BNB Fishing mag | December 2021 by bnbfishing

Festive fishing fun

450

Includes GST

December 2021

Land-based prawning

Print Post Approved PP100001534 Volume 32, Number 12

Coral trout on the flats Methods for mackerel Moreton Bay summer options Layman’s guide to lithium batteries ISSN 1832-4517

9 771832 451001

Estuary • Offshore • Freshwater • 4WD • Camping • Touring

07 3390 4877 | info@cruisecraft.com.au Page 2 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 3

Gamakatsu are at the forefront of hook development continually growing

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When using this hook anglers do not strike on the bite, rather the fish is allowed to run with the bait and as the line comes tight the hook will roll into the corner of the fish’s mouth. Sizes: 6, 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0, 6/0,7/0, 8/0

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GENERAL HOOKS

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A high strength hook with a short shank for superior hook-up rates. This is a great hook to use for tough and toothy fish from mangrove jacks to yellowfin tuna.

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Baitholder (Black BHB, Bronze BH) Inline Octopus Circle (IOCS) Gamakatsu’s Circle Inline Point Octopus Hook is the same design as the Octopus Circle, but without the offset. Sizes: 6, 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0, 6/0,7/0, 8/0 Available in pre packs and 25 packs

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Inline Big Bait Circle (IBBC) Gamakatsu’s Inline Big Bait Circle hook has the exactly the same design as the Big Bait Circle, but without the offset point. Sizes: 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0, 6/0, 7/0, 8/0, 9/0, 10/0 Available in pre packs and 25 packs

An Australian freshwater standard, but also incredibly popular in saltwater for bream and as a general all-round estuary hook. Bronze sizes: 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0. Black sizes: 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0. Available in pre packs and 25 packs.

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HEAVY DUTY CIRCLE HOOKS Nautilus Circle Light (NCL) A 3x wire hook that was developed for fishing live baits, the Nautilus Light is an ideal hook that’s long on strength. Produced from forged high carbon steel, the Nautilus Light features a straight eye and offset point for superior performance. (NB: sizes are approx. 2 sizes smaller than standard hooks) Sizes: 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0, 6/0, 7/0, 8/0, Black. Available in pre packs

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Offset Point

Page 4 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

Straight Eye

Inline Point

A heavy duty hook with an excellent straight point and shank length greatly favoured in southern states for surf fishing for salmon and tailor.

Red Sizes: 6, 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0. Black Sizes: 6, 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0. Available in pre packs and 25 packs.

Sizes: 8, 6, 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0, 6/0, 7/0, 8/0, 9/0, 10/0, Black. Available in pre packs and 25 packs.

Straight Eye Straight Eye

SPECIALTY HOOKS

Ideal for presenting a prawn-like shape this is a great hook to use for whole unpeeled prawns. Also great for pipis and King George whiting. Sizes: 6, 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0, Black. Available in pre packs and 25 packs.

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Gangster (GS) A top quality ultra-chemically sharpened gang hook. Featuring a turned down eye and offset point this is a great hook for ganging pilchards, squid and any other cut baits for tailor, flathead, and snapper. Sizes: 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0, Black. Available in pre packs and 50 boxes.

Inline Point

An estuary standard that no fisherman should be without. Very popular for a wide range of estuary species Red Sizes: 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0. Black Sizes: 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0. Available in pre packs and 25 packs.

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O’Shaughnessy (OS)

Shiner (SH)

This is a heavier gauge circle hook for bigger fish but with a straight shank. It is a great hook to use for all large cut baits in both ‘floater’ and deepwater paternoster rigs, or with live baits. It can be slow trolled with live bait for sailfish/ small marlin.

This hook will never let you down. It’s built tough and strong to handle whatever you throw at. Great for XOS yellowfin, marlin, broadbill, and sharks.

This ultra fine gauge hook allows for the most delicate of bait presentations due to its light weight and allows baits to sink very slowly and naturally.

Inline Point

Big Bait Circle (BBC)

Live Bait Heavy Duty (LB)

Worm (Red WM, Black WMB)

Barbed Shank Straight Eye

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Turned Eye

Open Eye

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Gangster Straight Eye (GSE) This hook has the same properties as the Gangster but with a straight eye. For use with just about any cut bait requiring larger ganging hooks. Sizes: 3/0, 4/0, 5/0, 6/0, Black. Available in pre packs and 50 boxes.

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Siwash (SI) This is a great saltwater fly hook and general purpose straight hook with big eye. Featuring a round bend and resulting wide, perfect for bigger fish such as tuna that are eating small baitfish. Sizes: 8, 6, 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0, 6/0, 7/0, 8/0 Nickel. Available in pre packs.

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From the Bush ‘n Beach Fishing editor

S we send this year off with a bang, it will be good to finally close the door on what has been a crazy 12 months. Than k fully, in Queensland we have been in something of a bubble in terms of COVID. Though we have been impacted in other ways – with massive wait times for boats and gear. Conversely, it is great to see local manufacturers busy and hopefully this not only continues but grows, as the more products we can make and supply in Australia will lessen our reliance on product from other countries. With extremely high shipping prices at present, it might be time to reassess the manufacturing sector and work out what can be done on Australian shores. It might even get to the point where it is no longer viable to import certain items – so we need to be prepared, otherwise prices will rise sharply. That said, I think the cost of goods has been going north for a while now – you just need to look at house and car prices for confirmation of this. If you are fortunate to have either a boat, caravan or fourwheel-drive already, these are not issues you will need to worry about. Instead you can sit back and enjoy your assets, which will have increased in value. www.bnbfishing.com.au

However, I believe we need to be aware that when the overseas’ borders open again, all the money that was being spent domestically may move offshore, and as a result there may be an oversupply of locally made products. Either way, now is the perfect time to enjoy what we have here. I was fortunate to get away for a four-week adventure in July, which has reignited the travel bug, and the family is now talking about heading off again next year for an even bigger adventure. While not a unique idea by any means, getting the timing right with school and work is important. And the one positive thing COVID has taught us is that you can work from basically anywhere – if you have access to the internet. Trip planning is underway, though a final call hasn’t been made just yet, however if we do decide to go, I’ll put a few articles together on our set up and our travels. Before that happens, I have a very busy six to eight months ahead, including fishing a little more and brewing a few new projects that will hopefully come to fruition early next year… stay tuned. Fishing reforms This year has also seen the development of a user-friendly management strategy evaluation framework for Queensland’s

rocky reef fishery, which will be released shortly. The two main fish of concern are snapper and pearl perch, currently considered as depleted in Queensland. Previous stock assessments have also indicated that the spawning biomasses of both fish are unsustainable and significant management intervention is required. Reading between the lines, this is likely to mean an increase in minimum size limit, which will enable the fish to spawn more before capture. It is also possible that a longer closure may be implemented to assist the fish to return to a more sustainable biomass level. These changes will impact both recreational and commercial anglers and the industry in general, but as I have said before there may need to be some short-term pain for long-term gain. If these reforms do come into effect, it might be a great time to push for more artificial reefs, fish aggregating devices and structure. I sound like a broken record asking for this, and it is not rocket science – more structure will hold more fish, which will help raise the biomass levels – and that’s what the goal is. Hopefully the Rocky Reef Working Group will also be pushing for more reefs as part of the management of the fishery.

Christmas The team at BNB HQ would like to thank all our readers, advertisers and contributors for their ongoing support over the year and wish everyone a very merry Christmas.

Fingers crossed we all get a bit of time off over the Christmas holidays to enjoy some rest and relaxation on the water. Stay safe and please be patient, as it’s going to be busy out there! Ben Collins

OUR COVER

SEAN jagged this crock while fishing the flats. Picture by Sean Conlon. You can read his article about targeting these fish on page 18.

NEXT EDITION: January edition will be on sale in newsagents from December 23. DECEMBER SUBSCRIPTION PRIZE: See the subscription form on Page 97 to go in the draw to win one of five Okuma Avenger 3000 spinning reel and BNB cap packs valued at $85 each. OCTOBER PRIZE WINNER: Congratulations to A Hoogendoorn, Currumbin Waters who has won a Wilson Blade n Tails RLFBT18 rod and ATC Virtuous 3000 reel combo valued at $498 recommended retail price.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 5

December 2021 contents Hot summer action in Moreton Bay. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Brian Webb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P8 Tips for targeting prawns on foot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Sean Thompson . . . . . . . . . . . . P12 Christmas options for Moreton Bay anglers. . . . . . . . . . . . by Mark Templeton . . . . . . . . . . . . P14 Tips for getting kids onto a fish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Sean Conlon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P17 Fine-tuning your flats fishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Sean Conlon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P18 All set for summer on the Gold Coast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Ben Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P21 Winter whiting in summer on beautiful Broadwater. . . . . by Clint Ansell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P24 Rethinking years of experience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Gavin Dobson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P28 Recipe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Melissa Frohloff . . . . . . . . . . . . P30 Top locations for Ballina’s best fishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Brett Hyde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P31 Double duck for Tye as Mischa puts runs on board. . . . . by Tye Porter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P34 Chasing coral trout on shallow flats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Zac Panaretos . . . . . . . . . . . . . P38 Mix of methods for mackerel – summer options. . . . . . . . by Grant Budd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P44 Top Christmas gift ideas ��P48 Offshore predictions – crabbing tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Craig Tomkinson . . . . . . . . . . . . P52 From small boats come big advantages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Paul ‘Chief’ Graveson . . . . . . . P53 TCBT team bagging quality fish. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Chris Rippon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P54 Tide Times ��P56 When will the wind wane?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Tri Ton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P57 Top 10 tips for rigging and fishing weedless plastics. . . . by Justin Willmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P60 Product News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P64 Charter Directory ��P66 Layman’s guide to lithium batteries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Mick Clutterbuck . . . . . . . . . . . P68 Telwater and Mercury ultimate turnkey packages ��P70 Insights into boat insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P71 Fitzroy River Barra Bash. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Keith Stratford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P72 Records smashed at Fitzroy River Barra Bash. . . . . . . . . . by John Boon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P74 Woodgate Beach Hotel Fishing Classic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P76 Last 1000 Prawnstars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P76 Push up river to the fresh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Brett Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P77 Cape winding down for wet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Dave Donald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P78 Upgrade your fishing and camping gear ��P80 Double Hammock 2.0 from Outdoors Warehouse ��P80 Mini QLD lap – Porcupine Gorge and Mt Surprise. . . . . . . by Ben Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P82 Exploring Inskip Point and surrounds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Craig Tomkinson . . . . . . . . . . . . P84 Lake Coolmunda Caravan Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Ben Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P86 The underrated sooty grunter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By ‘Billabong’ Bazz Lyon . . . . . . . P88 Bassin’ with blade baits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Justin Willmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P89 Wyaralong Dorado. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Neil Schultz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P92 Fishing events targeting carp and tilapia ��P93 Fish restocking time – solid silver perch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Brian Dare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P94 Mary River cod update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P95 Trading Post ��P96 Subscription Form ��P97 Readers’ Forum ��P98 Page 6 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

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14 Like us on Facebook (Bush ’n Beach Fishing Magazine), post your photos, share in the laughs and win prizes!

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Subscribe to the FREE BNB e-news on our website to receive email updates packed with the latest fishing news and important information.

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

The Team

EDITOR: Ben Collins ADVERTISING: Tiffany Brown PRODUCTION: Adrian Cardaci and Lisa Jones

Bush ‘n Beach Fishing magazine is published monthly by Collins Media Pty Ltd ABN 43 159 051 500 ACN 159 051 500 trading as Collins Media. Phone 07 3286 1833 Email: ben@collins.media PO Box 162, Wynnum, Qld 4178 PRINTER: Spotpress DISTRIBUTION BY: Ovato CORRESPONDENTS: Editorial contributions are welcome, as is news from clubs, associations or individuals; and new product news from manufacturers. Entire contents copyright. Nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. It is the responsibility of advertisers and contributors to ensure the correctness of their claims and statements. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 7

Try these crabs for bream and tuskfish.

Reg Willis captured a monster blackspot tuskfish.

Hot summer action in Moreton Bay

Wayne Mee with a northern bay snapper.

Plenty of mack tuna are around. Page 8 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

ITH the temperature heating up, large schools of whitebait and hardihead start moving into the bay. Pelagics chasing baitfish follow, longtail and spotted tuna will appear towards the end of December, while doggy mackerel quantities will increase too. Other species such as sweetlip and tuskfish turn up on hot humid days particularly, while some of the beacons towards to the top of Moreton start producing kingfish and the occasional cobia. Sharks make their presence known and so do grinner, which are worth keeping as snapper don’t mind a good fillet of grinner. Snapper numbers do decrease but there are still plenty around the bay islands and artificial reefs especially in

Moreton Bay by BRIAN WEBB

the 40-60cm sizes, and the best times to target them are early morning and late afternoon into the evening, especially on tide changes. Most of the artificial reef GPS marks can be found on the Fisheries Queensland website and it’s not a bad idea to search around these reefs with isolated structure. The Scarborough reef system and the river will also start producing good numbers of snapper. The river is generating plenty of threadfin and the occasional jewfish, with live bait being found around the small bay near Luggage Point and Boggy Creek, plus the mouth of both the Bulimba and Norman creeks.

Prawns are also on the increase with the better places to find them being the Colmslie boat ramp and Boggy Creek. Snapper are best fished along the dropoffs out from the container terminal and around Clara Rock, with plastics doing the most damage. The Bulimba rock wall is producing the occasional cod and is a good area to target bream – though don’t be surprised if you find mack tuna at the mouth of the river chasing bait schools entering the river. Bream are another option in the river with the rock wall at the mouth of Boggy Creek producing quality fish.

* continued P9

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Hot summer action in Moreton Bay * from P8

But most who fish the river are mainly targeting threadies, which can be found all the way up to the mouth of Breakfast Creek. If fishing the river at night, many of the lit areas along the river will produce threadfin and jew and fishing the edges of these areas is the better option. Good quality bream are found in the Pine and Caboolture rivers and around the bridge pylons that cross these two river systems. Quality snapper are also being caught around the Scarborough reef system, and the pylons around Dunwich and the rock wall at Amity are also producing bream. Grass sweetlip and

tuskies are showing up in good numbers around the fringe reef systems in the southern bay islands, with Green Island and the Wellington Point dropoffs generating better catches, but I find fishing the coffee rock outcrops around the top of the shipping channel off the top of Moreton yield more grassies than the southern bay islands. For tuskies, you’ll find using crabs are a better option and some of the plastic models on the market now are catching the occasional tuskfish – rock crabs or ghost crabs are worth a try. The weed beds around the mouth of the Rous Channel and Fishermans Gutter are

holding good numbers of squid, along with the eastern side of Green Island, and fishing a few of the rock walls around the marinas may hold squid. Plenty of sand crabs are around – from the Pearl Channel across to Cockle Banks, down to the Measured Mile and across to Mud Island, and now is a good time to target a few mud crabs with all the freshwater driving them out of cover. Flathead can be caught from the flats out from Wynnum, the west side of Green and King islands and the southern end of the boat passage, and north around the Hayes Inlet, the Caboolture and Pine rivers and

* continued P10

Shaun Peasley’s venus tuskfish from the Rainbow Channel.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 9

Hot summer action in Moreton Bay * from P9

Keir James Houghton and his trio of doggy mackerel.

Kane Donovan scored this longtail tuna.

Burpengary Creek are other areas to try. This is also the best time of year to start targeting pelagics, with schools of longtail tuna entering the bay, and the best places to start searching for them are the main channels that feed the bay – such as the Rainbow and Rous channels. Also look at the shipping channel down the side of Moreton and the Pearl Channel – once they enter the paddock, search around the drop-offs such as Amity Banks and the Moreton Island Sandhills, or the western side of Peel Island and the 10m drop-offs along Mud Island using a paravane. Remember though, the green zone stretches from the Sandhills down to the mouth of the Rous Channel. Another tip is to search for birds. These can lead you to

Michael Truong with a river threadfin. Page 10 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

schools of tuna or doggy mackerel, and hopefully by the end of December the first school of spotted mackerel should turn up – remembering that tuna are the only pelagic species that breach the surface when feeding. A good thing to look for is at what height birds are circling, as the higher they are the deeper the bait. But when the bait hits the surface is the time to actually target them, as the birds will start diving to feed on the bait being pushed up by feeding pelagics underneath – occasionally you’ll find birds feeding with no pelagics below. Reels need to be in the high retrieve range – the reason I keep a Shimano TSS4 on board – usually spooled with 30lb braid and 40kg leader on a 7’ rod with a whippy tip and using metal Lazer Lures or Halco lures. The Shimano TSS4 may be getting long in the tooth but it is still one of the best high-speed spin reels around. Also keep a range of lures onboard because tuna tend to attack smaller chrome lures around the 30g range than the 50-60g used for mackerel. For longtail, I prefer to troll the edge of the channels with a whole pilly or live bait, even large plastics in natural colours in the 5-6” range, and again use a paravane or downrigger to help get the bait down deeper. One thing about mackerel is that their feed and travel routine can usually be worked

out, so position your boat ahead of the school and you stand a better chance. Four of the best areas I find are the top of the Pearl Channel down to the Measured Mile, towards Mud Island from the Measured Mile across to the four beacons towards the Sandhills, or from Mud across to the Sandhills, and the last area are the Rainbow and Rous channels – all of these areas are the main route pelagics use to enter the bay. The only problem with pelagics is that they can turn up anywhere, especially along the edges of sand banks where the bait is herded, using the drop as a wall. Doggies will use the beacon as a feeding area especially on both a run-in and run-out tide when the current is at its strongest, the bait use the eddies formed near the beacons and spotties usually travel the bay particularly around the paddock. The only thing to watch for during summer is the northeasterly wind, which usually starts around midday. If you’ve been fishing in close around Moreton or Peel islands or the Rainbow Channel and you have to travel across the paddock to the ramp you launched from, the northeasterly can give you a surprise, and it doesn’t take much to turn the paddock into a washing machine. Don’t forget to log onto the Volunteer Marine Rescue location nearest your launching area, as too many have gone missing this year.

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USED BOATS Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 11

Tips for targeting prawns on foot T All you need to make a do-it-yourself headlamp.

All the gear you need for prawning on foot.

Page 12 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

HE banana prawn season and ‘craze’ is well known and seems to attract bigger and bigger crowds each year. And for good reason! Catching banana prawns with cast nets in among the, for the most part, friendly and jovial mosh pits is not only a lot of fun but very addictive and means you can take home a couple of nice feeds from your session. Banana prawns are caught mostly from boats but there are a few locations in southeast Queensland, the Wide Bay and further north where you can catch them on foot. These include jetties, boat ramps and even the surf as my brother Ron has done a few times in Yeppoon. The change of tide is a good time to avoid strong currents and run for such locations and it’s also a productive time when the prawns emerge and are more active. But the focus of this article isn’t on bananas – it’s on tiger and bay prawns, which I have targeted for nearly 15 years on and off, along the Moreton Bay foreshore in particular. Weather and water conditions As I touched on last month, the past two to three summers have sadly been poor conditions in which to chase these prawns. Consistent strong northerly wind has blown in weed and algae, which lead to a build-up

Fishing Tips

by SEAN THOMPSON

of blue green algae along the foreshores I target on foot. But ever hopeful, fingers are crossed for a return to conditions of seasons past, which will see these prawns move back into the shallows and with them the odd mud crab or three, which are also a target at night on foot. For those who haven’t read my land-based prawning articles from previous years, chasing prawns on foot is different to the traditional method used further south in NSW. In the NSW estuaries, prawners use underwater lights and scoop nets or drag nets – which are legal in NSW – and target prawns near the entrance to estuaries on a run-out tide on new moon nights. Moreton Bay shallows However, what is less well known is that landbased prawners can also catch bay and tiger prawns on foot in the shallows of Moreton Bay. These prawns can be located in very shallow water, often less than 60cm deep at low tide at night around areas of mud, sand and ribbon weed. At high tide, the prawns are a much more difficult target. This is because the water is too deep to access them, particularly in areas surrounded by rock walls. The prawns also move

around much more in the deeper water, rather than sitting stationary on the bottom around low tide. Therefore, the best time to target them is two hours before to two hours after low tide. This is in accordance with the tide rule of twelfths, where you get only 1/12 and 2/12 respectively of tide movement in these hours – search online for more information on this. The best tide in summer is a low tide around 7-9.30pm, or later if you are a night owl. The other good news is that access to these prawns is not dependant on a new moon. So rather than only being able to chase them a few nights either side of a new moon once a month, as for the NSW estuaries, the right tide comes around every second week for a few nights. Apart from tide, the other key influence on prawn numbers is weather. The best conditions to bring them in to the shallows and spot their red beady eyes is a hot still day and a calm night. The less wind chop and the clearer the water, the further away you can spot them. You want to be looking for wind less than 10 knots for clearer water and also less ripples on the water. * continued P13

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Tips for targeting prawns on foot * from P12

Before you head out, check reliable on-water based forecasts for the latest localised wind readings. Equipment As the tiger and bay prawns in the Moreton Bay shallows are quite spread out, underwater lights used in the NSW estuaries are less effective here. Rather a do-it-yourself headlamp is a better option. The light from the headlamp is what is used to spot the red eyes of the prawns at night. I use a 7w LED – or 50w in the old halogen wattage scale – lamp on my cap connected by a switch and a 12V 9amp battery in my backpack.

This is very effective and much brighter than even the best headlamp on the market. Be aware that the prawns can be scattered, so you may need to walk several hundred metres a night. You will occasionally find small aggregations of them in areas but still not enough to throw a cast net. Even if you did throw a cast net, this would only spook the other prawns nearby and make them flee from the shallows. I also carry two prawning scoop nets and a cooler bag over my shoulder to transfer the prawns after I have a few in the bottom of the nets. The key with this

method of prawning is using the two nets in tandem to maximise your success rate. That is, holding the nets parallel to the prawn and snapping them together quickly. Note that both the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service – responsible for the Moreton Bay Marine Park – confirmed it is legal to use two scoop nets. The nets need to be in your control – not staked – and their size must conform to the current regulations. Word of caution It is also worth adding a few words of caution. Prawning at night on

foot in Moreton Bay is not for everyone. You need to trudge across squishy mud flats to get them in many places. It is also very dark, and you do see and hear a lot of things that bump into your legs and splash at night. You will see stingrays, crabs and a range of other ooglies at night. Thick sole reef shoes are a must for protection. Be aware too that you are in open water in the dark at night. While I have only ever spotted the odd small shark in the shallows where I prawn, I have no intention of chasing prawns out too much deeper than thigh high

to find out if more sharks are lurking deeper! While you may not get as many as cast netting banana prawns in a boat, I do enjoy the solitude of this style of prawning. It is a great challenge, you are under the stars on foot away from the crowds, you can catch the odd mud crab or three as a bonus, the kids love it and it is great exercise! So good luck if you give prawning a go this month. For more tips, advice and giveaways, check out my Facebook, YouTube and Instagram pages, Ontour Fishing Australia. Until next month, bag your friends – not your limit!

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 13

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Christmas options for Moreton Bay anglers

HAT a huge month we have ahead… the arrival of the jolly man in the red suit, the children at home on school holidays and everyone getting ready for the big day of heat, presents and the traditional food coma! But come Christmas, we look forward to getting the crab pots out and scoring our fill of sand and mud crabs to garnish the festive day feast. Around the Shorncliffe Pier, Scarborough, Nudgee and Pumicestone will be several of the places to start hunting for a great feed of sandies. As always, keep an eye on your pots and brush up on the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland regulations. If you are going to be chasing a feed of fresh prawns, support the local trawler guys and grab 1kg or three of the sweetest best cooked prawns in Queensland

Northern Moreton Bay by MARK TEMPLETON

– that will be money well spent! Mia has been getting into her fishing a whole lot more over the past few months and I think she is going to be a keen angler from here on in. In fact, mum and dad are going to have a bit of competition now during the ‘family competition’, which is called ‘an outing’ if mum loses. Well done Mia, I am looking forward to your next adventure and hearing about all the fish you have caught. Asher managed to get out for a flick after putting in some hard yards at work and it worked out well. Asher landed this cracker flathead and I think the smile on his face tells the story. These fish are so much fun, and the

smaller ones can be relatively easy to catch for the kids. No special gear is needed, and they can be taken on bait, plastics or lures. If you are not sure on how to tackle them, drop in and we’ll run you through a few different methods to find one that suits you. If you are looking to take the kids fishing over the Christmas holidays and they need a new rod and reel, consider an Alvey combo. They are great for kids to learn on, they are very reliable and will handle almost anything they throw at them! If an Alvey is not your thing, we have a few different child-friendly combos available that will get you out there creating memories. On the whiting scene, there have been reports * continued P16

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Page 16 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

of cracker whiting being caught throughout the Moreton Bay area. Nudgee Beach, Brighton, Bribie Island Red Beach and the Pine River have been providing some great catches on bloodworms, prawns and the humble beachworm. Whiting are an awesome fish to target with kids – a Longshank size 6 Hook, a small sinker, a bit of pink tubing and when baited, get it out there. This is a great time to teach children to cast because whiting can be caught a few feet out from where you are standing. While enjoying the break, be mindful around beaches and creeks because it’s the time of year when bluebottles are being washed up or are still floating around in the water. Now, are you stuck for

Christmas gift ideas? We have a couple of stocking fillers for you to consider – firstly the new release Toadfish range of tumblers, oyster shuckers, folding cutting boards and prawn peelers are out and on the shelves. Nomad have released a few new lures over the past month or so and they are an affordable gift for the dad who has everything. The Shed has an everchanging range of gear that would make your mind boggle! It is the place where an hour is not enough! When you visit the Shed, take the time and check out the stonefish, lionfish, blue-ringed octopus and all their friends. A great way to view and teach young ones what not to touch in the Moreton Bay area. Want something unique? Well at Tackle Land

only, you can get that special someone their very own purple Alvey Surf 60GT reel! The best reel to have when you hit Bribie or Fraser islands or the open road when travelling Australia! The Okuma LRF range of rods are well worth a look at too – I have been testing out the 702 model and it has been producing well above what I expected. Having the integrated solid tip gives you that extra edge when you’re doing battle in close quarters! We will be trading seven days a week through Christmas, including Christmas Day at this stage. Keep an eye on the Tackle Land Facebook page for trading hours closer to Christmas. Be safe out there and enjoy your break. Tackle Land – maintaining the passion.

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Tips for getting kids onto a fish W ELL, this year is quickly coming to

an end. Christmas is here, children are on holidays and the New Year is just around the corner. This means a bit of increased activity out on the water and also at our local boat ramps. All I can say is please have a little patience and if you see someone who may need a hand, perhaps helping them out is a better way to handle the situation than getting upset with the person. I see it happen every year, so try to have a cool head and enjoy your day out on the water. If you’re heading out with the family over the holidays and are trying

to get a few fish, plenty are around the bay islands – even if most are undersize, I find the kids don’t mind too much as long as they’re catching fish. One of the techniques doing well for kids trying to catch fish is finding yourself a bit of local reef and getting a good berley trial going. I have a tendency to use bread and tuna oil, and cans of cat food work well too. So, get a good berley trial going and then get yourself some nice fresh bait from your local tackle shop. This could be squid, prawns, pilchard, or mullet fillet is always a good option because it stays on the hook longer. Feed the bait out into

the berley trail and I’m sure you’ll catch plenty of fish for a bit of fun for the kids, and you never know, you might get that big one to take home for dinner. Though if you want to let the fish go, get a photo and release it to fight another day – this is probably one of the easiest ways to keep the kids occupied. And why not pack a nice lunch and maybe head over to a destination on the high tide, such as Bleakley’s, Peel or Coochiemudlo island. Have a bit of a swim, a feed and let the kids stretch their legs – happy days. It’s a great day out on the water but remember – it is summer, so please check the forecast, keep

your eye on the weather and look out for those afternoon storms. I see so many people getting caught out when nowadays we have the technology on our phones to track everything. So, please watch the conditions and if it’s not looking good, keep in mind that your boat doesn’t move that quickly – most of us are travelling around on the water at only 40km an hour – so give yourself plenty of time to get back to the ramp in the afternoon. I’ve also seen lots of new boats getting around, so if you want to know anything about our local fishing or the waterways and get some good fresh bait too, visit Scott at Bay-

side Bait and Tackle. For the right setups for rods, reels and hooks for the kids and for this type of fishing, he’s the right person to talk to. He also has the knowledge and setups for lures and high-end tackle for experienced anglers. You can’t get better than speaking with Scott at Bayside Bait and Tackle – he will help you out with everything. And if you need a rundown on the best areas to fish as well as the best local boat ramps to use in certain types of winds and different conditions, visit Scott at Victoria Point and he will help you out with all the information you’ll need. Sean Conlon

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 17

A southern Moreton Bay flathead caught casting soft plastics on the flats at low tide in the morning.

A nice little giant trevally caught while fishing a high tide around lunchtime.

Fine-tuning your flats fishing N ow if you’re getting a little more serious about fishing over the Christmas period, I enjoy a lot of flats fishing for flathead, trevally, bream and the occasional squire.

Southern Moreton Bay by SEAN CONLON

Take into account the water temperature – it’s heating up fast, so as Christmas rolls around

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Page 18 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

that water will become quite warm and this changes the way fish behave, particularly on the flats. They change their behaviour at certain times and phases of the tide, and you need to be aware of that. One of the things I’ve noticed is that the fish down in the southern bay seem to prefer the water temperature between 17-25C. Once it gets above or below that, their behaviour changes a little. This year it’s been more apparent, as I found in winter the water temperature was around 15.1-15.5C for a few months – taking into account this is surface temperature, so it seems to make more of a difference in shallow water – so I found

many of the species to be rather lethargic. I had to change my techniques and basically slow everything down. Now, we’ve had a very quick rise in water temperature. We are up to nearly 27C and that’s increasing, so fish on a high tide on the flats are now altering their behaviour because it’s getting too warm for them and I will modify my fishing techniques

with the change in temperature. The thing I’m adjusting in my technique and getting results from is only fishing high tide around the mangrove line when that high tide is no later 7-8am – maybe 9am at the latest, that’s when the tide tops out. Though if there’s a little early-morning cloud cover or the conditions are overcast, this will help extend * continued P20

Rebecca caught this nice southern bay squire in the middle of the day trolling a Zerek Ripper Diver in 8m of water. www.bnbfishing.com. au

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 19

Fine-tuning your flats fishing * from P18

This southern bay squire was caught casting soft plastics in 8m of water in the middle of the day.

The author picked up this flathead casting soft plastics in 6-8m of water on hard rubble ground.

the bite time a little. I will not fish a high tide that tops out around lunchtime as I find the water temperature is too hot and the fish are not moving up onto the banks to feed. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll pick up the odd one and maybe the occasional trevally, but on the whole, it’s quite tough fishing in that situation. The other thing that happens with the big high 2.6m tides in summer is a lot of the bait push into the mangroves and if there are any predators there, they seem to push into the mangroves too – obviously we can’t fish there, it just doesn’t work. If there’s a low tide early in the morning – happy days! They work perfectly – the water temperature is good, and the fish move out of the deep and to the edge of the flats to feed. If there is a low tide

Trevally are always great fun on light gear. Page 20 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

in the middle of the day around lunchtime, I’m quite happy to fish along the edge of the flats as the water drains off because the fish will start to push up as the bait comes out. They will have a bit of a feed and then when they’re done, they basically turn around and sit out in deeper water where it’s slightly cooler. So, a quick recap… Try to fish a high tide or low tide early in the morning and a low tide at lunchtime. A high tide around the mangrove line in the middle of the day as the water heats up in summer will definitely make fishing the flats tougher. I have a tendency to look for fish in deeper 6-8m water on a high tide in the middle of the day simply because the water temperature doesn’t fluctuate as much, and those fish are quite happy being there and feeding on broken rubble grounds

and whatever else they can get. These are only my techniques – though they have evolved from spending plenty of time on the water and noticing subtle changes. The common denominator as to why the flats get harder to fish in the heat is the reading on the little water temperature gauge on my Lowrance. As we all know with our jobs and our lives we are time poor, so if you can learn more to optimise your time on the water, remember knowledge is the key. Until next month, stay safe on the water and if you’re interested in any of our off the water tuition classes or on the water tuition classes, or you just want to do a fishing charter, give me a call on 0432 386 307 or send me an email at seancon lonsfishing@hotmail. com or check out the Facebook page Seano’s Inshore Fishing Charters & Tuition.

Simon with a flathead caught early in the morning casting soft plastics on a high tide around the mangrove line. www.bnbfishing.com. au

All set for summer on the Gold Coast T HE past month has been interesting, challenging and a lot of fun. The fishing has been absolutely terrific, but the weather has been on and off. The early season thunderstorms created a few testing times on the water. The large downpours of rain have been good though, pushing the bait fish out into deeper channels creating some awesome opportunities around river mouths and bar entrances. This month, if you're considering the Gold Coast Broadwater or

Gold Coast

by BEN SMITH

Seaway areas, I suggest focussing on chasing mangrove jack, jewfish, flathead and even an occasional big bream. If at all possible, have all your equipment set up the night before – rods, reels and the boat fuelled up and ready to go at a moment's notice. Follow the weather forecast several days in advance to see when the next big storm is coming across and plan the trip for straight after it, when the increased flow of fresh-

water pushes through. You'll see noticeable current lines through the Broadwater and out through the Seaway. Work the edges of the dirty water, particularly with live bait – you'll be surprised at what's possible to hook up on. Drift right on the edge of the dirty water and cast into the debris allowing your bait to flow back into the clearer water so that when it enters the strike zone, the larger predatory

The author with a couple of jewfish caught at an old wreck site off South Stradbroke Island.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 21

All set for summer on the Gold Coast * from P21

The Penn Slammer 6500, 3500 and AFT Fathom 8 on Penn rods, ready for the trip to Noosa.

fish will notice it and attack. Keep your motor running and reverse back or alternatively deploy the electric motor to stay in the correct location. Hot steamy afternoons leading up to stormy evenings are the perfect time to chase mangrove jack and live hearing, mullet fillets and prawns are great bait options if you decide to anchor up beside a jetty and slide a cast in between the pylons. When fishing for jack with bait, try to always have your drag done up very tight. I use a good quality 30lb braid and at least a 30lb mono leader when bait fishing for mangrove jack – a 5’6” baitcast rod and good quality baitcast reel can be set and left in a rod holder. For live bait, I use a paternoster-style rig consisting of a teardrop-style sinker at the bottom and a 3/0 sui-

cide hook about 30cm above the sinker. As far as bait go, something about 10cm long such as a potty mullet, herring or a legal whiting simply pinned through the nose so that it’s looking natural as it swims is best. Don't be afraid to cast the bait up into the rocks or among the pylons because this is where mangrove jack will ambush their prey. I can't stress enough the importance of a tight drag in this situation – a 50cm jack will easily bust you off if it can get a couple of turns of line off the spool. These fish are extremely powerful and know exactly where to snap the line off, so be prepared. I generally don't fish more than two rods at a time because when the bite is on these fish will occasionally hit all at once, and trying to wind two jack in at once is very difficult. Another successful

One of the Seaway regulars Joe was on the jewfish using live yakkas.

Damian Elliott from AMC with a dusky flathead caught on a live bait. Page 22 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

Lisa and the author with a few nice summer squire from the local 24-fathom grounds float lining pillies.

way to fish for jack is with lures and plastics. Once again, casting in among the snags and bringing the fish out is the best way of enticing a jack to bite. A reaction bite during the day is more possible with a lure than by using bait, but at night live bait are definitely the way to go. Around the more open Broadwater areas jewfish have also been on the bite and will continue to be caught all the way through December. Again, use live bait and fish down deep around a full moon. Techniques I've previously mentioned in articles earlier this year will work fine but still consider using luminescent sinkers as an advantage because they have the ability to glow, which of course attracts fish. In my previous article I said I would talk about setting up a spread of lures for pelagic fish and go into detail as to what colours to use, but I might leave that until next month as the pelagics have not turned up in numbers yet. A bonus is that snapper are still on the bite early morning and on recent trips we have been coming home with a good catch of pan-sized squire for the table. Areas in the 1824 fathom depth off Southport and extending south to Burleigh Heads have produced good numbers on bait and plastics. Spanner crabs have also been around in good numbers along the 50m line out from the Seaway. To catch these tasty * continued P24

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 23

Mike with a nice giant trevally caught on Brad Smith’s boat.

This striking fringe-eyed flathead fell for a Samaki Vibelicious.

Winter whiting in summer on beautiful Broadwater

Paul Burt enjoyed a wading session with the author, catching this 37cm whiting.

I everyone, another year is nearly over – doesn’t time fly? Especially when you’re fishing. December is when we start complaining about being too hot and fish such as sand whiting, trevally and mangrove jack revel in the conditions. Brad Smith has returned to fish the Tweed River and has been reporting catches of solid flathead and trevally on his favourite lures,

Broadwater Guide by CLINT ANSELL

which include Samaki Vibelicious Forktails and Pontoon 21 Crack Jack 48 SP DR. One fish that is present all year round in the Gold Coast Broadwater is winter whiting. Contrary to its name, the ‘winteries’ – also known as diver whiting – don’t mind any of the seasons. This may be because

they are usually present in deeper estuary water, which is the 3-6m range around here. This water is usually cooler and less changeable than the surface. The humble winter whiting grows to only about 30cm, but they definitely don’t lack in numbers or taste on the plate.

* continued P26

All set for summer on the Gold Coast * from P22

crustaceans, you will need to set up with all the correct equipment which is easily found at several of the tackle shops around the coast. Ask them what’s required and they will be sure to help you out. December is always a good month for all sorts of fishing, but in November I enjoy heading north to the Sunshine Coast to get a bit of a heads up as to what will be making

its way south over the coming months. At the time of writing this article I prepared a trip to fish off Noosa with a good friend. I usually take at least three rods, one being a light spin combo for plastics and lure casting, a heavy spin combo for dropping down a live bait or heavy jig, and finally an overhead combo for flight lining out a pilchard or a squid for snapper or an oc-

Page 24 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

casional coral trout. If we see mackerel start to show up on the Sunshine Coast, I know it's only a matter of weeks or maybe a month before we have them on the Gold Coast. They generally follow the warm water and currents coming from up north, so do dolphinfish and hopefully a few marlin. I’ll keep my eye on the fish aggregating devices and let you

know in next month's issue as to whether the pelagics have turned up yet. You can also follow what's going on by joining the Bush ‘n Beach Facebook group where all the latest information as well as articles and photos are posted regularly. December is always a busy month on the water with many people on holidays. Boat ramps can be hectic and frustrated

people tend to lose their temper when ramp rage takes over, so make sure you allow plenty of time, have your boat prepared prior to approaching the ramp and try to get out early before the crowds turn up. This way you can be out on your favourite fishing spot well before anyone else and avoid the hassles. Have a great month and all the best for the festive season.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 25

Russ caught his personal best sand whiting on a Broadwater charter with the author.

The author with one of the biggest female mud crabs he has seen. It was released.

Benni with a coral crab, not a common local catch.

Winter whiting in summer on Broadwater * from P24

Craig with a quality flathead on a charter with Brad Smith.

The other positive is wherever they are present, you’ll also catch sand whiting, tuskfish, flathead, tarwhine, bream, squire, flounder… the list goes on. Finding winter whiting is usually not that hard. Look for little patches of fish slightly above the bottom on your fish finder in depths of 3-6m. Then stop the boat and drop lines while drifting. The best tides to work these zones are ones that vary from 0.7-1.2m

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in tide change height. If there is a higher tidal coefficient, you’ll need to time your fishing efforts closer to the tide changes. In short, it makes it harder to catch fish if the drift is too fast. The fish would rather not fight a strong current to get a feed. In this case, find areas outside the main flow and you’ll likely find fish feeding. Winter whiting are not fussy eaters on most days but there are a few offerings that will get them biting. Freshly pumped yabbies are hard to beat, though Ecogear Marukyu Isome worms in red definitely attract these fish too. Ecogear Marukyu Isome worms are a soft plastic lure technically but are biodegradable and smell like berries. Designed in Japan where fishing has been an obsession for a lot longer than in Australia, these people know what they’re doing. The tackle is simple – 2-4kg, 7’ rods with soft tips, 2500-size reels spooled with 10lb monofilament line, then a sliding number three ball sinker, small swivel, 1m of 10lb fluorocarbon leader, then a size 4 short bait holder hook.

I mix up both yabbies and Ecogear worms on the same day. Thread the yabbies through the tail underside and up with the hook protruding near the head. Slide half the yabby onto the leader to hold it straight and keep it on the hook longer. I use the extra-large Ecogear worms and cut them in half for each bait. Thread them onto the hook as you would a real worm and slightly onto the leader. Winter whiting bites are quite obvious, with aggressive nibbles followed by the rod loading when they are hooked. Don’t strike too early or you’ll miss a lot of fish. The by-catch is impressive and surprising, so get out there and have fun. The kids will love it too. If I don’t speak to you before then, have a merry Christmas and happy fishing! To book on a charter with myself or Brad or if you have any fishing related questions, SMS 0432 990 302 or email fishingwithclint@gmail.com, or find us on Facebook: Brad Smith Fishing Charters.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 27

Lewan caught this 60cm flathead in the Tweed River on a live herring.

Toby and Gary with a double on reef jewfish.

Rethinking years of experience after humbling encounter n Solid catches of flathead

O Bass are eating surface critters in the upper reaches of our catchments at the moment.

CCASIONALLY, fishing can be a humbling experience. I recently came back from an afternoon session on the riverbank. I collected some live herring and fished them in a reliable spot as the tide bottomed out.

find us on facebook • Win prizes • Post your brag • Chat to readers shots and writers • Join in on the fun • See who’s catching banter what • Have a laugh

www.facebook.com/bnbfishing Page 28 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

Tweed to Byron Bay by GAVIN DOBSON

The flathead I was after didn’t eventuate and all I caught was a lone bream. As I walked back to the car, my friend was walking towards me with his children on their way to fish. He tied a lure on each of the kids’ rods and they got to casting. His five-year-old son was casting a small diving minnow and wow, could he cast it. The retrieve however was fairly slow and boring, and I gave him no chance of getting a bite. He claimed he’d had a few strikes over a series of casts, but I didn’t take him seriously. I said my goodbyes to them and as I began to walk away, the young angler declared he had hooked up. And sure enough, as I turned around he was fighting a fish and

calling to his dad to help because he had a monster mullet on the line. The fish put up a good fight and turned out to be a fairly decent tailor. I walked away chuckling to myself for being a fool and thinking the kid had no chance. Kids are extraordinary – you take them fishing and most times they will surprise you. Like I said, it can be very humbling and makes you rethink your years of fishing knowledge. Over the past month mangrove jack put on a bit of a show and then went quiet again. They should be in full swing by now though, so if you are keen to get one maybe hit the water before we get smashed with holiday makers over the Christmas break. * continued P30

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www.tohatsu.com.au Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 29

Rethinking years of experience after humbling encounter * from P28

The number of boats around these days is unbelievable. A couple of Sundays ago, the forecast was good and by 5.30am the line up at the ramp meant about an hour to get the boat launched. Vehicles with trailers were parked on both sides of the road halfway to town. Quite amazing considering how poor the fishing has been – the only thing running at the moment is the current. I hate to think how busy it’s going to be over the holidays. Mud crabs haven’t hit overdrive yet, but they usually put on a bit of a show in December – in time for Christmas lunch. Surprisingly, those that have been potted have been fairly full, which is good. Flathead have been the saviour for the river fisho this month because even the trevally have been a bit patchy. In the Brunswick River, flathead have spread throughout the system from the mouth to Mullumbimby. Live herring, plastics and vibes are the goto bait for lizards, but if all else fails don’t underestimate a good quality white pilchard. It’s been a great season for flatties in the Tweed River and they have spread right through the system from the mouth to Murwillumbah. They seem to have spawned a little earlier this year and the big mummas arrived at Murwillumbah even before the herring got

there, which was a bit unusual. There was plenty of food for them in the form of shoals of tiger mullet. December is also time to get up that way and chase the bull sharks that take advantage of the tiger mullet schools. Offshore is still patchy this month, though a few snapper and jewfish often show up for Christmas. The shallow reefs are definitely worth an early morning or an evening session for one or more of these prizes. As I said last month, it’s also time to be stocking up on mackerel bait, so while waiting for a run it won’t hurt to target a few pike and slimies if they’re present where you are fishing. Also flick a few lures for a tailor or bonito. Mackerel aren’t too far away but for your pelagic fix in the meantime there are a few rat yellowfin and small wahoo on Windarra Banks. A little wider again and mahi mahi will be cruising south with the current and hopefully some wahoo with them. Juvenile black marlin are also a distinct possibility at the 24 to 32-fathom line this month too. It all depends on the year, as some years December is a bit early, but other years it’s the month pelagics fire out wider. There’s only one way to find out for sure and that is to ignore all the crap on social media and get out there and have a go.

Page 30 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

by MELISSA FROHLOFF

Moreton Bay Bug and Hervey Bay Scallop Vol au Vents Ingredients •4 00g Moreton Bay bugs, cooked • 200g Hervey Bay scallops • 3 /4 cup plain flour • 1 1/2 tbsp butter • 1/2 cup warm water • 3 /4 tsp chicken stock powder • 1/2 cup milk • 150ml thickened cream • 1 tsp minced garlic • 1/2 cup shallots • Salt and pepper • 125g grated cheese • 8 vol au vents • 1/2 tbsp raw sugar

3. Melt remaining butter on low heat and stir in flour until pasty. Remove from heat. 4. Add chicken stock to warm water and stir into flour roux with a wooden spoon to remove lumps and combine. 5. Return to a low heat. Add milk to mix with a whisk to remove any excess lumps and create a smooth consistency. Stir in cream and sugar. 6. Preheat oven to 180C. 7. Add bugs, shallots, garlic and chives to mornay sauce and stir consistently over low heat until mornay sauce starts to turn.

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Top locations for Ballina’s best fishing

ELLO all, well the year is nearly at an end and even with all the chaos that has unfolded it still seems to have flown by far too quickly. I hope all of you have stayed safe during the year and that the new year returns us to some form of normality. Unfortunately, I do have a bad feeling that next year may still not be the ‘normal’ we were used to, but hopefully it is a closer version than we’ve had lately. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the support you provide this magazine during the year. Without you, we can’t continue to do the things we do, and I hope the information and tips provided in these pages have assisted some of you to catch a few more fish during the year. Please stay safe and well throughout the holiday period, and I look forward to seeing you in the new year. With the holidays around the corner, I thought I would end the year with a couple of location suggestions around the area to try for different species and for different types of anglers. North Wall and South Wall The tips of both walls can produce extremely large mulloway, particularly when the weather is rough or immediately after a flood. These are places I would recommend for only experienced anglers because it can be extremely dangerous, even when the weather is relatively calm. Large soft plastics or www.bnbfishing.com.au

Ballina Bait & Tackle by BRETT HYDE

hard-body lures can tempt mulloway, along with mullet fillets, squid or even live bait such as yellowtail. Further back away from the tip, both walls are known to produce quality bream, flathead, tailor and even the occasional snapper immediately following a severe weather event. North Creek The sand flats in the lower reaches produce plenty of yabbies, which are accessible on a low tide. There are usually good numbers of whiting and flathead to be caught from Missingham Bridge to the airport upriver. North Creek can also produce trevally at times and a larger tide around a full and new moon is the better time to target mud crabs upstream from Prospect Bridge. Please be aware that North Creek is very shallow in some sections, so a lot of care is required when navigating this section of the river. Porpoise Wall This is an amazing piece of structure as it will produce some mulloway, bream and luderick during winter, and then in summer flathead and mangrove jack don’t mind calling it their holiday location. It does get a fair bit of attention at times, so I would recommend getting there early to beat the crowd. Sailing Club and swimming pool This whole area is

great for taking the children or less experienced anglers as there is plenty of sand and minimal snags to lose tackle on. Prawns, white pilchard, squid and mullet are all good bait options in this area, or if you have been into North Creek and pumped a few yabbies, you could try these for a whiting or two. Central business district Immediately behind the CBD is plenty of foreshore to access and where you’re able to wet a line. In particular, there are two jetties that keen anglers can fish from and catch everything from bream, whiting and flathead to mulloway at night. These are great spots for the kids too or for those who may face problems accessing other areas. Main River – ferry to Pimlico Island This section of the

river has plenty of options, with masses of rock walls that hold bream, flathead, jack and mulloway. There are also plenty of sand flats to explore, with whiting, flathead and even a few surfacelure munching bream cruising on them. To complement these areas is Pimlico Island, which is a well-known spot – particularly in summer during a large run-in tide – for producing excellent quality whiting, school mulloway and flathead. Wardell Bridge This bridge can be a real melting pot at times, with school mulloway particularly at night being landed on both lures and live bait. Bream, flathead, jack and the occasional trevally all haunt the large bridge pylons because they hold plenty of food for these species at times, and during winter this bridge can be home for spawning bass making their way down the river to breed closer to the salt.

Woodburn to Casino and Lismore We are incredibly blessed with fantastic bass fishing and there are kilometres of banks to explore in the Richmond and Wilsons river systems as well as in Bungawalbin Creek. A wide range of lures will work – from surface lures to chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, diving hard-bodies and soft plastics, depending on the time of the year. Beaches We are incredibly blessed with a number of quality beaches to fish from. Unfortunately, there is now only one beach – Seven Mile – that is accessible by vehicle and, if your knees can’t handle walking too far in soft sand, this is your only option. Most beaches will produce some whiting, dart and flathead during the day with the occasional tailor or mulloway at night over summer. Well, that’s about it for me this month and year. Until next time, tight lines!

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 33

This little flathead was taken in 6m at 11pm on a soft plastic lure.

Mischa scored this nice fish at the old ferry approach in Iluka on a 75mm Mister Twister soft plastic in 6m of water.

Double duck for Tye as Mischa puts runs on board n Whiting, bream, flathead in good numbers

T It’s not every day you hook a stingray on a soft plastic in deep water.

HEY say that any given spot rarely fishes the same two days running. This was the case when my son Mischa and I decided recently to duck up to the old ferry approach at Iluka during the slack high-water at

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WITH SEAN CONLON

Just Jew by TYE PORTER

night to chase jewfish on soft plastic lures. I was using a 13cm Storm WildEye Swim Shad while Mischa had a 10cm FatBoy curly tail lure, which is identical to the original Mister Twister lures that have been around since the mid 1970s. To say that I laughed and scoffed at his choice of lure for jew on the way to the spot was an understatement. However, as so often is the case these days, I was well and truly left with egg on my face. When we arrived, Mischa jumped out of the car, grabbed his rod and started fishing while I casually sat in the vehicle listening to the T20 World Cup cricket updates on the ABC. The radio announcer barely had time to say that David Warner had been bowled for a duck

when Mischa yelled out that he was on to a fish. And once I turned the radio off, I could hear the braid singing through his runners. After a short fight, Mischa landed a nice fish that went a tad over 12kg. Naturally enough, I got my rod off the truck and started spinning to no avail and an hour later I had not so much as a bite and had to admit defeat… yet again. Then I had to listen to Mischa’s ear-bashing all the way home. The next night we were back at the same spot on slack high-water – only this time I ignored the cricket and started fishing straight away, only to hear Mischa's line peeling off again after only two throws. My evil thoughts worked a treat, as it * continued P36

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 35

Double duck for Tye as Mischa puts runs on board turned out to be what I call a ‘frog ray’, and after thinking he must have foul hooked it, the lure was in fact firmly embedded in its mouth. A half hour later, Mischa managed to snare a nice pan-sized flathead, which seriously rubbed salt into my already festering wounds. In two nights fishing 6m of water, he had hooked and landed three different species, while I didn’t get so much as a mosquito bite. I couldn't bring myself to go back for a third night because I was already on a flogging to nowhere, so I stayed at home and watched the cricket on TV instead. Elsewhere in the river, whiting continue to provide anglers with a nice

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healthy numbers and plenty of nice pan-sized fish have been taken from inside the river and along the open beaches on a variety of bait, including white pilchard, school prawns and soft plastic lures. Tailor have been a lot more active in recent weeks with fish around the 1kg mark being taken from the rocks at Woody Head and the Bluff on metal lures and unweighed garfish, while a handful of bigger fish to 3kg have been landed on both Main Beach and Back Beach here at Iluka. Both the Iluka and Yamba breakwalls are producing some nice school jew around the 8kg mark at night on live yellowtail and squid bait during the slack

AINTEN M

high water, while during the low water more fish seem to be taking soft plastic lures around 13cm in length. The freshwater tributaries of the Clarence River are fishing well for bass, which is normal for this time of year. If you happen to be fishing west of Grafton, you have a reasonable chance of hooking an eastern freshwater cod as by-catch, which must be released unharmed because they are a protected species. Offshore catches have been dominated by snapper and teraglin, however December is when a few horse cobia get boated a few 100m off the beach along Shark Bay, in the general area of Jackys Bommie.

December is also the month that toothy spotted mackerel from up north start to make an appearance in the shallow warm waters off Woody Head, and first reports of longtail tuna have started to filter in from offshore too. If the forecast is right, this summer will see a stronger La Niña event than last year, which in turn means more rain. On the one hand, the rain would do wonders for the jew fishing side of the equation, though too much rain would adversely affect the run of mackerel and tuna. Regardless of the weather, I'm sure we are in for some excellent fishing over the Christmas period. Until next month, safe fishing.

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feed, with the best fishing to be had at night when the little pickers are a lot scarcer. Luderick can still be found inside the river, however the breakwalls and headlands are far and away the best spots to be chasing these hardfighting critters during the warmer months. Bream are still plentiful during summer, though most of the fish are in poor condition after spawning during winter, with the beaches producing the better conditioned fish. Whiting, bream and tarwhine are in good numbers along Ten Mile Beach at Shark Bay, with fresh pippies or sandworms being the best bait to use for a feed at this time of year. Flathead are about in

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An Atomic Plazo Jerk Minnow munching coral trout.

Happy days.

Chasing coral trout on shallow flats Redthroat emperor are highly desired and often close to where coral trout are.

This trout fell victim to a fast-worked plastic.

The author with a redthroat emperor by-catch while chasing coral trout. Page 38 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

O one reading this can honestly say they wouldn’t rather be on a remote lagoon fishing the Great Barrier Reef in crystal-clear conditions. It is my favourite place in the world and one that, as soon as I leave, I’m dreaming of the next time I can go back. The variety of fish is unparalleled to anywhere I have dropped a line. The wildlife, raw nature and sense of adventure that comes with a live-aboard trip is my happy place. Though, sometimes the weather can play up and carry on a little too much. It is important for a safe adventure to time it in accordance with weather forecasts, maps and charts. When so much planning goes into a trip, it can be quite deflating to pull the pin because of poor conditions.

Fish ‘n Tips by ZAC PANARETOS

We have been hit by unexpected weather and the safest option was to spend a few days exploring sheltered parts of a lagoon. In this case, we found some of the most productive options to be tidal dependent. This article will explore chasing fish on the flats and what to expect. Tides Depending on the shape and type of reef, these options can vary. If there are large coral flats, this rule is generally applicable. We tend to fish the hour before a high tide and start to make our way off the reef when the tide shows signs of receding. If this type of fishing is new to you, always fish the rising tide before moving off the reef.

The last thing you need is to be high and dry in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef. A high tide will flood the lagoons and water rises up onto the flats. The majority of baitfish retreat to these shallow sections to avoid getting picked off by bigger predators on the edges of the reefs. Here they can feel somewhat safe, hiding between coral ledges and bommies. Little do they know, they are being stalked. Coral trout will move into the flats and ambush prey swimming past their vantage point, usually in the shadows of overhanging coral or in deeper pools. If there is a breeze, you can tilt your motor up and drift along the top of the flats, casting 360 degrees of the * continued P40

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 39

Prime coral trout habitat.

Chasing coral trout on shallow flats * from P38

The Atomic Hardz Slim Twitcher is not a bad option across the flats.

Looks like dinner. Page 40 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

boat with a fast retrieve and looking for the fast reaction bite that is required of the expecting predators. Ideally, an electric motor can be used to accommodate for drift if

there isn’t one and allow ideal zones to be fished. The patchier the reef with deeper holes, the better. Always have someone at the front of the boat on the look out for dangers. Use the sounder to ensure the water is deep enough to accommodate the draft of the boat and a little more. When the tide is falling, you can run back out to the edges of the lagoons where the water is spilling into deeper sections, look for channels in particular. Here, cast around bigger poppers or stickbaits because you will find a few larger specimens that have been waiting patiently for a feed. Giant trevally, red bass and dino-trout to name a few. How to fish As mentioned, the fast retrieve works well. Most of the time on

the reef – especially if you have a good pair of sunnies – you can see your lure working, which provides an amazing spectacle as the fish attack. If you come into a deeper hole, allow your lure to sink, but not for too long. The fish here know that they need to be opportunistic for a feed in this small open window. The fish are powerful, so expect to lose a few to the jagged reef below. Using fast retrieve or even topwater lures gives the angler every possible chance. The lower the lure is in the water column – which is deep, much as it is – the closer to the reef and devastation. The speed of retrieval keeps the lure close to the surface and makes the bite that much more visual. * continued P42

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 41

Chasing coral trout on shallow flats * from P40

A bit of coral trout by-catch. You never know what you’ll catch on the flats.

The author managed to extract this coral trout from the shallows. Heavy duty jig heads worked fast can be deadly.

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It also keeps the line tight, so you can immediately put some drag on the fish. I use a minimum of 60lb monofilament leader made by Unitika. Monofilament is fine in this instance – invisible line is unnecessary as the lure is moved at such a speed and the fish are so aggressive, with the bonus of not seeing too many lures before. Also, fluorocarbon doesn’t seem to be able to take as much of a beating as monofilament before it gives in. Monofilament has greater abrasive resistance. Some of the lures I love to throw around include the Atomic Plazo 7” Jerk Minnow – these are very successful and not as damaging to the pocket when you lose them. I don’t mind throwing a 1/2oz jig head on the lure in these conditions to allow for extra distance in the cast. After a bite, make sure the rod tip is held high to increase the angle of the line away from the reef. If you need to chase a fish, you won’t have much time. Using heavy leaders can sometimes mean you will have to jump in to collect a fish with the snorkel – a great excuse for a swim – and follow the line to where it has wrapped you up. I also love the Atomic Hardz Slim Twitcher – it is a subsurface lure. You can work this

lure a little slower with violent dabs of the rod tip to get the lure rolling from side to side. The lure comes in 145mm, which often gets the bigger fish involved. Bassday Sugapens in 110mm are also ideal – the fast-paced walk the dog action on the surface is hard to beat. Coral trout will fling out of the reef at such high speed that they often come out of the water to hit the lure. These trout are usually a darker brown colour in shallow water, whereas the orange and red colours are more often pulled out of deeper water. Sometimes you’ll find a great variety of fish are keen to party on the reef flats – coral trout, redthroat emperor, giant and other species of trevally, to name a few. They all seem to pull hard and are often competing with each other over which will get to eat the lure first. Did I mention how much I love these locations? I hope you’re starting to understand why. I use a 7’ stick with a fast action from the Samurai Reaction range, rated to 25lb. It is such a responsive rod and my favourite for using plastic in particular. I couple this with a Penn Slammer 4500 which seems to enjoy getting flogged in these conditions. Time to start planning how you can get around to fishing the flats!

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Halle Church with her first ever spanish mackerel at slightly over 1m long. Photos: fishingnoosa.com.au

Harry Pimm with a solid Double Island red emperor.

Mix of methods for mackerel – summer options

HAT a crazy year it’s been for all of us in

Australia. For now, I think we can count ourselves lucky to be living in Queensland as this can be the best place and time to be an angler, regardless of where in the state you fish. You don’t need to have a boat, but it can help. Owning a kayak can certainly take you to several special secluded spots with relative ease and comfort, so be sure to explore this season. December is often the start of our pelagic run, however previous months saw mackerel, mahi mahi and tuna show up early. The bulk of mackerel

Sunshine Coast by GRANT BUDD

can be found in close, making Sunshine Reef heading south to Sunrise Beach, Halls Reef and Jew Shoal a few great spots to catch a couple. Mackerel will take almost anything – from a pilchard to a plastic and everything else, including a rusty spoon! If you have ticked off catching them on metal lures and gang-hooked pilchard, then stickbaits are a whole pile of fun. The new Shimano Jewel PE5 8’ stickbait rod is perfect for big spanish mackerel and 20kg tuna. It will cast up to 130g, so matching with the

Scotty Brockbank with the biggest nannygai from a recent trip out wide. Page 44 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

Nomad Riptide 200mm is the perfect option. Pair this with a Shimano Saragosa 10000 or Penn Slammer 6500 for a well-balanced combo. The surface explosion from a big spanish or tuna is one you will never forget, and this method has a way of raising huge fish. To find tuna and mackerel occasionally all you need to do is cross the bar! If this is the case, be aware of your position because an incoming tide can push you into the impact zone. Halls Reef is an area in shallower water to your left once you cross the bar. This shallow reef system is home to bigger spanish mackerel, schools of spotted and longtail tuna and even big queenfish. Jew Shoal has a welldefined pinnacle that sits around 7m below the surface, depending on the tide. This is a great area to troll a smaller Halco

Laser Pro and Nomad DTX Minnow. If you’re after a great troll setup, the Shimano Backbone rods are perfect and very well priced. If you need a reel, the Shimano TLD series in the 20-25 size are perfect for trolling our local water. Sunshine Reef is a big reef area with bommies, pinnacles and drop-offs. This is a place to fish when wind is forecast to swing south to southeasterly, so you can travel back with ease. Coral trout, cobia, sweetlip, cod and a huge array of other species are caught here including juvenile black marlin. Slow drifting or controlled drifting with a Minn Kota is one of the best ways to fish this area. Smaller soft plastics in 4-6” sizes with lighter weighted jig heads present well for reef fish. With a multitude to pick from, look at Berkley PowerBait, Molix, ZMan and Squidgies for some excellent profiles. The new Shimano Ocea F leader is one of the best fluorocarbon

leaders on the market and a must use bit of kit in this area to cope with abrasion, especially if you get bricked. You can also drift gang-hooked pilchard or anchor and berley up with floated bait out the back. Be careful doing this because sharks will pick up on heavy berley trails and take your prized fish. North Reef is another popular spot for those with bigger boats or on the way to Double Island. The area holds a great range of reef and pelagic species at this time of year. It can also be a great place to troll and pick up spanish, wahoo, mahi mahi and tuna. Look at pusher-style lures that create bubble trails as well as highspeed bibless lures such as the Nomad MadMacs. If we have a significant rain event, heading to North Reef in search of clean water is a good idea as it is far enough to remain unaffected. Beyond this, longrange boats have from Double Island to the * continued P46

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Mix of methods for mackerel * from P44

Lousie Aitken with a cracking 82cm flathead caught on a Chasebaits Flacid Shad.

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north and Barwon Banks and the Hards to the southeast. These areas hold fish not commonly found in and around Noosa. Many people will find red emperor, extra-large amberjack and kingfish. Often these fish are unstoppable, making PE6-8 gear a must if targeting one. As always, check out Oceans Legacy deep element for a great rod. For those fishing in 60-100m plus, check out the Samaki Hummer V2 jigs because they get down fast at 200g in weight. Day surf fishing consists of whiting, bream and dart. These fish provide a lot of fun on lighter gear and are often plentiful, especially around the river mouth. If looking for a super light rod, the 12’ Crucis Tempesta is a personal favourite as its action is suited to casting light weights. Lightly weighted worm, squid and prawn bait drifted in the current works exceptionally well. This method is a lot of fun as you never know what will take your bait. Fishing with fresh mullet slabs, squid, pilchard and live bait will appeal to bigger fish, especially around the headlands or in low light. You could hook up to a mackerel or big tuna, so be sure you have a reel with 300-500m of line on it. For a great heavy surf rod, check out the Shimano SpeedMaster Surf range. These rods are super refined and have the power to turn the biggest of fish.

Fishing the Noosa River provides a multitude of angling opportunities for those on foot, in a kayak and with a boat. The lower part of the river is the most accessible and there are many locations to fish during different directions of wind. If after flathead, whiting, bream and trevally, Gympie Terrace from the main boat ramp toward Munna Point, the Dog Beach, Woods Bay and the river mouth are where you can find them. At first light, flicking small surface lures is a blast on light gear. Take a look at the new range of reels from Shimano, with the Nasci set to become very popular when paired with a Shimano Raider Bream. If in a boat, the Frying Pan, Goat Island and the flats opposite Makepeace Island are great options for lure anglers trying to tempt a whiting or flathead. Targeting mangrove jack at night will help you land a few however, you had best be prepared to go to battle. Generally the fight is won or lost in the first second, so don’t be afraid to run 30-50lb gear. Jack respond to all methods of fishing from bait to lures. Live bait work very well and snelled rigs ensure a better hook-up ratio. As a starting point 20lb braid and 30lb leader is the lightest I would recommend. For lure fishing, look at large paddle tail plastics such as the Castaic Jerky J or Keitech Swing Impact Fat. Fluorocarbon leaders are a must because big

snags and jack go hand in hand. Finally, Lake Macdonald in Cooroy or Borumba Dam in Imbil are two of the more popular areas. Both of these dams require a stocked impoundment permit to fish, which gives you the chance to catch saratoga, bass and yellowbelly. During summer when the temperature rises, it pays to be on the water early. During this time the surface bite is usually on and is the most explosive and visual method. Casting along the lily edges and deep under overhanging trees will often see you hook up. Surface lures such as Lucky Craft Sammy 65 and larger Lucky Craft Gunfish have a habit of raising bigger fish. Weedless presentations also work very well, so break out weedless worm hooks and grub-style soft plastics and flick these deep into the weed beds. Be sure you have an electric motor – mandatory for Lake Macdonald – as this provides the ultimate in stealth and a quiet approach. These big fish have seen a lot of lures, so it pays to approach quietly. For all the latest information, log onto fishingnoosa.com.au for up-to-date bar and fishing reports and don’t forget to drop into Tackle World Noosa, Noosa Boating and Outdoors and Northshore Bait & Tackle in Marcoola for all the right equipment, bait and advice to get you catching. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and remember tight lines and bent spines!

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 51

Offshore predictions – crabbing tips

I all, with December not far away, what might be going to happen here on the coast? Well, we might start to get bigger southeasterly gusts and more coastal showers and with the wind comes the southeasterly swell, so be careful on our coastal bars.

Noosa to Fraser Coast by CRAIG TOMKINSON

Hopefully, the rainfall tally starts to creep up and maybe we’ll get a bit of a fresh running in our creeks and rivers before the wet season kicks in around the end of January.

The pelagics will start to thicken up and with a little luck there will be a good run of spotty and spanish mackerel this year. I may even get to jump the Noosa Bar in

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Three nice bucks and the lovely 15hp Yamaha. Page 52 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

my friend Ryan’s 5.6m Shark Cat to fish the close grounds and we might even chase a few mackerel too. But if we get floodwater pushing out, grass sweetlip and venus tuskfish have the potential to be in good numbers on Sunshine Reef. If you get out early, it’s not hard – if the fish are there – to catch 15 to 18 then head home, and with the fish cleaned and boat washed down, you’re done by 1pm. A great cheap day on the water, so hopefully we get to go a few times. If not, I might slip out in calm weather for a look. I was going to sell my 5m tinnie but decided to keep it, so it should be good. I have not been fishing recently, but as I said in my previous story, I start crabbing the Noosa River system in November – actually, as we had hot weather I started in late October. The first thing I do when I haven’t been crabbing for a while is check that my surname and address are still clearly marked on my floats and on the label in my pot. I found, after many years of crabbing and using many different marker pens that don’t work well, a cracking permanent marker pen – it’s a cattle ear tag marker and is a great pen that lasts for weeks. It’s called an Allflex Tag Pen. The last one I bought lasted about five years and for around $16, it works so well. The next thing I do is check over my four

pots for little holes – I use thin rope to sew them up. Next, if crabbing deeper water, I put on a longer rope and if shallow I put on a shorter rope. Then with the pots ready to go, I bait them with fresh fish frames and raw chicken frames, load them in my 5m tinnie and away I go. I’ve been crabbing for weeks now and have run out of fish frames, so I’m using chicken frames and have been getting up to four crabs with every lift of the pots, which has been fun. My wife Donna loves crab and the rest of the family get a feed too. On calm days, I take out the ‘new to us’ 3.7m Quintrex tinnie with a 15hp two-stroke Yamaha on the back. It’s been years since I owned a two-stroke, the last one was a 15hp Johnson – a good motor and OK on fuel. But this 15hp Yamaha is unreal on fuel and the power to weight ratio is very good – it’s getting around 5km/L. And while it has taken a bit to get the motor set up the way I wanted the boat to ride, I run the motor on the third trim hole pin from the bottom – it lifts the bow up a bit more in a flowing choppy lake. It took a while to get used to a small boat, but I love it now. On the very rough days, I take the 5m tinnie for a run – it’s been a great set up too and eats up the water in rough weather. Until next month, be safe on the water.

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From small boats come big advantages

I all, most days you’ll find us starting the day at Latino Coffee, situated opposite the local service station at Agnes Water, having a coffee. When the weather is good, we watch the endless parade – of what I call the ‘top end of the market’ – trailable fishing boats fuel up in preparation to explore the southern reef systems of the Great Barrier Reef. I may sit there a little envious as I watch these boats pull into Captain Cook Drive but then reality hits as boat after boat pull up to the bowser. There isn’t a doubt in the world relating to the ability of these craft or the comfort factor, but when it comes to fuelling up… give me my 4.2m Horizon Allrounder with its tiller 30hp Yamaha any day. Sure, we all need to keep a close eye on the weather and know our small craft’s capabilities, but there’s a different satisfaction in achieving results from a small open boat. When the weather turns nasty, with a small boat you can find a hidden fishable location, usually in the shallows where larger craft can’t access. Steve Cooke of Agnes Water took advantage of a weather window and made a dash to land a coral trout from the shallow reefs around Bustard Head. I was a little green with envy at Steve’s result from his 4.2m tinnie. Next day he set out to do it again, but the weather gods decided to put a dampener on his plans. www.bnbfishing.com.au

Fishing and Boating by PAUL ‘CHIEF’ GRAVESON

Steve was able to make the decision to switch to Plan B – to fish and crab the sheltered waters of Round Hill Creek. Versatility and the ability to have back up plans are musts for those flying the small tinnie flag. Though we’re all open to the forces of nature. I had recently planned to take Richard Cobden out for a saltwater session. Unfortunately, Richard had a one-day window to hit the water and as usual the fan decided to turn it up a notch. After a quick chat, I was surprised when Richard said he was also eager to catch his first flathead. The wind and tidal variation made fishing extremely difficult – luckily we had a Plan C, which was pulling the tinnie onto the sandbanks and walking the shallows with the howling wind at our backs. We threw plastics on a rising tide and followed small schools of whiting that were working their way into the gutters. As the water continued to rise, I was able to float the boat up the little channels and drag the small craft behind us while Richard continued to cast – and even sight cast – to good sized fish in the skinny waters. I have no doubt that having the light Horizon Allrounder allowed us to achieve our goals for the day and placed Richard onto a few fish that fulfilled his dream. A few small fish fell to small hard-body lures,

but the real highlight was watching good fish break their sandy cover to explode a distance of about 2m to nail a well-presented plastic in crystal-clear water 300400mm deep. These fish were super committed, making this one of my true fishing highlights. We managed to drop a few but the visual attacks kept the heart pumping. I was so impressed with the Z-Man 2 1/2” GrubZ in Bubblegum Pink. In that clear water they resemble a yabby trying to scurry across the shallow water, ever cautious of the vulnerable predicament and environment they’re in. The hue of colour in the water was a perfect representation. A craft that provides the above scenario as well as getting anglers offshore when the right window presents is a true asset. Launching and retrieving the small craft on my own is a fast and easy task at any stage of tide or weather condition. The weight of my rig makes it easily towable along tracks to reach some special locations and big enough to carry a bit of camping gear and swag when needed. My tinnie is always fuelled to capacity, has the 54lb electric motor, Garmin sounder and emergency position indicating radio beacon. I carry a selection of combinations to cover a range of fishing scenarios, so I feel I’m also

able to make decisions on the spot and truly enjoy the sense of freedom associated with living in a small coastal town. Versatility, stealth, easy to use and economical are words that sum up my love of small boat fishing. I may see a few of you up around our neck of the woods over the coming holiday season. I was stopped at Tom Jefferies Park on my way

out for a surf the other day and had the pleasure of meeting another Bush ‘n Beach reader. Thanks for introducing yourself and it’s always a pleasure to have a yarn. Most importantly… have a terrific holiday season, stay safe and a very merry Christmas to you all! Let’s hope 2022 is a truly adventurous, fishing and outdoors type of year for us!

It doesn’t get any better than Steve Cooke’s coral trout from aboard his 4.2m tinnie.

The author had snuck up on a few shallow-water bream. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 53

Mitch Martens and a good-sized nannygai.

TCBT team bagging quality fish n Mangrove jack tips for bait, lure and fly fishos

’DAY crew, I’ve had a couple of months of hiatus and it’s good to be back. As always, I trust everyone is happy, healthy and has been out enjoying our beautiful waterways and the surrounding areas.

Tin Can Bay by CHRIS RIPPON

I know the team at The Chandlery Bait and Tackle have been getting out and I’ve even managed to wet a line a few times myself.

It’s great seeing the whole crew here get out and bag a few good fish! Jayden was able to get away with his family

A hefty grouper made Marck’s day. Page 54 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

to Seventeen Seventy – they had a ball and got a great feed! Big trout up to 74cm, redthroat emperor, cobia, sweetlip, cod, spangled emperor and a heap of good reef fare. Chappo has been out harassing our local creeks looking for mangrove jack, cod, flathead and anything else that might be willing to eat a plastic. Nadia bagged a few nice land-based bread and butter species by walking the banks and exploring. Alan, well… he’s been laying turf and playing in the garden. Myself, the last couple of trips out I’ve be on the hunt for a few jack. Bring on jack season! Judging by the amount of crab bait and the number of crab pots we’ve been selling,

there have been a good number of crabs on the move. Plenty of reports have come in of just-legal crabs being caught in the upper reaches of the creeks, with most of them being A-grade. Kauri, Gwarn and Browns creeks have all been producing nice crabs recently. Hopefully, the rain we had at the time of writing will result in bigger models being flushed out in time for the Christmas holidays. Don’t forget that fresh bait is going to serve you best, so keep frames from your recent trip and upgrade them to a feed of crab next time you’re out on the water. With October, came such good flathead fishing that we referred

* continued P55

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Nadia rounded off her day with a nice queenfish.

Marck was pleased with this mangrove jack.

TCBT team bagging top quality fish * from P54

to it as ‘Croctocber’. Flathead have been all over the place and many of our customers have been getting good numbers and some nice-sized fish. Bait such as whole prawns and pillies have been working for a lot of anglers. But the majority of captures have come from fishos flicking lures. The Zerek Live Cherabin has been our number one top seller this month, hands down. The flatties have been going crazy for them and so has everything else. Also trolling small hard-bodies such as Zerek Tango Shads 50mm along the dropoffs on an ebbing tide is a sure-fire winner. Now that November is in full swing, the days are getting hotter and more humid and many fishos in the Moreton Bay area – and southeast Queensland for that matter – start thinking about hunting mangrove jack. Jack, jacky, red dogs, www.bnbfishing.com.au

red bream… whatever you call them, we love to catch them. We love them so much we used them as our logo when we bought the shop! Sometimes they come easily but most of the time they take effort to get boat side, so there’s no cure like time on the water to increase your catch rate. For the years I’ve lived in Tin Can Bay, I have seen the trend of targeting these hard-fighting fish slowly change from being a bait-eating only species to an achievable lure and fly target. Early on in the piece, I was told by a person in the shop that, “You can’t catch a mangrove jack in this town on a lure and they definitely don’t bite during the day.’’ To which I replied, “But they are only fish.’’ To prove him wrong, I went out and caught my first one in Tin Can Bay at midday on a soft plastic! I am by no means dissing bait fishing for * continued P56

Your

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Jayden was happy with this monster coral trout caught off Seventeen Seventy.

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Bush ’nProducts Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 55 Ÿ Marine Paints & Cleaning

Tide Times AUSTRALIA EAST COAST BRISBANE BAR AUSTRALIA, EAST COAST – BRISBANE BAR Time

0144 0820 SA 1459 2021

2 0234 0912

JANUARY m

0.31 2.55 0.54 1.90

0.26 2.67 SU 1557 0.47 2118 1.88

New Moon Full Moon

Time

0210 0846 SU 1524 2047

17 0248 0924

LAT 27° 22ʼ S LONG 153° 10ʼ E Times and Heights of High and Low Waters The author and FEBRUARY MARCH

0.47 2.39 0.69 1.75

0.44 2.43 MO 1601 0.66 2125 1.78

2022

a nice

Time Zone –1000 nannygai. APRIL

16 team 1 bagging 16 1 quality 16 TCBT fish Time

0317 0949 TU 1637 2204

0.29 2.71 0.43 1.96

Time

0312 0937 WE 1613 2145

* from P55

0.44 2.47 0.60 1.95

Time

0219 0847 TU 1531 2105

0.42 2.60 0.45 2.01

Time

0209 0829 WE 1504 2044

0.56 2.39 0.60 2.00

Time

0339 0941 FR 1610 2203

ture and firing them

0.44 2.40 0.42 2.30

Time

0313 0906 SA 1536 2138

0.48 2.37 0.38 2.39

to be the last couple

0405 0.27 0350 0.40 0310 0.35 0252 0.47 0417 0.48 0.45 2mangrove 17 0359 1034 2.71 17 1012 2.50 2.62 17 0905 2.45 0945 2.32 straight into the back2of1015 of2.30hours of a run-out jack – they2 0930

WE 1720 0.42 2249 2.00

TH 1647 0.56

WE 1613 0.42

TH 1540 0.53

SA 1638 0.43

SU 1612 0.35

2221to2.01 2122 2.11 2238 tide 2.34 – this 2220 is 2.48when all the2.10 mangroves. are a great fish target 2148 0324 0.23 0325 0.42 0449 0.30 0428 0.39 0355 0.33 0333 0.42 0455 0.54 0445 prefer to rig them you prefer to3 1011I 2.59 bait is 0.47 condensed 3 1001 2.73 18 1000 2.46 3however 18 0941 3 1045 the 1115 2.65 18 1045 2.51 2.47 2.19 18 1026 2.22 1759 for 0.44 them 0.47 0.45 has 0.35 up 0.42 on the GT 1500 5/01704 and MO 1651 0.43 TU 1638 0.64 THfish FR 1720– 0.53 TH 1648 FR 1615 SU MO 1645 I just only one place 2213 1.87 2200 1.82 2332 2.02 2300 2.06 2229 2.16 2201 2.20 2313 2.35 2302 2.53 1/4oz hooks. prefer the challenge of 0435 to go. 0531 0.52 0412 0.24 0401 0.41 0531 0.38 0506 0.42 0.37 0415 0.41 0530 0.62 4 1050 2.74 19 1034 2.47 4using 4 1116 2.05 plastic fly 19 or lure 1154 2.53 1118 to 2.47hunt4 1047The 2.51 19 1016 2.46paired 1107 2.09see You19 also the TU 1742 0.43 WE 1713 0.63 FR 1834 0.48 SA 1752 0.51 FR 1721 0.44 SA 1647 0.43 MO 1729 0.49 TU 1720 0.39 with them. 2304 1.87 2237 1.85 2339 2.09 2306 2.19the weight 2241 2.27of the2346 gnarly 2.33 2347 2.53structure snags, hook enough0605 and The2.02 past few weeks 0514 0.29 0438 0.41 0014 0545 0.49 0.44 gives 0455 0.43 0621 hides the0.60creek has 5 0459 5have 5 1121 5 1146 0.72 1136 2.68 20 1109 2.47 0612 0.50 20 1152 2.39 2.39 20 1051 2.39 1.91 20 1153 1.93 weight to load the rod seen plenty of offer high 0.56 1757 0.47 tide. WE 1829 0.45 TH 1746 0.62 SA 1230 2.38 SU 1824 0.51 SA 1750 0.47 SU 1719 0.42 TU 1755 to WE at 2353 1.86 2315 1.87 1907 0.53getting keen to 2343 2320 2.32 and2.20 skip them in tight. people I will fish the first two 0.38 0515 0.45 0055 2.00 0537outfit 0.50 with0020 2.27 2.48 A0.55 20/30lb a few. 0020 2.10 6 0550 of0035 a flooding tide, 6 0545 6chase 6 0643 hours 1221 2.58 21 1143 2.45 0653 0.65 21 0626 0.58 1152 2.24 21 1128 2.27 0.82 21 0718 0.69 2.20 strips 0.51 MO 1750 0.44 1.76 TH 1245 1.76 30/40lb leader will WE do1218 looking Fresh localSU 1816 TH 1913 0.50 FR 1821 0.61 SU 1304 MO 1229of2.27 for back eddies 2356 1.88 1940 0.59 1857 0.53 1824 0.65 1841 0.58 flicker mullet are al- for most of the fish- where the fish can wait 0042 1.84 0554 0.51 0139 1.97 0104 2.10 0019 2.18 0001 2.33 0059 2.19 0130 2.39 7 0631 0.50 22 1218 2.40 7ways 22 0714for0.70those7 0627 7 0726 and ing0.68 we22 do0621 in the a winner 0737 0.81 0.60 Great 0.91 22 0829 0.76 ambush bait pushFR 1304 2.44 SA 1857 0.61 MO 1341 2.01 TU 1309 2.10 MO 1223 2.07 TU 1206 2.11 TH 1257 1.62 FR 1353 1.64 Sandy who prefer 1935 to soak a 1844 1956 0.56 2015 0.64 0.56 0.57 Strait. 1823 0.49 1900 ing 0.77 in with 1937 the 0.70tide. I 2.14 personally prefer a0145 2.10 bait. 1.94 1.82 0039 1.88 0158 2.09 0046 2.31 0238 2.31 If I23 happen to see any 8 0132 8 0230 8 0057 8 0822 0.99 0720 0.65 23 0636 0.59 0830 0.95 23 0813 0.82 0706 0.82 23 0712 0.72a spin 0947 0.77 baitcaster over Hooks 5/0-8/0 fished 1.51 being 1.60 SA 1348 2.27 SU 1255 2.33 TU 1422 1.82 WE 1359 1.92 TU 1254 1.88 WE 1250 1.92 FR 1350 bait SA 1518 scattered, I’ll 2038 0.60 1934 0.60 0.70 as you 2023 can 0.61 go 1913 0.65 for 1901 0.88 2055 0.80 outfit this 0.56 type of1947 quickly as2057light fire a couple of 1.81 0128 1.89 0305 about 2.09 2.07 0140 2.26 2.02 0354 2.27 fishing. the1.92 lead with a9 0138 9 0227 9on0332 9 0245 0815 0.79 24 0725 0.70 0943 1.05 24 0930 0.91 0753 0.95 24 0815 0.83 0944 casts 1.01 24 1101the 0.72area and into 1519 1.66 leader. helps me 1.74 to beSAa1514 1.45 SU 1645 1.68 SU 1432 2.10 MO 1337 2.22 WE40-60lb TH 1508 1.75 WE 1332It 1.71 TH 1347 a hook 2121 0.63 2016 0.59 2151 0.75 2128 0.66 1949 0.74 1951 0.66 2059 hope 0.97 for2226 0.81 up. Small live bait will little more accurate If bait 0509 is flicking on 0447 1.96 2.28 0329 1.83 0225 1.91 0428 2.14 0230 2.00 0247 2.21 0403 1.99 with my in tight bag 0.90 a few.10 0857 10 0918 0.92 25 0826 0.80 10also 25 1108 25casting 10 1111 top, 1115 see 1.05 you 1.04 0941 0.88 0.96 25 1205 0.63 there’s usually a 1756 1.84 1.55 FR 1509 1.61 1654 1.52 MO TH 1638 1.57 FR 1637 1.66 MO 1523 1.94 TU 1429 2.08 TH 1427 SU quarters and An 0.76unweighted 2209 0.64 2107 0.59 2247 0.67 or 2041 0.85 2103I find 0.75 skip2230 0.96 2258 0.74 predator2348 of sorts undercasting lightly livey 0342 0557 2.04weighted 0613 2.30 0436 1.89 0335 1.96 0549 2.25 1.96 easier 0411 with 2.20 it. 0518 2.05 neath them causing the 26 11 1033 0.98 26 0941 0.87 11flicked 26 11 26 11 1238 0.97 around 1259 0.54 1239 0.79 the 1032For 1.06 the 1114 1213 0.86 fly0.83fishers 1.66 TU 1853 2.01 FR 1800 1.57 SA 1804 1.68 TU 1620 1.81 WE 1531 1.94 FR 1555 1.47 SA 1646 1.61 MO 1800 commotion. 2300 0.63 2208 0.58 2235 0.77 out0.91 there keen to target2346 0.86 mangrove edge is sure 2157 If you0055 haven’t been 0003 0.73 0.66 0540 1.99 0453 2.07 0008 0.62 0506 1.98I normally 0533 2.27run an0616 2.15 jack, to get some attention. 12 1151 0.97 27 1108 0.88 12 0654 2.15 27 0700 2.39 12 1205 0.98 27 1231 0.71 12 1301 jack 0706 2.32 0.74 27 fishing before, it’s 8-91.51weight setup 1349chucker, 0.65 1.73 with For 0.86 the SU lure SA 1336 WE 1724 1.73 TH 1646 1.83 SA 1735 SU 1809 TU 1850 1.82 WE 1345 0.48 1902 1.63 1941 2.15 2352 0.60 2315 0.55 1.79 0.88 a floating line and an great fun. the lure of 1918 choice the 2321 0100 0.66 0.60 looking 2.11 0606 2.23 0120 0.52 2.08 0001 0.70 0.74 So, if 0149 you’re intermediate few28weeks 13 0635 13 0614 13 0046 0741 2.26 1300 0.91 28 1237 0.80 13past 0758 2.52 has 1304 0.87 28 0641 tip, 2.37 30lb 0704 2.25 28 0751 2.29 1421 0.77 MO 1445 0.53 1423 0.44 1840 1.62 MO 1331 0.58 1344 for 0.63 a TH few pointers, feel SUdefinitely TH 1826 1.70 FR 1802 1.78 SU WE tippet and1913 the1.89 flies of1933 1.98 been 1951 1.71 2023 2.27 2016 the 1.90 4’’ free to come in to the choice be Zerek Live Cherabin. 0.56 0022 0.49 0149 0.57 0.78 would 0.58SWFA0139 0.63 0236 0.57 14 0042 14 0030 29 0113 14in0746 shop and 0723 2.23 29 0712 2.40 14 0823 2.35are a pre-rigged 0706 2.19 0737 2.45Fly 2.33 29 0830have 2.24 a chat The Pink Thing These FR 1355 0.82 SA 1353 0.68 MO 1501 0.69 MO 1348 0.77 TU 1420 0.49 TH 1423 0.53 FR 1458 0.42 of the 1920 1.70 1915 1.79 2030 1.80 1.76 and2003 2.03 2015 with 2.13 any2101 2.35 staff. pink chartreuse, plastic with a weighted 1926 We all fish 0.51 0127 0.42 0231 0.50 worm hook in 0123 0.66 Flies 0209 Black 0.49 0319 0.57 and are Feltys ‘n0227 0.54 weedless 15 0128 15 0806 2.32 30 0810 2.55 15 0901 2.42 0749 2.30 30 0823 2.48 15 0827 2.37 30 0907 2.16 happy to point you in Barred with0.44 weed and0.64 are ready to fishTU 1428 0.67 WE 1501 SA 1442 0.74 SU 1456 0.56 TUit1538 FR 1500 0.45 SA 1528 0.42 2007 1.72 2018 1.84 2108 1.87 1.88 2047 2.15 2.27 right 2137direction 2.41 to guards, Bob Clouser’s2057 the straight out of the box. 2006 0225 0.34 0257 0.44 Another hot favour- 2/0 Tan/White 31 0901 2.66 31 0904 2.46Clouser help you catch a few! 1538 0.42 MO 1549 0.47 Well, that’s me done ite on the plastic front and theTHold 2115 1.90 2127 fashioned 2.24 would have to be the Bendback Deceiver – for this month.  Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2021,4.5” Bureau of Meteorology So, stay safe, get out they are such a great Molix RT Shad. First Quarter Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide on the water and have a These are a great plas- fly! Last Quarter ticMoon for skip casting time to great New FirstunQuarter My preferred LastChristmas! Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon der overhanging struc- target them would have Tight lines! 7

Page 56 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Paul with a nice golden trevally taken on a soft vibe.

When will the wind wane?

ND it’s windy again! I was actually wondering if I would get this article in on time – having a fairly busy schedule according to my diary, it’s often difficult to submit promptly. But it seems Mother Nature values what I scribe over what I catch. Wind strength is often not the only issue. So, if you’re coming up here in your own vessel, I strongly urge you to log into MetEye on the Bureau of Meteorology weather page – bom.gov. au/australia/meteye/ This is the page I personally use to plan my trips. It’s free and very easy to use, and with sevenday forecasting it will help you plan for a safe outing. The map is interactive – you can choose your region and zoom in. You can also see the wind speed and direction overlay. This is the most important part. You should be able to gauge where you’ll find protected water. A word of warning – a big tide against a relatively moderate wind can create big pressure waves, especially in channel regions. This is probably more important than the right rod and lure. www.bnbfishing.com.au

Laura and her first tuna. A great species for learning many of the basic skills.

Fraser Guided Fishing by TRI TON

It has been fairly typical spring fishing here otherwise, with tuna, tuna, tuna plus a few mackerel too. Mostly schoolies, but we readily await the marauding surface action that spotted mackerel bring. You don’t need special tackle for mackerel. It is a relatively inexpensive game on the fishing scale. A rod that can cast lures to 40g comfortably, a reel that retrieves at 90cm or more per turn of the handle and a leader that can handle a few scuffs. Anglers often overcomplicate things and wonder why I outfish them. I am often looking for the most effective method. It isn’t the coolest way, it isn’t the exciting way, it is the way I can most easily replicate over and over again and get the highest strike rate. And I fish with them to suggest they consider what I am doing. This doesn’t always trigger the response I’m after. People often want to make life more difficult than it should be, so why is fishing any different? Case in point – stickbaits.

These are great in the right scenario but in my area, they are a specialised lure with limited effective applications – particularly when you consider the total number of fish we boat. But anglers continue to chuck them, and not only novice anglers enamoured by YouTube. If you see your guide lob less than ten casts and boat three fish, as opposed to your prime first cast at every bust-up for zero fish all session, the only question you should be asking at the end of the day is, “What was I doing different to the guide?” Not, “Why weren’t they biting?”

> Hervey Bay > Fraser Island > Sandy Strait

Josephine worked hard for nought until we got to the last fishing spot! Rewarded with a massive trevally.

Ming and his mack tuna. A typical tour catch in spring.

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

www.fraserguidedfishing.com.au > 0427 230 261 Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 57

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Page 58 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

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THE ALL-NEW 7-SEAT ISUZU MU-X HAS ARRIVED. The All-New Isuzu MU-X has arrived on Australian shores. With exquisite styling inside and out, enhanced off-road features including 4x4 Terrain Command and a Rear Diff-Lock on all 4x4 models. Coupled with the latest technology, including Android Auto™ and wireless Apple CarPlay®. Plus exceptional safety with the Isuzu Intelligent Driver Assistance System# backed by a 5-star ANCAP safety rating across the range. The 7-seat Isuzu MU-X is fully equipped for your next on or off-road adventure. The All-New Isuzu MU-X – EXTRAORDINARY.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 59

While fishing snags you will encounter a stack of species, which included this trevally for Toni.

A handful of mangrove jack on a surface fished Z-Man 4” Turbo CrawZ.

Top 10 tips for rigging and fishing weedless soft plastics

ITH impoundments firing for barramundi and bass, mangrove jack on the chew and other heavy structure dwellers waking up from the winter chill, I thought it would be a good time to share a few tips for rigging and fishing with weedless rigged soft plastics. Weedless rigging allows you to present your plastic over, through and into heavy cover with minimal chance of snagging or fouling. This opens up the weed, mangroves, lilies, timber and other snags

Tackle Tactics by JUSTIN WILLMER

that fish so often hold in. Structure provides shelter and breaks from the current, while also attracting bait and creating ambush points. Putting your soft plastic in there puts you right in the action. Here are 10 things that work for me when fishing weedless. Rigging Many anglers find weedless rigging easier than standard rig-

ging because you’re not threading the hook through a large section of the plastic, rather just pinning the chin, measuring where the hook needs to come out and pushing the point straight up through the plastic. You can watch videos on weedless rigging at tackletactics.com.au/ rigging-guides A decade ago, I experimented with weedless rigging and gave

Declan with an impoundment barramundi on the go-to Z-Man 6” SwimmerZ and TT SnakelockZ combination. Page 60 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

it away because the plastics were hard and stiff, which reduced the hook-up rate, and back then weedless hook options were quite limited. Z-Man plastics have made weedless rigging both simpler and more effective thanks to their 10X Tough super soft and flexible ElaZtech material. The softness and flexibility of the material means the hook clears much easier when a fish strikes, making the hook-up rate excellent. While the durability of the material means it can be rigged without tearing, rigged over and over again and the plastic isn’t torn and destroyed when a fish strikes. This makes weedless fishing effective, simple and affordable. Being super soft and flexible means a keeper system is needed to lock the soft plastic in place on the weedless hook or jig head, and this is where TT Lures jig heads have been designed with Z-Man in mind.

The ‘chin lock’ keeper system on the ChinlockZ, ChinlockZ SWS and SnakelockZ jig heads quickly and easily lock the chin of the Z-Man plastic in place, preventing it from sliding down the hook. These jig heads are also suitable for non ElaZtech plastics. The addition of TT Lures ChinlockZ Finesse and SnakelockZ Finesse jig heads, down to a #4, have made it possible to weedless rig even tiny finesse plastics, such as the Z-Man 2” GrubZ for bream, trout and redfin perch. It’s no longer only about mangrove jack, barramundi, bass and Murray cod. If you haven’t tried weedless rigging or you’re keen to explore it further, you’ll find a guide to selecting weedless jig heads for the range of Z-Man plastics at tackletactics.com.au/ rigging-guides Where to cast Where might I fish weedless, what might be the reason and where * continued P61

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Tips for weedless soft plastics * from P60

would I cast are a few questions I’m asked. Have a selection of weedless jig heads in your kit to suit the plastics you carry and the species you target and utilise them whenever snagging and fouling in structure becomes a potential hazard. I weedless rig wherever it’s necessary, including flathead on weed flats, pikey bream in timber snag piles, mangrove edges and snags for barra and jack, pockets in weed beds and weed edges for impoundment barra, timber for saratoga, bass and redfin, reef edges for coral trout, surf fishing plastics for tailor and other species when weed is a problem and anywhere else where structure or weed has created a snagging or fouling issue. Weedless rigging reduces snagging and fouling and allows you to spend more time fishing and less time cleaning off weed or trying to unsnag lures, which can also potentially shut down a snag. It also means your presentation is swimming and swimming correctly for longer, which translates to more chances of catching fish. An option is to have two or more rods rigged, then you can still approach a snag or weed and fish the edges with your standard jig head, switching to the weedless presentation when you wish to get the lure right in there. With the increased hook-up rate of the Z-Man presentation though, I often fish a weedless presentation when focussing on www.bnbfishing.com.au

structure and throwing the occasional cast into clear water on flats or in drains. I often approach a snag from down current, make a couple of casts to the edge and a cast to each side, hoping to draw a fish out to eat the lure and maximise my chances of keeping it out once hooked. I then make casts into and past the snag, swimming the lure back through with the current. This is more intense fishing and you need to be ready for the strike and the battle to get the fish out of the structure. You’ll feel the lure bumping through the structure, and strikes will often follow the lure bumping solid structure and coming up and over, then dropping back down naturally and being nailed by a fish. Prime locations to present your weedless plastic include timber piles, lay down timber (especially in the forks and along the edges of lay downs), freshly submerged timber and mangrove edges with bushy sections in the water, lilies (especially gaps in the lilies and small patches of isolated lilies), weed beds and reeds (including pockets and channels in the weed and reeds), drains that have structure in them and isolated structure on the flats. Topwater Watching a soft plastic swim on the surface can be hypnotising, when you have them rigged correctly and swimming straight. The aggressive and explosive surface strikes that break this trance

can be heart stopping and addictive. A handful of species that respond well to surface presentations include mangrove jack, barramundi, trevally, kingfish, bass, saratoga, tailor, salmon and bream, however it’s surprising the species that will eat a surface presentation. A few popular surface presentations include a 2.75” Finesse FrogZ on a 2/0 ChinlockZ or ChinlockZ SWS for bass, mangrove jack and saratoga, the larger 4” Hard Leg FrogZ for barra and Murray cod, 4” Turbo CrawZ for bass, jack, barra and cod or the 10” HeroZ for kingfish. Don’t forget to experiment with your favourite Z-Man plastics though as we have had great success with a Z-Man 3” MinnowZ fished on the surface on a 3/0 ChinlockZ or ChinlockZ SWS for a stack of different species including bass, barramundi, tailor and trevally. Shallow and slow sink When it comes to fishing shallow structure it’s hard to go past a TT Lures ChinlockZ SWS jig head. The SWS stands for snagless weight system and refers to a weight that is moulded onto the belly of the hook to create a slow natural horizontal fall, while also increasing casting distance, keeling the plastic and allowing you to retrieve the plastic subsurface or get the rod tip up and buzz it across the top. This is my go-to when fishing northern mangroves, drains and iso* continued P62

Bass can’t resist a surface fished Z-Man 2.75” FrogZ on a 2/0 TT Lures ChinlockZ hook.

Saratoga are suckers for a surface fished Z-Man 2.75” Finesse FrogZ on a TT ChinlockZ.

A mangrove jack favourite, the TT Lures SnakelockZ and Z-Man 3” MinnowZ combination. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 61

Top 10 tips for rigging and fishing weedless soft plastics * from P61

Jungle perch are another species that suit weedless rigging with plenty of casts in tight country.

Bass in timber is a perfect scenario for weedless rigging with a TT Lures SnakelockZ and Jig Spinner.

Adding a TT Lures Jig Spinner to your weedless presentation is an option to create flash and vibration.

Barramundi love hiding in weed and a weedless plastic is a good way of getting them out. Page 62 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

lated structure on the flats, in water depths ranging from almost nothing to around 1.5m, for species such as mangrove jack, barramundi, grunter, trevally and more. Whether you are slow rolling and twitching a MinnowZ or hopping and gliding a crustacean presentation, such as a Z-Man 3.5” EZ ShrimpZ, this presentation allows a natural slow fall and the ability to keep the plastic right in the strike zone. This jig head is also dynamite for swimming and working plastics through, around and over timber, lilies, weed beds and reeds for bass, saratoga, barra and jack. In the larger sizes, it is also rigged in jerk bait style profiles such as the 7” Scented Jerk ShadZ and 10’ HeroZ, for kingfish and other pelagic and shallow reef species. Shallow to deep When it comes to fishing shallow to deeper structure, the SnakelockZ is the go-to. It consists of a ChinlockZ hook with a detachable head weight that is attached via a built-in stainless-steel wire quick connection system. This allows you to mix and match the hook size and head weight to suit your target species, chosen plastic and the structure you wish to fish. Being buoyant the ZMan ElaZtech plastic will also often float up, leaving the head weight on the bottom, while the plastic rises up off

the bottom in a natural feeding pose or a claws up defensive pose that attracts fish and triggers strikes. The SnakelockZ is a versatile option that allows you to select a light head weight for fishing shallow or slow, or up the head weight for maintaining depth while fishing faster or deeper. The SnakelockZ is popular for everything from bass in the weed, lilies and timber to flathead on weed flats, barra and jack in mangroves, impoundment barra in weed, lilies and timber and mangrove jack in everything from deep snag piles to around pontoons. The ability to switch the head weights across 1/12oz, 1/8oz, 1/6oz, 1/4oz, 3/8oz and 1/2oz, while changing the hook size to suit the plastic and species, means you can carry a stack of different combinations in a single plastic tackle tray. Putting a spin on weedless To create additional flash and vibration and increase the snag resistance even further, you can also attach a TT Lures Jig Spinner or Jig Spinner HD to your weedless presentation. A jig spinner has a boomerang shaped stainless-steel wire frame with a spinning blade at one end and a quick attachment system at the other end to attach to the eye of your jig head. Your leader then attaches where the bend is in the wire frame so that when retrieving, the blade runs at the top and

the rigged plastic below the attachment point. This is an effective way to mix things up when the bite isn’t happening, and the subtle flash and vibration is often enough to attract fish and trigger strikes. A selection of blade sizes are available with one being the smallest, allowing you to opt for a more subtle flash and vibration or increase the blade size as required. The TT Lures Jig Spinner HD version is built on a heavy duty stainless wire frame for targeting species that have brutal strikes and powerful jaws capable of damaging the standard jig spinner. Another option to switch things up is the TT Lures BuzzlockZ, a clear, four-bladed buzz blade that comes fitted with a TT Lures ChinlockZ SWS and is designed to create water movement, noise and a bubble trail when buzzed across the surface for predators that eat of the top. It is available in a selection of three-blade sizes to cover smaller species such as bass through to impoundment barra and Murray cod. Further increasing weedless characteristics Several plastics feature hook pockets to assist with recessing the barb and hook point to further reduce snagging and fouling, the Z-Man FrogZ for example. Other plastics such as the MinnowZ and DieZel Minnow feature a split fin on the top that the barb and hook point lay inside, again * continued P63

www.bnbfishing.com. au

Troy with a stonker impoundment barramundi on the SnakelockZ and Z-Man 6” SwimmerZ combination.

A weedless rigged Z-Man 3” MinnowZ is dynamite on bass.

Top 10 tips for fishing weedless soft plastics * from P62

to further reduce snagging and fouling. Many plastics are smooth on the top making it more difficult to conceal the hook, however if you pull down firmly on the hook to pull the barb and hook point snug against the plastic, you will be safe most of the time. When fishing heavy cover, anglers may increase the weedless snagless characteristics of the soft plastic presentation by pulling the hook back a little in the plastic, pinching the plastic in front on the hook point and burying the point slightly into the plastic. This allows you to fish nasty structure, however your hook-up rate can be slightly reduced depending on species. Setting the hook One benefit when rigging and fishing weedless is that the hook set is often solid and in the corner of the jaw, meaning less fish lost to thrown hooks during the fight, especially if aerial antics are involved. To assist with this solid hook set, I maintain good contact with the plastic and keep it www.bnbfishing.com.au

moving a lot more than with a standard jig head, the aim being resistance when the fish strikes the lure and turns to swim away. If fishing paddle or curl tails, I often use a constant slow roll with the rod tip pointed at the lure or I keep my pauses short on the bottom when chasing species such as flathead in weed. When fishing slower around structure – maybe working a prawn imitation such as a Z-Man 3.5” EZ ShrimpZ – it’s crucial to maintain some level of contact with the plastic and keep an eye on the line for any indication of a bite. Someone once told me that strikes are free, so don’t be afraid to set the hook. Scent I always scent up my plastics with Pro-Cure Super Gel to mask foreign scents such as fuel and sunscreen, while also making the most of the powerful amino acids, bite stimulants and UV enhancement to attract fish and trigger strikes. When weedless fishing, I want the strike to be as aggressive and committed as possible

to ensure a solid hook set and I believe that scent is one way to encourage this. I also want the presentation to be as realistic as possible so that if the fish misses on their first attempt, they return for another go. I smear a small amount of scent over the entire plastic every 30-50 casts, after a fish and, when things are quiet, I may add a little more or add another flavour. Utilising standard jig heads for weedless presentations If you find yourself stuck without a weedless jig head, you can utilise a jig head with the ‘head lock’ style grub keeper, similar to a TT Lures HeadlockZ, DemonZ or Big EyeZ and sub them in. Simply pin the plastic through the chin as you would when weedless rigging, pull the hook all the way through the plastic so that the chin of the plastic locks into the gap between the head and grub keeper on the ‘head lock’ style keeper. This ‘head lock’ keeper is now playing the role of the ‘chin lock’ keeper. Measure where you

need the hook to come out and push it straight through, leaving the hook point slightly below the surface. This will allow you to fish serious snags and a decent fish will shift the plastic and find the hook when it strikes. There we go. I am a massive fan of weedless rigging because so often we are

told ‘find the structure, find the fish’ and it’s true. Structure is a magnet for predators for so many reasons and I know that by effectively rigging weedless, my soft plastic is right in where the fish are and also where so many other anglers aren’t fishing. All the best with the fishing.

Tackle box Soft Plastics • Z-Man plastics to suit your species and application • T T Lures ChinlockZ jig heads • T T Lures ChinlockZ SWS jig heads • T T Lures SnakelockZ jig heads • Pro-Cure Mullet Super Gel Scent and a selection of other flavours to suit the species and environment

Mangrove jack love snags and weedless rigging makes them fishable. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 63

Bone Voyage Salt Finesse

THE Bone Salt Finesse series expands on the brilliant Voyage concept, delivering a series of rods that will cover any light line application. With six models in the Salt Finesse range from Voyage, Bone has developed a brilliant cohort that incorporates the highest quality components matched to unparalleled design and function. The highlight feature is the elimination of uneven spread of weight across the joints, achieving an ultra-smooth bend when the rod is loaded, yet maintaining the rod’s durability and strength. These fast actioned four-piece rods are equipped with high modulus TorayCA carbon fibre layers with cross weaves, which makes the blank much lighter and stiffer without compromising strength. Fuji K-Alconite guides for ultra-sensitivity and a Fuji TVS reel seat are essential parts of the design that stand these travel rods above others. Each Voyage rod comes with an individually constructed soft pouch for the ultimate in protection while travelling, ensuring your rod is undamaged in transit and ready to perform. Visit wilsonfishing.com.au

Maria Legato F190

THE Legato F190 is the latest from renowned Japanese lure makers Maria. With a strong flashing action and almost horizontal pause position, this diving pencil style stick-bait is designed to trigger reaction bites from spookable and nervous predators.

Deep scalloped sides allow the Legato to maintain stability during high-speed retrieves. The magnetic weight moving system shifts weight to the rear of the lure improving aerodynamics and increasing casting distance too. With through-wire construction, it’s sure to be popular with offshore and rock anglers targeting kingfish, tuna, trevally and many others! Legato F190 comes unrigged so you can fit your own trebles, doubles or single hooks and hardware Eight awesome colours make up the range. The F190 weighs in at 60g and overall length of 190mm. Visit ejtodd.com.au

Three new colours Bassday SugaPen

THE Bassday SugaPen 120 is a must have surface lure for all locations. You can use them on the flats up north or even in the bays and estuaries where they are a deadly kingfish lure further south. The action on this lure is so good that its even used for extra over-sized flathead. The SugaPen imitates a stricken baitfish or prawn and there have been many imitators but few equals. The colour range is expanding with three new colours available bringing the range up to twelve. These new colours have been specifically chosen for Australian conditions and will apply all across the country. The MT-76 comes with a holographic effect on the underbelly and an orange top. The FC-284 is a semi-transparent gold colour all over. The MH-16 is a classic pilchard pattern with a pink chin. All are high quality plastic construction with a super accurate and long cast. Visit frogleysoffshore.com.au

Page 64 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

TT Lures Snake EyeZ Weedless Jig Heads

TT Lures Big EyeZ series brought the addition of large bulging three-dimensional eyes to the popular HeadlockZ jig head range and now the new Snake EyeZ deliver the same strike trigger in a weedless articulated jig head. Built on a heavy-duty Mustad black nickel chemically sharpened worm hook, Snake EyeZ feature TT’s ‘chin lock’ keeper to lock your soft plastic in place, realistic extra-large 3D eyes and hand-painted heads to match or contrast your favourite soft plastics in a selection of popular natural and UV reactive colours – designed to attract fish and trigger strikes. The articulated head creates maximum action and the through wire in-built stainless-steel quick clip system allows hook sizes, head colours and weights to be quickly and easily interchanged. This clip system has proven itself in the current SnakelockZ range and is tested to 75lb. Snake EyeZ come in a three pack, with five colours in the range offering both natural and ultraviolet reactive colour alternatives along with glow eye options. Available in three popular weights 1/6oz, 1/4oz and 3/8oz and five hook sizes to suit a wide range of soft plastics and target species 2/0, 3/0, 4/0, 5/0 and 6/0. Get your soft plastic in where the fish are! Suggested retail price $13.95. Visit ttlures.com.au

www.bnbfishing.com. au

increased wire size for strength, features a straight eye and a nickel finish. It is sure to become equal to or even more popular than the original SL12S. This hook will cover you for tuskfish, bonefish, triggers and permit, and can be used as a trailer or second hook on saltwater flies. The SL12S Short is available in sizes #4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 and 4/0 and is available in pre-packs and 25 packs. Visit frogleysoffshore.com.au

Sunline Hi-Contact

WHEN Sunline set out to develop a leader material with the knot strength of nylon and the durability of fluorocarbon, Hi-Contact was the result. High molecular weight increases how far the material can stretch before rupturing and increases the impact resistance of the material. That means tougher more durable nylon. P-Ion Plasma Rise processing also increases water repellence, maintaining straight line strength as well as slickness for increased casting distance all day. This premium leader is available in pocket sized 50m spools from 4lb to 12lb. Visit ejtodd.com.au

Gamakatsu SL12S Short

THE SL12S or Big Game is one of Gamakatsu’s most popular hooks for a variety of uses, including rigged hooks in skirts for sportsfish such as marlin and flies for saltwater species, and even tarpon overseas. The new hook is a short shank version of the SL12S, which is designed to accommodate smaller fly designs while maintaining exceptional strength. The new SL12S Short has a wide gap, www.bnbfishing.com.au

Majorcraft Jigpara Vertical Short New ‘Live’ Colours

NEW across the entire range of Jigpara Vertical Short jigs are three new ‘real fish’ colours resembling popular bait species in Australia. A jig has never looked this good. It’s almost as if the actual baitfish has been encased in the lure. This new finish is extremely life-like and guaranteed to make these jigs even deadlier. The new colours are called Live Kin Iwashi, Live Kin Aji and Live Kin Saba. Each resembles a popular bait species in Australian waters. Live Kin Saba is the perfect replica of the slimy mackerel, Live Kin Aji is a yakka or yellowtail, and Live Kin Iwashi is a pilchard pattern. The colours are available across the entire range from 80g all the way up to 180g. All the Jigpara metal jigs come with Majorcraft’s five-layer coating, which offers maximum durability and prevents peeling. Visit frogleysoffshore.com.au

New Atomic wet weather gear

ATOMIC have designed the ultimate in wet weather jackets and pants designed to ensure you stay dry in the meanest of squalls, or simply when you are standing in a centre console while running cross wind at 30 knots. Simple, functional and no bulky pockets to get in your way. The jacket is made of polyester PVC coating and 100 percent waterproof material. Comfort is delivered by mesh lining the jacket. To ensure the Atomic wet weather gear is capable of dealing with the rigours of the sea, we use only plastic zippers that will not seize and added a Velcro overwrap to ensure waterproofness. Slimline pockets at hip height also feature plastic zips and waterproof covers while the sleeve cuffs use traditional Velcro closures. There is also an elastic drawstring at the base of the jacket. The pants feature twin pockets either side with an elastic waist and drawstring. They are lined and come with elastic ankles. The wet weather suits are available in kids sizes 10, 12 and 14 and adults sizes XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL and XXXL. Visit frogleysoffshore.com.au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 65

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www.fraserguidedfishing.com.au > 0427 230 261 Page 66 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

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Fozie’s Fishing Adventures 0427 834 376

• Half and full-day adventures • Whale watching • Scattering of ashes ceremonies

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0428 753 293 Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 67

BOATING & marine

Layman’s guide to lithium batteries

ANY of our members have been going to electric troll motors as their anchoring option and while the brand of motor brings debate, probably the biggest discussion revolves around lead acid versus lithium batteries. Rob Schomberg put together this layman’s guide to lithium bat-

Power Boat Anglers by MICK CLUTTERBUCK

teries, which may be helpful. Lithium batteries have been around for quite a while in various forms and chemistries but for this article, we’ll stick to the LiFePO4 because we use them for boating

and not for powering our mobile phones or other electronic devices. LiFePO4 lithium ferrophosphate batteries are called that because – as for lead acid batteries where lead is the cathode – lithium is the

200amp LifePo4 28kg = 3 x 105AGM batteries at 90kg.

The battery management system inside a lithium battery. Page 68 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

cathode in these. LiFePO4 batteries use the same principle as lead acid but are constructed of different materials and produce more usable power for the same rated output, and do so for a lot longer. Lead acid deep cycle – known as AGM – batteries have a cycle life in the hundreds of charges, whereas lithiums can do thousands – both of these figures have caveats though. Abuse by dropping either to zero volts will destroy a lead acid and compromise a lithium, with the AGM dead or close to, while the lithium will recharge and come back to life but at a decreased functioning capacity. As a general rule, AGM batteries should not be taken below 50 percent state of charge, and if done will show 12V dropping from 12.8V fully charged. The lithium will be at 13.1-13.3 at 50 percent and will stay at that voltage until 10 percent where it will drop quickly – a battery management system would trip out at this point. So generally, a 105amp/hr AGM lead acid has a useful current of 50 amperes, while the 100amp/hr lithium LiFePO4 has 80/90 amperes – basically twice the power output. Other points of note are that the lithium is around half the weight

of a lead acid of similar capacity – 13kg versus 30kg – and can even be installed upside down if preferred. If looked after, you can get three to five years from an AGM battery while a LiFePO4 can get up to 1015, possibly even 20 years. What is a BMS you may ask? Lithium batteries have a battery management system – electronic thingy – built in to protect it from a few things, including over and under current, short circuit and over temperature. Due to their makeup, lithiums are able to take huge amounts of current to recharge and by the same token discharge huge amounts of current – the BMS keeps this in check. The types of lithium batteries out there are much more complex than your standard AGM. The first lithium batteries were small cylindrical cells all joined together, similar to a long chain of C cell batteries, and the larger the battery the more cells – 120 or more cells for 12V 100A. The issue with them was with so many solder joints in each battery, if one failed… no battery. Then pouch cells came along – these resembled ready cooked rice packs with two * continued P69

www.bnbfishing.com. au

BOATING & marine

Layman’s guide to lithium batteries - what to look for * from P68

leads coming out of them. Now prismatic cells are the norm, around the size of your standard paperback novel, with an aluminium case – four per 12V battery – and are connected with solid copper bars and bolts, making them a lot stronger. There are also larger cylindrical cells – lithium titanate – around and you might get eight in a 100A battery instead of 100+ for the smaller cells, but I’m not sure how good these are. If you’re keen to buy, then try not to get ripped off. Lithium batteries are no different to anything else and are probably easier to get duped with as they all look the same, but what lies inside the case could be dodgy to say the least. All LiFePO4 cells are made in China by probably four main factories, so the battery you pay $2000 for might have the same cells as the battery available for $800. How do you know? Ask questions, do research and try to sort through the smoke and mirrors. While most batteries are now using prismatic cells, they are the same cells used in the current wave of hybrid and DC vehicles. This now brings so called B-grade cells into the equation, which www.bnbfishing.com.au

are used cells out of these vehicles. They test OK but may be downgraded due to usage – that is, a 150A or 120A cell may be rebadged as 100 ampere hours and resold. These are mainly sold individually online but some of the LiFePO4 batteries on one site being sold for $400 may have these or smaller cylindrical cells. Charging is another issue as LiFePO4 batteries will charge off any charger or alternator but will never get to full capacity, and this will effect life span. They require a higher charge voltage of 14.6V with no float charging and will hold full charge for three or more times longer than an AGM battery. Best consult a battery specialist for your needs and requirements. Most applications for our club members are for electric troll motors. The weight savings can be impressive, especially for a 24 or 36-volt system and, when combined with increased output, the option needs looking at. Onboard charging for the electric batteries from 240V shore power is fine but debatable if there is any advantage charging from your outboard – given the number of other devices running off it, the alternator output, current drop due to wiring and

how far you’re driving the boat. Installing LiFePO4s for house batteries have plenty of advantages if you need the power and they are becoming a must for caravan owners running big inverters or staying off the grid for long periods. If you are looking at LiFePO4 batteries, then do your research and don’t buy the cheapest. If you have the coin, buy the top of the line expensive brands from $1000-2000 for peace of mind, but most of the mid-range units from $700-800 are OK too. Check what cells – prismatic preferably – and BMS are used, and online research of brand feedback may also be worthwhile. For charging systems, the same applies – pay $500 for a big-name brand or look for the same specifications on a much cheaper unit. Once again mid-range seems the best value, remembering nearly everything for lithium batteries comes from China. Do your research, ask questions and don’t cut corners and you’ll get a reliable economic outcome. Please note that the Power Boat Anglers meetings occur on the first Wednesday of every month at ‘The Club Manly’ (bowls club), 26 Faine St Manly from 6.30pm for a 7.00pm start.

Upcoming meetings The last meeting will be Wednesday December 1, 2021 and with no January meeting, PBA will reconvene on

Wednesday February 2, 2022. Until next month, safe boating and an enjoyable Christmas and New Year to all.

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 0458 742 153 • Linen available www.turkeybeachfishingvilla.com

Offshore reef fishing fanatics WANTED One of Brisbane’s oldest deep-sea fishing clubs with a 100 percent safety record has vacancies for new members. Owners of suitable vessels encouraged. All levels of experience. Those without own vessels also invited to apply. Approximately 15 deep sea trips per year. One week-long fishing holiday to Town of 1770. Monthly meetings, video shows, guest speakers and free nibbles. 4WD beach fishing and camping. Inshore fishing also on the agenda. Interested? Then call Darren (0413 511 436) or Robin (3269 5013). POWER BOAT ANGLERS REEF FISHING CLUB INC Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 69

BOATING & marine

Telwater and Mercury create the ultimate in turnkey packages

OPHISTICATION is often found in simplicity, particularly when it comes to the best boating experience. This is certainly the case for owners of the new boat, motor and trailer packages designed by Telwater and powered by Mercury. Telwater is Australia’s largest manufacturer of aluminium boat and trailer packages with leading brands such as Quintrex, Stacer, Yellowfin and Savage. According to Telwa-

ter’s commercial manager Drew Jackson the addition of a Mercury engine creates a perfectly balanced fourstroke BMT package. “The process of buying a boat can be complex – from choosing the size, to the model, the range and then adding the extra choices of trailer options, engine types and sizes – the variables are endless,” Drew said. “But creating a turnkey package removes those complexities and provides custom-

Page 70 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

ers with specific BMT combinations to suit their application needs. “We can create an ideally matched boat. “Having Mercury onboard to create these packages has been exciting for Telwater – the brand and quality of product speaks for itself. “Both Telwater and Mercury are powerhouses in the boat and engines spaces respectively, and after building a strong business relationship we’re now providing dealerships and customers products

to cater for their lifestyles and enjoy an onwater experience like no other.” But the advantages aren’t only felt by consumers, the benefits apply through all touch points for manufacturers and dealerships. Authorised Mercury dealerships can order a package using Telwater’s dealer portal and have a complete package delivered to their door. Time is reduced in unloading and unboxing – the BMT package arrives practically showroom ready. Once sold, all that needs to happen is registration for the boat, a battery and safety kit and it’s ready for delivery to the customer. The focus can now shift for dealers – the reduced need for workshop fit ups means a BMT package increases output and allows more time to focus on service and aftersales support. Mercury’s director of

sales David Meehan believes that combining Mercury engines with the Telwater turnkey packages is a match made in heaven. “We want every Mercury engine owner to have the ideal boating experience and with the Telwater packages we’re confident that you will,” David said. “Our four-stroke engines have a reputation for outstanding performance and reliability, with simple large capacity lightweight power backed by a super competitive six year warranty for extra peace of mind on the water. “These BMT packages offer simplicity for consumers, dealers and manufacturers – there’s really no easier way to order a boat.” Ask your leading authorised Mercury Quintrex, Stacer, Yellowfin or Savage dealer for a quote on a Mercury powered boat, motor, trailer package today.

www.bnbfishing.com. au

BOATING & marine Insights into boat insurance

Ensure you can choose your repairer

HEN making a boat insurance claim, different insurers have different policies about you having or not having the right to choose your preferred boat repairer. And having that choice can be critically important when it comes to preserving the integrity and real value of your boat. If you purchased a high-quality brand name fibreglass boat, it makes sense to have a high-quality repair done. A specialist marine insurer such as Nautilus understands this and is one that will gives you the right to choose your repairer, provided the repairer can prove that he or she holds the appropriate qualifications and skills to undertake that work. It goes far deeper than simply being a very competent fibreglasser. A competent fibreglasser might be able to make totally satisfactory repairs to a golf cart or a truck’s wind deflector, but the question is – does he or she have the boat-building expertise required to

replace a transom in your boat? Does he or she have an intimate understanding of how your boat has been put together? Is he or she experienced in assessing the stresses that critical structural components might have been subjected to in an impact? A qualified skilled boat builder can determine the type of damage that might have been suffered by the boat’s internal framework and as well as to the exterior. It’s one of the reasons why some major boat manufacturers have an in-factory repair service for their boats. With all of the right resources at their immediate disposal – including the original plans and schematics – they are able to do things such as remove sections and cut inspection holes in the right places. These will enable them to see whether timber, aluminium or composite material and structural supports were damaged when, for example, the boat and its trailer went separate ways. They know where to look, they know where

damage could possibly have been sustained and they know whether it is financially and structurally viable to undertake a repair. With fast-rising prices on new and used boats, that’s also an important consideration. A boat owner may not be in a financial position today to purchase an equivalent new replacement boat for the one purchased five years ago. The same model five years down the track may have risen in value very significantly since it was purchased. Your preferred option in a case such as this might be to have the boat repaired rather than written off. Therefore, you want an insurer and a repairer who can in conjunction with you get a very accurate handle on whether it is possible to get that boat fixed and back on the water without jeopardising its performance, durability or safety. Insurers that specialise in marine coverage such as Nautilus, have the people and the skills to work through this process with you.

Conversely, a company that has boat insurance as only an ‘add on’ to its core business of say insuring property and livestock might well be tempted to take the easier route and declare the boat a ‘write off’, meaning at most you will be paid out according to the value on your policy. Does that mean a marine insurer will pay you more than you are entitled to? Of course not. But it does mean that a borderline decision about whether the vessel is a write-off or repairable, might come down in your favour. The boat builder who manufactured your boat in the first place may already have some of the replacement moulds, framing and specialist staff on the spot and therefore

can deliver the repair at a competitive price. A fibreglasser without that expertise might simply say no way. The point is, by having a choice, you potentially have the edge over a person who does not. However, in the final assessment, it will come down to the expertise of your insurer and the terms of insurance as defined in your insurance policy’s product disclosure statement. Similarly, any special conditions and excesses should always be explained clearly in your insurance policy’s PDS. If you need further information, you can contact Nautilus Marine Insurance on 1300 780 533 for any boat insurance requirements.

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

www.bnbfishing.com.au

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 71

Benny’s first barramundi measured in at 90cm and ate an Atomic Hardz Shiner 85 Double Deep lure. Nice hat Benny!

Benny’s best barramundi measured spot on 1m and ate a gold Gillies Dr Evil trolled down deep.

Fitzroy River Barra Bash

A nice barramundi caught during the Fitzroy River Barra Bash. Page 72 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

HE 2021 Fitzroy River Barra Bash was held at the end of October this year, and my friend Benny and I fished it as team Bush ’n Beach again. The competition was extended to an extra half day, which worked out so well. We got to Rockhampton a few days before the competition started so we could have a look around and see if we could find a fish or two. We had a look around the city reaches and found plenty of fish that didn’t want to eat. Though as we weren’t wanting to pressure too many fish before the competition started, we didn’t put much effort into catching them. The comp started with a briefing at the Frenchville Sports Club on the Wednesday night and it ran for three days. The Thursday and Friday were from 5am5pm and the Saturday was 5am-12pm. We decided to spend our time around Port Alma where we’ve had a bit of success on some decent quality barramundi.

Competition Report by KEITH STRATFORD

We got to our first spot nice and early, so a quick rest after applying plenty of Aeroguard was on the cards. Once 5am kicked over, we started casting a few big plastics around some structure for the first hour but drew a blank. We started trolling the same area with a few deep diving Atomic Hardz Shiner 85 Double Deep lures. These are a great trolling lure that get down to around the 6m mark, which is excellent for a lure that size. Benny was first to hook up and the fish ate the lure while he was cranking it back in, slightly behind the boat. All hell broke loose with the barra jumping around everywhere. After a quick but nervous fight, a nice 90cm model was in the net and ready for a quick photo and release. Half an hour later Benny hooked up again but this time it was in

some heavy cover. The last couple of years we’ve worked out a little plan to get them out of the structure, which has been working very well. The idea is to put enough pressure on them to make them jump if they’re staying deep and trying to bust you off. If you put too much pressure on them, hooks and rings start to bend and straighten, so it’s a fine line. Benny nailed this fish perfectly and had it next to the boat and ready for the net in no time. This fish was also spot on 90cm, so the quality was very good. We missed a couple of bites over the next half hour and then the fish started shutting down. Benny snagged up one of his favourite Atomics that was catching the fish and had to bust it off. The next seven hours weren’t much fun with * continued P73

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Team Bush ‘n Beach at Fitzroy River Barra Bash * from P72

a few missed bites and no fish landed. The next bite period was close to starting and the fish were getting active again. Benny continued his good form and hooked up to a better one. This one didn’t want to jump and stayed deep, eventually stitching him up in the structure. We kept trying to tow the fish out when it ripped out of the snag into open water. This was a better fish and, once next to the boat, we saw it had Benny’s Atomic that he’d lost earlier – it was wrapped around its face with a stack of other line! We got the fish in the boat and Benny got his lure back. It was a good size too, measuring 96cm. The tide was getting high by this stage and we struggled to get the Atomics down into the structure, so we went with some deeper divers. I tied on a Killalure River Rat 20+ in gold and Benny went with a gold Gillies Dr Evil. I finally got a fish to stick on the River Rat and had my first for the day in the boat at 90cm. Benny was back at it shortly after with a better fish again. We’ve fished Gillies Dr Evils a fair bit in this area though had never landed a barra on them, but this fish had sucked it in and was jumping all over the place trying to get it out of its mouth. This one measured spot on the 1m mark, and we celebrated with a few high fives and a cold drink. Soon after I lost one www.bnbfishing.com.au

next to the boat, another 90cm fish, and Benny landed his fifth for the day which measured 91cm at the end of the session. We were pleased with the first day and with the quality of the fish. And we were ranking in the top 10, which we were also happy about. Some of the teams had cleaned up on the first day, with the local team of Craig Griffiths and Karim De Ridder getting over 9m for their 10 fish – there were plenty of fish over 1m landed. The next morning, getting up at 2:30am again hurt. The forecast was for another hot day around 35C, so it was going to be a long slog, again. There weren’t many highlights for us on the second day. We missed a few fish early on while trolling and went eight hours without landing one. I finally got a barra to stay connected on a River Rat in Strawberry Pie colour that went 91cm and followed it up with a better fish at 97cm. As many teams were doing well, we were surprised to still be in the top 10. Getting up early had us at our first spot in time for the 5am start. The tides increased considerably on the last day of fishing, so we weren’t too sure how the fish were going to react to the extra movement in the water. We didn’t have to wait too long and my Strawberry Pie River Rat was belted by a good fish. This barra did all the right things by jumping out and swimming into the channel.

After a bit of a nervous battle, another 97cm fish was in the boat. This one had a tag in it, so we took the details, got a measurement and sent it on its way. About an hour later, my Atomic got hit by another nice fish. This fish did the right thing too, with most of its fighting done out in the channel. It came in at 93cm – another nice barramundi on the board early. Unfortunately, that was the last action we saw for the day. The tide started running out hard and the fish went off the chew. We persisted until lunchtime for no result, so we went back to our camp for a few welldeserved drinks. I called in the tagged fish that I’d caught, and found out that it had been tagged 1006 days earlier by fellow Bush ‘n Beach writer John Boon. It had only grown 2cm in that time and had been recaptured 6km from its original tag location. The presentation was at the Frenchville Sports Club and they put on an excellent event, with great food and plenty of beverages. The competition was a great success and an amazing number of big fish were caught. Brendan Warren landed the biggest barra with a monster measuring in at 126cm. Edge Rods took out the champion team with over 24m of barramundi, including a stack over the 1m mark. Well done to Craig Griffiths and Karim De Ridder on taking out another barra competition.

These fishos always chase – they put in plenty of work sorting the barra out and they do the miles to catch the fish. Team Bluefin Sports had a very strong finish, getting them second place, and fellow scribe John Boon had a great comp with Luke Peisker, coming in third. Team Bush ’n Beach snuck into ninth place

with 10 fish landed over the three days. The Fitzroy River Barra Bash is the most organised and well-run competition I’ve fished in and I can’t wait to get back. Thanks to Ben Collins who runs this great magazine and his crew for getting us up there to take part. Catch you all next month.

The Atomic Hardz Shiner 85 Double Deep in Blood Red colour was a standout lure for team Bush ’n Beach.

The author with a good-sized barramundi taken while trolling deep diving lures among structure. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 73

Luke Peisker with Humminbird Minn Kota team’s best barramundi for the competition at 107cm.

Karim De Ridder of team Edge Rods with a ripper 117cm barramundi.

Records smashed at Fitzroy River Barra Bash

KNOW it’s now December and the jolly old fat man is getting close to sliding down chimneys again but for this month I’ll do a recap of the Fitzroy River Barra Bash held at the end of October. There were around 80 teams that had signed up for this year’s bash, which was another outstanding turn out. In all the years that it’s been running, it has always had maximum team numbers participating. This has a lot to do with the organisation and professionalism of the Frenchville Sports Club that put this competition together. I competed this year

Capricorn Coast by JOHN BOON

with my good friend Luke Peisker as team Humminbird Minn Kota. We had a score to settle after our below average finish in the 2020 event. The pre-fish leading up to game day was almost normal, with most teams on the water sounding around trying to find where the fish numbers would be holding. We went for a look around the town reaches and there were hardly any boats in between the bridges.

Craig Griffiths of team Edge Rods with a 121cm giant. Page 74 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

A quick lap around with the Humminbird Helix revealed very few numbers of barramundi, which was very odd as normally we find a few good patches. Day one was going to be a fairly tough day. For the run-out tide there was only a 0.5m difference between the high and low, so finding areas with tidal flow would be difficult though not impossible. We settled on a spot holding good numbers of barra and were rewarded with a hook-up only three casts into the day after kick-off. I did my absolute best to mess that up and was left feeling frustrated after the hooks pulled. About an hour later I was lucky to put our first barra for the comp on the deck – at 93cm taken on a 5” Z-Man Diesel Minnow. With the Fitzroy River comp, it’s your best 10 barra for each day. It was run and gun for most of our first

day and we were feeling fairly proud of ourselves because our bag came in at 630cm. We got our number 10 about a half hour before knock-off, so it was a big relief. Along with us were three other teams who got their limit, which sat us in third position. The big talk of the day was that gun tournament anglers Craig Griffiths and Karim De Ridder of team Edge Rods had put together a record-breaking 10-fish bag, coming in at 938cm. That worked out to be an average of almost 1m per fish. Most anglers dream of catching a 1m barra and these guys had nailed four in the one day. Day two had a bit of a different feel to it. A bit more tidal flow and mint weather conditions had us super keen to get our lures in the water. Luke was working a Zerek Live Shrimp back to the boat on about the third cast of the day when he came up tight. The barramundi jumped straight away and it was a horse.

Luke played it out well and we had our best barra for the comp on the deck, coming in at 107cm. We got that one back in the water and it was my turn – another goodsized fish coming in at 94cm. A great start for our team putting two quality barra on deck in the first hour. We kept to a similar plan and were rewarded once again with another 10-fish bag with one upgrade. At the end of day two, we were in second place behind team Edge Rods and only 160cm off the lead. The third and final day was a half day – fishing from 5am to 12pm. With the limited amount of fishing time, we concentrated on hitting the right spots at the right time of the tide. Two things were high on our priority list for this comp and that was consistency and conversion. So far the conversion rate had been good and we aimed for four barra * continued P75

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Records smashed at Fitzroy River Barra Bash * from P74

on the last day – we boated seven. We found out later that day that team Edge Rods had put the afterburners on and produced another megasized bag of 10 fish, coming in at close to 9m! That wasn’t the only amazing bag to be caught on day three, with team Bluefin producing a mega amount of barra that will be a record for many years to come. Team Bluefin – consisting of Paul Thompson and Bryan Pisani – landed a 10-fish bag of 1058cm. That was an unbelievable achievement and the anglers should be very proud of themselves for knocking it

out of the park. At the presentation dinner, Edge Rods finished well out in front with 2410cm. Bluefin came from behind and rolled us out of second place with a total of 2016cm. Our team managed 1853cm and held on to third place. Local gurus Colin Brett and Mick Slade of team Edge Rods Lucky Craft took out fourth place with 1735cm. A special mention goes out to the Bush ‘n Beach travelling team of Keith Stratford and Ben Monro, who took out ninth place with 839cm of barra – which got them in the top 10 and a cash prize. An outstanding effort from a non-local team. Keith also gives a

run down on how their event went. The biggest barra of the competition was caught by Brendan Warren on a 5” Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ, which measured a whooping 126cm. The Spice brothers took out the team threadfin category with 2247cm and the biggest thready was caught by Boden Spice at 142cm. The Fitzroy River Barra Bash is such a professional and wellrun competition. Everything has been streamlined and thought of to give the competitors the best experience available. Make sure you jump on the Barra Bash Facebook page to come and fish the 2022 event.

The Humminbird Helix mega imaging was such a vital tool for the author’s success.

The author with his best barramundi for the bash at 94cm.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 75

Last 1000 Prawnstars

The young anglers enjoyed the Woodgate Beach Hotel Fishing Classic and their Mad Keen Fishing dry bags full of goodies.

Woodgate Beach Hotel Fishing Classic

HIS was our best year yet for the Woodgate Beach Hotel Fishing Classic, with 528 competitors entering for our fifth year, which was an outstanding 203 more than the previous competition held in 2019. A family-run competition, we work tirelessly to put this event on year in year out through our family owned and operated hotel. Woodgate Beach offers the best of the best when it comes to fishing, with prime estuary angling at both ends of the township – Theodolite Creek and Walkers Point. The area offers an extensive range of species along with ease of access to cater for shorebased categories and great reef content just offshore, which provided a range outstanding reef fish weighed in for the 2021 competition. An outstanding

$58,000 in prizes were given away over the weekend and no one left the event without something in hand. The Shimano Reef Science Fishing Show hosted by Dave ‘Mossy’ Moss was a tremendous success this year, with children big and small getting in on the fun and winning a stack of cracking prizes. The Best Dressed Team event proved to be a huge success with the entrants and up to 20 teams entered. The winning team received a fantastic prize from major sponsors and friends from Mad Keen Fishing – offering to dress the winning team in custom outfits for 2022! The winning team was the Stunned Mullets team of 10, who have been coming along to our competition since 2018. The Biggest Fish

Best Dressed Team winners the Stunned Mullets won custom outfitting for next year’s event in apparel by Mad Keen Fishing. Page 76 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

award for 2021 went to Ross Smith, weighing in his red emperor at 13.032kg. Proudly sponsored by Woodgate Termite and Pest Solutions, thank you Wayne and Carolyn for your ongoing support. The Best Senior Angler overall was Chris Royan, weighing in the most categories for the comp. The Best Junior Angler overall was Zac Onoprienko, weighing in the most categories for the classic. Well done to our 2021 winners, we hope to see you back in 2022. A massive thank you to our cadets too – we had 117 entrants, topping our 2019 entrant number of 63. We love having the kids turn up and get involved, and hope they enjoy their Mad Keen Fishing dry bags full of goodies.

R A W N STAR earnt its reputation as a proven catcher of thumping big fish – barramundi, mangrove jack, flathead, salmon, jewfish, grunter, fingermark... you name it. Renowned for its flicking action, being tough as nails, with adjustable weights for fishing varied depths and excellent snag resistance... the

Prawnstar ensures you fish in the strike zone, where other lures can’t go. But the legend is coming to an end! Originals and shrimps are gone. And we’re selling out of the last production run of 1000 Juniors, before putting them to bed. So, before they’re gone for good, this is your last chance. Visit prawnstar. com.au for the last of the Prawnstars.

Woodgate Beach Hotel Fishing Classic event coordinator Brandon Lindeberg. www.bnbfishing.com. au

Brod with a healthy sooty grunter.

The first barramundi of the day.

Push up river to the fresh

ITH the closed barramundi season fast approaching, we made a quick dash up the river to flick a few lures. An early morning high tide ensured we were able to push up the river into the fresh. With his first cast my friend Brod enticed a small sooty to take his lure, an early first fish is always a good sign of better things to come. We noticed a fish breaking the surface in shallow water further upstream, so we pushed up closer to it with the electric motor. First cast and I was on. It was a decent fish, but it had the better of me and within seconds it had spat my lure out and couldn’t be tricked again. The first barra rose out the murky depths to take my Rapala Shad Rap 5, and as it struggled a 2m shark circled in anticipation of a free meal. Thankfully, when it saw the boat it changed its mind and swam off www.bnbfishing.com.au

Fishing Cairns by BRETT PARKS

leaving me and the barra to compete for supremacy. Brod caught a nice little trevally – in the fresh these guys provide a great fight on light tackle. I managed to snag a good-sized jungle perch and Brod landed a bigger than average sooty grunter, which on impact had Brod thinking he had a big silver perch on the line. We drifted down past an over-hanging tree with a big shade patch underneath – a perfect spot for jungle perch. Brod’s first cast dragged about six to eight fish nearly all the way back to the boat. My cast was then surrounded by another eight to 10 jungle perch. Though despite all the interest, we could not land a fish. I’ve no doubt they had other things on their mind and were congregating to spawn.

We finished off the morning catching my first shark on a lure. I actually saw the beast come up and snavel the lure. That fight didn’t last long of course. A short time later I landed another nice barra to close out our expedition.

The author with a solid jungle perch.

The author with a hard-hitting barramundi.

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Book a charter today! From barramundi to marlin, jungle perch to jacks, we’ve got you covered.

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 77

Why should Queensland barramundi fishers have to go to the Northern Territory if they want to catch wild fish at this time of year? It’s a question we should be asking our Fisheries minister. The author with a ripper from the Shady Camp area in the Northern Territory.

Cape winding down for wet n Fishing focus moves east n Thoughts on barra closure

ELL, it’s certainly been an up-anddown year on the Cape! After the best wet the place had seen in a decade, the tourists arrived in droves as the water started to run off the many river and creek crossings along the Peninsula Development Rd. By mid-July, vehicle

Cape York by DAVE DONALD

traffic had exceeded previous record numbers by around 30 percent, resulting in camping areas, national parks and other accommodation bursting at the seams. Then COVID crashed

Weipa fish aggregating devices have proven their worth this season. Tom Hockey with a beautiful dolphinfish taken while chasing billfish in the vicinity of one of the devices. Page 78 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

the party again, all but halting any visitors south of the Queensland border. Local businesses went from boom to trying to keep their heads above water as the tourist tide went from a flood to a trickle. Charter operators who rely heavily on the flyin market for clientele saw their booked-out schedules reduced to scattered trips overnight. This proved beneficial to drive-in fishers seeking a local day trip, something that would otherwise be rare during peak season. In any case, several

guides were forced to leave town and seek employment elsewhere. Local motels and hotels also lost business as charter and visiting bus tour clients cancelled wholesale. The good news is that 2022 has all the signs of being a bumper Cape season! With COVID restrictions and lockdowns being lifted and another heavy wet season predicted, those who have done it very tough over the past two years are cautiously optimistic for a return to near ‘normal’ next year. My advice would be that if you are contemplating a fishing or four-wheel-drive trip to the Cape in the near future, you should book as soon as possible, if

you haven’t already. I know that many charter operators have most if not all spots already pencilled in for next season. East coast beckons Now that the tourist traffic has almost disappeared from the Cape, the eyes of keen Weipa fishers turn to the eastern coast and the Great Barrier Reef off Chilli Beach and Portland roads. It’s the time of year known as the doldrums, characterised by the trade wind dropping off and the sea turning oily calm as the first storms start to build up. The weather conditions are not for the fainthearted, as 37C days and brutal humidity combine to make * continued P79

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Cape winding down for wet * from P78

things very hot and sticky. So, what’s the attraction? Why tow a boat for five hours plus over some fairly rough and bulldust-holed roads to go fishing? The answer to that conundrum is readily answered when you arrive at the clear blue water on the outer edge of the reef on a calm glassy day. If there’s a better place to spend time dropping a bait or lure or taking a swim among the coral gardens, they are certainly rare. Dropping a thick fillet of fresh coral trout on the barbecue back on shore at the end of the day definitely seals the deal. Barramundi closed season If you are one of those fishers who love chasing barra, Queensland’s need to enforce a closed season for its wild stocks should be something that makes you very angry – particularly when our neighbours in the Northern Territory can run a Million Dollar Fish competition to catch barra in their waters while ours are off limits. While our state fishing guides are not even supposed to target the species for three months (or four in the Gulf of Carpentaria), Northern Territory operators are flat out catering to a host of clients ready to chase a tagged barra that could be worth $10,000 minimum or one million if you’re very lucky. It’s the greatest fishing promotion in Australia, hands down. So, what’s really the www.bnbfishing.com.au

issue here – low stocks or bad fisheries management? Given what’s currently happening with our spanish mackerel, scallops, black jewfish and coral trout, I think the answer to that question is glaringly obvious. And before you ask why no one has asked the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland to fix these problems, I can assure you that these issues – and many more – have been brought to its attention by advocates such as myself for more than 30 years. As I’ve mentioned previously in this publication, it would appear that DAF Queensland – from the minister down – is in meltdown mode at the moment. Fifty years of a ‘catch them all before someone else does’ policy plus management bias and ineptitude has finally come home to roost and it’s our younger generations that stand to lose the most. The main problem being that those young fishers don’t realise how much they have lost and are going to lose in future. The whole premise of instigation of a species ‘closed’ season is to allow those stocks to recover back to ‘open’ status. If that hasn’t eventuated after two decades of management then obviously the ‘solution’ is flawed. The Northern Territory boasts wild barramundi stocks of more than 90 percent original. I wonder what figures apply to our gulf and east coast equivalents?

Brisbane visitor John landed this big fingermark while on a camping trip to the Cape in early July.

Bob scored a nice mangrove jack on a vibe while fishing with the author but was locked down once he returned to the NSW north coast.

It’s hot, it’s humid, it’s sticky – but the Great Barrier Reef east of Weipa is a great place to wet a line at this time of year. The author with a beautiful coral trout taken on a Halco Paddle Prawn on the outer reef east of Portland Roads. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 79

It’s important to upgrade your fishing and camping gear

E all reach the stage when a hobby becomes a passion, and I’ve never met a fisho who didn’t appreciate quality. I have, however, met plenty of aspiring anglers new to the sport

who have made the mistake of skimping on gear when first starting out. They then regret the decision when knives slip out of their hands or the plastic handles break when taking them out of the packet.

I’ve also known a few die-hard fishos who have ruined trips by relying on dulled-out old faithfuls with years of grime and slippery handles. Possibly superstition mixed with a little stubbornness before

upgrading, these anglers wait until the gear is completely cooked. Having experienced both perspectives, I understand why it’s crucial to upgrade to highquality fishing gear. When out on a trip, I want to know my gear

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Page 80 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 81

C ARAVANNING & adventure

Mini QLD lap – Porcupine Gorge and Mt Surprise

The spectacular view of Porcupine Gorge from the lookout.

The kids had a quick play in one of the water crossings as the billy boiled.

FTER getting our dinosaur fix, it was time to visit a few more gorges. Porcupine Gorge was the next destination on our mini lap, which fellow scribe Paul Graveson wrote about last month. I hadn’t heard of Porcupine Gorge before we planned our trip, but it was impressive and definitely worth a visit. The gorge was carved into the landscape by the eroding action of Porcupine Creek, revealing layers of sedimentary rock that had been formed over hundreds of millions of years. The sheer scale of the gorge allows you to visualise how much water would have to flow through to form the ravine. If you want to spend a night here – and one night is all that’s need-

Easy to see how the Pyramid walk got its name. Page 82 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

Exploring Queensland - Part 4 by BEN COLLINS

ed – it’s essential to book a camp site. The Pyramid camping area has 22 designated sites, with drive through spots for caravans and camper trailers and others allocated for tents. Some of the camp sites feature picnic tables, and composting toilets are available. A fire in the designated fire ring is permitted at this camp area and we used it to cook our dinner – it was taxing sitting around a fire at night! Because you’re in a national park, remember to take your own firewood. While we planned to stay overnight, a day use area is available as well and would make a good pitstop. You could easily do the Pyramid lookout and walking track in an hour or two. The track down to the creek it a little steep in places but is only 2.4km return. Fortunately, we packed a few refreshments which were enjoyed in the gorge on the edge of Porcupine Creek while we took in the spectacular view and the kids played and explored the creek. Our next destination,

and where we would stay for a couple of nights, was Mount Surprise, around 350km north. The road at the time was relatively good, though we did drive along large unsealed dirt sections. Thankfully we’d had a bit of rain which helped settle the dust. However, if you are planning on doing a trek which may mean driving on dirt roads, I suggest getting some form of dust reduction system fitted to your caravan. We optioned up for a DRS on the JB Scorpion Sting, which cost around $900 extra. Money well spent as we didn’t have to cover any vents and no dust got inside. Our van also has a new Thetford T1274E 274L fridge with has its vent on the inside, eliminating one outside vent. Another thing to be aware of when travelling is accessibility to diesel. On this trip we didn’t carry extra diesel in jerry cans because we weren’t going too far off the beaten track. Though this did mean we filled up more of* continued P83

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C ARAVANNING & adventure We kept to a very simple van set up when staying only one night.

Mini QLD lap – Porcupine Gorge and Mt Surprise * from P82

ten, our thinking being ‘better to be looking at it on the fuel gauge than looking for it’. Interestingly enough, there were a couple of petrol stations on the trip that had either run out or were close to running out of diesel. It’s also worth noting that you can get to Cobbold Gorge – our most northwestern point – via a more direct route which saves doubling back, but for us, as the road was a bit rougher and our travel buddies didn’t have a full offroad van, we took a longer way. There are several things to keep you occupied in Mount Surprise, including gem

fossicking, walks, a rail tour and lava tube tours. As time was limited, we decided on the rail tour. We boarded the Savannahlander – a 1960s classic ‘silver-bullet’ train – in Mount Surprise and enjoyed the two-hour rail journey to Einasleigh. The trip allows you to take in the contrasting environment, with dry and dusty savannah landscapes and rocky flowing river crossings. It was also good for the kids to experience this type of travel, where they could slide the glass window up and let the wind blow their hair. After a refreshing beverage at the Eina-

sleigh Hotel and a short walk to Copperfield Gorge, the return to Mount Surprise is by bus. Before leaving, the tour goes through the small town and you’re told how the population grows when they have a horse race on. The bus tour back also stops on one of the river crossings, where you can enjoy billy tea and a biscuit. Though we didn’t have enough time to explore further, I wouldn’t mind coming back this way and checking out a few of the free camps in the area. Next month, we will take in the spectacular sites of Cobbold Gorge and the glass bridge.

Having a dust reduction system is a must when travelling dusty outback roads. www.bnbfishing.com.au

One of the picturesque creek crossings. Travelling during the dry season makes life easier with the reduced water flow.

Getting a closer look at the Copperfield Gorge in Einasleigh.

One of the water crossings on the train trip. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 83

C ARAVANNING & adventure

Exploring Inskip Point and surrounds The author’s four-wheel-drive on Inskip beach.

I, with September on its way, hopefully COVID is under control and we’re able to move around more freely. Fishing wise I haven’t been for weeks as, after my two trips north, I’ve sort of had enough of fishing and boats. And I am selling my 5m tinnie! I’m downsizing and buying a 3.55m Sea Jay Nomad style tinnie with 15hp, just so much easier to look after and move around.

Outdoors by CRAIG TOMKINSON

I am redesigning the roof racks on our 80 Series LandCruiser so I can put the smaller tinnie up there – that way I can tow our wind up Jayco caravan, for more comfort and quicker set ups and pack downs for my northern sorties. I want to check out a few of the old fishing spots I’ve been to over the years and try and

find a couple of new places that are more remote, to get away from the crowds. My wife, kids and I did slip up to Inskip Point for three nights of camping. We towed our wind up Jayco, got a permit for MV Natone and a combined Cooloola and Kgari vehicle permit for $85 for a month.

Sunrise at Inskip Point looking over Wide Bay Bar. Page 84 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

We drove to where there were cracking camps that I’d seen before, where my friends always camp. Just south of the Wide Bay Bar channel markers you used to be able to camp right on the beach and have your boat there with you. Well, whoever runs the place has wrecked that area now. There’s a fence through the guts of the camps and you’re fenced in like livestock – typical National Parks ideas – and with trees in the way, it’s a fight to find a spot for a small van. After a while and a struggle, we found a place and set up, but the site was 30m from the beachfront, which was lousy. We had lunch and kicked back and spent the afternoon walking along the beach in both directions. Next day, we were up

early and waiting for the 6am barge over to Kgari, then up the beach to Dilli Village and around to a couple of the lesser-known lakes not visited as much – Lake Benaroon and Lake Birrabeen. It was our family and one other four-wheeldrive and that was it! We then went on to Central Station for a late lunch and a walk along the boardwalk, which was fantastic. Then to the busy Lake Mckenzie (Boorangoora) – very pretty but busy. On to Eurong and down to the beach to catch the barge and head back to camp – it was a great day. The next day, after bacon and eggs on toast for breakfast, we headed back to Rainbow Beach near Seary’s Creek. There’s an old forestry logging road called * continued P85

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C ARAVANNING & adventure

Exploring Inskip Point and surrounds * from P84

Camp Milo Rd, part of the Kings Bore Circuit 4WD track. You need a Cooloola vehicle permit to do this drive, which we had and, while it’s a four to five-hour drive, it’s now one of my new favourites – with east coast ocean views and fantastic scrub, and blackbutt and corkwood trees everywhere. We loved it. We let our tyres down to 15psi and in several places we possibly could have had a bit less but luckily there had

been a few rain showers so all was good – in dry weather however, it may prove tricky. Back at camp we relaxed for the afternoon. The next day, I dropped Donna and the kids back home, as I was staying to do a bit of beach fishing for another seven days. But when I got back to camp, just on dark, I found that an old couple had set up their camp right next to mine – I couldn’t back in and hook my solar up to the 4WD or hook

up to my van. It was pouring rain and I was crabby, so I just went to bed. I woke up next day and thought, “To hell with it, I’m going home, I’m not putting up with this.” I had to push and turn my van about 90 degrees by hand to hook up to the 4WD. It took about an hour to pack the van and get it hooked up, and I hurt my back in the process. Not a great end to a lovely time away. Until next month, keep safe.

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Troy at Poona Lake in the Cooloola Recreation Area.

The author’s sons at their camp at Inskip Peninsula.

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C AMPING & outdoors

A drone shot of the caravan park.

Lake Coolmunda Caravan Park T HE festive season is on our doorstep again and many of us are looking for a great escape for the holidays. Having three boys, I've always looked for somewhere that would be safe, a heap of fun

Exploring the Outdoors by BEN SMITH

and good value for money – to let them roam free without the influences of phones and computer games.

The author’s family in front of one of the cabins. Page 86 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

Lake Coolmunda Caravan Park and campground is just the place. It's a very laid back and easy place to spend a couple of days or even a couple of weeks, for totally stress-free living. About three hours drive west of Brisbane or over the range from the Gold Coast and only 10 minutes east of Inglewood, it's the perfect place for a great summer vacation. Facilities include a fully functioning camp kitchen and there’s

plenty of room for tents, swags, caravans and campers. There are also airconditioned cabins at the park itself as well as additional camping facilities on the edge of the lake. Amenities blocks are both at the park and lakeside and there is a large swimming pool to cool down in on hot summer days. A large campfire area adjacent to the camp kitchen allows everyone staying at the park the ability to take camp ovens for roasts and damper, or the option to simply sit around the fire in the evening, toasting marshmallows

and having a cold beverage. There is more than enough room to take your boat and park it alongside your campground or cabin and the dam itself permits petrol-powered vessels for all forms of recreation, from skiing and wakeboarding to hovercraft or fishing out of your boat. The dam is stocked with Murray cod, yellowbelly and a variety of other species including catfish and perch. Cod to over 1m have been caught and good numbers of yellowbelly can be found along the damn wall.

* continued P87

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C AMPING & outdoors

Lake Coolmunda Caravan Park * from P86

Trolling lures along the old riverbed that can be seen on your sounder or casting spinnerbaits into the timbers that extend up for quite a way is very effective as is fishing with worms or bait off the banks. I would take a range of different lures including deep divers for the areas of the dam that are between 3-6m deep and a few shallow divers for along the edge of the dam wall. Casting plastic vibes or spinnerbaits in among the dead trees or up into the brook is also very effective and can produce a nice fish when they're on the bite. An extremely good boat ramp is located alongside the campgrounds and is concrete all the way into the water, so there is no chance of getting

caught or bogged. There’s also plenty of parking for cars with trailers. Plus a fish cleaning bench and hose are at the shed for you to clean that catch once you get back to camp. Other attractions at the park and around the dam itself include an abundance of wildlife. Kangaroos, rabbits, foxes and an amazing array of birdlife can be seen at your doorstep, as apostlebirds creep up to your campsite looking for crumbs to eat. But when you venture to the dam itself it gets particularly good, with large numbers of pelicans working the banks for a feed of fish. A 10-minute drive from the campgrounds is the township of Inglewood, which has a petrol station, bakery, grocery shops and a hospital.

Rod Smith deciding where to cast a lure in the sticks. www.bnbfishing.com.au

Many activities are available around Inglewood, including a few beautifully scenic drives and day trips. One of the most attractive things about staying at the Lake Coolmunda Caravan Park are the very reasonable prices, with camp sites starting around $8 per person per night. The modern air-conditioned cabins at the main campground – which sleep four people and have a kitchen area, fridge and TV with their own modern shower and toilet – are $130 a night, depending on availability. Booking early is important because it is quite a popular place over the holidays, so give the office a call on 07 4652 4171 or visit the website at lakecool mundacaravan.com.au or even check it out on Facebook.

The author’s dad Rod Smith with a Murray cod caught on a purple Stump Jumper trolling the old riverbed.

The camp kitchen and open fire are popular as evening approaches. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 87

The author with a cracking Wenlock River sooty grunter.

Josh with a dealer sooty grunter taken on an artificial prawn.

The underrated sooty grunter I F there’s one tropical fish that is truly underrated by many anglers, it is the sooty grunter – also known as the freshwater black bream. As the latter name suggests, sooties are fish of the freshwater – inhabiting flowing streams and dams, this fish is found from northeast Queensland though to the northern parts of the Northern Territory and the Kimberley.

Cape York

by ‘BILLABONG’ BAZZ LYON

Growing to about 50cm, they live in the shadow of the much larger iconic barramundi. Yet these hard-fighting fish are typically abundant and can easily be caught on lures and bait – even fruit bait – as they feast naturally on fallen fruit from riverbank trees.

Nina Fitzgerald fishing for sooty grunter along the Ducie River in Cape York. Page 88 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

The major part of their diet is however small fish, crustaceans and insects. A favourite bait for many long-time sooty anglers is simply cheese melted on a small piece of cloth, which works very well. However, the good news for the lure casters among us is that sooties will avidly take artificials – whether hard or soft-bodied lures – and are particular fun on poppers and fizzers. Needless to say, these fabulous fish can also be caught on flies and are great fun fly fished from the sandy riverbanks which often typify our fantastic northern rivers. As with any freshwater species, edible quality can vary according to location and habitat. I have never eaten a bad sooty grunter, and those caught in clean flowing rivers and

streams are excellent tucker – firmer fleshed than barramundi and with great flavour. Speaking of firm, the flesh of the similar looking leathery grunter is super firm – leather like and virtually inedible – though I suppose it could be minced and made into fish cakes. The distribution of sooty grunter in Queensland is quite interesting. Reportedly, they can be found in isolated locations as far south as Bundaberg but come into prominence from the Mackay area north. Prime streams for the species in northeast Queensland include the Pioneer, Burdekin, Herbert, Tully, Hull, Russell and Mulgrave rivers and any associated dams. On Cape York, sooties naturally occur in most of the gulf rivers except Cockatoo Creek, yet are present in the Jardine River to the north. Another surprise is that they are absent

from the mighty waterways of Princess Charlotte Bay – such as the Normanby and North Kennedy rivers and the Endeavour River near Cooktown, though have been introduced into the Annan. Sooty grunter are a fabulous all-round angling fish that can be very abundant locally. Donning a mask and snorkel recently, I ducked down to check out a log snag in the Wenlock River – a long shallow stretch, no crocodiles – and counted roughly 20 sooties milling around, including some absolute crackers! So good to see! Otherwise on Cape York, predictions are of an early wet season onset, which means that the roads to and within Cape York could close due to flooding at any time. Something worth watching out for! However, the doldrums are here, allowing for great reef fishing weather. Until next month…

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Bassin’ with blade baits

HE warming weather signals the start of the edge bite and it’s time to dig out those reaction baits, ready for the shoulder dislocating strikes and screaming runs of big summer bass. Casting to the edges of the banks, weed, lilies and in among the timber, starting the retrieve and then being absolutely crunched by a big bass sees involuntary audibles flowing, smiles growing and high fives flying once the fish is in the boat or on the bank. Some of my favourite presentations for fishing a summer bass edge include a flashing, spinning or rattling blade, that fires the fish up and attracts those signature strikes. Let’s look more closely at a few proven presentations. Spinnerbaits One of the most reliable performers and a personal favourite is a spinnerbait – consisting of a coat-hanger shaped wire frame, spinning blades at the top and a lead head jig on the bottom with a skirt attached. The blades provide flash and vibration, creating the illusion of a school of bait, while the jig head provides weight for casting and sinking and is often fish-head shaped with eyes and fitted with a skirt that is coloured to match. Spinnerbaits have the added advantage of being extremely snag resistant due to the wire frame, enabling them to bounce through timber, lilies and other structure with less chance of www.bnbfishing.com.au

Tackle Tactics by JUSTIN WILLMER

snagging or fouling. A stinger hook can be attached to the main hook in more open water to increase the hookup rate and removed if fishing heavy structure. Good quality spinnerbaits feature silicone skirts and quality swivels that allow the blades to helicopter as they sink, enabling you to effectively fish vertical structure such as standing timber and weed edges. Watch your line as the spinnerbait sinks and if it speeds up or stops prematurely, set the hook because a fish has probably eaten it. My go-to spinnerbait is a TT Lures Vortex as it has a compact frame that is ideal for bass, while also being available in a stack of colours and weights – with 1/8oz and 1/4oz popular for creek bass and shallower water, stepping up to 3/8oz, 1/2oz and 3/4oz for longer casts and deeper water. A slow roll – slow wind – is all that’s needed to get the blades spinning and the skirt pulsing, with some anglers utilising a pause every now and then to allow the lure to fall back through the water column. A burn and kill – a few winds and pause – is also a popular retrieve. A soft plastic trailer can be added to the hook to increase action while adding bulk and colour attraction. Popular colours include whites in water that holds bony bream,

along with golds, purples, red and black, and the ever-popular Fire Tiger. Jig spinners At times the spinnerbait can feel a little aggressive, especially in smaller waterways and areas where the bass are generally smaller. In these situations, a good alternative is a jig spinner. A jig spinner is a simpler coat-hanger shaped wire frame with a spinning blade on one end and a clip on the other to attach your chosen jig head and plastic. This is a versatile option as you can select a jig head and plastic to suit your location, then add the flash and vibration along with a degree of snag resistance. Jig spinners are available in gold or silver blades and in a variety of blade sizes to suit the area you’re fishing, with smaller blades often preferred on smaller * continued P90

A handful of bass reaction baits.

A jig spinner can be attached to your favourite soft plastic presentation to add flash and vibration.

Felippe spinnerbaiting the rising water after rain. Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 89

Bassin’ with blade baits * from P89

Felippe Gapski found a few bass and loved the Okuma Cerros spinning rod and Helios SX spinning reel combo.

Keeghan Painter landed this healthy bass on a TT Lures Vortex spinnerbait.

fish and in smaller waterways, while gold blades are often the go-to in dirty and tannin waters, and silver in clear water. I will often rig a paddle tail or curl tail plastic with a jig spinner providing plenty of vibration and action, with 2-3” plastics a popular starting point. Underspin jig heads Underspin jig heads such as the TT Lures RevlockZ are popular in more open water, consisting of a jig head with a spinning blade mounted underneath the weighted head. This combines plenty of flash and vibration with an exposed hook for maximum hookset. Again, I generally team up the RevlockZ with a paddle or curl tail to create plenty of action and vibration. If you are looking to create a real ruckus, you can even add a jig spinner if fishing heavier structure and create loads of flash and vibration. Chatterbaits The original Z-Man

The crew from Last Cast Adventures chasing creek bass. Page 90 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

ChatterBait is an interesting presentation and one I have fished with good success on bass, especially larger lay-down timber snags that are holding multiple fish. The ChatterBait resembles a jig head with a painted head and hexagonal blade fixed into the jig eye. The blade creates flash, vibration and noise along with an erratic swimming action, while also offering some snag resistance. The jig is skirted and again a soft plastic can be added to increase action, with paddle and curl tails popular – along with craw profiles, as this presentation can be rolled, hopped and paused to attract the bite. The 1/4oz Mini is a favourite for small creek bass and locations where the general bass population is smaller, while the 3/8oz has you covered for other applications. Insertable blades There is one other bladed secret weapon that I have in the kit when chasing bass and that’s the TRD SpinZ – a wire pin with a swivel and blade attached on one end and plastic keeper on the other end that is pushed into your soft plastic presentation. This allows you to add a blade to your soft plastic presentation to create subtle flash and vibration, whether inserted into the body of a frog when fishing topwater, the belly of a paddle tail when slow rolling over weed, or a craw when hopping around timber structure. I use a tiny dab of

Loctite Super Glue Gel Control to secure the TRD SpinZ and it has proven the difference when the bite is tough and your presentation needs a tweak to get the bite. With an arsenal of presentations built to attract a reaction bite, you are now ready to cover ground and search for those active and angry bass. I will generally run and gun, fishing quite quickly and looking for active fish, working the edges and making a couple of extra casts around prime structure, such as points, timber snag piles, pockets in the lilies, overhanging vegetation and rock structure. If you don’t have a sounder, use the topography of the land to gauge drop-offs and points along with the physical structure you can see, while a sounder will allow you to look for secondary structure out from the edge, bait and also fish. Finally, trust your gut. Mix up the retrieve, think about the structure, why and where the fish would be holding on that structure and change the presentation colour or style if you believe fish should be there, but you can’t get them to bite. If you’re fishing with someone, try different lures and retrieves until one of you cracks a pattern. Most importantly, be ready for the brutal strike and screaming run that signals a big bass has honed in on your presentation and liked the look of it. See you on the water…

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 91

Wyaralong Dorado

Tony’s catch for a morning trolling Predatek MinMins, from 35-55cm in length and gave excellent sport.

A close-up look at a carp’s mouth showing the rubbery lips and lack of teeth. Fine sharp hooks give the best results. Page 92 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

HRISTMAS is here again and that means school holidays too. Those of us who've had the fishing addiction for years tend to forget hurdles faced during the early days of our angling careers. Many young families will be starting out without a boat or access to champagne locations and premier sportfish. Children are delightfully unspoiled by the biases acquired by us oldies, so are happy catching species of fish shunned by many of the angling fraternity. As a barefoot primary-school kid, I cut my teeth fishing for spangled perch in the local creeks and dams around the family farm – fish stocking was decades away. A generation later my children also honed their lure-casting skills on the local spangled perch population then learnt to fly fish by catching garfish in Lake Wivenhoe. One of my favourite early holiday photographs is of our entire family of four crammed into my 16' Canadian canoe spinning for perch in Atkinson Dam. Spangled perch are a great stepping stone to bass, which were scarce enough to be a boutique species in my youth, but good populations of spanglies are hard to find now. For the current crop of kids, southeast Queensland's newest stocked lake offers the land-based family some unique fishing opportunities for species much

Fishing for Sport by NEIL SCHULTZ

larger than those spanglies of years past. Lake Wyaralong lies within easy day tripping distance of the southeast's major population centres and, though stocked with the premier freshwater sportfish of the region, is more renowned for its significant populations of carp and tilapia. Both of these species are classified as noxious by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Queensland and, as pest species, removing them from the environment by angling is a positive step towards restoring the natural balance. Both species can be targeted from the shore but for this month we will look at the larger of the two – European or common carp. Common carp is a large freshwater fish that grows to over 1m

in length in Australian waters and was first imported as an aquaculture species – yes, a table fish – before escaping into the Murray-Darling system and exploding in numbers. When living in clean water such as that of Lake Wyaralong, they are often tinged with hues of gold, unlike the smaller closely related wild goldfish which are most often a dull brown bronze colour. Though they can be observed feeding on the surface and will chase down prey mid-water at times, carp are predominately a bottomdwelling species. Watch them feeding on the bottom in clear water and you'll observe their habit of sucking in sand and silt to filter small food before spitting out the inedible matter. * continued P93

All the gold. Tony’s Aussie Gold Predatek MinMin took this golden-hued carp while being serenaded by golden whistlers in the golden wattle trees. www.bnbfishing.com. au

Lake Wyaralong is the El Dorado * from P92

This gives a few clues on how to improve your catches of this fish, with habits greatly different from our native angling species. Without doubt, the easiest way to connect with a carp is to fish a bait lightly weighted sitting on the bottom. Carp will take a wide variety of bait – ranging from garden worms to sweet corn, bread or dough – often flavoured with surprising additives such as curry powder. Of those, sweet corn is possibly the most effective and is by far the easiest to obtain and use, while worms will attract the attention of

hordes of the tiny tilapia in the lake. Small chemically sharpened hooks around size 6 are ideal, often hooking the carp as it tries to expel the bait in that feeding method mentioned earlier. Use a small sinker to give casting weight and as fine a line as you are comfortable using, taking care to avoid any overly snaggy areas. Quiet bays with gently sloping clay banks will see carp feeding activity in water between 0.5-2m deep, so you don't need to cast great distances. Take a rod holder, a folding chair, a landing net and a cool drink

and watch the rod tip while waiting for a bite – what could be more relaxing? Be prepared for a decent tussle as carp are an underrated fighting fish – generating plenty of power through their large paddle tails. Tony and I fished the lake recently from my tandem Hobie kayak and, staying true to our idiom, lure fished with the golden hued carp as our target species. To enable more water to be covered in our search for feeding fish, we elected to troll running shallow diving Predatek MinMins on light spinning outfits. Running along the snaggy creek chan-

nel didn't result in any hits so we headed for a sheltered bay and plotted a course around the shoreline in about 2m of water. Once in the open shallow water it didn't take long before Tony called a strike, hooking up to a fish that had us guessing until it eventually tired and was scooped into the net – an average carp of about 35cm. Success fosters success and carp number two joined the first in the Esky a few minutes later, followed by a steady succession of its brethren. As for all noxious fish in Queensland, carp must not be returned to the water, so once our

Esky was full, we headed back to the ramp to deposit them into the bin provided for their disposal. Natural colours were found to be the preference of carp, with Aussie Gold being most successful by a large margin. If you're looking for an affordable family outing during the holidays that is likely to result in a few decentsized fish, consider a day looking for Wyaralong gold. Any of the public access points around the lake can yield catches of carp through the warmer months when these fish actively feed in the shallows.

Fun and education key to fishing events targeting carp and tilapia

SUCCESSFUL haul from the Scenic Rim Carp Cup in September at the Il-bogan Lagoon near Beaudesert has supported the Scenic Rim Regional Council efforts to protect the biodiversity and health of local waterways by targeting two invasive fish species – carp and tilapia. In November, the long-established Scenic Rim environmental group the Logan and Albert Fish Management Association hosted a similar familyfriendly education-focussed event, the Carp Tilapia Eradication Competition at Wyaralong Dam. Scenic Rim deputy mayor and Division 4 councillor Michael Enright said the Scenic Rim Carp Cup was

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designed to offer keen fishers of all ages a fun and educational morning out, while at the same time removing the harmful pests. “Both carp and tilapia are declared species of noxious fish, which means they have been declared harmful by Queensland law because they are a serious pest to native aquatic communities,” Councillor Enright said. “Their negative impact can lead to poor water quality and upset the balance in the food chain that is unsustainable for native fish. “This means they must not be released into Queensland waters or be used as bait and must be immediately killed after being caught. “Doing this ensures we can continue the

health of our waterways and allow other native fish in the region to flourish and increase in numbers.” The Il-bogan Lagoon is a sacred site for the Mununjali community, and as such the event started with a traditional Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony by Mununjali Elders Geraldine and Janis Page. During the 2021 Scenic Rim Carp Cup, a total of 53 carp and tilapia were caught by 40 participants, with the title for the Largest Carp being awarded to Samantha Cahill. A medal for Haul of the Day was also awarded to Paul Broughton who personally caught 15 fish. Medals were also distributed for the First Pest Fish of the Day,

Under 14s Largest Tilapia, Under 14s Largest Carp, Longest Tilapia and the Smallest Pest Fish of the Day. Represent at ives from the Logan and Albert Fish Management Association and the Freshwater Fishing and Stocking Association of Queensland Inc were on hand at the event to ensure all native fish were released back into the water, and the carp and tilapia were measured and recorded before being disposed of humanely. Community members were invited to attend the Wyaralong Dam Carp Tilapia Eradication Competition organised by the Logan and Albert Fish Management Association on Saturday 13 November. The event boasted a

range of great prizes and helped raise funds for the LAFMA Australian native fish stocks. More information on events is available on whatsonscenicrim.com by searching ‘fishing’.

Scenic Rim Regional Council natural resources officer Adam Maskelyne identifying an invasive fish at the 2021 Scenic Rim Carp Cup.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 93

Fish restocking time – solid silver perch

S I was writing, the storage at Glenlyon Dam was sitting on 76 percent capacity and there was slight inflow keeping the level as the usual evaporation from wind and heat occured. We still have carpets of bright green duck weed moving around the water, and wind and current have formed golf-course sized areas, changing back to bowling greens or croquet courts with the dangerous water traps as you hit the ball or bowl it and move on, sinking 18m into the dam. We find it’s not too bad if using a boat, as it is a matter of keeping away from major thick carpets of the growth.

Glenlyon Dam by BRIAN DARE

You’re still able to motor through it, though when we had the floodwater, we had to keep away from log jams and floating seeds and grass. With the 76 percent capacity you’ll find favourite spots fished years ago return and it’s time to fish large and small bays and gullies once more. Not much can be said of the cod breeding season as locations were covered by the duck weed and made observation of nesting sites quite difficult to photograph and watch progress of the young

arriving into the big world of fish! Bait fishing has produced yellowbelly at a few locations, along with big sized silver perch that hit like freight trains with a sudden whack. As far as shrimp bait goes, it’s only now picking up, and they are being caught in the dam. Speaking of being caught… it’s a $1000 per trap fine if you’re caught taking bait from a trap that isn’t yours. Be advised! That’s for mud crabs as well. And… it’s un-Australian.

It’s not long now – New Year’s Eve – before we start to let go 250,000 yellowbelly, 10,000 silver perch and 10,000 cod for the year – that is slightly over $78,000 worth of fish! Many thanks to our visiting anglers and campers who each year put hand in pocket via raffles or donations to maintain the fishery. As well as our usual $24-26,000 allocation from permits and the split up. How big is Glenlyon Dam? Well, to give you some idea… it’s the same size as Sydney Harbour and 250,000ML when full! That’s about one third of what should be flowing down to the Murray

River mouth each year. And in four years’ time it still won’t happen – watch and see. The rivers are looking great and I hope to fish them soon. At this stage it’s OK to go downstream but coming back will be a hard slog with the current flow. The rivers have seen big changes take place with river rock moving from one hole to the next. The nesting sites for cod in a few locations have improved greatly and depth has increased in some and filled short sharp runs in others. The bridge to Tenterfield via Glenlyon will have a rock road if big floods take place. * continued P95

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

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Mary River cod update

Anita Birch with a decent silver perch.

Fish restocking time – solid silver perch * from P94

The build-up of round river rock 1.5km upstream will end up in the main hole and build against the bridge, making access for crossing dangerous from both ends. As far as stocking fish species are concerned, yellowbelly, silver perch and catfish need to be stocked in our river systems. No cod! I repeat, no cod! These are doing very well. It’s good news that the following small species have now returned to the rivers – Mole, Dumaresq, Macintyre and Tenterfield Creek – in the form of purplespotted gudgeon, hardyhead, carp gudgeon, smelt, bony bream, catfish, galaxias, rainbowfish and glassfish. No doubt we will www.bnbfishing.com.au

hear that spangled perch will travel upstream – this species has been known to travel onto tractor wheel imprints via creeks! Spangled perch have been known to rearrange fish tanks within three days, are ferocious hunters and eaters and have a ‘first in best dressed’ attitude. We also have mosquitofish, goldfish and carp back in freshwater again – non-native species. We have been lucky this year to see most water supplies in good order and live in hope it’s managed well this time. Reason being that everywhere is very nearly full on the Murray-Darling system, as I stated earlier… let’s see four years from now. Merry Christmas and happy new year.

N 2019, thanks to financial assistance from Seqwater, we were able to relocate the Mary River cod breeding program from the Gerry Cook Hatchery at Lake Macdonald ahead of a planned dam safety upgrade. While the dam upgrade had been delayed by a couple of years, the good news was that the cod had settled into their new location and have had two successful spawning years, with the result that hatchery manager Darren Knowles was able to release 12,000 fingerlings into suitable parts of the Mary River system recently. Mary River cod COVID has resulted in a massive increase in the number of campers visiting the Mary River area, and it concerned us that very few seemed

to be aware of the threemonth total ban on fishing in the Mary River and its tributaries upstream from Gympie. The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries website advised that for August, September and October no fishing was to occur – apart from in the stocked impoundments of Borumba Dam, Lake Macdonald and Baroon Pocket Dam. There had been very little public notification of the ban or of the significance of its timing to provide protection at cod breeding time. Also apparent was the lack of awareness of the complete ban on using net fishing – not only in the Mary River but in freshwater throughout Queensland. The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries circulated informa-

tion to several bait and tackle outlets but the Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee is advocating for more extensive coverage, including to the many campgrounds that have mushroomed along the river. This year saw the publication of Stewart Rowland’s excellent book The Codfather, with a detailed chapter on our Mary River cod, paying particular tribute to the late Gerry Cook who developed techniques for captive breeding. With numbers in the wild in 1996 estimated to be around 600 and with cod only being found in around 30 percent of their original habitat, they were clearly endangered. A personally signed copy of The Codfather now resides in the MRCCC library.

DAM LEVELS CURRENT AS OF 17/11/2021

DAMS

PERCENTAGE

JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV Atkinson * 4 4 4 4 3 Awoonga 42 51 50 49 49 Bjelke-Petersen * 6 6 7 6 25 Boondooma * 23 25 25 24 33 Borumba * 82 81 79 75 90 Burdekin Falls * 96 91 88 82 75 Callide * 21 50 49 48 50 Cania * 31 30 31 28 25 Coolmunda * 100 100 99 97 100 Dyer/Bill Gunn * 5 4 4 4 8 Eungella * 82 81 80 79 75 Fairbairn * 16 15 14 13 16 Glenlyon * 69 73 74 75 98 Hinze* 97 95 94 92 91 Julius * 89 87 86 83 100 Kinchant * 99 83 83 77 71 Leslie * 53 57 57 57 63 Macdonald* 101 99 95 88 86 Maroon * 100 99 99 99 99 Monduran/Fred Haigh * 38 37 37 35 35 Moogerah * 43 42 41 39 40 North Pine/Samsonvale * 96 64 64 62 60 Peter Faust/Proserpine * 61 60 60 58 56 Somerset * 70 65 64 62 61 Teemburra * 98 97 97 94 90 Tinaroo* 92 85 84 79 73 Toonumbar 101 100 98 96 95 Wivenhoe * 42 42 41 40 40 Wuruma * 35 34 31 29 35 Wyaralong* 100 99 99 98 100 For updates on dams, visit sunwater.com.au or seqwater.com.au *This symbol indicates that a Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish these dams.

Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 95

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Page 96 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

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Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021 – Page 97

Sally Bury caught her personal best flathead near the Jumpinpin Bar in early October. It measured 65cm and was the first fish to be caught on her new purple Daiwa fishing rod. Darren Bury

Max Boothey of Sherwood caught a beautiful 77cm flathead near Jumpinpin casting a soft plastic. Scott Boothey

I went for a solo flick down to the beach at Mackay and caught some queenfish and this stonker 64cm flathead. Candice Jenkins

Proud of this 41cm dart caught off the surfside of Bribie Island. Wendy Bell

To have a photo of your catch featured in Readers’ Forum, simply email ben@collins.media with a good-quality picture, your name and details or hop onto our Facebook page and send us a message. Page 98 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2021

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