BNB Fishing mag | Sep 2017 by bnbfishing

Bait and lure ﬁshing secrets

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Bunker Group adventure

September 2017 Print Post Approved PP100001534 Volume 28, Number 9

Prime time to target jewfish

Solid snapper still biting offshore Boat reviews

Top spots to paddle around Brisbane

• Aliweld 8000 HT • Quintrex 510 Frontier

Luring for lizards

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Page 2 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

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Inside this month Mighty reds

P55

by SEAN CONLON

drifting and casting at the mangrove line. Coinciding either of these tides with sun-up or sundown has really improved the bite and seems to have attracted bigger fish, especially of an early morning. The sessions that have provided us the biggest fish have coincided with a low tide early in the morning. Casting soft plastics into the drains has produced

OUR COVER

LACHLAN BAKER (main) with a 95cm jewfish, article Page 20. REBECCA CLARKE (left) landed an awesome flathead in the Gold Coast Broadwater, WAYNE YOUNG’s article, Page 12. NICK WELLS captured this barra at Peter Faust Dam, article Page 64.

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

☛ 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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Bay islands flathead ..................by Sean Conlon ...................................P3 Solid snapper sessions .............by Jordan ‘Grinner’ Koschel.................P7 Jack and jew on the move.......... by Keith Stratford......................................P9 Chasing mighty reds ...................... by Mati Bats .............................................P10 Tips for flathead ............................by Wayne ‘Youngy’ Young ..............P12 Taking a look at lizards .............by Brad Smith ....................................P14 Gold Coast snapper ....................by Heath Zygnerski ..........................P15 Recipe ........................................... by Melissa Frohloff..........................P16 Big jewfish offshore...................by Gavin Dobson ...............................P16 Trevally the target.........................by Darren Rama ................................P17 Ballina Region.................................. by Brett Hyde ...........................................P18 The mystical mulloway ................ by Lachie Baker......................................P20 Evans Head ...................................by Gary ‘Squidgie’ Palmer..............P22 Iluka options.................................by Tye Porter ......................................P23 Are you fishing fit?.......................... by Neil Schultz ........................................P24 Product News ..........................................................................................................P26 MadZ product review.................... by Mitchell Townsend .........................P28 Power Boat Anglers...................by Mick Clutterbuck ........................P30 Sunshine Coast............................by Wade Qualischefski...................P31 Borumba Dam .................................. by Callum Munro....................................P34 Preventing failures on fish .......by Tri Ton .............................................P36 Bunker Group adventure...........by Joel Johnson................................P37 Kayaking BP Dam .......................by Noal Kuhl ......................................P39 Five great spots to paddle ........by Dan Owbridge..............................P39 Rivers around Bundy................. by Donna Gane .................................P42 Aliweld 8000 HT Review...........by Daniel Tomlinson ........................P44 Quintrex Frontier Review .........by Daniel Tomlinson ........................P46 Charter Directory ................................................................................. P48,49 Readers Forum.............................................................................................P50 Gladstone Region....................... by Gary Churchward .......................P51 Stanage Bay .................................by Von Ireland....................................P52 Trip to Swain Reefs ....................by Bill Corten .....................................P53 Hinchinbrook GTs and JPs .......by Todd Eveleigh ..............................P55 Fishing King Ash Bay .................by Helen Abdy ...................................P56 Planning a remote adventure ..by Matt Potter ....................................P57 4WDing Stradbroke....................by Greg Bell .......................................P59 Trip to the tip ................................by Brad Young ...................................P61 Competition Report.....................by Russell Nowland.........................P62 Freshwater Fishing.................... by Steve Wilkes ...............................P63 Hot new gear from AFTA...........by Matt & Nick Wells......................P64 Freshwater Impoundments ..... by Matthew Langford......................P65 The reason for the season ........by Neil Schultz ..................................P66 Bumper Somerset bass .............by Andrew Mitchell.........................P66 Copeton cod .................................by Sean Conlon .................................P67 Glenlyon Dam...............................by Brian Dare.....................................P69 Competition Report.....................by Russell Nowland.........................P69 Country trout trip .........................by Sean Thompson...........................P70 Trading Post.................................................................................................P71 Subscription form ......................................................................................P72

AUST

OCTOBER edition will be on sale in newsagents from September 22. See subscriber offer on Page 72 to go in the draw to win a Garmin STRIKER 5cv CHIRP fishfinder/GPS combo valued at $429.

lovely fish in the 70-80cm range. I usually use a much slower retrieve for these fish but at present I’ve been giving the plastics a really good rip before letting them sit back on the bottom for a few seconds and then making another couple of rips and repeating the process. This seems to be stirring the big fish up. Once the fish have settled on the bottom of the tide or right at the top, I find trolling hard-bodies is the technique that is picking up those extra fish. The water is starting to clear up a lot, so the colours that have worked well for us are blue and gold in the Zerek Live Flash Minnow Wrigglys, pink and lighter colours in the Zerek Live Shrimp Hot Legs and blue and clear in the Gobblers Curl Tails. Recently we were lucky to have a charter where everything just fell in line. We had a nice low tide early in the morning just after sunrise and we found a really good drain in the southern bay and anchored in front of it. I had a couple of clients on board who hadn’t been out for a while and on the first cast young Kat scored a 66cm flatty, which we were all pretty happy about. No more than three casts later she hooked up again on a cracker fish that took plenty of 10lb braid and put on a great fight. Halfway through the fight, her brother Gavin up the bow of the boat hooked up as well and before we knew it we had two solid lizards on the run. I eventually got Kat’s in the net and popped it in the boat then ran up the

P67

ATI ON

Southern Moreton Bay

Murray cod

We now find ourselves in September and finally our flathead have turned up in decent numbers around the Moreton Bay islands. I have found catching these fish to be tide specific. Low tide has seen the bulk of the fish caught by casting into drains where the water is coming off the banks as well as trolling Zerek Tango Shads and Bulldog Cranks along the drop-offs. We’ve also done well on high tide when trolling the mangrove lines and

Big trevally

HIS year is racing by.

P14

FIS

Bay islands producing good numbers of flathead

P10

PRO TE CT

Kat and Gavin with a couple of nice flathead after a double hook-up later in the day while trolling Zerek Bulldog Cranks.

Flathead

HIN G T R A D E

HAT a cracking run of great weather we have had lately.

I’m not sure what happened to winter here in southeast Queensland but it was basically non-existent. Though who knows what will happen in the coming months. Maybe we will have a cold snap during spring? Either way, it has been awesome to see plenty of people hitting the waterways, both in and offshore. The fishing has also been pretty good, with solid catches of snapper for the offshore fishos and lots of flathead for those who don’t want to venture as far. In this edition you’ll find a number of articles on fine-tuning your snapper and flathead fishing techniques. These articles are written to help everyone from the new punters to the more experienced fisher folk. When it comes to fishing, I am the first to admit I never stop learning and I’m always tweaking my techniques so I have an ever-increasing arsenal at my disposal when the fishing is tough. This might even mean going back to an old method I haven’t used for a long time, but one thing to keep in mind is if you are actively fishing, you will get better results. If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to change it up. For example, if you aren’t having any luck chasing snapper offshore, take the time to re-rig or change from a bottom basher to a floater. Another thing to keep in mind, and something I learnt from Bill Corten many years ago, is don’t drive back over your drift line. Take a wide berth and make sure you start each drift with your boat facing the same way. You should also ensure the engine is in the same position each drift to assist in getting your drift perfect every time. It is also important you take good care with bait presentation. Together, all these little things will mean you get a few more bites and hopefully more fish. But as always, make sure you are aware of the current bag limits for the area you are fishing. On bnbfishing.com.au you can easily find links to marine maps and fishing regulations, so make sure you check them out. It is worthwhile bookmarking the Bush ‘n Beach Fishing website on your phone and computer to make it even faster to find. In other news, the Product Emissions Standards Bill was introduced to Federal Parliament recently. This Bill sets out air pollution standards for non-road spark ignition engines, which includes outboard boat motors. So, what does this mean for you? Basically, there is no impact on existing non-compliant outboards, so if you have one on your boat already, you don’t have to worry. These engines will still be able to be bought and sold second-hand. However, the importation of noncompliant engines will be banned from July 1 next year and the sale of such engines phased out by July 1, 2019. I might have my head buried in the sand a little on this but I still think plenty of other areas need much more attention than outboards, though I guess every bit helps. I’m all for a clean, green country and with the improvements in fourstoke technology, I could see a natural progression that way even without the legislation. In any case, outboard emissions standards look like something we will need to embrace. Ben Collins

July prizewinners Congratulations to Kim Wishart, Shailer Park; Eddie Beverley, Coffs Harbour; Chris Cameron, Capalaba; and Paul Adamson, Ravenshoe who have each won a Bigfish Gear Repel fishing shirt valued at $99.95 each.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 3

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Seven-year-old James caught his first-ever flathead (a 75.5cm fish!) on a Zerek Tango Shad trolled along the mangrove line at high tide.

Bay islands producing good numbers of flathead

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front and netted Gavin’s fish. They were two very happy customers. Kat’s lizard went 80cm and Gavin’s 78cm. They were fantastic fish. It turned out to be a rather good day and by changing our technique to trolling after that early morning bite period we went on to catch plenty of fish, mostly in the 4555cm range, with the odd one over 60cm. Gavin and Kat only kept a couple of fish each and let the rest go to fight another day. If you can find a patch of flathead, that’s the type of fishing you should be in for over the next month. However, I have found these fish are only holding in small patches, so if you’re not getting right on them you can find yourself catching nothing. That is the general consensus amongst people at the boat ramp too. We will have a great day while other people who have fished roughly the same locations have caught absolutely nothing. My advice is you’ve got to move around to find the fish. If you’re in an area and nothing’s happening, move on. And if you find a good drain that you’re happy with, make sure you’re there for the peak time as the tide is running out towards the bottom. Alternatively, if you’re

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Gavin and Kat had a double hook-up on two good lizards. The 80cm fish was caught on a Zerek Live Flash Minnow Wriggly and the 78cm flathead on a Live Shrimp Hot Legs.

thinking about fishing the mangrove line on high tide, ensure you are there and targeting it at the prime time when the tide is almost at the top. Don’t find yourself driving around trying to find a spot during the peak bite times because they can be as short as 20 or 30 minutes. Also worth a look over the coming month is the Jumpinpin area. September is when those big girls start to sit down there, so don’t be afraid to head to the Pin and give the area a good crack.

If you’d like to join me on a charter, just give me a call on 0433 732 310 or check out my Moreton Bay

Charters Facebook page. My website is still down unfortunately, so if you need to email me, fire it

off to moretonbaychar ters@hotmail.com Until next month, stay safe on the water.

Midge picked up this 61cm flathead on a fresh strip of pike.

This flathead was caught after casting a Gobblers Curl Tail to the bank at low tide.

The author took his dad for a fish and he boated this 62cm flathead while trolling a Zerek Tango Shad.

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Fish research casts doubt on estuarine reserves

EW University of the Sunshine Coast-led research has gone beneath the surface of the Moreton Bay Marine Park, along the coastline from Pumicestone Passage to the Gold Coast, to find the preferred environments of estuarine fish species.

And the results surprised the USC team led by Research Fellow in Coastal and Marine Ecology Dr Ben Gilby. “Our team compared the number and diversity of fish in six estuarine ‘notake’ areas with that of 16 other estuaries where fishing is permitted,” Dr Gilby said. “We found that the ‘notake’ areas were falling well short of protecting fish that consumers like to catch and eat, such as bream, whiting and mullet. “Paradoxically, fish targeted by anglers were more abundant outside the six protected reserves, in the estuaries where fishing was allowed. “The only fish consist-

ently found in greater numbers inside the ‘notake’ reserves were species that people did not consume, such as toadfish and catfish.” The six dedicated estuarine reserves were at Pumicestone Passage (Bribie Island, Tripcony Bight), Redcliffe, Nundah, Pimpama and Coomera. Dr Gilby, a fish ecology expert who lectures in Animal Ecology at USC’s campus on the Sunshine Coast, said the study’s results initially puzzled the USC marine research team. “To find answers to this paradox about fish numbers in declared reserves, we examined the habitat features of the protected areas and found two major shortcomings – they were too shallow and they were poorly connected to the main channel or sea,” he said. “The reserves appeared to have been chosen mainly to protect mangrove habitat, but they unfortunately lacked sufficient water depth and had large

areas drying out at low tide.” He led the study with USC colleagues Animal Ecology lecturer Dr Andrew Olds and Professor of Marine Science Thomas Schlacher, USC PhD student Nicholas Yabsley, Healthy Land and Water’s principal scientist Dr Paul Maxwell and Griffith University’s Prof Rod Connolly. Their paper, ‘Enhancing the performance of marine reserves in estuaries: Just add water’ was published recently in the journal ‘Biological Conservation’. Dr Gilby said the joint study broke new ground in identifying the environmental factors contributing to fish biodiversity in estuaries. “It’s sure to be of great interest to anyone who wants more fish in the sea – whether that’s conservationists or recreational or commercial fishers,” he said. “Our results indicate the effectiveness of reserves can be improved by con-

serving deeper estuaries that have a diversity of habitats, better water flow and stronger links to the sea.” The research received funding from the Brisbane-based non-profit organisation Healthy Land and Water and the Sea World Research & Rescue Foundation. “We’re also about to start a similar project investigating the distribution of fish species in estuaries between Hervey Bay and the Livingstone Shire (near Rockhampton), including the Great

Sandy Marine Park,” Dr Gilby said. To see underwater GoPro footage of the bait stations used by researchers to detect fish during the Moreton Bay study, search ‘USC fish ecology research’ on You Tube or go to youtube.com/watch ?v=b6JfhLU1u30&list=P LuqEMOpC4MAhOXtG tPuSueOW7gCoAytAG& index=9 To read the journal paper, go to hlw.org.au/u/ lib/mob/20170418160633_ b21440b8a718ce8a0/gil by-et-al-2017-biologicalconservation.pdf

Seqwater biosecurity officer Perry Ward said the invasive fish species had managed to dominate natural waterways across the region since it was first introduced into Australia in the 1970s. “Tilapia are an aggressive fish that have become a problem for a number of reasons,” Mr Ward said. “They outcompete the native species for food and dominate aquatic communities. “The species is incredibly fast at reproducing and able to survive in many different environmental conditions that native fish find difficult to cope with.” Mr Ward said new invasions of tilapia had resulted from deliberate and accidental introduction of the species into

dam storages and rivers, even in instances where the fish were dead. “Tilapia are ‘mouth brooders’ and can carry more than 1000 eggs at a time in their mouth to protect the eggs from predators,” he said. “When a dead female is thrown back into a river or dam, some of the juveniles in her mouth can survive and colonise a new water body. “Unfortunately, there have been reports of people using tilapia as bait. “In Queensland the law is very clear: tilapia can’t be kept, sold, used for bait, taken home for eating or used for any other purpose. “There are fines of more than $200,000 for serious offences.” Mr Ward said Seqwater had a number of initiatives to limit the spread of tilapia. “We have disposal bins for tilapia set up at some of our lakes, local fish stocking groups release native fingerlings into our dam storages and we host

community pest fishing days,” he said. “Even though total eradication of tilapia in southeast Queensland is impossible, it’s important we do what we can to stop the spread.” Retired Boonah farmer Fred Schneider is indeed doing his part to rid waterways of tilapia, having caught and disposed of thousands of the pest fish around Lake Moogerah. The 73-year-old angler said he habitually went fishing from 6am to midday at least four times a week and generally caught dozens of tilapia in each sitting. “I also catch a lot of carp, which is another pest species – it’s all in a day’s work,” Mr Schneider said.

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“I keep records of the thousands of tilapia and hundreds of carp I remove from the waterways each year. “They’re always biting. “If I see any other anglers, I make sure they are aware about the restrictions in place to prevent the spread of this vermin fish.” Disposing tilapia Biosecurity Queensland advocates the ethical euthanasia protocols recommended by the 2001 ANZCCART publication: ‘Euthanasia of animals used for scientific purposes’. The most appropriate method may involve stunning the fish via a sharp blow to the back of the head just above the eyes. When applied correctly, this causes brain destruc-

tion – the fish’s gill covers should stop moving and its eyes should remain still. Pest fish should be disposed of as soon as possible in a way that avoids any risk of the fish being released back into the waterway (water from the container used to hold fish should also be disposed of away from the waterway to prevent juvenile reintroduction). This is usually achieved by burying the fish above the tidal influence and at least 50m from surrounding watercourses, at a minimum depth determined by local council guidelines. The fish can also be disposed of in waste bins. For more information about tilapia, visit daf.qld. gov.au

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95cm of snapper that fell to a float-lined bait.

Awesome weather provides solid snapper sessions

NOTHER month rolls on and it was another solid month of red-hot fishing and even better weather.

Not once was the weather bad when I had the chance to take the boat offshore. If you ask me, there isn’t much better than a winter arvo in southeast Queensland. I don’t know about everyone else’s efforts in the past month, but I have been pretty pleased with mine, landing plenty of snapper and other fish along the way. Mathew Hubbard and I decided to enter the Moreton Bay Trailer Boat Club’s recent Downtown Toyota Moreton Bay Fishing Classic. It was a very last-minute decision to fish it, entering in the last hour after Hubbard pleaded that it was our home turf and we had to go out and have a crack. The first day of competition rolled around and as fishing

Offshore Action by JORDAN ‘GRINNER’ KOSCHEL

started on a Sunday afternoon, we had a bit of time to think about what we were going to do and where we were going to fish. After coming up with a solid plan, we had the boat ready and left Manly Harbour at 2.45pm, steaming straight for South Passage Bar. We got through no worries and then shot straight out wide in search of snapper. On arrival we were greeted with an awesome show on the sounder, which had us breathing a sigh of relief after the big trip out. By the time we had started fishing, it was late in the afternoon and we just knew it had to fire as the sun started to set. First baits down and both Matty and I were hooked up.

Unfortunately they weren’t the 90cm-plus models we were looking for but with the amount of bait holding off our mark, we knew there had to be a big knobby hunting the area. We set our drift up once more and deployed another two baits on float line rigs in anticipation of that big fish snaffling the bait and trying to rip our arms off. I was lucky enough to pin the hooks into a real fish on this drift. There was no tapping of the bait this time – it just grabbed the bait and ran. We like to call these fish thumb burners. When I slid the lever drag up and the fish just kept running, ☛ continued P8

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Mat Hubbard scored a pearlie as by-catch between bagging out on snapper.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 7

Awesome weather provides solid snapper sessions ☛ from P7

The morning after the overnight stay produced quality eating fish.

I knew it wasn’t mucking around and we had hooked a top-quality fish. Back and forth we fought until eventually we saw the colour we wanted. When it reached the top and slid into the net, we breathed another sigh of relief because we now had a good fish to take to the weigh-in. We both had a few guesses at its length and we were both close, with the big snapper going 95cm on the brag mat. After another couple of drifts we landed yet more fish but not the size we were after. In saying that, not one snapper went under 50cm. Once we had our bag of

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eight fish, we decided to head back in and call it an arvo, and a solid one at that. The next day was weighin and we were pretty keen to get down there and weigh the fish. It hit the scales at a very respectable 8.445kg. In the back of our minds we knew that while it was a good fish, it wasn’t quite the weight we were after. We felt it was likely to get beaten considering the great calibre of anglers fishing the event. Our snapper ended up holding onto first position for most of the week until the last day when it was knocked off by our mate Shane Shafeel, beating us by 170g! Shane worked flat-out to catch his trophy-winning fish and deserved to knock me off 100 percent. Well done mate! After the competition, I told myself I wanted to have a weekend off fishing and do some maintenance on my boat because it had been out every weekend for nearly two months. Every boat owner knows about the maintenance involved in properly looking after your boat. All week I told the boys I wasn’t fishing until my mate Reedos called me on Friday arvo and threw a crazy idea at me, proposing we ditch the big boats and take the tinnie on an overnight trip to the continental shelf off Mooloolaba in search of marlin. I couldn’t really say no to an opportunity like this,

so after a few minutes of conversation I was keen and the maintenance was pushed back another week. We left out of Mooloolaba on Saturday afternoon and got to our anchor location for the night just on sunset. On the first drop, I was gifted with a solid reef jack that went 69cm. After this, we picked away and scored a few more good fish, before deciding to call it a night and get some rest. As the sun rose, we threw our rods straight back out and were immediately into the early morning snapper bite, bagging out on them in less than 30 minutes, which was a good way to start the day. We decided it was time to go and search the shelf for billfish, and billfish is what we found. Our lures were getting

pack attacked by angry and hungry striped marlin, resulting in every lure in the spread being hit. Unfortunately I dropped mine but Reedos kept the hooks in his for about 10 minutes before the stripy decided it wasn’t done yet and put on an absolute show at the boat, jumping and thrashing around to eventually throw the hook. We weren’t fussed, be-

cause we had set out to achieve something and felt we completed it, just by hooking the fish we wanted out of the tinnie. If you would like to come fishing with me and experience some of this action, give me a ring on 0413 128 056 and organise to come out on Moreton Island Fishing Charters and catch the fish of a lifetime.

A red ball of toughness the author picked up on anchor during an overnight trip.

A solid maori cod the author landed on extremely light gear, which made for a bit of fun.

C O N TA C T Y O U R N E A R E S T D E A L E R

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Page 8 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

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Mangrove jack and jew on the move

PRING has arrived and it brings some new options to anglers fishing in southeast Queensland.

We experienced warmer than average temperatures during August and this gave anglers a chance to tangle with early season mangrove jack. September will see the jacks becoming a lot more active and good fish will be landed this month. Flathead are another popular target this month. The Gold Coast Flathead Classic is on again from September 26-29. Anglers travel long distances to fish this competition. The Flathead Classic has a laid-back atmosphere and is very professionally run. It’s one of the bigges t competitions in the country and gets more popular every year. Mangrove jack Mangrove jack will be on the minds of a lot of anglers this month. Jacks have a huge following in southeast Queensland. They do strange things to people’s minds, especially those who are yet to land their first. Mangrove jack are the number-one sportfish in southeast Queensland due to their aggressive nature and ability to make even the most experienced angler look very average. Even smaller jacks can stitch up an unsuspecting

Local Luring by KEITH STRATFORD

angler in the blink of an eye. They have amazing speed and rarely stray far from their favourite structure, particularly during daylight. Jacks can be found roaming in open water at night, which gives anglers a much better chance of landing big fish. They are particularly fond of deeper holes, even if no structure such as trees or rocks is close by. Food is the only reason jacks move away from structure at night. An area with plenty of current and a high concentration of bait is perfect for jacks feeding at night. Lures work well at night, especially around lights. Because it’s harder to stay in contact with your lure in the dark, hardbodied lures are a better option. They can be cast out and retrieved and will maintain the same depth on each cast. Choosing the correct lure for the area you are targeting is very important. If fishing an area 3m deep and you want to target the bottom, there isn’t much point casting a shallow diver that swims just

below the surface. Knowing how deep your lure will dive will make it easy to choose a lure for each area. Jacks belt hard-bodied lures like nothing else. The hit is often very brutal and can nearly rip the rod out of your hands if you aren’t ready. Trolling is another good option and allows you to cover a lot of ground if you aren’t sure where the fish are feeding. Once again, lure selection is important. Many anglers refuse to troll and don’t rate it as a technique for targeting any species. It works a treat on mangrove jack and the hit from a jack on the troll is as brutal as you will come across. Consistently trolling up jacks is a real art and guys such as fellow BNB scribe Brad Smith have been doing it for a long time. Brad has been putting his clients onto jacks for years by trolling deepdiving hard-bodies down amongst the jacks’ lairs. As far as lure fishing goes, it’s the most consistent way to hook anglers up to mangrove jack. Some anglers choose to chase jacks exclusively at night because they believe

they are too difficult to catch during daylight. While these fish do stay very close to their chosen structure during the day, making them more difficult to land, this is half the fun. It’s the big bust-offs we all remember and they keep us coming back for more. When I first got serious about chasing jacks, I quickly learnt they were happy to eat a well-presented lure even in the middle of the day. Good-quality sounders with a side-scan function were nowhere to be seen back then, so my trusty old black and white Lowrance was all I had to work with. Obviously it took a lot longer to find the rock bars and underwater timber, but I was pretty confident other anglers weren’t going to find all my favourite snags. Once I found a good snag on the sounder, it was very rare that I wouldn’t pull a jack out of it straight away or at least get the bite or busted off. Things have changed these days and most people have a sounder with some sort of side-scanning feature on board. This allows you to virtually drive straight up the middle of a river or creek and scan from one side to the other. Every rock and tree is visible on a well set up

unit, allowing anglers to save the location and come back and target the fish. It has certainly made finding the structure much easier, but it’s also put a lot more pressure on the local jacks. It’s definitely not as easy to land a few as it used to be. Other species worth targeting this month are flathead and jewfish. The Brisbane River is a good location to chase both fish. September through to December is an excellent period for chasing jewies and they can turn up in large numbers. My go-to plastic at this time of year is the Z-Man 3” ShrimpZ. The jewies must feed on schooled prawns at this time of year because they absolute love these little plastics. Even big fish find the ShrimpZ hard to refuse. They also attract any other species in the area such as snapper, flathead, bream and threadfin salmon. September is one of my favourite months of the year. The days are getting longer, the temperature is on the rise and the jacks are chewing. Get out there and see if you can get one of these great fish out of a snag. I hope to see you on the water.

Jewies will be active in the Brisbane River this month. The 3” Z-Man ShrimpZ is an excellent prawn imitation that jew, snapper and threadfin can’t resist.

Josh Robinson trolled up this golden trevally in the canals on a Lively Lures Micro Mullet.

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HASING red fish, also known as red emperor, can be the most frustrating and dollar-wasting experience, but like anything, when you persevere through the hard work and large fuel bills running zig-zags up the Queensland coast, it all pays off. The questions I have been asked quite often lately include: What should I look out for on the sounder? What depths should I be looking in? What baits and tackle should I use? When targeting these fish, most people search the 55-70m contour lines looking for rocks to drop large baits onto. This tactic can be effective when chasing schooling reds (6-8kg), but less successful and extremely frustrating when it comes to the bigger models (13kg-plus). Most of our larger fish have come off areas with very little showing on the sounder, if anything at all. We used to fish directly on top of rocks and then once the boat drifted off the rocks, we would line the boat back up for the next drift. What we have found on the past couple of trips (due to pure laziness) is once the boat has drifted

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Fishing Tips by MATI BATS

away from the rocks, even up to 50m away, we have started getting serious fish. On our last trip out, we noticed this happened on a few spots and it has completely changed our way of fishing. Where we used to see large shows on the sounder, we are now seeing no shows and hooking up to larger fish. The four biggest reds to grace the deck of our boat have been 16.8kg, 16.2kg, 15.8kg and 15.5kg. All four came from areas with no shows on the sounder and all were grazing in the rubble, away from the action on the rocks. This does not mean you don’t need a good sounder, in fact you need an excellent sounder that suits your purposes. We find the Furuno gear almost unbeatable. We are currently running an FCV587 unit to a P66 transducer, which reads ground clearly at 35 knots. This setup plays a major role in our fishing and has made locating isolated rocks easier. Many people have the mentality of ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it’, but the technology these days is unreal and you would be silly not to move with the times if doing so makes your hobby/passion easier and more enjoyable. We will be upgrading our Furuno gear again in the near future, which will be another game-changer. My five steps for chasing reds are: 1. Search the 55-70m depth for isolated rocks no larger than 3-4m high. 2. Set your drift up correctly. 3. Drop different baits over the rock (preferably large baits such as hussar fillets, mullet fillets and large squid). 4. Be patient and persist through the hussar schools. Most isolated rocks will hold schools of hussar. Another indication you are fishing the right area is catching cod species, particularly maori cod.

5. And last but not least, fish past the rock. A benefit of fishing past the rock is you can have your drag a bit looser, knowing the chances of getting bricked are slim. Our largest red emperor was landed by Peter and was caught on 30lb gear in 60m of water. Another positive is being away from all the action gives you a greater chance of landing the fish without it being taken by the taxman. Unfortunately, one of the toughest things about red emperor fishing is knowing when to move on from the spot. In our early days of fish-

ing for reds, we would find the fish and catch what we wanted to keep for a feed and release the rest until they went off the bite. The problem with this method is plucking five fish out of a spot could actually mean removing 15 fish, as the number

of times you get taxed when fishing for reds is ridiculous. And each time it happens, it means one less fish on the spot. The idea of fishing untouched rocks is for them to last a lifetime. We have learnt to pluck ☛ continued P11

Mitso did what he does best on his electric reel.

A couple of solid reds that fell to mullet fillets on ELKAT gangs.

Peter with his PB red at 16.8kg.

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Fishos urged to ‘check your bait’ Chasing the mighty red fish W ☛ from P10

one or two fish from a spot and then move on, knowing when we come back the next time, the fish will be there. Some days the sharks are worse than others, and if they are lurking on the rock you will never win. What good is the head of a red? It’s best you move on. When fishing for reds, our go-to setups are Wilson Live Fibre Venom PE3-8 rods paired with Shimano Torsa 16 reels.

Unfortunately, the Torsa is a discontinued model, but the Talica 16 is just as good. We spool our reels with 80lb Daiwa JBraid and 80lb leader. Our go-to rig is an ELKAT gang, which almost guarantees that perfect hook-up every time. Although this all may sound fairly easy, the time involved in doing the miles can really take it out of you. However I can assure you it all pays off with plenty of smiles all round!

Sometimes even when you see red, you haven’t quite hit the jackpot. Peter hooked this chinaman fish with high hopes but it was quickly released after a couple of happy snaps. Chinaman are a no-take species. They are a known ciguatera carrier and must not be kept.

HITE spot disease is a highly contagious viral infection that affects crustaceans such as prawns, crabs and yabbies. It was first discovered on prawn farms in southeast Queensland in December 2016, causing the largest response to an aquatic disease in Queensland’s history. When found in highintensity production areas such as prawn farms, white spot results in the rapid mortality of prawns. This can have a devastating effect on our aquaculture industry, as prawn farming is an important and valuable sector for Queensland. In the 2015-16 financial year, for example, there was an estimated 4300 tonnes of prawns produced in Queensland, representing a value of about $80.5 million and employing around 295 full-time staff. Since its detection on prawn farms, the causative agent for white spot syndrome virus has also been found in a number of wild crustaceans in the Moreton Bay area, prompting movement restrictions to be put in place. This means that raw prawns, yabbies and marine worms cannot be removed from the movement restricted area. The restricted area extends from Caloundra to

the NSW border, following a line 100m off the eastern coasts of Bribie, Moreton and Stradbroke islands. These restrictions are in place to reduce the likelihood of the disease spreading through human-assisted movement. Surveillance for white spot has been conducted outside the restricted area, along the east coast of Queensland up to Cairns, to see whether the white spot virus has spread further north. However, to date, all prawns that have been tested in these areas have returned negative results for the white spot virus, which is a great result. In order for Queensland to regain an internationally recognised whitespot-free status, and to lift movement restrictions, surveillance must continue within the restricted area for a minimum of two years, during which time all samples must return negative results. In a bid to eradicate white spot disease from southeast Queensland, the Queensland Government has committed more than $15 million and is intending to commit further funding over the next two years. This will assist those affected prawn farms in returning to operation and will help Queensland to once again regain a whitespot-free status. It is not yet known how

the white spot virus was introduced into Queensland, however to ensure the ongoing health of our extraordinary marine habitat and protect our local industries, it is important that fishers only use Australian wild-caught prawns as bait. Imported, raw prawns, especially those bought from the supermarket, should not be used as they may carry unwanted diseases, which could then be introduced into Australian waterways. As we have seen with white spot, these diseases can have devastating consequences. To help stop the spread of white spot, there are

a number of things you can do. First, make sure you don’t move raw prawns, yabbies or marine worms out of the white spot restricted area. Heavy penalties may apply if you do so. If going fishing, check your bait to ensure it is Australian wild-caught from a quality bait supplier and not from the supermarket. Prawns bought from the supermarket are for human consumption and should not be used as bait. Make sure you put all unwanted bait and seafood in the bin and not into natural waterways, as imported crustaceans

such as prawns could carry diseases. Finally, have a go at catching your own bait; that way you know where it comes from and that the fish already love it. If you buy or catch prawns or crustaceans that you think may have white spot disease, remember to report it immediately by contacting Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 or filling out an online reporting form at daf.qld. gov.au/wsd On the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries website you can also find out more information about white spot and view a map of the movement restricted area.

Is your bait Australian wild-caught from a quality bait supplier? Have you put your unwanted bait and seafood in the bin?

Using raw, imported prawns as bait can introduce serious diseases to our waterways.

For more info, visit www.qld.gov.au/checkyourbait Authorised by the Queensland Government, William St, Brisbane www.bnbfishing.com. au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 11

Young Rebecca landed a lovely 40cm-plus whiting in the Pimpama River.

The author and one of the many quality jew caught from the close reefs of late.

A few tips for catching flathead ■ Mixed bags offshore ■ Whiting in rivers

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Kelvin with part of a mixed bag of fish from a daytime trip to the Nerang River.

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Still cool enough for the offshore reef fishing to be good and warming up so the estuaries will be firing as well, here are the best options this month. With the Gold Coast Flathead Classic at the end of the month, a lot of fishos will be out practising. Flathead will be spawning for the next couple of months, so plenty will be around. The best fishing will be within a couple of kilometres of the Seaway and Jumpinpin Bar areas. In these locations you can employ two very different styles of fishing – either jigging the deeper water for big fish (great point scorers in the competition) or trolling hard-bodies and flicking plastics around the many sandbanks and weed beds (a better option for catching quality eating size fish). Lure choice is endless but I always prefer smaller lures and plastics such as Lively Lures Micro Mullets, Zerek Tango Shads and 3”-4” Berkley Gulp and Z-Man plastics. The best colours are pink and gold for the hard-bodies and white and natural for the plastics. Despite having a reputation for being lazy fish, flathead are actually greedy and aggressive, and using smaller lures will give you a much higher number of strikes. The reason behind this is simple: it doesn’t matter how much food a flathead has eaten, something small going past will induce a strike. My mates reckon I am like a flathead when chocolates are around. For bait fishers, either large yabbies on a 2/0 long-shank hook or white pillies on a small gang of hooks are best.

Broadwater Region by WAYNE ‘YOUNGY’ YOUNG

Use these baits while drifting with a small sinker that is just heavy enough to keep the bait on the bottom. Productive locations are plentiful, including the mouth of the Coomera River and Biggera Creek on a run-out tide as well as the sandbanks in front of North Currigee. However most of the drop-offs and drains on the many sandbanks in the Broadwater are worth a try, especially on the run-out tide. Just remember dusky flathead have a legal size limit of 40-75cm, with a possession limit of five per person, which includes any fish you may have at home from previous trips. The offshore grounds have been fishing well after a slow start to winter with bad weather. We’ve seen more of a mixed bag of catches rather than a great snapper season. While our offshore reefs are heavily fished, especially on weekends, plenty of species are on offer, with good size jewfish able to be taken on the close 30m reefs on livies and pillies late of an afternoon and into the evening. Over the past 12 months or so we have seen the benefits of having practical size and bag limits on jewfish, with metreplus fish in great numbers and the highlight of many fishing trips. Snapper, tuskies and trag have been found out a bit wider in 40m, and for those with bigger boats the 36-fathom reefs have fished well for snapper and pearl perch. All the usual baits of pillies, squid and flesh have been working well, while 5” white Z-Man plastics on 1/2oz, 3/0 jig heads have done the trick for lure fishos.

The more experienced anglers have been heading north to the 36-fathom reefs off Jumpinpin because they aren’t fished as heavily and have produced better-quality fish. This is great when the weather is good but just be careful because it is a long way back to the Seaway in a small boat if a southerly wind blows in. Please be aware that a large sandbank has formed off the end of the south wall of the Seaway too. The water is only 4-5m deep and this area can get more than a bit lumpy on a big run-out tide. Back in the estuaries, this month sees us starting to get back into fishing at night for whiting, though it will still be worth fishing during the daytime. Towards the end of winter, the Coomera River was fishing better for whiting in the daytime than the Nerang River, with small bream a nuisance in the Nerang. Between Jabiru Island and the last red beacon before Sanctuary Cove was best in the Coomera on a run-in tide. In the Nerang, whiting are still around near the last red beacon in the river at ‘Cotton Trees’. Just to let you know, the trees for which this place was named have all been cut down now. For those who want to have a crack at bigger whiting at night in the Nerang, between Isle of Capri and Chevron Island will be best. Either tide is OK but it can be very slow fishing on the change of tide. As always, bloodworms will be the best bait day or night, with canal wriggler worms good as well. As the water warms, trevally and tarpon will start heading upstream into the rivers, with bigeye

trevally hunting baitfish and prawns along the rock walls in both the Nerang and Coomera rivers. Tarpon can be a bit hard to find at times, though early of a morning they can be found surface feeding in current lines. Small soft plastics on very light jig heads work best. I was packing for the recent Rainbow Beach Family Fishing Classic when I heard the sad news that Alvey Reels Australia was

closing down. I have always used Alvey reels for all my surf fishing and most of my whiting fishing. There is no better reel for this type of fishing. Being able to feel the fish fighting though your line rather than your rod tip, as you do with a spinning reel, makes it so much easier to control and land your fish. Enjoy the warmer weather. ‘Til next month, fish for the future.

Flathead will be well worth targeting this month.

Marty held a couple of reefies taken just off the Seaway.

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www.amcboats.com.au Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 13

A flathead that took an Atomic blade hopped across the bottom.

Braiden Kusturin celebrated his 12th birthday by catching quality flathead on lures in the Tweed River.

Taking a closer look at lizards G Sue, or ‘Dolly’ (as the author calls her), Dyer with a smile on her face. She always out-fishes her poor husband and the author on their trips.

Bradh's Smited Guiding Fishs Tour

’DAY everyone; the year is flying by and we are now moving into spring, which normally means very good weather patterns and an excellent time to target flathead.

Flathead tend to move downstream towards the river entrances this month, with the smaller male fish colonising around the larger female fish in order to spawn. The fish will be found in numerous areas in the lower reaches, with some of the best spots along the edges and channels between seagrass beds as well as deep drop-offs from sand and mud banks. Deep holes and areas with a broken and scattered reef bottom are another favourite haunt for flathead at this time of year. Flatties will bite on all tides but I prefer the runout tide as these fish are full ambush predators that find locations on the bottom to sit and wait for baitfish to come to them as the tide recedes.

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Gold Coast Guide by BRAD SMITH

Several characteristics make flathead the perfect ambush predators. First, they are chameleon-like and can change colour to suit their surroundings. Second, they have eyes on top of their heads for bilateral vision. Third, their big mouths are designed to devour large prey. And finally, they have an explosive burst of speed off the mark. As with most fish species, they can be seen on your fishfinder but because they lie on the bottom, often only their eyes are exposed. However, I have found that when you pick up good baitfish readings close to the bottom with your sounder, flathead will usually be lying underneath. It was thought for many years that flatties were lazy, territorial fish that did not roam around much, but they are quite the opposite and will migrate en masse up and down our rivers pursuing and following schools of bait. The best thing about flathead is their eagerness to attack anything that comes into their zone, meaning they will readily take any bait or lure that comes near them. Some of the best baits for flathead are live herring and poddy mullet, or if you can’t catch livies, well-presented white or frogmouth pilchards will do the job. The trick with bait fishing is to keep it moving, meaning you will catch more fish on the drift than with a bait fixed on the bottom. Flathead are certainly not fussy about taking a well-presented lure, and in fact they will smash any

lure in your tackle box as long as it is kept near the bottom. Flathead will readily devour a well-worked hard-bodied minnow lure, either on the troll or cast and retrieved, as long as the lure is continuously tapping the bottom. This means you might have to buy a few lures that dive to different depths to match the depth of water you choose to fish. When trolling, try to drive with the tide for better results because flathead will be facing into the tide, which means your lure will be swimming into their faces as they wait in ambush mode. If soft plastics, blades and vibes are your thing, flatties love them too as long as they are kept hopping along the bottom. I find a steady 30cm hop of the lure across the bottom is effective. To impart this action, all you have to do is maintain a repetitive 30cm flick of the rod tip and slowly retrieve the slack line as you go.

If you are drifting with the tide, you can flick the rod tip without retrieving the slack line because the line will become taut as the boat moves with the tide. This is a great technique because it enables you to cover a lot of ground with your lure in the strike

zone for a prolonged period. To conclude, remember this is the flatties’ breeding time, so handle the fish carefully and release the big ones, only taking enough for a feed. We need to protect these fantastic fish for the future.

Lisa Christensen with one of many flathead she caught on the day by both trolling and drifting with lures.

This flathead was caught well upstream while feeding underneath a bait school located on the sounder.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Snapper run to continue into spring ■ AFTA highlights ■ Costal bar update

HAT an ending to winter.

You could almost forget we had a winter, with warm, clear and calm days having made for a great time on the water, except if you’ve been hit with the dreaded flu, which is doing the rounds. My whole household has been fighting it for the past two weeks, so my time on the water has been limited. As we enter spring, the run of snapper continues to keep anglers entertained with great fish, but we should see the quantity start to recede over the next month. However, with a reduction in the number of fish being caught, we will see the quality increase as 8-10kg fish move onto the close reefs. Soft plastics and baits will take their fair share of fish, with fresh bait accounting for the bigger fish. The bigger the bait, the bigger the fish is a wellworn saying and snapper are no exception, having no trouble wolfing down a whole legal tailor, big yakka or slimy mackerel. So far, the best times to target snapper have been the twilight periods of low light. When the sun is up high, the fish seem to not feed as freely.

Gold Coast by HEATH ZYGNERSKI

So far, the best times to target snapper have been the twilight periods of low light. If there is a moon in the sky, then even better, as recent results have shown. Another thing that has a big bearing on your catch rate is boat traffic. Even if everything else aligns, if you have high boat traffic you can usually kiss a decent catch goodbye. And with the great weather of late, there has been plenty of boat traffic. Midweek is a much better option if you can get away from work. Jewfish are still hanging around. While we’ve missed catching them on our past few trips, others have done well. Live baits have been the key. Cobia and yellowtail kingfish have been scarce so far this season. I expect this to change as we head into spring and get that first lick of warm water, which looking at

the temperature charts is not far away. With that warm water, I also expect wahoo to turn up as they often do in early spring. In the estuaries, good size flathead have been caught, along with plenty of luderick. Any area with weed beds will hold both species, though try along any rock wall for luderick also. I was lucky enough to go to the 2017 Australian Fishing Trade Association trade show. It might just be me, but it seems to get smaller every year. Maybe it’s a sign of the times. I found two great things that I feel will revolutionise fishing in 2018. The first is the River2Sea Chasebaits Smash Squid. This soft plastic squid is the most lifelike lure

I’ve seen in my life. I simply said to the fellow giving me a demonstration: “Shut up and take my money.” The Smash Squid is being released in late 2017, so keep your eye out. It uses a standard jig head and looks so lifelike I could just watch the lure working for hours. The second thing was the tackle range from KingFisher Australia. I spent almost an hour at the stand talking to the guys who were only too helpful in demonstrating their range of tackle, which includes bait sliders, grapnel sinkers and their own brand of surf casting rods. Bait sliding is gaining a lot of momentum on the beach fishing scene due to the ability to fish big dead or live baits in deep water off the beach. I’ve been using sliders for a few years now and even I learnt a heap of new techniques from the KingFisher guys, which I can’t wait to try out. The local bars are all a bit dicey. The Tweed River mouth has silted up badly inside the walls, so on an outgoing tide you’ll need to contend with pressure waves. An outer bank is very shallow at about 3m and catching the swell.

The Port Frederick dredge is currently working to remove this bank. Currumbin Creek Bar is a mess and you should forget it on half a tide or less. Tallebudgera Creek Bar has a very small channel and the dredge will start there shortly. The Seaway has a shoal building up across the entrance and is quite shallow at about 3.5m. Take care on a run-out or if a metre-plus sea is running because you’ll have breaking waves to deal with. Bent rods to you all.

This parrot put up a great fight on light gear while fishing for snapper.

Andy with a solid snapper that took a flesh bait.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 15

by MELISSA FROHLOFF

Slow cooker sweet and sour chicken Ingredients • 8 chicken drumsticks • 1 brown onion, chopped • 2 x 440g cans diced pineapple • 1 large red capsicum, chopped • 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil • 2 large cloves garlic, crushed • 1 cup chicken stock • 520g sweet and sour sauce • 1/2 cup medium-grain white rice • 1 tbsp soy sauce

Method • Heat two teaspoons of oil in large non-stick pan. Cook chicken in batches until brown all over. Transfer to bowl of the slow cooker. • Heat remaining oil in pan. Add onion and capsicum and lightly brown. Add garlic to pan, cook and stir until fragrant. Transfer to slow cooker bowl. • Add sweet and sour sauce, pineapple, soy sauce and stock to slow cooker, stirring until all ingredients are combined. Season with salt and cracked pepper. • Place lid on cooker and simmer on low for two hours. • Increase heat to high, add rice and stir until well combined. Cook for a further 50 minutes.

Serves: 4 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 3 hours

A very rugged-up author (six layers to be precise) with a 15.4kg jewfish caught on a shallow reef recently.

Big jew on offshore reefs W HAT a month it’s been on the fishing

front.

Great weather has allowed boaties to travel far and wide in search of their target species. I didn’t think winter was going to come this year because it’s been very mild but in the past few days before writing this article the breeze has been bitter, though it won’t last long. In fact, last night was one of the coldest I’ve spent on the water in a long time. It probably didn’t help that I wasn’t catching much.

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Tweed to Byron Bay by GAVIN DOBSON

I did manage a couple of jew but it wasn’t exactly a hectic evening. Looking at the beach between Wooyung and Black Rocks, it wasn’t hard to tell the tailor were running, with fires, head torches and car lights flickering all up and down the beach. There were patches where the activity was thicker; good holes and gutters no doubt. Last month I reported that a few tailor had turned up and fortunately they have stuck around. I don’t know that we’ll ever see great seasons like the good old days but there has been plenty for everybody in the past month, which is all we can ask for. Night fishing on the reef is still producing a few solid tailor too, which adds a bit of variety to the bag. I certainly hope the tailor stick around as I didn’t realise how much I had missed them. Otherwise, the offshore reefs have been giving up the odd snapper, and in some instances a lot of snapper. Places such as Windarra Banks and Seven Mile off Cape Byron have consistently yielded good catches. I thought the leatherjacket were going to ruin it all for a while but so far they have only been patchy. Big jewfish have been around on the offshore reefs. Here at Brunswick Heads we’ve seen pretty good action but south of us at Ballina and Evans Head has been some of the best jewfishing I have ever heard of. One question I am commonly asked is what is the best bait for jewfish on the reef? Jew will take a wide

variety of live and dead baits. Yellowtail scad (yakkas) are the standard live bait due to their relative abundance (until you desperately need them of course) and the fact that they make up a large part of most marine fish’s diets. Tailor and slimy mackerel, alive or dead, fillets of mullet and bonito and pilchards are also readily wolfed down by jewies. However, by far the standout bait for reef jew is live pike, closely followed by dead pike, closely followed by half pike, closely followed by pike fillets. Basically anything pike is number-one jewie bait and I always try to have a supply in the freezer ready for those nights when I can’t catch fresh ones. Pike are also a great bait to have in the freezer when big tailor come around. When reef fishing at night, it’s not uncommon to wind in your pike bait and find it bitten clean in half by a tailor. It’s not something I’ve done recently, but years ago I had great success catching quality tailor off the Alley at Kingscliff and Hastings Point Headland by casting and retrieving pike. We are coming into what I reckon is usually the hardest time to fish offshore. Northerly wind typically dominates springtime, and combined with the east coast current bearing down on us and generally a reduction in fish numbers and times can be a bit tough around these parts. It’s not all doom and gloom though, as when conditions are right fish will still be there to be caught. A springtime run of cobia would be nice. The tough offshore fish-

ing at this time of year is offset by the rivers coming to life. Mangrove jack, flathead and trevally will be coming on the prowl, as will tailor and jewfish. I’ve enjoyed great tailor fishing in the Tweed River around Tumbulgum in September and springtime always means heading upstream for school jew in the Tweed. Back when I was a kid, jew were always caught in the holes between Tumbulgum and Murwillumbah on worms. Herring or prawns also accounted for a few but these days everyone goes armed with finesse gear and blades and plastics. This is a much more proactive way of fishing and the pickers won’t ruin your hard-earned bait supply. Still, I have fond memories of my handlines and Bakelite Alvey waiting for the prime tide so I could put my precious few baits to their best effect. September through to Christmas (if it stays dry) is a great time to be upstream in the Tweed. Whiting usually appear in the lower reaches in August. Recently while driving the river cruise boat here at Brunswick Heads I have noticed large numbers of whiting in the clean water over the flats in the lower river. I can only presume they have come in from the sea. It’s something that happens every year and even though the whiting can be seen, they are difficult to catch, day or night. They will soon head upriver where the river slows and warms and begin foraging for worms, and this is where anglers can catch them much more successfully. Of course, it all depends on rainfall, but a dry spring means heading upstream to target both predatory and forage species. Good luck. www.bnbfishing.com. au

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Trevally the primary target on GC W INTER is over and hot days are ahead.

Hopefully this will make the fish more active for better days on the water. In the salt, I recently ventured beyond my comfort zone and gave offshore fishing a go. After heading out to fish in about 40m of water, we saw a few smaller fish including red rock cod and small maori wrasse. We then ventured a bit further out to 80m of water, where snapper, pearl perch and tuskfish began to pop up. We had to keep a close eye on the many whales passing through to ensure we were a safe distance from them. I was using a 15-30lb N.S Black Hole Hurricane rod with a 3000-size reel and 30lb braid. Employing a mixture of techniques, it was defi-

Nerang Rooster Report by DARREN RAMA

nitely a worthwhile experience. In the canals, larger flathead will soon pop up more frequently as their spawning period begins. Pre-fishing for the Flathead Classic in September is set to heat up too. Lately, 3”-7” soft plastics fished in 0.5-1.5m of water around drop-offs seem to be producing the goods. The flathead have been lying on the edges waiting for any bait they can ambush. Using heavier jig heads has been beneficial because flathead live on the bottom and the closer your lure is to them, the more likely they will be to feed. Bream fishing in the canals should improve

A standard size trevally hooked around bridge pylons.

as the water temperature rises. They will more readily eat surface lures too. Bream will be schooling, so in situations where other fish may be hanging around, have your mate or spare rod on standby so you can drop a lure behind a hooked fish in order to hopefully score another one. Trevally have been my primary target of late. They have suddenly popped up out of nowhere and I’ve caught more than a dozen per trip on 3” soft plastics such as the Fish Arrow Flash J Shad on a light jig head. A few small twitches and pauses really get the trevally fired up. For the trevally, I try not to fish too heavy because the long runs and erratic fight of the fish can be awesome fun on the lighter gear under 10lb. Good size tailor have been hanging around the trevally and are happy to take surface lures, while the trevally have needed more active, in their face lures to either get a reaction or hunger bite. Targeting both trevally and tailor from a kayak has its difficulties because

these fish are known to steer your kayak away from where you were drifting and make you do circles until they run out of puff and you can slip the net under them. Some people will be excited that September 1 marks the official open season for bass in tidal waters. It’s an exciting time for those who have had to wait all winter just to be able to chase these hardhitting creek fish. There’s something infectious about targeting fish on little surface lures in tight creeks. They really keep you coming back for more. I attended the 2017 Australian Fishing Trade Association trade show and was excited to see the new range of sunglass styles from Spotters Shades,

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W W W. B O N I T O B O AT S . C O M . A U Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 17

Good conditions allow anglers offshore ■ Bream and luderick active

ELLO and welcome to this month’s edition of BNB.

A Halco Laser Pro 190 DD did the damage on the north wall of the Richmond River mouth.

If the weather over the past few weeks around the Northern Rivers area is any indication, we are going to have a very late winter on our hands. We have had a run of westerly and southwesterly wind along with very calm days and cloud-free skies, followed by rather cool nights. Some gorgeous sunny and calm days have allowed the offshore boaties to get out and enjoy pretty good action. A number of boats have headed out wide and managed to have some success on the shelf. This is the best time of year to try your luck out there because the weather is usually a lot more settled and the current at its slowest, making fishing in 150m-plus a much easier proposition. A real mixed bag has been coming up from the depths, with bar cod, blueeye trevalla, bass groper, gemfish, nannygai and greeneye sharks all finding their way into iceboxes of late. Baits including mullet, squid, cuttlefish and bonito have all been popular options because they are much tougher than other baits and don’t tend to come off during the long

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Page 18 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

Ballina Bait & Tackle by BRETT HYDE

journey to the bottom. Back in a little closer on the 32-fathom line, we have seen the yearly influx of leatherjacket over the past couple of weeks. This annual migration has been later this year than in the past and it will be interesting to see if they hang around for the usual length of time or if their stay is a little shorter due to their late arrival. Many anglers have a love-hate relationship with these toothy little pests because they have a tendency to bite off hooks and sinkers and leave anglers with their line dangling in the water with nothing attached to it. Even though it can be frustrating trying to catch leatherjacket due to the amount of equipment lost, they are often in nearly plague proportions, so it is usually fairly easy to catch plenty of them. If you have been fortunate enough to find ground on the 32s that isn’t plagued by leatherjacket, then you may find some of the quality snapper from 50-90cm that have been boated recently. A mix of baits and techniques have all accounted for fish, so it will pay to have some live baits, soft plastics and slow-pitch jigs on board during your next trip. The current has been fairly slow on the 32s, so it will definitely be worth trying to go lighter with your sinkers, jigs and jig heads. A number of fish have been taking the baits and lures when they are not much more than halfway

to the bottom. Apart from the snapper, we have been seeing good-quality flathead, reasonable mulloway up to 10kg, a few parrot and even the odd kingfish, so if you don’t want to head out really wide, this ground could be a worthwhile alternative. The beaches have been a little quiet over the past month. I think we are going to see a late run on the beaches because the cooler water has only recently moved in closer to the coast. A few bream, dart and flathead have been cruising the close gutters of late. We have just started seeing chopper tailor showing up around Black Head and Flat Rock on South Ballina Beach, so don’t be surprised if some of the bigger models show up over the next month. In the Richmond River, the better numbers of bream have been haunting the lower reaches, from the mouth all the way up to the Burns Point Ferry. With that said, a few fish have been taken along the rock walls from Pimlico Island up to Rileys Hill. The run-in tide has been a better option because it seems to be encouraging some of the fish that have been out on the beaches to make their way into the river. Baits such as prawns, mullet fillets, pilchards and mullet gut have all been good options. The lure brigade has had good success using a mix of natural-coloured soft

plastics, crab imitations and metal blades. The water has cleared up quite nicely in the river, so lures in more natural colours seem to be best. Reasonable numbers of luderick are around in the same part of the river, with the usual spots such as Prospect Bridge, Porpoise Wall and behind the CBD all producing fish on the right tide. Compared to summer, it is usually a little difficult to catch flathead around Ballina in August and September. A few things play a part here but the main one is the colder weather. If you want to chase them, I would head up to Wardell Bridge and make your way upstream from there. The run-out tides later in the day have produced a few more fish because the water is a bit warmer further upriver and the fish have had a little time to warm

up during the morning. Brighter-coloured lures have been working, as have live herring, mullet, pilchards and yellowtail. Mulloway, like the tailor, have been a little disappointing compared to last year. Having said this, a few fish have been around on the change of tides behind the CBD for anglers using live baits, and solid fish up to 15kg have been hooked from the walls on large soft plastics and hard-body lures. I suspect the lack of tailor this winter, which are a popular food source for mulloway, along with unusually warm water along the coast, may have affected their numbers and we might see them and the tailor improve over the next month or so. Only time will tell. Well that’s all from me this month. ‘Til next time, tight lines!

Andrew with a 32kg bass groper taken on the continental shelf off Ballina.

North Coast Fishing Bonanza set to sizzle

HE 2017 North Coast Fishing Bonanza presented by Gamakatsu and Evinrude is on again, from September 28 to October 2. This takes advantage of the school holidays and long weekend, so you don’t have to take much time off to fish. If you’re looking for something to get the kids involved in, look no further. The format involves four days of fishing, starting Thursday night and finishing Monday. Last year the event was a hit, with over 350 competitors chasing a wide variety of inshore and offshore species from boat and land, taking home a share in a massive $80,000 in giveaways and prizes. This year, adults will compete in a variety of fish categories including snapper, pearl perch, mulloway, tailor, kingfish/ cobia, amberjack/samson fish, whiting, bream/tarwhine, blackfish, mangrove jack, flathead and

bass plus the all-new trag category. Cadets can target a range of offshore and inshore species including snapper, mulloway, bream and flathead, while juniors can fish for the usual estuary suspects of flathead, bream, whiting and bass. A host of prizes are on offer, with a total prize pool over $80,000 once again up for grabs. All adult competitors

have the chance to win a Quintrex boat, motor and trailer package sponsored by Evinrude E-TEC as well as Lowrance sounders and other prizes including Hobie kayaks. Cadets are in the running for a Hobie kayak, electrical products, bicycles and fishing gear. Daily talks at the show site on the banks of the Richmond River will attract plenty of interest,

with enthusiastic youngsters sure to be involved in the soft plastic lure demonstrations and kids’ fishing demonstrations. A host of winners will receive products from Frogleys Offshore, Wilson Fishing, Samurai Fishing Rods, Atomic, Shimano and The Ice Box Bloke, to name just a few. To enter or find out more, visit fishingcomps. com.au/ncfb

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 19

Glen Baker with a schoolie from the Logan River.

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The author with a pup jew landed on an Infish Predator Prawn.

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HOPE everyone’s been getting into the fish lately.

For me, winter is largely centred around targeting mulloway in rivers, Moreton Bay and offshore. Over the past few months I’ve spent a decent amount of time chasing these fish with a variety of techniques including diving lures, plastics, vibes and live baits. Most of my recent sessions have been on rivers throughout the Gold Coast, Jumpinpin and Brisbane areas. In the shallower water, I have been casting diving jerkbait-style hard-body lures. This is most effective at

ally well on the larger models, though the fish around 60cm are still happy to take them. In southern Moreton Bay I prefer running spin tackle consisting of a 6-12lb, 7’ spin rod, 2500 or 3000-size reel and 1015lb braid, whereas for the more vertical fishing in the Brisbane River I mainly run baitcast tackle. Success around the southern bay when using plastics and vibes is hugely bait dependent. If you can find bait and some structure such as rocks, holes or drop-offs, you’re certainly in with a chance.

Moreton Bay Young Gun by LACHIE BAKER

night because lights draw baitfish to the upper third of the water column, and the predators follow close behind. Finding an area with light, bait and tidal movement is essential for finding jewfish. It just comes down to the day if there’s one willing to take a lure. I run 30lb baitcast tackle fished on a Wilson Venom 6kg baitcaster because often a fair bit of pressure is required to pull the larger models

from structure. In the deeper sections of rivers I have been using 3” and 4” plastics as well as Zerek Fish Trap soft vibes. Prawn imitations have been getting results of late. I have started using the Infish Predator Prawn and am impressed with how willingly the fish eat it. I even managed two school jew in about five casts. Vibes work exception-

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The mystical mulloway ☛ from P20

My Humminbird sideimaging sounder clearly shows exactly what I’m looking for. I make long casts adjacent to the structure, working the deepest possible bottom in the area because jew are likely to be sitting behind cover out of the tidal movement. I recently managed my PB jew offshore while live baiting. After fishing micro jigs for a while, I decided to throw a livie in because the day was almost finished. On the second drift, my Wilson Live Fibre rod loaded up and the trusty Shimano TLD 25 began ticking away. I knew I was onto a good fish and so did fellow scribe Grinner Koschel. Pumping and winding for a minute or two, the big fella soon surfaced and was safely in the boat. I was pretty stoked. This was my first jew

from outside Moreton Bay and its tributaries, and now I want to get back out there and learn more about catching them offshore. The only downside to fishing for jew offshore is they suffer badly from barotrauma and are generally unable to be released. However, this fish certainly didn’t go to waste. The prime jewfish season is almost finished, but there’s still time to get out and have a crack. I hope to get offshore to chase a big snapper before my annual trip to Hinchinbrook Island, which I am currently preparing for. My next article will be based around my adventures up north, so stay tuned. I’m hoping to catch both a coral trout and GT on surface, as well as an elusive metre barra. Until then, smoking drags and sore arms.

A hard-body-crunching jew taken by the author’s father.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

‘The beer from up here’ adding a touch of Aussie flavour to the Gold Coast Flathead Classic

T the top of the Australian beer mantel sits the iconic Great Northern Brewing Co.

Established in Cairns in 1927 to brew beer suited to the climate, ‘the beer from up here’ quickly grew in popularity not just for its taste but for its true-blue Australian heritage. The partnership between the Great Northern Brewing Co and the Gold Coast Flathead Classic began back in 2010 when parent company Carlton & United Breweries launched the Rich Fish competition. The Rich Fish competition was a campaign focused on building relationships with avid anglers across northern Australia; hundreds of fish were tagged and released across the state,

with the angler lucky enough to hook one winning a share in $100,000 cash. The Gold Coast Flathead Classic was ideal for promoting this competition, and a fantastic platform to deliver beer drinkers with a quality Australian beer. Rob See, Gold Coast Sport Fishing Club committee member and conduit between the Gold Coast Flathead Classic and Great Northern Brewing Co, spoke in support of the relationship. “The event’s positive evolution from the Carlton Mid Flathead Classic through to today’s Gold Coast Flathead Classic has been from the consistent support of Carlton & United Breweries and over the past three years, their Great North-

ern Brewing Co brand,” Rob said. “The Gold Coast Flathead Classic is an event that has a great mix of serious fishing and electric evening entertainment. “In the eyes of the committee, the partnership has been fundamental for growth; the Flathead Classic brand couldn’t stand proudly today without the essential support of Great Northern Brewing Co.” Also taking the time to speak with event organisers, Great Northern Brewing Co marketing manager Michelle Gazzola described the event as a true representation of what the brand promotes. “The Flathead Classic is a great event that gets mates and family together to do the thing

they love – fish,” Michelle said. “Great Northern inspires mates to get together, so it was a perfect fit for our brand. “This is our fourth year sponsoring the event; it’s a great event and we’re delighted we’ve been able to partner with the Flathead Classic over this period.” Great Northern Brewing Co is the 2017 Gold

Coast Flathead Classic ultimate event partner, which is the highest sponsorship opportunity the event offers. If fishing with your mates is something you love, check out this year’s event and register your team, we know you’ll be back again next year. Visit flatheadclassic. com.au for event details and to register.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 21

Rhys Cooksey with a metre-plus flathead from the Evans River hooked on a live herring.

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How to catch bream around the headlands ■ Evans Head Fishing Classic

AST month I talked about bream fishing but ran out of room to discuss the headlands and how to catch bream out there. For me, headland bream are not hard to get amongst; all you need is a good wash area with weed and cunjevoi present. I use cunjevoi for bait in these areas but you need to be careful when gathering it off the rocks and always have a mate with you. Using the meat of the cunjevoi is best for bream, it’s just hard to keep on a hook. I use a size 1 or 1/0 baitkeeper hook and put as much on the hook as possible before casting into the wash and holding on. My sinker is as light as possible.

Evans Head by GARY ‘SQUIDGIE’ PALMER

A 000 round or small split shot will generally do as you want your bait to wash around in the suds. The water does not need to be deep for bream. About 30cm is enough as long as wash is present. White water and waves are the bream’s friend, helping them get into areas with cunjevoi and crabs. All manner of creatures live in the weed too, so it really is bream paradise. The crabs that crawl over the rocky areas are great bait. I catch some, break them in half and put a hook through the leg area, casting out in the suds.

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Cabbage is great bait for blackfishing the headlands and rivers.

I don’t use a sinker with the crabs, preferring to let them wash around naturally. Herring fillets are also good baits on the headlands. Pillies will work but you will get a lot of small fish bashing your bait and pillies disintegrate really quickly, meaning you will be continually baiting up. Plastics work; you just need to use small jig heads or you will be donating jig heads to the rock gods. When going to the headlands, I take my blackfish gear as well because the prime bait is at your feet. Headland blackfish are normally a lot bigger than their river brothers and fight harder as well, so you will need to upgrade your leader to 10lb and main line to 14lb. I use a 12’ Wilson Blackfish rod, which handles these fighters well. You need the 12’ rod for fighting and lifting because you are sometimes 10’ above the water. So fight the fish to a standstill and then gently lift it up. Don’t jerk or you will lose the fish. Just slowly lift after making sure you have played the fish out. Headlands are the go for tailor at this time of year too, and out of Evans Head you’ve got a few great spots to fish. Straight below the coast guard tower is a top location. It’s a bit hard to get to but you can either walk around from Shark Bay or go to the right-hand side of the tower and walk down the steep track. Snaggy is another great spot and to reach it you will need to drive south past the coast guard tower and then at the end of the street park and walk up past the water tower, taking the right-hand track, which will lead you to Snaggy. But as the name suggests, the location is a lure eater. It’s pretty easy to donate your gear here, so your best bet is fishing light with pillies.

If using slugs, cast out and slowly wind in, but pick up the pace 10m out and lift your rod tip high to prevent getting snagged on the rocks in close. A few tracks lead out to the various headlands and all end in great fishing spots. Some are brilliant for bream and jew, while others are ideal for tailor and whiting, but all will fish well at certain times. No matter what, always fish the headlands with a mate. These areas will bring you undone and I have had a few close calls over the years. My motto as a young buck was “work hard, play hard”, but I think I played too hard as I’m suffering now. If you are a younger buck, maybe you should pull back a tad and you will be able to fish a lot longer than me. The Evans Head Fishing Classic is done and dusted, and with 707 contestants (a few more than last year) it was certainly a big one. There were a couple of hiccups but nothing major, though the odd complaint came in regarding the catch, photo and release format. Some didn’t like the changes, but anything new is always going to ruffle a few feathers. A number of the diehard fishers wanted to keep the old format but if the old ways were kept the comp would have been finished. With AFT taking over, I believe more life has been breathed into the event. The extended fishing boundaries also took a bit of pressure off Evans Head. And the photo and release format meant the big

snapper were released to continue to breed. However, fishos were allowed to keep the fish if they wanted a feed. I entered the Classic this year but didn’t weigh any fish. I had a few mates and my brother-in-law and nephew come up from Newcastle to fish the event and they will be back as they had a ball. They didn’t win any fish prizes but scored a few random draw prizes. The accommodation they had booked for the past couple of years has now been taken off the market. With the new highway being built, I think accommodation might be hard to find next year. I hope not, but with many workers coming to our area, finding places to rent might be hard. With the crap going on at the caravan park at Evans, who knows what will happen. A lot of people keep their vans there permanently but I think they are now being moved on, which is a bloody shame because the caravan park was the ideal holiday destination for many. I don’t understand why this is happening. I think they have just killed a beautiful spot on the NSW north coast. Well that’s it for me this month. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to wet a line in the next month. This year has been a bugger for me, with four hospital trips and being told to rest, which is bloody hard to do. ‘Til next time, remember: limit your kill, don’t kill your limit. Tight lines and smelly fingers.

Horse hair weed or pony tail weed is the author’s favourite for blackfish.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Mix of jew, tailor and luderick make fishing interesting at Iluka D

URING the past month, fishing around the Iluka/ Yamba area here on the beautiful Clarence Coast in northern NSW has been excellent one day and then dismally quiet the next.

The good news is if you just happened to be fishing on the good days, decent numbers of jewfish, luderick and tailor were on offer, along with the occasional big bream and tarwhine. In the jewfish stakes, young Coffs Harbour anglers Tai Donelan and his mate Ollie made the road trip to Iluka for a couple of days. They went spinning the breakwall with my son Mischa and were rewarded with several solid school jew to about 11kg. All fish were taken on soft plastic lures on both high and low tides, at dusk, at night and just after sunrise, so the lads really hit a purple patch. The best fish hooked by the lads was estimated at 16kg but it unfortunately spat the hook at the gaff. The best moment of the trip was seeing the lads involved in a double hookup of jew, which does not happen every day. Naturally enough, the fish disappeared when Ashby angler Ted McLean and I went out for a fish with fresh squid and plastics, as between us we

Just Jew by TYE PORTER

fished from just after dark until daylight for hardly a bream pick. Inside the Clarence River, Mischa teamed up with young Lismore angler Ryan Pellagreen and used a combination of live flattail mullet and Old Dog minnow lures to snare jewfish to a tad over 13kg. Once again Ted and I thought we would have a try, however Ted was the smart one who decided to stay at home at the last minute, but not me, no, I went and froze my giblets off for absolute diddly squat. The odd quality jew has been taken from the Iluka Bluff on lures, however odd is the key word, while Frasers Reef to the north has fished well for justlegal school jew on live beach worms during low water. Over on the Yamba side of the Clarence, the occasional jew has been taken on lures at the TPiece at the beginning of the breakwall along with a handful of schoolies to 7kg from Lovers Point on minnow lures. September sees the winter run of big jew in the river come to an end as their main food species, flat-tail mullet, begin to move back up-

stream until next year. Towards the end of the month, most anglers will refocus on locations such as the breakwalls and headlands in their quest for the elusive jewfish. Reports of good catches of bream from inside the river, be it numbers or quality, were few and far between over the past month, with even the commercial fishers struggling to find fish. I am sure it is only a seasonal glitch because 12 months ago quality fish were to be had from every vantage point. The headlands and open beaches are a different story, with solid fish averaging 900g and specimens up to 1.5kg being reported from the first and second Bluffs as well as Back Beach and Shark Bay to the north. The Nursery at the Bluff is still the pick of the spots for big luderick on cabbage, while inside the river the normally everproductive old ferry approach has been almost void of fish. Those anglers with boats are scratching up a feed along the Collis Wall on the rising tide. August is usually the big month for luderick, but like the bream, they just

did not move in in the numbers they usually do. Excellent catches of flathead are being taken in the river on both soft plastics and small hard-bodied lures, with the north arm of the Clarence River providing the best action by far. Mischa teamed up with young Bill Ford and his mate from Lismore for a session on lizards in Billâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boat recently, which saw the lads land 18 solid fish in two hours before Mischa impaled a small hardbody lure into his leg. The video of him trying to get the treble out can be seen on Mischaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Facebook page, so if you want to have a good laugh, go and take a look. Tailor continue to frustrate the hell out of anglers, with very few sizeable fish landed along the beaches, even though most days the odd bream can be seen washed up minus its tail, which is a sure sign the toothy critters are in the area. Offshore has seen most of the boaties targeting snapper and trag, with quite a few big knobbies being captured from the southern grounds off Minnie Water and Wooli, while a handful of snapper have been taken from the rocks at Woody Head in front of the campgrounds on pilchards. A number of big schools of mack tuna are starting to show up offshore at

Woody Head and it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be long before the shallow water in the bay warms and reports of cobia being boated start coming in. If you are chasing a jewfish this month but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to throw lures from the headlands, I suggest heading down to your local breakwall late of an evening and getting a dozen live yellowtail to fish the first change of tide after dark, be it low or high water. September can traditionally be a difficult month for fishing because the winter species thin out before the summer species move in. However, I reckon any day fishing has to be a good day. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Til next month, safe fishinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Mischa Porter with a school jew taken from the shore at Browns Rocks on live mullet.

Coffs Harbour anglers Tai Donelan and his mate Ollie landed these two jewfish from the Iluka breakwall on soft plastic lures.

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Page 24 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

Like many participants in our chosen leisure activity, I took it for granted that you didn’t need to worry about your personal physical condition because activities like walking a stream or riding in a boat are not very demanding. However, persistent niggles (that can become painful injuries) are surprisingly common, particularly among middleaged and older anglers. Many of these can be directly attributed to activities undertaken during our time spent in the pursuit of our sport. Soft tissue injuries make up the majority of the maladies induced by fishing-related physical strains. By far the most common of these is lumbar (lower back) strain, and sometimes the more serious herniated disc can arise from the same physical stresses. Lumbar injuries were particularly prevalent among anglers during the heyday of centre console sports fishing boats. You can imagine that prolonged and repeated exposure to the extra G-forces experienced when dropping into the troughs between waves can have an impact on an angler. Leaning slightly backwards when the boat travels down the back of a swell is common (to maintain balance) but is an unnatural posture for our spines and particularly stressful for the discs in the L5 region. Lower back pain is not, however, the exclusive realm of the offshore boatie. Anglers who pursue their quarry by lure casting will often spend long days on their feet on the deck of a boat. Many consider the aches they experience in their back after a session of lure casting to be simple fatigue and inevitable. A young friend whose name will be familiar to many, Carl Jocumsen, experienced almost constant lumbar discomfort after making the move to the US and full-time tournament angling. Carl did manage to find a solution that is (not coincidentally) exactly the same remedy as my physiotherapist prescribed and is quite simple. Whether your lower back

Fishing for Sport by NEIL SCHULTZ

pain is the result of bouncing across waves, spending long days standing on the deck of a boat or numerous sessions on a sloping beach leaning back against the weight of a surf rod, the cure is the same: increase your core strength. Now, although I stated the solution was simple, there is no instant fix. The muscles of the entire trunk of the human body including lower back, abdominal and obliques all work to support the fragile structure of the spine. Lack of strength in any of those muscle groups will result in the other groups needing to work harder, leading to muscle strain.

In a worst-case scenario, if all the core muscle groups fail in their support role, herniated discs can be the result. Making those core muscles stronger takes a little exercise and of course a moderate amount of time before the improvements are noticed. You don’t necessarily need any special equipment, nor a gym membership, because simple bodyweight exercises will do the job quite adequately. The most well-known and one of the most beneficial bodyweight exercises that will enhance core strength is the good old-fashioned push-up. ☛ continued P25

Warming up before your exercise session is a good idea, although a 10km run is well beyond what is required before your daily set of push-ups.

Squats performed with body weight alone are fine, using weights just means you need to do fewer reps. Concentrate on keeping the spine straight when performing squats.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Are you fishing fit? Outboard emissions standards laws in Parliament ☛ from P24

More recently devised ‘planking’ has been in vogue for some time as a core strength builder but the push-up has added benefits of working intercostal, pectoral and upper arm groups at the same time. Those of you who target species such as tuna and billfish, which can see the angler pumping a loaded rod for an hour or more (sometimes several hours) will appreciate the added upper arm endurance gained by regular push-up sessions. Steer clear of sit-ups for your core strengthening, as that exercise can actually have negative effects on the lumbar region and cause discomfort. Another overlooked muscle group is the glutes (and the deeper-lying piriformis), which have pivotal roles in helping maintain balance and working in conjunction with the larger leg muscles. Weak glutes can lead to sagging in the hips when standing or walking, which in turn can manifest as pain in the lower back, hamstrings or very commonly, knees. Increasing the strength of the glutes and other smaller associated muscles in the group can be achieved with either squats or lunges. If you are into working with weights, deadlifts are excellent, or for the

more mobile amongst you, race walking is fantastic (you’ll certainly feel it the day after a 10km speed walk). Those walkers we see in the Commonwealth and Olympic games must have glutes that could crack walnuts! All the above advice on increasing your fitness with a few simple exercise sessions each week has two aims. First, to prevent injuries, because recovery can be arduous and living with pain can be life changing. Second, and more positively, is to increase the enjoyment of our leisure hours. Almost all the outdoor activities in which we participate will be easier and more enjoyable if we are fit enough for them not to be too physically taxing. Consider how a little training could keep the smile on your face for longer when hiking through gorge country with a pack on your back in the pursuit of either game animals or iconic sportfish. Wading through jungle streams or alpine rivers with a fishing rod in hand, standing on the deck of a bass/barra boat pitching lures into tight corners and paddling a kayak for kilometres will all be more enjoyable if you are physically conditioned for the task.

HE Australian Government recently introduced new legislation to help improve Australia’s air quality. The Product Emissions Standards Bill will allow new product emissions standards to be established on small spark engines (non-road), bringing Australia into line with the US, Canada and Europe. Currently, emissions from these engines are not regulated in Australia, leaving Australia as a dumping ground for less-efficient products that cannot be sold in other countries. The standards will be phased in over two years and reduce noxious air pollution from petrolpowered outdoor equipment and marine outboards that release high amounts of harmful air pollutants. For example, a twostroke leaf blower can produce the same number of hydrocarbons as 150 cars, while on summer weekends in cities where the use of garden equipment is high, small petrol engines can contribute up to 10 percent of air pollution. Following extensive consultation with key stakeholders, the new emissions standards will

strengthen Australia’s capacity to manage air quality nationally and deliver an estimated $1.72 billion in avoided health costs over a 20-year period. The Government is also providing $1 million in funding to support surf life saving clubs upgrading to cleaner outboard engines that meet the new emissions standards. The Department of the Environment and Energy has partnered with Surf Life Saving Australia to deliver grants of up to $1000 per clean outboard engine over the next four years to support this important organisation and its clubs across Australia. New legislation to improve air quality Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg recently tabled the Product Emissions Standards Bill that will bring Australia in line with world emissions standards for small engines from outboards to lawnmowers. In the marine segment, the laws will cover any petrol spark ignition engine including outboards, inboards and personal watercraft. Other small engines such as lawnmowers and chainsaws are also covered under the Bill.

The Bill is planned to progress through Parliament over coming months, with both the Bill and detailed rules becoming law by December. There won’t be an immediate start, and instead industry will have until June 20, 2018 to cease imports and a further year to clear stocks. Cross industry Blue Sky Alliance chair Gary Fooks said, “The information paper published last December spelled out the details and timing so industry could get ready.” “This means industry has had 30 months to finish up the sales of high-emission engines.”

The Australian standards will be based on the US EPA rules but to make it easier for importers, outboards with certification in the US, EU, Canada and California (CARB) will all pass. In practice, all fourstrokes and modern direct-injection engines such as Evinrude’s ETEC will pass. Carburetted twostrokes have much higher emissions, not just 20 or 30 percent more but 11 times on average. Exemptions for small engines was never an idea that would carry water. “With a carby 8hp twostroke pushing out 59 percent more emissions

per hour than a 150hp four-stroke, exemptions were never viable,” Fooks said. “To be fair, these emissions standards will also target mowers, generators, chainsaws and brushcutters – all below 25hp.” David Heyes of BRP said, “The industry is moving quickly in providing consumers with specialised needs, for example, BRP has developed an outboard for Surf Life Saving Australia.” “Based on the Evinrude military outboard, it provides superior service and lower TCOA while exceeding emissions standards.”

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 25

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

Z-Man Trick ShotZ

A NEW release that created plenty of interest at the Australian Fishing Trade Association trade show was the unique profile and action of Z-Man’s 3.5” and 4.2” Trick ShotZ. A realistic baitfish profile with a heavily ribbed underside for creating water movement and holding scent, the Trick ShotZ feature a unique, heavily textured, spade-shaped tail that creates glides, flicks and a seductive action, even with minimsal movement. Combine this with the buoyancy of Z-Man’s 10X Tough ElaZtech material and this bulkier tail stands up in the face of the fish, creating a strike attractant that is close to the hook point. The heavily ribbed and textured body adds to the flexibility of the plastic, resulting in a plastic that rigs easily and fishes well with almost any retrieve. The smaller 3.5” Trick ShotZ model will appeal to everything from bream, flathead and bass to inshore snapper, while the larger 4.2” version is sure to become a favourite for snapper, mulloway, barramundi and more. Available in six colours with a SRP of $10.95 and six (3.5”) or five (4.2”) per pack. www.z-man.com.au

rated a specially plated pinion gear, combined with a breakwater wall and drainage port to provide superior protection against corrosion. Featuring Shimano’s new compact body design, the Curado K is 10 percent smaller in both length and width when compared to the previous model. This is further enhanced by the metal Hagane Body to provide the reel with added durability and rigidity. The K series is available in a 200 size in both right and left-hand models in multiple gear ratios up to 8.5:1 and fitted with 6+1 Shielded A-RB bearings. Finished in slick matte black and packed with the very best in Shimano technology, the Curado K is more powerful, more durable and offers supreme casting performance. Visit shimanofish.com.au for more information.

Atomic Hardz Vib 70

SUPER-tuned and super-sized, the new 70mm Atomic Vib now sees the Atomic Hardz Vib range as the complete series, with three sizes (50mm, 60mm and 70mm) making up this impressive range. Designed and tuned to swim straight and true all the time, every time, the new 70mm model is a lure that can handle a host of retrieve speeds and deliver the angler a range of presentation options. The largest in the series, the 70mm version’s quarry includes Murray cod and barramundi, which will find it hard to resist the rattling intruder. Freshwater species aren’t the only fish that will fall in love with the new lure, with flathead, mangrove jack, mulloway, trevally, snapper and a variety of offshore species destined to smash the new Atomic Hardz Vib. Available in 18 popular colours with a weight of 15.5g. Visit atomiclures.com.au or face book.com/atomiclures

Shimano Curado K baitcaster reel Jigpara and Zoc hooks

high-speed species and big, angry predators. • Tungsten: the Tungsten lure is precise and forceful. Denser and smaller than lead to create less water resistance, it sinks faster for a quick cast and catch. • Micro: this is a true micro jig in the 3-10g weight range, custom designed for the smaller estuary and freshwater species. • Vertical Slow Pitch and Slow Pitch: two versions of the fluttering jig, designed for slow pitch-style angling. These have a slow dancing action, so the lure hangs out in the strike zone for longer, bringing in shut-down or slower fish species. Zoc hooks Along with the jigs, Majorcraft has released 45 variations of the customcoated assist hooks that come in a vast range of sizes and drop lengths. All Zoc assist hooks feature the premium epoxy Z-Hard coating, which creates a stronger bond, keeping fish firmly on the hook once they’ve bitten. Visit majorcraft.com.au or facebook. com/majorcraftaus

Zerek Stalker

ATC Combat baitcaster reel THE Zerek Stalker was created to make a unique sound while being retrieved, appealing to large surfacefeeding predators. The Stalker has a snake-like swimming action that rocks the internal rattles and knocks the lure’s sections together, creating the unique sound this lure emits. A jointed, three-piece wakebait with through-wire construction and large boot tail, the Stalker is built to handle the extreme tackle anglers are using with these lures. Fitted out with 5x strong Mustad trebles to ensure a solid and secure connection, the Stalker exudes strength in all areas. Make no mistake, this lure is designed to be fished hard for big predators including Murray cod, barramundi, trevally and other reef thugs. Initially released in the 250mm, 150g Mega version, the Zerek Stalker will be available in two sizes and eight colours by the end of the year. The Zerek Stalker is a tough addition to your kit that will take on the biggest predators in your area. Visit wilsonfishing.com.au for more information.

TT Lures RevlockZ THE next generation of Shimano Curado baitcast reels set the benchmark in everyday performance and saltwater MAJORCRAFT introduces an extendurability with the new K series. A long-time favourite amongst Aus- sive new range of lead and tungsten tralian anglers, the Curado K series jigging lures — 185 versions of Jarepresents the next chapter in the pan’s number-one saltwater lures. This is the motherlode for an aniconic Curado legacy, featuring the latest in Shimano’s innovative Mi- gler’s whole season. The range includes: croModule gearing and X-Ship for • Vertical Short and Vertical Long smooth rotation, combined with the new SVS Infinity braking system for Jigparas: designed with a centre balance and asymmetric body, these enhanced casting performance. To withstand the toughest saltwater jigs have a classic broad slide action, environments, Shimano has incorpo- perfect for mechanical jigging for Page 26 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

brutally strong Mustad black nickel, chemically sharpened hook that has made the HeadlockZ series Australia’s number-one jig head, with the addition of a spinning blade mounted on the underside of the jig head designed to add flash and vibration to your soft plastic presentation. It also features the tested and proven ‘head lock’ grub keeper that locks your soft plastic in place on the jig head, which is especially important when using 10X Tough Z-Man ElaZtech plastics. To control the torque of the blade and ensure the presentation tracks true, the weight of the head has been tapered from top to bottom to keel the RevlockZ. Blade options include both colorado and willow in silver (nickel) and gold (brass). Whether it’s bass, yellowbelly and flathead on the smaller sizes or snapper and pelagic species on the larger ones, the RevlockZ allow you to put a spin on your soft plastic presentation that may just switch on the bite. Available in a wide variety of weights and hook sizes from 1/8oz and size 2 up to 1oz and 7/0 in all four blade configurations with a SRP of $9.95. Fish on! www.ttlures.com.au

USING its popular Rev Head for inspiration, Tackle Tactics has developed the new RevlockZ series of underspin-style jig heads. The RevlockZ is built on the same

THE ATC Combat is designed to take on hard-fighting predators. Featuring a corrosion-resistant aluminium frame and side plate, the Combat has a multi-disc drag system that can handle drag pressure up to 8kg. A lightweight aluminium spool and magnetic braking system ensure consistency in distance and performance with every cast. The 10 + 1 stainless steel ball bearing system further enhances the reel’s all-round smoothness and performance. The Combat’s handle is designed to be ergonomic and is padded for the ultimate in comfort and feel. Combat reels also come with a spare jigging handle with power knob for light offshore jigging applications. A full crank of the handle allows anglers to recover 70cm of line quickly when needed or slow it all down when necessary, meaning this reel can be used for a number of applications. Tough, dependable and attractive, the ATC Combat is a reel that will fill many roles. For more information and specifications, visit wilsonfishing.com.au

Garmin Panoptix transducer

DESIGNED for trolling motor installation, the PS22-TR is the latest addition to the Garmin Panoptix product line, which now includes six transducers with varying installation options for freshwater, estuary, inshore and offshore applications. Incorporating LiveVü Forward and LiveVü Down all-seeing sonar technology, the PS22-TR offers a narrow 20-degree beam angle for crisp, improved resolution and clear images of what’s all around and below the boat in real time, while moving or stationary. Paired with a compatible Garmin GPSMAP or echoMAP CHIRP head unit, Panoptix delivers a whole new perspective to fishing, allowing anglers to watch the movement of fish and the reactions to their lures/baits up to 30m away. The PS22-TR is ideal for freshwater, estuary and inshore anglers targeting bass, barra and bream in the snags, and species such as jewfish, snapper and kingfish on relatively shallow reefs. Anglers can see real-time sonar imagery at video-like speed using the view of their choice – forward or down – and thanks to its simple mount design, it’s easy to change mounting configurations between the two. By providing both LiveVü views, anglers have the ability to tailor the PS22-TR to best fit how they fish, where the fish are and how the fish are behaving. Unlike traditional or scanning sonar, which provides only historical data of what’s been passed over, LiveVü Forward shows images of fish swimming towards or away from the boat – allowing you to cast towards active fish with more precision than ever before – and LiveVü Down shows moving sonar images below the boat, which is ideal for jigging and other forms of vertical fishing. The Garmin Panoptix PS22-TR is compatible with the echoMAP CHIRP 75sv and 95sv, the GPSMAP 752xs/952xs and 1022xsv/1222xsv series, and GPSMAP 8400 and 7400xsv series. Mounting hardware is included to install the PS22-TR on the shaft or barrel of a trolling motor. The PS22-TR has a RRP of $1499. Visit youtube.com/watch?v=K6u35Rlkp8 for a quick product overview video. For further information, go to buy. garmin.com/en-AU/AU/cOnTheWa ter-p1.html www.bnbfishing.com. au

Atomic Arrowz on target for price and quality

HE term ‘value for money’ gets thrown around a lot these days, no matter what it is you’re buying. Where a product comes from, what it is made from and how it is built affects a product’s value – but finding out these basics can often be difficult and sometimes impossible. When talking fishing, like many things, plenty of emotion and individuality is involved in why you use or like a particular piece of equipment. That goes for rods, reels, lures and every other piece of equipment we fishers use.

So, when you break down the latest offering from the Atomic stable, a fully Australian-owned fishing tackle company, the Atomic Arrowz rod range is easy to recognise as ‘great value for money’. The Arrowz integrates two very respected manufacturers in Majorcraft and Atomic, delivering a rod that uses full Fuji components and advanced designs while catering for Australian fish and fishers. I am sometimes asked how designing a rod for Australian conditions would differ from designing a rod for fish in other

parts of the world. The easiest way to answer that is the majority of light tackle rods imported to Australia come mostly through Japanese or American companies. These companies predominantly design lighter rods for largemouth bass. Largemouth bass, while looking somewhat similar to a number of our Aussie fish, are in fact very different in the way they breed and more importantly the way they eat and feed. So the rods are not really made for Australian conditions. In contrast, Arrowz have been designed for both bait and lure angling in Australian conditions and feature three ranges: Es-

tuary, Offshore and Barra, all with full graphite blanks and Fuji components. The Estuary series has six spin models including designated individual surface and crankbait rods, a finesse special 70SUL designed for ultra-light bait and lure fishing and the heaviest model in the series, the 70ML. This series delivers refinement, precision and lightness. The Offshore series delivers superior muscle and control. These four 7’ spin rods feature ultra-refined fore and rear neoprene grips. In the Barra series you’ll find two spin and two baitcaster rods, all with neoprene fore and

cork rear grips. These rods possess the finesse to feel the subtlest of bites and blank sensitivity and control to twitch, rip and pop baits. All the 7’ rods in the range are available in both one and two-piece configurations. The Atomic Arrowz range offers a quality product that could be mistaken for a much higherpriced item. The light estuary models come in at around $180 (RRP). That to me, is good value for money! For more information on the new Arrowz range, check out the Frogleys Offshore website frogleys offshore.com.au Joe Allan

e e r F z w o r r A Atomic y a w a e v i G t r i T-Sh

Model AAS-70UL

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 27

Testing the range of MadZ soft plastics

VER the past few months I have been testing awesome gear from the wonderful guys at MadZ Lures.

This barra was caught on a recent trip to Bundaberg using a MadZ Skew.

MadZ products are made in NSW on the beautiful Clarence River. The team has produced unique moulds to perfectly imitate bait profiles and the results speak for themselves. The MadZ range includes a wide variety of soft plastics to cater for every style of fishing. Models include the Skew, Mini Skew, Grub, Mini Grub, King, Mini King, Wriggler and Insect. I have predominantly been using the Insect and Wriggler in my local estuaries because they have

Tackle Review by MITCHELL TOWNSEND

best imitated the prawns that are still present in the Pine and Caboolture rivers. Flathead have recently been schooling in the Pine River, Caboolture River and Pumicestone Passage and these two MadZ plastics have been smashing them. I have enjoyed multiple sessions where I’ve caught between 20 and 40 flathead on the MadZ plastics. In the clear water, dark green and brown hues have worked best because they closely mimic prawns and small baitfish. I have been fishing in

about 3m of water and 1/4oz and 1/2oz jig heads have ensured my plastic is always in contact with the bottom. I have been using a small hop technique where I lift the lure no more than 30cm off of the bottom. Flathead will sometimes follow this retrieve all the way to the boat because the lure never leaves the flathead’s vision with the small hops. To see the technique I use first-hand, head over to the Pine Boys Facebook page and check out my latest video. The MadZ colour range is extensive, ranging from

natural colours, which are ideal for clear water, to brighter colours perfect for dirty water. The Jayzee and Sage colours have been smashing the flathead, however Pearl White and Neon are the plastics that caught the majority of fish on my latest trip up north. Fishing at Cape York entailed quite a bit of soft plastics work, mainly targeting fingermark, mangrove jack, queenfish and trevally. It is so important that the plastics you use in a place where the fish are extremely toothy last more than one or two hook-ups, and I was amazed at how well the MadZ plastics performed. I caught numerous trevally and queenfish on the same white Mini Skew

and I was also catching more fish than my mates who were using other soft plastics. We then went and began chasing fingermark and mangrove jack and I caught the biggest and most of each species for the trip and I don’t think this was any coincidence, as I was the only one using MadZ lures. MadZ soft plastics are aniseed injected and unlike other scented soft plastics, they are not slimy or sticky when pulled out of the packet. I have used these soft plastics at a number of locations and they just seem to catch fish everywhere I go. I recently visited the western side of Fraser Island, which was a blast. ☛ continued P29

A quality flathead that fell victim to the MadZ Insect bug-like imitation.

The full range of MadZ colours, which will be extended in the near future.

The diverse range of MadZ soft plastics is perfect for all kinds of species.

Page 28 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Classic catch by young angler

You never know what you’ll catch when fishing snags on Cape York. This jack came out and smashed a Mini Skew.

Testing the range of MadZ soft plastics ☛ from P28

The weather wasn’t the best, however we saw a multitude of mack tuna busting up and they were eating extremely small whitebait. We threw quite a few different small plastics and metals at them but couldn’t get them to take the bait. Then as soon as I switched to a white MadZ Insect, bang! Straight away I was onto a decent mack tuna. Mack tuna are lots of fun on light gear and this fish was hooked on my flathead rod, so it was a scream. As I mentioned, MadZ plastics are made on the banks of the Clarence River, and this is where they really stand out.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

The makers have fished the waterways in this area for most of their lives and they know the styles and colours that really work. Very large jewfish inhabit the Clarence and the Skew is a perfect imitation of the big mullet that school around the river’s rocks and breakwalls. Multiple large jewfish have been landed on this model alone. I have been to the Clarence and caught small jew, big flathead and

bream, all on the same MadZ plastic. Expect to see these plastics making a big impact in the market in coming months and to get your hands on some, jump onto the MadZ Facebook page. From there you can see the stockists and order directly. I have had a blast using them and I can’t wait to see how they perform in the coming summer on mangrove jack and barra. Stay tuned!

This beautiful jew was caught in the Clarence River on the ever-faithful Skew.

I Ben, long time no see.

I met you several times at the Straddie Classic events years ago, and still enjoy and never miss a copy of BNB. Recently I had an experience at the local boat ramp that was quite out of the ordinary. I will relate what happened below. Like many readers of BNB, I am a mad-keen fisher, and have been since I was a kid many years ago. I still like to get out in my boat once a week, but because of the weather and other factors it does not always happen. When I can’t hit the water in the boat and I need a ‘fix’, I drive down to a huge sandbank adjacent to the Waterford Bridge on the Logan River at Waterford, where I live, and wet a line there. This is the setting where I saw something happen that could be described as “incredible”. The local boat ramp was about 20m from where I was sitting on my chair with two lines in the water. A couple arrived with a tinnie and two small kids. As Dad prepared the boat for launching, the

two kids were playing on the water’s edge midway between the boat and I. Suddenly, the elder of the two kids, a threeyear-old boy, yelled out: “Dad, Dad, there’s a big fish in the water!” Dad promptly walked over, had a look and said: “No, sonny, that’s a piece of wood,” and walked back to the boat. The little fella then said “No, Dad, it is a fish – I’m gonna catch him.” He then waded into the water, about 15cm deep, plunged his hands in and lifted up an average size mullet before carrying it up onto the sand. Until this point, the fish had not resisted, but suddenly it went berserk. Both the boy’s dad and I ran over and prevented the mullet from escaping back into the water. His Dad said to me: “Have you ever seen anything like this before?” I replied that if I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it. Perhaps the fish was dozing in the warm shallow water, for it certainly did not appear to be unwell. The little fella’s mum asked me what kind of fish it was, and when I replied “mullet”, she

said: “Oh, we don’t eat them.” So I took it home, and floured, battered and coated with Corn Flakes crumbs, it wasn’t too bad. On the green Alvey measure, which only reads to 38 cm, it was a about a centimetre over, making the fish roughly 39cm long. After all the excitement was over, the lit-

tle fella’s dad and I had quite a chat. He appeared to be of Islander descent and had been in Australia for 20odd years. They were a great family. A little boy catching a big fish in his hands… something I will never forget. Unbelievable, but true. Lee Wendt

The mullet on the Alvey measure.

The three-year-old boy and his younger sister with the mullet and their dad and boat in the background.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 29

Successful snapper trips offshore â&#x2013; Trophy night â&#x2013; New members

Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S the second month of the 2017/18 fishing year for the Power Boat Anglers and with calm weekends and clear skies youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be forgiven for thinking we were in a totally different part of the world.

Rob Schomberg was club champion (again).

Helaine Wilesmith won awards for ladies club champion and largest jewfish.

The lead-up to the EKKA is usually filled with strong wind and cool temperatures, so the current burst of good weather has certainly taken many by surprise. The good conditions have also allowed for trips on consecutive weekends to take place for the first time in years, though only a couple of the really well organised were able to take advantage of this. On the fishing front, Roy Lane has been put-

Power Boat Anglers by MICK CLUTTERBUCK

ting some nice fish photos on our Facebook page but unfortunately hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been able to convert the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;out of club hoursâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; form to the club trips. A recent trip out of Scarborough yielded decent numbers of snapper for a few boats but no one could locate the big ones. Looking at local snapper fishing sites, it would appear plenty of sizeable ones are around, including a number of crackers inside Moreton Bay. I dare say no one will be giving up the chase just yet.

At the August meeting, we had three new faces join the club, adding a Cruise Craft Explorer 530, 6.2m Kevlacat and Bar Crusher 670 to the fleet. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funny when new people join because initially you keep forgetting their names but nearly always remember the boats, especially if theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not Cruise Crafts as we have plenty of them. Anyway, welcome aboard to you all and I hope you enjoy the club and fishing experience. Up for discussion on

PERHAPS THE FIRST THING TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A BOAT ISNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T THE BOAT?

the night were the rules around club trips in relation to wind strength and wave height. This pops up every couple of years and always generates good robust debate, but we always keep with the long-held club stance of safety first, fish second. No fish is worth dying for and we stand by our safety record. The other main topic of the night was the upcoming 1770 trip: who is going, the scoring/points system to be used, do you get extra points if you make the return trip with no trailer issues and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hit a sandbank and so on. These and other important issues will be discussed and finalised at the next meetingâ&#x20AC;Ś or the one after that if no one can agree, and then Rob Schomberg will make the call. The recent trophy night went well, with more than enough food, drink and did someone mention the

85 awesome raffle prizes to top it all off. Prizes ranged from big ticket items such as Bluetooth speakers from Trymax Marine Electronics, Eskies from BCF and two 30â&#x20AC;? LED light bars from Fourbys 4WD Superstore to hats, fishing shirts, tackle and heaps more. If you didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t win a prize, then you probably didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t buy a ticket, or needed to buy more â&#x20AC;&#x201C; thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how it works, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it? It still amazes me how some people are just plain lucky. At one stage, the Cromptons had the bottom lips quivering and were not doing so well, and then next thing, bam, they were on a roll and saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hey Mick, can we borrow your ute to take all our prizes home so we can start a fishing hat shop?â&#x20AC;? Plenty of others did well, including myself, winning great lure packs, muchneeded trailer servicing parts and an excellent new â&#x2DC;&#x203A; continued P31

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Bruce Carroll picked up the award for largest snapper.

Dale McClurg placed third in the club championship race.

Club champion 1

Rob Schomberg

Bruce Carroll

Dale McClurg

PBA Cup Rob Schomberg Ladies champion Helaine Wilesmith Largest fish species Snapper 1

Bruce Carroll

Helaine Wilesmith

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Page 30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bush â&#x20AC;&#x2122;n Beach Fishing, September 2017

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Sunshine Coast the perfect place to fish

HE rivers on the Sunshine Coast are the perfect place to while away a couple of hours with a rod and reel. With September upon us, flathead will be on the chew and good catches will be taken in both the Noosa and Maroochy rivers. If fishing the Noosa River, the areas near the Council Chambers, Noosa Marina and the mouth of Lake Doonella are flathead hot spots. Flathead will school up in these areas, especially around Lake Doonella. Trolling hard-bodies such as the Daiwa Double

Sunshine Coast by WADE QUALISCHEFSKI

Clutch during the last of the run-in tide or throwing Keitech 4” Easy Shiner plastics in the shallow channels near the bridge on the run-out will secure you the fish. Further upriver, good size jewfish have been taken in the deeper holes along the ski run. The best way to score one of these beauties is to work soft plastics such as the Z-Man StreakZ 5” along the deeper sections. If using bait, live is best and it can be caught quite

easily with a cast net. Combined with the new moon, you will be in the running for a trophy fish. If chasing trevally and whiting, the lower reaches are fishing the best. The Frying Pan fishes well at this time of year, with schools of whiting on the bite during the run-in tide and worms the preferred bait. The bigger fish are hitting surface lures, with the excellent Ecogear PX55 a popular choice. A great thing about this

Successful snapper trips offshore ☛ from P30

filleting knife. There was even a bit of bartering going on behind the scenes. For example, Schombie managed a hat from the Cromptons that he then turned into a set of bearings from the Carrolls and so on and so on. A huge thanks to all the businesses and people who graciously donated the great prizes for the function: BCF Virginia, Trymax Marine Electronics, Expro Qld (Rod Henderson), Boating and RV, Four-

bys 4WD Superstore, Trailer Accessories Wholesale (Paul Archer), Wynnum Marine, Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine and Jeff, Paul and Rob. Thanks again for your continued and loyal support. Oh, I nearly forgot the reason we were there in the first place. Congratulations to our club champions for the 2016-2017 club season, Rob Schomberg (overall) and Helaine Wilesmith (ladies). For the full results,

check out the table on the previous page. Next meetings The next club meetings will be held on Monday, September 4 and Monday, September 25 (due to the Queen’s Birthday public holiday in October). 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.

lure is it has light jig assist hooks fitted as standard, which are proven to give a better hook-up rate. Micro jigging has been the method of choice for hooking trevally. One of the favourites is the Blue Blue SeaRide in 6-9g sizes. Keeping your jigs close to the bottom with short, sharp lifts is a sure way to get the fish’s attention. In the Maroochy River, whiting will be schooling at the Black Banks, with live worms and live yabbies securing the better fish. Lures trolled around the motorway bridge are getting hammered by big tailor and trevally. If you find the fish are a little shy, make sure you keep your braid hidden by using a quality fluorocarbon leader. Drifting baits around the river mouth is another method of landing a quality catch. Using small pillies, whitebait and live yabbies on the change of tide will do the job. Offshore The offshore scene has produced plenty of snapper. Head for Jew Shoal or Little Halls Reef on the high tide at first light and you’ll be in business. Be sure to improve your chances by setting a goodquality berley trail consist☛ continued P32

Rodney Zinn with a very nice snapper from the Barwon Banks. Photos: fishing noosa.com.au

Khy Lawrence has been fishing the beaches around Mudjimba and slaying the tailor.

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WWW.WILSONFISHING.COM Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 31

Sunshine Coast the perfect place to fish ☛ from P31

Jarrod Young held a perfect example of the golden trevally on offer in the Sunshine Coast rivers.

ing of cubed pillies and Big John’s Burley Mix. I know I rave on about berley a lot, but it’s just as important as putting fuel in your boat. Sunshine Reef has seen good numbers of squire, sweetlip and the odd coral trout. Coral trout are a yearround target, though are more prevalent in the warmer months. It’s always worth dropping a live yakka or two when fishing Sunshine Reef because these baits are irresistible to trout. Out wider on the Barwon Banks, snapper are firing in one of their best seasons yet. This year has seen many

people landing PB snapper. The popular rig and bait that has secured some of the bigger snapper is what I like to call the ‘squichard’. This is a squid placed over the top of a pilchard and then rigged on a gang of three 5/0 711 Tru-Turn hooks. Other Barwon Banks species on the chew include hussar, venus tuskfish, cobia and maori cod. For the smaller craft wanting to pop outside, head further south to Currimundi Reef where soft plastics and micro jigs in the 30g size have been dynamite, blasting grass sweetlip, snapper and moses perch out of the water. This favoured close reef

along with the Gneerings and Murphys Reef are all producing these popular reef species. Always make sure you have a floating pillie out while jigging these areas to increase your chance of catching a bigger midwater fish. Beaches On the beaches, it has been all about tailor, with the quality and size of fish better than last year. If you can pair the runin tide with either a sunrise or sunset, you will almost certainly be in for a great catch. The gutters from Mudjimba to Marcoola and north of Stumers Creek have produced the better fish.

Full-size pillies on a gang of Mustad 4/0 or 5/0 hooks has been the popular rig, though you could try Black Magic’s Snapper Snatcher rigs. Though branded for snapper, these rigs can be retro-fitted for tailor. All you need to do is place half a pilchard on each hook, and then with a couple of wraps of Black Magic bait thread, your bait is ready and secure. If wanting to pimp your standard pilchard gang with a visual aid, Neptune Tackle has a product called a ‘tinsel head’. The tinsel head can be placed directly on top of your ganged hooks, allowing the tinsel to run down the side of your pilchard.

The rocks, especially around Noosa Heads, are the perfect place to find squire and grass sweetlip, with fresh mullet strips nailing the bigger fish. With all strip baits to be used in surf conditions, make sure you soak them in tuna oil beforehand as this will not only enhance your catch rate but also attract bigger fish. For all the latest information on bar crossings and fishing reports, visit fishingnoosa.com.au Don’t forget to drop into Davo’s Tackle World Noosa or Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola to find out where the fish are biting. Tight lines and bent spines!

Caloundra Marine will help you hit the water

INTER has come!

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Page 32 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

This statement might arouse parts of the community in different ways. For us, the cold weather means cold water fish. Normally snapper (my favourite fish all year round) hang out deep in the cooler water but at the moment you only need to go offshore 2-3km to bag out on these beauties. One of the best places to find snapper of late is the local reefs off Caloundra. The coffee rock, Brays Rock and Inner Gneerings are producing great catches of snapper, reds and parrot. This is great for two reasons. First, these close reefs make it quick and easy to go and catch great fish and get home before lunch. Second, it gives many people just getting into deepwater fishing an opportunity to test their open water skills

without losing sight of land. If you’ve just started out and you’re looking for an open water fishing boat, a couple of models in the Quintrex Trident and Yellowfin ranges currently represent great value for money for both the family fisher and hardcore angler. E -T E C - p o w e r e d Quintrex models are eligible for $10 per horsepower factory cash back on 40-130hppowered boats. And if that’s not reason enough to get your interest, Caloundra Marine has an exclusive offer to double the factory cash back during the boat show season. That means you can potentially get back up to $2600 off the already excellent boat show pricing. So what are you waiting for? Get out on the water and catch yourself a big one. Billy Kirkley

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Tide Times Sponsored by

AUSTRALIA EAST COAST - BRISBANE BAR James Munro scored a Lake Macdonald bass.

The result of the first cast with a Halco Twisty. This lure is a musthave in the tackle box.

Ripper return to Borumba Dam ■ Lake Macdonald shows good form

HADN’T been to Borumba Dam for over three months, so I was pumped to finally have some time off and get to the dam for a fish.

WADDY POINT - FRASER ISLAND

I hit up one of my best mates Matt Hoffman to come too. Matt had only fished the dam once before, so I was excited to hopefully get him into some decent bass. We arrived at about 6.30am, launched the boat and headed up the dam. A howling southwesterly wind was blowing and it was freezing… great Borumba fishing weather. I sounded around a few areas in the main basin before heading into the timber. We found a few schools in a couple of my regular spots but the fish weren’t interested in biting. We fished these spots for about 30 minutes but the fish still didn’t want to play the game. I then decided to hit the Yabba arm. We found a lot of fish hugging the weed edges about halfway up the Yabba arm on a shallow bank. I was casting TN60 Jackalls in Brown Dog colour and counting them down for five seconds before ripping them back across the tops of the weed beds. This worked really well.

Freshwater Luring by CALLUM MUNRO

I hadn’t fished this way for a long time, so it was good to get the feeling back for that epic reaction bite. We got great fish, with the biggest measuring about 45cm. Between us we caught around 15 bass and Matt was impressed. It was a fun little session. We moved on and looked for similar areas but with no luck, so we headed down to the Junction, finding fish in 3-4m of water close to the weed island. The only way we could get any reaction here was to work Smak Ice Jigs and blades. Casting to the fish didn’t work at all and most of the fish were hugging the bottom. We hooked a lot of fish by dead sticking, which involves dropping the lure to the bottom, jigging it a couple of times and then leaving it for five seconds or so. The trick is to not strike until the fish loads up on the line. This technique requires a bit of patience, as Matt

found out. In any case, Matt was pretty stoked with the day as he had much more success than on his previous venture to Borumba, catching about 20 bass on the water with me. Lake Macdonald – the good old days Lake Macdonald is really returning to its form from the ‘good old days’. I recently hit the dam with my dad on a weekday morning for a quick session of about three hours. Wow, did the bass come out to play. We didn’t have to travel far, launching from the Noosa Botanic Gardens section. First we travelled to the point opposite the launch area, fishing in 3-4m of water and casting metal Halco slices and Berkley Gulp plastics on 1/4oz jig heads. The bass were all over them. We must have pulled in 20 fish in the first hour before the fish stopped biting, with the biggest around 40cm long. Next we headed to the Bubble Trail and jigged blades in about 7m of water.

Sadly we didn’t pick up any big fish here, with most going about 35cm, but it was still wicked fun. We then cruised up to Bass Point targeting fish in 4m of water off the weed, catching a number of crackers measuring 40cm-plus. Ripping Evergreen Little Max blades in colour 19 and 1/4oz size across the top of the weed did the most damage, though we picked up the occasional fish on Berkley Gulp soft plastics. It’s a bit painful targeting bass in such heavy weed. I had one bass of about

45cm smoke me into the weeds and I couldn’t budge it, so I employed a technique I had used successfully in the Australian Fishing Championship back in 2013. The basic idea is to get your lure retriever out and stir up the weed and out will come Mr Bass. This is certainly worth a try. All in all, the past month has provided awesome bass fishing in the dams around the Sunshine Coast, so make sure you get out to one of the local dams and whack a cracker! Until next month, cheers.

The author with a cracker bass from Borumba Dam.

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.

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 34 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

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Bennett Marine AutoTrim Pro

ENNETT Marine’s new AutoTrim Pro automatically and actively levels the pitch and roll of most boats with trim tab systems – it’s like cruise control for your trim tabs.

Press one of two user-programmable ‘Favourite’ buttons and the system regulates the boat’s trim angle based on settings selected by the operator, and then holds that angle across a variety of speeds and shifting conditions. The operator can take manual control at any time by simply pressing any button on the Helm Display. AutoTrim Pro is a performance upgrade you can really feel, engi-

neered to make your boating experience even more enjoyable. AutoTrim Pro is designed to minimise bow rise, which improves planing time and visibility. Additional conditions ATP improves include listing, chine walking and porpoising – terms not all boaters know but have certainly experienced. As an all-in-one trim tab control system, ATP combines myriad essential features into an easy-to-use, space-saving helm display. Features include automatic trim tab control, manual trim tab control, automatic tab retraction and trim tab position indication. Handy features in Manual and Auto mode include one-touch ‘All Up’ and ‘All Down’ buttons. LED trim tab position indicators clearly display each trim tab’s position and flash to show automatic actuation activity in real time, with day and night brightness settings and two Favourites settings for Auto trim mode. The Auto tab retraction feature automatically retracts tabs when the boat’s ignition is turned off to curtail damage during hauling, trailering and storage. Bennett Marine CEO Charles Sweet said, “This product is the

culmination of two years of work, and over 50 years of experience and innovation in trim tab system engineering and manufacturing.” ATP consists of two main components: the Control Unit, which functions as the system processor; and the Helm Display, which is the user interface. Installation is straight forward with plug-and-play connectors, and ATP is compatible with any Bennett trim tab system as well as many other manufacturer’s systems such as Lenco and Lectrotab. Electric and Hydraulic versions of AutoTrim Pro are available for both aftermarket and OEM applications. The breakthrough simplicity of the AutoTrim Pro system allows Bennett Marine to offer pricing that makes it a compelling decision for boat manufacturers that spec their vessels with trim tabs. Adding ATP to existing trim tab systems is an inexpensive installation at your local dealer, and a straightforward task for a do-ityourself boater with basic mechanical inclination. To learn more about AutoTrim Pro, or where to order, visit har roldmarine.com.au or call 07 3277 6563.

Insights into boat insurance

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

The scenario For whatever reason – distraction, poor communication, a misunderstanding between crew members or a gear failure – things have gone pear-shaped at the boat ramp. With a few metres still remaining between your boat and the water, you step out of your vehicle to see your boat half off the trailer with its aft end planted firmly on the concrete ramp. The question becomes: what to do next in terms of repairs? The answer Your first priority is to make sure no one has been injured and to take all steps to ensure bystanders keep clear for their own safety. After dealing with people first, the next focus becomes the boat. You will need to make an assessment of whether the boat can be winched back onto the trailer without compounding the damage or whether you need to call in outside assistance. Having managed those immediate issues, then comes the obligatory

phone call to your insurer to make inquiries about undertaking repairs. And that’s where some people get the second major shock. You might find that you have no choice of repairer, or you might find you are compelled to choose from a selection of the insurer’s preferred repairers. However, if you are insured with Nautilus Marine, you will immediately be made aware of one of the key benefits in dealing with a marine insurance specialist: you get to select your own repairer. And that repairer might even be the original manufacturer of the boat, if the manufacturer undertakes that sort of work. In Queensland, some fibreglass and alloy boat manufacturers readily undertake all forms of repairs, ranging from minor and major cosmetic detailing to major refurbishment. Often, they like to undertake the work to ensure the integrity of the workmanship so a faulty repair does not reflect poorly on their brand at a later date, once the boat has changed hands, possibly several times, many years after the boat ramp incident. The other advantage is the manufacturer knows

precisely how their boats have been constructed. For example, another repairer might not have access to the composite material which the original manufacturer used in the transom. That’s why it is critically important to understand what your entitlements are, or are not, in terms of repairs when taking out marine insurance. If the original manufacturer does not undertake repair work, then the company still might be able to refer you to an authorised repairer who specialises in a particular boat brand. That repairer might also have direct access to specialist parts, castings, mouldings and materials needed for the repair. Provided you have an insurer such as Nautilus Marine who includes a ‘your choice of repairer’ clause, those options are open to you. Are there conditions?

Of course there are. In terms of Nautilus Marine, one of the key conditions is the quotation from your chosen repairer must be fair and reasonable. It also must be submitted and approved before the repair work is undertaken. Always make sure you clearly understand your position in terms of choosing a repairer before you take out an insurance policy. Also ask the prospective insurer to show you where the relevant section about repairs falls within the product disclosure document. That’s the one that forms a key part of your contract with the insurer and is the document that will be referred to in terms of the ‘yes, you can’ and ‘no you can’t’ types of discussion. If you need further information, you can contact Nautilus Marine Insurance on 1300 780 533 for any boat insurance requirements.

ly prize to the best questions received. The prize is a custombuilt 15kg Nautilus Marine-branded overhead

COMPETITION

DATE

LOCATION

2017 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 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

Emu Park Fishing Classic

Sep 23-24 Pine Beach Hotel – emuparkfishingclassic.com.au

Gold Coast Flathead Classic

Sep 26-29 Ross Meadows 0438 603 209 flatheadclassic.com.au

North Coast Fishing Bonanza

Sep 28Oct 2

WTF Women That Fish Barra Classic

Sep 28-30 Rockhampton – Shara VanHaeren 0429 923 243

Guyra Troutfest Barra Classic

Sep 29-30 Guyra, NSW – 0488 755 736 guyratroutfest.weebly.com

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

Mary Valley Family Fishing Classic

Nov 4-5

Borumba Dam – gympie.qld.lions.org.au E:gympielions@gmail.com

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

ABBT* Barra Round 1

Jan 13-15

Awoonga Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183

Boondooma Yellowbelly Fishing Competition

Feb 10-11

Boondooma Dam – Terry Allwood 0400 860 122

Moura Muddy Water Classic Family Fishing Competition

Mar 31Apr 1

Dawson River – Graeme McGreevy 0428 195 362 or Zelma Lewis 0428 971 932 E: m.a.f.s.g@bigpond.com

Ballina, NSW – fishingcomps.com.au

2018

Win a Nautilus Marine rod Nautilus will also be answering your boat insurance questions of a general nature and offering a great bi-month-

COMPETITION DATES

5’6” light game and reef fishing rod crafted by Gary Howard and featuring Fuji guides, a graphite reel seat and roller tip.

Each rod has a retail value of about $300. Just email your questions to qld@nautilusin surance.com.au

*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

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.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 35

Mick swimbaited his Westin for a big winter longtail tuna.

Jodi jigged for golden smiles.

Preventing failures on big fish

INTER is coming to an end, and as the weather warms, so too should our drags.

A solid snapper for Nathan.

Luke jigged up a quality diamond trevally.

> Hervey Bay > Fraser Island > Sandy Strait

Get into the best fishing action! Full and half day tours All levels of experience Experienced guide

www.fraserguidedfishing.com.au > 0427 230 261 Page 36 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

The drag knobs will be clicked right up to stop the fast-running species and lift them before the taxman makes a claim. It pays to keep an eye on what keeps you connected to your quarry. On a recent tour I had a rather unfortunate mishap. The pressure was on as we were well into the day and were yet to boat a decent fish. I spotted potentially big longtails cruising around schools of yakkas. The client launched a plastic into an area that seemed likely and was soon connected to what I suspected was a very large longtail. Within seconds of the drag starting to scream, it all went slack. I thought, ‘what the f#@^!?’ Yes, it happens to everyone. Even though it was a very expensive outfit with very expensive line, we had a line failure. Now, this outfit is a proven performer, has boated many big fish and has always been bulletproof. So how did this failure happen? After I cooled down, I started to rationalise the possible events. Here is what I came up with. I figured it was most likely this combo was involved in a session where sharks were wreaking havoc. In most instances in Hervey Bay, a shark will leave you with nothing, not even the fish’s head, but if you are lucky, maybe a usable length of leader. Many times the sharks will give chase and your fish won’t be eaten, but as they chase the fish their rough skin will hit your braid and bust you off. This hit that damages your braid could be just above your leader knot or it could be 10m above it. There could be multiple sections of damage, and if you are not vigilant, you will miss spotting them. You will re-rig your leader and you may get away with it for a while, but eventually that compromised line will give way. And likely the combo in question landed smaller fish after the damage but on the initial blistering run of a truly big specimen it disintegrated very quickly. Other sources and causes of line damage to watch out for

Fraser Guided Fishing by TRI TON

include the following. Lures – watch the hooks and split rings because they love to eat braid. If you mount the hook to the guide ring, you are asking for trouble. The hook point and barb, if moving freely, will damage your braid. Attach hooks to the frame of the guide and wind the reel to load the rod tip slightly. If the rod is stowed in an upright fashion while under steam, the lure should not be able to rattle freely when you hit chop. Slight loading of the rod tip will not damage it, so do not be scared to make the lure sit firmly. While we are on the topic of storage, rod lockers including the one on my boat can also cause damage because the rods and reels are free to move about inside. Rods and reels can rub against the line and cause premature wear and tear, so be careful. Be particularly careful when removing a rod. You’re better off taking several rods out as opposed to trying to un-weave a rod from under a few others. Basically anything on your boat is potentially harmful to your line. Transducers, propellers, electric motors, trim tabs and the good old gunwale rubbers all have the potential to cause serious injury to your line. If ever you come for a ride on my boat, take a minute to notice the effort I’ve gone to in order to minimise risk. Prevention is better than the cure. Do not think you can perfectly control a fast-running fish. You will move around to counter its runs, and when sharks are prowling it gets worse because fast runs become fast and erratic runs, often ending in rod breakages. You would be surprised how often anglers make that mistake and break a rod, even experienced ones. Fighting a battle is not just about lifting a fish but also minimising the strain on yourself and your tackle, even when you are clearly not in control. Give yourself the best chance and watch your line while you feel the rod load, being quick to respond, mo-

bile and fast on your feet. Even your rod and reel can damage the line. Your crappy casting may hinder your chances of hooking a fish but it will also stop you from landing that long-awaited big fish when it finally bites. If you are familiar with my tours, you will know how vocal I am with what to do with a cast. I can tell what you are or aren’t doing just by hearing the way the line comes off the reel. Each cast has its own sound signature and each failure also has its own sound. And as with all mishaps, your line may be damaged. Bail arms and rotors are designed to align the lay of the line, not catch line from poor casts and be forgiving enough to leave it undamaged. So when you get angry at a guide telling you how you should cast, please consider the effort said guide may put in to keep the line in good shape. Listen and watch carefully when instructed. We want you to land fish; our reputation depends on it. Other things to consider are sticky drags, a new brand of line and the quality of a fresh spool-up. Sticky drags can and will often break lines and knots. Buy a decent reel that suits the task and maintain it. A new brand of line may have different grip potential, so it may require testing to assure you the knots won’t slip. Maybe you will need to make a few more twists than with the last line you chose. When you wind a new spool of line on, be sure it is on tight. A soft spool-up will let the line dig into the spool. This will cause damage and often the line will break at the spool, though it may cause damage that is not noticed until much later. Another spool issue is with overheads or baitcasters. Please control the loose end of the line because it can end up looping under layers of line and you won’t notice until it is way too late. Hitch the loose end around the reel seat or a guide to avoid this happening. That’s all until next month. Oh and for those who are interested, we ended up landing a keg of a longy that day and hooked a few goldens too! www.bnbfishing.com. au

A Bunker Group adventure I N our day-to-day lives, not many of us are given the opportunity to get out and see what our very own backyard has to offer.

When it comes to fishing from Bundaberg and the surrounding areas, we are blessed with an ocean thriving with marine life. The southern Great Barrier Reef ends at Lady Elliot Island, positioned off the Bundaberg coast. Just to the north is the Bunker Group, a largely diverse group of reefs comprising a number of islands accessible by offshore vessels and very popular amongst fishers. When you’re as keen a fisher as me, rarely a day goes by without dreaming about being out on the water getting stretched by big fish. The offshore fishing scene depends largely on the weather, so planning and preparations are important for a safe and enjoyable trip out on the blue. A great-looking forecast arose recently, so myself, girlfriend Leeah and two great mates Lachie and Ross jumped into action on the days preceding this good run of weather. It was our dream to travel out to the Bunker group off 1770 and spend the night in the protection of an island to then fish to our hearts’ content in some of the best destina-

Bundaberg Offshore by JOEL JOHNSON

tions our local area has to offer. It wasn’t long until we were gathering resources, buying tinned food and slabs of water in preparation for what could be a cracker trip. The boat was packed and ready to go, so after getting an early mark from work we were on our way north to hopefully be on the water late in the afternoon. The car trip seemed to take forever as our excitement grew, but finally we arrived and were making the dash down the ramp, with final checks and preparations for the journey to come. We were met with beautiful calm seas as we motored through the tidal bar, making short work of what can sometimes be a tricky crossing in the wrong conditions. Soon enough we were skipping towards the horizon, leaving all signs of civilisation behind us. We were headed for Lady Musgrave Island, a popular destination for tourist vessels by day and boats like ours seeking a safe anchorage for the night. Arriving at Lady Musgrave lagoon in complete

darkness, we took our time to navigate the channel safely, anchoring up for dinner and a few hours of shut-eye before an early start. The following morning, we were up and stowing the gear well before sunup, setting out for our first fishing destination with high hopes of big fish. Our first fishing spot was roughly to the northeast in deeper water. Hoping for a sizeable red emperor or another tasty species from the deep, we arrived at the mark before sounding up what looked to be likely structure in about 40m of water. The fishing was hot, with multiple hook-ups on both sides of the boat, but unfortunately these weren’t the red fish we had hoped for, rather a variety of trevally species to quite decent sizes. Among the action, Leeah hooked up and was quickly buckled over the side. Bringing back memories of her last trip fishing offshore where she blew us away with a stonking red emperor, I got the net as she progressively battled the fish to the surface. Our hopes of a red or trout were soon dismissed

by the tell-tale thud, thud fight of a trevally. A disappointment on the Esky-contribution front but an awesome-looking fish nevertheless. We persisted in this area, landing the occasional legal-sized redthroat emperor and tuskfish, but decided to mix things up and float out a garfish rigged on gang hooks in the hope of landing a cruising mackerel. We fished for nearly an hour without a touch on the floater when finally ☛ continued P38

Ross with a solid spanish mackerel.

A cracking 8kg blue maori cod pulled from a deep reef edge.

Quality aluminium boats to suit tough Australian conditions

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Leeah held a great-looking trevally.

One of many beautiful coral trout caught in the crystal-clear waters surrounding the Bunker Group.

A Bunker Group adventure ☛ from P37

the rod buckled and the reel began to scream. Having never captured a spanish mackerel, Ross was first in line to grab the rod and begin the

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fight while the rest of us cleared the deck and prepared to land the fish. Taking Ross all around the back of the boat, the fish gave a fair account of itself before finally giving in. Ross was happy to have captured the spanish mackerel, which weighed in just shy of 10kg. It was the perfect eating size and an excellent way to brighten our weary spirits. After fishing this spot for some time longer with nothing but brutal bustoffs, we decided to make the dash to a large reef that becomes partially exposed on low tide, making for a diverse fishing ground. The reef featured shallow reef flats and deep ledges that gave us plenty of options, so we made our way over before assessing where to fish first.

We decided to kick things off by fishing the outer edge where it dropped from 15m to about 30m of water, knowing this environment screamed big fish. We began our first drift, with the wind and tide pushing us along the ledge at a gentle speed and enabling us to fish the bottom. It wasn’t long before we had a pair of beautiful redthroat emperor over the side, followed by a lovely coral trout. We fished on, slowly accumulating a good bag of mixed reef fish, and decided to drift into deeper water to see what it had to offer. As we slowly floated into 40m-plus, I hooked up to a decent fish that was fighting like a solid reef dweller with serious weight. After battling it to the

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surface, we soon discovered it was a thumping big blue maori cod – not a first for me but by far a PB! Weighing in at about 8kg, I was thrilled. One thing I truly love about fishing these semiremote offshore reefs is the massive diversity of marine life. The Great Barrier Reef is truly amazing and fishing is an excellent way to experience some of the marine life that lurks below the water’s surface. Often when reef fishing you learn how certain fish fight, and it’s such a pleasant experience when you’re blown away with a wildcard from the depths. Hoping to home in and target coral trout in the shallower water, we set up a few drifts that sent us floating across the beautiful coral reef flats where we could just about choose which fish we wanted to catch by looking underneath the boat. After being blown away by some unstoppable fish, we were all eager to get in the water and test our rather amateur spearfishing skills on the other side of the reef where we knew were some diving hot spots. We suited up and dove

into the crystal-clear water before venturing out and diving around the reefy outcrops and bommies in the hope a coral trout would be silly enough to expose itself. Frustratingly, the fish outsmarted us on various occasions but a couple of solid fish still made it into the Esky. Seeing everything from a huge humphead maori wrasse to a 20kg-plus spanish mackerel swim underneath me (after foolishly leaving my float line on the boat!), we were amazed by the thriving environment not enough people get to see. We decided to call diving quits after a cruising and quite sizeable tiger shark decided to make an appearance. It was a truly beautiful creature and an amazing experience being so close to such a massive animal, but not one we planned on hanging around for too long. So with the afternoon growing old, we made for home, bringing an actionpacked adventure to an end. The marine life in our waters will never disappoint, so if the opportunity arises, get out and see what is on offer.

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K AYAKING & canoeing Bass can put up a decent fight and it becomes more noticeable when dealing with them from a kayak.

A good early morning jolt was provided by this bass that hit a worm placed a mere foot or so from the drop-off. The author was lucky to be close enough to grab the rod before it became dislodged from its resting spot by the aggressive strike.

Using worms is about as basic as it gets at BP Dam, though the variety of native fish on offer and the quality of the fight can turn a boring, fishless day into something worth going back for.

Options at Bjelke-Petersen Dam I ’M not usually motivated to do much kayaking in winter, though when I get out on the yak and have a great fishing session, I ask myself “why not do this more often?” I recently had the chance to head to Bjelke-Petersen Dam and catch up with the bass comp crew I had not seen or been a part of for a number of years. I decided the boat wasn’t the way to go, since I knew the dam was holding at only 24 percent capacity. So it was a kayak, a small kit of lures and away I went. Arriving mid-afternoon on a Friday to bleak conditions, I found some of the bass crew already there having a pre-fish between the intermittent showers. The kayak was suited to the flat lake surface, with the bass boats creat-

Fresh Water

by NOAL KUHL

ing more waves than any wind. The bass fishing was very slow on lures, so with good timing I was off the water late in the afternoon before the next squall hit and made it to the kiosk just before closing to buy worms for the next day. I decided to try bait fishing one of the inlets I used to visit when the water capacity was around this level, with an exposed drop-off usually harbouring a good supply of various fish species. I cut my teeth on lure fishing in this dam as a teenager by hopping out of the boat and walking the banks in this bay while casting among the structure on offer, no matter how meagre the clump

of submerged weeds or sticks protruding from the depths appeared. It was these educational sessions that got me hooked to try this technique back in my now home waters. A five-minute paddle from the boat ramp had me on location and rigging up several worms on a 2/0 hook. Mono line of 6kg with a small 1 ball sinker sitting several feet above the trailing hook completed the setup. I generally don’t use sinkers in zero-current freshwater scenarios, except when the line is nearly vertical, such as when fishing from a boat or steep drop-off. I use the sinker to gauge

where the bottom is. Once felt, I wind up several turns of the reel’s handle, allowing the fish to nibble at the bait with little resistance. This has been my favourite bait fishing method since Noah was a boy and it is still the best way to catch native fish out of a lake when sessions are tough. With the rod lying across my legs while in the kayak, I began preparing the second rod with the same rig. The bait had hardly touched bottom when nibbles became vigorous and a quick lift saw a tight line, and going by the commotion, a very aggressive eel-tailed catfish battling it out. After this action, I decided to exit the kayak and sit on the bank where the drop-off was exposed. Several bits of structure were jutting out from the

depths and were in just the right position to rest two rods against. Once re-baited and set up again, the show was on, with the overcast and foggy conditions making it ideal to fish the shallows because the fish were feeding right at my feet. Quality bass and eeltails kept me entertained until midmorning when the 50 worms were depleted, just as the sun started to peek through the dispersing clouds. The fish retreated into the shadowy depths as the sunlight began penetrating the water. I decided to head back to the boat ramp as the morning session of the bass comp was almost complete. This gave an opportunity to swap stories at the boat ramp and get ready to head home after a brief and enjoyable stay.

When using live bait such as worms is pretty much the only time the author gets to tangle with the excellent fighting characteristics exhibited by eel-tailed catfish.

Getting out of the kayak at times and fishing off the bank gives more freedom of movement and better opportunities to catch fish in low-light conditions because the fish usually feed in the shallows.

Five great spots for new paddlers

T remains a mystery to me why more people in southeast Queensland aren’t paddlers. We are after all blessed with great weather, beautiful scenery and a plethora of places to dip a paddle. In fact, ask any experienced paddler and I’ll bet they can rattle off at least 20 great spots to get on the water without raising a sweat! I’m the same. Give me an audience

Canoeing by DAN OWBRIDGE

and I will cheerfully expound the virtues of the many and varied places around our region where I like to paddle. However, quantity or indeed quality, are not the problems we sometimes face. The real challenge can be providing a location

Brisbane River – Twin Bridges

www.bnbfishing.com. au

for first-timers on the water in an environment that allows them to gain confidence and truly enjoy the experience. With this in mind, I present the top five places I’d take a newbie. Brisbane River – Twin Bridges This place is number

one for some very good reasons. It’s easy to access, picturesque and has a 3kmlong stretch of water with very little current. Access is gained by driving down beside the low bridge on Wivenhoe Pocket Rd and launching from the gravelly beach on the river’s edge. The water is shallow and the ground underfoot is gravel or sand and not mud. With no tide, the water level is fairly constant throughout the year and the low current flow means it’s perfect for doing a return trip (no need to do a car shuttle). Abundant wildlife along the stretch of water between Twin Bridges and Lowood Bend make the trip interesting. The return trip is about 8km, and last month’s article on Canoe Go Paddling featured an easy 6km return trip suitable for families. Lake Kurwongbah On Brisbane’s north, Lake Kurwongbah is one of two water supply ☛ continued P40

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natureline.co om.au Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 39

K AYAKING & canoeing Five great spots for new paddlers ☛ from P39

dams in the area. With new changes to Seqwater recreation policy, motorised watercraft are now banned from the lake, making it a great paddling destination. Access to the lake is gained from Mick Hanfling Park on the southern bank and it’s only a short

Wyaralong Dam

Wivenhoe Dam – Billies Bay

Lota Creek

walk to the grassy edge to launch. Toilet facilities are available on site, as is plenty of parking. This is one of the easier spots to launch from in the region. The grassy banks make getting into a kayak or canoe feel comfortable and safe for new paddlers and the adjacent stretch of water is ideal for gaining confidence in a new craft. Lake Kurwongbah is a long, narrow lake with plenty of sheltered coves to explore. It offers good sheltered paddling on windy days and is great for return trips to and from Mick Hanfling Park. From the launch site to the end of the dam and back is about 6km. Wyaralong Dam Heading south, you will find my third paddling destination, Wyaralong Dam. Located between Beaudesert and Boonah, it is Seqwater’s newest dam, being completed in 2011. It’s famous for filling up completely within 25 days of being built. Wyaralong, like Kurwongbah, is a non-motorised watercraft dam, though you will share it with rowers from time to time. It is also one of my favourite spots to canoe camp, offering an amazing bush campsite on the slopes of Mount Joyce. Access to the dam is very easy, with a boat ramp and adjacent grassy banks making unloading and launching a breeze. The launch area has toilet facilities and excellent barbecue/picnic shelters for after-paddling refreshments.

Wyaralong is a large Tshaped dam with many coves and islands to explore. It’s a great destination for new paddlers, though it can be challenging in the open sections during high wind. It’s a good idea to check the wind forecast prior to setting off on this dam, but once across the section closest to the wall the dam becomes very sheltered. Return trips can range from 6km up to 30km, with a lot of options on this dam. Wivenhoe Dam – Billies Bay If you want options, then Wivenhoe Dam is for you. Wivenhoe Dam offers a range of paddling options from long open water trips to sheltered bays overlooked by wooded hills. My pick of launch sites is Billies Bay for its water access. Like the previous two dams, access is from a grassy bank beside a boat ramp a short walk from the carpark. The water is shallow and clear at the launch site and makes it easy to comfortably enter or exit your craft. Wivenhoe is a large dam and as such can suffer from wind chop (wind blowing up waves on the water), so it’s always a good idea to choose a site that has options to allow for this. From Billies Bay, paddlers can follow the dam north or south and explore the inlets on the eastern bank, head west and visit the camping areas on the western bank or paddle east into the sheltered and very scenic Billies Bay/Kipper Creek area of the dam.

Billies Bay is on my list because it’s not as frequented by visitors as the other sites and has a sheltered area for inexperienced paddlers on very windy days. The wildlife in this area is plentiful and with fewer visitors the animals are more frequently seen. Tingalpa and Lota creeks Just to show there are no favourites, my last paddling destination is on the coast and has salt water! Tingalpa Creek is the boundary between the Brisbane City and Redlands councils. It is a tidal estuary that flows from Leslie Harrison Dam into Waterloo Bay between Manly and Thorneside. By far the best launch site is on the southern bank at the boat ramp beside Wynnum Redlands Canoe Club. It’s located directly across from the confluence with Lota Creek and offers a great paddling trip at high tide. Tingalpa and Lota creeks are very tidal and best enjoyed two hours either side of high tide. At this stage of the tide, a great time can be had paddling between the grey mangroves at the confluence of the two creeks. It is quite common to see the local brahminy kites in this creek as well as other bird and marine life. Be aware that the tidal pull can be quite strong in these creeks, so plan trips that work with the tides wherever possible. I have taken novice paddlers up Lota Creek on an incoming tide and then back again once it turned

on quite a few occasions with great success. It’s a good way to extend the distance of a paddle and see one of the prettier spots in suburban Brisbane. From the Tingalpa Creek canoe ramp to as far up Lota Creek as possible is about a 6km return trip. With tide assist, it’s an easy 1.5-hour journey. Honourable mention: Enoggera Reservoir I would have loved to include Enoggera Reservoir in my top five but it has a couple of problems that make it less than ideal. First, the access track is in excess of 400m and a bit of a hike. If you don’t have a trolley for your canoe or kayak, it’s quite a chore to get to the water. Second, the launch area is crammed in beside the swimming reserve and on busy days it can be a challenge getting in and away. It’s also a nuisance if you want to remain close to shore while familiarising yourself with a new craft. It’s a shame because Enoggera is very picturesque and really accessible from central Brisbane. Hopefully plans are afoot to improve access for paddlers to this fantastic little dam. If you’d like to know more about paddling destinations in southeast Queensland, jump onto one of the many free online guidebooks such as upstreampaddle.com or call Natureline Australia on 07 3390 4106 and one of our friendly staff will give you free advice on where to go and what equipment you will need. Happy paddling!

Tips on how to choose the right kayak

ANY types of kayaks can be used for different purposes and paddling conditions, and when you look at buying one to suit yourself, you should consider others who may use it as well.

Sit-on-top style kayaks can generally be easier to get in and out of due to a larger open cockpit area compared to the traditional sit-in style kayaks, which usually have a smaller and more enclosed cockpit. Sit-on-top kayaks are becoming very popular, especially for fishing, as they can be customised with rod holders, GPS units, depth sounders, anchor lines, live bait wells and a variety of other equipment. However, sit-in kayaks such as K1 racing kayaks or their wider, more stable touring counterpart Page 40 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

the TK1 also suit a variety of uses. Longer sea kayaks are better suited for paddling longer distances faster and can be loaded with tents, camping gear and supplies in the watertight bulkhead hatches. These kayaks can be fitted with a spray skirt, which is worn by the paddler and when fitted correctly can prevent waves from filling the cockpit. Sit-in kayaks, with their smaller cockpit size, are generally more difficult to get back into if you capsize. Regardless of your style of kayak, it is recommended that you practise getting back into your kayak after capsizing, or even getting lessons before paddling far from shore. You’ll also need to decide on a single or double kayak, and a colour.

Bright colours such as red, yellow and orange are more visible to boating traffic. This visibility can be increased by fitting a high-visibility flag to your kayak or picking a paddle with bright-coloured blades that stand out while paddling and double as signalling devices to wave at any craft travelling too close. Kayaks can be made from a range of materials, with sit-on-top models generally constructed from rotomoulded plastics. For sit-in kayaks, plastic is heavier but more tolerant to damage than the lighter fibreglass or Kevlar/carbon-fibre composites which if scratched or scraped on rocks can allow water to enter the kayak. Drawbacks with the heavier plastic or double kayaks is they are often

slower on the water and harder to load onto your roof racks as well. If possible, it is always a good idea to try before you buy to make sure your kayak really suits you and you feel comfortable paddling it. Some kayak shops offer this service, or you could join a kayak tour that uses the style of kayak you are looking at buying or a kayak club that may also offer some skills training. After choosing your yak, it is a good idea, even if not required in your area, to buy a suitable-size kayak-specific PFD that allows good arm movement for paddling, and to always wear it. Depending on where you paddle, other safety equipment should be carried too. Katrina Beutel redlandskayaktours. com.au www.bnbfishing.com. au

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Formosa Marine adds more sizes to the X Bowrider range

HE innovative Formosa X Bowrider has three new sizes.

Due to popular demand, Formosa Marine has added 520, 550 and the new 740 sizes to the X Bowrider line-up, giving consumers more choice. All sizes are available for the Sea-Rod range too – imagine more stability with the water ballast hull and the versatility of an active transom to suit you. For the 520 size, Formosa Marine developed the new option of a folding ski/wakeboard rocket launcher without the hard top visor. So, folding the launcher is still possible for those with smaller garages or inner-city homes. The X Bowrider allows you to discover more.

Take the family out skiing or wake boarding one day and transform the X for offshore fishing the next. Features include a raised dash for an offshore seating position and a unique multifunction rocket launcher. Folding seats with a flush fold-away design enhance the wide beam and generous freeboard. The cushioned bow seating and storage easily converts into the ultimate fishing platform. The unique ‘knuckle’ design features exposed perforated aluminium plate on the outside, and inside is perfect for housing speakers. Options released The Fully Enclosed Cabin Hard Top with the security of cabin doors is now available

on the new 740 Half Cabin. The new 740 size with a sharper 20-degree deadrise is available on the Half Cabin, Centre Cabin and X Bowrider models. Released at the recent Sydney International Boat Show was a Twin Motor Transom and the innovative Formosa Marinedesigned Bowsprit Ladder. Formosa Marine is an Australian aluminium plate boat manufacturer known for quality, safety and performance. A huge number of features, large range of optional extras and great value for money allows every customer to customise their boat to suit. Discover more with a Formosa. www.formosamarineboats. com.au

Hitting the rivers around Bundy

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g, Dennis Harold with hiss world record 44.62kg, 134cm long, 107cm girth barra caught from his kayak at Lake Monduran in 2010.

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T has certainly been hard work fishing Lake Monduran these past few weeks but the water temperature has remained above 20C and decent-sized barra are still being caught.

They’ve been taken in Insane Bay near the rainforest island, around the point at Heart Bay, behind White Rock and at the top of the lake at Two Mile. A few days either side of the full and new moons always sees the barra biting. If the barra are not biting at Lake Monduran, the Gin Gin locals will tell you some of the best fishing spots in Queensland are within a short drive of the lake. The rivers and creeks around Bundaberg feature gorgeous scenery with an abundance of wildlife and beautiful clean water. Great fishing and prawning is to be had in the tidal areas of the Burnett River. Here, a variety of fish can be caught at any time of the year including whiting, bream and barramundi, as well as tailor and blue and threadfin salmon in the cooler months. Mud crabs can be found year-round in the Burrum River. This huge waterway includes the Gregory, Isis and Cherwell rivers.

Bundaberg Region by DONNA GANE

Barramundi, prawns and mangrove jack can be caught depending on the season. Bream, black bream, whiting, estuary cod and flathead are also plentiful. Another popular spot with the locals, especially for lovers of fishing from kayaks and boats, is the Kolan River. Hiding in the mangrove tributaries are cod, mangrove jack, black bream and muddies, with whiting and flathead on the shallow sand flats. Some sizeable saltwater barra have also been seen in the region. The Baffle Creek system, which is 35km long, is one of the last big creeks in Queensland to

have no dam cutting its natural flow. Barramundi, queenfish, tailor, trevally, salmon, bream, whiting, flathead, perch, cod, flounder and sole are on offer here, and with such a variety of fish, it is definitely an angler’s paradise. A small rock and coral reef at the mouth of Pancake Creek makes for great fishing, spearfishing and snorkelling. Here you’ll pick up bream, tarwhine and flathead to name a few. This is family fishing at its best. Great camping abounds in the area, so pack up the gear and come and discover Gin Gin and surrounds this September

A Kolan River estuary cod.

school holidays. If I had to pick just one lure that’s a great allround versatile choice for fishing either fresh or salt water, I would choose a Hot Bite Kamikaze. This lure can be slow rolled and fished just like a plastic for species including flathead, barra and jacks. It can be hopped on the bottom for jewies, salmon and barra and allowed to flutter on the drop for snapper.

If it eats fish, it will eat the Kamikaze. You can even wind it flat-out for pelagic fish such as tuna, mackerel, trevally, queenfish, kingies and other speedsters. The feedback on the catches with this lure has been wild. It comes in 10 colours and two sizes (96S and 80S) and both are in stock at Barra Havoc and online at barratackle.com.au Until next month, happy fishing.

This queenfish was taken in the Kolan by Guy.

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Local Guy Rivett with the flathead he caught near Miara in the Kolan River.

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BOATING & marine Cabin beautifully finished with marine carpet layering many surfaces. Unique passenger ‘lounge’ an interesting choice but perfect for seating a few people in comfort.

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O you dream of catching big offshore fish?

If so, chances are you’ll want a big boat suited to safely handling the oftenunpredictable offshore conditions. Enter the Aliweld Marine 8000 HT. I recently had the pleasure of ‘testing’ this big rig in Moreton Bay. Unfortunately, while it can be a messy waterway in the wrong conditions, on the test day Moreton Bay was a glassed-out paradise. So, while it was going to be tough to find a challenge in the bay for the 8000 HT, I knew the test would provide a good idea of the boat’s capabilities overall as well as allow me the chance to acclimatise with the largest boat I’d ever tested. But first, who is Aliweld?

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The Virginia-based Aliweld Group has long been associated with the marine industry (over 25 years), with Aliweld Marine building everything from 4-15m plate alloy boats to 80m-long car and passenger ferries and even Brisbane City Council’s CityCats. The latest trailerable plate alloy boats are built upon a naval architect-designed hull and all boats can be built to survey spec. Design With such boatbuilding pedigree, it should come as no surprise the 8000 HT is built like a tank. The entire hull is constructed from 5083 marine-grade aluminium,

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• With over 20 years of experience in the marine industry • Custom naval architect-designed boats • Built with the best quality materials and accessories – no compromise 21 Lathe Street Find us on • Standard 7.8m hull with two models available – hard Virginia QLD 4014 Facebook ‘Aliweld top all-rounder and centre console ﬁshing weapon Ph: (07) 3265 2165 Marine’ • ISO 9001 quality-assured company • Five- year hull warranty as standard aliweldmarine.com.au Page 44 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

with the bottom sheets a whopping 6mm thick and the sides and floor 4mm. This particular rig’s massive hard top and cabin is also built from high-quality 5052 3mm aluminium and under the sealed, self-draining deck is foam flotation, ensuring no weak points throughout the boat. An overall length of 8m is to be expected given the name, while a 2.48m beam ensures the boat is not over width on the trailer. Despite the cavernous cabin and hard top commanding more than half the 8000 HT’s overall length, fishing room is not compromised, with loads of space for four or five

fishos down the back and along the sides. The perks of an 8m boat, hey? The side decks are wide and afford easy access to the bow, walking on nonslip material all the way and with large bow rails to brace against and a grab handle on the hard top to hang onto. Once at the bow, you’ll notice the roof is also coated in non-slip material, and if you choose to go for a quick dip, it’s a cinch to jump up onto the roof to take in some rays and dry off. The solid 3mm construction of the hard top means one or two people chilling out on the top deck isn’t a problem. Three tinted pop-up hatches, two in the hard top and one in the cabin, allow extra sunlight into the covered areas and can be opened to afford extra ventilation on those balmy days and nights spent moored in sheltered anchorages. Sitting in the super-comfy captain’s chair built by Relaxn, the outstanding all-round view is thanks in part to a 6mm-thick toughened curved glass windscreen, with the sliding side windows manufactured from the same stuff. As Bevan from Aliweld so aptly put it: “It’s like sitting in your car and driving along the highway.” Performance Speaking of which, the 8000 HT effectively turns the ocean into your highway with a massive 480-litre underfloor fuel tank and the cruising fuel economy of the test boat’s 350hp Mercury Verado. This is the maximum rated horsepower for the 8000 HT, and cruising through Moreton Bay at 53km/h we were using about 43 litres of fuel per hour. You can do the maths on that one, but suffice to say, the world is your oyster in terms of cruising range.

Seeing the Aliweld 8000 HT pull up at the ramp, I actually thought the boat might be a touch underpowered with the single 350hp Verado, but this was far from the case. Getting up on the plane occurred with just a steady surge of power and a deep growl from the big Mercury, and we quickly found ourselves humming along at a maximum speed of 71km/h. However, the Aliweld team is not 100 percent happy with the prop on the Verado, so after a prop change the team expects to see the big girl wind out closer to 80km/h. As much as I’d love twin 175hp motors on this rig for long-range reliability reasons, the big single makes sense for a number of reasons: a smaller fuel bill; a quieter ride (Bevan and I were able to converse with just barely raised voices); a slightly cheaper initial price; and lower ongoing servicing costs. Indeed, considering the incredibly reliable and well-proven technology packed into today’s crop of four-stroke outboards, there’s an ever-decreasing chance of something going drastically wrong at sea. As mentioned, we’d picked a picture-perfect day to take the 8000 HT out on the bay, and really we would need to get into the bar or offshore to give the boat a true test, though time constraints meant that wasn’t possible on this day. However, it was noticeable from the outset that the 8000 HT had an exceptionally cosseting ride as we literally flattened the wakes of lesser boats on our way towards Dunwich. There’s no need to back off the throttle when tackling a wake in this boat. I even found the wake of a large catamaran and lined up the front quarter of the big Aliweld to ☛ continued P45

www.bnbfishing.com. au

BOATING & marine Aliweld Marine 8000 HT custom plate rig ☛ from P44

take it on, which can often expose weaknesses in a boat’s hull design. Not this time. The 8000 HT just tore through the substantial waves and carried on its way like nothing had happened. Needless to say, you’ll always remain dry, no matter what you put this boat through, with big reverse chines pumping any spray well away from the hull and the full hard top making it impossible for any water to reach the captain’s chair. Man, I would love to give this thing a run out to the continental shelf to chase some big ooglies of the deep.

I reckon it would lap that trip up, regardless of the conditions. Fit-out While I appreciated the clean and clutter-free layout of the test boat, with a real cabin that offered genuine sleeping accommodation for two people, Aliweld is a custom boatbuilding outfit, meaning if there’s something you want on your boat, all you have to do is ask. This particular boat was destined for a customer whose request was for a boat perfect for touring with the family, rather than harassing the fish populations off the coast. Hence the lack of a rocket launcher on the top deck, bait board, live bait tank and all the other

Did someone say fishing room? Cabin boats aren’t renowned for fishing space but when you’ve got 8m to play with, anything is possible.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

things you might normally expect in a serious offshore fishing boat. Resting on the stern and looking forward into the cabin, you take in the classy marine carpet layering everything from the floor to the underside of the hard top, the sleeping quarters and even the interesting passenger lounge arrangement, replete with acres of storage under the comfy cushions. Storage is literally everywhere, with every little nook and cranny repurposed for holding gear and gadgets, usually with a carpet lining to help prevent things sliding around while under way. Of course, I could go on all day about the features and unique fit-out of the 8000 HT tested, but that’s just it – it’s a unique boat, and yours will be too. Other than the basic hull design, everything on an Aliweld is open to customisation. If you want it, the team will build it. So if you’ve got an idea of the boat you want, whether 4m or 15m long or anywhere in between, give Aliweld Marine a call on 07 3265 2165 to bring your dreams to life.

Northside Marine celebrates success

R ISBA N E’S Northside Marine has been crowned Stacer Dealer of the Year for 20162017 for an outstanding performance as a Stacer dealer.

Northside Marine is situated in a purposebuilt 10,000sq m dealership located in Boondall, only 20 minutes’ drive north of the Brisbane CBD. Starting from humble beginnings in 1965, Northside Marine has gone from strength to strength with the expansion of the dealership, stock and staff, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is the business is still run by the Nickerson family. Northside Marine’s motto is ‘your boating partners for life’, which resonates throughout the dealership, as many of the 35 staff members have been with Northside Marine for over 20 years. Dealer principal Greg Nickerson said the entire team at Northside Marine played a part in one of the dealership’s most successful years to date.

“The phrase we live by at Northside Marine is ‘your boating partners for life’,” Greg said. “From a sales point of view, 2016 was our strongest year, and this has rolled over into 2017, with our numbers continually increasing.” When asked about the secret to success, sales manager Bill Hull credited tailor-made systems and embracing continual change. “We run a software system that we have designed and built ourselves, which allows us to build boat packages, controls, options and ensure costs are spot on,” Bill said. “We now live by this program because it controls our whole boat sales department. “We have been on our current three-acre site for close to 20 years and have been doing several upgrades over the past few years, with a number of other facelifts to come.” Stacer account manager Cameron Wood said the Stacer National Dealer of the Year award goes to the ‘best of the best’ and that de-

scribes the entire team at Northside Marine. “From the moment you arrive at the dealership you feel welcome and appreciated,” Cameron said. “The staff members’ customer feedback is always positive and their customer satisfaction index is well above the industry standard. “The professional approach to boat show attendance and presentation is a credit to the team members and makes it a pleasure to work with them.” Cameron also said the dealership presentation contributed to winning the award, with the ex-

ternal boat display, offices and the internal showroom all spotless. “The attention to detail is everywhere, right down to the well-presented staff in Northside Marine uniforms,” he said. “The marketing covers all areas of the media and is focused and pointed. “As they say, ‘stock sells stock’ and Northside Marine has no shortage of both numbers and variety.” Visit the Northside Marine team at 2294 Sandgate Rd, Boondall and for more information on the Stacer range, head to stacer.com.au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 45

BOATING & marine

The Quintrex 510 Frontier certainly wasn’t short of punch, with the Evinrude 115hp E-TEC easily pushing the boat to 40 knots.

While looking somewhat ‘punt-like’ from certain angles, check out how efficiently the Apex Hull deals with spray on the move.

Quintrex at the forefront of innovation Q

UINTREX is renowned for implementing exceptional design and innovation to stay at the forefront of the affordable alloy boat market.

The interesting Apex Hull sure makes for a talking point at the ramp.

A flat bow area covered in grippy SeaTread material makes pushing off from the beach and jumping onto the bow easier than ever.

The full transom design and substantial horsepower meant the 510 Frontier tested would have you feeling comfortable on the close offshore reefs.

Side console provides a welcome wind break and loads of room for modern electronics.

Page 46 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

This has never been more evident than with the brand’s recently released Apex Hull design, which I sampled in the form of the 510 Frontier supplied by Gold Coastbased dealership Surf Coast Marine. Design You’re certainly not going to miss an Apex Hull Quintrex, with the unique ‘pickle fork’ bow design immediately grabbing your attention. At first glance, the Frontier struck me as a variation on a punt build due to its almost square whitepainted bow when viewed front on. However, closer inspection revealed the 510 Frontier to have quite a sharp deadrise at the waterline. The Frontier featured a few other things I had never seen on a boat – the first being raised and rolled side decks with a onepiece weld running the full length of the side sheet. Not only do the decks add to the Frontier’s unique design, according to Surf Coast Marine dealer principal Paul Banning they also improve its strength and interior volume. Another unique feature are the generous cup holders in the side decks, which are perfectly positioned for the driver and rear passenger. Yet another standout design element was the slick new side console, which gave off a definite ‘bass boat’ vibe with its low-profile curved windscreen, though the sturdy grab rail looping over the console would prove handy when standing up while driving through rough water. Seated at the helm, the controls fell naturally to hand and the instrumentation was clear and easy to read, with plenty of room to flush mount a 12” sounder in the console and storage below for odds and ends.

Boat Review by DANIEL TOMLINSON

The test boat incorporated a full transom design with rear pod and boarding ladder, though a transom door is an option to allow easier access from the stern. Both the front and rear access points are covered in SeaTread as standard, which is a great material that provides exceptional grip for wet feet and looks fantastic to boot, especially when engraved with the Quintrex logo. Features As with most Quintrex models, the Frontier comes with a healthy amount of gear as standard, but the options list is extensive and you can effectively walk into a dealership such as Surf Coast Marine and design your ideal boat with a few flicks of the pen. Straight from the factory, the 510 Frontier features a premium carpeted floor, front cast deck with loads of underfloor storage accessed via four hatches, stainless steel rod holders (not plastic!), three pedestal Bass Sport seats with four seating positions, cockpit lights, a plumbed live bait tank, 85-litre underfloor fuel tank, covered anchor well, 4mm bottom sheets, 3mm topsides, non-return scupper drainage system and so much more. Jumping onto quintrex. com.au reveals a plethora of options to turn the Frontier into whatever you want it to be. The Frontier range is designed with fishing front of mind, as reflected by the list of standard inclusions above. Surf Coast Marine’s test boat was optioned up with just a couple of extras, my favourite being a deluxe rod locker. At 2.1m long, this locker with inbuilt Rod Saver rod holders would prove invaluable to serious anglers by freeing up deck space when fishing and keeping sometimes fragile rods safe and sound while under way and travelling to

and from the ramp. The boat also featured hydraulic steering (beneficial but not essential on a 5.1m open boat) and a bow-mount plate for attaching an electric motor. If it was my boat and I was starting with a blank canvas, I’d add the above options as well as a cutting board and deck wash and I’d be a happy fisho. Performance There’s no need to beat around the bush – the 510 Frontier with a 115hp Evinrude E-TEC on the back is a dead-set weapon. Holeshot was instantaneous and we were on the plane at 15 knots, with the E-TEC ticking over at just 3000rpm. Trimming the motor out, we pinned the throttle and at full chat easily hit the 40-knot speed limit in Queensland waters. The setup’s happy place was from 3500-4000rpm where the motor returned an exemplary economy figure of 18.3 litres per hour while trotting along at about 22 knots. It’s fair to say the 510 Frontier has the legs to go the distance in almost any inshore situation, and if you plan on going further afield, the standard 85-litre fuel tank can be supplemented with an optional 72-litre secondary fuel tank. I was encouraged to tuck

the Frontier into a few tight turns, and so I did, coming away suitably impressed. Even with the motor trimmed out for top-speed running, the Apex Hull gripped the water with claw-like fervour, and the outboard didn’t complain or cavitate once. And while conditions on the Gold Coast Broadwater were idyllic, we ran over our own wake several times as well as the wakes of other boats and came away completely dry, with the aggressively flared hull pumping water down and away from occupants. You always expect to get a bit wet in open boats and it’s really just par for the course, so I’d love to see how the Frontier would handle ugly conditions as I reckon it could be the exception rather than the rule. I think it’s fair to say the Quintrex 510 Frontier could be a lot of things for a lot of people.

Whether it’s fishing the creeks and bays with the family, towing the kids in a tube or heading offshore to tackle big fish, you can bet the 510 Frontier will handle it with aplomb. If you’d like a taste of what a Frontier can do for you, book a water test with Surf Coast Marine today. The team at Surf Coast is committed to servicing everyone from the Gold Coast up to south Brisbane, offering great prices on Quintrex packages and friendly advice to boot. Give the team a call on 07 5563 7733, visit sur fcoastmarine.com.au or stop by the yard at 50/54 Brisbane Rd, Labrador. A huge variety of Quintrex models can be found in the Surf Coast Marine yard, and because the dealership is located so close to the water, going for a test run in a new boat is something the team is only too happy to accommodate.

Acres of fishing room is a big selling point for the Frontier range. Raised and rolled side decks a unique touch.

Four possible seating positions add versatility while optional rod locker is a godsend for serious anglers.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 47

Charter Directory BRISBANE - MANLY - SCARBOROUGH

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An abundant mix of species was caught during a week-long fishing trip to the Swain Reefs with Capricorn Star Charters.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 49

Ellie captured this 7.5kg threadfin salmon in the Mary River on 8lb line with a little 1000-size reel. We had to pull anchor and chase it! She was stoked she landed a salmon before her uncle Dan. Jason Dickfos

While away at Evans Head and running low on bait, I had my dinner for that night in my bait bag (curried chicken) and thought I would give it a go. In the end the curried chicken managed to entice a metre-plus shark from the rocks. Adam Nicholls

Ben, Big fan of the magazine! This is a photo of Hannah Park who caught her first Moreton Bay snapper on her birthday weekend. It was a great effort to boat the 63cm fish in shallow water. Kind regards Lachy Supranowicz

I recently caught this 84cm flathead at Noosa. Jack Bell

I got this big girl near the Seaway and she went 84cm. Adam Skinner

Here are a few photos of my recent trip to Fraser Island. The trevally went 27.4kg and the spanish 15kg. The trevally was released unharmed. I was using live tailor for bait and fishing the back gutters between Dundubara and Cathedrals. I should also mention they were caught on an old surf rod coupled with a 7” Alvey spooled with 24kg mono (you can’t beat the old locally made gear). They take some stopping on this gear. Trevor Schild

Carmen Martinez landed this 10.4kg, 93cm snapper off Point Lookout, despite Brett Seng calling it for a jew.

Not to be outdone by wife Kerry, Shane Vale picked up a nice 52cm chopper tailor at North Stradbroke Island on a recent break. Steven Hewlett

To have a photo of your catch featured in Readers Forum, simply email ben@bnbfishing.com.au with a good-quality picture, your name and details or hop onto our Facebook page and send us a message.

Rachelle Boese picked up this awesome crayfish at Wellington Point.

Murray Johnston landed a few quality fish around Hamilton Island.

■ Readers Forum ■ Readers Forum ■ Readers Forum Page 50 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Time to start targeting barramundi in CQ ■ Tips for Fitzroy River ■ Gladstone round-up

EPTEMBER means barramundi season, and it’s my unofficial start to actively targeting barra throughout the region.

As the temperature increases, barra will become more active and feed more consistently for longer periods. This winter was mild, so the slightest jump in the air temperature will see the water temperature rise as well. Winter produced plenty of barra in the region, which has us hopeful of a cracker season until the tidal waters closure begins on November 1. The consistently good numbers and size of barra the Fitzroy River has produced is awesome, and the action should only get better as spring sets in. The rocks in the centre of town have been the most productive and it’s not uncommon to see 1020 boats fishing this area on a weekend. Most lure techniques are catching fish, whether you’re winding deepdiving hard-bodies such as Lethal Lures down the rock faces, jigging vibes in the holes or using plastics for both. Don’t limit yourself to the town reaches. By moving slightly downstream past Gavial Creek and Devils Elbow you open up different structure and options. You will find fallen timber and rock bars dropping into deeper water around this area, though they typically hold fish of a smaller size. Trolling is a good option along these banks because

Gladstone Region by GARY CHURCHWARD

it helps to get the lure down deeper and into the fish’s faces. Alternatively, working sinking lures such as vibes, plastics and Prawnstars down the faces of the rock bars and around the fallen timber will catch a few. The wharf and trees around the first meatworks are also worth a try. Barra from around here are usually on the small side but still fun. Heading towards Nerimbera, you’ll find a long rock wall in fairly shallow water that can produce good numbers of fish at the right time. A rock bar out the front of the boat ramp at Nerimbera can hold a few barra as well. Heading down from the boat ramp, you almost have too many options. Do you fish the timber on the banks, the countless rock piles or the banks loaded with timber that fall into deeper water? You should try to fish them all. The most consistent producer of bigger fish is the rock piles. These are man-made structures that were left behind when the banks were going to be secured to prevent erosion. Soft plastics and vibes present the best technique around the rock piles. Depending on tidal flow, you will need to fish them a bit quicker so you don’t

snag your lure too often. The better numbers of fish will come from shallower timber but they will be a lot smaller than fish from deeper water. Hard-bodies are still the best option for fishing shallow timber because they allow you to target every side of the structure. Using floating, suspending or slowly sinking lures allows you to get down to the right depth and in the fish’s face. As you head towards the cut-through, a few steep banks feature deep timber. The tide runs hard around this area and will restrict you mainly to fishing near the tide changes. The tide changes are well worth the effort to fish because they can produce both good numbers and size of fish on soft plastics and vibes, which allow you to get down deeper into the snags. I haven’t fished much past here but plenty more opportunities exist as you head downstream towards the mouth of the Fitzroy River. Port Alma is another location with masses of fishable areas. Having not spent much time fishing here, the best advice I can give is to fish anything from drains to creek mouths, trees and rock bars. Add in the big schools of threadfin salmon roaming the river and the Fitzroy is

Phil with a Fitzroy River barra taken around timber on a Lethal Lures hard-body.

starting to become a popular destination for southern anglers not wanting to travel all the way to northern Queensland. Beware though, that the Fitzroy holds a sizeable population of crocodiles that are being seen more often throughout the entire system. Barra fishing around Gladstone has been very good as well, with big schools of barra in the Calliope River and Gladstone Harbour. The Boyne River doesn’t have the big schools but still has good numbers of barra spread through the entire river. To consistently catch barra around Gladstone, you need to spend time on the water in different locations during different tides, using a wide a variety of techniques and lures to find where the fish can turn up and then what techniques will be effective. If you can crack a pattern and get an understanding of why, where and when they are around, you will be able to use the same information at similar spots. Blue salmon are around in good schools, though they will start to break up towards the end of September as the weather warms. Bream and flathead can be found in decent numbers in the creeks and rivers. Try flicking soft plastics around drains for flathead and the edges of mangroves for bream. Queenfish are being taken in the harbour on soft plastics, vibes and stickbaits, particularly around the current lines and pylons. Jacks will start stirring into action with the increase in temperature, with 3” and 4” lures the way to go. Try the rock-lined edges in the lower Boyne River or the timber towards the top of the river as both will give up good numbers of these fish. Crabs have been slow but they should start to improve in September. We have had cracking weather over the past few months, and hopefully we see some more as the weather heats up to allow extra time on the water. Cheers and happy fishing from Gladdy.

Gav caught this barra in the upper Boyne River.

New fishing classic for Capricorn Coast

INCE the announcement of the Tight Lines Fishing Classic being cancelled for this year, a group of Capricorn Coast locals have come together to form Emu Park Events, with the first event the Emu Park Fishing Classic. The inaugural competition will be held at the Pine Beach Hotel in Emu Park from September 22-24, 2017, with proceeds going to three great organisations: RACQ Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service, coast guard and the SES. The Emu Park Fishing Classic will have 17 spe-

cies of fish available to be caught and weighed in, with daily and overall prizes for each. The Capricorn Coast is a great platform for fishing, providing everything from red emperor to spanish mackerel offshore as well as the net-free estuaries thriving with barramundi and king salmon. Four live fish categories comprise mangrove jack, flathead, bream and whiting to assist in setting an example of sustainable fishing. Local fishing club the Treehouse Tavern Family Fishing Club will be

operating the weigh-in. With random prize draws each day, the major prize is a boat package valued at over $10,000 donated in partnership from Cooee Bay Marine and PPH Civil. An expo will be held on the Saturday of the event from 10am to 4pm, with local businesses given a chance to show the community what they can offer, as well as entertainment for the kids in the form of casting competitions and a jumping castle. For all the details and to register online, go to emuparkfishingclassic. com.au Craig Robertson

A Fitzroy River crocodile near Gavial Creek.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 51

Solid sessions offshore at Stanage Bay

REETINGS to all visitors to Stanage Bay, Shoalwater Bay and the surrounding islands.

Chives with his spaniard caught off the Hexham group of islands.

Big cod always give fishers a run for their money and most are released alive and well.

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Page 52 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

The Stanage Bay driveway (road) is deteriorating, so be sure to slow down and drive to the conditions. From the turn-off at Shoalwater Bay the dust is quite fierce, so please stay a decent distance from the vehicle in front and remain on the correct side of the road as others may be travelling out of Stanage on the same day you are heading in. Land-based fishing, whether off Porters Creek, the boat ramp, Flat Rock or Alligator Beach has been a little slower than usual, though it should pick up in September. You can expect to catch 40cm bream, 50cm cod, flathead, grunter, blue and threadfin salmon and more from the shore. Around the islands and reefs we’ve seen the usual good catches including coral trout, red emperor and nannygai, with the snapper and spanish mackerel slowing. To have a crack at a straggler spanish, look around Marble Island, the Jefferies and the Hexham group of islands. The hot spots for coral trout have been the southeastern side of High Peak Island, Normandy Rock off West Bay and the Percy Isles. Waiter and Graf points are the places to go to find big red emperor. If it’s large and smallmouth nannygai you are looking for, try heading south and follow the contours past the green zones to Townsend Island if Hannah Rock is not working for you. Skippers with smaller boats should try fishing around the Duke Islands. Good catches of parrotfish, sweetlip and coral trout can be taken off Danger Shoals, the western side of Hunter Island and Till Rock. If the crew members are worn out and need a spell from the offshore and island fishing but don’t

Stanage Bay by VON IRELAND

want to go up the estuary, look to the south of Pier Head for Lingham Isle, which is surrounded by reef and shoals. Whiting and salmon have been hooked off most beaches and sand bars around Stanage. Neil ‘Pappy’ Gibson’s last fishing trip on Black Diamond saw him struggle to land the mother of all coral trout. While not weighed, it was an absolute beast and

was caught on light line and then successfully released after being swum beside the boat for a few minutes (see the picture). I had never seen anything quite like this monster, and neither had the skipper Tony or his dad Neil. Try not to forget to call in to see me at the bait and tackle shop in the boat storage yard on your way to the boat ramp. I can help you select the

best ice from 5kg, 10kg and 20kg bags and help you find sensational bait that works in the area. I’ve also got a good range of lures, hooks, sinkers, rods and reels. I’ll even share smart and correct chart information with you. If you need trailer gear, that’s no problem, and I’ve always got quality marine batteries in stock if you’re in need. Don’t need tackle, boating gear, bait or ice? Then how about a souvenir? I’ve got everything from coffee and rum mugs to

stubby coolers, shirts of all shapes and sizes, singlets, caps and hats, so come in and check out the all-new interior at the shop. If you need accurate information 12 hours a day with a smile, just talk to me. We’ve got dates and tides for 2018 accommodation available, and you owe it to yourself to experience the hub of Stanage Bay: Stanage Bay Marine & Accommodation, at the back of the boatyard. Until next time, go fishing! ‘Ooroo from Stanage.

Brad with a 17kg spanish mackerel.

Andrew was more than happy with the jewfish he caught within sight of the Plumtree boat ramp at Stanage Bay.

Fishing at night around the islands and reef at Stanage Bay can be rewarding, with anything up for grabs, such as this big jewfish.

This huge coral trout was captured around the South Percy Isles by Pappy Gibson. The trout was successfully released to eat, sleep and procreate for hopefully many more years to come. Weight unknown, but Pappy played and caught the fish on 15kg line.

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Dave Bremen held one of his many lure-caught spanish mackerel picked up while trolling between reefs in the dory.

Tangles’ cod from the back deck on the last day of the trip.

Five-star trip to Swain Reefs R

EADERS may recall I did a weeklong trip last year with a great bunch of fellows to the Swain Reefs on the Capricorn Star, an exceptionally wellmaintained 22m steel vessel, out of Yeppoon.

It was such a good trip I jumped at the chance to go again this year. This was the group’s 10th anniversary trip on the Capricorn Star and I had a gut feeling some pretty special things would happen as we worked our way around the reefs.

Fishing Trip by BILL CORTEN

I wasn’t disappointed. Scott Wilson, our owner/ skipper, set the tone with a great welcome and thorough briefing before casting off that evening and working some great watch-keeping practices with the crew as we steamed right through the night. He and his well-drilled crew had us on the fishing grounds at first light in an

area well to the north of where we started last year. A hot breakfast before sunrise and it was straight into some brilliant reef fishing that started from the first drop of the trip. A bit deeper than what we would normally fish with Scott, it was a fullon session that went right through until the afternoon, with a break for a hot meal.

Each evening the well-drilled crew lifted the dories from the water.

Graeme Kime with a typical double hook-up of succulent large-mouth nannygai.

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Large-mouth nannygai, or pinkies and red jew as they are often referred to, were thickly schooled up on a raised patch of bottom and were really in the feeding mood. The bigger fish were hugging the bottom and once you got used to their shy bite and bided your time in striking to hook up, they put on a very good fight all the way to the surface. We enjoyed some excellent double hook-ups and in no time the brine tank was getting crowded. It was an interesting spot due to the variety of species, with, from memory, the first fish of the trip going to Shark Tank guru Steve Baxter. Ironically, it was a stonker coral trout and was bitten in half by a shark. Yep, ‘Mother Fillet’ got smashed and then the nannies started coming on hard as we did some interesting drifts. It was busy and Scotty the skipper got his hands dirty too, helping work the deck like the professional he is. The nominated fish species for the daily prize out of the kitty was red

Tangles made a habit of landing big trout on his unweighted baits flicked around bommies and coral overhangs.

emperor, and it didn’t take long for Ron Roduner, the trip organiser, to show his hand. Eight really nice red emperor were caught on that patch and Ron had the biggest and the most. Not long after landing a cracking red emperor, Ron went one better with a solid red and a very healthy coral trout as part of a dream double hook-up. Ron was pretty happy with his knots too as he did battle with a tiger shark at the side of the boat that caused its share of tangles. And speaking of tangles, there was plenty of goodnatured banter happening as Dave Bremen, aka ‘Tangles’, was keeping us all entertained from his favourite position at the rear of the deck. A float-line specialist, Dave conceded a sinker was needed in the deeper water after all and nailed some good nannies higher in the water column. One of the group, Graeme Kime, took my eye with how well he fished that morning. A Rockhampton-based once-a-year fisho on the reefs, you would think Graeme was doing it every day the way he took up from where he left off last year. Once he got rid of the big plastic crab on the end of his hook that was only scaring the fish away, he nailed a memorable double-header of nannies and probably the best doubleheader of parrot for the trip along with several other fish that first morning. Another memorable fish from the deeper nanny spot was a cracking orange-hewed coral trout to John McNicol. What an awesome start to the trip day one was, and we already had a lot of fresh fish that had first been brain spiked, then kept in brine, filleted, bagged and labelled before hitting the snap freeze. With even lighter winds over the coming days, we split into groups of three ☛ continued P54

George Baumber with a very healthy large-mouth nannygai.

Ron Roduner with the heaviest red of the trip.

Bob Graham was very happy with this mid-afternoon red emperor.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 53

Five-star trip to Swain Reefs ☛ from P53

Ron scored a dream double hook-up of a big red and fat coral trout.

and fished the four dories for two big sessions per day. The dories are wellmaintained 4m centre consoles with 30hp Yamaha outboards and all the basics you would expect. Namely: safety gear, a reef anchor, handheld VHF, sounder, icebox with brine, tub of bait, cutting boards, club and gaff. George, Tangles and I gladly teamed up again and everyone took in Scotty’s safety briefing around the chart as he gave advice on where to look for fish, work-

John McNicol with a ripper trout captured on day one.

Geoff Irvine scored a large-mouth nannygai.

ing pressure points and checking out the weather face of reefs in such good fishing conditions. Redthroat emperor (lipper) and coral trout were the most common species and when you hook them in shallow water they go hard. On the deeper drop-offs of the weather face we were getting good fish on the bottom and soon had pretty productive patches of reef sussed out. With the iPad GPS it was easy to criss-cross the productive areas and maximise each session. Tangles’ favourite form of fishing is in the shallows with no sinker, just an unweighted bait, and to feed heaps of line out waiting for a lipper or trout to strike. So over the ensuing days we deliberately spent plenty of time in those types of places and working the drifts past protruding outcrops and rippled water locations and it paid off. On one reef, Scotty suggested we get up over the fringing coral into the blue water of the lagoon system to work it for lipper and trout while the tide was high. Wow, what a session that was of feeding line off the spool and watching for it to take up tight before closing the bail arm and striking hard. Those fish fight really well in the shallows and it was just a hoot as most of the lipper were over 50cm, and trout of all sizes go really hard when hooked up. George likes to use his trusty handline in the shallow areas and while some people scoff at those who use a handline, there is a real art to successfully working one. George makes it look easy and these days nothing surprises me whenever he hooks up. His most memorable fish on the handline this trip was a monster chinaman fish. Chinaman pull exceptionally hard and watching ‘King’ work that fish with no finger stalls and plenty of determination was pretty inspiring.

The team assembled on the bow with Capricorn Star owners Scott and Soozi Wilson.

Page 54 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

Check out the photo and you will get a feel for what I’m on about. As a matter of fact, he won the biggest nominated fish most days and was very gracious about just being part of the team and only too happy to share his experience too. One of the bonuses of working the dories was Tangles nailing pretty good spanish and shark mackerel with his favourite lure trolled behind any time we were moving around. The sharkies were good bait and the fillets off the spaniards were a big bonus that everyone benefitted from at trip’s end. Fishing in the dories was very productive, resulting in cracking catches every day. On one morning John McNicol radioed in after something like only an hour’s fishing to say they were returning to the mother boat to free up space in the icebox. That was after just one long drift. Everyone enjoyed plenty of good fishing and as each day on the water ended, we were greeted on the rear deck with hot nibblies, washed down with our favourite beverages to cap off yet another fantastic session. Scotty lifted the dories out of the water every evening to better care for them, with the side benefit being it freed up the stern of the Capricorn Star for serious night fishing. Many of the crew got into it and the rear deck was pretty busy most nights after dinner. One night Ron lost a monster cobia right next to the boat after an epic struggle and shortly after Ivan Mapp landed a 21.5kg spaniard. It was a great effort in the dark from Ivan who was fishing 50lb braid, 60lb leader, a two-hook gang and a pillie, all from an anchored boat in a strong tidal flow. Scotty was the master gaff man off the stern platform and you can tell he has had plenty of practice. Like all good things, that magic week came to an end. Sunrise on the last morning brought a very red sky, indicating a windy day. It was a fish from the big boat day as Scotty patiently worked a series of reefs while pointing towards home. Tangles nailed a cracking cod and the boys found more spaniards on the lures. We woke to a cold morning in Yeppoon. Funny thing is, even though it was winter, we never really needed jumpers that week on the Swains, but reality had now set in. To summarise, the Capricorn Star is a very wellequipped and stable sea

boat with all the creature comforts needed for a serious fishing week. Scott maintains his boat really well and is an extremely experienced skipper who can not only put you onto the fish but makes the effort to ensure

you have a very enjoyable week. The food is great and the fish are handled with the utmost care and filleted, bagged and labelled for you to take home. It really doesn’t get much better.

Shark Tank guru Steve Baxter hard at work on another top fish.

George worked very hard on the handline to nail this chinaman fish before it was released.

Ivan Mapp and his night-caught 21.5kg spanish mackerel.

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This golden trevally was boated by the author.

GTs and JPs all part of the Hinchinbrook way I

HOPE you’ve been catching a few fish and getting amongst it over the past month.

I recently hosted my mate Billy Dee from Zeikel Fishing Australia and I managed to get in a bit of fishing for a few days. Honestly I’d forgotten how much I enjoy having a social fish. It wasn’t entirely social though as we were trying to get footage of Zeikel products as well as some edits for Crackajack’s social media campaign. The tides were pretty massive during Billy’s time with me, with a 0.3m low at Lucinda at about 2.30pm. So we decided to go out for a quick morning session and try popping for GTs. I learnt a lesson of not to wear thongs when popping for GTs because when I hooked the first beast it dragged me to the gunwale and literally pulled me out of my thongs. I was laughing and holding the rod with one hand and the gunwale with the other in an effort to stay in the boat, all while Billy was filming and laughing. When I regained my footing I tried to work the GT hard but unfortunately it got back to the reef and dusted me. There went a brand-new popper. So I retied another popper and started fishing again. About 15 minutes later,

Hinchinbrook News by TODD EVELEIGH

I hooked a high-20kg fish again but unfortunately the fish took the lure on the first pop of a very long cast. And fishing from a dead boat with no one to back the boat off the reef as Billy was trying to get footage, the beast managed to towel me again. Boy this GT fishing is a tough game. GTs 2, Todd 0. I would have been giving my clients a hard time if this was happening to them. But when the shoe is on the other foot you feel a little disgusted that you’ve been beaten twice in such a short period. Billy managed to raise a couple of GTs but didn’t get a hook-up, just catching a small spaniard, so we headed off for a bit of micro jigging before going home. With the very first drop on the micro jig gear I hooked an absolute beast that was peeling line off and heading towards the bottom and all I could think was ‘no, surely not three in a row’. I tell you, I was sweating bullets. But after a long and intense fight I managed to get an absolute snodger golden trevally to the net and take some great shots. We had an awesome little micro jigging session

A sooty grunter hooked by Billy.

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where on almost every drop we caught a quality fish. Time was up and we had to get back to the boat ramp before it was too low to get in through the leads. I thought we might have left it a little too late due to the lure of ‘just one more fish’, so the big Suzuki got plenty of herbs to get us back in time. The next day we took Billy’s boat for a run and it was nice to be in the passenger seat for once. We ran out to the outer reefs looking for dogtooth tuna but unfortunately it was too rough to get past the outer reefs. Instead we had to stay in the shelter of the coral cays for a day of fishing the coral flats. We had a number of hits but unfortunately the fish just weren’t hooking up. I was beginning to think there were no hooks on the lure. Numerous times we’d watch trout come up and inhale the stickbait, I would strike hard for a hook set and then the fish would swim 2-3m and open its mouth to spit the stickbait out. In the end I managed to catch a few solid trout, an absolute cracker yellow sweetlip and a quality GT off the flats. Billy also hooked several big trout and a couple of absolutely dinosaur trout smashed him, taking brand-new stickbaits with them. That’s what this kind of fishing is about – no risk, no reward. If you haven’t done this sort of fishing, it is really good fun. Drifting across the shallow reef flats casting stickbaits and watching all manner of reef fish diving out of coral and smacking your stickbait in a beautiful environment is just magical. The colours of the coral and crystal-clear water make for truly memorable fishing. After casting our arms off for most of the morning, we decided to head back to a little spot I knew closer to home for some

micro jigging. Boy weren’t the trevally fired up, with multiple double hook-ups all afternoon until the sharks started taking fish. The decision was made to call it quits and head home after an epic day. The next day I took Billy up to the hinterland to chase his first jungle perch and sooty grunter. We were fishing the little rainforest jungle creeks, testing a few of Zeikel’s new lighter rods. We began to cast our way upstream, catching a number of sooties, and Billy got his first JP, which had him over the moon. He even made a little video about it. It was great to get out there and have a fish again while taking a few days off guiding. It really re-sparks the enthusiasm for this amazing Hinchinbrook Island area we call home. The next day when I was back guiding, boy my shoulders and arms were sore from those GTs and goldens. They really gave me a working over but I loved every bit of it! Until next month, get up here and experience the Hinchinbrook way.

Billy was happy to land his first jungle perch.

The author with a cracker yellow sweetlip.

Billy got in on the trevally action.

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Todd & Raylene Eveleigh T: 07 4777 2968 M: 0417 192 318 E: barra@crackﬁsh.com www.crackﬁsh.com Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 55

Fishing King Ash Bay W

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I recently moved from the bottom of Western Australia where I was working and I’m loving being back in Queensland in a new position. Maybe only just in Queensland, but Mount Isa is a pretty good spot. The location puts me closer to some of those places in the Gulf of Carpentaria that I haven’t seen before. The first chance I had to wet a line was the day I landed, and after parking the van I put the Hobie in at Lake Moondarra. The lake is only 13km out of Isa and I managed five different species on the first trip. Unfortunately no barra though as it was already a bit cool for them, but I still had a tonne of fun on catfish, longtom, sooty grunter, spangled perch and archerfish. Those longtom are fantastic fun on fly but it doesn’t take them long to destroy your flies. Having a small piece of light wire leading to the fly helps prevent bite-offs from their sharp teeth. Not long after settling in, I got a phone call from my friend Al who was heading down from Darwin with a boat, so we decided to head to King Ash Bay in the Gulf of Carpentaria for a week’s fishing. We had both been there years ago but lots can change over time, so we figured it would probably be mostly new to us now. We also considered how busy the place would be because it was grey nomad season and they were everywhere. Heaps of nomads were going north, south, east and west with all sorts of vehicles and towing caravans, fifth-wheelers, camper trailers and boats and camping gear. It seems like a great life and I’m looking forward to doing it full time one day. The word was the grey nomads were lining up at the gate to get in to King Ash Bay, but we stuck to our plan and decided to just play it as we found it. Leaving from Mount Isa, I drove four and a half hours into the Northern Territory to Barkly Homestead before turning north towards the Cape Crawford roadhouse and then on to Borroloola, arriving about six hours after leaving Barkly. The road is bitumen all the way, although narrow and very rough in a lot of places. Always be considerate of other users by slowing down when passing and making sure you get right off the road for the road trains.

Gulf Country by HELEN ABDY

It’s better if you just let them have the bitumen because they’ve got plenty more wheels than you and can flick up heaps more rocks than you ever will. Drive to the conditions and everyone will get there in one piece. The dirt road from Borroloola to King Ash Bay is very corrugated, so we let the tyres down to 25-30psi for a much better ride in combination with driving at a steady pace. King Ash Bay is a fantastic place in a very remote area, with everything you could want. You’ll find powered sites, unpowered generator areas, lodges and cabins, fuel, a workshop with mechanics, a huge shop with heaps of supplies, houseboats, fishing charters, a bar and restaurant and a cement boat ramp. Upon entering the park, we found it wasn’t as crowded as we had been informed. No one was lined up at the gate because the area has room for lots of people; even some spots overlooking the water were available. All the campsites had plenty of shade, and $22 a night in the generator section suited us. We both had utes with canopies and beds in the back and solar panels to keep the fridges going – simple and easy camping. Actually, it was ideal camping weather, with cooler nights for sleeping and warmer days for being out and about. The unpowered area had the best showers and toilets and plenty of them, so there was never a line-up. This location doesn’t have big tidal movements but the ramp area changes from season to season depending on how big the previous wet was and how much sand has been moved around. This year, the area around the ramp was very shallow due to heaps of sand having been washed down, though it was OK for the smaller boats. Al’s 5.8m Sea Jay had no problems launching on the top of the tide and we were fortunate to meet some people further downriver who let us moor the boat at their place. While we had to climb down a high cliff to reach the boat, it was sitting in a deep channel and with minimal tide stayed afloat all night, with a pulley system allowing us to pull her to the bank and jump in. You must always remember that heaps of crocs live here. Smaller boats are ideal for the creeks because they are mostly shallow

but that can change after wet season run-off. Larger boats are obviously better when running offshore and around the islands out the front but care is required when navigating out there. The main river is the

McArthur but the Carrington River and many smaller rivers branch off it, with a lot of these making their way to open water. After talking to a few locals, we planned to head outside around the islands where heaps of tuna, queenies and reds were said to be on the chew, but we couldn’t get past all the inviting creeks on

the way out there. Even though the water temps were supposedly too cool for barra at 2324C, we still got them and queenies, barracuda, estuary cod and bream. King Ash Bay is well worth visiting, though more so in the warmer months if you’re wanting to chase barra. Check out kingashbay. com.au

All anchored up for an early night.

The author found some cod deep in the rocks.

Al tangled with a feisty barracuda.

Al and the author found numerous undersize barra.

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Remote locations can produce the fish of a lifetime. Andrew Denzin with a huge Cape York barramundi caught while live baiting.

Stunning scenery and serenity come with secluded locations.

Planning your remote adventure

OR me, nothing beats heading into unfamiliar territory to chase fish. It is ‘what floats my boat’ and we are lucky to have lots of opportunities to explore remote locations each year here in the far north. It’s not just that the fishing is usually first class but we also get to experience amazing wildlife and scenery. One extraordinary bloke who was a pioneer in terms of remote adventures in northern Australia (and one hell of a fisherman) was the late Malcolm Douglas. I’ve spent countless hours watching his documentaries and have always been captivated by his sense of adventure, knowledge of the bush, appreciation for native wildlife and connection with the indigenous people. He was always pushing the limits, exploring isolated and dangerous locations such as the Horizontal Falls and Montgomery Reef off the Kimberley Coast, which has an insane 10m tidal difference. If something was going

Exploring FNQ by MATT POTTER

to go wrong, it was going to go wrong in a very big way and these are areas where you don’t want to end up in the water. It was made clear in his films that while he took risks, Malcolm was always well prepared and often had to resort to plan B or C as he found himself in sticky situations or high and dry, sometimes for days. His reward was the thrill of experiencing parts of the country and catching fish that I and most other fishos dream about. The guy was a true Aussie legend and his docos certainly kick started my obsession for remote fishing adventures. When my wife and I finished our teaching degrees over 10 years ago, we never imagined when we decided to apply together for a remote location that we would end up in the Torres Strait on Boigu Island, which is the most northerly inhabited island in Australia (6km from Papua New Guinea).

With only weeks before our move, I did a bit of research on this island I’d never heard of. I bought a trusty little 4.55 Sea Jay Tropicana, a Polaris 500 quad bike and more fishing tackle than I needed. I was going to make the most of our time in this place. Flying into Boigu on the small plane, it certainly felt remote but the little community took us in and showed us their way of life and vibrant culture, which I’m forever thankful for. Initially, the fishing was tougher than expected. But with lots of research and reflection, each trip was more successful than the last and within a few months I had worked out the barramundi, salmon, grunter, fingermark and queenfish. After trying a multitude of techniques, I eventually found trolling fluorocoloured barra lures (such as the Classic Barra +12 in Elton John) in the deeper

holes on creek junctions resulted in the bigger female barra. Admittedly I never broke the metre mark, but I did regularly catch fish in the 80cm and 90cm range. Depending on the weather, I would load the boat with extra fuel jerries and push wider to explore other islands and reefs. I experienced mindblowing fishing and knowing that I was on my own seemed to only add to the excitement. Safety was never compromised and things like having a spare propeller on board got me out of some sticky situations. It was an amazing two years and I learnt heaps from the Boigu people about the seasonal calendar of certain fish species and other seafood delights including prawns, mud crabs and crayfish. After Boigu, we transferred to Thursday Island where we are still based. In comparison to Boigu, it certainly isn’t anywhere near as remote, with a hospital, several pubs, a heap of shops and a population of over 2500. ☛ continued P58

Do the miles and get the smiles. Adrian Jeloudev held a thumping GT.

Remote trip checklist Camping gear Swag, sleeping bag, pillow

Folding table

Tarp and ropes

Generator/oil/fuel

Camp chair

Extension leads/adapters

Shovel and toilet

Torch batteries

Bbq, plate and camp oven

Sat phone

Small gas bottle

Speaker

Pan and utensils

Chargers

Paper plates

Hand wash

Cutting board

Surface spray/mozzie spray

Sharp knives and peeler

Paper towels

Lights and headlamp

Handheld VHF radios Boat spares

Spare prop, nut and split pin

Wire

Impeller/gasket/seals

Tape

Oil and filters

Anchor and rope

Tube silicone

Fuses and joiners

Steering fluid

Fuel filter Safety

Test EPIRB

Report/log ETA

Flares (check date)

Motor serviced

Lifejackets (check straps)

Check boat hull

V sheet

Radio check

Boat bucket

Test bilge

Check all electronics

Check/charge batteries

Boat tool box

First-aid kit

Calculate fuel (extra jerries)

Ropes, fenders Food

Each crew to sort own food.

Pre-make some meals (freeze)

Fishing gear

The rewards of finding ground in isolated places.

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Tuna are thick off Cape York’s west coast during the dry season. Most fish are between 5kg and 10kg. This one went 25kg on the scales.

Each fisher to sort own gear

Fish bat and spare gaff

Pliers

Sharp filleting knives

Spare spin rod/reel combo

Leads, hooks, leader

Barra lures/plastics

Mackerel lures and wogs Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 57

Drones make it possible to get a cracking view of unreal remote locations.

The action in isolated locations can be red hot.

Planning your remote adventure ☛ from P57

The scenery is something else in remote places. Here the vegetation changed from mangroves to palms as the crew headed up into the fresh water.

The serenity is incredible but don’t get too complacent. A 3m croc watched the author and crew for a week at this location, growing bolder each day.

Stop imagining yourself flicking lures at the mouth of a remote river system as the sun sets and start planning it.

Page 58 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

Being on an island, all our trips are completely by boat and over the years we have had the opportunity to explore Cape York, the isolated reefs and clear waters of the eastern Torres Strait and even west into the Arafura Sea. Often we spend just as much time travelling as fishing but the rewards are worth it and we get to experience amazing fishing action in areas that see no pressure. Splitting costs among a few mates, we get to enjoy secluded fishing locations for just a couple of hundred dollars. Many would pay a heck of a lot more to do similar with a charter company and I feel the thrill of finding fish yourself is even more rewarding. Up here, the wet season is the time for planning long-range trips chasing reefies and pelagics in the eastern Torres Strait and Cape because the weather often glasses out. We cover a lot of miles and find new ground with each trip. The southeasterly trade winds kick in with the dry season around April, so our attention turns to exploring the remote rivers and inshore grounds on the west coast of Cape York as they are somewhat protected. While improvements in technology have meant isolated locations are becoming easier to access, it is certainly still possible to plan your own remote adventure to an unspoilt part of the country. Careful planning helps to ensure you don’t take unnecessary items but also don’t forget important things (like damn pliers!). Thinking back to our early trips, we took a lot of gear we didn’t need, which only added weight and chewed fuel. We also had less room in the boat for fishing. It is now that time of year when my group of mates starts planning our annual September Cape York camping/fishing trip.

With several boat crews going, we hold a few meetings to plan it out and ensure we are not doubling up on items such as cooking gear. Our wives think it is just an excuse to drink beer and talk fishing, which I must admit isn’t too far from the truth either. Some things I have come to learn over the years of extended remote trips are: • If the weather isn’t in your favour and you are starting to second guess, then just postpone the trip. It doesn’t matter how skilled or seasoned a boatie you are, rough seas will soon bring down the vibe and crew morale while adding another element of risk (which is what you want to eliminate). • Ensure the boat, motor and crew are up to the task ahead. Check everything is serviced and working properly before taking off on your adventure, especially if the boat has been sitting for a few months. • As many would know, salt ice lasts much longer. We make it up several weeks in advance (as it takes a lot longer to freeze) or order it from the local cold stores. • Pre-making and freezing meals such as spaghetti and carbonara at home before departure means the crew eats well and minimal effort is required because the meals only need to be heated. This method takes up less storage space and leaves more time for fishing and taking in the surroundings. Of course, cooking in the bush is a great experience in itself. • Calculate fuel carefully and then take some more. If the weather turns bad, fuel usage can double. Trimming your boat correctly and driving at a reasonable cruising speed will also conserve fuel. While most would think this is a given, it is surprising how many rescues occur each year due to people running out of fuel. • Check all safety gear

is in date and that you have a well-stocked firstaid kit. A satellite phone is a worthwhile investment if travelling into remote areas. • Do a bit of research first so you have some idea of what you are heading into. Be sure to check tides, weather, best access points and if permission is required. Google Earth and Navionics are a couple of useful tools we use when trying to find fishylooking features in remote areas. • A spare gaff, rod/reel, pliers, knives and anchor have all come in handy on our past trips. • For longer trips, drain the icy water from your Esky into a bucket and use it to cool any warm items (such as beers) before throwing them on ice. Pre-chilled items don’t chew up valuable ice stocks. • If possible, take canned items and not glass. They are safer, can be crushed and take up less space in the boat on the way home.

Always leave your camp tidy, take rubbish with you and put fires out properly. • Zip up your swag, tents and bags when you head off fishing. All sorts of nasty creepy crawlies have made their way into our camps over the years. • Check your fishing gear and lures are up to the task. Change any suspect trebles and split rings on lures before the trip. You would hate to lose that fish of a lifetime due to faulty gear. There is so much to see and experience in Australia. I hope you feel a little motivated to get out of the comfort zone and start planning that remote fishing trip you have always dreamt of. You will be blown away by more than just the fishing. You can check out some of our remote adventures on my YouTube channel and Facebook Page ‘Fishing Missions- Northern Australia’.

Wildlife can be amazing. A friendly tawny nurse shark (sleepy shark) came in for a pat.

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4WDING & off - road Stradbroke Island vibes T

HIS month we dive into our exploration of North Stradbroke Island. Straddie is a pristine paradise loved by many in the four-wheel-drive community. This trip began the same way many do – with a good morning feed at McDonald’s. Once fuelled up, we headed straight to the barge and boarded. As with most beaches in Queensland, you need a permit to drive on the beach at Straddie. Lucky for us, a permit for beach driving on North Stradbroke Island is only $43.75 for a year and

4WD Trip by GREG BELL

can be bought at the information centre located at Dunwich, near the barge’s landing point. Those who have been four-wheel-driving on the beach before will know the importance of tide times. However, something many people, including us, overlook is the height of the tides. When buying our permit, we were advised that Straddie had been experiencing king tides in the

past week, and the day we arrived was no different. No problem, right? Just time your travel around the tides. Well sadly for us, we had timed our trip based on regular tides, and we had two and a half hours before high tide. We already knew that beach driving on Straddie was not permitted one hour either side of high tide. What we didn’t know was during periods of

Dean from Lorian Automotive saved the day.

king tides, beach driving is not permitted within two hours of high tide. That meant our hour and a half window to camp was now reduced to half an hour – the race was on. Once we dropped down onto Main Beach, we realised exactly how tight this run would be, dodging wash-outs, soft sand and rogue waves. We all knew the consequences of getting bogged could be catastrophic. Thankfully, we made it to our campsite entrance before the prohibited driving times and were able to set up and enjoy the start of our week-long holiday. The next morning, the crew decided it was time to venture south to Jumpinpin for a quick fish and relax in the sun. With perfect weather, this morning looked to be one to remember, and boy, was it one morning we will never forget! We took the inland track as far south as we could before popping down onto the beach for the short trek to the southern tip of North Straddie. As we were travelling with a friend who had limited off-roading experience, our mate Ben decided he would get bogged. Please remember, we hadn’t been on the island much longer than 24 hours at this stage! Unfortunately, Ben bogged his LandCruiser in a horrible spot. He was too close to the water to snatch him forwards and we were forced to pull his big rig out backwards. Now, Cruiser owners will know what we’re talking about when we say ‘drivetrain weakness’. Well, Ben found his weakness in a big way. Bang!

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The Milk Carton towed Ben’s Cruiser back to camp.

☛ continued P60

Ben’s first recovery.

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The author and Dean parked at Jumpinpin.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 59

4WDING & off - road The view from the Inland Track lookout.

The Milk Carton parked at camp. Max and Sammy loved the views from Point Lookout.

Stradbroke Island vibes ☛ from P59

A spectacular view from the top of North Stradbroke Island’s Inland Track.

Page 60 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

The Cruiser decided it was time to clean its teeth... goodbye front differential. After diagnosing the broken front diff, we unlocked the front hubs and were down to two-wheeldrive. This wouldn’t normally be an issue, except this was Ben’s unlucky day. After a rubbish run later that afternoon, Ben was cruising along the beach while we were exploring the northern end of the inland track. With my music pumping as we casually pottered along, loving the scenery, I was so far in my own little world that I missed a number of calls over the UHF. After about 10 minutes of calling me, I finally noticed and responded. To my surprise, I discovered Ben’s rear diff had also decided it was time to give up and he was stranded on the beach with a rising tide. Soon enough, our GU Patrol came to the rescue and skull dragged the heavy Cruiser back to camp. This was one recovery to remember, and still to this day I am deeply impressed with how the GU performed when pulling the Cruiser through the soft sand and along the inland track back to camp. With the Cruiser unable to transfer any drive to the wheels, Ben had no other option than to have a mate source and bring another diff centre over to Straddie – introducing our saviour, Dean from Lorian Automotive. Dean’s a close mate with a massive heart who owns a workshop in Tweed Heads. Through some network-

ing on the mainland, we managed to source a diff centre for Dean to bring over on the barge. He then helped Ben fit the new centre right there in the middle of camp! We’ve spoken a few times now about travelling along Main Beach’s inland track, and for those who haven’t yet done so, we highly recommend it. This track runs along the back of Main Beach’s campsites and makes for a relaxing, fun and extremely scenic drive. We especially loved this track in the late afternoon for chilled-out driving to experience the serenity and of course the wildlife. Unfortunately, a number of tracks on Straddie have been closed of late, however the spectacular North Stradbroke Inland Track, which connects East Coast Rd with Alfred Martin Way, is still open for business. This track follows North Stradbroke Island’s ridges and provides astonishing views of Moreton Bay. We spent a morning exploring Point Lookout and the surrounding hot spots and not only was the view to die for, but we also spotted a couple of sea turtles and a pod of whales. After exploring the Point during the morning, we headed up onto North Stradbroke Inland Track. We pulled up at a beautiful lookout about halfway along the track that is definitely worth a look, however, be aware that it is a steep and sandy climb to the top. The North Stradbroke Inland Track certainly put on a show and with these kinds of views the only thing we regret is not taking a good pair of binoculars! After a week of relaxa-

tion, exploration, fixing cars and numerous failed fishing expeditions, it was time for us to head back to reality. Being the only car from the group still left on the island, with two hours to spare until our barge left, we decided to go for a quick run up Flinders Beach – what a spot! With heavy surf on Main Beach and respect for the rules regarding pets, our dog Max had so far missed out on going for a swim. However, this last day on Flinders Beach seemingly produced the goods, topping off the week with a beautiful spot to go for a swim, so we drove alongside a small gutter of water high up on the beach. With the excitement of swimming with Max and no indication of bog-worthy sand, we pulled up on the bank. Suddenly and without any warning, the rear end of the GU dropped, with the front following quickly afterwards. I had never felt such a

sensation before and nor do I ever want to feel it again. My partner Sammy and I simply looked at each other in shock and quickly got out of the car. Yep, the GU had sunk up to its door sills. Being late on an overcast Tuesday afternoon during off season, there was no one in sight and boy did we feel alone. After the reality of the situation sunk in, it was all hands on deck to get the big girl out in time for our afternoon barge. I began to dig out the sand around the wheels while Sammy went for a lonely jog up the beach to find someone to pull us out. With no signs of anyone around, Sammy returned to help with the recovery. Annoyingly, the sand under the GU was saturated, so each time we shovelled sand out it quickly filled back up. Our only hope was a good snatch out of the bog. After 45 minutes of digging and searching, a Mit-

subishi Delica pulled up and the owner offered a hand. However, the Delica had no recovery points, and although old mate offered to pull us with his tow ball, we chose to thank him for the offer and send him on his way. For those new to 4WDing, please make sure you spend the money on quality recovery gear and never ever accept a recovery if it involves pulling off the tow ball. Tow balls are not rated for snatching vehicles and in numerous instances have become miniature cannonballs and killed people. If you do not yet have suitable 4WD recovery gear, give me a call at Flexible 4WD Solutions and I will get you kitted out before your next trip. Luckily for us, another fourby came by shortly after and offered to help. With the right gear and one good pull, we were out and safely on our way to the barge in time to say goodbye to paradise.

The Milk Carton was well and truly bogged!

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C AMPING & outdoors Trip to the tip – Cape York adventure

AST month I outlined the first part of our trip to Cape York, leaving you as I ducked down to flick a lure at Kalpower Crossing as the water temperature peaked. Unfortunately, I had no luck and had to store the combo back in the camper until my next opportunity. After this, we packed up camp and started our journey north towards the Cape. Our original plan, with no knowledge of the current road surfaces, was to overnight at Archer River Roadhouse. With the travelling conditions not too bad, we reached the roadhouse by 10.30am. While I had the bearings replaced on my camper prior to the trip, one bearing required tightening and I was able to gain assistance from

Cape York – Part Two by BRAD YOUNG

Brad at the roadhouse. Brad was very helpful, despite having to meet a timeline himself. Archer River was a great stopover, providing fuel, food, toilets, basic mechanical repairs and a handy campground. We supported the roadhouses on our trip to help ensure they remain viable and continue. Where would we be if they were not there? From Archer River, we headed further north, with our new goal being an overnight stopover at Coen. This was an opportunity to get some washing done, fuel up and restock before heading into Iron Range National Park and our campsite

Distance information on the fuel tank at Archer River Roadhouse.

One of the thousands of anthills in Lakefield National Park.

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at Chilli Beach. The free camp on The Bends at Coen was great, with many campers there early in the day. We were lucky enough to find a spot right on the sand at the river crossing and enjoyed a relaxing drink by the water’s edge as the sun set. Our two children Danielle and Lachlan enjoyed swimming in the river with a few of the local kids. We earmarked this spot as one to return to in future. The journey to Chilli Beach was interesting, with many dips and quite a few water crossings slowing the trip. This section also saw us record our worst fuel economy as a result of the constant slowing and accelerating. The drive through Iron Range National Park was also interesting, with a range of flora evident along the road into Chilli Beach. We settled into our campsite late in the afternoon. The camps here are set back from the beach and are generally surrounded by tall trees and scrub. This is not a bad thing as while we were there we experienced very strong wind, meaning a beachfront campsite would not be viable. The beach here is usually littered with rubbish from the oceans and large piles of collected rubbish were proof of this. We had arrived a few weeks before the annual Chilli Beach clean-up, a co-ordinated event to try to remove much of the rubbish. Each year about five tonnes of debris (including roughly 4700 rubber thongs and 6500 plastic bottles) is removed. Imagine what the beach would look like without the clean-up! A great side-trip here is the short journey to Portland Roads settlement where you can enjoy great coffee and homemade cheesecake. We tried to fish but it was too windy. We called into the Lockhart community on the way out of Chilli Beach to fuel up and restock as the main grocery store has hot chickens, a bakery and a great range of fresh veggies. A short side-track also saw us enjoying the views from Quintel Beach to

the south of the community. After our two-night stay at Chilli Beach, we made the slow journey (due to those dips and crossings!) back towards the main road. It was great to hit the bitumen again for a while before getting back on the corrugations on our way to Bramwell Junction and the start of the Old Telegraph Track. Because we arrived late in the afternoon, we decided to stay at Bramwell Station, about 5km south of Bramwell Junction. This was a great stopover and we all enjoyed the hot showers. The campsite is a large, flat, open paddock with plenty of room and some shade. There is also fixed accommodation, a bar and meals. Bramwell Station provides travellers a chance to relax. Each afternoon during the season, happy hour is signalled with a whistle and many of the campers head up to the bar for a drink. Many also book in for the $35 per person buffet. The Station apparently averages 85 meals a night during the season but on the night we booked, it was full with 100 guests. As dinner is started, guests are given a brief outline of the history of Bramwell Station and other interesting facts about the property before a live entertainer ensures a great night. While at Bramwell Station, we headed up to the start of the Old Telegraph Track and the first crossing at Palm Creek. We had read that this year the crossing was an early challenge that had taken its toll on many vehicles (panel damage). We saw several vehicles use the ‘chicken track’ (read: sensible) and successfully make it out on the northern bank. Considering the water depth at the time we were there, we decided to avoid the risk of getting water through our vehicle and potential panel damage and gave it a miss. We also took a drive north to the ranger station turn-off and a shortcut into the Shotgun Crossing where we found quite a few vehicles parked. Some were queued awaiting their turn to either attempt the main crossing or access the chicken track. While we saw one Nissan ute make the main crossing successfully, several other vehicles

used the eastern entry and drove along the creek bed for a short distance to exit via the main northward route. Two vehicles towing camper trailers were also able to use this track successfully (diff locks made the difference here). Again, we were happy to watch others make/attempt the crossing before heading back to Bramwell and our buffet dinner. The next day we would continue our journey towards Fruit Bat Falls and our campsite at Eliot Falls. Until next month...

A vehicle exited Gunshot Crossing.

The author and family’s camp at The Bends, Coen.

Dinner at Bramwell Station.

The camp at Bramwell Station.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 61

Big fish ruled at Somerset Dam in August.

Bass records broken at Somerset Basstasstic comp Lachlan Achilles was the winner at the fourth-round event.

OMERSET Dam produced big bass for anglers at the fourth Basstasstic qualifying round on August 5 and 6.

For months Somerset was plagued by reports of plenty of fish spotted on sounders but none getting caught. Leading in, the weather was forecast to include a funny type of cool change, with storms on the menu. The first session on day one saw huge bass brought to the measuring station. I have never seen so many big bass at a tournament. Lachlan Achilles of Hervey Bay measured in two whoppers, one going 479mm to the fork and the other 475mm. His first session score of 954 had him sitting in first place. Michael Thompson of Gladstone was hot on his heels with two good bass earning him 928 points.

Jordon Renz placed third at Somerset.

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DAM LEVELS CURRENT AS OF 14/08/2017

DAMS

PERCENTAGE

APR MAY JUN JUL AUG MAR 9 Atkinson 7 6 6 6 5 104 Awoonga 100 100 98 98 80 25 Bjelke-Petersen * 24 24 22 22 20 54 Boondooma * 52 51 49 45 37 82 Borumba * 82 82 81 80 67 105 Burdekin Falls * 97 99 95 91 104 93 Callide * 92 90 87 86 62 81 Cania * 99 98 96 95 70 100 Coolmunda * 98 97 95 93 84 20 Dyer/Bill Gunn * 10 9 9 7 7 101 Eungella * 100 100 100 99 100 46 Fairbairn * 44 43 42 40 43 76 Glenlyon * 75 76 75 75 63 105 Hinze 100 101 100 99 95 97 Julius 94 91 89 87 100 88 Kinchant * 84 86 84 81 93 19 Leslie * 18 18 18 18 16 101 Macdonald 99 98 93 89 58 100 Maroon * 99 99 100 99 97 104 Monduran/Fred Haigh * 101 100 99 98 82 102 Moogerah * 100 99 98 97 86 73 North Pine/Samsonvale * 71 70 70 68 52 70 Peter Faust/Proserpine * 75 78 78 77 58 76 Somerset * 76 76 77 76 74 101 Teemburra * 100 100 100 100 100 54 Tinaroo* 50 50 50 48 48 100 Toonumbar 100 103 100 100 79 75 Wivenhoe * 73 71 70 68 69 100 Wuruma * 99 98 98 97 77 100 Wyaralong 100 99 99 98 98 For updates on dams, visit sunwater.com.au or seqwater.com.au *This symbol indicates that a Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish these dams.

www.livelyluresonline.com.au Page 62 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

Competition Report by RUSSELL NOWLAND

Steve Otto of the Sunshine Coast also had a big bag totalling 913 points. Many other anglers landed good size fish over 40cm and the comp was anyone’s at this stage. Session two saw stable conditions continue and the big fish come out to play. Lachlan was on a roll and measured two more giants at 485mm and 482mm. Steve picked up two horses for 953 points, while Jordon Renz of Bundaberg tallied 944 points. At the end of day one, Lachlan was sitting in first with 1921 points, Michael was coming second with 1847 points and Jordon slipped into third place with 1828 points. The talk on Saturday night was all about what the fish were biting. Spoons seemed to be the goto lures. The successful anglers worked them very slowly in the deep submerged creek bed. Winter really set in overnight and when the anglers hit the water on Sunday morning it somehow got even colder, with freezing wind. But it didn’t seem to turn off the fish at all. The big bags kept coming in, with 87 fish over 40cm to the fork and 47 of these over 45cm. These were record figures for a tournament held on Somerset. It was so good to see all these big fish caught and released. The anglers were in awe and it was something they may never see again. Lachlan continued his form from day one, measuring in two very good fish to push his total to 2854 points, which was a massive score to ensure a big win for him. He won $700 cash and loved his keyring with the big score engraved on it. He said he wants to keep the keyring for years to come as proof he managed such an epic score. Michael held on to second place with a great score of 2812 points, taking home $500 cash for his efforts. He also won the Evakool Big Bass prize of an Evakool icePlace

Seniors

box and the Big Bass cash pool of $390 thanks to a simply huge 512mm to the fork Somerset bass. Third went to Jordon with his score of 2750 points seeing him walk away with $300 cash. The Shimano No Fish prize of a spin reel was won by Gavin Sticklen of Gatton. The Austackle Rookie lure prize was won by Dave Howard of Kingaroy with a score of 1732 points and the secondplaced Rookie prize of a Sludgies Lures voucher went to Brett Klaus of Mount Mee with his score of 1703 points. Our female angler prize comprising Bigfish Gear lip grips and scales was taken home by Liz Thompson for her score of

1340 points at Somerset. In the juniors section, it was all Lane Thompson of Gladstone. After the two days on the water, Lane finished with 2228 points, which was an exceptional effort. He was actually seventh overall, which was a job well done for an up-and-coming angler. Lane won the lure pack donated by Bill and Cindy Schloss of Dalby. The second-placed junior was newcomer Matt Taylor of Wallumbilla with a score of 1862 points, taking home a Shimano Sedona 1000 reel. Ethan Thompson of Gladstone came third with 1202 points, winning a Sludgies Lures voucher. The next round is to be held at Borumba Dam on September 23 and 24. A big thanks to all the sponsors.

Barry Reynolds with a couple of big fish from Somerset Dam.

Lane Thompson fished very well to win in the junior division. Points

Female

Points

Lachlan Achilles

2854

Michael Thompson

2812

Jordon Renz

2750

Patrick Conduit

2663

Place

Barry Reynolds

2516

Lane Thompson

2228

Steve Otto

2336

Matt Taylor

1862

Brett Renz

2184

Dave Nelson

2197

Ethan Thompson

1202

Hayden Raynor

2029

Jaxon Thompson

891

Peter McGarva

1902

Nick Howard

878

Liz Thompson

1340

Juniors

Points

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Fishing around timber structure, it wasn’t long before Anthony had two bass in the boat.

Harry picked up this brute of a bass that measured 49cm. Nice catch!

Father and son fishing weekend

EAUTIFUL warm weather and stable conditions resulted in excellent catch rates at Hinze Dam during the final weeks of winter. A large group from Anglican Church Grammar School took advantage of the favourable conditions, participating in a father and son fishing and adventure weekend. The group fished the up-

Freshwater Fishing by STEVE WILKES

per reaches of the dam and focused on either the timber structure or the clearer, slightly deeper water off the points. The greatest success came when fishing in 8-10m of water. Most fish were hovering close to the bottom, so 1

It was all hands on deck for the kids on the father and son fishing weekend. They had the important job of breadcrumbing the fish fillets.

ball paternoster rigs with Mustad size 4 Big Mouth hooks were used, with live shrimp as bait. This combination proved too good for several quality Australian bass. Quite a few bass measured over the 40cm mark, with the largest going 49cm. Young Harry Scott managed to land a 40cm bass for his first fish, which was later followed up with the catch of the day, that 49cm specimen. It’s always great to see young boys out fishing with their dads, but it’s even better when they’re catching fish like that. Hinze Dam is an electric motor-only fishery, with no petrol engines permitted. The group set out in a combination of electricpowered tinnies and canoes. All boats and canoes carry radios, and it wasn’t long before the first call came through that the fish were on. For this group, the bite was consistent throughout the day, which tends to be the case in winter, though our winters seem to be getting hotter.

John and Jack managed to find a good school of bass congregating on the bottom around tree structure in the far upper reaches. Their boat picked up about 20 bass in total.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

On this particular day, the temperature hit 29C and there was no wind. You couldn’t have asked for a better day. Hinze Dam is part of the State Government’s Stocked Impoundment Permit Scheme and each family in this program bought a weekly permit, which costs $10. About 75 percent of the funds go back into restocking the dam. It is a user-pays system and works well. Many anglers on Hinze employ catch and release tactics, however, this group had dinner in mind and kept enough for a meal. Once the dinner quota was reached, all fish were returned to the water. It was emphasised that you don’t need to take more than you need. The group decided to call it a day mid-afternoon, so it was then back to the campsite to prepare the fish for dinner. During these programs, the boys always have the job of breadcrumbing the fillets. The meal always tastes better if the kids are involved in the preparation, and they did well. The end result was a tasty meal of fresh fish and chips. And of course, dessert was toasting marshmallows over the campfire. It doesn’t get much better than that! It’s always great being part of these school/community groups. Only a few of the dads and sons hadn’t attended a fishing weekend in previous years, so it was good to catch up with everyone again. It makes for a very social weekend. A special thankyou to Gavin Darwin and the Anglican Church Grammar School, commonly known as Churchie, for once again supporting this weekend. The school has been involved in the program for the past 17 years.

Glen and Josh boated these solid bass using live shrimp as bait during the father and son weekend.

Rod, fishing with his son Bruce, landed quality bass that would later become their dinner.

Bush or the beach – get your school involved. Every camp is tailored to your needs. Freshwater or saltwater fishing.

Other activities include:

Stand-up paddle boarding, canoeing, high ropes, abseiling, archery, boogie boarding, body surfing with hand planes, raft building and open fire cooking.

For further details visit www.sportstuition.com.au or phone 0403 154 510.

Anywhere. Anytime

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 63

The Faust barra took a liking to the Live Mullet 5.5â&#x20AC;? in Min Min colour.

Matt with a Peter Faust barra taken on the all-new Zerek 5.5â&#x20AC;? Live Mullet and ATC Combat 200 reel.

Hot new gear released at AFTA I

Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S that time of year when all the hot new fishing gear is released at the AFTA Trade Show and starts popping up in a tackle shop near you.

Scoffed! A Zerek 5.5â&#x20AC;? Live Mullet down the hatch of a solid Faust barra.

CATCH BARRA

This year Wilson Fishing had a massive showcase and took home very well-deserved awards. Some of the great new releases from Wilson were the Zerek Flat Shad Pro, Zerek Stalker, Zerek Giant Ruby and Zerek Live Mullet. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been part of the team putting these lures through their paces over the past nine months or so, achieving great success on Murray cod and barra. Wilson also released the ATC Combat 200 baitcast reel, which has quickly become very popular within the industry, as well as the new Bone Combat rod range.

NQ Barramundi by MATT & NICK WELLS

Straight after AFTA, we drove to Peter Faust Dam to see how the new Live Mullets would go in the impoundments, and what standout lures they were. Within four casts, Matt had a good fish pulling string and it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take us long to realise that these lures would be the next big hit on the barra scene. Zerek Live Mullet The Live Mullet is a super-strong, unbelievably lifelike, soft, jointed swimbait built with the toughest fish in mind. Constructed from TPE thermoplastic, its individually segmented body is meshed together with Kevlar webbing.

The tow point is connected to the hook point by a one-piece wire that makes the lure virtually unbreakable. Fitted with extra-strong split rings and needlesharp Mustad trebles, the Live Mullet is ready for action straight out of the box. The Live Mullet comes in three sizes of 3.5â&#x20AC;?, 4.5â&#x20AC;? and 5.5â&#x20AC;? and 10 colours to suit any fishing application. The best feature of this lure is that no matter how slow or fast you work it, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constantly swimming like a real fish. It sinks fairly quickly and gives opportunistic feeders such as cod and

barra the chance to engulf it. ATC Combat 200 baitcast reel To complement ATCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s huge range of supremequality fishing reels is the new Combat 200 low-profile baitcaster. Weighing in at just 225g, the Combatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lightweight aluminium construction is also extremely robust. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right up there with the high-end competition but at almost half the price of the big names. With a whopping multidisc drag capable of up to 8kg of pressure, the Combat is silky smooth when fish such as big cod and barra stretch you to the limits. You will easily fit 150 yards of your favourite braid plus backing on the spool and cast it with ease thanks to the super-

smooth 11 ball bearings and magnetic braking system. The retrieve ratio is 6.3:1, which allows 70cm of line to be retrieved per crank, helping you cover more water with less effort. The reel also comes with a spare jigging handle and power knob for retrieving big lures or jigging the bottom. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found the jigging handle is great when the reel is matched up with a Venom Swimbait rod. For any further information about all the new releases from Wilson Fishing and Zerek, visit wilsonfishing.com Be sure to hop on our Wells Brothers Fishing Official Facebook page and view our recent video tutorial on the ATC Combat 200. Just search in the videos section.

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A grassed powered site at Lake Callide.

New holiday park brings Callide to life

S I write, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m camped at Callide Dam and can report spring is well and truly on its way.

With minimal cold conditions, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s looking like a good barra season ahead. Lake Callide Retreat is now officially open. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a lot of info on the park, but a number of powered sites are available, as are toilet and shower facilities. A large grassed area parallel to the dam wall is set aside for self-contained vehicles, and fully self-contained cabins are on site too. This new park is only about 150m from the public day recreation area on the foreshore of Callide Dam and about a 2km drive on a bitumen road from the boat ramp. It is great timing for the retreat to open because at this time of year a number of very shallow wind-blown bays are only a short distance from the park.

A lot of smaller barra love to move into these areas late in the afternoon and feed on barred grunter in the warmer water. The ideal lures in this situation are Reidyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s B52s, Bombers, Rapala X-Raps and similar hard-body lures. With the Callide Valley Native Fish Stocking Association releasing close

to 100,000 barramundi and yellowbelly in the past four years and ideal temperatures, we should be in for a cracking season. Red claw are still a good option, with numerous reports of campers getting a good feed. One gentleman I spoke with is only checking his pots once a day, and by us-

Trent Reimer with a little barra taken off the bank.

ing dog biscuits and potatoes for bait heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been half filling a 20-litre Esky. As the barra become more active, the red claw will slowly go quiet. The Callide Valley Native Fish Stocking Association is holding its family fishing competition on October 28 and 29. This is a great event for

the family, with lots of prizes, raffles and draws. The Lake Callide Retreat kiosk can be contacted on 07 4993 9010, with details about the comp available on the Lake Callide Retreat Facebook page. I will have more information in next monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s issue. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Til then, get hooked. Glenn Hobson

Tyler Whitfield with a little late-afternoon barra hooked in front of the main picnic area.

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Tips for fishing impoundment edges

INCE the onset of winter, the fishing hasn’t changed considerably in the South Burnett region, with cracking catches of our native fish recorded. No matter what type of angler you are, you’re sure to hook up with a few fish at lakes Boondooma and Barambah over coming weeks. Boondooma Dam Over the past couple of months the fish have moved into the shallows and if you find yourself on an edge with scattered weed, you could be in for a fantastic edge bite. If you’re an avid lure fisher like me, this is where I would start and end the day. The secret has been throwing 3/8oz spinnerbaits up as tight as you can to the weed edge and rolling them back with a slow winding retrieve. I like to use the 3/8oz Carl’s Compact Bassman Spinnerbait with one small colorado blade to stop any weed becoming entangled in the blade assembly and preventing the spinnerbait working. If you’re throwing tight to the weed edge and rolling out you will occasionally get stuck in the weed. The best trick is to give the rod tip a quick rip to free the spinnerbait and continue the retrieve. Remember, early mornings and late afternoons are the best times to target the weed because the fish will be holding in there ready to ambush any offering thrown their way.

Freshwater Impoundments by MATTHEW LANGFORD

I’ve caught cracking 50cmplus fish using this method, so stick with it because it could result in a trophy bass. Another option is casting suspending jerkbaits to the weed. Use the same method as above but make sure you add plenty of pauses to your retrieve. Jerkbaiting the weed is a cool way to fish because suddenly your line could be peeling off the reel before you even realise you’ve had a hit. Later in the day when the sun is high and the breeze picks up, I like to move out deeper around the flats and target schooling fish with Nories tailspinners, soft vibes and Ecogear VX blades. Pelican Point, Barbers Pole and Death Valley are good spots to start looking for schools. Please check in with the kiosk if you’re unsure of the names of places around the dam. The secret is using your sounder to slowly move around until you’ve found the fish sitting close to the bottom. Once located, start throwing your baits with long casts and keep the lure as close to the bottom as possible. I like to use a very slow or hopping retrieve to induce a strike. It’s also a good idea to move around a bit because the fish quickly work out you’re there

Bill Schloss with a pair of cracking bass from Boondooma. Photo: Rybell Images

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and native fish don’t respond well to pressure or noise. Bait fishers have been picking up good catches of yellowbelly in the Boyne arm of the dam by fishing close to the trees and rocks. Most have been using saltwater yabbies, shrimp and worms. It’s a good idea to run smaller sinkers because the bite is hard to detect if using huge ball sinkers. Simply tie up to a tree, drop your bait to the bottom and slowly move the bait up and down. It won’t be long until you get a bite. Trollers have also been doing quite well on yellowbelly in the Boyne and Stuart arms by targeting the timber with smaller deep-diving hard-bodies. Make sure you take a lure retriever because you’re bound to get a snag or two while trolling. Red claw are still being captured in pretty good numbers around the shallow rocky edges. Soft fruits and vegetables have been the best baits over the past few months. Lake Barambah Typically, in cool weather the fish in Barambah (BjelkePetersen Dam) move in closer to the edge and can be caught using a few methods. Lately the best edge fishing method has been casting Ecogear ZX blades and jerkbaits up into the shallows. Slower-moving baits such as these are dynamite during winter and early spring. The key is making small hops off the bottom near the edge with the ZX blades and employing long pauses near the edge with the jerkbaits. The deeper flats have also been producing lots of fish, be it bass or yellowbelly. Jigging blades has been the best method. Most anglers have been sounding fish in about 6m and sitting on top of them. Ecogear ZX blades have been the real standout as they have two small stinger hooks attached. Drop them to the bottom and hop them with small sharp hops. A fish only needs to touch the blade and the stinger hooks will grab them very quickly. The best spot has been the big flat out from the main dam wall. It’s worthwhile remembering that most fish in the dam are gorging themselves on small bony bream, so it’s a great idea to throw anything that looks like these small baitfish. Search for steeper banks that hold timber or rocks because this is likely where fish will be looking for bait. Out deeper, try to find flats close to significant drop-offs or the main submerged creek line. Bait fishers have been getting a tonne of quality fish in BP. Most anglers have been tying off to trees and fishing with saltwater yabbies and shrimp, giving them small hops off the bottom. Big quality yellowbelly and good numbers of bass have been the species coming in on bait. Trollers are catching the odd fish around the main lake points. Small deep-diving hard-bodies are best. Red claw have gone very quiet and should start pop-

ping back up as the water gets warmer. Dam news If you’d like to become a member of the local fish stocking associations, please don’t hesitate to contact Boondooma Dam Fish Stocking and Management Association secretary/ treasurer Terry Allwood on 0400 860 122 or the Bjelke-Petersen Dam Fish Management Committee president (me) on 0408 658 592. New members are always welcome. Until next time, tight lines and bent rods.

Dylan Fryer scored a beautiful yellowbelly from the edge on a jerkbait.

Nick Anderson and the author hooked quality bass on the edge at BP Dam.

Bill Schloss and Lloyd Brown pulled great fish from the flats at Boondooma.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 65

The reason for the season W

E are now into the first month of the threemonth closed season on freshwater cod streams in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.

Tony didn’t hesitate to get wet to enable this impoundment-dwelling Mary River cod to be released in perfect condition, even though it was captured during the open season. Such rare fish are far too precious to end up as a fillet on a plate.

This cod was an accidental capture while chasing golden perch in Glenlyon Dam in early September several years ago. It exhibits the wear and tear that male fish suffer when clearing a nest site. The spawning season places enough stress on the fish and they can certainly do without any additional impact from being targeted by anglers.

When you lift a cod from the water (only during open season and not in South Australia), keep the fish low and out for seconds, not minutes. This fish was fooled by an old Danger Mouse; a timber wake-making lure from the eighties.

Those of us addicted to encounters with these chunky predators of inland waters of temperate, eastern Australia tend to suffer withdrawal symptoms from September 1 to November 30. During those months, fishing for any of our freshwater cod species is prohibited, except in a few nominated stocked lakes. In previous years, I’ve outlined the reasons why it is critically important for anglers to abide by the strict no-fishing laws of the closed season, but for readers who’ve missed them, here they are again. This closed season is in place to protect the spawning fish and, most importantly, the male fish guarding nests. For those unfamiliar with the breeding habits of freshwater cod, here’s a brief overview. As water temperatures start to climb in spring, male cod clean a hard, flat surface of silt in preparation for spawning. If a female fish finds the site suitable, she deposits several hundred eggs and then leaves. Nests are attended by the male fish from spawning right up until the juvenile cod leave the nest site to fend for themselves. It is the male’s essential job to keep the eggs free from silt, remove any dead eggs and fend off predators. Irrefutable video evidence gathered by fisheries researchers has shown some worrying statistics that should be enough to make any angler who truly cares about the future of our freshwater cod species do the right thing. If a male fish leaves a nest unguarded for just

Fishing for Sport by NEIL SCHULTZ

12 hours, that spawning will fail. It takes just that brief amount of time for shrimp, forage fish, crayfish and so on to eat all the eggs or larvae. The same fisheries study observed that any male fish caught by anglers and then released more than a few metres from the nest site would invariably abandon the nest. Likewise, if the male fish was kept out of the water for more than a minute, he would not return to guard the nest and its precious contents. Totally abstaining from any fishing in cod waters during the three months of the closed season is therefore the only way to prevent the failure of many cod spawnings. Armed with the above knowledge, you’ll be able to chastise those who selfishly ignore the closed season, attempting to convince themselves and others that because they intend to release the fish, they are doing no harm. Call bullshit to their excuses and let them know they are not only breaking the law, they are causing significant harm to the fishery. If fisheries regulations and the threat of on-thespot fines don’t stop their selfish actions, perhaps peer pressure might. A couple of anglers thoroughly catch and release fishing a stretch of river during the spawning season have the capacity to be responsible for the absence of an entire year’s class of fish due to failed spawnings. Sadly, many of the most regular offenders are those who beat their chests and loudly proclaim to be

championing the conservation of the cod. Quiet achievers such as Kevin Clark, Bruce Weir, Clark Say, Brian Dare and others who actually do something for the welfare of the species are the ones who lead by example and religiously adhere to the closed season. As a refresher to freshwater anglers, here is a brief run-down on the closed seasons for cod waters. Queensland – Murray cod Closed season on all western catchment waters from September 1 to November 30. The only exceptions are on the following stocked lakes: Beardmore, Beehive, Connolly, Cooby, Coolmunda, Glenlyon, Leslie and Storm King dams. Minimum size limit is 60cm and the maximum limit is 110cm, with a possession limit of two. Mary River cod Totally protected outside the following stocked impoundments, Cressbrook, Hinze, Maroon, Moogerah, North Pine, Somerset, Wivenhoe, Dyer and Clarendon dams. Closed season on all waters (yes, including stocked lakes) from September 1 to November 30. NSW – Murray cod Closed season on the entire Murray-Darling catchment from September 1 to November 30. The only exception is Copeton Dam (the closed season applies to all other stocked lakes in the state). Minimum size limit is 55cm and the maximum limit is 75cm, with a possession limit of four. Trout cod Totally protected year-

round in all waters. ACT – Murray cod Throughout the territory, in waters open to angling, the closed season for Murray cod is in line with other states, from September 1 to November 30. There is no angling at all in gazetted trout waters from the June Queen’s birthday long weekend until the October long weekend, from when the cod closed season prohibits angling for them until December 1. Minimum size limit is 55cm and the maximum limit is 75cm, with a bag limit of two. Trout cod Totally protected yearround in all waters. Victoria – Murray cod Closed season in all waters from September 1 to November 30. The only exception is Lake Eildon (the closed season applies to all other stocked lakes in the state). Minimum size limit is 55cm and the maximum limit is 75cm, with a bag limit of one fish per day in rivers and two per day in

lakes and impoundments. Trout cod Totally protected yearround in all waters with two exceptions: Lake Sambell and Lake Kerferd. In those two lakes, there is a minimum size limit of 40cm and a maximum size limit of 50cm, with a bag limit of one. South Australia – Murray cod Closed season in all waters from August 1 to December 31. The cod fishery is open only for catch and release fishing from January 1 to July 31. It is illegal to lift any size Murray cod out of the water in South Australia. During the catch and release season, anglers must unhook and release the fish while it is still submerged in the water. It is prohibited to take or even fish for Murray cod on any section of the Chowilla Floodplain yearround. Trout cod Totally protected yearround in all waters.

A lure that produced well prior to the closed season was the 100mm Oar-Gee Malibu shallow runner. The author is hanging out for December 1 to show it to the cod again.

Photos of fish in the water won’t include your smiling face, but will ensure the fish’s welfare is not compromised.

Bumper bass biting at Somerset Dam S

OMERSET Dam has been fishing really well over the past few weeks.

The odd day has proved difficult but most days have produced fish. The build-up to big bass season is well under way and the size of some of the fish has been very impressive. A lot of fish over 3kg have come in, and an absolute monster just nudging the 4kg mark was landed recently. I suspect many more will be taken over the coming months. Big schools of fish started to show in deeper water in early August and were catchable, eating

Somerset Dam by ANDREW MITCHELL

deep-diving hard-body lures, Halco Twisty metals, Smak spoons and plastics. These fish would sporadically move up onto the flats in smaller numbers. Tailspinners and Twisties were the best lures here. As August moved on, the bigger schools started to show on the flats at their usual haunts of Pelican Point, the Spit, Queen Street and Kirkleagh flats. Ice jigs have worked

Page 66 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

well and I suspect they will continue to work on the right day. Tailspinners proved handy and I think they will be the flavour of the month in September. September and October are traditionally two of the best months of the year to fish Somerset and I don’t expect this year to be any different. This time of year sees the bass dramatically increase in weight in conjunction with their breeding cycle. They eat more at this

time and therefore you have a better chance of catching them. In addition, the rise in water temperature speeds up the fish’s metabolism and increases their need to feed. I don’t know about you, but I’m happy to take all the help I can get to improve my chances. Most lures will catch fish over coming months. There will be standout lures and baits but lure choice will likely not be as crucial. It’s a really good time to get out and practise new techniques. One thing to keep in mind is the water temperature in a body of water

will not rise consistently as air temperature does. We can see dramatic temperature differences across Somerset from day to day and even at different times and locations in the same day as the water warms moving towards summer. Water tends to heat up more inconsistently than when it’s cooling. The amount of direct sunlight hitting the water, wind direction and speed variations, humidity, barometric pressure and the surrounding landscape all seem to affect the water temperature more now than at any other time of the year. My point is the different temperatures at different locations throughout the day (along with other factors) mean you need to find the right ‘bite conditions’ rather than the right ‘bite times’. When conditions are favourable, the fish are more likely to bite. Usually the fish will be biting in at least one location.

At this time of the year, you’ll also find that productive fishing is not on a stopwatch as much as other times. If you’re into bass fishing, or any other fishing for that matter, hook up the boat and head to Somerset now! You’ll hopefully get the chance to see this country’s best bass fishery at its peak. With a bit of luck on

your side you’ll get to see the oversized bass Somerset is known for. We might even see a world record… it’s that time of year and I can feel it. Good luck, and I hope to see some big fish photos over coming weeks. Send them in to us and you might see your face in the next issue. Don’t forget to smile.

Brett Klaws with a 4kg Somerset brute.

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The author’s first-ever Murray cod went 74cm.

A 93cm Murray cod ate Stephen Booth’s 1oz Full Moon chatterbait fished on a Wilson Venom 6kg, 7’ baitcaster.

Conlon cuts teeth on Copeton cod

USUALLY fish salt water but lately I’ve decided to see if I can catch some of the species that inhabit our freshwater dams, one of these being Murray cod.

Part of my inspiration came from Clint, one of the rod builders at Wilson Fishing, who recently went chasing Murray cod in a surface lure-only competition and said it was a lot of fun. Clint recently asked me to head to Copeton Dam in northern NSW with him and his son Tane, and seeing as the weather went a little pear-shaped for my usual charters that week, I accepted his invite and was not disappointed. So where is Copeton Dam? Well you head to Inverell, and then about 40 minutes out of town you’ll come across a rather large dam that I never knew existed. It’s quite spectacular, with fantastic scenery and a well-stocked Murray cod population. The dam’s caravan park has a great kiosk where you can get all sorts of food and a good range of lures suitable for the area. Accommodation options include on-site cabins, caravan and camper trailer sites and basic campsites next to the water so you can park your boat right in front. You’ve got plenty of options, and considering the dam is quite big, if you’re there during non-peak times you could probably have a camping area all to yourself. Now to the fishing. It was pretty simple – we were targeting Murray cod on lures. To tell you the truth, I had no idea what I was in for or what I was doing. Because Clint had been down there on a previous trip, he had a bit of a game plan, while Tane and I were happy to follow his lead. We had an advantage because we were surrounded by a lot of knowledge in the form of Stephen Booth from Wilson Fishing, who has caught plenty of Murray cod, and Josh Usher www.bnbfishing.com. au

Fishing Trip by SEAN CONLON

who is a Murray cod guru. It was great to be able to have a chat with these fellas and glean some knowledge and ideas on where and how to target them and with what sort of lures. They also helped with the techniques to use at certain parts of the day. For example, of an early morning I was told to fish the shallows and use topwater lures, while in the middle of the day we headed out a bit deeper to find the bait and then in the late afternoon and night motored back to the shallows. With all the great advisors around, if I didn’t catch a Murray cod I would only have myself to blame. After a quick chat with the lads, it seemed the bite periods were very short. We saw a small bite period early in the morning from sun-up to roughly 8am and then another bite period late in the afternoon from 4.30pm until about 8.30pm. So working with that time frame, we were going to get two early morning and two late afternoon/ night bite periods before we had to head home. We were also told catching them on surface lures would be quite difficult because most of the fish in preceding days had come on subsurface lures fished in the shallows of an early morning or late afternoon. The lures of choice were mumblers and chatterbaits. Believe me, the names of lures the freshwater guys are using are like a whole new language and I will need to learn it if I’m going to keep fishing the fresh. Having sound knowledge of an area you’re going to fish is very important, so even if you don’t know anybody there, maybe slip into the local tackle shop, buy a few lures and ask for a bit of information.

This type of information can make the difference between catching and not catching fish. A very important bit of information Josh gave us was to ensure that in the peak bite time from 6.30-8am we were actually fishing, not driving around looking for where to fish. So armed with newfound knowledge and a Wilson Venom 6kg baitcaster rigged with a chatterbait loaned to me by Steve Booth, we headed out for our first session. I don’t really know what the air temperature was but when we arrived at the water’s edge steam was coming off the water and I reckon it was around 3C. Clint, Tane and I jumped in our boat while Boothy and Josh took another boat and told us to follow them to a spot where they’d been getting a few cod. About halfway across the dam we ran into really thick fog and lost Boothy, which meant poor Clint had to pick his way slowly across the dam. Luckily it was only a patch and as the fog lifted we could make out the tree line and Boothy just ahead. Upon arrival, we cast surface and subsurface lures at the tree line and underwater structure for a couple of hours with no luck. But with scenery as good as this and great mates on the boat, catching fish would only have been a bonus. After the early session was over, we headed back in for breakfast. Later that day, we headed back out onto the dam to capitalise on the evening peak bite period. We found great-looking areas with lots of bait but we fished right into the night with still no luck. So at about 8.30pm we admitted defeat and headed in for a hot dinner and warm shower.

After a quick chat with the boys over dinner it was decided we would use subsurface lures the next morning and try to roll them along as slowly as we could. The next morning we were up nice and early and out onto the fog-covered dam for another cool start. We found an area with plenty of bait and began casting at the shoreline. Tane and Clint started with surface lures while I stuck with a subsurface chatterbait. I was trying to do what the boys said and roll it as slowly as possible without getting it stuck on the bottom, and instead of casting at the shoreline I cast along the drop-off in 2-3m of water. We worked the area pretty well, putting in plenty of casts as the sun came up. A fair bit of bait was sitting on the 3m drop-off, so I made a nice long cast and was concentrating on rolling the chatterbait as slowly as I could when all of a sudden, thump, I was on to my first-ever Murray cod. It pulled a bit of 30lb string to start with and then as it got closer to the boat it did some funny things including death rolls, going straight down and coming back up and rolling over the line. It fought quite well. Eventually the fish sat quietly on the surface and Tane slipped my first cod into the net. We all gave a bit of a cheer and I must admit when you get up close to Murray cod they are spectacular-looking fish. I had only ever seen them on TV, so it was pretty cool to see one up close. It wasn’t a metre-long cod but I was pretty happy with the 74cm fish. It was a fat little fish too. After a few quick pics it was straight back over the side for a speedy release. Believe me, when you turn up somewhere new and catch the fish you came to target, all those casts become worthwhile. ☛ continued P68

Boothy with a mumbler-munching 68cm cod taken on the Venom 6kg rod matched to an ATC Vittatus baitcaster reel loaded with SureCatch Energy Braid 30lb.

Clint with a 78cm Murray cod.

Tane’s first-ever Murray cod went 80cm.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 67

Shane Banks with a 100cm cod taken on a Mudeye Snake surface lure fished on a Venom Swimbait rod. Josh ‘GOAT’ Usher with a 95cm cod that nailed a 1oz chatterbait trolled in 4.5m of water at around 7.30am after the surface bite shut down. The lure was fished on a 6kg Venom 7’ baitcaster.

Conlon cuts teeth on Copeton cod ☛ from P67

The Mint Slice deal. One Mint Slice for a legal fish, two for a metre fish, three for a 1.2m fish and four for the unicorn (a 1.3m fish).

Now it was time for Clint and Tane to get a couple. My fish was caught at 7.15am and the peak bite time was starting to sneak away from us. Tane said it was time to make a change, so he tied on a great big paddle tail soft plastic. He started casting it along the drop-off into the bait while Clint persevered with the surface

lure because he really wanted to catch one using this technique. The sun was up by this stage and after another 45 minutes of casting Tane and I were having a bit of a chat as he was slow rolling his paddle tail back to the boat. Right under the boat, crunch, Tane’s rod buckled over on his first-ever Murray cod. The fish gave a pretty good account of itself,

Plan now for Guyra Troutfest G

UYRA on the New England Tablelands has great plans for this year’s Troutfest, coinciding with the opening of the trout season in NSW. With the best year for trout fishing in a long time just finished, predictions are for an even bigger season once it reopens. Troutfest starts on Sep-

tember 29 with the Children’s Fishing Clinic run by FishCare volunteers and the Department of Primary Industries at the Mother of Ducks Lagoon in Guyra. This runs from 9am to 2pm for children aged eight to 14. The Dutton Trout Hatchery supplies some of its huge brood trout to give the children a chance to catch and take

Ryan Jones of Guyra was rewarded with this catch at the 2016 Guyra Troutfest Children’s Fishing Clinic.

Page 68 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

a mighty fish home from the dam at the Guyra Golf Course. The excitement and fun generated for the kids has to be seen to be believed. Kids get their own tackle and other goodies as part of the lessons. A bus tour to the local sights includes lunch and will keep parents and other visitors occupied while the kids learn their new skills. Saturday, September 30 is Market Day, with the main street closed between 9am and 3pm. Guyra food producers will be highlighting their products with tastings including smoked trout, trout pâté, mushrooms and mushroom dishes, egg products, confection, cakes, a barbecue and Guyra’s retailers will be open too. Seating will be provided to enjoy the food and wine tasting as well as the busking and other musical entertainment. Train rides will run from the main street. Fishers are catered for with fly casting demonstrations and lessons, a kids’ ‘touch’ fish tank, fishing supplies and, of course, the weekendlong fishing competition run by the Guyra Hotel Angler’s Club. The competition has categories for trout as

well as redfin, catfish and yellowbelly, with junior and senior categories. A map of all the local public venues will be provided. Guyra caters well for dedicated trout fishers, with several local fishing establishments providing accommodation right next to the wellstocked trout streams and private fishing dams. Opportunities for fishing should be exciting, with streams and lakes at full capacity after the great rainfall for the season. Malpas Dam and the mighty Copeton Dam are both in easy driving distance of Guyra. To tie in with the fishing theme, two expert fly casting instructors, Allan Ekert and Greg Artlett, will be demonstrating fly casting techniques and will give lessons for anyone who wants to try their hand at casting. Allan has a unique ‘secret weapon’ for teaching the rhythm of an expert caster. The FishCare van staffed by FishCare volunteers will be eager to talk to everyone about trout fishing and fishing in general, especially the children. There will be fishing

gear for sale as well, along with the Guyra Angler’s Club’s you beaut fishing raffle. In the unlikely event that some members of the family aren’t interested in fishing, the Troutfest provides plenty of other activities of interest including art and photography shows, antique machinery, drives to local attractions and historical town gardens to name a few. Guyra also boasts a lovely golf course and bowling club. If you are handy with a camera, a Festival Action Photo Competition runs all weekend to 5.30pm on Sunday. The fishing competition concludes on Sunday evening (October 1), with photo proof entries to be in by 5.30pm at the bowling club in time for presentations. Lots of fish-related fun is planned for the evening. Put Guyra into your holiday plans for the October long weekend and get out into the great outdoors. Registration forms and more information is available online at guy ratroutfest.weebly.com or by emailing guyra troutfest@gmail.com To inquire over the phone, call 0488 755 736.

taking some string and going straight back under the boat. Before we knew it, Tane had the fish under control and Clint had it in the net. A big cheer went up and Tane had a huge smile on his face. After a few pics, Tane’s fat 80cm cod was released to fight another day. We fished on and I had one more hit and miss but at 9am we headed back for a big breakfast and got all our gear sorted for the next assault in the afternoon. For Tane and I, it really didn’t matter what happened after that because we had both landed fish, but Clint still had to get one, so we headed out with one priority: getting Clint a fish. We went back to the same area and proceeded to cast at the bank. I was still using my subsurface chatterbait and Clint surface lures. We worked that area until just before dark and I think I got another hit but other than that we didn’t see much action. Clint finally admitted defeat and decided to take the surface lure off and give a subsurface chatterbait a go. He only made a few casts at the bank before he was on at last. It was a solid fish and Clint manoeuvred it through the light timber around the edge of the dam. Before we knew it, Tane had Clint’s very nice 78cm cod in the net. Yahoo, we all got one! That fish definitely brought a smile to Clint’s face. Boy he put in a lot of casts but, like all of us, he said it was worth the effort. After a few more casts in the dark we decided to call it quits and head in. That was it for me because I had to head home early in the morning and back to Brisbane. As far as I’m concerned, the trip was a definite success.

If I was going to give any advice to newcomers it would be to get as much information on the area as possible. I understand the habits of these fish change with the seasons, so there may be different peak bite times depending on when you’re fishing and where the bait is sitting. I’m definitely no expert as I’ve only caught one cod but I was lucky enough to be fishing with two guys who had a lot of experience in catching these fish. I think if they hadn’t taken the time to give me advice on how to catch Murray cod, the outcome would’ve been completely different. In addition to local info, you will need a collection of subsurface lures such as chatterbaits and mumblers as well as trolling and surface lures. A 6-7kg rod and good baitcaster reel loaded with 30-40lb braid will do the job on cod nicely. I was using a Wilson Venom 6kg, 7’ rod matched to an ATC Vittatus baitcaster reel loaded with SureCatch Energy Braid 30lb. If you’re not confident using a baitcaster, you can use a spin reel, but I noticed when trying to roll the subsurface lures as slowly as possible that the baitcaster had a definite advantage over a spin reel. A couple of other things before you hit the road to Copeton Dam: it’s roughly a 1000km return trip from southern Brisbane, so make sure your trailer is in good condition and your bearings are up to scratch. Also, make sure you know exactly what the safety equipment regulations are for your boat in NSW as they can vary between states. And if you want to get a cabin, make sure you book prior to heading to the dam. Finally, to all the guys present, thank you very much for making my first trip a success. www.bnbfishing.com. au

Leave lights on when night fishing

M Clinton Nowland and Ben Jenson of team Predator took out first place.

Toby Gibson and Corey Gear of team RU Fishing placed second.

X-Factor Teams event at Cania Dam

NGLERS travelled to Cania Dam in the North Burnett region to attend round three of the X-Factor Basstasstic Australian Teams Championship qualifying round.

A good line-up of teams turned up to challenge each other and most anglers stayed at Camp

Competition Report by RUSSELL NOWLAND

Nowland for the weekend, having a ball both on and off the water. Newcomers left with great memories and said they will be back to stay at the camp after having

Team Bass Gasims made up of Trevor and Jason Crofts came in third.

Gary McCabe and Gavin Sticklen of Team Gatton Home Brew took fourth.

Dylan Fryer and Lucas Philip of Team 2 Dams 1 Destination placed fifth.

so much fun. What more could you want than hot showers, hot food, a bonfire and heaps of fishing talk. Day one of the tournament saw all teams fish it out against other teams, with nine teams finishing in the cash pool and nine in the prize pool. Plenty of fish were landed by some, while others found it hard in a fairly tough bite. A lot of fish came from the basin area on all sorts of lures, with no one lure really standing out. Saturday night saw plenty of anglers with a plan but it took a local team with a pre-fish plan to win in the cash division come Sunday. Team Predator, comprising Clinton Nowland and Ben Jenkins of Monto, fished the timber areas on day two using Z-Man plastics in Baby Bass colour rigged on 1/2oz jig heads. They knew the fish were there and only had to wait for them to come on the bite, which they eventually did, giving Clinton and Ben a $950 win after their two good fish saw them finish with 860 points. They also won the Evakool Big Bass prize and the Big Bass cash pool of $340 thanks to a 456mm to the fork bass. Second place in the cash section went to team RU Fishing, made up of Toby Gibson and Corey Gear of Toowoomba. Their final score of 798 points won them $750 cash.

X-Factor Teams cash winners Position

Team name

Team members

Predator

Clinton Nowland and Ben Jenkins

RU Fishing

Toby Gibson and Corey Gear

Bass Gasims

Trevor and Jason Crofts

Gatton Home Brew

Gary McCabe and Gavin Sticklen

2 Dams 1 Destination

Lucas Philps and Dylan Fryer

Smak Wild

Matthew Mott and Brett Klaus X-Factor Teams prize winners

Position

Team name

Team members

Team Modern Jack

Jye Gilmore and Joel Brazier

Team Bass Wranglers

David and Matt Burke

Bearded Burblers

William Schloss and Buddy Walsh

Team Lews

Michael and Lane Thompson

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Third place in the cash division was taken out by team Bass Gasims, consisting of Trevor Crofts of Mundubbera and Jason Crofts of Mackay. A score of 789 points saw them win $375 cash. In the prize section, team Modern Jack, comprising Jye Gilmore of East Sandstone Point and Joel Brazier of Bundaberg, won with a score of 375 points. They won two Evakool Icemate iceboxes. Second went to team Bass Wranglers, consisting of David and Matt Burke of Toowoomba, with their score of 370 points. They won the Gatton Home Brew, Camping & Fishing Supplies prize. Coming in third place was team Bearded Burblers, made up of William Schloss Jr and Buddy Walsh of Murgon, with a score of 364 points seeing them take home two Shimano Sedona 1000 spin reels. The next and last qualifying round before the grand final will be held at Wuruma Dam on October 28 and 29. All anglers are welcome to join in and explore a new and untested dam full of big bass. Thanks to all our sponsors, the competitors and Clinton and Karen Nowland for all the meals at Camp Nowland.

R Secret Squirrel has a way of being able to catch really big Murray cod on dams (freshwater storages) using various types of lures and methods after dark.

The lure The lures are a collection of big surface lures that will make your arm fall off after a two-hour session. Then it’s off to town to visit a physiotherapist to get your arm back to normal length. These secret squirrel anglers hang around lure makers who are into big lizard-type lures, large jointed fishshaped lures and lures that work the surface of the water, pushing a wake in front of them with a bit of noise to boot. They then cast these with a pole (no, not a broom handle). What you need is one of those old-style solid fibreglass rods we had as kids when we trolled big red aeroplane spinners in the rivers. The method What you need to do is be able to put up with freezing-cold conditions: fog, ice on the windscreen and so on. But why? What’s wrong with summer and fishing the same methods? Well during the middle of the winter’s day you use your you-beaut fishfinder/GPS to plot a course to the spot you’re going to fish that night or very early the next morning. If you leave at 3.45am, you know your GPS will light up in the pitch black and show you

Glenlyon Dam by BRIAN DARE

where to go. At 3.45am no one else is about. You cer tainly wouldn’t see another ute at the water’s edge where you launched. So then off you go with all your running lights on white as you head to your secret squirrel spot. OK, once you’ve reached your spot it’s lights off, you don’t need them now. Just use a head torch or handheld torch to tie on your secret squirrel lures and start casting towards the bank. Using your electric motor, you silently move from one location to another. Every now and then you hear another boat motor and see their lights and then it’s pitch black again. Another electric motor starts and stops in the dark and because sound travels so well on water it could be a long way off. Fog starts to roll in and you hear another boat turn up but you didn’t see any nav lights, just a flash of light every now and then. After two hours and still not a hit or touch on the lures or spinnerbaits you start to think you’ll go back in. With all your gear packed away, you kick over the outboard, the sounder/GPS lights up, you pop in the return course you plotted the day before, kick the motor into gear, flick the lights on and go 30

knots heading home through the thick fog. Downstream about 200m, the same thing is taking place. It’s a dad with two kids aged 13 and 16 and he’s secret squirrel number two. With no lights on, they’re fishing in the middle of the run for secret squirrel number one’s trip home. This is all unbeknown to secret squirrel number three, who also happened to plot the same course as secret squirrel number one. He’s coming up the opposite way, heading to his secret spot further up the dam. Bang, he slams into secret squirrels one and two who have no lights on due to their accident. Secret squirrel three couldn’t hear anything over the sound of his outboard. The message here is: leave your running light on as well as port and starboard nav lights. The lights don’t scare the cod because you are casting away from the boat into the dark. Very soon all storages will be closed to night fishing due to Mr Secret Squirrel. Wake up and leave your lights on. All that for one big secret squirrel cod... P.S., what about the big log that fell into the water at 6pm on the course plotted by Mr Secret Squirrel. Just like the above, it’s entirely possible.

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Ph: 02 6737 5266 E: glenlyondamtouristp@bigpond.com Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017 – Page 69

Be sure to make the most of the snow in winter!

A small 500 series Alvey reel set low to the water at Kalkite, Lake Jindabyne.

Cold country trout trip M

ANY Queensland anglers have a mistaken view of how hard it can be to catch freshwater trout.

These fish fell to orange PowerBait just after dawn.

An icy cold winter morning can mean frozen rod runners.

Some people envisage crawling on hands and knees through snakeinfested tussock grass in camouflaged clothing. They picture tens or even hundreds of hours of knot-tying and misfired casts with the long wand until finally delivering the fly with meticulous accuracy to a tiny trout in a shallow-running stream. All that can be true, but there is much more to trout fishing and a lot of it is very similar to fishing for whiting from the shore or trolling for flathead from a boat. A good excuse to go I recently took a winter

Research forms part of the National Carp Control Plan

ESEARCHERS and government officials were given a preview of the research being undertaken as part of the National Carp Control Plan in Canberra recently. The NCCP is being prepared to explore ways to improve the quality of our waterways, with one being the possible release of the carp virus cyprinid herpesvirus-3, through a $15 million Fisheries Research and Development Corporation planning process on behalf of the Australian Government. As part of the plan, the NCCP is co-ordinating a large program of research to understand how the potential release of the virus to control the introduced carp species could be managed and community attitudes and opinions in relation to waterways. At the Principal Investigator Workshop in Canberra recently, researchers were able to

gain a broad overview of each of the NCCP’s research projects and identify how they can best work together. National co-ordinator of the NCCP Matt Barwick said getting all the researchers together highlighted the extensive work that needed to occur before a decision was made on if the carp virus is the best option to control carp. “The NCCP is a process, not a foregone conclusion,” Mr Barwick said. “Carp is one of the most destructive introduced pest species in Australia and causes major damage to native fish populations and the water quality of our waterways. “Different methods have been tried for decades to control carp without widespread success and that is why we find ourselves preparing the NCCP.” World-class social scientists, biologists, economists, risk assess-

Page 70 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

ment specialists and water quality experts are investigating the challenges, risks, costs, opportunities and potential benefits of carp biocontrol. Some of the major research projects include: a biomass study to provide an estimate of carp density in Australian waterways; completion of trials testing susceptibility of non-target species to the carp virus; strategies for cleaning up dead carp if the carp virus is released; and a quantitative social, economic and ecological risk assessment of carp biocontrol. Assoc Prof in the University of Canberra’s Health Research Institute and Institute for Applied Ecology Dr Jacki Schirmer is exploring community attitudes to carp biocontrol. There will be four major surveys undertaken, with significant sample sizes to determine what people think about carp control and iden-

tify questions they may have. Mr Barwick said carp impact on everyone and the aim of the plan is to solve the challenge together. “Community consultation will continue to ensure the NCCP is aware of the ecological values of the affected waterways and any likely direct and indirect impacts that may eventuate from the use of this control method,” he said. “Rivers and other waterways are the lifeblood of communities and industries such as agriculture and tourism. “The purpose of the NCCP is to return the waterways back to healthy and viable ecosystems to improve the water for drinking, fishing and recreational activities. “Healthy river systems and waterways result in healthier communities.” For more information, visit carp.gov.au

Fishing Trip by SEAN THOMPSON

trip to the Snowy Mountains, where I returned to Lake Jindabyne, a location I hadn’t fished in about 13 years. I once frequented both Lake Jindabyne and Lake Eucumbene from autumn to early spring each year when I lived in Canberra. My recent trip was actually a family adventure for the kids to experience snow and skiing for the first time. I didn’t need much convincing when my wife suggested I go fishing for trout while there! I had really missed this style of fishing, where if you hook a fish, you can pretty much guarantee it’s a trout. Winter shore-based fishing While pre-dawn starts might not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially when it’s a chilly -6C, they are often worth the effort. During winter, the fish will feed in very shallow water close to shore in the hours just prior to dawn. This means you can’t turn up ‘all guns blazing’ with headlights on high beam and stomping around the edge of the lake ready to cast your first bait. Rather, you need to turn your lights off as you approach the water’s edge and pull your car up 20m or so from shore. Be sure to not flash your headlamp on the water or stomp down to the water’s edge or you will spook the fish. The ‘softly, softly’ approach paid off for me again after all these years. First cast, I set the rod low and parallel to the water in the holder, placed the bell on the tip of the rod and returned to the four-wheel-drive to bait up the second rod. When bait fishing, always get a bait in the water first before you worry about rigging up or baiting a second or third rod. It might sound silly, but you can’t catch fish if your

line isn’t in the water! Before I could bait up the second rod, I heard that magical ‘ting-a-ling’ of the bell in the darkness. As I glanced around in the moonlight, I saw the rod tip buckle over. Quickly lifting the rod and winding, I felt the weight of the fish and before long had my heart racing as I spotted the leap of a rainbow trout in the moonlight. After a solid fight on 5lb leader, the first rainbow trout of the morning was slid up onto the coarse sand of Lake Jindabyne’s margins. A couple more fish followed. At a slightly different spot at Kalkite (also on Lake Jindabyne) the next day, I got a few more after another very early and cold start in -6C conditions. Pre-dawn fishing You need to be aware of a few things if fishing for trout pre-dawn in winter. Quite apart from your windscreen icing over (you need to cover it or wash it down with lukewarm water), a few other factors are at play. These include your top runner freezing with ice (so you need to dip it in

the water before you cast), putting your worms or bardi grubs in an Esky or they too will freeze (literally) and being damn well rugged up. On the upside, you get to experience the spectacular ‘real Australia’ scenery of the Snowy Mountains. It is simply magical to sit back on your camp chair near your rods, sipping from your hot flask of coffee while you watch the sun slowly but surely appear over the horizon. You then get to watch as it reflects off the snow on the mountains in the distance with a beautiful lake in the foreground. You are then suddenly snapped back to reality when your rod bell goes off and soon after are sliding another beautiful rainbow or brown trout up the bank. I’d missed it and damn it was great to be back. As a bonus, like me, you could then pack up, grab breakfast at nearby Jindabyne village and then head to the snow for a ski. Techniques The set rod technique is by far your best option when bait fishing for trout because you never know when they are going to turn up. A few other things can be done when setting your rod to improve your catch. The following tips allow ☛ continued P72

With snow-capped mountains in the background, trout fishing really is something special.

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Cast your lines close to shore pre-dawn, then a little further out as the sun comes up.

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the fish to feel minimal resistance when picking up the bait: • Set your rods low and parallel to the water; • Use a light drag or a bait-runner reel; • Open your bail arm and attach the line lightly to the rod with Blu Tack; • Place a bell on the rod tip to help you detect the bite; and • If you see a bite, let the fish pull the tip down first before you lift the rod and strike. Best baits The best baits for trout tend to vary across the year, but for me, bardi grubs are hard to beat, particularly in winter and early spring. They can be bought frozen at a couple of tackle shops in Canberra, Cooma and Old Adaminaby near Lake Eucembene. They are brilliant and are best cut in halves or thirds depending on their size and placed on small size 8-10 long-shank hooks. I find adding a bit of freshwater scent to them delivers even better results. Believe it or not, artificial Berkley PowerBait balls, sold in small tubs, are probably the next best bait. The tiny balls, which imitate fish eggs (I think the pink and orange colours are best), are a brilliant bait on a tiny chemi-

cally sharpened size 8 octopus suicide hook. Such a thin-gauge hook allows the PowerBait to float in the water, making it enticing to the fish and allowing it to be seen from a distance, including over weed. Other good baits in spring include live mudeyes (dragonfly larvae) suspended under a float, and scrub and earthworms. The latter really come to the fore in spring in the grassy bays of Lake Eucumbene when the snow melt causes the waters to rise up over new soft ground and bring the worms to the surface. Locations Top shore-based structure to look for at popular Lake Jindabyne and Eucumbene includes: • Shallow sandy bays; • Bays with drowned timber; • Green grassy banks in spring; • Rocky points; and • Sandy drop-offs and underwater rocky structure around the many small islands on the lakes. Rigs A great set-up taught to me by Scott Mitchell (former owner of the Alpine Angler at Cooma) is a paternoster rig. The rig uses a small size 1-2 ball sinker running down to a three-way swivel. Attached to a 50cm leader is your size 8 octopus

hook with the PowerBait to float in the water, while on a longer 80-90cm leader is the size 8-10 longshank hook with a bardi grub or worm. Way back in the late ‘90s, this rig caught me two trout at once! Unfortunately, those were the days before smartphones and I’d forgotten my polaroid camera. Upon reporting it to Scott, he said he had heard of it only once before in 25 years. But of course, like all ‘good mates’, those who weren’t there said: “Without a pic, it never happened!” Give it a go! So if you have ever wondered what the trout scene is all about, consider a trout fishing trip with your mates or combine it with skiing with your friends or family. I haven’t even touched on the other great types of trout fishing including casting and trolling Tasmanian Devil lures. It really is a lovely change of environment and style of fishing. Not only that, but you get to experience simply incredibly scenery. Don’t forget to jump on and follow my Ontour Fishing Australia Facebook page. Until next month – bag your mates, not your limit.

❑ MasterCard/Visa

Card No: .................................................................................................................... Expiry date: ............................................................................................................... Name: ........................................................................................................................ Phone: ....................................................................................................................... Signature: .................................................................................................................. GIFT CERTIFICATES

❑ Happy Birthday ❑ Happy Father’s Day

❑ Happy Fishing ❑ Merry Christmas

To: .............................................................................................................................. From: ......................................................................................................................... The beautiful colours of a rainbow trout in the morning sun.

Page 72 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, September 2017

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