BNB Fishing Mag | November 2022 by bnbfishing

Primed for pelagic action

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November 2022 Print Post Approved PP100001534 Volume 33, Number 11

Impoundment barramundi Next gen at K’gari

ISSN 1832-4517

Polishing your casting prowess Off-grid trailer boat adventure Covering ground in Moreton Bay

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Fishing, November 2022 – Page 1

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Page 4 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

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From the Bush ‘n Beach Fishing editor

S the print edition hits the newsstands and the digital version hits inboxes, north Queensland fishos will be roughly in the middle of their first closure for spanish mackerel. Plenty of chat and debate has been had about the new regulations and, as I’ve voiced previously, I’m still in support of the changes. You only have to look at what fishos in Western Australia are currently facing – up to a nine-month closure of demersal fish – to see that what has been implemented here could have been a lot worse. No closure is wanted but sometimes it’s needed. The fact that fishing will be closed to both commercial and recreational anglers is a step in the right direction in getting the management of this species correct. Previously, the two sectors have had varying regulations, which have not benefitted the impacted species. With a blanket closure period, reduction of total allowable catch and recreational bag limits, there is a targeted approach. I know I am not going to make everyone happy with my point of view, but I’m in it for the long game. As anglers, we need to start looking from a glass half full perspective and be happy with the fact that we can still fish, and keep these fish – except for two three-week closures to the north and south – see page 21 for more details. In addition to the regulation changes, I’ve seen

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a lot of negative feedback about fishos being asked to voluntary report on spanish mackerel catches and shark depredation. I understand some of the sentiments that have been voiced both personally to me and directly to Fisheries Queensland on social media platforms such as Facebook, but it is time we moved forward. Yes, recreational fishos have been very harshly treated in the past, particularly when they have provided information in good faith, only to see it used against them. While some of the ‘cuts’ might run deep making them hard to get over – times have actually changed and, from speaking with a few of the Fisheries team, they do want to develop a good working relationship with Queensland anglers. Instead of maintaining that ‘grudge’ many fishos have – which could be warranted – we do need to move forward and help with the management of this and other species. Unfortunately, Fisheries don’t have the budget to conduct the research required to get the catch data recreational fishos can provide, so why not work with them? Fisheries, as mentioned, are also after information of shark depredation or how many fish you hook that are taken by sharks – commonly referred to as ‘shark tax’. Let’s take the positive out of this and provide the data, because in my opinion, we have a major issue with shark numbers along the east

coast of Australia and it needs to be addressed. When you have a regulation that means all sharks over 1.5m need to be released, it doesn’t take long to get a shark population that is big, hungry and smart. Prior to the current size and bag regulations, shark numbers used to be controlled by fishos and crabbers – the latter ensuring numbers did not soar, especially around Moreton Bay. However, these days that type of ‘management’ isn’t allowed and, as a consequence, numbers have ballooned. Along with increased numbers, sharks are also a lot smarter, which we’ve possibly all witnessed firsthand when fishing and crabbing in Moreton Bay. Don’t get me wrong, sharks are an integral part of the fishery, but as with everything else, they need to be managed – which they aren’t at present. I see the increased numbers of sharks as an opportunity for Queensland Fisheries to work with the commercial sector and allow a TAC for sharks. This would see more employment in the commercial sector and allow fishers who may have been working in an area – which is now a net-free space – to continue working within the same industry. I personally don’t know the ins and outs of what toxins might be in a large sharks’ meat, but I’m sure it could be worked out. Alternatively, it might be possible to sell other parts of the shark, the fins and such, to various countries.

This may also aid in stopping the illegal killing of sharks solely for their fins – which has been going on for years – as there would now be a regulated supply of product that could be exported. Obviously, this would have to be tightly managed, but we need to start looking at utilitar-

ian solutions in order to ensure the longevity of our recreation and also commercial viability. While it is a hard ask, I do hope fishos will reconsider their stance on providing information about spanish mackerel catches and shark depravation – it will help us in the long run. Ben Collins

OUR COVER

NICK with a solid barramundi. Picture by Sam Rowley. Read his article about catching this species and more on page 78.

NEXT EDITION: December edition will be on sale in newsagents from December 1. NOVEMBER SUBSCRIPTION OFFER: See the subscription form on Page 84 and subscribe this month to go in the draw to win one of five Z-Man packs from Tackle Tactics valued at over $75 RRP each. SEPTEMBER PRIZE WINNERS: Congratulations to M. Campbell, Cleveland; E. Pearson, Russell Island; M. Moore, Sunrise Beach and B. Quinton, Kinkuna who will each receive an Okuma Avenger 3000 spinning reel and BNB cap pack valued at $85.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 5

November 2022 contents 8 Covering old ground. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Sean Conlon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P8 Improving your fishing results... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Sean Thompson . . . . . . . . . . . . P14 Tide Times - Brisbane Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P16 Committee changes and competition scores. . . . . . . . . . . by Mick Clutterbuck . . . . . . . . . . . P18 How to catch sand whiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Clint Ansell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P22 Trevally time in the Tweed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Gavin Dobson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P24

Structure brimming with life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Brett Hyde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P26 Dirty water not affecting jewies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Tye Porter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P28 Warmer weather triggers pelagic action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Grant Budd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P34 Fishing around Noosa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Craig Tomkinson . . . . . . . . . . . . P36 Solid jacks, flatties and reefies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Chris Rippon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P38 Tide Times - Waddy Point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P40 Polishing your casting prowess. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Tri Ton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P40

Product News ��P42 Next gen intro to K’gari. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Ben Collins ��P46 Keeping holiday season festive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Paul ‘Chief’ Graveson ��P48 Closed season estuary options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by John Boon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P49 Annual Hinchinbrook trip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Keith Stratford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P52 Prepping for an off-grid trailer boat adventure. . . . . . . . . . by Matt Potter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P54 Competition Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P56 Cape York trip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Craig Tomkinson . . . . . . . . . . . . P58 Recipe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Melissa Frohloff . . . . . . . . . . . . P60 Small kitchens are the best kitchens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P61 Insights into boat insurance ��P62 Stacer sets standard for entry-level boating. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P64 Save with Mercury portable engines ��P66 Find your local top performing Stacer dealer ��P68

Charter Directory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P70 Freshwater anglers reap fish habitat trial rewards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P72 The day I gave up fishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Neil Schultz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P74 Exploring benefits of connected waterways ��P76 Importance of stealth and quiet in shallow water. . . . . . . by Sam Rowley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P78 Dam Levels ��P80 Trading Post ��P82 Readers’ Forum ��P83 Subscription Form ��P84 Page 6 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

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Our website bnbfishing.com.au is updated several times a day with the latest news and handy fishing articles.

The Team

EDITOR: Ben Collins ADVERTISING: Rachel Fordyce PRODUCTION: Tiffany Brown Lisa Jones

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. Phone 07 3286 1833 Email: ben@collins.media PO Box 162, Wynnum, Qld 4178 PRINTER: Spotpress DISTRIBUTION BY: Ovato Max. recommended retail price $4.95 (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 and contributors to ensure the correctness of their claims and statements. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 7

Victor and a 44cm snapper caught in an area the author knows very well and using a technique that has caught fish there over the years.

Covering old ground

Victor caught a solid 58cm southern bay flathead.

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HEN it comes to fishing, there is always a lot of talk about finding new ground and searching, and yes, it’s definitely a good thing to do. Though something to not forget is the old ground as well. What I mean by this is, ground you found by searching and have caught fish on at some point. My advice, when you have found this ground, is to learn it very well – know when certain species turn up in that area and at what time of the year. Work out what tide fishes the best there and what sized tide delivers the best results. This is super important as a lot of people want to know where that special covered in fish ‘Spot X’ is. I always answer this question in the same way – if I had a special Spot X that was covered in fish and I’d caught fish off it for the

Southern Moreton Bay by SEAN CONLON

past 14 years during my charters, it definitely wouldn’t be Spot X any more, as I’d have taken hundreds of people there. What I do have are many spots and from each one of those, I’ve tried to learn all the ins and outs that help me to

catch fish, and not only to catch fish off that area from one session – I need to know how to catch fish from that area multiple times a year and also year after year. One of the best tricks is to take only a few fish from each area, so * continued P10

The author took a decent flathead by casting in the shallows of a well-known area. www.bnbfishing.com. au

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Ben scored a solid squire when chasing flathead in 0.5m of water up against mangroves – these fish can be caught anywhere, not only in deep water.

Covering old ground * from P8

By knowing the area well and which lures to cast, it didn’t take long for Victor to pick up a quality 51cm lizard.

Ben with a nice 68cm flathead from a Zerek Bulldog Crank. Page 10 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

there’s always fish left. If you take all the fish out of the spot, it takes a long time to replenish that area – something I’ve learnt over time. Another learning is that, if you’ve caught fish in an area year after year, those fish will return to that area. They may leave it for a certain number of months but usually return. As an example, if you caught flathead in a certain area between May through to October but didn’t find any there in November December January, you’ll probably catch flathead in that same spot next May. So, I try to remember these locations and when I get to those months, I quickly go to each area, have a quick fish and if the fish are there, happy days – and most of the time, they are. To summarise, finding new ground is good, though learn your old spots thoroughly and

add your new find to it. Where this became apparent to me was on my last charter, before writing this article. I’d had a few weeks away with the family and due to the weather, I hadn’t been out on the water for about four weeks. For me, that’s a long time to be off the water, and as a result, let’s just

say, you don’t have as good a handle on where the fish are hanging out. So, we’ve got a customer, he has come out for the day expecting to get on to a few fish – how do I go about finding fish for him when I haven’t been out for a while? Very simple – go to the areas I’ve caught * continued P11

A happy customer caught a decent bag of flathead for dinner, all caught on a Zerek Bulldog Crank. www.bnbfishing.com. au

Covering old ground * from P10

fish before at that particular time of the year and check them out. For me, this is easy because it’s my job, though it might be a good idea to keep a diary – in this type of situation, those records come in very handy. I’ll pick the client up at 7am and we’ll head to our first spot. I drive over the area and if nothing is seen, we move on to the next spot, which won’t be far away and the Lowrance lights up with a few fish. I know the area I’m fishing, I know the technique I’m going to use and I know which lure works well here, so we set the rods up, we deploy the lures and within the first 10 minutes, we have a nice 40cm squire on board. In this session, we used the same technique for a couple of hours, which resulted in a few undersized fish but also produced a couple of nice 40cm plus snapper. However, the technique didn’t work as well when the tide slowed down. As it was heading towards the bottom of the tide, I asked the client if they’d like to chase a few flathead – he said yes, so we headed to our next spot. Same thing – I don’t know exactly where the flathead are, but at that time of the year and because I know my area well with the particular sized tide, I know that species should be in a certain location. So, at the first spot, same thing. I’ve caught plenty of fish here before and I know the area well, so we put on certain lures, www.bnbfishing.com.au

certain sized jig heads, using a certain retrieve and within the first 10 minutes, the customer lands a nice 50cm flathead – happy days. We stayed in that same area and repeated what we were doing when we first turned up and, before we knew it, we had a few more nice lizards up to 61cm in the box. The tide started to turn and come in, making things a little harder. As we didn’t want to work that area too hard, we moved to a spot not too far away. We pulled up, repeated the same process used at the previous location and caught some nice flatties before we headed home. We didn’t fish too hard to catch a few fish and we didn’t take too many fish from the one area, and the reason we did catch fish was simply because I knew the spot thoroughly. We were also there at the right part of the tide, we were there on the right sized tide, we were there on a good moon phase and we caught a few nice fish without exerting ourselves. So, finding new ground is fantastic, but meticulously learning old locations is also very important too. Another thing I wanted to touch on this month is that I’ve purchased a slightly bigger boat to the one I’m currently running. The new boat is going to allow us to take out one to six people at a time, however it is an older boat and will take a bit of doing up. I was lucky that a few local companies helped me out with the work. We’ll be getting floor-

ing done by Deck Armour at Redland Bay and a long-time friend will be doing a great wrap from Underwood Same Day Signs. At some point, I’ll have to find myself another engine – we currently have a Mercury 135hp OptiMax on the back and, though it runs fine and does the job, it’s a little too noisy for my taste. I don’t know which way I’m going to go with that yet, but I will work it out in time. Hopefully, with help from those I’ve mentioned above, we’ll have this up and running over the next few months, so watch out for this. With the new boat, we’ll be able to do more bait fishing and in preparation of this, I saw on Facebook someone selling quality bait boards. Based at Beenleigh, I went to see Anthony – I told him what I needed, * continued P12

Victor picked up a 40cm snapper in the first 10 minutes when fishing an area that has produced fish for the author in the past.

The finished BaitMate bait board workstation product mounted to the back of the boat ready for work.

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Covering old ground * from P11

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what I thought would work and he immediately showed me what he could do and how we would make it. He made me a fantastic bait board workstation for the back of the new boat. Anthony is an angler, so he knows what works, and nothing was too much trouble. He came up with ‘my dream bait board’. It’s so much better than the plastic ones available and, as I said, it’s more of a workstation than a bait board. I wanted it removable, strong and able to take a bit of a pounding on the Moreton Bay chop. When I picked it up, Anthony didn’t disappoint – it was perfect

for my needs. You can see in the pictures there’s plenty of underneath storage for my tackle boxes and a great cutting board on the top. I can’t say a big enough thank you Anthony. Previously, when I’d tried to get anything done, it was always too much drama. But for Anthony, it was not a problem, it took only about a week and he had it made up and powder coated, ready to go on the boat. So, if you’re looking for a quality product and want to spoil yourself a little, go and check out a little company called BaitMate on Facebook – he’s at Beenleigh and I couldn’t be happier with not only what I

have but with what I wanted. If you can’t get hold of Anthony, give me a call – I’m happy to pass his phone number on. As we all know, with our jobs and our lives, we are time poor, so if you can learn more to 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 tuition classes or you want to do a fishing charter, give me a call 0432 386 307 or send me an email at seancon lonsfishing@hotmail. com or check out the Facebook page Seano’s Inshore Fishing Charters and Tuition.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 13

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www.baitmate.com.au Page 14 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

LANNING and preparation are the key ingredients to success in life, and fishing is no different. The more down time you spend preparing your gear and planning your trip, the more success you will have. Planning Unfortunately, most of us are time limited and can’t go fishing as often as we might like. But this doesn’t stop us from being prepared for when time is free, tides are right and the weather is good. So, to ensure you’re ready to hit the ground running – or the water running, as the case may be – it’s a good idea to plan ahead. This will ensure that, when your friend calls you the night before or the weather forecast is looking good, you are prepared – with your fishing plans, target species in mind and tackle at the ready. When I say planning ahead, I’m talking about understanding what species are in season and ‘on the chew’, so to speak. A good starting point is to read fishing magazines such as this publication. So too is studying up and reading credible sources of information on species and locations, rather than relying solely on random questions and

Fishing Tips by SEAN THOMPSON

comments on Facebook fishing group pages, which seem to attract as much if not more sarcastic commentary as they do legitimate information. If you want to research a fish, season or fishing topic, do your research properly. Search for topics by respected fishing writers, speak to tackle shop owners who fish and go out with local fishing guides to learn much quicker and more relevant information. You could be wanting to know where to fish, what species to target, the best times and best tackle. Again, the sources above and this magazine will help you with that.

And, if you are a regular fisho, don’t assume you know it all. Can you chase your desired species on different tides in different locations or with different techniques? Take snapper for example. A great fish to target around dawn or dusk, ideally with a tide change, either with lightly baited bait or lightly weighted soft plastics. But during another part of the tide, even during the day, you can also chase them trolling lures in deeper water. Be prepared. Have several plans ready – including an A, B and C if things * continued P15

All the gear you will need to make tailor rigs. www.bnbfishing.com. au

Improving your fishing results * from P14

aren’t working out. Also keep your own records in the form of a fishing diary. In this diary record the species, times, tide direction and height, wind, water temperature, colour, cloud cover and basically anything that might have led to the good or bad results you had that day. As an example, by going back over my diaries, my friends and I have settled disagreements over say the best locations to target

based on wind strength and direction, as well as tide, when we’re at K’gari. Without that information, you’re going off memory and, as these discussions prove, people’s memories can at times differ from reality. Preparing your tackle Looking for damage, wear and tear Apart from a good bit of research and planning, the other key ingredient for improving your fishing results is to ensure your tackle is in tip top condition.

Check your rod runners are in top condition with no nicks or cuts.

Faulty reels, damaged rod guides, frayed line or leader and blunt hooks are some of the main areas where a lack of tackle maintenance can let anglers down. When the weather’s bad – and now that the football season’s over – it’s a good time to pull out your gear and give it a good looking over. First, get rid of any traces that have been sitting on your rod for a while or are showing any sign of wear whatsoever after your last fishing session. While you’re it at it, remove 1-2m of the mainline below it, as this has been the line most under pressure during the cast. If you’re using braid, consider cutting the leader off a little below the braid knot and tying on a new one. * continued P16

Pre-made whiting rigs ready for action.

Pre-made traces marked with their breaking strain will help get you back into the action fast.

Metre plus mulloway in the heart of Moreton Bay.

www.bnbfishing.com.au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 15

Tide Times

A long trolling trace, board and spoon ready in the event of a mackerel bite off.

Improving your fishing results

AUSTRALIA EAST COAST AST – BRISBANE BAR BRISBANE BAR 2022 LONG 153° 10ʼ E

High and Low Waters NOVEMBER

Time 0041 041 0643 643 1335 335 2020 020

m 1.49 0.65 2.03 0.91

Time 0238 0817 TU 1518 2229

m 1.49 0.67 2.22 0.64

m 1.42 0.84 2.00 0.83

Time 0345 0927 TH 1557 2254

m 1.70 0.71 2.23 0.52

0135 135 0730 730 1434 434 2146 146

1.38 0.77 1.95 0.92

0408 0945 WE 1631 2334

1.56 0.69 2.23 0.55

17 0342 0915 1555

1.46 0.88 TH 1555 2.00 2256 0.74

0455 1044 FR 1658 2346

1.83 0.73 2.15 0.46

17 0354 0938 1551

0305 305 0842 842 1549 549 2307 307

1.33 0.86 1.92 0.86

3 0523 1108 1738

1.71 0.65 TH 1738 2.25

18 0457 1033 1655

3 0556 1155 1755

1.98 0.72 SA 1755 2.08

18 0503 1053 1650

0450 450 1.40 1014 014 0.87 1701 701 1.97

0030 0624 FR 1219 1834

0.44 1.89 0.57 2.27

19 0554 1142 1748

0034 0649 SU 1259 1846

0.41 2.14 0.69 2.01

19 0603 1205 1749

0003 003 0552 552 1130 130 1759 759

0.75 1.55 0.78 2.06

5 0117 0715 1319

0.35 2.06 1319 0.52 SA 1923 2.24

20 0033 0643 1243

5 0117 0736 1355

0.37 2.27 1355 0.67 MO 1933 1.94

20 0027 0657 1313

0047 047 0638 638 1229 229 1845 845

0.64 1.71 0.67 2.14

0159 0800 SU 1412 2006

0.30 2.20 0.49 2.18

21 0115 0728 1338

0156 0819 TU 1445 2016

0.34 2.36 0.64 1.87

21 0115 0747 1415

0127 127 0719 719 1319 319 1927 927

0.52 1.87 0.57 2.21

0234 0841 MO 1500 2045

0.27 2.30 0.49 2.09

22 0156 0812 1431

0230 0859 WE 1530 2057

0.33 2.42 0.63 1.81

22 0202 0837 1514

0203 203 0759 759 1406 406 2005 005

0.42 2.02 0.50 2.23

0307 0919 TU 1543 2121

0.27 2.37 0.51 2.00

23 0235 0855 1523

0303 0935 TH 1613 2135

0.34 2.44 0.63 1.76

23 0249 0926 1609

0238 238 0838 838 1452 452 2043 043

0.34 2.16 0.46 2.22

0336 0956 WE 1624 2156

0.28 2.40 0.55 1.89

24 0314 0940 1615

0335 1012 FR 1651 2211

0.36 2.44 0.65 1.72

24 0335 1015 1703

0313 313 0917 917 1538 538 2120 120

0.28 2.27 0.44 2.17

0404 10 1031 1702

0.31 2.40 TH 1702 0.60 2230 1.79

0352 25 1025 1706

0406 10 1046 1727

0.40 2.41 SA 1727 0.68 2245 1.68

0422 25 1104 1757

0346 346 0958 958 1623 623 2200 200

0.25 2.36 0.45 2.08

11 0432 1107 1740

26 0432 1113 1800

11 0438 1121 1801

26 0511 1153 1848

0419 419 1040 040 1709 709 2240 240

0.25 2.41 0.48 1.96

12 0501 1142 1817

27 0515 1202 1858

12 0513 1157 1837

27 0011 0600 1242

0453 453 1123 123 1758 758 2323 323

0.29 2.42 0.55 1.82

13 0533 1219 1859

28 0016 0604 1256

13 0000 0550 1235

28 0106 0655 1330

0529 529 0.35 1210 210 2.39 1852 852 0.63

14 0017 0610 1301

29 0119 0700 1353

14 0044 0632 1315

29 0205 0753 1421

0014 014 0611 611 1303 303 1959 959

1.67 0.45 2.33 0.69

15 0108 0656 1351

30 0230 0810 1454

15 0137 0724 1401

30 0309 0858 1514

0116 116 0704 704 1406 406 2115 115

1.55 0.57 2.26 0.70

1 2

8 9

0.36 2.36 FR 1740 0.67 2303 1.69

0.44 2.30 SA 1817 0.73 2338 1.59

0.53 2.22 SU 1859 0.79

1.51 0.64 1301 2.13 MO 1947 0.84 1.45 0.75 TU 1351 2.05 2048 0.86

Time 0216 0757 WE 1450 2156

1.59 0.85 FR 1655 2.03 2347 0.64

1.76 0.78 SA 1748 2.07

0.52 1.95 1243 0.70 SU 1837 2.10

0.41 2.13 MO 1338 0.62 1923 2.10 0.33 2.29 TU 1431 0.55 2008 2.07

0.26 2.42 WE 1523 0.50 2053 2.01 0.23 2.53 TH 1615 0.48 2140 1.94 0.23 2.58 FR 1706 0.48 2228 1.86

0.26 2.59 SA 1800 0.51 2320 1.76

0.33 2.56 SU 1858 0.54

1.68 0.43 MO 1256 2.48 1959 0.57 1.63 0.54 1353 2.40 TU 2059 0.58

1.63 0.64 WE 1454 2.31 2158 0.56

* from P15

Time Zone –1000 DECEMBER

0.45 2.36 SU 1801 0.71 2321 1.65

0.51 2.31 MO 1837 0.75 1.62 0.59 TU 1235 2.25 1916 0.77

1.59 0.68 1315 2.18 WE 2001 0.78 1.58 0.77 TH 1401 2.12 2053 0.76

Time 0242 0826 FR 1454 2147

m 1.59 0.85 2.07 0.71

1.67 0.89 SA 1551 2.02 2242 0.64

1.81 0.88 SU 1650 1.99 2335 0.55

1.99 0.82 MO 1749 1.96 0.46 2.19 1313 0.74 TU 1845 1.94

0.37 2.37 WE 1415 0.64 1940 1.91 0.31 2.52 TH 1514 0.56 2035 1.89 0.26 2.63 FR 1609 0.49 2130 1.87

0.24 2.70 SA 1703 0.45 2223 1.85

0.24 2.72 SU 1757 0.44 2317 1.84

0.29 2.69 MO 1848 0.45 1.82 0.37 TU 1242 2.60 1938 0.48

1.81 0.48 WE 1330 2.48 2027 0.51 1.81 0.62 1421 2.32 TH 2115 0.53 1.85 0.75 FR 1514 2.16 2204 0.54

31 0415 1010 1611

1.92 0.84 SA 1611 2.00 2255 0.53

ureau of Meteorology New e First Quarter

Moon

Full Moon Full Moon

First Quarter Last Quarter Last Quarter 9

Page 16 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

And, look and feel each of your rod guides for any sign of damage or wear and tear. If there is any, replace the guide either yourself or drop it down to your local tackle shop and they’ll organise it for you. If you do have a damaged guide, have a good look at the line on your reel because it may have been damaged from running over it. One of my friends was perplexed when, on a trip with me, he noticed his line kept breaking, despite it being brand new line. A quick look at the guides revealed the culprit and we then found 30-40m of the mainline was damaged because of it. Another good maintenance idea is to check your drag by pulling line down from the tip of your rod – make sure you do this by pulling the line as if it’s dropping into the water and not by putting undue pressure on your tip by pulling it back towards your reel. If the drag is jerky or not smooth, consider getting it serviced as soon as possible. Finally, as I’ve said a few times in my articles before, your hooks are the key link in the chain that keep the fish attached. Go through your tackle box and throw out any rusty hooks or trebles before the rust spreads to the rest.

Also, as you prepare some rigs or lie on a lure or jig head for your next session, check the point of the hook is nice and sharp, and perhaps sharpen it with a small stone if not. Carrying out all of these tips may cost you from a few cents to about $40-50 to get a reel serviced or replace some old weak line. But considering the cost of a boat and fourwheel-drive fuel, bait, lures and other expenses such as accommodation on a fishing trip, it is a very small price to pay to help ensure you don’t lose the fish of a lifetime or come home with only stories of the one that got away. Swinging back into action Is there anything worse when the fish are on than fiddling around with shaking hands after you’re busted off, trying to tie a new rig on? We have all been there, however you can min-

imise that time out of the water by preparing some pre-made rigs and indeed leader lengths, ready to re-tie quickly to your mainline. I wrap fine line rigs for whiting around a piece of pool noodle or Styrofoam using coloured head pins to keep them in place. For heavier lines targeted at tailor or jew, I will wrap the line up smoothly and keep it together with a piece of aluminium foil and cover any hooks in foil too to prevent them getting caught around the hooks. For my mackerel trolling, I tie a whole 5m trace, spoon and trolling board around a piece of pool noodle. So, there you go, a few tips on planning and preparation that, if you follow, should ensure you catch more fish. Until next month, I hope to see you on my social media pages at Ontour Fishing Australia on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Check and sharpen your hooks on a stone for better hook ups. www.bnbfishing.com. au

SEA JAY BOATS NEW MODELS

590 TITAN

AVENGER SPORTS Console

460 RANGER Heavy duty tiller

AVENGER Tiller

AVENGER

TERRITORY Console

For more information visit www.seajayboats.com.au Talk to your nearest Sea Jay dealer for pricing and options. STRENGTH

www.bnbfishing.com.au

WORKMANSHIP

CUSTOMISATION

SINCE 1989

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 17

Helaine Wilesmith and a decent grass sweetlip.

Rob Schomberg scored a solid snapper.

Committee changes and competition scores

S Brad’s heaviest snapper win.

Offshore reef fishing fanatics WANTED One of Brisbane’s oldest deep-sea fishing clubs with a 100 percent safety record has vacancies for new members. Owners of suitable vessels encouraged. All levels of experience. Those without own vessels also invited to apply. Approximately 15 deep sea trips per year. One week-long fishing holiday to Town of 1770. Monthly meetings, video shows, guest speakers and free nibbles. 4WD beach fishing and camping. Inshore fishing also on the agenda. Interested? Then call Darren (0413 511 436) or Tim (0436 625 590). POWER BOAT ANGLERS REEF FISHING CLUB INC Page 18 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

EPTEMBER saw the swearing in of the new Power Boat Anglers committee, with Darren Blackburn taking on the role of Commodore, ably supported by Dale McClurg in the role of Vice Commodore. Tim Tilbury has accepted the role of Club Secretary and Graham Bell loved last year so much that he’ll have another round as Treasurer. Supporting the team will be the committee of Jeff Sorrell, Brendon Tait and Dave Alexander. Congratulations to the new team and many thanks to the outgoing members who can now join the fun at the front of the big table and heckle their hearts out.

Power Boat Anglers by MICK CLUTTERBUCK

It would be remiss of me to not give special thanks to the outgoing Commodore and Vice Commodore, Rob Schomberg and Helaine Wilesmith. Rob held the position of Commodore for about 17 years – probably 15 years longer than he had initially anticipated, and 16 and a half years longer than his wife had hoped. During all but the last year of his time in the role, he was supported by Secretary Daryl Burgess, who himself stepped down last year after 22 years in his position.

Alongside Rob for many years too was Vice Commodore Helaine Wilesmith, who Rob said was a tremendous support and kept him going. In their time leading the club, we’ve seen the introduction of family fishing days, beach competitions, numerous rule changes to get us out fishing more often and, possibly my absolute favourite, Rob’s innovative ways of winning prizes at the annual trophy night – in particular the magnet fishing, though it did need a bit of work at the start. Anyway, we all owe a * continued P19

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Committee changes * from P18

big thanks to not only these individuals but also to their long-suffering families, who allowed them to come out to play – thank you all. Rainbow Beach Interclub Shield September saw some of our members compete in the Rainbow Beach Interclub Shield Invitational, run by the Rainbow Beach Amateur Anglers club. The competition is a team’s event with points being awarded across three size brackets per species in a 3, 2, 1 distribution, with a maximum of five points going towards the team total per species and the highest combined total winning. Conditions were brilliant and with the wind under 10 knots and fish on the chew, most were left pinching themselves because that combination doesn’t usually happen. Competition was fierce all weekend and one of the highlights was the discovery of a new mark – ‘3 dogs’ – which held a bounty of good-sized snapper. It seemed to be a bit of a magnet, as the PBA

boats hung round the show for most of the day, landing good snapper, tuskfish and grass sweetlip. A few of the team mentioned that, if nothing else, it was worth the effort to attend just to find some new marks and fish a new area. In the wash up, the PBA club came a very respectable third place. A great effort given they only fielded seven members, while the scoring system allowed for the best 10 scores being added together to give your club score – so, not a bad effort being three scores down. Next year, we’ll get a bit more organised, as you can fish offshore or inshore, with whiting, flathead and bream all counting towards the scores. In the wrap up, Brad brought home the heaviest snapper trophy along with $50 and Dave, who actually landed the biggest snapper at 81cm, won a Wilson Live Fibre fishing rod for his efforts. Many thanks to the Rainbow Beach Amateur Anglers club, who put on an excellent

weekend starting with nibbles and drinks on the Friday night briefing, then again on the Sunday for the presentation and weigh-in. A band was there on Sunday afternoon, along with a sausage sizzle and beverages for everyone to enjoy. Redland Bay Amateur Fishing Club won the weekend and the $1000 prize again this year. Other clubs that participated were the Virginia Nundah Fishing Club who came second and the Landsborough Fishing Club who came fourth. All in all, it was a great weekend away and we’re very keen to do it again next year. Meetings Please note that the meetings occur on the first Wednesday of every month at ‘The Club Manly’ bowls club, 26 Faine St, Manly from 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Upcoming meetings are Wednesday November 2, then Wednesday December 7. Note, the first meeting for 2023 will be Wednesday February 1. Until next month, safe boating.

Team PBA came a very respectable third place at the Rainbow Beach Interclub Shield Invitational. www.bnbfishing.com.au

Dave with his Wilson Live Fibre prize.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 19

Science and scales on K’gari

If you’ve ever gone on a fishing pilgrimage to K’gari (Fraser Island), chances are you’ve come across Fisheries Queensland scientists monitoring tailor. Some scientists, like Robert, have been involved in the program for over a decade (find out more about Robert in Faces of Fisheries). In winter and spring, Fisheries Queensland scientists conduct surveys along the beaches of K’gari, collecting biological information for tailor. Each year, for the past 24 years, two to three one-week-long surveys have been conducted during the tailor season. Scientists measure fish to record vital information and collect fish frames (skeletons) donated by fishers. A field laboratory is set up on the island and scientists record fish length and sex and remove otoliths (ear bones) from the frames. Later, these otoliths are examined under a microscope to estimate the age of the fish. Curious about how old your fish is? A 35 cm tailor would be, on average, two years of age! Data collected during the surveys is used for assessing the status of the stock. For these assessments, survey data are combined with other biological and catch data collected from both recreational and commercial fishers throughout each year. The surveys also highlight trends in fish size and age through time. In the 1990s, the majority of tailor caught were one or two years of age. Reliance of the fishery on these very young fish caused concern about sustainability. To limit pressure on the stock, management changes were introduced. Over time, the percentage of older fish caught has increased, showing a positive change in the fishery.

Fisheries Queensland scientists collecting biological data for Tailor

New guide

out now!

The new and improved Queensland recreational fishing guide is available now! Designed to fit in your tacklebox, the new guide is easier to use and packed with fish photos to help you ID your catch.

For more information – download the QLD Fishing 2.0 app or go to daf.qld.gov.au and search for tailor monitoring.

Faces of fisheries feature – Robert Fisheries technician Rob has been part of Fisheries Queensland’s fishery monitoring team since 2009 where he plays a key role in managing the Keen Angler Program. The program asks fishos to donate the frames of fish they catch so they can be studied. The information they get from the frames plays a vital role in assessing fish stock health.

Grab your free copy from your local Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol office or bait and tackle store, or call us on 13 25 23.

The team also ensures the sustainability of tailor stocks on K’Gari (Fraser Island) by monitoring recreational catch. The team runs three weeklong surveys during the peak fishing season over winter and spring — measuring fish and collecting their otoliths (earbones).

For fishing rules at your fingertips, you can also download the Qld Fishing 2.0 app via the App Store or Google Play.

Rob has a wealth of fisheries knowledge and technical expertise — although his wife and kids often out fish him! He enjoys getting recreational fishers involved with scientific monitoring work to ensure sustainable fisheries for generations to come.

Download the free ‘Qld Fishing 2.0’ app from the App Store or Google Play DAF1797 10/2022

Page 20 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 1797 Bush n Beach November 2022.indd 2

LEFT

www.bnbfishing.com. au 7/10/2022 11:30 am

ring r

s and m

e e ity. ver ve

Changing seasons –

Upcoming changes

for east coast Spanish

what you need to know

mackerel

To help rebuild stocks of east coast Spanish mackerel, new fishery management arrangements will begin in Queensland’s north on 22 October 2022.

Barramundi

This closure affects east coast waters north of 22˚S (located slightly north of Stanage Bay, between Mackay and Yeppoon) for two three-week periods (six weeks total). The northern closure will run from 22 October 2022 to 12 November 2022 and 21 November to 12 December 2022. These seasonal closures will provide vitally important protection for spawning and will be adjusted yearly to align with the new moon. For more information go to daf.qld.gov.au and search for Spanish mackerel.

Reeling in women to recreational fishing Women in recreational fishing network

CLOSED East coast Qld • 1 November 2022 to 31 January 2023 Gulf of Carpentaria • 7 October 2022 to 31 January 2023

Coral reef fin fish CLOSED • 22 October to 26 October 2022 • 21 November to 25 November 2022

Samantha Beckmann always wanted to be a ‘fishergirl’ when she grew up … And now she’s known as ‘that fishing lady’! Sam is passionate about introducing kids and families to fishing and increasing awareness of pest fish and sustainability.

Spanner crab

Since 2004, Sam has shared this passion with over 75 000 people through her business 2 Bent Rods. Her business is also a gateway employer to the fishing and outdoor industries. Sam is hoping for a few things from the Women in recreational fishing network. Primarily, to make friends with other women who fish. She also wants to keep encouraging more women and children into the sport. She hopes the network will also give her the opportunity to teach more people and get more people to work in the industry.

CLOSED • 1 November to 15 December 2022

Tropical rock lobster CLOSED Queensland east coast north of latitude 14˚S and Gulf of Carpentaria waters • 1 October to 31 December 2022

Spanish mackerel CLOSED East coast north of latitude 22˚S • 22 October to 12 November 2022 • 21 November to 12 December 2022

Murray cod OPEN

fisheries.qld.gov.au 13 25 23 FisheriesQueensland FisheriesQld DAFQld www.bnbfishing.com.au 1797 Bush n Beach November 2022.indd

RIGHT

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 7/10/2022 11:3021 am

Terri was stoked to catch her first giant trevally on a Tweed River charter with Brad Smith.

The author with two 40cm whiting caught in the Gold Coast Broadwater in October.

Raylene did well to land and release a 66cm flathead using yabby as bait.

How to catch sand whiting

I everyone, November on the Gold Coast is when some of our favourite fish start to fire up, and that includes sand or summer whiting. These incredibly prolific fish are distributed along the east coast of Australia, from Cape York south to Tasmania. They spawn two to three times at river mouths and surf zones during September to

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April and are most abundant in southeast Queensland and northern NSW. It’s not commonly known, however that this species can completely burrow themselves into the sand to escape danger. They can grow to 30cm long by the time they are four years old. Not many better eating fish are in the ocean and, for their size, they are impressively strong fighting fish. The bag limit is 30 per person in Queensland and size limit is 23cm minimum. Thirty per person is far too many in my opinion – it should be 10, which is enough for one meal for a family of four. The size limit should

be 27cm, as it is for NSW – a skinny little 23cm whiting is hardly worth keeping. There are a number of areas where summer whiting frequent on the Gold Coast. Here are a few tips to help you catch a couple or 10. The Nerang River The shallow bank opposite the council chambers precinct at Bundall is a famous spot for catching big sand whiting that always seems to keep producing. However, most shallow areas that are 1-2m deep tend to fish well at night, including Chevron Island, Surfers Paradise, Capri, Bundall and Benowa. Fishing is best on a run-out tide. * continued P23

Spots, tackle, lures, tides, species, estuary tactics, moons, seasons and more!

SMS 0432 990 302 Charter gift vouchers and online store www.goldcoastlures.com

Page 22 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

Big sand whiting are showing up in the Gold Coast Broadwater now that the water has warmed up. www.bnbfishing.com. au

How to catch sand whiting * from P22

Anchor using bloodworms for bait on number 4 or 6 baitholder hooks, number 4 or 5 size running sinkers and long 6lb traces, which are needed to keep the bait on the bottom in the strong tidal flow that is typical in this spot. If you haven’t caught any whiting within an hour, move 100m at a time until you locate a feeding school. As with any big sand whiting, do not strike too early or you’ll miss them. They will slyly crush then slowly eat the bait. Gold Coast Broadwater Summer whiting here are found mostly on and around the huge yabby banks. The best areas are Crab Island, Wavebreak Island and Curlew Island. On a run-in tide, use light line and yabbies as bait on small hooks over the top of the yabby banks. Only light or no sinkers are needed because the tide doesn’t run very hard. Wading works very well, though if anchoring and fishing from

the boat be sure to keep moving to find schools of whiting and avoid toadfish. Always keep bait moving slowly or you’ll hook stingrays. On a run-out tide, fish along the edges and drains of yabby flats – as the tide recedes, the fish go with it. Most people will tell you that Gold Coast sand whiting are not easy to catch on lures, especially the bigger models of fish. On my wading charters – which run from October to March – we catch 40cm and larger whiting nearly every day. The Gold Coast is whiting fishing heaven. Best rods and reels if fishing from a boat include 2-4kg 7’ or longer bait rods, 2500 size reels, 6lb Platypus Platinum line and 6-8lb fluorocarbon leader. For wading, I suggest a 1-3kg 7’ rod and 1000 size reel spooled with 3-4lb spinning fluorocarbon line. I prefer the Okuma Cerros or Atomic Arrowz rods with Okuma Ceymar. Sporty’s Fishing shop at Bundall stocks all

The author caught a giant trevally using the new Z-Man ST GrubZ plastic when kayak fishing. www.bnbfishing.com.au

the gear you need. The Tweed River Unlike their Gold Coast relatives, northern NSW sand whiting are very aggressive lure takers in shallow water. Brad Smith – who guides there daily – has been catching them for many years on surface lures such as MMD Splash Prawns and Bassday Sugapens. The trick is to fish shallow water no more than 60cm deep, do long casts with the wind, then a medium-speed retrieve while twitching the rod tip and not pausing. It’s a thrilling visual way to fish, and you’ll see whiting charging up to the lure to smash it. Tweed River whiting can also be caught on beachworms and yabbies over summer by drifting or anchoring. The best areas are Chinderah, Tumbulgum and Condong. Anywhere 1-3m deep can hold good-sized whiting in these spots. The best rods and reels for surface lures include an Atomic Arrowz 7’ rod and Okuma Ceymar 2500 reel with 2-6lb line. Besides whiting, this month still produces good catches of dusky flathead and giant trevally in our local rivers, the Gold Coast Broadwater and the Tweed River. To book on a charter with myself or Brad, or if you have any fishing related questions, visit goldcoastrivercharters. com, SMS 0432 990 302 or email fishing withclint@gmail.com, or find us on Facebook – Brad Smith Fishing Charters.

Callum caught a nice 65cm flathead on a Jumpinpin trip with the author.

Shaun’s caught a solid flounder for his first time fishing.

Damo with a 78cm flathead that was caught on an Ecogear Balt soft plastic and released Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 23

A selfie with a big flathead.

Hayley joined in the fishing fun down at the harbour.

Trevally time in the Tweed

HE crazy weather continues this year, though the fishing is still good for the most part, so let’s take a look at what’s been happening. Mangrove jack are on the prowl big time and, with the upper reach-

Tweed to Byron Bay by GAVIN DOBSON

es out of commission, their numbers seem to be quite concentrated in the lower half of the river. Along with jacks,

Toby and Ava with harbour bream. Page 24 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

plenty of jewfish are in the holes too. I think this is partly due to all the fresh, as these fish are usually all the way up to the weir at this time of year in the Tweed River. If you were ever going to catch a jew in the lower estuary, now is the time to do it. I’m not saying they’re going to be big – the vast majority aren’t even legal – but the numbers are certainly there. It’s extraordinary – the stories I’ve heard recently of jew being captured around the 67-68cm range. Still a great fish, and oh so close. Get your lures and live bait in the holes and around the snags this month and you

might be rewarded with some good fish. Trevally will also be on the cards in November, with bigger model giant trevally currently cruising around. I had an interesting capture recently in the Tweed River, I caught a 4.3kg golden trevally – something I’ve wanted to achieve for a long time. I’d seen them caught in the Tweed occasionally over the years, but this was my first one. Now, I want to make something clear, which is that I’m not trying to trick anyone – for the locals and those familiar with the area, the background in the photo is opposite the boat ramp at the Brunswick River. I caught the fish late evening by myself on the Tweed River and went down to the Brunswick River the following morning to get a more pleas-

ant background to the photo than what my front yard could offer. This works well when I keep the fish, which was great eating by the way, but is not so good for catch and release. So, with that in mind, I had a go at my first selfie a few days later. Yes, it’s true, I had never taken a selfie with a phone before, nor had I ever posted a picture on social media of anything I was about to eat. I have self-timed some photos of myself with fish over the years, but I don’t think that qualifies as a proper ‘selfie’ if you’re using a big camera. Anyway, I got a decent lump of a flathead a couple of weeks ago and, because I was releasing it, there would be no going to the boat ramp for a picture the next morning, so I had * continued P25

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Trevally time in the Tweed * from P24

a crack at a selfie. Not too bad for a first go I guess, unless you wanted to see the bottom half of the fish. I didn’t even have a ruler, so I laid the fish on the seat and made a scratch at either end of the flatty with a knife into the fibreglass. When I got home, I went to measure the

marks, but for the life of me I couldn’t find one of the scratch marks or decipher the correct one from all the other scratches. Never mind, my guess would be low to mid-90cm. Now is big flatty time in the Northern Rivers, so as you can see, there’s plenty to do in the estuaries this month.

A NSW golden trevally at last for the author.

With the way the rain keeps coming though, it will be limited to the lower reaches. The rain is also keeping the bream concentrated in the lower rivers and, while there aren’t as many thumpers among them as there can be in winter, the quality is still good and numbers high. Offshore, November is often a hard month. That’s not to say you won’t find a snapper in close or a few fish on the deep reefs, if the current is manageable. Mahi mahi are often cruising the currents out wide this month too, and all in all it’s a good time to seek out a few mackerel bait and stick to the estuaries.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 25

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Structure brimming with life

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ELLO, another wet month has come and gone and, with little relief in sight, it would appear as though the coming month will be more of the same. The river has cleaned up to some degree, but the continuous bouts of rain are not giving it, or for that matter any of the Northern Rivers, any sort of prolonged break. At this stage, the longrange forecast is still for significant rain over the next few months. There are some predictions of well above the average rainfall for

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the whole summer period, so unfortunately, I’m not expecting any major changes as far as the water clarity is concerned in the near future. Having said that, the river is fishing fairly well, all things considered. Bream were still in good numbers throughout the river. With the visibility remaining low in the river, the majority of bream have been holding closely to any structure they can find. At present, bridge pylons, pontoons, jetties and rock walls have all been worth targeting. The usual bait such as prawns, mullet and pilchard have all been working, given the state of the water at present. The bream do seem to be spread far and wide, which has surprised me to a degree – I would have expected them to be congregating a little closer to the mouth of the river after the last flood. Flathead have been a bit of a mixed bag lately. The discoloured water

has made it a little more difficult to find some live bait and, when you have been able to locate them, bream and sharks have been making short work of them. Three and 4” soft plastics enjoyed some success, particularly in the brighter coloured offerings. With the discoloured water and a small increase in water temperature, flathead appear to have moved into deeper water. If you’re keen to chase a few lizards, in 2-4m of water seems to be the depth to look at. A number of fish have also shown plenty of interest in suspended hardbody lures, with some of the brighter colours in the dirty water, along with the usual favourites such as black and gold, having had some luck. I do believe the continual rain has kept the water discoloured and therefore it’s keeping mullet closer to the mouth of the river. This in turn appears to be encouraging mullo* continued P27

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Northern Rivers structure brimming with life * from P26

way to haunt the mouth of the river a little longer this year. Hard-body lures such as Leavey, Jollip and Croaker have all accounted for multiple fish across winter and continue to do so. Also accounting for quite a few fish are 6-7” soft plastics, though the size of the fish they’ve attracted lately were on the small side. Unfortunately, we have still not seen any real numbers of tailor for winter. This was mainly due to the floods earlier in the year pushing dirty water out to sea and keeping tailor well off the coast, until they reached Brisbane or further north. That’s not to say that we haven’t seen any tai-

lor, just not in the quantities we usually experience during winter. I’m eternally hopeful that we’ll still see a few over the coming months but given the predictions of rain we’re currently staring down the barrel at, I should probably stop being so optimistic. Further upriver, the rain and discoloured water wasn’t upsetting the bass too much at all. Good numbers of fish have spread from Woodburn to Whyrallah. Lately, a real mix of techniques have enjoyed success, with surface lures, cranks and spinnerbaits all accounting for fish. The brighter colours have had the edge at certain times over the past month and I’m expect-

ing the surface action to continue to improve over the coming weeks as the weather heats up – even if we don’t see a marked improvement in water quality. While the fishing in the river has been fairly solid, offshore has been nothing short of a lottery, to say the least. While there were a number of days when the close reefs produced their fair share of fish, there were other days when you couldn’t get a bite in close to save yourself. The better numbers were out on the 32 and 42-fathom line. At the time of writing, the current hadn’t picked up too much at all, which is great news for most anglers. The 48s were producing good quality pearl

perch recently, but the kingfish and amberjack fishing was a little disappointing, with most fish in the just-legal category through to about 90cm. Live bait were a little

easier to find offshore, which meant quite a few better-quality kingfish showed an interest. That’s all from me for this month, until next time – tight lines!

Mark with a quality snapper caught on one of the close reefs.

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Dirty water not affecting jewies

Lismore angler Guy Stewart landed a decent fish along the Iluka breakwall on a whole torpedo squid.

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S last month’s Bush ‘n Beach issue hit the stands, the Clarence River experienced what was officially recorded as a minor flood at Grafton, however, a hell of a lot more dirt came down than what was expected from a minor flood. The reason for this was that, while the Clarence River at Grafton did not reach the moderate level, it sure gave it a nudge – peaking around a mere 25cm below moderate. The vast majority of water came from the Orara River – along with a handful of much smaller tributaries such as the Mann and Nymboida rivers – with the Clarence peaking at slightly above 10m at Lilydale, upstream from Grafton. This was a worrying event, given it occurred from fairly ordinary rainfall that, at this time of year, wouldn’t usually do much more than settle the dust. But given that we have had consistent rain all winter after the multiple flood events earlier in the year, our catchments remain sodden as we head into the traditional wet season over the next few months. The bright side to all of this is that the colour didn’t affected the jew-fishing side of things, as plenty of nice fish were taken from both the Iluka and Yamba breakwalls on a variety of bait, including hard-bodied minnows, 14cm soft plastic lures, live mullet and squid. Lismore angler Guy Stewart – who had a battle in recent months trying to keep his bait away from pesky river whaler sharks – finally managed a nice jewfish on the ocean side of the

Just Jew by TYE PORTER

Iluka wall, using whole torpedo squid as bait, so it only goes to show that patience will be rewarded. My son Mischa spent a few nights out along the wall using 14cm soft plastic lures as the dirty water began to push back upstream and was rewarded with a couple of nice fish, his best weighing 20.2kg. Not be left out of the fun, Mischa’s girlfriend Rebekah Ellis used live poddy mullet as bait at the old ferry approach at Iluka for a nice jew that tipped the scales at slightly over 12kg, which we all thought was a tad ironic, as she was actually targeting mangrove jack. We have spent a few nights fishing the run-in tide for whiting along the southern bank of Goodwood Island for very little reward. However, I did manage to land a 73cm flathead using live beachworm

and 3kg line – we released it after a couple of happy snaps because in NSW, all flathead over 70cm must be returned to the water. The southern end of the Iluka Bluff continues to produce nice school jew to about 10kg on lures, though jewfish will be taken from this spot year-round, given the right conditions. The northern end of Main Beach was fishing well for chopper tailor of about 2kg, on flesh bait such as bonito or mullet, and similar sized fish were reported along Back Beach, slightly south of Woody Head. Speaking of Woody Head, I’ve had confirmed reports of random schools of longtail tuna feeding a few hundred metres off the headland and, while it’s rare to see this species here this early, it’s not unheard of. When the wind is * continued P30

Mischa took a 20.2kg jewfish from the Iluka wall on a soft plastic lure. www.bnbfishing.com. au

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Dirty water has not affected jew fishing * from P28

Mischa with a 73cm flathead taken on a live worm meant for whiting at Goodwood Island. She was returned to breed another day.

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not blowing 30 knots from some direction – which lately is rare – boats have been returning from the northern grounds at Black Rocks with nice mixed bags of snapper, teraglin and the occasional jewfish. Along Ten Mile Beach at Shark Bay, whiting, bream, dart and pansized flathead have kept most anglers happy, and November is a good month to chase small blacktip sharks for a feed only a few hundred metres north of the drive-on track. If there is no further flooding of any sort this month, whiting fishing should be in full swing inside our coastal rivers and, I for one, can’t wait to hook into a few elbow slappers on light gear – they are great fun and tasty to boot. As I stated last month, bream are still to be had inside the river, however given that most of them are still in fairly poor condition after spawn-

ing, I would be more inclined to target flathead and whiting for the next month or so. November is also the month when large yellowtail kingfish usually show up along the breakwall, so if you want to spend a day or two fishing land based with live bait under a float, this is the month to have a crack. All in all, November should see the first early signs of spotted mackerel in the shallow waters of Woody Head, while the breakwalls and headlands are the place to target jewfish. Luderick and drummer fishing will be concentrated around the rocky headlands and bream, whiting and flathead will be readily available both inside our rivers and along the open beaches. So, cross your fingers it doesn’t rain and get out among them while you can. Until next month, safe fishing.

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Rebekah Ellis of Iluka used live poddy mullet as bait at the old ferry approach for this 12kg jewfish. www.bnbfishing.com. au

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 33

Dylan Versteegen with a cobia from North Reef.

Warmer weather triggers pelagic action

OVEMBER is a great time to be an angler, with the start of the warmer weather. The wind tends to blow from the north, which gets the air temperature up and the barramundi anglers excited. Our pelagic fish start showing up, especially around Hervey Bay, K’gari and down towards us in southeast Queensland. For those fishing offshore, the fish aggregat-

Sunshine Coast by GRANT BUDD

ing devices also begin showing signs of life after a gentle start in October. With typical water temperature expected to hit about 24-25C, this is a trigger for pelagics and other speedsters to commence filtering across our region. For now, spanish mackerel may be in close

around the shallower reefs, especially if we have a big bump in air temp. If you have a kayak, big troll bait of bonito rigged on stinger rigs works very well. The kayak fraternity often set the pace for other anglers because they have stealth on their side.

Noah Brown with a cracking mid-50cm mangrove jack from a special spot. Page 34 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

Double Island is often worth the additional journey time from Noosa, or drive to Tin Can Bay and cross the bar there. Red emperor, amberjack, trevally, snapper, pearl perch, nannygai and jewfish are often found in theses areas, along with a range of other species. You can drop huge slab bait to the bottom for reds or drift with soft plastics and jigs in these spots. If drifting, you’ll want something such as a Storm Gomoku Koika jig or a minnow-style plastic such as a Z-Man StreakZ, as these fall quickly enough for vertical fishing applications. For those staying local, North Reef has been holding a great mixed bag of species, with jewfish around the 1m mark. These fish turned up in spring along with cobia in good numbers and will eat almost anything. If lure fishing, I prefer to target jew on 20lb

gear and a soft plastic of your choice. I find the jig head weight more important than the plastic type. If in deeper water, 3/4oz to 1 1/2oz works best. This lets you adapt to current, wind or a mixture of both. Ensuring your plastic has sufficient fall time after you work it is paramount to success. Cobia love plastics and jigs on slightly heavier 30-40lb gear. They enjoy a wide range of bait, including live, slab and strip on a snelled 7/0 octopus circles and 60lb leader. Live bait have a habit of drawing out the bigger fish, so always try to get their heads turned early on and don’t stop! While snapper, cobia, tuna and mackerel are present, it is always a great idea to have a pilchard floater out. These work well on shallower parts of Sunshine Reef. * continued P35

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Warmer weather triggers pelagic action * from P34

During light wind and current days, a light berley trail can definitely fire the fish up. Be sure to pick up some pellets, tuna oil, aniseed oil and mix it with pilchard and sand for a killer berley mix. Sunshine Reef is the place for big coral trout, grass sweetlip, snapper, cobia and even an occasional marlin. Out here a mix of styles can be used, with 20lb setups perfect for soft plastics and lighter 4080g Samaki Wingman jigs. Dropping live bait works very well for trout, but the leader needs to be increased to 60lb or more because this part of the reef can be very unforgiving. As things warm up, the headlands are a great place to cast larger stickbaits such as the Oceans Legacy Keeling 45g on lighter PE3 casting outfits. If mackerel are about, you may want to take a few lures with you. The rewards are there, with many big 20kg plus tuna caught alongside mackerel and even cobia. Elsewhere dart, whiting and trevally can be found in the gutters and holes from Teewah heading north to Double Island. Closer to the river mouth, the middle groyne in Noosa, smaller mackerel, dart, flathead, bream and trevally can be expected. For those wanting to catch mackerel, you can try a gang-hooked pilchard or metal slug from Gillies, as these will cast the distance. For estuary anglers, mangrove jack are high on the target list. www.bnbfishing.com.au

These fish are power houses and must be experienced if you fish the estuary. These fish can easily be caught on a live bait, but to target them on lures requires more skill, with more satisfaction once caught. Learning where they hang out is important but know that Noosa has many areas for them to lay in wait. Casting or slow-trolling hard-body lures, casting soft vibes and working soft plastics all works well and we have a huge array of options on offer. Angling at night can be very productive as jacks will often break from cover under the night sky. Many anglers see these fish as prized sport fish, with most returned only to be caught repeatedly before they head offshore to live. Mangrove jack must head offshore to breed, so please consider your bag limits before keeping them because they are certainly too good to catch only once. Big flathead can be found in the lower part of the river, particularly at this time of year. Big female fish come down the river mouths to breed and as such, fish over 90cm can be caught. They respond well to shallow-trolled hardbody lures and slowwound soft plastics. Night fishing can also be very productive, with big prawns and paddle tail soft plastics. Keitech 5” Easy Shiner in Sight Flash colour is one such option. You can also expect to catch the occasional jack.

Having a big landing net is important if you intend to target these big fish, as many are lost at the boat or bankside. Top tip when fishing at night is to limit noise and light. Do not arrive at your spot under full power with a torch scanning over the water and throw an anchor out. This shuts the fish down and moves them on, so if you can approach under the power of an electric motor and use your mapping or GPS to navigate, you can expect better results. Be sure to check out Minn Kota in Davo’s Boating & Outdoors, which is next to Tackle World at Noosa. Daytime angling will see bream, whiting, flathead, trevally and perhaps a jack in the Frying Pan and dog beach snags. Surface lures are a lot of fun for whiting and trevally when skipped across the flats. The Zip Baits Skinny Pop is a classic lure to raise packs of whit-

ing, trevally, tailor and bream. Flats fishing requires polaroid glasses to cut through the glare. We stock a wide range of Spotters, Maui Jim and Smith sunglasses, so we have you covered. For bait anglers, a simple running sinker rig with some red whiting tube and a live worm works wonders. Freshwater has been nothing short of tough, due to the winter flooding. This saw many fish lost over dam walls and a huge recruitment into major rivers. Though tough, fish are still in these dams, and the warmer weather and – fingers crossed – lack of rain should see them fire up. When on the water, try to find the cleaner warmer water and start your session there. If we see a spike in temperature and a northerly wind, there should be a good surface bite period. Keeping lures small is probably going to work best, with Lucky Craft Sammy 65 and Atomic

Hardz K9 Walkers. Once the sun is up, try using jerk baits around the edges. A great thing about the flooding was that the weed that had chocked many areas up was washed away, which has made fishing the edges possible. Lastly, a great feature of November is that the barramundi dams should start to fire up, with this month a great time to experience 20kg fish. Come in and grab a few Jackall Squirrel jerkbaits, Molix Shad 140mm swimbaits and some weedless hooks for fishing the timber. Now, for all the latest information, log onto fishingnoosa.com.au for up-to-date bar and fishing reports, don’t forget to drop into Tackle World Noosa, Noosa Boating and Outdoors and Northshore Bait & Tackle in Marcoola for all the right equipment, bait and advice to get you catching. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and remember, tight lines and bent spines!

Brixton Wilson and a 33cm whiting caught from the local flats. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 35

Fishing around Noosa

Ian Fry help pick avocados, the proceeds went to a charity for the homeless.

Tony Stewart and 1200 avocados.

The author with a lovely whiting from Teewah Beach. Page 36 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

ITH November not far off, what can we expect the weather, fishing and crabbing to be like? The weather report is forecasting that storms will be around, with a high likelihood of flooding, so I’d say another good wet season is on its way with a bit of luck. The fishing will be good out wide, though the run will kick in more and make it harder to fish. Whales have nearly all gone south, which is great – I love them but there are just too many out there nowadays, it’s scary moving around at day or night. Pelagics will start showing up in bigger numbers, as will more sharks. I’ll start towing my tinnies up to Double Island to fish in close for mixed reef fish and mackerel. Crabbing has been great all year. Before I went north in July, I got 20 cracking bucks over the period of a week at Tin Can Bay. I put the pots in again once home, but it was so busy, with five boats in the area I normally chase mud crabs. So, I put my pots out in the deeper channels with no other pots around and got a nice feed of sand crabs. I started crabbing again in the middle of October and will continue through November, in between the school holidays and up at Tin Can Bay, because I think there’ll be too much freshwater in the upper Noosa River system. Driving and fishing trips On a trip to the Cape

Noosa to Fraser Coast by CRAIG TOMKINSON

this year, I met two lovely people – Ian and Gill Fry – both from England. They were camped in their 2008 Toyota LandCruiser Troopcarrier, beside another good friend Bob Gentlemen. Ian came out fishing with Eddy and myself a few times and, when the time came for them to head south, I gave them my contact details and said ‘pop in and stay a while’, which they did. So, I took them up to Teewah, through Cooloola and onto Rainbow Beach, to Inskip for a look around the area and then we headed for home. The next day out I took them with me to the Mary Valley to pick avocados for the charity Tony Stewart helps with, and a look around. The day after that, I took them back over to Teewah Beach for a bit of fishing. I showed them how to find eugaries – pipis – on the beach and in the surf, doing the eugarie shuffle. Once we had bait, we rigged up the rods – small 2m rods with 2500 spinning reels

and 6lb line. I did up two running sinker rigs and put on some eugarie that was chopped in half long ways. We found a nice gutter that had no footprints near it – this lets me know that no one has fished in it for at least one tide. Ian and I cast out and within minutes Ian had the first lovely whiting. We caught one or two fish out of that gutter before they went quiet, so we moved to find another tiny gutter that no one had fished that tide. We only fished the gutters between Teewah township and the south end of the Cooloola camping areas. By the end of the runin tide at about 5pm, we had six good whiting to 35cm, three good tarwhine and a few good dart – a lovely feed indeed. Gill had a great walk along the beach at each spot we stopped to fish. Hopefully, over the coming weeks, I’ll do more beach fishing over at Teewah. Until next month, be safe on the water.

Gill and the author at the Fig Tree Walk in Mary Valley. www.bnbfishing.com. au

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 37

Jon Malard and a string puller of an amberjack.

Local angler ‘Greg the gun’ scored a nice snapper from the inshore reefs.

Lindsay Campbell with an awesome Tin Can Bay queenfish.

Joe Kemp got stretched by a monster giant trevally caught onboard a Great Sandy Straits Sports Fishing charter.

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Page 38 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

Solid jacks, flatties and reefies

’DAY crew, I trust you’ve all been well and have been out and about enjoying our local waterways, if you’ve been lucky enough to visit Tin Can Bay recently. Over the past few weeks, the area has been pumping, with plenty of new faces walking through the door together with some repeat customers. We love seeing families coming back year after year and enjoying our little slice of heaven, it is truly a great part of the world. With water temperature climbing to the 24C range at the end of September and the start of October, there were a few mangrove jack caught up in the creeks. Earlier in the month, one of the tagged fish from last year’s competition was recaptured in the same creek. After 302 days at sea, it had grown 9cm, coming in at 48cm. This mangrove jack was released again, which was nice to see. I know that on my next day off, I’ll be hitting the snags, skipping some

Tin Can Bay by CHRIS RIPPON

surface frogs, looking for that early morning surface bite and bombing some Lucky Craft 78XD Pointer hard-bodies into the snags to fish a little deeper. I didn’t use too many crank baits last session, so I’m keen to give it a good go this summer. Flathead have shown up in good numbers over the past few weeks, so anyone trolling the undulating sand flats and drop-offs were well rewarded for their efforts, with plenty of good eating fish in the 45-55cm size range reported Teebar Ledge has also fished well lately, with good catches of cod, tuskfish, blackall and a few smaller snapper mentioned. Squid and freshly cut flesh bait have been working a treat. For the lure fisho, 75 and 100mm vibes, small micro jigs and a variety of soft plastics also produced. Find the bait and you will find the fish.

On the neap tide, a number of fishos reported that the Bluff reefs fished well also, with a variety of reef fish being caught and keeping the family fed. Up that way, tuna have been around in good numbers from the Wide Bay Bay to up past Poona. But tuna being tuna, some days are diamonds, and some days are doughnuts. Making sure you have a few different offerings in the tackle box is always a good idea. Nomad Tackle’s The Ridgeback, TT Lures Hard Core and the EJ Todd Ignition are all great lures for casting and high-speed retrieves, and all offer something a little different in their profiles. So, on the days they are being downright annoying, by having a few extra tricks up your sleeve, you can turn a slow day into one of those days you won’t * continued P39

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Solid jacks, flatties and reefies With shrimps, remove the weedless worm hook – put that in your tackle box for your skipping plastics – run a 7/0 TT Fishing jig head in any weight from 1/2 up to 1 1/2oz. A 7’ 20-30lb spin outfit with 20-30lb fluorocarbon leader is all you need to get the job done. Well, that’s a wrap for me for this month. Until next time, tight lines and take care and, if you’re ever in Tin Can Bay, pop into the shop for a chat. You’ll find us at the Tin Can Bay Marina on Emperor St – just look for the four big white sheds out the front. The Chandlery Bait and Tackle, for all your boating and fishing needs. See you all soon.

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Bruce Kunde landed a Robinson’s sea bream, a rare capture down this way.

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on 0407 860 807. Offshore has produced as it normally does, with catches of snapper, pearl perch, red emperor, jewfish, amberjack, tuskfish and cod keeping punters very happy. Inshore, the snapper fishing was red hot, and everyone seemed to be catching good fish. Snapper, jew and mixed reefies were all hitting the decks. Float baiting a pillie is always a good way to bag a feed but, in my opinion, working a few plastics through bait schools is much more fun. The standout plastics were the Molix RT Fork Flex 5’’, 7’’ Berkley Gulp Jerk Shads and any prawn imitation plastic such as the Zerek Live Shrimp.

forget in a hurry. Up around Inskip Point and closer to the bar, giant trevally and queenfish were out playing and stretching a few anglers, with most reported captures coming in from our local charter guide Captain Jon from Great Sandy Straits Sports Fishing. Live bait work very well on these great sports fish, but you know me, I’m going to tell you to throw a stick bait or large popper around instead. It might take a few goes to work out the where and when, but once you do, it will be game on! If you fancy a day out with Jon chasing a few Tin Can Bay monsters, give him a bell

* from P38

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 39

03 5022 7 03 5152 3 03 5562 6 03 5443 5 03 5822 2 03 5174 1 03 9397 6 02 6024 6

Tide Times AUSTRALIA EAST COAST POINT 2022

SLAND) – QUEENSLAND WADDY

LONG LONG 153° 153° 21ʼ 21ʼ E E High High and and Low Low Waters Waters NOVEMBER R NOVEMBER

Time Time 0452 0452 1217 1217 1951 1951

m m 0.78 0.78 1.76 1.76 0.92 0.92

0042 0042 0552 0552 1323 1323 2121 2121

1.12 1.12 0.87 0.87 1.68 1.68 0.88 0.88

0234 0234 0721 0721 1440 1440 2223 2223

0406 0406 0851 0851 1545 1545 2300 2300

0456 0456 1003 1003 1636 1636 2327 2327

0534 0534 1056 1056 1716 1716 2352 2352

1.10 1.10 0.92 0.92 1.64 1.64 0.80 0.80

1.16 1.16 0.89 0.89 1.65 1.65 0.71 0.71

1.26 1.26 0.79 0.79 1.69 1.69 0.59 0.59 1.37 1.37 0.67 0.67 1.73 1.73 0.47 0.47

0607 0607 1139 1139 1751 1751

1.49 1.49 0.57 0.57 1.76 1.76

0017 0017 0638 0638 1219 1219 1825 1825

0.36 0.36 1.62 1.62 0.49 0.49 1.78 1.78

0044 0044 0709 0709 1257 1257 1859 1859

0111 0111 0743 0743 1337 1337 1935 1935

0.27 0.27 1.75 1.75 0.44 0.44 1.76 1.76

Time Time 0124 0124 0615 0615 TU 1353 TU 1353 2103 2103

0253 2 0253 0750 0750 WE 1503

m m 1.17 1.17 0.79 0.79 1.87 1.87 0.68 0.68

1.24 1.24 0.82 0.82 1.86 WE 1503 1.86 2204 2204 0.59 0.59

0406 0406 1.36 1.36 0926 0926 0.77 0.77 1606 TH 1.86 TH 1606 1.86 2251 2251 0.50 0.50

0503 0503 1038 1038 FR 1701 FR 1701 2330 2330

1.51 1.51 0.68 0.68 1.84 1.84 0.43 0.43

Time Time 0126 0126 0626 0626 WE 1330 WE 1330 2059 2059

0309 17 0309 0754 0754 TH 1437

1.19 1.19 0.90 0.90 1.63 TH 1437 1.63 2149 2149 0.69 0.69

0410 18 0410 0912 0912 FR 1533

1.29 1.29 0.85 0.85 1.63 FR 1533 1.63 2225 2225 0.57 0.57

0454 19 0454 1015 1015 SA 1621

1.43 1.43 0.77 0.77 1.65 SA 1621 1.65 2257 2257 0.44 0.44

0550 0550 1.65 1.65 1131 1131 0.60 0.60 1746 1.80 SA SA 1746 1.80

0530 20 0530 1106 1106 SU 1702

0003 6 0003 0629 0629 SU 1217

0605 21 0605 1153 1153 MO 1742

0.37 0.37 1.78 1.78 0.56 SU 1217 0.56 1826 1.74 1826 1.74

m m 1.14 1.14 0.89 0.89 1.67 1.67 0.79 0.79

1.58 1.58 0.68 0.68 1.66 SU 1702 1.66 2327 2327 0.33 0.33

1.74 1.74 0.60 0.60 1.65 MO 1742 1.65 2358 0.24 2358 0.24

Time Time 0230 0230 0730 0730 TH 1429 TH 1429 2122 2122

0345 2 0345 0900 0900 FR 1531 0444 0444 1020 1020 SA 1626 SA 1626 2252 2252

0536 20 0536 1136 1136 TU 1706

0029 0029 0725 0725 1340 WE WE 1340 1920 1920

0.43 0.43 2.04 2.04 0.71 0.71 1.41 1.41

0655 22 0655 1323 1323 TH 1847

0129 0129 0832 0832 1504 FR FR 1504 2033 2033

0.48 0.48 2.10 2.10 0.71 0.71 1.33 1.33

0128 24 0128 0827 0827 SA 1509

0.58 0.58 2.04 2.04 0.75 SU 1626 0.75 2144 2144 1.29 1.29

1.96 1.96 0.73 0.73 1.46 TU 1840 1.46

0615 21 0615 1230 1230 WE 1755

0650 6 0650 1257 1257 TU 1840

0103 24 0103 0756 0756 TH 1413

0142 25 0142 0839 0839 FR 1508

0201 10 0201 0905 0905 SA 1545

0.48 0.48 2.05 2.05 0.73 FR 1552 0.73 2126 2126 1.34 1.34

0.21 0.21 1.88 1.88 0.44 0.44 1.72 1.72

0156 10 0156 0851 0851 TH 1506

0.41 0.41 2.06 2.06 0.67 TH 1506 0.67 2048 2048 1.41 1.41

0.22 0.22 2.06 2.06 0.52 0.52 1.55 1.55

0.16 0.16 2.19 2.19 0.48 1413 0.48 TH 1952 1952 1.55 1.55

0.20 0.20 2.28 2.28 0.49 FR 1508 0.49 2043 2043 1.48 1.48

0059 8 0059 0759 0759 TH 1422

0.45 0.45 2.09 2.09 0.70 TH 1422 0.70 1957 1957 1.37 1.37

0.53 0.53 2.09 2.09 0.72 SA 1545 0.72 2108 2108 1.31 1.31

1.62 1.62 0.84 0.84 1.52 MO 1616 1.52 2240 2240 0.41 0.41 1.79 1.79 0.76 0.76 1.49 TU 1706 1.49 2317 2317 0.33 0.33

1.97 1.97 0.67 0.67 1.48 WE 1755 1.48 2357 0.28 2357 0.28

2.15 2.15 0.58 0.58 1.47 1847 1.47 TH

0040 23 0040 0739 0739 FR 1415

0.25 0.25 2.29 2.29 0.51 FR 1415 0.51 1940 1940 1.46 1.46

0.26 0.26 2.38 2.38 0.46 1509 0.46 SA 2036 2036 1.45 1.45

0218 25 0218 0919 0919 SU 1604

0.32 0.32 2.40 2.40 0.46 SU 1604 0.46 2134 2134 1.43 1.43

0139 0139 0820 0820 1420 1420 2015 2015

0.19 0.19 1.99 1.99 0.46 0.46 1.65 1.65

0224 11 0224 0926 0926 FR 1552

0224 26 0224 0928 0928 SA 1609

0236 11 0236 0940 0940 SU 1626

0311 26 0311 1013 1013 MO 1657

0256 12 0256 1003 1003 SA 1644

0309 27 0309 1020 1020 SU 1710

0313 12 0313 1017 1017 MO 1710

0404 27 0404 1108 1108 TU 1751

0245 0245 0943 0943 1604 1604 2146 2146

0.30 0.30 2.09 2.09 0.60 0.60 1.43 1.43

0332 0332 1044 1044 SU 1741 SU 1741 2254 2254

0.56 0.56 1.99 1.99 0.73 0.73 1.20 1.20

0507 15 0507 1224 1224 TU 1951

0210 0210 0900 0900 1508 1508 2059 2059

0322 0322 1031 1031 1710 1710 2238 2238

0.42 0.42 2.06 2.06 0.68 0.68 1.30 1.30

0456 0456 1235 1235 1947 1947

0.69 0.69 1.92 1.92 0.73 0.73

0403 0403 1126 1126 1826 1826 2345 2345

0.56 0.56 2.01 2.01 0.78 SA 1644 0.78 2207 2207 1.27 1.27

0413 14 0413 1129 1129 MO 1843

0.65 0.65 1.94 1.94 0.82 0.82 1.21 1.21

0.75 0.75 1.84 1.84 0.85 MO 1843 0.85 2353 2353 1.16 1.16 0.83 0.83 1.74 1.74 0.84 TU 1951 0.84

0.29 0.29 2.29 2.29 0.52 SA 1609 0.52 2137 2137 1.39 1.39

1.46 1.46 0.90 0.90 1.56 SU 1524 1.56 2202 2202 0.49 0.49

0457 19 0457 1039 1039 MO 1616

0613 0613 1211 1211 1800 MO MO 1800 2359 2359

0.42 0.42 2.24 2.24 0.57 SU 1710 0.57 2237 2237 1.31 1.31

0359 0359 1117 1117 MO 1812 MO 1812 2348 2348

0458 29 0458 1220 1220 TU 1916

0.56 0.56 2.14 2.14 0.62 0.62 1.25 1.25

0.69 0.69 2.02 2.02 0.65 TU 1916 0.65

0109 30 0109 0610 0610 WE 1325

1.26 1.26 0.79 0.79 1.92 WE 1325 1.92 2022 0.65 2022 0.65

ureau ureau of of Meteorology Meteorology New Moon ee C C +10:00) +10:00) First Full First Quarter Quarter Full Moon Full Moon Moon

0.64 0.64 1.97 1.97 0.77 MO 1710 0.77 2224 2224 1.26 1.26 0354 0354 1058 1058 TU 1758 TU 1758 2314 2314

0442 14 0442 1145 1145 WE 1849

0.70 0.70 1.89 1.89 0.79 0.79 1.24 1.24

0.78 0.78 1.80 1.80 0.79 WE 1849 0.79

0022 15 0022 0545 0545 TH 1237

1.22 1.22 0.86 0.86 1.72 TH 1237 1.72 1942 0.75 1942 0.75

m m 1.24 1.24 0.91 0.91 1.65 1.65 0.68 0.68

1.33 1.33 0.92 0.92 1.60 SA 1429 1.60 2121 2121 0.59 0.59

1.74 1.74 0.79 0.79 1.59 1.59 0.45 0.45

0.36 0.36 2.03 2.03 0.62 0.62 1.49 1.49

0.18 0.18 2.06 2.06 0.50 WE 1323 0.50 1906 1906 1.60 1.60

0316 17 0316 0821 0821 SA 1429

1.86 1.86 0.75 0.75 1.52 1.52 0.43 0.43

0532 0532 1121 1121 SU 1716 SU 1716 2327 2327

0129 0129 0816 0816 1422 WE WE 1422 2013 2013

0028 23 0028 0716 0716 WE 1323

0413 18 0413 0934 0934 SU 1524

0639 22 0639 1237 1237 TU 1822

0.34 0.34 1.98 1.98 0.57 TU 1340 0.57 1938 1938 1.57 1.57

Time Time 0154 0154 0703 0703 FR 1332 FR 1332 2034 2034

1.59 1.59 0.83 0.83 1.66 1.66 0.50 0.50

0.34 0.34 1.89 1.89 0.55 0.55 1.66 1.66

0102 8 0102 0742 0742 TU 1340

m m 1.32 1.32 0.85 0.85 1.82 1.82 0.61 0.61

1.45 1.45 0.86 0.86 1.74 FR 1531 1.74 2212 2212 0.55 0.55

0033 0033 0706 0706 1259 MO MO 1259 1903 1903

1.90 1.90 0.54 0.54 1.63 1822 1.63 TU

Local Local Time Time DECEMBER DECEMBER

0.41 0.41 2.34 2.34 0.50 MO 1657 0.50 2234 2234 1.40 1.40 0.53 0.53 2.22 2.22 0.56 TU 1751 0.56 2336 2336 1.38 1.38

0458 0458 1202 1202 WE 1844 WE 1844

0.67 0.67 2.06 2.06 0.62 0.62

0043 29 0043 0558 0558 TH 1255

1.38 1.38 0.81 0.81 1.90 TH 1255 1.90 1939 1939 0.66 0.66

0200 30 0200 0709 0709 FR 1350

1.42 1.42 0.93 0.93 1.74 FR 1350 1.74 2035 0.67 2035 0.67

0321 31 0321 0840 0840 SA 1448

1.52 1.52 1.00 1.00 1.60 1448 1.60 SA 2128 2128 0.65 0.65

First Quarter Last Quarter Last Last Quarter Quarter

Page 40 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

Mike jigged up a decent coral trout.

Polishing your casting prowess

ITH the increase in surface activity on the Fraser Coast during spring, I find myself hosting many new guests. Oftentimes, they’ve had minimal experience with this style of charter. Lures only and with little to no trolling involved, it can be quite daunting. And unsettled spring weather certainly doesn’t make life any easier. Not much you can do to practise fighting fish or fishing deeper water in windy conditions. However, you can definitely polish your casting game. It’s important to understand that casting a heavier rod is different to flicking a light stick. The casting action is smooth and powerful, with a big emphasis on the bottom hand levering to load the upper half of the rod. You must generate the power in a heavy rod, otherwise the cast will fall well short or spray wide of the target. Even some well-seasoned anglers get it wrong. As mentioned earlier,

Fraser Guided Fishing by TRI TON

spring weather can often be a bit ghastly, so do prepare well. As usual, a hat, sunglasses and sun-safe clothing are the basics. Often overlooked is footwear. I strongly advocate the wearing of closedin footwear. You can buy all sorts of shoes that are designed for fishing and water sports, but I prefer to buy light sneakers with a good tread pattern on the outer sole. Once the tread gets a bald spot, I toss mine out because they become a bit hazardous. And thongs are not good footwear. They slip between your foot and the deck.

Bare feet are marginally better than thongs, though the grip factor is a problem with bare feet. When you are running around a wet deck, you need to be sure footed. I have seen anglers fall and slip moving even quite small distances. Luckily, I have not had any major incidents – I think it is partly due to my intolerance of inappropriate footwear. Closed shoes will protect you also from fish, hooks and other potentially hazardous objects you may encounter. Apart from tuna fishing, the previous month saw the jig bite * continued P41

Byron with a tasty grunter on a jig. www.bnbfishing.com. au

Polishing your casting prowess * from P40

come to the fore. With the obvious captures of trevally coming in often, however we also got a few nice reef fish for a feed too. These fish are often found under schools of trevally, and a wellplaced jig is frequently their undoing. Jigs are heavy and fast sinking, so they plummet to the sea floor and stay there with less drama than a vibe or plastic. Work the jig with a variety of lifts and pulses of the rod tip. Use the reel in synchronicity with the rod tip to help control the line and ease the strain on your wrist. You might have seen jigging videos with crazy fast actions, but I can tell you this is not the golden rule. With jigs, occasionally less is more. Fish will totally eat an inanimate piece of metal off the sand. Though usually, you need to impart the action to draw attention first. That action could simply be the lure dropping free fall to the bottom.

All jigs will flutter somewhat as they travel into the depths. As they drop, they often get eaten, so be aware of the lack of sinking or the faster rate of line unspooling – this indicates a bite, so lock the reel in gear and wind the line tight to hookset. Hookset is often one of the least addressed facets of angling. Start by removing the slack out of the line – you need a solid connection from yourself to the lure lodged in the fish’s mouth. The most efficient way to get tight on the connection is to wind the reel. Most reels above 4000 size will retrieve about a 1m of line per turn. So, in an instant you can lodge that lure, then sweep the rod and load into the backbone of the blank to drive the hook home. Only using the rod will make the lure ricochet in the jaws of the fish. Jigs are a bulky lure and don’t easily allow hookset – your technique must be on point.

Your first queenfish will make you smile, as it did for James.

Gaye had her first taste of tuna hunting.

Jasper smashed grunter on jigs, until a golden trevally stretched him.

> Hervey Bay > Fraser Island > Sandy Strait

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

Kyrle caught a sea perch on a jig. He also scored grunter and other appetising treats. www.bnbfishing.com.au

www.fraserguidedfishing.com.au > 0427 230 261 Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 41

Okuma Helios SX

ULTRALIGHT build with a heavyweight performance, top end performance to suit tournament anglers and hardcore fishos alike, the Okuma Helios SX range offers first-class light spin performance for tournament and serious social anglers. Featuring lightweight yet tough carbon construction, precision alumilite gearing, high-load carbon drag and nine highperformance bearings, these spin reels represent the pinnacle of Okuma’s light spin technology. Take it to the top step with Okuma Helios SX. Visit tackletactics.com.au

DieZel MinnowZ is 10X tough, so you catch more fish per lure, and is super-soft and flexible for maximum action and a realistic feel that keeps fish biting. At 4” in length, it is an extremely versatile and popular plastic that maintains the lively yet subtle tail action of the 3” MinnowZ, with a slightly longer, slimmer and deeper body profile that appeals to larger predatory species and fish that are feeding on larger profile baitfish. The inclusion of a belly slot allows for effective weedless rigging and it’s a great place to squirt a bit of Pro-Cure Super Gel scent for added attraction. The DieZel MinnowZ has become a goto for anglers chasing flathead, mulloway, mangrove jack, barramundi and more. Visit tackletactics.com.au

Daiwa Tanacom 1200

Fosko Rod Holder

Z-Man 4” DieZel MinnowZ

THE Z-Man 4” DieZel MinnowZ was born from the success of the Z-Man 3” MinnowZ, a compact paddle tail plastic that has a knack for attracting the attention of everything from bass, flathead and jewfish to mangrove jack and 1m plus barra. After numerous requests from anglers for a larger version of the MinnowZ, the decision was made to create a 4” paddle tail and the DieZel MinnowZ is the result. As for all Z-Man ElaZtech plastics, the

from your normal rod holder is its patented stalk. The stalk allows a range of motion on a bull bar never before seen. The slotted mounting plate ensures it fits any sized bull bar with its 316 stainlesssteel U-bolts. Dreamed up, designed, machined, welded and powder coated on the shores of Lake Macquarie and tested flat chat from Bunbury to Stockton Beach, this 100 percent Aussie device is a must have for anyone looking to add versatility to their fishing adventures. Visit fosko.com.au/fishing

FOSKO has forever changed the way we carry fishing rods by inventing the most versatile bull bar-mounted rod holder available. In seconds, this ingenious invention pivots, elevates and adjusts with the removal of a single spring pin. No tools are required. This means you can go from carrying your rods securely over your vehicle to pivoting the rods into fishing position in no time. Never struggle untangling a mass of rods from the boot again. And when you’re not fishing, simply pull both spring pins out and remove it. Still no tools required. The aluminium design incorporates a 6mm backing plate to give the four tubes unrivalled strength for when that big fish hits. The thing that sets this innovation apart

Page 42 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

A TOTAL overhaul from the ground up, Tanacom 1200 is a project 25 years in the making between Daiwa Japan engineers and teams within Australia and America. Sporting a totally new design incorporating the motor housed inside the spool has given Daiwa engineers the ability to increase the efficiency of the powerful motor and elevate the famous Tanacom name to another level. Located within the reel frame, the motor generates even more power, thanks to an improved drivetrain that has been totally reengineered, with beefier gears and internal components to improve durability and minimise power loss. More power is also accompanied by more speed, a feat often difficult to achieve since a faster retrieve inevitably means lower torque. The faster retrieve speed is a great feature when deep dropping because your ability to reposition or check bait is sped up dramatically. Setting up the Tanacom 1200 is now eas-

www.bnbfishing.com. au

ier than ever too, with a redesigned menu system that has been simplified and carefully designed to offer an easy user experience for first time users and familiarity for long-time Daiwa Dendoh fans. The dot monitor LCD screen has also been improved, with a brighter display and better viewing angles when wearing polarised sunglasses. An increased line capacity – PE8/1000m – and an aluminium ball knob combine with other significant reel improvements to see the new Tanacom 1200 set the bar on what is achievable in electric reel design and performance. Visit daiwafishing.com.au

maximise your chances of getting them to bite. The Z-Man 2.5” GrubZ has been a dominant force in both the tournament and social fishing scenes, with this split tail version sure to take its place alongside this legendary presentation. Available now in 12 popular Z-Man single and laminate colours, with eight per pack and an suggested retail price of $12.95. Visit z-man.com.au

resin to produce a reel seat that is hollow in construction yet incredibly durable, resulting in one of the lightest rods on the market. Whether you are trekking for trout in the southern highlands or walking rainforest creeks targeting jungle perch up north, the 22 Presso has you covered. Visits daiwafishing.com.au

Z-Man 2.5” PrawnZ

Z-Man 2.5” ST GrubZ

THE Z-Man 2.5” ST GrubZ takes the popular GrubZ profile to the next level, with enhanced features that create the ultimate curl tail presentation. The short and stocky body is heavily ribbed to create natural micro vibrations and a softer more natural feel, while also retaining scent more effectively so that the fish locate the lure easier, eat it more aggressively and hang on longer, allowing for more positive hooksets. The long curly tail features a split-tail design, which creates an irresistible soft fluttering action that works effectively on the drop, at very slow speeds and even when rigged on ultralight jig heads. These features combine to create a curl tail that will excel in all fishing scenarios, from an aggressive bite to shut-down situations, where the new finesse qualities will www.bnbfishing.com.au

Daiwa 22 Presso

THE Presso family welcomes a new member, with the release of the 22 Presso rod series. An iconic range for many years and a leader in trout rod design and performance, the 22 range delivers anglers a technique-specific rod series suited to targeting trout in small creeks and lakes throughout Australia. 22 Presso couples Daiwa’s X45 and HVF Nanoplus blank technology to increase sensitivity and minimise weight while maintaining durability for long treks through the bush. Fitted with anti-tangle Fuji FazLite guides, the result is pinpoint trouble-free casting performance all day long. A lightweight full carbon butt is coupled with a neo-traditional ‘Heartland’ style reel seat, which utilises carbon-infused

EVERYTHING eats a prawn and the ZMan 2.5” PrawnZ is a lifelike bite-size prawn profile that will appeal to a wide variety of species in fresh and salt. The body design allows the angler to create a natural prawn flick and glide, while thin legs and antennae quiver with the slightest movement for added realism. Increased bulk in the body allows the plastic to rig effectively on a jig head before tapering rapidly to a thin segmented tail, designed to encourage that natural tail flick. Legs extend from each side of the PrawnZ body that, when combined with Z-Man’s natural buoyancy, allows the plastic to slowly parachute down, holding in the strike zone longer. Alternatively, increase the weight and sink it down with that signature prawn flick and glide. Available in 15 popular Z-Man colours and already a winner on bream, this versatile presentation can be rigged on a wide variety of TT Lures jig heads, including the Hidden Weight System, HeadlockZ, NedlockZ, SnakelockZ Finesse and more. Available now in 15 popular Z-Man colours, with six per pack and a suggested retail price of $12.95. Visit z-man.com.au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 43

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 45

Mason Bock scored a dart on a lure while chasing tailor. Nice cap Mason.

Just-legal tailor were perfect for the kids to hone their beach-fishing skills on.

Next gen intro to K’gari

Amaya converted one of the freshly caught beachworms into a whiting.

The office for the day. Page 46 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

’GARI is a magical place and I’ve been very fortunate to have had the pleasure of visiting it since I was a kid. I still have fond memories of my first trip to Lake McKenzie as a young boy with my family, swimming in the crystal-clear water and watching turtles play. This year, I headed back on my annual camping pilgrimage with my good friend Nick Bock and his col-

K’gari Trip by BEN COLLINS

leagues from Energex – I was a bit of a ring-in. The only difference with this trip was that we had each decided to bring one of our kids along – Mason Bock and Amaya Collins – so they could begin their experiences of this magical place too. Our home base for the four nights of camping was Cathedrals on Fraser, which is located slightly past the SS Maheno. Camping at the Cathedrals is easy because toilets and showers are only a short walk from your camp. And you can have a fire here, which ticks one of my many boxes when camping. Another benefit of this site is that there is a dingo fence around the entire camp, which puts your mind at ease, especially when there with your kids. Our camp setup is basic – a 6x3m gazebo with two tents off the

side – as that means we have more time to wet a line and less time is spent setting and packing up. However, with the kids in tow this year, we opted to take a trailer because it made packing a breeze and allowed us to bring extra firewood. The beach this trip was very flat, and we had to take the road around Poyungan Rocks. The flat beach also meant there were too many gutters that looked as though they would hold fish. Thankfully, the best gutter we found on the trip up the beach was right out the front of the Cathedrals, which meant we didn’t have to go far for a fish. Over the next few days, the team managed to pull dart, tailor, whiting and flathead out of this gutter, with the fish caught ending * continued P47

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Next gen intro to K’gari * from P46

up as dinner each night. After a long day on the beach fishing, there is nothing better than tucking into some smoked tailor, dart or freshly battered and fried whiting, washed down with a few beverages. Despite big tailor not being caught, the numbers made up for it, with bait of both ganged pilchard and slugs working a treat. At one point, it was a fish for each cast on the Ron Mole 40g slug with a single hook. I prefer to use a single hook when chasing tailor as it’s much easier to release any fish that are under size, and I find you get a better hook-up rate. This kind of fishing

was a lot of fun and perfect for the kids, who both caught a few fish on this trip. Another activity the kids loved – especially Amaya – was chasing worms. Thankfully, there were good low tide banks at the end of the gutter that produced plenty. Chris Helmy – or ‘the fish whisperer’ as Amaya called him – put in plenty of hours showing her how to catch beachworms. And, despite only getting a head by herself, which she was very proud of, with help she managed to pull a few worms out. Amaya is now a very keen wormer, which will pay dividends in years to come!

Though we had plans to visit Lake McKenzie and other magical places on this trip, we didn’t venture too far from camp. Yet the kids were kept busy and entertained with fishing, beach cricket, badminton and chilling with their dads around the campfire. Overall, it was a fantastic trip – one I hope the kids remember for many years.

Chris ‘the fish whisperer’ Helmy taught Amaya the ins and outs of beachworming.

The gutter out the front of the Cathedrals produced a mix of fish and was a great base for a day’s fishing.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 47

Local Eddy and a decent golden trevally.

A holiday caught coral trout for young Jai.

Keeping holiday season festive H I all, my love affair with Agnes Water began in the 1980s when we would travel the old dirt road in to camp with our kids. Times have changed and a certain amount of progress has occurred in many of the small coastal towns in Queensland and the reason we choose to live in these locations is for the serenity and

Agnes Water

by PAUL ‘CHIEF’ GRAVESON

laid-back coastal vibe. Every holiday season the population explodes, with camping grounds and all forms of accommodation packed to the rafters. Don’t get me wrong, I love to see families enjoy our area and feel the sand between their toes.

The sound of laughter from family groups on the beach in the evenings brings a smile to my face, however there are a few small things visitors can do to help keep a balanced easy-going vibe. The Discovery Coast region has a number

A group of kids enjoyed the antics of a friendly turtle. Page 48 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

of pristine national park areas such as Deepwater and Eurimbula, with the whole of this coastline being an important breeding ground for a few turtle species. I’ve seen green, loggerhead and even the massive leatherback turtles around these beaches. These iconic and majestic creatures are facing a real problem, with feral foxes and the program of 1080 poisoning that was implemented to cull a spike in the number of foxes. One thing we can do to help the turtles is to stay off sand dune areas. As an example, in holiday areas such as Moore Park Beach and Rules Beach, designated tracks are provided for the access and departure of vehicles to and from the beach. Be respectful and use these points, and avoid creating your own tracks. Stay off the dunes – turtles use these areas for their nesting sites. The breeding season occurs between November to January, with

hatchlings emerging from January to May. As you can see, our busy Christmas holiday season falls in the middle of this important event. When driving along the beaches, be aware of female turtles returning to the water after laying eggs and, if camping, be aware of excess light pollution. We can all help by being mindful, because every nesting site is of great importance to the region’s future. I had the pleasure of watching a bunch of excited kids on the Seventeen Seventy marina pontoon as a wild turtle circled beneath them in the clear water. An experience I hope many future generations also get to enjoy. Living in a small community, you get to know local business owners and frequently the staff who work for them. Most are local kids serving at tables and learning important life skills. This is generally the case for all coastal towns. * continued P49

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Keeping holidays festive * from P48

When holiday season arrives, our town swells in population and, as a result, our local services are then under the pump to the extreme. Most visitors come to Agnes Water to enjoy the pristine beaches, fish the beautiful water and enjoy an alternative laid-back lifestyle. There is no McDonalds, there is no KFC, there is no fast food outlet – what we do have are families and locals doing their best. There are no slogans ‘if it isn’t ready in five minutes, it’s free’ – what we have is quality locally sourced produce that is not prepared on a production line. I have eaten at and

enjoyed the highest of quality food at every food outlet in the Seventeen Seventy and Agnes Water region. Of course, food preparation takes time and care to prepare, so all I ask is, if you’re staying at any small destination and using the local establishments, be patient and treat the kids working there as if they were a member of your family. Unfortunately, I’ve witnessed the worst of behaviours and verbal attacks on our young workers every holiday season and it doesn’t need to happen. The Christmas holiday season will be here in the blink of an eye. So, keeping in mind

that all of us have had a trying number of years with the pandemic and other stresses, this will be an opportunity to get away to any one of our quiet coastal locations and breath in the salt, feel the sand between your toes and dive in the ocean. And if your hamburger on the odd occasion takes half an hour to arrive, look around at where you are, slow down and take in how lucky you are to be able to just be. A few things to keep in mind if you’re travelling to any of our small Queensland towns. I know I’ll be happy to see you and look forward to a yarn.

It isn’t a holiday without a Larc tour – book early.

Holiday maker Shaun with a coronation trout.

Closed season estuary options

T is now the time of year that we all hate, unfortunately – the beginning of the Queensland saltwater barramundi closure. Yes, it certainly is going to be a long threemonth wait, but hopefully the conditions will allow the barra breeding cycle to occur in full swing. Enough about barra, let’s look at what options are on offer on the Capricorn Coast for the month of November. The best thing about closed barra season is that I get to talk about my other estuary love – mangrove jack. It has been only a recent love compared to most of the other estuary species. The last couple of years I’ve put the hard work in to get some consistency. When I was first looking at targeting mangrove jack, I didn’t want www.bnbfishing.com.au

Capricorn Coast by JOHN BOON

to go and chase only rats. There’s nothing wrong with smaller jacks and they are quite good fun, but the big dogs are where it’s at for me. Jacks over 50cm in particular. They definitely don’t come easy. If I can get one over 50cm in a day then I call it a win, regardless of whatever else has been caught or happened. The hit from a 50cm plus jack will send shivers down your spine. Gosh they hit hard and run fast. It’s not a long drawnout fight as it is when fighting a big threadfin salmon or barra. The fight is won or lost in the first five or so seconds, then the rest of the fight is about

30 seconds tops. My best pieces of advice for big jacks are location and timing. I’ve caught them mainly off deep timber piles and rock bars. Being at those locations for the bite triggers was critical. Both moon and tide change triggers have come up with the goods too. Selecting a reliable paddle tail is another piece of the puzzle. Both the 3 and 4” sizes have worked best for me. The Molix RT shad would be my number one choice. I don’t know what it is about them, but jacks seem to absolutely love them. I’ve cycled through * continued P50

Baby mangrove jack are still cool. Brendan Warren with a little jack before release.

With the closed barramundi season, it’s now time to chase big Capricorn Coast mangrove jack. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 49

The author with a nice barramundi from Port Alma.

Closed season estuary options * from P49

Quinn Warren caught a top fingermark.

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paddle tails on bite triggers and most often they pick out the Molix. Another tip to keep in mind when targeting big jacks is retrieve speed. There have been times when I’ve had a big jack commit to hitting the lure but they ended up short striking. I started to slow down the retrieve, thinking they needed more time to hit it properly. In fact, it was quite the opposite. When I’m chasing the big dogs, I wind equivalent to spinning for mackerel. The idea behind retrieving this quickly is to give them no time to think. Make them react and commit. The speed actually assists in providing a solid hook-up. It’s very hard to grasp the concept at first but once you see it work, it will all make sense. When applying the fast burn technique, you will need to make sure your rigging is perfect. Plastics that haven’t been put straight on a jig head will spin and be useless. You should be able to tell once you have insert-

ed the jig head. Run your eye over it from the side and from directly in front. If it’s close but not perfect, pull it off and get it right. Then, with a quick flick out and burn it back, check if it swims straight. One of the tropical species that will be on offer is golden snapper, more commonly known as fingermark. Fingermark are from the same family as mangrove jack but they are nowhere near as aggressive. You’ll find them in the same areas as jacks, though we do adjust our techniques. Rock bars and soft vibes would be the number one technique suggestion. Fingermark love soft

vibration lures such as Zerek Fish Traps and Samaki Vibelicious. If you want to hedge your bets, grab yourself a few live bait such as mullet and live herring. Put them out the back of the boat on a circle hook and leave the reel in gear. When they hit, they will hook themselves. While you’re live baiting, you can also cast out soft vibes. This will greatly increase your odds of putting quality fingermark on the deck. Well, that’s it from me this month. I’m hoping to have a few jack reports in coming editions. I can tell you, I’m super excited about chasing them! I’ve got the need… the need for speed!

Brendan Warren with a ripper saltwater barramundi taken before the closure. www.bnbfishing.com. au

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 51

The author and a grunter taken on a Zerek Fish Trip.

Annual Hinchinbrook trip

Small trout call the pylons at the end of the Lucinda Bulk Sugar Loading Jetty home.

ACH year, I plan a trip to fish the Hinchinbrook Channel. My father lives in Townsville, so it’s an easy flight and then an hour and a half drive north. We always base ourselves at the southern end at Lucinda. Lucinda is a perfect place to stay and explore the area. There are plenty of creeks close to the ramp that offer protection from strong wind. It also offers good

Grunter were the main species landed on this trip. Page 52 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

Hinchinbrook by KEITH STRATFORD

access to the offshore grounds and the famous Lucinda Bulk Sugar Loading Jetty. The jetty is used to load sugar onto ships and is nearly 6km long. It’s an amazing site and has hundreds of pylons that hold a huge range of fish. The water in close is about 7-9m deep. Halfway out to the end of the jetty is a shallow section that rises up to around 1.8m. From there it drops back down and at the end of the jetty, it gets to about 15m. Most anglers head straight to the end of the jetty to fish, but plenty of good fish are also at the start of the structure. Usually, my brother Chris or my partner Ashlee come with me on this trip, however neither of them could make the start of

September this year. My regular fishing friend Benny got a call and he was more than happy to come, having never been there before. We arrived in Lucinda before lunch and quickly dropped our gear off at the accommodation we’d booked. My dad and his wife Debbie were due to get there a bit later that day, so we jumped in the boat and went up the channel. Things started off a little quiet, until later in the day when the tide started running back in. One of my regular spots looked promising, with plenty of fish on the chew. Plenty of mangrove jack, cod, bream and a few grunter were landed, but the size was disappointing. The weather looked good for the next few * continued P53

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Annual Hinchinbrook trip * from P52

days, so we decided to head out to the jetty the following morning. Things were looking a bit quiet out there too, with no one in any of the boats catching a thing. I managed a nice grunter around 60cm on a Zerek Fish Trap, but it was a lot of effort for the one good fish. We went back up the channel to fish a creek that I’d previously caught a heap of fish from. Once again, it started off slowly until the tide dropped out a bit. Then the jacks and cod started to play. We landed a few nice jacks and the standard range of cod from 2050cm. The next morning, we went back out to the jetty, hoping to get on to a couple more grunter. The weather was perfect and there were a few boats out. A 2.5-3m bull shark had been jumping around out there earlier. As the morning went on, it started getting closer to us and, on a couple of occasions, it came within a few metres of our boat.

My dad was the first to boat a decent fish with another nice grunter. This one ate a 7” Berkley Gulp Jerk Shad, slowly jigged on the bottom. We could see fish on the sounder, but it was hard to get them to bite. Benny decided to try dropping a pilchard down to see if they would eat that. We didn’t have any decent sized hooks or sinkers onboard, so he used a big jig head. It didn’t even make it to the bottom before he was drilled into the pylons. The next hour was hectic, with solid grunter coming aboard regularly. A school of big fingermark came through and put a big hole in my jig head stocks. We didn’t get even one of them out, due to the area we were fishing, but it was a heap of fun. The next morning was our last and it was only Benny and myself for this session. Part of the town had lost power during the night and a thick fog made it very hard to see.

All of the lights were out on the jetty, so it was an eerie trip out to the end. As soon as we arrived, we had sharks showing on the sounder under the boat. We were prepared this time, with good hooks and sinkers, and plenty of pillies. The fish didn’t start biting until the sun poked its head over the horizon, but when they started, it was on. We landed a stack of grunter from 40-65cm and we also came across nice reef fish, such as grass sweetlip and moses perch. These quickly found their way into the Esky for dinner that night. With the creeks being much quieter than usual, we were lucky to have a run of perfect weather, so we could get out to the jetty. Each year, this magical spot never disappoints, and it seems to be a little different each time, with new areas and techniques found. If you’ve never been to Hinchinbrook Channel, it’s well worth adding it to and ticking it off the bucket list.

Benny used a Berkley Gulp Jerk Shad to catch a nice grunter. www.bnbfishing.com.au

Benny landed a decent mangrove jack in one of the many creeks in Hinchinbrook Channel.

Plenty of grass sweetlip were happy to eat pilchard fished in tight to the pylons.

We pulled up plenty of coral from the end of the jetty. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 53

Luke Beqir took a lovely red emperor in 32m of water. Locating a school of hungry reds and extra-large grass sweetlip was the reward for hours of searching in a new area.

Prepping for an off-grid trailer boat adventure

Gary Potter scored a nice school red emperor on a slab of mullet using a paternoster rig. While the mornings were quiet with little tidal movement, the fishing certainly picked up in the afternoons after a current change. Note the glassy conditions in the background.

The author with a couple of monster mud crabs that were chock-a-block full. Page 54 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

OR the outdoor, four-wheel-drive and fishing enthusiast, it doesn’t get much better than setting off to an isolated part of the country with a boat in tow. For me, putting in the miles in both the car and boat to escape the crowds and exploring a new area with a group of equally keen friends is what I look forward to most. Recently, we embarked on an epic weeklong off-grid fishing adventure that required a few more considerations than your average weekend trip away. A lot of time was spent planning, preparing and packing for this trip and the anticipation leading up to the departure date was certainly high, with another crew of friends from Mackay and Thursday Island meeting us on the road. In the weeks prior to heading off, I’d extensively researched the area we were planning to fish by using a range of apps – Bathy Maps,

FNQ TOURING by MATT POTTER

Navionics, Google Earth – reading magazine articles, watching YouTube clips and talking to people who had fished and explored the area. While all this adds to the excitement and assists with coming up with a ‘game plan’, it is important to remember that not everything goes to plan and to be flexible. And while most fishos are happy to help you out with a bit of general advice, few people are going to give you ‘Spot X’. And rightly so, because it has taken them a lot of time and money to work out an area and get results. Putting in the homework and time to find your own spots is the challenge and certainly far more rewarding. Obviously, the more time you can spend in an area the better, as it

may take a couple of days to work out what will and won’t work in the current conditions – tides, moon phases, wind, water temperature and such. Quite a bit of patience is required, along with a crew who is happy to be there exploring a new area – and not complaining about the lack of fish on the first day. The weather often dictates where you can go, and I often plan for both offshore and estuary fishing, as we book these trips months in advance and pray the weather gods will be kind. On this particular offgrid adventure, we were fortunate to score the weather we had been hoping for, to get wide and explore the offshore islands and reef systems. The 7m hardtop isn’t the most ideal vessel for navigating narrow estu* continued P55

www.bnbfishing.com. au

A shade cloth with eyelets sewn in and zip-tied to the boat and trailer makes for an effective temporary stone guard.

Off-grid trailer boat adventure * from P54

aries riddled with rock bars. Glassy conditions for four of the seven days meant there wouldn’t be much relaxing for the crew because we aimed to maximise our time exploring the offshore reefs and islands. As we were towing my 7m Fisher MaxiCab long distances, and over corrugated and pothole-riddled roads, it was important the boat and trailer were up to the task. Having recently replaced the brakes and trailer bearings, we inspected the rest of the trailer closely. I threw in spare springs and shackle bolts, two spare trailer tyres, jack and jack stands, and an assortment of tools that would hopefully get us out of trouble. I had a stone-guard made up out of shade

cloth to protect the paintwork, which worked a treat. I also purchased a ‘transom saver’ online, which attaches to a bracket on the trailer and supports the heavy 250hp Suzuki outboard on rough roads. With the trailer taking some of the weight, it reduces the likelihood of cracking the transom out and ending a trip before it even starts. We also lowered the tyre pressure on the trailer when we hit the rough corrugated roads, as this also acts as a secondary suspension. Also, the outboard was wrapped and the intakes and fuel breathers covered with duct tape to keep out the red dirt that circulates back. Prior to departing, I gutted the boat and repacked it. This allowed me to see what I did and didn’t

need, and if anything needed maintenance or repairing. We replaced a battery cable, the fuel line, seals on the deck drains and welded the busted hinges on the seats. To maximise storage in the boat, I measured out a few areas and bought clear storage containers to better store tackle, sinkers, tools and other items. While grabbing a few things at TradeTools, I also bought a couple of Wolf Bucket Organisers, to see if they would fit over the seats for additional storage. They fitted perfectly, so I had an industrial seamstress run a stitch across the top to stop them sliding down. These were cheap and very useful for storing a range of tools and tackle items. As we were doing a

Luke landed a couple of solid barcheek coral trout in quick succession. Do the miles and get the smiles.

The Extreme Max 1001.1068 Adjustable Heavy Duty Universal Transom Saver is designed to stop damage to your transom from the weight of the motor when travelling on rough roads.

* continued P56

Luke with a nice black jewfish that was released as they are a no-take species for the remainder of the 2022 calendar year. www.bnbfishing.com.au

The 20L Wolf Bucket Organiser is a cheap seat-storage solution. It has pockets to hold a range of tools and tackle items. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 55

Off-grid trailer boat adventure * from P55

FISHING EVENTS COMPETITION

DATE

LOCATION

2022 Glenlyon Dam Nov 4-11 Murray Cod Trip

Glenlyon, Qld glenlyondamtouristpark.com.au

Hervey Bay Nov 10-13 Garmin Fishing Classic

Hervey Bay, Qld hbgfc.org.au

Billfish Bonanza Nov 25-27

Mooloolaba, Qld mgfc.com.au/

Exmouth Heavy Dec 1-4 Tackle Tournament

Exmouth, WA egfc.weebly.com/heavy-tackle -tournament

Ribbons Ladies Dec 2-4 Game Fishing Tournament

Cairns, Qld ribbons.org.au

2023 Gold Coast Light Jan 20-22 Tackle Masters

Gold Coast, Qld gcgfc.com.au

Shimano King Feb 2-5 of Kings

Yeppoon, Qld kingofkings.live

World Recreational Feb 19-22 Fishing Conference

Melbourne, Vic wrfc10.com

Boyne Tannum Apr 28-30 HookUp

Gladstone, Qld boynetannumhookup.com.au

Rainbow Beach Jun 11-17 Family Fishing Classic & Expo

Rainbow Beach, Qld rainbowsportsclub.com.au

AFTA Tackle Show Aug 3-5

Gold Coast, Qld afta.net.au

To have your competition listed in the calendar, please phone (07) 3286 1833 or email ads@collins.media Page 56 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

bit of crabbing, I had zip ties, crab measurers, side cutters, pliers and twine stored in the pockets on one side and offshore gear stored in the other – leaders, various packets of hooks, snap swivels, plastics, jig heads, lip grips and fish spike. This made retrieving certain items very quick and easy. With the storage sorted, general maintenance done on boat and trailer, and the outboard serviced, I was certainly keen to put my father Gary and friend Luke onto a few good fish. We arrived at our destination without an issue, and over the course of the week, we managed to boat great fish and monster mud crabs up to 2.4kg, though it was far from easy and many hours were spent searching around as expected. We eventually worked out a pattern and the fish certainly seemed to feed harder with the current change in the early afternoon. The mornings were spent searching for ground and collecting bait, along with a bit of sightseeing. Like a switch, spots that we hadn’t received a bite on began to fire and we had two and three-way hook ups. With the glorious weather, several days were spent offshore covering serious miles. If I ran over a rock or rubble patch that showed fish or bait, I spun the boat around, followed my trail back, marked the spot and cut a few figures of eight to sound the area properly. Meanwhile the crew

got ready to drop, then I positioned the boat so we could drop our bait of squid and mullet fillets. More often than not there were no bites and we moved on to repeat the process. You certainly need a patient crew for exploring new areas. Of the 40 plus pieces of structure I marked over three days, only six or so held quality fish. That doesn’t mean the other areas wouldn’t hold fish at various times of the year, and in some cases, the sounder lit up but we couldn’t lose a bait. Sharks were thick around the main reef systems and islands, so we searched away from these areas. We chipped away and managed to bag some nice large-mouth nannygai, red emperor to 9kg, redthroat emperor, estuary cod, coral trout, solid grass sweetlip, tuskfish and black jewfish – which were released as there’s a closure currently. It was certainly a memorable week, and as usual, simply not long enough – it felt as though we were only starting to figure the place out before it was time to pack up and head home. The boat, trailer and car handled the challenge perfectly and I must give credit to my dad Gary, who put in some long prepping and maintenance hours. Well, with the Christmas holiday period fast approaching, all the best for planning your next big fishing adventure. Tight lines and good times!

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 57

C AMPING & outdoors

Cape York trip

Our free camp on the side of the road near the Palmer River.

Eddy sitting in our camp north of Weipa.

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Page 58 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

ELLO, it’s been a while since I submitted a story to this publication for the simple reason that I had nothing worth writing about. But that has changed now, as I’ve returned home from my annual trip up to Cape York with a friend. This year, 82-yearold Eddy Bloomfield joined me on my sortie around Weipa. We would have left earlier, however rain events were occurring all the time on the east coast, so it was difficult to get away with the on and off flooding. Before the trip, I did the usual preparation work on my gear – checking wheel bear-

Part 1: Weipa by CRAIG TOMKINSON

ings on the Toyota 80 Series and 5m boat trailer, changing engine oil and running gear oils under the four-wheel drive, fitting new filters for oil, fuel and air plus bringing spares. I checked under the 4WD and trailer to make sure all the bushes and bolts were tight, ensured the shock-absorber rubbers were all good, serviced the outboards – the 60hp and the 5.8hp auxiliary. After packing all the first day, I picked Eddy up early the next morning and we headed to Gympie to put the

4WD and 5m tinnie over the weighbridge to guarantee it was legal, which it was. The 4WD with us inside, fully loaded and with a full tank of fuel was 150kg under. Thank goodness I got a 296kg gross vehicle mass upgrade on the 80 Series last year. The 5m boat trailer and gear was around 30kg under, but its suspension is way stronger than the weight I registered it for years ago – which I am kicking myself for now, as I put it down on the paperwork as * continued P60

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 59

C AMPING & outdoors A lovely 60cm blackspot tuskfish.

Cape York trip by MELISSA FROHLOFF

Tim Tam, coconut and coffee balls Ingredients • 2 x 200g packets Tim Tam • 30g chocolate-coated coffee beans • 2 tbsp desiccated coconut • 180g block baking chocolate white, chopped • 395g can sweetened condensed milk • Extra 1 cup desiccated coconut • 30 wooden skewer

Method 1. Place chocolate coated

coffee beans into a food processor and slightly blend. Remove from processor. Place Tim Tams in processor, process until mixture resembles fine crumbs. 2. Transfer coffee and Tim Tam crumble to a bowl. Add coconut and condensed milk and mix until well combined. 3. Roll a level tablespoon of mixture into balls. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate for 1 hour until set.

4. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high, stirring with a metal spoon every 30 seconds until smooth. 5. Dip the end of one skewer into melted chocolate. Push the dipped end three quarters of the way into the ball. Repeat for the remaining skewers, chocolate and balls. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. 6. Place the extra coconut into a shallow bowl. Reheat the chocolate. Dip the end of the ball in white chocolate. Lift ball from chocolate and allow excess to drip free. Roll the ball in coconut and continue until all balls are completed. Place back on the tray and refrigerate for a further 20 minutes until set. Serve.

Tips These bite-sized treats are a great party pleaser. They can be pre-made and frozen until the next event, and Christmas is just around the corner.

Prep time: 45 min, plus 60 min | Cook time: 5 min | Serves makes 30 Page 60 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

* from P58

1.5 tonne only, when I should have written 1.9 tonne. I may take it to an engineer one day and get a GVM upgrade on it too. After being weighed, I was happy as a pig in mud and we headed north. We had to make a stop in Rockhampton to pick some of Eddy’s fishing gear up from his granddaughter’s place. Then we headed north, pulling up through the night every now and then for a snooze in the 4WD – I laid the seat back and fell asleep in no time. We’d wake up a few hours later and head off for another few hours of driving. Next day, we punched over the Atherton Tablelands and pulled up at about 5pm to a free camp at an old gravel dump off the main road. There are plenty of these all over Queensland and are our fav-

ourite overnight stops. Next day, we fuelled up at Lakeland Downs and drove steadily along the Peninsula Developmental Rd. While I was letting the tires down, I put my swag and a foldup chair on the boat’s front. Mistake – they ended up falling off when we drove away because I forgot about them. We got the chair back, but someone knocked off with my swag. The road up was fantastic, and we arrived in Weipa at about 4pm that day. We bought some food and fuel before driving out to our campsite, where we met our friend Bob Gentlemen. He had been camped there for a few weeks with permission from the traditional owners. Next day was spent setting up a lovely camp and getting the 5m boat ready for fishing. Until next month, be safe on the water.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

TOURING & exploring

Small kitchens are the best kitchens

HE Australian dream is a big house with a fancy kitchen styled well enough that you could get famous online by posting cooking TikToks, right? But, given how insanely expensive houses are at the moment, is that really what we want or need? The latest book from Exploring Eden Media dispels the myth that you need a giant kitchen with all the mod cons to cook tasty, healthy, and interesting food. The Small Kitchen Cook by Ash Butler takes travellers, vanlifers and tiny homers (plus anyone who prefers things simple in the kitchen) through more than 65 seasonal meals they can cook anywhere. With no need for any appliances that rely on electricity and barely more than a good knife, chopping board and a simple two-burner stove, Ash shares her love of food, travel and good company with easy, satisfying meals that make you wonder why your dishwasher at home is always so full or why you even need a dishwasher, or a house. Beginning with the tenets of her tiny kitchen, Ash explores and explains the simple foods and methods that form the basis of her cooking. With insight from her www.bnbfishing.com.au

partner, a campervan builder, she also goes through the best ways to build and provision a tiny kitchen – be that in a campervan, caravan or tiny house. Building on her hardwon experience – as hard won as any experience is that involves travelling Australia and the US by campervan for a decade or so – Ash launches into the foods she enjoys preparing and eating through the seasons. From the staples, preserves, sprouts and simple cheeses that reappear throughout the book, Ash divides her menu into the four seasons, so you’re always eating the freshest, most delicious produce, cooked simply. Ash said, “I have been so excited to share my recipes, ideas and concepts for this book with the campervan and tiny home community for a long time. “To see my book in the kitchens of tiny homes, sleepy campsites and caravans of the people who love to cook with low environmental impact confirms that I have achieved what I have set out to do and that people appreciate simple cooking techniques.” Co-founder and publisher of Exploring Eden Media, Melissa Connell said, “I’ve travelled Australia by campervan for years, and I’ve never eaten

very well while on the road.” “As soon as we saw some of Ash’s fun and easy recipes, we knew we had to publish this book. “I’ve already made her ‘no blender sweets’ three times in the past month. “I especially love Ash’s mind for zero waste and for eating with the seasons.” The Small Kitchen Cook by Ash Butler is $39.95 and is on sale at exploringedenbooks. com and where all good travel books are sold. While it has a carbon footprint of roughly 2.5kg per copy, Exploring Eden Media offsets 25kg of CO2 emissions for every copy sold. Find out more about how our books plant forests at ex ploringedenbooks.com. au/our-books-plant-for ests.

The Small Kitchen Cook by Ash Butler takes travellers, vanlifers and tiny homers through more than 65 seasonal meals they can cook anywhere.

Ash launches into the foods she enjoys preparing and eating through the seasons.

The Small Kitchen Cook by Ash Butler is $39.95 and is on sale at exploringeden books.com and where all good travel books are sold. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 61

BOATING & marine Insights into boat insurance

Pontoon is not a game for gamblers

you if it causes damage. Rest assured that someone somewhere will have an image of your pontoon leaving your home and where it was travelling. Likewise, a stamped production number will be on it somewhere. And you wouldn’t need to be a detective to track these indicators back to you as the owner. In a related vein, according to one insurance source, there was a 6m vessel on a pontoon eddying around the lower reaches of the river in front of the water police. That should have made its identification fairly simple. There are other inherent risks as well. You could be liable if someone slips on your pontoon and hurts themselves. Likewise, do you know your legal position if the pontoon causes damage to a revetment wall? What happens if it is holed by an external force? Is your pontoon inIf you are one of the fortunate people to have a boat pontoon at the back cluded in your houseof your home, make sure you know where you sit in terms of its maritime hold building insurance? liabilities.

F you are one of the fortunate people to have a boat pontoon at the back of your home, make sure you know where you sit in terms of its maritime liabilities. For example, if your pontoon breaks loose into a river during a storm and tears itself apart as it careers downstream, you will most likely be held liable for any damage it causes. If it were to smash into a luxury vessel from a neighbouring property, a section of that pontoon could see you presented with a horrendous bill for repairs. Likewise, if it became wedged under a ferry terminal or a refuelling wharf, making its extraction

a dangerous and difficult exercise – read ‘very expensive’. When on-water and underwater salvage crews turn on the tariff meter to remove what is left of your pontoon so repairs can be undertaken on whatever it damaged, it won’t take long for the extraction bill to read as a phone number with a dollar sign in front of it. But the financial concerns can be removed beforehand simply by talking to a specialist marine insurer such as Nautilus Marine, who can provide cover for all your maritime assets. They have policies specifically designed to cover such assets. These days, with almost everyone having

access to a video recording device such as a mobile phone, you can be fairly certain that if your pontoon heads off downstream like a houseboat in a Huckleberry Finn Tom Sawyer novel, someone is going to film its journey. Think back to the Brisbane floods, when nightly television news reports showed pontoons, some with boats perched on them, travelling down the river heading out towards the bay. Every night they were screened, which in itself provides evidence that such things do happen. You might think that if your pontoon has no markings on it, then no one will be able to assign the blame to

You want to know the answers to these questions before the legal letters start arriving in your letterbox. So, for the peace of mind that a good marine insurance policy brings, it’s not worth the gamble that nothing will happen to your pontoon. Some local government councils are moving towards requiring a valid certificate of insurance for pontoons. In short, they are seeking to make pontoon owners more accountable for their marine assets. As always, what is and what may not be covered will always be decided in accord with the terms of insurance as defined in your insurance policy’s Product Disclosure Statement. Similarly, any special conditions and excesses should always be explained clearly in your insurance policy’s PDS. If you need further information, you can contact Nautilus Marine Insurance on 1300 780 533 for any boat insurance requirements.

Advice in this article is general and might not apply or be right for you. Before acting on it, consider its appropriateness having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs. Nautilus Marine Insurance is a business name of NM Insurance Pty Ltd ABN 34 100 633 038 AFSL 227 186 (NM Insurance), the issuer of Nautilus Marine Boat Insurance. Consider the Product Disclosure Statement at nautilusinsurance.com.au before deciding whether to purchase a policy.

Page 62 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

www.bnbfishing.com. au

MID RANGE 75-90-100-115HP FOUR STROKE

NEW CLASS LEADING 60hp

World First in Outboard Technology 4-2-1 Performance Tuned Exhaust

World’s Lightest at 98.5kg*

BRISBANE Neptune Marine Oceania Unit 1/3361 Pacific Hwy, Slacks Creek www.neptunemarine.com.au 07 3290 6370

✓ Powerful acceleration ✓ Outstanding fuel economy TOWNSVILLE GOLD COAST (NORTH) ✓ Ultra-low emission InTune Marine Tim Stessl Marine ✓ 32 Japanese U4/179 Ingham Rd, Townsville Brentwood Tce,engineering Oxenford www.timstesslmarine.com.au 0429 680 504

www.intunemarinetownsville.com.au 0401 794 384

BRISBANE (Redcliffe) *Lightest model variation Cunningham Marine Centre 23-25 Snook St, Clontarf www.cunninghammarinecentre.com.au 07 3284 8805

GOLD COAST (NORTH) Slades Marine 16 Paradise Pde, Paradise Point sladesmarine@bigpond.com 07 5577 1011

TOWNSVILLE B & M Outboard Repairs 35 Civil Rd, Garbutt info@bmoutboards.com.au 07 4779 6569

BOWEN Tropical Trailer Boats 32 Gordon St, Bowen www.tropicaltrailerboats.com.au 07 4786 3899

MISSION BEACH Reef & Race Marine Wongaling Beach, Misson Beach www.facebook.com.au/reefandrace 0400 524 383

WOODBURN Woodburn Marine 83 River St, Woodburn woodburn.marine@outlook.com 0402 512 603

GLADSTONE Motz Marine 2 Enterprise St, Boyne Island mikemotzo@gmail.com For more details contact 0401 697 295

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SUNSHINE COAST Port O’ Call Boating 29 Production Ave, Warana www.marinecenter.com.au your local07Tohatsu dealer 5493 2255

or visit

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 63

BOATING & marine

Stacer sets standard for entry-level boating

S the boating industry continues to heat up with an ongoing influx of new entrants, Stacer meets the demand head on, dialling up its most sought-after entry-level boat – the Sea Master – with updates set to take boating to a new level. As the boating industry continues to see a monumental boom – recording record sales with thousands fleeting to the on-water lifestyle to enjoy the exhilaration of getting outdoors – Stacer meets demand in delivering one of the most standout entry-level boats in the market. Newly reinvigorated, the Sea Master offers a steadfast yet affordable platform to experience the best of boating with the whole family. The runabout layout is designed to replicate carlike functionality and comfort, to achieve a sense of familiarity and comfortable ergonomics for all drivers – making it the perfect first boat. As one of the most

versatile products in the market – thanks to the expansive open deck and wide range of features – the SeaMaster is crafted to meet the needs of every boater and lifestyle. Now with newly launched boat packages crafted to simplify the boat buying process, entering the market has never been easier. Stacer marketing and communications manager Madeline Bishop said, “The updates to the new Stacer models have all transpired from customer and dealer feedback to continue enhancing the product offering and overall customer experience.” “To help nurture the market and reduce the complexity of entering boating, the new packages will provide a cleancut one-step configuration option that delivers the perfect vessel to suit their lifestyle.” Each package has been carefully configured by Stacer’s expert team of research and develop-

ment professionals to capture the most popular options attributed to different lifestyles. As an example, the angler’s pack may comprise of fishing essentials, including a ski pole, attachable cutting board, berley bucket, marine radio and more. While the entertainer’s pack is built for families and may include upgraded seating, a bimini and envelope and such. Alternatively, Sea Master boats can be purchased as the utmost entry-level option – includes only the essentials for the ultimate cost-friendly boat – or an SE version, which features the most sought-after extras. Other design updates include underfloor storage to continue enhancing the overall capacity of protected and secure stowage areas – providing an easy to access space for placing loose items such as bags and camping gear or safety equipment. Plus an in-floor bat-

The 2022 Sea Master offers a steadfast yet affordable platform to experience the best of boating with the whole family. Page 64 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

tery-box has been incorporated into 429-449 Sea Master models and underfloor fuel tank in the 429 configuration. Meanwhile, customers can enjoy the selection of an all-new paint colour palette, which will complement the current range and for the first time, tilt-steering as standard on a range of Sea Master models. In line with the diversity of captains typically expected in the driver seat, Stacer is setting the standard for boating ergonomics by delivering a comfortable ride for a range of driver heights – including youngsters learning the ropes from license holders. Not only an ideal product for families, the Sea Master also serves as an impressive fishing vessel, with its spacious open deck and Revolution Hull – famed for its smooth and dry ride that expertly handles a vast range of conditions from open bays to coastal waterways. Available in a number of sizes and with a vast person capacity, the Sea Master has been meticulously created by an expert team of product developers to cater to every boating lifestyle and customer. “Stacer is all about continual growth to keep on the front foot of trends, while upholding our decade-long history of utmost quality and customer service,” Ms Bishop said. “With a network of the industry’s best dealers strategically located across the country, a Sta-

cer is never too far away. “Because of this, we can proudly offer every Australian the opportunity to experience what makes Stacer different.” Australian owned and founded in 1971, Stacer has become one of the most sought-after boat brands in the country due to their reliability, durability, affordability and straight-forward operation. Parallel to its history, Stacer has finetuned the craft of boat building, with the brand long recognised for its impressive line-up and high quality of build. Offering a wide range of product, all hand-crafted in its Gold Coast factory, there is a Stacer boat meticulously built for every customer and lifestyle. Thanks to its knowledgeable and passionate network of dealers who know the line-up end-toend, finding the perfect boat is easy – simply contact your local dealer to discuss key details of use, including your lifestyle, waterway type and family demographic. Through select dealers, Stacer boats are also available as fully configured boat, motor and trailer packages. Owned by Bombardier Recreational Products, global leader in powersports, the future is only up from here. Become part of the Stacer community or find out more about the 2022 Stacer Sea Master range by contacting your local dealer via stacer. com.au/buying-a-boat/ make-an-enquiry

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THIS IS THE STACER MEMORY YOU’LL NEVER FORGET. For more than 50 years we’ve been building strong, reliable, aluminium boats you can depend on, right here in Australia.

Whether for fishing or family fun, the Stacer range has an enviable reputation for not just affordability but also great re-sale value. Have a talk to your local dealer – and start creating your very own Stacer memories.

Creating Stacer Memories is easy with the all NEW boat packages. Build your perfect boat in just three easy steps.

See stacer.com.au for details.

For more info information contact your local Stacer Dealer:

BOONDALL | NORTHSIDE MARINE 2294 Sandgate Rd, Boondall P 07 3265 8000 E info@nsmarine.com.au northsidemarine.com.au

ROCKHAMPTON | RIFEN MARINE 6 Dooley St, North Rockhampton P 07 4927 9150 E rifen.boats@bigpond.com rifenmarine.com.au

CALOUNDRA | NORTH COAST BOATING 22 Enterprise St, Caloundra West P 07 5493 9376 E sales@northcoastboating.com.au northcoastboating.com.au

WYNNUM | WYNNUM MARINE 31 Fox St, Wynnum P 07 3396 9777 E info@wynnummarine.com.au wynnummarine.com.au

BUNDABERG | ADRIAN’S MARINE 28 Ritchie St, Bundaberg P 07 4153 1819 E admin@adriansmarinecentre.com.au adriansmarinecentre.com.au

ASHMORE | WHITE WATER MARINE 10 Hinde St, Ashmore P 07 5532 4402 E sales@whitewatermarine.com.au whitewatermarine.com.au

MACKAY | PHOENIX POWERSPORTS 165 Paradise Street, Mackay P 07 4952 2436 E admin@phoenixpowersports.com.au phoenixpowersports.com.au

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STB&B 005

Stacer. Memories for a ifetime.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 65

BOATING & marine

It’s a great time to get your hands on an outboard.

Save with Mercury portable engines

ERCU RY Marine has launched a savings special on a range of portable outboard engines in time for summer. Available from participating dealers, Mercury is offering discounts on selected 3.5hp, 5hp, 6hp, 9.9hp, 15hp and 20hp manual start and manual start long shaft tiller EFI FourStroke engines. If you’re tired of fishing off the beach, rocks and kayaks and want to go a little further, then now is the time to take your outdoor adventure onto the water

with a Mercury Marine engine. Ranging from $1449 for the 3.5hp to $4499 for the 20hp motor, these affordable motors provide the versatility needed to tackle all water adventures. Mercury Marine sales director David Meehan said getting motors of this quality at such an affordable price is sure to not disappoint anyone. “This is a great opportunity for outdoor holiday lovers to take their adventures to the next level and get on the water,” Mr Meehan said. “Perfect for all family

types, these outboard engines will make your holidays even more special, able to offer the power, speed and fuel efficiency needed to enjoy a summer on Australia’s pristine waters. “We have a broad range of motors on offer to meet everyone’s needs while ensuring affordable options are available, so all boaters can enjoy a Mercury Marine engine.” Great for aluminium tiller, inflatable and sail boats, these compact outboard motors take you to the fun, the fish or whatever floats your boat

Great for aluminium tiller, inflatable and sail boats. Page 66 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

– quickly and reliably. Easy to install and operate, with reliable starting, low vibration and instant throttle response, it’s worry-free boating at its best. All offers will run until December 2, 2022. The offer will be subject to availability, with all engines to be installed and registered by no later than February 23, 2023. Five products will be featured in the promotion: • 3.5hp MH and MLH FourStroke, $1449 including GST, promotional recommended retail price

• 5hp MH FourStroke, 6hp MH and MLH FourStroke, $1899 including GST, promotional RRP • 9.9hp MH and MLH FourStroke, $2999 including GST, promotional RRP • 15hp MH and MLH EFI FourStroke, $3999 including GST, promotional RRP • 20hp MH and MLH EFI FourStroke, $ 4499 including GST, promotional RRP Find a Mercury Marine dealer near you or check out the rest of the Mercury Marine range at mercurymarine.com/ en/au/

Mercury Marine have a broad range of motors on offer. www.bnbfishing.com. au

Baysport Eco Hull The most efficient hull available!

Concave Planing Plank All Baysport boats feature a concave planing plank to provide improved efficiency and fuel consumption.

Built in Australia Baysport boats are built at Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and are designed to endure the tough Australian conditions.

Innovation Baysport boats feature a foam filled fibreglass stringer system to provide superior strength and rigidity.

• • • •

Get on the plane quicker Save on fuel Stable at rest No need for trim tabs

Standard on all Baysport models from 5.65 - 7.05m Don’t pay an additional $5000 plus for extras on a competitive brand that Baysport includes as part of their base price.

View the range at Australian Marine Centre and see why Baysport is the best built, best performing and best value fibreglass hull in Australia.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 67

BOATING & marine

Stacer celebrated its top-quality network of dealers with the 2022 Dealer of the Year and Customer Service Excellence awards.

Find your local top performing Stacer dealer

ECOGN ISED as the most prestigious and sought-after collection of exclusive titles, Stacer proudly announces its top performing dealers with the 2022 Dealer of the Year and Customer Service Excellence awards. Prized for outstanding performance, including customer service and rapport, each dealer selected epitomises the Stacer essence of setting the marine standard by making boating accessible and approachable to every customer, no matter whether new to the industry or experienced. There is only one

crowned National Dealer of the Year, selected from the entire network of Stacer’s 50 dealers, for ‘next-to-none’ performance in all facets of their dealership including aptitude in helping a customer navigate through the buying process. Located on the Sunshine Coast for over 45 years, with the support of a dedicated team of service professionals who are passionate boaters, North Coast Boating is widely renowned for its business excellence. Stacer district sales manager Nathan Shaw said, “Since becoming

Northside Marine is a worthy winner of the prestigious Stacer Queensland Dealer of the Year award. Page 68 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

part of the Stacer family in 2015, North Coast Boating has gone from strength to strength.” “North Coast Boating is an exemplary dealership by all measures and one that Stacer confidently entrusts to provide an exceptional experience for anyone looking to continue or begin their journey of owning a Stacer boat. “A truly worthy winner of the Stacer National Dealer of the Year award.” Following the National Dealer of the Year award comes one overall champion for each of the five subsequent state distinctions – Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania, Northern Territory and South Australia, and Western Australia, along with one Australia-wide winner for the Customer Service Excellence award. The prized dealers reflect the overall quality of the entire Stacer network, with each

dealer brought into the brand due to their commitment in delivering for marine excellence – which goes part and parcel with Stacer’s rich history of recognised industry-best service. A globally recognised and respected marine dealership, Northside Marine exemplifies top-quality customer and business relations. Unmistakably part of the family, the Stacer and Northside Marine partnership runs two decades deep, carrying with it progressive success and premium service. Boasting one of the most impressive dealership facilities in the country, customers are said to be guaranteed an exceptional experience from the moment they step onto the premises. “With knowledgeable experienced staff, an extensive range of products and services and a reputation built on many years of high

levels of customer service, Northside Marine is a worthy winner of the prestigious Stacer Queensland Dealer of the Year award,” Mr Shaw said. “We are proud to be business partners and are confident that Northside Marine will continue to provide an exemplary customer experience for Stacer customers for many years to come.” Boasting a network of some of the best marine experts, strategically located nationwide, Stacer dealers are always within close reach. With the dealers selected from six different states and territories each year, a top performing dealership is available to countless Australians. Find your local Stacer dealer at stacer.com.au – all of which carry a wealth of marine knowledge and experience to help with all your boating questions and needs.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

GEN III

The Ultimate 115HP & 140HP Outboard Motor Range Suzuki’s third generation 115hp & 140hp outboard motors boast more torque, quicker acceleration, and improved top speed thanks to revising the cylinder head and piston design and increasing the compression ratio to 10.6:1. The new cowling and semi-direct air intake greatly reduce intake noise resulting in quieter operation. Lean Burn fuel efficiency has also been significantly improved by as much as 10% across mid-range to high-end cruising speeds. Available in both Suzuki Precision Control (Drive-by-wire) and mechanical-drive variants and backed by Suzuki’s 3+3-year recreational warranty.

suzukimarine.com.au www.bnbfishing.com.au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 69

C HARTER directory FRASER COAST

> Hervey Bay > Fraser Island > Sandy Strait

GOLD COAST

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Freshwater anglers reap fish habitat trial rewards

OG cabins and synthetic trees are part of a successful trial of fish-attracting structures in Queensland, which could be the boon freshwater fishers have been angling for. Recreational fishing is meant to be about the journey. You’re out in the elements, convening with nature and practising the kind of mindfulness people often pay good money for. But let’s be honest, there are only so many times you can wet a line and return home empty-handed before that journey becomes a chore. For anglers on Cressbrook Dam – one of three drinking water reservoirs servicing Toowoomba in Queensland – catches have sometimes been few and too far between. It’s not that the fish weren’t there – Cressbrook is well stocked with golden perch and Australian bass.

But the dam stretches over 500ha, the hunting ground too spread out and the fish too hard to find. As for many artificial waterways or impoundments – water bodies built up behind dams – Cressbrook is an underwater desert. Commonly, trees and other natural elements are cleared from areas to be flooded in order to protect the water quality. In the impoundments that retain trees, the timber naturally breaks down over 40 to 80 years. Cressbrook Dam was built in the 1980s. A bare-bottomed dam Recent sonar mapping of the dam – carried out by a team from Queensland’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries – confirmed that there were few underwater topographical features. This meant fish had few places to congregate for food and shelter – likewise anglers had

limited options to focus their fishing efforts. DAF researcher Andrew Norris said, “It’s very barren.” “One of the reasons a lot of Australian dams are quite barren is their highly fluctuating water levels. “And, as any remaining timber goes through a wetting-drying cycle, it breaks down quite quickly. “In Cressbrook, there’s almost no standing timber at all. “There are a couple of very small shrubs in one or two spots, but that’s it. “It was a bare bottom with a few rocks and some aquatic vegetation around the edges.” Andrew’s interest in reservoir fish habitats dates back to at least 2015, when a Churchill Fellowship grant had the Fisheries biologist driving across the US on an eight-week fact-finding mission. Creating fish habitats Unlike Australia where impoundment fisheries

Cressbrook Dam – one of three drinking water reservoirs servicing Toowoomba in Queensland Page 72 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

are primarily managed by stocking and harvest controls – bag and size limits – US fisheries managers have long been using a third and very effective tool… habitat enhancement. Collaboration with the US managers and the Reservoir Fisheries Habitat Partnership provided a cache of unpublished information and internal reports from the US. This led to the development of a report, which provided numerical evidence that the idea was worth trying in Australia. Fast-forward to 2018 and, together with funding from the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation and others, the DAF researchers began working on a strategic fish attracting plan with stakeholders and co-investors. These included the Toowoomba Regional Council, the Toowoomba and District Fish Stocking Association, FRDC and Fisheries Queensland. “The goal of the project was to demonstrate that fishing could be improved by putting habitat in, which then gives the fish the habitat they need, while also giving anglers a point where

they can target fish,” Mr Norris said. Three habitat trial Using data and knowhow gleaned from the US, the DAF researchers teamed up with local fish stocking groups and community volunteers to build three different types of habitats – timber, synthetic and suspended structures. The timber fish attracting structures included brush bundles, branch bundles and porcupine cribs – miniature ‘log cabins’ made out of untreated hardwoods which, though less natural in appearance, tended to break down slower and have a longer lifespan than their brushy counterparts. Synthetic FAS were made primarily out of water-safe inert PVC and other plastics constructed either in the shape of trees, ‘spiders’ or cubes. Suspended FAS consisted of a floating buoy anchored to the bottom of the dam with a cable. A large synthetic treelike structure was suspended on the cable with the top 2m below the surface. The suspended structure could rise and fall with the dam’s natural water level fluctuations. “The actual struc* continued P74

Porcupine cribs are miniature ‘log cabins’ made out of untreated hardwoods that tend to break down slower and have a longer lifespan than their brushy counterparts. www.bnbfishing.com. au

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 73

Fish habitat trial rewards * from P72

ture itself is about 3m in diameter, 3m tall and consists of a main trunk with 34 branches inserted horizontally along it,” Mr Norris said. The benefit of the floating design is that it stays in the highly oxygenated thermocline zone during summer. “And that’s often an area where fish will hunt,” he said. Monitoring results A total of 576 structures were deployed across 25 sites within the dam. The team used a range of techniques to track fish populations, including underwater drones – not so effective due to turbidity – electro-fishing that temporarily stuns fish with an electric current, targeted angling and acoustic tracking. Thirty golden perch and 30 Australian bass were monitored over two years. One monitoring technique suggested the timber was working better and one suggested the synthetic structures were. “Essentially, they’re on par,” Mr Norris said. “And that’s important, because in some waterways, particularly town water supplies, the waterway managers may not let you put timber in because it can have a very small amount of leeching that some councils think it might affect water quality.”

Despite reduced fishing following the 2019 bushfires, the pandemic and recent floods, those anglers who were surveyed during the trial reported improvements to catch rates and an increase in visitation. Best practice guide online With guidelines now available on the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and FRDC websites, fish stocking groups and fishery managers around Australia can run through best practices, step by step. “We’re already getting phone calls and emails from people in Victoria, NSW and all over Queensland,” Mr Norris said. “A lot of people were very interested in this project and the results.” Andrew is proud of the team’s work and is confident it will have a significant and positive impact on freshwater angling in Australia – and therefore regional tourism – in the years ahead. “We’re very happy with how things have turned out,” he said. “And we certainly hope that the community gets the benefit of the results of this. “The project provided a great example of what can be achieved when community groups and all three levels of government cooperate and work towards a common goal.”

Page 74 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

Rikki Lee, a reader who shared the author’s boat for an outing chasing bass, scored a couple of stunning fish in excess of the 50cm benchmark.

The day I gave up fishing

SHOCKING statement perhaps, but in essence it is entirely true – the explanation follows. When I sat down at the keyboard to write for this month’s edition, I was going to title the article, ‘Is there a shortcut to success’. Thought processes kept coming back to the foundation of angling success revolving around time spent on the water. That cerebration in turn led to the depressing realisation that I had unintentionally – through a domino run of circumstances – given up fishing. Without looking at a calendar, I know the exact date that caused the cessation of my fishing outings. Friday February 25, 2022 – the day the Lockyer Valley was inundated by the now

Fishing for Sport by NEIL SCHULTZ

infamous flood event that swept through three eastern states. Once the water receded, we were left with a

15cm deep layer of mud – through the house and across the entire 14 acres that makes up our little * continued P75

A flashback to less stressful times when the author was taking BNB readers on Lake Somerset. Nathan with his first bass of the day. www.bnbfishing.com. au

Why and when I gave up fishing * from P74

piece of paradise. Mass media cultivated the misapprehension that apparently Grantham was the only place in the Lockyer Valley that floods, with TV crews descending on that town like blowflies to a cow pat and harrying the unfortunate locals. Meanwhile, the many thousands of residents in the rest of the valley rolled up their sleeves and, with no fanfare, ‘mud army’ or outside assistance, bent to shovels, brooms and mops for the clean up. Local volunteers of the rural fire service went door to door in hard hit areas, hosing houses out with their little yellow pump

trucks and saving the grateful recipients of their help many hours of hard yakka. Only able to perform tasks on my days off, cleaning the mud out of the house was completed with the help of a couple of close friends and family within a month. Drying and testing electrical goods came next and, though we managed to salvage the hot water system, beyond repair were the washing machine, fridge, freezer, Rosemary’s treadmill and my 14” bandsaw. Then came the next chore in order of urgency – dismantling, cleaning and repairing seven petrol-engine equipped machines that

had been submerged. Two of those were outsourced to family and friends, while the others – three Harleys, a ride-on mower and a chainsaw – were undertaken by yours truly in any available spare time… scratch another month. Days off over following months were spent using a wire wheel on the bench grinder to clean my collection of hand tools assembled over 50 years, including some fifth-generation family heirlooms. I did manage to take a weekend break to sneak out west for a couple of days of farmer assistance – undertaking a bit of pest-animal management – an outing that helped the

happiness factor immensely. Once the house and equipment were either cleaned or scrapped – flood insurance was unobtainable – then came the mammoth job

of clearing flood debris from 14 acres, followed by replacing 1.5km of fences. This is still ongoing, with a little over half of the fences repaired to * continued P76

A BNB reader, who scored a day out on Somerset, wearing a smile almost as big as the fish.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 75

A golden perch starts as a fish egg in the Warrego River in southern Queensland and it floats all the way down the Darling River, hatching along the way and ending up at an all-you-can-eat buffet in the Menindee Lakes.

Exploring benefits of connected waterways

ITH most of the Murray-Da rl i ng Basin currently experiencing higher than average river flows, we’re exploring the benefits of connected waterways – from River Reach, the MDBA newsletter. How long does it take to travel from southwest Queensland to the

Murray mouth in South Australia? If you’re a golden perch just starting out in life, it could take only a few months, depending on how many detours you make along the way. Not so long ago, a fish would have met many dead ends on such a trip, with the connections

between rivers broken and floodplains all but dried up because of the 2019 drought. At the moment, much of the Murray-Darling Basin is awash across the floodplains, down the rivers and in the lakes and wetlands. The rain of the past two years has helped connect the different

The day I gave up fishing * from P75

animal-proof status once more. As if that wasn’t enough to keep me from enjoying time on the water, an injury I’d sustained before the floods has degenerated to the extent that some major surgery is required to facilitate a recovery. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and, after twelve months on the waiting list, I am booked for surgery. Fingers crossed

that, by the time you read this, I’ll be out of hospital and well on the way to a full recovery. By then, I’m hoping the local streams will have cleared, the lakes will have stabilised and the fish will be there waiting. After an eightmonth unexpected and unwilling sabbatical, I expect I’ll need to do some extensive exploration to get back on to the fish and work out current patterns, but that’s fishing.

Page 76 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

However, it will be a while before I’ve healed enough to be able to load a kayak or to winch the boat back onto the trailer. While I’m recuperating, if any Bush ‘n Beach reader would like to take a grey-whiskered old fishing writer out for a local outing, that would certainly bring a smile to this slightly beaten down scribe. I can be contacted by email at flick slures@hotmail.com

parts of the system. This broad scale connectivity across Australia’s most complex river system has restored the natural highways that link the breeding grounds, nurseries, food sources and long-term habitat for golden perch and the rest of the Basin’s native wildlife. Why connected rivers are important Longitudinally, it means one river can flow from its source into the next river and the next until it reaches the sea. A good example is the Tumut River, which starts in the Australian Alps, flows into the Murrumbidgee and then joins the Murray, which reaches the Southern Ocean. Latitudinally, it means the land is also connected to the creeks and rivers when rain falls and drains into the waterway or water rises out of the main channel and reaches out across the floodplain. In 2022, we’ve seen many examples of this in southern Queensland

and northern NSW, as floodwater has moved across the landscape into the Darling River and filled the Menindee Lakes in southwest NSW. And there’s important connectivity that links the rivers with the vast aquifer system under the ground. This is the source of springs, which is so important for ecosystems away from the rivers, not to mention the bore water many communities rely on. These systems need to be replenished by the slow steady transfer of water through the ground. The movement of water distributes nutrients, carbon and energy through all elements of the food web. It allows wildlife to migrate up and down the system to complete their life cycle. A golden perch starts as a fish egg in the Warrego River in southern Queensland, and it floats all the way down the Darling River, * continued P77

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Celebrating river connections * from P76

hatching along the way and ending up at an all-you-can-eat buffet in the Menindee Lakes. As a fat young fish, it heads into the Great Darling Anabranch system or the lower Darling River before hitting the big channel of the Murray River. From there it could head upstream and end up in the Goulburn River in Victoria or downstream to the Lower Lakes near the Murray mouth. Either way, it’s quite a journey, helped by flowing rivers and the fish ladders at the locks and weirs. Birds, such as ibis or spoonbill, often need a variety of habitats for their life cycle. They breed in the

marshes and shallow lakes and then head elsewhere seeking better food or a better place to be, as humans often do. When more wetlands and floodplains are connected, they provide more opportunities for different genetic groups to get together. And greater genetic diversity passed on through their offspring means as a species, they are better able to survive when times return to drought. Stranded rivers, isolated wetlands and disconnected floodplains are the result of broken connectivity. In the recent drought, water managers were able to step in by using water for the environment to create refuges

that supported pockets of plants, fish and other creatures. This use of water for the environment meant a residual population of native species was there to spur on the recovery when the rain came again. Keeping our rivers, wetlands and floodplains connected is a world-wide issue. Australia is doing it well compared to many other parts of the world, with the Murray-Darling Basin Plan driving the work of governments and communities to keep a ‘whole of Basin’ perspective. No one river exists in isolation, and the reason why this connectivity is fundamental to the health of us all is understandable.

A 1-year-old perch at Menindee travels many miles to reach this stage of life.

A fat young fish could head upstream and end up in the Goulburn River in Victoria or downstream to the Lower Lakes near the Murray mouth.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 77

Tony Bourne scored a 102cm Lake Monduran barramundi using a Shads 5” plastic.

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OW that we’re heading into the warmest months of the year, big crowds of people have descended on Lake Monduran. As with most forms of fishing, any pressure on a system can make the fish tightlipped and force them to move away from

Lake Monduran by SAM ROWLEY

their chosen areas. It is a well-known fact that sound travels over four times faster in water than air, so even the slightest noise will be heard by fish.

There are numerous theories on how much noise from outboard electric motors, banging on decks and even noise and soundwaves from sounders and * continued P79

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Nick Fitzpatrick caught an 84cm barraumndi using a Shads 5” plastic. www.bnbfishing.com. au

The importance of stealth and quiet in shallow water * from P78

other electronics can affect the fish. In my opinion, it’s essential to be as stealthy as possible and this is something I have learnt from having quality sounders. It’s not uncommon during the cooler months of the year to turn up at a spot with 20 or more fish and watch them spook within one cast from the Humminbird Mega 360 screen. It’s not this dramatic as the water warms up but is definitely an indication that the fish know you’re there. That’s never a good thing. Here are a few ways to limit your presence on the water and catch more fish. Buy an electric motor It’s possible to fish an impoundment without an electric motor, but it is extremely difficult. Even a basic electric motor will make your life ten times easier, and I would recommend one with GPS and spot lock – such as the range from Minn Kota. As for all gear, having it is only the first step. Thought needs to go into using it so as to not disturb the fish. When in areas I’m expecting to find barramundi, I try to run my Minn Kota on no greater than 3.5-4, which is slightly under half speed. Stopping the momentum of the boat completely before spot locking will also ensure the motor doesn’t have to speed back to where you pressed the button. www.bnbfishing.com.au

Stay as far away as possible When looking for and casting at fish, I try to stay at least 30m away. This ensures that any noises you do make are less likely to attract a negative reaction from the barra. Casting downwind will also allow you to get as far away from the boat as possible, targeting unsuspecting fish. Drifting When you become proficient at finding fish in Lake Monduran, drifting can be a very effective technique. When I’m confident of a bay holding fish, I will turn off the electric motor and begin using the wind to drift towards the back of the bay. Most of the time, I find it’s the driving around looking for fish that is the main reason they spook. Drifting allows you to get a cast at them before they know you’re there. Anchoring and tying to trees Both techniques have been used by many successful anglers. Tying off and anchoring allows you to fish a spot with no motor noise. This is particularly important on windy days when the electric motor would otherwise be working hard to maintain its position. Tying to trees is my preferred method, but this is not possible in some of the more open bays. If dropping anchor, ensure you do it as quietly as possible.

Over the 1m mark, Stuart Bridges and a monster 105cm barramundi from Lake Monduran.

Lindy Clothier with a 101cm barramundi taken from Lake Monduran on a Shads 5” plastic.

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0432 420 034 themondyman.com Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 79

Local rivers still running

Anita Birch with a nice yellowbelly.

S pen goes to paper, the local rivers and creeks have not stopped flowing. From Christmas Day 2021 to the time of writing – October 8 – many megalitres of water have flowed over the storage spillway, headed for Goondiwindi, on to the Darling River and then the Murray. In fact, about one and a half Glenlyon Dams worth of water. Fishing wise at Glenlyon, cod are yet to fire up and not many large males have been caught, due to breeding and time spent looking after egg sites. The event was a little late this year, with flows into the storage creating a rise and fall type of format, result-

DAM LEVELS CURRENT AS OF 19/10/2022

DAMS

PERCENTAGE

AUG SEPT OCT JUN JUL 100 100 100 Atkinson * 102 100 65 65 65 Awoonga 61 61 101 102 101 Bjelke-Petersen * 101 101 100 102 101 Boondooma * 100 100 100 100 100 Borumba * 100 100 100 96 90 Burdekin Falls * 101 105 68 67 65 Callide * 61 60 37 37 37 Cania * 31 32 101 101 100 Coolmunda * 101 101 100 100 100 Dyer/Bill Gunn * 99 100 89 89 88 Eungella * 83 89 21 21 21 Fairbairn * 22 21 101 101 101 Glenlyon * 100 100 100 99 101 Hinze* 101 100 87 86 85 Julius * 90 89 85 84 82 Kinchant * 86 86 100 100 101 Leslie * 100 100 101 101 101 Macdonald* 102 101 100 100 100 Maroon * 100 100 102 101 100 Monduran/Fred Haigh * 100 101 100 100 101 Moogerah * 100 100 68 68 66 North Pine/Samsonvale * 68 68 54 53 52 Peter Faust/Proserpine * 54 55 80 83 80 Somerset * 83 83 98 98 97 Teemburra * 95 98 95 92 83 Tinaroo* 97 99 101 101 101 Toonumbar 101 101 89 91 86 Wivenhoe * 90 90 82 82 82 Wuruma * 68 69 100 100 100 Wyaralong* 100 100 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.

Page 80 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

Glenlyon Dam by BRIAN DARE

ing in site selection problems throughout the dam for male cod. Yellowbelly, silver perch and catfish are on the move, with good results being the order of the day. Shrimp for bait caused a few problems, being late on turning up in numbers. Though yabbies – the old standby, also known as blue claw crayfish – have worked a treat. As long as they’re small in size and suitable for 1/0 and 2/0 hooks with no lead – simply cast and let the line settle – the lift and drop action has had results. Midway through the month, we had a freshwater workshop take place in Mackay from October 14-16. Some of the outcomes I’ll cover in the December issue. Prior to COVID-19, we used to have two workshops – one northern and one southern – it will be good to see both return. Like myself, many canoe and kayak anglers are waiting impatiently for the rivers to cease large downstream flows. You will no doubt see large changes have taken place on the rivers, and with rock movement from floodwater, your magic fishing location will quite possibly no longer be as you remember it. One major piece of advice I can offer when you go back to

those good holes of water – ‘trap rock areas’ – as it sounds, so it is. With a mere 1520mm of rain, you could become bogged or caught in the middle of an isolated location. Trap rock is, during dry times, a section of hard ground – not easy work when digging post holes with a crowbar. I’ve seen people who are good on the iron bars, find it tough work. Though, given about 150mm of rain over a two to three-month period, it is a different story. Throw the bar into the ground and watch it sink into the slop. Even by driving only once on the tracks, you could get bogged on the way back. If you use logs, rocks and such, they sink in the mud. So, if in doubt, walk in and walk out. As it only takes about 15mm of rain each week to keep things soggy in this area, I was speaking recently with a couple of local grain growers about the wet conditions on farm around the Goondiwindi region. With tractors getting bogged, as well as trucks, utes, grain carriers and such, one of the farmer’s told of his grandfather, who had said, “You can grow something in mud, but not in dust.” You will see a big * continued P81

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Local rivers and creeks still running * from P80

change to most fishing locations. Fish have now returned to all sections of the rivers and the reports from townships are of species returns and good fishing is to be had. The water flowing down from the hills is quite clear. You need to allow 2-3 days for the flow from new rainfall to slow. Lures will prove to be a good choice and won’t need to be deep divers. Small spinner baits are best, not heavy weighted ones though. A simple rule to use, at the fall of holes where rapids end, is to work the calm holes

with trash moving around rivers – these are food stores for fish. Every rapid end forms a great fishing location. Try the following – let your timber lure float down the last 4m of rapid. Let the line out until it moves either left or right on the rapid outflow. Start your winding of the lure rather sharply, forcing the lure down into the eddy. Back off the pace, let it rise and crank again, using the river flow to make your lure swim against the river flow. Repeat this process three or four times at each set of river rapids you come across. The next two to three

years are going to be great fishing times in our freshwater regions. We can now only wait for the rains to cease and the seasons to return each year. We should, over the next three months, find the humid weather just right for fishing rivers and storages. No need to get up early because from 6am through to 9am is the best time at Glenlyon. Do the lunch run at about 11.30am to 3.30pm, come back for a late lunch break, then work spinner baits through to 8pm. This type of fishing schedule will change at different storages – it’s a trial-and-error system.

A bugbear of all anglers is the secret squirrels who work storages at night, without lights. It’s dangerous! Lights don’t scare fish in cod storages – I’m not sure of barramundi or bass, as I’ve not fished hard for these species. Bait anglers note – if

you are caught taking bait or shrimp traps from a location, you will cop a four-figure fine for each trap. Taking photos of these offenders would help boating and fishing patrol officers with their work, as currently, these officers are spread wide and thin.

Gary Innes of Goonellabah NSW and a bag of yellowbelly caught on Dave’s Lures.

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TRAILCRAFT 7 HARD TOP – Mercury 225hp 4-stroke, 2600ATM I-beam trailer, Lowrance HDS12, VHF, dual batteries, self-draining deck, huge cockpit, loads of storage, deck wash, live bait tank, hydraulic steering and so much more.

STACER 2011 489 BAYMASTER – Good-sized popular Stacer family runabout with a 60hp 4-stroke outboard with only 280 hours. Electric start with trim and tilt. Trailer is a 2011 Telwater alloy trailer complete with brakes, walkway, good winch and jockey wheel plus spare wheel. Walk through opening windscreen for very easy anchoring. Good bimini with front and side clears. Lowrance HDS7 colour GPS, depth sounder, fish finder, GME GX300 AM/FM radio, Lowrance VHF radio, Hydrive hydraulic steering, Rocket Launcher, Ally bait board with rod holders, 2 Cannon fully adjustable rod holders plus 2 x deck rod holders, plumbed live bait tank, swivel front seats and a fold down rear

bench seat, cockpit side pockets for storage, 2 x approved lifejackets, 2 x paddles, nav lights under floor fuel tank, sand anchor and anchor rope, stainless-steel boarding ladder. All for only $27,990. Contact Brisbane Boating and Leisure on 07 3875 1600 brisbaneboatingleisure.com.au

AQUAMASTER 420 RUNABOUT – This runabout is a cool little boat that can provide loads of fun for family and friends. You could go tubing with the kids up the dam, chuck a few pots in the creek, cruise the bays, or fish with your family and friends. Can be easily towed behind your car and be manoeuvred single-handed on the boat ramp. It’s also easy to store or garage, what more could you ask for? This is a boat the whole family can get onboard! Was $21,990, reduced to $19,990. Contact AMC Boats on 07 3808 7333 or visit amcboats. com.au

December Edition Copy Deadline – Advertisements must arrive NO later than November 3, 2022

POST TO PO BOX 162, Wynnum QLD 4178 or EMAIL with a photo to ads@collins.media When completing this form please leave one square of space between each word (Hyphens, full-stops, commas, word spaces count as one letter) ALL ADS MUST BE PRE-PAID 1 1 2

Cost per insertion: 2 lines $15, $1.10 per line thereafter. Contact details must be included in ad. NAME: ...................................................................................... PHONE NO. ................................................... MONTHS OF INSERTION: ...................................................... AMOUNT: $ ................................................... CREDIT CARD NO.: ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___

EXP DATE: ..................................................................... SIGNATURE: ..........................................................

Page 82 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

LATE MODEL TRAILER BOATS WANTED – We are seeking premium condition boats including Signature, Quintrex, Cruise Craft, Stacer, Haines, Stessco and SeaJay. Make selling your late model trailer boat simple and hassle-free through John Crawford Marine, Queensland’s Used Boat Specialists since 1964 – johncrawfordma rine.com.au Call Matthew or Jim on 3890 2322. ADVERTISERS – To organise a classified ad in the Trading Post, call 07 3286 1833 or complete the form and post it to the address provided or email it through to ads@collins.me dia

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Cooper with one of the many whiting he caught when fishing the Noosa River recently. Gareth Humm

Daniel Jackson caught a nice 72cm flathead near the Jumpinpin Channel. Glen Jackson

Robert John Michael caught and released this little bream at Boambee Creek near Coffs Harbour. John Sanders

Isla caught a few nice-sized whiting when on a family holiday at Noosa recently. Trent Brown

Brady caught a whopper 56cm grass sweetlip when fishing at Hervey Bay during the recent school holidays. James Wilson

To have a photo of your catch featured in Readers’ Forum, simply email ads@collins.media with a good quality picture, your name and details or hop onto our Facebook page and send us a message.

www.bnbfishing.com.au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 83

Subscription offer for November! Subscribe this month to go in the draw to win one of five Z-Man packs from Tackle Tactics! Valued at over

RRP each

www.tackletactics.com.au * Valid until November 30, 2022. Picture for illustration purposes only.

SUBSCRIPTION FORM ONE YEAR $50 (inc. post)

TWO YEARS $95 (inc. post)

Receive 12 issues delivered.

Receive 24 issues delivered.

New subscriber OR

December edition will be posted to you on November 23, 2022

Renew/extend subscription

YES, please send me two free BNB stickers

Send your cheque, money order or credit card details for $50 or $95 (inc. GST) to Bush ’n Beach. We’ll advise you when your subscription runs out. Return completed form to: Bush ’n Beach Fishing PO Box 162 Wynnum 4178, ph 07 3286 1833 or go online www.bnbfishing.com.au Name: ..........................................................................................Email: �� Address: �� .......................................................................... Postcode: .............................. Phone: ......................................... Date: �� PAYMENT DETAILS

❑ Money Order

❑ Cheque

❑ MasterCard/Visa

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

❑ Merry Christmas

❑ Happy Birthday

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❑ Happy Mother’s Day

❑ Happy Fishing

To: ................................................................................................ From: �� Subscriptions are non-refundable. They can be transferred to another subscriber.

Page 84 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

www.bnbfishing.com. au

3491 PACIFIC HWY, SLACKS CREEK Q 4127

07 3808 7333 www.amcboats.com.au

Stock available with plenty on order Aquamaster 470 Open, Mercury 60hp, $31,990

Baysport 640 Fisherman, Mercury 175hp, $92,990

Aquamaster 440 side console, DF60 Suzuki and extras, $38,990

Baysport 595, Mercury 115hp or DF140 Suzuki, $79,990

www.bnbfishing.com.au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 85

POWER YOUR LIFESTYLE WITH MERCRUISER – BUILT TO PERFORM, BUILT TO LAST, BUILT TO ENJOY Mercury MerCruiser engines and drive systems are designed, tested, and purpose built for the marine environment.

POWERFUL - High displacement delivering more torque FUEL EFFICIENT - Providing extended range DURABLE & RELIABLE - Complete peace of mind

Go online or see your nearest Mercury Dealer to discuss powering your time on the water. Contact or visit us for more information.

AIRLIE BEACH

Whitsunday Outboard Centre 17 William Murray Dr, Cannonvale Q 4802 P: 07 4946 7286 www.whitsundayoutboardcentre.com.au

BRISBANE

GOLD COAST

TR Marine Gold Coast 167 Currumburra Rd, Ashmore Q 4214 P: 07 5532 5812 www.trmarinegoldcoast.com.au

IPSWICH

Manly Harbour Marine 570 Royal Esp, Manly Q 4179 P: 07 3893 2199 www.manlyharbourmarine.com.au

Ipswich Marine Centre 45 Huxham St, Raceview Q 4305 P: 07 3294 3944 www.ipswichmarine.com.au

BRISBANE NORTH

ROCKHAMPTON

Holt Marine 25 Queens Rd, Everton Hills Q 4053 P: 07 3353 1928 www.holtmarine.com.au

GOLD COAST NORTH

Onshore Marine - Horizon Shores Marina, Cabbage Tree Point Rd, Woongoolba Q 4207 P: 07 5546 2480 www.onshoremarine.com.au

Page 86 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022

Rifen Marine 6 Dooley St, North Rockhampton Q 4701 P: 07 4927 9150 www.rifenmarine.com.au

SUNSHINE COAST

North Coast Boating 22 Enterprise St, Caloundra West Q 4551 P: 07 5493 9376 www.northcoastboating.com.au

www.bnbfishing.com. au

525 Prowler

520 R

595 Cruiser

625 Sport Fish

Repower CASH FOR LATE for Less! MODEL BOATS!

CALL OUR BUSINESS MANAGER BEN EWEN FOR ALL BOATING FINANCE NEEDS: 0411 745 025

Insure with YMI for your peace of mind!

(HULL YEAR 2000 AND ONWARDS ONLY)

VALUATIONS: PAUL: 0422 391 822 or PETER: 0466 214 804

CALL NOW - (07) 3888 1727 BRUCE HWY, BURPENGARY www.BRISBANEYAMAHA.com.au www.bnbfishing.com.au

SUBSCRIBE! www.youtube.com/c/BrisbaneYamahaWeKnowBoats

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 – Page 87

IN STOCK

520 TOP ENDER - 115HP

481 FISHABOUT PRO - 90HP

Includes: Mercury 115hp Pro Xs, painted sides, rod locker, alloy trailer

Includes: Mercury 90hp, fusion stereo, painted sides, Lowrance sounder, alloy trailer

IN STOCK

ROBALO R222 - 250HP

530 RENEGADE CENTRE CONSOLE - 115HP

Includes: Mercury 250hp, dual batteries, T top, coloured sides, alloy trailer

Includes: Mercury 115hp, bimini, painted sides, Lowrance sounder. hydraulic steer, alloy trailer

IN STOCK

5800 CENTER CONSOLE - 135HP

630 FRONTIER - 225HP

Includes: Mercury 135hp, deck wash, VHF, cutting board, thruster bracket, plus heaps more

Includes: Mercury 225hp, deck wash, ski pole, front cast deck, alloy trailer

Finance & Insurance available

* 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.brisbaneboatingleisure.com.au

Page 88 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, November 2022 www.bnbfishing.com. au 1743 Ipswich Road, Rocklea | Call 07 3875 1600 | Formerly Karee Marine

BNB Fishing Mag | November 2022

Articles inside

Next gen intro to K’gari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Ben Collins

Trevally time in the Tweed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Gavin Dobson

Committee changes and competition scores . . . . . . . . . . by Mick Clutterbuck

Fishing around Noosa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Craig Tomkinson