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August 2017 Print Post Approved PP100001534 Volume 28, Number 8
Simrad Snapper Classic secrets Best times to fish Hot estuary action on offer Cape York adventure Freshwater luring tips Picturesque Pindari Dam Kayaking Moreton Bay islands in winter ISSN 1832-4517
9 771832 451001
08
AUGUST 25-27 FEATURE INSIDE
Flats fire in impoundments Big bream on the bite Figuring out flathead Time to get the jump on jewfish Fishing guide guide for the Gold Coast Trevally in the tropics Sensational Stanage Bay
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Page 2 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
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Inside this month Offshore action
P60
OUR COVER
PAUL DAVIS picked up this 140cm, 16.2kg spanish mackerel while slow trolling a gang-rigged whole legal size tailor in an area near Stanage Bay. Check out VON IRELAND’S article on Page 61 for more Stanage Bay action.
EDITOR: SUBEDITOR: ADVERTISING: PRODUCTION:
Ben Collins Daniel Tomlinson Ben Collins, Kacie Hubbert Jo Hendley
Phone (07) 3286 1833 Fax (07) 3821 2637 Email: ben@bnbfishing.com.au Internet: www.bnbfishing.com.au PO Box 387, Cleveland, Qld 4163 Unit 2, 39 Enterprise Street, Cleveland, Qld 4163 AFTA PRINTER: Rural Press, Ormiston DISTRIBUTION BY: Fairfax Max. recommended retail price $4.50 (includes GST). CORRESPONDENTS: Editorial contributions are welcome, as is news from clubs, associations, or individuals; and new product news from manufacturers. Entire contents copyright. Nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. It is the responsibility of advertisers to ensure the correctness of their claims and statements. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. G IN
FISH ING ’S
E TUR FU
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☛ continued P4
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.
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Moreton Bay squire....................by Sean Conlon ...................................P6 Simrad Snapper Classic ...........by Jason Brindley.............................P10 Hot winter action ........................by Chris Raimondi ............................P12 Best times to fish ........................by Peter Herbst..................................P13 Angling options for August ......by Keith Stratford..............................P14 Hints for choosing line ..............by Sean ‘Skip’ Thompson ...............P15 Fishing comp fun .........................by Troy Lowe......................................P17 Gold Coast action........................by Jordan ‘Grinner’ Koschel...............P18 Broadwater Region......................by Wayne ‘Youngy’ Young ..............P20 Angling tips for August..............by Brad Smith ....................................P22 Snapper on close reefs .............by Heath Zygnerski ..........................P23 Tweed to Byron Bay ...................by Gavin Dobson ...............................P24 Bread and butter species............by Darren Rama ................................P25 Iluka trip ........................................by Leeann Payne...............................P26 Evans Head ...................................by Gary ‘Squidgie’ Palmer..............P27 Back on track at Ballina .......... by Brett Hyde.....................................P28 Jew from the Bluff ......................by Tye Porter ......................................P29 Newcastle fishing ......................by Nathan ‘Nath’ Palmer ................P30 Recipe ........................................... by Melissa Frohloff..........................P31 Sunshine Coast............................by Wade Qualischefski...................P32 Power Boat Anglers...................by Mick Clutterbuck ........................P34 Fraser Island trip .........................by Heath Zygnerski ..........................P34 Solid catches off DI ....................by Craig Tomkinson .........................P35 Versatility provides variety ......by Tri Ton .............................................P36 Bundaberg offshore....................by Joel Johnson................................P37 Brisbane Boat Show ...........................................................................P39-45 Readers Forum.............................................................................................P46 Stacer Outlaw review ...............by Ben Collins ...................................P50 Product Review ...........................by Jamie Mckeown .........................P52 Canoeing Brisbane River ..........by Dan Owbridge..............................P53 Kayaking for bream ....................by Jack Burling.................................P53 Exploring bay islands ................by Tom Laszlo ....................................P54 Barra Nation.................................by Drew McGrath .............................P55 Charter Directory ................................................................................. P56,57 Terrific Turkey Beach ................by Lachie Baker ................................P58 Gladstone Region....................... by Gary Churchward .......................P59 Trevally on topwater ..................by Todd Eveleigh ..............................P60 Stanage Bay .................................by Von Ireland....................................P61 Weipa Fishing Classic...............by ‘Billabong’ Bazz Lyon .................P62 4WD Buying Guide .....................by Greg Bell .......................................P63 Trip to the tip ................................by Brad Young ...................................P65 Somerset Dam .............................by Andrew Mitchell.........................P66 Monduran barra ......................... by Donna Gane .................................P67 Freshwater Impoundments ..... by Matthew Langford......................P68 B.A.S.S. Australia Nation..........by Drew McGrath .............................P69 Iconic Mary River cod ...............by Paul ‘Chief’ Graveson ................P70 Moogerah magic........................ by Steve Wilkes ...............................P71 Pindari Dam..................................by Caine Goward ..............................P72 Glenlyon Dam...............................by Brian Dare.....................................P73 Fresh Water ..................................by Noal Kuhl ......................................P74 Cania and Callide dams ............by Glenn Hobson...............................P74 Trading Post.................................................................................................P75 Subscription form ......................................................................................P75
AUST
SEPTEMBER edition will be on sale in newsagents from August 25. See subscriber offer on Page 76 to go in the draw to win a massive Old Dog lure pack, including a bonus keyring signed by Dave Killalea, with a total value over $360.
snapper too, especially in the afternoons when the wind has dropped out. Some nice big isolated lumps are out there and with no traffic, the fish are unlikely to be spooked and will hit the baits aggressively. Conversely, the 33-fathom reef line saw plenty of snapper on the chew right through the day on the last full moon, though the overall size was a bit smaller compared to the next reef line as you head seaward. This is likely to change considerably over coming weeks as bigger fish move into this area. For anyone wanting to tangle with a quality snapper, the ideal times are first and last light in the day and the period around and after high tide while the moon is overhead. They are a species that likes to hang around structure and they tend to school above and around steep structure, particularly during the day. At night, just target the areas around the hard bottom because that is where they will be. When fishing the steep structure during the day, a slowly swum bait presented in a manner that gives it a swimming appearance has been the downfall of many a snapper. To me, it doesn’t matter too much what the bait is as long as it ‘swims’. Baits such as pilchards are really deadly, but the downside is they are good for one solid hit only and if they don’t result in a good hook-up on the first, then you
P71
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before dark in ideal calm conditions with a light but noticeable current running to the south at Square Patch, and even at the close-in reefs near Point Lookout around the One Mile before dark. Daytime on the southern end of the 35-fathom reefs out on the back ledges has been firing well for
Bass
CI
After a solid start on the wider reefs, it didn’t take long for the snapper to spread over all the reef systems. It seemed that everywhere fished on the leadup to the last full moon produced good snapper numbers. Quality catches were taken at Deep Tempest,
Offshore Report
by BILL CORTEN
Topwater trevally
O
NAPPER and pearl perch are the prolific fish species on the offshore reefs at the moment.
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Snapper shine on lead-up to full moon S
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Andrew Westerdale nailed a cracking pearl perch from 70m of water.
Gold Coast
HIN G T R A D E
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HIS editorial starts with sad news regarding historic Australian tackle company, Alvey Reels.
Alvey recently announced it is unable to continue operating due to the company not being profitable in the current economic climate. This is a massive shame and loss because Alvey was the only major company still manufacturing fishing reels right here in Australia. Keeping the balance of jobs and profit in Australia has become increasingly difficult over the years and unfortunately Alvey is the latest victim. Apparently the company’s directors, fourth-generation owners Bruce and Glenn Alvey, looked at a number of avenues to maintain operations but were unable to find something that would ensure the longevity of the company. Alvey Reels Australia was founded 97 years ago by Charles Alvey and has since produced many thousands of reels for many thousands of loyal anglers. One of the product’s ‘faults’, looking at how things are designed and manufactured these days, is the reels were too good and built to stand the test of time in harsh Australian saltwater conditions. Like many Australians, my first reel, which I still have, was an Alvey. And while it is just a keepsake these days, my other Alvey reels have seen plenty of salt water and still look as good as they did on the day I bought them. I’m sure there will be a slight spike in sales now as keen fishos stockpile reels for the future. At this stage I’m not sure what is going to happen with the supply of parts in coming years but we will keep you updated as more information comes to hand. In other news, August signals not only the Ekka winds, which have arrived a little early this year, but also the Brisbane Boat Show. This year’s event is shaping up to be much bigger than previous years, with an additional exhibition hall already booked and filled at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. I know the past couple of years have seen exhibitors a little lean on the ground at shows but a concerted effort is being made to revamp this iconic event into one the industry can be proud of. The BNB Fishing team will be at the show once again, so drop past and say hi as we are always keen to meet readers and have a chat. This year we will have another cracking subscription offer, the details of which can be found on Page 44 So if you have been thinking of subscribing or it’s time to renew your subscription, the Brisbane Boat Show is a great place to do it. See you at the show. Ben Collins
June prizewinner Congratulations to Maxwell Johnston, Burrum Heads who has won a supercool Techniice three-icebox combo valued at over $430.
Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 3
George Sidebottom was all smiles with his pearlie from 70m.
Danny Ryan of Salisbury kept his head to the grindstone for this solid snapper.
Joe Gabauer was happy with parrot of this size from the 33-fathom reef.
Jared Tesoriero was stoked with snapper of this quality.
Snapper shine on lead-up to full moon ☛ from P3
Kingy scored a solid school-sized deepwater snapper.
will likely lose the bait. A whole squid rigged to swim in an aquaplaning fashion is a tougher bait and good for more than one hit. Some days the fish want squid baits and not much else, so always carry a bit of squid for a snap. My favourite bait is a piece of mullet cut into a shape that resembles a large pillie. Mullet is tougher than the other baits, has plenty of juices and is good for more than one hit from an inquisitive fish when floated down, hence it runs rings around the wonder bait, the pillie, especially when fishing
deeper water. If you are putting together a nice feed of snapper, don’t forget to drop down a plastic if conditions are light. On a light spin stick rigged with thin braid, the run of a solid snapper is pretty hard to beat and you can let them tire themselves out on light drag without risking being busted off if the hit occurs on the way down and still well clear of the bottom. This is where the colour-coded braid comes in very handy because you will know with more certainty how much line is fed out when the hit occurs. Speaking of deeper wa-
ter, I have changed my tune over the years and am firmly of the opinion that if fishing relatively flat country in the deep, on average you cannot go past a paternoster rig for consistency. If working the bottom and you can see fish up off it on the sounder, then try winding up some line to the depth the fish are at and wait for them to hit. Providing they are hungry, you will catch them up there. It is a technique that works well and sometimes you will be surprised by the quality of pearl perch that sit up there. Speaking of pearl perch, cracker fish have
been caught lately. I rate them better to eat than snapper but something about the mystique of snapper makes them many people’s favourite. Working over relatively flat country interspersed with wire weed and a good coating of growth on the bottom will yield big pearl perch and parrot in that period around the full moon. Focusing the sounder on that bottom 20m of the water column gives you a better chance of picking up the type of country I am referring to. If you find the low-profile structure but aren’t sure, try using the bottom-lock feature on your sounder to separate the
fish and growth from the structure and concentrate some effort in that area. Our best pearl perch of late have been over 60cm, with many fish going past the 50cm mark. We haven’t even had to fish deeper than 70m for them. Andrew Westerdale caught one of the bestconditioned pearlies we’ve had on the boat this winter, and he was stoked to be that lucky. That fish had very solid dark lines along its body and put up a pretty good show all the way up, kicking and bucking like a snapper and then becoming one big weight to pull up through the water column.
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Sharks can be a problem when deepwater snapper fishing, as Bob McMullen found out.
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Seafood sales on Facebook lead to fines
A
RECREATIONAL fisher who used social media to sell his catch has been fined $3000 for the illegal activity in the Mackay Magistrates’ Court.
Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol Mackay district officer Craig Bambling said officers were alerted to the illegal activity by a tip-off on the Mackay district 24-hour complaint line. “The caller said a Facebook post had been shared on the Moranbah community notice board Facebook page,” Mr Bambling said. “A Fisheries officer did a search and found a Facebook page advertising the sale of fresh seafood. “The next day a post was made on the same page stating: ‘Live Mud Crabs available tonight 7pm to 8pm and early tomorrow 7am to 10am’.” Mr Bambling said as a result, Fisheries officers executed a search warrant on a Moranbah residence with a chalkboard sign in the
driveway reading ‘seafood here’. “A search found and seized 20 live mud crabs, three cooked mud crabs and eight frozen tropical rock lobster tails,” he said. “Thirteen mud crabs were viable to be returned to the Pioneer River. “The defendant pleaded guilty to charges of taking fisheries resource for commercial sale and failing to hold an appropriate authority to commercially sell a fisheries resource. “The defendant was fined $3000 with no conviction recorded.” Mr Bambling said advertising on social media
to sell fish or seafood was a common complaint. “We would like to thank the general public for their vigilance and willingness to report people doing the wrong thing,” he said. “It is important that recreational fishers understand that a person must not unlawfully take, possess or sell a regulated fish. “Recreational fishers must also be reminded that there are limits on the amount of Fisheries resource they can take.” If you suspect illegal fishing, whether seen in person or online, report it to the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116.
Don’t engage with the person, as this can compromise an investigation. For more information on Queensland’s fishing rules, visit fisheries.qld. gov.au, call 13 25 23 or
download the free Qld Fishing app from Apple and Google app stores. You can follow Fisheries Queensland on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@ FisheriesQld).
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ships going to Toby Cash from Mackay and Matt Leavy from Townsville. Ryan McCosker from Keppel Bay Sportfishing Club has been awarded the ANSA Qld member scholarship. ANSA Qld originally set its sights on awarding two scholarships, but due to the quality of applications received, this offer was extended to three. As part of the strategy to help recipients prepare their first sportfishing article, the scholarship program has been designed
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to match recipients with mentors. With an additional scholarship awarded, Warren Steptoe was called upon to join Bill Bowtell and Adam Royle to lend a mentoring hand and gladly accepted the offer. ANSA Qld vice president and fellow mentor Adam Royle said, “Warren is a respected member of the sportfish writing fraternity and is a welcome addition to the pool of mentors available for our recipients.” “It’s both a privilege and a pleasure to have Warren join the mentoring team with Bill Bowtell and I and the recipients will gain wonderful insight into the world of sportfish-
ing journalism given the vast array of experience on offer.” With support from mentors, each of the scholarship recipients will now begin working on a sportfishing article and blend individual passions with sportfishing journalism skills to ensure readers are drawn to the feature articles due for completion later this year. “While critiquing writing skills is an important function of the scholarship it is only one of the major components,” Adam said. “As mentors, we all agree that it is equally important for recipients to come away from the scholarship with a better understanding of who
they are as writers and what sportfishing journalism niche may be the best fit,” Adam said. “Possessing good writing skills and knowing how to prepare an engaging article forms a part of the successful writing recipe for Matt, Toby and Ryan, however this goes hand in hand with developing a network with fellow writers and contacts with publications.” Over the next few months each of the scholarship recipients will plan, develop and deliver a feature article on a sportfishing topic of interest that incorporates the core values of ANSA Qld – sport, conservation and integrity in angling.
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Liam and Max caught a couple of squire over the school holidays. Wade and Buddy scored a double hook-up on bay island squire while using Gobblers Curl Grubs.
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Stuart nabbed an early morning winter squire.
Solid squire from southern Moreton Bay
W
INTER hasn’t been bad for us.
Early on we had plenty of school mackerel and the odd spotted mackerel mixed in, then the winter whiting showed up and now flatties and squire/ snapper. So what does this mean? It means we’ve had a good variety of fish to chase no matter the tide or moon phase.
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Also, plenty of sand crabs have been around and the prawns just seem to keep on coming. All in all, winter has so far been pretty good for everyone. The standout fish for us has been squire/snapper. We haven’t landed any monsters but we’ve regularly gone out and picked up a few of these greatfighting fish. And if you like to take fish home for dinner, they’re quite tasty. So now let’s go over some tactics for chasing the species you’re likely to find in the next month. Winter whiting Whiting are not hard to catch but you’ve got to put a little time and effort into it. The Pelican Banks, Chain Banks and Banana Banks are great places to target them with a pretty simple setup consisting of a soft rod, 6-10lb mono line, small sinker, swivel, 50cm of trace and a small whiting hook. You can use bloodworms if you want but I find nice thin strips of squid work well and don’t cost the earth.
Always ensure you have fresh squid on the hook. When you put it on the hook it’ll be nice and white and by the time it’s been dragged around the banks for a while it will become a slightly washedout grey colour. By that stage I change it out and I consistently catch more fish. Drifting around in 1-3m of water has worked best for us. My biggest bit of advice is to let the little guys suck the
bait right down every time you get a bite and then just give the rod a gentle lift to hook them up. If you give the rod a big yank you will likely pull the hook straight out of their mouths and it can get quite frustrating after a while, so try not to be in too much of a hurry. You need a bit of run and you want to be drifting with wind and tide in the same direction. If you can do this, you’ll definitely catch more fish. As soon as you’re drifting across the current or against it or you’re not moving, I find whiting a lot harder to catch.
And don’t forget, winter whiting have no size limit but summer whiting do, so make sure you can determine which is which. A little trick I use to make sure the fish is a winter whiting is to pop it in a bucket of water and if dots or blotches don’t show up on its back within a couple of minutes, you can be fairly confident it’s a summer whiting. If it’s not the right length, it goes back over the side to fight another day. Kids will love chasing whiting and they’re tasty if you’d like to take a feed home. ☛ continued P9
The girls have been getting into the bay island squire action over winter.
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Buddy with a winter whiting hooked while drifting the sandbanks with a thin squid strip.
This bay island snapper was caught with the vessel anchored up while making long casts up-current with Zerek Live Shrimp Hot Legs.
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Solid squire from southern Moreton Bay ☛ from P6
Flathead The humble flathead is another species that should be on offer over the coming month. As we’ve talked about before, a gun method for catching flathead is casting soft plastics into the drains that form at low tide. Another option is trolling the mangrove lines and drop-offs with hard-bodies such as the Zerek Tango Shad and Bulldog Crank. It also won’t hurt to put out a nice fresh piece of bait. I really like 2-4kg rods with 6-8lb braid when chasing flatties. If casting soft plastics, 1/8oz to 1/4oz jig heads with a 3/0 hook are my favourite. When trolling Tango Shads I’m quite happy to use 8-10lb leader but if using a Bulldog Crank I increase it to 12-14lb leader because flathead have a tendency to inhale these lures and if you hook the big one you will need that tougher leader. Squire We’ve been catching squire on a regular basis and they should continue to chew right through August. Mostly we’ve been landing nice table fish from just legal size up to about 50cm. These are in my opinion the best eating fish if you’d like to take some home. I look for squire in 2-3m of water in the early morning and then 4-8m later in the day. The type of ground to search for is broken rubble. Over this type of ground we can use an array of techniques including trolling hard-bodies such as Zerek Ripper Divers or drifting and casting plastics with 1/4oz jig heads. Zerek Live Flash Minnow Wrigglys have been working really well, as have Zerek Live Shrimp Hot Legs and Gobblers Curl Grubs. If the fish are staying in the same area and not moving too much, I’ll anchor up and cast lightly weighted plastics upcurrent and drift them down
through the area where the fish are sitting. This method requires a nice long cast with either a 1/8oz or 1/4oz jig head. For those who love using bait, a bit of fresh squid or mullet fillet picks up the odd fish cruising through. For squire, I like a 3-6kg rod, 10lb braid and 15lb leader. Squire have really been biting for me between sun-up and about 8am. After that, I’ve had to fish deeper water to catch them or go and chase flathead if it’s around low tide.
If it’s coming up to a high tide, I’ll go and drift the banks for whiting. All in all, August should be a great month, with plenty of species on offer. Keep a cast net handy in the boat because if the fishing slows you could try to get some prawns as it looks like they’re going to be hanging around all year. If you’d like to join me on a charter, give me a call on 0433 732 310 or visit the Moreton Bay Charters Facebook page. Until next month, stay safe on the water.
Bec with a solid southern bay flathead.
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Hayden Brindley with a nice eating size fish.
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T
HIS month I will give you a run-down on the Gold Coast Sport Fishing Club’s recent Simrad Snapper Classic. I have taken part in the competition for the past three years and each year it seems to be growing in popularity. I like the event because it is just half a day fishing on a weekend, and for those who cannot afford several days off to fish the Flathead Classic for example, it’s easy enough to sign up on the day and compete. The day started early with a 5.25am sign-in and briefing at the club where we were reminded of the rules and return to base time and given our score sheets. A coffee van was a welcome presence for those who enjoy an early morning heart starter. Placings in the event are determined by the combined length of each team’s five best fish. Each team is given a custom brag mat designed by Bonza Graphics on which to photograph fish. We had a plan that involved close fishing on the 18 and 24-fathom grounds off Southport. Having a smaller boat, it makes sense for us to spend time on the closer grounds rather than slog it out travelling for miles and essentially having less fishing time. I had scouted around the previous day just to get a feel for the current conditions and see how much bait was holding on the reefs. It was rather quiet, so my hopes weren’t very high. This brings me to preparation. I spent probably a whole day preparing all the fishing reels, rods, leaders, jig heads and so on to ensure no time wastage on the day. I have tried many methods for snapper fishing, however I find larger stickbait plastics are by far the best producers of quality fish. We fished three rods on the day, all with 7” stickbait plastics in a mixture of McArthy and ever-reli-
Competition Report by JASON BRINDLEY
able Berkley Gulps. At times I also use an octopus-style jig in the rod holder but it isn’t as consistent as the plastics. The weather was amazing, which allowed us to use light jig heads to better present the lures. After about three drifts on the 18-fathom grounds, I wasn’t overly confident based on my sounder showings, but then Hayden’s rod was hammered while he was floating a plastic down. After some really good runs on 20lb braid, I netted a 92cm snapper. A great start! We spent another half hour in the area with no luck, so decided to move out a little deeper to the 24-fathom grounds. Being a bit deeper, we changed jig heads to 1/2oz options to suit and lined up for our first drift. I use quite a long leader; up to 5m of 30lb fluorocarbon, because I find it gives a bit of stretch and extra protection when fish are running past structure. It is really important to get your drift lines spoton and also be familiar with the area you’re fishing, to the point where you know the size and edges of the reef or structure, which will enable you to know when to put that first cast in. Casting too early may mean not having your lure in the prime position when it counts. On the first drift we were smashed by two good fish but I lost mine. I left my lure in the water while I was netting the fish for the boys, and funnily enough, it got hit by a second fish, this time solidly hooking up. It was at this point I realised we had a real shot at winning, with three solid fish over 70cm. I knew if we could jag one more quality fish it would make for a great total. Things went very quiet for about two hours and after 20-30 minutes of sounding, I found a rea-
sonable show in roughly 40m that looked promising. I have been using the Garmin Quickdraw feature to map out the contours of the reef as I drive around and it has been invaluable. I can’t recommend enough making use of these types of contourmapping features if you have a chartplotter hooked up to a transducer because what you’ll see will blow your mind. After a few drifts on the new ground, we picked up a couple more quality fish to high fives all round. We ended up with about eight fish in total, which is not really a lot, but it was the quality we were focusing on. We took a similar approach to what I have been hearing from Flatty Classic anglers, which is using big stickbait lures to weed out the smaller fish. The back to base time was 1.30pm, and at 12pm we decided to call it early and head in to clean up before the presentations. Six hours on the boat was a really good effort from my boys who are eight and six years old. A lot of quality fish-
ers were out on the day and even though we had caught good fish, I was really nervous. The biggest snapper on the day was a 98cm beast landed by Peter Hollis, which is a very impressive fish. We had a combined length of 380cm for the day and in the end were lucky enough to take out the champion team prize for the second year running! I had recently sold my old sounder and was trying to save for a new one (unsuccessfully, I might add), so winning the Simrad NSS evo3 was a godsend.
I must say a big thankyou to the Gold Coast Sport Fishing Club for putting on a great event, and thanks also to the sponsors for donating all the prizes. It was awesome to see all the junior anglers given a gift bag of goodies too. I encourage anybody who enjoys snapper fishing to give the Snapper Classic a go. It’s a great day out and there’s always the chance of coming home with a fantastic prize or two. See you there next year.
Hayden and the author held Hayden’s PB 92cm fish.
The author with a decent knobby.
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Mark Preston with a lovely snapper.
The author’s quick dash home was worth it as the new addition is definitely a keeper.
The author’s spangled emperor.
Hot winter action offshore ■ New arrival changes fishing plans
I
T’S been a while since my words have graced the pages of this legendary magazine but it’s for good reason, with our little five-month-old daughter having literally put the skids on my fishing.
Not an ideal situation.
There is a bit of a story that goes with the arrival of young Rose and it’s probably one worth telling.
A nice jew caught east of Cape Moreton.
Fishing Trips by CHRIS RAIMONDI
Earlier this year, in February to be exact, everything was going along beautifully with my wife’s pregnancy. Pre-natal classes were done, nursery was ready, pram was bought and we were expecting a baby in five weeks or so. With the weekend approaching, the Friday and Saturday forecast looked glamorous with five to 10-knot variable wind. So the call was made for a Double Island Point overnighter on my mate’s big Noosa Cat. My wife Kate was feeling great and suggested I should take annual leave on Friday and go on the trip because it’d probably be my last chance for a while. How right she was! We left from the canals at Redcliffe early Friday morning, making our
way out of Moreton Bay and up past Caloundra in stunning conditions. We stopped at a few live bait spots on the way, stocking the live well for what we hoped would be an action-packed evening out wide of Double Island Point. As we passed Mooloolaba, then Coolum and Noosa, I was sitting back snapping pics of the glassy seas on my phone. I decided to send the shots to a few mates who I knew were at work, just to give them a bit of stick and boast about how good a trip we were embarking upon. The live well was stocked and it was nearing the middle of the day when we decided to stop in at a very reliable squire/snapper spot. This particular area was usually reserved for the
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run home where we’d either top up the Esky with eating-size squire or look to salvage the trip with the same sort of catch. It’s also the last real place where we get a smidgen of phone reception. My phone was left in the corner of the boat, on silent as usual. The squire, as always, were on the job. They weren’t huge fish but they never really are at this spot, and despite it being the middle of a hot summer’s day, they were still keen to eat. As we were positioning the boat for another drift, I noticed my phone vibrating and gave a chuckle at the thought that the boys at work were biting back to my earlier texts. We were approaching our bag of squire and our old man of the sea skipper Jarrod decided he wanted to throw the Water Wolf camera down to check out the bottom and get footage of the school of fish we were targeting. All of a sudden, my mate Scooter answered his phone and looked a little shocked, then let out an “Oh, you’re kidding, I’ll let him know!” Almost immediately my heart skipped a beat and I reached for my phone, which had stacks of missed calls and messages. Scooter’s call had been from his wife, who had been contacted by my brother-in-law because Kate’s waters had broken. You’re kidding! On closer inspection of my phone, I began reading the texts, which started with ‘I promise this is not a joke’ and ‘Chris you need to come home now’. The whole family and what felt like my entire fishing friend fraternity were trying to contact me. Luckily, Kate hadn’t gone into labour but was at the hospital being monitored. I had to get home. There was no way the boys on this trip were going home though, so we
consulted the GPS and decided to take on the Noosa River Bar where I’d be dropped off and left to find my own way for the rest of the journey. Jarrod, a father of two, actually suggested I would have more children and that witnessing the birth of number two would be just as special, so maybe I should keep fishing and just wait for that day. Not great advice. We navigated the bar and I put extra fuel in the boat for the boys before catching an Uber to Maroochydore where I was greeted by my sister-inlaw. I went home, had a shower and by 5.30pm I was bedside at the hospital with Kate. At 1.30am the next morning, little Rose Raimondi was born, fit and healthy and about the same size as the best squire I’d caught the previous morning! Moving forward to present day, the fishing has really started to heat up around southeast Queensland. I’ve said it before, but social media is a powerful tool for getting a gauge of what’s happening on the water. My feed of late has been full of big snapper catches (quality and quantity), horse spanish mackerel, big reds (thanks to Greg Lamprecht as usual) and just generally good hauls of fish. With that in mind, I made my way up to Burnett Heads for the annual fishing classic. The lads had embarked on a 36-hour mission in the Noosa Cat, so I was determined to get around in my 5.5m Galeforce and put a feed together. The weather was outstanding, almost too good, with glassy days making for superb boating weather. We filled up with live baits early on day one, hoping one of them would be demolished by a nice coral trout later ☛ continued P13
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Narrowing down the best times to fish
I
T sure would be nice to be able to know when the fish are going to be biting!
We could all just turn up to our fishing spot for a few hours, catch a heap of fish and then go home happy as Larry. Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone has such knowledge of when fish will or will not be actively feeding, or know where they are going to be. Understanding and using factors such as moon phases, tides and targeting fish at the right times of year can help narrow down when you should hit the water. Not everyone can pick and choose when they get out but being mindful of those factors can help with selecting where you go and what you chase. Take note Writing down or just remembering how the fishing was on a trip, what the tide was doing, the moon phase and the time of year is really good practice. Fish can follow patterns and knowing what the fish were doing in the past in similar conditions can help you get into some fish. Even little things including the barometer, water temperature and wind direction are all worth taking note of. Reading magazines, fishing reports and social media can also give anglers a heads-up on what’s biting. A good fisher will not only learn from their success but
Luring Moreton Bay by PETER HERBST
also try to learn from their failures. Well, I guess we can always blame the tides or the moon for not catching any fish! Moon phase Trying to predict if the fishing is going to be good based on the moon phases has been a tricky thing for me over the years. The only conclusion I have come to is that the lead-ups to the full and new moons can see fairly consistent fishing. I recently had great fishing on the lead-up to the full moon in the middle of the day towards the afternoon, and that’s when the conditions were favourable too. That’s not to say that the fishing was poor during the morning on that particular day. Fishing the day of the full or new moon and the couple of days either side can be a bit unpredictable for me. They have provided both excellent fishing as well as days I’d rather forget, so for me fishing on those days is a definite 50/50 option. Tides I always like to have a rough plan of what I might do before I hit the water and the tides have a big impact, so I study the tide guide before every trip.
The size of the tides can be really important in selecting where I might go fishing. Big tides can make some areas pretty much unfishable due to strong tidal flow, or make them only fishable around the change of the tide. Selecting areas that are less affected during the main part of the tide and fishing the more affected areas on the slack tide is good practice on any tide size, but especially important on the really big tide cycles. A great example of good practice here would be to fish the canals or flats of a river system while the tide is strong and then fish the deeper main river sections when the current is slower around the tide change. Bigger tides may see a shorter but more intense bite period around the change, whereas the small tides may have a longer, less intense bite period during the middle of the tide when the current is stronger. Smaller tides can make fishing a lot easier, with lighter weights able to be used and drift speeds much slower with less current, but getting the fish to bite can be a challenge. Small neap tides can mean a while before the tide swings from one direction to the other,
Hot winter action offshore ☛ from P12
that day. We started well, nailing lovely parrot to 2.2kg and grass sweetlip. Our crew targeted the shallow rubble grounds and picked away at them until the bite slowed considerably midmorning. We spent the rest of the day searching for new ground, stopping on a wreck loaded with unstoppable creatures. My 7” Z-Man Jerk ShadZ was quickly annihilated and a good fight ensued on my 50lb gear before a massive golden trevally was boatside. Unfortunately, my combined effort on the rod with my brother-in-law’s effort on the net saw a sad incident take place, which won’t be spoken about in this article. Needless to say, there is no image in this magazine of yours truly holding a lovely 10kg golden aloft. The next day, we again hit the shallow rubble a little earlier and again had a couple of hours of solid action on the reefies, however the comp-winning coral trout wasn’t to be. It was like a dream as I made my way offshore for my third trip in three weeks. The plan was to hit the local reef chasing an afternoon snapper bite. Again, the conditions were brilliant as we anchored up and got the berley trail going. Lightly weighted baits and light line were the order of www.bnbfishing.com. au
the day and it didn’t take long as Kane’s rod loaded up on his first bait. The fish won that battle and it wasn’t the last one the fish would win for the day. Second time around, Kane got square with a 3kg snapper entering the Esky. His father Mark was chipping away with two baitrunners (fraught with danger) when one of them starting screaming. While Kane waited with the net, his Alvey spun out of control and I was called into action to try to stop the fish from burying him in the bottom. With a bit of patience, and luck, Kane’s fish swum out of the snags and both he and Mark landed cracking snapper. My slightly heavier gear (35lb mono) wasn’t really working, so I attached a lighter, fluorocarbon leader to great effect. First bait with that, and whack! Soon enough, I was holding a spangled emperor of about 7kg in the lip grips. That was until the lip grips failed and the fish dropped straight onto my left foot. As you can imagine, the fish didn’t really appreciate how it was being handled and with a sharp turn of its head, the free-swinging bottom hook cannoned straight into my foot. Suddenly I had a lessthan-impressed fish joined to my foot by a two-gang set of 6/0 Tru-Turns. The services of Kane were
requested as I looked the fish in the eye and prayed it wouldn’t move. I’m fairly certain Kane wasn’t rapt with what he was seeing either as he went to cut the hooks attached to the fish. In a great slice of luck, the fish stayed dead still as we cut the hooks away, leaving a single Tru-Turn in the arch of my left foot. Luckily, the hook point had just started to pierce back through the skin, so I set upon the task of pushing the barb through. It’s amazing how strong your skin is in these circumstances. After applying some serious force, the barb was forced through, cut off and the hook pulled back out the way it came with an antibacterial wash and a pair of Ugg boots promptly applied. I’d successfully stuffed up 15 minutes of the prime bite period but at least we had a nice spangled emperor to show for it. Kane added another solid snapper and as it got dark, I did the same, before nailing two jewies in consecutive drops. It was a school night, so we decided to call it a day after what was certainly an eventful afternoon at the local. It’s fair to say my past six months of fishing have been eventful. The fishing is firing though, so get amongst it! Catch ya!
and if the fish are not biting, it can be a long wait for the fish to become more active. The change from either the run in or out can certainly be a trigger for fish to become more active, so I try to always have a tide change within my time on the water. Having that change either early or late in the day can also help with seeing the fish becoming more active. Tide sizes will open up or restrict some areas to fish. Super-low tides can make getting to places hard and very big tides can allow anglers access to areas that are hard to reach on a normal tide. Well there’s a few thoughts to keep in mind before hitting the water, but everyone should go when they can and learn along the way.
The new Madness Shiriten vibes have been doing really well on the jewfish.
Z-Man 3” MinnowZ on TT HeadlockZ jig heads make for a deadly combo on southeast Queensland jewfish.
Jewfish have been around in good numbers of late. The lead-up to the moons on a run-out tide has been the best time for the author. His Edge rod and Daiwa HLC Zillion got a good workout on his one.
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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 13
Jarryd Corney boated this jewie in a local river.
Jewies will be active in the local rivers during August.
The author caught this flathead on a Z-Man 3” MinnowZ in Redbone colour.
Awesome angling options for August A UGUST is a great month to be on the water in southeast Queensland.
The local flathead will still be on the chew and the spawning season for flathead will start to fire on the Gold and Sunshine coasts. The mighty mangrove jack will also get active towards the end of the month. Flathead Gold Coast anglers will be busy pre-fishing for the upcoming Gold Coast Flathead Classic. Flathead will be in large numbers and will be widespread from the Jumpinpin region right up to the Nerang River. There is a lot of water to cover around this region and the fish can be very difficult to get a bite from when they aren’t actively feeding. Getting out on the water at different stages of the tide and in different conditions will give you an idea on when these fish feed. Wind direction plays a big part in flathead’s feeding habits. As a general rule, wind from the south makes for better flathead fishing and wind from the north can make it a lot tougher to get a few fish in the boat. Northerly wind is more common towards the end of August and becomes more frequent as the temperature rises. It’s amazing how quickly a northerly breeze will
Mangrove jack will become more active this month. Jarryd scored this one while chasing jewies.
The Green Lantern 3” MinnowZ has been working well on local flathead. Ashlee Levy landed this fish in the Pine River.
Local Luring
by KEITH STRATFORD
discolour the water in this area, especially around the Jumpinpin region. There have been times when I’ve been fishing there in clean water in the morning catching big numbers of fish and as soon as the northerly wind picks up, the fish stop biting and the water turns brown. Teams that finish in the top 10 at the Flathead Classic are mostly made of up local anglers who put a lot of time into prefishing the competition. These guys and girls are continually trying new areas and techniques for when the fish are shut down during the comp. Most of the fish will still be feeding on the flats among the seagrass beds and sandy drop-offs during August. The cooler months are a prime time to chase school-size fish in the shallows and at times it’s not hard to rack up large numbers of flatties in each session. Many of the larger fish will start to move into the deep water to begin spawning, particularly towards the end of August. This is where a lot of the large female flathead take up residence to spawn during spring. These fish can be really
difficult to get a bite from at times. Other times they will eat anything you drop in their face. Big fish are worth big points in the Flathead Classic. Some anglers choose to sit in the deep water and wait for the fish to feed during the comp. This can get boring very quickly, but when a crocodile finally eats your lure it’s worth the wait. The fish all seem to feed together in the deep water. When one decides to feed, they all do and it’s not uncommon to see multiple boats hooked up in a crowded area. Kalinga Bank is a perfect example of this behaviour, as many years ago huge numbers of big fish would congregate there to spawn. There would be 10-20 boats all in the one area waiting for the bite to start. Everybody would be looking around to see if anyone else was hooked up and before you knew it your plastic got thumped by an 80cm crocodile and half a dozen other boats were also loading up to solid fish. When Kalinga was on fire it was hard to find a better flathead spot anywhere. The fish would sit out in
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you want to catch one. There is no harm in putting in the jack outfit if you’re heading out to chase flatties or a jewie. A few casts into fallen timber or crusty rocks might just see you hooked up to an early season red devil. Jewies It’s been a bit of a hit and miss winter season on the local jewies. Most anglers have been struggling to find quality fish, with many being undersize. I haven’t chased them as often as I would have liked, but I have managed a few out of the Brisbane River on most trips. Most of the fish I’ve found in the Brissie have been between legal and 90cm, but the bigger fish have been harder to find. Anglers chasing single fish along the ports at the mouth of the river have scored better fish as well as good-quality threadfin salmon. The smaller rivers such as the Pine and Caboolture as well as Pumicestone Passage have produced several fish, but finding legal specimens has been difficult. Downsizing your gear will see you have a bit more fun when the average size is 60-70cm. August is generally a very productive month in southeast Queensland. Get out there and enjoy the last month of winter. I hope to see you on the water.
the deep waiting to make their move. Then something would trigger them and they would all swim towards the drop-offs in close to the bank, smash baitfish and swim straight back out into the deep water to swallow them. This is how a lot of fish were lost. Flathead are very fast over a short distance and when they are swimming straight back at you in deep water, it can be really difficult to keep a hook in them. Winding as fast as you can and trying to avoid any slack line is the only way to stop them spitting the hook, but sometimes this isn’t enough. Catching big flatties in deep water is loads of fun and throws up plenty of surprises. Some strange things turn up in places such as Jumpinpin Bar and the Southport Seaway, so don’t be surprised at what you hook next. Mangrove jack Mangrove jack will get more active during August, especially towards the end of the month. September is one of my favourite months for targeting jacks in southeast Queensland and it’s always a good feeling going in having a couple of fish under your belt before spring even starts. A lot of anglers think August is a bit early to have a look for a jack, but it all depends how much
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Tips for choosing the right fishing line
A
UST R A LI A Nmade Platypus Fishing Lines will celebrate its 120th birthday next year, so who better to talk to about choosing the right fishing line than CEO Stewart McPherson.
With many Australian manufacturers sadly gone by the wayside over the past century, I asked Stewart what he puts the longevity of the company down to. He attributes the company’s success to sticking with what it is good at, and not trying to diversify into areas beyond the core of the business. That said, I was surprised to hear that apart from fishing lines, Platypus makes weed trimmer
Fishing Tips by SEAN THOMPSON
line and a range of industrial fibres including those used in filtration cloths for the mining industry. So what’s in the pipeline at Platypus? A new coating for the braids; new colour-fast dyes; and constant, incremental improvement to the nylons. Budget and entry level For those anglers who are relatively inexperienced, fish only occasionally or are on a tight budget, I asked Stewart what type of Platypus line he would recommend and why.
He said that Platypus Platinum is a great choice of monofilament line at an entry level because it has a thin diameter without being super thin. The trade-off of going any thinner is lower abrasion resistance. A bit of extra wear on the line can bring lessexperienced anglers unstuck if they don’t set their drag properly and have it too tight, leading to more chance of line breakage. If you are not sure how to tell the diameter of the fishing line you are choosing, just take a look
When faced with wall-to-wall fishing line, consider buying Australian Platypus.
at the packaging or labelling on the spool. It will not only tell you the estimated breaking strain of the line but also its diameter measured in millimetres. For example, 6lb Platypus Platinum is 0.22mm in diameter, while the ultra-fine Platypus Super 100 is a very thin 0.19mm. By way of just a couple of comparisons, Berkley XWR is a thicker 0.234mm and Jarvis Walker Monoline is thicker again at 0.25mm for the same breaking strain. The Platinum range, as Stewart points out, also has more stretch than the Lo-Stretch monofilament range produced by Platypus. Stretch in the line can come in handy for less-experienced anglers because reacting too quickly or heavy handedly to a bite can result in pulled hooks. Braided fishing line For those anglers keen to try soft plastic or hardbody lure fishing for the first time, flathead are a great target. They will take a variety of lures as long as they are presented effectively with the right action and tackle. Stewart recommends Platinum Plus Braid in 5lb for the shallows and 10lb in deeper water. This bright-coloured braid costs only a little more than the base Platinum Braid range but is a superior line for new anglers to use because it has
a smoother, more rounded feel. Once again, I can personally recommend it, as even my 12-year-old son has no problems with tangles or any other issues using it on the flats. Don’t baulk at the bright green colour because all the best anglers use bright braid to watch for little hits on the line and to know when the lure has hit the bottom. Just use a fluorocarbon (clear) leader of about a ☛ continued P16
Choose your lines based on your target species.
Some newly spooled 6lb Platypus Platinum monofilament accounted for this whiting.
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Bright Platinum Plus fluorescent braid is great for soft plastic anglers to follow their lure.
Tips for choosing the right fishing line ☛ from P15
rod length or so, making sure your connection knot is above the bottom runner when you are casting to reduce friction and wind knots when casting. You can also throw 4060g metals and bibless minnows such as the Duel Adagio 125 for tailor with this braid. Just make sure you run a leader of about 2.5m of 20lb fluorocarbon to the lure. Line for more experienced anglers For the more seasoned anglers, Stewart recommends a ‘horses for courses’ approach in terms of your choice of monofilaments. That is, as a general rule, thinner-diameter line such as Super 100 is the choice of experienced anglers fishing mono because it casts further, has less drag in the water, is lighter and
that little bit harder for the fish to see. As mentioned, its downside is less abrasion resistance due to its thinner diameter, so Platinum can be a better choice around the rocks or rugged snags in an estuary. Platypus Pre-test Platypus Pre-test is the choice of those chasing sport and gamefishing records due to the confidence in the fact that each 1000m is pre-tested three times to determine its highest breaking strain. It also has more abrasion resistance and an engineered stretch for long battles with trophy fish. Top-of-the-range braid For experienced anglers looking for that little extra advantage when fishing with braid, Stewart recommends the P8 Braid range. While a little costlier than the Platinum Plus range, P8 is a premium-quality braid
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Platinum Plus and P8 braids are great options for trolling to show up any weed on the line or lure.
and one of the thinnest on the market. P8’s computerised braiding delivers an ultra-tight weave of its eight-carrier construction and leads to a round, smooth and supple line. The outcome is a line that is stronger, ultra-thin, has near zero stretch (so it is super-sensitive) and casts longer with less friction through the guides. That can mean the difference between missing and hooking that trophy fish that usually sits just out of casting range. Braid is an excellent option for more experienced anglers to use for trolling because it relays any bumps or weed on the line to the rod tip, which will stop the rod tip from ‘nodding’. If your rod stops nodding to the movement of the lure, it is time to bring the line in to check it. Biggest mistakes in choosing line Anglers can make a number of mistakes when choosing lines, but probably the biggest is using a ‘one line suits all’ approach to their fishing. That is, they fish with the same reel and line regardless of whether they are fishing the beach, rocks, freshwater lake or estuary. As Stewart rightfully noted, anglers can become obsessed with changing lures and baits if the fish aren’t biting, but sometimes the answer may well lie in the type of line you are using. Another big mistake Stewart points out is knot tying. Anglers need to ensure they lubricate their knots with saliva or water before tightening them, or friction will weaken the line. Making the right choice with your line • Use as light a breaking strain line as you can; • Don’t rush your knots and always lubricate them; • Presentation is essential – use clear leader; • Choose a more abrasion-resistant line for the rocks or around heavy structure; and • Set your drag properly on your reel at about one-third of the breaking strain of the line using a set of scales (for example, 6lb line requires 2lb of drag).
Caring for your line A number of anglers will pull out their reel year after year with the same old line on it, and not realise it is in poor condition until they lose a good fish. Monofilament line has a couple of attributes anglers need to be aware of. The first is its memory. If the line becomes twisted, this can come back to haunt you at a later date. The second is it will hold moisture and if left to sit for a long period this will cause the line to expand and create pressure on the line below it on the reel, therefore deteriorating it over time. Stewart points out another mistake is anglers leaving their rods and reels out in the sun, once again causing deterioration to the line. Finally, anglers should make sure they inspect their rod guides and the edge of their reel spools for any damage or abrasiveness and fix it pronto or it will cause wear on the line and soon result in a lost rig, or worse, a great fish. Wrapping up So there you have it. When it comes to fishing line, one size does not
necessarily fit or suit all. We spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars every year on sounders, rods, reels, fuel, lures, accommodation and more to go fishing, yet many anglers can be inclined to ‘get another trip’ or year out of $20-40 spools of fishing line. Often that can be one trip or year too many, and anglers can lose the fish of a lifetime or not get the distance they need due to underfilled spools. It just doesn’t make sense! So next time you go fishing, remember your fishing line is the critical link between you and the fish. Choose carefully and according to your target species. Finally, when making your choice, consider buying Australian and support a great Aussie company in Platypus Fishing Lines. I know I do. Until next time – bag your mates, not your limit! Also, don’t forget to jump on and say hi, share your pictures or ask a question on my Ontour Fishing Australia Facebook page.
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Platypus P8 Braid is thinner, rounder and will cast further than cheaper braids.
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Learning more by fishing competitions
Y
OU can find many kinds of fishing competitions across Australia and their purposes can be widely varied.
They range from social events organised by local fishing clubs via Facebook pages, to groups raising funds for a charity or awareness and companies running events to promote their business or brand. Of course, there’s also the more serious professional tournaments with sizeable cash payouts for top positions. While the agendas for these comps vary, they all share some common ground. In promoting the world of fishing, they bring likeminded folk together and most entrants will have a great deal of fun while learning more about the sport they love. Additionally, all fishing comps and tournaments have a positive impact on local economies, injecting important dollars into townships where events are held and many towns along the way. From buying and upgrading vessels, vehicles and fishing gear to buying insurance policies, fuel, food and accommodation, a long list of expenditure is related to preparing for and attending any kind of fishing comp. So make sure you sup-
Fishing Tips by TROY LOWE
port these wonderful events by either attending them, volunteering your services or even sponsoring them. I find it refreshing that while many anglers are usually quite secretive about their fishing techniques and locations, it all changes when they get together in a comp. Most let their guards down, especially towards the end of the comp, where you will find many are only too happy to help others by sharing knowledge and advice. In professional tournaments, anglers who don’t necessarily know one another are randomly teamed together, allowing them to learn from each other and beginners to learn from professionals. Additionally, when you have a large concentration of anglers competing on a single waterway, it’s an opportunity to see where everyone is fishing and observe their techniques. So, if you are competitive, want to grow as an angler or meet a bunch of like-minded fishos, then fishing comps present a great way to tick all three boxes while offering the opportunity to pick up cash and prizes.
You don’t need to own an expensive boat or in fact a boat at all to enjoy fishing comps. The professional circuit has boater and non-boater divisions, where nonboaters are teamed with boaters to get them on the water. Boaters compete against other boaters while the non-boaters compete against their counterparts. In most cases, the nonboaters learn a tremendous amount from the boaters and often graduate to being boaters down the track. You can also find plenty of kayak comps for those who have a kayak and land-based comps where you don’t need a watercraft at all. So don’t miss out just because you don’t think you are good enough or don’t have a boat – you’ve got plenty of competition options out there. Here in southeast Queensland, we are blessed with a wide variety of fishing competitions due to the vast array of waterways on offer, from offshore waters to protected bays, broadwaters, rivers and dams. While I’m not in a position to compete profes-
sionally as a boater in tournament series such as B.A.S.S. Australia Nation and Barrabasstastic on a regular basis, I did fish a recent ABT tournament round at Boondooma Dam as a non-boater. I was a little nervous because I didn’t really know anyone there, my gear is pretty low budget and I am by no means a professional-quality angler. But nonetheless I made the drive out there, was allocated to my boaters for the event, met a bunch of nice people, learnt heaps and picked up the win in the non-boaters division and biggest bass for the event, netting me a cool $1500 in cash and prizes. One of my boaters also
won the boaters division, picking up a quality cash haul. So as nervous as I was, there was no real reason for my nerves and it turned out to be one of the most positive experiences of my fishing career, opening up a whole new world to me and giving a welcomed confidence boost. I also participate in a variety of smaller and often family friendly comps throughout the year including the Austackle Country Fishing Classics, which took me and my kids to a range of dams around southeast Queensland where we competed together and had a blast. ☛ continued P18
A very happy author with over $1500 in cash and prizes after winning the non-boater division in an ABT comp at Boondooma Dam.
The author held a couple of solid bass.
One of the bags that won the boater and non-boater divisions at Boondooma.
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The Queensland weather makes me never want to leave this place. Talking to family members down south about the -6C mornings they are currently experiencing is enough to make me feel crook. Not only is the weather good in southeast Queensland, but so is the fishing. We are lucky to have an unreal fishery at our front door, with endless fishing options and a great diversity of species. It feels like I’ve done so much fishing in the past month and I’ve caught so many fish but I haven’t got many pictures to show for it! Three weekends were taken up by competitions, and it’s pretty rare for me to get the camera out
Competition Report by JORDAN ‘GRINNER’ KOSCHEL
and take pictures during comps because I’m very focused on fishing. Mathew Hubbard, fellow writer Mati Bats and I decided to fish the Simrad Snapper Classic out of the Gold Coast, and being a place we hadn’t fished from before, we were interested to see how we would fare against the seasoned Gold Coast fishos. As we parked my tub Shortbill to head into the briefing, I saw the true number of people fishing this comp and immediately thought we had got ourselves into the deep end with pockets full of sinkers.
I knew we had great fishing ability between the three of us but we didn’t have much knowhow off the Gold Coast, so it was going to be tough. As the briefing ended, it was a scramble back to the boats so we could hit the water. This is where I wasn’t worried, as let’s just say Shortbill isn’t a slow boat. We started about 15 boats deep at the back of the pack and quickly worked our way towards the front after sitting at a comfortable 35-40 knots. By the time we hit the Seaway entrance, we were the first boat offshore and I knew we would blow
all the other boats out of the water because no one would be willing to sit at those speeds offshore in their smaller craft. A few kilometres off the Seaway, I turned my head to have a look back and I really couldn’t believe how far ahead we were. Our first spot was about a 40km run and we got there relatively quickly in pretty good conditions with the hammer down. After arriving, we sounded around and it looked good, so we dropped straight down and into a three-way hook-up. Unfortunately, Hubbard popped his off but Mati and I were able to get ours to the surface for an OK start comprising two high50cm snapper. They weren’t huge fish but we were on the board.
We headed straight back around to see if we could replicate the first drift and the sounder told us fish were still holding below, so straight down went the float lines. Again we all hooked up, with Hubbard and Mati catching the right species while I bombed out and smacked a pearl perch. Normally I would be pleased about hooking a pearlie but because we were fishing for snaps it meant nothing to me. The snapper were of a similar size to the first two. With the drift over, we shot back around and the fish still hadn’t moved, so down the lines went. Hubbard was the first to hook up to a very solid fish and about 20 seconds later I hooked an OK fish, ☛ continued P19
Learning more by fishing competitions ☛ from P17
Also check out annual comps such as the Boondooma Dam Yellowbelly Fishing Competition hosted by the dam’s stocking association and larger events including the Gold Coast Flathead Classic hosted by our local fishing club the Gold Coast Sport Fishing Club. These are just a few great events run locally and all are random-draw comps where the majority of prizes are won by lucky draw rather than podium finish, which makes the whole event more enjoyable for those who didn’t fish so well. Many other excellent comps are held right
across Australia all year round. If crowds and socialising are not your thing, or work and family commitments get in your way but you are competitive and like to push yourself, then maybe an online competition is for you. National annual events such as the Pirtek Fishing Challenge and Reel It In Flathead Challenge Series let you fish your own hours on set dates anywhere within Australia. The Get Fishing online tournaments allow you to pay a monthly fee and compete Australia and state wide to target a range of spe-
cies in your own time. These online comps make for a great way to pick up prizes just by doing what you do, and they don’t cost much. So it doesn’t matter where you live, if you have a boat or not, whether you’re single or have a family and whether you have friends to go fishing with or not, fishing comps right across Australia will welcome new participants with open arms and a wealth of knowledge. And if you’re lucky enough, you might even walk away with an awesome prize like a brandnew boat. So give it a go and fish
a comp – you will have a ball. To find a comp near you, check out the Competition Calendar on Page 37, speak with the team at your local tackle shop or jump online and visit my Austral-
ian Fishing Comps & Tournaments Facebook page where I share many fishing comps Australia wide. Get out there, have a go and maybe you will be lucky enough to win something like I did.
The author with random draw winnings totalling around $1000.
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Enjoying the Simrad Snapper Classic in Shortbill ☛ from P18
with Mati sacrificing his drop to play net boy. I got mine to the surface a lot quicker than Hubbard but it was still a solid fish at 62cm. Hubbard’s fish had a lot more go and we were calling it for an amberjack because it was going so hard on the 30lb gear. A few minutes later, we had colour but it wasn’t the AJ we called it for, instead a very healthy samson fish of about 7kg. After just three drifts we had our bag of five snapper for the competition, so we now needed to upgrade. We decided it was time to get that 10kg knobby and see if we could push ourselves up the leader board. So we shot off to some ground a fair distance away that we knew held the big monsters. On the first drop I was lucky enough to connect to one of the beasts on a very lightly weighted float line. As soon as I hooked the fish it took off like all big snaps do and we were stoked we had finally hooked a quality fish. It took line like a train and kept going, head shaking like no tomorrow. It was the fish we had looked for all morning but it just wasn’t meant to be as the snapper ran me back down into the reef, smoking my 40lb gear.
Ever since the comp I’ve tried to convince myself it was an AJ or kingy but after catching so many of these fish, you soon learn how they fight, and 100 percent this was the big red we needed. As the day went on, it seemed the snaps turned off and every other species came on the chew, and we only made one upgrade after the move. We did however find a heap of other fish for a great feed including maori cod, pearl perch and a few other reefies. The highlight of the day was Mati’s monster cuttlefish. First we thought he’d hooked the bottom and then it started coming up. Next thing we knew it was boatside and in the net. We shot back in to see where we had ended up after an awesome day on the water with plenty of laughs, just not enough big fish. We were very surprised with how we finished, as on the way back in we said we’d be stoked with a top-20 finish. To our surprise, we finished in a very respectable eighth, which we thought was a great achievement considering we weren’t fishing our local grounds. The pictures on this page are from an inshore competition I fished during the month. Have a good one!
One of the couple of 40cm bream the author ended up with in an inshore comp he fished solo.
This greedy 49cm snapper took a liking to an Infish Predator Prawn. It put up a good fight on 6lb gear.
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Brett held one of the many quality snapper caught on the close reefs off the Seaway.
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Bream fishers have been having a great time, with the rain in early winter pushing the bream downstream into the lower reaches of the rivers and Broadwater. When targeting bream, it’s all about getting quality fish rather than those smaller bait-stealing soand-sos. The two main ways of doing this are to fish as light as practical and use quality bait. Using light line is a big advantage when fishing in strong current like we get near the Seaway but you must be sensible. If fishing on sand, 6lb main line and a slightly heavier leader will be fine but when fishing rough structure, up to 12lb line would be best to get the fish away from the snags and into the boat. Monofilament line is better than braid when bait fishing for bream because braid has no stretch and can cause you to pull the hook on the fish as you strike at the bite. Sinker size depends on tidal flow and should always be as light as possible but heavy enough to keep the bait on the bottom in the strike zone. Bream will take almost any bait you care to throw at them but for quality fish, either flesh baits of mullet, tailor and bonito or small live herring are best. Cast netting on the eddy side of any of the local bridges will get you herring for bait. The preferred hook for live baiting herring and rigging flesh baits is the Mustad 9555B in size 1.
Broadwater Region by WAYNE ‘YOUNGY’ YOUNG
The best spots for bream have been the Seaway rock walls and pipeline and the western edge of the main channel north in front of Bayview Towers on a run-out tide. Sundale Bridge has also been holding a lot of bream but the quality of fish is not great. The improving weather over the past month has seen plenty of fishos on the close reefs off the Seaway. While snapper are the main target species, a wide variety of reef fish can be caught. An early start is essential to catch the bite period on first light. Once that is over, the fish tend to come on the chew again around a change of tide. Many fishos will drift but I find much better catches come from anchoring and berleying up, either with a reef anchor or the easier way, with a Minn Kota i-Pilot electric motor. This way you are encouraging the fish to come to you, rather than coming across a fish every now and then while drifting. The berley encourages the better-quality fish to leave the bottom and come up the berley trail to feed. This gets them away from the rubbish fish that live on the bottom such as grinners, red cod and sweep. It is a great feeling to be slowly floating a bait down the berley trail and have a big snapper grab it halfway to the bottom and start stripping line while you’re trying to get the bail arm over on the reel to stop it heading back to the bottom. The biggest advantage
of this style of fishing is being able to fish lighter than 20lb braid as well as a much lighter sinker. I normally run a 3 or 4 ball depending on current flow.
Either two-hook snooded rigs or three ganged hooks with pillies for bait are the most popular, with flesh, squid and livies also good options. The 36-fathom reefs have been more consistent for the bigger and better snapper catches, especially north from Jumpinpin Bar. However, it is a lot further to travel from the
Gold Coast, especially if it gets windy on the trip home. Out in the deeper water, good catches of pearl perch are possible and a welcome addition to your icebox. One of the most common questions asked by fishos is what company makes the best sounders ☛ continued P21
Bevan with a couple of good size bream extracted from the Nerang River on bloodworms.
A cod the author caught on a pillie while fishing the 20-fathom reef off the Seaway.
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Dealing with difficult conditions ☛ from P20
and GPS units. Personally, I would only ever use Garmin in my boat, but most companies are OK. What is more important is understanding what your sounder is showing you and being able to distinguish between baitfish, structure and big fish. The best place I can suggest for looking at and learning about these differences is the sand bypass pipe that runs across the Seaway just west of the Seaway tower. The pipe sits up slightly off the bottom and shows up quite well on side imaging, down scan and traditional sounder images. It will also likely have both baitfish and bigger predators near it, giving you the opportunity to see everything in one spot. The rain we had in early winter has not been good for our whiting fishing. Whiting are there but getting a bait past the bream is almost impossible in places. The Pimpama River upstream from Diamond Head and the Coomera River upstream from Jabiru Island are both fishing better for whiting than the Nerang River. Hinze Dam is full and any rain we are getting is overflowing, which is keeping the upper reaches of the Nerang River a bit dirtier than normal.
This month we will start to see the water quality improving and the whiting fishing should improve along with it. We finally have a bait shop on the Gold Coast that sells bloodworms! The shop is on Kendor St, Arundel, and is next
door to the Bunnings Warehouse. Paul at the shop also has a great range of other bait at competitive prices and the shop is well worth a look when around the Gold Coast. It is best to pre-order bloodworms to make sure
you don’t miss out. Give Paul a call on 0406 737 773. Flathead catches are improving every week, with the best areas the western side of the Aldershots and around Never Fail Island. ‘Til next month, fish for the future.
Stonefish sighting in popular Gold Coast lake
S
EA World divers recently entered Evandale Lake at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast to begin searching for a potentially deadly stonefish found in the lake.
Three divers scoured the lake as part of Operation Stonefish to find and remove the fish. Sea World spokespeople said they will rehome the fish in the Nerang River but Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate wanted the fish dead. It was not clear how long it would take to find the stonefish or if it would be found at all. The well-known swimming lake was closed recently when a member of the public captured footage of the highly venomous fish. Sea World director of
marine sciences Trevor Long said the vision showed the fish was an adult and others could be in there. Mr Long said the stonefish most likely entered the lake through the drainage system when very young and had likely lived in the lake its entire life. Stonefish have 13 spines that are filled with potentially deadly venom. A sting from the fish is massively painful and causes muscular paralysis, breathing difficulties and sometimes heart failure. Divers planned to search the rock walls of the lake but Mr Long was not certain the stonefish would be found due the stonefish’s naturally effective camouflage and the size of the lake.
The divers also conducted a marine survey to determine what other wildlife calls the lake home. A reported shark sighting at Evandale Lake in 2011 closed the area to swimming but council could not find the shark. Evandale Lake is not the only waterway to have the deadly fish swimming around. “It’s not surprising at all,” Mr Long said. “Stonefish are all through our canals as well.” Mr Long said stonefish live naturally in the Nerang River and despite Mayor Tate’s comments, if captured the fish would be rehomed in the river. He said stonefish can often go undetected as they are quite shy creatures.
A couple of decent whiting Brett nabbed in the Coomera River.
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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 21
Fishing the deep holes around the tide changes is the best way to catch jewies.
Angling tips for August
■ Bream ■ Tailor ■ Jewfish
G A flathead that took a minnow lure trolled along the shallows in the Tweed River.
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’DAY; in this article I will run through where and how to find fish in the local Tweed Heads and Gold Coast rivers. The weeks leading up to the new and full moons usually produce good fishing for flathead, bream, tailor and jewies. August is known as the windy month but I have found that is not always the case, with plenty of good fishable weather usually on hand. Tailor should be found schooling in the lower reaches of the river systems, with the Seaway and surrounding areas well worth a look, as will be the entrance of the Tweed River up to Chinderah. The best way to find tailor is to keep an eye out for any bird and surface activity or find bait on your sounder. Anglers using bait will find that white and blue pilchards will do the job while the lure fishers should have metal spinners and trolling lures ready to cast or troll around the feeding tailor. When tailor are feeding in the rivers, they are usually targeting smaller baitfish, so I find metal spinners from 25-30g to be perfect. My trolling lures comprise a selection of various minnow patterns between 50mm and 80mm long, all diving to different depths. When trolling for tailor, I usually run two lures that dive to different depths to see which produces better results. Bream start to ease off a fraction this month as they draw in on the end of their annual spawning period but enough should still be around to produce quality fishing sessions. The moon cycles and areas mentioned above also
Gold Coast Guide by BRAD SMITH
apply to bream, with the difference being tailor can turn up anywhere while bream will be holding closer to structure. To target bream, fish along the edges of rock walls, any areas with a broken reef bottom or around channel markers, which is where the fish will school. Live yabbies, whitebait and freshly cut strips of mullet, garfish and tuna are the best baits, while small soft plastics and metal blades are the pick for lure fishers. I should also mention the best periods to target bream and tailor will be around the early morning and late afternoon tide changes, though bait fishos can also get good results at night. August is a fantastic time to target flathead around the shallower spots in rivers where the water is warmed by the sun. The fringes of seagrass beds and yabby banks are
good places to start casting hard-bodied minnows and soft plastics. Jewies are also on the target list for this month. To catch them, fish the deepest holes in rivers around the tide changes. Live baits such as herring and poddy mullet
will work well, as will soft plastics and vibes. If you can time your trips around tide changes early in the morning or late in the afternoon or night, this will increase your chances. Cloudy and rainy days are not so pleasant for us anglers but really suit this great sportfish. Thanks for reading, I look forward to chatting next month.
August is a good month for targeting schooling bream on lures and bait.
This tailor smashed a Bassday Sugapen surface lure.
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Snapper move onto close reefs
Y
OU could forget it’s winter here in southeast Queensland with the fantastic weather we’ve been having.
The great thing is I’ve even been able to wet a line over the past month and the fishing has been magnificent. Snapper have moved onto the close reefs and are readily taking baits and plastics. If using bait, float lining is producing the best results. Use as little weight as possible or even no weight if you can get away with it. A fresh bait floated down a berley trail will rarely be ignored. Baits such as yakkas, pillies and gar are producing the best results. With the bail arm open,
Gold Coast by HEATH ZYGNERSKI
simply let the line steadily peel off the reel until you see it start flying off, then just flick the bail arm over and watch the rod load up. We had the best trip for a while leading up to the last quarter moon, with the fish going nuts. While we got dusted up a few times, most snapper landed were in the 2-4kg bracket, which are excellent table fish. Mixed in with the snapper were great jew to about 14kg. A live bait set roughly 5m off the bottom will put you in with the best chance. You’ll know when you have an inquiry because the livie will go nuts.
Jewfish have also been taking baits intended for snapper and they make for a tough fight on lighter gear. On our last trip out we marked a big school of snapper and some jew on a little pinnacle. The baits were slammed as they were floated out, resulting in a double hook-up. Both fish took about 15 minutes to land, with my nephew Reece and my young bloke Mitch both getting their first jewies. Both jewfish went a tad better than 14kg, making for a memorable moment. A huge shout-out has to go to my mate and fellow BNB scribe JB who took
Reece lifted his first jew after a double hook-up with his cousin Mitch.
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out the Gold Coast Simrad Snapper Classic for the second year running. That’s no easy feat considering the number and calibre of anglers in the comp. Well done mate. Further afield, we’ve seen great catches of reds and trout up north. A few of the boys took off to 1770 at the end of the school holidays and came home with a great mixed bag, making their trip more than worthwhile. Back here on the Goldy, the fishing should continue to be very good heading towards the end of winter and start of spring. Big cobia and yellowtail kings should come on the chew and don’t discount a late run of mackerel and wahoo as well. The local bars are in
varying states. Tweed River Bar is still very shallow inside the walls and the outer bank is only 4m deep on a full tide. The Port Frederick dredge is currently working to remove that bank. Speaking of the dredge, it is well worth targeting it when moored in the river because its lights act like huge fish attracters. Currumbin Creek Bar is messy. It is very shallow and care needs to be taken when using it. Tallebudgera Creek Bar is the same. Banks are building to the south of the Seaway while Deadmans is still there to the north, so keep an eye out in any sort of sea. ‘Til next month, smoking drags to you all.
Dean scored a nice trout off 1770.
Andy held a solid snapper.
Mitch with his first jew. It was a cracker that nailed a bait intended for snapper.
Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 23
Wide reefs workable with good weather and little current
O
NCE again I’ve submitted my article late, but I’ve got a good excuse: fishing.
It’s been great to have some tailor back in the waters off Brunswick Heads lately.
It’s been a great month, with finally some decent weather allowing boaties to head as wide as they want. Having said that, in the past couple of days the current has come in. Don’t write the wider reefs off yet though because the current will be
Parrotfish are a very welcome capture and rated highly in the eating stakes.
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Tweed to Byron Bay by GAVIN DOBSON
patchy for another month or two with plenty of workable days. Even in current, with the aid of circle hooks you will be surprised at how good a feed you can bring home. Why circle hooks? What I (and many others) do is line the drift up and when my bait is in the strike zone I just drag the bait a couple of metres at a time and then let it sit for a few seconds by letting out slack line. When I get a good bite, I let the rig sit on the bottom by feeding more line out. With a bit of luck and good-quality circle hooks, when you take up the tension again, the fish will have hooked itself. Sure it means more winding and more fuel driving back to your marks all the time but it is a workable technique in wind and tide. Recently, Jason and I spent a day on the 32s doing just this. We had wanted to head deeper but with the current the way it was, I decided the 32-fathom line was the limit and we plugged away for a few hours and got a pretty decent catch in the end. The real ‘mixed bag’ is what makes this fishing interesting. We ended up with quality pearl perch, moses perch, parrotfish and even a couple of ripper maori cod. Flathead, squire, hussar and teraglin rounded out the catch. Surprisingly, we didn’t get many squire and worryingly not many were caught for the week either shallow or deep. Prior to this we had about three weeks of great squire and snapper fishing in all depths and it looked like it was shaping up to be a pretty good season. Hopefully this past week was just an odd hiccup and they return in abundance. Jew have been really scarce on the local Brunswick reefs this past month but the offshore reefs to the south of us at Ballina have been loaded, so hopefully they are heading this way. It’s been good to see a few tailor around. If the shallow reefs and headlands are any indication, then a few choppers should also be out there for the surf fishos. When the wind is blowing from the west and is too strong to head out wide, I love nothing more than visiting the close reefs for an afternoon/ evening session. And with the exception of the lack of snapper recently, the close reefs have been producing fairly well. Quality moses perch, teraglin and parrotfish have been taken in water from just 12-22m deep. Even a few pearl perch
have been caught in this close. The species I’m pleased to see on these shallow reefs is tailor. Lewan and I recently got stuck into a few, with the biggest specimens falling to live yellowtail scad. Fishing for squire one night recently, I couldn’t get a bait past the tailor, and it is a strange sensation fighting what you initially think is a squire and then having it jump when it gets near the boat. When they jump while coming in on the heavier gear they are immediately propelled towards you, and it’s only a matter of time before I get hit in the dark by a flying chopper. They are very welcome though. Slowly fried in butter and seasoned with salt and pepper and lemon juice, I reckon they are a delicacy. As I’ve often mentioned over the years, from May to July is when the more tropical reef fish turn up. A new one for me this month was when Lewan pulled up a juvenile
(20cm) fish and wondered what it was. After closer inspection, we decided it was a paddletail seaperch (lutjanus gibbus), another species I haven’t encountered south of the border before. It was only a few minutes later when Lewan got a decent fish to the surface and I asked what it was because I couldn’t see it. Lewan responded with: “It’s a... I don’t know – what is that?” This one I knew straight away. “That’s a purple cod,” I said excitedly. Also known as blue maori cod (epinephelus cyanopodus), this was just the third one I’ve seen south of the border. A mate once caught a
1.5kg specimen off Tweed and I got a juvenile 25cm model on the local here at Brunz a few years ago. Lewan’s 3.5kg fish, while well short of the species’ growth potential, was a cracker for around here. Hopefully August sees good snapper fishing. As I sit and write, leatherjacket are bearing down on us (at Evans Head, last I heard). They make life a pain for a while. The only escape is to fish shallow, really deep (70 fathoms and beyond), or some of the higherprofile reefs at night. Alternatively, you could just make up a wire rig and catch a feed of the buggers. All the best.
Moses perch are an underrated species. They fight hard and taste great.
Lewan with a beautiful blue maori cod caught on a shallow Brunswick reef.
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Tips for bread and butter species on Gold Coast
N
OW we are past July, hopefully we’ve seen the majority of the cold weather and can start to enjoy a few warmer days and nights.
The past month has proved fruitful for countless anglers partaking in all forms of fishing. Anglers targeting the bread and butter species in estuaries have enjoyed the most success. Bream, flathead, whiting and trevally have been taken on various techniques from bait to hardbodies, soft plastics and metal blades. During the colder months, bream seem to move away from holding under pontoons in canals and school up in deeper, cleaner water in places such as the Broadwater and Jumpinpin. Fishing deeper holes
Nerang Rooster Report by DARREN RAMA
with sounders will benefit your fishing dramatically and help you locate schooling fish, though permanent structures such as channel markers have still produced quality fish. I have done well using Fish Arrow Flash J Shads and Split Shads in 3” rigged on 1/6-1/12oz TT jig heads to give the lure the most realistic action possible. Fishing metal blades slowly with just a single lift and drop has paid off too. Using a light rod of about 1-3kg and 7’ long has seen longer casts and improved action and sensitivity increase my catch rate.
Nate with one of the many GTs that came out from under a pontoon to chase his lure.
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Flathead will become more common leading into the 2017 Gold Coast Flathead Classic. Known to be one of the biggest fishing competitions of the year, the three-day event will put many anglers on their mettle. Of late, most flathead success has come by fishing tight against the banks and steeper drop-offs in the rivers. One of the best things about flathead is they are genuinely willing to take a variety of presentations, sizes and colours but I find the brighter, the better, probably because the fish have small eyes on top of their head.
If fishing soft plastics, curl tail grubs seem to get the most attention. The size of lures used for flathead varies from 2” up to 9” because the bigger fish of more than 75cm will take very large lures, and have even been known to take bream while they are being wound in. So a soft plastic is small compared to the food they eat on a regular basis. Something helping my flathead fishing is keeping an eye out for flathead lays in the banks on low tide. I simply look for a distinctive flathead-shaped marking in the sand where a flathead would have burrowed into the sand to hide from and ambush their prey. At high tide, those fish will most likely return to a similar area as bait pushes
A larger bream picked off when targeting schooled fish
up over the bank. Small things like taking notice of a few lays could mean the difference between your best day fishing for flathead and going home disappointed. Trevally are still harassing the local bait populations but due to the cooler temperatures, sinking lures down to their preferred depth seems to be making the difference between casting practice and catching fish. Entrances to canals, points and bridges are key points to try when targeting these canal speedsters because they use the current to smash baitfish trapped by the flow. Tailor should show up to feed more regularly through August before they slowly diminish as the warmer waters set in, so rock and beach fishing will prove more popular this month. Fishing with pilchards on gang hooks and casting 25-60g metal slugs have been the most productive methods in previous years. Having multiple options for all forms of fishing is a good idea because every day is different and you’ll tend to find the fish will prefer one thing over the other on any given day. That’s the stuff that keeps us coming back and wanting one more cast. Enjoy the last of the winter and hope for bigger and better things!
A bigeye trevally that waited for the author’s plastic to sink past the pylon it was sitting behind.
A decent flathead caught in 30cm of water.
This school size bream was hooked sitting deep around a channel marker.
Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 25
Selina showed off a good-sized bream captured on a yabby.
John with a fantastic 41cm bream he caught by himself.
Iluka an ideal bream spot
A
FTER our Easter school holiday plans were wrecked by a cyclone, the Payne mob was pretty happy to be greeted at Iluka with light wind and blue skies for the June/ July school holidays.
Rob Payne with a ripper bream caught while jigging Middle Wall.
Iluka is an easy threehour drive along the Pacific Highway from the south side of Brisbane and is situated on the northern banks of the Clarence River. Iluka is enveloped by the Iluka Nature Reserve and Bundjalung National Park and is a peaceful little fishing town that offers all the basic amenities you need while on holiday. There is easy access to
Rob landed a small jew on bream gear while jigging vibes.
Page 26 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
The author with a 43cm bream taken on a jigged Fish Trap.
Fishing Australia by LEEANN PAYNE
offshore fishing, though with the kids we stayed inside the bar entrance and primarily targeted bream during our stay. About 10 years ago, we had a blinder of a time fishing for flathead along Ten Mile Beach but they were scarce this time and tailor had yet to make an appearance in any numbers. A friend caught a couple of choppers at the Bluff but they certainly were few and far between. We chatted to some young lads at the Bluff while checking out the rock pools with the kids and they had managed a flathead, whiting and trevally, so fishing from the Bluff is worth a look, but always watch out for the waves! The river seemed to be our best option and we first trolled the sandbanks to see what we could come up with but the flatties weren’t biting. We also trolled along Middle Wall and found a school of tailor that took a liking to our Zerek Tango Shads. They were all undersized, however John was buzzing with excitement as he cast his lure to be hit by one chopper tailor after another. We hadn’t used up all our options, so at low tide pumped yabbies from the sandbanks and proceeded
to the eastern end of the Middle Wall. Using anchor mode on the bow-mount Minn Kota electric motor, we baited up and cast out (this method eliminates the risk of losing an anchor to the rocky depths). With John just having turned four and Selina six, they are still at an age where they become easily bored in the boat, however using the yabbies as bait, there was plenty of action throughout our daily sessions on the water. Using light spinning rod/reel combos, 10lb SureCatch fluorocarbon leader, 4 ball round sinkers and size 4 Mustad Baitholder hooks, the baits were simply dropped to the bottom or cast upcurrent from the boat to let them drift in the fastrunning current. The bream fishing was possibly the best we have enjoyed in years and most fish were of legal size, yet so many were in the high-30cm and low-40cm range. Robert’s parents Barb and Errol also came down to stay with us for a few days and loved fishing the Clarence River. And don’t tell anyone, but Barb kicked Errol’s butt! More accustomed to using handlines in Moreton Bay for the likes of winter whiting, Barb had an
absolute screamer on the bream and thoroughly enjoyed her day on the Clarence. By the end of each session when we had run out of yabbies, the kids had sore arms from winding in so many fish that they were happy to let Mum and Dad have a jig with Zerek Fish Trap soft plastics. Using the electric motor to match the speed of the boat to the current, we cast the 65mm Fish
Traps up-current of the boat and let them fall to the bottom. As the boat slowly drifted along the eastern end of Middle Wall, Rob and I steadily and not erratically lifted our rods slightly and then lowered them while maintaining contact with the lures. We certainly missed a few fish because sometimes they would take the lure on the drop but the ☛ continued P27
Tourists and locals alike are looked after in Iluka, with beautiful clean parks and amenities.
Yabbies are an excellent bait for bream.
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Cold weather sees fantastic fishing W INTER is here and the fishing on the NSW north coast will be great if you don’t mind the cold nights and early mornings.
The westerly wind is really lazy because it doesn’t go around you, it goes straight through you. I hate cold weather but winter sees jewfish, tailor and bream at their best in my neck of the woods. But seeing as the best time to fish for jew is at night with live baits and hard-body lures, it’s too bloody cold for me. Tailor are another nighttime proposition for anglers wading in the freezing surf and fishing with bonito fillets and garfish. Bream, however, are a different story and can be caught night or day. I like fishing in office hours because I’m old and lazy. This doesn’t hinder my success rate, as bream can and do bite through most parts of the day. You’ve just got to know your little patch and what to use to get them to bite. Everyone has their own way of catching them and obviously all methods are right if they work. This is how I fish for bream. It’s not hard to capture the legal size 25cm fish
Evans Head
by GARY ‘SQUIDGIE’ PALMER
but to get the big ones takes a bit of work. They didn’t get to be big by being stupid. These older fish have seen all manner of baits and lures thrown at them. I’ve even thought of tossing the kitchen sink at them at times. You really need to work out where the big bream hang out. Think of bridge pylons encrusted with barnacles, rough and rocky spots on walls, reefs in rivers, downed trees, undercut banks, mangroves at the water’s edge and the end of breakwalls. And those are just the river locations. Then you have beach gutters, headlands and more outside the rivers. However, getting them to take your offering is another matter. Your presentation, be it bait or lure, has to look real. So if using prawns, make sure they’re not shaped like bananas. Get a long-shank hook that will straighten the prawn out and then tie a loop knot around the tail and hook so the prawn doesn’t slip down.
Greg Burke with a Cranka Crab-caught bream. Bream seem to love these lures.
The same goes if you use white pillies. Get a two-hook gang setup and lay the pillie flat to make it look real. I like to slowly wind my bait in and work it as though it’s alive. When fishing beaches, I use Wilson 12’ 6144 or 7144 rods. I use these heavier rods because the occasional tailor and jewfish will take my cut baits of herring, bonito and mullet. I find a gutter with a good run-out area, use an 8 ball sinker with a 30cm leader, cast out as far as possible and let the current pull the bait even further out because the bream will be sitting around the back of the breakers. With a 650 Alvey reel you can just feed the line out with the current. You will know when a bream hits your bait because your line will suddenly start running faster. Let it run for a while and then steadily lift the rod tip. There’s no need to strike hard because the bream will have already engulfed your bait. Now the fun begins. These big ‘snowy’ searun bream know every trick in the book and will use the waves and tidal surge to their advantage. Hang on and hope you win because I have been
blown away many times. When fishing for bream in rivers, I mostly use lures with 7’ Samurai rods. If using blades, a fast 6-12lb spin rod is perfect. When fishing blades, a lot of fishers make the mistake of moving the lure too quickly and not giving the bream time to look at their offering. Count to 10, use just your wrist to lift the rod and then gently drop it. Bream love to look at food before eating it, so if you continue lifting and dropping vigorously all you are going to catch is flathead, which I normally don’t see a problem with, but in comps they are our worst enemy. I generally use Atomic Metalz in Ayu and Muddy Prawn colours. I take the trebles off and replace them with Ecogear ZX assist hooks to reduce the number of snags I pick up. Always remember to fish slowly and don’t rush. When I use soft plastics and hard-body lures, once again I fish them with Samurai spin rods. I run the Samurai 181 very fast 3-6lb and 252 fast 4-10lb. The 181 is ideal for topwater luring and casting very light soft plastics. When targeting bream on surface, the Samurai 181 comes into its own with such a nice action. I have caught many fish on Megabass Dog X Jnrs and Lucky Craft Sammy 65s but any topwater bream lure will work
Bream have tough mouths, so super-sharp hooks are essential.
beautifully with this rod. The soft plastics I use are Berkley Gulp 2” Shrimp in Peppered Prawn, Squidgy 65mm Wrigglers in Bloodworm and any crab imitation. Using a 1/28oz hidden weight jig head, I cast around jetties and pylons where the run isn’t so fast and on top of breakwalls at high tide. I wouldn’t use anything lighter than an 8-10lb leader. The 252 4-10lb Samurai rod is ideal for casting hard-body lures and heavy soft plastics around walls, oyster racks, weeded areas and any tough bream habitat. This rod has the balls and bottom end needed to drag out big fish. My preferred lures to use with this rod are Atomic Hardz Crank Deep 38s in Muddy Prawn, Ghost Gill Brown and Ghost Wakasagi as well as Jackall Chubby 38F Deeps in Brown Suji Shrimp. Soft vibes and soft plastics on 1/8oz jig heads work well with this rod too. Whether your bream plastics are made by Berkley or Atomic, they all work, you just need to be up close and personal with the fish and in winter work the lures slowly. Don’t rush, just employ a slow lift and drop. Flathead and jewfish will also be taken with these techniques, so be ready for a fight if one of these fish grabs your lure. As for leader, I use 10lb first and then downsize as the day goes on. It’s up to you how long a leader you use. I run at least 2m of leader. That’s it for this month. I know I didn’t get to talking about fishing the headlands for bream but I’ve run out of paper, so I’ll get to that next month. Until then, remember: limit your kill, don’t kill your limit. Tight lines and smelly fingers.
Iluka an ideal bream spot ☛ from P26
bream we did catch on the Fish Traps were all in the high-30cm/low-40cm range. My best fish was also the last for the trip. It pulled some drag and I mistook it for a jewie on the first run but was ecstatic to see the 43cm bream emerge from the
depths of the Clarence. On our second day on the river, Rob also managed a little school jew that fought well on the bream gear. Each day we launched our vessel from the boat ramp at the northern end of Spencer St. Not only was this ramp reasonably close to our holiday house, but it had a
John hooked up to a small tailor while casting lures at Iluka.
www.bnbfishing.com. au
jetty, fish-cleaning facilities, good parking (plenty during our school holiday stay at least), was protected by a rock wall and had great access to the Clarence River. The other boat ramps within cooee of our accommodation either lacked adequate parking or were too shallow to launch our boat. We chose to holiday at Iluka because it’s a quiet little town but still boasts a golf club, bowls club, pub and a number of cafes, bakeries and an IGA. The pub puts on a good old-fashioned menu of seafood, roasts and parmies (in healthy serves), while the golf and bowls clubs both have mostly Asian menus. Plentiful accommodation options include a caravan park, cabins, houses, units and camping at Woody Head in the Bund-
jalung National Park. We originally used Stayz to search for our accommodation but if you want to eliminate the charges the website slugs, just go to ilukaaccommodation. com.au for a great range of options. A three-bedroom cottage situated opposite the Iluka Nature Reserve was perfect for us, with plenty
of parking for the boat, and was very quiet indeed. Our days were spent mostly fishing the Clarence, however we also enjoyed our trip to Ten Mile Beach, plenty of exploratory trips with the kids to the Bluff, a stroll along the north wall and a small hike through the nature reserve.
Bream will readily hit small topwater lures during winter.
Crabs are deadly on bream.
The author with a bream that nailed his soft plastic.
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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 27
Fishing getting back on track at Ballina
H
ELLO and welcome to BNB.
It has been another eventful month, with an Australian Bream Tournaments qualifying event on the Richmond River and the Evans Head Fishing Classic just down the road. And we’ve had more rain, which we really didn’t need after the recent drenching. Now the chaos is over, I am hoping we can have a more settled month both on and off the water. At this stage, the water temperature still hasn’t
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dropped to its usual level for this time of year. This has meant the numbers of snapper we would normally see on the close reefs appear to be holding out on the 32 and 42-fathom lines. Some snapper are moving in, but not as many as we would expect. Pilchards and squid have been good bait options in close when used with little or no weight, as have natural-coloured soft plastics in 4� and 5� sizes. Riordans Reef and Lennox Head have been worth a look of an early morning but seem to quieten as the day goes on. That is, until the sun goes down. If conditions permit, it will be worth trying in close for a few night-time snapper and mulloway on live baits. Out wider, a number of snapper have shown interest in mullet fillets and live baits, as well as larger soft plastics and slowpitch jigs. The current has been a little erratic for this time of year. Some days have little or no current and then the next will see the current and wind combining to move boats along at very swift speeds, making fishing difficult at best. My suggestion is to car-
ry a variety of sinker and jig weights and aim to be prepared for multiple scenarios. Flathead and a few pearl perch are also showing up around the 32 and 42-fathom lines. The lack of current has meant the bait is very scattered out on the 48s, which has seen the kingfish a little scarce also. Some of the slower-current days have allowed the larger boats to make their way out to the continental shelf and chase bar cod, blue-eye trevalla and other deepwater species. As usual, baits such as squid, mullet, bonito and cuttlefish have all been working, and most boats have reported reasonable catches when the weather has been favourable, with bar cod up to 30kg hitting the deck. On the beaches, it has been a little hit and miss, with reasonable-quality bream and flathead taking pilchards, mullet and pipis. Just before the last lot of rain, we started to see reasonable numbers of tailor but the recent flood and subsequent dirty water pushed out onto the beaches seems to have scattered the tailor and kept them wide of the beaches. The rough weather at the time of the rain scoured
the beaches and it has only been in the past few weeks that we have seen decent gutters appearing. I have a feeling that the warmer than usual water may also be affecting the tailor and bream numbers. I expect things to improve greatly over the next month or so, and we should see better numbers of fish show up on the beaches nearest the river mouth and also the breakwalls. As usual, I would try the rock platforms with metal spinners or surface poppers early in the mornings and then move to the beaches at night and use pilchards or cut baits for better-quality tailor. The remnants from the last flood are also being felt in the Richmond River, particularly on the run-out tide. During the incoming tides, the green water is pushing up past the Burns Point Ferry, but on the outgoing tide the water is still quite discoloured. This has meant bait fishers have been favouring oily and smelly baits such as chicken and mullet gut, pilchards and mullet fillets for bream and live baits and pilchards for flathead. For those who prefer lures, small hard-bodies in darker colours have worked for bream, and metal blades in brighter colours or soft plastics with a paddle tail have tempted many flathead. The cooler conditions have meant a number of
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY.
flathead have been coming from the shallower areas in the river, so it will be worth trying areas from Pimlico Island all the way up to Broadwater, but I would focus my efforts on the run-in tide so as to catch the cleaner water pushing up the river. Bream on the other hand, seem to be congregating in the lower reaches of the river and for the most part are sitting along the walls in deeper water. The usual locations such as Mobbs Bay and Prospect Bridge have produced reasonable numbers of luderick, even though it has been very difficult to find green weed for bait. The discoloured water has meant quite a few fish have also been taken on live yabbies and peeled prawns, but the run-in tide has certainly been the better tide to fish. Mulloway were in better numbers around the moon phases last month than they have been this month. Live baits have been difficult to find to say the least, but they are always a better option than dead baits, so spend the extra time chasing them if you can. As usual for mulloway, concentrate on fishing an hour either side of the high and low tides at night to give yourself the best chance of catching one of these silver ghosts. Well that’s all from me this month. Until next time, tight lines!
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Few jew from the Bluff on hard-bodies ■ Spots to target luderick
T
HAT’S July done and dusted for another year and I am proud to say I did my bit for the mulloway recovery program being undertaken by NSW Department of Primary Industries by not catching one single fish last month. Mind you, it would have helped if I had actually picked up a rod and gone fishing, however every time I contemplated having a fish it was either too windy, too cold or too wet, or it was the wrong tide, I didn’t have the right bait and so on. I did, however, walk out along the Iluka breakwall
tion through fishing-related injury for nearly two months, and was away on fishing trips to Tasmania and New Zealand as well. I had to chuckle when Andrew texted me at 7.30am the morning after he returned to Canberra to inform me it was a sweltering -7C. It does not get that cold here at Iluka, even if you are inside a freezer. A few small schoolies and the odd nice fish around the 17kg mark have been taken from the Bluff on hard-bodied lures just on dusk, along with a few turrum, however given the number of white pillies hanging around the rocks, I would have thought more fish would have been hooked. Inside the Clarence River, the Collis Wall and the eastern tip of Middle Wall have produced a handful of jew on live mullet, while reasonable numbers of school jew have been boated upstream at Browns Rocks on both soft plastic lures and live herring, mostly during slack high water. Luderick was the main species targeted in the river in recent weeks, with excellent bags reported from the top half of the Collis Wall and Turkeys Nest here at Iluka, while
Just Jew by TYE PORTER
on a couple of nights as gaff man for Ted McLean of Ashby. Even though Ted managed a nice feed of school jew around the 7kg mark on sliced squid, I could not get keen enough to have a fish myself. I reckon I must be getting too old or lazy or both because a few years ago I would have been out there getting amongst the fish regardless. The local jewfish population is breathing a
sigh of relief that good friend and fellow fishing writer Andrew Mayo has completed his 15-month holiday here at Iluka and returned to the balmy weather of Canberra. During his stay, Andrew managed to land 109 jewfish on both hard-bodied and plastic lures, with over 90 percent of the fish returned to the water. This is an awesome number of fish, especially given Andrew only fished with lures, was out of ac-
Young Grafton angler Jake Hyatt captured this flounder at night on a white pilchard along the southern bank of Goodwood Island.
☛ continued P30
A flashback to last winter when fishing writer Andrew Mayo landed this pair of jew from the Iluka headlands on Rapala X-Rap lures.
This 78cm school jew engulfed Mischa’s 8cm Rapala X-Rap on the northern side of Iluka Bluff.
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Luke Wheatley boated this cracking 75cm flathead at night.
Ben Canvin’s 51cm snapper.
Gordon Richards scored a solid bream.
Frosty temps don’t deter the fish H I and welcome to this month’s edition of BNB.
Pete Radmacher captured a bream.
The author picked up a 48cm snapper.
It’s been very cold here in Newcastle this past month and haven’t we felt it, with air temperatures reaching a frosty -2C. Staying warm has been imperative to having an enjoyable session on the water. On one of our adventures we hit our local fishing grounds at Lake Macquarie in search of big flathead and jewfish. We scored great results and my cousin Luke Wheatley was the standout angler on this trip. Luke and I set out to get live squid from a few local spots and it didn’t take long to put several in the live well before we headed to one of Luke’s productive spots and dropped anchor. We held back from going for a few nights until we got a late-afternoon rising tide and hoped the wind would die down. Lucky for us, it did. We knew the temperature would be in the 5C range but we didn’t anticipate it would get down to -2C at 10pm. Wow, it got cold. We even flipped a coin to see who would put their hands in the live well to
3WAYSFISHIN – Newcastle
by NATHAN ‘NATH’ PALMER
grab the first baits and rig up. It seemed that Luke had a two-sided coin because I was the only one putting my hands in the freezing cold water. With live baits down and warm cups of MILO in our cold hands, we kicked back and settled down for a long and cold night of fishing. We could do nothing but look up into the clear night sky and enjoy our surroundings. About 40 minutes had passed when my reel decided to let me know something was keen on my live squid. As soon as I went to grab my rod, the action was over before it started. I was OK with that because I knew the berley trail we had begun to disperse an hour before was bringing some interest to
our baits, so I just kicked back and waited until the next one came along. About 20 minutes after I got a touch, Luke’s reel decided to sing and this time the rod bent over, so we knew it was the real deal. With head shakes, Luke running laps around the boat and my MILO upside down on the floor, we knew we had a keeper. After a few more head shakes, up came a 75cm flathead. We exchanged high fives but the excitement was short lived because we ended up drifting away from our first spot as the wind kicked up and it was taking a long time for the bites to occur. So Luke came up with another plan because it was getting too cold sitting there waiting for our rods to load up.
Off we went to another favourite stop that we thought might hold jew. Driving a boat in the early hours of the morning in -2C weather was the coldest I’ve been this year and with the wind in our faces it felt like pins were being thrown into our skin. Oh well, I guess that’s winter fishing! We finally got to spot two and decided to drift over the small reef a few times. On the third drift, Luke’s bait was smashed by the target fish. Seeing the chrome sides of a jewfish light up under the moon and stars was amazing and after a few short runs with great head shakes it was the second fish to be boated. High fives and laughter filled our cold bodies once again and warmed us up a bit. This good-looking jewie measured 115cm on the brag mat and we were stoked but the only problem was I couldn’t get a decent photo because my phone went dead and Luke left his in the car. It was a good night on the water in the end. Even though we only landed two solid fish, it’s always great to catch up
with my cousin doing what we love best. I can’t wait to get back out there with him and catch some more. Now to what’s biting around Newcastle. I have been hitting Stockton on the past couple of trips in the search for big flathead, with my best ones going between 58cm and 62cm. These fish aren’t massive but still make for a good feed on the barbecue and I won’t complain because the area has been flogged with rain over the past few months and it’s very dirty but slowly clearing. If you want to try your luck, the best spots are around the sand bars on the right side of Stockton Bridge. These really good banks have plenty of nice holes close in. On a run-out tide, using small baits in these holes will produce cracker fish. If you travel further up the Hunter River, the only mangrove tree sticking out in the middle of the river is another top spot that holds bream, flathead and jew. I’m sure on a run-out tide you would get a bend in your rod. ☛ continued P31
Few jew from the Bluff on hard-bodies ☛ from P29
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over on the Yamba side, Oyster Channel Bridge, Romiaka Channel and the breakwall have been the pick of the spots. The old ferry approach here at Iluka usually fires for luderick at this time of year, however a good dose of coloured water coming out of the Esk River appears to be stopping them moving in any great numbers. Local Iluka anglers Tony Arnold and Wayne ‘the luderick whisperer’ Franklin are just two of the many fishos putting in long hours at this spot with black weed for little reward. Years ago, in July the
river at night would be a sea of red and green navigation lights as keen anglers chased big bream on their yearly spawning run, but for one reason or another it is rare to see a single boat on the water at night these days. Talking of bream, the northern side of the Bluff has been yielding plenty of solid bream on both white pilchards and half blue pilchards, while Back Beach is also producing good size bream on beach worms at night, along with the occasional school jew. Tailor continue to frustrate the hell out of anglers, with average catches reported from locations such as Main Beach and Shark Bay one day and then not a
single fish being taken for the next week. The large reef at the front of the Bluff is one of the few spots consistently holding fish for anglers using lures and floated whole baits such as gar and blue pilchards, however their size has been sadly lacking. A handful of tailor around the 2kg mark have been taken from the point of the Iluka breakwall during calm seas on lures, along with a couple of small snapper hooked on pillies by Grafton angler Dave Watkins. Early July saw nice flathead gutters form up along the beach at Shark Bay, which kept a lot of anglers happy as they
caught pan-sized lizards to about a kilo on soft plastic lures and floated white pillies. All in all, we have to hope August will be awesome and that the fish finally come to the party. If I can work myself up to it, I will have a look around the headlands for a big jew or tailor on a lure, or maybe finally get my boat out on the river during the high water at night for a jew on live mullet before winter is over for another year. Then again, sitting in my car at the breakwall carpark watching the whales migrate north might be a lot easier. ‘Til next month, safe fishing. www.bnbfishing.com. au
Frosty temps don’t deter the fish ☛ from P30
Family friend Pete and my uncle Gordon had a ripper time bream fishing with bait at that spot recently. Plastics didn’t work as well as the bait but I was under strict orders to bring home a feed and that we did. Pete and Gordon hooked the best ones around 30cm and I brought a feed home to the boss to keep me in the good books. The best baits at the moment are anything that holds a lot of oil in the flesh such as pillies, mullet gut and chicken gut due to the dirty water. We drifted baits along the Orica side of the river
on a run-in tide and that seemed to work best. If you’re looking for whiting fun, try up past the old wind turbine and I’m sure you will find a few sunning themselves waiting for a feed to be washed off the banks. If you like using soft plastics and you’re looking to try something new, jump over to the MadZ Lures Facebook page and give some of the company’s new treats a go. I teamed up with Mark and Paul from MadZ not too long ago and their plastics really work. I’m super pumped to be getting on the water again soon to have another crack with the MadZ plastics.
When choosing plastics from the MadZ range, I have a few favourites you might like to try out. The Skew, King, Neon and Jayzee are the models I use most, so check them out if you want to try something different. You won’t be disappointed. Newcastle Harbour is still worth fishing, with good size flathead and bream on the chew near the pylons. Near the top of the tide when the current slows, hang a few baits up close to the pylons and you should have some fun. Good mate Ben Canvin and I recently snuck offshore in almost too-per-
fect conditions. We started throwing large soft plastics around and Ben scored the first two snapper in the high40cm range. Things were looking great but the wind picked up and made it hard to keep the plastics on the bottom. We ended up dropping anchor at a place called the Mud Hole and landed a few more, with some big bust-offs making us keen to stay longer, but we had to pull the pin and head in with a good feed. That’s all for this month. The weather is looking good for the next month, so get out there and please stay safe on the water.
Recipe
by MELISSA FROHLOFF
Stuffed squid with lime and chilli dressing Ingredients • Eight squid tubes • 1/3 cup dill, chopped • 1/3 cup garlic chives, chopped • Three garlic cloves, crushed • One lemon, segmented and diced • Juice of half a lemon • 3/4 cup medium-grain white rice • 500g crab meat • 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil • 2 pairs kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced • 1 cup sweet chilli sauce
Method 1. Cook rice as per packet instructions. Pre-heat barbecue to medium heat. 2. Combine cooked rice, dill, garlic chives, diced lemon, crushed garlic, lemon juice and crab meat. Spoon into squid tubes and secure with toothpick either end. Brush with oil. 3. Cook squid for two minutes either side. Drizzle with chilli sauce and cook for another two minutes until opaque and then well browned. 4. Warm remaining chilli sauce in microwave and combine with kaffir lime leaves. 5. Slice squid tubes to serve and top with sweet chilli and lime dressing.
Cook’s tips Don’t overfill the tubes with stuffing and allow for them to shrink slightly during cooking. Remove ends from the toothpicks to make it easier to turn the squid tubes on the barbecue. A 58cm flathead taken by the author.
This 62cm flathead put up a good fight.
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www.salt-away.com.au Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 31
All set for an awesome August
A
S the headline suggests, awesome August is here and the Sunshine Coast has a wide variety of fish on offer for those wanting to work the rivers, beaches and offshore.
88-year-old Cliff Grey from Rosebud, Victoria heads to Noosa each winter. Cliff landed this 61cm flathead at one of his favourite spots on the Noosa River. Photos: fishingnoosa.com.au
The beaches have been firing this winter, with good catches of jewfish on the past two new moon cycles and the signs there for this month to be at least as good. If it’s the rocky headlands you prefer, try your luck at Yaroomba or Dolphin Point at Noosa National Park. The advantage of fishing these rocks is they also hold snapper and grass sweetlip, which often become a well-desired bycatch while chasing jewfish. Favourable baits for the rocks have included whole squid, pilchards and mullet fillets. When rigging squid and pillies, it’s best to use a gang of three 5/0
Sunshine Coast by WADE QUALISCHEFSKI
The best method for catching big bream is to fish at night on the start of a runout tide using bonito fillets soaked in tuna oil. Tru-Turn 711 hooks. A very popular mullet strip bait rig for jew is a two-gang consisting of one 5/0 and one 3/0 TruTurn hook. If fishing for jew on the open beaches, these rigs can be swapped out for a beach worm rig. Jewfish love worms. Apparently they catch worms themselves by exuding scent from their bodies to attract the
Freddy Hammond (left) hooked this cobia on a float-lined pilchard when fishing Halls Reef off Noosa.
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worms up and out of the sand where the jew will then seize them. When fishing with worms you will need to use a smaller single hook such as the Mustad 542 1/0. This hook is amazingly strong for its size and slides down the throat of a jewfish with ease. As you probably know, it’s easier to wind in a jew with the hook swallowed than in the mouth. Tailor sizes are improving and the perfect tide has been a run-in early of a morning before first light and into daybreak. Choice spots have been Double Island Point, Marcoola, Mudjimba and the sandbags at Cotton Tree. If you are fishing at Double Island Point, big sea bream are on the bite. The best method for catching big bream is to fish at night on the start of a run-out tide using bonito fillets soaked in tuna oil. Dusting some Big John’s Burley Mix around your feet to slowly disperse through the gutter will improve your catch rate. The Sunshine Coast rivers have seen mixed trevally schools and tailor on the chew over the past
month, particularly in the lower reaches. Surface lures present the most exciting way to target these fish. The Cultiva Zip ‘n Ziggy is perfect for trevally and tailor when twitched across the top. The Frying Pan flats near the mouth of the Noosa River have been a hive of activity of late, with tailor herding bait schools and bream and winter whiting coming on the bite on the run-in tide. Live sand worms and bloodworms have proven very successful for bait fishers. Micro jigging for trevally, tailor and various river species has been gaining popularity with anglers. SeaRide BluBlu jigs in 6g and 9g are ideal. Make sure you keep your jigs close to the bottom and employ short, sharp rod lifts to get the fish’s attention. The Maroochy River mouth has been firing for bream, tailor and trevally, with a variety of baits and lures working well. Try fishing the mouth during the low-light periods with small slugs in the 5-10g range and plastics of 3”-4”. Fishing further upriver around the rocky structures near Oyster Bank Rd has produced good size bream on traditional baits such as mullet flesh, mullet gut and the everreliable chook gut. Offshore water temperatures have been perfect, with plenty of baitfish such as pillies and yakkas around to keep our favourite species on the chew. Reef fishing has been excellent, with good size snapper and sweetlip filling the close reefs. Sunshine Reef has been a favourite amongst anglers with smaller craft because of its easy accessibility. Chicko from Davo’s Tackle World Noosa has been fishing Sunshine Reef of late and doing very well on quality snap-
per, trout, tuskfish and squid. Squid have been prevalent on Sunshine Reef too, with anglers on overnight trips scoring good numbers. When squidding at night, make sure you have some sort of light off the back of the boat to help bring them in. Snapper to 4kg, jewfish and cobia have been hanging on North Reef in good numbers, with live bait the key to snaring these fish. Try a running ball sinker rig with two Mustad 7/0 Tarpon hooks ganged together. Pin one hook through the bait’s nose and leave the other swinging free under its belly. Pearl pearch have been on the bite on the outer reefs, with the northern end of the Barwon Banks, wide of Double Island Point and Wide Caloundra the prime locations. Coolum Reef and Arkwright Shoal have fished well for squire, sweetlip and jew. Murphys Reef and the Gneerings have held snapper, moses perch and small-mouth nannygai. When the southerly wind is a little strong, it’s a good idea to fish the bay at Mooloolaba. Make your way out to the Mooloolaba rocks, which are located north of the surf club and Alexandra Headland. Anchor out the front of the headland in about 7m of water and float pillies down a berley trail to land squire and grass sweetlip even when it’s blowing 20-plus knots. For all the latest information, jump onto fish ingnoosa.com.au For up-to-date bar and fishing reports, drop into Davo’s Tackle World Noosa or Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola. Davo’s Tackle World recently doubled in size and now has a chandlery, electric motors, sounders, kayaks, outdoor clothing and camping supplies.
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Mike Sultana pulled this quality 59cm giant trevally from the Maroochy River while fishing soft plastics around the pylons of the motorway bridge at the top of the tide.
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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 33
Calm conditions, whales jumping and quality fish from 1770 trip I T’S that time of year again when we say goodbye to one competition year and welcome in another.
Helaine landed a coral trout off 1770.
This cracking amberjack gave Helaine a workout.
Helaine Wilesmith with a solid redthroat emperor.
Some years are better than others and this one could probably go in the below average pile. While reasonable fish were caught throughout the year, we only managed to get out on seven occasions. To be fair, we can’t blame everything on the weather because although a couple of times the weather would have been fine, a lack of numbers meant lost opportunities. I suppose we all just have to get bitten by the bug again and it all starts with making the effort to drag yourself out of bed and get on the water, then with a bit of luck the trip will be a good one. With a decent trip under the belt, it just gets easier from there and in no time you’ll be leaping out of bed. If that isn’t enough, just check out how many big snapper are being caught of late. If that doesn’t get you keen, nothing will. 1770 trip Helaine Wilesmith is always itching to get to 1770 for a fish and with a great-looking window in the weather about to open, there was no way she was going to let it pass. Deckie for the trip was commodore Rob Schomberg who also will do just about anything to wet a line around 1770 these days. They left Brisbane and arrived just in time to make the tide, getting out past the shallow bar while it still had enough water on it.
Power Boat Anglers
by MICK CLUTTERBUCK
Keeping Amity company for the trip were John, Barry and Nick on the new 24’ Noosa Cat Freya. Well, them and about 40 other boats on school holidays. Fitzroy Reef was the first destination for the day and with flat seas they made good time and were soon checking out a number of their usual spots. Amity pulled up short of Fitzroy on a spot where they had bagged good reds previously but drew a blank on this occasion. Amity had arranged to meet up with Jeff and Ray in Shortfuse but try as they may, they could only raise a few words on the VHF and couldn’t relay any plans. No one could put a finger on what the issue was but radios can be very frustrating 80km offshore. Heading out wider, they stopped on old marks and any lumps and bumps they noticed while travelling and slowly started to populate the Esky. As the day drew on, they moved in close to the reef break looking for shelter for the night, and once a suitable location was found it was straight back out to fish until dark. Freya and crew elected to stay out in 40m but had the anchor drag all night, constantly setting off the alarm, resulting in an anchor change the next morning. At sun-up the next day, Amity headed deep looking for a red or two to grace the Esky but the only thing of size to come aboard was an 18kg amberjack that put the stretch on Helaine. It continued to be slim pick-
ings, so at lunchtime they headed back to fish with Freya who had been reporting good catches of trout, redthroat emperor and a few other reefies. A pro was trolling in the area, so Helaine got in on the action and dropped out a floater. Rob noticed a big remora with something else sitting slightly deeper. Suddenly Helaine’s Shimano Thunnus 8000 screamed to life and with line quickly disappearing they gave chase, only to have a 20kg-plus spanish mackerel come out of the water tail walking like a marlin before cutting through the flimsy 20lb leader and leaving Helaine pretty gutted. They motored back to their spot, getting straight into solid trout and redthroat. With the Esky looking much better, they called it a day and anchored back at the same spot as the previous night. Freya saw some merit in that idea and anchored in the same area. After a good night’s rest, Helaine and Rob elected to head to a ledge they had passed over on the way out. Fortunately, they strayed to a mark close by and with good trout and tuskies hitting the baits, they stayed put and topped up for a while. Next target was the 100m line off Fitzroy, and while the fish were there they just plain ignored everything thrown their way, much to Helaine’s displeasure, as she was really hoping for a big pearlie. Moving back to the original mark, Rob was hit on the first drop to the sound of “I told you so” from the other side of
the boat before a solid pearlie popped its head up. Not to be outdone, John on Freya got in on the action, hooking and landing a 6kg snapper. A few more came in for each boat before it was time to leave with enough tide to get across the bar and into the creek. The trip back started with a bit of chop but only got flatter the closer they got to shore. About 5km out it was evident catching the tide was on a few people’s minds, with another eight boats powering to the bar from all directions. Back at the ramp was organised chaos as usual, with low water and a fast current flowing. Luckily all the crews were well skilled and all boats were out in a flash. Talk at the ramp was of reds coming from the Boult Reef area but you never know where they’re going to pop up, you just have to keep pegging away looking for them. Freya stayed out for another night and reported the hot spot Amity had left went dead. The next day was the same, and they only added one more fish to the boat. All in all it was a great trip with calm conditions, whales jumping everywhere, awesome sunsets, great mates and a fish or two thrown in. It’ll be a long wait until October when the club ventures to 1770 for the annual PBA BNB Trophy trip. Next meetings The next club meetings will be held on Monday, August 7 and then Monday, September 4. Meetings are held on the first Monday of the month at the Bulimba Bowls Club located in Quinn St, Balmoral. Please feel free to come along and meet us. Until next month, safe boating.
Annual trip to fabulous Fraser
I
RECENTLY headed to Fraser Island for our annual all-boys fishing trip.
Rob Schomberg held a 1770 spangled emperor.
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Fraser is the sort of place where every worry in the world tends to leave you as soon as you get on the barge. We found all the tracks in excellent shape and while it was our first time camping on the island instead of staying at a house, we found the experience extremely enjoyable. We made camp at a spot just north of Dundubara behind the foredune on zone seven. It was just perfect, with only our group in the area and the amenities a five-minute drive away. I should mention it was more like glamping than camping, with a full fridge/ freezer on a trailer and a generator providing 240V on tap. Also joining us were Mick and Steve, the boys from Scales Seafood at Tweed heads, who had us eating like kings with copious amounts of seafood. Scales’ motto rang true: “When fishing fails, go to Scales”, because it was very quiet on the island as far as fishing goes. Even with the great weather, we weren’t able to raise a tailor or jew.
Fraser Trip by HEATH ZYGNERSKI
Dart kept us entertained for the first few days but we just couldn’t find the quality fish despite trying dozens of gutters. Reports from other anglers indicated similar failures. The boys tried for sharks off the beach with mixed results. They couldn’t hook them, despite getting runs. After a big run on our final night, my young bloke Mitch made the bold move to paddle out a bait into a gutter under the cover of darkness.
I’ve never seen anyone paddle so fast in their life and when he got dumped in the shore break he looked like a prize fighter, with arms going full speed swimming back in. It was all to no avail unfortunately, so the Fraser Island shark tales will have to wait until next year. For anyone who hasn’t yet been to Fraser Island, make the time and get over there. It’s a special place and once it gets its hooks into you, you won’t be able to stay away.
When you get conditions like this on Fraser Island, you take as much time as you can get.
www.bnbfishing.com. au
Solid catches off DI and Fraser
H
I, it’s Craig Tomkinson here.
Deckie Will and I have been very busy on Trekka 2 of late. We did five trips to Double Island Point and the fishing was good on marks I had not fished in years. On board one charter were Garry Fraser and his mate Dennis. It was oily calm, so we drifted over a little pinnacle. Most clients were hooked up but Dennis was onto a really solid fish and he boated a good size snapper of about 6.5kg, which turned out to be a PB. That made Dennis and Garry’s day. The boys told me Dennis had done many trips on charter boats up and down the coast and that was the best snapper so far. The rest of the day was spent drifting different marks for heaps of big hussar, good size tuskfish, goldspot wrasse and a couple of coronation trout but no reds. On the next trip to DI, it was so calm that a few 5m tinnies were running around about a mile away from us. I found a good show on a little bommie and began drifting, with the clients catching big moses perch and just-legal pearl perch. We were busy taking
Noosa to Fraser Coast by CRAIG TOMKINSON
fish off hooks when next minute this 5m tinnie just poached my line and started drifting. I thought ‘bugger me, we must be off the Hards’ because that’s what they do out there. I’m guessing the bloke must have left his sounder on because the fish just shut down. So I moved 10km up along Fraser Island and thought ‘follow me now you poaching bugger’. I happened upon a mark that held great fish years ago and the sounder just lit up. Everybody dropped down and soon they were all onto fish. One bloke in the back corner hooked up to a big fish and was busted off. That was the first big red gone thanks to the unforgiving braid. I felt his drag and it was locked up fire truck, just after Will told the clients to use a soft drag. He apologised and as I set his drag I said, don’t worry, you will get another chance or two. I looked around and 10 blokes had double hookups of big hussar, tuskfish and grass sweetlip. Fish were flapping everywhere!
Will and I were flat out taking fish off, brain spiking and bleeding them and putting them on ice. We drifted that spot again and again and old mate in the back corner was on once more before pulling the hooks on an even bigger fish. He was so peeved off with himself. I had a chat to him and said to just go a bit steadier on them. We did a few more drifts and the icebox was getting fuller by the drift. Next minute, old mate out the back was on again and this time he boated his first legal red emperor of about 7kg. He was so happy. On the next trip, Garry and Dennis were on board again and we fished a bit further along Fraser Island. On the way up, I marked a decent bait show and a few good spots but I didn’t stop because I like to go to the furthest mark and then work back towards base. It was oily calm, so we drifted all day for big hussar, tuskfish and cracker goldspot wrasse but the reds were not turning up. Then suddenly a bloke was on and boated a 7kg red.
A few good reds were busted off throughout the day, mostly by clients who brought their own gear and fished with braid or just ignored us and tightened their drags right up. The day was getting on and I was working my way back towards home when Garry suggested we drift the bait show I found on the way up. So we did, and on the first drift a guy from Victoria was on. At first he thought he must be snagged, but then it started pulling line. He fought the fish up and Will just about had a heart attack when he saw the size of it. “It’s a big red,” he shouted as he netted it and struggled to bring it on board. There was absolute hysteria from everyone once they saw the size of this fish. At 15kg, it was a great fish. The rest of the clients got quality tomato rockcod, big goldspot wrasse and tuskfish. We headed home after another couple of drifts. The local Noosa reefs have been very quiet after the great fishing Will and I have seen around DI. We have been getting decent numbers of fish on five-hour trips, with tuskfish and moses perch the
most common captures. Snapper have not really turned up as yet, with just a few legal size fish being caught between the three charter boats. Hopefully they turn up over the next month. Great size jewfish have been caught off the wrecks, however, and hopefully they continue. Cougar 1 skipper Theo and his deckie Lee got a heap of jew over a few trips, and Wild Thing 2 skipper Paul has been getting quality trout and a good mixed bag on the local reefs. ‘Til next month, be safe on the water.
Trekka 2 deckie Will Palfrey with a cracking red emperor of about 15kg.
This quality coronation trout was taken aboard Trekka 2.
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Quat was the trout man.
An was the trip’s dominator after boating the most and biggest goldens.
Versatility provides variety O
VER the past few years a band of young blokes has toured with me repeatedly.
WADDY POINT - FRASER ISLAND
Page 36 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
While there is a core group, the gang totals roughly six guys. On this trip were Quat, who is probably the team leader and usually the organiser and planner, An and Norris. Luckily, the weather was great and the fishing pretty hot. These guys love to jig, and at times that singlemindedness drives me nuts because I feel they would catch more or better specimens if they learnt to be more versatile. However, this time they persisted with plastics to snare a few trout and other reefies for the Esky. They had a blast sitting on schools of trevally that thankfully were plentiful and willing to play. Most of the fish were small and An and Norris were yet to boat big goldens. Quat had boated many and was also part of the ‘metrey club’. Both An and Norris had been on board when big trevally were boated but had yet to snare one for themselves. An was perhaps just unlucky to not ever get connected to a big trev, while Norris consistently had the hottest sessions of all the lads in the extended group. Norris would connect to five to 10 solid fish a session but failed to bring them on board due to big predators stealing his fish. On one trip, it was heartbreaking to watch Norris’s crew member land longtail tuna, diamond and golden trevally. While Norris actually out-fished his crew member, he just couldn’t complete the captures. His last hook-up on that day was a sizeable diamond trevally. With the weather so calm, I could see the fish about 10m down. I could also see a big Queensland groper shadowing the diamond… the rest is history. So on this trip, I was on
Fraser Guided Fishing by TRI TON
a mission to get cracking fish for these two boys. Luckily for me, An scored a quality golden early on. He ended up being the golden master for the trip and boated quite a few, probably landing the best specimens too. He used one jig for the majority of the trip until he lost it to some structure on the bottom. Quat, who usually has no problem hooking good fish, picked up a few smaller goldens. So the pressure was on Norris, who was yet to score a good one. With the boys ridiculing him relentlessly, I think he was letting it get to him a bit, even though no real malice was there. He persisted and right at the buzzer hooked and landed a solid golden. We were all entranced as we watched him buckle over on the light overhead jigging combo. We all held our breath as the pretty golden slid into the net. The hoodoo had been lifted! I breathed a sigh of relief and we all laughed. A few other milestones
> Hervey Bay > Fraser Island > Sandy Strait
were achieved on this trip too. An used a jig to score his best snapper, which was lurking under a trevally school. Actually, quite a few nice reefies were holding under the trevally, with each of the boys boating their first coral trout on a lure. Wrecked after the epic tour, we set sail for the harbour with our feet up and enjoyed the glassy conditions of the winter afternoon. It was great to have these guys aboard again and it is generally a hoot to have them around. I harass them constantly
because I try to get them to complete tasks successfully and it usually results in good banter amongst us. They all get along and I have never seen the competitive urge getting the best of any of the boys and creating the ‘alpha monsters’ I often get on board.
They all want to get the most out of their day but never do any of them put their fishing above the rest of the crew. Cheers for the support boys, and I can’t wait until we head out for the next boatload of school mackerel slipping and slapping on the deck!
An with a cute snapper hooked on a jig. The boys caught a few of these mixed in with the trevally.
Norris finally cracked his trevally hoodoo. The boys helped celebrate with a photo bomb.
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COMPETITION DATES COMPETITION
DATE
LOCATION
ABBT* Bass Qualifying Round 4
Aug 5-6
Somersest Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183
Bourke’s Aint Caught Nuffin’
Aug 18-20 Brewarrina Weir to Louth – Steven Coyne 0429 722 674
B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Atomic Pro Series Final
Aug 24-27 Lake Boondooma – bassaustralia.com.au
Longreach Yellowbelly Fishing Classic
Aug 25-27 Longreach – Julie Hogan 0497 001 190 E: lrfcsec@gmail.com
Catch a Catty Family Fishing Competition
Aug 26-27 Mingo Crossing – Beppie Stanley 07 4156 3185 or Ruth Rokesky 07 4127 7252 E: jnrrok@gmail.com
B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Teams Event Final
Sep 8-10
Lake Glenbawn, NSW– bassaustralia.com.au
Bowen Family Fishing Classic
Sep 16-17
Bowen – Russ McCabbin 0428 776 653 or 07 4786 3899
2017 A lovely redthroat emperor.
Tough competition in Bundaberg’s VMR Family Fishing Classic
T
HE Bundaberg Volunteer Marine Rescue Family Fishing Classic is held at Burnett Heads every year in late June thanks to the support of local businesses and organisations. Fortunately, quality weather was forecast this year, unlike so many years in the past. A plan soon came together and accompanied by a group of work colleagues, we set out into the darkness ridiculously early on the Saturday morning of the comp,
Bundaberg Offshore by JOEL JOHNSON
hoping to land a prizewinner. We travelled out of the Burnett River mouth before setting our course towards an area known for deep water and big fish, which was the perfect combination for a competitive day’s fishing to come. Skipping across a fairly calm ocean, we hoped ‘doing the miles would
get the smiles’ when it came to competing with the other keen fishos who hit the water. The area we headed to was known for good numbers of cobia, a prime species to weigh in. After well over an hour of travelling, we finally arrived at the first waypoint and were quick to deploy our baits, hoping to start
Ross Clements with a solid coral trout.
the day with a pearler. The strong current and slight southeasterly breeze determined our drift line, but with only minimal knowledge of the area we were happy to use drifting as an excuse to fish while we looked for structure on the depth sounder. If only the fishing heated up as fast as we did, quickly taking our layers of warm clothing off as the sun slowly rose above the horizon. Nearly an hour had passed with no sizeable fish coming over the side, let alone going in the Esky. We hopped between the nearby waypoints until we finally began catching a couple of fish, but still frustratingly not the monsters we were hoping for. At last, now with the sun high in the sky, I hooked up to something that had serious power. Fishing in about 50m of water, I knew too well it could be the mammoth red emperor I had been dreaming of. It stripped line from my locked-up Shimano Saragosa, punishing not only my gear but my body as well. ☛ continued P38
E:bowenfamilyfishingclassic@yahoo.com.au
ABBT* Bass Qualifying Round 5
Sep 23-24 Borumba Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183
Gold Coast Flathead Classic
Sep 26-29 Ross Meadows 0438 603 209 flatheadclassic.com.au
WTF Women That Fish Barra Classic
Sep 28-30 Rockhampton – Shara VanHaeren 0429 923 243
Saratoga Spectacular
Sep 30Oct 1
Bedford Weir, Blackwater – Dennis Linke 0438 635 840 E: secretary@mrfsa.org.au
ABBT* Bass Qualifying Round 6
Oct 7-8
Boondooma Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183
WIN Television Family Fishing Classic
Oct 14-15
Lake Monduran, Gin Gin masa-fishstocking.org.au
Callide Dam Fishing Classic
Oct 28-29
Callide Dam – Nigel Krueger 0402 923 443
ABBT* X-Factor Teams Series Round 4
Oct 28-29
Wuruma Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183
ABBT* Bass Grand Final
Nov 25-26 Cania Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183
ABBT* X-Factor Teams Series Championship
Dec 2-3
Somerset Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183
Jan 13-15
Awoonga Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183
2018 ABBT* Barra Round 1
*Australian Basstasstic Bass Tournament To have your competition listed in the calendar please phone (07) 3286 1833, email design@bnbfishing.com.au or fax (07) 3821 2637
One very large goldspotted estuary cod added to the captures offshore from Bundaberg.
www.bnbfishing.com. au
Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 37
Tough competition in Bundaberg’s VMR Family Fishing Classic ☛ from P37
A cracking big chinaman fish that put up a great battle from the depths.
I gave it my all trying to turn the fish’s head, knowing it would run my line around anything it could, but thankfully the tense moments progressed to a steady battle. Not giving in, the fish continually took bursts back towards the bottom but was obviously tiring as I kept steady pressure on it. Knowing the fish was nearing the surface, we painfully awaited signs of colour, continually scanning the clear blue ocean. At last a shape appeared 20m below, and as it ascended in the water column, distinct red bars came into view. Ecstatically, I called
“It’s a monster red, it’s a monster red!” but before I could say any more it took a lunge beneath the boat and went out of view. I finally brought the fish to the surface where we were all shocked to see it wasn’t a red emperor after all... but there’s no denying I had the ‘monster’ part right. A huge chinaman fish was lifted aboard, which was a total and utter surprise for all of us. Displaying very similar fighting characteristics to a large red emperor, this fish well and truly had me fooled right to the end. Feelings of sheer excitement and disappointment were raging through me. I was thrilled to have landed a new species and a whopper at that, but almost equally frustrated because of how badly I wanted a big red emperor. Measuring in at just over a metre in length and in excess of 15kg, the big old brute deserved to fight another day, possibly moving on to trick some other fisho. We fished into late morning, seeing the occasional legal redthroat emperor and tuskfish make its way over the side, but other than my battle with a red emperor’s Chinese counterpart, there was nothing worth bragging about. We made another few moves, slowly accumulating a nice bag of reef fish along the way, but we wanted something big, something to make the trip properly worthwhile, so we had to keep fishing. Using a mixture of dead baits, live baits and lures, we tried everything we could until finally I hooked up to a solid fish. Powerful runs towards the bottom had me in similar pain to earlier that day, but I had to lay into the fish to ensure it stayed clear of the rough bottom. I turned the fish and started to regain some line when it turned into a fairly dead weight with the occasional head knock, making us think it was perhaps a big cod of some sort. Sure enough, the fish came to the surface and was in fact a massive goldspotted estuary cod. The cod measured an impressive 95cm but was destined for release, so I attempted to revive the fish alongside the boat. Suffering from barotrauma as a result of rapid changes in water pressure during the fight, the cod was not recovering well. After carefully releasing this built-up pressure, I gave the fish one last push but unfortunately it
A fisho’s dream
was all too much for the big cod. Being well under the legal maximum size for estuary cod, we deemed the fish suitable for the Esky, knowing it would definitely not go to waste when it came to filleting our haul. Soon after, we made the call to travel clear of the deep water and head for an area that featured everything from shallow reef flats to moderately deep bommies. Our first mark had us fishing very staggered coral reef that ranged in depth from 15-30m. We were hoping for reef fish such as a prized coral trout or perhaps one of the many species of emperors found in our waters. It didn’t take long to see a sizeable redthroat emperor come over the side, but it was the trout we were really after, so we fished on. The day had moved into the afternoon, leaving our eyes weary, but the weather was improving by the minute and we just couldn’t leave such a pristine setting. We found ourselves drifting over goodlooking bottom and before we knew it, my mate Ross hooked up and had a battle on his hands when the fish ran straight for the harsh reef below. He managed to keep it clear of danger before fighting it towards the surface. Before long the beautiful big coral trout was boatside and in the landing net. Measuring around 70cm, we were hopeful Ross might score a place in the competition, but had to wait and see. The sun slowly set over the water, making for a spectacular view and a magical time to fish. I finished the day casting stickbaits over the reef flats in the hope of a late-afternoon pelagic bite, but it wasn’t to be, so we began our journey home, making the most of the glassy conditions. Upon arriving back at Burnett Heads, we found that unfortunately none of our fish measured up to a place on the leader board, however overall it was an extremely enjoyable day on the water. At the end of the day, fishing competitions are all about getting involved and having fun, and when they support volunteer organisations such as the VMR, it makes it all the more worthwhile. Great fun was had on this occasion, and I look forward to participating again next year.
Fraser Island Fishing Units IN DIAN HEAD For bookings or inquiries contact:
Cliff Andreassen 07 5449 9346 or 0428 712 283 bearfish@bigpond.com www.fraserislandfishingunits.com.au
Page 38 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
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BRISBANE BOAT SHOW – August 25-27 Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
Plenty on offer at Brisbane Boat Show
O
NLY a few weeks away, the Brisbane Boat Show looks like being better than ever when it returns from August 25-27.
The show will once again be held in the vast exhibition halls of the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre where the organisers have had to increase floor space for the event to cater to this year’s increased demand from exhibitors. When you look at the profile of visitors that attended last year’s show, you can understand why the Brisbane Boat Show has such appeal. Trailer boating domi-
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nates the local waterways and the show is a haven for trailer boating and the very popular pastime of fishing. The Brisbane Boat Show is where industry comes together to display and offer the best in recreational boating. While boats are the show’s heroes, all the boating and fishing gear you might need or want will be available too. The Boating Industry Association is the owner and operator of the event. BIA chief executive Howard Glenn said boat manufacturing plays a big part in the Queensland economy and this event
shows off the quality and ingenuity that Australia has to offer. “With Australia’s recreational boating headquarters and manufacturing hub at Brisbane’s doorstep, visitors can be assured that the industry will put its best foot forward for this show,” he said. The show is the best place to buy boats and it’s also a place for education and entertainment. Working off the principle that ‘good boating is safe boating’, show organisers have pulled together an excellent line-up of agencies to help boaties better understand how to
enjoy their time on the water. An extensive program for the education stage is being developed, and with more than 70 percent of visitors having an interest in fishing, you can guess what will feature here. To add to the entertainment, visitors can get to know a little more about the industry’s fastestgrowing sector. An oversized swimming pool will be on hand to demonstrate kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. Those not too shy of the water can give it a go should they wish. If you love boats, fishing and water sports, you
don’t want to miss the Brisbane Boat Show. Running from August 25-27, doors are open 10am to 8pm on Friday and Saturday, and 10am to 6pm on Sunday, with parking available at the venue. Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $5 for children (under fives go free), while $5 adult tickets are available after 5pm. Tickets can be bought online and everyone who buys online goes into the draw to win a fabulous kayak from Hobie. See brisbaneboatshow. com.au for further details.
OPENING HOURS Friday and Saturday . . . . . 10am - 8pm Sunday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10am - 6pm
ENTRY PRICES Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $15 Children (6-17) . . . . . . . . . . . . $5 Children 5 and under . . . . . . FREE Family (2 adults, 3 children) . $35 Seniors and pensioners . . . . $12 After 5pm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5
GETTING TO THE SHOW Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre is an easy 10-minute walk from the CBD and has direct access to an efficient transport network. For information about public transport, visit translink.com.au or call 13 12 30. By train South Brisbane railway station is located adjacent to the Convention Centre on Grey St. The city-to-airport Airtrain operates from South Brisbane station. By bus South Bank is serviced by two bus stations: the Cultural Centre station on Melbourne St and the South Bank Busway station on the corner of Colchester St and Tribune St. By car Below the Convention Centre is an undercover carpark that accommodates 1500 vehicles, with three additional carparks. Carparks two and three are best for Exhibition Hall access.
Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 39
BRISBANE BOAT SHOW – August 25-27 Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre With flexible and competitive finance and insurance rates at this year’s boat show, there’s never been a better time to buy! Customers have the unique ability to trade cars, caravans, motorhomes, boats and more within the Hinterland Group. Come and visit the award-winning team at this year’s show on stand 422 – look out for the ‘I love Quintrex’ banner. To find out more, visit surfcoastmarine.com.au or call 07 5563 7733.
Surf Coast Marine SURF Coast Marine prides itself on matching every customer to their ideal boat by providing excellent customer service attained from years of marine experience and helping everyone find their affordable luxury. Surf Coast Marine is the Quintrex Queensland dealer of the year and operates out of the northern Gold Coast, looking after Brisbane and the Gold Coast areas for locally owned and built Quintrex boats. Surf Coast Marine is an authorised dealer for Evinrude and Suzuki outboards, and also has a huge range of used boats and trailers as well as a large service centre and factory-trained technicians. Quintrex’s latest release, the all-new Apex Hull, will be on display at the Surf Coast Marine stand at the Brisbane Boat Show. With this hull, you need to forget everything you know about boats. Surf Coast Marine is a division of the awardwinning Hinterland Group, one of the largest motor vehicle industry organisations on the Gold Coast supplying cars, caravans, motorhomes, boats and more. The Hinterland Group is renowned for providing the highest level of customer service and satisfaction in all areas, employing over 200 staff members in the team.
Page 40 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
Sea Jay Boats FAMILY owned and operated since 1989, Sea Jay Boats are renowned for strength, workmanship and customisation. Popular ranges of boats sold through the Sea Jay dealer network include everything from the popular roof-topper models such as the Nomad and Angler to open and console boats including the Avenger and Navigator ranges built on the Adrenalin Hull, right up to the latest generation of 3D-designed and four-stroke future-proofed Samurai Hulls used on the Vision, Velocity, Crusader (runabout) and all-new Trojan cabin boats. These ranges will be available at the Stones Corner Marine stand at the show, which will be displaying a huge range of Sea Jay Boats. Stones Corner Marine plans to display the new 630 Trojan HT, new 590 Vision, 550 Velocity
Sports, 520 Vision, 490 Velocity Sports, 488 Avenger Sports and ever-popular 3.7 Nomad HS. Plate Xtreme by Sea Jay Boats The Plate Xtreme range by Sea Jay needs to be seen to be believed. The side console 4.8m Enforcer is the entry point to the Plate Xtreme range, with the new 6m version unveiled at the 2016 Brisbane Boat Show. The 6.4 Pursuit GS (glass screen) will be the feature of the Sea Jay Plate Xtreme display at the 2017 Brisbane Boat Show. The Pursuit is a true offshore plate boat with long-range capabilities. Masterfully engineered in house using the latest in 3D modelling, the Pursuit boasts unrivalled strength and handling that is absolutely paramount when heading out into the open seas. The full plate construction leaves nothing to chance, with safety coming in the form of foamfilled cavities. It also has a full buoyancy chamber due to the fully sealed, self-draining floor. With sleek lines, gracious curves and eyecatching graphics, the Pursuit will turn heads wherever it goes. The strength of this hull is superior, with 5mm bottoms and 4mm sides. The Pursuit hull also features Sea Jay’s reverse chine technology which, combined with perfect weight distribution throughout, assists in making this a very soft, quiet and extremely comfortable riding craft. Sea Jay’s Plate Xtreme 5.7 Preda-King will make its debut at the Brisbane Boat Show. The Preda-King range is based on an extremely fishable, ever-popular centre console layout. Being of solid plate design, this hull is far stronger than any pressed boat on the market. Smooth lines and aspiring aesthetics make this serious workhorse look more like a pleasure craft that any boatie would be proud to own. Call in to see Col and Troy Glass to ask about a Plate Xtreme model to suit your needs. www.seajayboats.com.au
Karee Marine KAREE Marine will be on Stand 118 in Hall 1 and will be displaying McLay plate alloy boats built by one of New Zealand’s top manufacturers. McLay boats have won numerous boat show awards including the 2017 7m Family Fishing Boat with the 701 Cruiser Gen2. This award-winning boat will be on display, as will the 611 CrossXover Hardtop and Sportsman 591 Hardtop. McLay boats are held in high regard for their sea-keeping ability and have a reputation for safety, reliability and durability. All McLay boats have been rigorously tested in all conditions, so you can rest assured your boat will out-perform most others. A huge range of Stessco aluminium boats will also be featured on the Karee Marine stand, including the very popular Renegade 440, 460 and 480 side consoles, Breezaway runabouts and Sunseeker cuddy cabins. All Karee Marine boats are fitted with Dunbier trailers and Mercury outboards. Come along to Stand 118 and grab a fantastic show deal. www.kareemarine.com.au
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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 41
BRISBANE BOAT SHOW – August 25-27 Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
Northside Marine THIS year’s Brisbane Boat Show is going to be massive for Northside Marine. The team at Northside has decided to bring all the dealership’s boating brands and accessories together to provide customers with the best possible experience. Located centrally in Hall 4 of the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre on an 1100sq m site, Northside Marine will have on display all your favourite brands including three of the biggest alloy brands on the market today – Stabicraft, Stacer and Surtees. These boats are suited to serious anglers and families alike, with safety and performance key features across each of the brands. A couple of exciting new releases as well as an international award-winning boat will be on Northside’s stand, with the 2017 Australia’s Greatest Boat’s winner, the Surtees 700 Game Fisher, on display as well as the new-release Stacer 659 Ocean Ranger Hard Top. In addition, the all-new Stabicraft 1550 Fisher will be on display for the first time in Queensland. These will definitely be show stoppers, so be sure to check out these fishing weapons. These packages are all powered by the everreliable and class-leading Yamaha outboards to provide some of the best packages money can buy. If you’re looking at getting a new outboard, be sure to have a chat to one of the Northside
Marine Yamaha outboard specialists at the show, because they have extensive knowledge on configuring a setup to suit your needs. Northside Marine will also have boats from world-renowned, industry and sector-leading fibreglass brands Axis, Malibu, Jeanneau and Whittley. These brands are all famous for high-quality, revolutionary designs that put you at the helm of a boat you and your family will surely love. A few exciting new releases in fibreglass boats will be unveiled at the Northside Marine stand including the all-new Whittley CW 1950 and Whittley SL25, the Jeanneau NC 9, and the all-new Malibu Wakesetter 21VLX and Malibu Wakesetter 22MXZ for the first time at the Brisbane Boat Show. Northside Marine has also just taken on Sportsman Boats as the Queensland dealer of these well-made, intelligently designed centre consoles ideally suited to the Queensland lifestyle, and will have a pop-up stand to showcase this great range. So be sure to see all the latest models, have a chat to one of the boating professionals, and immerse yourself in the boating lifestyle with Northside Marine. Northside Marine - Boating Parts & Accessories The Northside Marine Boating Parts & Accessories team will be showcasing a great range of boating bits at superb prices. On display will be the latest marine electronics from all your favourite brands including Garmin, Fusion, Lowrance, Simrad, Furuno, Raymarine, GME and lots more. Northside Marine is one of the most experienced and awarded teams in the marine industry (recently taking out the Bargain Boat Bits Dealer of the Year as well as 2016 Garmin Dealer of the Year), so for quality advice and great prices, be sure to have a chat with the Northside Marine Boating Parts & Accessories team members, as they are always happy to help. www.nsmarine.com.au
Formosa Marine A FORMOSA boat is designed to maximise your boating experience, so you discover more activities and more waterways… all in one boat! Compare the sizes and features and you’ll be surprised at how much more you get with a Formosa. Formosa Marine is an Australian-owned and operated manufacturer of trailerable, aluminium plate boats based in Tingalpa, Brisbane. With a team of experienced welders and fitters, the business has gradually grown to have one of the largest ranges to choose from. Formosa Marine’s focus is to develop, innovate and provide custom designs to ultimately produce a high-quality, affordable boat with safety and performance in mind. The new Hard Top option The latest development by Formosa Marine is the Fully Enclosed Cabin Hard Top option for the Offshore 740 Half Cabin. The new release is the fourth hard top option available in the Half Cabin models. Standard features include a toughened glass windscreen, sliding side windows, two rear windows, rear doors with heavy-duty stainless steel fittings and premium seats with armrests mounted on aluminium storage boxes with hatch doors. For added storage, two exterior aluminium storage boxes with hatches are welded either side of the doorway.
Other hard top options include the Enclosed Cabin, Open Cabin and Hard Top Visor available on the Half Cabin and Centre Cabin models in sizes 580 and over. The new 740 Discover the latest size in the Half Cabin, Centre Cabin and X Bowrider models. The 740 has a sharper deadrise of 20 degrees without compromising the optimum stability a Formosa Marine boat is known for. The 740 features a large deck space, higher sides, 300-litre fuel tank and more room for underfloor auxiliary fuel/water tanks. The build Formosa’s V2 Hull features the strength of a plate boat construction with the ultimate deadrise for greater trim range, a softer ride and quicker response out of the hole, providing great stability for ultimate safety. The V2 Hull retains a true self-draining deck in the Offshore range, which many other boats can’t replicate, and one of the largest freeboards per size in the industry. The range Formosa builds the Tomahawk range with the Fastback Transom and the Sea-Rod range with the innovative four-chamber, counterbalance hull and Active Transom design options. Each range includes eight models from open to cabin boats in various sizes from 455 to the new 740, depending on the model. Each model is available in Classic or Offshore styles. The Offshore boats have an aluminium selfdraining deck with scuppers for ultimate safety, a 5083 high-tensile hull, premium SeaStar hydraulic steering and a transom door. The Classic boats ride on the same hull as the Offshore range and are constructed from highquality materials to ensure performance and longevity. Formosa’s Barra Pro range is also available (includes 4m and 5m) and these boats are built extra strong with a 4mm hull to handle any Aus☛ continued P44
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Page 42 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 43
BRISBANE BOAT SHOW – August 25-27 Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre ☛ from P42
sie backwater location, including trailering there in one piece. The boats feature the strength of a plate boat construction, fully welded and wide side decks, large freeboard, heavy-duty aluminium bow roller and dive ladder, Tow-Catch welded to the keel for solo deploying, a distinctive curved chine line design and more. Brisbane Boat Show 2017 Formosa boats will be on show at the coming 2017 Brisbane Boat Show. Sea-Rod dealer Marine Tune will feature the Sea-Rod range including the popular Centre Cabin, Centre Console, Bowrider and Territory models. Phone one of the professional sales staff today on 07 5576 7388 or visit marinetune.com Tomahawk dealer Australian Marine Centre will be showcasing the Tomahawk range including the X Bowrider, Enclosed Half Cabin Hard Top, Centre Cabin, Centre Console and Territory. Call the friendly team at Australian Marine Centre on 07 3808 7333 or jump on the web at amcboats.com.au Go online to discover more about Formosa Marine and download the latest brochure and spec sheets. Discover more with a Formosa. formosamarineboats.com.au
Wynnum Marine THE Wynnum Marine stand at the 2017 Brisbane Boat Show is a must-see, with the new Cruise Craft HardTops as well as the latest of-
ferings from Stacer and ripper deals on Yamaha outboards. Timed to coincide with the national boat show season, Cruise Craft has released its all-new Outsider 595 HT, a stunning and stylish rig that extends the Cruise Craft HardTop range to four models. Previously, the Cruise Craft Outsider 595 was available exclusively as a conventional ‘soft top’ targa model. With the release of the new HardTop version, customers now have a choice between the two configurations, enabling them to select the design best suited to their boating needs. The hard top for the Outsider 595 is styled along the unique and distinctive lines of the existing HardTop models in the Cruise Craft Explorer line-up, the 685, 625 and 595. The HardTop simply makes boating more comfortable and the season longer. Now, serious bluewater fishers can head offshore under stormy skies or blistering summer sunshine and be well protected by their Outsider 595 HT. The hard top is a purpose-designed and manufactured fibreglass moulding specifically tailored to suit this model. In addition to the new-release Outsider 595 HT, Wynnum Marine will be displaying the full range of Cruise Craft models. This includes the ever-popular Explorer HardTops and the amazing new Resort R55 and Resort R6 bowriders. All Cruise Craft boats supplied and sold by Wynnum Marine are exclusively powered by Yamaha four-stroke outboard engines. Yamaha has announced an exclusive boat show factory pre-rig promotion. Be sure to ask for all the details while you are on the Wynnum Marine display. Wynnum Marine continues to be one of Queensland’s leading Stacer dealers, stocking a huge range of these popular Queensland-built aluminium boats. A highlight of the Wynnum Marine display will be the new-release Stacer 469 Outlaw Side Console. This features a front and rear casting platform complete with live bait tank and tackle box tray. With three possible seating configurations, there is a heap of room for mates and their fishing gear too.
Stacer boats are supplied as complete turn-key packages with Yamaha outboards. Stacer models range from compact car-topper dinghies through to runabouts, cuddy cabins and bowriders, and all will be available at keen Brisbane Boat Show pricing. For further information, contact 07 3396 9777 or visit wynnummarine.com.au
Furuno Australia
FURUNO Australia will be showcasing its full range of equipment to the Queensland boating community at the 2017 Brisbane Boat Show. The most significant product release for the show is without doubt the all-new technology of the Furuno DFF-3D multi-beam sonar. If you are into fishing you will be aware of the various down-scanning, 3D-capable fishfinders now on the market. The DFF-3D is essentially that style of product, however the game changer is it’s based on Furuno’s commercial level multi-beam technology and is therefore designed for true bluewater applications where it can provide highly detailed images of fish locations and the seabed profile down to 200m. The DFF-3D takes a continuous 120-degree port to starboard view of what is under your boat in real time. With a built-in motion sensor in the compact system transducer, the images are stabilised to reduce the effect of boat movement to provide true bottom detail and clear water column detail on your NavNet TZT or TZT2 display. The DFF-3D is like having five different fishfinders in one product, with the following
operating modes: • Cross Section displays in real time sea column echo in 120 degrees port and starboard. This mode aids in instantly understanding the distribution of baitfish and the water column condition. • 3D Sounder display provides an intuitive and easy to understand 3D image of the seafloor, along with fish school icons. This mode is useful in selecting good-looking fish-holding structure. • Triple and Single Beam Sounder display provides either a single (directly under boat) or triple beam (middle, left and right) fishfinder image displayed simultaneously. The Triple Beam display helps to understand the depth and position of fish targets under the vessel and the seabed condition in each direction, as well as the direction the target fish are moving. Each beam angle and beam width is selectable. • Side Scan display provides details of the shape of structure in a high-definition image in simultaneous port and starboard directions. It is suitable for searching the seabed and understanding the seafloor structure. The Furuno team invites you to come and take a look at the future of fishfinders! www.jntaylor.com.au
Australian Marine Centre AUSTRALIAN Marine Centre will be exhibiting its full range of first-class boats at this year’s Brisbane Boat Show, which comprises a combination of awesome rigs that cater to everybody’s tastes. On display will be two excellent alloy boat ☛ continued P45
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Page 44 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
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BRISBANE BOAT SHOW – August 25-27 Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre brands that have both forged a great reputation and cult following. Formosa Tomahawk boats are known for their quality build, safety and design while Bar Crushers are notorious as fishing weapons. Both brands deliver incredible performance and are suited to all types of Australian conditions, appealing to the serious angler and their family alike. Another Australian icon is aluminium boat brand Aquamaster. Owner Paul is happy to manufacture and spec out your new boat to your requirements. More importantly, he will be on the AMC stand to answer any questions you might have. AMC will also have a range of fibreglass boats on display. The legendary Haines Signature brand is known for building boats that are exceptional in every category, from fishing boats to sports boats and cruisers, giving Signatures a broad appeal. Haines Signature will also be releasing a new model at the show, so be sure to drop by and check it out because it will certainly steal the spotlight. Hooker Boats, based in Cairns, produces quality, robust, comfortable fishing and leisure vessels that are a popular choice amongst families, anglers and weekend water skiers. Luxurious American boat brand Chaparral offers innovative sportfishing/crossover boats as well as the recently launched surf boat, all of which offer plenty of performance for family fun. Smartwave Boats will be on display too and these tough boats are manufactured in New Zealand and made from polyethylene. They are foam filled, completely unsinkable and UV stabilised to last many years in our harsh environment. All AMC’s boat packages are powered by Su-
zuki engines. Suzuki’s Lean Burn technology sets these outboards apart from all other brands. AMC is an Elite Suzuki Dealer and will have the new DF350A on display, which is a must-see! As always, there will be incredible boat show deals on offer across the whole range of AMC boats and Suzuki outboards. Be sure to drop by and say hi to the AMC team on Stand 317. For more information about the boats to be on display at the show and for pre-boat show sales, contact AMC on 07 3808 7333, drop by the yard at 3491 Pacific Highway, Slacks Creek or visit amcboats.com.au
Brisbane Yamaha BRISBANE Yamaha is excited to launch a number of new models at the Brisbane Boat Show. Brisbane Yamaha owner Aaron Goodchild said in addition to the new range of Quintrex models on display at the show, the dealership would be launching the 2018 range of Quintrex models featuring the Apex Hull. “It is a great show for us to showcase why Brisbane Yamaha is Australia’s largest Quintrex and Yamaha dealer,” he said. “It’s for a reason – we have the best prices and
unbeatable service, hands down.” Brisbane Yamaha is committed to offering the lowest prices and the best value ever at the show. Mr Goodchild has spent the past year negotiating with manufacturers and suppliers for unique show discounts that will only be available at Brisbane Yamaha. “That’s what buying power means to our customers!” Mr Goodchild said. “Buy from the biggest and save. “Quintrex has always been ahead of the game with cutting-edge technology in its boat hull design. “The new Apex range is the future of boating and will be as important as the Millennium Hull was at the turn of the century.” “The new models are more stable and ride like no other aluminium boat. “There’s no doubt in my mind that the Apex Hull is a game changer.” Also released at the show will be the new 2018 range from Australia’s favourite fibreglass boat brand, Baysport. The best-selling Baysport 545 is NCS Composites’ Boat of the Year for 2017 and will be on display at the show. In fact, Brisbane Yamaha will have the full range of Baysports at the show. “I’ve sharpened the pencil for the most competitive pricing of the year,” Mr Goodchild said. Finding Brisbane Yamaha at the show is easy – just look for the Baysport hull hanging from the roof! For more information, call 07 3888 1727 or visit brisbaneyamaha.com.au
Broadwater Boating BROADWATER Boating Centre prides itself on matching every customer to their ideal boat by providing outstanding customer service attained from years of marine experience.
Broadwater Boating Centre operates out of the northern Gold Coast, taking care of Brisbane and Gold Coast areas for Quintrex boats while also being a dealer of the renowned Cruise Craft range. Broadwater Boating Centre is an authorised Yamaha Platinum dealer for the market-leading outboards and also has a huge range of used boats and trailers, with a large service centre and factory-trained technicians on site. Quintrex’s latest release boats will be on display in the form of Frontiers and Freestylers featuring the all-new Apex Hull. Broadwater Boating Centre is a division of the award-winning Hinterland Group, one of the largest motor vehicle industry organisations on the Gold Coast supplying cars, caravans, motorhomes, boats and more. With flexible and competitive finance and insurance rates at this year’s boat show, there’s never been a better time to buy! Customers have the unique ability to trade cars, caravans, motor homes, boats and more within the Hinterland Group. Come and visit the award-winning team at this year’s boat show on stand 422 – look out for the ‘I love Quintrex’ banner. To find out more, visit broadwaterboating.com. au or call 07 5529 1777.
4&" +": #0"54 530+"/
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SINCE 1989
Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 45
Four-year-old Madi Allen caught this awesome 37cm whiting in Coombabah Creek. Brendan Moroney
This Murray cod was hooked on a recent trip along the Queensland/NSW border fishing the creeks and rivers surrounding Glenlyon Dam. It smacked the Jackall Pompadour hard and wrapped me up quickly, but I managed to wrestle it out. Jacob Freiberg
Ash Corten was in good form for this pearl perch.
Hi Ben, My brother Josh Brand caught a 66cm flathead at Tin Can Bay on a pink paddle tail Z-Man soft plastic. Dannielle Brand
John with his first striped marlin captured on stand-up gear. Regards, Dallas of Flat Dog Charters
My brother Cameron (who could catch fish in a bathtub) with nephew Bailey and a few trout they caught that morning. Bait Soaker
Peter Stanley from Mossops Tackle World Cleveland nailed this quality golden trevally.
We headed out at 1pm Sunday afternoon and pulled up at Bribie Bridge, knowing it produces good fish. I was using a 10g Zerek Fish Trap and my mate was using a 23g Fish Trap. We fished for about four hours on the outgoing tide, just drifting through the bridge and constantly lifting the vibes off the bottom. We picked up some nice lizards, with two going 67cm, one 68cm, one 80cm and a few smaller ones in between. Johno Cullen
Hi mate, I picked up this goldband snapper off Stradbroke Island recently and thought it might earn a spot in the mag. Cheers, Stu
No joke, this horse was caught on a 7” Z-Man plastic rigged on a 1/2oz jig head and 30lb line while chasing trout! It went 1.7m. You can check out a video of the capture on my Facebook page. Michael Sutherland
While here on holiday from England, I introduced my mate Will and his 10-year-old son Oliver to fishing during a weekend away in Caloundra. Starting at the jetty, we caught some pike using chrome jigs, then we headed up to the pontoon at Dicky Beach, picking up a few moses perch and a couple of small bream. After a few hours, Oliver finally landed the catch of the day. He did a cracking job bringing in a 40cm bream (top) on 6lb fluorocarbon with a strip of pike as bait on a Mustad circle hook. He is now completely hooked. Cheers, Mark Woodrow
To have a photo of your catch featured in Readers Forum, simply email ben@bnbfishing. com.au with a goodquality picture, your name and details or hop onto our Facebook page and send us a message.
■ Readers Forum ■ Readers Forum ■ Readers Forum Page 46 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
www.bnbfishing.com. au
HULL DESIGN
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Renegade 440
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with features to enhance your fishing experience! The Stessco Renegade range represents a boat packed with plenty
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look and performance of the reverse
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chine Softride Hull this serious
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fishing vessel comes standard with
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features such as plumbed live bait tank, plumbed kill/keeper tank plus the added luxury of side console and deluxe pedestal seats.
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Plumbed and drained kill/keeper tank Side console with wrap around windscreen & grab rails Non-Feedback Steering 4 x Seat positions Side decks 2 rear steps & grab rails Island motor well Live bait tank 2 x deluxe pedestal seats 45Ltr underfloor fuel tank Storage hatch with sub floor Drained anchor well Stainless steel bow roller Electrical pre-rig kit
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For more information or to find your nearest Stessco dealer visit www.stessco.com.au GOLD COAST SOUTH INGHAM NORTH BRISBANE MARINE TUNE JB MARINE MOTORSPORT MARINE BOWEN BRISBANE NORTH HERVEY BAY SUNSHINE COAST 64 Kortum Drive, Burleigh Heads 102 Cartwright Street, Ingham 11 Brewers Street, Burpengary Reibel Marine Motorsport Marine Hervey Bay Marine Laguna Boating 07 5576 7388 07 4776 1188 07 3888 0555
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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 47
Ocean Craft Walkaround Cabin Ultra Deep Vee
T
ECHNICAL specifications released recently identify the new-generation Ocean Craft Walkaround Cabin Ultra Deep Vee as the deepest-vee planing monohull in its class, with a 30-degree deadrise and the outstanding fuel efficiency of Ocean Craft’s Posi Lift Hull.
The impressive technical details present an offshore rig that is set to lead the market in the 4.2-7.6m class. In redesigning the Ultra Deep Vee, Ocean Craft’s engineers have successfully created an adventure safety boat that is compact, lightweight and fuel efficient. Its sleek and innovative design means that at only 750kg, the Ocean Craft
6000 Caloundra Class Walkaround Cabin is the lightest 6m rig in its class. On the outside, Ocean Craft’s engineers have designed an all-new planing monohull that is a trimaran at rest, an outrigger when turning and yet looks like and remains an i nflatable boat that actually retains its pneumatic properties. This has been combined with Ocean Craft’s Delayed Lift Hull, which enables the boat to tackle wind and waves headon and allows top-level all-weather performance while using less fuel, meaning you can go further, faster to catch more fish. With Ocean Craft leading the way once again, the new-generation Walkaround Cabin Ultra
Deep Vee also features phenomenal buoyancy and stability, with a lowfriction, economical and smooth-riding Posi Lift Hull that is safe, lightweight and fast. This is the first time this advanced feature has been offered across the entire range of Ocean Craft boats from 2.6-7.6m. Another key feature of the new all-aluminium Ultra Deep Vee Hull is a lifetime unsinkable warranty – use the valve and inspection bung for each airtight and watertight buoyancy section and do the checks. Ocean Craft guarantees your boat will never sink. With sponsons coming into effect off the plane, the boat’s draught remains shallower than competitors at rest and the ride is
a lot softer when planing. Combined with inflatable pneumatic properties with less vibration and wear on ‘landing’ (such as when wave jumping), Ocean Crafts outperform all other hulls, with 33-50 percent less friction than a monohull, outrigger, trimaran, catamaran or cathedral hull. All this technology ensures the Ocean Craft Ultra Deep Vee delivers an
excellent power-to-weight ratio for trailering and towing. It also gets up on the plane faster and stays on it longer, with outrigger stability when turning, to achieve the perfect balance of efficient operation and top-end performance. For more information on Ocean Craft’s line-up of 2.6-7.6m adventure safety boats, please visit ocean craft.com.au
Quintrex recognises its top dealers
Q
UINTREX has congratulated its top dealers across the country by announcing the 20162017 Dealer of the Year awards. Streaker Marine took out the top honours of National Dealer of the Year, however, many other dealerships were also recognised for their hard work and dedication to the Quintrex brand. Quintrex account managers Nathan Shaw and Drew Jackson said each and every Quintrex dealership contributes to the brand’s success, though the Dealer of the Year award recognises dealers excelling in multiple areas. “This has been a big year for Quintrex with the release of the Apex Hull,” Nathan said. “Quintrex would not be the brand it is today without the support we receive from our dedicated dealer network, so we are pleased to congratulate them on their hard work,” Nathan said. NSW – Canobolas Marine Canobolas Marine is located in Orange, NSW and is a family owned business that has been operating for over 60 years. Dealer principal Lee MacKenzie said their customer service and
wide range of stock contributed to winning the Dealer of the Year award. “We will always do our best to give our customers 100 percent, even through the colder months we carry a good range of boats and always try to have the latest stock on hand when new models come out,” Lee said. Queensland – Surf Coast Marine Surf Coast Marine specialises in giving its customers exactly what they need. The staff’s product knowledge and passion for the boating industry is like no other according to Nathan. “Surf Coast Marine has a very polished sales process, which is heavily focused on providing premium service, value and after-sales care,” Nathan said. “The business has an employee specifically dedicated to after-sales care.” Dealer principal Paul Banning said Quintrex’s innovation and technology means he can sell to customers with confidence. “The past 12 months for the dealership has been all about the customer and helping them buy the right boat for their needs,” Paul said.
The new Quintrex APEX Hull gives you more room, more features and more stability. Check it out at your nearest dealer: Brisbane Brisbane Yamaha
Gold Coast Broadwater Boating Centre
Gold Coast Surf Coast Marine
Toowoomba Water Skiers Warehouse
174 Eastern Service Rd, Bruce Hwy Burpengary Q 4505 T: 07 3888 1727 brisbaneyamaha.com.au
46-48 Brisbane Rd, Labrador Q 4215 T: 07 5529 1777 broadwaterboating.com.au
50-54 Brisbane Rd, Labrador Q 4215 T: 07 5563 7733 surfcoastmarine.com.au
91-93 Neil St, Toowoomba Q 4350 T: 07 4637 9511 waterskierswarehouse.com.au
Bundaberg Boats Galore
Sunshine Coast Caloundra Marine
Tweed Heads Tweed Coast Marine
8 Baldwin St, Caloundra Q 4551 T: 07 5491 1944 caloundramarine.com.au
32 Machinery Dr, Tweed Heads South NSW 2486 T: 7 5524 8877 tweedcoastmarine.com.au
142 Enterprise St, Bundaberg Q 4670 T: 07 4152 6744 boatsgalore.com.au
Page 48 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
Quintrex account manager Nathan Shaw, sales manager Eric Steele, Surf Coast Marine dealer principal Paul Banning and Quintrex account manager Drew Jackson.
www.bnbfishing.com. au
BOATING & marine McGlashan joins Mercury Pro Team
F
ISHING phenomenon Al McGlashan is the latest bigname angler to join the Mercury Pro Team. Like millions of other Australians, Al fishes from the back of his trailer boat. Unlike the rest of us, Al does it for about 180 days a year and has earned a global reputation as an angler, photographer and conservationist. “As a kid my old man had a Mariner outboard that was as tough as nails and then I had a MerCruiser in my first-ever boat, a Bertram 23,” Al said. “But that was 25 years ago, and Mercury has obviously come such a long way since then.” Al now has a Mercury 250hp Verado on the back of his 6m Evolution, which tips the scales at two tonnes when he goes deep offshore.
“I’ve knocked up 6500 nautical miles in just two and a half years, so the engine’s going to get a real workout and the Mercury’s fuel efficiency is going to be massive for me,” he said. If you’re into fishing at any level, the chances are you’ve seen or read Al’s work. Al’s audience stretches around the world. He’s currently producing the TV series Al McGlashan’s Fish’n with Mates for Channel Nine, which is the number-one rating fishing show in Australia and also airs in New Zealand and to millions of households across the US. Al has a global social media following of well over 100,000. He writes and provides photography to dozens of magazines such as Modern Fishing, Club Marine Magazine and BlueWater
Boats and Sportfishing magazine and has an article every Friday in Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, with his articles republished online. He’s written several books including The Complete Fishing Bible and works tirelessly with regular fishing seminars and school visits. Given that Mercury engines are used across the globe, Al is well aware of the brand’s heritage and technical prowess. “Just recently I was fishing with mates in the US where everyone had Mercury engines except one person; these big triple and quad rigs on centre consoles,” he said. “They all drive pedal to the metal and the engines were awesome but still surprisingly quiet. “Then I was in the Coral Sea with Big Cat Reality Charters and they were using Mercury 40hp Four-
Stroke outboards on these tenders we were fishing off and the fuel economy was just unreal. “So I am genuinely proud to get involved.” The first thing Al’s going to do with his new Verado is go after some swordfish for the US cable network the Outdoor Channel, hoping to tag a couple for research purposes. “Then we’ll follow the bluefin tuna as they push up the east coast, and after that it will be kingfish and marlin,” Al said. “What we do that’s different, we don’t just fish, we get in the water with the fish and show people a new perspective, show them what we see when we’re out there. “I can’t wait to get into it. “As I always say – if you love what you do, you will never have to work a day in your life!”
Quintrex Freestyler for for whole family
S
O you love to fish and you have a family… what boat should you buy?
The first thing that overwhelms even the most experienced boat owner, let alone someone just getting their feet, is the question of what boat is going to give the best bang for buck. Especially when you’re looking for a crossover boat that does everything. You want to take the family and friends out on weekends, sneak in the odd solo fishing trip on the days when no one is looking and in summer give the kids a thrill with some wakeboarding. You could go and buy three boats, however will you really have three times the fun? So again, what should you buy? Usually what happens is you end up with a boat that is either a compromise, impractical or completely out of your budget. A lot of ‘solutions’ end up being a ‘jack-ofall-trades and master of none’. www.bnbfishing.com. au
You could go and buy a competition bass boat, but that’s no good for moving a crowd, let alone safely towing the kids in a tube with an observer facing backwards. Quintrex has been a leading force in innovation for more than 70 years and the company’s new Apex Hull has in many ways made the traditional bow design obsolete, turning a onceunderutilised part of the boat into an asset. Caloundra Marine believes the newly released Freestyler range is made up of the perfect boats.
Comfortably seating four adults, with space for a picnic hamper and Esky, there’s even room for two more people in the bowrider section. In 20 seconds, the Freestyler transforms from recreational entertainer to hard-core fishing boat. The back seat folds away, making room for two adults to fish from the rear, and a simple drop-in centre section turns seating into a casting deck. Caloundra Marine loves the Apex Hull and the team has taken perfection and made it better by combining 25
years of record-breaking ski racing boat design with their love of fishing to build the perfect 510 Freestyler package for under $45,000 including a powerful factoryinstalled 90hp Evinrude E-TEC. That’s a pretty awesome price considering you get three boats in one. Call Caloundra Marine today and organise an on-water demo. The dealership stocks the whole range of Quintrex boats and you’ll quickly see the new Apex Hull leaves the competition in its wake.
Insights into boat insurance
B
USH ‘n Beach has brought Nautilus Marine Insurance on board to expand the fine print and provide readers with clear, ea sy-to -u nder st a nd and helpful tips on protecting their boating assets.
The scenario You’ve had to bail out of that planned fishing trip with your mates. Trouble is, you’re the one who owns the boat. The question becomes: Can the fishing trip still go ahead in your boat without you and what happens if something goes pearshaped? The answer Provided you are happy to lend your boat to another member of your group and you know for certain he or she holds the appropriate licences to tow your boat behind a suitable vehicle and later drive your boat, then yes, it can still go ahead. As for what happens if something goes pearshaped, well, that’s a little more complicated. If your boat is insured with a boat insurance specialist such as Nautilus Marine, then the insurance cover for your boat most likely will continue while it is in the possession of your friend – provided, and it is a critically important proviso, that your friend is considered a good risk by your insurer. You were granted insurance cover for your boat because the declarations you made on
your insurance application form indicated you were a good risk. If you had a record of driving offences on or off the water, had an inordinate number of claims or had previously been refused insurance, then your boat insurance application probably would have been refused. But that wasn’t the case, so the insurance cover was granted to you. Similarly, if your friend, who now is going to be looking after your boat, has an excellent driving and insurance record, then the specialist marine insurer would not be increasing their exposure to risk and ordinarily, there would not be a problem extending your cover. However, if your friend has a history of driving or other offences on or off the water, that would create a serious disparity between why you were granted insurance and why your
friend might not have been granted cover. And in that case, there would be a problem having the cover extended. Clearly the smart approach would be to contact your marine insurer or broker and explain what you would like to do beforehand. In doing so, there would be an opportunity for the marine insurer to ascertain the level of risk which your friend would be bringing into the equation. There also would be an opportunity to document the discussion and any agreement or refusal arising from it. That way you, your friend and the marine insurer would all be of the same understanding about coverage. As always, don’t simply assume that your boat will be covered in every circumstance by every insurer. Always check your policy and its product disclosure statement. And if you need further information, you can contact Nautilus Marine Insurance on 1300 780 533 for any boat insurance requirements.
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.
Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 49
BOATING & marine Optional SeaDek flooring is a revelation and performs even better than it looks. Front cast deck is practical too, with plenty of storage space below.
The side console provides an effective wind break and has ample room for large modern electronics.
A full transom is part of the Moreton Bay package from Wynnum Marine and makes the boat feel bigger and more secure.
Stacer’s 469 Outlaw combined with Wynnum Marine’s Moreton Bay options pack makes for an almost perfect bay and estuary boat.
The EVO Advance Hull helped the Moreton Bay 469 Outlaw onto the plane quickly and smoothly.
Stacer Outlaw range most wanted S TACER has labelled its Outlaw range the ‘most wanted’, and after putting the 469 model through a good test, I can understand why.
The Outlaw range comes in a mix of sizes starting with the 429, which is a tiller steer configuration, through to the 529, which comes in either a centre or side console setup. The test boat was a side console, but the model is also available as a tiller steer. After getting the keys from Justin Nichols at Wynnum Marine, Dan and I took the Outlaw for a run in Moreton Bay. This was no standard Outlaw, as the team at Wynnum Marine had made key refinements to the base model and spec’d it up considerably before renaming it the Moreton Bay Outlaw. This moniker and the changes are an initiative of Wynnum Marine.
Boat Review
by BEN COLLINS
Once the dealership team is finished with the boat, it is completely set up for bait and lure fishing and ready to hit the water. As part of the Moreton Bay upgrade, the rear transom becomes a full transom. This gives the boat versatility, making it as suitable for smaller estuaries and Moreton Bay as it would be for offshore fishing on a good day. The full transom protects you from waves crashing into the back of the boat while also giving you a good place to lean when fishing. Upgrading the transom on the Moreton Bay Outlaw allowed for a live well to be incorporated into the boat at the same level of the gunwale, and a removable bait board fits neatly
into a holder in the transom. This customised rig comes standard with a Yamaha 60hp four-stroke outboard and two digital Yamaha gauges. While rated to 75hp, I don’t think you would be in any way disappointed with the performance of the 60hp, and the lower horsepower makes the package a little more affordable. In addition, the Moreton Bay Outlaw package includes a Lowrance Hook-5 sounder/GPS combo and Minn Kota i-Pilot 55lb electric motor. I love that more and more boats are coming with electric motors, which turn them into lure fishing machines. So, if you are keen on this style of fishing, you
Hydraulic boat steering for a hard day’s fishing Go wherever and whenever the fish are biting with confidence! Made in Australia for our tough marine environments.
is nit-picking. Overall, I was very impressed with the performance of this dedicated fishing machine. Storage Something that is always right at the top of my wish list, especially in smaller boats, is storage. The Moreton Bay 469 Outlaw had good storage under the front casting platform, accessed via two large hatches. There was ample room to stow safety gear and tackle as well as the battery for the electric motor. In addition, two big side pockets kept items out of the way yet within easy reach. The stern featured ample room for additional tackle boxes, bait Eskies and even a large Esky. The main battery was located in a well near the stern, which kept it out of the way and gave the boat a low centre of gravity to help stability at rest. Stacer’s side console has plenty of room to accommodate a larger sounder if you wanted to upgrade from the Lowrance included in the package. This is a very neat and well laid-out boat that will suit many fishos. Of course, the Moreton Bay 469 Outlaw builds on ☛ continued P51
PERFORMANCE RPM
KM/H
4000
30
4500
35
5000
41
5500
46
6100/WOT 51
Photo courtesy of Vindicator Boats.
For product information and to find your nearest authorised dealer contact Graham HyDrive Engineering Pty Ltd – Queensland Unit 12, 73-75 Shore Street, Cleveland 4163 T: 07 3821 6580 E: qld@hydrive.com.au W: hydrive.com.au Page 50 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
are well and truly catered for by the Moreton Bay Outlaw. Electric motors are versatile and indeed bait fishos can also use them to ‘spot lock’ instead of anchoring or to slow their drift. In fact, electric motors are probably a better option than anchors as they are quiet to deploy and you can easily adjust your position without having to pull the anchor up and down (often noisily). Other features of the Moreton Bay package include a white painted hull, safety gear, a Stacer braked alloy trailer and boat and trailer registrations. Performance As mentioned, the 60hp Yamaha packed plenty of punch, with the Moreton Bay 469 Outlaw’s EVO Advance Hull easily jumping onto the plane with two people seated down the back and the 77-litre underfloor fuel tank filled to the brim. Stacer’s EVO Advance Hull is renowned for good lift on the move as well as stability at rest. The reverse chines also deflect water down and away from occupants, which provided a very dry ride, irrespective of what direction we were running over the chop. While it wasn’t blowing a gale, there was enough breeze and small chop to get a good feel for how the boat handled, and it managed to hold tight in the turns. It may even be possible to run a slightly bigger prop, which would give even more grip in tight corners and increase top-end speed over the 51km/h we saw, but that
The standard Stacer alloy trailer was easy to drive onto and looks the business.
www.bnbfishing.com. au
BOATING & marine Stacer Outlaw range most wanted ☛ from P50
the base model’s standard inclusions such as rod holders, carpeted floor, front cast deck, bow rails and a host of other goodies. With all Wynnum Marine’s Moreton Bay package additions, the 469 Outlaw can be towed away for about $31,500, which is not a bad price at all for a kitted-out family and fishing vessel. However, the team at Wynnum Marine went one step further with the test boat, turning it into the ultimate Outlaw by fitting a revolutionary flooring option. When buying your Outlaw from Wynnum Marine, you have the option to upgrade the timber and carpet deck to a new Thermo Lite floor, which is like a fibreglass composite material. It is lighter, stronger and lasts longer than
timber and will not warp over time. In addition, instead of carpet, the floor and side decks are then covered in SeaDek, which is just an awesome flooring material. SeaDek is very easy to clean and a pleasure to stand on, making our test Moreton Bay Outlaw an even more comfortable and enjoyable package. If you are keen to find out more about the Outlaw range or want to give your old boat a new lease of life with SeaDek flooring, give the team at Wynnum Marine a call on 07 3396 9777. Alternatively, drop in and check out this boat for yourself at 31 Fox St, Wynnum or see a whole range of Stacers on the Wynnum Marine stand at the upcoming Brisbane Boat Show.
Whittley CW 1950 fishing boat
W
HITTLEY Marine has just released the new Clearwater 1950, a purpose-built sports fishing boat that doesn’t skimp on family comforts.
It’s light enough to be towed by a large family sedan or smaller SUV and built to tackle rough conditions without breaking the family budget. The CW 1950 features an innovative walkthrough rear transom door, moulded fishing/ boarding platforms and generous beam for stability. There’s plenty of room to store your catch with an uncluttered cockpit and kill tank. Anchoring is easy, with the convenient walkthrough configuration allowing excellent forward access to the separate anchor locker and large bowsprit with lazy anchor system. The roomy cabin has a comfortable vee-berth for a snooze when the fish go off the bite, with standard
plush bunk cushions and side pocket storage either side. Two standard eskies are easily stored under stainless steel U-bars below the driver and passenger sports seats. These also make up the larger rear lounge. The CW 1950 features one of the largest fishing cockpits in its class thanks to the unique folding outboard door in the engine well. There are also handy toe rails to slide feet under for comfort – and storage aplenty with custom side pockets designed for the fisher in mind. Easily powered by outboards from 115hp, the CW 1950 is an efficient sports fishing platform that slices through chop and delivers excellent stability when drifting or at anchor. Whittley Marine director of sales and marketing Alan Whittley said the new CW 1950 is built on the legendary John Savage Mako hull design. “The Whittley R&D
team has enhanced the styling with a slick new dash that can accommodate a massive 16” screen, a flat transom, folding engine well and folding door,” he said. “They’ve also given the hull more aggressive chines and moulded boarding platforms, adding to the hull’s already impressive bluewater credentials. “The updates were based on feedback from existing customers and fishing clubs consulted in the redesign process. “The CW also showcas-
es Whittley’s distinctive sports fishing look.” Whittley’s CW range features three models: the 1650, 1950 and 2150 – the flagship of the CW range. All are outboard-powered. The CW 1950 comes standard with a bimini top, bow rails, side windows, two-tone hull, bunk cushions and storage. The boat, four-stroke Yamaha 115hp motor and Mackay dual-axle trailer package is priced from $56,990, excluding freight and pre-delivery charges. “At Whittley, it’s impor-
tant we offer Australian families a complete range of fibreglass trailer boats with outboard and sterndrive options,” Alan said. “The popularity of the outboard-powered 6m family fishing boat is obvious. “The good news for customers is, our CW 1950 is packaged up with all the popular options for less than $60,000.” For more information, visit whittleymarine group.com.au or go and check the boats out at Northside Marine, 2294 Sandgate Rd, Boondall.
CONTACT YOUR NEAREST DEALER Boondall > Northside Marine 2294 Sandgate Rd, Boondall Q 4034 Phone: 07 3265 8000 info@nsmarine.com.au northsidemarine.com.au Bundaberg > Adrians Marine Centre 28 Ritchie St, Bundaberg Q 4670 Phone: 07 4153 1819 adriansmarinecentre@bigpond.com adriansmarinecentre.com.au Gladstone > Curtis Coast Marine 40 Chapple St, Gladstone Q 4680 Phone: 07 4972 0135 sales@curtiscoastmarinecom.au curtiscoastmarine.com.au Gold Coast > White Water Marine 10 Hinde St, Ashmore Q 4214 Phone: 07 5532 4402 sales@whitewatermarine.com.au whitewatermarine.com.au Noosa > Laguna Boating Centre 16 Project Ave, Noosaville Q 4566 Phone: 07 5442 4872 info@lagunaboating.com.au lagunaboating.com.au Sunshine Coast > North Coast Boating 264 Nicklin Way, Warana Q 4575 Phone : 07 5493 9376 sales@northcoastboating.com.au northcoastboating.com.au Whitsundays > Whitsunday Outboard Centre 17 William Murray Dr, Cannonvale Q 4802 Phone: 07 4946 7286 woc@whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au Wynnum > Wynnum Marine 31 Fox St, Wynnum Q 4178 Phone: 07 3396 9777 info@wynnummarine.com.au wynnummarine.com.au
www.bnbfishing.com. au
Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 51
BOATING & marine
The piece then moves to the router machine to be engraved. It starts with a flat piece of SeaDek.
SeaDek sets boat apart with superior finish
A
T the time of writing, I was packed and waiting to set off for the Ballina round of the ABT qualifier series.
Almost any design can be engraved in the SeaDek.
We have finally had awesome stable winter weather and it has been great to get the new boat offshore and into a few fish off the Gold Coast. I have been targeting snapper on soft plastics and for the first time ever have been going offshore without taking bait. I have a lot to learn but I will talk about that next month. Every now and then in the fishing industry I see something come up that makes me sit back and think: ‘Wow, that’s a game changer.’ A recent example would be Cranka Crabs.
Bonito
Product Review by JAMIE MCKEOWN
Steve Steer’s design of these fantastic lures has increased the size of the average bag being weighed in at bream tournaments. Another great innovation, and one I have recently had installed on my boat, is SeaDek. SeaDek is manufactured in America and is a great alternative to carpet as a floor covering in your boat. It’s a non-absorbent closed-cell EVA material specifically designed for marine applications. I now own a Sea Hunt centre console and found the fibreglass floor to be slippery underfoot when wet, and I would get sore
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Bonito Boats Steiglitz Qld
/ Roger 0438 886 813 / Martin 0416 099 908
/ STABLE AT REST / NO TIMBER / SELF-DRAINING DECK / SOFT DRY RIDE
W W W. B O N I T O B O AT S . C O M . A U Page 52 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
Nick carefully installed the SeaDek to the existing floor.
knees and an aching back if I was standing all day fishing a comp. I wanted a floor that was soft underfoot for fatigue and had good grip. I thought about carpet with some sort of underlay but I have always found carpet to take a long time to dry properly and it smells if you put the boat away in the garage still wet. And with an underlay added I thought the smell would be even worse, so I steered away. I started researching other options and came across a few but when I looked into the materials used it was obvious SeaDek was a far superior product with the runs on the board. I located a certified distributor in Brisbane called Machine It, spoke with Nick Jessen and went through what was required. Nick was great and gave me the options of going DIY or a full custom job. Considering I have trouble putting a sticker on straight, I decided to go with the full custom job. I chose a colour out of an extensive range and a pattern to engrave on the material. Nick then set to work on the computer system and before pressing go he sent me a computer-generated design to approve. The work Nick does is so neat and tidy and the full pattern is engraved with a computer-operated router. You can choose almost any design or logo and have it engraved on the floor of your boat. I went for the added feature of having a ruler engraved to make things easier when measuring fish. Nick will keep the design and measurements for my boat saved on his system, so if I ever damage the flooring somehow, it will be as easy as ringing Nick up and telling him which part I damaged. He can then make a replacement piece in no time and send it out to me.
I was very happy and excited with the design and look when I came to inspect the boat. I raised a few concerns with Nick about cleaning the floor and getting blood off if left on overnight. Nick assured me cleaning the floor is as simple as cleaning the outside of the boat. On my first time out I thought I would put this to the test and ventured offshore to catch snapper and pearlies, deliberately leaving a few drops of blood on the deck to test it out. I got home late in the afternoon, cleaned the fish and left cleaning the boat until the next morning. By the time I got to the floor, the blood was definitely dried out. All I used was a domestic Karcher pressure
cleaner and I held the hose about 30cm away from the stain and rubbed it with my foot, and voila it came up as good as new. To say I am happy with my SeaDek is an understatement. As I said, the product is a game changer. I am now starting to see new boats fitted with SeaDek as an alternative to carpet, and why not? I will never have to walk into a smelly shed because of wet carpet in the boat. Add the comfort factor and it’s a win-win. If you want a quote on SeaDek or just to have a chat about the possibilities for your pride and joy, give Nick at Machine It a call on 0428 884 724. Next month I will write about how this traditional offshore bait fisho has been converted to a lure fisher on the reefs.
Even the fish relax when laying on comfortable SeaDek.
The final result.
www.bnbfishing.com. au
K AYAKING & canoeing Paddling the upper Brisbane River
W
HAT do you call a group of canoe pad-
dlers?
A splash, a raft, a float, a drift, or what about a canoodle? We are not entirely sure, but we know one thing – it is a fun group to be a part of! Even more so if that group of paddlers happens to be paddling on the gorgeous upper Brisbane River, just as ours recently did on a beautiful Sunday morning. What started out as a group of canoe lovers, or single-bladers, introducing people to the forgotten joys of canoe paddling has developed into a literal flotilla of boats out enjoying our magnificent Brisbane waterways. The recent Twin Bridges paddle included 11 canoes, 18 adults, 10 kids, three dogs, a kayak and even a stand-up paddleboard, with ages ranging from four to 64 (or maybe a bit more?). And therein lies the secret to the humble canoe – its versatility. A typical 15’ canoe is able to easily accommodate one to five paddlers. Indeed, in our very diverse group we had ca-
Canoeing by DAN OWBRIDGE
noes being paddled by a single adult, by an adult and child and even by two adults with three children on board and occasionally a boat-hopping dog. The ease of paddling, combined with excellent load-carrying ability meant the canoes could cater for nearly any combination of paddlers and passengers and still give them a wonderful experience on the water. A fact aided by the beautiful stretch of river we were paddling. Our group met and departed from the gravelly beach at the Twin Bridges reserve outside Fernvale. After a brief meet and greet and matching paddlers and passengers with canoes, paddles and PFDs, a quick briefing was undertaken and we were off. The final comment, “make sure you have fun”, set the standard for the rest of the morning. We paddled about 3km up the Brisbane River to our morning tea destination, which was a grassy
The author tempted this bream on the flats using an Imakatsu Riprizer.
flat on the northern bank. The paddle up provided the opportunity for swapping paddling tips between the more experienced paddlers and novices and also the opportunity for some singing, laughing and good-natured banter on who was paddling the straightest. Following a shared morning tea and boiling the billy, we headed back for Twin Bridges, but not without a few shuffles in seating arrangements to allow the group to try different canoes and give some of the children an opportunity to have a go. One mum was relegated to the middle seat so her 10-year-old son could take charge up the front. Secretly, his technique showed up a few older paddlers! Our trip back was again accompanied by the dulcet tones of our canoe guide (we think he fancies himself as the Tom Jones of paddling). This didn’t appear to dampen the enthusiasm of the rest of the group.
It’s hard to wear a frown on your face when you’re paddling on one of Brisbane’s best-kept secrets. The section of river we paddled, between Twin Bridges reserve and Lowood Bend, is one of the most accessible waterways in southeast Queensland and only an hour’s drive from Brisbane city centre. It offers easy flat-water paddling suitable for novice paddlers and numerous grassy banks on which to land for a brief rest. The trip undertaken by our group lasted around three hours, including loading and unloading boats, the safety briefing, paddling, morning tea and a spot of singing. The distance is suitable for most ages, abilities and fitness levels. For more information about getting out on our local waterways, feel free to join the Canoe Go Paddling (Brisbane) meetup.com group or contact me at Natureline Australia on 07 3390 4106. For more information on Natureline canoes and kayaks, visit natureline. com.au or email canoes@ natureline.com.au
The author with a couple of canal bream that fell for a lightly rigged plastic.
Winter bream fishing tips A S the cooler months set in, so do the bream.
As many would know, winter is prime time to chase bream. Whether deep vibing or getting them tight up against structure, there are many ways to chase bream. In this article I’ll go over the tackle and locations you should look at when fishing for bream during this last part of winter. Most canals and marinas hold bream. A sounder can give you the upper hand as bream generally school in deeper water. However, decent numbers of fish still sit up around the pontoons, so sounders aren’t a musthave. The best pontoons are old or worn down with lots of oysters. When fishing the canals, I prefer a rod with a stiffer tip. www.bnbfishing.com. au
Kayak Fishing
by JACK BURLING
It’s a personal preference but I feel it makes a massive difference when trying to cast soft plastics into tight structure. My rod is an Edge Black Widow 702. As usual, you will need a light leader, and depending on how spooky the fish are, I run anything from 2lb up to 8lb. You can try deeper creek and canal entrances for bream too. The deepwater bite is great fun and can produce many fish if you find a school. Flats fishing is also proving effective at the moment, with many bream schooling on the flats. Throwing shallow crankbaits and surface lures is a productive way
of chasing them on shallow sand flats covered by water from 30cm to 2m deep. On such a sand flat you should find fish with relative ease, not only bream but other species too including flathead and whiting. Anglers fish the sand flats in many different ways but the most effective would have to be slow rolling hard-bodies. The slower the retrieve the better, though the bib of the lure should bounce along the sand and you will be able to feel this through your rod. This action creates a trail of sand and I find it attracts the fish. My favourite lure for the deeper flats (2-3m) would have to be the O.S.P
Dunk 48-SP suspending hard-body, and another successful lure is the Imakatsu Riprizer floating model. Another way of working the flats is surface fishing. My go-to lure for surface fishing the flats is the O.S.P Bent Minnow 76-F floating stickbait. When twitched, this lure swims up to 30cm under water and then slowly floats back up, mimicking a wounded baitfish. Mastering this lure takes a bit of practice but once you get the retrieve right it will become an essential in your tackle box. Other walk the dog lures and small poppers work as well. I hope this article inspires you to get out and chase a few bream in the cooler weather. Be sure to send me a message via Facebook if you have any questions. Until next month, tight lines!
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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 53
K AYAKING & canoeing
Shallow reefs are easy to find around most of the bay islands.
A squid jig run under a float out the back can get results while you’re busy fishing.
Lindsay cleaned up on reef fish while drifting over coral with soft plastic crabs.
Exploring the bay islands by kayak T HERE isn’t a better time to explore the Moreton Bay islands in a kayak than winter.
Walk-ons with kayaks are welcome on Stradbroke Ferries.
Fishing around moored boats near the islands can be productive.
Nick taught the kids about handling flathead.
The mild conditions and relatively predictable weather patterns make longer paddles much more appealing. You generally don’t need to be concerned about the wind picking up and making things unpleasant or being caught out in a storm. More challenging destinations such as Mud Island should only be attempted by confident paddlers but I’ll go through a few of the islands that are great fishing destinations for the less adventurous or novice kayakers. Coochiemudlo One of my favourite island destinations is Coochiemudlo. It’s a short paddle from the Victoria Point boat ramp with no green zones around the island’s fringes. The south side of the island is home to many moored boats that provide structure to target while fishing and sandy beaches to park the kayak on to stretch your legs. A takeaway shop and cafe are right near the beach so you can wheel your kayak up to the shops and park it while having a feed.
Kayaking
by TOM LASZLO
Little will concern the novice kayaker around Coochie; just be aware that the channel across from the ferry terminal on the mainland is narrow and vehicular barges, ferries and recreational boaters can make the area look quite busy. The other thing to keep in mind is the current can be a bit challenging when the tide is out because it is forced through the narrow channel between sandbanks. King and Green islands King Island is directly north of Wellington Point and surrounded by shallow reef that can be quite productive to fish. From King, Green Island is quite close and has deeper water and more defined reef structure. Wind can be an issue for paddlers, especially in the afternoons if a westerly is forecast. It can be quite a chore to paddle back if the bay gets choppy. Neither island has any green zones to avoid and boat traffic is not too concerning. North Stradbroke Island North Stradbroke Island is an easy ferry ride from Cleveland.
The vehicular ferries generally depart from each end on the hour. You buy your return ticket at the office before getting on, with a cost of $25 as a walk-on with a kayak. Both the main vehicle ferries have a cafe and seating on the observation deck, making it quite a comfortable journey. The ferry docks at Dunwich and you can access concrete ramps to get into the water but be careful as they are quite slippery. Within a kilometre of the ferry ramp is almost every type of bay structure to fish, including wharves, pylons, reef, rocks and weedy banks. If you paddle around the wharf area or One Mile Jetty just to the north, be aware that the ferries and barges need a wide berth to swing around and the prop wash can affect your
kayak from quite a distance in the shallow water, so keep well away from the big guys. Peel Island If kayaking to Peel Island from the mainland is intimidating, you can cheat and paddle to it from Dunwich. The distance is less than half that from Cleveland and the shorter journey is much less likely to be uncomfortable and choppy if the wind picks up. There is a green zone around the north and west fringes of Peel Island. You can find shallow reefs and an old steam ship wreck on the southern side of the island. Horseshoe Bay is a beach camping area with composting toilets, and you can buy camping permits online. Winter fishing At this time of year the water in Moreton Bay is very clear, and as such I fish extremely light. Of course the trade-off is sometimes losing bigger fish around structure. Squid and flathead are
quite active and easy to target. Big bream can be frustrating to watch as they ignore everything you throw at them. Such a mixed bag of species can be taken around the islands during winter – you never know what might show up on the end of your line. The mild conditions make day trips to the islands appealing to the kids as well. Passenger ferries run to Macleay, Russell, Coochiemudlo and North Stradbroke islands and mixing fishing with other activities will keep the kids engaged outdoors. I recently spent the day fishing at Dunwich with my boys and their friends. Unweighted pieces of pilchard on small circle hooks cast amongst the pylons and off the jetty were quite productive and everyone caught a few fish. The kids were even badgering me on the return boat ride to commit to our next fishing adventure.
Drazen took full advantage of the pedal drive on the Perception Pescador.
Max with a horse bream that was feeding in the prop wash of a ferry.
Page 54 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
Lachlan had a crack at land-based Dunwich fishing.
Coochiemudlo Island has handy kayak parking when visiting the café.
www.bnbfishing.com. au
Bagley Lures Hinchinbrook Barra Bash
T
HE week after the bass tournament at Lake St Clair, we made the 2000km journey north to a completely different type of environment at Lucinda in north Queensland for the Bagley Lures Barra Bash.
Barra Nation by DREW McGRATH
Our first-round winners, Team Bass Mafia/Strike King consisting of Jon Millard and Ethan Farrel, once again claimed the ti-
tle and now have a very solid lead in the Sunline and Lucky Craft Barra Nation Series. The lads worked Strike
Robbie Rayner claimed third.
Karim De Ridder held a Hinchinbrook barra.
King Square Bill lures through the heavily timbered banks and across the shallow flats to secure their limits each session, landing over 35 barra on the final day. Team Humminbird/EJ Todd comprising Karim De Ridder and Craig Griffiths again finished towards the top of the pack. The guys also managed a full limit of 10 barra each session, and could have taken the win but
lost some huge fish close to the net. Rounding out the top three was Team Somerset Tackle, with Rhyce Bullimore and Robbie Rayner managing a 16 from 20 limit to really push the leaders. The Bagley Big Barra of the event went to Mick Slade of Team Sunline who managed a solid 86cm fish around a deep hole found in the Hinchinbrook Channel.
Craig Griffiths and a barra that helped Rhyce Bullimore scored a Hinchinbrook his team to a second-place finish. barra.
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Ethan Farrel with a barra in the first session at Hinchinbrook.
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Jon Millard from Team Bass Mafia/Strike King took the win.
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WTF Women That Fish Barra Classic
T
HE WTF Women That Fish Barra Classic is a notfor-profit tournament founded in 2012 with a focus on empowering women and encouraging them into the world of angling. This event is held annually on the mighty Fitzroy River at Rockhampton and attracts a range of anglers from novice to experienced. This women-only event has a strong focus on safety and environmental sustainability, including catch and release philosophies. Infofish has come on board for the first time this year, introducing tagging to the tournament. The number of female anglers is steadily increasing, with the number of competitors rising from 20 to 40 last year, along with an increase in the
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number of male skippers. Competitors have caught and released barra ranging in length from 30cm to 1m over the past five years. Check out the WTF Women That Fish Barra Classic Facebook page to get a feel for the genuine fun, friendship and fishing this tournament offers competitors and sponsors. This is a unique opportunity for businesses in the Rockhampton region and surrounding areas to showcase a great event that has already attracted interest from as far afield as Darwin, Cairns and NSW. The 2017 event will be held from September 2830. For more information, visit the Facebook page or contact Sara Van Haeren on 0429 923 243 or rvan haren@bigpond.com
Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 55
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Page 56 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 57
A juvenile red emperor tagged and ready for release.
Grass sweetlip of this size give a good account of themselves.
Terrific Turkey Beach
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N my last article I mentioned I was planning a trip to Turkey Beach over the school holidays.
Plenty of quality venus tuskfish were taken on the trip to Turkey Beach.
A decent size redthroat emperor landed by the author.
The author with his PB coral trout.
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A nice grassy to start the day.
That plan was put into action once we saw the awesome forecast, so the old boy and I packed the boat and were off. Anxiously watching the gum trees after turning off the highway near Turkey Beach, I decided it didn’t look like any breeze was blowing. By 2pm we were on the water and fishing around the front headland. After pulling up on a good-looking pinnacle that had produced fish on past trips, the new Minn Kota Terrova was deployed and baits were in the water. It didn’t take long for a grass sweetlip to come over the side, followed by a solid wire netting cod, both of which were returned to the water in anticipation of the following day at the reef. We then noticed a split in our boat’s fuel line, which had obviously occurred during the sevenhour drive north. We decided to run in and fix it in daylight. It was quite a simple repair, so we had time left over to rig up for the next day at the reef. I was excited as I threaded line through the guides on my brand-new Wilson Live Fibre M10 overhead rod. I couldn’t wait to put a bend in it. After a bit more preparation, we went to bed but I struggled to sleep because nerves and excitement got the better of me. The next morning, we rounded Flora Point and began the 40km punch out to Rock Cod Shoal. Our first anchor drop was on ground in about 27m, which had Dad and I in a double hook-up on grass sweetlip, with Dad’s being quite a reasonable fish. The current was ripping along, so I used braid to get down to the bottom and feel bites easier. The braid helped me convert more bites into hook-ups. We nailed several more grassies and venus tuskfish and began tagging the bigger models including a very lucky 55cm grassy that swam away unharmed. After this, we decided a move was in order because we were starting to put a few fish in the box and we wanted to get away from the tuskfish as it looked like we were going to bag out.
Fishing Trip by LACHIE BAKER
On the first drop at the new spot, Dad pulled up just what we wanted… a tuskfish! This was a cracking fish though. At 60cm, it was towards the top of the scale for the species. I followed with a solid redthroat emperor as well as a few others of similar calibre. More tuskies and redthroat went on the ice and we decided to move again because we were edging ever closer to our bag limit of tuskfish and they don’t release well. However, we were almost certain we would catch more. Just for something different, on our first drop at the next spot we had a double hook-up on big tuskies! This was really starting to get frustrating. The tide was turning and there wasn’t any run in the current, so we downsized to 4 ball sinkers and lighter spin rods with float line-style rigs to try to chase a few more reefies. I picked up a very lost samson fish and a redthroat before dad was absolutely buckled. His 12-30lb Venom Spin rod was bending in a way I hadn’t seen before and Dad called it for a big red, judging by how much line it was taking among the head shakes. After a tense battle, up came the biggest morwong I had ever seen. It was well and truly over a metre long! We laughed and swore – it just couldn’t have been a red, could it!? We soon had our bag limit of tuskies, so went wider to red emperor ground, but with no success. I was cut off by something very large and we managed half a dozen hussar before we pulled the pin and headed home. We pointed the nose of the boat back towards the dozens of container ships anchored wide of Gladstone and let the 70hp Yamaha do its thing. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face when looking over the back of the boat, thinking ‘how cool is it that we’re fishing 50km offshore in a 16’ tinnie?’ In our 110km round trip we used 39 litres of fuel. Once back, we spent over two hours cleaning fish. Dad’s mate Wazza and his family were at Turkey
too, so there was plenty of talk of the ‘good old days’ and how this day had worked out to be pretty similar for both crews on the reef. We made plans for the next day and were thinking of going around the front. Waking up the next morning, our plans changed again and we decided to go back out to the reef. Driving past schools of longtails in the bay, the promise was made that we would stop for them the next morning. Blasting out into a decent amount of wind chop stirred up overnight, I was buzzing with anticipation of the day ahead. All I wanted now was a big trout. We started in deeper water and pulled a decent grass sweetlip before it went quiet. After a couple of moves without a fish, we decided to run back to the ground we had fished the day before. On the first drop I got a small trout of about 50cm, which was a start. I threaded on the biggest bottle squid I could find and then dropped it to the bottom. I felt a fish pick it up and slowly move off with it, so I free-spooled the line and then felt the fish start to pull. Without hesitating, I swung and connected to what felt like a big fish. Before I knew it, it had me in the reef. Keeping the pressure on, I dragged it from its cave and after a short fight a beautiful trout of 3.5kg hit the deck. It was my PB and I was rapt. I would’ve loved to throw the fish back in with a tag but it was suffering from barotrauma so was kept. It will not be wasted. We then got a couple more grassies and tuskies before heading to the
shallows to try for a few redthroat. The day had glassed out and was absolutely magical, with the bottom clearly visible in 20m of water. Once in the shallows, the old boy got the 50lb handline out and within seconds a sizeable redthroat was flopping on the deck of the boat. This was quickly followed by a big bust-off thanks to what was probably a large trout. I pulled a few redthroat and a tuskfish before it went quiet again. We made one final move where we picked up another half a dozen hussar. By 2pm we’d had enough, so once again ran 50km back to the ramp. This time it was a 105km round trip and we used 38 litres of fuel. It was another successful day off Turkey Beach. Instead of cleaning the fish, we simply packed them into a smaller Esky with layers of ice. After kicking back, we started packing away gear for the drive home the next day. We left a couple of spin rods out for the next morning because as mentioned, a few tuna were kicking about. The next morning we found stacks of bait but no fish, which was really disappointing. We decided to have a go at the close reefs around the front and were rewarded with a few mackerel and a nannygai that was tagged and released. We ran back in and were on the road within an hour. During the trip we used both overhead and spin gear. I was running two overhead setups; one a Shimano Tekota 700 with 50lb mono on a Wilson Live Fibre M10 and the other a Shimano Torium 16HG with 30lb braid fished over a custom 8-10kg Live Fibre. I used the heavier setup for fishing larger baits such as mullet and grinner fillets, whole squid and yakkas. Those baits were rigged ☛ continued P59
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What to expect in August
T
HIS winter has been extremely mild, and with very few days dropping below double digits the water temperature only fell to about 20C.
Barra and jacks have continued to bite well through winter and they will only bite more as the water warms back up towards the end of August and into spring. The number of big barra caught in the Fitzroy River has been fantastic and shows the net-free zone is working. Most are coming from the rocks in the centre of town but you will find fish throughout the entire river and into Port Alma. The smaller fish washed out of the lagoons and from last year’s spawning will be hunting the banks with fallen timber. I predict a boost to tourism in the next few years as more anglers travel to Rockhampton to
Gladstone Region by GARY CHURCHWARD
taste the great fishing on offer. July turned on good fishing, with blue salmon, grunter, bream, flathead and queenfish making up the bulk of most catches. Blue salmon are in great numbers, with fish from 3070cm coming from the same schools. Pilchards are great baits for salmon but can attract smaller fish. A larger live bait will get the attention of any bigger fish around. Jigging vibes and soft plastics through schools in deeper water will see you catch a few fish quickly. I recently found huge schools
Terrific Turkey Beach ☛ from P58
on a gang of two Mustad Big Gun 7/0 hooks. On the lighter setup I was using a Mustad Octopus 6/0 or 7766 7/0 and fishing whole bottle squid and strip baits. My spin setup comprised a Wilson Magnum 15-40lb rod and ATC Valour 5000 reel with 40lb braid. I used this combo for micro jigging, fishing plastics and floating down baits with light sinkers. I found it quite fun to use, with fish going extremely
hard towards the bottom and the reel screaming away. Turkey Beach is an awesome destination for many styles of fishing, be it chasing pelagics such as mackerel and tuna, reef species or salmon and jacks in the creeks. At the time of writing, snapper were on the chew offshore from Brisbane, so I hope to get a chance to head out there soon. Work and school are really getting in the way of my fishing! Tight lines and sore arms.
of small blue salmon in Gladstone Harbour. These fish were no bigger than 30cm but thousands of fish would have been in the schools. Interestingly, mixed in with the salmon were small jewfish around the same size. I don’t know if they are moving around and feeding in the same schools or just relying on safety in numbers but it’s good to see so many small fish around. A few big jewfish have been taken in the harbour by anglers using big live baits, plastics and vibes. Grunter are a common capture at the moment, with Colosseum and South Trees turning up the most fish. A live herring, fresh mullet strip, small vibe or 3” soft plastic fished around gravel banks and creek mouths will get their attention. Decent numbers of flathead are around and they will hang around in numbers into September. Trolling small hard-bodies such as Lively Lures Micro Mullets along the edges of sandbanks has been effective. If trolling is not your thing, cast soft plastics into the shallows and work them back over the edge of the banks. Queenfish of all sizes are putting on a show, with the bigger fish coming from the harbour and smaller fish the rivers. Try the marker buoys and current lines in the harbour
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for the larger specimens and use your sounder to find the schools. In August, my attention will remain focused on the coolerweather fish such as blue salmon, grunter and flathead. But with the first hint of hotter weather, I will start to chase barra and jacks because the heat can trigger them to bite for longer periods. The Fitzroy River will be getting a lot of my attention towards the end of the month and as we head into spring, the river will really start to fire. Hopefully we have more good weather and can spend more time on the water. Cheers and happy fishing from Gladdy.
Phil caught this blue salmon just after dark in the Calliope River using a pilchard as bait.
Flathead will be in good numbers this month. This one fell to a soft plastic worked around sandbank drop-offs at the mouth of the Lillies.
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IPSWICH | Ipswich Marine Centre 45 Huxham St, Raceview Q 4305 P: 07 3294 3944 E: enquiries@ipswichmarine.com.au W: ipswichmarine.com.au
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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 59
Wayne and Ben scored a double hook-up on golden trevally. Wayne and one of many golden trevally taken during three days of sportfishing madness.
Big trevally on topwater W
E finally had a break from the atrocious weather at Hinchinbrook Island, with beautiful light to variable wind and glassed-out conditions.
Wayne held a reasonable GT.
Boy, it’s a relief after having what felt like an eternity of 15-20 knot wind and rough conditions. The good weather just so happened to align with Ben and Wayne’s threeday sportfishing package where the boys wanted to chase big GTs and pretty much anything that would pull their arms off on topwater lures and micro jigs. On the first day, I picked up the boys from the jetty and headed towards the Palm Island group with the sun just coming up and not a breath of wind on the glassed-out ocean. What a morning! We headed to a pressure point on one of the islands and chased GTs on topwater lures and it didn’t take long for Ben to hook up to a 20kg-plus GT. After an explosive take and line screaming off the reel, the GT unfortunately ended up back in the structure, taking one of Ben’s prized poppers with
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Almost immediately, the boys hooked up to an absolute monster that made a splash like someone dropped a car in the water when it took the stickbait. Unfortunately, it dusted Wayne up. They hooked another half a dozen GTs but again were unlucky with
Hinchinbrook News by TODD EVELEIGH
it, much to Ben’s disgust. We continued to fish on, with Wayne catching a 15kg spanish mackerel on a popper and the boys boating a few smaller GTs and hooking a couple of better ones that found every way to bust them up. It can be quite frustrating when you are getting the bites but are unable to capitalise. It was a blast nevertheless. We then headed offshore to a location I haven’t fished for a while due to the wild weather. We pulled up on the spot and found a massive show on the Furuno sounder. The fish were stacked up so thick in 30m of water that we could look over the side of the boat and see the fish swimming around in circles below us. It was amazing. After a few double hookups on cracker golden and gold-spotted trevally, the taxmen moved in. God, I hate sharks! After losing two or three fish in a row, it was time to move on. It’s hard to leave so many fish behind but it’s even harder to feed quality fish to sharks. So we moved back in to another little rock that was also loaded with golden, tea-leaf and goldspotted trevally. We fished here for the rest of the afternoon, with
multiple double hook-ups, screaming drags and plenty of laughter. The next morning, we headed north, fishing topwater again for GTs.
☛ continued P61
A solid golden trevally landed by Ben.
c
Experienced local guide Come on a Hinchinbrook wilderness fishing holiday and tick some of those trophy fish off your bucket list – barra, mangrove jack, coral trout, GTs, sooty grunter, spanish mackerel, black marlin queenies, nannygai and more!
Todd & Raylene Eveleigh T: 07 4777 2968 M: 0417 192 318 E: barra@crackfish.com www.crackfish.com Page 60 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
Wayne was happy with this spanish mackerel.
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Jack Davis nailed a 63cm barra.
Ben Dickinson boated a cracking 124cm, 13kg spanish mackerel.
Sweet fishing on offer at Stanage Bay
T
HE welcome mat is always out for good, cheerful fishers and campers at Stanage Bay.
The big driveway to Stanage Bay is slowly deteriorating with the onslaught of vehicles and showers of rain, with the cattle property Couti-Outi bordering the worst of the corduroy. Our road is extremely interesting at the moment, with the Australian Defence Force’s extraordinary and strange equipment hiding in the bush. No doubt soldiers will be protecting it, which is very interesting to see in peace time. The military police are working alongside our
Stanage Bay by VON IRELAND
normal police, and it’s normally unusual to see any police presence at all at Stanage. Anyway, let’s get into the fishing and mud crabbing in Thirsty Sound. Quality barra, salmon, cod, flathead and bream have been pulled in. The western side of Long Island has been of interest to anyone with adventure in their blood. Tickle Tobys Creek, to the north of Long Island, should always see you catch a decent barra or feed of crabs.
Not too many people are brave enough to even visit this area for a look, let alone fish or crab it. I think it is the prettiest area in Broad Sound. However, you’ll come across some green zones in this area, so please call in to Stanage Bay Marine & Accommodation in the boat yard and get your free map. While Stanage Bay is a long way from Fisheries Queensland and water police headquarters, fisheries officers still lease planes and fly over the
area to take photos of unsuspecting fishers doing the wrong thing. The weather has been sensationally calm, so day in and day out big and small boats have been launching at the Plumtree boat ramp to head out to the reef and islands. All species of reef fish have been targeted, with most anglers hitting the bullseye and keeping iceboxes brimming with scales and fins. Don’t waste the fish by not taking enough ice. You’re better off having more ice than you need. Stanage Bay and the islands are north of the Tropic of Capricorn and it is naturally hotter up here than down south where
Monster queenfish certainly kept the boys entertained.
Big trevally on topwater lures ☛ from P60
pulled hooks and bustoffs. It was a bit of a hard luck story really, but the boys’ spirits were still high and they were enjoying the challenge, with big queenies around the 1.2m mark keeping them amused. We headed out to another spot next, throwing poppers over another bommie where we only had one follow. It was pretty quiet, so we moved out to the reef edges but found no bait. No fusiliers, no garfish, just lifeless, so we promptly moved on to do some micro jigging. The boys were having the jigging session of www.bnbfishing.com. au
their lives, with every drop resulting in a hookup. Both lads had their rods bent for almost the rest of the day. The third and final morning of their trip again dawned as a picture-perfect day with glassed-out conditions. We went chasing GTs on poppers in the morning, with Wayne again getting absolutely owned by a monster GT on the very first cast with a stickbait. It was a fun and action-packed morning, with quite a few smaller GTs around 10kg and some big queenies hitting the deck. Again, a couple of really big fish managed
to find a way not to be caught but the boys loved it all the same. In the afternoon we headed out to do some deepwater micro jigging and the boys had a blast catching donkey golden trevally, solid tea-leaf trevs and huge gold-spots. It was great to just concentrate on sportfishing with stickbaits, poppers and micro jigs for anything that would pull your arms off. Surface fishing is so visual, with massive explosive strikes and the ability to see fish chasing after your lure, swiping at it, following it all the way back to the boat and sometimes smashing it just
as you’re about to lift the lure out of the water. Micro jigging is so much fun too, with the fish hitting the jigs so hard and then fighting like demons all the way back to the boat. Unfortunately the truly big GTs eluded us on this trip, but that’s fishing. However, I’m sure you’ll agree after looking at the photos that the boys caught fantastic trophy fish and those bigger ones will be even bigger next year. Well done to Ben and Wayne for fishing hard for three days because working poppers and jigs isn’t easy, especially when you are catching a fish a cast. Until next month…
most visitors come from. The local tackle shop sells small, medium and large bags of quality ice for $6, $9 and $15, respectively. Pop in for a fishy chat and throw an extra bag of ice on board, just in case. If you are primarily using plastics and jigs, that’s all good, however dead bait and berley still constitute the preferred method in this area. Think of the long-term effects on fish that got away with plastics stuck in their mouths or the undersize fish that have eaten the plastics and then been cut free. Will they survive to breed for the future? I haven’t seen enough research on this topic to satisfy me. At the moment, the future of fishing is looking good and dead bait is a tried and tested method over many millenia. The bait industry generates a massive economic boost to Australia from start of production to final sale. You can eat a good bait but can you eat a lure? Every island, from Jeffreys Rock to Hannah Rock, High Peak Island, the Percy Isles, Collins Island and all in between have been visited and fished in the past month. One champion fisher, Noelene Kime, caught the fish of the month, having hooked and landed over 50kg of monster spanish mackerel. Thanks for weighing it in mate! The Jeffreys have been kind, producing numerous snapper and spannos. Hexham Island group has held a mixture of grass sweetlip, mackerel, cod, spangled emperor and redthroat emperor, while cracking GTs and spannos are coming in around the Percys. Every species of reef fish, both big and small, has turned it on, but they turned it off just as quickly for some boats. Get to the bottom with loads of lead fellas, and take some female hormones because girls are known to pull in more fish. Until next time, enjoy the pics. If you need any other information, please do not hesitate to phone me at Stanage Bay Marine & Accommodation on 07 4937 3145 or email stana gebaymarine@bigpond. com
Red emperor are the pinnacle of reef fishing around Stanage.
A few monster muddies kept these boys fed.
Coral trout so close to land; does it get any better?
Big soft plastics are deadly on coral trout.
This flathead was a welcome surprise.
Stanage Bay Marine
oAccommodationoBaitoIce oTackle
Aparadise fisho's
Monster crabs
Awesome fishing stanagebay.com Call Von 07 4937 3145 Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 61
Ryan with a good size blue salmon. Josh, Chasten and Casey with Casey’s winning threadfin salmon.
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Eligh and his winning blue salmon.
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Page 62 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
Some years ago, the Endeavour Sport Fishing Club ran an excellent comp covering the Cooktown area. Unfortunately, it folded for various reasons after some truly fun and memorable events. After an absence of a few years, I recently got to take part in the rightly renowned Weipa Fishing Classic. This event was held over what was once the Queensland June long weekend (a holiday still for Weiparites), with a big roll-up, heaps of prizes (including for non-anglers) and a range of stalls selling fishing and outdoors products. There was even a stall from Cape York Natural Resource Management highlighting the great work being done to help maintain the ecological health of the region. Our fishing was a family affair. As previously, my son Josh, now a veteran fishing guide, ran us around possible productive spots without actually fishing himself. The ubiquitous winter southeasterly trade wind was fairly moderate for this time of year. In any case, his 6m Hooker made easy work of the chop as we sped upstream and into the calmer waters of the Embley River. Visitors to Cape York are often surprised at how late, relatively speaking, the sun rises in this part of the world. Look at a map, and you’ll see that Cape York lies along the same longitude as western Queensland, hence the time lag. The sun also sets much later than in southeast Queensland. Anyway, we stopped at a small island composed of shell grit as the sun was rising, where Josh scored a good haul of mullet in
Cape York by ‘BILLABONG’ BAZZ LYON
the cast net. The kids, as usual, were enthralled by the by-catch, which included some small barra and a juvenile shovelnose shark. Then it was time to skim into some side creeks and get down to business. The first spot saw plenty of action from small fingermark and bream of various sizes, so the kids had a ball. After some great fun, the skipper moved us into a smaller creek in the search for larger fish. Things were quiet apart from the usual pesky catfish, though we heard some happy hollers from another boat around the corner as they obviously scored something decent. A little patience paid off, with Josh’s wife Casey eventually hooking a cracking threadfin salmon that leapt about and repeatedly tore off line. She brought it to the boat and the fish was netted, to great cheering. That proved to be the only real highlight up the creeks. Back in the main river, we fished a gravelly bank and scored small to medium grunter and fingermark while enjoying the sight of crocodiles basking on the banks both up and downstream. The skipper then decided on a complete change of habitats, and moved further downstream to fish around one of the pylons. Good call! Queenies were in abundance, as were huge unstoppables that Josh called for jewfish, sharks to take some of the fun out of the party and a beautiful big groper that occasionally rose from the depths to say g’day. Then the blue salmon arrived, providing even more fun and fishing diversity.
Eventually we had to leave the fish biting to make it back in time for the weigh-in after what had been a great day. Casey’s threadie proved to be the daily winner, for which she scored a prize of a rod and reel – a great effort! The following day, the crew sped over to the Pine (while I went to work!) and young Eligh nailed a snodger 110cm jewfish off a rock bar. At that size it had to be released, however Eligh was still stoked. At the final weigh-in on Sunday night, Casey scored the biggest threadfin overall, and Eligh and Ryan won prizes for blue salmon and queenfish respectively. Overall it was an awesome event with great music and food – a winner for Weipa and those who attended. Otherwise, the barramundi fishing in fresh water on Cape York has slowed, as is usual for the cooler winter period. However, August is the seasonal turning point,
as the sun gradually gets stronger, the days longer and the water temperature slowly increases. Regardless, fishing sunny areas where the water is warmer can prove very productive, otherwise a move to tidal areas can pay off. Fish in estuaries are typically more active because they respond to tidal cycles, increasing the need to feed such activity. Earlier advice by the Bureau of Meteorology that an El Nino event (usually associated with reduced wet season rainfall in northern Australia) may be developing, has been cancelled. The warming of ocean temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific has eased and ‘neutral’ conditions are most likely. The trade winds have also remained at least at average level, which apparently helps keep the warmer water in the western Pacific. I’ll be brave and predict that with the current trade wind flow and the cold winter weather down south, Australia’s Top End will have a reasonable forthcoming wet season. In neutral ‘ENSO’ conditions, heavy rains are
typically confined to the north, instead of driving further south over the continent as happens when a La Nina cycle develops. As usual, travellers to the Cape should take care when driving gravel roads, particularly when corrugated. Vehicles typically have an optimum speed for gravel driving that may vary between makes and models. Once you’ve found that speed, things are a lot easier. It amazes us how many people drive in each other’s dust, as though they are scared of being left behind or something. As well as reducing visibility (and thus safety), the dust quickly fills up your vehicle’s air filter, reducing its efficiency. Engines do have to breathe! You’d be much better off dropping back half a kilometre or so. There’s nothing worse than abandoning a bush trip because of avoidable vehicle problems – and it happens often. See you out bush – this is one of the best times of year in the far north!
The boys were about to release a shovelnose shark.
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4WDING & off - road
The Milk Carton parked up on the Great Ocean Road.
Bald Knob Lookout put on a show.
Patrol trippin’ – Great Ocean Road T HIS month I thought it would be a good idea to introduce you to the ‘Milk Carton’ – Flexible 4WD Solutions’ own 2008 GU Nissan Patrol! Yes, I know what you’re thinking, the Milk Carton; what the? The name came about during one of our infamous trips where a mate randomly burst into laughter and once he calmed down simply said: “It’s a milk carton because it’s big, white and three litres.” It simply stuck! Before jumping into our experience, I’d like to chat about the basics of buying a second-hand fourwheel-drive. Before you start looking for your next (or first) rig, have a think about what you need and what you want out of it. Work out what you are primarily going to be using the rig for. There’s no point getting a single-cab HiLux with 500kg leaf springs when you never tow but want to go off-road every weekend. If you aren’t the only person driving the car, have a chat to your partner about what they feel comfortable driving and parking. Ensure you have a solid idea of your budget and keep an open mind when looking for vehicles. Remember to do your research on the make and model and find out what
4WD Buying Guide by GREG BELL
common faults they suffer from. An easy way to do this is to join relevant Facebook groups and online forums. It takes next to no time to make a quick post asking what to look out for, and most members will be more than happy to share their knowledge. An example of a commonly missed check on GU Patrols is the radiator crossmembers, which are renowned for rusting. On D22 Navaras, to determine worn steering components and hard offroad use, check for a triangular notch in the chassis rail directly behind the front left wheel. Once you’ve narrowed your search down to a few options, do some research on the going prices and work out what year and model you can realistically buy within your budget and then mock up some insurance quotes. Young enthusiasts are often caught out when buying their dream car. After spending upwards of $20,000, many then find out their new pride and joy is going to cost $2000 a year to insure, which sure can be disheartening! For Flexible 4WD Solutions, the Milk Carton represents a sense of adventure, even if we’re not
hitting the dirt. Although we loved our well-known D22 Navara, we decided it was time for something with more space, comfort, coil springs and a blank canvas upon which to create our dream tourer. As we looked into buying our new car, we made the bold decision to make it a memorable experience, and what better way to do so than to turn a purchase into an adventure! So we expanded our search south to Melbourne and soon enough found the perfect canvas. It was a tidy ZD30 CRD Patrol with low kilometres and a few little goodies already fitted. In the blink of an eye, my girlfriend Sammy and I were checking in at Brisbane Airport to fly down to Melbourne with everything needed for an epic road trip: two sleeping bags, two pillows and a bag full of clothes. Bring it on! If you are like us and live for adventure, there’s a few things you need to add to your checklist before booking flights. First, jump online and do a PPSR check on the vehicle. Such checks are vital for you to know if the car has been in a significant accident or if the owner is
trying to flog it off when they still owe money on the car. Second, have a chat with locals of the area you’ll be visiting and ask them to recommend quality mechanical shops. A comprehensive mechanical check will cost roughly $150 and any legitimate seller will be happy to facilitate this. While we were preparing for our trip south, our Melbourne mate from Chomps Customs was performing swift work on ‘the Squid’, a TD42T GU Patrol, just so he could pick us up from Melbourne Airport and be our chauffeur for the day. Soon enough, we were crawling all over the prospective purchase, hoping the mechanic who completed our pre-purchase inspection gave us good advice and we wouldn’t be heading home emptyhanded. Well it turned out to be exactly what we had been looking for! Regardless of a prepurchase inspection completed by a mechanic, it
is still vitally important to do your own checks before handing over the cash. Always make sure you take a torch and take your time. Start by walking around the car and ensuring all the panels line up. Check for poor-quality or bubbling paint and rust spots, particularly in the wheel arches and door trims. For cars with roof racks, stand up on the sills or a ladder and check the roof for rust drippings. Look through the engine bay using your torch and check for oil residue and fluid leaks, and check the fluid levels and quality of the fluids. If the engine bay smells like paint or degreaser or is extraordinarily clean compared to the rest of the car, then start asking questions. I always recommend climbing underneath the car to check for leaks, worn bushes and rust. While you are under there, poke a finger into ☛ continued P64
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0401 221 596 Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 63
C AMPING & outdoors Patrol trippin’ – Great Ocean Road ☛ from P63
the chassis rails because any four-wheel-drive that has been driven on the beach or done significant off-road driving will have evidence in the chassis rails. Most importantly, if you aren’t convinced, walk away. Always trust your gut. Before the big trek home, it was time for a coolant change and a quick trip to the shops to buy our bed for the week – a foam mattress shoved in the back of the GU. However, we soon found out the rear seat latch had broken and we were unable to fold the seats all the way forward. Time to get creative, and eight 24-packs of water from ALDI later the gap in the Patrol’s boot was filled perfectly. Instead of heading straight up into the Victorian High Country and on to home, we decided to hit the Great Ocean Road and check out the Twelve (or not-so twelve anymore) Apostles. After a lot of stuffing around, we hit the road just after dark, which was an interesting experience to say the least… buying a new car and then immediately venturing down unknown windy roads on a dark and stormy night. We didn’t really plan ahead for a place to stay that night, so had to make a few quick phone calls as we travelled down the iconic Great Ocean Road. Unbeknown to us, the only campsite able to take us in that late at night turned out to be the most beautiful campsite we had ever seen. From the moment we woke to see our surroundings, we were in complete awe, with beautiful green grass, sheer cliffs and a pristine flowing creek surrounding our camp. After spending the morning
What a view!
The not-so Twelve Apostles.
taking in the view, we ventured on to the Twelve Apostles. What a stunning drive, even though we had picked the most miserable day weather wise. After battling with the elements and taking in the beautiful sights, it was time to start the 1900km trip home. This is when we began to truly fall in love with the big GU, but the romance was short lived as we noticed the big girl feeling sluggish. Sure enough, a tyre valve had let go and we were running on a flat. Luckily, in a small town we were able to find spare valves and fix the tyre before heading off again. The next day, we stopped in to see our good mate who I introduced last month, Paul from Jetn Fabrications. Paul was nice enough to put us up for a couple of days while we explored Wollongong and caught up with the guys in the area. It’s awesome to have such good mates spread across the country who are always willing to catch up and have a good time. With some guidance from Paul, we found an amazing restaurant with a stunning view overlooking Wollongong,
which definitely made for the most scenic ice cream we had ever eaten. Sadly, our time on the road was limited because new car parts awaited our arrival at home, so back to Brisbane we went. After a 14-hour drive, we hit Brisbane, but it wasn’t quite home time yet. What was supposed to be a quick stop at Autobarn ended up being a free-for-all! About $600 later, we left with everything we needed to service the new rig and start our build. Wasting time is never an option for us at Flexible 4WD Solutions. The Milk Carton spent less than 24 hours in our driveway before it was fitted up with new gauges, upgraded drag links, Performance Suspension Racing heavy-duty tie rods and a shiny new Dobinsons 2” lift kit. The team at Flexible 4WD Solutions thrives on spontaneous adventure. No matter what we are doing, we ensure we make it a memorable experience. For 4WDing advice and to keep following our adventures, jump on Facebook and like Flexible 4WD Solutions.
A storm rolled in over the Great Ocean Road.
Rhino-Rack’s new folding ladder
W A beautiful flowing creek alongside the author’s campsite.
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4WD & Island Tours
HETHER you’re a seasoned offroader or just your average weekend explorer, the new Aluminium Folding Ladder from Rhino-Rack is the ideal accessory to access those hard-to-reach items on top of your vehicle without straining your back. It connects to the edge of your Rhino-Rack Pioneer System on either side, making it easy to reach rooftop items. Given the unpredictable terrain you can often find yourself in while off-roading, the Aluminium Folding Ladder is designed to be sturdy in all environments. The extra-wide and adjustable feet are crafted for stability on soft and uneven ground and they allow the ladder to extend up to 2.325m in height. The Aluminium Folding Ladder can be installed on any side of the vehicle for convenience and unfolds at an angle to prevent any contact with your vehicle. If your vehicle is packed to the brim, the ladder can fold
down to a compact 1.06m for easy storage. It is also lightweight, making it easy to install, remove and pack away. Constructed from aluminium with a black powder coat finish, the Aluminium Folding Ladder is strong, durable and built to last a lifetime. Extremely weather resistant, it will not rust or deteriorate when exposed to all kinds of conditions, which is ideal for those unpredictable weather events that tend to occur on weekend adventures. It is also finished with
quality hardware, including alloy construction with case steel hinges. It is compatible with the Rhino-Rack Pioneer Tray/ Platform/Tradie. Locking pin, mounting brackets and hardware are included. Additional brackets are sold separately under part number 43217 RUFLB for convenient storage outside the vehicle. The Rhino-Rack Aluminium Folding Ladder has a RRP of $329. For more information on the entire Rhino-Rack range, head to rhinorack.com.au
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C AMPING & outdoors
Trip to the tip
■ Cape York adventure – part one
A
FTER significant planning and co-ordination, our trip to Cape York started in the first weeks of July as we accessed four weeks of leave to complete our journey to the tip and back. The four weeks allowed us brief stopovers in areas we had identified as places of interest. Like fishing, trip planning requires a number of stars to align to make the adventures possible. We had to schedule our journey after the July school holidays because one of our daughters had sporting commitments in Brisbane. And so the plan began to gel. My son Lachy and I were to travel from Bundaberg to Cairns over two days to then rendezvous with my wife Carolyn and daughter Danielle who were able to access cheap flights from Brisbane with an early booking. From here our real holiday journey would commence. Luckily, all went to plan, with Lachy and I reaching our pre-booked accommodation at our motel in Mackay after an uneventful seven-hour journey. Being a weekend seemed to be a bonus because the numerous roadworks had no activity, meaning fewer stops for us. A quick catch-up with relatives saw Lachy and I having an early night after a busy week preparing followed by the drive from Bundy to Mackay. A bit of a sleep-in to 7.30am the next morning had us working hard to get away by 8am and commence the second stage of our journey from Mackay to Cairns, a longer journey than the previous day. Again, another uneventful trip of nine hours saw us reach our overnight accommodation in Cairns. Lachy and I parked our camper and Nissan Patrol in the secure park and relaxed as we awaited the arrival of the rest of our party via the airport shuttle. A quick catch-up on family news saw us call it an early night in preparation for the journey tomorrow. Our destination was to be Eddie’s Camp at Elim Beach, north of Cooktown and not too far from Hope Vale. This is a lovely piece of paradise traditional owner Eddie Deemal shares with www.bnbfishing.com. au
Northern Adventure by BRAD YOUNG
visitors at a cost of $10 per person, per night, with children under 12 free. The journey to Elim Beach was via Cooktown. Unfortunately, as we were running a little behind schedule, we did not have the opportunity to visit the museum and other attractions in Cooktown. Maybe next time! On arrival at Elim Beach, we were greeted by Eddie and his offsider who gave us the run-down on campsites, suggesting we select a camp close to the tree line along the southern end of the large camping area to shelter from the strong wind expected over the duration of our stay. The two toilet/shower blocks provided flushing toilets and cold showers at the end of the day. Ice and cold drinks were on offer and Telstra mobile service was also available. After setting up camp, the kids played on the rustic swings tied up high onto a couple of trees, one consisting of a large orange inflatable buoy that most likely originally washed up onto the beach and the other simply a piece of timber with a rope tied around the middle. Both gave the two kids endless fun. With the strong wind blowing, fishing was not on the menu, so we opted to attempt a journey to Cape Bedford and then travel northward to the Coloured Sands. Our journey to Cape Bedford was cut short as we crossed paths with another couple on their return journey who explained how they had become stuck and required assistance to winch them out of their predicament. They also said the track deteriorated even further as it progressed. A quick family vote saw us do a U-turn and head back to the north of Eddie’s Camp to have a look at the Coloured Sands. These consist of spectacular sandhills of various colours, with the best examples in an area with a small ‘gorge’ where the running water has cut through the sand. Here the full range of colours could easily be seen. The two kids also en-
joyed climbing a very steep and high sandhill to get a great all-round view of the countryside. I made it about a third of the way before running out of steam and oxygen while Mum stayed in the air-conditioned car. Along this beach many a vehicle has become caught in the quicksandlike areas, ignoring the warnings in place. Eddie now bluntly warns that if you require a recovery tow, it will cost $2000 because the crew is becoming tired of the number of travellers who ignore the warnings. The next morning saw us packing up to prepare for our journey to Kalpowar Crossing in Lakefield National Park. After heading back to Hope Vale to fuel up, we picked up the beginning of Battlecamp Rd and carried on to Kalpower Crossing, a journey of about four hours over mixed road conditions with bitumen stretches, graded sections of dirt road and a couple of small bulldust holes. We picked up a mobile tower near the new Laura Ranger Station and caught up with family and our friends who were due to join us after a minor breakdown as they began traversing the Bloomfield
Track. It was great to have camp set up early in the afternoon so we could enjoy the area around us. As the sun began to set, I checked that we could lock onto the Optus C1 satellite for State of Origin game three later that night. I had come prepared for both the Origin and Wimbledon tennis finals by buying a portable satellite kit. I must acknowledge Access Antennas on Logan Rd, Underwood for the staff’s fantastic service and help to ensure I could watch the games in such isolated locations. Our ‘neighbours’ joined us for the game too. There was something special about being so isolated but still able to take in this history-making match. Boy, what a game. With a second night here, we took in some of the local points of interest and awaited the arrival of our friends. The next part of our journey will see us heading to Archer River, restock in Lockhart River and then move on to Chilli Beach before returning to travel north to Bramwell Station and beyond. I have to go now because the water temperature is about to peak here at Kalpowar Crossing and I want to flick a few lures around to see if I can interest a barra! Until next month…
Shaded campsites overlooked the beach at Eddie’s Camp.
Eddie’s Camp at Elim Beach was a relaxing two-night stopover on the way to Cape York.
Amazing scenery abounds in Queensland’s far north.
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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 65
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DAM LEVELS CURRENT AS OF 12/06/2017
DAMS
PERCENTAGE
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN Atkinson 5 5 5 9 7 6 84 Awoonga 82 80 104 100 100 Bjelke-Petersen * 28 23 20 25 24 24 Boondooma * 38 36 37 54 52 51 Borumba * 72 72 67 82 82 82 Burdekin Falls * 95 101 104 105 97 99 Callide * 69 66 62 93 92 90 Cania * 77 74 70 81 99 98 81 Coolmunda * 75 84 100 98 97 Dyer/Bill Gunn * 7 7 7 20 10 9 Eungella * 100 101 100 101 100 100 Fairbairn * 46 45 43 46 44 43 Glenlyon * 70 68 63 76 75 76 Hinze * 95 93 95 105 100 101 Julius 104 99 100 97 94 91 Kinchant * 93 95 93 88 84 86 Leslie * 18 17 16 19 18 18 Macdonald * 62 56 58 101 99 98 Maroon * 99 98 97 100 99 99 89 Monduran/Fred Haigh * 85 82 104 101 100 Moogerah * 90 87 86 102 100 99 North Pine/Samsonvale * 56 54 52 73 71 70 Peter Faust/Proserpine * 60 60 58 70 75 78 76 Somerset * 75 74 76 76 76 Teemburra * 99 101 100 101 100 100 Tinaroo * 39 45 48 54 50 50 88 Toonumbar 81 79 100 100 103 Wivenhoe * 72 71 69 75 73 71 Wuruma * 81 81 77 100 99 98 Wyaralong * 99 97 98 100 100 99 For updates on dams, visit sunwater.com.au or seqwater.com.au *This symbol indicates that a Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish these dams.
www.livelyluresonline.com.au
Page 66 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
Change in colour can bring on a bite We’ve seen a few days where many fish have been caught but most days it has proved difficult to even get a bite. The fish have started to school but are moving around and where you find them one day may not be where they are the next. The schooled fish have generally been pretty quick to eat lures presented to them, so if they haven’t had a go after 10-15 minutes, it’s probably a good idea to move. Moving the boat off the fish underneath you and casting back at them is always worth a try before driving away to another spot. It’s quite likely that most of your day on Somerset could be spent driving around looking for active fish. Soft plastics such as 3” Slider Grubs as well as tailspinners, spoons and blades have all worked well, but ice jigs seem to be the most successful. Colour hasn’t appeared to be a major factor but be prepared to try different colours if you can’t get a bite. When the fishing is tough or inconsistent like it has been, it can often be a subtle change of colour that brings on a bite. For trolling anglers, the timbered area has produced reasonably well, everywhere from the start of the timber above Kirkleagh right up to the boat ramp at Villeneuve. We haven’t seen cricket score
Somerset Dam by ANDREW MITCHELL
catches but anglers have landed some big fish, and especially yellowbelly, with a few 60cmplus fish hitting decks. Running your lures at 2.5-3.5km/h in 6-8m of water on the edge of the riverbed has been the best bet. The Blue Ice coloured Smak hard-bodies have accounted for a lot of fish in the timber over the past couple of weeks. If you can get your trolling lures down to 12-14m, then Red Rock and the edge of the riverbed at Brads Bank are worth a try. Even the steeper drop-offs towards the Spit have worked. Quite a few fish have been suspended at this depth in these locations and mid-afternoon has proved really fruitful on the right day. We had a few Victorians fish the dam recently and they were very capable of using downriggers to get the depth needed from their lures to successfully target the fish. After deliberation at the shop and a couple of unsuccessful days for us at the dam, we decided to go and test out their downriggers. I must say I haven’t learnt as much about trolling in my whole life as I did in the few hours these kind fellows spent with me, so a big thanks to Geoff and Charles for their pointers. I knew where fish were holding in deeper water and these guys had the equipment and knowledge on how to tempt the fish with something they probably hadn’t seen a lot of. It takes about five minutes to get set up and have your lures running at the right depth, yet we still managed to boat 15 fish in an hour and yes that meant a double hook-up just about every time the lures reached the correct depth and
started working how Geoff and Charles wanted them to. It’s safe to say I was impressed with the understanding these guys had of what their lures were doing. I hope I can put to good use some of the techniques they showed me over coming months. The 30-odd fish we caught over the few hours seemed like an absolute miracle given I hadn’t heard of a single fish being caught the previous few days and even on the day we were fishing. I would highly recommend downrigging. It proved its worth to me in an afternoon I’ll never forget. I think the dam impressed the two Victorians as well. Geoff beat his PB bass by 15cm with a giant 54cm fork length fish and Charles managed a 51cm to beat his PB by 7cm. I can’t wait for the guys to come back next year. For bait anglers, the timber around the pumping station, the mouth of Sandy Creek and the flats at Pelican Point have been the best areas. Live shrimp have out-fished other baits by far, however if using worms or saltwater yabbies, the start of the timber above Kirkleagh is still producing yellowbelly. The next couple of months should really see the fishing improve at Somerset. The bass will start to fatten up from now through to late September/early October. I think we will see big fish over the coming months and I’ll be sure to keep you posted. If you’re heading out to the dam, don’t be too shy to stop in and see us for the latest info on what’s happening on the dam and all your tackle needs. www.bnbfishing.com. au
Alex fished with his dad Bill and they both got barra.
Judy with a 40cm bass.
Slow and steady retrieves working in winter
C
ONSI DER I NG it’s the middle of winter, the weather around Gin Gin has been very warm, with most days ticking all the boxes for a great time on the water. The water temperature has been above 20C, there’s been a light breeze on Lake Monduran and the sun is keeping the water warm and the barra hungry. Bird Bay is the first bay you come to when
Monduran Dam by DONNA GANE
heading out from the boat ramp and it has shallows and weed growth that can make it an ideal place to catch barramundi at this time of year. Insane Bay is a bit further up the dam but can be worth the trip. Winter impoundment fishing is about finding
the warm, shallow bays to cast in. The afternoons until about 7pm are best. You will often find barra on the bite about half an hour either side of sunset when the water is still warm from the afternoon sun. The many hours of cast-
Bill with a barra he caught the day after his trip with Lake Monduran Barra Charters. Bill used the information he got from the charter to find and hook barra.
ing and retrieving are definitely worth it once you feel that bite on your line and adrenalin kicks in. It is an experience that keeps anglers coming back to Lake Monduran again and again. Plenty of stealth is needed to get those bigger barra to bite in winter and using soft plastics has been the go of late. Barra can be wary of noisy boats and in winter the water is calmer and clearer than ever, making them extra cautious. It will take at least half an hour for the fish to come back on the bite if disturbed. To maximise your fishing time and get the best results, start using your electric motor about 200m out from your selected fishing spot and allow the wind to help drift your boat into position before tying up to one of the many dead trees. It is very important to be courteous and stay well clear (100-200m) from other boats. Keen barra anglers get quite upset if you cruise in making a lot of noise, especially if the barra are on the bite. Soft plastics have been the flavour of the past few weeks, with slow and steady retrieves working best. Mix these retrieves up
with some hops and pauses. The lure needs to be in the barra’s faces for them to bite. No bites in about an hour might mean it is time to quietly move to another spot. The Zerek Flat Shad is one of the most popular soft plastics and it comes in a wide variety of sizes and colours. Plastics including Squidgy Slick Rigs, Threadybusters and the new Reidy’s Fish Snakz vibe will all get results too. Thanks to Jamie Bein from Lake Monduran Barra Charters for the great photos of catches this past month. Congratulations to Judy, Bill and Alex on their awesome captures. If you need a charter on Monduran, Jamie is the man. As you can see from the photos, his charters are very successful, even during winter. A charter presents a great way to learn how to fish Lake Monduran and find and catch the elusive impoundment barra. Don’t forget to pop into the shop when passing through Gin Gin for all the latest news on Lake Monduran and to grab a lure or two. Happy fishing.
Catch a Catty Family Fishing Competition
T
HE Paradise Stocking Association is holding its seventh Catch a Catty Family Fishing Competition on August 26 and 27, 2017.
A boat package is up for grabs for the senior major draw on Sunday and the junior major draw is a kayak. The competition is held at Mingo Crossing Caravan and Recreational Park on Gayndah Mount Perry Rd. Mingo Crossing is part of Paradise Dam on the Burnett River. The main fishing category is heaviest catfish for both seniors and juniors. Other fishing categories are golden perch, silver perch, bass, spangled
perch and sleepy cod. The longest barra has $1000 on its head but barra have eluded anglers in past competitions. Maybe this is the year a cracking barra will be caught. A trophy will be presented to the champion angler on Sunday. This award is decided by the highest overall weight of all species caught by anglers. A junior was the champion last year, so look out seniors because he is out to win again this year. The very popular lucky draw prizes will be given away at 6pm on Saturday and noon on Sunday before the presentation of the major winners for
the weekend. The caretakers at Mingo Crossing have said fish have been biting well, with quite a few golden perch caught recently, so it looks like this will be a very successful event. Running the competition would not be possible without the generous support from the major sponsors Tackle World Bundaberg, Barra Havoc Gin Gin, Bundaberg Marineland and Koastal Kayaks. Road Tech Marine Bundaberg has also donated a solar panel as the major raffle prize for the weekend. Numerous other sponsors have generously donated too, which is greatly appreciated by
the event organisers. At the event will be tackle stalls, a coffee van, a camping stall and a cake stall. The kiosk at the park will have plenty of bait and ice to keep you going. The stocking association will hold a barbecue that will be running from Friday night right through to Sunday lunch. This is an exciting family competition and to be able to participate you only have to register. You do not need to fish to win a lucky draw prize, you only need to be present to collect it. Registration costs are $25 per adult, $5 per junior (15 years and un-
der) and $50 for a family of two adults and two juniors (each additional junior is $5). Registration forms can be picked up from the major sponsors, or for further information phone Beppie on 07 4156 3185, Ruth on 07 4127 7252 or email jnrrok@ gmail.com An early bird entry prize offer closes on August 21. Registration can also be paid at Tackle World Bundaberg. Put the dates in your calendar for this exciting family weekend. No permit is required to fish.
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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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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 67
Warm winter days bring flats to life W A successful session on the flats resulted in these two cracking bass.
Dam manager Corey scored a great bass from the edge on a 1/2oz Bassman Spinnerbait in colour 31.
The author with the results of moving around Boondooma’s many weed edges. Jerkbaiting is a fun way to fish at this time of year.
2 Dams 1 Destination www.discoversouthburnett.com.au
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Yallakool Park on Bjelke-Petersen Dam Ph (07) 4168 4746 www.yallakoolpark.com.au Lake Boondooma Caravan & Recreation Park Ph (07) 4168 9694 www.lakeboondooma.com.au Page 68 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
INTER is finally in full swing, which is a good thing because it’s been unseasonably warm this year and the fish have been sitting deeper than usual.
With the cold finally here, the edge bite is heating up and you’ll need to pull yourself away from the campfire for that crisp run up the dam to your first fishing spot. It’s been a great month for fishing our inland impoundments, especially Boondooma and Barambah lakes, with great catches of native fish coming from all over the dams. Lake Boondooma Early mornings on Boondooma have been crisp and very still and the best place to start your day is flicking lures on the edge. Here, you’ve got a few options. The first is to stop at one of the many weed beds that have developed around the fringes of the dam and start throwing jerkbaits. The secret is to choose a 6070mm jerkbait in a bright colour that suspends when paused during the retrieve. My lure of choice is the Nories Laydown Minnow. The best method is to cast the lure to the weed edge and slowly roll it down. Twitch the lure a couple of times once it’s down to swimming depth and repeat this process continuously, making sure you add lots of pauses in between. The bass have been cruising through the weed and smashing any small jerkbait presented as I mentioned. Make sure you’re ready for the bite because the bass absolutely hammer these lures in the weed. It’s a fun way to fish but you must be patient and move around to a few spots if you’re not having much luck early on. Option two is finding a steep rocky edge with laydown timber on it. These edges have been producing great fish. Both the Boyne and Stuart arms have such ledges and it’s worth taking the time to fish them well with lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits. It’s a good idea to do this as early as you can because the fish tend to become very wary as the sun comes out. Once the sun is well up and the day is starting to warm, you could head to the main basin. The basin has been holding good schools of big bass. These fish are cautious during the morning and I can only put this down to the cooler water temperature and lack of warming sunlight. However, after lunch when the water warms, these fish majorly switch on. The best spots to check are the Junction through to Pelican Point, Leisegangs Ledge and the Barbers Pole. Cast 1/4oz to 3/8oz blades and let them sink to the bottom before beginning a slow retrieve.
Freshwater Impoundments by MATTHEW LANGFORD
Once the sun is well up and the day is starting to warm, you could head to the main basin. The basin has been holding good schools of big bass. Let the lure sink to the bottom occasionally through the retrieve. Also, don’t discount tailspinners, with 12g being the best. Cast out, let the tailspinner sink to the bottom and then begin a slow lift and pause retrieve all the way back to the boat. The fish will usually hit the lure when it’s sinking back to the bottom. Trollers are getting good yellowbelly in the arms on deepdiving hard-bodies. Troll in close to the timber of the rocks in the Boyne arm. Bait fishers, your best bet is to fish the trees in the arms in 6-9m of water with live shrimp, worms and yabbies. Great reports of good numbers of big red claw are coming in, with dog biscuits and soft vegetables proving to be perfect baits for opera house pots. Place your pots just wide of the weed beds and you should get a feed. Lake Barambah Lake Barambah has gone a little quiet of late but that’s not unusual for this time of year and decent fish can still be captured if you’re persistent and hit the right areas. Unlike Boondooma, the bass and yellowbelly have been caught well out on the deeper flats. Look for fish on flats in the main basin in 4.5-7.5m of water. Once you locate a school in this depth, begin throwing Ecogear ZX40 blades. These little lures are very versatile and can be fished by jigging vertically or casting and hopping them back to the boat. Small hops are the secret because the fish have been quite tentative during the day. Yellowbelly can still be tar-
geted but you’ll need to hit areas with cover to find them. Look for rocky edges, trees or a mixture of both. Jig blades and ice jigs around any trees or structure or cast spinnerbaits into the pockets around the edges and trees and you’re very likely to catch a few. Trollers are still catching fish but things can be a little slow at this time of year. Be aware that the trees in the back of the dam are no longer an option because the water is very shallow and you will ground your boat. The best options for trolling are the main lake points. Deep-diving hard-bodies and blades are good choices. Red claw are still active but make sure you let your pots soak long enough. If you’re staying at either of the parks, an overnight soak will be plenty of time to get a good feed of reddies. Park news Winter is an awesome time of year to be out camping, especially sitting around the campfire telling stories. Both parks are great places to stay, so make sure you plan a trip out our way soon. If you’re camping, please make sure you use an existing fireplace near your camp. If not, please see the manager for an approved fire drum. Wood can’t be collected from the park, so make sure you bring your own. The nine smaller cabins at Barambah are having a facelift and will be finished by the September school holidays. Don’t hesitate to call and book now to be one of the first to check them out and experience the improvements. That’s a wrap for this month. Until next time, tight lines and bent rods.
The Ecogear ZX40 blade has been a standout of late when fished slowly over the flats.
www.bnbfishing.com. au
Dane Radosevic picked up his first title in the Pro division.
Daniel McCoy and a couple of bass after his second-place Co-Angler finish.
JML Anglers Alliance St Clair Classic
P
EOPLE generally associate July with a time to stay indoors and prepare for spring.
However, in the three tournaments we recently ran during the coldest part of the year, the fishing was hot. First, we headed south to Lake St Clair for the final instalment of the NSW rounds of the Atomic B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Series, and a young man from Hervey Bay claimed his first title in the JML Anglers Alliance St Clair Classic. Dane Radosevic had already achieved one of the most prestigious trophies in Australian fishing circles by claiming the Samurai Rods Angler of the Year title in 2015, beating some of the greats in the process, but
B.A.S.S. Australia Nation by DREW McGRATH
until this tournament he hadn’t secured a win in the class. After a very confident pre-fish, Dane went out and smashed the field by a comfortable 740g using his goto Z-Man Slim SwimZ 2.5” rigged on a Tackle Tactics DemonZ 1/6oz jig head with a super-sharp 1/0 hook. Dane fished this presentation to the edges through the entire tournament. Using a shake and retrieve technique, Dane has perfected this type of angling and relies on some critical gear to make the
Co-Angler Rob Tilley scored his maiden win.
Felippe Gapski took out the title at the Smak Lures Lake Macdonald Kayak Round.
lure move the way he wants it to. Dane matched a Shimano Stradic Ci4+ 1000 spooled with Shimano Mission Complete 12lb braid to a Shimano Zodias JDM 270UL and his leader of choice was Shimano Ocea Fluorocarbon in 6lb, which allowed him enough strength to pull the bass away from the weed while not standing out in the crystal-clear water of St Clair. Instantly qualifying for the Atomic Championship scheduled to be held on Lake Boondooma in August, Dane is now mentally capable of going all the way and pushing hard for the title that is so sought after by so many anglers. In second place was a new angler to the Pro ranks. Jye Clayden from Cessnock, NSW did an amazing job and was in contention to take out a win in his first outing. Jye also chose the Z-Man Slim SwimZ and used his Bloodworm-coloured plastic over the weekend, fishing the backs of bays with heavily weeded banks. He used a Shimano Stradic on a Millerods Control Freak and
rigged the plastic on a Berkley 1/6oz Dam Deep jig head. Rounding out the top three was Dean Silvester who claimed another cheque and also the Samurai Angler of the Year title, making this his third in four years. The question now remains, is Dean the best angler Australia has ever seen? And who is going to step up and challenge the dominance from the hardest-working angler in the country? Dean used a combination of techniques including Keitech Easy Shiners fished in combination with Berkley Dam Deep jig heads over patches of weeds near or on the shoreline. His go-to setup for plastics involved an N.S Black Hole 702L matched with a Quantum Smoke PTiA 25 spooled with Sunline PE-Egi 0.6PE and topped off with 5lb Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon. In the Co-Angler division, Robert Tilley claimed his first title, with Daniel McCoy in second place and Colin Linton rounding out the top three. Robert used a mixture of jerkbaits to catch his limits including the Rapala X-Rap and Daiwa Double Clutch presented near or on top of the weed beds around St Clair’s beautiful shorelines.
Alan Britcliffe claimed second place and the Tonic Big Bass of the event.
Smak Lures Lake Macdonald Kayak Round
T
HE Native Watercraft Kayak Series skipped into top gear recently, with 26 anglers hitting the shores of Lake Macdonald for the Smak Lures Round in southeast Queensland.
An angler who hasn’t been fishing for bass for very long, Felippe Gapski, took out the title after using a combination of different blades around the Three Ways area and locating fish on his electronics. With variable weather, the anglers found the lake produced in some sessions but was www.bnbfishing.com. au
B.A.S.S. Australia Nation by DREW McGRATH
really tough in others, proving bass really like steady weather for a consistent bite. Felippe landed cracking bass and won a brand-new Native Watercraft Slayer Propel 10 in the process. He pipped his good friend Alan Britcliffe who also managed to catch the Tonic Big Bass of the event, landing a cracking
1.81kg Macdonald bass. Rounding out the top three was Greg Rigby who made a great comeback after having a tough first session to really put the pressure on the leaders. With only one round to go in the kayak series, seven anglers are still capable of taking out the Native Watercraft Kayak Angler of the Year title, so stay
tuned for the results. Next month we will have all the details on the motackle. com.au AOY Clash to be held on Bjelke-Petersen Dam in the South Burnett region. One Co-Angler is going to win the title and also a trip to the US to compete in the 2018 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship. With quite a few anglers still able to take out the title, this event will be one of the hottest all year, so look out for the blow-by-blow highlights at bassaustralia.com.au
Colin Linto claimed third in the Co-Angler division.
Dean Silvester is the number-one bass angler in Australia.
Jye Clayden pushed the pros all the way in the St Clair Classic.
Greg Rigby finished third.
Felippe with his bass from the first session.
Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 69
The iconic Mary River cod L AST month I reported on the recent fingerling release in Borumba Dam by the Lake Borumba Fish Stocking Association.
I touched on numbers and species released, which included the iconic Mary River cod. This fish is on the endangered species list and the local fish stocking association is determined to achieve a sustainable healthy population. In future I hope we may see a one-fish bag limit and a legal size limit but
A typical Mary River cod sign seen throughout the Mary Valley region.
The iconic Mary River cod.
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BRIDGE CHALLENGE
Fish History
by PAUL ‘CHIEF’ GRAVESON
at the moment Mary River cod is a no-take species. Mary River cod are stocked in a number of other southeast Queensland dams such as Cressbrook, Hinze, Somerset, Wivenhoe and Moogerah. In each of these dams a bag limit of one Mary River cod and a minimum size limit of 50cm applies. Due to their iconic status in the Mary River region and other local bodies of water, it is important to know a little of the background of this majestic fish. Most of the information we have on spawning has been gathered by observing captive fish in hatcheries. So far we know spawning usually occurs in spring when the fish come together in breeding pairs. It is believed the female deposits her eggs into a submerged hollow log and the male then stands guard over the area until the offspring hatch into 5-7mm larvae. He will continue to guard his brood for a further seven to nine days until the small fish leave the nest in search of food. Anglers who frequent the Mary Valley region should take the time to read the signs relevant to the cod, which are erected on river and creek banks throughout the valley. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed the sign at Borumba Dam boat ramp was not replaced after the ramp upgrade. Mary River cod have the potential to grow to a sizeable 40kg, but reading through past records it seems one of the biggest cod caught tipped the scales at 23.5kg. Most fish encountered today seem to be around 70cm and 5kg. The cod naturally occurred in the Mary River, Yabba Creek and Borumba Dam bodies of water. The extremely predatory natives prefer to hold in
the tangled snags located in deep holes and under the cover of shaded tree banks. Slow-flowing water is their preferred hunting environment. I was a little dubious at first of the Mary River cod being a unique species and not one from the same gene pool as other more prevalent cod such as the Murray cod. Although they look very similar, a number of markers make Mary River cod unique. Looking over historic records, fish were previously caught all the way from Kenilworth and Obi Obi Creek north to Tiaro at the Mary River. The same records show the pressure placed on the cod by set line fishing and gelignite blasting and how numbers declined drastically by 1960. It is very sad to see these iconic fish were once targeted for use as pig feed. It seemed the cod were extremely plentiful from 1820 to 1930 and still held sustainable numbers while under European settlement. Direct human intervention has been a major factor in their depletion but even indirect effects such as early farming and development contributed to the silting up of many ideal cod habitats throughout the Mary River and many of its feeder creeks. Today we’re depending on hatcheries and fish stocking groups to help increase numbers and prevent these fish becoming extinct. As anglers, the best thing we can do is not specifically target Mary River cod. If you catch one, it is important to release the fish as quickly and carefully as possible. I can only dream of the future when I see the big cod action that has unfolded in northern NSW in recent years. I’m reminded of this by
Jamie Jones and partner Nicky Cruickshank who have been catching and releasing monster Murray cod around their neck of the woods. I’ve recently lobbied the local Gympie Regional Council to continue funding for fish stocking associations and will also follow up on more and upgraded signage. As usual, 99.9 percent of anglers do the right thing when it comes to sustainability and conservation and while I’m quite happy to take home a feed of fish, it irritates me to see heavy set lines used in country areas. It is illegal to fish using set lines in Queensland, and if you do stumble across such lines, you should report them to the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116. It is always a pleasure to see anglers visiting our rivers and creeks from Kenilworth to Dagun and enjoying this fantastic country environment. Just a note though: be careful on our country roads. Property owners do their best to have adequate fencing and look after stock but some of our bovine population seem to think the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I’ve witnessed stock out by the roadside around Federal and just before Chinaman Gully, which is a common route taken by anglers towing boats to access the valley. There was an incident recently where a young chap in a four-wheel-drive hit a cow on Kandanga Imbil Rd while travelling at about 90km/h. He was uninjured but his vehicle was a little worse for wear and the cow passed away. Mary Valley is cattle country, so keep that in mind when travelling through. It may be a rare incident but it’s worth thinking about, especially if you’re arriving during the evening. Until next time, tight lines and see you around our valley. Cheers, Chief.
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Mary River cod are often hooked as by-catch while chasing after freshwater species and should be promptly released
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Double hook-ups were common. Tahlia and Emily held a couple of decent bass.
Monster eel-tailed catfish were hooked during the holiday camp. They certainly give the young students a good fight. Jack did well to land this one.
Emily nabbed a very healthy Moogerah bass.
Favourable conditions at Moogerah Dam
F
ISHING impoundments in winter can be a rewarding experience, particularly if constant conditions have been hanging around for a prolonged period. On July 5-7, 35 students participated in Sports Tuition’s school holiday camp for eight to 12-year-olds at Moogerah Dam. The group was fortunate enough to fish in favourable conditions. Water clarity had improved significantly from the month before when heavy rain and associated run-off muddied the water. The weather for the first two days of this camp was absolutely glorious. For this group of young anglers, fishing preparation began the night be-
Freshwater Fishing by STEVE WILKES
fore in the form of setting shrimp traps. Using SureCatch collapsible shrimp traps, the students set their traps and then collected the shrimp the following morning before setting off in the tinnies in search of Australian bass. The group split into three smaller groups and rotated locations throughout the day. The catch rate in each session was very similar, which is what you would expect in winter. In winter the peak bite time is normally between 9am and 3pm, and this held true for this group.
The students landed Australian bass and eeltailed catfish and there wasn’t much time in between each shout of excitement as the students hooked one fish after the other. Most success came from around the timber in the upper reaches. Bass certainly like structure and the students found nice schools to keep them busy. It’s always rewarding witnessing young children catching fish. Their excitement and enthusiasm is contagious. The bass were all in the mid to high-30cm range,
Kids really enjoy gathering shrimp, and for freshwater fishing, shrimp is definitely the best bait. It wasn’t long before Clodagh turned this shrimp into a fish.
so nothing extraordinary, but some massive eeltailed catfish were caught. During their fishing time, one thing the students learnt was to properly hold onto their rods. One rod went swimming, most likely with a big catty. Catfish can bite hard, particularly when using live bait, so you always need to keep your rod secured. When fishing with children, success is critical to ensure they maintain their focus. During this camp, the students fished with 1 ball paternoster rigs using 10lb braid and 12lb leader. The hook of choice is always the Mustad size 4 Big Mouth. Having the right rig and presenting the bait correctly goes a long way towards achieving success. It was a pleasure to be involved with this great bunch of young children. They were prepared to camp out and take on the winter conditions and be involved in a variety of activities. A special thankyou must go to Wilson Fishing for donating prizes for the camp. I’m sure the students will be catching fish on their new rods soon. The next holiday camp will be held from September 26-28, once again at Moogerah Dam. You can find full details on the Sports Tuition website.
Tara with the bass of the day for the holiday camp.
Nick boated this bass using live shrimp as bait.
Bush or the beach – get your school involved. Every camp is tailored to your needs. Freshwater or saltwater fishing.
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Anywhere. Anytime
Rory collected the first bass of the day during the school holiday camp.
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Declan is a mad-keen angler and he was well rewarded with several solid bass such as this one during his time on the water.
Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017 – Page 71
The new Haswing Cayman Helmsman GPS electric trolling motor.
Beautiful scenery made the trip special.
Picturesque Pindari Dam
■ In search of the mighty Murray cod
H The author’s new boat with wrap.
Jake and Scotty on the search.
The author’s first decent cod for the trip.
A little cod the author picked up.
Page 72 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
I and welcome to a new month of fishing.
This month we decided to change it up and target the mighty Murray cod, and what better place to start than scenic Pindari Dam located right here in NSW. Pindari is a less-visited dam due to its close proximity to the cod capital Copeton Dam, however it still holds big cod and plenty of yellowbelly. We had only fished this dam a few times, so this trip was going to be an adventure because we wanted to get out and explore its further reaches. We knew that with water levels at a maximum, places we used to walk would now be under water. Our plan was pretty simple: we were going to drive the boats as far up as we could, then set up base camp and either walk the gorges or use the boats to search the coves. Either way, we were not going to leave until we got a cod and we had four days to do it. Our group consisted of me, Scotty and two rookies in Terry and his son Jake who had never targeted cod and only just started to learn to use baitcasters. The best plan of attack was to split up, so I sent Jake with Scotty and I took Terry with me so we could effectively teach both guys how to catch their first cod. Jake and Terry were
2 Mates Fishin – Fresh Water by CAINE ‘CAINO’ GOWARD
itching to get out there to cast their first lure after watching videos of cod in the weeks prior to the trip and messaging and calling me to say how excited they were. But with only a few hours of casting practice and the guys not knowing how hard it can sometimes be to catch cod, they were definitely in for a shock and a lot of hours casting. Murray cod can be tricky fish to target and they are on a lot of people’s bucket lists for a reason. However, if you sit there and only watch videos of anglers landing massive cod and not the thousand casts leading up to that fish, then I can see how a lot of fishos give up or get disheartened when they don’t hook one quickly. That goes for a lot of other species too. Sometimes you can be doing everything right and it still won’t pay off. It’s a matter of persistence and endurance, and in some cases even pros struggle. The biggest bit of ad-
You can’t beat cooking outdoors on the fire.
vice I can give to people just starting out fishing or even looking to tick a new species off their list is do the research prior to a trip to try to learn all you can about the fish, especially feeding habits. Keep it simple too. Don’t go out and spend thousands on the best
lures on the market, because you might not like that style of fishing and will want to change. Finally, be persistent and hang in there. It might take one cast or 1000 but eventually you will get the desired outcome. Unfortunately, our trip was going to be one of those times where we would put in the hard yards, fail and try again. This involved a lot of casting too. We soon discovered the fish were just shut down. With bad weather looming, we tried everything to get everyone a fish but it wasn’t until the last two days that we struck gold. By this stage our two ☛ continued P73
Jake with his first cod.
Base camp for four days.
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What comes first – the fish or the fishing?
T
HIS is a question you need to answer and then it is up to you to act on it. Will you be fishing in your canoe or kayak or walking the bank trying to catch a freshwater cod over the next month before the closed season? If so, here is some information for you. It has been proven that if you use a lure or spinnerbait along a riverbank during breeding season, you will likely catch a male cod that is looking after a nesting site. After a few photos, when released, the fish in most cases will not return to the nest site. Without meaning any harm, what you have done is in fact reduced the number of potential cod in the stream by eight to 20 fish.
Glenlyon Dam by BRIAN DARE
Newborn cod can grow up to 13cm in three months on a river or stream in good conditions. A couple of studies performed over the past eight years have given results that made our biologists think twice about the overall stocking framework for Murray cod. The idea of ‘whack ‘em in, it’ll be alright’, is wrong! Study 1 Study 1 took place over five years and 10 fishing trips, with 100 cod fishos helping out by donating their time. This study was the first comprehensive research project into the biology of Murray cod in the Border
Rivers region of northern NSW and southern Queensland and the results are as follows. We successfully quantified the age and growth, reproductive biology and diet of cod in three of the major river systems in the region. We also quantified the fish assemblages in the same three rivers and described the Murray cod populations in each system. Finally, we monitored and described the movement patterns of Murray cod in an upland stream at the northern extreme of its range. Major recommendations
A Murray cod larvae.
Picturesque Pindari Dam ☛ from P72
rookies were ready to quit, as they didn’t realise Murray cod are not a fish you can catch 50 of in a day. However, Scotty and I knew things could turn around at any moment; the main thing was to keep casting to the structure-filled shallows around the coves and test the deeper inlets to the channels with surface lures, deepdivers, mumblers, spinnerbaits and plastics. It was a strange trip though, as it has never been so eerily quiet before. Usually at night or early of a morning you can hear the boofs as cod hit the surface when feeding. I figured if they were being stubborn I would give them something that would wake them up.
So I got out one of my triple-spin spinnerbaits and added a wild plastic with grub tail wings coming out the side of a shad lure and gave it a cast. What do you know, bang, I was on. After landing the first cod for the trip, everyone became reinvigorated and started getting excited again. From that point on, the dam finally started to come to life. My focus turned to Terry and helping him catch a cod. He was going OK but struggling to land the lure in the right spot on the cast. He kept ending up a few feet away from the perfect spot or up in the trees. Always practise as much as possible prior to a trip because casting
The Lowrance SideScan was utilised to spot cod.
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is a fundamental part of fishing success. If you are not landing on a dime, you are losing a lot of chances. Terry did well though, especially for his first time, and he and Jake listened and hung in there when a lot of anglers would have given up, both on casting and their teachers. I’m happy to say we got Jake one and he was over the moon when he brought it in. The proud look on his old man’s face was awesome too. I’m so happy we got to help him tick a Murray cod off his list, and well done to Scotty for steering him and teaching him on the water. All up, I got two and missed six, Scotty got one and missed a few, Jake got one and missed a couple and Terry unfortunately missed two. It wasn’t too bad of a trip but it was cut short because of engine troubles and the weather coming in hard and fast. I’m happy to say we will all be back soon. That’s it for this month. If you have any questions or would like to see videos of our adventures, find us on Facebook at 2 Mates Fishin. Until next month, tight lines and safe fishing.
from our study are: • Refine techniques and strategies used in angler survey in the Dumaresq River to allow the roll-out of a wider program across the Murray-Darling Basin; • Review current stocking practices to ensure a more ecologically balanced and sustainable Murray cod fishery in the Border Rivers region; • Monitor Murray cod stocks across the Border Rivers region to determine if recent changes to the slot and size limits in NSW are adversely affecting populations; • Review the closed season for Murray cod so it better incorporates the entire breeding season of the species in the northern extremities of its distribution; • Ensure environmental flow strategies consider the need for Murray cod to move throughout the year but particularly during the breeding season of August to October; • Improve connectivity throughout the Dumaresq to allow migratory species such as bony herring and golden perch to more readily move into the upper reaches of the system; and • Review current water release strategies from Glenlyon Dam to assuage the effects of cold-water pollution. The funding for this project was received from the Queensland MurrayDarling Committee at Toowoomba. Many thanks to this special group as well as Dr Stuart Rowlands, Dr Glen Wilson, Dr Gavin Butler, Dr Peter Kind, Steve Brooks and Dan Smith. The cod in our region start to breed in mid-July yet the closed season doesn’t begin until September 1. Study 2 This study took place over three years with 38 fishos participating. The length-frequency
data from all three events suggests cod are breeding and recruiting at the majority of the seven sites sampled in the Dumaresq River. This suggests the area is most likely prime habitat for cod and also that the population is self-sustaining. Based on this evidence, it is recommended that no future stocking of cod is required but that there is ongoing monitoring of the population so as to be able to detect any changes. Changes to the water management of Glenlyon Dam to alleviate the issues created by cold-water pollution may also help the cod population immediately below the inflow of the dam. The small numbers of adults and in particular the almost total lack of recruits among species such as golden perch, bony herring, freshwater catfish and spangled perch suggests that changes in the management of water releases and improved fish passage will be required to recover all four species in the river. Other issues such as the sedimentation of pools and a lack of riparian vegetation along vast stretches of the riverbank must also be addressed to help recover these species as well as a number of smallbodied species such as purple-spotted gudgeons and glassfish, which are still found upstream of the dam inflow but are now practically non-existent below. So, from the results of this study we can see we need to be stocking yellowbelly, silver perch and catfish. Study 2 was funded by NSW Recreational Fishing Trust all-waters licence sales and driven by Dr Gavin Butler, Steve Brooks, Dan Smith and Dr Peter Kind. This study will finish in two years.
Vale Lumpy and Cliff R E GA R D LESS of how long we spend living in this great country, it all comes down to what we did with the time we had.
A quote I came across years ago stated: ‘The Lord will not subtract from an angler’s life the time spent fishing.’ If this is true, then we as anglers have spent a great deal more time in this place than most. Having said that, what comes next is a farewell to two more anglers who fished at Glenlyon Dam. The first being Allan ‘Lumpy’ Semler who came out to Glenlyon to de-cod the dam each trip using his timber lures. His selection, or collection as it became, has been passed on to the family members who fish. Allan came up through the ranks in the air force to become a leading aircraftman officer. He was a pretty smart bloke. He could build gyrocopters, fly them and scare the hell out of people and himself, ride motorbikes, do stunts, build stuff in his shed and bring up a family in Brisbane. In the end he drove trucks once out of the air force until retirement, then fished when he could. His wife Joy and family members came out to Glenlyon for his wake and very soon Lumpy will be taking his next big trip down
the mighty MurrayDarling River system and out to sea. Have a good trip mate. Now, Cliff Mason, if you put a bucket of water on the ground he would turn up pretty soon and put a bag limit of 10 yellowbelly, two cod and two silver perch in the keeper bag or show you photos of released fish. Good? You bet he was. Cliff was one of those blokes who looked at a spot and could suss out how to drag a fish out. I’d never come across a bloke like him who was so prepared to pass on information and advice. He’d even show you how to go about fishing Glenlyon, which gave you a chance to take home a feed. He also loved golf, flogging that little ball all over the place, and would turn up at the Tenterfield Golf Club for a round. He loved the tight course, and I tried it once myself. Air swings, people ducking for cover, walking through long grass and going three holes over just to try to get that bloody ball on the right green. I would have been better chucking the thing around. Cliff is now going to take the trip that all anglers would love to, down that one long water hole, the Murray-Darling. Godspeed. Brian Dare
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Warren Bradford cast and then landed a Murray cod quicker than the author has ever seen on bait, which proves that if you know your cod territory, results can occur swiftly.
Geoff Thomas faced the dilemma of targeting yellowbelly and scoring one but not before a cod decided the fillets were needed elsewhere.
Yabby dabby do ■ Exploring the Border Rivers
I
RECENTLY visited the Border Rivers region in western Queensland and explored the Barwon River near Mungindi, which has public access just outside of town.
Landing even a smaller cod from fast-running waters proved challenging, with gear not up to the standard being punished mercilessly.
The river level was up by 30cm or so, with a strong current to boot, making anything but bait angling
Fresh Water by NOAL KUHL
seem improbable. Sinkers are required in this situation and would have to be the weight of a cannonball considering the torrent I was looking at.
The rest of the team had arrived three days prior and had done the hard yards of not only setting up camp but also working out the trial and error bait fishing program.
For being late, my official task was night guard duties – stoking the campfire until 4am while getting out of the cot before 10am and having a hot breakfast ready for the team after their dawn patrol ended. Forgetting to reduce the campfire flame after ☛ continued P76
Cania bass on the chew
S
TABLE warm temperatures are keeping Cania Dam’s bass on the chew.
With the above-average temps in our region and a steady flow of water running out of Cania, the dam is crystal clear. Bait schools are everywhere and I haven’t seen so much bird life in many years. We have found the best way to target these big
schools is to troll hardbodied lures in 4.5-9m of water near the pelicans while keeping a good eye on the sounder. As soon as we hook up, we start casting a variety of tailspinners and soft plastics. The bite period on some of these fish only lasts 10 minutes, so trolling makes it quicker to find another school. We’ve heard good re-
ports of yellowbelly being caught on live shrimp in the timbered areas. Callide Red claw are a good option, with barra fairly quiet at this time of year. Having said that, a couple of young guns have landed the odd barra along with good-sized yellas while fishing Callide Creek. The creek has several road crossings that form
good size waterholes. In certain places, with landholders’ permission and a short walk through rough terrain, anglers are getting quality fish on surface and shallow-diving lures. The majority of these fish would have gone over Callide Dam’s spillway after the two most recent cyclones. Get hooked. Glenn Hobson
An 86cm barra that hit a Rapala X-Rap.
Ethan Sprat captured a healthy barra.
Page 74 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
This solid yellowbelly was taken on a beetle spin.
An RMG Poltergeist-caught bass.
A sounder shot of a massive school of bass in 27m of water at Cania Dam.
Cody Wilson with a near-metre-long Callide Dam escapee.
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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, August 2017 – Page 75
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Yabby dabby do ☛ from P74
cooking when walking over and checking some lines saw the well-prepared fried eggs, bacon, sausages, chops and spaghetti looking like a McCrispy meal. Our supply of bloodworms from the black soils of the Darling Downs was basically untouched, and though we were getting the odd yellowbelly and small cod, we weren’t picking up the big fish we knew were about. Of course, angling skills and diversifying at a moment’s notice is what these guys are good at – including rejuvenating a breakfast that warranted a forensic detective to find any evidence as to why good meat would be murdered this way. Since rain had recently come through, the gullies and roadside channels out this way were full of water, which means full of bait. Blueclaw yabbies to be precise, so pots were thrown in overnight. Monsters from the deep was an accurate way to describe the bulging pots once extracted, with most specimens the size of a large hand. I could see a good replacement dinner on the menu if old sandpaper jaws was going to be fussy. I have to admit I’ve never had too much success
with blueclaw yabbies, and certainly not large ones. However, I’ve always prioritised the smaller 75mm-size soft-shelled species that lives alongside the blueclaws in the local creeks at home because the native fish always opted for them while dangling from a hook. The boys were using 4 ball sinkers with 4/0 and 5/0 hooks, which I never carry, but filing back rusty roof nails after extracting them from the accommodation hut was frowned upon. More so when I should have removed the nails randomly and not from one whole iron sheet. The next day, as blustery conditions set in, a skylight feature appeared, which wasn’t accepted as suitable. Anyway, with hooks skewered through the tail and protruding from the lower abdomen of the yabby, the 13kg main line was cast out and it was just a matter of finding a spot away from the current and on the downstream side of fallen structure with a back eddy. Only minutes had passed before the full course yabby meal was devoured without hesitation by quality Murray cod ranging from 4-8kg, though smaller specimens were in abundance too. Once the hook was embedded, the struggle to get
the cod out of the back eddy and then fight them in the main current and land them took a toll on drag systems. Mind you, any cheap rods were punished and sent back to where they came from with a please explain letter. Without much choice due to the conditions, a bonanza of cod was the outcome, with local bait making for a perfect improvisation. Yellowbelly fillets were rather scarce, though yours truly landed six in a row, which created some head-scratching as to why my yabbies were allergic to cod. All’s well that ends well from adapting to the conditions. Taking a larger assortment of terminal tackle for emergencies would go a long way to keeping in good stead too. And making a decent breakfast can work wonders for team morale and bonding. Mobile phone reception out here is non-existent and the ‘this is your wakeup call’ substitute wasn’t appreciated when a yabby was placed in the bread box prior to a hand delving inside without looking to make toast the next morning. I think my usefulness as a team player is on the agenda in the posttrip analysis meeting next week.
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❑ Happy Birthday ❑ Happy Father’s Day
❑ Happy Fishing ❑ Merry Christmas
To: .............................................................................................................................. From: ......................................................................................................................... Blueclaw yabbies at this size are a great meal in themselves, though restraint was shown by the team in allowing the cod to have first dibs.
Page 76 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, August 2017
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