every week. A special thanks to Black Truck & Ag and the Railway Hotel. Roy Schmidt Goondiwindi Fish Restockers www.bnbfishing.com. au

NOT ALL FISH STORIES ARE EXAGGERATED.

The catch of a lifetime story, we’ve all heard one. But the fact is, once in a while, life hands you a set of circumstances so astoundingly awesome, it’s hard to believe. And with the power and reliability of the Mercury 40 - 60hp FourStroke behind you, this might happen more often than you think. Learn more at mercurymarine.com.au

See your authorised Mercury Marine Dealer today. BRISBANE Coorparoo Marine 57 Cavendish Rd, Coorparoo Q 4151 P: 07 3397 4141 E: info@coorparoomarine.com.au W: coorparoomarine.com.au

BUNDABERG Adrians Marine Centre 28 Ritchie St, Bundaberg Q 4670 P: 07 4153 1819 E: adriansmarinecentre@bigpond.com W: adriansmarinecentre.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

BRISBANE Karee Marine 1776 Ipswich Motorway, Rocklea Q 4106 P: 07 3875 1600 E: sales@kareemarine.com.au W: kareemarine.com.au

CAIRNS Aussie Marine 5 Hannam St, Bungalow Q 4870 P: 07 4033 8800 E: sales@aussiemarine.com.au W: aussiemarine.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

BRISBANE EAST Manly Harbour Marine 570 Royal Esplanade, Manly Q 4179 P: 07 3893 2199 E: info@manlyharbourmarine.com.au W: manlyharbourmarine.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

IPSWICH Ipswich Marine Centre 45 Huxham St, Raceview Q 4305 P: 07 3294 3944 E: enquiries@ipswichmarine.com.au W: ipswichmarine.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

EVERTON HILLS Holt Marine 25 Queen Rd, Everton Hills Q 4053 P: 07 3353 1928 E: info@holtmarine.com.au W: holtmarine.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

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

TOOWOOMBA Water Skiers Warehouse 91-93 Neil St, Toowoomba Q 4350 P: 0400 379 514 E: info@waterskierswarehouse.com.au W: waterskierswarehouse.com.au

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