BNB Fishing mag | Oct 2019 by bnbfishing

Fisheries changes in QLD

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October 2019

Sailfish on Cape York

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Spring species in Moreton Bay Guide to catching summer whiting

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Page 2 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

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Inside this month Offshore action

Gold Coast

P30

P16

Fresh water

Sailfish

P52

Fishing rods are normally between 7’ and 10’, with very soft tips. The soft tips make it easy to see the initial whiting bites and I prefer to paint the last 60cm of the rod tip white to make it easier to see at night. Reels can range from a 2500 size spinning reel on the smaller rods to a 4000 spinning reel or

OUR COVER

JAY COTTRELL was pretty pleased with this epic giant trevally caught on a Zerek Zappelin in GFF colour during the Wilson Fishing Swain Reefs trip with Big Cat Reality Charters. For more on the adventure, check out BEN COLLINS’S article, Page 34.

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 PRINTER: Rural Press AFTA 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

EDITOR: Ben Collins ADVERTISING: Kacie Hubbert PRODUCTION: Jo Hendley, Lily Rochelle

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Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine is published monthly by Collins Media Pty Ltd ABN 43 159 051 500 ACN 159 051 500 trading as Collins Media.

AUST

NOVEMBER edition will be on sale in news agents from October 25. See subscription form on Page 64 to go in the draw to win one of three super Salt-Away kits valued at $120 each.

Alvey 500b or 600b on the longer rods. I prefer the Alveys so I can backwind if the fish are biting timidly. Some nights whiting will be easy to hook because they are feeding aggressively. Other nights the bite may be very cautious and timid, especially if the water is very clean from lack of rain. Being able to feed a bit of line to the fish after you notice the initial bite can increase your hook-up rate noticeably, especially if you use Cribb Island worms for bait. Certainly the most popular whiting bait used by fishers, these worms are quite thick and tough and once placed on the hook should be squeezed slightly to soften them a bit. Line size should be 6lb or no more than 8lb, with a 6lb fluorocarbon leader used as trace material. Trace length should be no less than 1m and up to 2m is preferred on the longer rods. Both the Nerang and Coomera rivers are deep and fast flowing, so a 4 or 5 ball sinker on the longer rods and a 3 ball sinker on the shorter rods is recommended. Hook size and length depends on the bait you use. Size 4 short-shank baitkeeper hooks are preferred for worm baits and long-shank size 4 hooks for those using yabbies. The easiest way of getting into an argument with a whiting fisher is to tell them the bait you use is better than the bait they use, but here are my top six baits in order of preference. 1. Mangrove bloodworms. 2. Redcliffe rock worms. 3. Redcliffe wrigglers

ATI ON

by WAYNE ‘YOUNGY’ YOUNG

Every good whiting fisher I know is very pedantic about what they do. Bait, gear, locations, technique and boat all must be set up correctly. Good whiting gear is not expensive compared to that needed when fishing for some species.

Broadwater Region

I everyone, if you’re a keen whiting fisho like me, this is what you’ve been waiting for as the next four months are the best time of year for numbers and quality of fish.

FIS

Best time of year for whiting

Best time of year for whiting.......by Wayne ‘Youngy’ Young.................P3 Quick transition on the cards...... by Peter Herbst..........................................P7 Sandies and muddies.................by Brian Webb......................................P8 Learning new techniques..........by Sean Conlon..................................P10 Fisheries changes in QLD............. by Bill Corten............................................P12 Game Fishing................................by Barry Alty.......................................P14 Gold Coast Guide.........................by Brad Smith.....................................P16 Turbulent start to spring.............by Gavin Dobson................................P18 Good lures make a difference.. by Tye Porter.......................................P20 Bass season is here........................ by Gary ‘Squidgie’ Palmer...................P22 Puzzle page....................................................................................................P22 Superb summer species............... by Brett Hyde............................................P23 Great time of year........................by Grant Budd.....................................P24 Action on Burrum River..............by Keith Stratford...............................P25 Hervey Bay.....................................by Tri Ton..............................................P27 Fantastic Fraser Island................... by Sean ‘Skip’ Thompson.....................P28 Recipe.............................................by Melissa Frohloff...........................P29 Getting your weights right............ by Joel Johnson......................................P30 Bundaberg Region.......................by Brad Young....................................P31 Power Boat Anglers....................by Mick Clutterbuck.........................P32 Sojourn to the Swains................by Ben Collins....................................P34 AFTA Product Awards................................................................................P36 Gold Coast offshore action........by Heath Zygnerski...........................P37 Boating & Marine..................................................................................P38-41 Insights into boat insurance.....by Nautilus Marine...........................P41 Charter Directory.................................................................................. P42,43 Readers Forum..............................................................................................P44 Women That Fish.........................by Helen Abdy....................................P45 Wild barra......................................by Gary Churchward.........................P46 Capricorn Coast............................by John Boon......................................P47 Stanage Bay..................................by Pee Wee.........................................P48 Fishing in the tropics..................by Jason Kidd.....................................P49 Hinchinbrook News....................by Team Crackajack.........................P50 Setting sails on the Cape...........by Ryan Jamieson.............................P51 Saltwater fly sailfish...................by Dave Donald..................................P52 Gearing up for Cape York..........by Matt Potter.....................................P53 Caravanning adventure..............by Todd Eveleigh...............................P54 Isuzu MU-X Review.....................by Ben Collins....................................P56 Camping..........................................................................................................P57 Monduran barra...........................by Jamie Bein.....................................P58 Glenlyon Dam................................by Brian Dare......................................P60 Freshwater Impoundments.......by Matthew Langford.......................P61 Australian Outdoors....................by Neil Schultz...................................P62 Trading Post..................................................................................................P63 Subscription form.......................................................................................P64

PRO TE CT

Catching big whiting always brings a smile to your face.

P58

HIN G T R A D E

ESS than a month since the Queensland Government announced some pretty significant changes to Queensland’s fishing regulations, the dust still hasn’t settled.

I’m still trying to get my head around parts of it and though I’m not a fan of all facets of the new legislation, I can see what the government is trying to do. I’ve always been a firm believer that resources need to be managed so the fishery remains sustainable into the future, so I have to bite my tongue a little when critiquing the changes. That said, I’m a little confused as to why there is now a boat limit for snapper and prawns. I feel the snapper limit will have a direct negative impact on the marine industry that provides many jobs and puts plenty of money back into the economy. Unfortunately, I don’t get offshore that often and don’t think I’m alone here. When I do it is usually with a few mates. I’m not out there to catch fish to sell, I’m after a feed for my family and to enjoy a great day on the water. Hence, I’m not sure why there needs to be a boat limit when we already have a possession limit. With this new legislation, my possession limit has effectively been halved. I can live with the increase in minimum size limit for pearl perch, the removal of extended charter catch limits, and I’m warming to the closure period, but I’m against the boat limit, especially for snapper. I realise there are nine other species on the list that have been earmarked as black market species, but why directly impact the recreational anglers who are doing the right thing? If you want to stop the black market ring, increase fines, take away boats and impose jail sentences for repeat offenders. Maybe even start offering rewards for dobbing in black marketers. I’m sure this will get the phones ringing and some convictions recorded. Like most things, it is the few who spoil it for the majority, but we need to change this. As for prawns, I’m not as steadfastly against the new laws as the snapper, but again, the government should target the people doing the wrong thing. And if stocks of prawns are an issue, maybe then look at reducing the bag limit. Another thing front of mind at the moment is the impending Gold Coast Flathead Classic. BNB Fishing will be running two teams once again this year and we’ve been doing a bit of pre-fishing to hopefully give us a shot of cracking the top 10 for the second year running. However, in our admittedly fairly brief efforts through southern Moreton Bay and the Broadwater, we’ve found the flathead quite scarce. This is thanks in no small part to the pro netters who have absolutely smashed the flathead stocks so far this spawning season. No doubt the majority of these fish pulled from the waterways for good (remember the Classic is catch and release only) will be found in the Sydney fish markets fetching top dollar. It’s hugely disappointing to see this pillaging of resources continuing when a huge review of our fisheries has just been undertaken and new laws introduced. Seems like something might have been missed… In any case, I’m sure we’ll revel in the awesome Flathead Classic atmosphere whether we catch 10 fish or 100. See you there! Ben Collins

August/September prizewinner

The winner of the Zeikel tropical getaway and gear valued at $2500 will be drawn on October 1, announced on the BNB Fishing Facebook, contacted by phone/email and published in the November edition.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 3

Chuck with the best fish from a great catch of whiting.

Gun Gold Coast whiting angler Brett with a 40cmplus fish.

Best time of year for whiting * from P3

Bevan with a couple of quality late afternoon whiting from the Nerang River.

The author with his best snapper of the season.

and local canal wrigglers. 4. Cribb Island bloodworms. 5. Yabbies. 6. Sand worms. Yabbies can be quite good after heavy rain when the water is dirty and both yabbies and sand worms can be OK in the Broadwater area. I think what attracted me to whiting fishing in the first place was the ‘donothing’ technique used to catch them – it suits me perfectly. Multiple rods are used. You can use up to three rods per person in our local rivers and Broadwater. Once baited and cast out, the rods are placed on a low angle in the boat and you just watch the rod tips. The initial bite will see the soft tip of the rod wobble slightly, then a few seconds later the rod tip

will more likely wobble slightly again as the whiting crushes the bait before swallowing it. Once the bait is swallowed, the rod will bend violently and it’s at that moment you pick up the rod and wind in your fish. Picking the rod up too early will most likely result in a missed hook-up. Sounds easy and it is, but timing the picking up of the rod can be frustrating some nights if the fish are biting timidly. Locations are always a hot topic and most anglers will have their favourite spots, but it does pay to have a number of spots to try so you don’t miss out. Nothing is worse than having a slow night and then finding out a boat around the corner from you brained them and you missed out because your favourite spot didn’t fire. Here are a few locations

to start you off. In the Nerang River, the area between the powerlines and the green buoy up past Isle of Capri Bridge is always worth trying. The Council Chambers area of course, but this can get crazy busy on weekends and there are other spots in the river that fish just as well. The area between the The Southport School and the western Chevron Island Bridge can also fish well. Spend the time trying a few different spots and you never know, you may find your new favourite spot. Another big advantage of fishing the Nerang River is it fishes great even on windy nights. There are a lot of bends in the river and you can always find somewhere to fish out of the wind.

Setting up your boat properly is something that gets overlooked but can make a big difference to your catch rate. I always carry two anchors in my boat. If it’s a bit windy or a lot of boat traffic is around I will use the second anchor out the back of the boat to stop it moving too much. This will keep your bait stationary and definitely improve your catch rate. Good lighting is essential so other boats can see you and you can see inside the boat to watch rod tips, tie on hooks and bait up without grabbing a torch all the time. Fishing for whiting is the most enjoyable and relaxing form of fishing you can do. It’s good for getting young kids into catching fish and best of all, whiting taste great.

Offshore fishing has still been a little tough but there has been enough fish for a feed. A few snapper remain around, as well as tuskfish, jewfish and cod. Flesh baits have been catching better fish than pillies simply because there are lots of small fish around picking at the baits. Writing this article has been a bit sad for me because this will be my last. I’m afraid I am getting older and not spending as much time on the water as I used to. I have always tried to make my articles interesting and very accurate and this means needing to spend more time on the water than I’m able to now. All the best with your fishing and if you see me on the water, don’t hesitate to say hi.

Tribute to Wayne ‘Youngy’ Young I N what I would say is a sad goodbye, one of our longterm writers Wayne ‘Youngy’ Young is going to hang up his keyboard. Youngy has been part of the BNB Fishing team for an eternity, with his

Page 4 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

cameo appearance on the first-ever glossy cover back in September 2000 courtesy of fellow scribe Leeann Payne. A few months later, Youngy became a regular contributor to the mag, passing on a wealth of

knowledge to readers, especially those keen on catching monster whiting in the Broadwater and Gold Coast region. I can guarantee plenty of people out there have nailed a cracker whiting thanks to Youngy’s

advice, and I know that was his plan when he started writing. Youngy’s honest tips and tricks have always been forthcoming, and it will be sad to see him go. From all the team here at BNB HQ

and I’m sure countless readers, we wish Youngy all the best with his future endeavors and hope he enjoys time spent travelling and getting out for the odd fish. Tight lines and safe travels. Ben Collins

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New fishing regulations now effective

U T U R E Queensla nders will continue to get access to fresh local seafood and thousands of jobs will be protected under changes to fisheries regulations that came into effect on September 1.

Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said the changes were part of the Queensland Government’s plan to protect fish for the future. “Our state’s fisheries belong to all Queenslanders and it is our job to protect fish for the future,” Mr Furner said. “Some of our fish stocks like scallops, snapper and pearl perch are at risk, with stock levels under the nationally recommended 20 percent biomass level. “If we do nothing now, we will have to take more drastic steps like they are proposing in South Australia with the closure of the snapper

season for three years. “Quite simply, if there are no fish, there is no fishing industry here in Queensland. “Introducing catch limits for at-risk species and continuing to crack down on illegal fishing will help us rebuild numbers.” Changes for commercial fishers include: • Establishing new total allowable commercial catch limits of 42 tonnes for snapper and 15 tonnes for pearl perch. There is currently no catch limit on these species. • Expanding vessel tracking for remaining commercial fishing boats from January 1, 2020. • Small area closures to protect juvenile prawns in southeast Queensland to improve profitability for trawl operators. Fisheries Queensland will soon send affected commercial fishing licence holders detailed information about the

new commercial catch limits and reporting requirements. Mr Furner said almost one million Queenslanders went recreational fishing in the state last year. “To ensure recreational fishers can continue to catch fish, we need to have sensible limits to protect fish for the future,” he said. Changes for recreational fishers include: • Introducing new annual seasonal closures for snapper and pearl perch from July 15 to August 15. • New boat limits, which hold the operator of the boat responsible for ensuring no more than two times the possession limit for nine priority black market species – mud crabs, prawns, snapper, black jewfish, barramundi, spanish mackerel, sharks, tropical rock lobster and sea cucumber – is on board at any time. For example, the person-

al in-possession limit of mud crabs will be seven and the boat limit will be 14. The boat limit does not apply to charter boats. • General possession limit of 20 fish, excluding bait. • Reducing the mud crab limit from 10 to seven. Queensland Seafood Marketers Association president Marshall Betzel said the changes were just part of the overall strategic reforms industry has been waiting for. “The QSMA is hopeful these regulation changes will play an important part in providing not just a sustainable supply of seafood products to the consumer but also create a long-term vision for growth in the Queensland seafood industry,” Mr Betzel said. “We hope these reforms will help provide long-term jobs growth in the industry as well as provide a better degree

of certainty of supply for future generations of seafood consumers.” Minister Furner said introducing the changes now meant we would continue to have Queensland fish on the table, protect thousands of jobs in both the commercial and recreational sectors and protect our marine ecosystem and the Great Barrier Reef. “The Queensland Government has comprehensively consulted over the past two years on these reforms,” Mr Furner said. “There have been a lot of myths about these changes and what they mean for fishing in Queensland. “I encourage anyone who loves to fish to find out for themselves how the government is protecting fish stocks for our children and grandchildren by visiting our website, fisheries.qld. gov.au”

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How much meat is in that mud crab? Boating & Jetskis

U EENSLA N D scientists are working with the seafood industry on world-first research that will help reveal the meat fullness of live mud crabs.

Department of Agriculture and Fisheries principal scientist Dr Brett Wedding said Queensland researchers were the first in the world to apply near-infrared spectroscopy technology to determine the meat content of live mud crabs. “Initial studies by DAF and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation on mud crabs demonstrated the technique was very effective and could help tackle the problem of predicting the meat fullness of mud

crabs,” Dr Wedding said. “The technology will allow the industry to guarantee premium-quality mud crabs based on meat fullness, increasing profitability and returns along the entire supply chain by ensuring consumer satisfaction and increasing repeat sales. “The current research is initially focused on mud crabs in NSW, which operates on a quota system where every crab taken from a trap and landed is counted towards the quota. “If the crab dies because it is empty and more susceptible to stress, that crab is still counted in the quota but provides no income. “The NIRS technology is already routinely ap-

plied to other products, such as determining the protein content in wheat, the sugar content in fruit and the oil content of avocados.” If applied successfully to mud crabs, it will be a fast and reliable way of measuring mud crab meat fullness, enabling consistent selection and supply of crabs with high meat content. “This would ensure consumer satisfaction through purchasing quality mud crabs with high meat content, minimise

negative experiences, restore confidence in the marketplace and increase the likelihood of return purchases,” Dr Wedding said. “The development of this technology by DAF with co-funding from the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation will ultimately benefit the $22 million Queensland crab fishery through enabling our commercial crabbers to offer better quality crabs to consumers. “This will have the

double benefit of better consumer experiences and increased value of the catch to commercial crabbers.” The $900,000 ‘Developing a non-invasive method to assess mud crab meat fullness using portable near-infrared spectroscopy’ project is supported by the FRDC on behalf of the Australian Government, Viavi Solutions Inc and the Queensland Government. It is due for completion in 2022.

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Over 60cm of shallow-water snapper taken by the author on fly.

Quick transition on the cards

ELL if you blinked you would have missed winter this year, especially the latter part.

The transition from species we target in the cooler months to the ones we chase in the warmer months might have to be a quick change this year. Higher water temperatures during winter and a run of hot weather will push water temps high early this year. The severe lack of rain will multiply this water temperature issue and potentially cause issues this summer. The fishing may suffer. Moreton Bay Fishing has been quite good for a few different species in the bay lately. We have had a pretty good run of weather and spring can be a great time to fish the bay. Again, lack of rain hasn’t helped, because a flush of water would certainly improve fishing for pretty much all species in the bay. Snapper For me, the snapper seemed to have moved from the shallows to the deeper structure of the bay. The next three months can be a good time to target the deeper structures of the bay for snapper, especially big snapper. Water depths over 8m with some level of fish-holding structure close by will be worth a look. If fishing larger physical structures like wrecks, try targeting the up-current side. The bigger the structure, the further up-current the fish can be.

Luring Moreton Bay by PETER HERBST

When drifting towards targeted structure or located fish, casting ahead of the boat can be successful. Subtle lure presentations can be very effective, so light lines and jig head weights can get the most bites from these sometimes-wary fish. Line sizes from 12-30lb, jig head weights from 3/8-1/2oz and soft plastics measuring 3”5” are common choices.

Big bay snapper are a prize catch and great fighters on light gear. It’s well worth putting an effort in to target them over the next few months. Jewfish Just like big snapper, the coming months can be the best time to chase jewfish in the bay. They too will have a prefer* continued P8

The Live Target Fleeing Shrimp has worked very well on jewfish of late.

A few golden trevally were about this winter but were not very consistent.

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A late-afternoon high-80cm bay jewie on the Live Target Shrimp.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 7

Sandies and muddies breakdown

E all hear tales about the best time for this and that in regard to fishing.

Damien Hingst with a 95cm jewfish that took his Live Target Shrimp.

Quick transition on the cards * from P7

ence for hanging on the deeper structures and drop-offs. Unlike the snapper though, they generally don’t require the same subtlety as snapper. Big schools of jew are what we would all like to find but sometimes it is not possible and this year that may be the case with the lack of rain and the fish being spread far and wide. My tactic is to try to locate a school, but if I can’t, I will slowly fish areas likely to hold them. Most of the time you can use heavier lines and faster-sinking lures to target jew than can be used for targeting snapper. Getting a lure in the strike zone is paramount and jewfish can move around quickly, so a heavier/fastersinking lure will do this more efficiently than a lighter/slowersinking lure. In a scenario of a large school of fish in a high-current area, I

will cycle through the following lures/techniques. First, I will drop a jig through the school. This is my fastest lure to get to the fish and has the most aggressive action to get a good bite. My second lure type to try would be a soft vibe, which sinks pretty quickly and has a fair amount of action due to its vibration and fast sink rate. If those two fail, I try the most subtle option of a soft plastic. First, a heavierweighted paddle tail, then a lighter-weighted lure with less action. Most of the time, one of those three lure types will get a response from a school of jew. The accuracy of the lure being presented into the school is very important because jew will not deviate from their normal movements in the current to chase down a lure – the lure needs to come to them!

Drifting the lure to them can be important as well. A lure hopped with a stationary boat will be very different to one that is hopped from a moving boat. Flathead The shallows of the bay will be worth a look for flathead this month. There was a fair amount of netting on the flats during the end of winter, which has made the fishing a bit tough of late. Sometimes it doesn’t take too long for new fish to make their way up on the flats and good fishing can be had again. Lightly weighted plastics are by far the most popular lure for targeting flatties, but shallow-running hardbodies and even surface lures can see success. Finding the right depth of water for the tide you are fishing with current, structure and bait all present is a definite plus.

Well the same thing applies to crabs. As far back as I can remember, the best times are those months with the letter R, and for muddies, often after some heavy rain. We are now entering the best times to start crabbing for both species. This covers the warmer months of the year, and while this pretty well holds true, I believe it varies a bit depending on locations and weather conditions. If you narrow it down to two main categories, you have sand crabs around the estuaries and sand crabs in the more open waters, muddies you have deeper into the estuary and the mud flat areas. I find the estuary sand crabs are earlier in the season and consist of a mixed bag of male and female both small and large, this is within areas such as Hayes Inlet, Pine River, Redcliffe Peninsula and Pumicestone Passage. The open water crabbing is later in the season and covers deeper water around Mud, Measured Mile, the Pearl Channel banks and Cockle banks. What I have found is about 80 percent of your catch in deeper water are males. The best sand crabbing is early morning and pots should be out on sun up. When dropping pots in channels or faster waters I often tie a brick in the pot to hold it in position, I also number my floats and drop them out in a sequence because, when wind and choppy water combine its difficult to spot the floats in the chop,

Moreton Bay by BRIAN WEBB

this is where numbering doesn’t allow you to miss a pot. Also allow an extra 3-5m of rope on your pot to allow for the drag when strong current is in play, and make sure your pots and floats are marked. There is now a limit of 20 sandies from previously no limit (11.5cm carpace to carpace). Ensure the float is 15cm and a light colour and the tag on the pot must have name and address of person using the pot. When it comes to bait for sandies, there are two options, fresh whole mullet with an open stomach and tied to the bottom of the pot, or fresh fish frames in gutter guard bags. When leaving pots in for longer periods of time, use the gutter guard bags, no bait in the pots means no crabs will come. The gutter guard bags come in handy early in the season when I fill them full of fresh frames and freeze them, taking only what I need on each trip and you can make them yourself. On the first drop I like to run the pots in a diagonal or across the tidal flow as the scent of your bait will cover more territory, I know this is not possible when crabbing a channel as you don’t want to run them across where they are at risk of being snagged by passing boats, if some or one pot is not producing, I move it closer to those that are. I prefer to stay in sight of my pots both sand and mud crab. There are too many people willing to check

them for you. With sandies, I like to check them around 45min intervals, to rebait and check for catches. For muddies I like a full tidal change. You go to a lot of effort to catch these crabs, so make the extra effort in keeping them in good condition. I fill the Esky with ice and seawater, which puts the crabs to sleep, as sandies don’t live long out of water, remember to bring home some fresh seawater to cook them in. I clean the crabs before I cook them, this mean you cook the meat in nice clean water. Once the water has come to a boil, drop the crabs in and let them boil for 30 minutes, take them out and place on a tray of ice. There are many ways to cook your crabs, so next time go online and check out the many ways to cook them. Both females in sand and mud carry their eggs under the flap on her abdomen and can carry up to two million eggs. These crabs are called ‘berried’ and will head offshore to lay their eggs. The eggs will change from orange to black and will incubate for around 18 days. The female will shake away the eggs, which hatch into what are called zoea, these float in the tides for four to six weeks

and can be swept up to 80km away. Most fall prey to other marine creatures, the others float to shallow areas where they grow and moult numerous times before becoming the size of a 20c piece and taking on the shape of a crab. Each time they moult their size increases by 20 percent and weight by 80 percent, but the winter months slow their growth rate. You can tell if a crab is full by pushing on the flap. If it’s soft the crab is not full and will be full of water and not meat. This is usually caused by it moulting and once the soft shell hardens it will take a while for the flap to become hard, meaning the crab is full. The following details are the best method that I have used for catching mud crabs, some may have different ways of placing their pots, but Queensland has pretty strict guidelines in what apparatus can be used and the name tags on both pots and floats. In some states, females are allowed, in Queensland they are not and fisheries are strict on the sizes in both mud and sand crabs and making sure your pots are marked correctly, so don’t get caught with under size crabs or females. Go to the fisheries website and get all the correct rules. When it comes to best moon or tide phases for crabbing, from my expe* continued P9

A good sand crab.

Page 8 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

Females (top) and male (bottom) mud crabs.

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Sandies and muddies breakdown * from P8

rience it has more to do with bait and times of the year. Yes, during the slower tides’, crabs will move around further due to less current to contend with, I also like dark night as crabs don’t like bright nights. Catching crabs in Moreton bay you have a diverse area to choose from. Starting in Pumicestone Passage and its many creeks and drains that flow into it, further south the Caboolture River down to Nudgee Creek. I’ve seen crabs come from the upper part of

Nudgee Creek near the motorway, the Brisbane river and south towards Tingalpa Creek, Lota, Eprapah and further south passed Macleay Island to the many channels/drains and mangrove line banks down to the Pin. If crabbing the drains, I go up on high tide and return on high tide to check the pots and remove if no crabs. Placing your pots, it’s important to think how you position your pots, when placing your pot at the mouth of a soak or drain, have the funnel facing these areas, this allows ease of access for

Different crab measures.

A typical crab area and home.

crabs to enter your pots. I saw some studies done on positioning pot entrance towards the mouth of tidal flows, crabs were more likely to enter pots facing into the tidal flow. There are many theories out there around which baits are best. In my experience it’s best to use oily fish like mackerel or tuna as they give out more scent as opposed to cleaner reef fish frames. Some crabbers like to throw in a few pillies to make the bait even oiler. Mud crab are scavengers, they do prefer fresh bait to old rotten bait so make sure you are changing your baits every six hours. No matter what bait you use, it is vital that you have decent bait boxes in your pots. The bait is what attracts the crab into the pot and if you have ineffective bait boxes, your bait will disappear from small fish picking at it or smaller crabs tearing it apart. Most of the time you go crabbing, you’ll often catch an estuary cod or a bream in your pot, so make sure the gutter guard bait box is strong. One of the biggest threats to loosing pots is the big tidal flows and if you have not allowed enough rope to cater for the tidal flow, your pot can often be swept downstream and when you come along you cannot find it. Floats often get swept up into the mangroves where they are hard to retrieve, that’s why a pole with a large hook on the end comes in handy for grabbing the float, also make sure your pots/floats are marked. The new regs have dropped the mud crab catch from 10 to seven and 14 per boat. Even if there are three or more on board. Another way is to tie your rope to a sturdy mangrove branch that is over hanging the water, this rope must have a tags attached to it. Some even use GPS marks to note where their pot is, but this method

is flawed by tidal current moving your pot some distance away from the area you originally place it, so you have to weight them down. The biggest problem we all have is with others checking your pots or even taking your pots away with them, which is the reason I don’t stray too far from where my pots are. Whilst tide variations are important so is the weather. Crabs often run during big influences of fresh water, the extra water seem to flush them out of their holes and trigger them to feed. The next thing is where to place your pots, crabs love mud and especially banks that are covered in mangrove roots, where it is easier to dig holes, so you need your pots near mud and not sand. Placing pots next to soaks or drains is also a good place to start placing your pots. Soaks and drains are most commonly found away from the mouths of creeks and are best located at the tops of systems often in smaller creeks, these off shoots are less likely to be affected by strong tidal flow. I usually empty the contents of the pot into a esky, rebait and put the pot out, then I go through the catch and discard the under size and females over board along with any fish that have been caught. I place the crabs in icy water to quieten them down.

Just a tip if you ever get bit by their claw, the quickest way to get them to release is hit them on the top of the claw with something hard and they release immediately. Take home some clean fresh seawater to cook your crabs in and again I place them in ice to put them to sleep. Remember the size for muddies is 15cm carapace to carapace and a limit of seven and four pots per person on board. So, get some pots making sure they are made of heavy messing, go out and give it a go for both sandies and muddies and make sure your pots are marked properly before dropping them overboard.

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John with a nice 71cm lizard caught casting soft plastics early in the morning.

Learning new techniques to suit current conditions

haven’t been out a lot this month.

The weather hasn’t really lined up with the work I had booked in and there’s been a fair bit of snot weed around the bay islands, which made it a little bit more difficult. So this month I’ve only had one charter I’ve done around the bay islands and it was with young Aussie and his dad. The fish were not flying into the boat, but we were lucky enough to get Aussie some squire and his first ever flathead at 58cm. Aussie was lucky enough to catch this fish trolling a bulldog crank in the shallows on low tide. Otherwise, I’ve stayed right away from the bay

Tick all the boxes and catch more fish! FISHING TUITION

Young Aussie with a nice early morning squire.

Kurt did one of the author’s off-water courses and then went out a couple of days later in his own boat and piced up this 80cm flathead using the techniques learnt in the classroom. Well done mate.

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Southern Moreton Bay by SEAN CONLON

islands and fished down towards the Jumpinpin area. This is simply to stay out of the snot weed. I must admit in some of the areas I’ve been fishing, it’s the worst I’ve seen for a long time. Some areas are fine and if you can pick your way through the weed and find those areas where it isn’t you will probably do alright up around the bay islands. I had a couple of my regulars, Roman and Mal come and do a day out down the JumpinpinBroadwater area and we had a nice little session for four to five hours, catching 15 flathead. The fish ranged in size from 39cm up to 55cm. No big ones but all good fun. I have been fishing a little bit different than I normally fish. I’ve been trolling hardbodies and finding a fish and then stopping and casting lightly weighed soft plastics into the one area. We’ve been using plastic such as Zerek Flat Shads, Flash Wrigglys and Zerek Hot Legs. I must admit those bright colours have been working better down there in the clean water. Persistence has been the key, it’s amazing you can put a lot of casts in the one area for no result and

then all of a sudden you catch three or four fish in a row. So maybe if you are fishing down that way and just when you think it’s time to move, maybe pop one or two more casting and just see what happens. Also mixing the lures up has also attributed to getting that extra bite but we’ve been fishing rather light with 3.5g jig heads. Just on the note of fishing a little bit differently at this time of year. We are heading into the Flathead Classic and as you all know, I like to catch these fish.

I’ve caught a fair few but there’s a lot of good fishers around at the moment doing a few talks and seminars sharing a lot of their experiences. Whether it be through Facebook and live streamed or the guys giving up their free time to do seminars at the local tackle shop or sports fishing club. I would advise you if you have the time to go and support these fellas and listen to what they have to say. Between everyone there is a wealth of knowledge with all different techniques aspects and ideas on catching these fish and as far as I’m concerned you can never stop learning about fishing. So with me fishing a

little bit differently this month it’s because I’ve been talking to a few of the guys and watching these Facebook live feeds and reading a few things and I’ve taken that on board and modified my normal fishing style to suit this year’s conditions and the way the fish are behaving. So without saying any names thanks for the information big fella it’s amazing what you can pick up through listening to people who are having success when others are finding a little bit tough and then taking that information and putting it into the practice. Justin and his wife were out doing a little tuition session down the Gold * continued P11

Roman with a nice flathead caught casting a lightly weighted Zerek Flat Shad.

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Learning new techniques to suit current conditions * from P10

Coast with me this month to learn how to catch a feed of flatties and it was the same, we didn’t break any records but we caught a couple fish with techniques they’re not used to. Such as casting soft plastics around the mangrove lines at high tide and also trolling some hardbodies. Unfortunately, Justin found out when you take your wife fishing there’s a pretty good shot she’s gonna catch all the fish, but anyway guys I hope you enjoyed your day.

I know they learnt a bit because they sent me a nice email saying that they headed down that way and started catching themselves a nice little feed of flatties when they head out on the water so that’s the type of feedback I like to hear from my customers. I also had a great little charter with one of my regulars, John. He’s been doing my tuition sessions and coming and doing a few practical sessions with me as well. He also takes his own boat out and is getting a

Tane has also been pre-fishing with the author for the classic and picking up a few nice flatties.

handle on it and catching a few more fish and getting more confidence on the water. We didn’t work too hard. He was lucky enough to catch a nice 71cm fish early in the morning casting soft plastics on a 7g jig head. We also trolled up a few in the 50s and then he got a nice 62cm flathead casting lightly weighted Flash Wrigglys on 3.5g jig heads. Not a bad little session for four to five hours fishing.

Otherwise, I’ve just been doing a bit of pre-fishing for the Flathead Classic, checking out a few different areas and as I said previously in the article, I’ve changed my fishing style a little bit using my trolling to locate fish and then staying in that one area casting lightly weighted soft plastics and that technique seems to be working quite well. The other little things I’ve been concentrating on is making sure I am fishing my areas at the right parts of the tide and using the tidal differ-

Ben also caught himself a few nice fish casting hardbodies into drains at low tide.

ences between the to my advantage. This technique involves using the tidal difference between different areas to stay on my low tide and high tide longer and spend less time chasing fish in the middle of the tide where I always find it just that little bit harder with the techniques I use on these fish. We’ve also done a few off the water tuitioncourses this month to keep me busy. This is where the boys and girls come and do the classroom course where we go through all the important information to make a plan before we go fishing. Then they can go out in their own boat and put it all into practice and catch a few nice fish. As we all know with our jobs and our lives, we are time poor, so if you can learn more so that you can optimise your time on the water, then why not. Remember, knowledge is the key. Until next month, stay safe on the water and if you’re interested in any of our off or on the water tuition classes or you just want to do a charter, don’t be afraid to give me a call on 0432 386 307 or send me an email at seanconlonsfishing@hotmail.com. Check out the Facebook page ‘Sean Conlons Charters and Tuition’.

Aussie and his dad having a great time catching Aussie’s first-ever flathead.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 11

Greg Appleby caught a Cathedrals amberjack.

Darren Nichols nailed this pearlie shortly before heading for home.

Fisheries changes in Queensland T HE most topical issue recently has been the major fisheries changes in Queensland.

George Baumber and Russell Burnett with pearl perch and bar cod from Wide Caloundra.

Birthday boy Dylan Nichols with his first keeper of the day.

Fisheries Queensland had done some excellent background work and came into the process wanting to make sweeping changes across the board for key fish species that have been overfished, and the changes were long overdue. I applaud them for sticking to their guns and taking a hard-line approach to withstand the lobbying, bullying, dummy spitting and in certain cases outright lying from some opponents to change, and put new requirements in place that apply to all sectors. That last comment in particular about ‘all sectors’ is where the real sting applies. Of particular interest to southeast Queensland fishers are the new rules for snapper and pearl perch. The changes will require us all to make some adjustments and are part of what is required if the stocks of these important species are to be rebuilt. Interestingly enough, there seems to be pretty strong support from the community for what has been introduced. The boat limit for the nine priority black market species (including snapper) is strongly supported and I expected red emperor would have been included in that list. Four guys who go out fishing for two or three days can take home 20 reds and seriously, what

Three generations of Nichols with Barry’s best pearl perch of the day. Darren, Barry and Dylan.

Page 12 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

Ray Goh was all smiles with this amberjack from the Moreton 37s.

Offshore

by BILL CORTEN

do you think these guys who skite about all their big reds do with those big fish? Of all the proposed changes, the elephant in the room was always going to be the one-month seasonal closure for snapper and pearl perch. Didn’t it get some attention in all forms of media and social media and weren’t there some dinosaur attitudes put on public display. Probably the worst were a minority of charter operators who were doing their best to put out there a perception of doom and gloom and that a closure would be the end of their business. Admittedly the closure is at a time of year when they get the best weather, but hello, it is also when the fish are most vulnerable and if something positive is not done to rebuild stocks when they are at their most vulnerable, then these guys won’t even have a business sometime in the future. There were plenty of flawed arguments and crocodile tears, but the public did not buy it and neither did Fisheries and the rest is now history. Yes, there has been a good run of snapper and so there should be at the peak of the spawning season. There were two new moons in August and around the time of the first, everyone was smashing the snapper when they were very vulnerable. The charter fellows were out most days, the guys with the commercial licences were smashing the fish at every opportunity and loads of recreational fishers were catching bag limits of snapper along the Gold Coast, Moreton Island and Sunshine Coast. By the time of the second new moon, those big catches had really tapered off. The closure period as far as snapper goes is pretty spot on and the people who made the most noise in opposing a closure should be thankful it

wasn’t for a longer period. They went through this process in Western Australia several years ago with their snapper and other overfished species and it has taken a long time to identify visible signs of recovery. There is no magic pudding and it will still take many years to see improvements from the measures that have been introduced here, but no pain will not show any future gain with our fish stocks and as I said earlier, applause to Fisheries for introducing the changes across all sectors. For the minority of pessimistic charter operators who feel affected by all this, it isn’t all doom and gloom because we have a year-round fishery and there are business opportunities out there. Away from the politics, there have been some enjoyable offshore trips over the past month. The most memorable for me was a run in the Cruise Craft Explorer 720, a flagship hardtop vessel that had been tricked out with bells and whistles for the Brisbane Boat Show. Despite removing the barbecue for that trip, the boat still sizzled on a cloudy day with light to moderate southwesterly wind blowing.

It was a nice feeling tucking away under the protection of the hardtop with enhanced visibility from the full-height screens and the 300hp Yamaha just purred along effortlessly all day. The latest Garmin gear was amazing and after a little tweaking, it was great getting the crew’s heads around the intuitive aspects of the latest in sounder, GPS and radar technology. It was pretty special to have three generations of the Nichols family on board too. Barry Nichols, the son of Roy Nichols the original Cruise Craft founder, Barry’s son Darren Nichols, current co-owner of Cruise Craft and Wynnum Marine and Dylan Nichols, Darren’s son who happened to turn 16 on the day. Many of you will know Barry’s health hasn’t been the best in recent years but it hasn’t dampened his enthusiasm for a family fishing day offshore. Baz had the trademark sense of humour working overtime and in typical fashion, caught our best pearl perch of the day, just pipping Darren. He kept number-one deckie Leah (Darren’s wife) and I on our toes. It isn’t every day you get an opportunity to enjoy such iconic company and it was one that will stick in all their memory banks for a long time. Speaking of pearlies,

plenty have been on the chew, with most of ours coming from the 60-80m depth range. I ran over a new rock the other day that had a good show of fish and we got five nice pearlies, a large parrot and an amberjack off it in just a few drifts. That is until one of a group of three whales decided to do circles around us while we were fishing, tangled three of our lines and took off at a great rate of knots. In hindsight it was funny to even think you could stop a whale with three drags pushed to sunset – it just doesn’t work. In among the fish over those new moon periods have been large amberjack. While fishing for pearlies and snapper it has been worthwhile keeping a livie down deep and it seems there is a broad spread of amberjack on several reefs at the moment. Given that snapper numbers are really tapering off, many people turn their attention to amberjack and kingies as the weather warms. Anything over 8kg will make you work hard and the return in fillets is excellent. The head and frames are perfect for soup and a sliver or three of fresh raw flesh off the bone is a great taste. Until next month, tight lines.

Eng Gee Goh scored a very solid pearl perch from the Moreton 37s.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 13

A guide to game fishing tournaments

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I don’t know how many times I have read articles in fishing magazines that go like this: “In preparation for the tournament have all your reels serviced and respooled with fresh line. Oil all the roller guides on your rods. Re-rig all lures and sharpen your hooks. Assemble you crew for a pre-tournament briefing so that everyone knows what their role is and you can work together like a well-oiled team.” What a load of trite hogswash. On Mistress our gear is always ready to go and in top condition every time we go fishing. We habitually re-rig lures the moment the leaders become scarred or damaged. We sharpen hooks when they need to be sharpened. We replace top shots when we deem it necessary. We service reels and roller guides once a year or when necessary because of a defect. Everyone on the boat knows what their role is; skipper, leaderman, tagman and angler. We can all fulfil any of the individual roles and we don’t even need to talk when we are on a fish because everyone knows what they are doing. That’s as it should be. It’s called professionalism and even amateur crews should aspire to this. Why wait for a tournament to fix things. It implies you are fishing with deficient equipment prior to the tournament. Such articles are ridiculous and an insult to good experienced anglers. However if you do think that some aspect of your gear is not up to scratch fix it. Importantly if people bring gear onto your boat check double and leader lengths. They may be incompatible with you gear and result in a DQ for being overlength. Overlength leaders, dou-

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Page 14 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

Game Fishing by BARRY ALTY

bles, or the combination of the two are the most common reasons for tag disqualifications in tournaments. I am absolutely astounded at how frequently this happens. Tournaments are a lot of fun. Usually there are a lot more boats than normal on the water. There are regular radio skeds reporting results, which are interesting and informative. In most tournaments the boats will be accommodated nearby in the host marina with lots of fellowship between anglers and crews at briefings, presentations, and onboard boats. Often the level of social interaction or fellowship is such that many participants are ‘sick at sea’ the next day. Not seasick, which is a different thing. Australian tournaments The Gamefishing Association of Australia is the national body administering the sport. Underneath it are the various State bodies, for example in Queensland it is the QGFA. At the bottom are the multitude of clubs, which are affiliated with GFAA through their State Associations. Virtually all tournaments in Australia are run by clubs and ‘sanctioned’ by the State and National Associations. The GFAA generally does not allow clubs to offer more than $10,000 in cash prizes. There was an insured prize of $250,000 in a tournament at Port Stephens but it was won this year with a fish over the required weight and I would suspect that that will be the end of it. Maybe it will come back with a lower figure. Let’s hope so. Back in the ‘90s, there were two wonderful tournaments sponsored by Toyota, the Lexus in Cairns in which the heaviest black over 1000lb won a Lexus, which never went off, and the Toyota Celica run from Sanctuary Cove with the major prize a Toyota Celica for the heaviest over 250kg. Unfortunately, things went badly. In the last year of the tournament, a 56’ slow boat circa 17/18knts caught a qualifying fish but left it a little late to head in and meet the deadline of 6pm. They charged up the Coomera River at full noise and arrived at the weigh in at 6.05pm and the fish was disqualified. Residents along the river inundated everyone with complaints and the boat owner, a motor vehicle dealer, also abused everyone. This resulted in Toyota withdrawing from spon-

sorship of game fishing which was a great pity. Thus in Australian tournaments prizes are generally goods donated by suppliers to the fishing community. So guess what? Rods, reels, electronic equipment and sometimes vouchers which you can use towards the purchase of electronic equipment. While we cannot be critical of these sponsors for their support of the sportfishing sector and of tournaments, it does mean that if you are lucky enough to win something it is likely to be something you already have. Thus it is wise to be looking at Gumtree, eBay, and the fishing sites on which gear is sold in the week or two following tournaments. If you need anything, you can usually pick up rods and reels for between half and at most two thirds of normal retail prices. It is very unlikely that you will win enough in prizes to outweigh your expenses in entering a tournament. Principally tournament entry fees are around $250 per angler and fuel. Maybe a small boat which doesn’t have a big fuel bill can do it but we on Mistress a 50 custom certainly can’t. We have over the years won a plethora of tournaments, many on multiple occasions but we have never won enough in prizes to offset our fishing costs, which for the two days of a tournament will equate to $2000 in fuel plus entry fees and wages. All tournaments in Australia also have a Calcutta. This is essentially an auction in which boats are bid for and sold to the highest bidder. Crews do not have to buy their own boat but usually do so. The organising club usually takes 10 percent of the pot and the remainder is spread 60 percent, 30 percent and 10 percent for first, second and third respectively. Because it is in effect a

handicap system with the most fancied boats fetching the highest prices it is quite fair because it tends to level the odds over the field to appropriate ratios. The only negative is that if you are the most fancied boat the odds shorten considerably. For example in the most recent Hervey Bay Tournament Mistress was bought by the Charter Party for $1550. The next highest priced boat was circa $600. Mistress had two firsts and a second on countback from first in the previous three years so argueably deserved to be favourite. Mistress didn’t place, but the captain and crew bought the winning boat for $550 and got $4000 in return. The return on an investment of $1550 would not have been great and the odds weren’t exactly favourable in a fleet of over 40 competing boats. Overseas tournaments Most tournaments around the world are run by professional promoters who ‘own’ the tournament, make income from it and can even sell the rights to it for a considerable multiple of their earnings from the one or more tournaments they promote. These are inevitably big money tournaments. Perhaps the only exception is the Gulf of Mexico where clubs based in the South of America organ-

ise a lot of the tournaments, but they also involve big money. These tournaments are big boys toys stuff. Some of them draw over 300 boats with prizes in the millions to several million dollars range; for example, the Bisbees. I have fished two such tournaments; the Lure Makers Challenge out of Kona Hawaii in 2016, and the Bahamas Billfish Championship, a five-leg series held from various islands around the Bahamas. I have also been lucky enough to be chartering in Bermuda after the last day of the Triple Crown and been invited by the organisers to attend the Presentation Function as a guest. I am going to use the Bahamas Billfish Challenge as being typical of these big money tournaments and tournament Series. I fished the BBC in 2002, more as a deck director than angler. The series is run by a private promoter Al Behrens. In the years I attended the competing fleet totalled 68 boats and included all three factory Boats; Bertram, Hatteras and Viking. I was fishing on one of the smallest boats in the fleet the 58’ custom titan Hey Jude. It was also one of the slowest, maxing out at 30 knots. * continued P15

Just what you want to see in a tournament.

On Mistress the gear is always ready to go and in top condition.

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A guide to game fishing tournaments * from P14

Even back then if you couldn’t max at 40 you were slow. Entry fees were circa US$5000 per angler. Fuel was very expensive because Bahamians don’t like paying tax and imports are thus heavily taxed. Marina Berths were around US$200 per day. Even beer was expensive at US$4.00 per can, but thankfully Rum was cheap at US$10 per bottle. Now there is a so-called Calcutta, but it is really what I consider a ‘Skippers Pool’. There were Categories of; • Heaviest Fish per day; • Most Releases per day; • Heaviest Fish of the tournament; and • Most releases for the tournament. To go all up i.e. enter all the categories was US$11,000. So your overall expenses for each leg were in excess of US$20,000. The money was not collected by the tournament organiser but by the so called “Bagman” who collected 10 percent of the pot for his efforts. Not a bad little earner in my view. Anyway the total pot was around US$750,000 per leg of the series. In the US and elsewhere there is no need to tag a fish for it to qualify. This requirement is

unique to Australia. All required is that the swivel be at the rod tip, or that the deckhand touches the leader and there is a photo or video to confirm this and verify the species. In the Bahamas, winners do not pay any local tax on their winnings, but in the US, the tax-man’s tent is right next to the bagman’s tent so there is no escape. You collect your money and pay your tax. Most of the money is on the ‘heaviest fish daily’, and the ‘heaviest fish weekly’. There is a reason for this. As Al Behrens, the organiser of the BBC explained. “There are about 30 really professional boats here. Everyone knows that one of them will release the most marlin over the four days. However any rank amateur crew has as good a chance as any to get the heaviest fish so that’s what draws the extra 38 entrants. They sweeten the pot and if we didn’t have big money on heaviest fish we would only have the 30 pro boats entering” Valid point. Naturally given the huge amounts of money involved and the egos of the very rich men who own these really big boy’s toys, there are protests. Often there is the re-

quirement to pass a polygraph test (lie detector test). We were protested once on the species. The protest was heard by the organising committee and dismissed the same evening. There was supposedly no recourse after the protests dismissal, but next morning a lawyer from New York was on the phone to Al Behrens and suddenly our fish changed from a small blue marlin to a white marlin and cost us US$80,000 daily. Never mind we got a daily during the series, won one tournament outright and got the heaviest fish of the day and week in another so we won over US$1,000,000. Not bad for a privateer fishing a blue marlin tournament for the first time. We got fourth overall for the series in 2002, which is unheard of for a privateer competing against around 30 professionally crewed boats. Another interesting aspect is the distribution of the Calcutta winnings; the skipper gets 20 percent and the two crew members 10 percent each. You can imagine the joy on my fellow deckhand Scotty’s face when I declined to accept my 10 percent. He had just made US$200,000.

Not bad for a poor deckhand. Most of the people competing in these sorts of tournaments are not what you would call diehard anglers. Of course, they do enjoy fishing but they are really big stakes gamblers. One private boat with a professional crew also employed his angler and didn’t fish himself. Even more big boy’s toys were on show in the Bahamas. Tournaments are held on mostly small islands, which may only have a resort, a marina and an airstrip. At the conclusion of the last day of each leg on a Friday there would literally be a squadron of planes taking off and buzzing the marina at very low altitude. Obviously no air traffic control here. This fleet ranged from Grumman G5s to Cessna Citations, Lear Jets and even humble twin turbo prop King Airs. I couldn’t believe this spectacle because the Bahamas are only 60 miles from Miami and an Air Taxi was only US$250 each way. So I asked the boat owner what the hell was going on his response, “they are not going to Miami, that’s so and so up there and he’s going home to New York for the weekend.” I was speechless.

If you want to have a look at a slideshow picturing the type of boats that fish these events go to The Bermuda Triple Crown website and you will be gobsmacked. Most of these boats are run as privateers but they have very highly paid professional crews on board and they do the tournament circuit, the Bahamas, The Gulf and Bermuda. The overseas tournaments are usually very well organised, which is I guess what you would expect from professional organisers. Some aspects which impressed me were; • There was inevitably a large tent or hockerdome erected somewhere on the marina site. Sponsors like boat dealers vied for the opportunity to run ‘Happy Hour’ drinks and cocktails which got everyone off their boats and sharing the social occasion. • On the marina grounds another sponsor would have a small coffee, croissants and bagel tent open early in the morning so that you could send someone up to get your takeaway breakfast. Overseas tournaments are a lot of fun. The boats are a real eye opener for us Aussies, but boy whilst the money is great so are the entry and Calcutta fees.

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Vale Barry Alty

Legendary game fisher Barry Alty passed away on August 19. We greatly appreciated Barry’s fantastic contributions to the magazine over the past year. Our thoughts are with his family friends. From Barry’s son Brett: Usually this would start with great regret, or much sadness. This is not what Baz would want. Barry Alty left us with the drag on sunset and the rod tip touching the water. Tight lines, calm seas and clear skies. RIP Baz .

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Congrats to our September winner! Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 15

October is a fantastic month to target jewies like this one caught by Sam Pitman.

Fishing the deep holes with soft and metal vibes is a great way to catch some flatties this month.

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Exciting time for anglers as water temperatures start to rise G ’DAY everyone, in this month’s article I would like to discuss some options for October and there are plenty, as this month can be very exciting for us anglers.

The reason this month can be a lot of fun, is that it is the start of our summer period and our more common winter fish, the likes of flathead and bream, will combine with species that thrive in the warmer months. These species that spike in their feeding habits through summer are mangrove jacks, whiting and trevally and the much sort after jewies. As the water temperature starts to warm, I put great emphasis on sounding the deep holes in our rivers in search of any bait schools or fish marking up on my sounder. These deep holes are an excellent place to find some bream, flatties and are especially favoured by jewies as the slightly cooler water along the bottom of the holes suit

Gold Coast Guide by BRAD SMITH

these species. Deep water jigging or tea bagging as I call it, is best fished around the tide changes with metal and soft vibes or standard soft plastics. Early morning sessions fishing in and around areas that hold sea grass beds, particularly when there is an early morning high tide, can also be very productive. Fish move from the deep water in the cover of darkness to feed in these areas before they recede back to the deep water with the rising sun and run out tides. Flatties, bream and whiting flourish in these surrounds as they search and feed on the small prawns and baitfish trying to hide in and around the sea grass. There are a few techniques you can deploy to fish these areas successfully, like trolling small

hard bodied minnows through the channels that run between the sea grass or drifting and casting hard-bodies and plastics in the same areas. Casting surface lures like stickbaits and poppers over the sea grass is a ton of fun and is also a very productive method for catching the flatties,

bream and whiting. This is also the time of year to really focus on surface fishing the shallow flats, particularly if there are some yabbie beds as this is the place to have some fun on the whiting that like to smash surface lures. October is also the time to start focusing on our most saught after estuary species, the mighty mangrove jack. From now and right through the summer

months this fish will be targeted by anglers with a combination of lures and live baits, with the anticipation of their ferocious striking ability. Early morning, late afternoon and night sessions in very heavily structured areas around the tide changes will give you the best chance of success. Well everyone, thankyou again and I look forward to chatting again next month.

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Pearl perch will still be caught this month when the current allows.

A turbulent start to spring

OME crazy weather, hey!

The start to spring has been very turbulent to say the least. I love extremes in weather but not when it does damage to people, property and environment. Before I get into this article, I’m going to mention the bushfires don’t just threaten life on the land, they affect boaties too. We have had a week of thick smoke cloud here at Brunswick Heads. I’ve done a couple of trips offshore where at times visibility has been down to a nautical mile.

Tweed to Byron Bay by GAVIN DOBSON

This was the case even on the fifty-fathom line of reefs and it is disconcerting to hear a container ship before you can see it. Obviously collision regulations come into play in these conditions but so do the basics of navigation. GPS makes life easy but doesn’t work if you haven’t got around to saving the bar in as a waypoint. A working compass is a must but what if the time

comes and you’re not sure if you can trust it. Next trip out, compare it with your GPS or better yet calibrate it off some leads. Turn your sounder on, if the water is getting deeper you’re going the wrong way to get home. The sun sets in the west and rises in the east and you can find south from the southern cross and the list goes on. Sounds basic I know but

disorientation is a strange thing and has caused airline pilots to crash and they’ve got a dashboard full of the most amazing technology. I got lost on a vast station in western NSW once and if it wasn’t for the southern cross, I would have spent a freezing cold night in my vehicle. I told the property owner and he said he had to sleep the night in the car because he was lost on his own property in roughly the same area, unfortunately for him it was cloudy. I’ve got plenty more anecdotes but it’s time to talk about fishing. For all concerned I hope the fires stop burning soon. Out on the deep reefs there have been some good snapper, especially

on the southern side of Cape Byron. The same areas have been producing some good pearl perch. On a recent trip I wound a good fish up to the boat to find I had a knobby on the top hook and a couple of pearl perch below it. As we were admiring the catch coming to the boat in the clean water a six-foot tiger shark emerged and grabbed one of the pearlies just as I had the fish at the boat. Lewan being the quickthinking lad that he is, immediately gaffed the knobby and a tug of war ensued but lewan knew he would win and tore the knobby off the hook. This left me with a pearl perch and a tiger shark on the line, of which the tiger shark bit through and just * continued P19

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Keira has been taking some snaps of the sun shining through the smoke. Here the sun sits atop Mt Chincogan.

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Another of Keira’s sunset shots up the beautiful Brunswick Valley.

A turbulent start to spring If we don’t get any rain, and it’s not looking like it now that’s for sure, whiting will be at their best from Tumbulgum to Murwillumbah in the Tweed River from now until January. * from P18

left me the one pearl perch looking a bit worse for wear. Oh well, as Meatloaf sang, two outta three ain’t bad. You would have to expect the current will start running this month making the deeper reefs hard work or impossible. If not, it is definitely still worth going out for a bombing raid as there are some good fish out there. In a bit closer Windarra Banks, known by the locals as the Cod Grounds or the Coddies, has been home to some great snapper. In fact, I’d go as far as to say it is one of the best snapper seasons I have seen in a long time. The close reefs have been very disappointing on the snapper front once again and jew

were scarce for a long time but just recently a couple have shown up. Lewan thought he had a cobia on the local until the hooks pulled but surely he’s dreaming, I can’t even remember what they look like. On the serious side, Lewan knows his stuff so I’m sure he was right and now is a good time of the year to find them on the close reefs north of the Brunswick Bar and off snapper rocks out from the Tweed Bar. In the estuaries some good flathead are getting caught. Trevally are also on the move in the river. I reckon trevors are one of the best sportfish going in the river. Some would argue mangrove jack should take the title but as much as I love jacks, I person-

ally think trevally offer a bit more, if for no other reason than the length of the fight on light line. They respond to lures and live baits in the lower and upper reaches of our rivers as well as low and high in the water column. This winter there were heaps of juvenile trevally in the river giving fly fishers a lot of fun. Now the bigger fish have moved in and while still technically juvenile a 2kg trevor is great fun on the right tackle. Expect the odd one to be a bit bigger than this and in the Tweed River some pretty big models get upstream chasing tiger mullet schools at this time of year. Mud crabs are a bit slow as is per usual this time of year so leave the pots at home and dust off the dillies and go get a feed of sand crabs. Try around Fingal or up in the lakes. Whiting are getting around and it’s time to start moving upstream looking for them. If we don’t get any rain, and it’s not looking like it now that’s for sure, whiting will be at their best from Tumbulgum to Murwillumbah in the Tweed River from now until January. Here in the Brunz get up above Fig Tree Hole all the way to Mullumbimby with some blood worms for a good feed of whiting.

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Snapper have been very quiet in the shallows again this year but good specimens like this one are coming from the deeper water.

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This 16.5kg jew taken in the Clarence River on an Old Dog Mutt lure was no match for the author’s Wilson Live Fibre RLF30 8-10kg spin rod fitted with a Daiwa Exceler 650DA.

This 16.5kg fish obviously attacked from the rear and almost engulfed the poor little Old Dog Mutt lure.

Good lures make all the difference O THER than marriage or personal relationships, it is rare these days to have a relationship with a specific manufacture or media outlet for nearly 30 years, but I am blessed to still have both.

I am currently into my 28th year of writing for this great magazine and give or take a month or two, I have been using Dave Killalea’s (founder of Killalures and now Old Dog Lures in Townsville)

Just Jew

by TYE PORTER

wooden lures to land jewfish to over 34kg. Dave made his famous wooden Killalures for many years before retiring from lure making and selling the brand to another company that decided to make them out of plastic, which devastated me. The plastic version in

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However, in recent times I have been making more of an effort and naturally enough have been rewarded with a few nice fish. The three fish pictured were all taken at night, some 5km inside the Clarence River in crystal clear water, which tells me if Dave’s Mutt lures can fool a jewfish in gin clear water then watch out when I get casting them in the white water around the headlands. As you would all be aware, Dave is now in full production of a good range of wooden lures under the Old Dog brand name and they can all be seen by visiting his Old Dog website and while you are there have a look at the two short vids of two of the fish I landed. A few of you may think that this is an unpaid ad for Old Dog Lures. Well it isn’t as I have never prostituted myself by writing up a product I * continued P21

V T F B N B

Check out in-depth video coverage of the latest boat and product reviews plus fishing action and handy tips. Page 20 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

my opinion was crap as I found it did not cast as well, had a different action and the plastic bib broke easily. Needless to say, I only ever bought two plastic versions then watched as my stock of Dave’s original wooden lures began to dwindle. Out of necessity I tried many different makes and versions of hard-bodied lures in a vain attempt to find a lure that would give me something close to the catch rate I had with the wooden Killa but alas I couldn’t. I even ended up designing my own wooden lures which I have taken jew on however there was always that question of doubt each time I fished and no I never had anywhere near the catch as I did with Dave’s lures.

A couple of years ago my phone rang and it was the lure making guru himself, Dave Killalea. In a nutshell Dave said although he had been retired from lure making for a few years, he had a serious itch that needed scratching, so he was getting back into making lures again. He had already design two proto-type lures, the 13cm Mutt and the 15cm Jew Dog. He asked if I would be interested in giving them a swim and naturally I jumped at the chance, so Dave sent me two of each to field test. I did ask that the Mutts be done in his famous Elton John colour, which as you see by the accompanying photos, he gladly did. Unfortunately, not long after receiving the lures my health took a bit of a tumble and I was unable to fish how and where I used to.

If the author was a betting man he would say this 8kg fish attacked the head of the lure and the swinging rear treble of the Mutt lodged in its eye during the fight.

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Good lures make all the difference * from P20

don’t use myself or have never personally caught a fish on, hence the long delay in mentioning this product. I will say however that each time I swing a Mutt lure these days I do so in full confidence, which is a feeling I have not had since retiring my small stock of Dave’s original wooden lures years ago. On the fishing front the southern end of the Iluka Bluff is still yielding quality jewfish on lures with the biggest taken in recent weeks being the 27.1kg fish taken by visiting angler Andrew Mayo. Both the Iluka and Yamba break walls are producing a handful of fish up to 18kg on a variety of baits ranging from squid and octopus to minnow lures. Inside the river jewfish can still be found if you know where and when to have a look but this style of fishing will generally end as soon as the last few flat-tailed mullet head back upstream for the summer. Luderick catches have remained pretty ordinary in the lower reaches of the river however if you have the time to spare a feed is still possible using black weed on the low water at the noted spots. For reasons unknown to this little black duck, very few anglers fish the river at night for bream these days other than a handful of boats fishing up at

Browns Rocks occasionally the Middle Wall and Collis Wall are usually void of boats unlike five or ten years ago. When the wind has not been blowing 30 knots or the swell running at 3m. Big tailor can still be taken from the local beaches and headlands with the average fish being taken tipping the 2kg mark. As usual the ever-productive beach up along Shark Bay has been the saviour of many anglers with nice mixed bags of dart, bream and the odd

good whiting being reported. Speaking of whiting, it is only a matter of weeks before these tasty hard fighting little critters begin to move into the local rivers in good numbers. Snapper, trag and the odd jew have kept the outside brigade amused when sea conditions allow and a lot of the boaties will be counting down the sleeps until the first run of spotted mackerel turn up in the warm waters of Woody Head. Until next month, safe fishin’.

Zerek Awake swimbait

HE Zerek Awake is a doublejointed swimbait measuring 160mm and weighing an easy casting 42g.

Being pinned firmly by the rear treble, this would have been another rear-end attack, however this time the swinging front treble lodged firmly into the side of this 10kg fish’s gill cover.

This floating swimbait can be worked on the surface or retrieved a lit-

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 21

Bass season is here in the rivers I

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Evans Head

by GARY ‘SQUIDGIE’ PALMER

there for a while. With the bass season open, bass have been caught way up the river systems, with no rain the bass have pushed well up. A starting point for me would be in Lismore. Work the banks with spinnerbaits and get as close as you can to the banks, even touching them. I know you may lose a few lures but most times if they hang up, you can retrieve them. You can buy a lure retriever from tackle shops so that might be an idea if you are hanging up a bit. I would invest in one if you lose two or more spinner baits as that’s about what it would cost for a lure retriever. For fishers who wish to fish the Casino arm of the river, I would start above the bridge and work my way up and follow as far as you can. I know when I used to live in Kyogle, I would start there and work my way down to Casino and you would not believe the amount of fish we use to catch and the schools of mullet. Some places you could walk on them and not get wet and they could fight. I know some fishers would salt the hole every day. They would toss corn

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and bread and feed them up. Reggie, a mate who is not with us now, stumbled on a hole that had been fed for a while and we caught so many mullet it was not funny. Myself, being new to the area took a couple of mullet home and tried them. Never again, hell it took months to get the taste out of my mouth. I must add I have eaten mullet since but those were sea mullet and were cooked by someone that knew how to cook them. Now the Lismore arm is a bit different, with one leg turning off and heading up past the cop shop and the other heading up to Cawongla. Now this arm I know as I have fished up past Cawongla but there is some very good hole inbetween. You have to remember that only the deepest hole will be fishable due to the dry we are having, but you should get some great results. The water will be very clear so if you see fish, they can see you. Being a lure fisher only, you bait fishers, especially newcomers, you may have to get your hands dirty and dig up a few worms. This is how I started out fishing for bass and as the season progressed, I would hunt down cicadas,

grasshoppers, praying mantises and grubs. Anything that landed on top of the water and anything that fell out of a tree, were all eaten by bass so if you live near a fishable bass area just take a seat early in the morning or just on dark and watch the bass feed and that’s your bait worked out. You just have to fish light as you dare. Just remember bass fight dirty, my best bass was 54cm and he fought like there was no tomorrow. We have had a few boats hit by big waves at wall and they have been rolled. We have also had a boat sink on Evans. Now I don’t care how many times you have crossed the bar and how good a skipper you are, it only takes one rouge wave to put you on your arse. I’m not sure as yet to what happened with the boat that was swamped off Evans but if it was close to Cahors Reef you need eyes in the back of your head, as waves can come from nowhere and smack you. When you are 83 years old, you don’t want to end up out to sea. Lucky both fishers were ok. Just had a trip to hospital. A big thank you to the boaties that rescued them and the Coast Guard trying to salvage the boat. The river is so clean at the time of writing this you could just walk over a bridge and see all the good size fish playing

around the pylons. It’s a night-time fish on walkway and use as little weights as possible. I would try smelly baits like mullet or blue pillies. I would even salt the area, like crushed up pillies and wet sand mixed together and toss out to get fish interested. Now don’t have sand too wet, just damp. You want to be able to make a ball in your hands and toss it up. Currently this works for me blackfishing so I don’t see why it would not work on bream and flathead. The same thing on the beach. Nights are best and the same baits work, or you could use worms. There are a few school jew around, the odd taylor has also been caught, but if the headlands are your go, I would fish in the suds. The bream and other fish will be waiting for anything that wash off the rocks so crabs are not bad bait there. Cunjevoi is another good bait. I like to gather it, put it in a plastic ice cream container and leave it in the sun all day. This is not for anyone whose stomachs can’t handle bad smells, but the fish love it. Anyway I’ve said enough for this month. ‘Til next time, remember: limit your kill, don’t kill your limit. Tight lines and smelly fingers.

PUZZLE PAGE Spot 10 differences

Finding flathead Words can run vertically, horizontally, diagonally and back to front.

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Page 22 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

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Straight into superb summer species

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

Well it has been another difficult month on the fishing front around the Northern Rivers. The weather has certainly not been helping us over the past few weeks. The long dry spell is continuing for most parts of the state, not to mention the recurring wind, which is all combining to make it difficult to get on the water and go fishing. With summer just around the corner, I don’t know if things will get any better because we usually cop a fair amount of northerly wind over summer, along with the obvious heat. Fingers crossed we see some rain in the near future, even if it is in the form of some late-afternoon summer thunderstorms to kick start the food chain and get the fish on the move. Having said all the above, on the limited days the boaties have been able to get across the bar, the fishing has still been fairly reasonable, all things considered. Some snapper, trag and jew have been captured on the close reefs. Live baits have proven quite successful, as have some 4” and 5” soft plastics and soft vibes early morning and late afternoon. Out wider, kingfish and amberjack have been hammering knife jigs and live baits. There has been a little increase in current, so this may explain the kingfish activity. The faster current will ball the bait up and make it easier for the kings and AJs to get a feed. The 48-fathom line has proven fairly productive for pearl perch over the past couple of weeks. Baits such as pilchards and mullet have had some success, along with 6”-7” soft plastics rigged on jig heads up to 2oz. For those who like their pelagic species, several early season mahi mahi have been taken around the wave rider buoy. It feels like they really haven’t left this year, given how mild the cold weather was. It won’t be long until the FAD is redeployed in preparation for the new season, so now is a good time to dust off the trolling gear and check your hooks and leaders so you are ready to go when the warm currents hit us. The next month will also be a good chance to spend more time out on the continental shelf if that is your thing, before the current really gets a gallop up for the summer. A few bar cod, blue-eye trevalla and gemfish are out there, and the usual baits such as mullet and squid have been the best bet. Back in the Richmond River, we are starting to see a transition from winter to summer species. Bream and luderick www.bnbfishing.com. au

Ballina Bait & Tackle by BRETT HYDE

have been in reasonable numbers, even with the weather starting to warm. Bream have been moving up the river, with quality fish being taken on lures along the rock walls above Wardell Bridge. Diving hard-body lures and lightly weighted soft plastics are usually the best option from now until Easter. With the long dry spell, the water clarity is pretty good in this part of the river for a change, so make sure you try more natural colors when you head out next. It may also pay to drop down one or even two leader sizes in case the bream are a little skittish due to the clearer conditions. Luderick have been a little quieter than bream, but enough fish are around to keep most anglers interested. The run-in tide has still been the best bet from all reports, with the usual spots like Prospect Bridge

and behind the CBD producing the bulk of the fish on green weed. As most keen mulloway anglers know, the high tides at night present one of the better times to target the silver ghosts of the estuary. These tides have produced school-sized fish from 8-15kg, with live baits preferred. Unfortunately, this winter has not produced the normal run of larger models we are used to. I hope these fish continue biting in the river for the next month until the hot weather really kicks in, or until we get a significant rain event and the discolored water pushes them towards the mouth. We have started to see the first few whiting for summer in recent weeks. Their numbers will certainly increase over the next couple of months, but for now I would try to target them with yabbies and worms during the larger run-in tides.

The shallow sand flats will be the places to try, such as Mobbs Bay, North Creek and the flats between the RSL and the ferry. Over the next month will be prime time to try a few surface lures because whiting will become more aggressive as summer goes on and will be more inclined to chase down a surface lure. Lastly, don’t forget Gone Fishing Day for 2019 is on Sunday, October 20. This year NSW DPI Fisheries will be hosting events in Ballina at Pop Denison Park, 78 Compton Drive, East Ballina from 9am to 3pm. There will be fishing workshops, knot demonstrations and a casting competition. The kids will have plenty to do, with activities including face painting, a jumping castle and lots more. Make sure you come down to Shaws Bay and check out all the fun. See you there. Well that’s all from me for this month. ‘Til next time, tight lines!

Shane with his PB river bass.

Waters off the Gascoyne coast targeted in special fishing compliance operation M EASURES introduced last year, to protect Western Australia’s Gascoyne pink snapper fishery, need to be monitored to ensure success and this year’s closure was a key focus of Operation Applehaven.

Each running across a week, from July 29 and again from August 6, utilising the large and versatile Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Patrol Vessel Houtman and Fisheries officers from the Midwest and Gascoyne, both commercial and recreational fishing vessels were checked. The 20m PV Houtman was a handy on-water base to deploy smaller craft that carried out

more than 30 at-sea inspections of recreational fishing boats in the area. It provided the opportunity to check boats up to 70 nautical miles off the coast, including 11 commercial vessels conducting fishing operations as well as offshore recreational fishers. Some offences were detected and are still being investigated, but Operation Applehaven also showed the majority of fishers were doing the right thing and sticking to the rules. One offence, detected 60 nautical miles offshore from Carnarvon, identified the possession of small numbers of undersize pink snapper and is being followed up by compliance officers. With last year’s reduction in commercial quo-

tas and the introduction of a seasonal closure, it was timely to check adherence to the new pink snapper rules now in place in the region. Department of primary industries and regional development regional manager for the midwest and Gascoyne, Mick Kelly said the current seasonal closure of the area that surrounds Northern Bernier Island and also Koks Island would continue until the end of the month. “The fast and powerful PV Houtman provides significant surprise value in a remote area like this and Fisheries officers will be using various monitoring strategies to oversee the three-month season closure each year over June, July and August,”

Mr Kelly said. “While line fishing for other species is still allowed in the closure zone, fishers must not have any pink snapper on-board their vessels while they are fishing in that zone throughout the time the seasonal closure is in place. “The purpose of the

new Gascoyne fishing rules is to assist recovery of oceanic pink snapper and the annual closure zone covers about four percent of the waters traditionally fished in the Gascoyne. It’s a spawning area for pink snapper during their peak winter spawning season and sustainability of the

species depends on how successful regeneration is to support the pinkies. “Special patrols, like Operation Applehaven, will continue to be part of the compliance strategy and anyone who suspects illegal fishing in the zone is urged to call FishWatch, 1800 815 507.”

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 23

A great time of year to be an angler O CTOBER is a great time of the year to be an angler as we are now out of the winter cooldown.

Kim Mcleaod was stoked with this beautiful snapper. Photos: fishingnoosa.com.au

By now we will have seen the water temperatures increasing and as such the species list on offer is certainly bigger than before. The estuaries are holding angry packs of trevally and more enthusiastic mangrove jacks along with whiting, bream and big flatties thrown in. Offshore we can expect to find some jewies, trout, cobia, pearlies and even some pelagic action.

Bruce Arnold landed a 69cm coral trout.

A big bass for Cody Van Rensberg.

Sunshine Coast

by GRANT BUDD

lower estuary, then surface fishing for trevally on first and last light is the best time as they will hammer baitfish in low light. Lighter leaders provide the best action and 70mm stickbaits are best for these areas. Be sure to have the smallest Bassday Sugapens and Atomic Bulldog lures in your kit and keep leaders to no more than 600mm in length as they tend to sink the lure and ruin the action, especially if walk the dog style retrieve is your favoured technique. Mangrove jacks, threadfin salmon and jewfish can also be caught this time of the year in the upper section of the Maroochy River. Fishing the top end of Coolum Creek and also the stretch from Coolum Creek up past Dunethin Rock are the better options. The structure around the motorway bridge in the Maroochy River has been fishing well during the low light periods for legal size jewfish, trevally, tailor, jacks and big flathead. These fish will all take a well-presented lure and the jewies love a 4-6” sized paddle tail worked slowly. The new Berkley Powerbait plastics are sure to be a hit here. Live baits, live prawns and poddy mullet have been the go-to baits and work best on the finer gauge Mustad Penetrator hooks when snelled together. On the beaches There are still some medium size dart and tailor hanging around the gutters along Noosa’s north shore and also Peregian Beach. Pilchards, bonito strips and gang hooked pilchards on 3/0 hooks have been the better baits. Don’t forget when using softer baits to use bait wrap which prevents smaller fish from running away with your bait after two bites. This also lets you cast further as baits become

Lastly in the dams and a personal favourite of mine, the saratoga will be crunching on some surface lures and providing us with some acrobatics! In the rivers The upper reaches of the Noosa River toward Lake Cootharabah has started to produce good numbers of mangrove jack and flathead. Lure anglers are getting best results by casting deep into the snags on bait casting gear. Have a go at throwing weedless paddle tail plastics like the Keitech Swing Impact 3.8” on Owner Beast weighted weedless jigheads. Poppers including Rapala X-Raps and Lucky Craft G-Splash poppers in the darker colours work very well. Jacks will crunch and run for cover very fast so be sure drags are set high and you are on you’re A-game. Trolling hard-bodies or diving lures has worked well over the various rock bars. Lures to use include Lucky Craft Pointers and Jackall Squirrels in various gold and red colours. Further downstream and toward the mouth of Lake Cooroibah decent sized jewfish have been taken on plastics and soft vibes. Plastics in the 3” size range are working well on 7g jighead weights. Try Squidgy 80mm Prawn Paddle Tail in white lightning and bloodworm colours and use plenty of scent. This is also a great place to find decent flathead. They are partial to live baits around this area as well as slow trolled hardbodies like the Zerek Tango Shad. Heading away from the lakes toward the marina, the ski run has good numbers of smaller GT, big eye trevally and undersized or soapy jewfish. These fish love smaller 2-3” prawn-style plastics with the Zerek Ultimate Shrimp a great lifelike option. If fishing around the

break out a 20lb outfit if you have one. For the bigger trout you will need to up your game to 30-50lb gear and a live yakka for the better results. Fresh water The bass and saratoga are becoming increasingly active with fish taking lures off the top and suspending diving lures too. Consistent producers are the Jackall Squirrel and Nories Laydown Minnows. Use leaders up to 12lb for bigger fish and depending on rainfall you could go heavier if the waters are murkier and you are deep in the snags of the various arms at Borumba. Curly tail plastics have also been working well with the tough Entice Grub Tails claiming some good-sized bass as well as Z-Man Slim Swimz. Both plastics weighted heavier and retrieved through the schooled-up fish usually triggers a bite. Another lure that continues to provide is the Hot Bite Gang Banger. These can be deep dropped, slow rolled or jigged so be sure to carry one. Other surface lures to try include the Chasebaits Bobbin Frog and the new Lunkerhunt Phantom Spider. This new lure is sure to be a hit as the vibration is very high when worked correctly. Lastly as October is the month for bigger swell always be sure to watch for waves when crossing the Noosa bar. Any residual waves from a big swell will usually pack a sneaky set in, so be sure to sit and wait a while. Don’t forget to check flares and EPIRB expiry dates so you are complaint at all times. Don’t forget to check in to www.fishingnoosa. com.au for all the latest up to date info on fishing and bar crossings. The knowledgeable teams at Davo’s Tackle World Noosa and Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola can provide you with the right equipment, bait and advice to ensure success!

more streamlined. The Noosa and Maroochy river mouths have seen a mix of quality bream, trevally, flathead and whiting. Big baits work well here for the bigger species such as flathead and light lines, pea sinkers and whippy surf rods keep it fun when fishing for smaller bream and whiting during the daytime. Jewfish have become more active after dark along Mudjimba’s northshore beach. During the day the gutters along Marcoola Beach have been producing whiting, bream, dart, tarwhine and flathead with peeled prawns, worms and mullet strips fished on the start of the run-in tide a great time to go and wet a line. Offshore Double Island, the Barwon Banks and beyond have seen great captures with pearl perch, snapper, jewfish, cobia, gold band, snapper, tuskies, a few solid reds and big amberjack on the menu. Five to-7” jerk shad soft plastics from Berkley like the new Powerbait Nemesis and Zman Streakz rigged on the 5/0-7/0 jig heads are the most effective. Be sure to pack some heavier faster jigs including the Slow Blatt Long and Pop Till Ya Drop Jaw Dropper in 150g with 4/05/0 Decoy single assist hooks as trevally, cobia and amberjack love these in deep water. North Reef has been the pick of the Noosa spots with the majority of bait holding on and around the reef. Expect to catch pearl perch, tuskies, snapper, cobia and jewfish. Sunshine Reef has delivered some quality coral trout, pearlies and sweetlip. Most of these fish are falling for twin-hook paternoster rigs but the bigger mid-water species will take a pilchard floater when current and winds allow. Slow drifting and casting soft plastics here is a great way to discover new ground and hook up to schools of snapper and sweetlip so be sure to

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Red-hot action on Burrum River T

HE Burrum River is one of my favourite places to wet a line in southeast Queensland.

I have done plenty of road trips to the Burrum over the years, mostly chasing mangrove jacks and barramundi. The past couple of years I’ve spent a weekend on the river during winter chasing a few different species. Winter on the Burrum River can produce some red-hot action, with plagues of trevally and queenfish entering the river. These speedsters are a heap of fun and will happily smash a well-presented lure off the surface or down deep. Other species like tailor and tarpon regularly make an appearance during winter on the Burrum. Bread and butter species like flatties and bream are also regular catches when targeted. Barra and mangrove jacks are also still on the target list, but they have a very short bite window and can take a lot of casts to get a reaction from. There are a few locations to choose from when fishing the Burrum River. There are three rivers that run off the Burrum River.

Fishing Trip by KEITH STRATFORD

The Gregory is the first and is located close to the mouth of the Burrum. The Gregory has a lot of shallow areas throughout and needs to be navigated carefully to avoid the shallow rock bars. Once you get upstream there are some good snaggy banks and holes to chase a wide range of species. I would recommend exploring the Gregory on an incoming tide and taking your time. Upstream from the Gregory is the small town of Buxton, which has a good ramp and pontoon. This is a popular spot for anglers looking to fish the popular ‘Buxton Hole’. It’s also quite close to the next two rivers which are the Isis and Cherwell. The Isis is the first river after Buxton and is very popular with anglers chasing barramundi and mangrove jacks. The mouth of the Isis can be a real hot spot and often has good schools of both species. There are some rock areas in the middle which appear to have a few caves for the fish to travel in and out of, which is

prime country for both barra and jacks. There is a big rock bar stretching across the majority of the river not far from the mouth which has claimed a lot of props over the years. Navigate the Isis slowly as well and keep an eye out for swirling water on the surface or any rock on the banks. * continued P26

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 25

Red-hot action on Burrum River * from P25

Trevally and queenfish were very active. Double hook-ups were common.

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This can indicate there is a rock bar in the area. The Isis has some great snags in the form of fallen trees and rocks. Plenty of barras and jacks get caught in here along with a stack of other species. The Cherwell is next and is another river needing to be navigated carefully. Like the Gregory and Isis, it too has a lot of rock and snags which can do some real damage to your propeller and boat. It also holds good numbers of barramundi and mangrove jacks. The Cherwell is more populated than the other rivers, with many houses situated along it. Heading upstream from here opens up a lot of options in the Burrum River. Once again it needs to be navigated carefully with several rock bars popping up out of nowhere. It’s a real zig-zag type of river where you will find yourself crossing from side to side to find the deeper water. Some stretches are nearly impassable at low tide, so if you’re new to the area choose a rising tide and take your time. There is a lot of good country to cast lures at throughout the Burrum. A good sounder with a side scan feature can take a lot of the guess work out finding snags and rock bars. My mate Pete and I did a trip to Buxton earlier this year right in the middle of July. We timed it right in the middle of a cold snap, with temperatures getting very close to zero. Pete’s dad and a couple of his mates came along in their own boat to have a few beers and chase a few crabs. Pete and I arrived late on a Thursday afternoon. We booked a house close to the boat ramp that has plenty of room to park the boat and has all the facilities to keep a group of thirsty fishers happy. The plan was to get the crab pots in for a soak overnight and then check out the Buxton hole for some tarpon or trevally if we had time. The hole was a bit quiet with very little bait showing up on the sounder. We came across a few big tarpon, but they were feeding very quickly on the surface giving us very little time to get a lure on the their nose. We pulled the pin once it got dark and settled in front of the TV with a couple of beers to watch the Broncos do a job on the Bulldogs. We were up early the next morning and pretty keen to check the pots. It was bloody freezing,

so we were travelling slowly up the river. We scored two undersized crabs out of eight pots, leaving us shaking our heads. A quick move around and we were finally fishing. Once the sun got up a bit it was noticeable how clean the river was. It was the cleanest I had ever seen it, which got me thinking we would have to head well upstream to find any bait. We had an early run-out tide, which made travelling up the river easy. We stopped at the spot where my partner Ashlee and I caught a stack of fish the previous winter and started throwing a few small plastics around. It didn’t take long to hook up, with small queenies and trevally fighting over our lures. We had several double hook-ups and even had schools of fish following the hooked fish trying to

eat the lure from their mouth. It was pretty good fun on light gear. The fish were showing up clearly on the sounder and as soon as we got near them, they would bite. Small prawn imitations were the standout, with 2-3” paddle tails getting plenty of bites as well. We threw a few fish in the esky to cook up for everyone that night and left the fish chewing to head back to house and see the rest of the crew. That afternoon we went back upriver to bend a rod again and found the action to be even better. Double hook-ups were the norm on small GTs and queenfish. There were some big tarpon mixed in with them the previous winter, but there were none to be seen this year. We left them biting again and went back to the house to have a few

beers and cook up some fish. The next day was very similar to the previous day, with plenty of trevally and queenfish captured and very few crabs. We ended up getting one legal mud crab out of 20 pots over the three days, which was very disappointing. There was plenty of weed floating through certain channels of the river, which made the crabbing even harder. The drags on our light spin rods certainly got a good work out over the weekend. It’s even better when you barely see another boat on the river. The Burrum is a top spot to chase a few speedsters during the colder months and an even better spot to chase some jacks and barra during the warmer months. I’ll be back up there as soon as I can.

The 3” Holt Swim Prawn was a real standout of the trevally and queenfish.

Zerek Absolute Shrimp

HE Zerek Absolute Shrimp is a clever addition to the shrimp family of Zerek lures.

Pre-rigged on a weighted hook and designed to be retrieved like a fleeing shrimp, the Absolute Shrimp features a tough TPE body and has a onepiece tail that is tear and puncture resistant, yet still supple enough to provide an enticing action. Able to be swum with a fish-attracting pulse of the rod tip, or sunk

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Vince from Sydney met a mega Larry longtail.

Warwick with a hulking diamond trevally on a Slow Blatt jig.

An abundance of tuna and mackerel

INTER is over and I am about to head into my silly season.

As the northerlies come through (it’s early September right now and they have started) it will warm the water. The sea will soon boil with life as the pelagics start to play. Hervey Bay becomes the lure caster’s dream. It is hard to doughnut with tuna and mackerel in abundance. For most anglers, the tuna and mackerel that at times plague my waters are an exciting quarry. The visual aspect makes it very entertaining and the tuna battles are tough and a great start for beginners learning how to subdue big fish. Most of the tuna are sub10kg, so they are not back breaking. They will also eat a number of lures including flies, soft plastics, metals, subsurface and topwater plugs. Some diehards will only chase them on fly or surface lures. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Fraser Guided Fishing by TRI TON

The smaller tuna are usually easy to catch, so the beginners can have a chance even if their skills are not quite up to the task. The large numbers also give them a few goes if they fail. If you have friends and family keen, now is certainly a good time to try some sportfishing with me. If you have your own boat and want to try spinning your own waters for tuna, then there are a huge number of articles on the topic. And there are just as many on the breakdown of essential gear. Contact Ben and Dan from BNB and they will be able to send you specific volumes from the past (or head to issuu.com/bnbfishing and view back issues for free). One thing I think is not often stressed is how you approach a school of feeding fish. Don’t rush in too fast. Take your time and

Quang from Bait Tackle Store has been organising many tours. Cheers from Trevor and the author.

judge your conditions. One good approach and cast is better than many bad ones. You would be surprised how the small things can add up to success. Now I will just briefly sum up how we fared during winter in Hervey Bay. It was a fairly warm winter again this year. We were fortunate to see a good number of golden trevally help our tours buckle rods. The other trevally that has been a hit is diamond trevally. Not always big but they are fast, powerful-running fish that keep us entertained, especially when they are hooked on a relatively light snapper stick. The trevally were taking both jigs and plastics. Soft grubs were most successful by a long shot. A few also ate vibration lures, both soft and hard versions. As for the winter special, snapper, they were a bit slow. Some good specimens here and there, but I cannot say it has been a smashing year. Most snapper hooked on slow plastic presentations. Water temperature may have been way too warm. Many people are surprised how hard snapper actually go. They are highly underrated as a sport fish in my opinion. And when they are on the chew, they hit the lure on the drop at a rate of knots.

Not many fish hit like this, especially non-tuna species. A few longtail tuna were about too. Makes life interesting when you accidently hit one whilst, fishing deep for snapper. Big ones are a real handful for novices. Yes you can catch tuna when they are not busting on the surface! We also had a poor run of school mackerel, they can be handy when a feed was required. Usually taken on a fast retrieve with a metal lure. This simple technique also makes them good for beginners. These toothy table fish can be a nuisance when trying to target other species. They take the lures as they sink and you often feel nothing. Some anglers left wondering why their lure hasn’t hit the bottom yet. I often leave when I encounter hordes of these fish. They are not much fun as a sport fish. But if you do want to catch them for some fun, please use a single hook as trebles will wreck their mouths and cause damage to their gills. If you notice they are quite damaged then bleed and ice them for a meal. Do not waste the re-

> Hervey Bay > Fraser Island > Sandy Strait

source. This brings another common question to the fore. How should we keep the fish? Some say fillet then iced, some say gut and gill then iced. I am of the opinion do nothing until you are ready to do it all in one hit. Firstly bleed the fish, brain spike it also if you wish. Then straight into ice, a slurry is best. The fish will last ages like this. Once you cut the fish open, you expose the flesh to bacteria and water. This is why I leave the belly intact. Most of us do not have sophisticated facilities that will chill the fish and keep it relatively dry. The fish scales and skin are like a natural glad wrap that protects the flesh. Do everything when you can in one go. Bag up the flesh in airtight bags (vacuum sealed is best) and freeze or refrigerate. Done properly I have had sashimi like that after thawing from frozen months later. The only real difference is the flesh has become a bit softer. If I cooked it, I’d be pressed to tell the difference.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 27

The author’s brother Ron with a nice Tru-Turn gang-caught tailor.

A close shore gutter that produced a few tailor.

Fantastic Fraser Island fun Y OU know it is going to be a good trip when you catch a few fish even before you unpack the 4WD!

A couple of nice drains for flathead on the western side.

And so it was, not more than a few hundred metres from the Hook Point barge landing as we rounded the first bend at North Point and saw a school of birds working just behind the back break. Pulling out my Lox Iridium Surf 12210 graphite rod, 4000 reel spooled with 15lb Platypus P8 braid and a brand-new

The author with a very nice flathead caught and released from the western side.

Page 28 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

Fishing Trip

by SEAN THOMPSON

Rapala X-Rap Magnum Prey 10 (bonito colour), I waded out to the sandspit and fired off my first cast amongst the birds. About half a dozen winds in and my retrieve was abruptly brought to a halt with what turned out to be a feisty and reasonable size tailor. The boys got a couple of other fish including big dart before the birds and fish disappeared. Weather and its effects On our way through Rainbow Beach we got the low-down on what was biting where, from Drew at Gardiner Fisheries Rainbow Beach. Drew has A-grade pilchards and bait including their own freshly caught live and cured beach works and an awesome variety of all the tackle you need for Fraser/ Teewah including being a retailer of Alvey products. He told us that with a couple of days of westerlies recently, there was every chance the tailor would be in the close gutters at low tide not far from hook point and he was spot on! Generally, westerlies flatten the surf gutters and draw in baitfish close to shore and following them will be the tailor from the nearby reefs or from out wide on their northerly migration. However, with calm weather forecast for our 10 days, the only real risk was that the seas would become too flat! This risk is because the tailor can become spooked as they have no white-water protection during the day to come in and feed and can thus wait until well after dark to make their raids. While some unexpected south-easterlies mid-trip ensured this didn’t happen, this is something to consider when fishing for tailor. You don’t want the surf too heavy and thus sand

irritating the fish’s gills and disorientating fish and bait, but you don’t want it too light either. A couple of days of westerlies with a 1-1.25m surf is ideal tailor conditions. On the western or inside of the island though, which we fished for six full days, the winds and water conditions can affect the fishing very differently. Over there a light southeast breeze is ideal to bring fish such as whiting in close to shore. Also, while it can make for tough fishing conditions, a few days of southeasterlies can discolour the water and bring in a much greater variety of fish close to shore from the nearby deeper ledge, including grunter, trevally, mackerel and more. The flathead fishing though, on lures at least can probably get a bit difficult in really discoloured water, where your best is really bright coloured lures and fishing the cleanest water you can. Beach gutters Back on the ocean beach side and in our time on the island in late August/early September the tailor was not exactly thick along the whole of the beaches, but there were schools, some bigger and staying longer than others. The best fishing, including right up to the time of writing was up around Dundaburra and north at Orchard Beach and Ngkala Rocks. We also picked fish up just south of Yidney Rocks to the Maheno. As the fish weren’t thick in our areas, a few little ‘tricks’ were required to pick up some of the fish. Firstly, I found my new 15” surf rod really got me some extra distance, especially combined with slightly bigger sinkers I’d normally use (eight and nine ball).

This allowed me to get right out to the back banks of some of these gutters and I was catching the odd patrolling tailor out there while other anglers were coming up short or with less fish. We also would burley with chopped up pieces of some of our older pilchards, which eventually brought more fish into our region of the gutter. In terms of choice of beach gutters, the fish were found in very similar type of gutters. That is steeply shelving sand into deeper water right on the shoreline, with varying lengths, but clearly defined entry and exit points for the fish. These gutters were most easily fished at low tide, but even at high tide they were fishable provided the shore wash zone wasn’t too deep or long. As usual, our tackle of choice for bait fishing were Alvey 650BC reels, big fibreglass rods and tru-turn gang hooks with three 4/0 size hooks connected together via swivels. We generally use about 30lb fluorocarbon leader, but some prefer slightly heavier leader 40-50lb. I’m not sure it makes that much difference except as an insurance for bigger fish. While a cast and retrieve technique with smaller sinkers from four to seven ball can be good when the fish are in close in the gutters, it wasn’t the case this trip in our more southerly gutters, which had fewer fish and those there, were further out. Consequently, we tried both the cast and retrieve technique and the throw out wider with heavier gear and sit and wait, and the latter seemed to work in the conditions we had. The trick is to try and see, trial and error. The same technique and tackle doesn’t work in all conditions is the general lesson. Western side action As mentioned earlier we had six full days on the * continued P29

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Fantastic Fraser Island fun * from P28

western side. A number of my page followers take this as an indication there is few tailor on the eastern beaches, but this wasn’t necessarily the case nor our motivation. Rather, driving over to the western side of the island to a variety of spots, sees you take in some of the diverse landscape of the island and experience light line fishing for a great variety of species. I usually take two rods over to the western side. A 10’2” - 4kg whippy fibreglass rod matched with a 500-550 size Alvey reel and 6lb Platypus Super 100 fishing line which is incredibly thin for its strength. With this outfit, I use about a metre trace and run a size one-two ball sinker between two size 12 swivels down to threefour small pieces of red tubing/beads and a size four 860 blue aberdeen tru-turn finesse hook. These hooks have a really thin gauge and fool more fish when they pick up the bait with the light hook easily and lightly embedded inside the bait of a live piece of beach

worm or yabby. The other outfit for spinning soft plastics is a 7’-7’.6” rod (I have been using the Lox Yoshi 7623 rod in 1-3kg for a few years and find it perfect). This year, I was lucky enough to combine this rod with the Alvey Orbitor SR60, the smallest in the range of new spinning reels about to be released by Alvey Reels Australia. I was actually testing this reel on behalf of the company and so I gave it quite a flogging to test it out. The reel is probably equivalent in size to between a 1000-2000 size reel, with 5.8:1 retrieve speed, plenty of line capacity for its size (190m of 0.18mm), nine plus one ball bearings, a very sturdy body and an big handle knob which made fighting the fish a breeze. I must admit to being a little dubious at first about the big handle knob, but when I was soon fighting a fish with fast runs in shallow water I saw the advantages in terms of the control over the fish. As a regular user of fish scent on my lures as well I find the little “two finger” rubberised knob

handles can become slippery very easily and even lead to slippages when fighting the fish. I also use six lb Platypus P8 braid (0.8mm) in a bright orange which is great to see in terms of the lure being on the bottom (going slack) or noticing little pings on the line which can be a fish closing its mouth on the lure when it lands on the bottom. At the business end I attach about 2-2.5m of 10lb fluorocarbon leader. Our lures of choice were once again mostly Zmans in a variety of colours, sizes and models with pink, midnight oil and motor oil once again being our best colours. We matched these with light gauge (that is the light blue packaging) TT jigheads in size 1/8 to 1/4 depending on the wind conditions, the windier the heavier. On this trip we got a number of flathead over 60cm, with all fish over 65cm released. It is much more enjoyable seeing these bigger fish swim off then sadly cutting them up full of roe on the filleting table. We also scored a num-

ber of GTs, some golden trevally, a few dart, bream and an enormous long tom of one metre in length in very shallow water of less than a metre or so. We targeted the flathead on the last two hours of the falling tide and the first hour of the rising tide around the creek mouths, drains and drop offs. The whiting were targeted on both the run out and in tides in drains and slightly deeper melon holes with the mid stages of the tide and/or the last hour before dusk the peak fishing times. The entrance of bigger creeks was also a good spot for the whiting from about the third hour of the run-in tide. All in all we had another successful and enjoyable trip and can’t wait to come back again next year! For more reports and information tune in to my weekly segment at 9.30am Sunday mornings on 99.7 Bridge FM and also jump on and like/ follow my Ontour Fishing Australia Facebook and Instagram pages. Until next month – bag your mates, not your limit!

A nice haul of whiting by our group from the western side.

Black Magic tackle trays are great storage options for tailor rigs and accessories.

First cast for the trip and a nice tailor after noticing birds working in the surf.

by MELISSA FROHLOFF

Easy breakfast muffins Ingredients:

oven to 180 degrees.

• 3 eggs, whisked

2. Place the pastry in each muffin tray. Line the inside of the pastry case with prosciutto, allowing the fatty edge to extend above the case slightly.

• 6 slices prosciutto • 25g finely chopped capsicum • 25g garlic chives finely chopped • 2 sheets puff pastry, partially thawed Method: 1. Cut six 9cm rounds from puff pastry and use to line 6cm muffin tray. Pre-heat

3. Spoon capsicum and chives into cases and pour over egg. 4. Bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is brown. 5. Serve with tomato relish

Notes Serve with tomato relish. Check out next month’s edition for the tomato relish recipe. This condiment will make any breakfast dish extra delightful.

Prep time: 10 min | Cook time: 20 min | Serves 6 www.bnbfishing.com. au

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 29

This redthroat emperor fell victim to a Gulp soft plastic.

A quality maori cod pulled up from 100m of water in trying tidal conditions.

Getting your weights right when offshore

OTHING beats the feeling of finishing the working week with big plans of heading out on the water over the weekend.

A maori cod caught on a live slimy mackerel around the Bunker Group.

Leeah Bahr with a hard-fighting bludger trevally.

Bundaberg Toyota

Golden

BARRA

October 19, 2019 - February 19, 2020 Page 30 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

To secure the major prize barra

There’s generally only one type of person who will leap out of bed at a ridiculous hour of the morning while most sane people are sleeping, and that’s fishers. So with around an hour and a half of driving ahead of us on a recent Saturday fishin mission, we eagerly leapt out of bed at 3am making our way to the town of 1770 Situated in an ideal location to access the pristine waters of the southern Great Barrier Reef, 1770 is becoming an increasingly popular launching point and for good reason with world class fishing at its doorstep. We arrived and launched just on first light and like most offshore trips for me we made our way straight to the bait grounds to stock the live bait tank with fresh slimies to later send down to some deepwater brutes. After a successful half an hour on the bait jigs, we continued our journey out past the island groups to our destination of the deep dark depths outside of the Bunker Group reefs. Upon arrival, we were quick to deploy our first baits to the reef around 60 metres below us and it didn’t take long to get a fish on board. First to come over the side was a nice sized maori cod followed by a number of hussar. We were fishing right on the turn of high tide, so at this stage we were Fishwith anytime fishing light size 10 ball sinkers rigged with snelled 8/0 hooks. After around an hour of

Bundaberg Offshore by JOEL JOHNSON

fishing in this area producing a couple of nice table fish, we headed further out into the deeper water where it didn’t take long to find a very good-looking rise on the sounder in around 100 metres of water. We made our first drops only to realise the tidal current was now picking up, so it was time to upsize our sinkers to size 12s, but being a very isolated reef in that depth it was proving difficult to fish the reef successfully. The sounder was lit up with structure and fish, so I wasn’t going to let the current beat us. It can be a difficult balance as skipper when fishing isolated reefs in deep water as you must position the boat perfectly up-wind and upcurrent and make the call in the precise time to land you and your crew’s baits and lures on the reef to give the best chances of hook-ups. To add to the difficulties as skipper you must also ensure what you’re sending down will do the job when it comes to the fish in relation to your baits and lures and the weights used to get them down. There can be a fine line when fishing in deep water where bottom time and a natural bait or lure presentation work hand in hand. If you put this out of balance using too heavy or too light of a rig, it can cause your bait or lure to look unnatural or just ineffective therefore not through this period producing the bites. Anyone who’s fished deep water without the aid of electric reels will

know that reeling back up is one hell of a workout, so you best make the drop worth it. When bait and lure fishing, I always start light and work my way up to a point where it’s a happy medium of getting you to the bottom and staying on the bottom with your bait or lure looking natural. Dropping down an unnecessarily heavy bait or lure will cause it to thump the bottom and have a tendency to get snagged, not to mention giving it characteristics of something a fish wouldn’t normally eat. Fishing too light however will have you with very brief bottom time, minimising your chances of gaining the interest of the predatory fish you’re targeting. On this particular occasion we had our baits and lures doing the job, with plenty of fish coming over the side until unfortunately the toothy tax men arrived to make our hard work a waste of energy. As you know, no fancy tackle can get past sharks and you can only move on and hope you don’t have to pay your taxes on the next reef. After a long day battling the big tides, we still managed a good mixed bag with some line-burning sportfish adding to the excitement. Quality fish were landed through adjusting our weights to suit the conditions, so never be afraid to experiment and discover what works best. www.bnbfishing.com. au

Lake Monduran October 19, 2019 - February 19, 2020 (midnight)

FREE ENTRY

It helps when you have the river wired

HE biggest way to make a difference to your fishing is to concentrate on a specific waterway and species of fish until you have them wired…that is, you can reliably predict when, where and how to target particular species in waterways.

It doesn’t really take long to do this, but it does take some time and some effort to build your knowledge of how the moon and tides affect the feeding habits of a species in a location. You also learn from days where your plan has failed, as well as those when you are successful. Some anglers begin keeping basic notes on the time, tides and baits they fish and begin to build their knowledge base this way. Haven’t you ever wondered how professional fisherman seem to successfully target species. Their success is a result of their many years, sometimes decades and generations of knowledge they use to help guide their efforts. I thought this month I would focus on two successful local anglers who have their main fishing area well and truly wired with their consistent results reflecting their high level of knowledge. One of these anglers is young Bundy angler Joel Smith who could be dubbed the Kolan Lizard Man. He has been spending quite a lot of time in the Kolan of late and as a result has started to produce fish regularly. He has featured in previous articles where he has landed some nice Jack. Over the last couple of months as the water temperatures have dropped, he has been successful in targeting grunter and lizards. He truly appears to have the Kolan ‘wired’ and is now seeing the benefits of his time on the wa-

Bundaberg Region by BRAD YOUNG

ter, learning about species and their habits. He started targeting lizards when he first started fishing the Kolan. Using artificials he slowly built his knowledge of this species before he focused on jack and grunter. He seems to now be able to pull a lizard from the Kolan at his whim and may I say, some very nice specimens as well. The other angler who has his main fishing zone wired is Spider. Spider is a regular fisher of the Burnett and always seems to be successful. I have covered many of his successful trips previously and as I have done so, have started to learn through observing his prime fishing times. Mostly I have simply taken note of when he sends me some photos of another successful night on the Burnett. His prime times are the neap tides between the full and new moons when the tidal movement is at its smallest. This is where the difference between high and low tide is relatively small. By noting when he has been successful and not successful, he has developed a sound knowledge of when his favourite haunts are likely to fire. Building you own knowledge base So how do you get started? Simply make the decision to target a particular species in a likely spot and fish the spot regularly over several months when the species should be firing. After each trip, note how many fish you caught, during what period of the tide the main bite period occurred, the moon phase and the most productive

baits and rigs. Keeping this information will help you to develop your knowledge of that area and species. As your knowledge base develops, the results should be more successful trips at the times you have learned are more productive. In reality, this may be three to six weeks over a peak season for the species (winter for bream from May to August as a good example). Of course, if you have the chance to fish a couple of times each week you will enjoy a greater number of trips. Changing seasons With no rain falling

across our area there has been no winter flush of any of our creeks or rivers. As a result, the fishing in our rivers, creeks and estuaries has been relatively quiet, although there have still been some great fish caught. There should still be some nice bream in our estuaries with some of the late season fish often being of great quality. As Joel has shown this month, there are still some great lizards to be caught. As we move towards October, I am still keen to chase some of the small billfish that haunt the western side of Fraser Island over this time. Hopefully I will see a favourable weather window open over the next couple of months to be able to cross this

off my bucket list. As the temperatures begin to rise again with higher daytime temperatures the summer species such as jack and barra will again start to fire. In our Bundy area, we usually see some strong northerly winds blow though the end of October and then November. While I hate fishing offshore in northerlies, I see Lake Monduran near Gin Gin being a great option as the water temp rises. A great time is after a few days of strong hot northerlies before the cooler south easterly change move though. As always, I can be contacted via Bush n Beach, by email at fishnboat@ bigpond.com or via post a PO Box 5812 Bundaberg West Queensland 4670. Until next month…

Joel captured a nice daytime grunter.

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www.escape2fish.com.au Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 31

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Page 32 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

Dropping around Deep Tempest L OOKING at the weather report, it was hard to believe there was a good day on the weekend.

With forecasts changing all the time, two desperate boats (Salty and Offshore Account) decided to give it a go and headed off from Scarborough. The ramp was eerily quiet when they arrived at 5am, with barely a trailer in the carpark and no one lined up waiting to drop in. They quickly launched and headed across the bay in reasonable conditions. Rob had earlier checked the Cape Moreton live forecast and it had been blowing 15 knots but with the modelling saying it would drop in the late morning the trip had been given the thumbs up. Conditions through Yellow Patch were great but as they rounded North Point they hit 15-plus knots of east-southeasterly, so kept in close to the 30m line looking for fish. As usual, a good show on the sounder did not necessarily deliver good shows on the deck. With one lone pearlie for the first hour, it was time to head south in search of better results. Sounding slowly, they came across a nice pinnacle with bait on it. Rob belted out a 5” jerk shad and let it slowly sink, then dropped the rod in the holder. He was rigging another rod when the first line was hit, but the fish dropped it as he picked up the rod. Two quick jigs later it was back and hooked, feeling much like a nice snapper with big head shakes. This then turned into a screaming 50m run that didn’t look like stopping, leaving Rob sure he had been sharked. Next he thought he had been wrapped on another line as it felt a bit like braid on braid. John and Scott assured him it wasn’t theirs, so he surmised he had been run through some kelp. It was about this time he was starting to question his use of 15lb braid and leader but as it was too late to change, backing off the drag to prevent a bust-off would have to suffice. He finally got the head turned and shortly after it was coming into view. AJ was the first call but it became more silver as it rose, finally showing as a good jewfish. A quick shot with the net and Rob had his 10.5kg fish on the deck. They had a few more drifts but unfortunately that was it, the place just shut down. Elsewhere, Blackers and Bruce in Offshore Account had snuck off to Deep Tempest as the

Power Boat Anglers

by MICK CLUTTERBUCK

wind had backed out a bit and were getting a few, so Rob and crew soon followed their lead. When they arrived, only a couple of boats were around, indicating there hadn’t been a late mad rush to get out. They sounded some marks and had plenty of drops for no bites other than healthy sergeant bakers. They headed towards the boats to the south but Blackers was nowhere to be found. They finally located him to the southwest of Tempest on one of Zen’s favourite spots. Again, sounding marks in the area they located fish and had a drop, this time actually catching a fish or two. Both deckies were having bad days and not landing anything legal, which was disappointing for all. Little did they know it was going to get a lot more disappointing for Scott who left his baits dangling in the water when Salty got on the plane. His sinker got pulled out of the rod holder and took his rod and Shimano TLD 25 over the transom. “Bugger” or maybe words to that effect were uttered before he sat down to rig up his other rod. The fish went off the bite not long after they arrived and with the day nearly at an end it was decided to head back while the getting was good. The return trip had all on the lookout for whales, as they guessed they had seen

hundreds throughout the day and weren’t keen for any close encounters this late in the afternoon. The morning had been particularly good viewing, with a couple breaching for a few hours and making for great entertainment. The trip across the bay was excellent and a nice finish for the day. At the weigh-in, Schom-

bie took the chocolates with his jew and a few other bits and pieces getting him over the line just ahead of Blackers and Bruce, even though they had the better numbers. Bruce took out fish of the month with a nice pearlie. Not a big fish but a win is a win. Just a quick heads up to all to make yourselves aware of the new fishing regulations. I won’t go into them here as it’s probably easiest to look them up on the Fisheries Queens-

land website or Facebook page. No doubt there will be some discussion about them elsewhere in this magazine. Next meetings The next club meeting will be held on Monday, September 30 (due to the 1770 trip), followed on Monday, November 4 at The Club Manly (bowls club) located at 26 Faine St, Manly. All interested parties are more than welcome to attend. Until next month, safe boating.

Rob Schomberg with his 10.5kg jewfish.

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COMPETITION DATES COMPETITION Shark Control Program equipment removed from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Photo: Fisheries Queensland

Shark nets removed from Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

HARK nets are being removed from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park after a Federal Court decision backed major changes to the Federal Government’s permit allowing Queensland to operate its Shark Control Program. Signage will be installed at relevant beaches so swimmers are made aware that the shark control equipment has been removed, with school holidays and the Surf Lifesaving season upon us. Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Mark Furner said the new restrictions on the program within the park boundaries meant it was not possible to carry out shark control measures legally and safely.

“These changes, forced on Queensland by an animal activist group and supported by the Environment Defenders Office of NSW, would turn Queensland’s program from a ‘catch and remove the risk’ program to a ‘catch and release the risk’ program,” he said. “Our shark control contractors and staff are neither trained nor equipped to safely handle live sharks, tow them away from beaches and then release them alive. “Human life comes first. “That’s why I won’t put our staff and contractors in harm’s way by asking them to perform dangerous work without being fully trained and equipped. “The safety of Queenslanders and visitors to

Queensland is our top priority and I call once again on the Federal Government to urgently revisit its legislation to allow the Shark Control Program to continue in the form that has served Queenslanders so well since 1962.” Mr Furner recently spoke to Federal Environment Minster Sussan Ley seeking urgent support in the form of updated legislation. “We agreed that human life was the top priority, and Ms Ley indicated legislation changes were being looked at,” Mr Furner said. “I wrote to then Environment Minister Melissa Price back in April seeking Federal Government support to ensure the program could continue in the form that has served

Queenslanders and visitors well since 1962. “I am pleased that, at this late hour, the Federal Government is now willing to examine its options for supporting the Shark Control Program.” SharkSmart advice: • Don’t swim at dawn or dusk. • Always swim in clear water (not in murky water, busy anchorages, estuary mouths or canals). • Don’t throw food scraps or fish waste overboard (including in anchorages or where people are swimming). • Don’t swim where fish are being cleaned. • Swim, surf, snorkel or dive with a buddy. • Follow local signage and swim between the flags at patrolled beaches.

DATE

LOCATION

2019 Take a Kid Fishing Sep 29 Caloundra caloundrafishingclub.com Flathead Oct 1-4 Gold Coast Classic flatheadclassic.com.au Monduran Family Oct 19-20 Lake Monduran – Gin Gin Fishing Classic masa-fishstocking.org.au Rocky Barra Oct 21-23 Rockhampton Bounty rockybarrabounty.com Lake Moondarra Oct 25-27 Lake Moondarra Fishing Classic lakemoondarrafishingclassic.com.au Bundaberg Toyota Golden Barra Competition

Oct 19- Feb 19, 2020

Lake Monduran lakem.com.au/goldenbarra

Lions Mary Nov 2-3 Valley Fishing Classic

Lake Borumba – Glen Williams 0427 276 933 E: gympielions@gmail.com

ABBT* Bass Grand Final

Dam TBA – Russell Nowland 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183

Nov 30- Dec 1

2020 Boondooma Dam Feb 8-9 Yellowbelly FC Bundaberg Toyota Golden Barra Competition

Lake Boondooma – Terry Allwood 0400 860 122

Oct 19-2019 Lake Monduran Feb 19, lakem.com.au/goldenbarra

LAFMA Carp/Tilapia Mar 21 Eradication Comp

Wyaralong Dam – Lloyd Willmann 0429 614 892

Moura Muddy Water Apr 11-12 Moura –Zelma Lewis Family Fishing Classic 0428 971 932 Wynnum May 4 Fishing Classic

Wynnum – ozfishmoretonbay.org

Weipa Fishing Jun 7-9 Weipa – Classic weipafishingclassic.com

ARB Moreton Island Fishing Classic 2019

HAT’S a wrap!

Thanks to all the sponsors and en-

trants! Well the 2019 Moreton Island ARB Fishing Classic started with a bang! From the stunning weather, to the prawn peeling competitions,

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free ice-creams for the kids, amazing random draw prizes and sausage sizzle, most were happy to wait to throw in a line! Massive thanks goes to our wonderful sponsors for supplying $60k worth of cash and prizes! With 350 entrants, random draw and mystery

weight prizes, you didn’t need to be a pro to take home some amazing gear! Thanks also to Dean Miller from Campr and Andrew Mirosch for making this year’s Classic unforgettable with hilarious commentary, calamari, prawn and fish cooking lessons (thanks

for the delicious recipes Andrew) and loads of fishing tips. We’ll be tuning into Campr for the Fishing Classic episode! All the results and photos are on the website, www.moretonislandad ventures.com.au/events/ moreton-island-fishingclassic

Evans Head Fishing Classic

Jun 26- Jul 3

Evans Head – evansheadfishingclassic.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

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 33

The author’s home away from home, a 25m cat with air-conditioned bunker rooms, multiple dining areas and a massive rear and top deck. Skipper James McVeigh and Ken the winner of Mark Berg’s Fishing Addiction competition. Keep an eye out for the show, which airs around April.

Sojourn to the Swains – part three

HIS is the final piece of my threepart series on an epic Swain Reefs fishing trip.

A big thanks to Team Wilson (Clint and Dicko).

If you have missed either of the first two parts, you can find free digital copies of the articles at issuu. com/bnbfishing To give you a brief rundown on the adventure so far, Wilson Fishing compiled a motley crew to test some of their awesome fishing gear. Topics covered to date include a break down on all the rods, lures, fish and everything in between. For this final script I’m covering my favourite

JC sampling some of the dogtooth sashimi.

Boat Review by BEN COLLINS

fishing technique, what is was really like on Big Cat Reality Charters and a bit of karma. As this was my first trip to the Swain Reefs, I was of the opinion that the very remote places we planned to fish would consist of the fish just jumping on the hooks with little or no effort. While that can sometimes be the case, often you still need to work out the best technique for that location at the time. Interestingly enough, when we finally reached the northernmost point of the trip, which was also the most remote (we were actually east of Mackay, a long way north of the harbour at Bundaberg where we departed), we discovered the fishing wasn’t actually as good as some of the areas we had previously fished. Odd you might say, which is what I thought as well, but we soon discovered after the crew did a bit of free diving that the reef appeared to have been damaged from either severe storms or cyclones. However, one of the beauties of this trip was the freedom to move about, so it was back to some hot fishing spots we discovered on the way north.

Big Cat Reality Charters offers you the option of bringing your own vessel on these extended trips.

Page 34 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

Techniques Fishing techniques obviously depend on what fish is being targeted, and while the aim of nailing plenty of ‘red’ fish was part of the mission, Sean (Tiny) and I seemed to have an overriding magnetism to the more silver fish, specifically some brute GTs. In order to hook one of these fish that patrolled the various bommies and reef edges you needed to ideally find bait. Finding bait can be as simple as seeing it spray out of the water as a large predator chased it or sounding it up with your sounder. Interestingly, a lot of the baitfish were small, but this didn’t seem to deter the GTs, which we found ready to ambush a wellpresented topwater lure cast to the edge of frightened baitfish. The plan to catch these drag-pulling monsters, after we located bait and had current pushing against an edge of some sort, was to fan-cast both stickbaits and large poppers. As it turned out, the stickbaits were by far the best choice, with the Zerek Zappelin doing all the damage over the 10 days. That’s right, zero GTs on poppers. I’m not entirely sure why this was the case, but it may have been due to the fact the stickbaits allowed a larger variety of retrieves. They could be worked anywhere from very slow with extended pauses to a fast twitch across the surface. Both techniques scored fish, so it’s safe to say it is important to mix up your retrieves to find out what is working best. It is also good to work in tandem with your fishing partner so you can cover the most ground and both get casts away in ‘prime’ spots. However, the old ‘hail Mary’ to the wider

grounds also produced fish. This went against the trend, but these fish were easier to land because they were further from the structure. When chasing the monsters, it is also important to have the right gear, which I have covered previously, but what I haven’t talked about is how much drag to run. Basically, a lot. The ATC reels were pretty much wound up to full drag (‘sunset’ is the technical term) so you could barely pull any drag off with your hand. This might seem like a lot, but it was amazing how fast some of the bigger fish could rip the line off the reel, even with that amount of drag. This is where it is extremely important to have a well-designed rod, because it makes trying to

control these fish much easier. The weapons of choice were the Venom GT Popper (I used the PE8, which was ideal for me). Not too strong to make fighting the fish hard, but stiff enough to turn their massive heads away from the reef. Something else we did when one person hooked up was to get the other lure in and jump on the engine in case we had to pull the fish away from the reef or get the boat in a better position. Doing this can be the difference between landing and losing one of these fish because they can easily drag around the tenders. It is worth noting that even though we did bring a few fish on board for photos, all the GTs were released and all swam * continued P35

The author with one of the many monster GTs caught on a Zappelin stickbait.

Nice one Gary. Not only did he rip this GT in in short time, he also saved the author’s bacon by getting his rod and reel back.

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Sojourn to the Swains – part three * from P34

away strongly. Apart for the initial strike, when you see these monsters come out of the water and smash a lure, watching them swim off gracefully is just as exciting and even a little more rewarding. Big Cat Reality Charters For what was initially a dive charter boat, the Big Cat Reality Charters team has turned this vessel into an awesome extended fishing charter boat. Everything about the operation is done with complete professionalism from all the crew and captain. However I, or more so my wife, was not very happy with Jeff the chef because I put on about 4kg in 10 days. But the food was unreal, and we ate like kings, so a little extra weight was to be expected. Who can say no to char-

grilled coral trout wings and a Stone’s Ginger Beer after a long day fishing on the tender, and this or some other delicacy is what we came home to each day before we settled into our actual dinner. The hospitality didn’t stop there because all the crew and James the skipper were happy to pass on plenty of tips and tricks for maximising our trip both on and off the water. In terms of fishing vessels, they were 4.1m SmartWave boats with 50hp Mercury tiller steers that had been specifically set up for the mix of fishing you will encounter. While 4.1m doesn’t seem big, they were deepsided boats and had lots of lean rails to assist when fishing a big fish. All tenders were fitted with quality Garmin electronics that you were fully briefed on how to use. However, if you want,

Jeff the chef cooked a mean meal and wasn’t too bad at sourcing fresh crayfish, which were devoured one night for dinner.

Enjoying a cold Stone’s Ginger Beer as the sun set.

you can bring your own boat on the trip, which is what the Wilson Fishing boys did. This is awesome because you can bring along a bigger boat you are familiar with. Overall, I couldn’t fault the team and I felt a little spoilt because all our gear was loaded by the crew into the tender each day, our fish were cleaned and Cryovacced, boats washed daily and many more things, leaving plenty of time to rehydrate and chat with new mates. It is worth noting you do drive the tenders yourself, but that is all part of the adventure and it allows you to pick and choose what sort of fishing you want to do. If you are after a charter trip of a lifetime, I can highly recommend Big Cat Reality Charters. For more information on trip destinations, dates, cost and more, check out bigcatreality.com You won’t be disappointed. Thanks There are several people I’d like to thank who enabled me to go on this trip of a lifetime. First, I’d like to thank the team at Wilson Fishing. It was an honour to get the call-up and I relished the chance to test some new gear. I already have and use plenty of their gear, but it was good to try some stuff I wouldn’t normally put in my stable. Thanks also goes to the team at Big Cat Reality Charters. You guys made this trip ultra-enjoyable and it was an absolute pleasure to be aboard the boat. Thanks must also go to Principal Scot Steinhardt at Victoria Point Hight School (where I’m currently on a contract as well as doing the mags) for approving my extended leave – much appreciated. And finally, thanks to my wife for looking after the kids while I was away ‘working’.

With a few modifications, the SmartWaves made catching everything from reefies to GTs easy.

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Somehow, she doesn’t see the funny side of this statement. Karma I thought I’d leave this to last, but karma did strike while away on the trip. After giving fellow scribe Greg Lamprecht a sneaky cheap shot in my editorial before I left about losing a rod on his trip aboard Big Cat, I too managed to throw a very nice Venom rod over the side of the boat first cast one morning. After it had slipped from my grip, I yelled to Tiny that I was jumping in, but he said he had it… as it disappeared out of reach in an instant and sank to the bottom. Disbelief set in and I immediately thought back to my dig at Greg as I pondered what to do next. Should we call it in, knowing full well I was going to cop it big time from the guys for the rest of the trip, or just cry silently and not mention it? Well, I bit the bullet and Tiny called it in over the radio to see if one of the crew could free dive and retrieve the rod. Fortunately, we marked the spot on the GPS, so had a good idea of where it was, but as the sun was low in the sky and there was a bit of cloud cover, we couldn’t see the rod, despite doing a few runs back and forth over the mark. Unbeknownst to me, JC was at the ready and somehow managed to record most of the conversation between the tender and the mother ship, so there was undisputable evidence of the mishap. With my head hung in shame, we continued to fish for a while as the mother ship made its way up the coast so a couple of the boys could bring a spare tender out to try to get the rod. Thankfully, we managed to find the rod and reel on our return to the spot. Unfortunately, this took a little while and with the tide rising all the time, the original depth of around 10m soon increased to 15m, which was getting on the free dive limit of the crew. After Aaron’s initial attempts to hook it with a makeshift grapple failed, Gary called it and said he would dive. Kitted up with weight belt, fins and a camo suit, he set off for the bottom. After what seemed like a fair while (and probably seemed even longer for Gary), the surface of the water was finally broken and the silence broken as the tip of the Venom was slowly raised towards the sky to cheers of joy. Relief set in as Gary took a few deeps breaths and explained that a good trout was sitting just next to it. How do you beat that!?

Sammy Hitzke and Clint were definitely no slouches when it came to landing some cracker fish. At times it felt like Sammy could even lasso them.

One of the many cracking GTs landed on this awesome trip.

Tiny was all smiles with this capture.

The crew were top notch in making sure the boats were cleaned and ready for action every day.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 35

2019 AFTA Product Awards

Page 36 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

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Gold Coast produces great offshore fishing

HILE the weather has warmed, so has the fishing.

There have been great catches right along the Gold Coast, with the beaches and reefs firing. Some extra-oversize tailor have been caught in the local gutters and along South Stradbroke Island. Some have been so big, at first sight you’d be calling them for a jewfish.

Gold Coast by HEATH ZYGNERSKI

A few surfer mates have told me the tailor are so thick they are kicking them as they paddle to catch a wave. They’d better be careful they don’t lose a toe, with the teeth on tailor being extremely sharp.

You may as well just throw some hooks and a sinker over the side as a sacrifice to the fish gods, because you don’t have a chance in hell to land them. If fishing a bit deeper in 50-70m of water, pearl perch have been schooling. The tell-tale diamond school shape is a dead giveaway the fish are pearlies. Out on the wide grounds about 70km offshore, anglers have been pinching themselves at the insane yellowfin tuna fishing. Fish over 50kg have been landed and some boats have had to pull the pin early because the anglers simply can’t lift their arms anymore. Mixed in with the yellowfin are marlin, wahoo and mahi mahi. It has truly been a fisher’s paradise. The next months should

Blake from M2B was happy with his first snapper of the morning.

On the local reefs, snapper have been keeping anglers busy. On one of my recent trips I was astounded to see a mass of snapper right under the boat. The school would have numbered in the hundreds and they were clearly spawning. It was truly an amazing sight. We moved on and left them to their business. Mixed in with the snapper, jewies have been a welcome by-catch and give a good account of themselves on the lighter gear traditionally used for snapper. The same can’t be said for yellowtail kingfish, which make you look stupid on light gear.

A helping hand was needed to hold Taylor’s snodger snapper.

Taylor showed the boys how it’s done with this great pearlie.

bring stable weather and great fishing as that warm water makes its way down with everyone’s favourite, the mackerel. I have noticed cicadas have already started chirping, which signals the change of seasons is truly in full swing. It’s just a waiting game for the Christmas beetles to start flying around, signalling the mackerel won’t be too far away. We’re just lucky we have the snapper to keep us entertained. Tweed River Bar hasn’t changed for months. It’s still shallow in the mouth and the bank out the back is around 4m under water on the full tide. I saw a survey vessel in the bar last trip out, so hopefully we will see the dredge back down Tweed soon. Currumbin Creek Bar is narrow and shallow. It will make things very interesting when the mackerel start running. Those with smaller tinnies should be OK, but anyone with a large boat is going to have major dramas. Tallebudgera Creek Bar is being dredged. It is only for flood mitigation though and doesn’t really help anyone using the bar because they don’t go right to the entrance. The Seaway is in good shape. Just take care to the north. Bent rods to you all.

Brandan landed this snapper in 50m on a soft plastic.

Mitch christened his new SP combo with this great fish.

Lance caught this solid fish on the local reefs off Tweed Heads.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 37

BOATING & marine

Brisbane Boat Show closes promising Changing of the guard a busy upcoming boating season

HE Brisbane Boat Show closed recently having delivered a new round of optimism for the marine industry.

With over 70 businesses presenting a broad variety of lifestyle options for visitors, recreational boating was the winner with the closing sentiment be-

ing the upcoming summer will be a busy one for the waterways in and around Southeast Queensland. Show organisers, the Boating Industry Association Ltd, says the Brisbane Boat Show is a forum for industry to educate the public about the joys of the lifestyle, whilst providing an opportunity for them to buy products and services. This might be to either start boating for the first time, or to upgrade existing gear to better suit individual needs. Southeast Queens-

new model FEATURES: • Adrenalin hull • Ultimate edge transom • Larger front casting deck • Live bait tank

Page 38 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

land remains the heart of the boat building industry in Australia, and local builders take the opportunity to present their new products at the Show, as well as research those attending with the view to understanding the needs that can shape products of the future. Domenic Genua, general manager of marketing & events for the association said, “This year’s show season has been very good for industry. “These events provide a vital forum to create opportunity by bringing industry together with an interested public.” The newly revived show welcomed 15,993 guests over the three days. Whilst sentiment didn’t bring vast numbers, exhibitors have reported those who did attend were keen to engage. Dates for 2020 have already been set for August 21-23, where the Association will celebrate the 60th edition of the show.

Long-time Karee Marine owners Trevor and Heather Rowe recently handed the business over to Darren Duncombe and his partner Bianka. The BNB Team congratulates Trevor and heather on fostering such a successful business and wishes to new owners all the best in this next exciting chapter.

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BOATING & marine Book My Boat: connecting Australians who love boating

We caught up with managing director Matthew Lloyd to learn more about the business and the new and exciting opportunities it creates for boaters throughout Australia. So what is Book My Boat and how does it work? Book My Boat is an online marketplace, similar to the likes of Airbnb and Camplify. Private boat owners can list their boats for hire when they are not using them, creating a new opportunity to generate an income from their idle boat. We provide a booking system, secure payment gateway, comprehensive insurance and all the procedures required to rent your boat out with peace of mind. For existing boat hire companies, Book My Boat is a brand-new marketing platform to maximise brand promotion. Generating an income from our idle boats. What a great idea? Where did the business concept come from? Collectively, we’ve been involved in the maritime transport/tourism, boat hire and the technology industries for over 20 years. With the share economy booming in other industries around Australia and the world (Uber, Airbnb, Camplify, to name a few) we thought it was about time the boating industry enjoyed the benefits it can provide. Can anyone list their boat for hire? Yes, almost anyone can list their boat for hire. The first step is to register the boat as a domestic commercial vessel with AMSA. The great news is boats under 7.5m length and powered by an outboard engine may be exempt from needing a Certificate of Survey (AMSA EX02) when they’re registered as a Hire and Drive vessel. This removes the costs and inspection requirements previously required. AMSA have done a great job optimising the domestic commercial vessel requirements in recent years which has really simplified the requirements for low risk operations such as shelwww.bnbfishing.com. au

tered waters Hire and Drive. What about boats over 7.5m? Are these able to be hired out via the Book My Boat platform? Yes, absolutely. Boats of all size are welcome as long as they’ve transferred to a commercial registration. Do you assist boat owners transfer their registrations to Hire and Drive? Yes, a large part of what we do is assist boat owners upgrade to a commercial Hire and Drive registration. We manage the entire application process on behalf of the boat owner which includes creating a Safety Management System and lodging and monitoring the applications with AMSA. The other benefit to the Hire and Drive registration is that it’s very affordable. A five-year registration with AMSA costs only $377. This gives a massive saving of over $1,400 when compared to recreational boat registration of a 6m long boat. Plus, if you rent your boat out, some of your boat and associated expenses can generally be deducted from your annual tax return. Wow, so this means your rego, storage, repairs and maintenance, fuel etc can all be considered as a possible tax deduction? Yes, absolutely. In proportionate to the hire use. So what are the Book My Boat benefits for existing boat hire companies? As a peer to peer marketplace we have individual boat owners frequently promoting their listings via their own social media accounts. This creates huge exposure and traffic through the marketplace, far more than a typical company can generate or expect to receive organically. The marketplace becomes a hype of rental activity throughout Australia and the perfect place for a Boat Hire operator to promote their business and secure new sales from locals and tourists alike. We offer a discounted commission for existing Boat Hire companies who maintain their own insurance. Boab Boat Hire has recently come onboard with their nine franchises and 30 boats which is a great show of support and validation for what we’re doing. That’s a good point.

What happens with my insurance if I were to rent out my boat on the Book My Boat marketplace? Book My Boat has arranged for comprehensive insurance coverage for the entire rental period. This means that both the boat owner and customer are covered should there be an unfortunate incident. Boat owners should still maintain their private insurance for their own recreational use.

OK, so how do we rent a boat online? Just log on to www. bookmyboat.com.au and follow the prompts. Once you create your account you can rent your first boat within minutes. We’ve currently got boats for hire in multiple locations along the east coast and with new listings being added regularly, we’ll soon have boats everywhere to suit everyone’s needs. How can boat owners

contact you if they’re interested in listing their boat for hire? They can visit our website www.bookmyboat. com.au which contains all our contact details or jump onto social media where we can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin. Alternatively, Boab Boat Hire has come onboard as our regional dealer and can assist boat owners in their local areas.

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new consoles, casting platforms, bunks, upholstery and transoms (depending on the model). We’ve also added thicker and higher topsides and raised the deck, for more freeboard. With the new Apex Hull you get more room to spread out and enjoy your day on the water. Who could ask for more?

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Sunshine Coast | Caloundra Marine 8 Baldwin St, Caloundra Q 4551 T: 07 5491 1944 caloundramarine.com.au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 39

BOATING & marine

Putting the acid on rust stains

EADING marine products retailer Boating and RV, which has stores at Capalaba, Slacks Creek, Tingalpa and Townsville, has joined with Bush ‘n Beach to bring you a regular column with some serious information and news about general boating products.

Here, director Aaron Hunt looks at how to remove ‘tea staining’ from stainless steel. Nothing is worse than

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Page 40 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

seeing a beautifully clean white fibreglass hull marred by tea stains flowing down from stainless steel fittings. For some reason, that light coloured stain under the bowsprit bolts, or appearing to drip down from stainless screws, or adding an unattractive blemish to removable deck wash drain screws, seems to be the first thing, middle and final thing that catches the eye.

Nice hull, shame about the stains. But removing them is a lot simpler than many people think. Yes, you can beaver away with fibreglass polish in a series of ‘wax on, wax off’ moves that would make Mr Miyagi of Karate Kid fame, very proud. Or you take a short, fast, inexpensive route that will deliver a result that will make everyone proud. The secret is to get some phosphoric acid on to the job. Phosphoric acid which is H3PO4 is a weak acid (by chemical definition), that just loves to react chemically with the tea stain, which is a form of surface rust. You can buy it in undiluted one litre plastic bottles and break it down in accord with the manufacturer’s directions, quite often one part phosphoric acid to five parts water, or you can purchase it in an already-diluted, ready to go, 750ml litre ‘spray on’ bottle. You’ll find it marketed under names such as Septone’s Boat Care series of products where it is described as rust stain remover. The process is simple – taking care not to get it in your eyes, your mouth, inhaling it or spraying it on sensitive skin, you simply squirt a little on to the affected area. Let it sit there for five or 10 minutes, then rinse off with a jet of water. You might like to use a soft sponge, a soft bristle brush, an old toothbrush or a rag to really push it into the grooves and assist penetration. But there’s no need to go hacking or grinding away. Badly affected areas might require a repeat application. Again, just rinse off when done. It won’t affect your fibreglass in fact, it will help remove some of the oxidation that might be appearing on the fibreglass. I saw one client pour a one litre bottle into a six litre air pressure sprayer – the type with a pump handle that you will find in Bunnings for around $6, then spray his entire boat. He did a side at a time, then the bow, then the transom rinsing it off after each stage. That one litre bottle allowed him to go over his six and a half metre half cabin boat, twice. The job was completed in less than two hours and that included removing very stubborn stains from some particularly hard places.

His 10-year-old boat came up a treat – even more so after he then polished his boat the following day. For those people who have that characteristic dirty, muddy discoloration around their transom, close to their sterndrive leg, phosphoric acid again could be the ideal solution – literally. In the same way as dealing with stain steel tea staining, just spray it on to the fibreglass and leave it for five to 10 minutes (the worse the marking, the longer you leave it on) and then wipe it with a soft rag before thoroughly rinsing off. One guy we know thought the staining around the transom of his sterndrive might be caused by water ingress – the fear of having to replace the transom was weighing heavily on his mind. He thought he might be looking at perhaps a $10,000 repair. Imagine his joy when we suggested first trying to remove the mark with phosphoric acid as a starting point to ascertain whether it was in fact a blemish that originated and was restricted to the outside surface. Less than $20 later and suddenly, he was back in love with his boat and its shining, immaculate transom. It often is a good idea to take a spray bottle away with you when you go camping with your boat. Many caravan parks have a lot of trees to provide shade for tents and vans. They also provide a lot of branches for sap-like drips and fauna which results in bird and animal droppings as well as varieties of flower seeds, pollens and tree leaves which leave marks on a boat parked under them for a day or two. Again, just a quick squirt, wait five or 10 minutes, perhaps give the affected area a wipe and then wash it off taking care not to send the runoff into any sensitive area from an environmental perspective. And how environmentally safe is it? Well, we’re not in a position to give a full environmental assessment, but you will find that phosphoric acid is regularly included in many commercial cola soft drinks, although I’m not suggesting it is there in the same strength as that for cleaning your boat. www.bnbfishing.com. au

BOATING & marine Insights into boat insurance

USH ‘n Beach has brought Nautilus Marine Insurance on board to expand the fine print and provide readers with clear, easyto-understand and helpful tips on protecting their boating assets. The scenario There’s nothing like a good series of storms in the US coastal boating states or a significant change in monetary exchange rates to trigger

another zeroing in on the subject of supposedly cheap import opportunities. Thanks to the access provided by internet and social media, some locals start seeing stars and bells and whistles directing them to that 21-foot, brand name, centre console in Florida with twin 150hp outboards on a trailer, for what seems to be a ridiculously cheap price.

Many have undertaken the exercise and either brought them in personally or have done so in conjunction with an import agent. Known as self-imported, parallel or grey imports, they raise a series of questions including downstream legal liabilities, warranty issues, clear title of ownership, service history, various scams and social considerations.

While Australian boating industry association branches do not advocate the private importing of these vessels (the industry has from time to time produced brochures and bulletins explaining its reasons for this position), let’s leave those issues aside for a moment and consider one matter that really does need to be considered – its insurability. The owner of the vessel may claim it is exactly the same model boat as sold here in Australia by an authorised agent for that brand, but specialist marine insurers like Nautilus will nonetheless demand a credentialled condition report before any insurance cover is offered. They don’t consider it to be automatically insurable. The condition report is to check on construction and other legal matters which the private importer may have no knowledge about, for example, compliance of the trailer in terms of its legality, its maximum width and the

type and size of hitch, the overall towing width of the boat on the trailer. It also may have to deal with fuel, electrical and gas installations in terms of their compliance with Australian regulations. This may require the services of a qualified marine surveyor. A non-specialist marine insurer might happily note all the relevant details of model, trailer, length, boat construction material etc and issue the insurance cover. However, down the track the new owner might find out there was a clause in the insurance policy that allowed the insurer to void it because the vessel did not comply in some way with governing regulations in Australia. This again proves the sense in insuring your boat with a specialist marine insurer rather than an all-purpose company which insures your car, your dog, your house and contents. But again, moving away from that string of issues which the private import-

er will have to negotiate with authorities and others, there also is the question of insurable value. Just because a boat has an ‘equivalent’ value of $140,000 here, does not mean a specialist marine insurer will automatically insure the privately imported vessel for that value. If a private importer purchased the vessel for $80,000 Australian (not including import costs), then that will be the starting point for the insurance valuation – not the $140,000. The reason is that you are not comparing ‘same for same’ – you are comparing an authorised import with the associated protections that brings, against a privately imported vessel of lesser value. It is a similar situation in the automotive industry. Finally, insurance is not a method to make additional money out of a circumstance when things go pear-shaped. Rather, it is about compensating the owner for

the loss of an asset in accord with the terms of the policy’s Product Disclosure Statement. As always, any special conditions and excesses should always be explained clearly in your insurance policy’s Product Disclosure Statement. Always check your Product Disclosure Statement and if you have a query, ask for clarification. If you need further information, you can contact Nautilus Marine Insurance on 1300 780 533 for any boat insurance requirements. Win a Nautilus Prize Package Nautilus will also be answering your boat insurance questions of a general nature and will be offering a great bimonthly prize to the best questions received. The prize is a Nautilus Marine merchandising pack comprising a collapsible chiller bag, handy marine sports bag and cap. Just email your questions to qld@nautilusin surance.com.au

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

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 43

Josh with a nice spangled emperor hooked on a soft plastic. Lachlan Baker

Lachlan Burling hooked this 61cm grunter on a run-out tide in the back reaches of Coorooman Creek, Emu Park. Nick Burling

Chris Whatson boated this quality jewfish during a recent weekend trip.

Levi picked up this shark in Moreton Bay.

Isla and Jaxon Algie with 58cm and 63cm flathead for dinner caught on hard-bodies during a Sunday session in the Logan River. James Algie Paul Harwood caught this nice golden perch at Lake Wivenhoe using a 70mm bass grub.

This is a Murray cod we caught at Leslie Dam around 5.30am on a surface lure. Noah and Ricky

Did a trip out of Tannum and fished Guthries Shoal, picking up plenty of nice reef fish. Mick Brown

I got this monster jack in Hervey Bay recently on Time N Tide Charters. Jared Beale

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. Paul Mundey landed this 128cm threadfin among many metre-plus fish during a session in the Fitzroy River at Rockhampton.

■ Readers Forum ■ Readers Forum ■ Readers Forum Page 44 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

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Champion angler Tracy Chelepy.

Cindy Meyers with a good-looking salty barra.

WTF… Women That Fish

HIS was year number eight of women getting to fish together in the WTF Women That Fish Barra Classic in Queensland.

WTF organiser Shara Van Haeren with her best barra for the event.

We fished the Fitzroy River at Rockhampton, chasing the ever-popular barramundi. Over time this event has evolved into the major women’s saltwater fishing comp in Queensland. The Fitzroy river – “the Roy” as the locals call it – is quickly growing to be one of the most popular rivers in central Queensland for catching

King threadfin like this are pretty common in the Roy and come in metre-plus sizes.

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Shelly Newton captured an 83cm barra.

Competiton Report by HELEN ABDY

saltwater barramundi. It’s a fantastic river system that runs from the mouth at Port Alma, through Rockhampton town centre and to the barrage where the fresh and salt water meet, with no commercial nets in between. WTF was established in 2012 when a fishoholic female from Biloela saw an opening for a fishing comp in the salt for women. WTF organiser Shara has since continued developing the event, along with a loyal band of fellow fishos. There used to be a freshwater comp for the girls in this region and it was absolutely fantastic, and maybe one day it will return, but in the meantime the Roy is the perfect place for catching salty barra. Amy, the organiser of the freshwater women’s comp at Awoonga Dam had stepped aside for family reasons but has begun assisting in the judging of some of the sections of WTF. This year Shara was

joined on stage by coorganiser Kalana who just shines and makes everyone feel welcome. This year, 87 female fishos and 48 male skippers totalled 49 teams. These women and girls came from as far as northern NSW in the south and Cairns in the north. Each year there are newcomers who are welcomed as much as the ‘old timers’. It’s a welcoming atmosphere for all. You don’t have to be a seasoned barra fisher to join in. The hardest part of the event is being a male skipper… but it’s so rewarding. The skippers can’t fish and can’t hold a rod unless getting a lure off a snag. They skipper the boats, find the fish, net fish, tie knots and that’s pretty much it… however, they are also allowed to keep everyone hydrated and rub sunscreen onto legs. This year’s skippers theme was superheroes. I am sure it wasn’t just the girls who decided what the skippers dressed as. I saw the boys having too much fun with this. If you like to have a skipper but can’t find a bloke, you can have a female skipper, as we did this year. I fished with my longtime friend Gail who came down from Mackay and we were going great guns when on day two my electric motor shut down. Closer inspection showed the batteries in the remote were flat… rookie error. We decided on a short run back to the boat ramp and a quick hustle into somewhere to get batteries that would hopefully fix the problem. We tied up on the pontoon at the boat ramp and as I scurried back to the car Gail explained our dilemma to a fisher flicking lures off the pontoon. Well he met me on the way to the ute and said he

had batteries and maybe he could help. Indeed he did. You’re a legend Jake. Thanks to Bush ‘n Beach and their sponsorship of the event I gave Jake my nomination subscription for the mag and maybe we’ll see some of his catches in these pages. It doesn’t take much to help each other out. Each year all competitors gather at the very comfortable Riverside Tourist Park on Rockhampton’s north side, located right on the river. It’s a great park with all the amenities and friendly staff who also fish and have assisted WTF since day dot. This year the briefing night was held at the Gracemere Hotel and Gavin and his crew couldn’t do enough to help support the girls and guys

through the whole comp. On the fishing scene it was pretty tough this year, with not as many fish landed as expected, but that’s fishing. All teams fished hard and as easy as it is to give up when the going is tough, one team fished ‘til the very end and landed a winning barra just two minutes before knock-off. This comp doesn’t just cater for the biggest and best, as even the smallest fish count, and if you don’t get any fish, other categories can see you win you something. One lucky lady, Elissa Parnaby, and skipper Ryan Fennell from team Bean Flickin towed a new boat home. The beautiful pink Clark 3.15m tinnie registered on a trailer with a 6hp Mer* continued P46

WTF co-organiser Kalana Thomas brings a smile to everyone’s face.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 45

Central Queensland’s wild barra population

B Barra can be frustrating. It took a switch of techniques from lures to a live bait to get this one to bite in the Calliope River.

Phil with a nice mid-sized fish that took a 90mm hard-body fished over a rock bar in a small creek off Gladstone Harbour.

A good sounder helps. This sounder shot is from Awoonga Dam of a sunken tree with a school of good barra sitting off it.

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ARRA are the fish that will be on just about every estuary angler’s mind as we move into October because it’s the last month to target these iconic fish before their closed season.

These chrome sided fish are a sight when they jump. Even people who have caught plenty still get a hit of adrenalin when a good sized barra surfaces. Central Queensland houses a great population of wild barra and shouldn’t be looked past for more northern areas as a viable barra fishing holiday. With Rockhampton only a six to eight-hour drive from Brisbane, it makes it a cheaper alternative and can be effectively fished over a weekend. The introduction of the net-free zone a few years ago has boosted the population of both barra and threadfin salmon. The average size of the fish has risen and since the big fish are no longer being taken out, large trophy sized fish are more common. You still can’t expect to turn up and get straight into the fish, even finding large numbers of fish cannot guarantee the fish will be biting. Tide, temperature, water clarity, wind and weather are just some of the major factors which can influence how the fish bite. Cracking a pattern on where the fish are, what stage of the tide they bite and what they will bite on will see you get into some good size fish and come the end of the day good numbers. With the Fitzroy River, Port Alma and its surrounding waterways being such a large area to fish it can sometimes take a few trips to start to get an idea on the best way to fish these systems. Basing yourself in Rockhampton you have an array of different accommodation styles, from caravan parks to hotel rooms or even houses on the water. It is great to come home from a day’s fishing being able to top the boat up with good priced fuel, grab your supplies for the next day at the supermarket, then head out for dinner with many great options to suit your cravings and budget. Drop into the local tackle store to get the lowdown on where the fish have been biting and what lure or bait has worked the best. If you want to leave the boat at home, there’s the option to fly into Rockhampton and jump aboard one of the charter operators that work out of the region. If you’re after a bit of competition, there are

Gladstone Region by GARY CHURCHWARD

now five to six fishing competitions held in the region annually from social to the more competitive barra tournaments. Gladstone doesn’t have the same numbers of barra as the Fitzroy and Port Alma and can fish differently than these areas. Barra are found in smaller schools of often only one to five fish. You will need to cover more distance to find these fish and they will often move quickly once pressured. Often a live bait will get more fish out of these smaller schools than a lure, with the fish soon shutting down after a fish is caught. The joy of an area like Gladstone is the diversity of fish species found so close by with plenty of different river and creeks close by the harbour and headlands of the islands and reefs and wrecks just outside the harbour to be fished. You can be fishing the deeper sections of the harbour for fingermark, black jew, barra and the odd reef fish, then hit a headland or pressure point for a queenfish or trevally. Next you can be chasing the birds for tuna and mackerel fishing the flats for permit and trevally then racing up a river or creek looking for barra, mangrove jacks and salmon. Depending on the size of your boat there are plenty of close by reef systems to bottom bash or headlands to throw poppers at for trevally and queenfish. If you have a larger boat, the Great Barrier Reef is an option depending on

weather conditions and how far you want to travel. Awoonga Dam is a great option for a getaway, especially if you’re looking for a barra fix while the season is closed. With a caravan park and cabin accommodation nearby it allows you to fish the early morning bite rest during the day and fish again late afternoon and into the evening. Gladstone has plenty of accommodation to suit all lifestyles and budgets for weekend away or extended holiday. Justin at Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing is the local guide and can arrange trips from a 1/2 day on the dam chasing barra and a morning out the front looking for tuna and queenfish, to extended charters to cater for anything you want to chase. I have just touched on the two larger towns in our region. There are many other small places to fish which offer an excellent fishingholiday. On a fishing front, the

warmer weather will have set in, water temps will have jumped and the barra will be more actively feeding and a longer bite period. Jacks will be firing. They are another fish which will respond to the increase in water temperature. An early morning and afternoon surface session will be the way to go. Blue salmon will still be around, just not in big schools as they tend to spread out as the temperature jumps. Fingermark and grunter will still be a good option to chase target them in slightly deeper water as we move into summer. Crabs need a good flush from rain. This will also get the prawns moving and will influence the fishing as well. With a month to go targeting barra in the salt it’s time to get on the water and chase a few of these fish. If you’re looking for a fishing holiday look at the options available around the Central Queensland region you might be surprised. Cheers and happy fishing from Gladdy.

A typical size barra from the Fitzroy taken on a Fish Trap off one of the many rock piles in the river.

WTF… Women That Fish * from P45

cury outboard was donated by Rifen Marine in Rockhampton. The sponsors help to make the event happen and it’s even more special when these sponsors attend the event. It’s absolutely fantastic to be able to chat with these people about their products. Major sponsors this year were Gracemere Hotel, Motackle, Rifen Marine, Secret Spot Bait & Tackle and Wilson Fishing. Thanks to Shirley, Stephan and Bill from Infofish, along with Track My Fish and the WTF app, which helped keep everything in line. Champion angler ended up being Tracy Chelepy with a total barra

length of 3900mm. Runner-up was Melanie Rapley with a total of 3500mm. Champion team of one was Chasing Tails and runner-up was Team Pingu. Champion team of two was Team Humminbird/Minn Kota, with runner-up Team Primed Lines. Champion team of three was Team Barra Slayers. The biggest barra for the comp measured 830mm and was caught by Shelly Newton, while the smallest was 370mm and caught by Courtney Norman. Only 44 barra were caught and tagged over the two days, along with one blue salmon, two dusky flathead, two goldspotted cod and nine

threadfin salmon. It was pretty tough fishing. We started out well with a solid barra caught in the town reach but went downhill after that. That’s fishing. The top 10 anglers all receiving trophies and medallions were Tracy Chelepy, Melanie Rapley, Cassee Evans, Tara Thompson, Shara Van Haeren, Alice Carige, Shannon Rufus, Amanda Boon, Thisha Campbell and Lisa Huff. Congratulations to everyone who won and everyone who was there. Another fantastic event. If you want to know more about the WTF event, search for the comp on Facebook or contact Shara on 0429 923 424.

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The bloke everyone is chasing. Craig Griffiths is one of the best tournament barra anglers. Who is going to challenge him in this year’s Bounty?

Last chance for a barra fix O CTOBER is the month you want to be on the water chasing those amazing chrome plated missiles.

The water temps are up and the barra are active. The town reaches of the Fitzroy River can be an exciting place to chase barramundi. Why is that I hear you ask? Because where else can you target trophy sized fish in the middle of a CBD for about 10 litres of fuel investment. Even if you only had an electric motor you could still chase top quality. I thought it would be a good idea to dedicate most of the article to the saltwater barramundi as a bit of a fare well. If you’re not aware the salties will be off the hit list as of the of November first for reasons of re populating. Don’t worry if you want to still get your barra fix then you can look to the impoundments and we will look at covering some info next month. So what lures should you look at? The barra here around Rockhampton see a lot of

Capricorn Coast by JOHN BOON

different offerings especially soft vibes. Does that mean you should stay away from commonly used lures? Absolutely not. You will still get bites on even the most common lures that get used as timing is a more critical factor. Some of my favourite vibes include the Samaki Vibelicious Thumper Tail, Reidy’s Fish Snakz and Zerek Fish Trap. The Reidy’s vibes are a bit of a favourite because they are fairly cheap (can pick them up around $10 each), they are built tough and you can pull them out of the packet and go hard with them. No treble or split ring upgrades required. Just make sure with vibes that you get a few different colour variations and sizes because you never know what old pink eyes is going to want on the day. Retrieves will also need to be played with. Generally slow is a rule

The author’s daughter Brooky with her winning junior barra from the King of the Fitzroy competition.

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of thumb when it comes to barra but sometimes they require a bit faster stimulus to get them going. If what you’re doing isn’t working then keep changing retrieves till you find a winner. Slow and long lift and drop, slow twitches along the bottom and multiple hops are just a few that come to mind. You couldn’t go chasing barra without some reliable paddle tail soft plastics. I’ve seen it more often than not when the only bites we have gotten for the day have been on paddle tails. Firstly I love the Big Willy range from Happy Rock Softies. They have a wicked wobble and are ribbed for the barra’s pleasure. I found out not that long ago that Trevor Burgess, who is the mastermind behind HRS actually infuses his plastics with aniseed which is a known fish attractor. No wonder they work. The 5” and 7” Castaic soft plastics are another top choice. The action of these guys needs to be felt through the rod tip, absolutely wicked. They also have a slit on top and below making weedless and stinger setups a breeze. The slits are also good for maximum hook exposure with a standard jig head. Z-Man SwimmerZ are another reliable option in both 4 and 6”. I wouldn’t say the action on these guys is unique in any way, but they just work. One thing they are good for is they are a very durable softie. They are a multiple fish catching machine. Prawn imitations would be a must in the tackle box. Everything eats prawns especially barra.

Zerek Live Shrimp and the new Absolute Shrimp. You can leave them weedless or run a standard jig head in the live shrimp. A slow roll or subtle hops is the way to go. Berkley Gulp 3” Shrimp I would have caught more Fitzroy barra on this plastic than any other. They don’t look like much but are dynamite. It’s all up to the rod user to work the shrimp as there’s no feelers or tail to vibrate or flutter. Small hops along the bottom seem to work best. New on the market are the Holt Productions Swim Prawns. A clever design with some amazing leg action. Just search the name on Facebook and you will definitely need a packet. So now that you’ve got some deadly beaut barra lures, where is the best place to cast them? Simple answer is where the barra are schooling or potential funnelling areas. I usually work on an * continued P48

Mick Slade with a solid salty. A very experienced barra angler.

Colin Brett is no stranger to catching barra. Him and his partner Sladey are a lethall local team always competing at the top of the leader board.

There were some absolute horse threadies caught in this year’s King of the Fitzroy competition.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 47

Spectacular springtime in Stanage Bay

H An awesome haul of tuskfish.

A happy crabber.

ELLO everyone and welcome to October!

At this stage things on the water have been rather quiet so I’d be half leaning towards parking the boat up and partaking in some Oktoberfest festivities but then out of nowhere you just might miss your lucky shot. Heading into the bay will be a little less strenuous on the vehicles as the road is currently being maintained and brought back to a decent standard. Campgrounds are quiet for this time of year so not a bad time to come and get a spot before the rush and the heat returns. Jewfish are still quiet at the jewhole. Usually they are gearing up around this time of year. Worth anchoring up though and having a try, keeping in mind the new take home quotas are in place at reduced numbers. Spoon lures and any of your larger gold and silver speck trolling lures can be dusted off ready to chase mackerel. Sail Rock is an excellent

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Page 48 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

Stanage Bay by PEE WEE

place to start. If you are over near Hexam Island, Otterbourne is not a bad place for exploring. Some nice nannygai, stipeys, cod and coral trout are being caught around the Marbles and check out the excellent haul of tusk fish caught out there. The Percy Isles has had some top weather but fishing rather steady. The odd good catch but not the usual ‘every boat’s a winner’ deal. Sharks have been a bit of a pest with increased numbers due to all the whales hanging about. The whales and their young and are heading north, nice and close to land, putting on a brilliant display. Nighttime fishing usually provides some great entertainment with good sweetlip and squid in the quiet anchorages around the Marbles but even they’re amiss.

The old saying “drought on land, drought at sea” is living true to its word. The mud crabs are in hiding making every holiday makers trip certainly a challenge. In these quieter times it doesn’t hurt to explore some different territory.

There are some great little fishing spots straight off the rocks in some hidden away locations. Just ask a local. Oysters are filling out nicely so make sure you bring an oyster pick so you can have a feed of one of life’s little luxuries. If you’re out of luck on the fishing front, why not spend the day exploring the multitudes of islands out there and try some beach combing.

Some of the most unique finds have been discovered out here and just that little something might top off your collection. A day well spent. If all else fails, make the most of some relaxation. Set up camp or book a room and head across to the Crab Pot Bar for a refreshing cold beer! Enjoy your month wherever it may lead and fingers crossed for some great catches to come.

Harrison Witshire with his beaut muddies.

Last chance for a barramundi fix

* from P47

80/20 rule for the Fitzroy. 80 percent of the time we are casting at fish seen on the sounder and the other 20 percent we are casting at potential areas or places we have caught fish in the past. A good quality side image sounder is a must. Locating barra rich spots is a big step in getting them on the deck. Learning to use this tool would be a priority if wanting to improve your barra performance, especially on the Fitzroy. Now let’s have a look at some of the rocky barra bounty big guns and why they do so well. We can all learn from the professionals because they spend large amounts of time on the water to get it down to a fine art. Craig Griffiths has won the bounty more times than any other fisher. First of all, Griffo has a Skeeter so travelling to and between spots is quick. Less time travelling and more time fishing, a big tick. The skeeter is loaded with electronics that Griffo has fine-tuned and knows how to use very well. He spends a lot of time searching for spots away from main traffic areas. He also knows how to read the fishes behaviour off the sounder screen. The beer and Bundy boys would be second to mind consisting of Aaron Dial and Quintin Maclean.

These boys also have a big fast boat. They are both local, therefore doubling the amount of time on the water (local knowledge is king). They work very well as a team because they have fished together for a lot of years. They both have a very good understanding of electronics. Thirdly, Colin Brett and Mick Slade have another very strong team bond just like the beer and Bundy boys. Both local and both spend a fair amount of time on the water. They have caught a heap of barra between them, so they know what barra want at each spot they fish. All three of these teams have the comp fundamentals down to a fine art. Sounder gurus, allocating time to searching, finding out bite times and what lures the fish want.

Teamwork, which has also been mentioned is another highly underrated value. Watch a good team on the water and you will know exactly what I mean. The best thing to do is get out there with a few lures and techniques I have outlined as the Fitzroy is calling. King of the Fitzroy comp results Back in late-August the King of the Fitzroy thready comp was held. The first day was a tough one mainly due to the weather. It would blow, then the rain would fall, then the sun would come out and then it would rain again. No wonder the bites were tough. My daughter managed to land a 105cm thready and a small barra, that was it for the day. Sunday the weather was kinder and the fish responded accordingly. We didn’t fish the sec-

ond day as we had prior arrangements. Wayne Bryant took out the champion title with a 1.45m monster thready. Second went to Clint Rayner at 1.35m and third went to Wally Spencer at 1.34m. Biggest barra was taken out by Paul Housman at 91cm which was a fantastic capture with the conditions. Jack Bennett won the junior threadfin at 1.19m, which was a PB and my daughter Brooky got the junior barra at 45cm. Out of the 25 threadies landed for the comp only three of them were under a metre which just shows what is swimming around in the Rockhampton NFZ. A big thankyou to Bluefin Sports, Barra Jacks, Rise Environmental and Guiding Service and the Criterion Hotel for being the major sponsors.

Quintin Maclean is no stranger to mega-sized barra. Will the beer and Bundy boys take out this year’s Rocky Barra Bounty?

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Patrick with a cracker queenfish caught on a livey.

Grunter like these can really motor in the shallows.

This golden trevally couldn’t resist Shane’s lure.

Taking fishing in the tropics to the next level

I all, after some pretty awesome September weather and fishing in the estuaries, October rolls in and the daytime temperatures start reaching 28C and even 30C at times.

The water temps in some parts of the estuaries start to reach above the 26C mark and the fishing can step up to the next level. Especially when it comes to species like barramundi, mangrove jack and grunter, just to name a few. As November first approaches there will be many anglers flicking a lure or soaking a bait in their favourite spots, before the barra closure puts them off limit for three months. The good news is September and October are usually pretty good

Fishing Mackay by JASON KIDD

weather and tides in the Mackay region. Good weather combined with the warmer waters should give everyone every opportunity to get out there and try the luck while they are biting. This time of year is also when the spanish mackerel start to move out wider and are much harder to find in close coastal waters. The blue salmon thin out in the creeks after their spawning. The barra, king salmon, jacks and grunter become the focus of the estuary fisher, not a bad target list to work with. On a few recent trips I’ve been fishing in the estuaries, islands and in-

lets with a few keen fishos visiting from the south. Flicking soft plastics and soft vibes around the estuaries and coastal shoals provided plenty of exciting and blood pumping action. In the clearer waters like at this time of year when decent rains were months ago and still a while away, looking for any dirty water edges and colour changes created by current, the wind with shore chop whatever are great places to start working. Either a lure retrieved along, across it, through it or a few live baits placed strategically in the area all work. On a receding tide after a south easterly wind col-

our change conditions occur frequently in the estuary and finding a location which also has some sort so structure to hold bait. Usually time spent fishing these areas is time well spent and can provide some great estuary species. A 60cm grunter on a light spin stick when fishing in less than one metre of water over some seriously rock, oyster grounds is explosive action. The variety of species hunting in these areas continued to keep us guessing the whole time as to what we had on the line in the dirty water. Barramundi, king salmon, jacks, fingermark, blue salmon, queenfish and monster bream are all the species ticked off by the crew on the days. Switching it up moving out around the island with the slightly heavier spin

gear 4000-5000s, 8-10kg sticks to jig metals and plastic vibes produced some arm stretching action with some diamond trevally and queenfish both fantastic sports fish in their own rights all taking a 60 micro jig being worked across the bottom. These fish can really test the angler with their fighting abilities, especially queenfish with their added ability to dislodge hook ups with aerial antics. Over their time fishing the crews were reward with over 20 new species for themselves, nearly all of which were released healthily back into the system to fight another day, after some awesome pics of course. Now is the time to take advantage of these fantastic spring conditions and create some of your own fishing stories.

Simon hooked this diamond trevally on a micro jig.

Clinton with a decent fingermark.

IT’S NOT HARD TO SEE WHY SO MANY PEOPLE ARE

y a k c a M Hooked on

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 49

It was all girl power this month, caught on a deep diver Blue Pilly from the Lively Lures range. The spanish mackerel run has started, these fish were caught by Pip and Cat.

Spring brings the barra out F

IRSTLY, a big g’day to everyone and I hope this finds you all well.

Alex holding his PB mangrove jack.

Another month has slipped stealthily by and the weather is starting to warm just a little. Inshore the channel is starting to fire up as the water temperature rises. This is starting to bring the barra out as well as some nice jacks. Tarpon, big bream, grunter, queenies and the rest are starting to bite a bit better and actively chase lures, instead of simply rolling over them

Leanne enjoyed her day with a spanish mackerel.

Hinchinbook News by TEAM CRACKAJACK

or giving them a lazy bump. Fishing with live bait such as herring or poddy mullet is seeing spectacular bust offs with big jacks winning the race back to the snags. A lot of bait seems to be moving into the channel at the moment so finding it has become easier. This also means a lot less throws with the net to fill the tank and get the fishing action underway a bit earlier. Having had such a slow start to the year fishing throughout the channel, all this activity is exciting to say the least as the fish finally start to fire and we look forward to it improving further in the coming months. Offshore has been a little patchy with some great days followed by what seems like an exodus of fish the next, the only sure thing are the sharks. It’s still quite windy here at the moment making conditions uncomfort-

able most days with calm seas being few and far between. Had me thinking the other day, maybe I can start a kite surfing hire shop, then you remember all that bites around here and scrub that idea. We have had good success trying out some new jigs recently, with some cracker days on the golden trevally and nice diamond trevally amongst them. The diamonds are an amazing looking fish, a large lump of chrome and they give a good account of themselves to boot, so much so that between the two species we moved from using the light jigging rods to the heavier popping rods, just so we could get them up a bit quicker and remove the temptation from the taxman. The mackerel are moving in and we have been doing a little more trolling first up in the mornings for them before moving on to the baits and jigs. While trolling one morning we had a double hook-up on mac tuna, we had no sooner got some pictures when a couple of cobia turned up under a passing manta ray. This had us scrambling madly for rods and some-

thing to throw at them, which ended up being the trusty Lively Lures we had been trolling minutes earlier. We got one of the cobia to grab a lure, but they managed to slip the hooks after a brief couple of runs and disappear as quickly as they had turned up, oh well, that’s fishing. The nannygai and sweetlip are still around, tealeaf, big-eye and bludger trevally still coming onboard as well as other species such as redthroat emperor and coral trout, but the size has been a little down on previous months. Hopefully we can get back on track with some legal models soon. While drifting pilchards back in the current recently, hoping for a doggy or a spanish mackerel, we had a take and a fair run on one of the baits, as the fish came to the surface in the distance it looked like a cobia with a big head and mouth. As soon as it surfaced it

had a large escort right on its tail looking hungry, a quick bite and our fish had been magically reduced to not much more than a head, which wasn’t so bad after we got it in, it turned out to be a huge catfish, minus one dorsal spike. The whale sightings have been many and more often than a few times, quite close as one surfaces beside the boat while we we’re trolling and another appears just after we’ve dropped the pick landing perfectly (for a change) on the mark and proceeds to swim directly toward the boat to have a look at what we’re doing. Another resting her calf on her back between two islands, as well as watching the rest of their antics they get up to with big breaches, tail and fin slaps, at a safer distance. Until next time, stay safe and may the winds stay low and the fish count high.

Jeremmy with a spectacular diamond trevally.

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Two full-time local guides!

Come on a Hinchinbrook wilderness fishing holiday and tick some of those trophy fish off your bucket list – barra, mangrove jack, coral trout, GTs, sooty grunter, spanish mackerel, black marlin, queenies, nannygai and more!

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A jigged up golden trevally caught by Jeremmy.

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Setting sails on the Cape

EPTEMBER is a great time of year up here on western Cape York.

We get a few more decent weather windows, the temperature is warming and so is the fishing. The Hay, Mission and Embley rivers are also holding good numbers of barramundi and blue salmon. These fish are hanging around bait drains and adjacent dirty water lines, but watch your sounder because good-sized schools of blue salmon are common and seem to pop up almost anywhere there is bait and dirty water. Good numbers of mangrove jack are being caught in and around the creeks across from Evans Landing and the Pine River. Plenty of fingermark have been caught on small bommies off Mapoon and the grounds just south of Weipa. Heaps of spanish mackerel have been taken wide of Boyd Bay. The talk of the town among fishos in Weipa is definitely the good numbers of sailfish being hooked around the billfish grounds. Reports of double-figure scores are common, and I’ve heard stories of pandemonium involving double and even triple hookups. I recently embarked on a trip with Tim Appleton from Infish Lures to target these speedsters. Tim and I had little experience chasing sailfish but both knew working these fish out would be an exciting learning experience.

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Weipa Wonders by RYAN JAMIESON

It wasn’t long before one of our rods was buckled over and line was peeling off the reel. We left from Evans Landing around 6am and headed towards the billfish grounds. We stopped along the way and dropped on a few marks, which resulted in fingermark and some other bottom dwellers, but after a few drifts we agreed we should keep moving because chasing sails was what we had really come to do. On arrival, we deployed the teaser and set up a spread running three skirted lures. We ran one about 5m behind the boat right next to the teaser, a second 3m behind the teaser and a third just behind the outboard’s bubble trail. We soon found bait and it didn’t take long for our first sail to show itself. The skirt at the back of the spread was engulfed by a small sail, but after a short run it was gone. When trolling for any pelagic species, it’s a good idea to mark any interactions you have with fish on your plotter. This will help you develop a troll pattern as the day goes on. We trolled for another 45 minutes before we saw

the bill of a decent size sailfish pop up behind the teaser. After it turned its attention towards the closest skirt, we noticed it was accompanied by another sailfish. It wasn’t long before one of our rods was buckled over and line was peeling off the reel. I took the rod and Tim proceeded to clear the deck. The fish put on a great acrobatic show, with several jumps and blistering runs, but before long the fish had tired and was boatside. After a few quick photos, the fish was released. During the fight Tim noticed the fish I had hooked was accompanied by two other sails and he managed to hook one on a stickbait, only for it to pull the hooks. On his second attempt, Tim worked his stickbait across the face of the other sail. Next thing we knew his rod was buckled over and it seemed like he was hooked up solid to our first sailfish on a stickbait. However, Tim soon realised his stickbait had

in fact had been snatched from the mouth of the sail by a pesky mack tuna. Soon the spread was back in the water and we found good showings of bait. Once again a bill popped up behind the middle skirt. On further inspection, we noticed four sailfish among the spread. After a few tense moments, line began pouring off one of the reels and this time Tim grabbed the rod. This fish was a little smaller but much more acrobatic and during its first run it jumped five or six times. When Tim brought the fish a little closer to the boat, I saw it was accompanied by another sail, so pitched a stickbait at it and it was eaten, yet a solid hook-up couldn’t be made. After a few more jumps, Tim’s fish was brought boatside and the hooks were removed. A few happy snaps were taken and the sailfish released safely. Now we had hooked and missed two sailfish

on stickbaits, the bar was set and the goal to land a sailfish on a stickbait was made. The teasers and skirts were again deployed and we trolled for another two hours without seeing any action, as it seemed the fish had gone off the chew with the drop in wind. Before heading home we managed to raise one more fish, but it showed no interest in our offering. Unfortunately, on this trip we did not land a sailfish by casting stickbaits, but we weren’t bothered because we learnt so much. We noticed the sails had no hesitation eating the stickbaits, but the problem was our hook set. Next time, we could try lighter-gauge hooks because they would be better to puncture their hard mouths, or running assists to obtain a hook-up deeper inside the mouth where the flesh may be softer. This challenge has given us even more reason to get out there and try again. I hope to see you on the Cape.

The author with his first sailfish.

The sails really reacted to the Infish Sub40 sinking stickbait.

Tim showed off the colours of a sailfish boatside.

A sailfish took to the air.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 51

Saltwater fly sailfish

I The sail gets airborne early in the fight. Photo: Ben Bright

Ben finally grabs the sails bill, note the tandem rigged fly in the side of its jaw.

Reviving the fish before a successful release. Ben has been doing that often during this exceptional season.

have been saltwater fly fishing a bloody long time!

The legendary Ron Pearson, regarded as the father of saltwater fly in this country, took me under his wing when I visited him in the Kimberley during a round Australia trip in 1973. He helped me to catch my first couple of fish on the long wand, then passed me on to the late Max Garth in Carnarvon for his enthusiastic tuition, which included a technical grounding of epic proportions. Those never to be forgotten interactions resulted in the late Darryl Steele and I landing the first tuna taken on fly in Queensland, wide of the Caloundra bar in 1974. My story, ‘Flying Blues’, published in The Australian Angler circa 1975, detailed our epic milestone amongst the feeding schools of northern blue (longtail) and mackerel (kawa kawa) tuna that used to be prolific in that area in those days. SWF has always been viewed as the most difficult method of trying to catch a fish, a sort of a masochistic indulgence reserved for an altruistic minority with a slight loony streak, but those who participate long-term know there’s much more. Not only is there the satisfaction that comes from the challenge of having a fish eat a presented fly but also a serenity generated from the rhythmic action of casting quickly becomes an intense focus

The sail proved a lot more stubborn than most, the fight taking over and hour and 1.5 nautical miles.

The author was chuffed to land his first billie on a fly rod, a beautiful Gulf sailfish about 35 nautical miles southwest of Weipa.

Page 52 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

Trip to the Tip by DAVE DONALD

when the subject of the hunt appears. There are few fishing experiences that come with a bigger ‘high’! Over the years, I’ve found that the effectiveness of using a fly can outfish other fishing methods in certain cases. When queenfish and trevally are feeding at creek or river mouths at the start of a run out tide, a well-presented fly comes into it own. A longtail tuna dragging a fly line, even on an 8-weight outfit, can be brought to the boat by an experienced fly fisher just as quickly as by those wielding a spin rod. If you’re heading over to Kiritimati chasing bonefish, one of the most exhilarating species on the planet, don’t even bother taking anything but a fly outfit! Every fisho has a species bucket list, whether it’s whiting or marlin. For fly flingers, there’s a second bucket involved and throughout my fishing life, I’ve been working away to tick most of my ‘most wanted’. Barra over one metre – tick. Threadie likewise, giant tarpon over 50 pound – tick. GT over 40 pound – four lost to bust offs/sharks, still a work in progress. 30 bones in a day – tick. Permit (snub nosed dart) - still there, and billfish (sails or marlin) – hmm, story there! In 1996 and 1997, I had the pleasure of participating in the first ever World Marlin Fly Fishing Challenge, an event that was the brainchild of a visionary Cairns based swoffer named Peter Flower. Peter ran an exceptionally well-organized event and attracted anglers from all over the world. Around the same time, I’d worked the deck on a local game boat catered to marlin fly fishing, acting a second deckie whenever there were interested clients. We landed several marlin successfully, some with anglers who had only fished trout previously. I hooked two marlin on fly during World events, only to lose both when my flies came loose. On the first occasion, the billie hit the tandem fly so hard the two hooks became entangled, inhibiting the entry of the hook points. My fly headed skywards on the third jump after losing 100 metres of backing. From high to low in 30 seconds – that’s fishing all over, and the reason we keep coming back!

Fast forward to Weipa, September 2019! Thanks to the efforts of a small but very active Weipa Billfish Club, there have been 303 sailfish and seven black marlin already tagged this season - plus 10 recaptures, by far the most ever in the Gulf region. It was time for me to revisit my fly-fishing bucket list and try to tick off another of the few species remaining. I considered the possibility of DYI but at my stage of life, that window of time/ability was quickly disappearing. With over three decades in the pro guiding game, there’d be few who could better understand my decision to seek the superior experience of a local billfish authority in hopefully maximizing my chances. Ben Bright is one of the top professional guides on the Cape, has extensive billfish experience encompassing several parts of Australia as well as Weipa, and does a wonderful job as recording officer for the local club. He’s a very busy man, but had a couple of days free, so I didn’t hesitate in booking his services. There were several boats working the grounds when we arrived the Sunday morning. We’d had to punch a bit of a southerly swell which had persisted following a strong sea breeze the previous afternoon. The radio crackled as one boat announced a double hookup on sails. Ben quickly finished rigging a couple of preprepared teaser baits and dropped them from the starboard side leaving the port side open for casting. I was still pulling line from my reel when the short teaser was grabbed! Ben yelled at me to cast as the small sailfish came back for a second try. I was all thumbs as I tried to get the fly in the air as the teaser was yanked out. That three or four second hesitation was all it took for the sail to disappear. One of my ponderings after a lifetime of fishing is the loss of that adrenaline-fuelled anxiety that afflicts most inexperienced punters when a new species or big fish comes along. Fingers become sausages, practiced actions become fumbles, mental coordination evaporates into a blithering mess. While I’m certainly not going to admit I had succumbed to such a state, I did manage to smile at the thought it may have been the case.

Several sails had been seen free jumping close by and a number of boats were hooked up when a bill appeared behind our long teaser. It was a marlin this time! Ben quickly retrieved the short bait then started leading the little black into the cast zone. It banged the bait repeatedly then evaporated as soon as the fly was in the air. Another disappointment! Several more sails came along after that, all but one pealing off into the depths before it was lured into the strike area. My one decent shot was marred by a lack of coordination on my part in hesitating for a second or so after Ben had yelled at me to cast. I had not anticipated his speed of retrieval of the teaser bait. The fly landed only a metre or so from the fish but it was already turning away as it happened. Even a big bloop on the fly couldn’t persuade it to come back for another look. Ben was getting frustrated with the behaviour of the fish. They were certainly not as aggressive as they had been during the past weeks. Although I was getting the routine sorted, it seemed that it would come down to split second timing if I was to be successful. That hadn’t been as necessary on most of Ben’s previous charters. The area quietened considerably afterwards, with the nearby boats reporting only an occasional halfhearted looker. A few fish were being marked down deep but were not coming up to the baits as they had done previously. Ben decided to head for another hotspot that had produced a couple of fish the day before. We found another vessel in that direction that had come across plenty of fish earlier in the day. We were trolling in the general direction of said boat when Ben spotted frigate birds low down over a patch of ruffled ocean to our port. The teasers were quickly retrieved and ‘last cast’ pointed at 25 knots towards the circling frigates. As we came close, we could see dolphins and sailfish working baitfish just shorewards of the birds. Ben set the Yammy to trolling speed and broke out the teasers while I quickly readied my rod. It was almost a repeat of our first rise of the day. Ben was reaching back to release the long teaser while letting out the short one when it was pulled

from his hands. He yelled, I jumped and a bill waved just behind the boat. Somehow, I put the fly in the right place, blooping it just after it landed and the sail simply turned and snavelled it! Line zipped off the big Sage reel as the sailfish took to the air, first 30 metres out, then 50 then 80! Ben cleared all the lines and set about chasing the fish while I concentrated on getting some line back. We’d finally found a fish that really wanted to eat! Thirty minutes in, the fight was looking most uncharacteristic. The sail had come to the surface and jumped a couple more times but was generally hanging deep resisting strongly. Ben and I speculated on whether it had been foul hooked or maybe just one of those billfish that were supercharged. It took close to an hour to get a look at the fish. By then, my wrist and back were aching and there were chafe marks on my lower ab from the reel butt. Our big worry concerned the fight, the longer it went on, the greater the chance of a tackle failure. Finally, after 75 mins, Ben grabbed its bill and my milestone was secured. The fly had been grabbed in the middle, the back hook embedding itself in the outside of the jaw. It wasn’t foul hooked, just a fish that wouldn’t give up. We took a quick batch of photos before reviving the fish for release. I had been resigned to the fact that a billfish wasn’t going to happen that day but, as is typical in game fishing, the boredom turned to adrenalin filled madness in seconds. Huge thanks must go to Ben ‘Notso’ Bright! I’d certainly chosen the right bloke for the job. If you are ever looking for a charter in Weipa, regardless of whether your focus is river or offshore, barra or billfish, lure or fly fishing, he’s highly experienced in all regimens but you need to book well in advance to assure his services. Ben can be contacted on 0407112685. For the technical minded: • The rod was a TFO TiCrX 12 weight, ninefoot, four piece. • Reel, Sage 5600. • Line, Rio 12 weight sink tip; • Tippet, 20lb Rio hard mono; and • Shock, 70lb Gallus fluorocarbon (tied to IGFA specifications) and tandem hooked fly tied by Scott Sparnon of Saltwater Flies Australia. www.bnbfishing.com. au

A drone shot of the boat anchored in a remote Cape York river system.

Dean was stoked with this nice spanish mackerel.

Gearing up for Cape York

TRONG southeasterly trade winds have blown relentlessly throughout the dry season (April to November) here in the far north.

There is no point sitting around complaining about these seasonal winds, so I downsize my fishing gear and spend more time playing around the protected reefs, islands and creeks. That said, I am itching to head east once again to the crystal-clear waters of the northern Great Barrier Reef to fish and spear untouched areas. It won’t be long and we will once again have the glassy conditions (doldrums) that come with the build-up to the wet. On the couple of occasions the weather has allowed us to get a little wider over the past few months, we have found spanish mackerel in good numbers. Spaniards can be caught

Cape York & Torres Strait by MATT POTTER

year-round in the Torres Strait and off Cape York. Rapala X-Rap Magnums (30’) on a short singlestrand wire trace (120lb) trolled at about seven knots is an extremely effective method. I will target distinct contours (high spots) and the pressure points of reef systems where fusiliers can often be seen from the surface. Spearfishing is a great option around the neap tides when the water clears. Trout, bluebone and crayfish are the main target species around Thursday Island. Trip preparation At the time of writing, I am gearing up for an epic week-long Cape York

Another victim to the Classic Ghost.

The author with a solid spanish mackerel taken on a Rapala X-Rap Magnum.

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fishing trip. My crew will consist of my old man, father-in law and nephew. Three other boats will be joining us as we head to one of my favourite rivers for six days with the goal of landing a few barra. As we move towards the end of year, the days are certainly getting hotter. Hopefully the water temperature will jump a couple of degrees and fire up the barra and jacks. The faithful Gold Bomber and 10’ Classic Ghost in Casper (white) have been standout performers over the past few years. That said, I will also be throwing around an assortment of plastics, vibes and surface lures. The barra by-catch is worth noting in itself and we hope to set the hooks into a few blue salmon, queenfish, jacks, estuary cod, juvenile Queensland groper, GTs, tarpon and bream. Live baiting is very effective and can account for many fish if things are quiet. My 7m Fisher certainly isn’t designed for fishing shallow estuary systems, however we work the tides and having high tide early in the morning and late in the afternoon allows us to spend the day in the upper reaches fishing all stages of the tide. We will also fish the somewhat-protected inshore waters of the Cape in the hope of landing a few fingermark, nannygai, bluebone and spanish mackerel. There is no shortage of sharks, and huge bulls often take fish as you are about to lift them into the boat. It can be heart-stopping fishing. Massive schools of mack and longtail tuna are the stars of the show and always great fun as there is no shortage of these lineburners. The days are planned out in detail and I have a good idea of where I want

to be fishing and what I want to be targeting. The trip takes careful planning because we head to a very remote part of the Cape and will be a long way from help. Crossing the Endeavour Strait can be treacherous. Ensuring all equipment is serviced and up to the task is a priority. I also have a satellite phone that not only provides peace of mind if something goes wrong but also comes in handy for getting the most upto-date weather reports, which aids in making the decision of whether to head upriver or offshore. A stern line is crucial when anchoring in croc country because you can pull the boat into the bank from a safe distance. The stern line is left relatively loose so the boat can swing with the tide. There are a couple of stories up here of tinnies sinking in years gone by due to over-taut stern lines. As the tide rushes in or out, the boat’s stern is pulled down on an angle, water laps in and the boat fills and overturns. Taking your EPIRB ashore with you is a smart idea because it is no good being in the boat… if the boat isn’t there when you wake up. It’s very unlikely but not impossible, as people have found out up here. Fuel needs to be calculated carefully and there is a bit to consider, with distance, weight and weather all coming into play. As well as 350 litres of fuel under the floor, I will most likely carry an additional 200 litres in jerry cans, which allows us to do lots of exploring with the 250hp Suzuki. I’ll also spend some time fishing land based around the river mouth and along the beaches. The areas I fish are relatively shallow and the water is clear, allowing you to see any dangerous critters (snapping handbags) while sight casting salmon, queenfish and even barramundi. A pair of Spotters sunglasses aids hugely in locating fish.

It is important to move stealthily when doing this type of visual fishing because the fish spook easily in the clear shallow water. A well-placed cast a few metres in front of the fish can result in an exciting hook-up. Sometimes it is a matter of standing still for a few minutes and allowing the fish to move through. I find a couple of hours after the tide has started to head back in is a prime time for this type of fishing. The predators will use sandbanks to entrap the baitfish as they move in, making for an easy feed. I wouldn’t like to be a mullet in these waters. Here’s hoping the fish are hungry and I have a great adventure to share in the next edition of BNB Fishing magazine. Check out the Fishing Missions- Northern Australia Facebook page.

A stern line is an important piece of safety equipment when anchoring in croc country.

Sharks are never far away and going hard with a tight drag will give you the best chance of landing your catch in one piece.

The target species. The standout barra lure over the past few years has been the 10’ Classic Ghost in Casper.

There is no shortage of tuna along Cape York’s west coast during the dry season.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 53

C ARAVANNING & adventure

A refreshing dip at Maguk-Barramundi Gorge.

Exploring the amazing Kakadu

OW, this month is about Kakadu in the Northern Territory.

Barramundi caught at Cahills Crossing.

Cahills Crossing.

Page 54 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

What an amazing place and great to be back in some of my old haunts. It’s been about seven years since I have last been up here, when I was guiding in Arnhem Land and Kakadu. I really like Kakadu. Just one of those places which feels like it has been left alone and untouched and that is pretty rare these days as everywhere these days is more commercialised and the nature has been changed to suit the demands of the tourist industry.

Caravanning by TODD EVELEIGH

There are some pretty amazing places in Kakadu, starting off with Gunlom Falls which is the first real waterhole you come to when driving up from the South on the Kakadu Highway. You do need to turn off the bitumen road approximately 50km of corrugated dirt roads to navigate. Gunlom has an amazing pool at the bottom of it, which was used in the filming of Crocodile Dundee if you remember the part where Mick wades through the water spearing a barramundi with a wooden spear and Sue was watching on in awe. The bottom waterhole has a beautiful sand base with beautiful clear water and pandanus palms growing around it, a really deep section where in the wet season the waterfall pours in to. This is great but the natural infinity pool at the top is truly spectacular. You can lay back in the top of the infinity pool and look over south west Kakadu, the view is amazing and really is beautiful there late afternoon with a cold beer. The downside is the hike up is quite challenging and steep with the last 400m being the worst. But it was well worth it! There is a nice little camping area there to stay with hot showers and flushing toilets and kept very clean and tidy. The next along the drive was our favourite swimming hole Maguk (Barramundi Falls) and again there is a basic camping

area about 2.5km walk from the Maguk swimming hole. Long drop toilets but no showers. The water temperature at Maguk was just spot on, not freezing temperature and not too warm just perfect where you would want your pool at home to be. This swimming hole at Maguk opens up to a beautiful gorge which has some big barramundi and sooties swimming around in. But if you follow the track off to the left and head up the hill, this takes you up to the top infinity pools, which are like spa baths in crystal clear waters with even a cave you can swim through. These pools overlook the main swimming pool below but even down to the gorge and the creek and again another beautiful view and just a great place to just relax and pass the hours. Maguk is only around 10km off the Kakadu Highway on dirt roads and is well worth the drive. The next little spot along is Jim Jim Falls. We chose just to leave the caravan at a little camp north of the Jim Jim turn off just up the highway at Malabanjbanjdju Camp Site and do the drive in. It is quite a run in to Jim Jim. There is a camping area out near the Falls but we just chose to do a day trip which turned out to be a good call as the road turned out to be extremely corrugated at the time we were going.

The walk into Jim Jim for the first half is quite easy but it quickly turned into scrambling across big rocky boulders and rock hopping for the second half of the walk. Once you got into the top of the gorge there were two nice swimming holes. The first one being on the Southern side with a nice sandy beach you can lie on and swim and the second one being right under the cliffs of Jim Jim Falls itself. The cliffs are about 150m high and it really is a grand spectacle, to see the rock colosseum surrounding you on both sides, but the water is ice cold as it doesn’t get much sun at all. And unfortunately the only time Jim Jim actually runs is in the middle of the wet where it becomes inaccessible by cars to see so the only way to see it in full flow would be a helicopter ride where I can only imagine would be a wonderful sight. The next one along was Nourlangie Rock, which the traditional people have been coming to for thousands of years before with some amazing rock art. Walking down through these big slits in this mountain rock truly was special, with a nice breeze flowing through it actually felt like it was air conditioned with fresh water nearby you can really understand why this place was so special to the traditional people. If you let your imagination run free you could still picture these people living out their lives in such an amazing environment. Nourlangie also offered

* continued P55

www.bnbfishing.com. au

C ARAVANNING & adventure Exploring the amazing Kakadu * from P54

some amazing lookouts over Kakadu and some real insight into the traditional people’s lives. We all thoroughly enjoyed it. Well onto Cahills Crossing and yes, some fishing finally. Cahills Crossing is one of those places around Australia which pretty much always produces a barramundi especially if you are there on the moons on the top of the big spring tides. As they push right up to the crossing and over it as do the bait fish on the first push of the tide and obviously the elusive barramundi chasing on behind. If you can get this to correspond with daylight dusk or dawn, low light periods are definitely the recipe for catching some great fish. We timed it perfect, it’s quite a funny place to fish off the bank as there are a lot of anglers there fishing off the crossing but there are also a lot of spectator’s sitting on the rocks or up on the viewing platform looking for crocodiles. The first afternoon I went down for a fish I probably got there about a half hour before dark and there were about four or five anglers there fishing. When I asked if anyone had caught anything, there was a response of “not a scale” from everybody, so I thought this isn’t going to be too good. But my first cast with a little Ecooda prawn sunk to the bottom and I gave it a quick little flick off the bottom and a slow roll and just repeated again. On the second flick off the bottom, bang I was on! A nice little 70cm model

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gave me a great fight and I had people cheering, whistling and clapping from behind, which was a bit off putting and added a lot of pressure! But I slid the barra up onto the crossing and unfortunately, it was going to be dinner for tomorrow night. I was quickly reminded by the other anglers on the crossing that they had been there for hours without a bite and I had been there only seconds and got a nice fish. On my second cast you wouldn’t believe it but I got another one, much to the crowd’s delight, and the clapping and cheering continued. This one was about 65cm, which I quickly released to fight another day. Then on the third cast I hooked into a very solid fish that did some great jumps, pulled lots of string and really got the crowd excited. This fish measured up at 92cm using the road sign depth indicator as a ruler. And again it was released, much to the shock and disgust of many of the anglers that were around me who at this stage were getting a little bit annoyed by me. To which I replied “when you got it you got it”, which didn’t make things any better. And yes on my fourth cast I got another one about 80cm with a great fight and this one too was released. I fished on for probably another hour well into the dark with only one more fish, a little 50cm rat. The mozzies were getting pretty vicious at this stage, so I decided

to call it a night. What a great bit of fun had! The next day we put the tinnie in and I took the family out for a bit of fishing where we managed to catch quite a few barra casting as well as trolling and did a fair bit of croc spotting as well. Sometimes wondering who was going to give way to who, as a lot of the crocs were bigger than our tinnie. There is some beautiful rock holes to explore up the top side of the crossing as well as some aboriginal art on some of the overhangs but the croc population in this place is absolutely amazing. With just one km of river the kids counted 22 crocodiles and they were all big, three meter and bigger. When you do go to Cahills Crossing to go fishing you really do need to be croc conscious and croc wise. Do not go out in small boats or car toppers over night time. Do not stand close to the edge of the water, especially at the crossing. Always stand a good four to five meters back from the water and never turn your back to the water under any circumstance. The crocs have become a little cheeky there stealing people’s fish that are hooked so when you do catch a fish be even more aware of your surrounding environment and stay away from the water’s edge. Ubirr Rock is another amazing part of Kakadu, again with some incredible rock art dating back thousands of years and has some of the most

spectacular lookouts there are in Kakadu. One in particular, which looking out over Kakadu and West Arnhem Land with these beautiful vast wetlands with all this green spear grass and these rocky columns growing up from the grass with the beautiful pinks and reds contrasting to the green grass. Definitely a must do especially on Sunset. Kakadu in my opinion is a must do, lots of tourist forums and social media thinks it’s overpriced and that the amenities are substandard in which they may have a point but honestly it’s great they have left these locations as natural as possible without putting fancy walkways and manmade steps, which in my opinion is better than man trying to alter nature to suit the tourism trade. There is a Kakadu parks fee you need to pay to access Kakadu but just remember this money goes to the traditional owners to access their land and not so much into the management of the park. There are obviously camping fees to be paid at different locations around the park depending on where you stay. Ranging from $15 - $38 a night for a family. Obviously the more expensive ones have more facilities on offer. Flush toilets and hot showers to ones with just a basic drop toilet. You do need to bring in all your own drinking water and be quite selfsufficient. But as a destination you must experience for yourself and really has a firstclass fishery too. Until next month.

Gunlom infinity pool is simply breathtaking.

Ubirr Rock lookout over Kakadu and West Arnhem Land.

Dustin with a nice barra caught just up from Cahills Crossing.

Gunlom plunge pool.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 55

4WDING & off - road

Isuzu MU-X makes the most of Aussie conditions A FTER testing the new Isuzu D-MAX several months ago, an opportunity arose to try out the top-of-the-range Isuzu MU-X LS-T 4X4, so I jumped at it.

The MU-X comes in three models starting with the base LS-M, moving up to the LS-U and finally the top-spec LS-T, all of which are powered by the ever-reliable threelitre turbo-diesel engine, which is the same pow-

The Isuzu MU-X LS-T is at home on and off-road.

With a towing capacity of three tonnes, the MU-X is capable of towing a number a large trailer boats such as this 720 Cruise Craft.

Steering & Suspension Warehouse is your one-stop steering & suspension shop. We specialise in all things steering and suspension from suspension lift kits to airbags and 4WD accessories. We are conveniently located on Neil Street, at the north end of Toowoomba’s CBD. Australia-wide shipping or pick up available.

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erplant as in the D-Max. This engine is well and truly proven and while Isuzu has only been in the passenger vehicle game in Australia for about 11 years, the company is over 100 years old and is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of trucks and diesel engines. The three-litre engine produces a massive 430nm of torque delivered to the ground via a six-speed automatic transmission. This combination of gearbox and engine means the MU-X is at home both driving around the city using minimal fuel and hooked up to a large van or boat. In terms of towing capacity, all MU-Xs have a solid three tonnes of pulling power, which I put to the test towing a couple of different boats including the new Cruise Craft Explorer 720. Obviously when towing this weight you need an electronic brake controller, which the test vehicle was fitted with, so it was time to hit the open road and see how it went. I was actually very impressed with how easily the MU-X pulled the large Cruise Craft. In fact, I found it very easy and nimble to drive, especially around roundabouts, more so than the larger vehicle I currently drive. On the open road, it had enough power if you needed to pass or power

up a hill, but the MU-X was also perfectly happy just rolling along at the speed limit, which is where it produced its best fuel figures, which can be seen live via the on board computer. Having the ability to see your fuel usage at any given point is awesome, especially if you are on an extended trip or towing because you can modify your driving style to be more efficient. In terms of performance, this little number gets a big tick of approval. Though the word ‘little’ is a bit tongue in cheek because while on first impressions the MUX doesn’t look that big, there is plenty of room to seat seven people, which probably makes it the ideal passenger car for many families. I’m also not the smallest person in the world but the electric driver’s seat easily adjusts to find a very comfortable driving position, and while

I didn’t sit in the very rear seats, I did sit in the middle row and was impressed with the room. And while a bit of an oxymoron, it was a big little seven-seat family car. Interestingly enough, I got my mother-in-law (who is about 5’ tall) to take it for a spin because she will soon be in the market for a new car. While bigger than the car she currently drives, she too also found it very easy to drive. As for safety, the MU-X has more acronyms than you can poke a stick at, with ESC, TSC, EBD, TCS and the list goes on. Just to summarise, this is one very safe passenger car, which is supported by its five-star ANCAP safety rating across the range. If you are curious to learn more about these safety features, you can check them out on isuzuute.com.au Combine this high level of safety with all the luxury features like leather-accented seats, touchscreen audio, passive entry and start, DVD player, 18” alloy wheels, multiple storage compart* continued P57

Touchscreen dash unit adds a nice touch of luxury.

The modern dash and comfortable driving position make driving easy.

steeringandsuspensionwarehouse.com.au 1300 4STEERING Page 56 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

While it appears small on the outside, the MU-X is a decent size seven-seater.

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C AMPING & outdoors Primus Mimer Stove N O matter your flavour for the weekend or holiday, look no further than the Mimer backpacking stove for all your outdoor cooking needs.

Photos: Charlotte Allen

Community celebrates despite dust and drought, with dragons and colour

ESPITE heavy dust storms and a heat wave on Friday, September 6, the community of St George in southwest Queensland soldiered on to deliver their biennial event, the Multicultural River Dragon Festival, in a bid to lift community spirits during drought.

The local community threw out the welcome mat, inviting visitors a to join them for dragon

boat racing, water skiing demonstrations, multicultural food grazing, country markets, street parade, retro cars and live entertainment, including Wendy Matthews. The community festival, which was started as a homage to the town’s namesake, has grown to celebrate the various aspects of the St George and wider Balonne Shire community, help raise funds for local causes and act

as a chance for the community to come together during tough times. One of the festival highlights included water skiing demonstrations by the under-17 water skiing world champion Sade Ferguson. Sade and her sister Molly herald from Roma, just two hours north of St George. Thanks to the Balonne River still flowing with water, it gives the world champion skiers the opportunity to train yearround. “Due to the massive dust storm we experienced on the Friday, some of the visiting dragon boats and compère were unable to make it,” festival co-ordinator Robyn Fuhrmeister said. “But it was wonderful to see the team including rugby players from Vanuatu win the race.” In a celebration of the region’s multicultural community, the festival included a multicultural grazing table where visitors were invited to sample free foods cooked by local community, including slow-cooked South Pacific meats, local yabbies and Greek and Russian desserts. Live entertainment included celebrated ARIA award-winning music star Wendy Matthews, country

musician Drew McAlister and classic Celtic trio Munster Bucks. “We are so thankful to those who could make the festival,” Robyn said. “Visitors helped to raise nearly $400 for the Men’s Shed and other local charities. “It also brought much needed injection for our local businesses and most importantly something happy for our local community to experience. “The faces on the children in the Child Protection Colour Run really says it all. “We can’t thank everyone enough – to those who travelled from Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and south from Coffs Harbour, to the local sponsors and community groups and representatives who volunteered and helped to stage the event. “We are so very grateful for all their help.” So where is St George? Perched on the banks of the Balonne River 557km west of Brisbane via Goondiwindi, you’ll find St George. Traditionally providing services to the surrounding wheat, sheep and cotton farms, St George has grown to support a broad range of industry and is home to a diverse community.

Isuzu MU-X makes the most of Aussie conditions * from P56

ments, satellite navigation and reversing camera and you have a very well-appointed vehicle. Overall, the MU-X

is going to suit several people and I’d highly recommend adding it to your list, especially if you are after a sevenseat diesel that has great

Features such as roof rails and fog lights are included in the price of the top-spec MU-X.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

fuel economy and towing power. In terms of fuel economy, the website quotes 7.9 litres per 100km as a combined figure, and I’d believe it because I actually got a bit better than that when cruising down the highway. Best of all, you can drive away in the 4X4 LS-M for $45,990 with $1000 of free accessories, a six-year warranty and roadside assist and seven years cappedprice servicing. If you want to go for the top-spec LS-T like the vehicle pictured,

it will set you back $53,990 with the same inclusions. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to do any serious off-road driving but the little bit of dirt I hit and the mix of towing performed gave me enough insight to give the MUX the tick of approval. For more information on any of the models in the MU-X range, check them out online at isuzuute.com.au or drop into your local dealer and take one for a drive. I think you will be pleasantly surprised and very impressed.

With a robust, tried and tested design that includes four pots, it has excellent stability and wind protection, making it the perfect stove for a family picnic, road trip, camping getaway or day out on the water. RRP is just $49.95. For more information and to buy, visit primu soutdoor.com.au/prod ucts/mimer-stove

Ledlenser ultra-compact ML4 outdoor lantern

OU needn’t be caught in the dark this October long weekend, with the smallest, most lightweight outdoor lantern from the Ledlenser range available now.

provides flexible usage and versatile attachment options, making it the perfect illumination choice for any environment in need of bright,

compact area lighting. RRP is $69. For more information or to buy, visit ledlens er.com.au/products/ml4

The ultra-compact ML4 outdoor lantern features micro-prism technology, resulting in efficient, glare-free and targeted lighting with up to 300 lumens. Utilising both a rechargeable battery and backup AA alkaline battery power sources, the ML4 outdoor lantern is powered by nine LEDs with five light functions, making it the ultimate outdoor essential. Whether you are hiking, camping or just enjoying the public holiday on the back deck with mates, the ML4’s carabiner snap hook

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info@ palominorvaustralia.com.au Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 57

Hunting barra in the cool at Monduran

CatCh barra

S we all know, it can be a little harder catching barra in the cool than the warmer months.

at Lake MonDuran

However, I still use the same things I do in summer. The things I look for are wind direction, barometer, water colour (for lure choice) and then find what depth of water the barra are moving in. One thing I don’t do is spot lock until I find how spooky they are, because spot lock can freak them out. Tying to a tree is much quieter and can be in your favour. I then pick out a few lures and they are always B52s, a Lucky Craft Pointer, Maria Saruna and a Happy Rock soft plastic in a Grub or Maxx. As I use them, I will progressively change colour to work out what the fish want. I get told and have read that only one lure works in Lake Monduran. This is a load of rubbish. I use this variety of lures all the time and catch barra on all of them. The next thing is to work out what technique to employ. I start with a long cast, then double twitch down, leave it sit for a long time, make a single twitch and wait again. I find it’s either the length of time it sits there in front of them or the twitch that makes them strike.

LAKE MONDURAN “BARRA” CHARTERS All fishing geAr supplied

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Monduran Dam by JAMIE BEIN

If you’re getting bumps and swirls behind your lure, the barra are unhappy about maybe the colour or technique, so you need to change things until they bite. When the wind is moving all over the place, try to pick which way it’s predominantly coming from and start there. You may need to move a few times but it’s a good starting point. I’ll also go to the standing timber in deep water and look at the moss on the trees. I look at which way it is being pulled and those are the banks I head for. If my plan has paid off, barra will be on the sounder. I’ve noticed some people drive in on the big motor, turn it off and expect the barra to be there ready to feed. Well guess what, that won’t happen. Make too much noise and they are gone. If you are lucky and sit there silently, they may be back. I always go in on the electric motor and use the wind to move the boat as much as I can. Barra like to move close to the timber in the shallower water from about 60cm to 2.5m. I will almost always

have my boat sitting in 4.5m of water and cast past the standing timber to the weed at the back of it and along the bank, as they will be around this weed also. Safety is a big thing for barra. If they feel threatened, they like to have somewhere to go. This also gives them something to take your lure into and bust you off, which is going to happen some of the time. My reels are loaded with 30lb braid and 80lb leaders. My reels are never locked up firm because they are one fish you need to let run (to a point).

I always keep some pressure on because if you don’t, they will throw the hooks. The other thing I believe people do wrong is hold the rod tip too high while fighting the fish. When they jump, a high rod tip sees you lose the ability to keep the pressure on them and can also result in them getting rid of the hooks. But when it happens, as we know, it’s in the blink

of an eye and we are never ready for it. If it all comes together, we get them in the net and hold them up for a picture. They are by far the best fish to hook and you can really have fun with them once you work out what they want. If you want a charter, email me on jamiebein@ bigpond.com or phone 0407 434 446. Tight lines.

A chunky 83cm Monduran barra.

Trish scored a 45cm barra.

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DAM LEVELS CURRENT AS OF 16/9/2019

DAMS

PERCENTAGE

Matt landed a solid fish.

APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP Atkinson 5 5 5 5 5 5 Awoonga 80 79 78 76 75 73 Bjelke-Petersen * 8 8 7 6 6 5 Boondooma * 34 32 31 30 29 28 Borumba * 95 95 95 96 95 93 Burdekin Falls * 105 100 100 99 95 93 Callide * 52 50 48 47 45 42 Cania * 75 74 72 71 69 67 Coolmunda * 12 10 9 8 6 5 Dyer/Bill Gunn * 4 4 3 3 3 3 Eungella * 99 100 100 101 100 100 Fairbairn * 17 21 20 19 18 17 Glenlyon * 12 9 9 9 9 8 Hinze 93 94 93 93 92 90 Julius 99 96 93 90 88 86 Kinchant * 86 86 87 86 86 81 Leslie * 7 7 7 6 6 6 Macdonald 103 102 102 103 101 98 Maroon * 79 78 76 75 73 70 Monduran/Fred Haigh * 81 80 78 77 76 74 Moogerah * 66 63 60 57 53 49 North Pine/Samsonvale * 72 71 69 69 68 65 Peter Faust/Proserpine * 81 81 80 79 78 77 Somerset * 75 77 76 78 76 72 Teemburra * 100 100 100 101 100 99 Tinaroo* 102 100 97 95 92 88 Toonumbar 73 71 67 61 62 57 Wivenhoe * 59 58 56 55 53 52 Wuruma * 88 87 86 85 83 78 Wyaralong 92 91 90 89 88 87 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.

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Page 58 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

Andrew was happy with his barra.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Lake Monduran

Bundaberg Toyota

Golden

October 19, 2019 - February 19, 2020

BARRA

(midnight)

Fish anytime through this period

FREE ENTRY

To secure the major prize barra hunters will need to land this year’s rare golden coloured barra!

k c a p e z i r Bonus p Photos for illustration purposes only.

MAJOR PRIZE

150,000

BUNDABERG TOYOTA GOLDEN BARRA

At the end of each month a guaranteed $1500 prize pack will be given away by Rapala Australa to the angler that catches the biggest barra (untagged) caught on a Rapala lure.

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LAST YEAR’S GOLDEN BARRA

5000 worth of Shimano fishing gear!

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For terms and conditions or to register for the competition visit lakem.com.au/goldenbarra

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 59

Now is the time to protect our native species

ROUND 20 years ago, Glenlyon Dam was down to 2.5 percent capacity and it was the first time since being built in 1995 you got back into the cave systems with no water to speak of.

Gordon Roberts enjoyed winter fishing at Glenlyon Dam. This cod was caught using one of his own handmade Robbo Lures.

In 1976 Glenlyon was completed and the word was it was going to take years to fill. That got blown out of the water so to speak when nine months later the Tenterfield Fishing Club started to put fingerlings into the storage as it was filling. Since then over 3.5 million fingerlings have been released, making Glenlyon a popular fishing location and a must-fish location to boot. Going back to the 2.5 percent capacity in 1995, all the soothsayers came

Glenlyon Dam by BRIAN DARE

out of the woodwork predicting the wall was going to stuff up, the fish will die from lack of oxygen. There were no boat ramps for access (fixed by Sunwater) therefore no fish would be stocked in 1995 – wrong, wrong, wrong. Back then as is the case now, all it takes is a phone call on 02 6737 5266 and you will reach Debbie or myself on for an update. We have stocked fish even at 2.5 percent capacity during the dry time. Everyone west of the Divide has had to put up with the drought for five years, as is the case right now. So what about now? Well every boat on the water is oxygenating the water along with strong winds. You have anglers running around from rock face to tree butts turning the water into froth casting and moving on. Ski boats set skies and tinnies all doing their little bit to keep fish alive. So depth of water, at the time of writing in 1995, you still had sections of the dam 25 to 30m deep and you could still get past the limestone caves area and 1.5km further upstream. The creek line shows up and you get to see more trees in the storage than you would think there was at 40 percent capacity. Locations on storages that have rock ledges and undercuts are right now being used by metre-plus cod for breeding sites and this will last until the end of October. On the rivers it is a completely different set of questions which need to be answered, because of the drought when do we stock and what do we stock first? I’ve been looking at our range of native freshwater species and I found only six that live in the Murray/Darling River systems outside of our large predatory species that I feel

should be stocked first. I mean right now prior to any big rain or flood, these six species are known to eat fish eggs and small larvael fish. The olive perchlet, flathead gudgeon, purplespotted gudgeon, spangle perch, river black fish and freshwater eel-tailed catfish. Two of these six fish are threatened species, the olive perchlet (glass fish)

and the river blackfish both need to be brought back immediately. We all expect the powers that be to think about what needs to be done in the bush in regard to our river fish. Silver bullet result: spend millions on stocking the peak species. We should be getting these six species breeding in our fish hatcheries both private and state right now and then putting them into what large water holes we have left on our river systems and monitor their progress. We still have a carp

problem and these six smaller species will be an added advantage when it comes to carp breeding in the rivers prior to flooding rains. We have seen in rivers up north natural recruitment and recovery of cod to the point of not stocking them and only trying to get yellowbelly, silver perch and catfish to come back to better levels of quantity in the rivers and streams. Stocking the larger fish will work but we need to think of those smaller species within the fish network first.

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

14 CABINS bookings necessary

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

Ph: 02 6737 5266 E: glenlyondamtouristp@bigpond.com Page 60 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

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Fish are deep but hungry S

PRING is officially here and it’s the time of year I always look forward to.

The water temperatures are gradually increasing and our native fish in our stoked impoundments really spring into life and start gorging themselves on small baitfish. Which means for us anglers a great time to be on the water particularly with the warmer afternoons. Boondooma The fish in our dams are reasonably deep for this time of year, particularly Australian bass, but yellow belly can still be caught from the edge in the timbered arms of the dam. A few bass have been up shallower in the morning in about 20 ft but as the day warms, they seem to be moving out into the 30 to 60 ft range. The reason for the fish sitting so deep is the bait. The bass are feeding on very small shrimp, red claw and massive schools of bony bream. The large percentage of this forage for the fish is moving along the bottom out in those deeper zones of the dam. If you want to target yel-

Freshwater Impoundments by MATTHEW LANGFORD

low belly, the edges in the Boyne Arm and the Stuart are producing nice fish on lipless crankbaits cast up around the timber and the rocks. For bass, Blades and 20-gram spoons in 18 to 25 ft in the morning is the best. Later in the day look in 30 to 60 ft as the bass will be moving out off the edge to forage on the masses of bait getting around. The afternoon has been the pick of the times to be on the water, as the fish are responding well to the warmer afternoons. Once that water has been getting above 17 degrees, the deeper sections along the Barbour’s Pole area and the main lake points have been fishing very well. Fishing water this deep is still quite easy using 1/2-ounce blades, spoons, Tail spinners and 1/2-ounce rigged plastics fished along the bottom or mid column. Leisegangs ledge, Pelican point and the main

The yellowbelly are keen on worms or yabbies as the afternoon heats up.

lake points up the front of the dam near the wall have also been producing some good fish. Bait fishers have been getting good catches of yellow belly in the Boyne arm of the dam, fishing close to trees and the Boyne rocks. Most have been using shrimps and worms. It’s a good idea to use smaller sinkers as the bite is hard to detect if you’re using huge ball sinkers. Simply tie up to a tree, drop your bait to the bottom and slowly move the bait up and down off the bottom. It won’t be long until you get a bite. Trollers have been getting a few yellow belly but they have to work hard for them. Make sure you take a tackle retriever with you as you’re bound to get a snag or two whilst trolling. Redclaw are quiet but still coming in around the shallow rocky edges, soft fruits and vegetables have been the best bait during the winter months. Lake Barambah Typically, in spring, BP dam’s fish move in closer to the edge and can be caught using a few methods. Lately, the best edge fishing methods have been Eco gear ZX blades, Skirted Jigs and Jerk baits cast up shallow. Slower moving baits like the ones suggested are dynamite and the key is small hops off the bot-

tom near the edge with the ZX blades and long pauses near the edge with the jerkbaits. The deeper flats have also been producing lots of fish, be it bass or yellow belly. Ecogear ZX Blades fished vertical have been the best method. Most anglers have been sounding fish in about 20ft and sitting on top of them, Eco gear ZX blades have been the real standout as they have two small stinger hooks attached. Drop them down to the bottom and hop them with small sharp hops, a fish only needs to touch them and the stinger hooks will grab them very quickly. Best spots have been the big flat out from the main dam wall. It’s valuable to remember 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 a small bait fish, so soft plastics have been another method used to catch some quality fish. Look for steeper banks that hold some timber or rocks as this is a likely place that fish will be looking for bait up shallow. Out deeper try to find flats that are close to significant drop offs or the main submerged creek line. Bait fisherman have been getting a ton of nice fish from BP Dam. Most have been fishing along the edge and fishing worms, yabbies and shrimps. Trollers are catching the odd fish trolling around the main lake points; small deep diving hard

bodies are the best. Redclaw have gone very quiet and should start popping back up as the water gets warmer. Fishing Charters Don’t forget that you can book a fishing charter with me on BP and Boondooma dams and many other dams in Queensland. If you’d like a great day out and all the info and knowledge to catch bass or yaaellow belly in our great dams make sure you give me a call on 0408 658 592 and I’ll be happy to take you out for a great days fishing. You can also check out our website on www.aus tralianfreshwaterfishing. com Until next time, tight line and bent rods.

Some cracking bass have been caught at BP Dam of late.

y G u id e d b g f o rd M at t L a n

Australian Freshwater Fishing Charters 0408 658 592 | australianfreshwaterfishing.com

Subscribe to our

channel! The locals have been really enjoying the fishing conditions at lake Boondooma of late.

r o f h c Sear Damien Reardon with a nice yellowbelly from the Boyne River at Boondooma.

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V T F B N B

Check out in-depth video coverage of the latest boat and product reviews plus fishing action and handy tips. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 61

Hidden hazards of the Australian outdoors

HEN we think of animals that may inflict harm in the Australian outdoors, sharks, crocodiles, snakes and spiders are usually the first to come to mind, possibly even magpies for some readers.

The author carries one of these whenever he goes bush. The author is unable to comment on the effectiveness of the new removal technique. Watch this space.

During a lifetime spent enjoying both the bush and the waterways throughout much of the country, I’ve encountered all of the above, along with box jellies, several venomous fish species, blue ringed occies, angry dogs, even a rather belligerent pelican. None of them have inflicted a medically serious injury (some painful ones though) but there is a creature from which I suffer bites on a regular basis. Not many of us would

Insectivorous birds are the main predator of native ticks. Ground foragers like these babblers consume hundreds of ticks. More birds equals less ticks.

Australian Outdoors by NEIL SCHULTZ

think of ticks as being harmful members of Australia’s native fauna, but medical science is proving otherwise. Although 17 of the 75 species of ticks in Australia have been known to bite humans, only two are likely to be commonly encountered in Queensland. Due to its distribution along the coastal strip, which coincides with the densest human populations, the paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) is responsible for the majority of the tick bites reported by humans. Note that I emphasise reported, more on that later. Historically this tick has caused at least 20 human deaths in Australia, almost all of children under four years of age, prior to the 1950s. Most bites from the paralysis tick cause little more than local swelling and a persistent itch (which in my case lasts for four to five weeks). At the other end of the scale is the rare case of anaphylaxis where some people develop severe allergic reactions to a tick’s bite, requiring immediate medical attention. Cases of paralysis in humans are very rare, unlike our domestic pets. Dogs commonly fall victim to ticks and those in the paralysis tick’s range should be checked daily during the warmer months when the parasites are active. As mentioned earlier, this species of tick is restricted to the coastal fringe of eastern Australia, due to its requirement for humid conditions to thrive. West of the Great Divide (where rain is far too infrequent), the paralysis tick is replaced by the ornate marsupial tick (Amblyomma triguttatum)

more commonly known as the kangaroo tick. Kangaroo ticks seem to have an insatiable craving for human blood, biting at any given opportunity. Last summer I picked up 14 of these crazed blood suckers in one weekend in north western NSW. We even watched them walking across the bare ground in camp to get us, so keen were they for a bite. Bites from ‘roo ticks are so common amongst residents in the bush, that they just pluck them off and go about their business. This is the reason for my statement about reported tick bites earlier, no medical attention is sought for the majority of the many hundreds of kangaroo tick bites annually. It isn’t only allergic reactions to the bite of these parasites that poses

a risk to humans. Recent research has discovered a link between tick bites and mammalian meat allergy, which sees sufferers unable to eat any red meat for the rest of their lives. Ticks also transmit diseases including Rickettsial Spotted Fever and lyme-like disease. Queensland tick typhus is the more common of the two, requiring blood tests for a positive diagnosis, followed by treatment with antibiotics that are very effective. Springtime is the start of the most active period for adult ticks of both species so diligence is recommended. Prevention can be increased by the use of personal insect repellents in humans and tick/flea collars in pets. Correct removal is paramount to prevent reduce the risk of complications from a tick bite. Newly advocated treatment discourages the old

methods of using irritants to encourage a tick to release its grip. “Freeze don’t squeeze” is the new motto, recommending the use of an ether spray to freeze the tick in situ. Freezing kills the tick instantly, usually allowing it to be brushed off within 10 minutes or so (apparently). Sprays can be found at most chemists, sold as either wart or skin tag removal devices or even dedicated tick removal sprays. If you can’t brush the tick off, or don’t have access to the spray, use very fine pointed tweezers to grasp the head of the tick and gently lift it out. Avoid squeezing the tick’s body, or twisting or jerking, which may break off the tick’s mouth parts. Squeezing or irritating ticks has been shown to force more of their saliva and stomach contents into the host, increasing the risk of side effects.

This is an ornate marsupial tick, aka kangaroo tick, attached to the author’s wrist. A common occurrence.

The same bite site 10 days after removal. A weeping wound that probably deserved medical attention to assess for Queensland tick typhus.

Lions Mary Valley Family Fishing Classic

P Dogs are particularly prone to ticks, so it pays to check them daily at this time of year.

THE 8TH ANNUAL

Mary Valley Family

Fishing Classic

Borumba Dam near Imbil

Nov 2-3

• Entertainment • Prizes • Food on site

FIND US ON FACEBOOK: MARY VALLEY FISHING CLASSIC

www.gympie.qld.lions.org.au Page 62 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019

REPARATIONS are well underway for the eighth Annual Lions Mary Valley Family Fishing Classic to be held at Lake Borumba on November 2 and 3, 2019 according to Mary Valley Fishing Committee Chair, Glenn Williams.

Mr Williams also welcomed two new sponsors for 2019 with the Imbil Hotel sponsoring a “tagged fish” prize of $2000 and Noosa Outback who operate the Borumba Campgrounds sponsoring a special Juniors (15 years and under) draw for a Viking two plus one kayak valued at over $1100. “It is great to get support from two Mary Valley businesses like the Imbil Hotel and

Noosa Outback and we thank them sincerely for their contribution,” Williams said. Details of the tagged fish competition will be released shortly but it is expected to be a Bass, which is the most common catch at the lake. “Every junior entry will go into the draw and they don’t even have to catch a fish or a red claw to be eligible for the prize. They just need to enter the competition and be present for the prize draw,” Williams said. Mr Williams also said the lake is stocked with a number of species including bass, golden perch, catfish, saratoga and silver perch due to the efforts of the Lake Borumba Fish Stocking Association who will be

assisting as marshals on the weekend. “The Association has been active again this year with substantial releases of fingerlings as part of the restocking program which is supported in part by the proceeds from the annual fishing competition”, he said. Fishing starts at six am on Saturday morning and finishes on Sunday at eleven o’clock followed by the distribution of prizes and major prize draws at Noosa Outback Campgrounds. Saturday night will feature free live entertainment by local entertainer and club supporter, Graeme Jensen, lucky draws and a cooked meal will be available. Breakfast and lunches are available throughout

the weekend as well. The competition, which is in its eighth year has attracted about one hundred and twenty-five entrants plus their families in the past and a bigger roll-up is expected this year. “We really want to see the families turn out for the weekend as there will be a lot of good outdoors fun with any funds raised being returned to the Lake Borumba Fish Stocking Association,” he said. Entry Forms and details will be available shortly on the Gympie Lions website gympie. qld.lions.org.au/ or by emailing the Lions Club on gympielions@gmail. com. You can also follow the competition on Facebook at Mary Valley Fishing Classic.

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Bush ‘n Beach merchandise FOR SALE & WANTED ANGLAPRO 444 SNIPER PRO (2017) powered by Mercury 60hp four-stroke with 50 hours. Soft ride hull with reverse chine, 3mm bottom, 3mm plate sides, all-grey hull, electric motor bracket, plumbed live well, plumbed live bait tank, front and rear cast decks, bimini and sock and Lowrance colour sounder. Drive away at $19,990. Call Darren at Karee Marine today on 07 3875 1600. BAYLINER CAPRI (2001) powered by a MerCruiser V6 and rated to carry eight adults. A credit to its previous owners who have washed and cleaned it after each use. Very good bimini, front bow cover, rear storm cover, dual batteries, new carpet, trailer in very good condition with good brakes and bearings. Don’t let this one pass by at $16,990 drive away. Call Darren at Karee Marine today on 07 3875 1600. BLUEFIN 4.2 MANGROVE JACK CC – Mercury 40hp EFI 4S, Motor Guide electric motor, Dunbier boat trailer, Lowrance Elite 9 ti colour GPS/Sounder, Side scan transducer, Plumbed live bait tank,. Bow casting platform, Blue painted hull, bow & side rails, 2 rod holders. Great value entry level fishing package @ a budget tow away price of $10,995 tow away! – John Crawford Marine Queensland’s Used Boat Specialists since 1964 www.johncrawfordma rine.com.au Ph. 3890 2322. BROOKER 4.1 DELUXE open tinnie in very good condition. Great starter boat that can be handled by one person and won’t break the bank. Powered by a Yamaha 30hp two-stroke that’s done very little work. This boat rides on a very good Brooker trailer and has mostly seen freshwater use. Minn Kota electric motor, bimini, spare wheel, low carpeted floor and front cast deck. Ready to go at $6990. Call Darren at Karee Marine today on 07 3875 1600. BROOKER 410 FISHERMAN – Mercury 40hp 2S serviced March 2019, Brooker boat trailer, Garmin Echo colour sounder, GME 27MHz radio, GME stereo, Safety gear, Canopy with side clear, 2 pedestal seats, 1 bench seat, Maroon painted hull, Rocket launcher. Amazing value at the now reduced price of $11,995 tow away – John Crawford Marine Queensland’s Used Boat Specialists since 1964 www.johncrawfordmarine.com.au Ph. 3890 2322. HAINES SIGNATURE 495F - 10 MONTHS OLD! Paid $44,000 and heavily optioned with combo Sounder/GPS, Redco Sportsman trailer, VHF radio, Live bait tank, full covers, striking 2 tone colour, seating for 5… Incredible value for the family! @ $38,995 tow away – John Crawford Marine Queensland’s Used Boat Specialists since 1964 www.johncrawfordmarine.com.au Ph. 3890 2322. LATE MODEL USED ALUMINIUM BOATS WANTED from Quintrex, Stacer, Ally Craft, Stessco, Bar Crusher, Bluefin, Brooker and Clark – Make selling your boat simple and hassle free - Cash or Consign – John Crawford Marine Queensland’s Used Boat Specialists since 1964 www.johncrawfordmarine. com.au Ph. 3890 2322. QUALITY USED FIBREGLASS BOATS WANTED from Haines Hunter, Signature, Cruise Craft, Baysport and Whittley – Make selling your boat simple and hassle free - Cash or Consign – John Crawford Marine Queensland’s Used Boat Specialists since 1964 www.johncrawfordmarine. com.au Ph. 3890 2322.

QUINTREX 370 TRAVELLER (2007) with Yamaha 15hp two-stroke on folding Real-Ezy trailer. A bargain at $3800. Call Wynnum Marine on 07 3396 9777 or visit wynnummarine.com.au QUINTREX 610B CRUISEABOUT BR – Mercury 150hp EFI 4S only 66 hrs & warranty, Quintrex alloy trailer, Lowrance Hook 5 colour GPS/Sounder, Fusion stereo, GME VHF radio, Hydraulic steering, 2xTubes, Knee board, Safety gear, Bimini top w. ext.,Travelling cover & bow cover, Bait board. Ready to go for Summer Fun @ $62,995 tow away – John Crawford Marine Queensland’s Used Boat Specialists since 1964 www.johncrawfordmarine. com.au Ph. 3890 2322. SEA SPIRIT (MUSTANG) 2400 CUSTOM SPORT (2002). Great weekender, suitable for fishing offshore and in very good condition. Repowered two years ago with new Yamaha 200hp fourstroke (50 hours). Other features include, electric anchor winch, as-new Garmin touchscreen sounder/GPS, freshwater tank, electric fridge, bimini and clears, dual batteries and good trailer with electric brakes. Priced to sell at $39,900 drive away. Call Darren at Karee Marine today on 07 3875 1600. STACER 359 PROLINE HULL ONLY (2014). The perfect ‘roof topper’ – super light yet big enough for good stability and comfort. Two Blueline clamp-in seats, floating floor, registered until October 3, 2019 and three months warranty. Just $1400. Call Wynnum Marine on 07 3396 9777 or visit wyn nummarine.com.au STACER 399 SEASPRITE (2018) with Yamaha 30hp two-stroke on Redco galvanised trailer. Yamaha 24ltr fuel tank, Lowrance HOOK5 sounder/GPS plotter, navigation lights and switch panel, four bow bimini top, carpeted low floor and fuel tank rack, heaps of rod holders, safety gear package, tie-down strap, balance of boat and trailer registrations, three months warranty and guaranteed title. Priced to go at $8490. Call Wynnum Marine on 07 3396 9777 or visit wynnummarine.com.au STACER 429 OUTLAW TILLER STEER (2016) with Yamaha 40hp three-cylinder two-stroke motor on Stacer galvanised trailer. Plumbed live bait tank, two pedestal seats, Yamaha 24-litre fuel tank, bimini top, bow-mount plate, safety gear package, tie-down strap, motor support bracket and three months warranty. Such good value at $12,990. Call Wynnum Marine on 07 3396 9777 or visit wyn nummarine.com.au STACER 499 SEAMASTER - AS NEW - 12 months old! Yamaha 70hp four stroke, Stacer alloy trailer, Lowrance colour sounder/GPS, VHF radio, Safety gear, Wrapped hull, Bimini top and clears …..why pay $37K new? Incredible value @ $32,495 tow away – John Crawford Marine Queensland’s Used Boat Specialists since 1964 www.johncrawfordma rine.com.au Ph. 3890 2322.

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Contact Bill Corten T: 07 3286 3647 M: 0447 233 247 0447 ( a f f a i r ) E: reel_affair@yahoo.com Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2019 – Page 63

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FROM JUST

117/week*

Mercury 60hp 4-stroke

FROM JUST

124/week*

Stessco Gulf Runner 490

• Ski pole socket • Live bait tank • Redco dual-axle trailer • Bimini • QLD regos plus more

FROM JUST

146/week*

Northbank 660C

$POA

Mercury 90hp 4-stroke

SPECIAL!

• Front cast deck • Live bait tank • Full pod transom • Painted • Stessco trailer • QLD regos

UNBEATABLE UNBEATABLE

NEW!

OPTIONS AVAILABLE!

• Hydraulic Steering • Anchor well - Bow Sprit • Under ﬂoor storage • 250-litre fuel tank • QLD regos

115HP CRUISE SPEED 115HP FUEL CRUISE EFFICIENCY SPEED FUEL EFFICIENCY MERCURY’S NEW 115HP VS. CURRENT FOURSTROKE VS. CURRENT AND OPTIMAX FOURSTROKE AND OPTIM FOURSTROKE g/kWh

MERCURY MERCURY 75-115HP 75-115HP FOURSTROKE FOURSTROKE RANGE RANGE

Mercury 75hp Big Tiller

• Full plate construction • 80-litre fuel tank • Alloy cast deck • 4mm plate bottom

340

330

320

310

300

g/kWh

Mercury 115 ProXS

FROM JUST

124/week*

Stessco Bowrider 520

FROM JUST

• Extended ﬁshing deck • Live bait tank • Deck wash • Offshore safety gear • Dual-axle trailer • QLD regos

Mercury 60hp 4-stroke

• Full plate construction • 45-litre fuel tank • Alloy rod holders • Live bait tank

139/week*

Mercury 150hp 4-stroke

Mclay 491 Fortress TS

• Live bait tank • Live well • Front and rear cast decks • Dunbier braked trailer • QLD regos

FROM JUST

226/week*

DELIVERS UP TO 14% BETTER CRUISE SPEED ECONOMY

300

290

280

270

260

PREVIOUS MERCURY FOURSTROKE 1.7L

BSFC dyno testing; data is an average of 60%-80% rated MERCURY PREVIOUS NEW MERCURY engine speed based NEW OPTIMAX MERCURY MERCURY OPTIMAX on standardMERCU ICOMIA emissions test. 2.1L 11 FOURSTROKE 115hp 1.7L 2.1L 115hp 115hp

* Mercury Finance terms and conditions apply. Photos for illustration purposes only.

Can’t make the yard? Shop online! For quality new and used boats! www.kareemarine.com.au

1776 Ipswich Motorway, Rocklea | Call 07 3875 1600