BNB Fishing mag | Dec 2017 by bnbfishing

Santa's secret ﬁshing spots inside

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December 2017 Print Post Approved PP100001534 Volume 28, Number 12

Primed for pelagics Rockhampton round-up Impoundment barramundi Moreton Bay shallow reefs

Chasing jacks from kayaks

Offshore reports

Surface fishing for whiting Freshwater features

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Inside this month Offshore action

P20

Jacks from kayaks

Sunshine Coast

P36 Freshwater barra

P41

All these years later I am still enjoying my fishing and writing and will keep passing on the tips and experiences that ben-

OUR COVER

BRYSON CARPENTER (main) scored his big PB longtail tuna while fishing with TRI TON, article Page 37. DAN LYNAM (left) with a horse redthroat emperor, JOHN BOON’S article Page 52. DEAN THOMPSON (right) held a couple of very solid bass, MATT LANGFORD’S article Page 67.

Ben Collins Daniel Tomlinson Ben Collins, Kacie Hubbert Jo Hendley

Phone (07) 3286 1833 Fax (07) 3821 2637 Email: ben@bnbfishing.com.au Internet: www.bnbfishing.com.au PO Box 387, Cleveland, Qld 4163 Unit 2, 39 Enterprise Street, Cleveland, Qld 4163 AFTA PRINTER: Rural Press, Ormiston DISTRIBUTION BY: Fairfax Max. recommended retail price $4.50 (includes GST). CORRESPONDENTS: Editorial contributions are welcome, as is news from clubs, associations, or individuals; and new product news from manufacturers. Entire contents copyright. Nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. It is the responsibility of advertisers to ensure the correctness of their claims and statements. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. G IN

FISH ING ’S

E TUR FU

☛ continued P4

EDITOR: SUBEDITOR: ADVERTISING: PRODUCTION:

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

AUST

JANUARY edition will be on sale in newsagents from December 22. See subscriber offer on Page 72 to go in the draw to win a half-day fishing charter for three with Moreton Bay Charters valued at $300.

efit a lot of people. Recently in our backyard the snapper run has really tapered away, and from experience readers can be assured it is time to focus less on the float lines and put more effort into what is feeding on the bottom, as well as thinking about surface fish too as the water temps warm. The surface fish won’t be far away. We used to almost exclusively float line all year round, but you do reach a part of the year when you can release that inner stubbornness as you realise that, on average, a better feed is to be had working the bottom. Having said that, floating for pearlies on the light-current days in deeper water can still work well because those lateseason fish will often be feeding up off the bottom. Being flexible in your approach becomes the key. A good example of increasing water temperature was the weekend before submitting this article. The water temp was a tad over 25C in around the 50m mark off Point Lookout and a bit of current was running. The fishing started well on the first drift, with cracking parrot landed, but the bite went right off on subsequent drifts. Shifting around didn’t do much initially until we found a nice patch of fish down the road that were playing the game. They were legal size, but the crew had aspirations of better quality and

ATI ON

by BILL CORTEN

To all those people, thank you for your contact, support and enjoyable banter.

Offshore

AST month’s ‘25 years of BNB’ article certainly got the juices flowing for some people and had the pleasant effect of several people from back in the day getting in touch.

Parrot and pearlies.....................by Bill Corten .......................................P3 Offshore action ............................by Jordan ‘Grinner’ Koschel ............P7 Moreton Bay shallows ..............by Brian Webb...................................P10 Flathead and snapper ................by Sean Conlon .................................P12 Readers Forum.............................................................................................P14 Tips to catch mud crabs............by Sean ‘Skip’ Thompson ...............P15 Hoiday hot spots.............................. by Keith Stratford....................................P17 Wahoo running wild ..................by Mati Bats.......................................P20 Surface fishing for whiting ......by Brad Smith ....................................P22 Summer species on GC ...........by Darren Rama ................................P23 Tidal Talk .......................................by Peter Layton..................................P24 Gold Coast pelagics ...................by Heath Zygnerski ..........................P25 Best bets around Broadwater....by Wayne ‘Youngy’ Young ..............P26 Brunswick Heads .......................by Gavin Dobson ...............................P28 Richmond River bass .................by Gary ‘Squidgie’ Palmer..............P29 Ballina Region.................................. by Brett Hyde ...........................................P30 Clarence Coast fishing ..............by Tye Porter ......................................P31 Lake Macquarie ..........................by Nathan ‘Nath’ Palmer ................P32 Double Island excursion...........by Craig Tomkinson .........................P34 1770 BNB Trophy trip..................by Mick Clutterbuck ........................P35 Sunshine Coast............................by Wade Qualischefski...................P36 Fooling fussy fish ........................by Tri Ton .............................................P37 Bundaberg offshore....................by Joel Johnson................................P38 Fresh flush fires up fish .......... by Brad Young ...................................P39 Rocky Barra Bounty .................. by Gary Churchward .......................P40 Jacks from kayaks .....................by Mitchell Townsend ....................P41 Fishing bareback ............................ by Neil Schultz ........................................P42 Boating news .........................................................................................P44-48 Insights into insurance..............by Nautilus Marine ..........................P48 Charter Directory ................................................................................. P49,50 Competition Report.....................by John Boon .....................................P51 Capricorn Coast...........................by John Boon .....................................P52 Fantastic Fitzroy River ...............by Lachie Baker ................................P53 Epic trip to PNG ...........................by Nathan Reid..................................P54 Catching quality reefies ............by Todd Eveleigh ..............................P56 Recipe ............................................by Melissa Frohloff ..........................P57 Product News ..............................................................................................P58 Fraser 4WD adventure...............by Greg Bell .......................................P59 Camping.........................................................................................................P61 Finding the Million Dollar Fish ...............................................................P62 Callide barra.................................by Glenn Hobson...............................P63 B.A.S.S. Nation US trip ..............by Drew McGrath .............................P64 QLD barramundi dams .................. by Callum Munro....................................P65 Monduran and more.................. by Donna Gane .................................P66 Freshwater Impoundments ..... by Matthew Langford......................P67 Hinze Dam .................................... by Steve Wilkes ...............................P68 Glenlyon Dam...............................by Brian Dare.....................................P69 Western rivers .............................by Noal Kuhl ......................................P70 Trading Post.................................................................................................P71 Queenfish in the NT .................. by Melissa Frohloff..........................P72 Subscription form ......................................................................................P72

FIS

Persistence pays off for parrot and pearlies

P65

PRO TE CT

Doug and Jarrod were pretty stoked with this pair of large pearl perch from the inshore shallows.

ITH the festive and holiday season fast approaching, now is a great time of year to spend quality time with family and friends.

HIN G T R A D E

While it always seems to be a hectic period, with not enough days in the week to get everything on the to-do list ticked off, it is important to try to have a bit of a break. If you are heading out on the water, which I hope you are, make sure you have all the required safety gear and pay attention to the weather. We live in an awesome part of the world and there is nothing better than getting out there and enjoying it, but Mother Nature has a habit of letting us know who’s boss, so make sure you are vigilant on the water and take care. I tend to say this every year, especially over the Christmas period, but be patient at boat ramps. Even better, offer to lend a hand if you see someone having an issue. Yes, some people may not know exactly what they are doing, but they might not have been shown either, so try to take that into account. As fishos, we should all band together and help anyone in need. That has always been the unwritten law on the water, and perhaps it should apply to the boat ramp too? On the fishing front, summer species have started to turn it on, with quality catches coming from all along the coast and in freshwater impoundments. Despite the weather being a bit all over the place during the past month or two, conditions are looking good for a sensational summer of fishing. In this edition you’ll find a mix of articles giving you plenty of tips on catching everything from bass to wahoo and most things in between. On that note, I would like to thank all our contributors for their informative articles that they place concerted effort into producing every month. The level of detail and information included is fantastic and I’m sure these articles play a part in more readers landing more fish. I would also like to thank our advertisers and wish them a prosperous Christmas season. Without their support, we would not be able to bring you this magazine each month, so please try to support them during your Christmas shopping. It would also benefit both parties if you mention to the advertisers that you saw their ad or products in the mag. If you are thinking of buying a loved one a magazine subscription for Christmas, we can happily place a personalised gift certificate in with the mag or email it to you. Ideally, it would be great to have all gift certificates finalised by December 18, as we mail out the mags the following day. However, a skeleton crew will hang around BNB HQ up to December 22, so we will still be able to help you out. If you are struggling for gift ideas, a selection of BNB Fishing merchandise might also fit the bill. Our new caps are only $15 plus postage and handling and make an ideal gift for most fishos. In last-minute news, I just received a call from Mark Robinson, the Cleveland member for the Liberal National Party, who indicated the LNP (if elected) has earmarked $350,000 for an artificial reef to be constructed off Wellington Point, which is part of a broader plan for Moreton Bay. At the time of printing I hadn’t been able to speak to any other parties about their plans or polices, but will keep you updated via our website bnb fishing.com.au and Facebook page as information comes to hand. Finally, merry Christmas, stay safe on the water and enjoy the new rods and reels Santa has brought you. Hopefully he may have even snuck a new boat under the tree! Ben Collins

October prizewinners Congratulations to Ralph Martin, Burpengary; and Troy Casey, Birkdale who have each won a 65L Osprey Transporter series expedition duffel bag valued at $200.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 3

Persistence pays off for parrot and pearlies ☛ from P3

Rhys McPhee with a great Point Lookout parrot from the northern end of the Cathedrals.

Ray Allen came down from Goondiwindi for an enjoyable day of pearl perch and parrot fishing.

because they like fishing deeper water, we headed out to the 85-90m ground off Point Lookout with absolutely nothing to lose. The water temp out there was a third of a degree less than that pool of warm water on the inshore grounds but the current was running much stronger at greater than three knots. A pound of lead was just floating up off the bottom because of the speed of the drift and while the fish shows on the sounder were excellent, we could not keep a bait near them for long enough to hook up, so with my tail between my legs, back inshore we went to be fair to the crew. Being the full moon, no mackerel were running and the dolphinfish weren’t playing the game either. It was one of those days, and the negativity on the radio confirmed what was happening all round. Parrot and pearl perch in daytime on the full moon were still the best bet, so it was shades of the old fishing club days where these scenarios have always occurred when you least expect them. The answer today was the same as back then: just shift around a lot, grafting away, and you will put a feed together. Back in those days, if Leo and I were having a slow day, then the majority of other competitors were usually having a shocker, and whatever we came in with, we’d end up smelling like a rose.

This was no exception. By working around a range of spots we hadn’t yet tried that day, a modest feed of fish came together. From the amount of boat movement, it was obvious others had the same problem and with one big boat in particular you could tell the skipper was really frustrated, judging by the amount of black smoke he was uncharacteristically blowing every time he gave the diesels a big gutful to move off and try somewhere else. For us, on one little prickle of raised bottom we found a very good show of fish and one of the crew casually commented on how well this spot would have fished years ago.

My response was to not underestimate its potential because we had taken a bag limit of large pearlies from it as recently as winter this year, and after all pearlies bite well in the middle of the day on this moon phase. Wow, all of a sudden out of left field in something of a shock to all of us, rods were bending over and the boys were hooking up to pearlies of 50cm-plus and the tempo lifted. Drago pulled a 60cm parrot from there too and after scoring bragging rights for the most fish of the day, he had now pipped his mate John with the best parrot also. On our little prickle we managed a few more drifts where several good fish came on board before

Drago enjoys his fishing a lot and was rewarded with this 60cm-plus parrot around midday on the full moon.

the bite tapered right away and we moved off, managing more parrot elsewhere before calling it a day and escaping back to the bar just as the sea breeze was starting to stir. Our eventual success was nothing to do with a tide change or shift in barometer. It was just persistence until we found another active patch of fish on the day and a few self-beliefs based on past experience. It’s like that out there sometimes and you take the good with the not so good. After making a few post-trip phone calls, the feedback from others who fished that day was very negative and goes to show if you have plenty of fishing options in areas out of the current that are in

reasonable proximity to each other, then you can just keep grafting away until you put a modest feed together. In comparison, the same areas a week earlier fired very strongly until close to midday when the pressure dropped three points just as the northerly sea breeze came in. At that point, the boys were having a cracking day on pearlies, parrot and small snapper where every spot we worked turned up gold, when suddenly the fish went from biting their heads off to zero. The boys had to be content with what was already a very good feed in the icebox. Until next month, enjoy your fishing and get out early for a summer feed.

John with a nicely lit-up early morning parrot from Point Lookout.

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

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

For more info, visit www.qld.gov.au/checkyourbait Authorised by the Queensland Government, William St, Brisbane Page 4 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

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White spot disease movement restrictions still in place for SEQ T O help protect Q u e e n s l a n d ’s beautiful natural waterways for generations to come, fishers must not move raw prawns, yabbies and marine worms out of the white spot disease movement restriction area in southeast Queensland. The movement restrictions are in place from

Caloundra to the NSW border and west to Ipswich. While we know prawns swim and could spread the disease as they move around, the most likely way the disease will spread long distances is by people moving raw prawns, yabbies or worms and then using them as bait. The movement restric-

tions in place also apply to uncooked, frozen crustaceans as freezing does not destroy the virus. What is white spot disease? White spot disease is caused by a virus that affects crustaceans such as prawns, crabs, lobsters and yabbies. The disease was first detected in prawn farms along the Logan River south of Brisbane in December 2016. It was then found in prawn and crab samples collected from the Logan River, Brisbane River, Moreton Bay and Deception Bay. When found in highintensity production areas, such as prawn farms, white spot disease results in the rapid mortality of prawns. While white spot disease does not affect fish, it is not known what impacts the disease could have on the marine food chain and local fish stocks. Prawns infected with white spot disease do not pose a risk to people’s health and are completely safe.

What is being done to stop the disease? Biosecurity Queensland is focused on eradicating white spot disease from Australia. All infected prawn farms in southeast Queensland where the disease was first found have been decontaminated and extensive surveillance is being undertaken across the state looking for the virus that causes the disease. Since the initial detection of white spot disease in the Moreton Bay region in December 2016, more than 50,000 prawn and crab samples have been tested for the virus. During the latest round of testing, completed in September 2017, all samples collected from the Moreton Bay region and key locations along the Queensland coastline have returned negative results for the virus that causes white spot disease. These results are encouraging and indicate the disease may not be established in Moreton Bay and has not spread into

Company fined $40,000 for damage to marine plants

other parts of Queensland. Two years of consecutively negative test results are required to prove the disease is no longer in Australian waterways. During this time, it is crucial movement restrictions are kept in place to ensure if the virus is present, it isn’t accidently spread. What does white spot disease look like? Prawns with white spot disease may have a loose shell with numerous white spots on the inside surface of the shell and a pink to red discolouration. However, please note infected prawns and yabbies might not display any symptoms and white spots may appear for a range of reasons including freezer burn and bacterial and fungal infections. For more information on white spot disease, visit daf.qld.gov.au/WSD

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COMPANY was recently fined $40,000 at the Hervey Bay Magistrates’ Court for causing damage to a substantial area of marine plants. Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol district manager Greg Bowness said Fisheries Queensland takes the destruction of marine plants seriously as they play an important role in sustaining fish habitats. “The company excavated about 8407sq m of soil from a nearby dam and placed it on marine plants at Toogoom,” Mr Bowness said. “The marine plants were destroyed and the company was subsequently charged under the Fisheries Act 1994. “The company was fined $40,000 in the Hervey Bay Magistrates’ Court and ordered to pay $7594.33 in professional costs.” Mr Bowness said all marine plants including mangroves, saltmarsh and

seagrass are protected under Queensland law. “This protection applies to all land tenures, including private, leasehold or public lands and whether the marine plants are alive or dead,” he said. “Check with Fisheries Queensland prior to undertaking any activities around marine plants as heavy penalties apply to any unauthorised disturbances.” Mr Bowness said Fisheries Queensland also successfully prosecuted two unlicensed fishers last month. “A fisher was fined $2000 in the Yeppoon Magistrates’ Court for unlawfully attempting to sell fisheries resources,” he said. “Fisheries Queensland intercepted the fisher attempting to sell 29 barramundi to a Rockhampton seafood outlet in September 2016. “Another fisher was fined $2800 and ordered to pay $1000 in professional costs in the Bunda-

berg Magistrates’ Court. “The fisher was charged with five counts of unlawful possession of commercial fishing apparatus.” To report suspected illegal fishing activity, call the Fishwatch hotline on 1800 017 116. For more information

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 5

Page 6 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

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BRISBANE (BAYSIDE)

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Wynnum Marine 31 Fox Street Wynnum, QLD T: 3396 9777

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Northside Marine 2294 Sandgate Road Boondall, QLD T: 3265 8000

Stones Corner Marine 117 Old Cleveland Road Stones Corner, QLD T: 3397 9766

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BUNDABERG

GOLD COAST (NORTH)

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GYMPIE

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A cracking wahoo for a happy customer.

Moreton Island Fishing Charters back and fishing hard ■ Prestige primed for pelagics

HOPE you’ve had a good month of fishing and have spent quality time on the water.

The weather has been pretty good all round and so too the fishing. Everything has coincided well for the return of Prestige, the new weapon in Moreton Island Fishing Charters’ arsenal. It’s been a long time coming but we can’t hide the excitement of being back on the water and catching our customers some quality fish in the new vessel. The boat had been back on the water for six trips at the time of writing and everything was tuned to perfection. The new dual 300hp Yamahas push us along at breakneck speed and the brand-new Furuno gear finds our fish, with every trip so far being highly successful. As a lot of our customers

Offshore Action by JORDAN ‘GRINNER’ KOSCHEL

know, we love to mix up our fishing and try a wide variety of techniques and methods to land the fish of a lifetime. A recent Saturday charter

trip was no different. The current was absolutely flogging down the east coast, so we had to find an alterna☛ continued P8

Moreton Island Fishing Charters’ revamped boat Prestige.

Wahoo are such epic-looking fish when they come straight out of the water. This was another happy customer on board Prestige.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 7

An awesome-looking and very tasty tuskie made it on board.

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The smile says it all. The young bloke was stoked with the screaming reel action provided by wahoo.

Moreton Island Fishing Charters back and fishing hard ☛ from P7

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tive method to catch fish because it was nearly impossible to keep anything down on the bottom. With the water quality great and the water temperature up, we knew pelagics had to be on the hunt. So we geared up for a morning of trolling with our customers, and let’s just say the gamble paid off dramatically. Our customers were lucky enough to get eight strikes, seven runs and six wahoo landed and they were pumped. Everyone who scored

amm 5700 SEA CLASS CUSTOMISED TO A ‘T’

one walked away with a personal best, a story to tell and a smile on their face. This wahoo session was one of the best we have seen in southeast Queensland waters, and as soon as the tide change occurred they started chewing their heads off. It felt like every 10 minutes during the short but successful session we had a rod buckling over and line peeling off the reel at an astonishing speed. The sound of a quality drag in full flight is music to everyone’s ears, especially someone who has never caught a wahoo or any fish of such size. Every lure we put in the water caught a fish. They were clearly in the

mood to eat, and eat they did. Conventional hard-bodies produced a few fish but so did our skirted lures, with the skirts accounting for the slightly larger models. It’s not only pelagics that have been filling the Eskies, as the usual good hauls of pearl perch, snapper and other reefies are still coming in thick and fast, with great catches on every charter in the past few weeks. For all the game fishing anglers, we’ve seen a cracking marlin bite on the continental shelf in recent weeks, with a heap of boats already tagging multiple fish between the Gold Coast and Noosa. Take the time to look at

a sea-surface temperature chart before you go out there willy-nilly and troll around for nothing. Chasing marlin is already like finding a needle in a haystack, so you really want to increase your chances as much as possible. I hope to see everyone out on the heavy tackle grounds soon in my boat Shortbill. It’s been quite chaotic with work and charters coming into the silly season. Remember, if you would like to come fishing with me on the new boat Prestige, give us a call at Moreton Island Fishing Charters on 0413 128 056. Tight lines and screaming reels.

You’ve got to love seeing smiles all round!

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Page 8 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 9

Coochiemudlo Island’s northern and eastern sides present great fishing opportunities.

Spangled emperor aren’t as common as grassies but they go hard on light gear.

Built for crushing.

Fishing Moreton Bay shallows

Targeting Green Island’s shallows under the cover of darkness can produce.

The shallow reefs surrounding Wellington Point and King Island are worth a look.

Mud Island is surrounded by productive shallow ground that regularly yields quality snapper and other species.

The norhthern and western sides of Peel Island can turn on cracking Moreton Bay fishing. Just be mindful of the green zone inside the 2m depth contour, in which there is no fishing.

Page 10 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

ITH Christmas just around the corner and weather permitting, the ramps feeding Moreton Bay get overly busy, with the majority of fishos heading to places they’re not quite sure of, or just cruising around.

So if you intend to do some shallow water fishing, do it midweek. To fish weekends and escape the crowds, you need to leave in the morning’s dim, dark hours and target areas such as Green Island, the Wellington Point drop-off down to Raby Bay, Coochiemudlo Island’s northern and eastern sides, Peel Island’s northern and western sides, Goat Island, Mud Island and the deep dropoffs along the bottom end of the Rainbow Channel. The current can be killer in the Rainbow, so you’ll have to fish a little heavier and during the hours either side of high and low, which is where an electric comes in handy to hold you in the current. The new artificial reefs off Coochie, Peel and Harry Atkinson are starting to show some promise, but fishing those areas requires a different tactic to fishing the shallows. Over the past few years, I have started to use plastics and small hard-bodied lures a lot more. When fishing the shallows I like to get out before the sun sticks its head over North Stradbroke Island and fish tides that peak around 10am, which gives you the full run-in and the turn. By this time the sun is nearly at its highest and the shallows are full of bright sunlight. Cloudy mornings help for a while but these shallow water fish are spooked easily, so with too much sunlight it’s time to head to deep water. Fishing for quality snapper and grass sweetlip during summer in the shallows, I’ve found plastics work better than bait. But if I was fishing the same area at night, it would be bait. People have long thought

Moreton Bay by BRIAN WEBB

snapper were only a winter species, but that is not the case. Plenty of fish ranging from 40-60cm are available all year, and if you put in the time and fish the right locations, the odd snapper of about 70cm shows up, and around Bulwer on Moreton Island 70cm fish are common. I rig up two rods for bay snapper and both are inexpensive outfits. The setups comprise an Okuma Endurance ED30 reel on a Shakespeare Synergy Graphite 7’ rod and a Shimano Symetre 4000 reel on an Angler’s Advantage AA240-6 2.4m, 6-8kg rod. One has 8lb braid and 15lb fluorocarbon leader (use longer leaders in the shallows) and the other has 15lb braid and 20lb fluoro leader.

Both will handle snapper up to 70cm and grassies of 30-40cm. I’ve found grassies run back into the reef quicker than snapper and you have to be fast to react or you’ll lose them. Sometimes neither rod will handle the unknown beasts that travel the dropoffs. If you go to big tackle

shops, you will be faced with walls and walls of different plastics and lures and you’ll scratch your head wondering which ones to pick. I use profiles that resemble the baitfish (3”-4”) in the shallows and I like natural colours as well as pink and nuclear chicken. Rig your plastics on 1/8oz jig heads with strong hooks. If you’re lucky enough to entice one, a big bay snapper will easily straight-

☛ continued P11

Top soft plastic colours for the bay shallows.

The author’s selection of hard lures for snapper fishing.

Jason with a snapper from shallow water.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Tips for fishing Moreton Bay shallows ous tactic for fishing the shallows and basically involves keeping quiet, never driving over the area you intend to fish, having your gear ready prior to arrival and heading straight to the start of your drift. Being the first boat in the area also helps avoid spooking the fish. Whether or not any fish are below is trial and error because you don’t want to drive through doing a sonar check. Remember that snapper will feed on or just below the surface early in the morning, so keep your eyes peeled for floating cuttlefish and other food items. Feeding a little berley out the back of the boat won’t go astray either. As the tide gets higher, you can move up onto the shallower sections, following the same tactics as you did when drifting along the edge of the drop-off. However, this is when stealth is even more important because in shallow water noise travels further. If the first plastic used is not drawing any attention, change the colour or profile and play with the jig size to optimise hang time in the water column. When fishing the edge of the drop-off, I like to have a floating bait rig

☛ from P10

en this size jig, and if you look into a snapper’s mouth you will see it is built for crushing. When fishing any of the bay shallows, you need to do some exploratory trips to find out the topography of the shallows you intend to fish, and when you return with rods in hand you will have a better idea of what’s down below. Fish are flighty in these areas, so stealth is required to help you catch more fish. Don’t motor through the area you intend to fish; instead circle around and go up-current while avoiding making any noise before starting your drift and casting ahead 15-20m. When the plastic hits the water, count to six and then start a hopping retrieve back to the boat. It’s a fine line between having the plastic hit the bottom and getting snagged on the reef, so it takes a while to get used to fishing with light gear in the shallows and guessing how close to the bottom your plastic is. You should get five or six casts in before needing to start the drift again, depending on the length of the drift and size of the reef. With hard-bodies, I cast to the edge of the drop-off before beginning a slow

Snapper seem to feel secure around structure and while I doubt they head directly towards the bottom, when snapper panic, they swim deep and in the process they’ll brick you with regularity if allowed to run for too long. and staggered retrieve back to the boat. There’s nothing better than seeing that pink colour with blue spots surface next to the boat. In order to regularly succeed in extracting fish from the shallows, you need to adjust your game plan to suit the conditions. We all know that goodsized snapper run a powerful engine and when hooked they are capable of strong and dogged fights. Snapper seem to feel secure around structure and while I doubt they head directly towards the bottom, when snapper panic, they swim deep and in the process they’ll brick you with regularity if allowed to run for too long. In shallow water, the danger of being bricked multiplies, and if the bottom is rough, a fish in shallow water is much

more likely to find it in less time than a fish in deeper water. One obvious solution is to fish with heavier line and heavier-gauge hooks, allowing you to apply pressure earlier and increase the drag, which helps you pull the fish clear. I feel 15kg braid is ideal as a heavy line because it is just light enough to cast and not so thick that bites become hard to detect, yet it is strong enough to allow a heavy handling on behalf of the angler. Still, it’s nowhere near strong enough to stop a big snapper from rampaging through structure in shallow water. To stop a large fish in quick time you’ll need a 24kg outfit, which would be fine for bait fishing but not so good for soft plastics. Stealth is the obvi-

set further back than the plastic’s range for those unstoppable fish that patrol the drop-offs. My bait rig is a twohook setup with either a full squid or half pillie. For whatever reason, some days pillies work better than plastics. Fishing the bay’s shallow reefs is a year-round exercise, with 1-4kg fish possible throughout the year. So get out into the bay shallows and give it a try. It may take a few trips, but always remember to be as quiet as possible. Remember to take your rubbish with you because rubbish in the ocean is good for nobody.

The odd bream turns up when chasing snapper.

Grass sweetlip are a prime Moreton Bay shallows target.

This snapper nailed a soft plastic.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 11

This lizard was hooked on a Zerek Flat Shad on the bottom of the tide.

Good-quality lizards can be caught by casting plastics in the shallows around the bay islands.

You’ve got to be happy when you see this on your sounder in southern Moreton Bay and then pull up a 40-50cm squire as a result.

Focus shifts from flathead to snapper

■ Summer snapper in Moreton Bay

HE year is drawing to a close and Christmas is just around the corner.

This 76cm flathead was hooked casting a Gobblers Paddle Tail on a 1/8oz jig head.

This warmer weather usually means the end of my flathead season and the start of my summer snapper/squire action in southern Moreton Bay. In saying that, flathead are still going pretty strong at the time of writing and we’ve been catching plenty in the high

Southern Moreton Bay by SEAN CONLON

60cm to mid-70cm range. These fish have been captured from Macleay Island down to the mouth of the Logan River. The bulk of the fish have been caught on low tide using a combination of casting soft plastics and trolling hard-bodies.

A lot of wind and bigger tides have stirred a fair bit of silt off the banks and made the water rather dirty. Due to the murky water, darker lures have worked way better than anything else. Squire are quite preva-

lent round the bay islands in summer and they are definitely starting to poke their heads up. In amongst them have been a few dart chasing bait on the surface. I always have a rod ready with a little plastic so when I see a bust-up I can have a cast and wind the plastic quickly across the surface. Dart are more than hap☛ continued P13

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Help stop the spread of white spot disease A 76cm flathead caught by trolling a Zerek Tango Shad.

Focus shifts from flathead to snapper ☛ from P12

py to take a plastic and most of the fish have been about 45cm long, putting up a great fight on light tackle. I think they’re not bad for a feed but not everybody likes the old dart. The squire around the bay islands have been 40-50cm long and we’ve been catching them by trolling hard-bodies and casting soft plastics. Areas to look at are the rocky headlands, rubble grounds and areas with a bit of current in 3-8m of water. As I said, the water clarity is very poor but so far this hasn’t deterred the fish from biting.

When it comes to lure selection, whether it’s a jerk shad, curl grub or hard-body, darker colours have absolutely been catching more fish. We’ve been using 3-6kg rods, 10lb braid and 1/4-3/8oz jig heads to reach the bottom because the sounder has showed the squire holding pretty tight to the bottom. So far we have not been chasing mackerel because we’ve had plenty of flathead and snapper to keep us entertained, but I dare say December will be the month to dust off the mackerel gear and chase a few of these speedsters from Peel Island and north.

A double hook-up on a 45cm dart and 45cm squire by drifting and casting plastics on the rubble grounds.

Several dart have been mixed in with the squire and feeding on the surface.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

The reason I say Peel Island and north is I feel the water clarity at the bottom of the bay is too dirty for mackerel. If you haven’t chased mackerel before, get out there and simply look for the birds. I stick with fairly light gear for mackerel. I’ll run a 3-6kg rod with 10lb braid and cast 20-30g slugs, but if you don’t like the fish to have too much of a chance, then you can step up to a slightly heavier rod, 20lb braid and cast bigger slugs. I find casting just in front of the working schools of fish and retrieving quite quickly is enough to entice mackerel to bite. I always have more luck around the new moon than the full moon. One reason for this is I believe they feed all night around the full moon, so aren’t as hungry once the sun comes up. Mackerel make for a great feed, so if you decide to keep some to take home, make sure you bleed them straight away and get them in a good ice slurry to ensure premium eating quality. With school holidays just around the corner, keeping the kids occupied can be a challenge, so I suggest you get them out on the water and catch a few fish. The bay islands present the perfect place to chase all the bread and butter species that are great for kids to target. And after having a fish in the morning, why not head to a few locations such as Blakesleys Anchorage, Peel Island, Coochiemudlo Island and Dalpura Beach on Macleay Island. Fish the incoming tide in the morning and then after the top of the tide head to those areas and have a swim and maybe barbecue to really enjoy summer in Moreton Bay. I guarantee you that’s what I’ll be doing with my young fella over his school holidays. If you’d like to join me on a charter, give me a call on 0433 732 310, visit moretonbaychar ters.com.au or have a look at the Moreton Bay Fishing Charters Facebook page to see our most recent catches. Until next month, stay safe on the water. PS, I have to say a big thankyou to Jo from Bush ‘n Beach for getting my website up and going again – I can’t thank you enough Jo.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 13

Hi, I thought you would appreciate this massive Gold Coast barramundi. Nicholas Fludder

Hi Ben, I managed to get a 99.5cm flathead around Ballina last month and then two weeks later picked up this one at 99cm. Cheers, Scott

The big 19kg red was caught off Bundaberg on a whole legal size hussar and the golden trevally smacked a jig. Ben Davey

Hi Ben, I caught this 60cm Murray cod on a spinnerbait at Warrabah, near Manilla NSW. I took a quick photo and released it back into the river unharmed. It was my first cod on a spinnerbait. Thanks, Harrison Mclean

G’day Ben, Just wanted to share a cracker red dog I got out of the Coomera River on a Zerek Live Shrimp. I picked up the 73cm flathead in the same trip. Love the mag and keep up the great work. Cheers, Ion Berdou

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

Hi Ben, In the last week of October a few of us headed to Central Queensland and spent four days/nights on the water. Little did I know this would be the trip of a lifetime. Apart from catching several other barra and king threadies, I managed to land a 130cm black jewfish, 125cm barra and 112cm king threadfin. Needless to say, the barra was a PB and smashed my previous record by over 40cm. It was also my first-ever black jew and the thready was only 2cm short of my PB. I was pretty happy to crack the metre mark on three species in one weekend! I can’t wait to get up there again once the barra are back in season. Sam Henderson

I landed this marlin by trolling skirts at the tip of Fraser Island. Brad Thompson

■ Readers Forum ■ Readers Forum ■ Readers Forum Page 14 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

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Whether it is fresh mud crab on a French stick or a delicious red Thai chilli mud crab treat, nothing is more delicious than muddies during a Queensland summer. Types of pots With witch’s hat pots long gone, for your mud crabbing adventures you’ll need one of the newer-style pots such as two-entry rectangular pots, four-entry round pots or the open-top

Crabbing Tips

by SEAN THOMPSON

Hayes variety. Or you could buy a specialist pot such as the triangular pots which get into tight spaces made by Coucom’s Crabpots and Fishing Gear in Yeppoon. I’ve used these successfully in some tight spots, but I haven’t used the Hayes pots. For this reason, I’ll focus on the two styles you see for sale at most tackle outlets. In my mind, your best bet is the heavy-duty circular four-entry pots (retailing for $40-$45). The heavy-duty pots

Crab ‘n’ Gear round pots are a great design, with huge bait pouches and easy assembly.

have a much more solid frame and sturdier netting than the lighter, cheaper varieties. These are worth the money because their construction stops your netting being destroyed by crabs over time, and being heavier, helps the pots stay put. These also come with an in-built bait pouch, which is very handy. Probably my favourites are the round pots made by Crab ‘n’ Gear with all these features but even bigger bait pouches and four uprights (or legs) attached to the bottom ring of the pot, making them quick and easy to assemble. On the other hand, the rectangular two-entry pots have the advantage of being smaller and easier to transport, even on foot on the mud flats. They are also less expensive, retailing for $16$20. However, off the shelf their entries are quite flimsy, so you should zip

Small creek offshoots filled with mangroves are a prime crabbing location.

tie the edges of the netting on the entrances so they are firm, not loose, or the crabs will escape. You will also need to buy a bait pouch to go with these pots. I don’t like to simply tie or attach my bait with quick release steel bait clips because the crabs (and fish) will soon tear your bait apart until nothing is left to attract more crabs. A better option is to buy a mesh bait bag (available from Crab ‘n’ Gear) and attach it to the bottom of the pot by its hooks. Whichever pot you choose, you must attach a tag to it stating your surname and address. Floats and rope Floats are a personal preference, provided they meet the state regulations. That is, they must be light coloured (for visibility to boaties) and no less than 15cm in any dimension. You also need to mark them with your surname. Bright floats are great if you are fishing nearby or don’t have a GPS to mark them, otherwise round white polystyrene floats will do the job. By far my favourite floats are the connectable heavy-duty items from the Seahorse Legend Lok Stak range. You can roll your rope around these and secure it to the side of the floats so it doesn’t unravel, something which could leave your rope susceptible to boat propeller strike. You can also connect these floats together and easily store them in your boat or shed.

I prefer to keep my float attached to the pot and simply store the floats inside the pot when packed away. A great option is to attach rope leads to your rope, available for about $1 each from Crab ‘n’ Gear. You put the lead on so it is reasonably firm but still able to slide up and down the rope with a bit of pressure. I place my leads 1-2m below the float to ensure the rope sinks, minimising the chance of accidental damage from boat propellers.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 15

Round pots with chicken baits scored a mud crab for this happy youngster.

Top tips to catch more mud crabs ☛ from P15

Favourite crab baits Best baits will depend a little on your location, but critically fresh is best. Old, smelly baits that you have left out in the sun or under the water are ineffective and far inferior to fresh baits. I know, because my mates and I tested this myth years ago. About all we achieved by using the rotten baits was dry retching and fits of laughter from mates at the other end of the boat holding their noses while we took turns to pull the pots in. I believe chicken carcasses or pieces are second to none as crab pot bait. In pots run side by side with other pots baited with mullet, fish frames and pilchards, the chicken won hands down. Check with your local butcher, because if they are like mine they might sell you the carcasses for as little as 50c to $1 each. I place two in each pot if they fit, which is the advantage of the bigger bait bags.

Best times Very simply, the best time for crabs is after heavy rain has flushed the crabs out of their homes. In Queensland, this can happen year-round. Another myth is you can’t catch crabs in months without an ‘r’ in them. This is simply not true. So too is the myth that they are empty in winter. In fact, some of the biggest, fullest crabs are available in winter. I find a greater proportion of crabs are not full around October/November in my local Brisbane bayside area. Another thing to remember is setting your pots overnight will bring better results than during the day. But if you are limited to the day, I prefer to leave them in for at least a full tide cycle, and preferably from low to high tide. Best locations My favourite crabbing locations include: • Inside little creek inlets. If not deep enough to enter by boat, place your pots at the

mouth. In such spots, look for broken branches at the front of the creek. Green broken branches indicate someone has crabbed there recently, so forget it. If they are broken and brown, enough time will have passed for new males to take over the territory. • Around steep undercut muddy banks, particularly underneath mangroves or trees with lots of roots in the water. • In front of crab holes in the mud, which you can spot above the tide line at low tide. • At the entrance of drains from the mangroves. • On the outer edge of sharp bends in creeks where the water will be deeper. • After a lot of rain, close to the entrance of a creek or in deeper holes where the water will be more saline. I hope you can put a nice feed on the table by using these tips over the Christmas and new year break. Be sure to jump on my Ontour Fishing Australia Facebook page and say g’day and post your catches for me to share.

Momentum builds for Redcliffe event

T is estimated that in excess of $20 million will be spent by locals across southeast Queensland as a direct result of the annual Moreton Bay Caravan, Camping, Boating and 4x4 Expo being staged from Friday, February 16 to Sunday, February 18, 2018 at the Redcliffe Showgrounds. Organiser Bob Carroll from Australian Events said the event is a unique shopping showcase of thousands of products to get you outdoors. He expects millions of dollars in sales will be transacted over the three days of the event and millions more in the following months. “From new cars to 4x4s and every conceivable option for off-road motoring,

Page 16 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

we also have over 50 major companies with the very latest in boats, camper trailers, caravans, motorhomes and all the nifty bits and pieces to go with them,” Mr Carroll said. “Over 120 exhibitors and thousands of products make this a unique event on the annual must-do calendar. “People will drive for hours to get to this event,

especially those looking to buy a new vehicle, caravan or camper trailer. “They do their research and then they come to the event, compare all the products on offer in one location and wheel and deal on the spot. “It is a wonderful event in that respect.” Visit bayexpo.com.au for full event details and information.

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Hot spots to hit over the holidays

ECEMBER is a very busy month on the waterways in southeast Queensland.

School holidays are upon us and the increased boat traffic will undoubtedly impact the fishing. On busier waterways such as the Gold Coast Broadwater, Noosa River and Pumicestone Passage the fish will often stay deep and close to struc-

Local Luring by KEITH STRATFORD

ture until darkness falls, particularly in the main channels. The Broadwater can be a crazy place during December. The wake generated from some of the larger boats is quite scary and

can even be dangerous in a small vessel. It’s definitely a good idea to stay away from the main channels between the Gold Coast Seaway and Coomera River mouth. This is a highway for

This rare fringe-eye flathead was taken by the author in a creek running off Pumicestone Passage. It ate a 3” Z-Man ShrimpZ in Electric Chicken.

large boats and the water gets thrown in every direction, causing a washing machine effect that is very uncomfortable for most smaller boats. All these places have creeks and canals running off them where you may find it possible to get away from the craziness. Pushing up one of the many rivers that run off the Broadwater is a good option. These rivers can still get very busy, but the further you head up them, the fewer boats you will come across. The Coomera and Nerang rivers are mostly made up of canals running off the main system. Here you’ll find plenty of bridges, jetties, pontoons and rock walls to cast or troll a few lures around for mangrove jack and trevally. These areas are also really good for casting surface lures early in the morning, late afternoon and into the night. Trevally and mangrove jack are the most common species to eat a well☛ continued P18

Lindsay Stevenson caught this Seaway flathead in a recent competition held on the Gold Coast.

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few prawns moving about towards the end of the month. Most of these creeks have sections that are difficult to navigate around the bottom of the tide. If you’re new to the area, choose the very first of the run-in tide to explore. Plenty of sun overhead also helps with seeing any hidden rocks and other obstacles. If you happen to run aground on one of the myriad sand or mud bars, it’s just a matter of lifting the motor up and allowing the rising tide to float you past it. I wouldn’t recommend walking in areas with weed or rocks in these creeks because they are well known to hold stonefish and bullrout. Taking your time while exploring also gives you plenty of opportunity to watch the sounder and have a sneaky cast or two into any good-looking areas. A sounder with side scan will give you an advantage when exploring a creek for the first time. Idling up the middle of the creek while scanning out both sides of the boat allows you to see and mark every rock, tree, drop-off and fish. This makes it a lot easier the next time you come to visit the system. If you know a tree is in the middle of the river be-

cause you marked it on a previous trip, try sneaking up on it slowly. Cut the motor well before the snag and either drift or use an electric motor if you have one. Get some long casts into the tree early and work all sides without drifting directly over it. However, drifting over a snag in water more than 3m deep has worked for me over the years when aggressively jigging Prawnstars tight to the structure. You need to keep any noise in the boat to a minimum and drifting right over the snag works much better in depths between 4.5m and 9m. The rivers on the Sunshine Coast also see loads of boat traffic at this time of year. Noosa is probably the worst. The mouth of the Noosa River is very narrow and shallow in parts. This causes all sorts of problems when the drivers of vessels don’t obey the rules. I seriously doubt some people have any idea about most rules on the water. I like to stay away from the mouth of the Noosa River after about 7am. If I plan a day trip there, it generally involves a couple of hours around the mouth at first light

casting surface lures or small plastics for trevally before pushing up between the lakes in search of mangrove jack. I like to fish the Maroochy River in the same fashion. The bridges in the Maroochy hold good numbers of mangrove jack but it’s hard to get a bite once the sun gets high and the boat traffic starts moving. I like to spend an hour or two at these bridges at

first light, then push well up the river to chase jacks on natural structure such as fallen trees and rock bars. December can be the busiest month of the year on the waterways in southeast Queensland. If you want to give yourself the best chance of catching quality fish, it might be worth getting up early to beat a few other people out there. I hope to see you on the water.

Lindsay with a solid flathead captured from Jumpinpin while staying away from the crowds.

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When everything lines up T HE water heating up rapidly can only mean one thing: pelagic action!

First fish of the day was a beautiful mahi mahi.

Over the past couple of months, we havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fished as much as we would have liked during the busiest time of the year for most people. Running a construction company can be stressful, but running a construction company with employees who are diehard fishos is even more stressful. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s amazing how many people get the flu on days with a five to 10 knot variable wind. Every fisho knows the best bribe is the promise of fishing.

Fishing Trip

by MATI BATS

We promised the boys that if we finished a job early, we would take the following day off and head out for pelagic action off Moreton Island. And what do you know, the job finished early. We planned for a halfday trip early in the morning, trolling the shallows of Cape Moreton. We met at the Port of Brisbane at 3am to have lures in the water at first light. With the forecast showing five to 10 knot southeasterly wind and seas

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below 0.8m, we knew our Grady-White boat would have us out there in no time. Arriving at our first spot at 4.15am, the sun was just beginning to break the horizon. Within minutes we had lined the boat up and began releasing three hardbody lures into the water to troll the edges of the reef. Within five minutes of trolling we had our first hook-up on a Rapala Red Head deep-diver. Judging by the fight, we knew it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a wahoo, and the fish to break the surface and begin putting on a show was in fact an astonishing mahi mahi that was happily boated. After landing it, we threw the lures back out, and as the third lure was being set, the first two rods started screaming off in a double hook-up. Keep in mind, this all happened within 15 minutes of arriving on the spot. This time the reels were singing and we were screaming wahoo! Both wahoo were boated and kept for a feed. This action continued in following troll runs and the wahoo were thicker than ever, with lures not

lasting even two minutes in the water before being smashed. The most exciting part was seeing a three-way hook-up on wahoo and all three fish being boated. By about 5am the boat traffic picked up to roughly 10 boats trolling the same area with hardbodies. We decided to change to hex-head lures and give them a crack at 13-14 knots because the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hoo had gone off the bite. We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get a touch for the first 45 minutes, but right on the tide change our left short lure was absolutely smashed and the Shimano Tiagra was screaming with joy. This time Peter ran to the rod and we realised the line was peeling off faster than ever. Out in the distance we could see Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fish surfacing, and it turned out he had hooked a little black marlin. Unfortunately, as the fish approached the boat, it took off on another run and spat the hooks. The fishing had slowed, so we headed into the shallows of Moreton to let the boys go for a dive. The boys are experienced divers, so we had high hopes of seeing quality fish come up. Dan was in the water for literally five minutes before he began

â&#x2DC;&#x203A; continued P21

Stel, Ciaran and Daniel with three wahoo from a triple hook-up.

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Page 20 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bush â&#x20AC;&#x2122;n Beach Fishing, December 2017

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Daniel stopped this wahoo during a double hook-up.

The author held a monster tailor that Daniel speared in 3m of water.

When everything lines up ☛ from P20

calling out to us. As we approached, the fish in his hand that at first appeared to be a mackerel turned out to be

a dinosaur tailor. No one on board had ever seen a tailor of this size. The boys continued diving and got a couple of

crays and tuskfish. We then decided to head back into Moreton Bay and flick for spotty mackerel around the beacons near Tangalooma.

The author hooked one of the larger wahoo on a Rapala Red Head hard-body.

We caught and released two spotty mackerel because we had enough fish for the table. Our crew arrived back at the Port of Brisbane around 11:30am, making it an early but productive day of fishing with the boys, with smiles all round. It just goes to show that it’s not about how long you spend out there, it’s all about being on the right spot at the right time. This was certainly a trip the boys and I will not be forgetting any time soon.

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A Bassday Sugapen lure rigged with Atomic Trick Bitz assist hooks captured this whiting.

This fantastic 42cm whiting was caught in very shallow water over a yabby bank.

Surface fishing for whiting H ERE we are again at the beginning of the summer holiday period.

A small Atomic popper fished in the Tweed River accounted for this whiting.

In this article I will chat about a fun and very productive technique: catching whiting on surface lures.

The good thing about surface fishing for whiting is anyone of any age can have a go and enjoy success. You don’t even need a boat as this technique works well when walking along the edges of rivers and creeks. The best places to try surface fishing for whiting are the very shallow sections of rivers that might hold bait such as yabbies and shallow sandy patches fringed with seagrass. The main thing you’re looking for is water less than 60cm deep, with my favourite depth being 3040cm. In water deeper than 60cm the whiting are less likely to rise off the bottom to take the surface lure. The weeks leading up to the new and full moons are best for surface fishing because whiting will breed multiple times all through summer around the moon periods, schooling up and becoming very aggressive. Whiting will bite all through the day on surface but will peak around the tide changes. They prefer to rise more on sunny rather

Bradh's Smited Guiding Fishs Tour

Gold Coast Guide by BRAD SMITH

than cloudy days and the surface of the water should be slightly broken by light breeze because the whiting become a bit fickle when the surface is glassy. The best surface lures are small poppers from 30-50mm in length and pencils and stickbaits up to 70mm long. My favourite lures are the small Atomic poppers as well as Atomic K9 stickbaits and Bassday Sugapens. I prefer the clear colours, of which there are quite of few to choose from and play around with in the ranges mentioned. There is a slight difference in technique to be used when fishing with poppers and stickbaits. Poppers seem to work best with a slow to medium retrieve punctuated by short, consistent bloops imparted by a short flick of the rod tip. Stickbaits seem to draw more results with a medium to fast retrieve and a consistent wobble of the rod tip created by moving

your wrist from left to right, almost like you have the shakes. This technique will see the lure snaking from left to right across the surface and it is sometimes known as walking the dog. The equipment used for surface fishing should be light and comprise no more than a 2-4kg spin rod matched to a small spinning reel loaded with 6lb braid and 6-8lb fluorocarbon leader. When the whiting start to rise from the bottom and attack the lure, you should maintain your composure and keep the lure coming to you until you get a solid hook-up because the whiting will abort and return to the bottom if you pause or stop your retrieve. I hope this article helps you get started with this fun and very visually rewarding technique. To all the readers and your families as well as the staff at Bush ‘n Beach, I wish you a very merry Christmas.

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Willow with a bass taken by fishing a soft plastic on the surface.

Isto Rama held a jack that took a bait intended for a bull shark.

Summer species shine on GC

HRISTMAS holidays are within reach, meaning it’s only a few sleeps until Santa brings us all some very nice combos and stockings full of lures and terminal tackle. We’ll need them to prepare for what looks like another good summer of offshore, estuary, freshwater and impoundment fishing. With the longer and

Nerang Rooster Report by DARREN RAMA

warmer days and holidays coming, more people will be on the water, which means more fish will be caught. Already we are seeing warmer water species popping up offshore, with dolphinfish, small black marlin and spotted mack-

The author was pleasantly surprised by a Gold Coast golden perch.

erel entertaining anglers. Inshore, mangrove jack, trevally and cod are being caught more regularly. Surface fishing for bass is starting to fire as the cicadas grow louder with the heat continuing to increase. With offshore water temperatures likely to be sitting at about 25C at the start of December, mixedbag trips will be common. If temps continue to rise, greater numbers of pelagic fish will come through such as spanish mackerel, dolphinfish, wahoo and spotty mackerel. Dolphinfish are taking skirted lures trolled behind the boat between six and 10 knots. The odd spanish is coming through and taking slimies and yakkas float lined with a short wire trace to avoid bite-offs. In our canal systems,

baitfish are in plague proportions, meaning the predatory fish are very healthy at the moment. As usual, most people are itching to catch mangrove jack. These fish are now being captured more frequently on most techniques. People fishing pontoons, rock walls and natural structure with a variety of lure techniques have had success, as have those fishing at night-time with live baits. When targeting these savage fish on lures, the most popular lure sizes are anywhere from 80120mm. As ambush predators they will eat bigger baits because it means a longerlasting meal, so don’t shy away from throwing bigger lures and live baits. It’s good to see a large number of smaller jacks being landed because this shows people are practising catch and release and letting these fish breed. ☛ continued P24

A decent dolphinfish caught just off the Gold Coast.

A nice tailor pulled from a bust-up in the middle of a river.

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Why the tide didn’t come in and other puzzling peculiarities pertaining to predictions

’day, Fred, we’ve been thinking about your phone calls to us over the years – the ones where you want to know why some of the tides you have experienced haven’t been exactly as the Tide Guide predicted they would be.

Like the time you went down to the bay to pump yabbies but found the tide was still over the sandbanks when the predictions said it should have been out. You had just spent an hour scraping the bottom out of your four-wheeldrive along a rough bush track to get there. Then you faced another hour getting back out again. Wasted trip, wasn’t it? You weren’t very happy with us, remember, Fred?

At times like that, any chance of our memory cells retaining anything we have been told would equate to Buckley’s. So we thought perhaps we should explain certain tidal peculiarities in writing, to try to help you understand why the tide sometimes doesn’t bother coming in, or going out, or is much higher than it should be, or appears to be going out when it should be coming in, or why it is that you can see it moving when it should have stopped. That way you can combine our predictions with your local knowledge at the time to reduce your chances of being caught out by the tide and improve your prospects of having a great weekend. As we say at the front of the Tide Guide’s ta-

Tidal Talk by PETER LAYTON

when we were able to describe the conditions you were experiencing and the basic geography of the place you were at so accurately that you thought we had been at the same place at the same time. Remember? No? Sometimes, Fred, we think your memory might not be serving you as well as it should. We know ours gets a little shaky from time to time, especially after we’ve had a hard time of it and have been whetting our outlook with a tinnie or two in the hope of improving our view on life generally.

Or the time when you went to launch the boat, but when you got to the ramp, the tide had not bothered to come in when we said it would. You had to wait ages before there was enough water at the end of the ramp to slide the boat into. You weren’t very happy about that one, either. In fact, there have been quite a few instances over the years when you have seen fit to call us and let us have it for messing up your weekend. And each time we have been able to provide a logical explanation for what had happened. There was even the time

bles, the data is based on known factors which can be predicted with reasonable accuracy, but the tides can also be affected by other factors that cannot be predicted – meteorological, oceanographic and hydrological influences. Those three factors can pretty well be summed up in one word, Fred: weather. No offence intended, Fred, but if we knew how to predict the weather accurately more than 12 months in advance, we wouldn’t be sitting here chatting to you. We would be employing some other people to do it for us and selling the information at outrageous prices to everybody around the world while we sat back on the silk cushions of our million-

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affected to some extent too. Fred, what that means is if you are navigating a notoriously shallow channel and you worked out that you need at least 1.5m of tide above the charted depth to pass over a sand or rock bar with a minimum of 20cm clearance, and if you have had a couple of days of high barometric pressure before you entered the channel, then you are about to run aground and will probably get your bum wet trying to haul off. How soon you will get off will probably depend on how hard you hit and how long you will have to wait for a higher high tide. Your temper, being hot, probably won’t be wet at all. But we can be sure that after you eventually do get off, you will call us and give us a verbal soaking for getting the prediction wrong. Really, Fred! You should know better than to run your safety margins so close. You should be aware that barometric variations alone can affect sea levels by up to 30cm (about 1cm for every millibar shown on the scale of your barometer) above or below the average. The accepted average atmospheric pressure at sea level from which you should make your calculations, Fred, is 1013 millibars. Predictions are based on the average. In conjunction with other factors, sea levels can be affected by more than half a metre either side of the average, but we’ll look at those another time. Meanwhile, give yourself a bit more clearance. The Tide Guide managing editor Peter Layton has responded with this article to the people who’ve rung him with complaints over the years.

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dollar yacht – the one which we would have made sure was anchored comfortably somewhere where the weather was absolutely spot-on. But if you know what the weather is doing just before or at the time you’re heading out, Fred, or even while you’re out there, you can make allowances for any effect it might have on the tide and sea conditions – provided you know what type of weather will have which effect. Probably the best way to explain these effects to you is to look at what has happened to you in the past and prompted you to ring us. Why was the tide much higher or lower than predicted? Thanks for asking one of the tougher questions first, Fred. The usual reason is simple: atmospheric pressure. If the pressure goes up, the water level goes down, and vice versa. The difficult part is being able to recognise sustained pressure one way or the other, or changes in pressure. Without a barometer, most of us can’t. So if you’re serious about your fishing and navigation, Fred, you’ll invest in a barometer and you’ll check it every hour or so when you’re on the water. Sharp rises or falls in barometric pressure won’t have a visible effect on the tides in the short term, but if you see a sharp rise or fall, you can be pretty sure of a change in the weather over the next hour or less – winds picking up or easing, or a storm brewing. A barometer that shows sustained high or low atmospheric pressure over several days will point to a marked effect on water levels – if the pressure is high, water levels will be low, and vice versa. Water levels, Fred, not the tide. But the range of the tide (the difference in heights at high and low) will be

We should apply this practice to numerous other fish. Trevally are continuing to provide entertainment on lighter gear during low-light periods, not shying away from attacking surface lures or plastics jigged past their faces. Using small walkers and little paddle tails on 6-10lb setups can be awesome fun when these fish start pushing over 50cm. The best thing about trevally attacking the bait is the action gets the attention of other fish such as tailor and bream, which allows us to score a mixed bag. Freshwater bass fishing in our local creeks and rivers is forever growing in popularity. There’s something about mimicking an

injured bug on the surface and watching a bass smash it that gives people the urge to do it all again. Cicada presentations and small jitterbug-like surface lures are working wonders when the sun is at its lowest point because these fish are active and feeding as they continue to push upriver until their next spawning. In Hinze Dam, saratoga are showing up more often and being caught on spinnerbaits worked higher in the water column. Like the creek bass, they are taking surface lures in the shaded bays around the larger tree bases in the water. Hopefully these holidays you can get out and take advantage of the variety on offer. Then let’s see what the new year brings! www.bnbfishing.com. au

Warm water provides pelagic playground

E’RE heading into December and those ‘ridiculous o’clock’ starts have already begun.

Everyone is waiting with ‘baited’ breath for the summer species to arrive. The reports of mackerel at Fraser Island and Hervey Bay for the past few months had me thinking we could be in for an early season, but with the water temperature hovering around 22C I’m thinking it’ll be around the start of December before we see some action, and that is only if the northerly wind hangs off. The water is pretty clean at the moment, even with the amount of rain we’ve had of late, so as long as the water rises steadily from late November through to Christmas, we will be in with a real shot. A steady 23C is the magic number for the water temperature whereby mackerel, wahoo and marlin will

Gold Coast by HEATH ZYGNERSKI

come in to play. Prior to that, we’ve traditionally had a run of cobia up to about 10kg that signals the mackerel aren’t too far away. The close reefs are all holding bait, with huge yakkas or cowanyoung being caught. Stocking up on a few is a good option for tow baits later in the season if the mackerel’s size drops off. We keep them in ziplock bags, with about five fish in each bag. If you layer the bags with cardboard in between them, you’ll keep freezer burn off the fish. While the water temperature remains relatively low, snapper and jew are still being caught, though numbers are steadily tapering as we enter what is

Andy with a good size late-season snapper.

traditionally the transition period. Tailor are also hanging around the beach gutters and out wide, making it hard for fishers chasing snapper. The tailor are in big schools and taking floated baits and soft plastics. Once you lose a few lures to tailor, it can quickly turn into an expensive day. You really need to be ready for anything. In the creeks and rivers, mangrove jack and another sportfish gaining notoriety, giant herring, are really starting to hit their straps. The two fish can go hand in hand because they prefer the same types of baits, lures and terrain. Early morning and afternoon as the sun is getting low are the best times, especially if fishing shallow areas. Just remember to take the bug spray because the midges can be ferocious around mangrove and rock wall areas. Table species such as bream and flathead are still being caught in reasonable numbers in the creeks. For those looking for something to do with the kids, any location near deeper water around pontoons will see the kids

entertained for hours. Mum and Dad may even catch a feed also. The local bars are still in a terrible state. Tweed River Bar is shallow and the back bank has about 4m of water on it at the top of the tide. With a bit of swell, that back bank breaks. Inside the walls is shallow as well. Currumbin Creek Bar is terrible and in fact, it is the worst I’ve seen it. There is no clear gutter and on the low tide it would be impassable for any medium size boat. If you have a small tinnie, you’d at least have a chance by getting out and hopefully dragging the boat across the sandbank. The VMR Currumbin

boat would have no chance of getting through the bar in its current condition. Even with the dredge in the creek, it’ll only go to the end of the wall providing the weather is good. That super dredge did a real number on the bar. Tallebudgera Creek Bar is also very shallow, despite just being dredged. The Seaway has a shallow bank building out front that needs to be watched in any swell. It’s going to be an interesting summer with all the bars in such bad shape. Take care with all the extra boat traffic and make sure you log on and off with your local VMR, just to be safe. ‘Til next month, smoking drags to you all.

Mitch held 98cm of solid giant herring.

Currumbin’s messy bar.

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The author with one of the many snapper caught lately.

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Well-known freshwater fisho Ray Kennedy held a quality bass from one of his local dams.

Best bets around Broadwater region

I everyone, another year is almost over and I hope you have had an enjoyable and successful year of fishing.

For a lot of fishos these days it’s more about having fun on the water with mates than making sure the Esky is full of fish, especially for the younger anglers. I actually like to do both – I love a good feed of whiting and snapper but am just as happy throwing lures at the local tailor, trevally and tarpon and releasing them. Here’s some options for whatever type of fishing you want to do this month. December is our busiest month on the water around the Gold Coast, with all the local fishers as well as lots of holidaying anglers hitting the water. School holidays are a great time to get the kids interested in being on the water and catching fish. I still enjoy taking my daughter fishing and seeing her smile when she catches a good fish, even though she’s all grown up now. Whether land based or in your boat, you’ve got plenty of places to try on the coast. Even menial activities such as pumping yabbies and pulling in crab pots can get the kids excited. Land-based fishing on the beaches north of the Grand Hotel boat ramp at Labrador all the way up to Paradise Point is worth trying. Yabbies can be pumped at most places along the foreshore on the bottom half of the tide and are great baits in this area. Other productive baits are worms and peeled prawns. Mornings and late afternoons into the evenings are the better fishing times, with bream, whiting and flathead the most common captures. If you have a boat, then

Broadwater Region by WAYNE ‘YOUNGY’ YOUNG

the options are endless, with both the Coomera and Pimpama rivers offering good daytime fishing, and the Nerang River if your kids want to experience fishing at night. One of the best bits of advice I was given when I first started fishing many years ago, especially when fishing a new area, was to fish near the channel markers just out of the channel. While fish will feed on the shallower sandbanks, they tend to spend most of their time feeding along the drop-offs of the sandbanks signalled by the channel markers. These tend to be the better-quality fish, as the bigger fish are more cautious and generally stick to deeper water. In the Coomera, the sandbank at the end of Paradise Point and the deeper water near the marina are worth trying. The sandbank opposite the boat ramp canal entrance at Paradise Point is a good spot to pump yabbies and it’s also a good

idea to fish the deeper water beside the sandbank. Further upstream is quite productive, with the sandbanks in front of Hope Harbour and

the deeper water towards Sanctuary Cove holding bigger whiting. In the Pimpama River, move around between the mouth and just upstream from the Stockyards. Only spend 20 to 30 minutes in each spot to find a school of fish feeding before moving on.

Yabbies and bloodworms can be dug here on the bottom of the tide. It is a good idea to drop a crab pot or two in both the Coomera and Pimpama rivers for a mud crab to top up your Esky. Out on the Broadwater, December can be very ☛ continued P27

Visitor from 1770 Wayne Boneham and a lure-caught tailor from under Sundale Bridge.

Casey scored a great-eating moses snapper as a pleasant surprise from the close Gold Coast reefs.

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Best bets around Broadwater region ☛ from P26

busy and make for difficult fishing, especially with young kids in the boat, so you’re better off sticking to the rivers. Drifting with small yabbies for bait behind Sea World near the main channel has produced winter whiting but just make sure you can identify between winter and sand whiting. Winter whiting have no legal minimum length, whereas sand whiting have a minimum size limit of 23cm. It is up to you to know the difference, as fisheries officers will not let you off with the excuse of “I didn’t know”. As well as their sometimes-blotchy colouring, winter whiting generally have a very distinct lateral line as well as a greater number of rays on their anal fin. Sand crabs are always a good option in the Broadwater. A couple of metres of water near ribbon weed beds would be a decent place to put your pots. After a great start to our night-time whiting fishing in the Nerang River, things have slowed a little. We’re still getting a good feed but having to work harder for them. Certainly, the run-out tide has been best in the past few weeks but the fish have been scattered from Isle of Capri down

to Sundale Bridge. The southern side of Sundale Bridge down to The Southport School has produced the most whiting, but they’ve been smaller than the upriver fish. A few tailor are still around the lights of the Sundale Bridge at night, and schools of queenfish and tailor have been attacking bait schools throughout the Broadwater. Just keep an eye out for diving birds attacking bait schools as the best sign of fish in the area. Casting small 15g slugs around the bait will get you the fish. If you want to avoid the crowds, maybe a trip to one of our local dams for some bass fishing would be a good option. Just check the fishing and boating regulations for the dam you want to visit. Live shrimp are the best baits in southeast Queensland dams and almost guarantee you fish. Trolling small deep-diving lures is a good option as well. We’ve still got no mackerel offshore but they can’t be too far away. Let’s hope we have a better season than last year. I have heard that commercial fishers are using a different method to net mackerel up north and this may have something to do with the lack of

numbers around the Gold Coast for the past couple of years, though I hope I am wrong. While we do get a few mackerel over Christmas, it is usually the end of January before they are here in big numbers. During December it’s still worth bottom fishing offshore, with good fish recently caught on pil-

lies, squid and flesh baits on the 24 and 36-fathom reefs. I’d just like to remind everyone to be patient over the holidays. It will be very busy, especially at boat ramps, and it’s no good ruining your day before it gets started. ‘Til next month, fish for the future.

Young Rebecca loves her night-time trips to the Nerang River fishing for whiting.

Fisheries QLD harvest strategy policy

ISHERIES Queensland recently released the Queensland Harvest Strategy Policy and associated guidelines. Development of harvest strategies for all major Queensland fisheries is a commitment under the $20 million Sustainable Fisheries Strategy. Fisheries Queensland will be working with stakeholders to develop harvest strategies for Queensland’s fisheries, with a priority on trawl, crab and east coast inshore fisheries initially. The policy and guidelines set out the key policy objectives, processes for developing harvest strategies and what they need to cover. The policy and guidelines have been reviewed and endorsed by the Sustainable Fisheries Expert Panel. Fishery working groups will be meeting before the end of the year to start work on their harvest strategies. Fishery working groups will play a vital role in identifying objectives, timeframes, indicators, reference points and decision rules that form the basis of a fishery’s harvest strategy.

The Sustainable Fisheries Expert Panel will also peer review draft harvest strategies. Fisheries Queensland executive director Claire Andersen said harvest strategies would set out pre-determined management actions depending on the performance of the fishery and would provide a transparent and repeatable decision-making framework for fisheries management. “Harvest strategies will give all stakeholders certainty about what management actions will be taken depending on what the data tells us about the state of the fish stock,” Ms Andersen said. “This will help deliver more responsive decision-making based on scientific evidence, and avoid having to take more drastic management action when the stock is in a more seriously depleted state.” The adoption of harvest strategies for all Queensland’s fisheries is consistent with contemporary best practice fisheries management principles and helps address a number of comments from stakeholders, particularly: • A desire for greater certainty and predict-

ability around fisheries decision-making; • The importance of setting sustainable catch limits for each fish stock; • A focus on evidencebased decisions; • A more proactive approach to management where emerging issues are addressed before drastic action is required; and • A desire for greater clarity in regard to the future aspirations and management objectives for Queensland’s fisheries. Harvest strategies will cover all sectors – commercial, recreational and indigenous – and will set out the existing allocation between sectors. “Decision rules in harvest strategies may include things such as increasing or decreasing commercial quota, bag limits or changing seasonal closures if trigger points are reached,” Ms Andersen said. Ms Andersen said once a draft harvest strategy has been developed it will be released for public comment for at least 28 days and then finalised, taking into account feedback. For more information, visit fisheries.qld.gov. au or call 13 25 23.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 27

A fishing trip with a girl and a dog.

Keira and a whiting.

Plenty on the bite at Brunswick Heads Due to the weather, Hugh didn’t get out to sea many times during this holiday but he got a small bag of reefies when he did.

ID I mention last month that it’s a hard time to fish offshore? In on the close reefs things are quiet, as is to be expected I guess, but it seems quieter than usual. A few squire is about the best you can hope for lately. This should begin to change partway through this month, with the warmer water pushing in and bringing reef fish on the bite. Squire, moses perch and maori cod will become a bit more prevalent on the

Tweed to Byron Bay by GAVIN DOBSON

reefs north of the Brunswick Heads Bar. A few spotted mackerel might even turn up this month if conditions are right. I would say cobia too, but you know, it’s the same story for the past five years – they seem to have gone the way of the dodo. Early December is a good time to be bait gathering for the upcoming mackerel season. Bonito should be starting to get around the inshore reefs and headlands and they’re always worth a troll or spin on your way to and from your reef fishing trips. Pike have been in good numbers lately and it pays to have a decent supply of these in your freezer. On the wider grounds, the current has made it very difficult to fish the bottom but as frustrating as it is, it is this current that gives us our pelagic season. Later this month a few jellybean yellowfin tuna might show up on Windarra Banks and Nine Mile Reef. Some years small wahoo also arrive just before Christmas. Dolphinfish can handle water a bit cooler, so will be hanging around the

FADs for sure. It’s just their size that might be questionable, as sometimes you just can’t get past the 50cm rats. The good news is that while it may still be a bit transitional offshore during December, there will be more options than there has been for the past month or two. The other good news is the rivers are fishing well. Jacks are on the fang in the Tweed and Brunswick rivers. Mud crabs will improve as we get towards Christmas, and with seafood expensive and hard to come by at this time of year it makes sense to catch your own. Hugh’s had another stint on the Brunswick River and I’ve been lucky enough to get up the river with him a couple of times. On the first trip we pumped yabbies and caught a few whiting, a bream and a flathead. The previous day, Hugh had landed a couple of big trevally on yabbies and I said I wanted to catch one. Well, late in the trip I got my chance when one grabbed my yabby and swam to the boat to give me a look before taking a run. I took my time and eased the fish back to the boat but just when I thought I had it beat, it made an-

other big lunge and the 6lb line gave way. I had only one person to blame! Back as a kid I never liked school much, so when my daughter Keira was feeling in need of a little break recently, she had the day off and a bit of fishing and swimming in the Brunswick River was just the ticket. “Never let school get in the way of an education” was a saying of my dad’s that I thought about as we spent some time watching the eagles, stingrays and other animals. And as they say, catching fish is a bonus. At one stage we had a bit of a close-up with some stingrays. I was standing in shindeep water when a couple of inquisitive stingrays swam up to me. I wriggled my toes and they came over for a look and brushed gently against me. Calling out to Keira who was a few metres away, I said “stingrays” but somehow she thought I was talking about bream. As she got really close, our dog decided something fun must be going on and came running and accidentally jumped on one of the stingrays. The stingray took fright and swam head first into Keira, who then stood up, and when we both realised she wasn’t bleeding or injured we laughed at the situation (but Mum didn’t when we told her). If you’re into a bit of

sportfishing, trevally are definitely the fish of the moment in the Brunswick and Tweed rivers. A stack are around and good size ones as well. And while I like eating the smaller ones, their claim to fame is really as a sporting option. Popping for big reef GTs in the tropical north is all the rage but if this doesn’t fit your budget then just downscale. Using 4lb braid and a handful of small poppers, you can have all sorts of fun in the Tweed and Brunswick rivers at the moment. Sure, we all want huge fish in our pics but in the fair-dinkum department we’re not all fishing show hosts. These small river trevally have exactly the same attitude as their bigger relatives on the Great Barrier Reef, so by adjusting your attitude you can have just as much fun. Maybe even more, because you’ll still be able to butter your toast the next day from not throwing huge poppers for hours on end. So December has a few options for fishos. It’s always good to get in and wet a line before the silly season begins. If you can’t and the holidays present your only chance of wetting a line, then don’t fret because the fishing usually improves another notch in late December and early January, but more on that next edition.

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Chris fished with Hugh and caught a good bag of whiting to 42cm in the Brunswick River.

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River running brown but bass abound

T’S that time of year when the big fat man in the red suit likes to make us think of trinkets under the tree and dreams that sometimes come true.

In my case it will once again be socks and jocks but you never know, I might get something that resembles fishing gear (not holding my breath). Christmas means great food, family reunions, four weeks of holidays for some and a mini-holiday for others and then back to work to keep the country going. Be it small or big holidays, make the most of it and get out on the water and enjoy yourself. Eat and drink as much Christmas cheer as you can but don’t overdo it (and don’t drink and drive). So from me and my family, merry Christmas to you all. And to the girls and boys at Bush ‘n Beach, once again you guys rock. Enjoy your little break before you have to once again put your noses to the grindstone. Thanks Ben and Dan for all the prompts to motivate me to get my articles in on time. I have been a bit slack of late but I think I’ll keep you on your toes again next year. Over the years I have written about the state of the Richmond River and once again I’m going to have a bit of a whinge. We have had a good drop of rain over the past month and the Richmond River

Evans Head by GARY ‘SQUIDGIE’ PALMER

looks like mud. How the hell fish can survive in these conditions is beyond me. The river just runs brown and the higher you get, the worse it is. We need some sort of small committee in every shire the rivers run through to work out a plan of action. I have been to so many meetings over the past 10 or so years and plans are made but nothing is ever done to fix the problem. I’ve written previously that governments should buy back areas around Woodburn and Broadwater. This would be a start but once again I won’t hold my breath. Fishing wise, bass are playing the game even though the water is running brown around Coraki and Casino. This area is not a bad place to start chasing a few, and from all accounts the bass are big and hungry. All manner of bugs are out early in the day, so surface lures are the go and any bug imitation will do. Any walk the dog lure will work too, such as the Lucky Craft Sammy, Megabass Dog-X Jr and Bassday Sugapen. I would try anything that works the top of the water and then as the day wears on I would use

Bassman Spinnerbaits. In dirty water, make sure your blades are gold, and use silver in clean water. The bass will be right up against the banks, so cast as close as you can. If you are not getting snagged, you’re not close enough. Bass and estuary perch are biting whether you use imitations or bait. For bait, locally caught shrimp, grasshoppers and worms are the go. Funnily enough, even bream and flathead are being caught up around Lismore, so don’t be too surprised if you pick up one of these saltwater species. I once caught a monster flathead in a cane drain just up from Bunnings at Lismore after a major flood and a good size bream near the Lismore police station. This same spot was where Adrian Melchior put me onto my first bass on a Bassman Spinnerbait. Over at Evans Head, the fishing in the Evans River is once again OK, with bream, flathead and whiting biting and worms, prawns, yabbies and cut baits working well. You just have to remember that as we move into the holidays you won’t get the river to yourself, so if you don’t like crowds, early mornings and late nights will present your

best chance to fish alone. Get up close to the bridge pylons for big bream and flathead using yabbies, whitebait and prawns for bait, though if herring are around, don’t go past them because they are great live bait for flathead. The only problem is bream will attack the herring and just bite their heads off, which buggers your live bait quick smart. The top of the Evans River fishes well in summer, with whiting and big flathead on offer. If you fish the deeper holes, you will get onto a few EPs and bass. I love catching and releasing EPs. There’s not heaps of them around, so if you catch them, please let them go to fight another day. On the beaches, tailor, bream, flathead and jewfish will be biting, and as it gets a bit warmer shovelnose rays will also

be caught more frequently. If you don’t want a feed of them, just let them go because they are part of the ecosystem and quite frankly are not too bad to eat. If you do keep a shovelnose ray for a feed, just make sure you don’t cut any of the gut cavity because it will make the meat smell really bad. Over the summer holidays, the headlands normally fish very well for bream, tailor, jewfish and big whiting. You may also run into a few sharks, which are usually small whalers and bloody nice to eat. You’ve just got to stay away from the pointy end because they can turn themselves near inside out to bite you. I have had a few very close calls and broken a couple of rods trying to land some big models.

A Megabass Dog-X popper engulfed by a flathead while topwater whiting fishing.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 29

River running brown but bass abound ☛ from P29

The whiting around Red Head are normally big and will take worms and soldier crabs. I’ve also caught a few on pipis but the issue is it’s illegal to take pipis from beaches. Chinamans Beach has no pipis, or very few at least, which makes it a bit hard to use pipis there. It’s a bloody stupid

rule anyway. People make rules in big cities and we cop the brunt in small towns. There is nothing like a feed of pipis. For holiday-makers, few things are better than a small town situated right up close to a beach and river. Evans Head is one hell of a lovely township, with all the modcons, a caravan park and plenty of holiday

This trevally was landed while whiting fishing.

rentals available. We also have an RSL that provides tasty meals, cold refreshing drinks and units for rent. We’ve got pristine beaches and while the river is small, it fishes very well. Evans Head is a holiday destination, with many out of towners making it their Christmas destination. Even though it is only a small town, the population grows massively over the holidays to around 12,000 people. The population growth tells you how great this little spot is. I’ve had my say for this month. Remember: limit your kill, don’t kill your limit. Tight lines and smelly fingers.

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Inconsistent weather makes offshore a gamble ■ Reef fish ■ Pelagics ■ Whiting ■ Flathead

ELLO and welcome to this month’s edition of BNB. Well it seems another year has come and gone extremely quickly. It is not long now until the sounds and smells of Christmas are upon us, and a new year is just around the corner. To me, Christmas means warm weather, northerly wind and summer species such as whiting, flathead, mangrove jack, mahi mahi and mackerel… so bring it on! The weather around the Northern Rivers has been very erratic over the past month. It seemed as though we were going to have a really hot and dry summer, given the previous few months, but recent weeks have changed that presumption considerably due to heavy rain and a number of very severe thunderstorms. The Richmond River has become slightly discoloured from these recent downpours, particularly on the run-out tide, but the larger incoming tides are bringing plenty of clearer water back in, so all we need now is more consistent weather patterns with calmer days and the fishing should take off. These inconsistent weather patterns have probably been playing havoc with the offshore fishing more than anything else.

Ballina Bait & Tackle by BRETT HYDE

The wind, swell and bar conditions have made getting offshore nothing short of impossible. We have had a few days when we have been able to get out there, and these days have produced mahi mahi, with really goodquality fish taking trolled skirted lures as well as live baits. A lot of the smaller fish are showing more interest in blue pilchards and small surface lures. As usual, most of the fish are hanging around the FAD, though a number of the larger models have been taken on current lines wide of the 32-fathom line. Reasonable numbers of snapper, flathead and tuskfish have been brought in from the 32-fathom line. The current and water temperature have both varied considerably of late, so be prepared for just about anything when you get out there next. A mix of baits including live yakkas, mullet and pilchards has worked, along with pirate jigs, bright soft plastics and slow-pitch jigs. Out wider on the 48s, the current has really started to run, which has made fishing these grounds very difficult for

those who want to target the bottom. Pearl perch, kingfish and amberjack have all been boated. Live baits and heavy jigs have worked but you will have to concentrate your efforts around the pinnacles because baitfish seem to be holding close to structure due to the increase in current. This extra current has brought warmer water with it, especially around the 42s and 48s. So now is the time to dust off those larger skirted lures and start dragging them around if you are keen to chase marlin. Spend some time getting mackerel rigs ready too, because by the time this edition hits the stands we won’t be too far from seeing these toothy speedsters either. Back in the river, we have noticed a steady increase in the numbers of summer species being captured. Mud crabs are very inconsistent, with the occasional larger model caught, but the bulk of the numbers have been barely legal. With better tides still to come throughout summer, I expect to see an improvement in the quality and quantity of crabs

over coming months. Whiting haven’t got into full swing yet either. Reasonable numbers are in the lower reaches of the Richmond and in North Creek, but they’re a little on the small side at the moment. As usual, worms and yabbies have been the pick of the baits and a few fish have taken surface poppers and walkers during the run-in tide. Much like the mud crabs, we should see an improvement in their size and numbers over the next month with better tides and warmer water. Luckily, flathead have been fairly accommodating, with good numbers of smaller fish taking white and blue pilchards, mullet fillets and prawns, as well as hard-body lures and soft plastics. As usual, run-out tides have presented the best time to target them. The warmer weather has started to fire up mangrove jack along the walls. There seems to be better numbers up the river, so if you are keen to target these red bulldozers, then I would check out the rock walls between the Burns Point Ferry and Wardell Bridge during the run-out tide with either live baits or 4”-5” lures. Over the past couple of years, plenty of fish have ☛ continued P31

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Clarence Coast fishing on the improve

ISHING along the Clarence Coast of northern NSW has improved slightly during the past month, however it still has a long way to go to get back to the level that both locals and visitors expect of the area. Tailor continue to be extremely hard to find in either size or quantity, however a handful of small choppers have been taken from the Yamba side of the Clarence River, with Yamba angler Gary Buckley landing a feed of small fish around the 800g mark from the Quarry on lures. The odd chopper has also been taken from the southern end of the Bluff at Iluka on chrome metal

Just Jew by TYE PORTER

slices, but as at Yamba, their size is sadly lacking. December traditionally sees good numbers of fish averaging 2kg come on the chew along Main Beach, however I would not hold my breath considering how poor the fishing was through winter. Whiting have been slow to move into the Clarence River in any great numbers, which is probably due to the unusually cold weather we experienced during the first half of November.

I will be spending quite a few nights this month fishing for these tasty little critters along the southern bank of Goodwood Island with live nippers and beach worms because I find a much better class of whiting is to be had once the sun goes down and the small pickers head for cover. Bream and flathead have been the two species keeping most anglers in a feed of fresh fish, and in the bream stakes Iluka angler Les Strod has led the

Inconsistent weather makes offshore a gamble ☛ from P30

been caught on a number of different colours in the Lucky Craft Pointer and Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ ranges. Rig the Z-Mans on 3/8oz or 1/2oz jig heads for the best chance of success. We were having a great start to summer on the bass fishing front until the past couple of weeks with the heavy patches of rain and thunderstorms. From this rain, the

river has risen and coloured up from Woodburn to Lismore. This has also meant the water temperature has dropped a little, which has slowed the bass. Dark spinnerbaits and other reaction-type lures such as beetle spin-rigged soft plastics and chatterbaits will also be worth trying over coming weeks until the water gets a chance to clean a little. We may get the chance to throw a few

surface lures around just in time for the cicadas to start. Before I go, I would like to wish each and every one of you a safe and merry Christmas, and to thank all of you, the readers, for the support you give this wonderful magazine throughout the year. I look forward to seeing you again in the new year. That’s all from me for this month. ‘Til next time… tight lines!

field with cracking fish to 1.6kg captured on green prawns in Iluka Bay. Other anglers have managed to scrape up a feed by floating white pillies around the wash at the Bluff and Frasers Reef or using live beach worms on dusk along Back Beach and Shark Bay. Pan-sized flathead are being hooked throughout the lower reaches of the Clarence River on a variety of baits including soft plastic lures, white pillies and the humble green prawn. This month will see good numbers of flathead in the shallow gutters along the beaches at low tide. Your best bet for scoring these fish is flicking soft plastics, small lures such as metal vibes and 4cm Rapala X-Raps or floating lightly weighted white or blue pillies. Jewfish of any decent size have been just as scarce as tailor but we can only hope Santa brings a sleigh-full of fish this month and good fishing will be had by all. Inside the Clarence River, live baits such as herring and mullet should account for the odd schoolie or two, while along the breakwalls you really can’t go past using fresh squid at night during the change of tide, be it low or high water. If you want to have a go at catching a jew from the headlands on lures, I recommend you jump onto Dave Killalea’s Old Dog Lures website (olddo

glures.com) and either order online or track down your nearest Old Dog retailer. I have been using Dave’s lures for nearly 30 years and highly recommend them. By the time this issue hits the stands, the mackerel season should be in full swing, with the waters off Woody Head one of the first areas to see these speedy critters turn up in any great numbers. Longtail tuna have been weighed in every week over the past month, with all fish coming from offshore north of the Clarence River, which is a very rare event because they are normally only taken between March and July, so the ocean currents must be doing crazy things. Snapper have dominated offshore catches recently, with Rolf Karstens of Iluka leading the way with beautiful fish to 9kg from the northern grounds at Black Rocks, while the southern grounds off Minnie Water are also fishing well. Naturally enough, bass continue to be taken throughout the freshwater tributaries and this will continue through summer. All in all, if the fishing continues to improve anglers may well end up having a merry old Christmas after all. We can only hope so. Stay safe over the holiday period and I will catch up with you next year. Safe fishin’.

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Young Grafton angler Ryan Hyatt caught this small flounder on a green prawn in the shallow waters along Goodwood Island.

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Having a merry time on Lake Macquarie

AKE Macquarie has produced scores of greeneyed squid in the past month as well as numerous cracking flathead.

Paul Grundy with a solid 87cm flathead.

Skippy with a quality 1.5kg green-eyed squid.

Moon Island just outside the lake has held large green-eyed squid that are so much fun to catch and very yummy on a barbecue plate. I’m so stoked they have turned up in huge numbers so everyone has the chance to score a few. Real monsters are being caught averaging 1.5kg but plenty of bigger models are out there. It seems every time I go out, five or more boats are chasing the same feed as me and we’re all enjoying success. The weed beds and sand bars across from the airport have seen anglers picking up great numbers of arrow squid just on dark. These translate to perfect live baits for jewfish around the drop-off and the Toronto and Belmont barges. My mates headed out to the barges and scored well, with multiple jewfish from 80cm to a metre landed on arrow squid. Most catches have occurred from late at night to very early in the morning. You need to get in early because word gets around very quickly and as soon as people find out jewfish are on the chew, you will

3WAYSFISHIN – Newcastle by NATHAN ‘NATH’ PALMER

find it hard to fish both spots. Other spots in the lake hold big jew and if you’ve got the Navionics app you can find almost any location worth trying. It’s a very detailed resource and at only $26 a year is good value in my books. Arrow squid are showing up in good numbers around the lake and most jetties with lights are fantastic spots to target them. Belmont jetty and Green Point are ideal but get in early because the crowds won’t be far away when the squid are on the bite. When they’re on it’s always shoulder to shoulder fishing. Another spot to target flathead, bream and jew is the section of water just off Green Point. I usually drift here using 70mm soft vibes and larger plastics for great results. I’m a huge fan of plastics and paddle tails and almost every colour in the Squidgies range is a top lure. The 100mm size is perfect for fishing this spot and slow and easy lifts do the trick to land a few.

Whiting are showing up in huge schools in shallow water around almost every sand bar you can find. Drifting over deeper holes on a run-in tide has been very productive. Using hardly any weight and a prawn hooked through the tail is a great way to fish for these tasty treats. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to target these fish. If fishing later at night, I’ll anchor and berley up, use no weight at all on my lines and sit back and enjoy the fun. The shallows around Cams Point, Murrays Beach and Galgabba Point are holding big bream. You’re only fishing in about 40cm of water, so don’t bring your big boat because this is small tinnie country and running aground is the norm. The best way to target bream in these shallows is to use berley to bring them in. Once they get a whiff of your trail they will hang around in big numbers. I use no weight at all, just a GT knot from braid to mono.

Luke Wheatley held a ripper 40cm whiting.

About 8lb braid and 10lb mono is my preference but you can go lighter if you want because the bream won’t find any snags and it’s heaps of fun. Heading out of the lake towards the breakwalls, anglers have scored great catches of whiting, bream and cracker flathead. All the sand bars out of the strong current hold good size fish and just drifting along working your lures or unweighted baits should put a bend in your rod. In the past couple of weeks, the southeasterly and then northeasterly winds have made it hard to fish here in the open water but it looks like we will start seeing really good fishing weather over the next month.

NSW DPI Fisheries has posted on its Facebook page some information about catching, tagging and releasing flathead in Lake Macquarie, so if you want to take a look at what’s going on in the lake I suggest you check it out. If you’re keen to take part in the catch, tag and release program, visit the NSW DPI Fisheries page and you’ll find all the info. Other places including St Georges Basin and Tuross Lake are also part of the catch and release program. Until next time, stay safe on the water. Always tell a family member where you are fishing and remember to check all your safety gear before heading out.

Paul picked up a cracking 95cm jew.

The author with a flathead from the shallows.

Reducing threats to the NSW marine estate

HE NSW Marine Estate Management Authority independent chair Dr Wendy Craik AM recently called for feedback on the draft Marine Estate Management Strategy, which outlines eight initiatives to address the major threats to the state’s oceans, wetlands, coastline and coastal lakes and lagoons – the ‘marine estate’.

“The NSW Government is committed to the long-term future of our coastal waterways, estuaries and oceans by balancing economic growth, use and conservation of the marine estate,” Dr Craik said. According to Dr Craik, the draft strategy Page 32 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

is a first for NSW. It will help to achieve holistic, co-ordinated and evidence-based management to ensure NSW’s coastal and marine environments can be enjoyed in a sustainable way. “In developing the draft strategy, the authority has consulted extensively to understand the NSW community’s views on the importance of the marine estate, any perceived threats to its future and opportunities to improve how it is managed,” Dr Craik said. The draft strategy outlines initiatives to: • Improve water quality and reduce litter; • Achieve sustainable coastal use and development for healthy habitats;

• Assist planning for a changing climate; • Reduce impacts on wildlife; • Protect the cultural values of the marine estate; • Ensure sustainable fishing and aquaculture; • Enable safe and sustainable boating; and • Improve governance and enhance social and economic benefits. The draft strategy also includes proposed management initiatives for the Hawkesbury Shelf marine bioregion (termed the ‘central region’). A separate consultation process will take place for spatial management in the Hawkesbury Shelf bioregion, as any proposal for spatial management must undergo extensive and rig-

orous consultation before making a decision. “We’d like to know what the community and key stakeholders think about the eight initiatives and proposed management actions included in the draft strategy so it delivers on their expectations and needs,” Dr Craik said. A series of regional workshops with peak marine estate stakeholders, local government, state agencies and Aboriginal communities are taking place between October 30 and December 8, 2017. The community and key stakeholders are encouraged to make a submission online by visiting the marine estate website marine.nsw. gov.au www.bnbfishing.com. au

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 33

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I, it’s Craig Tomkinson here.

After we got about 430mm of rain over nearly a week in October, the Noosa River had a flush of fresh and Lake Cootharaba rose about 50cm, which stirred up the crabs. My wife Donna and I have been crabbing continuously since then. We put the pots in on Monday and check them every day or second day and take them out Friday because the Boreen Point ramp is just too busy on the weekends and you cannot get a carpark near the ramp. We will crab right up until the school holidays start in December when the yachties think it’s their

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right to leave their trailer sailers parked at the boat ramp in the trailer parks all the time. If we do not get another big flood we should have good crabbing in the lake right through to winter. My mate Dave Anderson and I had been trying to plan a fishing trip since I came home from Cape York but we just hadn’t been able to make it happen. Then I was sitting at home one Friday around 2.30pm and checking out Seabreeze and the weather looked good, so I rang Dave and left a message, figuring he must be working. Dave runs his own lawncare business, and if you live in Cooroy or surrounding areas and need your lawn mowed with a catcher, trees trimmed or hedges pruned and carted away, Dave’s your man. Bigger blocks or small ones, he does them all. Give him a call on 0439 108 287. Dave called me as soon as he finished work and within the hour we were off in Dave’s 60 Series LandCruiser with my 5m tinnie in tow. We bought ice and fuel at the servo and headed down to the barge where I thought we’d find a big line-up, but bugger-all four-wheel-drives were waiting to board the ferry. We let the tyres down to 15psi and up the beach we went.

It was nearly the top of the tide, which is not the best for towing a boat to Double Island Point, but Dave just drove along steadily through the soft sand. His old 2H turbo motor was doing it easy. About halfway up in the soft dry sand we came across a near-new Jeep towing a camper trailer bogged to its guts. In front of that was a near-new 79 Series Cruiser bogged to the chassis and a 100 Series bogged in front of it. The looks on their faces were priceless as we came along and passed them towing the boat with the old girl as if the soft dry sand and boat were not even there. It just goes to show you do not need heaps of horsepower to get up the beach, but common sense does help, as does letting your tyres down. We reached the bay of DI just on dark and it was blowing a good 15 knots with a very nasty shore dump, which made it hard to launch the boat. And with the tide in so far we could not get around the lagoon to launch in calmer waters. The plan was to head offshore and fish the full moon right through the night and come in the next morning. But even the best-laid plans can go astray, and it was time for plan B, which was to cook a feed and

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chill out in the 4WD until the tide went out more so we could get around the lagoon. It was about 2.30am before the two big deep holes of water drained out enough to get through, so we launched the boat in a good gutter and out we went. In bright moonlight around 3.30am we anchored on the first mark. Right from the first drop, good size snapper, grass sweetlip and pearl and moses perch came over the side. Once unhooked, we brain spiked the fish, cut one gill with chicken scissors and then placed them into a 20-litre bucket of water to bleed out before popping them in the icebox. The fish bit well until daylight and then shut down, so we moved all morning, catching the odd decent tuskfish off every hang. Around midday we were sitting on a hang with a heap of berley comprising my tuna oil and chook pellet mix in the water when the fish just started chewing. With our running sinker rigs floating down whole squid and pillies, the fish

could not resist our baits. After an hour or so they went off the bite and if we were smart we would have headed for home and caught the low tide, but we could not help ourselves and stayed until dark before heading in. As it was full tide by now we were not going anywhere fast, so we loaded the boat on the trailer, strapped it down, put some dry clothes on, cooked a feed and waited around in the 4WD. At about 2.30am we drove down the beach to the off-ramp and had another sleep until the ferry started running before going home. We ended up with a couple of quality feeds of fish and it was a top trip, so thanks Dave. Dave and I might do a few more trips to DI to chase reef fish and mackerel in coming months. The beach was wide and flat but the lagoon or should I say many lagoons were all over the place, though the top corner was good for launching. ‘Til next month, stay safe on the water.

The author and Dave with some of the catch from DI.

A few lovely crabs about to be cooked. The author uses fresh water and adds salt to taste as well as popping in a tablespoon of sugar.

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Page 34 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

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Annual 1770 BNB Trophy fishing trip A RECENT Saturday saw Power Boat Anglers members at Agnes Water for the annual BNB Trophy fishing competition. Three boats had to pull the pin at the last minute, but 14 boats and crew was a pretty good number. Sunday was kick-off and all were keen to get off to an early start. Others obviously had the same idea because the ramp was pretty full, with several trailers parked up the street. Once outside, conditions were good and all anglers were looking for the elusive red emperor. Salty, Wreckless and SummerSalt headed to Sykes Reef first, which is at least a two-hour run. Most other boats settled around Fitzroy Reef, though Ocean Pearl and Karma Crusin went out wider, looking for deep-

Power Boat Anglers

by MICK CLUTTERBUCK

water action. The day turned out to be a bit of a slog, and while all boats caught fish, no real monsters were boated. Monday dawned with very similar conditions to Sunday. Not wanting to do extra miles, Salty headed for Boult Reef, which soon proved to be a good decision. On the fourth drift of the morning, Schomby was slammed but missed the hook-up, only to have Terry’s floater take off. They were expecting a big cobia to pop up after a good fight but instead a large red emperor appeared 15m behind the boat.

Terry Ong with 12.27kg of red emperor.

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At 12.2kg, the red had certainly made Terry’s trip from Perth look worthwhile. As they worked through their marks, the action didn’t stop, with Terry again getting smashed and landing a coral trout that came in at 5.7kg. Not to be outdone, Rob soon connected with something solid and after a short tussle it was clear from the colour it was another red coming to the boat. At 55cm, it was just on legal but he decided to release it for another day just the same. On the radio, tales of joy and woe were coming in thick and fast, with numerous stories of pulled hooks and getting sharked, though most were still managing a decent bag. Many were picking up solid parrotfish, redthroat emperor and the odd trout. Hussar seemed to be in plague proportions, but when they come in at 45cm, most anglers don’t have a problem with taking them. Out wide, the guys were catching plenty of maori cod and ‘yellow reds’ as Brendon likes to call spangled emperor. Jobfish, snapper and pearlies were also around but not in the numbers of previous years. Wreckless bagged a nice

red double for Helaine on the way back from Fitzroy, weighing in at 4kg and 8kg respectively to put a real smile on her face. The weather for the next few days was looking positive, so overnighters seemed a good option. While not everyone’s cup of tea, they save about 100 litres of fuel and the punishment of a trip in and out, so they make sense at times. Tuesday dawned with a bit more wind than forecast but once at the reef it calmed down nicely, just blowing a slight northerly. Again the fishing was slow, but with good conditions no one was complaining. Boats were all over the place as usual, and Salty tried for pearlies and snapper off the 100m line, landing three but having to fight current. On Tuesday night the lagoon was a bit less crowded than previous nights and Salty managed to bag the mooring buoy, making the night’s sleep much more relaxed. In the morning, the water was calm and most were gone by 5.30am. Show Pony went to Trout Alley, its usual haunt around Boult Reef, with other boats dotted around the vicinity. Yet again fishing was tough but enough came over the side to keep smiles on faces. Considering it was blowing from the northwest, getting anything was a plus. Thursday was another

overnighter and with the low tide now later in the morning, there was a bit of a staggered start. Short Fuse had come up on Wednesday night to spend the night in the creek and was out the earliest. Salty stayed inside the reef for the morning and headed out to the deep stuff looking for better fish after lunch. After sounding around, they started a drift on a show, with Terry hooking up big time in 110m of water. He called it for a red and it was the right colour but in the form of a 5.5kg rosy jobfish. The lads then thrashed the water to foam but couldn’t locate any of its mates. Brendon on Karma Crusin was trying to get an overnighter going down south and Neil and the boys in Tactic Blue went along for the run. He fished outside the islands for more maoris and yellow reds before heading for Lady Musgrave Island lagoon for the night. Wreckless and SummerSalt were north of Fitzroy and Salty headed in to try Nick’s spot. They landed good parrot and redthroat before racing to the vacant buoy in the lagoon and trying to procure it for the crew. After a good sleep, they woke to a beautiful sunrise and headed north, though most boats that stayed in the lagoon travelled south to work their way home.

☛ continued P36

Rob Schomberg lifted a cracking spangled emperor.

Rob held a couple of coral trout caught on the same drop.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 35

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Diving into December fishing fun

REALLY enjoy December on the Sunshine Coast, as the days get longer and make those early mornings and late afternoons and evenings very pleasant.

These are the best times to get out and wet a line, especially with this summer forecast to be the hottest yet. With the storm season already under way, the feisty mangrove jack are very active because a rise in barometric pressure turns on the fish. They say a drought on the land is a drought at sea. Well thanks to massive falls in October, schools of baitfish have congregated close to the coast. Among these schools have been good numbers of tuna and spotty mackerel, which is great for small craft anglers wanting to tangle with large fish. Close areas worth a try are Laguna Bay and Old Woman Island. Catches of spanish mackerel are now in full flight, with quality fish taken on our famous Spanish Specials. This lure works perfectly with a slow troll and is designed to catch bigger fish lurking deeper in the water column. If you find the fish sitting closer to the surface, the crew members at Davo’s tackle shops have joined forces with Halco and come up with the exclusive colour 1250. This colour is available in the Laser Pro 190 range in three different diving depths and has been specifically designed for the Sunshine Coast. Popular spots for big spaniards include North Reef, Double Island Point, Coolum Reef and Mooloolaba 8 Mile. If you love chasing reef fish, then Sunshine Reef is the pick, with everyone’s favourite the mighty coral trout on the chew. Good numbers of snapper and sweetlip have also been coming in. If fishing out of Mooloolaba, pearlies have been found on Wide Caloundra in the deeper water of about 90m. Closer in on the trawler wreck we have seen good size cobia coming over the gunwales, with drifted live baits producing the better fish. The Barwon Banks have delivered redthroat emperor, snapper and moses perch. The redthroats are being taken before sunrise, so you’ve got to be there early. In close off Mooloolaba, Murphys Reef and the Outer Gneerings have produced spotted mackerel, cod, snapper, sweetlip and the odd coral trout. When chasing coral trout, target other species first because this entices the trout to feed, and then send down your live bait. Mangrove jack are on the chew in the Noosa River and reacting well to soft vibes such as the Jackall Transam. A successful tactic is to bounce these lures on top of rock bars in the areas between Johns Landing and the mouth of Lake Cootharaba.

Sunshine Coast by WADE QUALISCHEFSKI

If you’re a trolling angler, try using the Lucky Craft Pointer upriver from Makepeace Island. From Woods Bay to the Frying Pan and across the river to Munna Point we have seen quality whiting caught on sandworms and live yabbies. Chasing whiting on surface lures is fantastic fun, with popular models including the Bassday Sugapen and Ecogear PX55F thrown over the sand flats on the run-out tide proving deadly. The trevally action starts from Woods Bay around the current line and over to Munna Bridge. These superb fighting fish can be taken on lures such as the Strada Viral and Jackson Risk Bait, with the honourable mention going to Entice Bungee Baits for the soft plastic fishers. This area is fishing well on the run-in tide and can also be fished with baits such as pipis, peeled prawns and whitebait. Flathead are biting well and favouring the runout along the sandbags to the river mouth and Lake Weyba. Lures such as the Lively Lures Mad Mullet 2.5” and bloodworm-coloured soft plastics will land you a trophy-sized fish. Drifting along the channel edges in this area with small pillies snooded on a couple of Mustad Penetrator hooks will also score you a feed. The Maroochy River has stepped up, with mangrove jack taken under the motorway bridge and upriver in the deeper holes and Coolum Creek. Live bait has been best around the bridge and can be easily caught with a standard bottom pocket cast net. Top-performing lures include trolled Zerek 69mm Tango Shads and slowrolled 4.5” Live Mullets. Flathead have also been loving the livies, with the mouths of Petrie and Eudlo creeks the perfect spots. The Bli Bli islands and mud banks heading downriver are perfect for soft plastic fishers. Squidgy Pro Range Prawns slowly rolled down the bank while staying in contact with the bottom have secured the bigger fish.

The great eating and easily caught whiting have certainly responded well to the river run-off, with larger fish heading downriver due to lower salinity levels. The channel edge adjacent to Picnic Point, the Black Banks and Chambers Island have been the hot spots. A good tip when chasing the bigger whiting is to use a Tru-Turn 063 hook in size 4 or 6 with a metrelong fluorocarbon trace with enough lead so the bait does not move. Combine this with live yabbies, soldier crabs or worms on the hook and you’ll be eating one of the sweetest fish in the sea. Mud crabs are on the march, with catches reported all over the rivers, so stagger your pots in different depths and ensure they are baited well with fresh mullet. The open beaches such as Teewah, Mudjimba and Peregian have all turned up good-sized whiting. The shallow water gutters on the last half of the run-

out are proven performers for anglers using worms. Dart and the occasional tailor have been caught in the deeper higher water gutters, with pipis best for the dart while tailor have been taking strip baits after dark outside the river mouths. Fishing the rocky headlands including Yaroomba, Point Arkwright and Double Island Point with flesh mullet on a TruTurn Strip Bait Rig has generated pan size squire and sweetlip. A friendly reminder with Christmas holidays approaching that our waterways will become very busy, so please remember to be patient at

boat ramps and help people in distress. It’s a great time now to check all your safety gear such as EPIRBs, flares and life jackets. Jump onto fishingnoosa. com.au for all the latest up-to-date information on what’s biting and bar crossing reports. Don’t forget to drop into Davo’s Tackle World in Noosa or Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola for good local advice and the best range of quality tackle on the Sunny Coast. In addition, Davo’s Boating and Outdoors at Noosa has a massive range of kayaks and boating accessories on offer.

Matt Kirby from Coolum was on a charter that fished the Barwon Banks and he landed this quality pearl perch. Photos: fishingnoosa.com.au

Sean Murry picked up this solid knobby on the reefs off Double Island Point.

Sam Davis from Melbourne was holidaying in Noosa and landed this very nice flathead.

Annual 1770 BNB Trophy fishing trip ☛ from P35

Rob didn’t put a fish in the boat on Thursday, and Terry worked hard for only three. Helaine and Paul sped past Rob and Terry on the way to the secret mark where Helaine got the reds earlier in the week, and by the time the Salty boys got there it was too late. Helaine and Paul landed a big trout, a solid red and a decent amberjack in one drift, and then it was all over red rover.

Most boats had already signed off for the week with VMR Round Hill, so with 65km to go, they thought they should do the same and hightailed in glorious conditions. Once back, they thanked Josie and Ruth for their coverage of the PBA fleet for the week, put the boats on the trailers and headed back for the big clean-up. In the wash-up, Terry Ong’s big red saw him take the red trophy and his trout pipped Paul Dawson’s by 100g.

Terry also took out the Bush ‘n Beach 1770 Trophy just ahead of Paul, with Dale McClurg in third. Paul took home the pelagic trophy and Craig Furman won the sweetlip trophy. The champion boat was Brendon’s Karma Crusin. All in all it was one of the best 1770 trips for a while in terms of weather, fish and club turnout, with everyone more than keen to go again next year.

Next meetings The last club meeting of the year will be held on Monday, December 4 before the club takes a break through January. The first meeting for 2018 will be held on Monday, February 5. Meetings are held on the first Monday of the month at the Bulimba Bowls Club located in Quinn St, Balmoral. Please feel free to come along and meet us. Merry Christmas, happy New Year and safe boating to all. www.bnbfishing.com. au

COMPETITION DATES Bryson landed his big PB longtail tuna. This fish was incredibly stubborn and sure made him sweat.

Tricks for fooling fussy fish W HEN I first sat down to write this article, I was about to say how tough the fishing had been since the downpour in late October when we received about 500mm of rain over three days.

The tuna were already a bit fussy, the marlin scarce and I was too scared to chase trevally because sharks were taking their toll. Anyhow, I fell asleep and then woke up to go to work thinking the fishing was going to be another tough grind. Luckily the weather was good and the tuna showed up in numbers. Some schools were fussy but others were playing OK. The mack tuna were good and speed was still the key to their undoing. The bait was mostly tiny

Fraser Guided Fishing by TRI TON

5cm anchovies. Buoyed by the early success, I went off to find my client his first marlin. This was to be a tougher ask. The water was still a bit turbid and plenty of boats were trying their luck alongside us too. We soon had a strike and after a brief wait, Marlene showed herself and leapt from the water. After a trying fight, the marlin was successfully tagged and released. A few more hours of trolling and we called it a day for the marlin. I was extremely happy because my last attempt raised one fish that buzzed the boat and didn’t even look at the spread before slinking off.

We even cast at one fish that half-heartedly sniffed a lure and then disappeared. My guess is the turbidity has made them a tad sluggish. Just before the massive rainfall, things were starting to look fairly promising. Even if I didn’t boat fish, I could see a few others in the fray. Reports from outside Hervey Bay suggest massive numbers of marlin are out there. These are areas I am not allowed to access due to my commercial restrictions. And in any case, it’s quite a journey. Getting back to the trip I was describing, after scor-

Enrico scored with a particularly fussy mack tuna.

Bryce and a cracking late-season snapper.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

ing that marlin we reverted to spinning for tuna. As the day wore on they had become fussy, so after a few bites I decided to try a nearby reef. I had not caught fish on this reef in ages but it used to be a great producer. It’s not a secret spot but it was a saviour during many tours. On approach I noticed a heap of bait and then a few slim arches of school mackerel. In anticipation of larger readings, we dropped our lures and my side scan and sonar soon showed that indeed a couple of bigger fish were holding below. My guess was golden trevally. One of the rods buckled and the school sprang to life, so I instructed the other two anglers to fish the bottom 5m of the water column. As the first hook-up started to pull string, one of the other rods came up tight. I prayed for a triple hook-up but it didn’t eventuate. After a stout battle the boys landed two solid trevally in the glassy still heat of the afternoon. I endeavoured to find another and was rewarded. While landing the trevally, another bloke boated a quality school mackerel and then they all disappeared, so it was back to the nearby tuna. I have a habit of side and down scanning with my sonar all the time these days because you never know what lurks beneath. Electronics can tell you if you have one or more sharks stalking your boat, or in this instance, a small number of trevally hanging around the mack tuna. These were a godsend because the tuna were fickle and spinning at full tilt in the heat was wrecking the guys. After a few drops, we boated another trevally and I was lucky enough to keep finding these fish with my StructureScan 3D. We hooked another trevally and this one was a big fish. ☛ continued P38

COMPETITION

DATE

LOCATION

2017 ABBT* Bass Grand Final

Nov 25-26 Cania Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183

ABBT* X-Factor Teams Series Championship

Dec 2-3

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

ABBT* Barra Round 1

Jan 13-15

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

Boondooma Yellowbelly Fishing Competition

Feb 10-11

Boondooma Dam – Terry Allwood 0400 860 122

ABBT* X-Factor Teams

Feb 17-18

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

ABBT* Bass Singles

Mar 10-11

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

ABBT* X-Factor Teams

Mar 24-25 Dam TBA – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183

Moura Muddy Water Classic Family Fishing Competition

Mar 31Apr 1

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

ABBT* Bass Singles

Apr 21-22

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

ABBT* Bass Singles

May 19-20 Borumba Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183

ABBT* X-Factor Teams

Jun 9-10

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

Tweed Coast Marine Greenback Fishing Comp

Jun 9-10

Cabarita Beach – Stephen Duffield 0421 052 135 W: lionsgreenback.com

ABBT* X-Factor Teams

Jul 28-29

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

ABBT* Bass Singles

Aug 18-19

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

Catch a Catty Family Fishing Comp

Aug 25-26 Mingo Crossing – John or Ruth Rokesky 07 4127 7252 or 0429 689 821

ABBT* Bass Singles

Sep 15-16

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

WTF Women That Fish Barra Classic

Sep 21-22

Rockhampton – Shara Vanhaeren 0429 923 243

ABBT* Bass Singles

Oct 13-14

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

ABBT* X-Factor Teams Grand Final

Oct 28-29

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

ABBT* Bass Grand Final

Nov 24-25 Cania Dam – Russell Nowland a/hrs 07 4165 4286 or 07 4167 8183

2018

*Australian Basstasstic Bass Tournament To have your competition listed in the calendar please phone (07) 3286 1833, email design@bnbfishing.com.au or fax (07) 3821 2637

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 37

Jacob Bahr with his first mack tuna.

Leeah Bahr held a lovely coral trout.

Leeah scored a great-sized mack tuna.

Maiden voyage off Bundaberg E

ARLY this year, my old man decided it was time to upgrade the boat.

Sandy Johnson captured a tasty grass emperor.

The author with a great late-season pinky snapper.

TURKEY BEACH 2 Bedroom Villa Holiday Rental • Outdoor BBQ and pergola For • Fish cleaning facilities enquiries • Large yard with room and for the boat bookings • Undercover carport phone • Close to boat ramp 07 4974 2153 • Linen available

After doing heaps of research on the perfect boat, late in October we finally picked up our brand-new 5.2m Sea Jay Vision centre console fitted with a 115hp Suzuki four-stroke and a number of very cool toys. The following weekend, we hit the river where we began the initial run-in of the motor while testing everything to see how the boat performed. After a great first trip cruising around Bundaberg’s port and Burnett Heads, it was time to put it to the real test offshore when the weather permitted. The forecast for the weekend straight after our test run was looking ideal for a trip out on the open ocean, so we prepared the boat for its maiden offshore voyage. After an early Saturday morning start, we arrived at the local boat ramp just as the sun was making its way above the horizon. It wasn’t long before the boat was in the water and we were cruising out the river mouth. The conditions were good, however the short distance between swells made things a little bumpy for the run to our first destination. Regardless, the boat handled it with ease. We were heading about six nautical miles offshore to our first mark when we

Bundaberg Offshore by JOEL JOHNSON

came across a tuna feeding frenzy that was hard to drive past. I always enjoy casting into schools of tuna when en route to a fishing location because they can be a great warm-up for the day to come and often set the mood with sportfishing fun. My girlfriend Leeah’s brother Jacob had come along for the trip, and having not done much offshore fishing he was thrilled when he was first to hook one of the feisty tuna. The fish had him battling all around the boat, taking blistering runs in multiple directions. Finally the sizeable mack tuna tired enough to be brought on board for a great photo and quick release, ticking a new species off Jacob’s list. With Jacob’s arms exhausted after his battle, Leeah persisted, casting into the school and hooking up just metres from the boat in quite spectacular fashion. Unfortunately, the hooks pulled during the fight but it didn’t take her long to hook up again in the bustup. The fish gave Leeah a cracking fight and she was thankful to see the fish beside the boat before a quick photo and release. By the time Leeah’s fish

was landed, the school had moved on, so we headed for the reef and arrived in no time. I’d had mixed results from this spot in the past, but figured it was a good option because we could continue to hop our way further to different locations if the weather permitted. We fished with baits and lures in multiple positions for over an hour for not much more than a stripey or two, so we upped anchor and skipped across a now beautifully calm ocean to our next destination. I had fished this area a number of times in previous years and knew all too well how much the tide could influence the fishing. Being a full moon that night, I doubted the fishing would be too great, but you have to take advantage of the weather when it comes good, especially when you’ve got a brand-new boat waiting to be used! With several decent bites straight away, I thought we might be in for a good session, but the more we fished, the quieter it got. In the following hours, we managed to land some table-sized reef fish but nothing spectacular. We moved on and using the sounder I found a

large school of bait with big fish holding around it, so finally thought we had found proper action. With spanish mackerel the prime suspect around these shows, I rigged my overhead rod with a garfish and drifted it out unweighted. After only minutes in the rod holder, it buckled over and began peeling line but just as I grabbed the rod, the hooks pulled. Thinking the fish might have just been doing a typical mackerel run towards the boat, I wound as fast as I could, but there was no tension whatsoever. Just as I slowed the retrieve at the boat, a solid spanish mackerel of 1012kg cruised behind my set of empty gang hooks, drawn in by the glistening metal and my fast retrieve. It swam under the boat in full sight, just to rub its freedom in. I was quick to deploy another garfish on the same rig, and it wasn’t long before I hooked up again. This fish was fighting strangely, so I was left guessing as to what it might be. When the fish finally came into view we realised it was a great pansized snapper. Quite a late-season catch but a welcome addition to the fairly light haul so far. We continued drifting a number of lines across the reef when Leeah hooked up. She had a battle on her hands as the fish tried to

run her into the reef, but with determination on her side she muscled the fish towards the surface. Just as it came into sight, Leeah said with excitement: “Wait, is that a coral trout?” Being right up there on her fishing bucket list, Leeah was yet to catch a trout and as the fish came over the side, she was ecstatic. Measuring just under 50cm, it was a beautiful capture and a much-needed morale boost due to our average luck so far. After lunch in absolutely perfect conditions, we decided to head for a couple of marks I was yet to try, but unfortunately they didn’t pay off, so we made our way to a slightly more well-known destination before heading home. This spot didn’t add anything worth bragging about to our bag either, so we began the journey back to the boat ramp. It was awesome to get on the water in the comfort of a new boat and it was simply unlucky the fishing wasn’t spectacular. In a thriving ecosystem such as a coral reef you wouldn’t expect the tide and moon to have such an effect on the fishing, but that’s exactly what happened on this day. All you can do on these occasions is suffer through the pain of millpond conditions and wonderful company and take the tide and moon into consideration when planning your next trip.

Tricks for fooling fussy fish > Hervey Bay > Fraser Island > Sandy Strait

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

www.fraserguidedfishing.com.au > 0427 230 261 Page 38 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

☛ from P37

We thought we had it covered but unfortunately it was bitten by a shark on its tail. It was an absolute donkey and I guessed it would have measured 115cm or more. I was devastated to lose such a good fish. We thought we didn’t have any sharks with us but with so many tuna and baitfish around, I should never assume we are entirely safe. We connected to another two trevally but both were lost to sharks, so we turned for home, spent and ready for the next day. The following day was

similar but without the marlin and more importantly, without the sharks. What a difference a day

can make to fishing fortunes. Things can swing in your favour or against you – it’s hard to guess at times.

Mick picked up a cracking golden trevally that smashed his PB, wrestling this monster in for a picture.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Big fresh brings on whiting, bream and flathead T HE record rainfall of 500mm received around the time of last month’s article going to print obviously shut down most fishing options for a period as all rivers and creeks were running at flood level. Many roads were cut and damaged as well. From experience, a good fresh flush such as this is needed periodically to keep our systems functioning at their best. While we are unable to fish for a while, as the salt makes its way back into the estuaries the fishing usually improves. We had big tides in a recent week and things are starting to clear up but storm rain as I write will again add a bit of fresh to the mix. As systems clear after a fresh, many of the bread and butter species such as whiting, flathead and bream become the mosttargeted species. Often it is around the river and creek mouths that these species can first be targeted as they begin to make their way back into the system on the bigger moon tides. All local rivers and creeks, including the Elliott, Burnett, Baffle and Kolan will be worthwhile targeting over the next month. Best areas to fish will be the banks and drop-offs close to the mouths.

Bundaberg Region by BRAD YOUNG

You can also venture upstream a little, keeping an eye on the water colour/ clarity to determine the influence of the salt. One strategy is to start at the mouth on an incoming tide and make several moves upstream as the tide rises. On bigger tides, the upper limit of the salt water where it meets the fresh can be very obvious, with a definitive change in the water colour. As I have suggested before, the best baits in our local area for bream, flathead and whiting are local live baits or at least very fresh dead baits. For whiting, top baits are freshly pumped yabbies and fresh prawns. Bream will favour yabbies, prawn and fresh mullet flesh baits. A berley of laying mash pellets may help to get the fish interested and keep them closer to the boat. A steady stream of pellets (a handful at a time) is all you’ll need. Flathead will also take yabby, prawn and mullet baits. Pilchards, either whole on a ganged rig or a half pillie on a 2/0 hook or similar, are another great option. When fishing for flat-

head, you can cover more ground by having your bait, especially a pillie or half pillie, hanging under a small float. Set the length of line under the float to ensure your bait hangs a little above the bottom so it will not snag. This will allow you to walk along a section of bank, covering a lot of ground. The new moon tides around the time this edition hits the stands will be an excellent time to target these species. My mate Spider had another good trip on the Burnett River recently, with quite a few fish boated including several whiting to elbow-slapper length, with the biggest measuring 40cm. These are very nice fish and will give you a good fight on the lighter gear used to catch them. Well done again, Spider! Another benefit of a fresh is mud crabs in our local estuaries should be stirred up a little. A big fresh will often see them flushed out to sea. As the salt levels increase in the rivers and creeks, like the fish they will make their way upstream again, feeding as they go.

You’d better get your pots ready! Ensure they are marked correctly and that you use a maximum of four per person. A local crabber was recently fined $6000 for having more than four pots (that were also not marked correctly) as well as quite a few undersized and female crabs. I believe the best bait for muddies is fresh fish frames, with mullet recognised by many as the top choice. I use old reef fish frames and bream, flathead and whiting frames if I have them as well. Some crabbers believe that during a full moon period the bigger nighttime tides are better and daytime tides are best during a new moon period. I have not seen a great deal of difference in my experience but I do like the larger tides when there is more run. Keep an eye on your pots though because some people believe they need your crabs and/or pots more than you. Offshore fishing opportunities have been there for those who’ve been able to take advantage of them. I missed a great opportunity to get offshore on November 4 and 5 as I was away from Bundaberg. I was staying at Cleveland south of Brisbane

and Lachy and I went for a walk to observe the many boats leaving from the Raby Bay boat ramp nearby. We didn’t drool too much and enjoyed seeing plenty of nice boats heading out for a fish. In Bundy, quite a few boats headed out that weekend. Mick and Sue snuck offshore for a quick trip to test their rig after some work on their outboard and enjoyed a good morning of fishing. They didn’t have to travel too far and were home by lunchtime with a good feed and restored confidence in their outboard. Christmas holidays represent a great opportunity to get your kids into fishing. Not many sports and

recreation activities can be undertaken from five years of age to 105, in all countries of the world and in most conditions. It could also be a great time to upgrade your own gear with some self-gifting! Enjoy the fishing over

the next month. As always, I can be contacted via the BNB website bnbfishing.com.au, by email at fishnboat@ bigpond.com or mail at PO Box 5812, Bundaberg Queensland 4670. Until next month...

The Burnett River produced this bag of good-sized whiting, with the biggest measuring 40cm.

A nice haul of mixed reef fish landed by Mick and Sue after a morning’s fishing off Bundaberg.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 39

Rocky Barra Bounty round-up ■ Jacks ■ Flathead ■ Salmon

HE Gracemere Hotel Rocky Barra Bounty was held at the end of October.

A standard size Fitzroy thready taken on a 90mm Maria hard-body.

With the recent heavy rain opening the barrage gates in Rockhampton and turning the water from the city to the cutthrough dirty, expectations were not high. Well the fish decided the rain wouldn’t put them off, with 484 barra and 197 threadfin salmon landed, as well as enough other species to keep most people busy.

Phil with the only barra for the author’s team during the Rocky Barra Bounty. It fell to a Zerek Live Shrimp fished around fallen timber.

This thready took a prawn-imitation soft plastic.

Gladstone Region by GARY CHURCHWARD

The overall size of fish was well above previous years. Fifteen barra over a metre were caught and the biggest went 133cm, while 40 threadfin salmon cracked the metre mark and the biggest measured 132cm. With the total fishing area consisting of the net-free zone from north of Corio Bay near Yeppoon south to the Narrows between Gladstone and Rockhampton, plenty of fishable water was on offer. Unfortunately, our boat didn’t see much in the way of barra with only a small fish coming in on the second day from Corio Bay. However, we found enough other species including threadfin salmon, estuary cod, flathead and a few others that weren’t in the comp to keep us happy. From all reports, barra came mostly from the Fitzroy River and Port Alma through to Coorooman Creek, with a few small fish landed around Corio Bay and Water Park Creek. Finding spots holding fish or that would see fish moving through and changing your lure offering in these spots was the best option for getting the fish to bite. This is the second year in a row that rain has affected the Barra Bounty, and with so many fish still caught, anticipation for next year’s event is already high. It shows what a few years of no netting and some half-decent breed-

ing cycles can do for a system. The countdown is on to Christmas and the end of another year and hopefully everyone has been able to get out and catch some memories. At the time of writing, the temperature was definitely on the way up and afternoon storms were common. If these conditions continue, mangrove jack will really fire, especially if you are on the water just before or straight after the storms. One of my favourite ways to catch jacks is by flicking soft plastics down rocky drop-offs that fall into deep water. The Boyne River is a prime location for this method because a lot of its banks are rock-lined and fall into deeper water. The Calliope River has a few of these areas as well, especially the section from Devils Elbow to Diamantina Island. Another of my favoured ways to catch jacks is to target fallen timber with hard-bodies and Prawnstars. While you can use Prawnstars to fish the deeper drop-offs too, they are perfect to fish deep in timber. They are relatively snag resistant and can be thrown right into the back of snags and worked back out. By removing one or both of the weights you can adjust the speed at which they sink, giving fish more time to see them sinking into the snag. When it comes to hard-

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For product information and to ﬁnd your nearest authorised dealer contact Graham HyDrive Engineering Pty Ltd – Queensland Unit 12, 73-75 Shore Street, Cleveland 4163 T: 07 3821 6580 E: qld@hydrive.com.au W: hydrive.com.au Page 40 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

bodies, a lure between 75mm and 100mm is the best size. A range of different diving depths will cover most situations you come across. Some of the hard-bodies I have had the most luck with are the Sebile Koolie Minnow, Maria 90DF, Tilsan Barra and Bass and Lucky Craft Pointer. Good spots to find enough fallen timber to fish for a day are Baffle Creek, Colosseum Inlet and Pancake and Middle creeks. Colour is always a personal choice, though people say red works well because it can get a reaction bite out of the territorial jacks. This may be true but I have caught them on everything from fluoro soft plastics to hard-bodies that are almost completely black. I think it’s just a matter of getting the lure as close as you can to them and casting enough to get them aggravated. Live baits present another good way to catch jacks. Some of the better live baits are mullet, large live prawns, legal size whiting and herring. Other good options are pillies and fresh cut baits such as mullet because the extra oil in these fish can get the attention of slowmoving jacks. Rod selection comes down to what you’re most comfortable using but I tend to stick to spinning gear when fishing soft plastics around rocky drop-offs and baitcasters for flicking lures tight into snags. I like a heavier rod of 6-8kg with a light tip but heavy middle to butt section. I mainly use 4000 size Shimano Stradic spinning reels and Shimano Curado or Abu Garcia Revo baitcasters, all filled with 20lb braid. Leader size will depend on what type of structure you are fishing. I tend to use 20-30lb leader around rocky areas and 40-60lb in thick timber. A decent cover-all is to run 30-40lb gear, which will handle most fish you encounter. I also have a heavier baitcaster setup handy comprising an 8-10kg rod, 30lb braid and 60lb leader for the odd occasion you come across a spot holding larger fish. Flathead are a good species to target at low tide in summer. The mouth of the Lillies, Wild Cattle Creek, the mouth of the Boyne River and any of the sandbank edges in Gladstone Harbour are worth a go. Soft plastics present the most common way to catch lizards, with 80100mm plastics working well. Z-Man makes a great

range of plastics with endless colours and profiles. Jig head sizes are chosen depending on water depth and current. You need to make sure the plastic is constantly hitting the bottom. When using hard-body lures, I tend to stick to the 65-85mm sizes. Again, selecting a lure that keeps in contact with the bottom will work best. Flathead are not fussy eaters and most lures will work. Some lures I prefer are the 65mm Lucky Craft Pointer, 78mm Sebile Koolie Minnow and Mann’s Stretch 5. A light 1-3kg rod with a 1000-2000 size reel filled with 6-10lb braid will handle most fish you come across in shallower water. Using a leader of 1220lb will help prevent the flathead rubbing you off if they get the lure right down their throat. Good-sized grunter are getting around and these fish put up a great fight. Most are falling to live herring and prawns as well as fresh cut bait fished around gravel banks and on the edges of rock bars. I rate grunter as one of the better table fish and don’t mind keeping one for a feed every now and then. Blue salmon have dropped in numbers but if you can find a school you will pick up a few quickly. If you’re patient, you can sit on the flats with a live bait or pillie and slowly get a feed as the salmon move around chasing bait. The Fitzroy River still has good numbers of threadies getting around its entire length, though their average size has dropped since the Barra Bounty. As recreational fishers, we need to be aware of what we take from the river because the legal possession limit of five threadies can be caught quickly. I would like to see a maximum size limit brought in for these fish of about 90cm. Dropping the maximum size for barra would also ensure breeding fish stay in the river. Bag limits dropped from five of each species down to two or three fish would help because you get a fair amount of meat off these fish. Mud crabs have been disappointing and the couple I have caught have found their freedom because they were empty. Hopefully they start to fill out and move around in better numbers. That’s it for another year. I hope everyone has a safe and merry Christmas. A bit of patience will be needed on the water and at boat ramps as more people head for the water over this period. Cheers and happy fishing from Gladstone. www.bnbfishing.com. au

K AYAKING & canoeing

Luke Thauer hooked a jack while venturing up a skinny creek.

A nice mangrove jack caught on live bait at night.

Luring for mangrove jack from kayaks

VER the past couple of months, and with the storm season well and truly upon us, I’ve really started to focus on mangrove jack fishing.

Catching mangrove jack can be frustrating at the best of times but the reward of catching one is unlike anything else. I started off the jack season by heading to Bundaberg with my good mate from the Brisbane River Boys, Luke Thauer. I was only able to get away for two nights, so we decided to camp on the creek bank to maximise fishing time. On the first day, we set off in our 2.8m Pro Fisher Dragon Kayaks on the hunt for the elusive mangrove jack. We explored beautiful creeks and caught plenty

Kayak Fishing by MITCHELL TOWNSEND

of cod, but on the first day the mangrove jack evaded us. We had dinner and went to bed at a sensible hour so we could wake up extra early to head to one of Luke’s favourite creeks. Within an hour of waking up the next morning, I had my first jack of the trip and it was a beauty. Luke also caught one that morning and I picked up another small jack in the afternoon. The creeks we were fishing were so picturesque and the only way to access them is by kayak. The Dragon Kayak 2.8m Pro Fisher is such an ideal yak for manoeuvring up

Hayden with a solid jack taken on a surface lure.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

skinny creeks and its stability is outstanding. After being out on the kayaks all day, for me to get out of the kayak at the end of the day without a sore back is testament to its quality. I had such a ball fishing with one of the best jack fishers I know and I can’t wait to get back up there to make many more memories. After that successful Bundaberg trip, we set our sights on Baffle Creek, which is one of my favourite spots to camp, let alone fish. The landscape was extremely dry because it hadn’t rained for over three months. The lack of rain also meant the salt content in the water was extremely high. This pushed all the fish well upstream and made it difficult for us to locate large numbers. Baffle Creek features numerous rock bars and snags, so you must be extremely careful when navigating. We mainly used soft plastics because we wanted to fish the deep rock bars and snags we located on our sounder. MadZ Mini Skews, ZMan 3” MinnowZ and Z-Man 4” DieZel MinnowZ were the plastics of choice. We found gold colours worked best, especially in the early morning. We ended up with a few nice mangrove jack, queenfish, tarpon and cod, however they weren’t

the beasts we’d been hoping for. Each season I find myself venturing away from home, so this season, my brother and I decided to start hitting our local rivers and creeks to try to crack a pattern. We started on our doorstep: the North Pine River. This river is not known for its jack fishing, with some people even saying no jacks are in the system, but we set out with high hopes. One hot and muggy afternoon we started hitting the deep rock walls. Each rock wall yielded about half a dozen cod and we were pleased to see so many cod around. This gave us more confidence because if the cod numbers were up, we were hoping the mangrove jack numbers would be too. By about 5pm we had reached one of our favourite rocks walls. We cast into the bank and Hayden got absolutely smashed. He was using 30lb braid and leader with a locked drag but this fish grabbed his plastic, pulled drag with ease and busted him off within seconds. Hayden and I looked at each other and were so happy, yet so gutted at the same time. We had finally hooked our first quality jack, but for it to be over that quickly was heartbreaking. We headed home for the night and decided to go back in the morning. The next morning was very warm and we went straight back to the rock wall where Hayden was busted off the previous afternoon. To our amazement,

Hayden hooked up again and this time he managed to pull the fish out of its home and guide it into the net. It was a Pine River jack! After a few yahoos and high fives, we put it on the brag mat, took a quick photo and let it go. We fished the morning out, with only cod coming over the side, but we couldn’t care less because all our hard work had paid off. Hopefully we can catch several more this season. Jack fishing is so thrilling and once you’ve got the bug, you can never shake it. I have John Costello to thank for that because his DVDs were what really got me hooked. I have been lucky enough to fish with John a few times and the knowledge he has shared with me has entirely changed the way I approach jack fishing. The respect he has for not only the fish but the fishery itself is amazing, and the way he interacts with the rest of the fishing community is great. He is always willing to help and I would urge anyone who is getting into jack fishing this season to buy his DVDs and head along to some of the talks he does at tackle shops. I hope this article gives you the urge to try to catch one of these red devils because they truly are thrilling fish to catch. If you have any questions about our gear or for more tips and techniques, don’t hesitate to message me through the Pine Boys Facebook or Instagram pages.

The author captured this jack from his Dragon Kayak 2.8m Pro Fisher.

An elusive Pine River jack fell victim to a MadZ soft plastic.

This jack couldn’t resist a MadZ Mini Skew.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 41

K AYAKING & canoeing Yak Hunters Queensland admin Jenara with her firstever bass.

The Yak Hunters Queensland group after a competition.

The Yak Hunters NSW group during a competition and camping.

Kayak fishing group continues to grow

Y NSW admin Michael Aquilina with his PB bass from Lostock Dam.

An Australian bass caught by Yak Hunters admin and founder Luke Lispet.

Luke explored Borumba Dam.

AK Hunters is a nationally organised, not-forprofit Facebook group consisting of five state groups as well as a fan page.

Yak Hunters started off as a small crew of four mates from Lake Macquarie in NSW who all shared a love for kayak fishing and nature. From there it grew into a larger group of mates who attended a few meet and greets, which then led to social fishing comps. The group grew, and now includes members from Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, and each state has its own Yak Hunters group. Every month, each group hosts a fish of the month competition, otherwise known as FoM. This gives members an opportunity to get out and target a specific species. Administrators do their absolute best to provide prizes to the winners, however, this is mainly a bragging rights comp.

These competitions are backed up with monthly fishing competitions that usually fall on the last weekend of each month, varying between one-day and two-day events. Factors determining the locations of these comps include the time of year, species and camping availability. All you need to participate is a kayak, life jacket, rod, lures and a positive attitude. Entry costs for the monthly competitions are returned in prizes, which are given for first, second and third, mystery species and lucky door. Sometimes, free training days are provided in the lead-up to competitions to help those who are new to catching particular species and just to give some pointers. However, at all competi-

tions you’ll always find people willing to lend a helping hand and some friendly advice. These competitions build new friendships and bonds that you’ll never forget and always be grateful for. In past fishing competitions, the Yak Hunters have targeted many different species including bass, flathead, bream, jewfish, mangrove jack and saratoga. Most recently, the Queensland Yak Hunters group held a bass fishing competition at Somerset Dam leading to captures of nice bass and quality yellowbelly (golden perch). Aric Lean took out the comp with two solid bass and a yellowbelly, but he also took the time to help Yak Hunter admin Jenara get her first-ever

bass and yellowbelly. Chris Gagal won the mystery fish prize with a 55cm yellowbelly. This was Chris’s first comp and to see him take the win with the mystery fish was awesome. Meanwhile, in NSW the crew held a comp at Lostock Dam and the fish were on fire. Greg Rigby scored first place with his 52cm and 48.5cm bass, while admin Michael Aquilina scored a personal-best 46cm bass. A bunch of new faces from Sydney showed up, as did some locals, which is fantastic news for the ever-growing Yak Hunters family. Due to the amazing support from its members and sponsors, some big things will be happening for Yak Hunters in 2018. Next year will see the launch of the Yak Hunters Elite series, which will consist of 16 rounds in total, with four per state. This will allow all four states to compete at the same time, in the same tournament, with both na-

tional winners and state winners being crowned. It gives anglers the chance to compete against anglers from other states without having to travel. With massive prizes up for grabs, you can find out more about this series on the Yak Hunters Elite Series Facebook page. Anyone who wishes to be a part of the Yak Hunters family and take part in any of the competitions can simply head over to the Yak Hunters Australia Facebook page. All you need to do is like the page and choose one or all the states you’d like to be a part of – we’re one big family! From there you are welcome to ask any questions you like about fishing, kayaking or even everyday life. We are all here for each other. It does not matter where you come from – anglers from all walks of life have happily become members of the Yak Hunters family.

Fishing bareback – no electronics F ISHING in this age of modern electronics can easily become an accessory sport.

Golden perch love hard structure, so concentrate your efforts where stone shows on the shore and you will be in the right habitat for these fish.

Page 42 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

Those of us who’ve been involved in this piscatorial pastime for a lengthy duration will normally have acquired the full gamut of electronic niceties, necessities and gadgets. We become accustomed to relying on sonar for an image of what is beneath the surface, including basics like depth and structure to details of substrate, plankton aggregations and water temperatures. Similarly, GPS has given us the ability to not only navigate without the need for charts or landmarks, but to pinpoint previous hot spots and follow a plot trail back along a productive run to the exact location of marked hook-ups. Newcomers to the sport,

Fishing for Sport

by NEIL SCHULTZ

particularly those with a shiny new entry-level kayak, venture onto the water with just the basics. For no reason other than a little intellectual stimulation, I’ll often undertake a session in the kayak without any electronics at all. Finding fish without any devices is similar to what pilots refer to as ‘flying by the seat of the pants’ (distance runners call it running naked). This is fishing by dead reckoning alone. Rivers and streams are quite easy to read by eye and you’ll find, with enough exposure, painting a mental picture of what lies below the surface will become instinctive.

Lakes on the other hand can be more difficult to decipher because flowing water has not been the architect of their landforms. If fishing relatively close to the shoreline, visual indicators of the submerged terrain will help. A good general rule of thumb is that the incline of the bank will continue below the water. Find a steep section of shoreline and most often, the lake bed will drop sharply away into deep water. Conversely, gently sloping shorelines are usually adjacent to extensive shallow flats continuing out into the lake. Naturally, there are al-

ways exceptions to the rule. One of my old favourite trolling runs in Lake Somerset is situated parallel to a very flat, grassy point that looks anything but fishy. Just below the waterline is a submerged, steep-sided gully that runs within metres of the shore along one side of the point and is littered with stumps. The approach from the other side of the point is indeed as it appears above the water – gently sloping, shallow and muddy. One of the reasons this spot was so productive for many years is it was overlooked by the great majority of anglers purely because it looked very bland at a casual glance. Another of the lakes close to home, Lake Wivenhoe, has several similar concealed fish-

holding locations. These are found where the original river course meets the lake’s shore adjacent to a flat grazing paddock. Without the aid of a sounder, finding these spots is literally done by trial and error because nothing above the waterline gives away the presence of deep water nearby. Back to the more obvious ‘fishy-looking’ terrain, points are always worth prospecting with a lure. Where the river channel intersects a lake’s shoreline in hilly ground, it is visibly apparent, even at a distance. When trolling these steep-sided banks and points, don’t restrict your focus to the area that looks good above the waterline. Continue beyond the end ☛ continued P43

www.bnbfishing.com. au

K AYAKING & canoeing Fishing bareback – no electronics ☛ from P42

of the point to work the continuing steep drop-off where your mental picture indicates it extends into the depths. I usually run two lines, one with a medium-diver, which is positioned on the shoreward (shallow) side of the kayak, while the other line wears a deep or ultradeep diver, depending on the gradient of the bank I’m fishing, and is run on the outer (deeper) side

for obvious reasons. Determining the correct distance to troll from the shore is fine-tuned by feel and edging towards the shore until one of your lures just begins to bump the bottom. Then you veer slightly away from the shore and continue to monitor the lures’ actions. It is always a good idea to have the rod on the shallow side in hand if possible (perfectly fine in a Hobie where a paddle is not required

for propulsion). Having the rod in hand makes throwing back slack line to avoid snags very easy, significantly reducing the number of times you need to stop fishing to back up to retrieve a snagged lure. Visual indicators of hard structure can also be used to locate potential hot spots in a lake. Several of our freshwater native angling targets are drawn to hard cover, with golden perch, Murray cod and sooty grunt-

This grassy point doesn’t look too impressive above the waterline, but a steep drop-off into a gully along with secondary cover in the form of granite boulders and tree stumps makes it a golden perch hot spot.

er particularly structure oriented. When you see stone on the bank, there’s a very good chance the same stone will be beneath the surface. Any banks with significant amounts of rock should be given a thorough going over with your lures. Make as many passes as you need to be convinced no active fish are present. Submerged stream channels are often hot spots and can sometimes be located by sight. If you check out streams you’ll notice most have a narrow band of vegetation left along the bank, even when surrounding land has been cleared for grazing. When lakes fill, the tops of those trees can become a picket-line clearly marking the edge of the stream channel. If the timber is not too ‘twiggy’, trolling along the line of the channel is an effective way to cover water and locate concentrations of fish. However, if snags become too numerous, drifting along and casting

lures into any clear pockets of water is a better option than trolling. Sinking lures shine in this scenario, mainly due to their ability to sink parallel to the largest trunks (the best cover). For a little variety in your fishing, try leaving the electronics at home and heading out armed with nothing more than a fishing rod and a pocketful of lures. You’ll enjoy the challenge.

Some areas like this rock-strewn, steep point are obvious locations to hold a few fish.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 43

BOATING & marine MORETON BAY New features for Garmin STRIKER Plus series BOAT TRIMMERS G ARMIN Australasia recently announced the STRIKER Plus series – proven fishfinders with industry-leading sonar that are packed with new features to help anglers find and catch more fish, yet are as easy as ever to use.

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Garmin Australasia general manager Adam Howarth said, “The new STRIKER Plus series has the features that will bring the benefit of built-in GPS, Quickdraw Contours and Wi-Fi to first-time users, and will convince existing STRIKER customers to upgrade.” “These new fishfinders are the perfect entry-level solution for anglers who want the best sonar available as well as the ability to create and store their

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own contour maps.” Like the first-gen STRIKER series, the STRIKER Plus offers built-in CHIRP traditional sonar and CHIRP ClearVü and SideVü scanning sonar technology. In addition to crystalclear fish arches and remarkable target separation with CHIRP sonar, Garmin ClearVü shows a nearly photographic wide image of what passes below the boat, while SideVü gives anglers a crisp, clear view of what lies off to each side, including structure, submerged objects and fish. Nobody knows the waters better than the anglers who fish them and now STRIKER Plus users can create HD fishing maps of the places they’ve been. Thanks to the built-in

Quickdraw Contours mapping software, it’s easy to create and store up to two million acres of maps with 30cm contours. Once the feature is turned on, users will instantly see contours with labels generated right on the screen as the boat moves – there’s no waiting around or sending the files to Garmin. The results are quick and accurate and can be viewed in real-time, or created in the background for use later. For the most comprehensive coverage, Quickdraw Contours clearly shows where useable depth information has been collected and where gaps exist, so users can easily see what still needs to be collected. With the addition of

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and optimise lure presentation. Users can also share waypoint data across multiple STRIKER Plus units, as well as the new ECHOMAP Plus series devices. Available with a 5” or 7” display, the Plus series also adds a larger 9” model to the line-up, all with bright, sunlight-readable colour displays. With a rugged design and keyed interface that’s built to withstand the harsh marine environment, the STRIKER Plus series comes with everything anglers need – including transom and trolling-motor transducer and mounting hardware – to make getting on the water fast and easy. The six new models offer flexible mounting so the devices can be tilted for the optimum viewing angle. An optional flush-mount kit is available for in-dash installation. Additionally, the STRIKER Plus series is compatible with a wide range of optional Garmin scanning transducers to customise sonar performance and installation options. The new STRIKER Plus fishfinders will be available with recommended retail prices ranging from $249-$899. For more information, visit garmin.com/newma rine

built-in Wi-Fi, users can take advantage of the free all-in-one Garmin ActiveCaptain mobile app that creates a simple yet powerful connection between a compatible mobile device and a STRIKER Plus unit. Thanks to ActiveCaptain, waypoints and routes can be transferred directly to a STRIKER Plus unit, making it easier than ever for anglers to pre-fish a body of water. Smart notifications are also delivered right on the screen as well as overthe-air software updates so users will always have access to the latest feature improvements from Garmin before heading out for the day. ActiveCaptain also makes it possible to quickly and easily access the Quickdraw Contours Community to share or download new user-collected data. The Plus series comes standard with a built-in high-sensitivity GPS receiver, so fishers can not only see fish and structure below the boat but also quickly and easily mark favourite fishing spots and other areas of interest such as brush piles, stumps and pylons and get back to them. When trolling, the highsensitivity GPS provides an update once per second, giving anglers the precision needed to dial in the exact trolling speed

Navico expands Track offerings N

AVICO, parent company to leading marine electronics brands Lowrance, Simrad and B&G, has expanded the range of reporting and connectivity options offered by its Track telemetry system with the all-new Track HD. Historically, Track has provided instant access to vessel location and status via a mobile app and online dashboard.

Now with Track HD, users can take remote control of lights, pumps, HVAC and other systems. Track HD also enables cloud storage for key vessel documents and TripReplay to capture and share details of previous trips. With multiple connectivity options including WiFi and cellular, with satellite coming soon, consumers can choose the option that best meets their needs.

These new plans are available now and existing customers can upgrade their subscriptions online. To learn more about the Track telemetry system, please contact 1300 NAVICO or visit track. gofreemarine.com For more information on the Navico brands, visit lowrance.com, simradyachting.com, navicocommercial.com and bandg.com

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BOATING & marine New Clarion marine receiver with built-in Bluetooth

LARION’S new GR10BT is built to withstand the harsh and wet environment of marine usage by virtue of an IPX5-rated water-resistant front panel and IPX3-rated chassis. Buttons positioned along the rim of the circular face enable quick, stress-free access to all

major functions. What’s more, the oversized LCD display offers clear visibility during day or night. High-visibility oversized LCD display The high-contrast LCD display enables you to quickly confirm details such as song title or artist name at a glance.

Bluetooth for stereo audio streaming Built-in Bluetooth provides stereo streaming with a wide variety of Bluetooth-compatible devices. Play music stored on your connected Bluetooth device, whether it’s a smartphone or tablet, with wireless convenience. USB connectors Equipped with a USB pigtail, it’s easy to connect a variety of sources. Just connect and you can even use it to automatically charge your smartphone while enabling playback of music files stored on a USB memory device as well as smartphone. MP3/WMA USB file playback The USB slot supports the playback of MP3 and WMA format audio files. So just save your favourite music files onto a USB memory device and plug it in to bring the music on board.

Global radio tuner with weather band The built-in multi-band tuner supports reception of radio stations just about anywhere in the world, which is nice whether you’re sailing around the globe or just across the bay. With weather band, you’ll always have the latest weather updates including automatic reception of emergency information to keep your voyage as smooth as possible. Four-channel/2V RCA outputs Since the unit is equipped with four-channel RCAtype line outputs, you can boost the bass by connecting a subwoofer. Count on high-quality system upgradability as the unit has four internal 45W amplifiers to pump the music over your on board system. SRP is $258. Visit clarion.com/au/en/ products-personal/marine for more information.

Humminbird introduces compact solid-state CHIRP radar module

U M M I N BI R D has announced the introduction of a new compact solidstate radar module, complete with CHIRP pulse compression technology for outstanding radar imaging at short and long ranges.

For more information contact your local dealer:

Boondall Northside Marine 2294 Sandgate Rd, Boondall Q 4034 Phone: 07 3265 8000 info@nsmarine.com.au northsidemarine.com.au

Bundaberg Adrians Marine Centre 28 Ritchie St, Bundaberg Q 4670 Phone: 07 4153 1819 adriansmarinecentre@bigpond.com adriansmarinecentre.com.au Gladstone Curtis Coast Marine 40 Chapple St, Gladstone Q 4680 Phone: 07 4972 0135 sales@curtiscoastmarinecom.au curtiscoastmarine.com.au

Page 46 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

Gold Coast White Water Marine 10 Hinde St, Ashmore Q 4214 Phone: 07 5532 4402 sales@whitewatermarine.com.au whitewatermarine.com.au

Sunshine Coast North Coast Boating 264 Nicklin Way, Warana Q 4575 Phone : 07 5493 9376 sales@northcoastboating.com.au northcoastboating.com.au

Noosa Laguna Boating Centre 16 Project Ave, Noosaville Q 4566 Phone: 07 5442 4872 info@lagunaboating.com.au lagunaboating.com.au

Wynnum Wynnum Marine 31 Fox St, Wynnum Q 4178 Phone: 07 3396 9777 info@wynnummarine.com.au wynnummarine.com.au

The new CHIRP radar offers exceptional target separation technology to display approaching weather, boats, rocks, buoys and landmarks with impressive resolution. CHIRP pulse compression uses multiple radar pulses for increased target separation and detection, identifying targets with improved resolution over traditional magnetron radars, and optimised interference rejection. This translates to better situational awareness in low-visibility conditions. Track weather, vessels

and obstacles and monitor birds with amazing definition. Humminbird product manager Shaun Clancy said, “Humminbird is excited to bring anglers and boaters the next generation of radar technology.” “Our new CHIRP radar allows for improved navigation and gives anglers an upper hand for monitoring birds and floating obstacles, often the markers of game fish.” Boaters will discover that Humminbird CHIRP radar offers a compact footprint, installs easily and boots quickly for immediate use. It can also be paired with compatible Humminbird equipment to serve as a great navigational and safety addition. Visit humminbird.com. au for more information.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

BOATING & marine In-dealership experience for Whittley online customers

HITTLEY Marine, Australia’s premium fibreglass trailer boat builder, has released a new online dealership feature on the Whittley Marine website. The feature is designed to provide potential customers and researching new boat buyers with an in-dealership experience on their screen, via a desktop, smartphone or smart device. It was created to make the new boat buying experience as easy and unconfrontational as possible, and aims to assist newcomers to boating and the growing segment of Asian Australian boat buyers. In an Australian marine industry first, a new boat buyer can now gain access to key buying tools, providing a premium ‘indealership feel’, online. The research and information tools via the Build A Boat tab on the Whittley Marine website include the following features: Virtual tour – where new boat buyers can move and walk through the boat via clicking a mouse or pushing a fin-

ger to the screen. Build A Boat – provides a platform for potential customers to select factory options, including colour selections and provide a MRRP price, to customise a package around their needs and budget. Live Chat With Whittley – new boat buyers can have any questions answered by Whittley factory staff via live chat. Apply For Finance – available on screen is an example of the repayment costs per week to own the desired model, and potential buyers can also start their application for finance online. View New Whittley Stock In Dealership – if you want a boat immediately you can check what new Whittley boats are in stock at your local authorised dealer for immediate delivery via the new boat stock listing tab. Locate Authorised Whittley Dealer – finding your local authorised Whittley dealer has also been made easy with the Locate Dealer tab. Request A Brochure – the new 72-page Whittley brochure is available to download and view instantly on screen.

Review Standard Equipment Listings – ensuring new boat researchers can see a detailed list of exactly what comes in the standard boat package. Whittley Marine sales and marketing director Alan Whittley said, “These innovative new user-focused features, available via the Build A Boat section of the new website, are not designed to reduce the importance of our dealerships.” “Rather they are intended to provide as much information to customers as possible and to make the new boat buying experience and research stage as easy as possible before arriving at an authorised Whittley dealership to review the physical boat and talk with a factory-trained salesperson. “Buying a new boat should be an easy process, and providing interested parties with as much information as possible and a virtual showroom experience with our product is a key area to ensuring the customer makes an informed decision.” Coinciding with the launch of this exciting new retail-focused virtual showroom experience,

Whittley Marine has also released a new dealer login area where Whittley dealers can order their boats with the factory, launch warranty claims, order spare parts and view production scheduling all online. “The new dealer login area is important for existing and new customers as it streamlines the business-to-business relationship between Whittley Marine and the authorised dealer network around Australia,” Mr Whittley said. “Customers can buy with assurance that the processes and relationships between Whittley and its dealer network is one of the strongest in the industry, and this can only lead to a higher level of customer satisfaction and after-sales service.” To explore this new and exciting in-dealership experience via the Build A Boat section of the website, log onto the Whittley Marine website whit tleymarinegroup.com.au or for more information please contact Northside Marine on 07 3265 8000 or visit northsidemarine. com.au

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 47

BOATING & marine Insights into boat insurance

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

The scenario You’ve got that new waterfront home and can now conveniently keep your 6m boat at the end of the backyard. No more trailering down to the ramp – in fact, no more trailer. As a responsible boat owner, you want to make sure everything is sweet with your insurer, so you make a phone call about your boat’s new mooring arrangement. What happens next? The answer Unless you are with a specialised marine insurer such as Nautilus Marine, the discussion might go something like this: “My 6m boat is now kept at the end of my yard on a modular docking system.” ‘On a what?’ “On a modular docking system – you know, out of the water on floating blocks.” ‘Oh, you mean it’s now on blocks in your backyard?’ “No, it’s in the water on a lift system, like a dry dock.” ‘Sorry, I think I get it now – your boat is in a dry dock marina?’ “No – you know you have sea pens and modular floating blocks or a series of trailer rollers on mooring pods that keep the boat out of water – it’s like one of those systems. My boat

is now kept on the water, but not really in the water. Anyway, it doesn’t matter – the fact is it’s no longer on a trailer.” ‘Oh sorry, we don’t insure trailer boats not on trailers unless they are in the water. Goodbye.’ Many companies offer boat insurance, however most of those companies do not understand boats. While they may well understand the ins and outs of insuring a house or the contents of a factory, they might have no idea of anything other than the most basic issues related to boat ownership. And let’s be fair, could you reasonably expect a non-boater to know the differences between a punt, a car-topper, a tinnie, a bass tracker, a traditional, a pram, a plastic and a pickle-fork dinghy? How about a dry pen, a ramp cradle, or a driveon floating block system when it comes to onwater storage? What if you want your insurance to now cover your new skeg and stainless 19” four-blader?

And may all the Greek gods of the sea and boating be with you when you try to explain an IPS, sterndrive, C-drive, or jet drive propulsion system to someone who only has ‘yes’ or ‘no’ tick boxes on an insurance form for an outboard or an inboard engine. Some of these companies also refuse, point blank, to insure a boat that is kept in the water at any place other than a formal marina. Fortunately, specialist marine insurers such as Nautilus Marine have staff who know boats and know exactly what you are talking about. Yes, you might be transferred so you can speak to an expert in boat mooring systems, but you can secure coverage if your boat and its mooring system meet the ordinary conditions of insurance. Nautilus Marine has people of diverse boating backgrounds on its permanent staff. These are people who began their working careers as boat builders,

people who race boats, people who fish, people who own boats, people who know how a boat is put together and people who know how to assess a damaged boat or equipment. In the same way as you would prefer a highly skilled surgeon to repair a leaking valve in your heart, rather than the plumber living down the road, when it comes to insuring your boat, you are advised to seek out a marine insurance specialist rather than a company whose core business is insuring homes, cars or livestock. Don’t assume your boat is automatically covered if you change where or how it is stored – always check with your insurer. Finally, as with all insurance policies, always check your product disclosure document and if you have a query, ask for clarification. If you need further information, you can contact Nautilus Marine Insurance on 1300 780 533 for any boat insurance requirements.

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

Page 48 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

Discover 20 years of Formosa strength

EXT year will be Formosa Marine’s 20th year of building one of the toughest ranges of boats in Australia.

Formosa is an Australian-owned and operated manufacturer of trailerable, aluminium plate boats based in Tingalpa, Brisbane. The business is still growing strong because of the strength of its company values and of course the strength of its boats. Formosa’s focus has always been to develop, innovate and provide custom designs to ultimately produce a high-quality, affordable boat with safety and performance in mind. Formosa’s range has increased considerably since the beginning, with the company now offering a full range of open boats to cabin hard tops, with sizes ranging from 4.55m Classics to the latest 7.4m heavy-duty Offshores with self-draining decks. And don’t forget the Barra Pro range for any backwater location.

V2 Hull strength Every Formosa Marine boat is built with the strength of the V2 Hull, maximising your boating experience. You can discover more with these strengths: • 4mm bottom sheets (5mm on 6m-plus boats) and 4mm sides; • A heavy-duty, strong keel extrusion; • 5083 high-tensile hull on the Offshore models; • Wide longitudinal stringers welded to the hull; • Underfloor lock-cell frame welded directly to the bottom sheets; • Floor reinforcement in high-traffic areas; • Fully welded side decks and gunwales (you can see the welds) • 4mm true self-draining deck on Offshore models; • Solid 12mm marinegrade plywood floor on Classic models; • Formosa self-deploy/ retrieve Tow-catch welded to the keel; and • Four internal shelves welded to the large ribs used for housing wiring and hoses to keep your deck free of obstructions. A Formosa boat doesn’t

require pressings to strengthen it. Each boat has the rigidity, stability and performance to withstand open water conditions. They certainly won’t fall apart while navigating the dirt roads to get to that out of the way spot. All consoles, hard tops, bow rollers, ladders, bait board tanks and the new BowActive Ladder are designed and built in house with Formosa strength. Select from one of the largest ranges of optional extras on offer or custom design your boat to enhance your boating ‘form’. Let your local Formosa Marine dealer know what you need… or should we say… want! Australian Marine Centre in Springwood, southeast Queensland, sells Formosa’s Tomahawk range. The team will have a great boat, motor and trailer package to suit you. Call today for a quote on 07 3808 7333 or visit amcboats.com.au Discover more with a Formosa on the website formosamarineboats.com. au

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Page 50 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

Fishing charters

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Gracemere Rocky Barra Bounty a resounding success

ITH the barra season closed in tidal waters, I would like to take this opportunity to recap on what happened at this year’s 2017 Rocky Barra Bounty.

The competition was held from October 2628 and the Fitzroy River was on fire leading up to the event, with reports of double-figure sessions not uncommon. Two weeks before kickoff, we had a weather event that came through and dumped a lot of rain across central Queensland. The majority of falls were around the Bundaberg region but enough rain to the west saw a flow of fresh water coming down the Fitzroy. The biggest question on competitors’ minds was just how much and how dirty the fresh would be coming through the barrage. Floodgates opened about a week before the comp was to commence. It was clean water, so

Competition Report by JOHN BOON

competitors were still hopeful it wouldn’t chase the barra from the top half of the river. Only three days out, the water turned from clean to mud as the dirty water from the Dawson area arrived. I think most of the teams cast their plans out the window at the sight of a dirty river. One big advantage we have with the Rocky Barra Bounty is the entire netfree zone here on the Capricorn Coast is within the fishing boundary for the competition. Even if the Fitzroy River is in flood (like it was last year), three other major systems can still be fished (Corio Bay, Coorooman Creek and Port Alma), not to mention the countless headlands. So fishable water is never too far away.

At the end of the two and a half days of competition, records were being broken left, right and centre. Not for numbers of barramundi, but their size. Out of the 484 barra tagged during the comp, 353 were of legal size, which equates to 73 percent. The previous best was back in 2013 when 56 percent of barra were legal. The average length was 69cm. Not only was the average size a record but the number of trophy fish over a metre also hit the jackpot. Fifteen metre-plus barra were tagged, which was double the number in previous years, with the biggest coming in at a whopping 133cm.

This barra was the second biggest recorded in the history of the bounty behind Ken Richardson’s 150cm monster (RIP Richo). Those barra stats are outstanding considering we had about 30 percent of fishable waterways lost due to floodwater. More records were broken in the king threadfin department. It was the second-best year for numbers but this year 48 trophy fish over the metre mark were captured, with the biggest going 132cm. The average size for threadies came in at 84cm. Considering 60cm is the legal size, that is almost unbelievable. These amazing stats go a long way to backing up the fact that the ban on commercial gill netting in the net-free zone is having a positive effect on fish stocks.

Those stats will also rival any premier barra comp in the country. Tackle shops are being inundated with phone calls from tourists wanting information on coming to fish the area. I have chatted with lots of ‘out of towners’ at the boat ramp and they all have big smiles because of the fish they’ve caught.

Kim Martin talked tactics with Jeff and Andy Dyne (centre) who won the champion team category in the 2017 Rocky Barra Bounty.

Quintin Maclean held one of the quality barra from this year’s Rocky Barra Bounty.

Winners are grinners. Jeff (far left) and Andy Dyne (far right) took out the 2017 Rocky Barra Bounty as champion team. Kim Martin and Gavin Pitts handed over the trophies.

Bowen Family Fishing Classic

APPY crowds turned up to the Bowen Family Fishing Classic and Wet Weekend and although the wind kept anglers closer to shore, the number and variety of fish weighed in exceeded all expectations.

Many anglers donated their catch for filleting by the Hines family members, who gave up their time to prepare the fillets and get them to Meals on Wheels. For the 26th year, all the target species were weighed in and the prizes awarded for the Bowen Family Fishing Classic, with ecstatic kids taking home a variety of prizes including cash, rods, vouchers, fishing gear and more. The heaviest fish weighed in by a senior was a spanish mackerel weighing 24kg, and for the juniors it was another spanish mackerel that weighed 15kg. The heaviest fish captured by a woman was the above 24kg spanish hooked by Sharon Anderson. For the first time in many years, both prize boats stayed in Bowen. Duane Power was the lucky entrant who picked up the senior boating package valued at $30,000 while Hudson Nisbet was the lucky junior to win a boat worth $7300. The Classic crew hopes the locals and visitors to Bowen had a great weekend and will come again www.bnbfishing.com. au

to see all the region has to offer, including the great musical talents from central and north Queensland that took to the stage over the weekend, catering for all musical tastes from reggae to country, pop and rock ‘n roll. Everyone had a great time on Bowen’s Foreshore Festival Park. After a rocky start to 2017, with cyclone Debbie crossing the coast of the Whitsunday region, a well-earned break was definitely needed. Even the younger family members were catered for with crafts, sandcastles and lolly drops. For the pre-teens there was handball and all ages participated in yabby pumping, sausage roll scoffing and lure casting, all with prizes to take home for the school holidays. The Classic crew would like to thank all businesses, sponsors and volunteers and their families who helped make the event a success yet again. Without you, regional events just couldn’t happen. We hope everyone involved in the 2017 Bowen Family Fishing Classic enjoyed all it had to offer and will go home to tell friends, families and the world what a beautiful part of the world we live in. Family, food, fishing and fun – all in the greatest part of the sunshine state.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 51

Christmas tips for Capricorn Coast L ET’S get straight into what’s been happening around the Capricorn Coast.

Dan Lynam with a horse redthroat emperor jigged up on a 150g Volante slow-fall jig.

First, I would like to mention the weather has been really kind since that two-week stint of crap weather. Over that period of bad weather, Keppel Bay turned a really ugly brown colour, which it does during poor weather periods. The reason for this is the bay is pretty shallow and a big blow will stir up all the sediment quick smart. Water clarity has returned in the bay with favourable conditions but it looks like it might be short-lived, with a major southeasterly blow on the horizon. I’ve already had a few reports of good bait patch-

Capricorn Coast by JOHN BOON

es moving along the headlands. If the bay turns dirty again, then pushing out to the islands will be the better option. Out around the Keppel Islands, good-quality pelagics are being caught. GTs, spanish mackerel and cobia have topped the list. Many fishos aren’t too fond of eating cobia, with many put off by the smell when taking the fillets off. However, I think cobia are up there with the besteating pelagics going. Drop them in a bit of beer batter and you have

yourself some wonderful fine dining. Out on the wide grounds, we’ve seen great catches of red fish. Even though we have had two reef closures in which coral reef fin fish can’t be targeted, the reports from outside these times have been top notch. With any form of bait fishing, fresh is best. The fishos who put in the extra effort to secure fresh or live bait normally have the better trips. We have had trips where every fish that’s gone into the Esky has been caught on fresh bait.

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The frozen stuff, even though it’s good quality, just doesn’t have the same effect. Yakkas (yellowtail scad) would have to be the best live or fresh bait around these parts. They can be caught year round but mainly make an appearance during the colder months. We have about half a dozen reliable marks where we can pull up and drop down bait jigs to put a few in the live bait tank. This costs a bit of time but the effort regularly gets rewarded, with quality large-mouth nannygai and red emperor taking the baits. Most of the areas we get yakkas from are just flat rubble areas. Wrecks present another good location for jigging them but getting them past the razor gang can be impossible at times. Unfortunately, at this time of year the sharks are starting to fire up. I find them at their worst from January-March. Any type of big structure seems to hold the most sharks, so it can pay to take the time to find isolated spots such as rocks, wonky holes and fern patches. If the sharks start to steal fish and become a nuisance, then the only real option is to move on. If you’re keen on hitting the estuaries, make sure you take the crab pots with you. By all reports, getting a feed of muddies doesn’t look too hard. If you want to take crabbing seriously, then check and move your pots every hour or two. By doing this you will figure out where the muddies are hanging out. Staggering them from up the back of gutters to out in the deeper holes and channels is a good process of elimination. It’s a sad fact of this day and age that crab and pot thieves can ruin a day out on the water. There’s nothing worse than taking some excited kids to retrieve pots only to find them slashed open or missing altogether. It takes a different breed of human to do such a thing, so please make the effort to stay clear of other people’s crab pots. Most crabbers will set their pots within eyesight. Finding a great fishing and crabbing area can be difficult but if you really want to do both during

your trip, then this might be your only option to keep your pots safe. As expected, big threadies have been chewing their heads off. I can’t wait to get a day on the water when the tides line up to target the metre-plus models. The other species I’m looking forward to flicking a few lures at is mangrove jack. Jacks are a big deal around the Capricorn Coast area. Compared to places including Bundaberg and the Baffle Creek area, jacks are not as common around here. A few locals have them sussed but tend to keep tips and techniques closely guarded. It’s a species I haven’t put any time into, so I’m really looking forward to the challenge and sharing my findings along the way. If you’re looking for family friendly areas to fish, then the mouth of Ross Creek and the ocean side of the causeway are perfect land-based spots where you can have a shot at catching decent bread and butter species as well as the pickers to keep the kids amused. I’ve spoken to a few families that have been doing well of late and with the school holidays closing in, I’m sure these areas will become popular. The jolly old fat man is almost upon us again, which means ramps will become busier and traffic both on and off the water will increase. Please just have a bit of patience at this time of year. If you see someone struggling on the ramp, why not ask them if they would like a hand? A bit of courtesy goes a long way. You might just make someone’s day. A big congratulations to Gavin Gaw, pictured with his 131cm king threadfin salmon. That photo has won him a $50 Secret Spot Bait and Tackle voucher. Be sure to drop in and see Chappy to claim your prize mate. If you would like to go in the running for next month’s voucher and have a recent fishing photo, post it on the Fishing Central Queensland Facebook page. Well that’s it from me this month. Stay safe, merry Christmas and tight lines.

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Page 52 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

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Gavin Gaw scored a beast thready coming in at 131cm. Gav is this month’s photo of the month winner and takes home a $50 Secret Spot Bait and Tackle voucher.

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Fantastic Fitzroy River fishing

HOPE you enjoyed my previous article about my annual trip to Hinchinbrook Island, because I sure enjoyed putting it together.

To ease the pain of driving home from Hinchinbrook, I began to look forward to fishing the Rocky Barra Bounty, which as the name implies is a barramundi fishing tournament held in Rockhampton annually. This tournament has been running since 1998 and this year was one of the best ever. The Bounty is solely a photo, tag and release comp to help monitor fish stocks and evaluate the effectiveness of the recently implemented netfree zones. While I was filled with excitement because I was chasing a couple of my favourite fish, I was also a little daunted because I had never fished around Rockhampton before and the Fitzroy River is a huge body of water. In the weeks leading up to the Bounty, I had been speaking to local gun fishers Daniel Powell and Mitch Anderson, who gave me info and advice on where I should be looking to start fishing. Unfortunately, central Queensland experienced a large amount of rainfall in the weeks leading up to the Bounty. This meant the river was running shades of chocolate and it was that filthy you could’ve walked across it. The advice the boys had given me was basically null and void. On our way to Rocky, my old man and I received a phone call from another local legend Michael Powell, Dan’s father. He invited us around to his house and gave us an updated run-down on where to look. What an absolute champion! I’d never spoken to him and had only seen his name on the Suntag web data lists, so to come straight around to his house and have his spots shared with us was quite humbling. We were staying at the Riverside Tourist Park in a nice little cabin beside our good mates Lochie Reed and Troy Dixon, who were fishing the comp with Aaron Gibbs and Nick Whyte. After a quick hello and unpacking, we headed off to the briefing at the Gracemere Hotel where the staff laid out a great feed for competitors. The atmosphere was unlike any other comp I have fished and you could feel the vibe in the air. Dad and I collected our kit and headed home to begin rigging up all our gear and in the end I hardly slept a wink because of the excitement. My alarm sounded at 3.30am and I was buzzing with anticipation. We launched at Port Alma around 4.50am with fishing due to start at 5am. While watching the sun www.bnbfishing.com. au

Fishing Trip – Part 1 by LACHIE BAKER

climb over the mangroves, I felt ‘homesick’ because it reminded me of Hinchinbrook, but we had fish to catch and there was no time for moping around. While heading up one of the local creeks, the landscape was in stark contrast to the type of country Hinchy has to offer, with bugger-all timber along the banks. Our Humminbird Helix sounder was going to have to work hard to find something we could cast at. It didn’t take too long before we located a submerged tree off the bank with a few decent fish sitting on it. After peppering them for about 20 minutes with no success, we decided to keep sounding and see if we could find something more exciting. Coming upon a little rise on the bottom, which wasn’t that spectacular at all, we saw a few large shapes suspended above the bottom. This was enough for us to spin the boat around and drop the Minn Kota electric. On the first cast I hooked something that shot off across the creek, staying deep and powering away. I was thinking ‘here we go, this could be my 120cm barra’. That is, until a large turtle popped up for a breath and dove back down. After a bit more of a fight to try to get it boat side to remove the hooks, we gave up and simply cut the line as close as possible to the fin where it was hooked, leaving only about 30cm of line trailing behind it. Our luck didn’t improve, with only a few small flathead, fingermark and cod making their way into the boat. I had spotted a freeswimming threadfin salmon that would’ve been every bit of 110cm, so I cast to it and the fish turned towards the plastic and attempted to eat it before shooting off in the other direction. We were desperate for a quality fish and by lunchtime were feeling pretty defeated, so we made our way up a different creek to try a new spot given to us by Michael the day before. On his second cast Dad hooked a fat little 63cm king threadfin salmon. We were rapt because it was a fish on the board and meant we didn’t doughnut. On the next throw, Dad got absolutely destroyed by a really good fish, which was a little disheartening. A few casts later, he hooked up to another solid fish that had him in all sorts of bother, but after some skilful rod work he slid a solid 64cm Queensland groper into the net. He hadn’t caught one before, so was pretty stoked. After quickly inserting a tag for research, we

placed the protected species back in the drink. The day turned quiet after that and the sea breeze picked up, making for a messy run home. While we caught a couple of fish, we still felt fairly deflated. After another quick phone call with Michael, we were back around at his place to study another area to head to the next day. This all changed after speaking to Lochie and Dicko who had enjoyed a hot session on king threadies, with a few barra in the mix. They were happy for us

to follow them to the spot, so after placing a Domino’s order and downing a few beverages, we agreed to leave at 4am the next day. The Esky was packed and rods were rigged, so all that was left was to find the ramp. It didn’t help that Lochie missed the turn-off, but after a few sledges and laughs we were dropping the boats in at Nerimbera. We ran down to the chosen location but weren’t alone, with a few boats already sitting in the prime spots. The big Helix 12 lit up almost instantly, with fish showing on side imaging away from the main cluster of boats. We began peppering the ☛ continued P54

Glen Baker’s new PB thready at 110cm.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 53

Fantastic Fitzroy River fishing ☛ from P53

area and it wasn’t long before Dad’s Berkley Gulp Shrimp was belted and he had a good bend in his 6kg Wilson Venom Barra Spin rod. After a short tussle, a 103cm thready was safely in the net. We were so stoked to have caught a good fish. While I was uploading the catch to the Track My Fish app and swimming it to ensure its survival, Dad made another cast and hooked yet another big king salmon. This time the beast was tail walking about 30m off the starboard side of the boat. We just looked at each other in disbelief because they certainly don’t do that at home. I scooped the big thready and plonked it down on the official competition measuring stick. This fish measured 110cm, which was a new PB for Dad. About 20 minutes later, I converted to the dark side and threw out a Gulp, hooking up almost instantly but not staying connected, which was disappointing. I could tell it was a thready I’d missed because I had jagged one of its scales and my leader was all worn. We continued casting

for a while but the fish had gone very quiet. We made the call to begin running down the river towards the mouth, feeling a little lost because we had no clue where to begin looking. I made a quick call to Dan and thankfully he pointed us in the right direction. After pulling up, we instantly knew fish would be there because it was almost identical to the spots where we target barra at Hinchy. On about the second cast Dad hooked up to a school barra of 60cm. Once it hit the deck of the boat we were so pumped. We had caught a barra during the Bounty and it was only going to get better from this point. We headed to the next rocky point with some dirty and clean water, current and bait and called that we would get a fish here as well. I made a long cast up and began twitching with a burn and kill retrieve, getting a small hit from a queenfish. So I cast again and began burning the lure back towards the boat when my line stopped and all I could see was a silver head on the surface. The water exploded with a barra launching into the air for its trademark head-

shakes before rampaging towards the rocks. With some thumb pressure and pumping and winding, I turned its head and had it coming back towards the boat. It made a big dive right at the boat and all I could think of was preparing myself for the line to go slack and the huge disappointment to come. Luckily, this didn’t happen and the barra made it safely into the net. I was absolutely stoked, and once on the measuring stick we found it was 82cm long. After a quick tag and a few photos, the fish was back in the water and chewing on my thumb, signalling it was ready to go. There is nothing quite like the feeling of letting a barra’s tail slip through your fingers and watching it cruise away. Landing this fish gave me an overwhelming sense of achievement. After coming to a new place and fishing so hard for a day and a half to finally get one, I was on cloud nine, even though it wasn’t big by local standards. Straight away I sent off a few photos to Dan and thanked him for setting us on the right course. We continued down the bank and came to another spot we were sure would hold fish. On the first cast, Dad

hooked a 77cm king, which ran like crazy on the light spin rod. Again while I was uploading the fish to the app being used in the Bounty, Dad cast and hooked another fish, this time a 50cm barra. The thready was quickly ditched out of the boat and the net was ready for the target species. We were in high spirits. All it took was a couple of fish to turn our day around. After another rat thready and a few cod, the fish stopped chewing and we moved on. A breeze had come up and made for really tough fishing, and by about 2.30pm we decided it was time to head back in. That night we were tossing up between heading back down the Fitzroy or to Coorooman Creek, where my uncle fishes regularly with success. We discussed it over a feed of Subway but didn’t reach a final decision. We were fairly sure we would head to Coorooman, so packed accordingly. That night we once again set our alarms for 3.30am and retied our leaders and changed some trebles in readiness for the action to come. Keep an eye out for part two of our Barra Bounty adventure next month.

The author’s dad with his first-ever Queensland groper that measured 63cm.

The author’s first barra of the trip was a good one.

Welcome to the PNG jungle ■ PNG black bass

TRAP in for part two of my Papua New Guinean black bass trip of a lifetime

A Fly River black bass being released.

We woke early on a Tuesday to head to Brisbane Airport and board our Qantas jet to PNG’s capital Port Moresby. The flight takes just longer than three hours and travels over the Great Barrier Reef and across the Torres Strait before descending into Moresby. Thanks to a letter from Sport Fishing PNG, we were granted a holiday visa at immigration and went through to the bag-

Pete worked hard on a big bass.

Page 54 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

PNG Adventure by NATHAN REID

gage collection area. You are pretty much guaranteed to get your bags checked when you have rod tubes, so with that done and dusted, we were happily greeted by John Cruz, the booking officer who answered any questions we had about payment and fishing in the lead-up to the trip. We jumped into the charter bus and headed to the Madison Guest House, which is a compound owned by Sport Fishing PNG owner Jason Yip. Port Moresby sees a lot of crime, so any place you stay is heavily secured with razor wire fences and guards on big security gates. The Madison was very comfortable and a great place to be introduced to our fishing mates for the next week. We were taken out to dinner at a restaurant on the first night. We chose Chinese and weren’t disappointed, with great service and food. Looking around as we drove through Port Moresby, I couldn’t help but notice the poverty, and many people trying their best to make ends meet. Mobile phone top-ups

seemed to be the secondbiggest industry behind security. After dinner, we returned to the Madison to be briefed on the next day’s travel arrangement to reach the mother ship K20, which was anchored in the Fly River. Day two This was my first trip out of Australia and I was already out of my comfort zone.

When we got our boarding passes we were told we would be on the milk run to Kiunga. So first we’d land at Mount Hagen and then Tabubil and finally Kiunga where we’d board a private charter into the jungle to find K20. Total travel time was about three and a half hours. I was having sensory overload with so much to take in and flying out of Moresby my sense of adventure was reeling. We came and went from Mount Hagen and Tabubil

before arriving at Kiunga and the airports seemed to get steadily smaller and more remote. The locals at Kiunga seemed to gather at the airport as a source of entertainment, lining the fences of the small terminal shed. The returning party who had just finished their trip passed us as we went to the cafe across from the terminal and they seemed quiet, which had me questioning the fishing. Our charter flight pilot came and picked us up, ☛ continued P55

The crew ready to fish on the first day.

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Welcome to the PNG jungle we weighed in and boarded the light plane to the small village near K20’s mooring. A slight bother was the sight of a crashed plane just pushed to the side of the runway. A dozen people lost their lives in that crash and it was still there in plain sight, but this just added to the adrenalin already pumping through my veins. I rode shotgun and as we descended over Lake Murray and the Fly River, I realised we weren’t in Kansas anymore. The sheer size of the Fly River system was mind blowing. We landed to a jungle airstrip greeting party of villagers and then trotted down to the tender on the other side of the village and loaded in our gear. My mind was officially blown by now. I saw dugout canoes and the small bark and leaf huts the villagers call home, with no power and no hot water, but they are as happy as can be. The children all had big smiles and played happily as we pulled out and headed to K20, our home for the next seven days. We hopped on board to be greeted by Moli, who was our go-to man for the trip. He briefed us on safety procedures and introduced us to our skipper, guides, chef, chef’s assistants and crew. They are a great bunch and happily go about their day-today duties without hassle. We were then allocated our rooms and roommates for the trip. The rooms were perfect, with nice comfy bunks, airconditioning and clean and tidy spaces. And as we found, our washing and beds were cleaned and made every day. As soon as we unloaded our gear, we were on the move upstream to hit the first fishing spot. Where the last crew finished, we would start. Pumped as anything, we sat and waited to reach our location just a stone’s throw from the only village for 15km in any direction. As we dropped the pick, we noticed the shiny eyes of the local crocodiles. After a few beers and prepping rods and reels, we were ready for the following day’s fishing. Day three We woke early with so much anticipation and met at the galley and mess for breakfast of bacon, eggs, cereal, fresh juice, coffee and tea spread out

across two tables, which would occur every day. With brekkie downed, we were told we would be meeting for lunch and going across to the village for singing and a welcome greeting from the people of the village to fish the Fly. By now all the anglers were pumped and we hadn’t even wet a line yet. Our first fishing location was to be the starting point most days until we moved. We called it ‘No Secret Point’ and it was basically a pressure point with a massive water colour change. The turbulent section running off the swamps was about 4m deep before hitting the main river and dropping away to 10m-plus. We knew the fish were there in numbers, but would they eat and what were they? Black bass were the reason we were there and my good friend Peter and I cast out, listening to our guide Billy as he watched the sounder closely. You could tell both Pete and I were like coiled springs, working our lures with intent. Then after five minutes of having our lures in the water, smack, it happened! It was the most furious strike I had ever felt and suddenly my Noeby Infinite Snake Head rod and Noeby Nonsuch baitcaster were in battle. With vigorous head shakes and the low-running nature of the fight, I thought it could well be a bass. Each wind of the handle drew it closer, and finally after a great tussle in the current, the toughest beast in the river, the PNG black bass, revealed itself. At about 8kg you might think this was a small model, yet it still managed to rip line from a locked drag without hassle and bend a PE4-8 rod to the reel seat. So five minutes in and I was absolutely stoked. It was the beginning of what would be the trip of anyone’s lifetime. Peter was next and from that moment it was on. Barramundi and bass came calling and even the barra would pull our Aussie barra backwards. We could not have hoped for a better start to a fishing trip. At that point we headed in for lunch and the singalong with the villagers. As we cruised in, the villagers greeted us dressed in traditional headgear and outfits, singing and chanting as we made our way up to the meeting place where we were

Pete was on fire!

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formally welcomed and addressed. This was followed by Peter and I handing out gifts to the children. It was such a fantastic opportunity to see how life is in the jungles of PNG. The kids were so happy and full of laughter. I took a photo of the kids and showed them their picture and at first they were frightened but then amazed to see themselves on a little screen. It was an absolute blast being there. We shook hands with the council and sat down as Moli gave out gifts of school equipment and ball games as part of a negotiated agreement to allow us to fish there. We then said our goodbyes and went back out to fish the afternoon session. The afternoon session wasn’t as hot as the morning’s but we still kept the score board ticking over with barra and the odd bass. As good guides do, they all kept searching, and our guide Billy was not to be outdone. He found a massive pressure point and we decided to save it for the next day. That night we dined on a fresh lobster and pasta dish prepared by on board chef Alex and enjoyed a few ales while talking to the other anglers. Noeby Fishing Tackle is not mainstream and most would not have heard of it, yet the following day this gear would be pushed past breaking and just keep going. Day four We woke up and Peter, Brian, Terry, Mud, Scott and I were amped and ready to tackle the second day of fishing. Peter and I boarded our tender with guide Billy and started working our lures at No Secret Point. Peter kicked off the action and I closely followed as we each landed a good size barra. The next bite saw my 100lb leader and 80lb braid go bang and I landed on my back. That was a serious fish. Never have I felt such aggression and power in a hit. We pressed on to catch more barra and bass but Billy was keen to get us onto some bigger fish, so we hit a snag with vibes. The number-one rule for fishing PNG is to always upgrade your trebles and split rings. I got completely smoked as my lure’s split ring opened up. I had my line and loop knot but no lure. So with that we moved to the next location, which would provide the most insane five hours of fishing Peter and I had ever experienced. We had 12 double hook-ups, cast our arms off and lost a net while helping Billy remove a treble from his thumb. Billy then jammed his thumb into the petrol tank, whacked a rubber band around it to stop the bleeding and said: “Come on boys, cast!” By day’s end we had landed black bass to 11kg and so many barramundi that our daily score was off the hook. Every fish bar two fell to Noeby Minnow lures. When we arrived back at K20, the rest of the lads were asking how everyone went and most had great days catching several fish, others had awesome days with 20-odd fish but Peter and I

brought 89 fish to the net. For dinner it was fresh barramundi with a side of fresh cassowary, which are plentiful in PNG. Again it was great food enjoyed with plenty of banter about the day’s events, and as a good sport I parted with a few Noeby lures. Stay tuned for the final chapter of my epic PNG fishing trip next month.

Pete, Terry and the author at Munda village.

PNG villagers moving camp.

A black bass double.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 55

A solid coral trout landed by Andrew.

This trout was pulled from the edge of the reef.

Tips for catching quality reefies

Andrew boated a large-mouth nannygai.

HERE has this year gone?

We are into the festive season, and everyone loves a feed of fish for Christmas. In this article I will give you a few tips on catching tasty reefies. Probably the most popular table fish in the north is coral trout. I find the best method to catch trout is float lining, which involves a very simple rig with just two hooks ganged together, a whole pillie, a piece of fluoro tube about an inch long above the hooks and below a small ball sinker that is just big enough to get you to the bottom. I like to use 45-55lb mono main line. Yes, I did say mono. It lets the bait float down more naturally, and because you’re fishing in reefy country, if you get snagged on the reef it is easy to re-rig because you

Hinchinbrook News by TODD EVELEIGH

don’t have to retie braid to leader knots. I really like to drift for trout in areas with broken bottom around coral cays, targeting the bottom in any depth from 4-30m. Drifting along the ledge is best, but drifting from the shallows off the coral ledge into deeper water works too. If you drift from deep water to shallow you will definitely get snagged

more often. I like to float line with an overhead reel. I use a Shimano Torium 16 and 8’ Shimano Terez 40-60lb overhead rod. Once on the spot, I simply drop the pillie over the side, click the reel into free spool and slowly let the line run out, keeping an eye on the rod tip and the speed the line is coming off the reel. As the bait wafts down

in the water column, big trout and predatory fish will see what they think is a wounded baitfish falling to the bottom and will usually come a long way up to nail the pilchards. When you get a bite, you will feel the line speed up quickly and the rod load up slightly. At this point, swiftly engage the clutch, strike and wind. The reason we use an 8’ rod and strike and wind at the same time is to take all the slack line out of the water to come up tight and ☛ continued P57

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Paul was proud of this coral trout.

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

Todd & Raylene Eveleigh T: 07 4777 2968 M: 0417 192 318 E: barra@crackﬁsh.com www.crackﬁsh.com Page 56 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

Jonno lifted a stonker large-mouth nannygai.

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Tips for catching quality reefies

☛ from P56

get a good hook set. Once you connect to a big trout, it is very important to go quite hard to start with because these fish are notoriously good at swimming back under the plate coral and cutting you off. You’ll also catch redthroat emperor, spanish mackerel, cobia and more using the same technique. A sea anchor (parachute) to reduce your wind drift and help match the boat speed to the current speed allows you to use smaller sinkers and keeps you more in touch with your bait while it is floating down.

Another fantastic fish I really enjoy targeting and eating is large-mouth nannygai. We chase these fish in deeper water between 35m and 60m on little isolated rocks. The smaller the rock, usually the bigger the fish but less of them. You can target largemouth on micro jigs, and sometimes if lots of smaller fish are in the area, micro jigs will produce the better-quality ones. We also use a simple paternoster rig with a large dropper loop on a 9/0 hook. A bait of fresh mack tuna or local squid dropped to the bottom around

these rocks can be deadly on big large-mouth. One thing I really need to stress when talking about fishing for largemouth nannygai is they are very badly affected by barotrauma. If you are catching undersize ones, please move on because the fish you are throwing back will all die. Hence why we use a big 9/0 hook to try to eliminate the capture of undersize fish. The other thing to keep in mind is they can easily be overfished, and a lot of the smaller rocks that produce quality fish will usually only have 10-20 fish on them.

Todd picked up a cracker nannygai on a micro jig.

If you take too many off these smaller structures, there won’t be enough fish left to sustain the structure. The fish living on these structures keep the undercuts dug out by swimming in and out from underneath them and clearing the sand off the hard structure. If the fish are gone, it doesn’t take long for the sand to cover these small rocks and the habitat to be lost forever. The best approach on these smaller isolated rocks is to graze across them, taking one or two fish and leaving the rest for next time. If you get onto bigger schools of nannies with most fish weighing 3-6kg, please just take what you need and not what you want. And remember, due to their reaction to barotrauma, you may think you are doing the right thing by releasing the fish but you are just feeding the shark population and destroying the local fishery. I hope this gives you a bit of an insight on how to target trout and nannies on the reef to catch a feed for Chrissy. Have a wonderful Christmas and be safe and considerate to others on the water, showing good fishing etiquette. Until next month, cheers from Crackajack Sportfishing.

by MELISSA FROHLOFF

Mango and pineapple Christmas pudding Ingredients • Melted butter to grease • 125g chopped butter • 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed • 1 cup fresh mango, chopped • 200g dried pineapple, coarsely chopped • 200g dried apricot, coarsely chopped • 1 cup self-raising flour • 2 1/2 cups breadcrumbs • 2 eggs • 1 tsp ground nutmeg Method 1. Grease an eight-cup pudding basin with melted butter and line base with baking paper.

2. Stir the butter, sugar, mango, pineapple and apricots in a large saucepan over low heat until butter melts. 3. Set aside to cool. Stir in nutmeg, flours, egg and breadcrumbs until all combined. 4. Spoon mixture into prepared basin and smooth top. 5. Place basin in a boiler and add enough water to come halfway up the side of basin. 6. Bring to a simmer over low/ medium heat. Place lid on boiler, topping water up if necessary. 7. Cook for 90 minutes or until a skewer inserted into pudding comes out clean. 8. Serve with brandy or vanilla custard.

Serves: 8 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 90 minutes

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 57

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ANNOUNCING two new colours to the versatile Bassday Bungy Cast range: C-264 and CT-287. The Bungy Cast is a sinking lipless minnow perfect for casting swiftly into boil-ups and bust-ups. Its solid, heavy 30g weight gives it great castability. Cast it like a bullet at faraway fish that aren’t otherwise easily reachable. If you’re offshore or coastal fishing, this is the lure to throw in the middle of a live feed. Catch mackerel, snapper, queenies, trevally and a heap of reef fish and pelagic species. Adding to Bassday’s range of bright colours, the Bungy Cast now comes in two new natural shades. These sleek, solid lures are easy prey because they look like the real, live bait. The C-264 is a translucent silver with light muddy stripes and a blue UV ball that will lure fish and anglers alike – it’s underwater party time. CT-287 has a silver fleck with a translucent top and a shiny black head that looks just like a whitebait or pilchard. RRP of the Bungy Cast is $32.50. Visit bassday.com.au or facebook. com/BassdayAus for more information.

TT Lures NedlockZ jig heads

IS it a crab, shrimp, hellgrammite, yabby, prawn or insect? We’re not sure exactly what Z-Man’s new creature bait is but the TRD HogZ has already accounted for a stack of species in both the fresh and salt. Plenty of moving parts in the form of large antennae and fine legs create vibration and water movement, DESIGNED for the US market as a while the natural buoyancy of the 10X heavy-duty jig head for the ‘Ned rig’, Tough ElaZtech material encourages a finesse rig that has blown up in the an ‘antennae up’, life-like pose when States, TT Lures’ NedlockZ jig head at rest on the bottom. was soon being requested by Aussie This buoyancy combined with TT anglers for applications on home waters. Lures’ new NedlockZ jig head creThe flattened head of the NedlockZ ates a deadly stand-up presentation jig head combines perfectly with the that reduces snagging and puts those buoyancy of Z-Man’s 10X Tough antennae right in the face of the fish, ElaZtech plastics to create a presentatriggering strikes. tion that either appears to be fleeing A ribbed body adds to the realis- when retrieved or rapidly standing up tic feel and creates additional water vertically in a defensive pose when movement while also being perfect paused, much like a crab, shrimp or for holding scent, and a solid core yabby, throwing its claws up to defend allows the TRD HogZ to be trimmed itself and in turn triggering a strike shorter for a more finesse presentation from predatory species. as required. The NedlockZ is built on a heavyInitially available in six natural col- duty Mustad UltraPoint black nickours including Dirt, The Deal, Molt- el, chemically sharpened hook, the ing Craw and Drew’s Craw, the TRD same hook that has made the TT HogZ is sure to become a go-to for HeadlockZ HD series of jig heads anglers chasing bream, bass, trout, so popular, and it features the ‘head redfin, flathead and more. lock’ grub keeper to better secure Page 58 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

THE popular Atomic Semi-Hardz Vib is back, bigger and better. Featuring the same attention to detail and innovation in design and action as the Semi-Hardz range that preceded it, the 75mm and 110mm models answer the calls from anglers chasing a large lure to catch bigger fish. From bottom bashing down deep to casting long and far for pelagic species and even trolling out wide and in close for fast-moving target species, these lures will grab the attention of anglers and fish alike. Soft and subtle in feel, yet powerful and robust in action, every offshore and estuary angler will need a SemiHardz in their tackle box. Available in a range of eye-catching colours with weights of 25g (75mm) and 57g (110mm). Visit atomiclures.com.au or face book.com/atomiclures for more info.

Samurai Cruisers travel rods

Show your mates and they won’t even believe the rods are multi-piece. High-quality AAA cork and stylish aluminum parts make these rods a classy piece of artistry. Be the envy of all your mates on the next work trip. Pull one out of your suitcase and you will have friends you didn’t even know about! Visit frogleysoffshore.com.au or facebook.com/samurairods

Gamakatsu Inline Circles

INTRODUCING the Gamakatsu Inline Big Bait Circle Straight Eye hooks, which are 4x strong and crafted using Gamakatsu’s state-of-the-art tempering process in temperaturecontrolled oil baths. These all-new hooks are high-end tournament-friendly circles. They are heavy and versatile, designed to catch all reef species and pretty much any fish that pulls hard. They can be trolled, stitched into fresh bait or thrown into a live bait. These inline hooks also comply with ever-evolving fish-friendly practices – the conical point has been chemically sharpened for catch and release, rather than cutting its way out of the fish’s mouth. The standard sibling to the Big Bait Circle hook is the Inline Octopus Circle Straight Eye hook. The difference between the Big Bait and Octopus Circle is the wire strength; the Octopus is a standard wire and the Big Bait a strong wire, though the profile of these hooks is the same. Gamakatsu’s Inline Octopus Circle SE is dynamic and versatile: a broad range of hook sizes allows for catching smaller species in the estuaries as well as larger fish on the inshore and offshore reefs. For more info, visit gamakatsu.com. au or facebook.com/gamakatsu

With the challenge now set, Shimano has engineered a spinning reel that offers the perfect balance between rigidity and sensitivity. By leveraging the benefits of the Aluminium Hagane Body, the Sustain FI possesses the rigidity of a metal outer shell that maximises impact resistance while eliminating body flex under load. To provide enhanced sensitivity, a Magnumlite Rotor has been fitted to the Sustain FI series and offers an effortless low-inertia rotation. This is a significant improvement on the previous Sustain FG model, as the bail trip lever has now been moved to the opposite side of the line roller, negating the need for heavy bail hold support. To oppose unwanted saltwater intrusion, X Protect technology provides the Sustain FI with Shimano’s highest degree of waterproofing protection. Such technology leverages both a water repellent treatment and labyrinth structure that blocks any internal saltwater entry into the reel’s internals. The cold-forged Hagane Gear and X-Ship combine to provide a gearing system that is smoother and stronger than any other on the market. This gives the reel a much smoother gear transition but also unrivalled pulling power to handle larger predatory species. Four sizes are available in the range, featuring 8+1 Shielded A-RB bearings and drag output that ranges from 9kg to 11kg depending on the model. The Sustain FI is finished in a predominantly black cosmetic that provides a premium finish to match its high-performance pedigree. www.shimanofish.com.au

Samurai Osprey all-rounder

Shimano Sustain FI spin reel

INTRODUCING Samurai’s new three-piece, 5’9” travel rods in two weight ranges in both spin and baitcasting, built specially for barramundi and cod. These are shorter rods for pinpoint accuracy, making them perfect for tight country, skinny creeks, mangroves and overgrown river locations. The 16lb and 25lb weights are ideal for your heavier creek needs, so why not keep one in your car just in case! Cruisers come in an indestructible travel case designed to fit into your luggage and be thrown about the ute with no worries. The travel package includes a spare tip, so if you’re unlucky enough to snap your first while trekking, there’s another in the tube to get you back in the game. Just like the existing Cruisers, the seamless joins make these rods a joy to use.

THE Shimano Sustain series has long been a tried and tested favourite amongst anglers from around the world. This year marks the rebirth of the Sustain, with the new FI series that remains true to its outlasting and outperforming reputation. The much-anticipated release of the Sustain FI has challenged Shimano to deliver a reel that exceeds expectations and sets a new benchmark for saltwater performance.

SAMURAI has released a new series of all-rounder boat rods with userfriendly actions and a wide weight range, perfect for any offshore fishing. The versatility of these rods is amazing and they can be used for bait fishing, working lures, trolling and casting. For the keen jigger, why not use them with a range of jigs including the Tenya, Kabura and Inchiku styles. Each rod is outfitted with the finest rod components by Fuji including anti-tangle K-frame guides with alconite rings and Fuji reel seats. Grips are custom-shaped and the rods are pimped out with aluminum decorative parts for essential bling. A premium rubber gimble cap is dual purpose: it fits into your rod holder or can be held freestyle – meaning no need for those annoying caps that everyone loses! The Osprey range comprises three spin and three overhead models, all measuring 6’ and with weights of 1525lb, 20-40lb and 30-60lb. Visit frogleysoffshore.com.au or facebook.com/samurairods for more information. www.bnbfishing.com. au

4WDING & off - road

The Milk Carton visited the Maheno.

Fun 4WD adventure on Fraser

RASER Island is the world’s largest sand island and features a thriving ecosystem and every key element for a glorious beach getaway.

As usual when it’s time to leave for a trip, Sammy and I headed off well and truly after our scheduled departure time. This wasn’t an issue until we hit the island and realised the consequences of running late. Inskip Point regularly lives up to its reputation of bogging cars and this day was no different. Upon pulling up to the entrance, we found a bogged Prado towing a camper trailer. With plenty of bystanders and rigs ready to pull them out, we drove on and lined up for the barge. This was the moment we truly slipped into relaxation mode. With the Patrol loving life and a pod of dolphins playing less then 50m away, we knew this was going to be one epic trip. In true Flexible 4WD Solutions style, we landed on the island close to high tide and of course it was a very high tide that day. We ventured up the inland track as far as we

4WD Trip by GREG BELL

could before jumping onto the beach for a short trek and then going inland once again, heading towards our planned camp at Central Station. Anyone who has driven the southern end of Fraser at high tide will know just how soft it can be, and those few short kilometres on the beach were well and truly a slog. Once we were inland, the track was easy going and we were in our zone… until we hit a ‘road closed’ sign. We had checked for track closures online that morning but it must not have been quite up-todate. Back burning was taking place and of course the only closed tracks were the ones we needed to take to reach camp. As with any travels, you simply have to roll with the punches, and thankfully the land managers at Dilli Village were more than accommodating. With some donated firewood and a borrowed extension cable, we set up camp at Dilli Village and

H G U TO AR S GETOUGH TRUCK FOR

got cracking on trying to fix some 12V system gremlins that had arisen. Fraser Island has many absolutely magical spots and we highly recommend exploring the entire island as best you can. The second day saw a mad dash up the island. Being our first trip to Fraser, we weren’t 100 percent sure of travel times and conditions but we wanted to cram as much into this trip as possible. We hit the tracks at 7am and headed for Lake Wabby lookout, however first we had to get the obligatory and embarrassing bogged moment out of the way. With tyre pressures sitting at 25psi, one hub unlocked and in some supersoft sand we decided it was time to make a fool of ourselves. A pair of lovely old blokes came down the cutin at the same time as we went up, so we had to reverse out to let them pass. Now let’s set the scene: this is early in the morning, with two old blokes

in their Jeep Cherokee packed to the brim with gear and not a single modification; and then there was Sam and I – a young couple with a decked-out Patrol, business stickers and some apparently undue confidence! We hit the cut-in and what do you know, our tyre pressures were too high, a hub was unlocked and we came in too slow. Cue the old blokes who had stopped to ensure we got through without hassle, and the moment we bogged down they jumped out to give us a quick push. We were out within minutes and on our way to the lookout. Something that stood out for us during the trip was the koala ferns. We had never seen such amusing ferns. This beautiful species of flora is native to Australia and definitely the softest plant I have ever touched. All we wanted to do was reach out and pat them as we drove past. With such mixed reviews regarding travel times from the bottom of the island to the tip, we were keen to get some kilometres under our belt

The Maheno viewed from above thanks to Air Fraser Island.

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One of Fraser’s infamous sand blows.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 59

4WDING & off - road Fun 4WD adventure on Fraser ☛ from P59

What a view from a dune at Sandy Cape.

The Milk Carton parked at Sandy Cape.

and reach our next destination: the infamous Sandy Cape. However, we had a few challenges standing in our way first. Indian Head, Woody Point and Ngkala Rocks were our main worries after hearing horror stories of travellers being bogged for hours at a time. But the horror stories are exactly that: stories! Don’t get me wrong, these challenges are not to be taken too lightly, however we found them no harder to tackle than any extended cut-in we’ve come across before. With correct tyre pressures, our hubs locked

Sammy posed with the Milk Carton and the Maheno.

The author and Sammy fished Sandy Cape.

(this time) and some momentum, we sailed through without issue. Soon enough we hit Sandy Cape, and what a magical place it was. With camp set up just off the beach, we were nicely sheltered yet still able to whale watch while sitting under our gazebo. Whales were absolutely abundant on this trip, and there wasn’t a day where we didn’t see at least two pods cruising around. Speaking about fauna, Sammy was extremely excited when we got to watch a dingo hunt for its dinner right in front of camp. Bob (yes of course we named him!) showed up late at night and we had front-row seats to watch him pounce on his prey in the shrubs and eat dinner on the dunes in front of us. What a magical experience. Our third day on the island was another adventure, with fishing – unsuccessfully of course – bush walks, hiking sand dunes, failed sand dune races and explorations, and we were buggered by the end of the day. Sandy Cape Lighthouse was absolutely worth the walk but the hill is not for the faint of heart! After the epic walk up, we were lucky enough to catch the lighthouse keepers and get a private history lesson on the island. After chatting with them for a good hour and a half, we left with a new sense of appreciation for the poor blokes who originally built the lighthouse. Moving supplies up and down that hill without motorised assistance is genuinely admirable. The following morning, it was time for us to head to Woody Point to set up our final and main camp for the trip. Funnily enough, we again forgot to lock one of our hubs but got back through Ngkala Rocks with no hassles and didn’t

realise until much later in the day. Woody Point is one of the only campsites on the island that permits fires and has hot showers on offer. We highly recommend stopping here midway through your trip to freshen up and take in the serenity. Wherever you plan on camping, we suggest booking at least a few weeks in advance because the island gets extremely busy over the weekends and during peak times. There’s also minimal phone signal on the island, which can make booking on the day challenging. Woody Point was the perfect place for a base camp while exploring the island, with the ability to make it all the way to Sandy Cape and back in a day as well as being within reach of popular sights such as the Champagne Pools, Eli Creek and the Maheno shipwreck. One of the best tips we received was to swim at the Champagne Pools during low tide due to extra safety. The Champagne Pools had an abundance of life, with fish, crabs, coral and seaweed lining the walls and giving us plenty to look at. Eli Creek was another beautiful spot. With running fresh water and beautiful surrounds, it’s no surprise it is one of the most popular

places on the island. For Sammy and I, this was the perfect spot to blow up our tubes, crack a cider and not so gracefully float down the creek… multiple times! While we loved fourwheel-driving on the island, our favourite experience was a 15-minute flight tour with Air Fraser Island. Air Fraser is one of the only companies in the world that takes off and lands on the beach and provides a truly unique experience. Costing only $200 to get the plane up in the air, up to six passengers can split the bill, which makes it a very affordable experience. Our flight took off close to Eli Creek and we flew out over the ocean to spot some whales playing around. We then headed back inland for a bird’s-eye view of the beautiful inland lakes and sand blows. Feel free to check out more of the photos and videos from our flight on the Flexible 4WD Solutions Facebook page. We absolutely loved our adventures on the island and strongly believe everyone should explore Fraser. Just be sure to pre-plan your destinations with food, water, fuel and hygiene in mind. It is important to note that fuel isn’t cheap on the island and it is definitely

not readily available, especially north of Woody Point, making it something to keep in mind if you are heading to Sandy Cape. We felt a week was not enough time to truly explore the island and get the relaxation we so dearly want on a beach holiday. Allow plenty of time to take in the sights, as we regret not minimising our activities during the week and will endeavour to spend more time taking in each sight in future. Oh and take plenty of gold coins! The campsites that provide hot showers only accept gold coins and it is not easy to chase up coins while on the island. As with every 4WD trip, pack your recovery gear, ensure you have rated recovery points and are well practised in using your gear. There is no avoiding it – either you or someone else will become bogged at one point or another. Feel free to give us a call if you need any advice on how to safely use your recovery gear. And finally, pack your camera and make sure you take plenty of snaps to remember your epic adventure. To check out more photos of our adventure, jump onto the Flexible 4WD Solutions Facebook page. Tune in next month to read about our trip to Landcruiser Mountain Park.

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SunSeeker is back and better than ever

HINO-RACK’S SunSeeker awning has developed a reputation among adventure-lovers for its toughness, performance and practicality. But the engineers at Rhino-Rack aren’t known for resting on their laurels. The new and improved SunSeeker offers a raft of exciting new features that have existing fans salivating and new converts turning their heads. Available in two sizes, the SunSeeker is made of a lighter, more durable fabric than its predecessor. As tough as nails, the 150D ripstop polycotton

will ensure a long life and maximum protection from the elements. It also offers an improved water resistance rating of 2000mm PU, which will keep you leakfree in the heaviest of downpours. Protective patches on the corners of the SunSeeker have been added for improved durability when you’re rolling and storing the awning, which again improves the longevity of your SunSeeker. All hardware is covered by rugged plastic caps to make sure there’s no catching or ripping during extension or retraction. Black anodised and

powder-coated extrusions are not only long lasting and resilient to bad weather, but they also provide a sleek, stylish aesthetic that will be the envy of fellow adventurers. Rhino-Rack’s easy-tograb zips make the SunSeeker simple to use and easy to get into and out of if you’re in a hurry. The whole bundle of SunSeeker joy is stored in a 540gsm black PVC outer bag, keeping your awning and its components safe from weather damage. All the highlights of the old SunSeeker are still there; rustproofing, tensioning tabs to aid water

run-off and high levels of compatibility with Rhino-Rack and many other brands of roof racks, just to name a few. If you’re serious about adventure, then the upgraded SunSeeker is just what you’ve been looking for. Tough, easy to use and incredibly effective, Rhino-Rack’s SunSeeker awning is a must-have if you’re embracing a long, hot Aussie summer! The 2m version has a RRP of $309 and the 2.5m a RRP of $349. For further information and to find your nearest Rhino-Rack dealer, visit rhinorack.com.au

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OMEWHERE in slow-moving waters around the Northern Territory there’s a giant, tagged barra blissfully unaware that it’s worth a cool million dollars.

For the fisher folk who flock for the thrill of the chase, the NT’s annual Million Dollar Fish competition simply adds a million extra reasons to fish in these waters… but really, these diehard anglers only need the one: barra! In the Territory, most fishos agree that, when it comes to barra fishing, the old adage ‘no run, no fun’ rings true and chasing this species is an NTwide obsession. Barramundi is Aboriginal for ‘large-scaled silver fish’ and these oversized ‘silvery slabs’ are much prized for their taste, size and fighting spirit. Sweet spots to fish Billabong fishing is one of the most visually stunning fishing experiences in the Top End, offering water lily lined pools of water teeming with birds and, of course, fish. These landlocked parcels of fishing nirvana are not as dependent on weather or tide as some of the other fishing options available in the Territory and can be accessed nearly year-round (other than during closures due to flooding). And, while barramundi are the main species on offer, other sportfish in-

Call 07 3283 3373 or 0417 142 352

cluding saratoga and tarpon are plentiful. Darwin Harbour’s mangrove-lined estuary – it’s five times the area of Sydney Harbour – contains a word-class fishery right on the doorstep of the capital. The habitat is diverse and fishing requires some planning, otherwise you might end up high and dry thanks to Darwin’s huge tidal range. The Top End also boasts a number of remote river systems within an easy two or three-hour drive from Darwin including the mighty Daly River to the west and the Adelaide, Mary and Alligator systems to the east. These big tidal, remote and largely untouched rivers are a barra fisher’s dream – or nightmare! Some contain shallow sand and mud bars and submerged trees for the ultimate natural obstacle course. Year-on-year these river systems account for the majority of barramundi fishing action in the Top End and most of the larger fish are caught around the mouths of these river systems during the ‘run-off’ period immediately following the wet season. The million-dollar question… Humpty Doo’s Dennis Smart knows a thing or two about barra fishing in the Top End. Not only has he been fishing all his life, but together with his sevenyear-old son Alex, Dennis bagged a $10,000 fish in

the Million Dollar Fish competition this year. Dennis’s top fishing spots include: Land based around Darwin • Buffalo Creek; • Channel Island; • Elizabeth River; and • The rocks around East Point at low tide. On the water • Corroboree Billabong; • Mary River Bridge Lagoon; • Shady Camp; • Finniss River; • Adelaide River; and • Darwin Harbour. Others to consider: • Manton Dam; • Bynoe Harbour, with the creeks near Crab Claw Island Resort a likely holding spot; • Leaders Creek; • Middle and West Arm in Darwin Harbour; and • Shoal Bay. When – the tides of change When you have a tidal range of 7m on the spring tides down to virtually no movement on the neap tide cycle, it really can be a huge factor in deciding when, where and how to fish. In general terms, barra will not move out of their mangrove homes unless forced to either look for food or forced as the water recedes. On a spring tide cycle, mangroves roots will become exposed around the 4m mark and with a spring high tide of 7mplus, anglers unfamiliar with the waters may not see much action around the high tide.

Most locals will focus their energy around the low in these tidal cycles. Estuaries and tidal flats tend to be the places where large females live, so local anglers look for places where food might aggregate, such as eddies or draining creek mouths, and cast to these. Neap tides can present a tricky time to fish for barra because the run slows, the baitfish aren’t as active and there are not as many ambush points for barra to enjoy an easy meal. A good option on neap tides with their added water clarity is to cruise the edges of the mangroves and look for barra sitting on the semi-exposed roots. This can be a challenging but very rewarding experience. How – Top End tips from fishos in the know • Take notice of what sort of bait is around and try to choose lures that are similar. • Fish the last of the outgoing tide and the first of the incoming tide in the harbour and tidal rivers. • Read the local fishing reports in the NT News (you can pick them up online) to get an idea on what and where the fish are biting from those fishos in the know. • Barramundi fishing is usually best in the early morning, late afternoon or night. • Fish with hard-bodied lures using a slow, twitching retrieve with occasional hard twitches.

• When it comes to bait, live bait rigs, trolling with diving minnows, or casting and retrieving with shads or rattling lures can be successful. Look after your live bait. A good way is to keep them in a naturally plumbed tank in your boat. Charter boat, what charter boat? If you’re travelling to the Top End and leaving your trusty boat behind, we can help connect you with a local expert: tinyurl.com/ NT-Fishing-Charter Here’s what you need to know to make sure you’re eligible for Million Dollar Fish: • Before you wet your line, register at million dollarfish.com.au and then have a look at the key Top End locations where you could hook your very own prize-tagged barra. • Ensure you adhere to legal fishing practices. For a tagged fish to be eligible it must be line caught. More info on this technique and other croc wise, safe and sustainable fishing practices can be found on the Million Dollar Fish website. • If you’re one of the lucky folks to catch a tagged fish, you need to follow the key rules listed in the terms and conditions; which include taking a photo of your catch with the tag still in and noting the size and location before calling the Million Dollar Fish team on 1800 077 001 with the details of your catch to be verified. For more information, visit milliondollarfish. com.au

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David Martin with a little barra from the main basin in Callide.

Tim Higgins with a Callide yellowbelly hooked on a hopped vibe.

Hayden Callow held a quality metre-long barra landed off the bank.

Northerly wind ideal for Callide barra

O R T H E R LY wind produces good numbers of barra in dams such as Lake Callide. With periods of northerly wind for consecutive days since mid-September, conditions at Callide have been ideal because the main basin has plenty of bays and points to take advantage of these conditions.

A lot of land-based anglers are walking out to waist-deep water casting a variety of shallow-diving lures and soft plastics with great results, scoring barra from 60cm through to the magic metre mark. Cameron and I have done a couple of late-afternoon trips in the boat, with good signs of big barra appearing on side imaging, however these

fish are hard to tempt into taking a lure compared to the fish being caught off the bank. Good schools of yellowbelly are showing up too and fellow anglers have been sounding them up in 4-6m of water and boating fish to 50cm on small vibes hopped off the bottom. The fishing has changed a little at Cania Dam.

Josh Marxson’s 1033mm fish scored him the prize for biggest barra in the Callide Family Fishing Classic.

Water temperatures are now hovering around 2530C, which has resulted in good schools of bass sitting higher in the water and closer to the edge. We found good size bass suspending at 3-6m in 12m of water. On the day we were there, Cam was getting better results by casting 3/8oz-rigged soft plastics and employing a quick burn retrieve rather than letting the lures sink and slowly winding. The majority of bass were solid fish in the late40cm range, with one going 50cm. The bass are also keen to take trolled lures that dive from 3-5m. I’ve heard reports that saratoga have been on the chew in timbered areas. These fish are exciting to catch, especially on surface lures because they will strike the lure many times before hooking up. Once hooked, they will jump clear of the water trying to dislodge your lure. They can also take a lik-

2018 Boondooma Dam Family Yellowbelly Fishing Competition ■ February 10-11, 2018

O ON D O OM A Dam Yellowbelly Fishing Competition spokesman Terry Allwood said with the lake fishing extremely well, the 2018 event should set new records in both the long-standing gilled and gutted section as well as the catch and release component. Cash and other prizes will be presented at the end of each of the three sessions as well as overall competition winners at the conclusion of the event. Profits from the event are used to supplement fishing permit funds from the Queensland

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Government and to date about five million fingerlings have been stocked into Lake Boondooma. The catch and release category targeting Australian bass and yellowbelly is open to all anglers who nominate. This category has been made possible by the generous sponsorship of Stanwell Corporation and Swickers Kingaroy Bacon Factory. The annual competition will be held on February 10 and 11, 2018. Entry costs will be $20 for adults and $5 for juniors aged 16 years and under. The ongoing support

of many generous sponsors will ensure a wide range of prizes and lucky draws are available for all competitors including a boat, motor and trailer package. Lucky draws are held at the end of each fishing session and at the Friday night briefing. All presentations and lucky draws are conducted at the event headquarters at the stocking association clubhouse. Food and drinks stalls will be present over the weekend thanks to local community groups and the great camping facilities provided by the South Burnett Regional Council will be avail-

able for campers staying at the lake. The cost of camping fees and details of accommodation options at the lake can be found at southburnett.qld.gov.au or by ringing the Lake Boondooma kiosk on 07 4168 9694. Additional information on the local area and past fishing competitions can be found on the Proston Online website prostononline.info Please join us at Lake Boondooma for a family weekend of fishing and camping. For additional information, contact Terry Allwood on 0400 860 122.

ing to slow-rolled spinnerbaits and beetle spins. The Callide Family Fishing Classic was a great success, with 129 seniors and 88 juniors weighing in all fish species on offer. It was an excellent weekend and entrants enjoyed good weather and loads of raffles and prizes. ‘Til next time, get hooked. Glenn Hobson

Isabella Whitfield and the biggest yellowbelly caught by a junior in the Callide Family Fishing Classic, measuring 510mm.

Good signs of big Callide barra.

Record number of Australian bass stocked in NSW

R E COR D 429,000 Australian bass have been stocked into dams across NSW throughout 2017.

NSW Department of Primary Industries Inland Fisheries manager Cameron Westaway said the record number of Australian bass, which were produced at the Port Stephens Fisheries Institute, exceeded the 413,000 produced back in 2013. “This year, DPI has stocked Australian bass into 32 dams throughout the Central West, Hunter Valley, Northern Rivers, Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands,” Mr Westaway said. “Australian bass are a sought-after sportfish on baits, flies and artificial lures.

“They travel to estuaries to spawn between June and August, and stocking is the only way to maintain Australian bass numbers in our impoundments. “All 429,000 Australian bass were bred from wild fish caught when they were ready to spawn, and breeding takes place under strict protocols to ensure the fish are of a high quality. “Anglers will be able to catch these fish in three to five years, providing significant social and economic benefits for the regions.” • 20,000 Australian bass were stocked into Lake Lyell near Lithgow; • 99,000 were stocked in Glenbawn Dam and 64,000 in Glennies Dam

in the Hunter Valley; • 30,000 were stocked in Toonumbar Dam in the Northern Rivers; • 81,000 were stocked in Lake Yarrunga in Shoalhaven; and • 2000 were stocked in Pejar Dam in the Southern Highlands. Additional fish stocking will continue to occur throughout NSW over coming months through the NSW Government’s $250,000 Dollar for Dollar program, where funding from fishing clubs and community groups are matched by the Recreational Fishing Trust for the purchase of fish for stocking in approved sites from registered private hatcheries. For more information, visit the NSW DPI website.

Recreational fisher Blake Fallon showed off an Australian bass he caught recently.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 63

Dean Silvester claims seventh in US B.A.S.S. Nation Championship

VERY year we embark on a trip dreams are made of, travelling to the US with Australia’s best bass anglers to compete on the global stage.

The Aussies turned out to be the strongest of the international competitors.

Team Australia at the 2017 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship.

Dean and Dylan after the official practice day.

The top-12 final day anglers.

Page 64 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

This year we went to Lake Hartwell on the border of Georgia and South Carolina. Aussies Dean Silvester and Dylan Fryer claimed seventh place in the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship 2017 in a star-studded field consisting of 122 of the best anglers from around the world. With over 25,000 anglers now in the B.A.S.S. Nation fold competing for three spots in the Bassmaster Classic every year, B.A.S.S. has secured itself as the premium grass roots tournament series in the world, and the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship reinforces that fact. The prize The B.A.S.S. Nation Championship had a huge prize pool this year, exceeding $US250,000 in cash and prizes. The top-three Pro anglers took home a bass boat each, the top CoAngler also scored a bass boat and the winning Pro earned an Elite Series spot, with a large portion of entry fees paid for in the first season. Plus, the top-three Pro anglers receive a Toyota car and bass boat combo for a season, with all entries paid for the Open Series of their choice. Cash prizes are also paid to the top-10 Pros and top12 Co-Anglers. This trip featured so much more than just fishing and it is seriously the bass angler’s trip of a lifetime, and Dean worked his way to only 3lb off a top-three spot. Perspective You need to put Dean and Dylan’s results into perspective. With a massive field of 122 anglers, only two stood alone as having near-zero exposure to the US largemouth and spotted bass. Dean and Dylan went into the tournament with the goal of having fun while competing as hard as pos-

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

sible, and they came out with aspirations of taking the whole championship by storm. Sitting back and watching the confidence of these two anglers grow over the four practice days was incredible. Every day they would work together to secure a pattern, catch larger and larger bass and refine their locations to specific areas that held some of the biggest bass in the lake. Come tournament time, they were both nervous but confident they could put on a decent show and land a competitive bag in each session. I have been a part of and watched hundreds of weigh-ins over the years, and I have to say the second session weigh-in of the 2017 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship was the tensest I had ever been. Dylan managed a threefish limit and felt he had comfortably secured a top-10 position, which is an amazing goal and one that he was able to achieve. One of Dean’s main objectives was to make it to the last day of competition, which required a top-10 finish in the Pro division. With only half the field weighed in, Dean was sitting in seventh place and we started counting, looking over the leader board and asking questions of who had scored what on the water. Dean is one cool customer, and generally doesn’t show a lot of emotion, but as each angler stepped up to the stage one by one, the realisation that a top-10 place was possible had him sweating bullets for about two hours. One by one they came and on it went until we got to the last 10, by which stage Dean had lost a few spots to be sitting in 10th. With 10 anglers to weigh in, two of which had better bags than Dean in the first session, we could all feel the pressure building. Luckily enough, Ryan Lavigne stepped to the stage as the final angler to weigh in and didn’t quite push Dean out of the top 10. Cheers of joy erupted from the crowd around Dean and he had a massive smile plastered ear to ear over his face. Realising a dream With the top-10 finish secured, Dean had one more goal: to either win the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship or make the Bassmaster Classic. Speaking to Dean after the second weigh-in, he mentioned he had lost some huge bass in his goto spot, and realistically

could have been another 5lb up on his session two bag limit. He said he hooked four giants that either pulled the hook or jumped off after an extensive fight, so he was quietly confident that if a few things came together he could be very competitive at the tournament’s end. In the end he was only 3lb and 3oz off a Classic spot, ending up in seventh overall, and he had the fish on his line that could have had him realising every tournament bass angler’s dream. Dean and Dylan represented themselves, their families and Australia in an amazing way, and proved to the world that the Aussies are coming.

Give us an inch and we will take a mile, and give either of these anglers a shot and they will be shooting for success. No longer is just making the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship the goal, there is real opportunity to go further, compete higher than ever before and not only make the Classic but win the entire show. Stand up, be proud and give Dean and Dylan a big round of applause as they have paved a new path for every Aussie to follow. Next month starts our fifth season of B.A.S.S. Australia Nation Tournaments, and with more up for grabs than ever before, now is a great time to step up and chase your dream. If you want to find out how you can become the next Australian champion, check out bassaustralia. com.au

Full limits make for big smiles.

Dylan Fryer placed a very respectable seventh in the Co-Angler division.

An early morning start line.

Dean Silvester was in tournament mode early on Lake Hartwell.

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James Munro held a chunky Awoonga barra.

Hooked up in snaggy country.

Queensland barramundi dams W HAT a trip.

I’ve just returned from a 10-day barra fishing road trip, stopping at Lakes Awoonga, Monduran, Kinchant and Teemburra. I can honestly say it was the trip of a lifetime, but in this article I’m only going to write about the two southern dams: Awoonga and Monduran. In the next article I write about the more northern Kinchant and Teemburra. At the start of the year I requested 10 days off work in early November to go barra fishing, basing the trip around the lead-up to and the fall of the full moon because at this time every year the fish seem to bite their heads off. The road trip started on a Sunday afternoon. I finished work around 3pm and headed straight home. Dad had the boat and car ready, so we hit the road north. For our first stop, we pulled into Lake Monduran. During the heavy rain just two weeks prior to the trip, immense amounts of water had gone over the dam wall. Even so, we were still keen to give it a crack. As we arrived at the dam, a massive storm rolled through and we had to wait it out before hitting the water. We launched the boat at about 8pm and headed 10 minutes straight up the dam to Bird Bay. At this time of year the barra seem to head into this bay in large numbers and that’s exactly what we saw. We motored over a couple of our regular spots comprising 2.5m flats on points and right up the back of some bays that the water pushes into during a northerly wind. Our Humminbird Helix 12 with Mega Imaging was showing good numbers of fish and it was great to see heaps of barra still in the dam after so much water going over the wall. Regardless, we couldn’t manage a bite. I think with so much water movement it will take a few weeks for things to settle. However, I’m sure the fish will be on the chew before long. We left the dam at dawn and headed to Lake Awoonga. Lake Awoonga On our arrival at Awoonga, www.bnbfishing.com. au

Fishing Trip

by CALLUM MUNRO

we booked the Awoonga Gateway Lodge for two nights. It’s the place to book a cabin if you’re heading to the dam. Owners of the lodge Mark and Lynn are very helpful. They know all the spots and will try to put you onto the fish for the best chance of hooking and landing a massive barra. Before heading to the dam, give them a call on 07 4975 0033. I hadn’t fished Awoonga since the 2013 floods but had heard good reports in the leadup to our trip, so we were keen to try to whack some barra. This dam had copped plenty of rain as well and had gone over the wall by 2m prior to our trip. As we arrived at the boat ramp we saw the water was very clean and almost blue, which gave us a massive confidence boost. We chose to start fishing at Gold Mine Point on the eastern side of the dam. Targeting this point and sitting in about 3m of water we could see plenty of barra moving through on the sounder. Casting O.S.P 120 Bent Minnows with upgraded Owner ST22 hooks, we sunk the hooks into a couple of nice barra around the 65cm mark. This lure is a subsurface walker and with the upgraded hooks the lure would sit just under the surface, which was perfect for targeting fish over the weed beds. Catching these fish was a great way to start our barra campaign. My good mate Wayne Nettleton showed us these lures and I’m glad he did because they are brilliant. After catching a couple more barra, we decided to drive over some of our old haunts. We saw a few fish but couldn’t raise a scale. We then headed back to the cabin to sleep for a couple of hours so we could be ready for the arvo session. For this later session, we had my old tournament partner join us: Trevor Burgess from Happy Rock Softies. Trevor had enjoyed a great session the day before, catch-

ing over 20 barra, and he was keen to put us onto more fish. Trevor took us to a bay layered with timber and as we were driving into the spot, I was thinking it would be an epic fight if we hooked a decent fish because hardly any clearings were in the area. We moved quietly into the back of the bay using the electric motor and once we got to the spot we tied up to a tree. By mooring the boat to a tree, we figured we could sit still and annoy the fish into biting as they moved through the area. The lure that worked the best was Trevor’s Happy Rock Grub. I rigged one with my favourite weedless hook, a 5/0 Owner Flashy hook. You can cast this combination anywhere, and with the added flash, the fish can’t resist. We had one of the best hours of barra fishing I’ve ever experienced. From landing barra to losing barra and just experiencing the bites, it was epic. We landed about 15 barra between us but we lost a great many more as well. It was an awesome experience fighting these fish in such a snaggy area and we had to go hard or go home. The only problem was we only got to fish the spot for an hour because another massive storm was rolling up the dam. So we headed back to the cabin around 5pm, which was a bit disappointing, but what a session. It’s great to see the dam fishing so well. The next day we headed back out to target the same areas but after the storm a lot of the fish had relocated. We ended up with a couple of fish but it was a tough grind. Dad landed a solid barra of 80cm mixed in with a couple of rats. We moved on and looked for other areas with similar structures but had no more luck. That storm definitely did something to the fish. We didn’t even head back out in the afternoon because

we were keen to have a good night’s sleep before driving to Mackay the next morning. I’d just like to thank Awoonga Gateway Lodge for having us. Mark and Lynn have some great cabins and we’ll be back. And thanks heaps to Trevor from Happy Rock Softies for putting us onto so many fish. Make sure you check out his range of plastics on Facebook. Stay tuned for the northern barra report. Keep those lines tight!

The author with a Lake Awoonga barra.

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DAM LEVELS CURRENT AS OF 13/11/2017

DAMS

PERCENTAGE

JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV Atkinson 6 6 6 5 6 18 Awoonga 100 98 98 97 118 100 Bjelke-Petersen * 24 22 22 19 18 18 Boondooma * 51 49 45 51 49 47 82 Borumba * 81 80 75 83 99 Burdekin Falls * 99 95 91 86 81 82 Callide * 90 87 86 85 86 85 Cania * 98 96 95 92 104 100 Coolmunda * 97 95 93 89 86 83 Dyer/Bill Gunn * 9 9 7 7 7 7 Eungella * 100 100 99 98 97 93 43 Fairbairn * 42 40 38 36 34 Glenlyon * 76 75 75 74 72 73 Hinze 101 100 99 98 98 99 Julius 91 89 87 84 80 78 Kinchant * 86 84 81 75 66 67 Leslie * 18 18 18 17 15 14 Macdonald 98 93 89 84 106 101 Maroon * 99 100 99 98 98 98 Monduran/Fred Haigh * 100 99 98 97 141 102 Moogerah * 99 98 97 94 92 92 70 North Pine/Samsonvale * 70 68 67 70 75 Peter Faust/Proserpine * 78 78 77 75 73 72 Somerset * 76 77 76 75 78 79 Teemburra * 100 100 100 98 97 97 Tinaroo* 50 50 48 44 41 41 Toonumbar 103 100 100 98 101 101 Wivenhoe * 71 70 68 66 68 71 Wuruma * 98 98 97 95 104 100 Wyaralong 99 99 98 97 97 97 For updates on dams, visit sunwater.com.au or seqwater.com.au *This symbol indicates that a Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to ﬁsh these dams.

www.livelyluresonline.com.au Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 65

Clydeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 49cm barra was captured a few weeks after the flood.

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Jacob Chain with his 50cm barra caught near the Redcliffe Peninsula.

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

More than just Lake Monduran A

S you would most likely have heard, we recently received much-needed rain, causing the water to spill over the wall at Fred Haigh Dam. Our property is located on the Kolan River downstream from the dam, and in previous years when the dam has spilled we have seen barra, some over a metre in size, lying dead and stuck in trees along the banks, which was very sad. I am happy to report that this time we have found none and since the spill Lake Monduran has continued to produce quite a few barra. Hopefully all the barra that did go over the wall have lived to spawn and roam our freshwater river systems. As an example of how resilient barramundi can be, check out Jacobâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photo of a 50cm specimen caught near the Redcliffe Peninsula. Impoundment fishing is different to most other types and you really need to know the lake you plan on fishing. So before visiting Lake Monduran, first make sure you pop in and see Les at Barra Havoc for great tips and advice. It is advisable to spend a couple of hours on the water with one of the guides from Lake Monduran to pick up advice on how to fish and what to look for when finding a place to tie up. Both Jamie Bein of Lake Monduran Barra Charters and Rob Howell of Lake Monduran Guidelines Fishing Charters will get you off to a good start.

Monduran Dam by DONNA GANE

These holidays, why not take the family to Lake Monduran for a fish? Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find accommodation to suit everyone, from cabins and on site camping at Lake Monduran, camping at the showgrounds in the centre of Gin Gin, and four motels in town too. Close by are lots of activities to keep you occupied when the barra are not biting or the kids need a change of scenery. The turtle encounter at Mon Repos Bundaberg is fantastic, four-wheeldriving in Deepwater National Park near 1770 will get your heart racing, and beach fishing anywhere along the coast is nothing short of spectacular. Or discover the spirit of life in the bush by taking a short drive west to the RM Williams Australian Bush Learning Centre in Eidsvold. When driving through Gin Gin to get to Lake Monduran, please take the time to browse the main street and visit the unique small businesses that might be of interest. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s us: Barra Havoc, the fishing tackle shop with the most lures around. Just up the road is Hippy Di, who does all her own tie-dying, and next to her is a newly opened nail and beauty parlour called A Little Bit Pretty. Need a relaxing or therapeutic massage? Try Robâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Massage, located on the way out of

town heading north. The art gallery (next to the police station) showcases our local artists and each Saturday the Wild Scotchman Country Markets run from 7-11am. If you need a last-minute gift or the latest magazines, check out the Gin Gin Newsagency. Hot Bread Fred is open seven days and sells fresh giant lamingtons for only $1. Next to the bakery is Kuskey Country Meats, and these boys smoke their ham and bacon on site and create pork sausages to die for. If you are feeling a bit peckish, try Travellers Rest CafĂŠ with its awardwinning pies. My favourites are either garlic prawn or chicken,

cheese and asparagus. And if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like cooking up a proper meal, both pubs, the Highway Hotel and Gin Gin Hotel, serve great lunches and dinners. After all the rain, the mozzies are quite vicious, so bring along your repellents. The days have been sunny and hot; donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget your hats, sunscreen and tournament fishing shirts.

At Barra Havoc we cater for even the smallest member of your family, with Z-Man shirts from size 1 up. My granddaughter loves her pink one. So get planning a trip away for the family these school holidays. Lake Monduran is only four hoursâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; drive from Brisbane. Stay safe and have a great Christmas.

Clyde Langtry with one of his barra.

Ivan held a healthy-looking 71cm barra.

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www.barratackle.com.au Page 66 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bush â&#x20AC;&#x2122;n Beach Fishing, December 2017

Ivan lifted one of many barra boated on his trip in the week before the flood.

Nearly a month on from the rains and the water was still spilling over the Monduran Dam wall.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Spring heat brings out the big fish

T’S a good feeling to know that summer is on its way, with water temperatures in both dams rising considerably during the day, which makes for intense fishing at times.

This is one of my favourite periods to fish for Australian bass and yellowbelly in our impoundments because they can be caught thick and fast. Our natives like to suspend in deeper water when the water warms, and this opens up a variety of techniques including trolling as a great way to catch big fish during these hotter months. Boondooma Dam The flavour of the month is bass, and big ones at that, but it pays to move around in search of the right spot. Productive areas have included the dam wall, the drop-off from the shallower flats and the spindly timber in the Stuart and Boyne arms. Sound around the flats in search of the schools and cast 1/2oz-rigged soft plastics, 12-20g spoons, tailspinners and blades. I would head to the timber first, where you’ll find the fish hit hard and it’s a real challenge to get them out with your gear still in one piece. For this type of fishing, I always use a stiff spin rod with some guts, a 2500-size spin reel, 12lb braid and 14-20lb leader. This may sound heavy but just imagine a 50cm bass hitting your lure as it’s rolled between two big clumps of spindly timber. The lure of choice for this type of fishing is a

Freshwater Impoundments by MATTHEW LANGFORD

Productive areas have included the dam wall, the drop-off from the shallower flats and the spindly timber in the Stuart and Boyne arms. spinnerbait or lipless crankbait. I like to throw a Bassman Compact in 3/8oz or 5/8oz. Once you have a combo similar to the above, head up the arms of the dam and cast as close to the spindly trees as you can, letting the lure sink for three to five seconds before starting a slow roll. Make sure the drag is done up tight so the fish can’t pull you into the timber too easily. Once the bite comes, give the fish everything you’ve got to get it away from structure. If the timber isn’t producing, the next place I’ll look is deep water off any prominent points or parallel to steep rock walls. I’ll use my sounder to sound up the fish sitting in that optimal depth, which is generally 6m in the thermocline. When I’m happy I’ve

found a good concentration of fish, I will pull up and begin casting 3”-4” soft plastics rigged with a 1/2oz or 5/8oz head. With a big long cast over the areas where I found the fish, I let the jig head sink for seven to 10 seconds and then begin a slow retrieve back to the boat with a couple of twitches mixed in. The same method can be employed with a 12g Nories spoon. Continue this technique until you start to feel a few taps on the plastic or spoon. When you feel a tap, it’s important to keep that slow wind going until you feel weight on the line. Slowly lift the rod tip until you feel the weight of the fish. At this point the fish will know it’s hooked and make some great runs back down into deeper water.

Keep your drag fairly loose so the hook doesn’t pull on the way back to the boat. Trollers have been picking up solid golden perch and bass in the arms of the dam as well as around the main lake points and edges by using deep-diving hard-bodies. Bait fishers have enjoyed consistent catches of yellowbelly, bass and eel-tailed catfish in the timbered arms. The best baits have been live shrimp, saltwater yabbies and worms jigged off the bottom. Red claw have just started to pick up around the rocky edges thanks to the consistent warm weather. Lake Barambah The fishing at Lake Barambah (Bjelke-Petersen Dam) has been spectacular, with lots of fish caught on everything from cast and trolled lures to jigged bait. The key is moving around to find the fish because they’ve been moving around considerably. I’ve found that the fish will be on one flat or bank one day then the next they will have moved a few hundred metres. This is not uncommon during the warmer months because the fish are active and moving around the dam following the bait they are feeding on. I always love fishing BP and like to start on the banks in the morning. I commonly cast lipless cranks and spinnerbaits to get an early reaction bite while fishing steep banks with a bit of rock or structure. ☛ continued P68

Mick Johnson with a cracker from the deep suspended fish around the dam wall.

A big healthy bass extracted from the suspended fish in deep water. Keeping the lure in the zone is the key to scoring fish like this one.

Brady Ellis landed a yellowbelly from the edge at BP.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017 – Page 67

Wind and weed can make Hinze Dam hard work

■ Look after your bait

USTRALIAN bass thrive in constant conditions and since we’ve experienced some change in weather patterns recently, success during the past month has been varied.

While not a regular catch, every now and then an angler will land an eel at Hinze Dam. During the BBC weekend, Wayne picked up this one that was longer than his son!

The other challenge to face anglers at Hinze Dam is the surface weed. If conditions are windy, the weed gets blown around. A number of barriers in the upper reaches stop the weed spreading into the main basin, but it builds up on these barriers, and because Hinze is an electric motor-only fishery, at

Solid bass reside in the far upper reaches of Hinze Dam.

The weed in the upper reaches can sometimes increase the degree of difficulty for fishing in the region, however, if the wind isn’t blowing, it allows anglers to sit on the edge of the weed line to target bass.

Freshwater Fishing by STEVE WILKES

times it can be quite difficult moving through the region. Two father and son groups fished the upper reaches of Hinze with Sports Tuition on consecutive weekends in the past month, and oh, what a difference a week can make. The first group to hit the water was the students in years 5 and 6 at Brisbane Boys’ College along with their dads. They focused on the timber structure in the dam and worked regions where the weed line congregated on the outside edge of the timber. This group kept enough fish for dinner and said dinner was all sorted after the first two hours on the water, so the kids employed catch and release tactics thereafter. The fish were literally jumping into the boats and the strike rate was excellent. We normally use live shrimp for our fishing programs, however, disaster struck with the last water change of the night for this group, and 90 percent of the live bait died. It was devastating. Live shrimp are fickle creatures, that’s for sure. And even though the centre where we were staying had tank water, it just didn’t agree with the shrimp. A painful lesson learnt; stick to the dam water. So the group mainly used fresh dead shrimp, but the fishing was so good it didn’t matter and everyone caught plenty of fish. Fast forward a week and the boys from year 4 at Churchie hit the water with their dads. They fished the same areas but conditions had changed. It was very hot and the wind was pushing the weed around the dam.

Weed congregated on the barriers across the dam and at some barriers it was 20m deep. The electrics struggled to push the boats through, which ultimately restricted the fishing area on offer. The good news for this group was all the shrimp were alive thanks to dam water being used for the water changes. If you have captured live shrimp, it is important to keep them well aerated and regularly change the water. And it’s best to remove any dead shrimp from the container as soon as possible. Even though the group had plenty of live shrimp, the fish were just not biting. The first day was nothing short of disastrous. Only six good fish were landed, with the best measuring 40cm. A few more were caught the following day, and a 42cm specimen was the catch of the day. Some nice fish but just not enough action for my liking. It was a good thing the

boys also got the opportunity to enjoy a canoe paddle with their dads as well as firing a few arrows on the archery range and taking on the challenge of the milk crate climb. Even though the fish didn’t co-operate on this

weekend, it was still an enjoyable weekend of father and son time. When conditions suddenly change, there is really nothing the angler can do about it. That’s fishing and there is always next time!

Bass always put up a great fight for young anglers. This bass was taken in the far upper reaches of Hinze Dam during the Churchie weekend.

Father and son fishing time for the Cruikshanks. This bass went straight under log structure in the water, but after releasing line pressure and having plenty of patience, it was eventually coaxed out of the snag.

The Sports Tuition boat fleet is powered by Minn Kota electric motors. The kids love catching bass like this one, and they also love the independence of driving their own boat.

Spring heat brings out the big fish ☛ from P67

Dean Thompson held a couple of very solid fish pulled from the deeper flats of BP.

Page 68 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

Another thing to keep an eye on is the sounder while you’re fishing a bank. It pays to make sure bait or fish are sporadically coming through. This obviously increases the chances of fish being caught on the bank you’re targeting. Later in the day, I move out to the flats and commonly target areas in the 4.5-6m range. The fish seem to relate well to this depth in BP and it pays to visit multiple areas in this range until you find a good school. Another thing to note is in summer in BP the fish like to sit high in the thermocline (or

comfortable water). If you’re on the water and this is the case, slow roll any smaller bait such as a blade through the suspended fish. It’s not uncommon to have a stunning session when the fish are sitting high in the water column. Trollers are having the same luck by trolling the edges of the dam and out in the 4.5-6m range with deep-diving hard-bodies. Many trollers won’t have to go far before hooking up with a fish or two. For those using bait, the fish are coming from most locations close to the bank on live shrimp, saltwater yabbies and worms fished hard on the bottom.

Red claw are also on the comeback as the water warms. Park news Make sure you book your campsite for the 2018 Boondooma Dam Yellowbelly Fishing Comp being held on February 10 and 11. Entry to the comp is just $20 for adults and $5 for juniors (16 years and under). There are live and dead weight divisions with prizes for bass, yellowbelly, silver and spangled perch. Thousands of dollars’ worth of prizes are up for grabs and food and drinks are available at the event. It’s one comp you don’t

want to miss. Call the Lake Boondooma kiosk to make a campsite booking on 07 4168 9694. Finally, don’t forget that this year’s New Year’s Eve party at Lake Boondooma is shaping up to be the biggest and best yet, so book a site now for this year’s fireworks spectacular. If you’d like to keep in regular contact with what’s happening on the dams, don’t forget to like the Yallakool Caravan Park on BP Dam and Lake Boondooma Caravan and Recreation Park Facebook pages. Until next time, tight lines and bent rods. www.bnbfishing.com. au

A number of the author’s priz ed timber hard-bodies.

Topwater lures are a great option for targeting freshwater natives.

Catching cod on Glenlyon Dam

F all the questions asked by anglers on arrival at Glenlyon Dam, where, what and how to catch the fish seem to be the big ones.

Where and how At Glenlyon, everyone needs to try the caves area at least once or twice. It is a good starting point and those who know the storage use lures and spinnerbaits here to good effect. Surface lures are always a good standby during the 5.30am fish feeding period. With these lures you need to be in close to the bank and casting right along the edge of the dam in the 1m shallows. Work the spinnerbaits at a fast pace and cast and retrieve mediumdiving cranks at walking pace. You don’t need a deepdiving lure. This is breeding time

Glenlyon Dam by BRIAN DARE

for birds, fish, insects and mice. Think along the lines of what is falling into the water to help with your selection of surface lure. As for action, think of how an insect or mouse would react after falling in the water. Shock at first, then a real sense that they have to get out of there quickly. So you need vibration, shake, shudder, wobble and anything to bring the fish out of the shallows, rock edges and logs. Even ripping spinnerbaits works. What So what do I use? Well, my selection is good for the rivers and the dam. Some have been flogged to death and are suffering

paint damage as you can see in the photos. The same goes with the surface lures. Either big or small, they all work. What about spinnerbaits? I put them on and they only last three minutes before I go back to wood – I can’t help myself. Over the years I have had more success with hard-bodies. You will be able to guess who makes some of the lures by looking at the photos. I just hope Debbie doesn’t see because some are collectables and could end up being lost forever, never to catch a fish again. I’ve been lucky enough to have a number of lure makers knock some up that

I have asked and paid for. I use them a lot on the rivers from December to June outside the closed season, so get first-hand knowledge of how they work in shallow water in the rivers. Heading back to the dam, I still get good results with these lures in 4.5-6m. Fish use trees, logs, weed and shadows for cover in the rivers and storages. The lure makers recognise this and most timber lures range between $17 and $25. For bigger and special custom-made lures you will pay more. Currently we’re seeing the cash cow chasers who flog off a lure maker’s lure for more than they paid for it. Then there are genuine lure collectors out there who will buy these custom lures with the intention for them to never be sold again, which is great. In the background is the lure maker thinking if they sell their lures on eBay for $40 then that’s extra cash for them.

Meanwhile, Joe Blow Dare who flogs water to froth with his lures made to catch fish is not in the game of playing ‘you want it, you pay for it’. Men and women who fish for sport and enjoyment will stop buying those lures and with that the reputation of the lure being a special species taker will cease, resulting in a lack of sales. If you don’t make the lures, there won’t be any sales for them at tackle shops and I’ll go back to plastic like I did years ago. DD22, Mann’s, Flatfish, Shakespeare Big S and the list goes on – these lures pull fish! Wood is special – don’t stuff it. The river is flowing now and Glenlyon Dam has filled slightly to 73 percent capacity at the time of writing. Cod and yellowbelly are on the chew in Glenlyon, Leslie, Crestbrook, Cooby, Pindari, Coolmunda, Copeton, Maroon and Moogerah dams. It’s looking like good fishing before Christmas.

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Murray cod back on the cards W

ITH the Murray cod closed season finished for another year as of December 1, the catching season will return in earnest.

During the three-month shut-down, two months had very little rainfall to contribute to cod movement. I doubt much breeding

Fresh Water by NOAL KUHL

took place due to lack of water flow, as migration patterns are restricted when creeks and rivers become isolated pools. October gave the cod

At the end of a day’s fishing, a good steak served with chips around a campfire can’t be beaten.

a good chance to make up for lost time as widespread rainfall softened the parched landscape across the Darling Downs and western river country. Minor creek and river rises connected dying pools and would have allowed migration. Radio-tracked cod have enabled great data collection of cod movements, especially from the major rivers. During spawning season, cod instinctively moved when river rises were noted. Some cod travelled over 300km upstream looking for a potential mate. After the fun was over,

Warren and Brett searched for cod country and successfully fished with yabbies in hard rocky country prior to the closed season.

most cod returned to the same hole they started from, though one found a new home that was too inviting and set up a permanent camp in another river. What is amazing is the speed at which some cod travelled to get home after spawning, with the fish travelling up to 30km a day! To show how far this is, a drover on a horse musters an average of 20km a day (which is why established human settlements are roughly this far apart when dotted along the waterways). With the Downs waterways under riparian rehabilitation work, an increasing number of cod homes and spawning grounds are available, which has seen a significant rise in cod numbers at these locations. Most cod being caught are hovering around the 50cm mark and already making an impact on reducing carp numbers. Data gathered has found that carp recruitment has reduced to zero, especially in the upper Downs waterways. Mature specimens of the pesky fish are still there, though their days are numbered when the cod get bigger. Setting up to catch cod is simple. You need a main line of only reasonable strength, with 10kg line able to handle decent-sized specimens, while quality reels and drag systems can handle the rest. Locally gathered baits

are always the best choices, so having yabby pots set out for a soak will improve your odds. A lot of yellowbelly rod setups can handle the odd surprise of a quality cod on the end, and part of the fun of fishing is encountering the unexpected. I pass on my best Christmas wishes to our BNB readers and hope the fish bite well for you over the festive season.

Warren Bradford with a quality cod taken in August from a spot where copious submerged timber and steady flowing water increased the chances for success.

A good day on the riverbank starts with a location that is appealing to the angler and looks like it can hold cod.

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My son Sam caught this cracking creek bass in the South Burnett from a kayak. Greame Moseling www.bnbfishing.com. au

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Donna Ramage caught this queenie while trolling the reef.

Queenfish in the NT

UEENFISH are a pelagic species and when hooked up are speedy fighters.

They have power, agility, are aerial acrobats and rated highly as a target species by many anglers. Queenies can regularly be found on the edges of rocky headlands, shallow reefs and in estuaries around snags, typically hunting the baitfish that inhabit these structures. While on holiday in the Northern Territory, we have had success trolling medium-sized lures along the rocky ledges and casting poppers and stickbaits around headlands as the tide starts to run out. The baitfish are hesitant to leave the cover of the rocks and the queenies will cruise around the shallows hunting them. We’ve found 140160mm, 2m-diving lures will raise the larger fish off the reefs. When you spot garfish and other baitfish on the surface, you can be assured queenies are not too far away. Deeper channels in the estuary systems and holes around snags are worth a troll or flick. Once a fish is hooked, a second queenfish will often follow it to the boat, giving a second angler on board a chance to cast and

Fishing Trip by MELISSA FROHLOFF

achieve a double hook-up. You will have a ball chasing them on light tackle. I recommend using a minimum of 30lb leader if you don’t want to lose any lures because queenies have a habit of finding the rocks or snags covered in barnacles and cutting you off. You will also need at least 150m of line on your spool because queenies like to take long and powerful runs. I give queenfish a fourstar rating when talking about eating quality. Taking care of your fish after capture will make a

huge difference. Immediately after landing, queenies should be brain spiked, bled and placed in an ice slurry. Queenfish present nicely in several dishes and their firm white flesh makes for a tasty Asian curry. They are also good fish to smoke and are popular for making numus (pickled fish). Locally known in the Northern Territory as skinny fish, queenies are baked in the coals as a traditional delicacy. Finally, I’d like to wish all readers a very merry Christmas and enjoyable festive season.

The author landed this queenfish on a Halco RMG Scorpion.

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Page 72 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2017

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