Fishing Monthly Magazine | July 2024

• YOUR GUIDE TO WINTER FISHING ACROSS AUSTRALIA • TESTED

Whittley 2800 Heritage Edition Cruiser with Volvo 350hp QLD

NSW

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WA

Features NSW South Coast fishing • Chasing Brisbane River bass • Starlo: Using your head!

• Corio Bay’s vital seagrass • Boat Test: Whittley 2800 • Local area reports •

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LOCATION SPOTLIGHT

Toby Grundy shows us the highlights of fishing the NSW South Coast

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Our Cover

Contents From the Editor’s Desk...

We’re a pretty resilient magazine.

It has been a decade now since Fishing Monthly went through its first stress-test, when part-owner, Robyn Lawrie, liberated $1.6 million from the company accounts and stuffed it down poker machines.

Serving 11 months for a 7-year sentence, she is now well and truly back in the community, possibly looking for the next victim.

We then navigated COVID. What a roller coaster that was! We dropped 70% of advertising in a single month and made the rapid fire decision to consolidate all of the state titles into a single magazine.

Looking back, that was a smart decision, as the new magazine proved popular with over 80% of readers. Sure, some lamented the

loss of their focussed, state title, but it’s what we had to do to survive.

Mid-2024 and, along with fraudsters and COVID, I can now add Australia Post to the list of major threats to the magazine.

Late in 2023, Australia Post submitted to ASIC that they were justified in a 26% price rise to their Print Post products. This was after a seemingly endless string of increases that were well above CPI and dropped in service standards each time. For instance, I now have to buy a “Premium” Print Post product to get the magazine delivered to you in days rather than weeks.

Where the rubber hits the road, it’s now the equivalent of a full time staff member that I pay this year that I didn’t pay last year to get exactly the same (but most likely worse) service when

it comes to delivery to our large number of subscribers.

To me, there’s something wrong when your national postal carrier becomes a major threat to your business.

Am I wrong? Do I expect too much?

Should it cost more to post a magazine to the next suburb than to land a parcel from Temu in China?

And if you’re wondering why I didn’t make a submission to ASIC? I did. They even asked if they could use some of the fruity quotes in their report. I’m not sure if they did. All I know is that the price increase was approved in full, so please realise that when the subscription price increased for the first time in years, I tried.

And at Fishing Monthly, where we print in Australia, we all appreciate your business.

A Troy Whyte image.

QLD NSW

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FISHING MONTHLY MAGAZINE Published by:

INSIDE This Issue

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WESTERN AUSTRALIA Esperance Bunbury Augusta Metro Mandurah Lancelin Exmouth Karratha

87 88 88 90 91 92 93 93

Freshwater

94

16

Tathra

61

Gold Coast

18

New England Rivers

62

Jumpinpin

20

Brisbane

22

Northern Bay

26

Noosa

30

Bundaberg

32

Mackay

34

Townsville

36

Hinchinbrook

38

Cairns

38

Port Douglas

39

Cooktown

40

Cape York

41

Freshwater

42

Sydney Rock

46

Sydney South

47

Hunter Valley

62

Batlow

64

Albury/Wodonga

65

Canberra

66

VICTORIA Portland

68

Warrnambool

69

Cobden

69

Geelong

70

Port Phillip

72

Phillip Island

73

Lakes Entrance

74

Port Albert

74

Gippsland Lakes

75

Marlo

76

Mallacoota

76

Robinvale

78

Fun page

96

Bendigo

79

Tide page

97

Wangaratta

80

Tournaments

98

Shepparton

81

Tournament calendar

101 102

REGULAR FEATURES

Spotlight: Guide to NSW South Coast 8 Brisbane River bass

12

Starlo: Using you head!

14

Sheik of the Creek

45

Tagging Tales

61

Phases of the moon

78

Corio Bay’s vital seagrass 85

Ballina

48

Coffs Coast

50

South West Rocks

52

Forster

54

Ballarat

82

What’s New Fishing

Port Macquarie

55

Gippsland Freshwater

84

Test: Whittley 2800

108

Port Stephens

56

Eildon

84

Trades and Services

110

Swansea

56

Crater Lakes

81

Central Coast

57

Illawarra

58

TASMANIA

Batemans Bay

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Hobart

COMPS AND OFFERS 67

Subscription

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Find the logo

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FISHING MONTHLY MAGAZINE PUBLISHED JULY 2024

60

The Tweed

NEW SOUTH WALES

ABN 72-010-542-195

Bermagui

ISSUE: VOLUME 5 NO. 3

QUEENSLAND

6 JULY 2024

Troy Whyte with a decent blackspot tuskfish he caught in Moreton Bay.

FEATURE

Location

FMM

Essential guide to fishing the NSW south coast CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

I’m writing this article while on location at Merimbula, three hours from my home in Canberra. I’ve just had an unforgettable angling experience, and I want to describe it on the page while it’s still fresh in my mind.

I dropped down to Pambula Lake with my 6-year-old daughter, and while flicking an 80mm Wriggler on a 1/8oz jighead from the shore, I felt a tell-tale whack. I set the hook, my 1-3kg spin rod double bent, and the 6lb braid went taught. My 2000-sized reel started screaming, and I got stuck into what I

thought was a good fish.

After a 20-minute fight, I knew the fish was well beyond ‘good’ – what was unfolding was a ‘fish of a lifetime’ moment. A few minutes later, a metre-plus mulloway swirled on the surface before going on another barnstorming run.

Then, moments later, the line snapped, leaving myself and my daughter speechless. On the walk home, we had fun talking about the battle with the huge fish, happily regaling each other with the story of the lost ‘ghost of the estuary’.

Experiences like this are why I focus so much of my fishing attention on the South Coast – it’s the sheer variety, the surprises and memories made with my

Jerkbaits can be very effective on bonito.

8 JULY 2024

children and mates, all while fishing one of the most beautiful places on earth.

I can head to Merimbula, Eden and Tathra for a few days and catch salmon, tailor, the odd king and plenty of bread-

the cooler months.

LOCATIONS I often fish from a boat or kayak in winter, and whichever system I’m fishing, I usually have it all to myself. I can spend the day hitting banks where I know the fish haven’t seen a lure for days – maybe even weeks.

Lake Conjola Lake Conjola is definitely worth a look at this time of year and is one of my favourite places to cast a line, even

Flathead are a winter staple on the South Coast of NSW. and-butter species like bream from the rocks, walking the bank near the inlets or working the edges in my kayak.

Then there is Conjola, three hours or so from the ACT, with its excellent beach fishing, flathead fishing in the lake, and snapper fishing off Green Island.

There is also The Clyde River and Durras Lake, which are both even closer to Canberra and offer some outstanding estuary perch action in the cooler months.

So, this article is all about South Coast fishing locations, plus a few techniques to get you connected to all manner of species during

Ben Lane caught this salmon while targeting kingfish. on the coldest mornings, because the fish never really switch off. The lake is about three hours from Canberra and about 30 minutes from Ulladulla.

There are plenty of places to launch a boat or kayak, and lots of areas that are great places to stop and have a cast from the bank.

Clyde River and Durras Lake Two other two locations that

Location FEATURE

FMM warrant special mention are the Clyde River and Durras Lake, both of which are best fished from a kayak or boat.

The Clyde is an enormous expanse of water and is home to some truly enormous mulloway, along with plenty of flathead, whiting and bream.

For me though, the focus through winter in the Clyde is always the estuary perch. These little bronze battlers hit hard and put up a solid fight on light tackle. While they don’t often hit surface lures when the water is cold, they will readily smash a plastic as it crashes through the snag into their lair.

Durras Lake, a shallow lake that is often open to the sea, also offers some great fishing for estuary perch.

Rock fishing I believe rock fishing is the purest form of fishing, with the angler taking their life in their hands and pitting their skill and wits against all manner of pelagic species, ranging from Australian salmon to kingfish and longtail tuna. If I’m fishing from the rocks, I focus my attention anywhere from The Tubes and Little Beecroft at Jervis Bay all the way to Rosedale, which is about 20 minutes from Broulee.

The Tubes is still one of those locations that has to be seen to be believed, and it has produced some amazing catches over the years. It cops a lot of foot traffic but the fishing remains excellent – albeit only on weekends

(entry into the area is strictly Saturday and Sunday only).

The ledges at Rosedale are much less well-known but can be exciting places to fish. It’s particularly exciting when the salmon are chasing down topwater presentations, and a lone kingfish charges through the pack to nail a soft plastic or jerkbait.

Tathra Wharf, Merimbula Wharf and the Navy Wharf at Eden can produce similar fishing to The Tubes.

These places are iconic, and for good reason. So many great fish are landed off these wharves, year in and year out, and they are three locations close to my heart. I caught my first Australian

Wearing a life jacket is a must. salmon off Tathra Wharf, landed my first tailor off Merimbula Wharf, and the first time I was spooled was while fishing the Navy Wharf. These three land-based locations provide limitless possibilities – provided you arrive with the right gear.

TACKLE If I’m fishing from my kayak or a boat, I take two combos, and the first is a 1-3kg Rovex Inazuma 6’0” spin rod coupled with a Ryobi Verum II 2000 spin reel spooled with 6lb braid and 8lb fluorocarbon leader. I use this combo for flicking plastics, small blades, vibes and divers for species like bream and flathead.

The second combo is a 3-6kg

The author with a decent salmon from the rocks.

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FEATURE

Location

Rovex Inazuma 7’0” spin rod coupled with a Ryobi Verum II 3000 spin reel spooled with 15lb braid and 20lb leader. I use this outfit for casting larger vibes, big plastics and jerkbaits when targeting larger species like mulloway from my kayak.

When rock fishing, I also bring two outfits. The first is the abovementioned 7’0” spin combo, and the same line and

FMM Once I find a likely location, If I’m fishing from the bank of an estuary, I cast out an 80-100mm Wriggler or paddle-tail plastic and let it sink for several seconds.

After this, I begin the retrieve by giving the rod tip two quick flicks before letting the lure sink again.

Once the initial few hops are completed, I begin a retrieve that is deadly in both fresh and saltwater. To

The South Coast has something for all abilities.

Sometimes the kingfish will hang around for longer. leader. I use this combo for targeting smaller pelagics like salmon and bonito.

I find that having a rod with a really fast action helps in this circumstance.

My second rock fishing outfit is a 6-10kg Rovex Inazuma 7’0” rod matched to a Quantum Reliance 4000-sized reel spooled with 50lb braid and 80lb leader. I use this much heavier outfit for throwing large metals and jerkbaits over the 115mm mark to target longtail tuna and kingfish. The Reliance is a fully sealed reel, which is very important when fishing from the rocks.

TECHNIQUES I always start by finding a spot (whether fishing on the banks of an estuary, from the kayak or on the rocks) where I can see three different types of bottom. I want to see large sandy patches, plenty of seaweed or seagrass, and many rock/sunken trees, all within casting range. I like spots like this because they combine the three likeliest areas to contain good fish; I just don’t have the time to spend a whole day or series of days searching one particular type of location.

A 3000-sized reel and a 3-6kg rod is enough for most situations. begin, I lift the rod until the first guide of the rod is slightly above shoulder height, and then I begin winding the lure while rapidly twitching the rod tip back and forth. This creates a really interesting action where the plastic darts erratically from side to side, and the fish can’t resist. This technique does take some

If all else fails, there are plenty of tailor up and down the coast.

10 JULY 2024

getting used to, but you’ll find it’s an effective retrieve.

I employ the same tactic when fishing from a kayak or boat in similar systems.

It’s also a great way to get a jerkbait to swim like a wounded baitfish when

fishing from the rocks.

LURES For estuaries and similar systems, I always take a few packs of Wriggler-style plastics ranging from 65-100mm and jigheads in the 1/16oz and 1/8oz sizes. I usually pack a variety of colours, but the more natural colours are the ones that see the most water, especially if I’m fishing when the water temperature is well below 20°C. I also bring a handful of vibes and blades, along with some crash divers in the 60-70mm size.

When fishing from the stones, I take plenty of soft plastics in the 80-120mm range with a variety of actions. I also carry jerkbaits in many different colours and sizes, ranging from 90mm to 150mm.

I also make sure I’ve got lures that will dive to about a metre, and others that can reach depths of 4m or more.

ESSENTIALS When it comes to saltwater fishing, years of trial and error have led me to carry a few ‘essentials’ that I never leave home without, whether I’m fishing from the bank, from a kayak/boat, or

from the rocks.

First of all, I always bring my beacon and carry it with me at all times. I have never fallen in the water, nor had a medical episode where a beacon was needed, but I feel better knowing that with a push of a button, I can send for help.

I also carry a snakebite kit, sunscreen, plenty of water and Hydrolite, and if I’m fishing from a kayak/boat or on the rocks, I wear a lifejacket.

I don’t fish using a lot of tech. I have a Lowrance Hook2 sounder, and it’s a great unit, but it doesn’t have Livescope or anything close to that. People talk about Livescope changing things, but for me, using polarised sunglasses to observe fish behaviour as they chase down the lure takes all the guesswork out. I use Spotters sunglasses, but any sunnies will do, provided they are polarised.

CONCLUSION The South Coast of NSW is a land of amazing angling opportunities. I have only scratched the surface here by mentioning a dozen or so areas that are definitely worth a look, but there are many more to try, so get exploring.

There’s something for everyone, whether you’re a hardcore game fisho, want to fish with your family, or you’re a younger

Salmon are a common catch throughout winter. fisho just starting out in the best sport in the world.

Another bonus is that winter in places like Merimbula and Broulee feels more like spring, especially when those pelagics come screaming out of nowhere to hit your jerkbait near the edge of a rocky outcrop.

FEATURE

Species

FMM

Breaking down Brisbane River bass NORTH QUEENSLAND

Joe Nugent

Along the South East Coast of Australia, bass are an abundant and highly accessible freshwater fishing target. Chasing bass in small creeks with surface lures is a simple yet exciting form of fishing enjoyed by many.

Wild Australian bass are typically found throughout the upper reaches of most river systems with access to the sea, from Tin Can Bay in the north

impoundments, 30-50cm bass are far more common, and 60cm+ fish are caught on occasion.

However, the main difference between wild and stocked bass is their breeding habits. Natural Australian bass spawning occurs each year during mid to late winter. During this time, wild bass migrate downstream into brackish water, as the higher salinity is essential for them to breed successfully.

In impoundments, bass are unable to breed because they can’t access brackish water.

To preserve the natural populations of bass, both QLD and NSW have closed seasons for wild bass. The closed season runs from June to August in Qld, and May to August in NSW. These closures are designed to minimise stress on wild bass populations, allowing them to reproduce effectively.

Early morning on the upper Brisbane River.

Crossing. Much of this area is contained within private property or subject to closures and restrictions.

Some areas are accessible via kayak.

However, being a land-based fisher, I focus my efforts slightly further downstream, between the Mt Crosby Weir and Colleges crossing. This area is easily accessible and legally fished, subject to weir restrictions and seasonal closures.

A quality bass pulled from some tight structure. to the Gippsland Lakes in the south.

Additionally, they are regularly stocked in a multitude of dams, lakes and reservoirs throughout Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

Wild bass and stocked bass differ greatly in size and habits. Typical wild bass range in size from 20-40cm, with rare specimens reaching 50cm+ under ideal conditions. In stocked

A healthy specimen caught on a lightly weighted soft plastic.

Bass fishing tends to be most productive during the summer months when there is an influx of insects, mainly cicadas, along the banks of

An average-size bass for the upper Brisbane River.

12 JULY 2024

creeks and rivers. Bass feed by sight, preying on small insects, worms, fish and crustaceans. Sometimes, these predators will feed opportunistically, while at other times, they’ll lie in wait to ambush their prey. Bass rely on their environment to provide adequate camouflage and concealment.

Remaining tight to structure is important for Australian bass, as they are often targeted by native birds such as eagles. To reduce this threat, they tend to congregate in areas that provide cover from above and below the water, such as fallen or overhanging timber, rocks, reeds, or artificial objects such as bridges, rock walls and weirs.

Working lures past these areas is an excellent tactic to trigger a strike.

There are endless locations and lures suitable for catching bass, but my favourite way to target bass is first thing in the morning, casting surface lures amongst the tiny creeks that feed into the upper Brisbane River.

UPPER BRISBANE RIVER The upper Brisbane River encompasses the section from the Wivenhoe Spillway to Colleges

The author’s favourite way to chase bass is with topwater lures. This fish fell to a Chasebaits Ripple Cicada.

The original Mt Crosby weir was constructed in 1902 after a severe drought, and was extended and replaced in 1926. Since then, the weir has undergone several upgrades and renovations. At the time of writing, the weir bridge is being upgraded to include a footbridge and two lanes of vehicle traffic.

Species FEATURE

FMM Due to its positioning and design, the flow rate from the weir is dictated by both natural rainfall events and the release of water from Wivenhoe Dam. After severe weather events or a large release of water from the dam, the water level and flow may make

the trees and grasshoppers amongst the reeds, and you’ll be swatting all manner of insects off your face as you walk. In this scenario, the fish will probably be feeding regularly on insects.

To capitalise on this, I’d be reaching for lures that imitate insects, particularly cicadas. Cicada imitations, such as the Chasebaits Ripple Cicada, are known fishcatchers. The market for them is highly competitive, which is a good thing for anglers. Look for lures that are realistic in both colour and action.

It’s important to take a variety of lures on any bass fishing expedition.

What works one day may not work the next, and your favourite lure in the creeks may not get any interest in a dam. Although matching the hatch is a good starting point, at the end

Skinny creeks loaded with structure are ideal habitat for bass.

Catfish are a common by-catch when targeting bass and put up a serious fight on light gear. the weir unfishable for a while.

Mt Crosby Weir has a no-fishing zone 200m upstream and 400m downstream from its wall. This zone starts from where the large pool below the weir ends and the small creek begins, and it’s easy to spot during periods of low flow. During times when this landmark becomes unclear, the 400m restricted area is also roughly in line with the end of Alan Donovan Lane – quite an obvious point when looking at the area via satellite imagery.

To access the creek, there are several unofficial walking tracks through the grass leading down the valley. These can become overgrown at times but never impassable. With the exception of times of flood, this section of the creek is typically narrow and quite shallow. The clean freshwater from the weir meanders through the valley, breaking off into several deeper pools before it expands and reaches the brackish water in the vicinity of Colleges Crossing.

MATCH THE HATCH Bass aren’t particularly fussy eaters and are known to feed on a wide variety of critters. Fresh garden worms, insect imitations, poppers, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, vibes and soft plastics are all popular choices for bass fishing.

So, how do you decide which option to use? As a starting point, look around at what you can see or hear nearby. Walking small creeks during summer in Queensland, it’s almost certain you’ll hear cicadas in

A selection of lures suitable for chasing skinny water bass.

bass are legal to take and consume, and each state has its own size and bag limits. Here in Queensland, bass need to be a minimum of 30cm.

There’s a maximum possession limit of five fish when fishing a stocked impoundment, and a maximum of two fish when fishing anywhere else.

Like anything, taste is subjective, and there are many mixed reports from people eating bass. In my experience, bass is comparable in taste and texture to bream. Bass have firm, white meat with a fairly distinctive but pleasant taste. Given its appeal as a recreational sportfish, it’s not one I’d consume regularly, but it’s definitely edible for anyone interested in trying it.

of the day, trial and error is the only sure-fire way to figure out a system on any particular day.

Like most forms of fishing, the time of day plays a role in catching bass, but it’s not a hard-and-fast rule.

Dawn and dusk tend to be the peak feeding times, but bass can still feed

Another bass falls victim to a Chasebaits Ripple Cicada.

Let ‘em go, let ‘em grow!

on surface lures during the day if used in the appropriate environment.

Lure selection and adequate structure tend to be more important factors when targeting bass.

AFTER THE CATCH Australian bass are generally not considered a tablefish; most people think of them as a recreational sportfish and always release them. However,

TRYING SOMETHING NEW Traditionally, larger species such as barramundi, Murray cod, and golden perch dominate the Australian freshwater fishing scene. However, it’s important to consider the opportunities and advantages that come with targeting lesser-known species, such as Australian bass. You might be pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

JULY 2024 13

FMM

BACK TO BASICS

Using your head!

NSW SOUTH COAST

Steve Starling www.fishotopia.com

There’s a bit more to jig head selection than many soft plastic fishers realise.

Even the best soft plastic tails on the market are useless as fish-catching tools without the addition of a hook and also, in most instances, some extra weight to allow longer casting and to carry the lure down through the water column to the desired fishing depth.

There are a number of ways of achieving these goals. A few soft plastics are sold pre-rigged: with integrated,

Jigheads come in all manner of configurations, including sneaky ones that are actually meant to slide inside the soft plastic tail. internal weights and built-in hooks.

However, most serious users of softies tend to prefer the flexibility (and economy) of a modular system: mixing and matching their own tails, hooks and weights to suit changing conditions, and by far the most common and popular “presentation vehicle” for rigging soft plastics to suit Australian fishing conditions is the humble jig head.

A jig head is simply a hook incorporated into a sinker or weight.

Within that broad definition, there’s an incredible array of possibilities in terms of hook pattern and size, head shape, weight, density, construction material, keeper set-up and so on.

The simplest (and most popular) jig heads consist of a straight-shanked, round-bend, Aberdeen-style hook with an unpainted or painted spherical head made of lead or a lead alloy.

Traditionally, these jigs are built on purpose-made jig hooks that have a 60-90o bend in the shank near the hook eye. These hooks are placed in a mold and molten alloy poured in to form the head around that shank bend. This configuration places the hook eye on top of the finished round lead or alloy head: on the same plane as the hook bend and hook point.

These jig heads also generally have some form of holding device or ‘keeper’ to secure the plastic tail snugly against the head. The result is a jig that sinks and rides point-up in the water, 14 JULY 2024

significantly reducing (but certainly not eliminating) snagging or fouling with weed.

By changing the design features of jig heads, manufacturers can tailor them to do different jobs. For example, jigs intended to catch big, powerful fish living in snag-strewn waters call for heavy-gauge, extra-strong jig hooks. There’ll be a price to pay for this, because you’ll often need a little extra force to drive such a thick hook into a fish’s jaw. By contrast, if you’re targeting fish that live in open water, you might choose a jig built on a very fine, light-gauge hook.

This hook will have the best possible penetration characteristics, especially at longer casting ranges and on lighter tackle. On the relatively light line and drag settings that can be used in open water, such a fine hook shouldn’t bend or break.

Matching the hook size (length and gape) to tails is mostly a matter of common sense. Hooks that are far too big or too small for a particular tail simply look wrong and don’t work well. There’s a degree of flexibility in all of this, although hook size can be critical at times. The gape of the hook needs to be wide enough to allow easy rigging of the plastic, and to provide good point exposure, but not so large that it throws the lure out of whack, or make it look unnatural and unbalanced. As I said, it’s mostly common sense.

Choosing the optimum weight jig head can be a slightly trickier matter than picking the right hook. Trial and error will often show you the right one to use in any set of circumstance, and you’ll eventually develop an innate “feel” for picking the right heads to suit the conditions.

In many finesse situations — particularly where fish are becoming increasingly choosy and difficult to tempt — using the lightest head practical can be a key to getting more bites. However, note my use

The author with a decent bream taken on a Squidgy Wriggler rigged on one of the 3D-printed Starlotackle.com resin head jigs his son Tom now makes and sells. Sometimes the soft ‘plop’ and slower sink rates of these lightweight jigheads are just the ticket on timid fish. of the word ‘practical’. It’s no use going so light that you simply can’t cast the lure far enough to reach the fish, or get it down in front of their face through a deep, swiftly flowing current. It can also be counterproductive to use a head so light that the tail refuses to “swim on the drop”, while the jig is sinking. This last point is an important and often-overlooked consideration, and it’s well worth watching how various head weights influence the swimming action of different tails as they sink on a slack or semi-slack line.

Head weights and sink rates directly influence ‘hang time’: in other words, the period a lure spends falling through a particular strike zone. Increasing hang time can increase strikes in some situations.

One way to extend hang times is to use jig heads made from lighter materials such as aluminium or various plastic resins. These approaches provides the bulk to match larger tails, but at a considerably lighter density, to prolong those all-important hang times in and around snags or over weed beds. You’ll find such offerings on the market (if you search hard

A school mulloway taken on a fairly standard, fish-shaped lead-head jig.

enough), allowing you to play around with those all-important sink rates and hang times.

Head shape is another variable you can fine tune when looking for optimum performance from a jig-rigged plastic. Beyond the basic round or ball-head jig, which suits so many common fishing styles, there are all manner of shapes worth

Jighead-rigged soft plastics remain an under-used tool in freshwater fishing. Trout like this lovely brown, as well as redfin, yellowbelly, cod and carp all respond well to them! considering in specific applications.

One of the most useful designs for common Australian fishing scenarios is the so-called darter-style jig, with its pointed nose and (sometimes) flattened sides and “keeled” underside. When worked with a series of short, sharp rod tip flicks, this head (more than any other design) ducks and darts from side-to-side in an erratic manner that can be a real fish turn-on in many situations.

As you can see from even this fairly simple overview, there’s a bit more to jig head selection than many anglers realise, and it really pays to give some careful thought to the weight, size, shape, construction, keeper design and even colour of your jig heads when fishing with soft plastics All subjects we can return to in future instalments of this column.

Until then, Tight Lines!

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Hungry mulloway get stuck into mullet schools THE TWEED

Leon McClymont

The mullet are running and so are the mulloway. It’s been an oddly late run of mullet this year, with huge schools migrating from the creeks and rivers hitting the beaches and doing their traditional run along the coastline north. The mulloway have been waiting for this moment all year

the fittest angler but the effort generally pays off when going the extra mile.

On the other hand, having a session on the stones at the bottom of these headlands can provide some leg-burning fitness to lug out the weight of your catch, so be sure to take only what you can carry out.

If you’re looking for something less strenuous, the long, sandy beaches of the Tweed have countless deep gutters. These are often overlooked by anglers, who

that matter. Beach worms and pipis are a surplus along Pottsville/Wooyung Beach, and are great free bait with the potential for big rewards. Just about every fish will eat a beach worm, and pipis are great for dart, whiting, bream, and tarwhine to keep the kiddies happy while you chase bigger species.

The FAD season draws to a close, and it’s hard to believe that the warm water fishing season is ending. Cold fronts are beginning to rear their heads along the NSW coast, bringing westerly winds and a slowing of the East Australian Current. Coinciding with this change of season, NSW DPI has removed all FADs from Tweed Heads to Forster for winter maintenance. Excellent fishing was experienced throughout the 2023/24 FADs season on the Tweed, with plenty of mahimahi (dolphinfish) caught.

Ryan Ziets with a midday mulloway taken on a live yakka. to gorge on the schools of mullet to rejuvenate their depleted bodies from their spawning event.

Headlands, break walls and deep gutters are all good locations for the big mulloway to lie in wait for passing schools of mullet to ambush. If you can find mullet stacked in any of these areas you will increase your chances as there should be big mulloway and even big greenback tailor in the area, feeding on the stacked bait.

don’t realise they can be stacked full of fish. Species you may encounter include tailor, mulloway, dart, whiting, flathead and even big black bream, which are usually only targeted around the rocks.

The tailor have been migrating north to their spawning grounds off Fraser/ K’gari Island. Some deep gutters along Kingscliff, Casuarina and Maggies Hole have been holding good water on the high tides, and plenty of tailor have been caught in these regions. On the fisherman’s telegraph, word is some extra-large greenbacks were caught along Pottsville/Wooyung beach a few weeks back, and one was said to have gone over 6kg – a very exceptional fish for this area. Ganged pilchards, garfish, cut mullet and salted bonito are all great baits for XL size tailor – or any tailor, for

Luke Reilly caught this slob of a cod on a shallow reef off Tweed.

While the FADs are gone for now, the good news is they will be ready for next season, with deployments scheduled for September onwards.

The offshore scene has been firing for a range of species, from wahoo and Spanish mackerel to snapper, kings and pearlies. There are still some large winter mackerel around, which is great to see, but this month should be their final run

Blake Hawke jigged up this solid pearl perch fishing the 36s off Tweed.

The Tweed and surrounding regions have some particularly tricky walking tracks that lead to rocky territory around the headlands. These spots often don’t get as much fishing pressure as the break walls, so if you’re a solo angler or prefer the less crowded spots, these challenging headlands are the go. They can test even 16 JULY 2024

Ashley Jones caught her first spotted mackerel floating unweighted pilchards.

A huge mulloway for angler Ben Roetger taken fishing the dirty water on a hardbody lure. The fish went 33kg. until warmer waters arrive next season.

The 36s to the 50s have been producing plenty of reefies as well as some Seriola family members like kingfish and amberjack. Fishing live bait on a paternoster rig is the traditional way to target these brutes of the depths, but many anglers now prefer using fast and slow pitch jigging techniques to target them.

As mentioned in last month’s issue, this is the time of year when the snapper move right in close and feed on the surplus whitebait and anchovies. One lucky Tweed angler caught a whopping 84cm snapper in the Tweed River – a very unexpected capture whilst targeting mulloway.

The rivers and estuaries have been a bit slow, with an on-and-off run of fresh, dirty water in the Tweed. The flats around Cobaki and Ukerebagh Island have been producing plenty of bread-and-butter species like flathead and whiting. Fishing the run-off tide has been the most productive, as the fish feed on the free offerings as the tide pulls back off the flats.

Some of the deeper holes of the Tweed River have been holding schoolsize mulloway and the odd mangrove jack. Fishing live bait/cut bait has been the most productive when fishing the deeper regions of the river. Small vibes and plastics can also be effective in the deeper holes if bait fishing isn’t your thing.

If you’re going to put some time in this month, focus your efforts around the new moon at the start of July, and three days either side of the full moon at the end of the month. This should provide some good tides and major bite periods.

Coinciding these bite periods with a tide change, while fishing at either dawn or dusk, should provide the best results.

Until next month, tight lines and soak ‘em long.

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Westerlies trigger fish movement GOLD COAST

David Green

The weather is getting colder and the wind is starting to blow from the west.

This triggers a lot of fish movement in the estuaries as many species prepare for spawning. These include mullet, bream and luderick. The fishing in the Broadwater are generally very good in July, with plenty of quality fish caught around the entrances. Flathead fishing definitely improves in the winter.

Target species in July include mulloway, flathead and bream. The rains of summer and autumn have meant there is plenty of bait in the estuary, and there has been plenty of garfish on the flats.

north wall of the Seaway and small live baits work well. Fishing a lightly weighted bait thrown into the wash can be very effective. Over the past few weeks some nice Spanish mackerel have also been caught in the area. A lot of the mulloway at the present time are under the minimal size of 75cm and must be released.

When chasing flathead this month the central Broadwater from Crab Island through to the area around Tippler’s Passage is productive provided the water stays quite clear. Calm days generally produce good catches of fish between 40-60cm. Soft plastics, small vibes and trolling are all very effective. Working long hardbodied minnows over the flats can produce bigger fish, but this method is better used later in the year around

There is still good blue marlin fishing wide of the continental shelf.

When chasing mulloway most of the action has been around the Jumpinpin Bar and the Gold Coast Seaway. Drifted live baits, such as pike, mullet, yellowtail and slimy mackerel are all excellent. The hour around high tide generally produces the most action. In recent times sharks have become a big problem, and on some days they take nearly all fish hooked.

As well as mulloway, some big mangrove jack and tailor are around the

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the time that flathead spawn. It isn’t uncommon to catch over 30 flathead in a session in July. The fish feed quite extensively once the water cools down a bit, and areas adjacent to weed beds can be particularly productive. There have been good numbers of flounder around as well and these delicious fish eat quite a wide variety of lures, but I’ve found the Ecogear ZX40 blades to be one of the best flounder lures that I’ve ever used.

These lures also catch a lot of whiting and squid.

July is a very good month to chase squid in the Broadwater. At the time of writing most of the squid have been arrow squid but there have been a few tiger squid (northern calamari) and cuttle fish as well. It pays to carry a good range of squid jigs as they can be quite fickle. I usually fish two rods, leaving one in the rod holder positioned so it drifts mid water, and I work the other lure with long casts fanned out around the boat. It is surprising how many squid fall to the lure positioned under the boat. I like to use scent on my squid jigs.

I’m pretty convinced it gets more bites.

Squid are quite easy to see on an echo sounder as long thin lines. It is quite a distinctive pattern.

Despite it being mid-winter, there should still be mud crabs and sand crabs around. While the numbers are down, the quality is generally excellent.

Mullet is the best bait to use in your crab pots in winter.

OFFSHORE GROUNDS As the water cools down the current generally slows down. There is often still good blue marlin fishing wide of the continental shelf as well as a few striped marlin and yellowfin tuna in the same area. Most boats concentrate on using trolled lures on heavy tackle.

Check the sea surface temperature charts before you go out and look for bands of water over 22oC. July is a great month to chase deep dwelling bottom species using electric reels. Pearl perch and snapper are off the menu during the closed season that starts mid-month, so bar cod, flame snapper, jobfish and trevella become good targets.

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A typical sized winter flathead.

July is a good month to chase squid in the Broadwater.

Work depths between 150-300m. A good sounder with a strong transducer of at least 1 kilowatt is essential. Baits should be fresh and preferably quite tough. Mullet fillets and squid work well.

Pilchards work well on ganged hooks but are quickly removed if there are plenty of smaller fish. I like to fish three hooks from a big paternoster rig with a lead weight of between 1-3kg. It is important to control your drift so it isn’t more that 1.5 knots. Jigging in these depths is not for the faint hearted, but it can be very successful. Slow jig techniques using jig weights up to 250g can work well. It’s a long way to the top when jigging in 300m!

In closer to shore, snapper are a good target early in July, as well as mulloway, parrot fish and teraglin. There are often big schools of tailor on the inshore reefs.

The odd Spanish mackerel should still be around in July. These are mostly large female fish that have just spawned.

Fishing the inshore reefs at night can be very productive using live baits, such as tailor, slimy mackerel and yellowtail.

This time of year there are often big schools of tailor just out the back of the surf line just off the top end of South Stradbroke Island. The bigger fish often feed on the migrating schools of sea mullet. Some of these tailor are well over 4kg. Surface poppers, stick baits and metal lures all work well. Positioning a boat at the back of the wash and casting towards the shore works well Make sure the boat is pointed out to sea and make sure there is always someone on the wheel. Overall July is a very productive month for fishing on the Gold Coast.

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King of the Pin reigned supreme JUMPINPIN

Bo Sawyer

King of the Pin was another success this year with plenty of nice fish caught and a ton of prizes handed out.

Anyone looking to jump into their first comp should definitely keep the 2025 event on their radar.

We’ve had some incredible sessions on the charter boats the past month and things just keep looking better and better. The amount of whitebait entering the system has been jaw dropping and this will help fuel a great month ahead.

Water quality has been really good and the only time it’s been dirty is just after the full/new moon (big tides) or from surface chop in high wind.

Water temps have dropped and this has changed the way I’ve been fishing, but the biggest thing to consider is finding the bait and matching your

presentation to suit.

I’m going to kick this month off with the humble bream. Wintertime in the Pin is a great month to target

middle sand bank in the Pin has also been firing when the bait has been pumping through. If you can get your hands on whitebait then that would

Sue and the author caught over 50 flathead and 30 bream while fishing the Pin with soft plastics.

Vanessa caught this healthy mulloway on a 95mm Fish Trap. of numbers and get constant bites.

Some cracker mulloway have been getting caught, I love this time of year for the bigger models. Numbers will come down after the prawn run but the size will make up for it. Live mullet, pike and legal tailor will be the go if you’re bait fishing, and 5-7” plastics or 95mm Fish Traps are gold for the lure

this species and the quality has been excellent. Very fat and healthy fish have been around the deeper water along Kalinga, Crusoe and Short Island. The

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This 96cm lizard was a new Capn’s Charters flathead record! definitely be my pick, otherwise you’re going to have a cracker time catching them on small profile plastics on a 1/8 weight with a #1 hook. I know a few of the old school bait fishos will roll their eyes at me, but chasing these fish on plastics and light gear will not only yield some crazy numbers, it’s a tonne of fun as well. It’s also a great technique if you want to keep your kids entertained as you’ll usually pull plenty

This is a lovely schoolie in the 80s.

There are plenty of double digit mulloway sessions this year.

Southern QLD

FMM fishos. I’ll be sounding for these fish anywhere in the deeper water around the Pin, finding schooling fish and trying my best to keep up with them.

If you know me at all then you probably know I’m pretty keen on chasing those Pin lizards. We’ve been having some cracker sessions

find those feeding fish much easier than parking a bait on the bottom.

Weed edges are the prime place to target this time of year and low tide will concentrate these fish perfectly for us. All of the banks outside of the Jacobs Well channel are going to hold good amounts of fish during winter. If you see or hear of any commercial netters on a bank then it’s best to avoid that area as it won’t fish well for a couple of months in my experience. Flick small plastics in the 3-4” size using 1/6-1/4 weights and 2/0-3/0 hooks.

Crystie was flicking for tailor when she hooked this nice tuna on light gear.

Melita caught a decent school mulloway on a recent charter. on them already and it’s only set to get better! Winter in SEQ is prime time for flatties and if you only ever chase them on bait then I urge you to give soft plastics a go. We can cover ground so much quicker when fishing lures and this enables us to

Billy and the author fished the Sanctuary Cove Bream Shootout and came up trumps with some fat Jumpinpin bream.

I’m surprised by the lack of tailor running around at the moment, if you’re hooking them then you’re doing a better job than I am. We were getting loads of them a month ago and now I’ve been finding nothing but heaps of tiny ones following the whitebait around. This could change any minute though so keep an eye out for bust ups around the high tide.

• Don’t forget to see Brett at the Jacobs Well Bait Shop for all your fishing needs, he’s deadset one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, and if you’d like to learn how to catch fish on lures then you can hit us up at Capn’s Charters, we’d love to have you out on a charter and get you onto some cracker fish!

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JULY 2024 21

QLD Southern

FMM

Wrap up warm on a winter morn BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

Although it’s often one of the coldest months of the year, July offers anglers some quality fishing action. Although there’s an array of species possible, snapper, tailor, mulloway, squid, luderick, bream, flathead and whiting are some of the more serious targets. Cold conditions require a few extra layers for comfort on those early morning starts, however when the sun cracks over the horizon and the first rays of warmth hit, you will feel blessed to be alive.

SNAPPER Good numbers of quality snapper have been caught in recent weeks throughout all corners of the bay. Many have concentrated their efforts around the artificial reefs and bay island shallows however those who search out the more isolated spots such as wrecks and ledges have often scored the better quality fish. These spots often require pinpoint positioning to achieve results and generally only one boat can fish these spots at a time.

Other quality fish, such as mulloway and cobia are also a serious possibility in these areas.

Trophy quality fish are still caught around the more common grounds however these areas can be more affected by boat traffic, especially over the weekends. Those making the effort to fish during periods of lessened boat traffic are more likely to achieve the best results. Additionally, quality baits and lure presentation will go a long way to producing larger snapper. Whilst everyone wants to catch the big knobby snapper, it’s the mid-sized specimens between 45cm and 60cm that offer the best eating with a decent yield of flesh. Many fillet their snapper then discard the rest however you can make good use of most of the fish.

Much of the gut can be used for bait, the head and rest of the frame can be boiled and used for stock, soup or kept for crab bait. The wings (pectoral fin area) actually possess a lot of meat and these can be scaled and eaten after deep frying, grilling

or even just steamed in the microwave with some butter and a squeeze of lemon. In larger fish there is a nice nugget of meat in the cheek area also. Utilizing the most you can out of any fish kept just makes good sense, regardless of species.

Live baits offer great possibility for success on the larger specimens, however any quality bait, preferably fresh, has great potential. It is also surprising how many quality fish are caught on frozen offerings such as pilchards, squid and mullet fillets.

Live baits can be hard to obtain in the bay at times, however there are always a few herring, pike or small yakkas around the artificial reefs and shipping channel beacons if you put in the effort. Jigging with bait jigs, generally #8 or #6, will generally score you some sort of live bait as you drift across the grounds. These can be used whole, utilized fresh or even as cut bait. Even grinners make good fillet baits for snapper and other species and can be caught almost anywhere throughout the bay. Present baits with a minimum or lead, chemically sharpened hooks buried well in the bait with just the points proud and minimum weight fluorocarbon leaders and you are in with a better than average chance of scoring some quality snapper, sweetlip, mulloway, cod or others.

Lures such as soft vibes, jighead rigged plastics, slow pitch jigs, blades and many others can be utilized on snapper. Cast and retrieve presentations are best worked back with the current instead of against it.

Casting a lightly-weighted plastic aft and allowing to drift along with the rock of the boat producing subtle action is often a good ploy. Rodney-the-rod holder will often catch you the best fish of the day utilizing this dead-sticking technique. Trolling minnow lures around the rubble grounds, shallower artificial reefs and island margins will also work well. Lures that dive to depths of 5m or more are usually productive. Popular ones include Classic Dr Evil, Atomic Hardz Shiner, Nomad DTX (85mm, 100mm and 120mm), Killalure Flatz Rat and River Rat plus numerous others.

SCHOOL MACKEREL Although many consider bay mackerel to be a summer target, decent numbers can

Luderick require a more specialised approach but when you can score fat specimens, like these land-based captures in the Brisbane River, the effort is justified.

22 JULY 2024

still be encountered right throughout the colder months. Most fish are usually caught by anglers drifting pilchards or trolling spoons behind paravanes during this time.

The beacons of the shipping channels will still produce the occasional mackerel for anglers jigging slugs or deploying ganghook rigged pilchards, however usually the better numbers are caught in the channel areas or bay island margins.

Whilst fishing for whiting over the sand flats and in channel areas (such as the Small Ships, Rous and Sand Hills), anglers are wise to drift a pilchard aft. These are commonly presented on gang hooks and kept within a few metres of the surface utilizing a small float. If the drift is fairly fast, you may not need the float at all and may even require a small #00, # 0 or #1 ball sinker to keep the bait down. The same technique can be employed when fishing around the bay island margins targeting snapper from both an anchored or drifting approach. Squid and cuttlefish are highly likely to attack the drifting pilchard. If you wind in slowly and scoop swiftly with a net you can secure an entre or some prime bait.

Trolling spoons behind a paravane in the Rous, Small Ships and Rainbow Channel can secure several school mackerel in a session. Personally, I prefer the first few hours of the rising tide and the first few hours of the falling, however different areas produce best at varied periods. The mackerel will often venture up on the flats to feed on the higher tidal stages and then retreat back into the channels as the tide falls. They will often patrol areas where good water flow recedes off the flats as these areas bring forth all manner of food sources forced from the flats with the receding waters. Paravanes are best trolled at speeds between 5 knots and 7 knots and commonly 25-35m behind the boat. There are a lot of good spoons that will produce however I mainly employ the Halco Barra Drone and Halco Kimberley Spoon in the #3 and #4 sizes. Deep diving minnow lures will also produce at times.

CEPHALOPODS Squid and cuttlefish can be caught in decent numbers over the coming month in many areas throughout the bay. Even landbased anglers can score good numbers of quality squid from foreshore areas around Manly, Wynnum, Wellington Point, Scarborough, Clontarf, Victoria Point, Amity Point, Dunwich and many other locales. Anywhere that has clean water flowing over structure such as reef, rock, rubble or weed is a good place to try.

Common technique is to cast egi (prawn shaped, slow sinking jigs) and then retrieving them back with a series of hops and pauses or a slow wind with pauses. Deeper waters are best fished in a more erratic way, using the abrupt hops and pauses to allow the jig to sink again, which this allows you to cover more water vertically. Often the squid will be closer to the bottom, camouflaged against the structure and will dart out at the presence

Mark with another prime eating quality snapper from the Harry Atkinson. of any possible food source. Strikes will often come as the jig sinks. Keep the rod tip high and wind slowly to retrieve your prize. Do not pump and wind in the typical fish fighting method as that will give the squid opportunity to expel the jig. As with mackerel, drifting a pilchard behind the boat will produce a squid or two around the bay islands, channels and flats areas.

Whilst you may still be able to secure a cephalopod on a gang-hook rigged pilchard, a better option is to put the pilly on a squid skewer. These are basically a metal rod with a several rows of barbs at the bottom. The rod is pushed up through the mouth of the bait and out the tail.

This is then suspended behind a near neutral buoyancy float. Once the float dips under the surface, lift the rod tip firmly and retrieve your cephalopod. Both arrow squid and tiger squid are caught with this method regularly and you may even score a cuttlefish or two. Drifting deeper areas with a weedy bottom is more likely to produce cuttlefish.

The channel out from Ormiston that extends down to Green Island is a good zone that can produce healthy numbers of cuttlefish and occasional squid. The junction of the Rous and Rainbow Channels plus several others spots are productive. Often an egi will need to be weighted with an agorig sinker or fished on a paternoster style rig to get it into the strike zone close to the weedy bottom. Cuttlefish are great table fare and exceptional snapper and mulloway bait.

They present a lot of fun to target with the youngsters or inexperienced anglers.

MULLOWAY Good numbers of mulloway will be caught around the artificial reefs, wrecks and in the Brisbane River over the coming months. They can respond to pretty much the same baits and techniques as snapper and are therefore often encountered as bycatch. Specific targeting using live baits of herring, yakkas, slimey mackerel, squid, pike and mullet will heighten results considerably.

Quality fresh baits including whole fish, flesh strips and squid are definitely worth using. Hopping vibes and slow rolling paddle tail shads or other plastics is likely to score, however I favour live baits for the larger specimens. Night sessions

Southern QLD

FMM casting lures around lighted areas in the Brisbane River and canals can be a fun way to get a few mulloway, even from a land-based perspective. Some anglers even manage to get the occasionally mulloway on fly tackle in this scenario.

LUDERICK Whether you fish land-based or from a boat, there are plenty of great luderick fishing opportunities for those who learn their habits and the specialized techniques for targeting them. These predominately vegetarian piscators can be extremely pedantic in their feeding. The common technique is to use weed baits suspended beneath a near neutral buoyancy float and drifted along the rock walls, adjacent pylons, along deep mangrove lined banks and in other areas where prominent weed growth exists. Small hooks (#6 to #12) are often fished on a light (6-12lb) fluorocarbon leader rigged in a paternoster fashion. Small split shots are pinched at intervals along the leader so that the float is dragged under the water with just the last few centimetres of the stem visible. This means there is minimal resistance for the luderick to pull the float down.

Additionally, with most of the float under the water, it will drift at a similar speed to the current. This presents a realistic drift rate for the weed baits, essential when chasing these often wary and timid biters. Numerous spots exist for the boaties around the Jumpinpin area and Brisbane River. Land-based anglers can

try along the canal and harbour walls, Boat Passage rock wall and the Sunken Wall in the Brisbane River.

FLATHEAD There have been decent numbers of quality flathead throughout the estuarine and river systems for the last couple of months. Numbers are usually more commonly in August and September however frequent rains earlier in the year resulted in heightened nutrient levels which has possibly catalysed this influx.

For us anglers, this is a welcome scenario and it has added another prime species to the winter hit list.

Trolling lures along the edges of prominent bank systems on a falling tide is a great way to cover a decent area of

water. Flathead will predictably be in this zone during this period of the tide, as they lie in ambush awaiting all the baitfish and crustaceans to be flushed from the flats with the receding waters. Brightly coloured minnow lures that dive deep enough to occasionally bang the bottom are desirable.

These same zones can be worked over with soft plastics or small vibes hopped down the bank decline.

On the lower tidal stages the flathead will predominately be in the deeper channels and holes. These can be jigged vertically with vibes or fished with baits.

Drifting these channels and dragging a whole fish bait (whitebait, small pilchard, hardihead, frogmouth pilchard, herring etc.) across the bottom is another successful

Ian ‘Ace’ Johnson with another light tackle mulloway taken on a soft plastic. Good numbers of these prime specimens will infiltrate the bay, rivers and estuaries over the coming months.

method and a great way to fish with inexperienced anglers. A snelled hook (I like suicide pattern) rig with the leading hook pinned centrally in the head halfway between the eye and nose with a ball sinker around 50cm in front of this offers a good approach. The ball sinker will drag across the bottom stirring up puffs of mud or sand and offering audible aquatic enticement. Flathead numbers will be healthy for several months now so get out and chase a few.

CONCLUSION Winter fishing offers a broad array of prime species throughout Southern Queensland. Cooler weather entices many fishers out onto the water and into the sunshine. For those venturing into Moreton Bay, the Brisbane River and associated waterways there are plenty of great sport and table fish to chase.

Frequent rain in the preceding months has increased nutrient levels and heightened possible food sources for many species.

Additionally, slightly more discoloured water than normal has allowed many species to feel less conspicuous in the shallower waters. This has allowed somewhat better land-based fishing in many areas. Quality baits and lure presentation will definitely reap rewards over the coming month for all anglers.

Throw on a few extra layers and get out before westerly winds kick in and waters clear, which can make the fishing a little tougher.

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Cool, calm days have finally arrived BRISBANE

Bob Thornton tackleworldlawnton@gmail.com

It was a tense time waiting for the weather to stabilise through May and June, but finally the cool and calm days we expect at this time of year have arrived – albeit a little later than usual.

With the wind swinging around to the west and rain only a vague threat to the day’s fishing, anglers should be able to enjoy long days offshore and in the bay. If the wind gets up it’s easy to duck into your favourite creek instead.

Much like last year, the wet summer just gone is likely to have a positive

baits, as well as casting stickbaits and poppers. While schools were sometimes located by bird activity and surface feeding fish, much of the time schools were spotted on sounders and ‘coaxed’ to the surface with noisy lures.

A customer told me that sometimes these fish can rise 100m from below to crash a stickbait, as sound travels faster and further through water.

In closer, the well-known grounds like the Hards, Gneerings and Barwon Banks have been holding lots of big snapper for months now, plus big pearlies have moved in with the onset of winter. In fact, pearlies have been picked up only a few kilometres from

This kilo-plus bream was taken as mulloway by-catch by Deon ‘Dezzie’ Smith. Despite not being his target species, he certainly wasn’t complaining! Photo courtesy of Deon Smith. effect on the fishing through July this year. Additionally, a steady flow of good reports through early June is surely an indication of a bumper July ahead!

Let’s take a look at what’s been happening across the region.

OFFSHORE With the weather finally settled and the currents out wide slowing right down, now is the perfect time explore the depths offshore.

Out beyond 100m where bentbutt rods and electric reels spooled with hundreds of metres of line are standard kit, deep droppers have been having a ball. Blue-eye trevalla, bar cod, Bass groper and flame snapper are the main prizes for deep droppers. It’s not necessary to head out this far, however, with tasty gurnard, big pearl perch and even kingfish readily available a little closer to shore. If you’re interested to try deep dropping, make sure you come into the shop and check out our range of rods, reels and rigs suitable for this style of fishing.

Staying out wide, this time last year saw hordes of big yellowfin tuna cruising along the current lines near the continental shelf. Keen voyagers managed to get stuck into these barrelsized animals by trolling skirts and 26 JULY 2024

shore in 20-30m, which is considered very shallow for this species. Please remember that a month-long closure applies to both pearlies and snapper from 15 July to (and including) 15 August.

Those after big offshore mulloway generally have their best successes in July, with isolated pinnacles, wrecks,

shoals and any patches of ground with cave-like crevices preferred by these gargantuan beats. The scattered structures in 20-40m between Point Lookout and Jumpinpin and known producers of big mulloway, though the Cape Moreton area can shine at times as well.

Large live baits of slimy, legal tailor and yakkas are dynamite if you can get them, though slabs of flesh from the same species, as well as bonito and mac tuna, will also get the job done. So long as you can confirm that the mulloway are there (by using your sounder) and can get these baits close to them, you stand a chance of hooking one.

Paternoster or running sinker rigs with either one or two hooks around the 8/0 size are fine, what’s more important is controlling your drift and anticipating the current well enough to get a bait in their faces!

BEACHES AND ROCKS Staying on the topic of mulloway, some of our local beaches, headlands and breakwalls can offer opportunities for land-based anglers chasing these elusive fish as well. With that said, they can be even more elusive when targeted this close to shore, and to have a chance there are things that need to line up.

Big land-based mulloway generally bite best on a tide change at night, with rough or dirty sea conditions helpful but not necessary. My friend Joey Urquhart from Northern NSW chases these fish from the beaches and breakwalls year-round and says through summer he waits for large river floods to stir up the sea entrances and beaches.

In winter, however, the seasonal mullet run (which we also experience) tends to keep them in these areas for longer, but any rough seas, dirty water are a bonus.

With mullet being the main forage for these monsters, sending one out live is a highly effective technique. For the super dedicated, lure fishing can also

Anglers can expect plenty of pan-size snapper when fishing the shallows in the bay through July, with these ‘oversized bream’ performing super well on light gear.

Tiger squid numbers will only improve in the bay’s shallows in the next few months, with specimens like this and larger available right now. be successful, though many hours often go in between captures and going home empty-handed is common.

Large hardbodies between 150-200mm that dive to a metre or so are the traditional (and highly effective) choice for land-based jewie diehards.

Paddle-tail soft plastics the same size or smaller are also proven on mulloway in these areas, though generally more successful on smaller fish hanging down a little deeper during the day.

Whichever lure you use, you always want to be targeting any washy areas of whitewater that provide cover for the hunters.

Areas such as Point Arkwright, Mooloolaba breakwall, Caloundra Bar, the Southport Seaway and Tweed River breakwall on the mainland, plus Cape Moreton and Point Lookout and their adjoining beaches, are just some of the locations these monsters frequent in winter.

Tailor reports have been improving on the beaches, with the eastern side of Moreton (Mulgumpin) and South Stradbroke islands producing plenty of fish between 40-50cm in recent weeks.

On the mainland, Teewah and Perigian beaches, as well as The Spit on the Gold Coast have been productive on their day as well.

Larger gutters have been the areas to prospect on a high tide, with pilchards on gangs and cast metal lures accounting for most fish.

Solid sand whiting, dart and bream have been found with minimal effort on most beaches, and the small gutters between 1-3ft have produced plenty of action. These smaller gutter usually form on lower stages of the tide, and are a good way to fill in the time between

Southern QLD

FMM tailor or mulloway sessions.

MORETON BAY The westerly winds and clear days have made fishing the bay a joy, with plenty of opportunities for smaller boats to spend a day on this highly diverse fishery.

The action on the big bay pelagics has subsided a little, though there are still reasonable numbers of longtail and mac tuna zipping around. With the clear water and sunny days though, approaching them becomes increasingly hard. Days with more tidal movement and cloud cover will be the best days to stalk feeding tuna schools in July.

For the smaller speedies like school mackerel and tailor, it pays to keep an eye out as you move through the bay, as they can pop up just about anywhere. Spotted mackerel have thinned right out with the onset of winter, so schoolies will be your main target through the shipping channels and especially close to the beacons.

While not known for their surfacefeeding antics, schools can usually be located with a sounder. Failing this, fishing vertically with metals or drifting a pilly around the shipping beacons can yield good results.

Tailor are more liable to harass bait near the surface and give themselves away to passing anglers. A quick cast with a metal, topwater lure or soft

Large topwater lures like this 97mm Slippery Dog are ideal for getting the attention of hungry tailor, with this fish crash tackling the lure in under a metre of water. plastic is usually enough to elicit a response, and with the tailor in the bay averaging around 50cm at the moment, don’t be afraid to go big. Lures in the 80-100mm range are ideal for larger tailor, as not only do they create more

commotion, they also prevent the chance of a bite-off with the hooks sitting further from the trace.

Land-based anglers have also enjoyed the bay tailor run so far this year. The jetties at Bongaree, Woody Point and Shorncliffe have regularly played host to slashing schools of big tailor, mostly on a high tide.

The reefs and wrecks in the bay have been getting plenty of attention lately too. Extracting one of the big mulloway and snapper that hang out over these structures has been far easier recently, with shark numbers reducing dramatically, which is often the case in winter. Harry Atkinson, West Peel, Curtain and Captain Nielsen artificial reefs host mulloway and snapper of all sizes, so using a bigger bait or lure is the key to tempting the larger fish to bite.

Generally speaking, big mulloway will commandeer the gnarliest part of these structures, preferring to be very close to or even inside the wrecks and any other gaps. Snapper on the other hand will cruise the along the edge of the structure and sometimes suspend above it, often feeding mid-water.

Applying this basic rule helps when trying to identify fish on the sounder.

The reef edges around the islands and rubble patches in 2-5m of water like the ones around Scarborough, Woody Point, Cleveland and Wellington Point have exploded with snapper. While there are plenty of ‘pinky’ size fish in the mix, larger fish in the 60-70cm range roam amongst them, especially early in the day. My PB snapper of 76cm was caught in July last year and came from only 5m of water. The school this fish came from stopped biting as soon as the sun came up, so make sure you’re there early!

With the water so clear it pays to run the lightest gear you can get away with, and most locals use a 2-4kg spin outfit spooled with 6-10lb braid and an 8-10lb leader. Soft plastics in the 2-3” range rigged on jigheads between 1/12-1/8 are the go-to for most, though I had some success last year running deep-diving hardbodies around the same size.

Those who like squidding will be pleased that this season has started a lot better than the previous one. July is when the bay’s shallows are generally at their clearest, and therefore tiger squid will be more inclined to hunt in them. I enjoyed a few sessions last year around Mud and Peel islands sight casting to tigers in less than a foot of water, and this July should deliver more of the same.

With any luck the land-based egi masters mark an improvement on last year as well. So far it’s been mostly arrow squid reported from the shallows on the mainland, with most catches coming at night. Hopefully the water over the rubble and weed around Redcliffe, Wynnum, Manly and Cleveland clears right up and the bigger

tiger squid cruise in on the high tides to hunt. Fingers crossed!

RIVERS AND ESTUARIES All systems are currently go in the creeks, with recent estuary action sparking a lot of excitement around the region.

Excellent numbers of school size mulloway are showing up in most systems, with the Caboolture, Pine, Maroochy and Logan rivers producing the most consistent numbers. Most of the fish caught have been in the 40-60cm bracket, which indicates they are only 2-3 years old. The flooding of the last

every sandflat and adjacent channel in the region. With this development, those who like to toss big baits at trophy flathead can now do so with more confidence. There are a few productive flats I’m looking forward to fishing around Sandstone Point and Jumpinpin this year, weather and time permitting!

The primary baits I will be using are glidebaits and jerkbaits between 150-200mm long, hopefully imitating the many mullet, whiting, pike and squid that forage nervously over these flats. Hopefully I’ll have a success story or two in a later report!

This Lake Maroon bass was taken along a shallow weed edge on a crisp morning. Long pauses with suspending jerk baits were the undoing of this fish and several others that day. few years has no doubt contributed to multiple successful spawning cycles for these fish, and it’s great to see so many of these fish in our estuaries. Soft vibes and plastics have been the most effective presentations on these fish, with any deep holes around bridges, rock bars or other sunken structures worth prospecting.

In many of the same areas, threadfin salmon have also got in on the action. Like the mulloway, small fish seem to be dominating catches, most likely for the same reasons. With that said, a few larger threadies have been reported up our rivers, with the Logan River downstream of Carbrook and the Brisbane River upstream of Jindalee the apparent hotspots.

Throughout most systems tailor have been very active, especially on a high tide as it turns to start running back out. The big tailor in the Brisbane River that I wrote about in the last report have tapered off a bit, however the Pine, Caboolture and Logan rivers are still harbouring good numbers of these estuary speedsters. Areas like southern Pumicestone Passage and Jumpinpin are also reliable tailor spots through July.

Flathead numbers in our lower estuaries were starting to build in late autumn, and by now these fish will have scattered themselves over just about

The local bream have well and truly shifted to spawning mode, with many lower estuary channels and seaway entrances likely to have big roed-up bream in residence through July. Mullet and luderick will also be in the middle of their spawning activities in a lot of the same areas.

Working the channels with lures that can be fished deep, such as soft plastics, metal vibes, deep-diving crankbaits and crab imitations will get the best results.

Big bream are often plucked from these breeding aggregations, and while not as heart-stopping as shallow topwater techniques in the warmer months, the likelihood of nailing a fish over 1kg is higher.

Bait fishing with enough weight to find bottom on an outgoing tide is a very reliable way to catch big bream as well, with anything from packet prawns, mullet gut and pilchard pieces to raw chicken and other meat offcuts suitable baits.

The bridges on the Pine, Newport Canal entrance, The Ripples in Pumicestone Passage and along the Jumpinpin islands are a few of the better known areas to find schooling bream in winter.

FRESHWATER May and June proved a little slow on the freshwater scene as anglers and fish stumbled to find their footing JULY 24 27

QLD Southern with constantly changing weather.

Now things have stabilised, bass have been located and caught in most of our dams. Paying attention to local food sources has been the key to getting a bite from sluggish bass in winter.

The dams that have good populations of bony bream, which prefer open water environments, have started to produce big bass for those fishing deep. Somerset, Wivenhoe and Samsonvale have started producing results for anglers using spoons, metal vibes, 2-3” paddle-tail plastics and tailspinners. Somerset in particular

FMM has seen huge schools of fish forming in depths between 6-10m, though the edges of the old riverbed in the other two lakes will reliably hold schooled fish until at least September.

The smaller lakes with plenty of weed around their edges have been fishing well too, with Maroon and Kurwongbah definite highlights. These lakes tend to hold a mixture of forage in the weed, which also produces oxygen for the fish, as well as cover that holds heat. Gudgeons, shrimps, aquatic insects and virtually anything living amongst these sweetwater salad bars are

Tyrone has a habit of catching big fish, and this metre-plus bay mulloway was a good one to add to his portfolio. Photo courtesy of Tyrone Misselhorn.

While most of the threadies reported this year have been small, like this one Mitch caught in the Maroochy River, it’s a good sign for the year ahead.

on the menu for the edge-feeding bass.

My absolute favourite way to chase bass in winter is with suspending jerk baits in these zones, with sharp twitches, super long pauses and truckloads of anticipation the name of the game. While jerk baits between 60-80mm are the go-to for most, I’ve found skinny-profiled jerk baits up to 110mm aren’t too big for these fish, provided they are given long pauses.

In such cold water the fish aren’t as willing to chase down fast-moving baits like spinnerbaits and crankbaits, with suspending lures perfect for imitating the easy meal they want.

WRAP-UP It’s been great to finally have some stable weather, and with enough luck we’ll hopefully enjoy another month or two of it before things shift again. Now is the time to head out further and stay for longer, as we’re not blessed with weather this nice all year!

• Thanks to all our wonderful customers who send us photos and give us intel over the counter. If you’re in the Brisbane North/ Moreton Bay region, make sure you swing

by Tackle World Lawnton on 640 Gympie Road and check out our range. We stock everything you need to chase local species, plus a great selection of fresh bait as well.

FISHING NEWS

Suntag moving forward with DAF support

Suntag uses tagging, catch, competition, climate, environmental and other data through dashboards to provide a near real-time view of what is happening below the water to understand what the fish are doing, and above the water to understand what fishers are doing.

Currently, there are 65 dashboards in Queensland with over 2,000 maps and graphs that help make that picture.

None of that would be possible without funding. Suntag recently received a grant from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) through the Queensland’s Community Fishing Grants Program that will allow it to continue to grow in 2024-25. It is also important to acknowledge the long-time involvement of DAF since the start of Suntag some 37 years ago in providing support and funding.

Where we are at and what we do now would not be possible without that support.

Over its lifetime, Suntag has a multitude of interesting stories, such as a bass tagged in Lake Somerset in 1997 and recaptured 26 years later in 28 JULY 2024

2023, we were able to track down the tagger to let him know. Or a stocked barramundi released in Lake Theresa at Clermont in Central Queensland that travelled down the Fitzroy River then north along the coast to the Proserpine

River having moved 1,050km. Or the speckled javelin tagged in Pumicestone Passage recaptured in Sydney Harbour over 800km south. Or the rock cod that was caught 5 times in one day. Or the barramundi that was recaptured 10

A recent recapture of a 132cm barra in the Fitzroy River that was tagged 14.5 years earlier in 2009 at 55cm.

seconds after release in the Fitzroy River. Or the tailor that was tagged just south of Mackay 700km north of K’gari (Fraser Island). Or the tagger that reported himself as the species having accidently tagged himself in the hand when reaching into his tag kit. And there are plenty more stories from the over 1,000,000 fish in the database.

As interesting as those stories are the real value of Suntag data is in the long timeline of data that allows trends over time to be assessed, the immediacy of data that comes from recaptures, and the information on what those tagging and those recapturing are doing. Not only is that information useful to Fisheries it is also of value to stocking groups, local councils, businesses catering to fishers, tourism bodies, and natural resources and water managers.

With the funding from the DAF grants program and other supporters Suntag will continue to provide a service to the fishing community and will continue to innovate and improve what we do. – Suntag

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QLD Southern

FMM

Winter bream are in full swing!

NOOSA

Peter Wells

With the winter weather really starting to set in, tailor and trevally have been in numbers around the mouths of the creeks and moving upriver with the bigger tide in the Sunshine Coast rivers. Slugs, like the Halco Twisty, have been working well in the Noosa River.

Micro jigs have also been a favourite with the junior anglers using the Jigpara Jigs from Majorcraft, they come in a great range of colours and sizes. For bait anglers, small pilchards, whitebait, and hardiheads have all worked well, a good tip when using small fish baits is to use small, ganged hooks and a bait thread to help keep the baits on the hooks.

Flathead have again featured highly

the bottom so make sure you use a heavy enough jighead and slow your recovery as much as possible.

There are some big bream in the Noosa with the area around Munna Point Bridge a hot spot. Anglers have got fish up too 35cm, these bigger fish are the breeding stocks so if you get a real big one maybe take a photo and release it so in can breed and ensure stocks for the future. These bigger bream are quite difficult to catch and have seen a hook or two in their time so make sure your lures and baits are lightly weighted and fish around structure.

The Maroochy River was again fishing well. Good bream are in numbers and some larger sized fish have been taken down towards the river mouth and the deeper sections of black banks.

Small pilchards and whitebait have been

have been the way to go for lure anglers, while the good old pilchard has done most of the damage for the bait boys.

Most action has come from around the traffic bridge down towards the mouth. Some anglers have opted to troll and have picked up some nice tailor around the jet ski run opposite Chambers Island.

On the Beach with plenty of white water around there has been plenty of cover for the fish so if the wind is not too bad it is worth having a throw. With the bigger evening tide and the new moon there were plenty of tailor around the Double Island end of the North Shore. The odd mulloway was also reported with most fish only just making size. Bigger sinkers and bigger baits of pilchard, squid mullet and clumps of worms should see you in with a chance. With swell condition dropping this week I am sure we will see plenty of tailor as they make their way north to spawn.

Trevally are also cruising the gutters and have been feeding in quite close.

Bigger dart seems to be around at the top of tide in the mornings and are feeding on prawns and worms.

Whiting have mainly been taken on the start of the run-out tide over the past week, numbers are down a little

Dave Arthurs from Rainbow Escape charters with some chunky reds. get away with, most snapper will often hit a plastic on the drop.

The pelagics still seem to be around with some spotted and Spanish mackerel taking a liking to pilchard and slimy floaters. Scattered tuna are also on offer but are very flighty so if you come across a school you tend to only get one or two casts at them.

To the North from the Great Sandy Straits up to Hervey Bay there have been plenty of mac tuna and school mackerel.

These fish seemed only interested in small bait fish presentation of slugs in

Tye with a beefy mac tuna caught on a small Halco Twisty. on the capture list over the last week with plenty of quality fish between 40-60cm taken. Most fish have been taken on soft plastics and the brighter the colour the better. Grub tails seem to be the most popular and pink and chartreuse are the colours of choice. Best approach in the dirty water is to keep those plastics on

the go to bait as well as mullet strip. For lure anglers, smaller soft plastics like the Keitech Easy Shinner in the 2 and 3” size have been really firing.

Tailor and trevally are still being reported from the river with the run-in tide and the early morning the prime time. Fast moving slugs and plastics Megan with a longtail on board Fishing Offshore Noosa Charters.

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so good bait is crucial, freshly pumped yabbies, sandworms and soldier crabs are perfect.

With the current closure for snapper and pearl perch, anglers have been doing their best to return these fish in the hope that they will improve stocks, which we all want.

To the south, Arkwright Shoal was the standout with some bigger cod, sweetlip and a few other reefies on the bite. Most fish were caught on lightly weighted floaters, and berley was the real key to bringing them onto the chew.

Out wider the Barwon Banks will be fishing well for better quality snapper with standout fish to 80cm on the cards.

5” size Jerk ShadZ from ZMan are ideal.

Remember when fishing soft plastics offshore to try and match the lure up with the lightest weight jighead you can

the 20-30g size. It’s imperative to not to have your slug any bigger than the surrounding bait fish.

Out at the reefs off Double Island is where the cobia are on the run with the middle to the top of reef structure producing the fish. If wanting a red or two head a little further out in the 60m mark as this seems to be their desired depth. All species responded well to local squid, pillies and of course live baits.

• Don’t forget to check in to www. fishingnoosa.com.au for all the latest up to date info on fishing and bar crossings.

The knowledgeable teams at Tackle World Noosa, Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola our new store The Tackle Shop in Gympie can provide you with the right equipment, bait and advice to ensure success!

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QLD Central

FMM

Livies don’t last long when trout are about BUNDABERG

Luke Truant

Trout, trout, and more trout! You have to love this time of year; the fishing is so good. The sharks have backed off as well – I’ve done a few trips with only one or two fish lost per trip, which is amazing. Interestingly, we’ve only encountered sharks close to

Dead baits have been working very well, too. Mullet fillets have been particularly productive in recent weeks, with big trout falling to small mullet fillets fished in amongst the live baits.

As predicted, grassy sweetlip have been absolutely firing on the red emperor grounds (deeper rubble patches), taking a variety of live and dead baits. Baitfish you wouldn’t normally consider to be

Just a few of the fish caught on a winter’s day with the author.

Grassy sweetlip have been firing on the red emperor grounds. shore, less than 15 miles out. The reef areas and deep rubble patches have been practically shark-free, which is the opposite of this time two years ago.

We can expect the sharks to stay relatively quiet in the coming weeks, as

Turrum might not taste great but they’re a lot of fun.

July is typically our calmest month for sharks. All going well, you should land most of the fish you hook this month.

The only real downside to the fishing lately has been a shortage of live baits. Although the yakkas have come into the shallow reef areas, there have been none in the deep areas. To make things worse, the locations that do have livies have been teeming with school mackerel; the schoolies can get so thick they’ll eat your sabiki jigs on almost every retrieve. On a recent trip, I went through 12 sabiki jigs for nine live baits, when we’d normally be pulling up six livies per drop.

This relative scarcity of livies, combined with the start of the season, has meant any livie we’ve put down hasn’t lasted 10 seconds! Whether we’ve been fishing in 17m or 45m of water, every live bait has been taken almost instantly. As well as attracting trout, the livies have been irresistible to red emperor and every Maori cod in the vicinity, large or small.

32 JULY 2024

grassy food, such as whiptails, have been getting nailed along with everything else.

The catches of hussar and tuskfish have been almost zero, even on fresh, local squid baits. It’s possible we’re catching none because the grass sweetlip have been so thick that other species have struggled to get to the hook. When using squid baits, I like to cut the squid lengthways into quarters. Each quarter has a few tentacles that waft enticingly in the water, and will catch just as many fish as a whole squid.

The other baits we’ve been using have been the wings and tails of legalsize iodine bream and other undesirable species. These have been super effective, particularly on red emperor.

It’s good to keep an open mind when it comes to bait because you never know what will get snaffled next. On a recent trip, we caught a bonito and I decided to lop off the last three inches with a full tail. I gave the tail to a client who, understandably, looked a little sceptical.

To his credit, he was willing to give it a go and dropped it down. The tail didn’t touch the bottom before it was inhaled by a 5kg trout! Turns out a bonito tail makes a good bait, so I recommend

trying it yourself if you catch one.

After catching a few fish, one of my clients got a sore back and had to fish sitting down for a while. He didn’t want to hook fish that were too big so I suggested using small baits. He threaded on a little piece of mullet and proceeded to catch two 5kg trout – the two biggest trout of the trip – all because he wanted to give his back a rest! He said it didn’t hurt at all while he was pulling them up, thanks to the adrenaline.

Overall, it was a great session, with personal bests and high fives, and it shows how good the fishing can be at this time of year. You can see some of the photos from the trip on this page.

The only real problem that day was the amount of oversize fish that were lost – either rubbed off on the reef or from pulled hooks. It was nobody’s fault. Circle hooks, live bait hooks, longshank hooks, gang hooks with swivels

There are some quality trout on offer this month.

– they all pulled out. I speculate that the fish were so large that even 8/0 hooks couldn’t pin those big lips!

RIVERS

There’s always the chance of encountering a cobia.

The fishing in the estuaries has slowed down a lot, and crab numbers are dwindling. We have seen some beautiful catches of extra-large whiting, but that’s about it as far as fishing goes in the creeks.

At the time of compiling this report, the bream run hasn’t started yet. It

Red emperor can’t pass up a well-presented livie. normally starts as soon as the water temperature drops below 20°C (at the moment it’s about 23°C). Hopefully, by the time you read this, the bream will have kicked into gear.

If you want to go bait fishing for bream, using lamb heart will put you on the right track, lightly weighted. You can catch some nice bream around the rock walls, preferably an hour either side of a tide change. Early morning and late evening are the best times, although it can get pretty cold at this time of year. Be sure to rug up so you can be comfortable in the cold, and enjoy yourself.

• Truansea Charters specialises in 10-hour day trips chasing prized reef targets such as coral trout and red emperor and arm-stretching pelagics like Spanish mackerel. The maximum number of anglers is 6, so you’ll never feel crowded. The price is $370pp (or $350pp if you book the whole boat), which includes all gear, fuel, bait, ice, chilled water/soft drinks and laughs!

You’re welcome to bring your own reef fishing gear if you prefer. Other charter options include half-day reef trips, half-day river trips, and private guiding.

To learn more, visit www.truansea.com. au, look them up on Facebook, or call Luke on 0423 015 490.

GREAT SANDY MARINE PARK, QUEENSLAND

Know the new zones and designated areas Zones and designated areas changed in the Great Sandy Marine Park on 21 May 2024.

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get notifications as you travel through different zones and areas. for use on your smartphone or tablet (IOS or Android). Can be used outside of mobile range.

QLD Central

FMM

Tasty mixed bags from inshore and offshore MACKAY

Tackle World Mackay

July is traditionally the time to target snapper here in Mackay. The old wives’ tale says the inshore run of snapper won’t turn up until we’ve had our June show holiday, but those

rig with a light trace works well to keep the bait moving across the bottom.

If you want a challenge, chasing them on little surface lures is always a great laugh. As long as you keep the lure moving across the surface, the whiting will come and attack it. They’ll hit it

wise, Gulp soft baits and the Nomad Squidtrex work well. Use the lightest weight/smallest lure that will get to the bottom. The slower sink will make the bait or lure look more natural.

Cleaner water means the Spanish mackerel have shown up in good numbers inshore. Slade rock

Tackle World staff member Jeremy with a red emperor.

You don’t need a boat to catch kingies. Image courtesy of @mackafishing.

CREEKS The humble whiting, an oftenunderrated fish in the local area, have been making their presence felt in the cleaner water. You won’t find a tastier fish in the ocean – they’re not just a live bait anymore.

In winter we see better quality yellowfin whiting schooling up on our beaches and creeks, and they’re easy

who like to challenge the old tales were already catching a few fish before then. The weather has been more in the anglers’ favour rather than the local kite boarders, and it’s about time!

Our inshore reefs and shoals have

Staff member Hayden with a nice trout. with such gusto you’ll think it’s a fish twice the size. Fishing a light, normal mono leader is important because this will keep the little lures up on the surface. Halco Roosta poppers in the 45mm size, Bassday Sugapens and Fishcraft Snoop Pops are all worth a try, fished right up on the shallow flats.

Areas like Town Beach, Far Beach and Sandy Creek all have numbers of fish at this time of year. – Nathan Edwards

Ben loves catching king threadfin salmon. Image courtesy of @bens.fishing.

Heath Jensen was stoked to catch this 55cm bluey. all had some good snapper turning up, along with stripies and some good grassy lipper. Areas like Reichelmann Reef, the spoil grounds and the shoals along the coast between Eimeo and Shoal Point will give you a good chance of catching a snapper over the next couple of months. If you don’t have a boat, the south wall of the marina is a good place to target them.

Fresh squid or pilchards presented on a gang hook with a running sinker rig is one of my favourite bait presentations for these fish. Lure34 JULY 2024

and Round Top Island are worth a look, and floating out a ribbon fish behind the boat has been the preferred method.

OFFSHORE Everything has been hungry after such a big break from the weather earlier this year. Red emperor and large-mouth nannygai have been taking up plenty of esky space on most boats when we’ve had a run in the shipping channel. Slow pitch jigging and vibes have been working better of late, as we have had a few mornings with a slight westerly wind. Lures such as the Berserker Meathead jigs and slow-pitch jigs like Vexed range or Nomads have been working as well.

They can be kept in front of the fish for longer, with plenty of flash and movement to annoy the fish and get them to bite.

Coral trout and quality grassies have still been biting around the islands, and the stand-out areas have been Goldsmith Island, St Bees and Brampton Island.

fish for the whole family to catch. All you need is some fresh yabbies or, even easier, frozen worms or a peeled prawn. Using a long-shank hook in no. 4 to no. 1 size should find a clean hook-up every time. A running sinker

Jack and Jake have been getting stuck into the Spanish mackerel.

Image courtesy of @jackbennett799.

Jack with a quality impoundment barramundi. Image courtesy of @jackmitche1l.

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QLD Tropical North

FMM

A variety of species on the chew in the creeks TOWNSVILLE

Dave Hodge

After the winds of the last seven months, it’s nice to see a few calm days on the forecast, especially for those heading offshore.

When I was down at the Boyne Tannum Hookup, my young fella and

Isaac Chaplin doesn’t mind the odd GT in between the jacks and barra. This one ate a small Sugapen Pop over a deep snag where he was expecting a jack.

his mate Isaac were catching doggie mackerel off the break walls out the front on small hardbody lures. While they were catching the smaller doggies, there were Spanish free-jumping out the front where they couldn’t reach.

Obviously, the boys’ gear wasn’t up to catching Spanish, even if they had been close enough – but it’s good to know that they’re in close already. Down south, I used to do a lot of high-speed spinning off the rocks, and I just might take a wander out the front and chuck a few Twisties or Outcasts to see what I can get. I’ll definitely be taking a barra baitcaster for the walk too, as there are always barra along the break walls and in the Duck Pond area.

Other species caught along these artificial structures include jacks, golden trevally, giant trevally, queenfish, bream and cod. Even trout and other reefies are frequent catches along the rocks. Sadly, and I’m not sure why, the best of the fish-holding structure is off-limits, even when there are no ships at the loading wharves.

Trolling hardbodies like the 160 and 190 Laser Pros and spoons are consistent ways of connecting to the macks, as is slow-trolling rigged wolfies and gar. A common technique anywhere there are mackerel is to put

out a floating pillie or gar while bottom bouncing for fingermark, reds, etc. Try a short length of wire to start with. If you’re sure there are mackerel around but you’re getting no bites, take the wire off and swap it for a pillie on a set of ganged 5/0s (or whatever hook size suits the size of the pillies you have).

Braided line is fine to use for this, but I would use a much longer leader than you’d normally run, say, 6m+ to give some shock absorption.

WHAT’S BITING The jacks, barra, grunter, bream, fingermark and more have been playing the game nicely in the rivers and creeks.

If I had to pick one bait for this type of stuff, it would be a half pilly rigged on a Gamakatsu baitholder pattern in a 4/0 size.

Recently, while camping with my young fella, we had a muck around with some baits while I was trialling a new 9’ long rod. The baits didn’t last two minutes before a jack or bream would grab it. I was running 25lb Dangan Braid with a 35lb Atomic Linez fluorocarbon leader, with a sinker running down on top of a soft glow bead (which stops the sinker locking onto the knot at the swivel). From the swivel to the hook, I ran 50cm of the same leader material, which is tough

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The Atomic Real Bait in bully mullet pattern works well in the deeper holes. The author upsized the hooks to a Gamakatsu Tournament Treble because bigger fish tend to eat these soft baits. and quite supple.

My outfit was a MajorCraft Crossride 962 rod matched to a 6000 Shimano Baitrunner. I originally got it for chasing bigger grunter etc from the beaches, but it’s proven to be good for

Tropical North QLD

FMM several different types of fishing.

Casting lures has had mixed results lately; the fluctuating water levels have made it a bit unpredictable. Covering water on the electric motor is the most effective way to find actively-feeding fish. Depending on the stage of the tide, they could be up in the mangroves (where skipping weedless plastics is the only way to reach them), or they could be on the deeper, bigger snags or rock bars. It has been very common of late to find schools of jacks, and barra are often with them, and several can be caught casting the same deeper snags.

Hardbodies and soft plastics in the 70mm to 110mm size range have been working best. The best hardbody for

us has been the Halco TB80, and the best softies have been the Atomic Prong 4” and the Paddle Prawns in 5”, both rigged on a 5/0 Atomic Seeker EWG hook in 1/4oz. Colour is a personal thing for many anglers, and we certainly have our own favourites, some of which are pictured on this page.

With the extended wet we’ve experienced this year, the prawns and crabs have been the best they’ve been for years, going by all reports. It’s worth noting though that if a crab is empty, don’t even bother keeping it.

We often experience a run of empty crabs, but give them two to three weeks and they’ll be full again. The ‘get them before someone else does’ approach is

The 120 Laser Pro in the shallow model is a great fallback lure if you’re not sure what to throw.

worm hook baited up with a peeled prawn or bait worm. Sadly, there aren’t any beach worms up here, but the shop-bought ones we sell at work (The Fishing Warehouse) have been

Fishing for barra along the flooded mangrove lines at high tide can produce some unexpected catches. pretty pointless when they’re empty, and a lot of work for nothing.

Off the beaches and sandy river mouths, flathead and whiting are going very well. Many of the whiting have been up over the 35cm mark, and flatties up to 70cm have been quite common. Small hardbodies and plastics are again a go-to, with the plastics rigged on J-styled jigheads instead of weedless hooks, to deliver a better hook-up ratio.

For the whiting, lighter is better.

Light braid with light 3-4kg leaders is just about right, with a long-shank

accounting for plenty of fish. For the flatties, a 20lb or 10kg leader is about right as they’re not too leader-shy.

Anyway, I hope you can all get out now that this weather is showing some promise, and enjoy the most beautiful time of year in North Queensland.

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ffo hil’s A

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Winter time is whiting time in the north, and Isaac Chaplin got this one flicking the flats with a small stickbait.

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QLD Tropical North

FMM

Little barra in bulk HINCHINBROOK

Ian Moody info@ianmoodyfishing.com

Not that it gets really that cold up here in North Queensland but for some inshore species it certainly doesn’t make them want to get out of bed. Nevertheless, generally for species like barramundi, they tend to become accustomed to the new lower water temps after a few weeks and will then go about their normal feeding habits.

Some days where the mercury can drop to around 18oC can make things almost impossible, but the average lately has been 22oC, which still makes for a successful day out a possibility. While most of the aggregations of the large female barra will often sulk and head to a deeper part of an estuary and sulk on the bottom, the little schoolies will still often play ball up the smaller estuary arms and gutters.

The Ingham Rod and Reel comp was held recently where a handful of barra caught around 80-107cm, the numbers of smaller models were much higher with 310 or so caught for the tournament.

see schools of queenfish, golden trevally and Spanish mackerel showing a greater presence, we just have to hope the sharks keep away when we find them. There have been reports of Spaniards in good numbers to the southern side of Palm Island recently.

The Lucinda Jetty is a popular place for a wide range of species during winter.

At times large fingermark and even big barra frequent the pylons, along with

This is a decent 76cm ex-freshwater barra.

This barra was taking advantage of the winter warmth.

20-40 large queenies caught in a very short time. However, the shark population seems to get worse year by year.

Grunter have been around in very

The weather during July at Hinchinbrook can be quite pleasant and is a great time of year to fish if you hate being out in the hot sunny days in summer – it can be some real flat calm conditions and magic days in between spells of trade wind rough weather. The trade winds have been extremely difficult this year, pretty much rendering February, March, April and May almost impossible to get offshore.

Pretty hard for the reef charter operators to get out for sure. For me, chasing barra up into the upper reaches of rivers and creeks has been the sole type of charters I’ve done during these windy spells. Live prawns dropped into a snag usually gets them to come out and play. Here’s hoping to some more days of lighter winds.

• There are still a few spots available for this year’s barra season bookings, so if you’re looking to come to Hinchinbrook

The warmer weather has kept the barra about.

From now until over the next few colder months it will be a good time for inshore pelagics and reds. Areas near Gould Island and the back of Hinchinbrook will

queenies, longtail tuna and mackerel. High speed retrieving metal slices around here will get you some fun as well as using vibes and jigs. Recent charters have seen from

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ANCHOR DESIGNS

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Andrew Jones loves his winter barra fishing.

Tropical North QLD

FMM

Persistence pays off CAIRNS

Dan Kaggelis dkaggelis@gmail.com

The cold will definitely be set in this month, which means a change in tactics. Your best chance of nailing a jack or barra in the NFZ river and creeks is to find that warmer water.

I was fishing the other day up one of my favourite rivers and the Humminbird Helix was reading 22.3oC. Not the greatest sign to build confidence but some scouting around found a path of water at 23.2 oC, and it was not surprising that we found a heap of barra, and they were chewing hard.

Some of the places you can find that are warmer is across shallow sound flats or snags, which have full sunlight on them. Over the warmer months fishing the shade is the go but over winter you need to swap this around. As mentioned above, even the smallest rise in temperature can see fish congregate and feed hard. Having a sounder that

can read water temperatures correctly and down beyond main numbers is so important to try and locate this warmer water.

I find that jacks take a lot longer to

Small lures, like the Slim SwimZ from ZMan, can get the bite from even the biggest fish.

Jacks are still chewing, especially if you can find those banks in full sun.

go into hibernation and will still devour a well-placed lure if you get it close enough. Barra on the other hand can be tricky to get to feed and require some persistence, especially when you can see them on the sounder.

Often is the case, if you can get one to bite the rest will follow suit so it

pays to persist. Sometimes if you can pull a jack from the same snag as the barra can also fire them, either way it’s definitely still worth putting the boat in the water and peppering the snags in the NFZ creeks as the fish are still there and will bite if you take some time to find those important variables.

Getting back into the tropical groove PORT DOUGLAS

Lynton Heffer www.fishingportdouglas.com.au

Following a tumultuous end of the wet season with wild winds and more than enough rain, the weather pattern has finally turned the corner for the better. This change in weather fortune has impacted the fishing reports which have now rebounded in great fashion. Both inshore and offshore efforts have responded very positively.

After a few months of incredible energy built up over the time, the open seas and reef have flattened out for better boating conditions. The

fishing was always due to fire during May but it has been a delayed start and the fishing is now quickly red hot. The winter period is considered prime time for our reef fishing opportunities and the highly prized fish are on the chew.

Red emperor, large mouth nannygai and coral trout are eagerly feeding and there’s some solid fish about. Then you tack on the end of this the likes of spangled emperor, long nose emperor, small mouth nannygai and various trevally species, what you have is a smorgasbord and a lottery draw as to what you’ll be tangling with. The outer reef is where you need to be to expect the best action to occur.

The pelagic scene has well and truly

started to take formation and there are some great schools of mackerel to be trolled up using hardbody lures, or for the bigger fish, rigged garfish. Spanish mackerel have arrived in numbers and consistently around the 8-10kg range on the outer reef systems. It is also really nice to see a healthy supply

With slightly warmer days on offer than normal, the barra are still having a crack and seemed to be settled in pockets at certain sections ready for the winter down time. There’s some big 1m queenfish starting to turn up in the Daintree River and will hold office there and along the

It’s prime time for catching a reef fish.

As the days are slightly warmer than normal, there is still a chance of catching a barramundi.

of spotted mackerel out wide, slightly smaller but also available inside the reef and along the coastline. They go just as hard on the end of the line and equal in taste when compared to their Spanish cousins. The amount of bait available offshore is incredibly thick following a massive wet season and thus will attract the pelagic fish in droves.

Our major rivers and estuaries have continued their great run of fishing.

immediate coastline for a couple of months now. Fingermark continue to fish well right on top of the tide and there’s javelin fish, golden trevally and river trevally to be entertained with the shift of either tides.

It’s been a testing 6 months or so for us that reside in the tropics but we are ready to showcase our true potential to the influx of tourists due to hit the region as winter takes a stronghold down south.

JULY 24 39

QLD Tropical North

FMM

Barramundi still abundant throughout Cooktown COOKTOWN

Justin Coventry

The creeks are receding and, with the incredible amount of flooding this year, it has produced some of the best barramundi fishing for several years.

The amount of area that fish have moved upstream during the flooding event has produced a mass of moving fish through the system. The water

that work best. Barramundi are considered lazy, but they are smart and will hang in back eddies out from the current waiting for food to come to them. Also feeding can change to productive times usually as the day heats up or the light of the day allows ambushing bait easier.

So, trying a few things can produce a bite even when conditions are cold.

Lakefield National Park is open so there will be a hive of activity this month as the campsites have limited

Hopefully the hot barra bite continues next month. curve ball and you don’t want to be caught out. It is best to do your boat and gear maintenance as soon as possible and be confident that you

are going to see everyone else head out on a glamour day when you aren’t ready.

The wharf fishing has slowed

The recent flooding has produced the best barramundi fishing in years. level dropping brings in moving fish through the system heading downstream, and they are hungry!

On one session, every flick of a lure was producing a response and multiple hookups occurred and everyone was having a blast. The fish were returned to fight another day but it was thrilling and good to see the river systems so productive. The same areas are firing as last month, creeks joining a deep hole where hungry barramundi wait for a feed as they transverse the river system heading downstream.

The fishing action is hot to say the least! Hopefully this continues but the cooler weather coming this month will no doubt slow things down. The go to lures are the shallow running lures that, as mentioned before, allow the lure to come off the shallow into the deep and get the reaction of hungry bucket-mouthed barramundi to rise and smash the lure. It’s so much fun and as the weather starts to shut things down it’s worth persisting and trying a few different lures.

One on my favourite lures to entice a bite is a soft plastic prawn.

Not too many barra can resist a bouncing prawn moving past their nose. It’s just hard to know where they are, but hungry fish ready to feed will be in the ambush areas 40 JULY 2024

availability. We are lucky enough living in Cooktown that day trips to the park are possible.

Reef trips have almost faded into a distant memory as the SE winds continue to batter the coast and, with the expected onslaught to remain for a couple of months, there is little chance to venture out wide.

Nevertheless, even with a very slim chance, the weather can through a

The rivers have been firing with good barra catches.

A beautiful fish on a beautiful day for the author.

down considerably but there has been some nice mangrove jack caught and bait schools have been present so there is still a good easy option for a fish. The bait schools should start becoming more regularly as the month moves on and August and September should see some nice mackerel coming through the river mouth chasing the bait, which will get the local and visitors excited and provide an opportunity to have some fresh mackerel for dinner.

Mud crabs have also quietened down but there are still some around.

It’s worthwhile if you are heading out for a fish for a couple of days, as you never know, and crab pots do all the work as you just need to set and forget. Anyway, I’m off to Lakefield to get into the barramundi while they are still firing. Report will be in next month’s issue.

Tropical North QLD

FMM

Time to head north and enjoy amazing weather CAPE YORK

Tim O’Reilly wildrivercompany@gmail.com

Finally, we northerners have hit a cool spell. Temperatures have consistently been dropping down below 20°C at night! We had to

fishers in particular start warming up their eyes on this west coast, looking for sight fishing opportunities on the endless flats.

Fish such as golden trevally and permit are sought after around the many creek and river mouths dotted up the north-western coastline. Just

A hungry popper-crunching cod.

Check out the amazing colouration on this young coronation trout. use blankets for the first time in nine months. Our air conditioners, unaccustomed to being turned off, suddenly get to take a breather for two months. The land starts to dry out, although it’s happening a little late this year after a decent wet season. Clear skies are starting to emerge more frequently.

Keen fishos will be using this time to explore new ground. The fishing is not always that hot, but conditions are usually very pleasant in the Cape, with cool mornings and warm days.

Certainly, some of the pelagic fish will be hitting top gear and coming out to play in numbers.

The west coast of Cape York is particularly popular this time of year because the prevailing wind tends to blow some variation of offshore.

Travelling close to the coast is more feasible than on the east coast, making it more popular with trailer boats and charter operators. Fly

offshore, reams of queenfish and trevally tear through bait schools.

All manner of inshore life gathers along this shallow coastline, and if

you had a drone hovering above you might see endless bait schools with sharks tearing into them. At times the schools can stretch on for kilometres.

These endless shoals of baitfish also get gobbled up by mac tuna, longtail tuna, Spanish mackerel, school mackerel, cobia, bludger trevally and other voracious

Coronation trout are a welcome addition to anybody’s esky.

Trevally and chinamanfish are a lot of fun to catch.

A pretty coral trout caught over the shallow reefs.

predators. This is the stuff of wildlife documentaries, as life consumes life in an endless circle of spawning, growing and feeding. These locations are where fishing tackle comes to die, and the loss of gear can get expensive quickly.

It can be incredible the difference between a single location two days apart. When the tide gets a little more push about it, predators often come out of their lull and suddenly start feeding. A day either side of this frenzy and you might wonder where they all went. This is where moon phases and bite times play an even bigger role than normal.

Bite windows become a little shorter and more defined at this time of year, and as water temperatures slowly subside, many of the estuary

and inshore species will start getting a little harder to catch. The fish are still there and still need to feed, but they might feed less often, and only when conditions suit them. One of the greatest defining factors at this time of year is fish congregating into smaller geographic windows.

Pelagic fish start moving up into the creeks and rivers with each afternoon tide, chasing cleaner water and hunting the smaller baitfish making their homes on the tide. At the height of winter, you might see small mackerel, queenfish, trevally and all manner of speedy fish zipping around the sand flats on high tide.

July provides an opportunity to see more of the Cape than is usually possible. Pull on your woollen jumper and make the great northern sojourn in the midst of winter. The beautiful weather alone makes it all worthwhile, and the fishing is just a bonus. With the variety of species on offer at the moment, a good time will be had by all.

JULY 2024 41

QLD Freshwater

FMM

The light at the end of the tunnel QLD FRESHWATER

Peter Jung

As I write this report, it seems our freshwater fishing options are slowly on the improve, in particular with the bass fishing in our local impoundments.

The bass in our larger waterways, like Lake Wivenhoe, Somerset Dam and North Pine Dam definitely are beginning to concentrate in bigger numbers and for most anglers this means ignoring the edges of the lakes and focusing on the contours and drop offs in the open water.

Having a good sounder with a good map in it is an essential component to finding where the schools of fish might be sitting. The bonus at this time of the year is that any concentrations of fish will tend to hold in the same place, so once SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND LAKE KURWONGBAH Unfortunately, most of the talk about Lake Kurwongbah has been more about the dense carpet of Cabomba weed that is creating nightmares for anglers and casual users of the waterway rather than the fishing. Whatever the perfect storm was that fuelled the massive growth explosion of the weed, the cooler temperatures have now slowed it and the fish should settle and be easier for anglers to find.

Most anglers that have managed to find better numbers of fish willing to eat have said the fish have moved to the deeper drop offs in the open water and generally when they are there they will hug the bottom.

Lures like the Gang Banger spoons, small vibes or blades and soft plastics fished close to the bottom will be you best option to target them. It can also pay to play around with how you retrieve your lure to see what excites the fish on any given day (it can change

located they can offer great fishing over multiple trips.

This is also the time when metal spoons (Hot Bite Gang Bangers, Halco Twisty’s and Palms Slow Blatt lures are all good options) and paddle tail soft plastics (3” Sliders, CrushCity The Suspects or Noike 3” Wobble Shads) cast out, let drop to the bottom and slow rolled back to the boat (with the odd pause to let it get back to the bottom) becomes your go to option to catch yourself a bass.

If this doesn’t work but your sounder is lit up with fish, try vertically jigging a small blade like an Ecogear ZX40 or TT SwitchPrawn+ a couple of winds off the bottom. Fishing scent placed on your lure of choice can also make a difference if the fish are playing hard ball.

As mentioned last month trolling can also be a great way to search a waterway. As the water gets cooler almost on a daily basis). Putting scents on your lures can also make a difference if they are a little non-committed.

• Lake Kurwongbah is a paddle craft only fishery. There are launching and zoning rules in place. To find out more about these rules go to the SEQ Water website and look up Lake Kurwongbah.

LAKE WYARALONG It has been good to see quite a few anglers finding their way to Lake Wyaralong, many for the first time after it was added to the Fish n’ SIPS tagged fish competition in 2024.

Matthew Taylor certainly took advantage of the opportunity and was the first to catch one of the tagged fish in the waterway. A $16,250 windfall for catching the second tagged fish of the competition and the first at Lake Wyaralong.

The competition finishes on the 30th of November, so you still have plenty of time to get out and explore Wyaralong and maybe pick up a few dollars for your troubles.

• Lake Wyaralong is an electric motor and paddle craft only fishery. No fuel powered motors may be used on the waterway. To

Matthew Osley showing off one of the better fish caught during the fundraising event at Lake Manchester. The lure is a Rapala Jack Deep. The fish smashed it halfway back to the kayak when Matt cast it to one of the lily pad-lined edges.

42 JULY 2024

just have a variety of lures that run at different depths on hand so you can really focus on the bottom third of the water column as you prospect around your favourite waterway.

Best of luck and I hope you enjoy your freshwater fishing in July.

Don’t forget if you have any news you would like to place in the news section of this report please email it to pjung@fishingmonthly.com.au and I will do my best to get it into the report.

Until next month, see you later from PTP Fishing.

FRESHWATER NEWS AUSTR ALIAN LURE & OUTDOORS EXPO 2024 A great opportunity to see many of Australia’s best lure makers all in one place and buy a few lures of course.

Dates for the 2024 Expo are the 6th and 7th of July at the Fernvale

A trip to Lake Wyaralong was made very worthwhile for Matthew Taylor when he caught one of the Fish n’ SIPS 2024 tagged fish. This fish was worth an amazing $16,250.

Showgrounds. Go to www.lureshow. com.au for more details. I will be on the Fishing Monthly stand, please come and say hello.

There is still some nice golden perch to be caught in the timbered sections of Somerset Dam. The author was stoked to pick this one up on an Obsession Spinnerbait fished close to some laydown timber. find out more about these rules go to the SEQ Water website and look up Lake Wyaralong.

SOMERSET DAM At the time of writing, the native fish in Somerset dam are just starting to find their winter playgrounds. An 8-10o drop in water temperatures (over a period of time) has meant that the native fish have been hard to temp with any form of lure, while baits put down in open areas have been ravaged by the many tilapia that now call Somerset home. Not an ideal situation, but please remember that they must not be returned to the waterway (alive or dead) and that every tilapia removed is a positive for the waterway.

July should see the fish becoming accustomed to the cooler water temps and setting up in their usual schooling locations like the Kirkleigh flats, Queen Street, the Bay of Plenty and Pelican Point.

As mentioned in my introduction, once located lures like paddle tail soft plastics, small blades, metal spoons and soft vibes are all options to target them with. You may need to cycle through all of them until you find what they want to eat.

When you do find the right option, be ready for an amazing session on the water.

The timbered zones of the lake should also continue to fish well. Bait anglers tend to have more success using live shrimp or worms. You seem to be able to get away from the tilapia and have a great chance if catching some nice golden perch or bass. Small blades rolled up vertical timber can also be effective. The key in the timber, is if you find fish, stay put. The fish tend to not move around much at this time of the year.

• For up to date information on what’s biting and where to go see Somerset Tackle and Boat Hire at Kirkleagh (right near the boat ramp). You can hire a boat or just pick up some tackle. Open 8:30am – 5:00pm Friday to Sunday MOOGERAH DAM I feel almost like a broken record writing about Moogerah. It continues to offer some of the better fishing in the region and the fishing in July should be no different.

Moogerah’s bass are schooling

Freshwater QLD

FMM up nicely, with areas like The Spit and the flats inside the timberline holding good numbers of fish. Spoons, soft plastics and soft vibes are all working a treat. The key is to keep your lure as close to the bottom as possible. This has been especially important to pick up the better class of fish that Moogerah holds, rather than playing the rats that can sit above the main schools at the start of the winter months.

The other key will be to figure out the depth the better schools are sitting in. The zones I would be looking at would be the 20-35ft range.

DARLING DOWNS AND GRANITE BELT COOBY DAM Cooby continues to fish well, with bait anglers scoring good numbers of golden perch either from the shore or from their boats. Saltwater yabbies or freshwater shrimp (if you can get them) are your best options.

For those anglers looking to pick up fish with lures. Trolling has produced consistent numbers, with the northern arm the pick of the areas.

Anglers have also been sounding up good shows of fish at times, while working their way around the dam. Many target these fish by CAPRICORN REGION AWOONGA DAM As mentioned last month, the true cooler weather patterns have set in at Awoonga. The beauty of this is that it is a late start on the water and an early finish compared to the summer months.

What is the winter pattern I hear you ask? It is all about fishing the warmest part of the day and fishing shallow water. At times really shallow water (less than a metre). Awoonga is blessed with plenty of weed and it is this weed and the warmer water that attracts the barramundi to the shallows late in the day and into early evening.

The weed does however also present its own problems as far as getting

One very happy angler and some of the people involved in Lake Wyaralong in the 2024 Fish n’ SIPS competition.

LAKE MANCHESTER A fundraising day run by the Brisbane Valley Angler stocking group (the stocking group for this waterway) and Yak Hunters QLD showed the potential this waterway has to be a great native fish fishery (currently Mary River cod and Australian bass stocked in it). Unfortunately, it is not the easiest waterway to get your kayak to, but on this occasion SEQ Water allowed bankside access and anglers were able to enjoy everything this beautiful waterway has to offer.

Trolling deeper diving lures like a Halco Poltergeist or a Hide Up HU200 or

300 is very effective on Lake Manchester’s bass. The key is to focus on the ends of points or trolling along deeper banks.

Small blades and lipless crankbaits can also be very effective when cast to the lily pad lined edges and either hopped or rolled back to your kayak.

The largest fish caught on the fundraising day was 50.5cm, so there are some trophy fish to caught in this lake.

• Be aware that there is a significant walk to get to the water at Lake Manchester.

If kayaking your will need a quality trolley and ensure you have adequate drinking water.

hopping either a metal blade or soft vibe through the fish. Small black curl tail soft plastics can also be very effective (Gulp grubs are many people’s favourites) hopped or jigged off the bottom. Even more so if there is structure nearby.

July should see Cooby continuing to fish well.

• Cooby is open to paddle and electric motor-powered craft. The gates are open from 6am-8pm. Fish’n’Bits tackle store in Toowoomba can help you out with all your bait and lure fishing needs.

LESLIE DAM Anglers in and around Warwick are pretty excited as early indications

are that the Leslie dam cod fishing this winter is going to be pretty good.

John at Warwick Outdoors explained to me that when you start seeing cod being caught in early June by shore-based anglers on swimbaits, then all bodes well for when it does get cold and the fish spend more time up in the shallow water. Reports are currently filtering through of fish between 80cm and 90cm being caught, so this can only mean (in theory) that Leslie Dam cod anglers are in for a couple of good months fishing.

As the weather cools and water temperatures drop, the golden perch fishing slows. This doesn’t mean you

can’t find them, it is more a matter can you get them to bite. Frozen saltwater yabbies will always be a good option in this scenario (with freshwater shrimp being harder to find at this time of the year), while small blades or plastic vibes hopped around contours or structure can also work.

While in Warwick it may also be worth a flick in the Condamine River (swimbaits and spinnerbaits). Some nice fish are coming out of it as well.

• The local blokes at Warwick Outdoor and Sport in Palmerin Street can point in you in the right direction and hook you up with the good gear and bait to catch the fish at Leslie.

a lure to the fish. Weedless plastic presentations are the favourite of many. Zerek Flat Shads come rigged weedless are a good option, while many will use a frog pattern and either fish it on the surface or just under. There are pockets of open shallow water that offer the chance to work a suspending hardbody lure through them or a plastic like the Zerek 5.5” Live Mullet (a favourite of Cory from Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing). You will be amazed at the quality of fish that come out of this shallow water.

The other thing to be aware of is the wind direction. Consistent winds on any given shoreline will most likely concentrate the fish in these areas.

There is no question that there

Gentlemen’s hours and good barramundi fishing are on offer during the cooler months at Lake Awoonga. is good barramundi fishing on offer through the cooler months at Awoonga.

• Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing (0407 273 221) run guided trips on the lake. Both cater to the needs

of the angler and can do fly or conventional tackle trips to target the lake’s barramundi. It is hard to beat time on the water and a guided trip is a great way to learn more about this lake and its fish.

Gary’s Marine Centre

Cory Gooch from Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing with over a metre of fly caught Lake Awoonga barramundi.

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up, knowing who it was, and why I was calling.

I was equally terse. “Are you sure that’s where you lost it yesterday? At that line between the gutter and the old tree stump?” My tone was icy, my voice clipped.

“Sure of it. Right there,” he replied. “ No luck?”

“What do you reckon,” I said, trying to keep the bitterness out of my voice. I hadn’t told him it was my favourite new rod and reel that he’d lost overboard and that the second mortgage was going to be a nightmare.

“Just an old one, don’t sweat it. Took a couple passes up and down with a deep diver to see if I could hook it

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Sydney

NSW

FMM

Productive sessions in the middle of the day SYDNEY ROCK & BEACH

Alex Bellissimo alex@bellissimocharters.com.au

Many anglers stop fishing in winter, due to the cold weather, short days, and the fact that there are fewer species to be caught. That’s a real shame, because there is some great fishing on offer at this time of year. Why would you put the gear away to gather dust all winter while waiting for the summer species?

This month off the rocks, beaches, and estuary there’s a great variety of species that will keep you sharp and enthusiastic for the next few months.

Rock blackfish fight hard and test your skills, and you’ll catch them in some of the harshest environments a rock angler can encounter. What an adventure! L-R: Steve White, Graham Vessy and Peter White.

ROCK FISHING Rock blackfish (‘pigs’) are the main species to target at the moment, and they are one of the tastiest fish you’ll ever encounter. They live under submerged ledges, boulders and in gutters, close to their food sources. They feed on a variety of weeds including green, brown, pink moss and even young kelp.

Rock blackfish also love invertebrates like crabs, shrimp, cunjevoi, limpets, chitons and more.

Anthony Bekaris with one of the several whiting caught on a recent outing. A few bream were caught as well. July is considered to be a quiet month for whiting but you can still catch them at selected beaches.

The best times to fish are the early morning or late afternoon high tides.

Add some white water from wave run-off, and you’re all set to tangle with this pugnacious species.

Generally, the go-to bait is a sizeable peeled prawn, like a king, banana, or endeavour prawn. A peeled prawn bait fished with a mushy bread berley is a good combination.

Alternatively, if you want to avoid attracting undesirable species while chasing pigs, you can use cabbage weed baits.

Another great bait for rock blackfish is white bread. A lot of pig anglers don’t use bread but it makes sense; if you’re using bread for berley, why not use it for bait?

Lately, my clients have been catching good pigs up to 2.2kg, with the average being around 0.6-1.5kg – good eating-size fish. Other species in amongst the pigs are bream, luderick, and leatherjackets.

In NSW, rock blackfish have a size limit of 30cm and a bag limit of 10 per person. That is more than enough for anybody, but unfortunately there are some greedy people who absolutely smash this species. These are often the

same people who constantly whinge about decreasing fish stocks and sizes! If you suspect an angler is breaking the size or bag limit, please call 1800 043 536 and report it to Fisheries.

Rock blackish can be caught on pretty much 90%+ of ocean rocks providing they are large enough to support the structure and food source.

I recommend Little Bluey Manly, South and North Curl Curl, Long Reef, South Newport, North Whale and Barrenjoey.

Snapper are in good numbers as well.

When you target them you can end up with a whole bunch of bycatch species, including trevally, bream, salmon, and even some rock blackfish.

The water depth for snapper is normally deeper than most pig spots; I like a water depth of 5-10m for snapper.

Using berley is important, and I generally use a mix of bread, pilchard and prawns. You can also add a bit of squid or whatever bait you’re using. It’s best to deploy small amounts of berley every couple of minutes, throwing it into the sudsy white water so it spreads.

I recommend hook sizes 2/0 to 3/0, especially if there are undersized snapper at the spot. If you use hooks smaller than 2/0 you’ll end up with too many small fish hooked down deep, reducing their chances of survival.

I like to have squid, prawns and pilchards for bait, fished with light ball sinkers. Other baits that work well are bonito and tailor fillets cut into thin strips. Cuttlefish are about this month, and if you can get some for bait they are sensational.

I recommend fishing the deeper headlands, rocks like Bluefish’s East Front. North and South Curl Curl are mid-depth spots but still fish well. Mona Vale Basin rocks, and Bangalley Head north of Avalon, are also worth trying.

BEACH FISHING While fishing off the beach at this time of year, fat salmon to 3.5kg+ are always a possibility. Recently, I took a

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Cem Osturk with his best salmon to date. Fish this size can be caught in super shallow water – less than 1m at times.

client beach fishing on a cool, moonlit night. He hooked a big salmon – his biggest ever – which was jumping clear out of the water in the darkness – exciting stuff! Besides salmon, you can also catch flathead, bream and of course, tailor off the beach at this time of year.

The go-to bait is whole pilchards on a set of three 3/0 to 4/0 gang hooks. You can add a short 30-35cm leader with a 1/0 to 2/0 size hook and a half pilchard for a nice bream, trevally or an Aussie salmon. When using gang hooks, most tailor won’t bite you off.

At night, try the really shallow gutters, approximately 1-1.2m deep.

They can produce good numbers of salmon and tailor. It’s also possible to catch these fish during the day, but it’s not the best time. They prefer the cover of darkness, which allows them to make surprise attacks on baitfish that come

Michael Daniel with a 46cm rock blackfish. If you haven’t tried rock fishing before, you’ll need steel spike shoes, a life jacket, and the right advice. The author can help you get started. into the shallows to feed.

Tailor are often caught in a mix of sizes; one tailor could be barely legal with the next one being 2kg.

Sydney salmon have traditionally averaged around 2kg but there are times when they’re only about 1kg.

These smaller fish have unfortunately become a bit more common in recent years, probably due to the over netting of salmon. I hope this downward trend doesn’t get to be the norm.

Salmon are great sportfish. I cut my teeth on them as a young angler, and I have some great memories catching them.

Some people don’t like salmon much, but when cooked properly, the smaller fish are actually quite good on the plate.

It’s a similar scenario with other species like trevally. More and more anglers love a feed of trevally, which are great sashimi fish and taste great when they’re up

Sydney NSW

FMM

Rivers have been producing the goods for locals SYDNEY SOUTH

Gary Brown gbrown1@iprimus.com.au

Now that it’s getting chillier during the day, many anglers will have started to hibernate and pack their gear away for when it gets warmer. As for me, I never stop fishing throughout the year; every chance I get, I head out for a fish.

Whether it’s out of the boat or fishing from the shore, I can’t get enough of it.

This month you will find me concentrating on fishing off the rocks for drummer, bream, luderick, snapper, tailor, salmon and bonito. You can check out a rock session I did while chasing a few bream on my YouTube channel, ‘Gary Brown Fishing’, where I test my latest combo (TT Siva/Okuma Rockaway).

I will also be out and about giving a talk at the St Georges and Sutherland Shire Anglers Club on 17 July. At the time of writing this report, I’m not sure what topics I’ll be covering in my talk, but if you follow me on Facebook, I will update you.

MYSTERY FISH I work a couple of days a week at the BCF store at Taren Point, which has me meeting many anglers and hearing their reports. Some of these customers have been fishing for years, while others are just starting out.

Occasionally, novice anglers will come in and show me the fish they’ve caught and kept for a feed, asking me what species it is. Keeping a mystery fish is a bad idea, as it may be illegal to keep it. to about 1kg. After that size they become increasingly drier, especially trevally over 2kg. Similarly, Aussie salmon up to about 2kg are quite good to eat, but when they’re 3kg+ they get that stronger flavour that a lot of people don’t like.

If you want to catch salmon and tailor this month, I recommend fishing at Dee Why, Mona Vale and Bungan beaches.

There are still a few whiting around, with fish up to around 32cm being caught in recent weeks. There is the odd bigger one in the mix, too – one angler caught one that was about 38cm.

The whiting are on selected beaches like Manly, Dee Why and South Palm Beach. As usual, you should fish the best baits possible, namely live beach worms or yabbies. You can pump the yabbies in the estuary and then take them to the beach.

That’s it for this month. We can expect some good fishing in the weeks ahead, and you don’t have to get up really early to do well. Fish the tides for good results, even towards the middle of the day. And remember to rug up and wear the proper clothing so you can be comfortable while you’re fishing.

• Alex Bellissimo is an experienced

Two examples are undersized mulloway and groper. As many of you know, the legal size for mulloway in NSW is 70cm, and you can’t catch a groper. Unfortunately, it’s pretty hard to tell a groper not to jump on your line. Maybe it didn’t get the memo from the Minister!

WHAT’S BITING As for what is going on in the bay, there are good catches of bream, trevally and pan-sized snapper coming in from the end of the third runway, Trevally Alley, the southeast corner of the bommie at Bare Island and the oil wharf.

Aaleyah with a great whiting she caught while fishing with her dad in the Port Hacking River.

There have been plenty of luderick around in the Port Hacking and the Georges River. The main key to success is getting some good green weed or cabbage, although this can be hard at times.

Salmon and bonito are still on the chew off the rocks at Kurnell for those using whole pilchards and metals. Just remember you must wear a life jacket when fishing off the rocks and also in the Wollongong area. There were a couple of lives lost at the end of May by a couple of

anglers fishing off the Kurnell rocks.

Whiting have shown up in good numbers from Dolls Point to the entrance to the Cooks River, Towra Point and in Kogarah Bay. The best baits by far have been live pink nippers and worms. If you can’t catch your own, that’s OK; you can always get some at Mac’s Bait Bar at Blakehurst. A friend of mine couldn’t be bothered pumping nippers on a recent trip, so we drove his boat from the Hole In The Wall at Sylvania and over to the back of the shop. Walked up and bought our nippers, got back into the boat and went and chased bream and whiting off Brighton in about 5m of water.

mulloway, trevally, flathead and tarwhine caught as well. It’s great to see the Georges River is fishing so well.

The Port Hacking is starting to fish better than it has over the past few months. I think this is mainly due to the river clearing up with the help of the big tides we have been experiencing.

Whiting, bream, flathead, tarwhine and luderick have been on the chew, and many customers that have been coming into the shop have reported good catches from both the shore and out of a boat. I got a report from a young angler, Brent, who was fishing with his dad and caught and released an undersized kingfish while fishing off the pontoon at the Swallow Rock boat ramp.

There have also been reports of bonito, salmon and the odd kingfish being caught off the Gymea and Gunnamatta Bay baths, plus the Lilli Pilli pool. Squid can also be caught here throughout the day and night. Just remember – don’t leave any mess around. Please clean up after yourself.

From next month onwards, I will be giving out a small prize for the best catch of the month. It doesn’t have to be the biggest fish – just the best photo of someone with a fish they have caught in the southern Sydney area. The prize will be a couple of packets of TT jigheads

A 45cm snapper caught on the Bait Junkie 3” Prawn. The bite is similar to using bait. rock fishing guide with proven teaching formulas. If you’re an experienced angler, he will bring your abilities to new heights.

And if you’re new to rock fishing, Alex will teach you all the fundamentals so you can consistently catch fish -- and stay safe at the same time. All tackle and bait is supplied. To find out more, visit www. bellissimocharters.com.au, email alex@ bellissimocharters.com.au, or call Alex on 0408 283 616.

This 63cm dusky flathead took a liking to a 26cm TT’s Quakes Vibe in the rocketmaaaan colour.

There was a kayak comp in the Georges River in late May, and many of the competitors bagged out on their catch of a 3-bag limit on bream. During the 2-day event, not only were there plenty of good-size bream caught (including a 1.64kg horse) there were big numbers of

and a couple of packets of ZMan plastics.

You can send your photos to gbrown1@ iprimus.com.au.

Don’t forget, if you are in the Taren Point area, call into the shop and keep those reports coming to gbrown1@ iprimus.com.au.

JULY 2024 47

NSW

Byron Coast

FMM

Bream, bass and more keep anglers occupied Snapper are starting to come into the shallow reefs, and floating cut baits and live baits has been the best way to catch these fish. Mulloway have been mingling with the snapper, so hold on if you hook one.

Some stray Spanish mackerel are still getting around, so if your lines are getting cleanly snapped off, throw a wire trace on and test your luck.

Out in Toonumbar Dam and Clarrie Hall Dam, the bass have been schooling up in numbers off the weedy points. Blades and soft plastics are both effective lures for these fish. You’ll also find the bass will hit reaction baits like jerkbaits and small Bassman spinnerbaits earlier in the mornings.

The odd winter mangrove jack has been getting around lately.

Getting busted off using light gear

BALLINA

Anthony Melchior

We are into the heart of winter now, and in the river down in the deeper holes, big schools of mulloway are making their way into the river.

They can travel past Pimlico on their way to Wardell and further, if the clean water holds up. You can find the mulloway on your depth sounder around the deeper dropoffs in the river in good numbers.

A few nice bass from Toonumbar.

Some solid bream have been turning up over the past month.

At depths of around 5-8m along the main walls or upriver, I recommend throwing 4–7” plastics with a 1oz or 3/8oz jighead. Any brand of fork-tail or paddle-tail plastic in a natural baitfish imitation colour will do the trick. The best bait options are live herring, mullet, or READER’S

yakkas if the water is clean. That said, don’t be shy of throwing a dead bait, as you can expect to catch a range of bycatch at the current time.

We are starting to see the bigger bream move in, with reports of some anglers getting very big bream and tarwhine off the rocks using cut mullet as bait.

For the lure guys, 2-2.5” curlytail grubs in natural prawn imitation colours (bloodworm, motor oil, greasy prawn, etc) seem to be doing the trick. That’s because the fish can be found chasing prawns and other small baitfish hard up on the rocks/ structure at this time of year when the weather is cold. I recommend rigging your plastics on a 1/12oz-1/6oz jighead with a 2/0 hook. You’ll find using these lighter heads you won’t have to do a lot with the plastics, as the bream will most likely eat it with the first 5-10 winds off the structure.

PICTURE

Lara and Ellie had a productive session squid fishing from Port Welshpool.

48 JULY 2024

Josh with a cracker jack he caught as bycatch.

Flathead still seem to be down toward the mouth of the river, with some guys getting some nice ones around the Spit and on very similar banks. If you’re catching a few small flatties, they are likely males guarding a female, so there’s every chance you’ll catch a big girl amongst them.

Our tailor off the beach have been a bit delayed this year. Fingers are crossed we’ll start to see them move into those smaller gutters along the beaches, as they seem to be just sitting out off the back of these gutters.

That’s what I’ve been finding of late on our southern beaches in Ballina.

On the upside, anglers are still catching good numbers of tailor off the rocks. The best time to fish has been when the swell has been picking up.

Don’t be shy to throw those mud crab pots out this month, as there have been a few still getting caught on the full and new moons with the big tides happening. The crabs have been scattered around throughout the system and even up the creeks.

fishing for bream is quite common when the jacks are stalking around.

These fish are usually a summertime species, but you will still find them schooled up on deep rocky shelves in the river and around the main rock walls in July.

Vinnie with a thumping estuary perch caught while chasing bream.

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NSW

Coffs Coast

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Snapper fever hits the Coffs Coast as reds move in North Coast of NSW. A few mangrove jacks were being caught when I wrote this, so don’t discount the red devils if the water stays warm enough. The way things are going, they will be a year-round option before long.

Mixed in with the straggler jacks will be some monster flathead. We always seem to get big lizards at this time of year, particularly up on the flats, where they’ll

COFFS COAST

Rob Taylor

There are still Spanish mackerel about, but you have to be Johnny-on-the-spot to luck into them as they are quite thin in numbers. They will all but disappear by the end of this month, given how lacklustre a season we’ve had on them.

In the meantime, the islands are the best spots to try if you want a late-season Spanno, and pulling lures or massive dead baits will be the best ways to find a fish. As mentioned, it’s sadly been one of the worst years for mackerel on memory and we’re all hoping that next season can make up for it. I think it was a combination of bad weather, iffy currents and water clarity that resulted in a very mediocre push of fish down the coast this year. There were some good days, but they were few and far between.

Surprisingly, there are still mangrove jack about! Valentino Francourt caught this lovely red mauler from a local creek.

OFFICIAL DEALERS FOR

Plenty of longtails have been hunting the headlands and stirring up trouble for the snapper fishos, who have been hooking them on soft plastics. They certainly know how to punish you on snapper gear.

Out wider, there have been some good sessions on pearlies and trag. A couple of pearl perch I’ve caught and seen have been in the mega size range, so now is a good time to be out chasing a feed off the bottom.

Let’s take a closer look at where to find fish off the Coffs Coast this month.

CREEKS AND RIVERS Many anglers turn their attention to the creeks and rivers at this time of year as big sea-run bream, mullet, and good numbers of luderick move into the systems. Behind them will be schoolsize mulloway and tailor in the larger rivers. Plenty of mulloway up to 8kg will be feeding around the bridge pylons, and night sessions will prove productive for anglers fishing live baits around the many train and road bridges that dot the

Orlando Francourt shows how it’s done with a perfect bream. often be found sunning themselves in the shallows.

By the time you read this, the sea-run bream and luderick should be moving into the lower reaches of the local systems, and you can have an absolute ball with kids on the rock walls at this time of year. Any fresh baits will work, and you

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Coffs Coast NSW

FMM can also try throwing big hardbodies or plastics around those same walls for extra-large mulloway.

ROCKS AND BEACHES Plenty of beach worms are to be found along our local beaches, so put in the time to get some of these gun baits and find a gutter to yourself. You’ll encounter dart, whiting, bream, flathead, tailor and mulloway in most beach gutters at this

of YouTube tutorials on how to get your own beach worms, so check them out and get into some worming.

Off the rocks, plenty of big mulloway have been falling to both baits and lures.

The longtails have largely moved on but it may still be worth chasing these speedsters with live baits and spin gear. Look for the cleaner water hitting headlands and you’re in with a good chance.

Brad Bye with a mid-range winter snapper which fell to a plastic in coral trout colour.

Regardless of size, snapper are always a welcome catch off the Coffs Coast. time of year. If you haven’t tried catching your own beach worms it’s a skill you really should master. It’s great fun, and worms are one of the best baits you can use. Fresh is always best. There are plenty

If it’s bread-and-butter fishing you’re after, the gutters around our local rock spots will be holding drummer and bream this month, and tailor won’t be far away either.

OFFSHORE As mentioned above, the Spanish mackerel run will likely fizzle out early this year, but there should still be the odd fish lingering around the islands throughout July, and the ones you encounter will be big. Large dead tailor or bonito make great slow troll baits at this time of year, and are perfect for finding the huge mackerel which get taken at this part of the season each year. Many anglers will assume the Spanish are all gone, but if you put in the time you may be pleasantly surprised.

The deep droppers are dusting off and charging up their gear as we’re well into the deep drop season. With bar cod, trevalla and all sorts of delectable oddballs on offer out there, it’s a great way to bag a feed and have a ball in the process.

That said, this month will mainly be about snapper because the big reds will now be in close. At times, it seems everyone at the ramp has snapper fever, and there’ll be some tall stories for a laugh about the metre red everyone seems to hook but no one seems to land.

Good luck.

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NSW

Coffs Coast

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Time to fish heavy at dawn for solid snapper SOUTH WEST ROCKS

Vic Levett

It’s mid-winter and the fishing activity has been quiet of late. The offshore scene has been dominated by strong westerly winds and cooling water temperatures, so many anglers have stayed at home.

The river has also cooled significantly, and the fish can be quite lethargic at this time of year. The

to fish heavy around dawn, with 20lb braid and 30lb leaders. It may seem like overkill but it gives you a fighting chance against a trophy red.

When you’re lining up your drifts, try not to sound over the grounds you intend to fish. Keep noise to a minimum and be willing to try numerous reefs in pursuit of your quarry.

Longtail tuna should still be active throughout July, and there’s also the possibility of a late-season mackerel.

June saw some great deepwater fishing

Rug up for those cold winter mornings. The rewards will come.

Mulloway have started to show up on the close-in reefs. headlands and rock ledges, however, can be great places to catch a feed, with drummer, tailor and bream on tap.

OFFSHORE The number of boats heading offshore to fish has certainly dropped off. There have been quite a few days when OceanHunter has been one of the only few trailers at the ramp. It’s all about getting a good weather window at this time of the year. Like any season you need to target what’s available, and for me it’s snapper!

With the early morning westerlies, it makes sense to start close to the coast on the shallow reefs dotted from Grassy Head to Nambucca to the north. In close and protected from the offshore pre-dawn wind is where you want to be doing those long, wind-assisted casts.

My go-to lure is a 7” Berkley Gulp matched to a 3/8oz, 5/0 jighead. Keep a close eye on the slack braid after you cast because some of these big reds can shoot up and engulf your bait within metres of the surface. We tend

There have been plenty of trag on offer lately.

52 JULY 2024

even though the DPI FAD has been removed. Try the 100m line for some commercial fish trap floats as they should be holding fish.

ESTUARY Flathead have been exceptional in the river lately. Try the incoming tides when the water temperatures should be a tad higher, which should spark them up and get them feeding actively.

salmon joins in. Unweighted garfish and pilchards on ganged hooks are the best option for this style of fishing.

The beaches should produce plenty of dart, whiting, and bream this month. Also, when the swell subsides, it would definitely be worth throwing a hardbody or soft plastic around the headlands for mulloway.

Hopefully you all get out this month and enjoy what winter has to offer.

Don’t forget, stay bent.

• Vic Levett and his son Zane run Oceanhunter Sportfishing charters out of the beautiful South West Rocks. They target all manner of sports fish from king fish, mackerel, cobia and all way through to the famous black marlin of Trial Bay. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced angler, the boys will put

A lot of focus over the next few months will be on snapper. with pearl perch, pigfish, trag and snapper falling to fresh mac tuna strips.

Deep dropping will be high on the list of some offshore anglers this month, and bass grouper, bar cod and gemfish will be the main targets. A lot of these fish live in depths over 450m, so don’t bother with manual reels. It’s electric reels for me all day.

Fish Rock has been producing good numbers of kings, and we should see a steady increase in size and numbers in the coming weeks.

By the time you read this report, the sharks will hopefully have moved on; they were prolific over the past few months.

At this time last year there were good numbers of yellowfin tuna and striped marlin on offer beyond the 200m line. There should still be some good mahi around this month,

Lures and live baits will the best way to target them.

Bream numbers remain excellent and most people haven’t had much trouble bagging a feed of them. Try the lower reaches of the river as the bream and luderick should be schooling up.

Mud crabs are also a viable option in July.

ROCK AND BEACH As mentioned earlier, the rocks are where it’s at. Drummer have been very active in recent weeks, as have the bream. Light berley trails of bread and prawn scraps will light up the session, and lightly-weighted baits of cunje or prawn meat cast into the wash won’t last long. For me, it’s a minimum 30lb trace and 20lb main line.

There should be good numbers of tailor around in July, and don’t be surprised if the odd large Aussie

When the weather allows, it will be worth looking for tuna out wide this month. you onto the best fish available. To find out more visit www.Oceansportsfishing. com.au, Insta Ohsportfishing, Facebook Oceanhunter Sportsfishing. Email vic@oceansportsfishing.com.au, or call 0414 906 569.

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NSW

Macquarie Coast

FMM

Mulloway madness has set in along the Coast PORT MACQUARIE

Kate Shelton

Luderick numbers increased over June in the Hastings River area, with anglers catching nice fish near the break walls using green weed, weed flies, or cabbage.

Bream fishing remained consistent throughout the month, with local wharves and structures offering steady catches. Evening sessions are particularly productive for those seeking larger bream.

Mulloway hunters can score decent fish with live baits at night, while those throwing lures during the day can expect good numbers of school-sized fish.

Mud crabs have also been plentiful throughout the Hastings River over the past month.

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Wauchope local Daniel Pride with a great mulloway he caught in the Hastings River. Image courtesy of @danielpride.

For beach anglers, July promises consistent hauls of bream, judging by the great action we got throughout June.

Lighthouse and Shelly beaches in Port Macquarie are known to be particularly productive, but all beaches seem to be holding fish.

Tailor and school mulloway are also present in decent numbers, with the best reports coming from around Point Plomer.

If you’re planning to fish from the rocks, be prepared for some exciting catches. Drummer are biting well at most headlands, with Queens Head and Big Hill being especially productive. Use prawns or cunjevoi for bait.

Bream fishing from the rocks is also excellent, particularly at first light.

Tailor are another option for rock fishers, so try your luck at first or last light from most rocky locations.

For offshore anglers, snapper are well worth chasing throughout July.

There have also been solid reports of pearl perch and teraglin in depths ranging from 65-90m, along with the occasional kingfish.

The Camden Haven area is an angler’s paradise in July. Rock anglers

A Camden Haven river mulloway caught by Kaine Lee measuring over 1.3m. Image courtesy of @danielpride. continue to reel in impressive hauls of drummer, with consistent catches reported from most locations. The ledges around Camden Head and Diamond Head are particularly productive, and Crowdy Head further south can be even better.

Tailor remain plentiful, with Bonny Hills offering the chance to catch some real whoppers using garfish or big lures.

Beach fishing is consistent this month, with bream catches a sure thing.

Rock fisher Cam Perkins with a mulloway he caught off a local ledge. Image courtesy of @danielpride.

54 JULY 2024

If you’re using worms or pipis, you might also snag a nice flathead. Tailor action is still strong, especially south of Dunbogan and around Lake Cathie.

Offshore, the deeper reefs are firing with bar cod and kingfish, while closer to shore, anglers are finding success targeting snapper using soft plastics.

Further north in the Macleay area, rock fishers will be kept busy in July, reeling in a consistent supply of tailor.

While most catches are on the smaller side, some lucky anglers have landed impressive fish exceeding 2kg.

Drummer fishing is equally promising, with excellent reports coming from Hat Head, and increasing numbers around the South West Rocks ledges.

The river and estuary offer a

different kind of adventure. Flathead fishing remains outstanding throughout the area downstream of Jersey. Luderick enthusiasts can rejoice, with reports of catches reaching a kilo around the break walls. Bream are also active in both the break walls and Back Creek, with evenings providing the most productive fishing sessions.

For those targeting mulloway, the hunt for larger fish continues, but there’s still plenty of action with school-sized fish (up to a metre) between the walls and in deeper upstream locations.

Finally, venturing offshore reefs in depths of 30-50m off Grassy and Crescent Head are crowding with snapper and pearl perch. Kingfish are another exciting catch, with some monsters up to a staggering 10kg reported from various locations.

And for the truly adventurous anglers with the right equipment, even further offshore waters hold bar cod and blue-eye trevalla, waiting to be conquered using electric reels.

• Kate Shelton is the proud owner of Bay Explorer Marine Services, and she specialises in making deep-drop fishing rigs for blue-eye trevalla, bar cod, king fish, and bass groper. For more info look up ‘Bay Explorer Marine Services’ on Facebook and Instagram, or find her store on eBay.

Macquarie Coast NSW

FMM

Cracking the code to catch winter beauties FORSTER

Luke Austin

Wallis Lake is in full winter mode now, with the fishing locked into a few key species. The lower reaches of the system (close to the mouth) are teeming with quality bream, which have been great fun for the land-based anglers fishing the rock walls and around the bridge. These fish are in spawning mode at the moment and seem to be eating anything they can sink their teeth into. If you are keen to have a go at chasing these brawlers, try to plan your session around a tide change – about an hour either side of high tide is perfect – and remember to always fish as light as you possibly can in both sinker/jighead weight and line weight.

Anglers chasing luderick have had a bit of a funny couple of weeks; targeting the big schools of fish sitting on the southern rock wall seems to be the best option and there have been loads of fish caught there of late. Elsewhere throughout the system, the bite seems to be very narrow even when you do find the fish. Good areas to try include Breckenridge Channel, the ‘L-Wharf’ near the bridge in Forster, the jetties near the Fish Co-op, the bridge pylons and Wallis Island. If you do manage to crack the code with these winter beauties, please be respectful of both the fish and the regulations. There is

flathead. Flathead are definitely still a worthy target in winter but you need to be fishing the right areas in order to find the numbers of fish. Most flathead spend the cooler months a fair way up the river, so think about starting to fish from Wallis Island up (i.e. to the north, south or west of Wallis Island). The better reports lately have been coming from the flats down around Coomba Park and up the Wallamba River where the fish have been taking most small soft plastic offerings, 3-4” paddle-tails seem to be working particularly well in darker motor oil and bloodworm type colours.

Surf fishing has been great so far this year with loads of tailor holding on most beaches. The fish have been taking lures really well (sometimes throughout the day) but will hammer any bait offering once the sun goes down. The deeper gutters are still fishing OK for bream and the odd flathead, and if you fish these areas with bigger baits into the evening you have a very good chance at hooking up to a mulloway.

It is about now that we get an annual run of pilchards, and if you’re lucky enough to hit the sand at the same time there is a bait ball being worked on by predators you are in for a treat!

The local rock fishers have been having an absolute ball lately with plenty of options on the cards. While there hasn’t been a whole lot of wash to fish, the black drummer have definitely been on the chew (especially with a bit

some great fish and seem to be fishing particularly well in the afternoons.

Unfortunately, the reefs out in 25-45m are still a bit hit-and-miss with boats only reporting a few just legal snapper mixed in with loads of undersized fish but there are plenty of trag to make it worthwhile. The wider inshore grounds (50-100m) is by far the best bet out there with consistently good mixed bags coming from down south, these deeper reefs have been holding some great snapper and trag along with the odd pearl perch and even small bar cod.

The reef edges have also been delivering some very nice flathead which is good to see, as these tasty treats have been a little hard to find lately. A few boats have ventured out wide in search of deepwater ooglies and they have all

Calm winter seas are perfect for heading wide. Anthony scored this cracking bar cod on the jig set-up.

Alan with a nice winter flathead.

found plenty of fish. Ground starting out around 115m through to 400m has been holding plenty of big pearl perch, bar cod and kingfish.

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John pictured with a cracking longtail tuna off the sand. If there are pillies on the beach, anything is possible. no need to be greedy, and if we all only keep what we need we’ll be able to enjoy the best sport in the world for years to come!

Other species keeping people busy include some very tasty leatherjackets, some cracking silver trevally up to about 50cm, plenty of school-sized mulloway and of course, the odd

of berley) with plenty of solid bream, snapper and luderick mixed in. Big tailor and small kingfish are still about in good numbers to the south, and if you are lucky you might just get one last shot at a late-season longtail tuna.

Offshore fishing has been at its wintery best of late. The shallow grounds up north (5-20m) have been holding

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JULY 2024 55

NSW

Hunter Coast

FMM

Top tailor in the estuary at dawn and dusk PORT STEPHENS

Paul Lennon

Despite being in the depths of winter there are always good fish to be caught in Port Stephens.

Inside the bay, the water temperature up the rivers is well below 15°C, which will slow fish right down. It’s best to fish the bottom end of the bay, where the water temp is

known luderick areas such as the Anchorage wall, Little Beach Jetty, Shoal Bay Jetty and Torpedo Tubes are also firing. Wire weed is hard to source locally, but sea lettuce or cabbage weed will work just as well for luderick, and can be easily gathered on calm days and low tide from many ocean rock platforms. If it’s not calm enough off the ocean rocks, try combing the shoreline in Shoal Bay, as weed will often wash up along the beach when the swell is big.

Some big, smart bream are getting around in the still waters of the Nelson Bay Marina. They can be very hard to catch during the daylight hours. However, if you fish at night on high tides with berley and unweighted nippers, you can really clean up on them.

Soldiers Point is bream heaven at this time of year, with endless prime bream habitat, including oyster racks, rock bars, rocky-lined points and islands.

It’s a good time to get yourself some tailor in the estuary, with

It’s a great time of year to break out the smoker for tailor.

early morning and late afternoon periods providing some actionpacked sessions. Good fish are being caught from the Soldiers Point Jetty, Wanda Headland and around the Moorings in Shoal Bay. Small 10g metal spinners and a light 1-3kg rod with 15lb leader is perfect for these guys. I love to crank the smoker out this time of year, and tailor are the perfect fish to throw in as they taste great smoked.

The moorings around Shoal Bay and Nelson Bay are good places to find a few squid, and July is a great month for the bigger models. Small jigs around 2.5 are perfect, and because the water is generally very clear here, I like to use natural colours.

OCEAN ROCKS Winter is synonymous with rock fishing and it really is one of the most productive ways to get a feed of fish. Most of the calm, sheltered bays hold schools of luderick, and the traditional method (weed under a pencil float) is still probably the best technique to catch them.

If you don’t have any weed, you’ll find the luderick often respond to being berleyed up with bread and caught with balls of bread rolled up onto a sturdy #8 hook under a small egg float.

Squid also love those calm bays late in the afternoon. Armed with a 3.0 squid jig, you can usually get a great feed of them.

The wash zone will have all types of tasty fish swimming in it this month, with bream, drummer, leatherjacket, and squire all on the cards when you cast a lightlyweighted prawn or piece of cunjevoi into the whitewater.

OFFSHORE The snapper fishing has been red-hot in recent weeks, with excellent catches reported from the front of Fingal Island all the way through to Seal Rocks. Snapper love the shallow water during the winter months, and the easiest way to catch them is by casting unweighted baits down a berley trail, especially on first and last light.

wind, big seas and rain. Those who did manage to get out have caught a few kings down at Texas. Live baiting has been working better than jigging lately.

There have also been some very good catches of deep-water snapper and quite large trag. Both species have been caught all the way north up through to the Catherine Hill Bay Farm and Northern Farm areas, around the 96-100m line. The current has been unpredictable; some days you can head to the deeper water and get good catches, and the next day the current will move in and you’ll get zero fish.

If you want to fish the deeper grounds this month, keep an eye out for whales migrating north. It’s not a good time to have a lot of anchor rope out in deep water. Try to limit your travelling to the daylight hours rather than pre-dawn and after dark.

Inshore, the fishery will probably fire up a bit more as we head towards August, when the windy, rainy weather should settle a bit more. In the meantime, there are still plenty of flatties and some nice squire on offer.

Lately there have been some nice tailor caught along the open beaches and rock platforms, mixed in with a few Australian salmon. Chrome/

metal lures are a good way to target these species off the rocks. You’ll need a bigger metal (around 85g or more) to get distance for the cast.

When it hits the water, allow the lure to sink into the water column before you retrieve it. These lures can also pick up the occasional bycatch kingfish.

You can also use chrome lures on the beach but pilchards get more consistent results, either on a paternoster rig or a running sinker rig. The running rig should ideally have a no. 8 ball sinker on a swivel, and 30lb leader down to your ganged hooks.

The moorings around Shoal Bay and Nelson Bay are good places to target squid. around 17-18°C. The run-up high tides are the best time to fish at the moment, as you have warmer oceanic water pushing into the system rather than the chilly water upriver pushing down. That cold stuff can really shut the fishing down.

Plenty of luderick are in the bay, with the ever-reliable Nelson Bay Marina break wall producing a heap of fish. We’ve seen some real monsters amongst them, with some nudging the 50cm mark. Other well-

Salmon and tailor have been providing some action-packed sessions.

Plenty of angling targets in Lake Macquarie SWANSEA

Jason Nunn

At the time of compiling this report, things have been pretty quiet for yellowfin. We went out recently and it was an absolute desert, with waterspouts and no action. Last year there were good numbers of yellowfin off the coast in August, and we all have our fingers crossed that will happen again this August – or maybe even earlier.

Anglers wanting to fish the deep water haven’t had many opportunities of late, with lots of 56 JULY 2024

Hunter Coast NSW

FMM

Fishing smarter to tempt wary winter species CENTRAL COAST

Jamie Robley

We’ve had a reasonably good run of weather and fishing since the beginning of the year. Now we’ve reached the guts of winter though, the fishing can slow down quite a bit, particularly within the local lakes and Brisbane Waters.

for. Keep a close eye on other anglers around The Entrance, as those in the know will be the ones with bent rods!

Also consider either side of Toukley Bridge and Budgewoi Channel. Local weed is normally pretty easy to find here in winter, but you may need a long stick with a wire hook on the end to grab some weed further out from the bank. The lake water is freezing around the edges, but I’ll go

The author with a solid winter flathead. Try soft plastics or vibes in depths around 3-5m in Lake Macquarie or Brisbane Waters this month for fish like this.

A few school mulloway lurk around Brisbane Waters, The Hawkesbury and Lake Macquarie at this time of year. A soft plastic, larger vibe-style lure or live bait will get them to bite, but you have to find the fish first!

Anglers up the northern end of the coast may still find some quality fish in the lower parts of Lake Macquarie.

Try deeper drop-offs and structure adjacent to some of the major points, or look for patches of feeding tailor for a bit of lure casting fun.

More and more anglers are using soft plastics and vibes to fish the lake in winter, rather than bait. Flathead and tailor are often the main species caught, but a few mulloway, bream, silver trevally and salmon also form part of the catch. I’d be looking at 4m as a starting point for most species this month, but overall, deeper is normally better in July.

Tuggerah Lakes can be pretty tough at this time of year, with luderick being the main fish to try

for a quick walk in the water to get some decent weed if I’m feeling keen.

A few bream will also be found around The Entrance and up Wyong and Ourimbah creeks. Toukley Bridge and Budgewoi may also be worth trying for bream in the depths of winter, but I’d be using good quality bait at these places rather than lure casting to get the best results.

Brisbane Waters can also be tough for bream, but a few solid specimens may be found lurking around some of the older, deeper leases, the local bridge pylons, moored boats and deeper rocky edges, such as around the Rip Bridge. Deep jigging a soft plastic around The Rip area can produce some quality bream and school mulloway at this time of year,

When casting a running rig, engage the bail arm as soon as the bait hits the water. Don’t leave the bail arm open and let everything flutter down because the sinker will usually beat the bait to the bottom, and the leader can tangle with the mainline. To avoid this, quickly flip the bail arm over and walk backwards to keep pressure on the line, thus pulling the sinker back from the bait. The bait will slowly sink, and if you’ve got fish actively feeding in mid-water, they’ll grab the pilchard straight away. You’ll often catch a fish in the first 10 seconds of the cast if you’ve maintained tension on the line.

On the other hand, if you run up the beach before you flip the bail arm over, you can get baited in the first 10 seconds and never know it, thereby wasting valuable fishing time with an empty hook in the water.

Early mornings and late afternoons are the key, ideally timed with the runup tide.

This winter, we’ve seen some nice bream catches on the beaches and rocks. Black drummer have been showing up too, with some 2-3kg specimens being caught. The good fishing should continue as winter progresses, with the prime time being late August.

In recent weeks we’ve been catching good-sized tailor

but you need to keep an eye on the sounder and try to locate bait schools or suitable structure.

Luderick are also available throughout Brisbane Waters. If you’re unsure, Woy Woy Channel and Paddy’s Channel are some starting points. Flathead, whiting, tailor and silver trevally are some of the other main species caught here in July and of those, I’d be aiming more for flathead along the edges of the deeper channels.

July can be good for local offshore fishing, with good patches of calm,

moment, but it’s all about keeping an eye on the weather. The calmer the forecast, the easier it is to head wider. If it’s too windy or you’re in smaller vessel, try in close around the bommies, headlands and shallower reef for snapper, trevally, tailor and salmon. Thoughtful tactics, with lighter tackle and some berley, can yield decent results in close at this time of year.

Rock and beach anglers generally don’t have much to complain about in winter. Quite often the main problems are the dead calm days

Luderick will be found along our coastal rock ledges this month. This fish is from Norah Head. predictable weather. The days normally start off with a westerly breeze, which can pick up a bit by around 9am, and then it calms off again through the middle of the day.

Some anglers don’t head out until around 8am so they’re not struggling with that early push of westerly wind so much. It’s also not uncommon for the fishing to pick up a bit later in the morning, as opposed to having that peak early morning bite that’s common through the warmer months.

Kings, bonito, and snapper are the main targets from 50-120m at the

or when the swell has picked up to a big solid ground swell that’s too hazardous and problematic to fish. All going well though, bream, drummer, luderick, tailor and salmon are your target species, with a few silver trevally, flathead and mulloway also very possible.

Overall, the water is at its coldest now and fishing on all fronts can be a bit slow, so this month you’ll need to put in some thought and effort.

Good quality natural baits, skilful lure casting or jigging tactics should hopefully pay off.

JULY 2024 57

NSW

Illawarra Coast

FMM

Casting to surface-feeding winter snapper ILLAWARRA

Greg Clarke

It’s mid-morning, the westerly wind is howling outside, and although the sea was millpond calm only a few hours ago at dawn, it’s now a white, frothing crush of turbulent waves. Sheets of spray lift high into the air from the massive gusts before being deposited back onto the surface hundreds of metres away.

When the sea comes back over the next 24 hours, the swell will make fishing in all but the most sheltered of places impossible, but when the swell does die back, the fishing will be great for a few days before the calm again sets in.

These few days after the blow are when you make the most of your chances because fishing this time of the year is tough, and by now everyone knows that the big snapper bite best the few days after a big blow.

The cuttlefish have been around since late June but are yet to start popping to the surface. In the coming weeks, it will happen, and if you are not out there when it does, you will miss out until next year. You only get half a dozen weekends, or six weeks if you are work-free.

For the best results, put down the pick and berley over just about any of the northern reefs. The snapper are often there and in schools, but they are yet to make their presence felt by moving to the surface and feeding on the floating cuttlefish. When this happens, it’s time to do a bit of sight fishing for the reds by casting to fish feeding on the surface.

They are not all monsters; fish smaller than a kilo will venture to the top for a feed and hit a bait as hard as an old granddaddy snapper.

For a little extra variation, try flicking some white soft plastics at the cuttlefish floating on the surface. You don’t even have to work them – just let them sink with minimal weight and see what you can flush out. You will be amazed at the variety of species that you encounter.

Reds are not the only thing about throughout Lake Macquarie, with 55-60cm fish being quite common. I got a 69cm (3kg) recently, so there are definitely some bigger ones in the mix.

Of course, they’re not all big. Some schools are made up of undersize and medium-size fish, and the bite windows can sometimes be short and sharp.

I was fishing the full moon and got nine fish under 52cm before everything shut down for 45 minutes. Then there was a run of 55-60cm fish, then it went quiet 58 JULY 2024

(although they are the most popular), with the good old sergeant baker the primary species caught. They seem to be everywhere, and it’s surprising how high they will come up the water column to grab a bait or plastic. Then again, the snapper come to the top, so it’s not really that unusual.

Tailor, salmon, kingfish and even mowies and groper are all on the hunt for pieces of fresh cuttlefish. Of course, the groper have to go back if caught.

While berleying and waiting for the snapper, there should be a few silver trevally starting to show up, and they should increase in numbers over the coming weeks.

Leatherjackets can be taken by the dozen over most reefs along the Illawarra coast. You need to use small long-shank hooks, and squid or cuttlefish for bait on a paternoster rig with a small sinker, and let it all drop to the bottom. It can be worth it as some of them have been monsters as far as jackets go – up to 2kg.

Almost big enough to take a finger off with their bolt-cutter teeth.

For the rest of the outside scene, it is pretty quiet with only the odd flathead about, as they tend to slow down this time of the year due to the

Salmon can be caught walking the beach and casting lures into the deeper gutters at this time of year.

A pretty standard cuttlefish-eating July snapper. There are plenty more where this came from.

colder water. A few mowies and pigfish have been coming in along with sweep, which seem to have made a bit of an appearance, and some nice tailor that have now been around for a few months in close to the headlands and along the back of the beaches.

Try trolling some Christmas trees or minnow-type lures along the back of the breakers. Windang, Coniston and Coalcliff are always good producers.

There could be yellowfin tuna or bluefin for the game fishos, depending on how the currents work this year, but so far it has been quiet for both and it may stay that way. You just don’t know in the middle of winter.

That is not to say that the ‘fin will not make a run, but you have to be out there to take advantage, and the weather at this time of the year can be unpredictable and is often not good enough to make the trip out wide.

If the tuna are not there, it can be worthwhile dropping a bit of bait to the bottom if you are lucky enough to have an electric reel or good stamina in your arms, particularly around the Kiama canyons for blue-eye trevalla to 20kg, gemfish, bar cod, ling and even the odd frostfish or hapuku cod just for something different. It’s not a bad way to bring big mako sharks to the top, as they often follow the hooked fish to the surface and regularly grab a free feed.

The rocks have seen some quality drummer on the move. Still, as mentioned earlier, the waves can be non-existent one day and huge the next, so be careful. The building sea is unpredictable and will catch you out if you are not vigilant every moment you are on the rocks.

There are tailor and salmon on most headlands and silver trevally off the deeper spots. If you use a bit of berley, solid snapper are a chance off any of the deeper rock spots.

The beaches are simply cold at this time of the year because the best time is the early evening, and the westerly winds make for very cold fingers, not to mention any other parts exposed to the elements. Waders are a must if you fish the beach at this time of the year.

There have been reasonable salmon and tailor coming from all the open beaches with good gutters, and there are still a few small mulloway about.

The jewies are not whoppers, between 2-10kg, with the chance of a bigger fish.

They have been a bit scarce over the past weeks, but you will never know if you don’t go.

The lake and Minnamurra are pretty much no-go zones unless you are chasing a few bream in the feeder streams or along the rocky shorelines and islands, and it can be a lot of hours for little result.

with only a couple of 45cm models, and then it fired up again. Other anglers trolling around the lake have had similar experiences, catching tailor in various sizes, and a few salmon as well.

Below the bait schools there are plenty of flathead, which are eating bits of baitfish drifting down from the bust-ups above. The flatties have been taking vibes, plastics and trolled deep divers meant for tailor. Mixed in with the flatties are mulloway, some decentsize lake snapper, and bream.

If you want to catch bream, try

fishing the run-in tide around Marks Point or back in the channel. The bream like the ocean water coming in. Oily baits are good, such as mullet strips, pillies, mullet gut, and bonito fillets. If you’re getting bite-offs on your 2/0 octopus hook, put an extra rod out with a floating pilly on a gang.

All in all, winter is a great time to be on the water. The sun isn’t too hot, you can fish all day, and there are no howling north-easterlies to make things difficult. Bring a beanie and a warm jacket and you’re all set.

• Fisherman’s Warehouse Marine, run

by Patrick Nunn, is your one-stop shop for outboard sales, repairs and servicing. They are the local Honda outboard dealer (sales and service), and also service Yamaha, Mercury, Suzuki, and Tohatsu outboards, and sell spare parts. For more information call 02 4945 2152, email enquiries@ fishermanswarehouse.com.au, or drop in and see the guys at 4/2 Suite Street, Warners Bay. Subscribe to the Swansea Fishing Report YouTube channel or the Fisherman’s Warehouse Marine Facebook page for weekly Swansea fishing reports.

Batemans Coast NSW

FMM

There’ll be beautiful cold days in the estuaries BATEMANS BAY

Anthony Stokman

We are smack bang in the middle of tuna season offshore, snapper inshore, drummer on the stones, salmon on the beaches, and the last of any warm water left in the estuary. It’s that time of the year when the estuary takes a back seat and becomes a quiet, meditative place where you can cast and enjoy the peace and solace of our beautiful south coast.

Our estuaries are amazing over the winter months, especially for

crowds. After a short drive, you can find a beach to yourself during winter, which is one of the reasons we love the south coast so much.

There will be plenty of salmon on offer off the beach, and we have already seen some 50cm tailor captured. Some winters we experience large to very large tailor around 70cm+, and so far, we are off to a promising start. Spinning metals can get the cast out the furthest, and the old paternoster rig with a ganged pilchard is still as popular as ever.

Common bycatch you can expect bream, flathead and trevally, and if you are lucky enough, mulloway.

Rhiannon has been finding some nice winter snapper. their beauty and peacefulness. The crowds are minimal, and the weather can have long, still windows with sunshine. It might be colder, but it can be quite pleasant when it’s still and the sun is out. The fishing might be a bit more challenging but the experience is fulfilling, and it’s time well spent.

To add to the experience and improve your catch, use fluorocarbon leader and go down to 6lb or less to get the bite in the clear, cold water.

Lightly-weighted lures that have extended hangtime and swim longer can be very effective. Alternatively, you can take the opposite approach with heavier-weighted lures for casting into deeper holes that can hold fish. The main target species will be bream, flathead, estuary perch, and mulloway throughout the colder months. Blades and vibes of all sizes are popular for covering all depths and catching all species.

Blades and vibes are also a good choice for prospecting our beaches, which are amazing destinations throughout winter, with minimal

Then there will be the anglers who are targeting mulloway directly.

If that’s you, you’ll probably be using fresh squid and mullet as baits, or casting Rapala SXR14s or something similar.

On the stones we have seen bonito

Jack Martin doing what he loves best: snapper fishing.

and longtail tuna caught despite the rain and dirty water, and they’re continuing to show up along our ledges and even beaches, where some lucky anglers had a bust-up and were lucky enough to jag one during June.

These are probably fish from down south that are on their way north, and we can expect this to end by July. At this time, all rock fishers will switch to drummer, snapper and bycatch bream, salmon and tailor.

It’s best to use fresh baits like squid for snapper, and cooked prawns and cunje for the drummer.

Soft plastics are the best option for lure fishers targeting snapper.

The best sink rate is a 1/4oz jighead with a 5-7” jerkshad. Again, blades and vibes can be used here and can produce results for all species.

Boaties during July will be looking at weather maps for larger dominating high-pressure systems that will ensure low winds and stable weather conditions. Additionally, the high barometric pressure is when fish tend to bite.

When the following low-pressure systems arrive, they tend to bring wind and a lower barometric pressure, which can shut down the bite.

This year, we may experience an even balance of El Niño and La Niña, which means an even balance of passing high- and low-pressure systems. This makes for an easy chart to read and choose your boating days.

So, you can expect some great stable conditions during a big high-pressure system and park the boat up when a low approaches. You can also expect some good snapper and other reefdwellers during the high-pressure conditions this winter.

If you are travelling out further this season looking for yellowfin or bluefin tuna, or deep dropping and fishing the bottom, you’ll also welcome the easy-to-read charts of the stable conditions this winter.

When we get those big highs we can get winter glamour days that don’t have a ripple in the ocean. If you add massive schools of tuna to that, you have great memories being made.

As I write this report, we haven’t yet had the yellowfin in great numbers, but things should have improved by the time you read this.

With the way the bluefin have been further south, we hope the migration to our waters will be a good one. Either way I don’t care what type of tuna we experience as long as we see some decent numbers. They always have an element of surprise.

And there is always the consolidation tuna, the albacore, which can turn up at any moment. Albacore can even be in good numbers right into summer.

So, if you are up for it this July,

Phil always finds something for the table from the local rock ledges. get out and enjoy some beautiful winter days in the estuaries and on the beaches. Alternatively, you can fish the rock platforms on calm days for more consistent drummer and bycatch, or chase snapper and tuna, depending on your vessel size.

• Anthony Stokman is the owner of Fish Batemans Bay, your one-stop shop for tackle, bait and valuable advice on how to catch more fish. The crew are always happy to chat about what’s been biting and where, so drop in and say hi. You can find them at 65A Orient Street, Batemans Bay, or give them a call on (02) 4472 2559.

READER’S

PICTURE

Carter with a double catch of snapper he caught in Port Albert using squid.

JULY 2024 59

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Eden Coast

FMM

Inshore provides respite from offshore winds BERMAGUI

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

July is notorious for offshore winds thus allowing anglers in boats going to sea to explore areas close to shore often not accessible due to large seas or swell. Here you can fish the shallow reefs, or push in along rocky coastlines in search of species often only encountered from the shore.

Closer to shore, tried-and-tested rigs are still producing consistent captures. Good bags of snapper are a regular catch, especially around the full moon. Simple paternoster rigs drifted over and around the reefs have been producing best. However,

Working along the coastline will account for many smaller pelagics this month, such as bonito and salmon.

anchoring and berleying will let you fish much lighter, providing heaps of fun while producing some very nice fish.

On the lighter side of things, flicking soft plastics around the very close-in reefs is a very exciting way of entertaining yourself.

Rock fishing is at its best for species like the hard-pulling black and silver drummer, as well as those magnificent-looking blue groper.

These fish can be encountered all day through the winter months on baits like crab, cunjevoi, prawns and cabbage weed. Keep rigs simple, with either small sinkers running straight to the hook or suspending a bait with a float.

What to chase? Luderick, drummer or both?

TATHRA

Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

Drummer or luderick are two of the hardest-pulling, lightweight fish anglers may ever encounter. At this time of year, you can target them from the rocky shoreline or out of a boat, fishing back towards the coastline.

The one big bonus when you catch these fish is their eating quality. Many anglers don’t consider them a tablefish

Silver drummer are a very hard-pulling fish. due to their dark colouration, but these species have firm white flesh and are one of the tastiest fish around that are easy to access.

Drummer and luderick are in their prime in the winter months, and Tathra has some of the best fishing for them along the southern NSW coastline. There are plenty of areas in which to attack these fish, ranging from the Tathra Wharf at the main point through to Kianinny Bay, with the best area being conveniently below the pub. These fish may be encountered throughout the day through the cooler months, with the prime times being early in the morning and when the shadows from the cliff faces advance over the ocean later in the day.

Sadly, for those who like lure fishing, drummer or luderick are pretty much for the bait fisher only.

Some of the best fun you can have is 60 JULY 2024

in the bait gathering, scrambling around on the rocks looking for red crabs or pulling cunjevoi off the ledges. Other baits that will work are the common old prawn and cabbage weed. Rigging these baits is very simple, with the easiest being a small ball sinker run straight to a no. 1 hook. Small bobby floats can be used to suspend the bait, which works well with cabbage weed. Don’t forget to berley with bread, which will bring the fish closer to the surface.

Offshore, the reefs are fishing well, with some very nice snapper showing up north near Aragunnu out from Nelsons Lagoon and down around White Rock.

You can drift or anchor using bait in varying depths, with the addition of berley if you’re on the pick. Soft plastics are very popular these days for chasing snapper offshore, and there are many shallow reefs surrounding Tathra to try. Cast the lure in the direction you’re drifting and work it back to the boat, or anchor and work an area over thoroughly.

Out from most of the beaches, sand flathead are prevailing in around 30m of water. They’re not large, but there are plenty of them to satisfy anglers, and

they are great table fare.

On the game scene, things are very quiet. If you berley, there is a chance of a mako or stray yellowfin, but don’t expect too much in the cooler water. Southern bluefin tuna may be an option on the troll out very wide, but finding the good days to do it may be hard.

Beach fishing is good if you like chasing salmon. Most of the beaches with good gutters are carrying their share of fish, and all you need to catch them is some pilchards, ganged hooks or a handful of lures.

The Wharf has plenty of trevally hanging around, keeping the kids occupied, and there are some very nice sea garfish there to add to the bag.

Some very nice tailor are being caught at night, and you should also have a squid jig handy as some are hanging around, which can be a nice bonus.

The cold water in the estuaries has put the fish off the chew, and the Bega River is fishing tough. Starting in the upper reaches, bass are moving throughout the system in anticipation of spawning. With a lot of hard work, you can take some fish but it will be tough going.

Drummer are a great winter option. They pull hard and have great tasting white flesh.

“Hey Dad, I may be cold but I love catching these luderick!”

Estuary perch are also on the move and may be encountered as far down the river as the bridge. Work the pylons over, then move over to the adjacent rock wall, working your way upstream.

A variety of different lures will work, with the best option being lures that can hold in the strike zone the longest, thereby eliciting more strikes.

The rock walls and bridge are holding their share of luderick, which are being targeted in the traditional method using green and cabbage weed.

You should also check out the rocks at the entrance of the river for them.

There are some large bream in the river but they’re hard to catch at present. Try using a hardbody and negative buoyancy lure, which will hold in the strike zone. Polaroid your bream then work your lure in their face. This may result in a strike or a follow. If a fish follows, slowly increase your speed, then stop the lure abruptly, allowing the fish to run into it. This may not result in a hook-up but it sometimes cheeses a fish off, resulting in a second strike and a hook-up.

Eden Coast NSW

FMM If targeting black drummer, try dropping down to 4kg gear on a lighter rod and let the fish have its head once hooked. You will be surprised with the results.

Lure fishing from both the rocks and beach can produce some surprisingly good salmon and tailor at this time of year, and it’s possible to catch a late kingfish as well. Small lures on light gear provide heaps of fun and give anglers a chance to catch some of the silver trevally that hang around the rocks. Those anglers wishing to brave the cold at night around the full moon should encounter some nice gummy sharks. Tilba, Wallaga, Baragoot, and Murrah beaches are the best locations.

Dictated by weather patterns, anglers can fish as close to shore as they choose or travel to wider reefs looking for that exceptional catch. On the wide reefs such as the Twelve Mile, Tassie trumpeter is a much soughtafter species due to its excellent taste, along with large blue morwong, tiger flathead, and snapper will all be encountered.

Further out on the Canyons, anglers using 80lb braid and large metal lures are learning the art of deep-water jigging. This method has been producing surprising results,

including hapuku, blue-eye trevalla, and gemfish, as well as yellowfin and albacore tuna.

Estuary fishing is extremely quiet, with most fish migrating out of the systems open to the ocean or going dormant in the lakes that are closed

Trevally are a fun fish and easily attracted into a berley trail.

Tagging Tales Suntag is a world leading citizen science volunteer fish tagging program that is part of an Australian program that has tagged over 1,000,000 fish and was the first volunteer program in the world to reach that milestone. Data collected through the program is used to improve our knowledge base of recreational fishing by providing near real time information on the status of coastal estuaries and inland impoundments.

to the sea. Wallaga has some big tailor, and if you get a nice warm day, these fish may be encountered on lures as they chase mullet schools around in the shallows.

Blackfish are another species regularly caught in the cooler months.

Around the bridge at Wallaga Lake is a prime area, producing good catches on green and cabbage weed. Some of the best areas in the Bermi River for blackfish are the Northern rock Wall upstream from the bridge, in front of the bridge boat ramp, the bridge pylons, the rock walls around the harbour and the rock platform adjacent to the entrance. The last of the run-out and the first of the run-in tide are the prime time for anglers who like to toss lures.

Some very good trevally schools have moved into the lower reaches of the tidal estuaries, providing some pleasant fishing. Small hard and soft lures will account for most of the trevally, and don’t be surprised to hit the odd good bream and flathead.

Winter is another good time for catching squid around Bermagui. Most of the rocky headlands and inshore reefs will have their share around them, with the harbour producing fish of an evening and into the night.

Lure fishing should produce plenty of salmon in the coming weeks.

Most of the common prawn-style jigs will work, as will the old favourite – a baited skewer-style jig.

Bluefin tuna are lurking out at sea over the Continental Shelf, and it is prime time to target them. Trolling is the best way to locate the fish, and once you’ve found them you can use berley to bring them to the boat.

However, at times you may have to travel well out to sea to find them.

Brought to you by

Thanks to the fish, we can provide you with some interesting stories that they tell.

HOW FAR NORTH CAN TAILOR BE CAUGHT? K’gari (Fraser Island) is well known for its tailor fishing, as huge concentrations of them spawn there each winter. However, how far north can they be caught? Our records over many years show they are caught around Bundaberg and since the 1990s there have been 25 tagged in Corio Bay north of Yeppoon. There are however no tag records of tailor caught north of

there, until now. Avid tagger Nathan Paul has managed to tag one in Sandy Creek just south of Mackay. That is a crazy 700km north of K’gari. Anyone else caught tailor up in the QLD tropics? Let us know.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU CATCH A TAGGED FISH The information you will need to report your recapture is. The length of the fish and the location it was captured. Get a photo if possible.

To report the details of your recapture you have two options: Call 1800 077 001 or go to crystalbowl. infofishaustralia.com.au/suntag/ recaptures/recapture_form_1. html and fill in the form.

In return you will receive a certificate providing the details of the tagging and recapture of your fish, as a thank you for providing the information.

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Freshwater

FMM

Cracking captures in rivers and impoundments shallows like in previous winters, especially once the sun starts to drop during the afternoon. You can also get good results at first light, when the predators can easily ambush baitfish under cover of darkness. Suspending swimbaits, chatterbaits and surface lures are just a few of the options that

NEW ENGLAND RIVERS

Adam Townsend

Sheep grazier warnings and heavy frosts are a sure sign we are in the middle of winter in the New England area. I have to admit though, it has been a pretty mild one so far compared to previous years, with only a few days getting below zero.

The waterways have still benefited from the colder weather, with plenty of weeds and slime slowly dying off, making it easier to present your lure or bait. Catch rates are lower at this time of year but the fish are usually bigger, which makes up for the reduced numbers. Some cracking fish have been caught lately in the rivers and impoundments.

There were some solid rainfalls at

One of two 1m Murray cod caught on the same day at Copeton Dam. This cod was caught casting suspending swimbaits in the shallows early in the morning. the start of winter (up to an inch in 24 hours). This saw a majority of the smaller waterways fluctuate around

There are some cracking redfin around the New England area willing to eat a lure in the colder months. Ensure the waterway you are fishing is not a ‘listed trout stream’, as they are currently closed to all fishing.

the area, but not enough to see any dramatic rises in the impoundments.

The impoundments can get pretty busy this time of year, especially when word gets around that the fish are biting in certain waterways. Please be mindful of other boaters/fishers while travelling around the dams, especially at night when it is much harder to see trees and other objects.

With the waterbodies being at the percentages they are at now, it opens up more camping spots, which is one of the positives.

Copeton Dam is one of the larger impoundments with better fishing opportunities at lower water levels.

There are many different types of depths and structure close to the shoreline, making it easier to fish from the bank or a kayak. Leading up to the new moon on the 6th of this month, I would say most of the fish will be caught up in the

Glidebaits and suspending swimbaits work well in the colder months. The longer you can keep the lure in the bite zone with a slow retrieve, the greater your chances of a big fish bite. will work well during these times.

The full moon will be above on the 21st of this month. With the air and water temperatures consistently lower now, I suggest looking for depths between 0.5-5m. If you find yourself in a place where a cast length can cover most of those depths in the

Fishing the shallows with paddle tail plastics HUNTER VALLEY

Nick Price

July is a great month for camping at Lake Glenbawn and Lake St Clair, with beautiful days followed by chilly nights relaxing around a big campfire.

At this time of year, you can get some good catches on plastics and jerkbaits during the day. Fish the edges around structure, such as weed and laydowns.

Don’t be afraid to try very light jigheads with small plastics. Toss them into very shallow water and work them back. A paddle tail with a small body and a big tail will sink slowly on the light jighead, with the paddle tail pumping. Curly tails also work.

In shallow water, curly tails tend to work better when the water is clear, while paddle tails are 62 JULY 2024

better when the water is a bit more coloured. Curly tailed plastics are very visual; the moving tail stands out and doesn’t need much angler input to work. However, they don’t give off the vibration of a paddle tail.

Paddle tails have less visual appeal, but in deeper or discoloured water, they are definitely the better option.

In the shallows I like using natural colours, some of which are UV-enhanced and others that are

A nice winter bass.

not. Motor oil and pumpkin seed are good, reliable colours in the shallows, and make sure you use scent. A good scent can make all the difference, whether it’s just masking our human scent or actively inducing the bass to bite. It’s worth the effort to apply.

The bass will often sit in schools off the bank in 20-30ft of water, and move up to the edge to feed. Once they’ve finished feeding they move back into this deeper water, where they feel more secure. These school fish can also be targeted. The trick is to park your boat near the bank and cast away from the bank (the opposite of what most people do).

By casting away from the bank, when you retrieve your plastic, it comes up the bank and stays close to the bottom. It works much better than sitting in deep water and casting towards the shallows.

I believe it’s much better to

Freshwater NSW

FMM

LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

same retrieve, it’s worth putting the time into that area, especially if there are signs of bait life around.

Just a reminder, trout breeding season is currently underway and the 3-month closure is in place. If you plan to target redfin or other species, make sure the water you’re fishing

INTUITIVE CONTROL

DAM LEVELS DAM

JUNE

Copeton Dam

64%

Pindari Dam

50%

Glenlyon Dam

63%

Malpas Dam

90%

Split Rock Dam

96%

Lake Keepit Dam

39%

Chaffey Dam

81%

* Levels current at the time of writing

This Copeton cod was caught on a larger model Mazzy Vib around the granite rocks during an afternoon session. isn’t a ‘listed trout stream’. Check the DPI website for more info.

Good luck out on the water this month, and tight lines.

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PORT MACQUARIE HASTINGS MARINE Crazy things can happen while fishing the impoundments in winter.

The author was slow winding a Megabass Garuda across the surface during the new moon, and was surprised to catch this big golden perch. Four more goldens followed, all caught on the same lure. keep your plastic close to the bottom – you end up catching many more fish. Having a plastic too far away from the bottom or other structure is the biggest mistake people make when using plastics to chase bass.

When chasing these bass, I recommend using a 7g jighead to help keep your plastic close to the bottom. Ensure you have a jighead with the correct size hook, generally a no. 2. A hook that is too large for the plastic will not only inhibit the action but can tear the plastic and reduce its effectiveness. It’s also very important to put the plastic on the jighead correctly, making sure it is straight.

Looking ahead, things will start to warm up in August, the grass will start to grow, phytoplankton will reproduce in the lakes and the food chain in the lakes will get a kick along. The nights will still be cold but the days can be beautiful and the fishing is very enjoyable, with bass taking plastics and jerkbaits.

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Winter days are great for bass fishing.

If you’re heading up to the Barrington, Glenbawn, Hunter River or St Clair, drop into the shop and have a chat with me or Cooper, and feel free to ask about the different techniques and what they’re biting on. We’re located at the turnoff to Glenbawn in Aberdeen, and stock all the quality tackle you need.

JULY 2024 63

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Freshwater

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Securing a feed of succulent redfin perch BATLOW

Wayne Dubois waynedubois@westnet.com.au

July can be a great time of the year to be on the water at Blowering Dam. Sure, it’s pretty cold most of the time but if you dress for the occasion with thermals, beanies, hoodies and a

and some of these fish are very large at Blowering Dam. Just like the rest of winter, these redfin schools are best targeted vertically with lures, jigs or bait.

The schools normally sit fairly deep at this time of the year, anywhere from 30-80ft down. Once you have located a school it is quite easy to entice them with any vertically-presented bait or lure. Just remember to keep your presentation moving, especially when bait fishing, and you’ll fill your keeper bag before you know it.

When bait fishing for these redfin schools, it’s hard to beat garden worms, but small to tiny yabbies are also very hard to resist for redfin. Use the bait on a paternoster rig and keep the bait moving by employing a small but supple lift and drop of the rod (commonly known as ‘yo-yo-ing’).

Using your bait this way will entice fish from a much wider area, which will help you hook into more fish.

Lure anglers will only need one of three lures to entice redfin all day long. I personally start by using an ice

Jounama Dam is a great fishery that holds some very big trout.

It’s always worth a visit, especially at this time of the year. jig, but if I find the fish are being a bit tight-lipped, I will opt for a blade. If the fish still won’t play the game, I swap to a heavily-weighted soft plastic. The beauty of the blades and the plastics is that you can cast them well away from

July is one of the best months for catching big redfin, although you may have to sieve through a few dozen smaller fish before you set the hooks on a beast. jacket you will barely notice the cold.

Add to this the regular glassed-out conditions matched with beautiful scenery, no ski boats to contend with, and a lack of other anglers, and you have conditions that make for a great day on the water.

As a bonus, the fishing can be sensational, particularly if you’re after a feed of succulent redfin.

REDFIN Redfin can be caught in huge numbers through the winter months,

READER’S

PICTURE

With the trout season closed on our creeks and rivers, trout anglers will have to get their fix in our dams this month.

Blowering Dam’s redfin will be out in deep water this month, and can be targeted vertically with lures. When you find the right school you’ll have no problem filling your esky.

64 JULY 2024

water. The big trout and redfin this lake is associated with fire right after the official close to the trout streams.

This is a bonus for those addicted to trout fishing in the area, as you can successfully fish for good-sized trout all year round.

The lake has fished well over the last couple of months, and this should continue in the coming weeks. Casting lures or flies from the bank is very productive, and is my preferred way of fishing the lake. Bait fishing with PowerBait, grubs or worms is also a great way of hooking into a trout or two.

If you’ve never been to Jounama, I strongly recommend you take the time to head there, or stop in the next time you’re on your way to the snowfields or more notable trout dams. You won’t be disappointed.

the boat and slow roll or hop them back to below the boat. This really helps you to find any active fish.

Once I find an active school, I find it’s best to try to position your boat above the school and either stick with the same lure or change back to an ice jig. Keep fishing until the redfin move on or wise up to you fishing for them. After the fish move or shut down, you can start looking for another active school.

JOUNAMA DAM For those of you who are still keen to get a trout fix, with all the creeks and rivers closed your only options are the lakes – and what better lake to target big rainbows and browns than Jounama Dam? This picturesque little lake is a great place to take the family for a fun-filled day beside the

Steve Hall caught a massive 83cm mangrove jack! The fish was caught on live bait on the inland waterways of the northern Gold Coast.

Freshwater NSW

FMM

Cold hands and big hopes for anglers chasing cod ALBURY/WODONGA

Connor Heir

It’s that proper cold time of year again, and we cod fishers have cold hands and big hopes! The plug-away grind is definitely here but, as with all cod fishing, the rewards are worth the effort.

Our region across the board has seen rather low flows for a while, and the fishing has generally been good for all the systems around us. The river below Lake Hume has been releasing less than 1200ML for around a month to drop Lake Mulwala slightly, to allow maintenance on the dam wall. This has made the river locally very low; it’s probably the lowest it’s been in around four years. While navigating is difficult with the river so low, and launching can be tricky even with a 4x4, the effort is definitely worth it with a low river. A low river exposes really good structured areas for fish to sit, and the current is not as strong, making it much easier to fish.

Because many areas are so shallow, safe navigating is vital, and bigger boats are a no-go. A small tinny under 12ft is probably the best option, depending on what areas you fish. From the Hume Weir wall to roughly Howlong, there

Jarrod with a 105cm river log hog from a recent day float.

wants it, and often they will still smack a surface lure.

Impoundment fishing is also very popular amongst cod fishos at this time of year. Like river fishing, the cod are still hard work, but live technology is taking a lot of the guesswork out of finding fish in the dams. It’s not an essential tool, but it’s absolutely a huge advantage. It’s a very controversial subject; I personally don’t run live technology as I fish rivers much more often than lakes, so I can’t justify buying it. I have fished with mates who have it though, and you can learn a lot by watching the screen and seeing what’s going on below the surface.

The behaviour of Murray cod blew my mind when I fished Burrinjuck for the

drastically, so your lure presentation is vital to get them to bite. You need to be nailing casts and fishing structure as tightly as you can, and fishing the correct flow is also very important.

Fishing snags for a bit longer than usual can be effective for getting fish to bite, but I believe that if a lure is presented correctly in the first 1-3 casts, the fish will come out. You really have to be nailing casts and keeping your lure in that strike zone.

When river fishing, be careful you’re not presenting your lures too

A 109cm impoundment cod. Fishing into the night pays off in the dams.

Cam and the author have spent a lot of time on the water lately for only a few smaller fish. That’s winter fishing! are a lot of shallower, gravelly rapids.

Beyond Howlong to Lake Mulwala, it tends to be a bit muddier and sandier.

Safe navigation is still essential however, as the water can still be just as shallow and fast-moving in some areas. A float from one launch spot to a pick-up destination is probably the best option at the moment, saving you the hassle of having to motor back upstream.

Back to the fishing, which has definitely been kind of late. As always during winter, you will have some tough days without much action, regardless of how good the water looks.

During winter, fish metabolism slows

deep for cod to actually see. Cod like to stalk their prey, but they are also optimistic feeding fish, and their eyes are located on the top of their heads so they are always looking up when sitting on a snag, especially in the flow.

I used to have a habit of letting a spinnerbait sink right to the bottom before retrieving it. With hardbodies, I’d get them to crash-dive deep as quickly as I could crank. And while these techniques do have their place, I’ve found over the years you have to present lures in that mid-water column, or even higher at times. An active fish will always come up for something if it

first time. With the advantage of the live technology, I was amazed by how many follows you get from good fish.

Impoundment fish seem to be really

An ideal size lure for fishing the river at this time of year.

Anything over 100mm is ideal.

Duck weed provides awesome cover for Murray cod. Don’t be afraid to fish it!

wising up, so anglers need all the help they can get.

There are so many options throughout our region at the moment, so make the most of it and keep casting away. It’s the best time of year to catch a true giant. Best of luck to all!

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Canberra

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Local lakes are hit-and-miss for natives and redfin CANBERRA

Toby Grundy

The winter grind is well and truly upon us here in Canberra, and for those of us keen on targeting big green fish, the beginning of July can be quite taxing on the mind and body.

Many years ago, an old timer at the local tackle shop told me it takes 10 hours of fishing for every cod caught in winter.

On reflection, he was probably right –

still getting plenty of small to mediumsized redfin, and have not yet started landing the larger fish, which do pop up on cooler mornings.

I have also landed a few golden perch.

The way they have hit the lure suggests that the fish are still feeding prolifically on small baitfish, which currently sit against the edges of areas like the concrete walls at Lennox Gardens. This area is my go-to winter haunt at this lake, as the redfin push up close to the bank and can be targeted using wriggler-style plastics. The

Sam Hancox with the prize at the end of a 5-hour fishing mission.

Bait anglers have been having some success. and anyway, who am I to question a bloke who was missing half his cod thumb?

I don’t see any fishless river mission as a waste of time because I get to see a variety of wildlife, from wombats to platypus, and those misty mornings when the fog hangs low on the river until well after sun up seem a world away from my work and the stresses of daily life.

As cheesy as it sounds, our journey to connecting with a big fish (culminating

redfin activity brings in the golden perch, but I have found that the yellas are more interested in a Jackall TN50 fished almost at a crawl.

Lake Tuggeranong This lake is my pick of the fisheries for July. For many anglers, Lake Tugg is the last on the list, but with the recent rain and the cold snap, the fish have come on the bite as the oxygen levels in the dam have improved exponentially. I know this because I am in contact with the ACT Government employees who test the water regularly. Whenever the oxygen level spikes, the fish turn on.

I have caught some good-sized redfin just behind the recent playground redevelopment near the College, and there are golden perch hitting lures at the spillway and parallel to the pylons under the bridge.

If you’re chasing cod, try casting parallel to the half-submerged weeds

behind the dog park as the cod move into this area at dawn and dusk in search of an easy meal.

Lake Ginninderra Lake Ginninderra has been as inconsistent as Lake Burley Griffin. While a couple of anglers have landed golden perch using bait while fishing behind the John Knight Park, most anglers have struggled.

That said, the large clumps of floating weed have been cleared out, and while

The cod have been hitting surface lures.

Carp are an ever-present option and bite well on warmer winter days. in that massive surface strike) is far more interesting and important than the destination. This philosophical perspective will keep you going through multiple donut sessions this month; plenty of rain is on the horizon, making fishing for cod even harder.

LOCAL LAKES Lake Burley Griffin Lake Burley Griffin is very much a hit-and-miss fishery at the moment. I’m 66 JULY 2024

the weed is still an issue, there are a lot of clear spots now that can be fished from the bank or boat. I am hopeful that the fishing will improve in the coming weeks as anglers target these clearer areas and the fish cruise these areas looking for food.

There are some truly enormous yellas and cod in the lake and they do bite in winter. Now that the weed has been removed, fishing surface lures at dawn or dusk should at least result in a

July can be a struggle but that one hit can make it all worthwhile.

swirl or boof.

Gordon and Yerrabi Gordon Pond and Yerrabi Pond are great winter options. Both waterways (on opposite ends of Canberra) are small, well stocked and fish consistently all year round. A handful of soft plastics, a light spin rod and reel, a pair of decent shoes and some warm clothing are all you need to enjoy an arvo fishing either pond.

It’s also possible to fish both ponds in their entirety in an afternoon and then switch to a different type of lure and try the whole thing again.

The rock walls at both dams are the best spots to try first, but the drains at both locations which lead into the ponds are also worth a look. The golden perch sit a few metres from these

Hobart TAS

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Good fishing predicted to continue this month HOBART

Andrew Large

All Tasmanian fishers, both salt and fresh, have been pleased to see the fish in good numbers for this time of year, and we can expect the good fishing to continue well into July.

On the coast we’re continuing to see school barrel SBT busting up all around the place and smashing trolled lures.

The biggest in the last month was Angus Williams’ 137kg monster caught out of Eaglehawk Neck.

Southern bluefin continue to be in large numbers right around the east coast, with great catches being taken at St Helens, Maria Island and further south at Eaglehawk Neck and the Friars on Bruny Island. Numerous East Coast lows have been problematic, with big swells and blustery easterly weather, but anglers have made the odd tuna trip work here and there.

Australian salmon have been patchy this season, largely due to the marine heatwave we experienced during summer. Now, however, anglers are finding huge numbers of good-size fish in and around the Tasman Bridge in the River Derwent. Vast schools can be found further downriver, all the way to Betsy Island outside the river in Storm Bay. The most popular lures are chrome and silver in colour. Halco Outcast jigs in 40g have been working well recently.

Spinning with a jig spin retrieve has been producing the goods, along with trolling.

Tailor are currently quite large, with pipes and feed on worms and other creatures that get washed into the ponds after rain.

SURROUNDS The fishing action at Googong Dam has definitely slowed in recent weeks.

Maybe it has something to do with the new township and the inevitable widespread littering along the edges of the dam that has followed. Alternatively, the slow fishing may be due to the everincreasing carp population.

Over the past few years, Googong

some reaching a tad over 1kg. They are still being caught throughout the Derwent estuary and further around the east coast. Any lure that resembles a small baitfish has been working well.

If these fish are thick, it pays to use a black wire trace, or go a few line classes up on your regular tippet if fly fishing.

This will help you to avoid too many bite-offs.

Slimy or blue mackerel have been fairly thick at night, mainly under marine lights on jetties. Small squid or pilchard pieces fished unweighted on a hook is a very effective way of catching these fish.

Wading and spearing greenback flounder has been popular on windless, dark nights. Winter is traditionally the flounder season and they’re definitely back on the menu for many.

Early darkness, calmer weather and good tides have allowed people to get out after work in the evening and return, hopefully with a good bag, at a reasonable hour without being too tired the next day. The flounder have been in very good condition. Make sure you pack some good possum gloves and a beanie because the nights have been very cool.

Southern calamari continue to be caught right along the east coast and throughout the channel south of Hobart. The action depends on the water clarity; lately, the water has been a bit stirred up and brown, making the usual hot spots a bit quiet. The key to success at the moment is finding clear water and the usual broken substrate bordering sand.

Storm Bay and the Tasman

Angus Williams from Spot On Hobart with a 137kg barrel SBT tuna caught recently off the Hippolyte Rocks, Eaglehawk Neck.

Southern calamari are still on the bite. Settled weather is the key to consistent captures at this time of year. has been a phenomenal winter fishery, but that might not last much longer. A few years ago, I could go for a quick walk near the main car park in the middle of July, catch a yella or two and a dozen reddies, and be done and dusted in an hour or two. Now, it is getting harder.

The packs of reddies that once patrolled the shoreline in the cooler months are now gone. That said, I have landed a few big reds on the point that leads into Shannon’s Inlet and while these reds were travelling solo, they were of a good size.

Jo Hancox with a nice specimen.

Peninsula have seen good action on school and gummy shark. These two species can be fun winter options.

Remember, there are shark sanctuaries all across the state, and to avoid any trouble with authorities you should target sharks outside of these areas.

Check local fishing regulations before heading out.

When chasing school and gummy sharks, use berley for the best results. A fresh squid bait is a killer option for bait.

Winter heralds the arrival of sand whiting. This species is a saltwater staple and they have shown up in reasonable numbers around Lewisham, Carlton, and wider Storm Bay. For best results, try a Black Magic whiting rig with strips of squid as a teaser off the hooks.

Storm Bay and South Bruny snapper have been turning up in anglers’ bags.

These fish are running a tad late but it’s a ‘take them while you can get them’ situation. Summer is quite a way off.

Our lakes and inland waterways have been suffering the effects of a dry summer and winter thus far.

Freshwater anglers are hopeful of rain and snow soon to set the whole Central Highlands up for next season, starting

around 1 August.

IFS have realised that many of our 12-month waters are too low for boating, affecting those spin and troll anglers that utilise breaks in the weather at altitude to spend a day on the lake. Nearly all MAST-approved boat ramps on Great Lake are high and dry and unusable. Shore fishing is still possible but it’s limiting as far as access to the wider lake is concerned.

IFS used a special exemption to open the Bradys chain of lakes, which includes Brads Lake, Lake Binney and Tungatinah Lagoon (note this does not include Bronte Lagoon). These exempted waters opened on 1 June, and trolling and spinning have been working well across all three. Lower in altitude than the highly exposed Great Lake, the fish in these waters become very active sooner than those in the icy waters up higher.

My recommended lures for these three lakes include the number 50, 51 and 47 Tasmanian Devils in 13g, and the ever-popular Rapala Spotted Dog in either an F7 or F9.

We’ve been getting reports of good wet fly fishing to responsive trout cruising the edges post-spawn. Anything small and black with a hint of red and gold should do the trick.

Tasmania is not renowned for its winter fishing, but for the moment, things seem to be ticking along reasonably well in 2024. Good winter weather with many mild days have been giving anglers a deserved chance to get out after consecutive bad La Niña seasons, which usually mean a good stint of fishing inactivity for July. Get out while you can.

JULY 2024 67

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West Coast

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Let’s hope stable conditions will continue PORTLAND

Nigel Fisher

What an amazing autumn we had in Portland! We saw plenty of sunshine and stable winds, which we hadn’t seen for some time.

We’ve had some great tuna action, with a real mix of sizes so far this season. Sizes have ranged from school tuna around 10kg up to a monster 165kg model.

As winter sets in we generally see the school tuna coming into the shallow waters so anglers don’t have to travel too far. Let’s hope this

have been popular.

Hopefully, the winds stay in our favour as the winter fishing can certainly turn it on. Shelf trips on finer days are generally productive throughout winter, and we see good numbers of blue-eye, gemfish, blue grenadier and pink ling, which are the general favourites. Using

feed of flathead.

Cape Nelson and back towards Lawrences Rock is another great deep-water fishing location for a variety of table fish.

The winter months in the bay can still produce some big winter whiting and big schools of salmon. Gummies and schools along the North Shore reef lines are also a great winter target from boats and also for landbased fishos.

Breakwater is always a popular winter fishing spot as you can drive your car along the wall, set up, and relax. It’s amazing what you can catch off this great wall, such as sharks, snapper, whiting and big salmon, just to name a few.

We also have some great landbased areas for families and kids to fish in a safe environment.

Remember, if you are living in Portland or holidaying, we also have some great estuary and freshwater options not too far away.

• For the latest on what’s biting and where, call into Portland Compleat Angler and say g’day to the friendly

The boys caught this monster 165kg barrel tuna on a recent trip. team, and check out all the gear they have on offer. You’ll find them at 61 Bentinck Street, Portland (next to the Gordon Hotel) or you can give them a call on 03 5521 1844 or look them up on Facebook.

We have seen a vast variety of sizes of tuna this season.

The team on Bag Out Fishing Charters caught this mako while trolling for tuna. trend continues.

The tuna are still hitting a mixture of hardbody and skirted lures. King brown, lumo and pilchard colours

electric reel set-ups for this type of deep-sea fishing is very popular these days.

Winter flathead are also a very popular target, and fish always seem a bit bigger at this time of year. The Bridgewater Bay area is a very popular spot for large flathead but again, the wind needs to be in your favour.

Gummy sharks are also common in this area, and are a welcome addition while chasing a good

Young Oscar with a very nice winter whiting.

FISHING NEWS

Vic introduces more year-round cod fishing To make Murray cod fishing even better all year round, the Victorian Fisheries Authority has removed the closed season from a trio of lakes in central and northern Victoria.

The annual 3-month closed season (1 September to 30 November) will no longer apply in Lake Eppalock, Cairn Curran Reservoir and Lake Nillahcootie.

More than 90% of submissions on the proposal supported the move, which has been advocated for by VRFish and prominent Murray cod fishers for several years.

Research shows that natural Murray cod breeding and

68 JULY 2024

recruitment in these systems is very low and Victoria’s record-breaking stocking program does the heavy

lifting in boosting populations, so the closed season has limited effect in lakes like these three. It’s also hoped

opening these waters up year-round for cod fishing will take pressure off the Loddon, Campaspe and Broken rivers, where cod breeding and recruitment does occur.

The VFA has previously opened up Lake Eildon which has turned it into a year-round cod mecca, and several waters out west including Rocklands Reservoir and Taylors Lake.

The VFA will re-consult with recreational fishers on maintaining these regulations in 2025.

For more information, head to the Fisheries website, vfa.vic. gov.au/bettercod. – Victorian Fisheries Authority

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Flat days make for perfect offshore conditions WARRNAMBOOL

Mark Gercovich mgercovich@hotmail.com

Come July we should be in the depths of a cold, wet, windy Sothern Victorian winter, and do you know what? I’m almost looking forward to it! That might seem to make no sense, but let me explain.

After a fairly disappointing summer season with plenty of wind and a fair bit of precipitation, autumn has turned it on with some glorious calm weather, albeit with very little rain. Unfortunately, the transition to

the winter species has been slow, and water temperatures are too cold for summer species, making things a bit quiet on some fronts.

No rain means the trout have been slow to fire, the estuaries have remained blocked or re-blocked quickly after opening, and the bream fishing hasn’t been great. It would have been the perfect time of year/ conditions to target mulloway, but they have been non-existent once again. Casting for salmon at the local beaches should also be a prime option given the conditions we’ve been having, but the salmon have

Hopefully the trout will be firing with some July rainfall.

also been quiet.

Fortunately, these conditions are perfect for offshore angling – something that’s often weatherrestricted in this area. Amazingly, many of the awesome flat days have fallen on weekends! Unheard of!

There hasn’t been much barrel tuna action off the local area, but there have been plenty of school fish.

Most have been taken in the deeper 45-60m area, with no real run of super in close fish, as can happen at this time of year. Bottom fishers have been taking plenty of gummy and school shark along with pinky snapper, nannygai, latchet, and all manner of tasty deepwater treats.

Most freezers are well and truly stocked for the winter ahead.

The second Koroit Angling Club carp comp was held recently. 150kg of the vermin was removed from the local rivers by the 94 entrants. The largest carp was a 7.116kg fish taken

by Rick Hillam, and the biggest junior carp title went to Will Chisholm with a 5.142kg fish.

With some July rains, hopefully the local trout fishing will begin to fire. The Hopkins, Merri, and Moyne rivers and Mt Emu Creek remain open during the traditional closed season, which means most of the prime local trout waters are fishable all winter.

This allows anglers to target the trout in what is the most productive time to fish these waters. The higher water

Thanks to good conditions offshore, plenty of tasty mixed bags have been coming in. levels and cooler winter temperatures usually produce the best trout fishing conditions. Also, all these South West coastal rivers rely on annual fish stocking, with research showing very little (if any) natural recruitment.

This reduces the need to ‘lock up’ the rivers to protect spawning fish at the best time to be fishing them.

Also, with all the snakes in hibernation, long treks along the rivers are far safer and pleasurable without the dread of stepping on one.

Good opportunities for boaters and LB fishos COBDEN

Rod Shepherd

Cold weather, calm mornings and a lack of rain has seen the saltwater scene become inviting for many anglers, whilst the inland scene has become tough going for most.

Good news for boaters and landbased fishos alike is the sheer amount of shark being hooked and landed.

Both school shark and gummies have been a prominent catch for those with or without a boat. From the shallows way out to 120m+, some good shark have been taken in recent weeks.

For land-based anglers, a rising tide after dark has seen success for many.

Tough baits such as freshwater eel and squid have worked well, especially on ganged hooks. Berley introduced into the surf has helped.

Out wide, schoolies up to 20kg have been taken off the bottom along with many other species such as blue grenadier, knife fish, ocean perch and Tassie trumpeter. Strips of tuna or mackerel with the skin left on, along with whole squid, have been

the gun baits to employ down deep or in the shallows.

The tuna scene is beginning to fire up with plenty of solid fish 20kg+ being taken off Portland. Boaters are now starting to launch from Port Fairy in the hope of nailing a fish or two as they inevitably make their way eastwards

over the coming weeks.

Most boaters are working depths that lie only 10-20km offshore. There appears to be plenty of bait balls about, with dolphins and seals driving the schools to the surface, where feeding seabirds give away the bait’s position.

Skirted lures in fluoro pink, and

A whole morning session on the Hopkins only saw two decent bream caught and released (one at 32cm and the other 35cm) on plastics worked at depth.

200-300mm deep-diving minnow lures that dive to 30ft trolled nearby are picking up the odd fish.

The Hopkins River is slow for bream and perch due to a lack of flow in the estuary and the bream appear to be schooling up in the channel.

Are they getting ready to spawn early?

One day they’ll be biting, and the next day it goes quiet. When the bream are on, plenty around 30cm are being caught with the odd exception going over 40cm. The best bait has been live crab fished in depths of 2m+ and just out from the cliffs that make up the Bay of Biscay.

The perch are hanging midwater and appear to be doing very little in the way of surface feeding. Soft plastics worked up off the bottom and mediumdiving minnows cast or trolled are taking the odd fish. Most perch are topping out at 32cm with the bigger ones nowhere to be seen.

The Curdies is also quiet for bream and perch, with another algal outbreak affecting the system and working its way upstream. We need colder weather and plenty of rain to break this up and prevent another fish kill.

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Young anglers showing adults how it’s done GEELONG

Neil Slater slaterfish@gmail.com

Wurdee Boluc is the place to go for big redfin at this time of year. James Galea has been out there a fair bit and managed to nab a ripper of 50cm using a Keitech wriggler.

Warm water species have hung around a lot longer this year, with quality snapper showing up here and there, plus some very late-season

Keep an eye out for big tuna this July.

James caught this one on a trolled lure. kingfish being caught around the structures of Corio Bay. Steven Buckingham fished Corio Bay where he was surprised to boat a whopper snapper that weighed in at 9kg! Steven says it was a cold night out but well worth it, and the fish put up a heck of a fight! Steven also ended up with a nice gummy shark to add to his seafood platter.

David Le has been catching a few solid pinkie snapper to 46cm using Rapala Crush City soft plastics in the Suspect 2.75” and Creeper 2.5” models. David said the colour didn’t really matter when the snapper were schooling up, and believes it will only get better in the coming weeks.

“The key I’ve found is to fish enclosed areas with a lot of structure, such as yachts, boats, weed beds or just a sand flat with the sun sitting over the top of it,” he said. “These are where the fish can be found holding.”

David loves ‘fishing light to get the bite’ using a 6lb braid paired with a light rod. Finally, he suggests lightweight jigheads are a must, especially if the 70 JULY 2024

fish feel skittish. He has posted a few of these snapper captures on his YouTube channel ‘Fishing with David’.

Last month was all about King George whiting. They were going nuts around the Bellarine, with plenty of anglers getting stuck into them.

Queenscliff to Swan Bay saw the bestsized fish, with some up over 45cm.

Clifton Springs to Point Henry had good numbers of smaller fish from 32-38cm.

If you’re fishing from approximately Indented Head to Queenscliff, the tide can really run so use a long leader around 1-1.5m. On the other hand, if you’re fishing from Portarlington and back into Corio Bay, use a leader no longer than 20cm or the fish will swallow the hook, as there is very low tidal flow.

Try to streamline your bait where there is flow so it doesn’t spin in the tide. Cut your squid into a triangle shape and pin it in the top quarter of the triangle once only, to avoid excessive spinning.

For low tidal flow areas inside Corio Bay, load up your hook to the max with some delicious bait. Pipis have been doing very well; they are a pricey bait but good to have on board. Squid is also great as it will last longer than one peck by a tiddler. It also hangs on in current and is free if you have squid jigs on board!

The day after all my mates bagged out off Clifton Springs, I took my son Max (15yo) and his mates Tex and Marcus out in Corio Bay. We fished pretty hard for not much and the pressure was on the skipper to provide a few fish. Long story short, we didn’t lose a bait (!) but the lads saved the day by flicking a few soft plastics about and catching some small flatties, which was great fun for them. Tex caught his first flathead on soft plastic so he was super pumped.

I always have a squid jig over the side when bait fishing because squid

can turn up at any time, and the rocking boat imparts an irresistible action on the jig. Sure enough, the rod folded and we had ultra-fresh bait, but still couldn’t tempt a whiting.

Matt McDonnell had fished out here the day before and brained them, so I hit him up for a locale. Matt threw the exact GPS mark at us and STILL we could not lose a bait! Back at the ramp, most people had similar stories of whiting doughnuts.

Matt McDonnell has been enjoying the whiting fishing around the Bellarine lately. Matt took his son Toby (8yo) with Xavier Todd (7) and Brodie Haining (8) out off Clifton Springs where they had a ball taking a bag limit capture of whiting.

Speaking of kids getting the fishing bug, my son Max notified me Tex was coming over for a sleepover and they might go fishing. Tex rocked up just on dusk with a fistful of gear, and Max said, “Can you take us down to Limeburners please Dad?” I was beer number one into Friday night footy, with a wheelbarrow of pizza to destroy, but I said, “You got it!” and vapourised the food. I took the lads down to Limeburners at 6pm in a 9°C blizzard with extra drizzle on

James caught this ripper reddie from Wurdee using a soft plastic lure. the radar. It was terrible weather. It didn’t bother the lads though, who were excited because their mate Marcus had caught a 1.5kg butterfish on bait there

David has been using light jigheads to tempt snapper in Corio Bay.

How pumped is Tex with his first flattie on plastics?

just a few days ago.

I sat in the car, listened to the footy and watched the lads poke at stuff, recast lines, chuck rocks and just have fun. Rain came so I texted them and said they had to wrap it up. Max replied, “Tex just got a sick whiting” so I spent another hour in the car! The boys ended up with two King George whiting to 36cm using 6-month-old squid, and they were soaked. On the way back, I heard them say, “Next time, we’ll bring a tarp to sit under.” The dedication of 15-year-olds!

The Barwon River estuary can produce some XXL trevally and salmon during July. The salmon are closer to the mouth while the trevally can be found from the mouth to Lake Connewarre.

The best trevally reported last year were over 60cm and were caught on a mix of

Central

FMM soft plastic lures, pilchards, raw chicken and pipis. The salmon were caught on all manner of lures, flies and fish baits.

Hugh Hanson recently took his kids

VIC

around Bass Strait last month, but we can expect them to fade over July.

The good news is there have been a few XXL southern bluefin tuna up to around 100kg caught in as close in around 40m of water. James Galea caught an absolute ripper around 70kg, trolling a Levi’s Lures Skipjack.

July is a great month to walk the beaches with a spin rod casting for salmon. A 9ft rod pinging out a 40g metal lure is the sweet spot for ease of use and distance. Pick a few gutters and keep moving if you don’t get a

Matt had his son Toby on board with Xavier and Brodie for a hectic whiting session off Clifton Springs.

Hugh works as deckie while Wilis hauls in the mullet.

Willis and Charlotte (both 4yo) down the Barwon estuary. Using ‘Here Fishy Fishy’ berley, they managed to catch a bunch of mullet, much to the joy of the kids.

A few snapper were hanging

Steve with a late-season Corio Bay snapper.

hit. Jan Juc, Bancoora, 13th Beach and Fairhaven are great beaches to ping lures.

Commodore of Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club, Keith Millar, reports there have been plenty of good eatingsized snapper around 50cm, along with school and gummy sharks. Keith notes there have been plenty of undersized school sharks about, which is a good sign. Whiting have backed off a bit, while flathead have been biting well.

There have been some solid salmon out off Cumberland and Wye River as

well, if you’re up for some fun. Anglers fishing from Lorne Pier have found good numbers of salmon, trevally, mullet and the odd whiting.

FISH HARD – DIE HAPPY! Catch a few around Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast to Lorne recently? Send a report to slaterfish@gmail.com with “FMG” in the subject field or give me a call on 0408 997 348. Please include where (without giving away your secret spot!), when, what on and who caught the fish.

Photos are always great.

Manning River Marine

www.tournamentboats.com.au 1/11 Knobel Ct SHAILER PARK QLD 4128

514 Canterbury Rd VERMONT VIC 3133

(02) 6552 2333

0427 326 464

(03) 9874 4624

13 Victoria St TAREE NSW 2430

Regal Marine

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Bread-and-butter species still firing in the cold You can sight cast these bigger ones on clear days. Drifting out the 5m line has accounted for many legal flathead, but most of them are on the smaller side.

I have also caught countless squid and King George whiting fishing between Kirks Point and Geelong. Shallow reefy grounds around 4m deep have been the sweet spot all around Point Wilson, Point

PORT PHILLIP BAY WEST

Alan Bonnici alan@fishingmad.com.aua

We are now a month into winter but surprisingly we have had some excellent weather, which has provided heaps of opportunities for local anglers to drop a line.

This past month I have made several trips up to East Gippsland, the Grampians, Portland and plenty of day trips locally to Port Phillip Bay and Western Port. When I look back, I’m astounded at the kilometres, and the hours and relentless dedication to fishing. I will split this month’s report into sharing some great local fishing action and detailing some of my awesome fishing trips, which will hopefully inspire you to get out and wet a line.

Locally, the water temperature has plummeted but your bread-and-

A 42cm bream from the Gippsland Lakes. butter species of flathead, squid, King George whiting and even pinkie snapper are fishing as strong as ever.

I’ve had many bag-out sessions on all those species, fishing a lot from Port Melbourne through to St Leonards.

At the moment, in my local waters, the shallows are a great spot to tangle with plenty of flathead.

The humble flattie is a great species to target; they happily take a variety of baits, lures and plastics and are an awesome table fish. On my most recent trip, I was fishing with Squidgies Prawn Wriggler Tail soft plastics in the estuary perch colour, rigged on 1/12-1/8oz 3/0 jigheads. While slowly hopping it off the bottom I managed to snag a 68cm flattie, which is a really goodsize fish for the Werribee area. Even better, I caught it in only 2.5m of water, which makes a fun battle.

Flathead love the Squidgies Prawn Wriggler Tails.

The author with a 47cm bream.

Lillias and closer to Geelong along the Curlewis bank. Make lots of small moves until you find really productive grounds. At this point, I would anchor or stay on the drift if moving at a slow speed. We have had less rain than usual so the water clarity has been excellent which has helped to some great fishing. Most trips right now will include a good feed to take home and some fun

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Excitement is building offshore for barrel tuna PHILLIP ISLAND

Craig Edmonds

Some things in life bring extra high levels of joy, such as Christmas for a child, a new car for dad, or a holiday for mum. For most offshore fishers, one thing that brings us that same kind of excitement is catching barrel tuna. It’s barrel time! The hype of tuna fishing really has put a spark back into fishing during winter in Bass Strait and Westernport Bay. We are starting to get reports of barrel tuna from offshore, but they have been few and far between so far. All the reports have come from out wide, Cody and beyond. We are starting to see whales showing up and as their numbers increase, we expect to get more reports of the tuna in closer. At least, this has been the pattern of the last few years.

The tuna caught so far have been taken on a variety of lures, both skirts and hardbodies, and it’s a bit early to get any sort of pattern yet.

While these barrels are a prize catch, and something many anglers will talk about for a lifetime, you’ll find yourself sick of tuna before long (unless you have a lot of friends or fishing with light spin gear. I have caught most of my whiting on soft plastics, but baits have been fishing exceptionally well.

I recently had the pleasure of fishing Gippsland Lakes with friend and long-time fellow Fishing Monthly Author Brett Geddes. Brett is a legend of these local waters and regularly catches trophy-size bream, estuary perch and dusky flathead. My favourite thing about fishing is the remarkable people you meet in your travels, and what you can learn and share with fellow anglers. We both fish by kayak and with lures and plastics, but it’s safe to say we fish very differently. I’m borderline obsessed with finesse fishing, using toothpicks as fishing rods, silly string as line and lightlyweighted soft plastics often as a go-to. However, I watched with amazement as Brett showed me the success he has in the area with heavier lines and bigger rods whilst tea-bagging blades and slow rolling self-made hybrid lures. In our first few moments of fishing together, Brett landed a 47cm bream using a hybrid soft plastic lure which he cast about a foot from the reeds and worked back slowly. It was a great experience to fish with a local legend and true gentleman, who taught me a few tricks that will serve me well in years to come.

I went back the following week and landed some big fish using

family). Traditionally, we see a large amount of our customers over the Easter weekend and then no longer see them until September, when they begin getting ready for the next season to begin.

WHITING As the fishable, hot days begin to decline each summer season that passes, there has been a shift in the mentality of the local Westernport Bay angler. The last couple of summers haven’t been the hottest, and they have been wet and windier than one would expect. This consistent, unfishable weather has pushed people to look at fishing year-round. This winter so far has been trying to make up for the lack of good days by producing weeks of low-knot northerlies and midday tides, which have been favourable for our whiting fishers.

One thing more people are starting to see a lot of lately is winter whiting.

Traditionally a longer fish, they adapt to the cooler water temperatures by getting fatter and generally taste a lot better than the warmer season ones.

When conditions have been almost perfect to be on the whiting grounds at the right part of the tide, those anglers with time on their hands

have headed out for a fish. Reports are very reasonable at the moment, and while not too many anglers have been bagging out, the quality of the fish has made it well worth the effort, with some bags of around a dozen. No spot has stood out as being the best; the reports have been widespread over the various whiting grounds. You’ll either bag out in two hours on decent fish, or spend the whole day fishing for around 10-20 decent fish.

CALAMARI Earlier in the year the calamari had become almost non-existent, with hardly any reports coming from land, boat, beach and kayak. Luckily, we have had a massive improvement since then. A lot of 1.5-2kg monsters are being hauled in from the beaches, and by boats getting close into Cleeland Bight around to the last red pole before heading out the Eastern Entrance.

SALMON The island beaches have been better for salmon because they have been a bit cleaner and easier to fish; there’s been a lot of weed on the Kilcunda and Wonthaggi beaches. I have only heard of the odd salmon over 1kg reported, with most fish

being 300-500g (still a good size to bake whole). I had several reports recently from customers using both bait and lures. Casting a lure or two is not a bad way to stay warm while waiting for the bigger ones to come along. Smaller lures around 25-40g have been producing the goods lately, and the best bait is a whole pilchard.

Of course, you first need to be able to ‘read’ the beach to find a good gutter or deeper channel. Everyone has their favourite spot along the gutter; I prefer the outward part, but others prefer the inward side or even the middle or the deepest spot.

It doesn’t really matter which part of the gutter you fish, providing you are somewhere near it. When the schools of salmon come in close looking for food, most of them will travel along the deeper water.

You can also catch fish in the shallows but most of them are loners, and you’ll rarely get more than a couple. In the shallows the salmon are usually bigger, and the best way to catch them is with lures rather than bait. That’s because fishing shallow water often means dealing with rocks or weed, and while fishing on the bottom you will get snagged often.

some of his tips.

PORTLAND TUNA The following day I set off to Portland and fished with another good mate, bluewater legend Matt Cini. He was going to show me a few tricks to land some big barrel tuna which are in prime season, and a bucket list fish for many anglers. We set off from the harbour and headed out about 7km, trolling an assortment of teaser bars, skirts and lures at 6 knots. We had live bait with us, too.

Eventually, the Shimano Tiagra 50 screamed off and after a 45-minute battle we landed a 100kg barrel.

It was an awesome experience and a great reward after battling seasickness with some unpleasant easterly winds and offshore swells.

I learned a lot about how to properly manage a spread of rods, rigging up, setting drags and using outriggers. I also learned what to look for when targeting barrels – following the gannets and abundant

of sea life including bait balls, seals and dolphins. We captured some awesome footage and at one stage watched in amazement as schools of barrel tuna continually leapt out of the water. Make sure you head up to Portland and surrounding areas and tap into the expertise of experienced offshore anglers like Matt and the various other awesome charter operators in the area.

Until next time, good fishing everyone. Remember to follow FishingMad adventures on YouTube and C31 to stay across what we’re catching and learn a few helpful tips too.

• Feel free to share your fishing catches and photos around Melbourne, Port Phillip Bay and beyond which we can feature in next month’s article. You can contact me by email at alan@ fishingmad.com.au.

Consider becoming a FishingMad member at www.fishingmad.com.au/member for fishing reports, workshops, podcasts, and exciting monthly giveaways. Also, don’t forget to follow my fishing adventures on the FishingMad YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/c/ fishingmad), Facebook page (www. facebook . com / f i shing mad . com . au), Instagram (www.instagram. com/fishingmad.com.au) and on Channel 31 Tuesday evenings at 8:30pm and Saturday afternoons.

A barrel landed from Portland.

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The squid and gummy sharks will warm you up PORT ALBERT

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

It’s nice to see the winter squid run gain momentum, and even the gummies are still turning up in fair numbers. There’s plenty of fishing ahead for the next few months of winter, so on with the report.

SOUTHERN CALAMARI Squid are the gift that just keeps on giving. Not only can you rely on them to turn up pretty much on cue every year, but they do so in numbers that keep all anglers happy. For the Port Albert area, they actually showed up extra early and turned up at the entrance in the first week of May. Now the numbers have grown and they are starting to infiltrate through the system and into the usual hotspots. The sizes have been mixed, and not many have been the really big ones that we often find around mid-summer. Still, I’m tipping with the early arrival of squid this winter, the bigger models won’t be far away.

It’s when we see their hood lengths get up around 40cm when things get interesting, because they can pull a bit of drag off your reel at that size.

Once again, the best time to target squid is two hours before and after high tide. This also helps to avoid free floating weed, which has been quite common recently and can nearly put a stop to chasing squid around low tide.

The main Port Albert channel from the entrance up towards the boat ramp is where you should start your search, but if you want some guaranteed squid action head to Welshpool. I reckon you’ll have very

little trouble bagging out.

SALMON AND TAILOR If you’re looking to get your arms stretched with some salmon action, you’re in luck. They have turned up in big schools, and there are also a few tailor running around with them. I’m yet to hear of any really big greenbacks of 2.5kg+ but there are plenty of fish between 1-2kg to keep you occupied. These are real fun size fish because they don’t take forever to haul in and love hitting surface lures, which is the best way to target salmon if they’ll take them. They are the perfect size to keep and take home for fish patties, and are pretty good smoked, too. Over the last few years I’ve discovered that fresh raw salmon sashimi is a magnificent product, with a splash of chilli jam, lemon, honey soy and sesame oil. It’s a

them with a spin rod as you walk up and down the beach while you wait for your surf rod to load up.

GUMMY SHARKS Not many anglers associate winter with catching good gummy sharks (i.e. up to 4ft+). There may not be the numbers of gummies around like in summer but the ones you find now are rarely little. And you don’t have to venture offshore to find them either; a lot of fishos park at the Port Albert entrance and work the changing high or low tides. This also works at McLoughlins, Manns and Kearneys entrances. On the right weather days, I know plenty of anglers who head offshore and by most accounts are rarely disappointed when it comes to catching quality gummy sharks.

LOOKING AHEAD The squid and salmon should continue to grow in size and numbers in the coming weeks, and there are plenty of other species to keep you going over the next few months.

74 JULY 2024

Right now, whiting are still going pretty well, there have been some whopper trevally, and even a good feed of leatherjackets can be caught.

Bream continue in cold LAKES ENTRANCE

Steven Pryke

Plenty of windy and rainy days have limited fishing opportunities lately, but keen anglers have been making the most of the good weather windows. Here’s what to expect this month.

Squid are such great sport and are often found in big numbers this month.

Winter gummies can be bigger than expected.

Preparing a feed of sashimi salmon and a big mess of squid for deep frying in crispy batter.

terrific and sustainable way to utilise a tiny percentage of those millions of smaller Aussie salmon around 500g.

I also think fresh tailor is a very underrated table fare. A 40cm fish cooked on a barbecue or under a griller is right up with some of the best seafood.

The best areas to try for salmon right now are the entrances at Manns, McLoughlins and Kearneys.

It pays to search for them down deep at times because they often hug the bottom in the better channels.

That’s why trolling for salmon is often unrewarding because you’re not getting lures into the strike zone.

There have also been some ripper salmon caught from the surf recently and they seem to be bigger fish with some around 2kg. You can even target

Lindsay Pryke with a solid Gippy Lakes bream.

LAKES ENTR ANCE The cool, crisp winter mornings have made for some wonderful sessions on the water. Yes, it is cold and you’ll need to dig out the gloves and beanies, but it’s truly worth it when the weather clears.

Anglers have made the most of the large schools of Australia, salmon and

tailor. Areas such as Cunningham Arm have had plenty of schools cruising around as they hunt for baitfish. Getting out on the water early is best, and you can have some great fun fishing, especially with topwater lures.

Rat yellowtail kingfish have still been quiet, which is fairly uncommon for this time of year.

Hopefully, they’ll hang around in the lakes throughout the cooler months. Soft plastic flickbaits around 150mm are a good starting point for targeting the kings.

Metung and Nungurner have held good numbers of bream lately and should continue to hold them through the winter months. Cranka Crabs and the ever-popular Mussel Vibe are good producers – just make sure you up your leader strength or you’ll find yourself donating a lot of gear.

Bait fishing is highly productive for these jetty dwellers. Fresh mussel or peeled prawn fished on a slack line or the tiniest sinker is probably the best way to do it. Your offering doesn’t have to reach the bottom; it’s best for it to slowly sink and float around naturally.

LAKE TYERS The lake is still very high, and masses of fish are waiting for the entrance to open. There have been some massive waves lately, with the surf often overlapping into the lake.

It’s slowly getting closer to open to the ocean.

Lake Tyers is a tricky fishery during winter. Some days the

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A hot bream bite during a cold winter GIPPSLAND LAKES

Brett Geddes b.geddes@bigpond.com

The Gippy Lakes continue to live up to the reputation of having big bream, and lots of ‘em. It’s been incredibly good sport, and there is plenty more ahead, even as the days get colder.

It was a joy for the author to spend a day with Alan Bonnici catching bream.

He is a guru angler and fishing mad!

SHARING THE BLACK BREAM BOUNTY One of the best things about fishing is meeting up with likeminded souls and sharing our passion for this wonderful sport. Recently I bumped into someone absolutely mad about his fishing: Alan Bonnici.

It was a joy to fish with Alan for an hour or so and share some of my local tips with him. I was able to show him a few tricky techniques, fishing is simply amazing, while on other days it’s so dead you start to wonder if there are even fish in the lake. Using a quality sounder, and spending the time to understand it, is really important.

Metal blades are a great starting point in winter, allowing anglers to cover large amounts of water, and fish will rarely pass them up.

Areas such as the island and Half Moon Bay are ideal areas to start your search.

The humble flathead that call Lake Tyers home have moved into their winter patterns. Shallow, muddy bays, typically at the back of arms, are great places to start your search. Finding slightly warmer water will also help.

HAVE YOU BEEN FISHING? If you have been out for fish lately and have a great pic, send it to stevenprykefishing@gmail.com with a short description and you could be featured in the edition of Fishing Monthly.

and I demanded he ditch the 4lb and 6lb leaders and beef them up to 10lb and 12lb. Not only did he quickly learn and adopt the new knowledge, he also caught a whole heap of bream.

A week later, we organised to spend a full day together and he joined me at Hollands Landing with sunny weather and mint conditions.

Unfortunately, the bream were shut down and it was a grind all day to get the fish to take our lures. Now, however, I understand why Alan is so successful in all the filming and writing he does across so many different species of fish. The mark of a gun angler is that when the chips are down and the going is super tough, you just have to keep trying and work even harder. In the end, we found some cracking bream and Alan horsed in a very trucky 45cm reward on a soft plastic. I was able to wrestle in a 47cm model, but to Alan’s credit he out-scored me for the day with seven bream landed to my five, and we both dropped a lot of other fish.

Although the cranky bream refused to fire that day, it was a pleasure to enjoy his company and I can’t wait to team up with Alan again soon.

SKINNY WATER DELIGHT The real highlight recently has been the incredible sport that just keeps on delivering out in the shallows of Lake Victoria, and especially now in Lake Wellington.

The bream have been hard up on the edges and feeding flat out, just like they do in summer. The water is now crystal clear and salty, and the bream are feeding in water as shallow as 45cm. When you cast unweighted plastics, hardbodies and even surface

lures at these bream, you can actually see them charge over and eat your presentation. It hardly gets any better.

Big brutes from 44-47cm have been coming to the party on nearly every trip, but most of the fish have been between 34-40cm.

I have been able to share this incredible sport with a lot of good buddies, and we have all had some exceptional fishing during calm, sunny winter days. A few weeks ago, I had five trips over two weeks in the shallows and worked the edges for six or seven hours a day. My best day saw 52 bream landed, with a handful of thumpers around 43cm and 46cm.

The very next day, I landed 42 bream and I was even able to sight cast to them and hook them on bent minnows. It’s exceptionally good surface fun when you consider it’s winter and water temperatures are down at around 12°C or lower. I stacked about 140 bream for the five trips, all caught in skinny water. This action is starting to slow down, but even this month, I’m sure you could target these bream almost anywhere

Anthony Havers with a big Lake Wellington carp caught on lure. The fish was probably approaching 10kg.

Plenty of bream have been falling to Cranka Crabs and Mussel Vibes.

in Lake Victoria.

I’m also hearing the Nicholson River and the lower Tambo are now starting to hold modest schools of bream, but there are a lot of small fish around so it pays to keep searching for the larger models.

MULLOWAY AND FLATHEAD I’ve been hearing of a few mulloway being caught recently, and the Gippy Lakes seems to be slowly producing more of these elusive but eagerly sought-after fish.

Brayden Kohte got one way up in the Mitchell River, and even at just 40cm it was a real surprise for him while using blades to catch a few bream. Ray Clissold caught a nice 66cm mulloway in the Straits recently and I heard of yet another one caught down at Metung.

More great news that continues

The author with a 47cm bream caught on a homemade lure. into winter is the amount of big flathead still turning up. I recently caught a ripper 70cm dusky while chasing bream in the shallow lake edges, and spooked another much bigger fish shortly after.

On the same day I bumped into Lee Rayner by chance, and even though he was there chasing bream he told me just how outstanding the flathead fishing has been over the last three or four months. He confirmed what all of us have been seeing: scores of super-sized duskies between 80-95cm. Mick Caulfield has caught some nice dusky flathead in the Nicholson River right at the highway bridge, and measured two around the late 60cm mark. And just now as I put my report together, I’m hearing of flatties being caught at Hollands Landing and even at Seacombe.

I’ve been saying for many years now that big dusky flathead can bite well into winter, and they will keep feeding for another month yet. The real trick is to look for them pushing well up into the rivers, especially the Tambo, Mitchell and the lower Nicholson.

Another quick mention I need to make is about the kingfish down at Lakes Entrance. Once again, Lawson Ware has pulled in some surprise trophies, and this time big kingies on live baits. You may remember he was also the fella who caught five gummies off the Kalimna jetty, which nobody has ever done before or since.

He really is the local legend.

LOOKING AHEAD By the end of this month and into August, you can expect the bream to start schooling in big numbers, as they prepare for the breeding season.

You should have no problems finding them in the lower reaches of any river that feeds into the Gippy Lakes.

While you are there, try some extralarge blades or soft plastics in the area and lure up a giant flathead or maybe a mulloway.

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Lake and rivers are the places to be MALLACOOTA/EDEN

Kevin Gleed captainkev@wildernessfishingtours.com

The start of winter has made its presence felt, with the offshore water temperature just over 16°C at the time of writing this report. Over the coming weeks it will get even colder.

With fewer visitors to the area, it has

A great yellowfin bream caught in the Bottom Lake on a blade.

been pretty quiet around town. However, fishing-wise, there is plenty on offer for those making a winter trip to Mallacoota.

We’re seeing some great catches coming from the lake and rivers.

Offshore, the water temperature is really slowing the fishing down, and with few boats heading out there’s little to report. The weather this time of year doesn’t help, with windy conditions often making things uncomfortable. If you’re an offshore angler, this is the time of year to go through your fishing gear to prepare for next season, and do maintenance on the boat and trailer so you are ready to go once things warm up.

As usual, winter is when the salmon are about in good numbers, along with the odd big tailor. Walking the beach and tossing metal lures is the best way to catch a few.

Chasing gummy shark can be an option for those prepared to rug up and fish into the night. Quarry Beach is probably the best option for gummies.

That said, the main focus in winter in Mallacoota is the lake and rivers. Unlike

the rivers on the far south coast of NSW, where the fishing can really slow up as the water cools, the Mallacoota lake system keeps on providing some great fishing for many keen anglers. This is the time they look forward to. You just have to be prepared to rug up because a day on the water in winter can be bitterly cold.

Around the entrance area, the Harrisons channel and channel markers see plenty of salmon moving in and out of the lake. Some years, schools of salmon make it as far upstream as Gypsy Point.

These big schools make for great action but there is only so much time you can spend catching these fish. When they’re about in numbers they are suicidal, and after a few it’s time to move on and target other species.

Mixed in with these fish can be some big tailor. Winter is the time you can expect to come across some big fish.

Flathead are about in numbers and can be caught year-round; it’s just about finding concentrations of fish. The key is to not work the lure too fast in the colder water.

Flathead are still being caught in good numbers. This one came from behind Goodwin Sands.

Yellowfin bream and black bream will be found in the deeper water around the baitfish schools, and fishing with a sounder can contribute to some memorable sessions. The black bream will be moving about in schools, and often the location of the fish depends on how much rain we’ve had. Once again, keep moving until you find the fish.

Until next month, good fishing.

Cold weather and hot fishing around Marlo MARLO/ORBOST

Marlo Ocean Views

The winter pattern has truly set in in Marlo. Cool days, the occasional bit of rain and some pretty good fishing.

Is there a better place to forget about your worries? We don’t think so.

Anglers are having a field day in the river and from our beaches at the

moment, and July shouldn’t see things change too much. The salmon and tailor present off our beaches and towards the mouth of the Snowy River is incredible.

The tailor are on the smaller side, but are so much fun to catch. Anything from small metal slugs, soft plastics or flesh baits will work, with first and last light being the premium times of the day to fish for them.

You can get them through the day, but as

Peter Chalker and his wife have been enjoying the salmon and tailor fishing in the Snowy River Inlet.

MARLO

OCEAN VIEWS CARAVAN & CAMPING PARK

www.marlocamping.com.au

At the time of writing a few kingfish captures have also been reported. This is very unusual considering the water temperatures, but a welcome opportunity for our visiting offshore anglers.

The run of nice-sized snapper should also continue from Marlo Reef.

Most snapper caught are pinkie-size fish, but there’s always the chance of a 3-4kg fish coming along to add to the fun.

As always, there are plenty of fishing options in the area, so why not come and check it out?

• Les and Kathy Heyne are the owners of the Marlo Ocean Views Caravan and

The bream fishing has slowed a little, but Marlo isn’t considered one of the best bream fisheries in the area for no reason.

21 Marine Parade MARLO VIC HOSTS: Les & Kathy HEYNE

03 5154 8268

• Deluxe cabins • Cabins with ensuite • Budget cabins • Premium ensuite vans • Powered & Unpowered sites • Pet friendly • Boat friendly • Undercover BBQ areas in Marlo Largest park • Large oval • Kitchen • Camp fires • Kiosk the beach Short walk to • Coffee shops

76 JULY 2024

mentioned the tailor in particular are on the smaller side and the better-quality fish tend to be caught during those periods.

If you are sick of playing with them, there will still be some excellent luderick fishing further up the system in the Snowy and the Brodribb rivers. Fresh sand worm is always a prime bait for them. You will find bream mixed in with them and although their numbers tend to reduce in the cooler months, there is a reason Marlo is considered one of the better bream fisheries in the East Gippsland area – any fish caught tend to be on the larger side.

Another fun fish to catch (and for some to eat) are yellow-eyed mullet. They remain in good numbers and are a great family-friendly fish to target.

The entrance of the river is still viable at the moment and should remain so through the winter months, which means there is very little distance to travel to get to our offshore grounds. The water has finally cleared and you would expect to pick up a good feed of sand flathead or gummy shark in and around Marlo Reef.

Roz Chalker with a couple of lovely tailor caught on an outing with her husband.

Camping Park. It has 13 acres of beautiful grassed parkland just a short stroll from the beach, with both powered and unpowered sites, and cabins available.

There are two undercover BBQ areas, a full kitchen, and an onsite kiosk and LPG refills. For more information, visit marlocamping.com.au or call 03 5154 8268.

Creating stronger fishing clubs Victorian fishing clubs are getting a helping hand to grow membership, upgrade facilities and encourage the next generation to wet a line through the State Government’s $1.2 million Stronger Fishing Clubs Grant Program.

More than 30 clubs have shared in $300,000 through round 1 of the program, which provides grants of up to $10,000, funded by fishing licence fees.

The Omeo Angling Club, whose members often fish in remote areas, will use $7,400 to repair clubroom roofing and windows, buy a mobile signal booster, and install eftpos to enable easier payments.

One of the state’s newest clubs, the Burnanga Indigenous Fishing Club, will purchase IT, software and printing equipment to attract more members, and produce educational material on restoring native fish habitats.

Celebrating their 100 years since formation, the Mitcham Angling Club will boost technology upgrades at the club, while Port Albert Fishing Club will rebuild their clubroom kitchen.

Round 2 will open later in 2024.

Learn more at www.vfa.vic.gov.au/strongerfishingclubs

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Anglers enjoying some great winter weather ROBINVALE

Rod Mackenzie codmac@bigpond.net.au

Over the past month, cool frosty starts followed by clear blue days have been the norm, with temperatures hovering in the high teens to the low twenties. It’s awesome fishing weather, with little wind and plenty of on-water action.

The Murray River at Swan Hill has

been producing a few Murray cod to 75cm on trolled lures. The perch have slowed down a little, with just a few showing a preference for bait fished tight to the snags. Shrimp, worms and yabbies have been working best. The Wakool River at Kyalite has produced a few cod to 70cm on trolled lures and a few perch on bait.

At Boundary Bend on the Murray River, the Murray cod have continued to show an interest in trolled lures,

The Wallace Marine boys from Shepparton caught several cod to 80cm trolling lures in the Murray River just upstream of Red Cliffs. with several fish caught recently up to 60cm. The golden perch have also been having a swipe at lures, with a few landed to 40cm.

It’s a similar story in the Murray River at Robinvale, both above and below the weir, with Murray cod and golden perch caught on bait and lures. No big cod have shown up in the above areas, but it’s a different story downstream towards Red Cliffs on the Murray, where anglers have

With cod like this one landed by Clinton Hann, it’s little wonder so many anglers are heading to our local waters.

continued to catch a few metre-plus cod. The section of Murray River from red Cliffs downstream to Mildura and through to Wentworth has continued to produce the goods, with plenty of cod being caught on trolled lures.

Some of these fish have been well over the metre mark, and the possibility of catching one continues to attract anglers from far and wide.

Perch have also been on the chew in these waters. The bite has

Phases of the moon July 2024

The best moon phase for fishing typically revolves around the new and full moon phases.

During the new moon (when the moon is not visible in the sky), and the full moon (when it’s fully illuminated), the gravitational pull of the moon is at its strongest, resulting in higher tides.

This increase in tidal movement often triggers feeding behaviour in fish, making them more active and easier to catch. Additionally, during the new moon phase there is less moonlight, which can make it harder for fish to detect anglers, providing a stealthy advantage.

Use this calendar as a guide to help choose the best days of the month to increase your chances of a catch.

SUNDAY

MONDAY

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Brought to you BEST FISHING DAYS BASED ONby LUNAR PHASES

1

TUESDAY

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WEDNESDAY

3

THURSDAY

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FRIDAY

5

SATURDAY

6

D C B A A 0 8

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12

NEW MOON

13

0 Z Y X W V U 14

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T S R Q O N N FIRST QUARTER

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@ @ @ M J I H FULL MOON

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G D B A

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KEY:

LAST QUARTER

• This calendar is brought to you by Crackerjack Lures Australia. Whether you’re chasing bass in freshwater or targeting snapper in the open ocean, trust Crackerjack Lures Australia to elevate your fishing experience to new heights. Crackerjack Lures support and encourage sustainable fishing practices to ensure more fish for the next generation of young Aussie anglers. For more information visit www.crackerjackluresaustralia.com.

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BEST GOOD FAIR POOR

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Ditch the doldrums and go and catch a fish BENDIGO

Roger Miles codhuntertours@bigpond.com

Don’t let anyone fool you that fishing during the winter months is easy. Cold temperatures, rain and sometimes wind make for a challenging combination.

There are, however, some positive aspects about fishing at this time of the year. There is something special about spending time on the water on those frosty mornings, which are often followed by beautiful days. The waterways are often very quiet, with little boat traffic, and much less fishing pressure. True, the mornings are often extremely cold, but if you dress appropriately you will be comfortable – and if you put the time in you’ll often be rewarded with some quality fish.

LAKE EPPALOCK At the time of writing this report, Lake Eppalock is at 91% of capacity. The lake has received some inflows in recent weeks, and the water clarity is still very good in most areas around the lake.

Redfin are still making up the majority of anglers’ captures. The redfin have moved deeper in recent weeks, with the best concentrations being found in 7-10m of water.

Trolling deep-diving hardbody lures has been less productive lately, with only small numbers of redfin being caught this way. A better option at the moment is casting soft plastics and soft vibe lures.

Vertically jigging with soft plastics and ice jigs has also been productive.

July is a good time to target the resident trout population, with some nice fish falling to trolled winged lures and started to drop off a little as the water cools, but most sessions will produce enough perch for a feed, if you should wish.

As we head downstream, the real action begins, with cricket score catches of golden perch and multiple cod crunching down on lures. Both Lock Eight and Nine have experienced a bite not seen in a long time, and there have been plenty of boats on the water in these out-of-the-way sections of the Murray. Keen anglers don’t care about travelling longer distances when there’s good fishing on offer, and dozens of boats at a time have been cashing in on the hot bite.

A few mates from West Wyalong recently made the trip, and over a few days they managed more than 30 cod up to 115cm, and around 50 perch to 59cm – pretty good fishing, to say the least. The guys said most other anglers they spoke to were getting similar results.

This bite has been going on for a while now, and with good water clarity all but assured, it

This 79cm Murray cod was caught on a Jackall Doozer retrieved very slowly. small minnow-style lures.

We’ve had only a few reports of golden perch and Murray cod being caught. Trolling deep-diving hardbody lures and casting large lipless crankbaits are good options at this time of year.

When targeting large Murray cod during low-light periods, try casting swimbaits or surface lures.

CAMPASPE RIVER The fishing in the Campaspe River has been slow. At this time of year, greater concentrations of baitfish and predators move into the deeper section of the river, so that’s where the better fishing is. If you are fishing from below Lake Eppalock to Barnadown, where the river is typically shallower, don’t waste too much of your time in the shallower runs. Do the extra walking and fish the deeper holes, where you have a better chance of stirring up a few fish. The deeper sections of the Campaspe River at Elmore and Rochester are good places to start.

Good lures to try are spinnerbaits,

large hardbodies, and large lipless crankbaits. It’s important to retrieve your lure very slowly at this time of year; the fish’s metabolism has slowed down, and if you retrieve your lure too fast, the fish will often ignore it. Make sure you make plenty of casts at your structure, and hopefully you will get a response from some fish.

CAIRN CURRAN At the time of writing this report Cairn Curran is at 71% of capacity, and the water clarity is still poor. Lure fishing has been slow, but bait fishing around the standing timber has been producing small numbers of golden perch and redfin.

Over the next couple of months, we

should hopefully see water levels slowly increase. As the water rises, it’s time to target the resident trout population, and you can get good results fishing around the grassy banks with worms, corn and gents.

While targeting trout, you’ll often catch a few carp as bycatch. Carp may be pests but they are still good fun – just remember to dispose of them humanely and don’t return them to the water.

LODDON RIVER The water clarity has been slowly improving in the Loddon River at Bridgewater and Serpentine. The clarity from Newbridge upstream is still poor, and most anglers have been travelling further afield to fish other locations.

If you do want to spend some time on the Loddon River this month, don’t expect to catch lots of fish. That said, if you put in the time, you may manage to land a couple of large fish.

As I mentioned earlier, it’s important to fish your lures very slowly. Be patient and put lots of casts into your structure.

If you are fishing a sinking lure – whether it is a soft plastic, spinnerbait or lipless crankbait – let the lure sink to a good depth while retrieving it. Most of the fish will be holding under the thermocline of colder water, which is currently 6ft below the surface, so you’ll want to focus on depths greater than 6ft.

FISHING NEWS

Bream get new homes The East Gippsland CMA landed $200,000 to increase woody habitat for black bream and estuary perch in the estuaries of the Mitchell, Nicholson and Tambo rivers.

The project will be in partnership with the Gunaikurnai Land & Waters Aboriginal Corporation and the Nicholson, Wy Yung and Bairnsdale RSL angling clubs. It will build on previous habitat work, including 32 timber structures installed into Jones Bay in 2023, funded by recreational fishing licence fees.

In the state’s north-east, the waters of the Mullinmur Billabong will provide more homes for native fish with Wangaratta Landcare and Sustainability given a $50,000 grant to construct ‘fish hotels’. The structures will be made of timber sourced from ecological thinning

in the area, while cultural burning, weed management and improving bankside vegetation will all be done in partnership with the Bangerang Traditional Owners.

On the Ovens River, the 2nd phase of a project to improve habitat at Mayfly Rise has been delivered by the Australian Trout Foundation (ATF) alongside the Alpine Fly Fishers. The ATF received $46,000 to stabilise the riverbed, deepen the river channel and prevent erosion while removing pest plants like blackberries. The work complements a Recreational Fishing Grant provided in 2022 to the Alpine Fly Fishers for phase 1 of the project.

Although applications have closed for year 1 of the large-scale fish habitat projects, fishing groups can still apply for grants of up to $50,000. Find out more at www.vfa.vic.gov.au/fishhabitatfund. - VFA

Kelsie Gull with one of several Murray cod she landed on Bassman Scope Baits on a recent trip. should continue for some time yet.

With cold, clear starts, mild days and good fish on the chew, it might be time to make the trip and enjoy what’s on offer.

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A peaceful time of year to relax and soak a bait WANGARATTA

Robbie Alexander

“There’s something unnatural about the smell of Aerogard in July.” These random words were said to me by my mate Sandy Hector years ago as we drifted down the Ovens River, casting lures for Murray cod in the depths of winter. That trip was unsuccessful, but I can assure you there are plenty

don’t have freshwater shrimp ripping at your bait all day. When you eventually get a bite, it usually results in a fish being caught.

YELLOWBELLY I’ve been saying for years that the colder months are a terrible time to catch yellowbelly, and yet for some reason I caught more yellowbelly in late May in the Ovens River this year than I did all summer. One evening, I managed to land three small yellowbelly at sunset,

A yellowbelly caught on worms in the Ovens River in late May. the afternoon. If you’re lucky you might snag a yellowbelly or two.

REDFIN The only places I target redfin during the depths of winter are Lake William Hovell and Lake Buffalo. Each year, I fish off the bank at both lakes

in the afternoon and into the evening, usually using worms as bait. At Lake William Hovell, I sometimes pick up a few small redfin, with the bonus of a sneaky trout or two.

Lake Buffalo is a similar story, although I rarely catch trout there. One

This small crayfish was caught on a fishing rod in Wangaratta before the season even opened this year. of reasons to go fishing in North East Victoria in July, and the lack of mosquitoes is just one of them.

MURRAY COD Murray cod fishing is tough in July, but it’s not a total write-off. Each year I catch cod in July, usually by angling with bait. Cheese is my preferred bait.

I don’t have to spend money on fuel driving around looking for a decent dam to catch it, and I don’t have to break my back digging under trees. And best of all, it works!

I like to use mozzarella cheese as Murray cod bait during July. It clings to the hook much better in the cold water than tasty cheese does. Strangely enough, I find that tasty cheese clings to the hook better in summer, when the water is warmer.

Winter is a great time of the year for those wanting to target large Murray cod. These fish don’t come easy; you can spend all day casting oversized lures with no sign of any active fish. Still, eventually you may be rewarded with a monster winter Murray cod.

I don’t have the patience for this type of fishing myself. Catching these big winter monsters is a whole different sport than my normal type of cod fishing. This type of fishing is more popular in the far lower reaches of the Ovens River near Bundalong than it is here in Wangaratta.

One of the best reasons to go cod fishing in winter is because it is peaceful.

There are no flies, no mozzies and not many people around. On top of that you 80 JULY 2024

less than two weeks before the start of winter. I was fishing with worms at the very popular Northern Beaches sand bar and swimming hole in Wangaratta.

That same evening, a group of young kids came along and caught a nice-sized yellowbelly on a chatterbait lure off the same sandbar.

Over the following few evenings, I managed to catch a few more yellowbelly on worms a bit further downstream in the Ovens River.

So, I am not going to tell you that July is a terrible time of the year to catch yellowbelly. I suggest you grab a bunch of worms and head down the river late in

A Lake Moodemere redfin caught on worms last year. This fish was a pleasant by-catch on a carp fishing trip.

These enormous redfin were caught at Lake William Hovell on a OneWell Lunch lure.

evening last winter, I managed to catch a silver perch off the bank at Lake Buffalo.

The Victorian Fisheries Authority have been stocking Lake Buffalo with silver perch for a few years now, and a few are starting to turn up in catches. July probably isn’t the best time of the year to target them, but if you’re lucky one might turn up while you are trying to catch a redfin.

Last winter, I caught a couple of nice-sized redfin in Lake Moodemere on worms in the depths of winter. The redfin were a bit of a fluke while I was targeting carp, but the potential is certainly there this July.

That said, my best advice this month would be to go to Lake Buffalo or Lake William Hovell and focus on the deeper water if possible. The water down deep is often warmer than the water near

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Daytime weather provides great fishing SHEPPARTON

Nick Brown teamriverrats@hotmail.com

Night-time temperatures have dropped over the past month, which has meant some cold fishing sessions for those fishing the Goulburn River around Shepparton. The cold has been worth it though, with a couple of cod around the 70cm mark being caught recently.

The bites are not regular, so you need to be switched on to turn a bite into a fish.

Bigger lures tend to be the best option in the cooler months, with these recent captures in Shepparton coming on Balista Tremors with the surface bib.

The daytime bite around Toolamba is probably your best bet for larger numbers of fish along the Goulburn, with some smaller cod around the 45-60cm mark being reported. Trolling 15ft diving Old Mates, casting Bassman Compact spinnerbaits, and bait fishing with scrub worms from the bank have been the best ways to target these fish.

Around Murchison, we are still hearing plenty of carp reports, with some monster mud marlin being caught on night crawlers.

The start to cray season was great the surface of the lakes in winter.

TROUT Trout season is closed during July, but only in the streams. Thankfully, the lakes remain open.

Lake Buffalo and Lake William Hovell are the two main trout fishing lakes in the Ovens River catchment, and of those two, Lake William Hovell has the better fishing. You can fish off the banks in both lakes with bait, or troll lures from a boat or kayak. At the time of writing, both lakes are very low and the edges are quite muddy.

Hopefully, we’ll get some rain soon and start to see the lakes rise. This often fires the trout up.

In both lakes, try trolling with winged lures such as Tassie Devils, or

in the Goulburn, with plenty of legalsized crays caught amongst a heap of undersized ones.

SHEPPARTON LAKE This cold weather is now starting to turn the trout on, with more and more reports coming in. It’s easy to tell when the trout are on the chew because sales of PowerBait go through the roof at all local tackle stores. The best method lately has been fishing PowerBait or worms under a float, and casting the bait into a weedless pocket.

The other area where you can pick up trout is around both boat ramps, as the hard bottoms make it hard to get caught up in the weed.

Lure choice comes down to what won’t get hung up in the weed constantly.

You want a lure that can come through the weed or just above it. In previous years, small jerkbaits like the XR6s and 8s have been great for those fishing above the weed. Fishing through the weed with lightly-rigged plastics, such as Strike Tigers, has also been great. If you want to get into the weed more, I recommend using unweighted worm hooks or even lightly-weighted weedless hooks.

WARANGA BASIN The nights have been cool but the

daytime weather has provided great fishing conditions for those heading to the basin. The edge bite in the late afternoon seems to be the best way to target high numbers of fish, with small hardbodies and 2” soft plastics being the best lures to chase the redfin. Floating or lightlyweighted worms have also been a great way to chase these smaller fish on the edge.

Those fishing out deeper have been finding some bigger fish in lower numbers, with trolling and vertical bouncing blades and ice jigs being the best methods. 16-18ft seems to be the best depth, so you want your lure just running above the bottom, with the odd scrape of the bottom while trolling.

With the blades, the ZX43 seems to be the best one to use lately. It’s a little heavier so it’s much easier to fish in the deeper water. You want your blade to stir up the bottom so make sure you let it hit the bottom before flicking it up.

KIALLA BOTANICAL GARDENS LAKE The small lake at the botanical gardens is loaded with carp and can be a great place to take the kids, or just something different for us adults.

There are numerous ways to chase these carp, which is the best part. You

This large crayfish was oversized and released. Make sure you check the regulations before you head out.

Ayden and Nate Brown with a Botanical Gardens Lake carp. can sight cast super shallow with small jerkbaits or bent minnows, and gently flick your rod tip, keeping the lure as close to the top as possible. Some big carp have also been caught on flies, with plenty of space to get the fly rod out.

Floating worms seems to be the favoured technique for families, with the carp cruising in a range of depths, from 10cm to about 1m. It’s not a trophy native spot, but a session on light gear can be a great way to spend an afternoon. a small Rapala-style minnow. Low-light periods always seem to be best. Foggy mornings and overcast days can often lead to better trout fishing in these clear lakes, too.

OTHER SPECIES Murray cray season is still open all July, and anywhere along the Ovens River is worth a try. Remember to check the rules before you head out though, as the crayfish rules are some of the most complicated and easy to get wrong.

I usually catch a few carp in July each year. Lake Moodemere is probably my favourite spot to go carp fishing, with Broken Creek being another favourite, although that is quite a drive from where I live in Wangaratta.

FISHING NEWS

VFA catch wrong-doers Last month, Fisheries Officers were on a routine vessel patrol near Sandringham, Port Phillip Bay, when they spotted a boat with two men on board.

While motoring over, they noticed several small juvenile (pinky) snapper on the surface drifting away from the vessel, and one of the fishers allegedly attempting to dispose of several small fish over the side of the boat. An officer then boarded the craft and searched buckets and other compartments, finding more fish, while an additional 10 small snapper

were retrieved from the water.

Officers allege a total of 30 pinkies were counted. The daily bag limit is 10 per person, of which 3 can be 40cm or greater in length. Of the 30 fish, 19 came in under the minimum legal length of 28cm with the smallest measuring just 23cm.

Both men will receive infringements for exceeding catch limits and being in possession of undersize fish.

If you see or suspect illegal fishing, you can call 13FISH (13 3474) and speak directly to Fisheries Officers. – VFA JULY 2024 81

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Nice-size trout are hitting lures at the moment BALLARAT

Shane Stevens

Over the past month we’ve experienced very cool days and even cooler nights, which has slowed the fishing down around Ballarat. Angler numbers have also dropped, but those who have braved the elements have been rewarded for their efforts.

Winter is a tough time for anglers.

The main target species around Ballarat, trout and redfin, are concentrating on spawning, and food is scarce due to the cold weather. The trout and redfin generally feed on smelt/galaxias (small baitfish) during the winter months, and

Donnie has been using black and gold soft plastics, and Kelsi has been using a small hardbody lure – the FishArt Wriggling. It wriggles on and under the surface, and has been attracting the attention of the trout in Wendouree.

I mentioned last month that a 200m section of shoreline on Lake Wendouree would be closed to angling. This would allow the fish not to be bothered by anglers, while at the same time allowing the Ballarat Fish Acclimation Society to net the area. The hatchery would strip the fish of their eggs, release the fish, and rear the eggs out over the next 12 months. These yearling trout will be released into Wendouree for anglers to catch.

Moorabool fished awesomely last winter for me and many other anglers.

I don’t think there was a session when I didn’t catch a fish, and hopefully it will be the same this winter.

At Tullaroop Reservoir the fishing is still pretty quiet, with not many

Nathan Angee has nailed some solid browns from Wendouree casting bent minnow lures and the new Nagisa 65mm SP, which is a cross between a hardbody and a soft plastic. Image courtesy of Nathan Angee.

Moorabool Reservoir has seen angler numbers significantly drop over the past month, probably due to the cold weather and the fishing being a bit slow. The water level is way down and the edges are very muddy.

Mick Fanning has been putting in the hard yards at Moorabool and reaping the rewards, landing some excellent browns up to 52cm on black and gold paddle-tail plastics.

Shane Stevens caught some excellentsized rainbow trout while fly fishing at Greenhill Lake near Ararat. reports filtering through. We are all hoping that Tullaroop fires up like it did a couple of years ago.

Gary Allen has regularly made the

Kelsi Gull has been catching brown trout from Wendouree landbased using the Fishart Wriggling lure, which wriggles on and under the surface of the water. Image courtesy of Kelsi Gull. we anglers need to match the hatch to give us the best chance of catching a fish or two. Anglers casting soft plastics can match the hatch to perfection, with most brands offering lifelike imitations, and boy, are they effective.

Small hardbody lures are also effective when you choose the right colour and profile to suit what the fish are feeding on. For fly fishers, smelt patterns like Wooly Buggers, Matukas and BMS specials should do the trick.

Lake Wendouree is still the standout water in the district, with many anglers catching trout and redfin from boats and the shore. Land-based fishing has proved to be better than fishing from a boat or kayak.

The fishing has slowed down considerably from the previous few months. On a recent fly fishing trip, I landed only one small brown, lost another and had a few other follows. It’s not what we have been used to.

Nathan Angee has been catching quite a few nice browns on Bent Minnow surface lures and the Nagisa 65mm SP (a cross between a hardbody and a soft plastic).

Donnie Rogers and Kelsi Gull have been having a ball catching some magnificent browns land-based.

82 JULY 2024

The hatchery had their first netting, which was a massive success, yielding some 250 brown trout, which were weighed and measured. There were lots of fish ranging in size from 45-55cm and the biggest trout weighed a tad over 12lb; most likely an ex-broodstock brown that had been released into Wendouree by the Victorian Fishing Authority.

Donnie Rogers has been getting amongst the Lake Wendouree brown trout casting paddle-tail plastics, with black and gold being the standout colour. Image courtesy of Donnie Rogers.

Mick Fanning has put in the hard yards at Moorabool Reservoir recently, landing some nice brown trout including this 52cm model on paddle tail soft plastics in black and gold. Image courtesy of Mick Fanning.

journey from Melbourne over the past few months, catching some nice redfin and smallish brown and rainbow trout.

Gary likes to troll lures at Tullaroop, both flatlining and using downriggers.

He said there is a lack of bigger trout around, which might suggest that many bigger trout went over the wall when the reservoir flooded for weeks on end in October 2022. Hopefully, this is not the case.

Greenhill Lake at Ararat is fishing well at the moment. Neil Charters, a member of the Ballarat Fly Fishers Club, has been catching some quality rainbow trout around 1.4-1.5kg on Woolly Buggers.

I have heard other reports of anglers catching rainbow trout trolling lures, with the standout lure being the ever-reliable Tassie Devil in a variety of colours. I thought I’d better sneak

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LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE…

Stirring up the fresh INTUITIVE CONTROL CRATER LAKES

Rod Shepherd

The trout fishing in rivers and lakes in South West Victoria has been a hard slog for many anglers due to calm, sunny conditions with little or no rain. The trout are mostly very finicky and easily spooked. A drop in water temperature and a rise in water levels would soon fire them up.

quickly drops off. One such area is the western bank just north of the remains of the north shore boat ramp.

Lake Purrumbete has also been a hard task for anglers targeting trout.

Most of the fish caught here have been schooling redfin at depth, which have been taking live baits such as minnow, gudgeon and earthworm. Small ice jigs, blades and soft plastics in dark colours have also been producing fish.

Low water levels at Purrumbete

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Shane Stevens with a tiger trout at Bullen Merri. Image courtesy of Shane Stevens.

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Now that my luck had finally I cast and cast for a few hours with changed, I was full of confidence. I no result. Then I saw a ripple as a fish continued to cast my team of Woolly grabbed my flies, but unfortunately, Buggers when the line went tight again. the hooks pulled out. Bugger! Well, This time, the fish put on an aerial at least one was interested, which got display before coming to the net. It was my hopes up. another rainbow of 1.5kg.

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The local trout take time out WEST/SOUTH GIPPSLAND

Martin Auldist

As I type this report we have officially entered winter, and by the time your magazine arrives in your mailbox, we will be right in the depths of the coldest part of the year, which sometimes isn’t a lot of fun in Gippsland.

Keen trout anglers all around the state will have spent the last month making the most of the tail end of the open season for river trout. In West Gippsland, all of the usual methods using fly, bait and lure will have been effective when weather and water conditions have allowed. In some streams, most notably the Bunyip and Tarago rivers, trout can provide some exciting shallow water sight fishing late in the season as they gear up for spawning in the upper reaches.

The trout in these two waterways are some of the largest in the district and,

when in an aggressive pre-spawning mood, will strike lures and soft plastics with great gusto, even if they’re not hungry. You will need a light outfit and be capable of casting accurately because almost all of the streams in this region are narrow and have tight,

If you’re prepared to explore different waterways during the off-season you could turn up anything, like this weird mirror carp Bill caught a few years back.

overhanging vegetation.

After June 10, though, the season is closed and anglers must look for other options until the season opens again in early September. For those anglers still keen on trout, those options include Bluerock Reservoir where trout angling is allowed all year round. In winter, the trolling for trout really comes into its own; good numbers of small to medium trout have been captured recently by anglers trolling Tassie Devils. At this time of year, you will get away with flatline trolling (i.e. trolling unweighted lures on monofilament line), especially along the shorelines and close to timber early and late in the day. Jigging for schools of redfin in deeper water will also be a productive way to pass the time in winter.

Back in the rivers, viable target species for anglers include blackfish, eels, redfin and carp. For the latter two species especially, it’s worth exploring the lower, lower reaches of the region’s

A better than average brown trout from a West Gippsland stream.

It is now time to give them a rest until early September. streams, the stretches you would probably overlook when chasing trout.

There are some seriously large carp and redfin in some surprising locations if you’re willing to have a look.

Stealthy, silent fishing produces the goods EILDON

Daniel Piazza

There have been some massive Murray cod captures from 1-1.2m in recent weeks, with fish being caught all over the lake. It really doesn’t matter where you are as long you have fish on the sounder. My favourite time to fish is a rising or steady barometer on a new rising moon.

and give a really slow, short hop for 2-4 seconds, followed by a short slow roll for 5 seconds. These lures can work their magic at depth or in the shallows. Don’t be fooled – Lake Eildon cod will sit and feed in 15m of water or as shallow as 1m of water. Wherever the bait is, the cod won’t be far behind. Personally, I don’t like to rely too much on technology to find these fish, especially when they reach trophy size. After all, the hunt is 70% of the fun. And remember, on sunny winter days, be careful not to cast a shadow because most of the fish in the lake spook more easily when they’re sunbaking.

Rock walls have always been one of my favourite places to fish blind, and now with the scope, everything is visible.

It’s a cool piece of technology once you get the hang of it. Sometimes I get to my spot and just drift around in silence, with no electric motor on. The electric motor is noisy enough to spook fish

65mm Kush Vibes are a great option for shallow, land-based spots.

It’s always good to match the hatch for Murray cod, and in July my go-to is a natural-looking willow spinnerbait.

The vibration of this lure works its magic at whatever speed you choose to retrieve. Even when super slow rolling, you get a lot of flash and vibration.

Another great searching style lure is the chatterbait or a dancing-style bladed jig. These are dynamite lures in winter, believe me. Let them sink 84 JULY 2024

The 21g Twin Arm Primal is an effective lure for searching for cod at Lake Eildon.

The Primal Spinbait in chartreuse strikes again. from a distance, and when it’s turned off you’ll be surprised how much more you’ll see on the screen. Cast those baits a thousand and one times on a windy bank, and it will happen eventually. Just keep casting.

There have been reports of giant schools of redfin in Jews Creek arm.

They always move closer to the surface and edges in winter. Using your sounder and fishing with worms will make it worth the drive.

If you’re trolling for trout, get out into the main arm and troll towards the sun for success. Tassie Devils will be your best choice of lure for winter. To stop your line from getting tangled you can use Wigston Anti Kink keels. Tangles affect the natural swimming action of the lure, which can cost you fish, and can reduce the strength of your main line.

If you’re after yellowbelly, find the old trees, and move around – you can make a day of it. I like working the spindly trees with bait and lures.

Don’t forget, the Lake Eildon pondage is full and there are plenty of fish. Take the time to fish the ponds thoroughly with diving minnows or gold croc metal lures. I recommend grabbing breakfast in Eildon town, so you can speak to the locals and ask for all the best fishing spots.

• Daniel Piazza is the creator of Primal Spinbaits – quality handcrafted, Australian-made spinnerbaits with a wide range of coloured heads and skirts.

These spinnerbaits feature heavy-duty wires and high-quality finishes, and are proven effective on our native fish.

Google ‘Primal Spinbaits’ to see where you can buy them.

Species FEATURE

FMM

Southern Corio Bay’s vital seagrass habitat MELBOURNE

Ross Winstanley

Extensive areas of seagrass come and go in Port Phillip Bay. Commonly, that’s a result of the seagrass breaking off, low down, followed by recovery, beginning in the next post-winter growing season. This is a normal process, not to be confused with longterm ‘die-off’ caused by physical or chemical disturbances that may destroy beds, such as dredging, or persistent heavy turbidity or pollution.

In southern Corio Bay, a temporary loss of seagrass in 2023-24 exposed limestone ‘rubble’ that adds to the complexity of the shallow habitat and added a fresh option for targeting King George whiting, snapper, and rock and yank flathead.

SOUTHERN CORIO BAY In Port Phillip, with the limited extent of rocky reefs, extensive seagrass beds underpin much of the habitat supporting fish targeted by anglers, notably King George whiting. This is particularly true in Corio Bay, and even more so at its southern end in Stingaree Bay. Lacking natural reefs, what makes Stingaree Bay both productive and readily fished are the shallow (0-5m) seagrass beds (mainly the fine-leaf Zostera nigricaulis), combined with irregular bottom contours resulting from the disposal of channel deepening dredge spoil, many decades ago.

Typically, bait anglers look to fish the margins of seagrass beds, particularly where they coincide with drop-offs in

brought my boat to a complete stop. The usual reversing procedure failed to free the propellor, requiring a slowly trip to shore. This event was a rather extreme case of what can occur towards the end of a seagrass growing season.

As a volunteer with the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s ‘Research Angler’ fishing diary program, I record details of all my fishing trips. Through April and May, my records show that catches of whiting and pinky snapper remained within the ‘normal’ ranges for autumn.

As well as being productive, sonar images indicated that, overall, the grass beds appeared healthy.

But when I resumed post-winter fishing in early September, my sonar showed that the normally 40-50cm long seagrass had been reduced to stubble 2-3cm long ‘stubble’ across much of Stingaree Bay. Catches became very poor through November and December, normally productive months for regular mixed bags of whiting, pinkies and yank or southern bluespotted flathead.

Catches were not only unusually low; they were inconsistent, with a few uncharacteristic zero catches mixed in. Friends also reported that catches there were disappointing for the spring months.

I interpreted this as the almost-bare bottom resulting in fish being more randomly and unpredictably distributed.

This made targeting normallyproductive marks, usually at the margins of seagrass beds, of no real advantage.

WHAT HAPPENED? Until recently, many anglers immediately looked at commercial haul

Limestone rubble adds to the diversity of fish habitat in Stingaree Bay. the bottom contours.

STINGAREE BAY IN 2023 Towards the end of the 2022/23 summer period, mats of seagrass appeared on the surface across much of Corio Bay. In late March, in the dark, while heading south-east from Limeburners Point, a substantial raft of seagrass choked the propeller and

seining as the likely cause of damage to seagrass beds, and associated poor catches. That’s what started the Port Phillip Bay anti-net fishing campaign in 2013, led by Corio Bay anglers.

But in 2016, all net fishing in this region ceased, shifting attention to a combination of other human activities and ‘natural causes.’ Discussions with

While extensive seagrass beds support productive fish communities, anglers target the margins for whiting. Image courtesy of Peter Macreadie local marine scientists suggest a couple of explanations along those lines.

The most plausible suggestion likens recent events in Stingaree Bay to the usual cycle of changes to seagrass beds in Swan Bay. When heavy rainfall flushes excessive nutrients into these bays, full-grown, healthy seagrass is prone to ‘overgrowth’ by filamentous or threadlike algae. Following successive La Nina years of associated rainfall, in drier conditions and clear water, these over-growing algae may flourish at the expense of the seagrass, causing the grass to break off close to the seabed.

With the very low tidal exchange rate between Corio Bay and the wider bay, that’s likely to explain what happened in Stingaree Bay, after three recent years of La Nina conditions.

Further, in Stingaree Bay’s extensive 1-4m grounds, weakened by this load, heavy wave episodes during the winter of 2023 may have added to the widespread damage observed there.

By February 2024, there was evidence of some patchy spring/ summer regrowth in the Stingaree Bay grass beds, but overall, the seagrass coverage remained well down on the extensive and thick beds which dominated until 2023. This was particularly evident along Pt Henry’s western shore, where the fringing 2km long bank, in 1.0 to 2.5m depths, usually covered in dense seagrass, was still reduced to short ‘stubble’ patches in late autumn.

During exceptionally calm clear conditions during April 2024, visual inspection in depths of up to 3m over wide areas of Stingaree Bay, showed that much of the bottom featured small lumps of limestone, covered with marine growth, and interspersed with shell. Presumably, this was part of the material dredged from the shipping channel decades ago, adding to the

diversity and productivity of the spoil grounds. It is hard to see seagrass regrowing there unless sand resettles over the area.

EFFECTS ON FISHING While autumn in Stingaree Bay is usually prime time for local anglers targeting whiting, this year most boat-based anglers chose to fish elsewhere, possible on account of their experiences fishing the Stingaree Bay grass beds.

Through March and April, my Research Angler diary results reflected continued patchy and inconsistent catches in Stingaree Bay until exceptionally clear water conditions during late April prompted a change in strategy, alternating between rubble and lightly-grassed grounds. Targeting this mix of substrates led to variable occasionally excellent - whiting catches.

During May, large schools of whiting moved onto the Geelong Arm grass beds, from Clifton Springs to Pt Henry. Fishing pressure reached a high level and frequent bag-limit catches promised to continue, with May-June commonly a peak period for whiting.

From mid-May, the influx of whiting extended to Stingaree Bay. For the few anglers fishing there, this boosted catches on both grassed and rubble grounds, where excellent catches looked like continuing well into June. The lesson seems to be that, when whiting are abundant, they move around and can be caught on a range of bottom types; you just have to be out there, with baited hooks. It’s when whiting are scarce that seagrass condition and fishing site selection become critical.

Looking ahead, the good news is that seagrass recovers quickly from the seasonal episodes described, and we’re one successful whiting recruitment event away from more boom times.

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WA

Chase the Kraken squid comp is on again ESPERANCE

Murray Johnson

South coast fishing in winter can be tricky, because of the constant southwesterly winds, big swells and seas. Still, there are good fishing opportunities because of the stirred-up water, changes in water temperature, and different species that come in closer to town. These include the salmon schools returning from their west coast run, good-size skippy, and plenty of big herring.

There’s also the opportunity to chase mulloway and gummy sharks.

Choice spots for this time of year are those areas that offer protection from the wind, such as 14 Mile, Dunns and even Israelite Bay. The best locations for gummies are 14 Mile, Israelite Bay, Thomas River, and Alexander Bay. Heading out east to Israelite is always worth considering. The swell can create issues with weed coming into the beach, but if you’re patient enough, gaps will appear and you can start fishing. We’ve had reports of some bigger mulloway being caught there, along with some decentsize flathead.

The best option in rougher conditions is to use wire surf sinkers, which anchor your baits better, preventing side drifts. Paternoster rig, such as the new Dingle Dangle Pulley Surf Rigs from Vexed. It has a central swivel that lets you halve the length of your rig for casting, along with a float with a hook attached to it. If you wrap a couple of strip baits around the float, you end up with a really big, floating bait that can move around in the water, rather than dragging along the bottom. If you go to YouTube and search for ‘dingle dangle bait’, you’ll see how this method works.

Closer to town, there are plenty of squid on the jetty, with good sizes being caught. Our shop is running the popular Chase The Kraken comp again, which runs from 1 June to 1 August. The $20 entry fee goes into the prize pool, and it’s all given away at the end of the comp (last year the pool was around $2000). There are prizes for the Longest Squid, runner-up, Best Photo and random draw.

The choice squid jigs at the moment are Harimitsus in albino or lime mojito in the 3.5 size. You get some big snook/barracuda coming through at this time of year, and they like to snatch squid jigs, so always bring some spares with you.

On the jetty at night, anglers have been catching plenty of garfish. Tailor Street has also been producing some

King George whiting, smaller skippy, herring and the occasional squid.

Plenty of King George whiting are being caught at Bandy Creek Boat Harbour, with some fish going 28-30cm. There are lots of bream being caught there too, along with the occasional herring and flounder.

The King George whiting have been taking paternoster rigs baited with prawns, and we’ve also been seeing good results on the Vexed Double Header Whiting Rig. This rig has a small plastic worm that sits above where the flash would be, to help attract the fish to your bait.

Moving to the bream lakes, Woody Lake and Windabout have higher water levels due to the rainfall we’ve received, and they’ve been producing plenty of fish, with the occasional sample over 40cm. The choice lure for these bream at the moment is the 55mm Daiwa Double Clutch in neutral colours, such as golds and browns. Another effective lure is the Smith’s 48mm Shirasu Minnow in gold.

Boat fishing in the bay has been producing heaps of squid and goodsize sand whiting when the weather has permitted. We are also seeing samsonfish coming in close to the shoreline around the closer islands such as Charlie and Cull. The islands have also been producing good numbers of sweep, queen snapper, and the occasional nannygai.

Sand whiting have been getting caught out near Lion Island close to the shoreline at the back of the breakers, and also at Twilight Cove.

When the weather has allowed, offshore anglers have caught plenty of nannygai going 65cm, samsonfish to 20kg+, and the usual breaksea, harlequin and queenies. There are lots of cuttlefish being caught as well.

THE MONTH AHEAD In the coming weeks we’ll see more catches of big skippy off the beaches, and the salmon will start to break up a bit and move around more.

The samsonfish will continue to come in closer this month, allowing the guys in the tinnies to have some fun. While fishing in shallow water (20-50m), you can catch them on 80-100g jigs, such as the Oceans Legacy Rovens slow jigs.

• Established in 1986, Southern Sports and Tackle specializes in supplying and servicing fishing equipment. They have an extensive knowledge of the local area and provide all brands, whether you’re fishing from the beach, jetty or boat. Come and chat with the friendly staff at Shop 16, The Boulevard, Esperance or phone 08 9071 3022.

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Big fish come to Bunbury BUNBURY

Whiteys Tackle and Camping

When people think of big fish, Bunbury and Australind may not be the first place to come to mind, but we aren’t complaining! Locals to the area are spoilt with an abundance of areas to fish that are barely, if not ever, fished. Our surrounding waters aren’t as immediately

deep as that of our neighbouring towns meaning it can at times take longer to get to the optimal depths during certain times of year, however those who do the yards receive the rewards.

This time of year is not one of those times that you need to go far. With all the winter storms rolling through, snapper move inshore to depths that are accessible to small tinnies and even kayaks. Bunbury

A couple of ripper land-based pinks! Image courtesy of @willznmillzadventures.

beaches including Backbeach, Belvedere and Buffalo are all prime local land-based spots to have a crack at the trophy fish.

Reports of multiple fish captures are really starting to roll in over the last few weeks.

An always welcome bycatch at this time of year are the mulloway and tailor that frequent our beaches and the last few weeks have been no exception with some horse tailor sessions being had on weightless mulies, my personal favourite.

Yes, the weather has been rougher on the water and, yes, it’s been very cold in the mornings, however those that are watching the forecast and taking advantage of the breaks in the weather are being greeted with immaculate conditions and huge snapper and dhus within a quick steam.

Salmon having been schooling in massive numbers this year and have provided land-based anglers the opportunity to tangle with one of the best sports fishing in the South West.

Salmon will readily take lures including soft plastics, metal slugs, stickbaits and

Ben White with a nice salmon. hardbodies. 100-200mm lures work the best and generally the type of lure used will be dictated by where the salmon schools are sitting and what sort of distance you need to cast. Don’t be shy on the retrieve with salmon, give it plenty of rips and twitches because they will aggressively chase down an erratic moving lure and slam it.

The freshwater scene peaks

Summer ends with a bang, and boom!

AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

The dry spell has ended with a boom, followed by lots of crashes and bangs with a few massive downpours thrown in to signal that it was time for winter. From complaining about how hot and dry it was to stomping around ankle deep in mud only took one day when the heavens opened and kept on going for several days. Most of the water soaked straight into the parched soils of the southwest but it wasn’t long before it was all too much and puddles became pools and eventually lakes.

Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, after the long dry, the flow into the river systems has been slow to make its way downstream

Yellowfin whiting have been few and far between but still worth a try in Hardy Inlet or around Jay’ s Beach. This fish was taken off the beach on fresh squid tentacles. into the Hardy Inlet. It is yet to affect the fishing in the river but no doubt it will result in ending the whiting and crab fishing until the end of the year.

As it is, the whiting fishing has

Black bream just like this are right throughout the system and are a great fighter on light line when targeted from a kayak or small boat.

88 JULY 2024

seen a very large decline in the numbers caught recently with several different theories being put forward to explain the change. Of the most plausible there are two main put forward: the extended period of the river being open to the ocean (11 years) has allowed the whiting to continue out into Flinders Bay after being pushed downstream by annual rainfall and then not returning; and the other theory is that the sudden increase of black bream right through to Colourpatch and the Dead Water has displaced the whiting as the bream are a very aggressive species and they may well be out competing the yellowfin and King George whiting for the same food sources.

The land-based and boat fishing in the river has been mainly black bream related with the occasional tailor and salmon also making a showing. There are also very large numbers of small

pink snapper and tarwhine showing up at the Ellis Street and Old Town Jetty. These juvenile fish are easily injured and it is important that they are released as quickly and gently as possible. It does show that the future stocks are looking very healthy.

Black bream sizes have varied greatly but some very healthy females in the mid 30cm range have been caught from the Ellis Street Jetty and up around Molloy Island.

The occasional fish in the low 40s has turned up around Irwin Street boat ramp and the Dead Water. Clear water has made it possible to sight cast soft plastics or baits to larger fish that can be observed waiting in ambush at overhanging ledges, submerged tree branches and rocks.

Although they are slow growing, they are also very tasty when living in saltwater. Selecting a few for a meal when numbers are high makes sense but as usual select enough for the family and release the rest to grow even bigger. Coral prawns or small squid heads are absolutely smashed by the bigger fish, as are 3” soft plastics with motor oil and nuclear chicken popular colours.

There are still some crabs being caught, they are less in number but sizes have remained in the mid 16-17cm range, so well worth the effort. These will soon head out to sea once the freshwater flushes the river. Try spleen or fish heads in bait baskets to ensure the rays leave them alone.

There hasn’t been much in the way of beach fishing lately,

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LIGHT, POWERFUL, DURABLE… have a chat to some of our experienced

around this time of year with the redfin spawning and working up a big appetite they really come onto the chew and become even more territorial than they already are. Huge numbers are being caught assisting in cleaning them out of our waterways with some solid brown and rainbow trout being pulled up alongside them, depending on location, the redfin can be targeted in multiple different ways for example trolling deep diving lures past timber in the dams, bouncing plastics along a stream or fly fishing to name a few.

Some of the brooks connected to our stocked local dams will start flowing soon providing some awesome trout action.

Fishing these brooks is an awesome way to get a few bigger trout under your belt and they can be targeted in a number of different ways! Whether it be fly fishing, throwing lures on spin gear or even a Gulp! trout nugget under a float, these BENDIGO skinny water steam trains are sure to BENDIGO MARINE & fun!

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207 Numurkah Shepparton however, Road salmon continue to P: (03) 5822 2108 show up especially around Hamelin F: (03) 5821 2908 Beach on the days Bay and Boranup W: boatsandmore.com.au worth fishing. The main track to

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Brad Veitch managed to get out into Flinders Bay for a quick fish in a weather window and landed this beautiful western red scorpionfish and breaksea cod using a Vexed Bottom meat loaded with a fresh fish fillet.

staff and we will happily point you in the right direction as far as what flies to use and where.

• For any info, tips or advice on anything you have read, heard about or dreamt about or to have a brag, duck into Whiteys tackle and camping, 1/143 Grand Entrance Treendale and say hello, we are always more than happy to help and love a good story!

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NAUTICAL MARINE Demersal fishing closes for August 141 Hotham Road until midway through September and Sorrento unfortunately with the poor weather P: (03) 5984 1666 conditions not many have had the E: info@nauticalmarine.com.au chance to get their boats in the water.

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• Should you decide to give rock fishing a go please remember that it is dangerous at times and careful consideration of where and when you fish must be done. Unpredictable weather can quickly affect the fishing conditions and slippery rocks are a recipe for disaster. Please remain vigilant when rock fishing; wear a life jacket and tie off to something solid. You can hire one for free from Augusta Xtreme Outdoor Sports at 66 Blackwood Avenue Augusta -the local tackle shop, boat hire and font of all local fishing knowledge. Look for the big green sign on the roof, it’s right next to the BP Service Station in the centre of town.

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JULY 2024 89

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Local anglers are snapping up the pinkies METRO

Jacob Crispe

Finally, the rain we have been waiting for in the Perth metro area has arrived, and with it the snapper fishing has taken off everywhere, from our rock

munching through a prawn shell. For lure anglers, the key will be to get your lure down to the fish in the deeper water, so small blades, vibes or soft plastics will be your better lure choices.

For tailor anglers, it will be about finding where the food sources are and then fishing baits under a float,

the storm surges create, bringing the snapper close to shore. It is not for everybody, but there is a dedicated group of anglers who can’t wait for a bit of bad weather to hit the rock walls and take advantage of the great snapper fishing.

For those less adventurous anglers, the rock walls are still well worth visiting through the cooler months. King George whiting, herring and skippy are all available in good numbers (remember that a berley trail will always improve your catches when fishing from the rock walls). Squid are also a good option, and tend to be bigger at this time of the year.

Tailor will also be about, and generally it’s better to target them at first

The author’s son Oakley with his first catch of herring, caught down in Fremantle from the Sardine Jetty.

Most beaches from Port Kennedy down south to Yanchep in the north will offer some good fishing in the coming weeks.

INSHORE As mentioned, most of the focus has been on the snapper in our inshore waters, followed closely by those targeting King George whiting. The Northern side of North Mole has been

Laith Rickman with a lovely inshore pink snapper.

A great bag of King George whiting

by Dom. These fish are 5-star eating and fun to catch on light gear. walls to our offshore grounds. They are always a popular target species for any WA angler and looking at the reports as I write this, there are plenty of happy pinkie chasers out there at the moment.

SWAN RIVER With the runoff from the recent rains working its way down the system the focus for many anglers fishing the Swan will be towards the mouth of the river.

Predominately the area around East Fremantle, possibly up to the Narrows Bridge and Causeway. The deeper zones with structure should be your main focus, with species like bream, mulloway and tailor your main targets.

The best baits for the bream this month will be river or coral prawns.

I tend not to peel them because any bream worth catching will have no issues 90 JULY 2024

or possibly working shallow running hardbody lures or stickbaits in the areas where it is obvious that the tailor are harassing the baitfish. Metal slugs are also effective; it may just be a matter of matching the size of your lure to the size of the baitfish that are present.

Mulloway are always a popular winter fishing target. Fresh or live baits are always the preferred option to target them with. Areas like the Narrows Bridge and around the E-Sheds tend to produce their fair share of fish. You will see plenty of anglers with portable live wells filled with live baits, set up and rugged up at these locations waiting for that big bite to happen.

The freshwater also pushes the prawns from upstream down the system, so it can be worth going dabbing for prawns in the lower reaches as well.

ROCK WALLS AND BEACHES While the snapper fishing from the rock walls may be many anglers’ focus, it is generally based around inclement weather and the natural berley trail that

Anthony Pecotic and crew with a magnificent broadbill swordfish caught in the Rotto trench! Well done to the boys involved in such an epic capture. and last light. We can expect mulloway catches to improve as well as we push deeper into the cooler months.

On the beaches, anglers will continue to enjoy good tailor fishing, and other

The author and Oaks with a goodsized herring, one of six caught in that session. These fish were schooling thanks to a pre-mixed berley trail of pollard fish oil and aniseed purchased just down the road at Anglers Fishing World.

Anthony Axcell caught this 99cm monster casting baits from the sand!

Nolan Unwin with a lovely early morning tailor caught while braving the cold.

species like herring and sand whiting are always available. Again, setting up a berley bag in the wash will improve your catch rates.

Keep in mind any beaches with close by reefs can also fish well for snapper.

fishing particularly well. Fishing the light changes can improve your catch rates immensely, as will setting up a good berley trail. All of this should continue throughout July.

When targeting the snapper, there can be some pretty amazing by-catch through these cooler months. It is not uncommon to catch yellowtail kingfish, samsonfish and small sharks in the same areas.

Skippy, squid and herring are

West Coast

FMM

WA

Motivation will equal good fishing rewards MANDURAH

Jesse Choy

Fishing during winter can be difficult when it comes to finding the motivation to get out of the house and into the elements. If you are one of the keen anglers, you are likely to find yourself getting stuck into some good quality fish whether you are fishing from one of the rivers, rocks or offshore. Regardless

as a result fish have much more time to consider their options.

If you are likely to head out on the rivers during this month, you will find great success in the middle to lower reaches, as the far upper reaches can be too fresh for the numbers of residential and schooling fish that are not acclimated to an environment where less salt is present. Fishing with bait will produce well if that is what your preference is, although anglers fishing with lures will find great success in actively working their presentation through likely zones to tempt these fish and trigger a response.

Rock fishing is a viable option for anglers during July and will produce very similar species to that which you are likely to have found in June. As always,

Enthusiastic anglers will be aiming to fish similar spots, but the preference will be to fish much more substantial baits in hopes of coming across one of the many pink snapper that frequent our shallow waters in winter. Depending on the spot you are fishing at, larger swells and stronger currents will mean that you will need to change your rig to fish effectively. If you are fishing familiar grounds where you know there is more sand, you will more than likely want to fish a breakout sinker that anchors your bait to the bottom and makes it less susceptible to being dislodged.

If you are fishing grounds where you know rocks are more abundant, you will want to fish something like a larger star sinker or snapper lead as they are a much

Redfin are a great fish to target, as they are more than friendly to novice lure users and can provide a lot of fun too. of the type of fishing you find most appealing, there is generally something on offer if you are willing to work around the obstacles winter brings with it.

If you a river fisher, both the Murray and Serpentine rivers will produce good quality fish throughout. Fishing in these cooler months can yield some of your most productive sessions of the year, as fish tend to become far easier to tempt due to the turbulent flow from upstream and decreased water clarity that comes with the abundance of introduced fresh water.

If you are to compare river fishing in summer to our current winter conditions, the water can be quite clear as there is not enough environment influence to bring these fish out of their comfort zone and

those looking for a bit of entertainment will find plenty of herring, skippy and whiting at either the cut, town or one of the beach groynes around Mandurah. If you are chasing a feed or some entertainment on these species, you will want to be fishing smalling baits like squid or coral prawn and fishing them with relatively small weights.

all on offer as well, so our inshore grounds are well worth checking out.

OFFSHORE I want to mention a couple of things that I believe are the key to better success in our local offshore waters at this time of the year.

Firstly, and most importantly, the key depth zone is 30-50m. Species

like baldchin groper, snapper, dhufish, breaksea cod and, in these cooler months, queen snapper are all on offer in this depth range.

Another thing that can change your fortunes is to fish unobvious structure on the bottom. Most obvious larger structure gets fished heavily by many anglers, while smaller changes in

Most of the pink snapper you catch during July are in great condition, like this one, as they begin to roam and feed as much as they can. better option and are less likely to get snagged up.

Freshwater fishing is a great option for during winter months, as the land surrounding most of our freshwater options will protect you from potential winds and provide you with a more comfortable way of getting out to wet a line. Anglers are always in with a chance

Catching bream in winter isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, although they fight hard and will get your adrenaline going when you hook a big one. at hooking up to trout, though your main target species will be red-fin perch and there is sure to be plenty on offer.

If you are targeting freshwater fish, most people will use artificial lures such as spinners, hardbodies and small soft plastics. Vibrating hardbody lures like divers, vibes and blades will work well as they allow you to work different water depths whilst also drawing the attention of the fish which are at a distance. Like most other forms of fishing, you are best to suit your presentation to match what is in the area with both profile and colors.

Bright reds, oranges, brown trout and rainbow trout patterns are all popular choices when you are fishing freshwater as anything that you can catch in these waters will predate on their own kind.

If you are going to get out during th July, it is worth planning your trip around the forecasted weather and making sure you are prepared with regards to safety or wet weather gear if you wish to endure the conditions. Rock fishing during winter for example, can be far too appealing to those wanting to hook their seasonal pink, though it can be a very risky adventure with slippery rocks and large swells that are best approached with caution. tasty fish to be caught in 200-500m of water out of Perth.

I also want to make a special mention of a swordfish capture made recently in our offshore waters. Many anglers believe these amazing fish are

Farshad Monshizadeh with a cracker pink snapper from the sand.

The Fish Tucker Man, Dom Magoo, doesn’t miss when it comes to putting a feed of fresh calamari on the plate.

bottom structure tend to be bypassed or left alone. In my experience, these less obvious/pressured marks often produce better and more consistent fishing. Give it a try.

Pelagics are still about, so look for signs of bird activity or concentrations of bait that give away where the fish might be.

In between bad weather, it is always worth considering the deepdrop fishing we have on our offshore grounds. There are some incredibly

A welcome by-catch by Dom Magoo – a big leatherjacket. These fish are also known as silver flounder when sold in the fish shops. on offer in our waters, but they’re actually a rare capture, so it is great to see one caught. A great reward for all their hard work.

On that note, I will catch you next month.

JULY 2024 91

West Coast

WA

FMM

School holiday fun with plenty of options LANCELIN

Peter Fullarton

This month’s report will outline a bit of something for everyone during the school holidays. Options for big boats, small boats, kayaks, beach fishing and the town jetty.

bank is a great way to catch pink snapper and there are dhufish and breaksea cod being caught under 10m depths.

DINGHY/KAYAK The smaller boats and kayaks are easier to launch through the shore break being able to be manhandled off the beach.

The big thing these days is inshore pink snapper with good numbers of fish

Scott McDonald has got the pink snapper wired at the moment, regularly picking up fish on hardbody lures from the shallows while he goes out for a quick check of the lobster pots.

BIG BOATS Demersal fishing remains open until the end of this month with the next ban period starting 1 August. The biggest issue will be the beach launch and getting through the passages to open water. Once the swell is around the 3m mark, caution is advised and only the more experienced skippers should be attempting an offshore fish. Pretty much all experience local skippers have a story to tell leaving the bay at Lancelin! Always wear life jackets entering or leaving the bay and log on with sea rescue, you can never be sure the unexpected not happen.

Once out, professional lobster pots

inside the outer reefs. While north and south of town offer slightly deeper water and usually more fish, when the swell is pumping, snapper can be caught inside the bay. Berley and floating pilchards are

Bo with a nice greenback on the Halco Roosta popper. the best way to catch them from the shallows.

Next on the hit list would be King George whiting. It’s been a reasonable season for them usually a feed can be

found around the weed bed to sand edges.

With southern gars now back on the menu keep an eye out in the berley trail for those tell tale swirls. When they are around the easiest way to catch them is a long shank hook tied to a light leader with a small piece of squid or prawn, just use the wind assist to toss it out into the berley trail.

There are also plenty of herring, skippy, tarwhine and snook around the bay who will aggressively take small artificial lures. With gin clear waters, it’s a great time to break out the ultra-light gear for a light tackle micro lure session.

Squid fishing is best at sunrise and set and they are very active under the full moon at night.

Sambos roam the bay and at this time of year and we nearly always hook a few big ones while fishing for pink snapper, they will be attracted to the activity created when fishing a berley trail.

BEACH Big swells can make beach fishing difficult, and the beaches can be very treacherous to drive on at this time of year. If unsure use the back tracks to access the various beaches along the coast.

The swells also open up the gutters and scour out the reef breaks. I would be looking along the Back Beach or around Wedge Island for a nice deep hole or for the experienced 4WDers along the bombing range.

This year, the mulloway have been in lower numbers and a lighter weight for length than we usually expect. It’s a transition time we start to see a lot more schoolies and tailor in the gutters vs large mulloway and sharks off the open beaches.

Tailor can be patchy and hard to get a good number, but the size is good with fish over 50cm not uncommon and around the reef breaks larger greenbacks are mostly 50-60cm with the chance of a really big one over 70cm. During larger seas, tailor move to the offshore breaks.

When there has been a break in the big storms and swell for several days expect a lot more fish on reef breaks within casting range. So follow the weather patterns to pick the right day!

Fishing reefs at dawn, and I mean you

Nolan had a great session casting lures to the break. are usually set up on the lumps so a good opportunity to find good grounds. You can expect the usual mix of baldy, dhufish and snapper, also gummy sharks have been landed as incidental bycatch.

It’s been a good year for cuttlefish, if you like to snag a few out deep use of j hooks over circles lands a lot more. They will be starting to die off and float, so you can grab a few for bait too.

Setting up a berley trail inside the white 92 JULY 2024

The author was chuffed with an eight bar groper caught on his first time out deep dropping.

Conor had fun casting poppers to the reef breaks during a calm spell. are losing tackle to snags casting to the rough stuff, will get pink snapper, while drone dropping baits around 200-300m after a storm passes usually finds snapper throughout the day.

Sand whiting come in a larger size class off the beach over winter and we have been onto a great season for herring.

The season is shaping up for lots of schoolies in the gutters.

Berley near the deeper areas adjacent to the weed or reef is best for the herring and there is always a chance of skippy and tarwhine joining the party.

South end of the bay near the Sea Rescue building has been cleared of weed for the winter and will fish great at this time of year for a multitude of species. Casting small lures or baits here can catch a bunch of species in one session with skippy, tarwhine, flathead, flounder, herring and King George or yellowfin whiting all on the cards. While nighttime walking the shallows will find a few big cobber.

JETTY Lancelin Jetty is only an hour from Perth and is a great platform to take the kids fishing. There is even a LBG option with samson fish best at dawn on live baits or casting large stick baits and poppers. Daytime blowfish is a problem so cast baits to the shallows for a few sand whiting. At nighttime the jetty transforms, as blowfish disperse and snook, tailor, skippy and large numbers of herring gather under the lights.

South Coast

FMM

WA

Pelagics are stealing the show DAMPIER/KARRATHA

Troy Honey

In last month’s article I largely covered billfish and pelagic fishing and to highlight how good this season is going, the results for the 2024 Nickol Bar Sportfishing Club Billfish Shoot held in June where a total of 120 billfish tagged, of which 118 were sailfish and two marlin across a total of 81 anglers.

Now that could seem quite low for Western Australia comps but the three-day event was hampered severely by weather with only two hours of fishing on day

right now and seeing quality fish such as red emperor move further into shallow waters. Areas outside of the archipelago, such as off Point Samson and further south off Fortescue and the islands out and around Barrow Island, have been seeing many red emperors around the 5kg mark being caught in water as shallow as 10-15m. Some of these areas can be better options when sharks are a problem in deeper water or around your favourite lumps. Try berleying up in the shallower water close to the islands off Fortescue and 40 Mile as this always works a treat to bring red emperors and coral trout in.

If gold band snapper are your target species then now is also the time to chase them as they are appearing in waters from 60m, which is a lot closer than 70m+ where they are found outside of the dry season.

Bluebone are being caught around the archipelago and along the pipelines along with Spanish flag, darktail snapper and Moses perch also being caught in good numbers. Among them there are plenty of coral trout but you need to watch the size limit as there are thousands out there in the 35-45cm range and although a great

Plenty of rankin cod are being caught in Karratha, like this one the author caught in 50m of water recently. one due to strong winds and day two was rain storms all morning. All-in-all a good event with good numbers and we have continued to see plenty of billfish being caught during the following weeks off Dampier.

The FADS are working well and holding plenty of baitfish with mahimahi, Spanish mackerel and wahoo congregating at a variety of times around each FAD. Not too much in the way of demersals around the FADs at the moment although it is worth trying your luck.

Elsewhere out wide it has all been about demersals as we are in peak season

If it is the great eating gold band snapper you are chasing on your North West adventure, try off the back of the archipelago in 60m+ where Dave Laver was successful last month.

fish, they do not meet the required 45cm limit, which can easily be mixed up with the 30cm and 40cm limits of most of the other near shore and demersal species.

Spangled emperor is another species we start to see more of during the cooler months and they have been turning up in the 30m mark out from Cod Bank. The balance of Cod Bank has been fishing well

The author with a nice red emperor caught on a 200g Ocktajig in June. can even be caught with throw nets from shore. Always check the legality of your fishing methods and bag limits when fishing for prawns and ensure you have the correct licences.

Squid are everywhere at the moment

Dave Laver caught this solid 650mm coral trout while jigging in 50m+ of water. for blueline emperor with a lot of good fish exceeding 50cm. Coral trout, gold spotted cod, rankin cod and a variety of nearshore species are also coming in here regularly. The gear and back destroying Chinaman fish numbers have slowed down on the bank, which although a great fish, can be a good thing as they are hard to get past at times and certainly slow your fishing down by needing a few breaks in between fish to rest.

Blue swimmer crabs are still in big numbers and growing by the week in size.

All of the usual areas, such as Nickol Bay, Point Samson and Cossack are working well. All of the adjoining creeks are also fishing well for mud crabs. Prawns are turning up at night in Nickol Bay and

Further north, Tyren Morris found the bluebone while out fishing in magic conditions. with the clear water on the neap tides being the best times to target them. All of the weed beds around the archipelago are full of them but if you are looking for monster squid then why not try your luck with some Karratha deep water squid jigging. I will bring you more on this next month after I try my luck and test some new specifically designed jigs in a couple of areas I know hold very large deep water squid.

Shore-based anglers are scoring quality fish EXMOUTH

Barry Taylor

This month’s report has been supplied

by James Fitzgerald.

A few black marlin and sailfish have been turning up for game fishers this past month. The bycatch has been good, with some mahimahi up to 14kg, a few wahoo and a couple of yellowfin tuna up to about 20kg.

In the Gulf, we’ve been seeing a few school mackerel and some really big golden trevally coming through, whether it’s on the bottom or other side of the Gulf, on the shoals or artificial reef. There have been tons

of sharks, but with them come cobia, which are always a welcome catch (and the sharks don’t tend to eat them).

Anglers pushing out wide, bottom bouncing on the west side and up near the Muiron islands, have been catching red emperor and gold-band snapper. The Squidtrex has been picking up a few, but most fish have been caught on bait. The bycatch has included pearl perch and Robinson’s sea bream.

On the inside of the reef, on the west side near Tantabiddi, people have been catching trevally, queenies, dart/ permit and spangled emperor. Nomad Madscads and Halco Slidogs are good options, or you can just free-weight a

bit of mulie down on a hook.

Down to Pilgramunna and right up to Mildura shipwreck, shore-based anglers have been catching queenfish, golden trevally, giant trevally and spangled emperor. Stickbaits such as Jackson G-Controls, Saltiga Rough Rides, and Storm So-Runs have been catching their share, along with soft plastics such as the Bait Junkie 5” Jerkshad in brighter colours.

On the gulf side, anglers have been targeting whiting, squid and blue-lined emperor off the shore. The whiting have been hitting Sugapens and grub-tail soft plastics, while the Shimano Clinch Flash Boost jigs have been working well on the

squid. The blue-lined emperor have been hitting smaller stickbaits and grubs. If you prefer bait fishing, you can always throw out a squid or mulie for them.

• For the latest news on what’s biting and where, drop in to Tackle World Exmouth at 3 Maley St, Exmouth or call them on (08) 9949 1315. You can also view the range at www. tackleworldexmouth.com.au, and see the latest catch photos on their Facebook page. This family business stocks a large range of tackle, from light spin to big game. The staff have a wealth of local knowledge and expertise, and are always happy to help.

JULY 2024 93

WA

Freshwater

FMM

Prolonged dry season continues FRESHWATER

Peter Fragomeni

July is normally an exciting time to be out chasing trout in WA . The prolonged dry period has continued until the end of May when finally a few fronts started to come through.

I’ve seen some dry seasons but I must say nothing quite like this one currently.

Our side of the country has

very low and in need of good rains.

As a farmer and a keen freshwater angler this situation is a hard pill to swallow. The cold fronts have been trying to come through but were blocked by huge high pressure systems that positioned themselves over Australia, blocking any of the fronts trying to get through which is very frustrating to see. This has had an enormous impact on our trout as even in normal years they can struggle in our marginal conditions.

our trout fishery in this state. In my reply I stated that I believe that a 50% reduction in fees from $50 to $25 per year would be very welcome by the majority of freshwater anglers, and would retain data and value in the fishery. I’m yet to receive a reply and will touch on the subject in the next report. The trout fishing has been slow recently however, redfin have been active throughout most of the normal locations.

AUSSIE NATIVES The cooler conditions has slowed activity with only cod being active in a few well guarded locations.

DAMS Waroona Dam Very quiet according to Jonah Chiera who fished here recently. The trout have been hard to locate and he was shocked by just how low the water was. Redfin have been more

Some truly magnificent Murray cod are occasionally caught in WA. Unfortunately, with no government stocking they are hard to come by and only available to those in the know.

A superb conditioned rainbow trout that fell to a small Rapala.

They only get like this if conditions are favourable. normally a fairly predictable weather pattern with very dry summers and very wet winters. We very rarely suffer from drought conditions like

Looking at the forecast it seems that good rains will finally occur in early June. I was sent a proposal

by Recfishwest requesting feedback from their FFRG stocking committee regarding licences. The proposal is to suspend the inland freshwater fishing licence for 2 years considering the current situation.

I thought about this and come up with the theory that it may be the wrong approach to take in the long term. I had a long phone conversation with Fisheries WA and our thoughts were very similar, in the way that a suspension of a licence would result in losing the ongoing data base of who is fishing, and what is actually being caught. This would also jeopardise the intrinsic value of the fishery and send a negative message to the public that our authorities have lost faith in

An older photo showing just how good our redfin fishing can be here in the West. The fighting ability lacks in these species, however, the eating quality makes up for the shortfall. cooperative with those out on boats catching mainly smaller fish in the 25-30cm bracket.

Drakesbrook Weir Again very quiet as time of writing with not many trout being caught up till end of May. Hopefully, things will pick up this month with planned Hatchery stocking. A few redfin are getting caught out in the

deeper water by those on kayaks trolling hard bodied lures in different colours and sizes.

Logue Brook Dam A few nice trout are being caught by those in the know including a couple of the browns that were recently stocked. Please try to release your trout as this water is very susceptible to over fishing.

Fisheries WA compliance officers patrolling our waters. At times you don’t see them because, with modern surveillance cameras, they only approach if they believe an individual is not complying to the rules. the east-coast does. A bit of rain has fell throughout the state in early May although, many locations missed out altogether. The irrigation needs have been enormous with a couple of our dams almost dry with others being 94 JULY 2024

A great photo of Big Brook Dam in all its glory. The trout fishing can be good at this scenic little water.

Freshwater

FMM Harvey Dam A few trout were spotted up the back of the dam however, they refused to take anything offered to them. I’m hoping a bit of rain will stir up some action in the coming months and with a stocking from the Hatchery it should start to fish again over winter. The redfin are well and truly schooled up so, it’s important to locate where they are congregated

time of the year is when they move to the areas where creeks flow in so, look for these areas. A few redfin are turning up however, there are lots of areas that seem to be void of them so move around until you find where they are holding. A boat or kayak is a must in this water. Remember this water is the same as Harvey and Drakesbrook where you can only use an electric motor. You can use

Good rains finally fell in early June, which resulted in rising rivers down in our South-West region. if you want to be successful. I find being in the main basin is the best area this time of the year. I normally slowly Troll along and when I find the schools hit the spotlock on the Minn Kota about 15m off the school and cast over it allowing the soft DAM LEVELS South West WA Overall storage in our dams that allow public access and recreational activities are currently 29.4 % at the end of May compared to 48.2 % as of the same time last year. After a very dry autumn it seems that the rains have finally arrived with some large fronts due in early winter. It’s hard to predict just how much the dams will rise as its dependent on how winter will go . Hopefully we end up with good inflows as Glen Mervyn is basically empty with Waroona, Harvey and Wellington dams in need of decent rain over winter.

WAROONA DAM DRAKESBROOK WEIR LOGUE BROOK DAM HARVEY DAM WELLINGTON DAM GLEN MERVYN DAM BIG BROOK DAM

a petrol motor on Wellington but it must not exceed 6 hp and a speed limit of 8 knots applies.

Glen Mervyn Dam If you fancy fishing in puddles then they have been catching a few redfin in the extremely low water.

Lake Kepwari The redfin have been patchy with some anglers having a good session while others finding it hard to get amongst them.

Big Brook Dam A mate of mine fished here recently and spotted a nice brown cruising on the edge of a drop off. He presented a small Tom Jones to it on

a long fine leader however, it wasn’t interested. A bit of rain should see a bit more activity around the edges.

RIVERS Murray River Reports have been hard to come by for the upper reaches however, a mate of mine Kurt Blanksby fish the lower section below the scarp and reports that the fires has destroyed a lot of vegetation. Not many fish were spotted which could be the result of the fires followed by heavy rain a few weeks later.

Northern Jarrah Streams This is the time that trout move up from a number of dams that are situated along the scarp. Of course this requires a lot of rain to get these winter streams flowing. Hopefully, as I write some good fronts are forming of the coast finally. Just remember that these fish aren’t stocked so please release them to preserve the stocks .

Collie River below Wellington Dam Normally this section shuts down due to lack of flow although, a few trout still seem to get caught.

Collie River above Wellington Dam Trout have been caught just up from the dam on occasions however, the best section is well upstream around Collie if you want to tackle some good size redfin.

Blackwood River Redfin lurk in the deeper pools above Bridgetown although they aren’t always easy to find . The best approach is to just keep moving and fish any likely looking water . The trusty soft plastics would be hard to beat.

Warren River A couple of guys from WATFAA spent a few days fishing this once famous trophy trout water.

Unfortunately, it’s only a fraction of its former glory with many sections housing very small yearlings and ex brood trout. The water was low and the fish were very wary that spooked

32% 93% 58% 42% 35% 12% 52%

plastics to sink to where they are holding. This technique works well until they cotton on and tend to shut down which is then time to move to the next school.

Wellington Dam No reports of trout but , that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. This

Winter is cold, however good fishing can still be had if you can brave the weather. This brown hit Wendy’s Halco Poltergeist trolled at a slow speed.

WA

Stripping eggs at the Pemberton Trout Hatchery. After a tough summer the work goes on at Pemberton with often freezing conditions making things uncomfortable, so spare a thought for the staff that provide trout for us to enjoy. at any careless approach. They didn’t bother fishing for redfin however, others in kayaks have been getting nice size models hard up against the structure.

Lefroy Brook This stream was also fished by the same intrepid dedicated anglers and their skill with the fly-rod wasn’t rewarded. This stream has copped a lot of traffic and the trout have become educated in the clear low conditions. This rain coming will result in better opportunities if you happen to be down that way.

Donnelly River No reports this month however, with good rains it will push the trout up from the lower reaches to the faster sections further upstream. If you happen to have a boat or kayak then the best section would have to be around Boat Landing. This section is not as productive when there is a lot of water coming down, and only fishes when there is slack water with a slight movement.

That wraps up another report on what’s on offer in WA. It’s been a trying year for freshwater anglers and I have seen the frustration on people’s faces first hand. With favourable conditions and the enormous revamp of the Hatchery at Pemberton things will be brighter for the future. Even with the reduction of trout the experience of being in the outdoors this time of the year sitting around a hot fire is an experience most people don’t get a chance to enjoy. Meanwhile, please release any trout you happen to catch as stocks will be very low due to the conditions explained earlier Stay Connected.

JULY 2024 95

FUN PAGE AND COMPETITIONS PART IV: RANDOM THINGS IN THE GARAGE/SHED Y

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2021 2024 Times and Heights of High and Low Waters20212021 Local Times andLocal Heights of Time High and Low Waters T 33° 51ʼ S LONG 151° 14ʼ E Times and Heights of High and Low Waters Time LAT 38° 18ʼ S LONG 144° 37ʼ E POINT LONSDALE – VICTORIA POINT SYDNEY (FORT DE – NEW SOUTH WALES

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SYDNEY (FORTMAY DENISON) –Times NEW SOUTH WALES MAY JULY AUGUST JUNE Times and Heights of HighJUNE and Low Waters Time and Heights of High and Low Waters and Heights and Low Waters Local Time JANUARY FEBRUARY APRIL and Heights ofLocal High and Low Waters LAT 38° 18ʼ LONG 144° 37ʼ E51ʼMARCH LAT 38°m 18ʼ S Times NGTime 151° 14ʼ m E of High ONG LAT 33° S LONG 151° 14ʼ E Time m Time Time m Time m m JULY Time m Time m Time m JUNE JULY MAY AUGUST Time m Time m Time m JUNE MAY Time m m andAUGUST Time m Time m Time TimeandmHeightsTime Time m Time mLocal Time Time m JUNE JULY Times of High Low Waters Times and Heights LocalTime Time hTime and Low Local Time Waters Time m Local Time m MAY JUNE Times of High Waters Time m and Time Time mm Time m Time m m Waters Time mm and Low Time m JULYTimeLocal Time m Heights Time m Time

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0519 0.58 0633 0.53 00061.36 1.68 0145 1.34 0150 1.40 1.26 0554 0.36 0037 1.78 0057 1.60 0557 0452 0623 0034 0.51 0052 1.4816 02081 1.63 1.41 0134 m1.71 0205 16 1.57 0046 0.69 0122 1.60 0034 1 1.26 0113 1.39 0028 1.52 m1.30JUNE Time Time Time m0.49 Time Time m0.54 16 1 1 MAY AUGUST JULY MAY AUGUST SEPTEMBER 1155 m1.39 16 0740 0744 1117 m1.28 1238 0646 0.43 m 0750 0.51 0807 0.62 AUGUST JULY JULY AUGUST Time m0835 Time Time m 1 0735 Time Time m Time m Time Time m 0735 OCTOBER SEPTEMBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 1 16 1 16 16 1 16 1 16 1 1 16 1148 0.55 1.30 1041 0.38 1158 0.58 1.47 0821 0.65 0637 0.48 0.56 0825 0.55 0923 0.65 0601 0.67 0706 0.68 0642 0.62 16 1 1 1 16 1 16 1 1.68 16 SU0633 1MO 1225 TU 16 1SA0037 17251.78 0.65 1345 1.33 13581.26 1.3811.37FR 16400.53 0.75 1804 0.76 16 1303 16 1.43 1430 1.59 1446 1.43 1.18 SU1904 MO 1245 0006 0150 0057 1412 1.18 0034 1257 1.79 WE 1430TH 1.31 1.22 1.62 1.42 1900 1.50 0.80 0.58 1748 1.58 1.54 0.75 TU1.60 TH 1307 FR FR FR 12381.40 SA 14161.34 MO TU 1533 0.51 SA 0145 MO TU WE 1245 0207 0557 1.36 0046 0.69 0049 0452 1.41 0623 2314 1.71 1848 0.66 2110 0.56 2114 0.76 2359 1.88 1911 0.79 1940 0.78 1 16 16 1 16 0740 0.49 0744 0.54 0646 0.43 1238 1.30 0807 0.62 1932 0.38 0.32 16 20282319 0.60 19490.51 0.71 1.301935 0.78 2042 1.47 0.88 1935 1910 0.51 1928 0.56 0.55 18350.58 0.59 0750 0.74 1.54 1.44 1.35 1928 1 10938 1 1158 1 1041 16 11616 16 1148 0735 0748 0735 16 1 1 16 1345 1.33 1.38 1.43 16 16 0.76 1430 1.59 1 1 1.43 16 16 16 1 1 16 1 16 TH111358 FR 1303 WE 1804 SU 1446 MO 16 16 1 16 1 1 1427 1900 1.50 1245 0.80 1257 0.87 1748 1.58 1904 1.54 1245 0.75 0608 0.61 0030 1.68 0255 1.18 0301 1.25 0138 1.66 0148 1.47 0100 1.58 0700 0.43 SA 0.47 SA MO 1.38 FR 0.78 TU WE 0146 1.50 1848 03070534 02330.56 1.63 02250043 1.58 0.65 0317 1.52 0135 1.27 1.41 0108 1.52 2110 0.66 2114 0.76 0.7917 17 1940 0.74 2 17 171928 172 0130 21.60 2 1.44 2TH 0.68 17 20.67 2 2 0118 20158 17 17 221911 20735 17 21121 170023 1207 1.25 0.52 0858 0.65 0.56 1.42 0.54 0828 2 0.58 0733 0.45 1300 1.31 2057 2319 0.74 1.54 17 17 17 2 0739 0.541720724 0955 0.62 09411935 0.61 0938 0.65 17 102117 0.65 0853 1922 0648 2 0.710835 0801 0.73 073317 2 2 0656 1.29 0842 1.32 0.42 1.40 0849 1.50 17261.68 0.80 1.34SA 1544FR 1.47 1447 1.35 14511.18 1359 1.49 TU MO 18251.66 0.74 MO 1350 1.62 TH 1.17 15341.25 1.13 1531 1542 1.17 WE 1636 1.24 1.54 1353 1.58 1.31 1323 1.27SA TU 1538 1.64 SU WE1.47 SU TU 1305WE FR1335 SA 1.41 0030 0255 0138 0148 0100 0301 1231 0.65 0.89 1.52 0.68 0.85 SU WE SA TU TH 1345 0315 0023 0.74 0135 0534 1.38 0043 0.65 1906 0.77 2227 0.72 2230 0133 0.50 0.57 2019 0.82 2045 0.81 1957 0.67 0.68 2021 0.40 2126 0.68 20530.56 0.79 20521256 0.81 0130 2157 0.47 0.85 1336 1948 2007 0.61 191317 0.66 0853 2220.54 17 17 2 1836 0858 0.65 0835 0.54 17 0724 0.52 0828 0.58 0733 0.45 17 17 17 2 17 2 2 1947 1.44 2019 1.40 1959 1.51 2023 1.50 17 17 17 2 2 2 17 17 2 17 17 2 2 2 2 17 17 17 17 2 17 2 2 2 0656 1.29 0842 1.32 0848 1.37 1043 1121 0.42 0735 1.40 0849 1.50 1542 1.47 18 1.3518TH 1335 1.34 1451 1.41 SA 1359 1.49 1538 1.64 MO FR 1.29 TU 3 0.890342 0406 181345 3FR 1347 18 3 3 3 0206 3 18 18 3 1447 18 0421 0.85 1.52 0422 0243 1.53 0248 1.42 0415 3 1.58 01563 1.50 WE 03431336 1.56 1.59 00000.77 1.66 1.16 0239 1.56 0245 1.37 0200 1.48 1.22 0.95 01000.82 1.77 0126 1.63 1231 0.65 1542 1836 1.52 1256 0.68 SU SU SA TU TH 1906 2227 0.72 2019 2045 0.81 1957 0.67 2230 0.50 18 18 08470.570.601830815 18 3 18 3 0116 0.75 0230 0.65 0001 0.75 0144 0.59 0230 0.43 1109 0.63 0.750925 0908 0.75 1119 0.62 0836 0.70 1100 0.64 1053 0.59 3 3 18 3 18 3 0809 0.49 18 0702 0.62WE 0742 0953 0.66 0911 0.61 0825 0.47 1001 0.57 0.50 1947 1.443 2019 1.403 2009 1.383 2205 1959 18 1.51 2023 18 1.50 1723 1.32 1.45 1450 1.45 FR 1451 1.48 1.22 1.12 1421 1.18 17051.22 1.13 1.22 1.44 0808 1.26 0628 0958 1.55 TH TH1.37 SA1433 SU 1.46 MO 13031.63 1.24 1349 TH 1637 1.52 1544 1.40 15431.34 1458 1.57 WE 1656 1645 1.36 1.72 14141.56 1.28 1.41SU 1712SA TU TU0858 SU WE 0945 MO 0406 1.16 0422 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0.72 0.86 1758 0.96 1822 0.87 0535 1.53 0313 0642 0.62 1.70 0007 0.63 0.64 0134 8 0.62 0507 062823 1.74 1656 01170516 0.668 0.50 01331746 0.43 0112 0.60 TH WE SA SU MO 0432 0110 0.34 0545 0.33 0520 0.43 23 8 1240 23 8 1221 0.59 1.6123MO 1719 1.78 1800 1.65 1755 1.87 22 22 7 06502359 22 22 70540 70.60 FR 2240 SA TU 0.66 WE 21 1342 0.50 0649 1.73 0803 1.69 13208 0.40 1300 07360.43 1.63 1.89 0711 1.72 1.57 2349 2304 1.36 1.46 1.52 1.39 6 6 6 21 6 21 8 1758 8SU7 1216 23 8 23 23 1129 1.40 1025 1.44 0715 1224 1.74 1225 1301 0141 0.42 0516 1.57 04070.50 1.65 0021 0.67 1.52 0043 0044 0.35 1.59 0213 0.22 1.59 1931 1.91 2346 1856 1.72 1.22 1930 1.21 1345 0.42 1446 0.45 1918 1.34 1411 0.50 1317 0.25 1320 0.52 7 22 7 7 22 22 MO WE TH TH FR SU MO 22 7 22 7 7 22 7 22 7 7 7 22 7 1142 70.54 22221039 0.45 1757 22 22 7 0.60 22 221.400.72 TH 1656 0.90 1541 1746 1758 0.96 22 0.93 0030 221822 71136 22 7 1.280.8622 0732 1.29 0.8770810 0607 0.44 0626 0635 1.37 7 1.42 WE TH 1418 SA SU MO TU 1807 1937 1.28 20420428 1.33 20140.57 1.41 1.73 0.28 1938 1.65 0601 0522 0.49 0604 0.44 1.49 17590.67 1.52 17001.52 1.57 2342MO 1202 0.59 1812 1.90 1202 0.621.52 1212 0.48 1.391926 2304 1.36 2240 1.46 TU 1952 2359 2349 SA 1303 0.54 22 FR SA WE TH SU 1349 0.40 0141 0.42 0021 0540 0043 0.60 0044 0.35 0213 0.22 22 7 7 7 1218 1.50 1138 1.57 1320 1.81 1310 1.66 0639 0.31 9 9 24 9 24 9 24 1835 1.68 1840 1.71 1850 1.96 1935 1.79 2259 0.63 2017 1.90 7 22 7 22 22 02151703 0.57 0.73 01581.42 0.60 01281844 0.34 0.82 0149 0.55 1844 0.92 0053 0.62 0635 0105 1.37 0.55 0625 1.63 0052 0.54 0810 0732 1.29 1.4024 1136 0.44 0626 1.28 1755 0.89 1353 1.75 9 0607 9 24 9 24 9 24 FR TH SU MO TU 0522 0.57 0200 0428 0.49 0604 0.28 0601 0.44 0030 1.49 0010 1.39 23 8 23 23 8 23 8 8 0842 1.72 1.65 0741 1.87 0746 1.55 0733 1.74 0743 0.48 1.86 1314 0.56 0723 SU 1.87 134908130.40 1303 0.54 1202 0.59 TU 1812 1.90 1202 0.62 1212 SA WE TH 2350 1.38 1.50 0.81 70104 7 1320 22 72323 22 7 80800 0.61 0124 0139 0.27 8 00001.68 0047 0.39 0.22 0216 0.37 1.50 1138 1310 1.66 0639 23 23 81218 8 1.81 2314401.90 8 0611 231.57 15182339 0.42 0.47 0.25 1347 0.31 0.52 8 0254 1429 0.45 22 1433 0.30 1407 0.2823 8 8881.24 80.68 230505 1.67 23 23 8 0.54 23230.38 1915 FR 23 SA MO81359 TU TU23 TH8 MO 1857 FR 1840 1.71 1850 1.96 1935 1.79 2017 23 81835 23 8 0649 1.39 0711 1.29 0732 1.39 0.922011 0601 1.55 23 1125 0.40 0641 1.50 1.45 1.65 0811 1.33 1755 0.89 1456 1703 0.73 1844 1353 1329 211581.38 20451844 1.47 1.85 2009 1.75 1.71 0852 2019 1.2423FR 2027 1.36 20060.82 1.46 FR TH SU MO TU WE 1.55 0040 1.43 1.50 0533 0603 0.50 10 SU0053 251915 25 0123 2036 10 10 1237 0.59 12420.37 0.6125 FR 13060.22 0.46 12170.61 0.53 SU 1228 0.44 17480.39 1.72 1435 1856 0.39 0.85 1344 0.50 0.81 TU MO10 2350 1.388TH 2339 1.50WE 0124 0.54 0139 0.27 0254 0216 0.37 8 8 23 0SA0104 2523 0047 10 25 10 25 10 0729 0.33 1242 1300 1.60 02341.45 0.55 0142 0.60 0200 1.39 0.46 0031 0.58 0147 0.43 0852 0252 0.53 02210657 0.28 0.25 022723 0.51 0644 2015 1.84 1910 1.74 19191.71 1.77 1944 2.01 18361.39 1.59 1903 2.01 25 2100 0.40 1.85 8 23 23 8 0649 0641 1.50 0711 1.29 0732 0811 1.33 242408460.39 9 0713 2424 9 083490603 9 0814 9MO 1.84 1.72 1.44 1.75 0.72 1840 0.86 1.66 1.43 0819 0.37 1.77 1306 1.97 24 1.74 1.96 1435 09161813 1.74 0053 08311411 1.80 24 0823 1.50 1.51 TU 1352 WE 1440 9 FR SA 0245 1.55 0040 0123 0.50 1237 0.59 0.44 12420533 0.61 0.46 1344 0.50 24 24 9 24 WE 1228 TH990.44 FR 9 MO SU 9 0105 9 24 9 9 24 24 9 2424 24240.35 24 9 24 1508 0.45 1509 0.41 1519 0.20 1403 1452 0.19 1547 0.41 1440 0.29 1415 0.33 0.54 91926 0144 0.56 0145 0.30 0202 0.48 0045 0.63 0000 0.51 0331 0.25 0253 0.32 0230 0.22 1934 0.78 0.87 2005 0.75 SU WE FR TU SA SA TU WE 8 8 8 23 8 23 23 0840 1242 1.71 1944 1300 0657 0.25 2100 1.85 0644 0.40 0729 0659 1.60 11 2015 1.84 1910 1.74 1903 2.01 1919 1.77 2.01 11 11 26 11 26 26 9 9 24 24 21151352 1.53 2100 1.2824 0740 2115 1.45 1.280730 20521.84 1.58 214591.41 1.92 1440 2040 1.75 1.76 0933 1414 1.38 1.48 0752 1.31 0642 1.53 24 0600 1.68 1951 9 1.47 1.70 0849 1.37 0826 1.41 1.722056 1528 1813 0.72 1411 1840 0.86 SA FR MO TU WE TH SA 1SU0144 11 26 11 26 11 26 26 MO0145 0032 1.54 0144 1.56 0128 1.46 0213 1.50 0033 1.42 1311 0.60 1319 0.45 1322 0.60 12490.56 0.53 12100.30 0.37 1519 0.41 1425 0.46 1359 0.45 WE TH FR TU SA 0202 0.48 0253 0.32 2115 1934 0.78 1926 0.87MO 0.75 1942 0.769 0121 0.54 0226 0.57 0230 0251 0.22 0.38 0328 0.51 024024 0.33 0331 03090.25 0.52 03150746 0.27 2005 030524 0.50 0724 9 2141 0.37 1.76 2053 1.86 1945 1.79 1956 2.07 1957 1.81 19111.38 1.6624 0740 18361.48 1.86 2033 2.02 109 0629 0.26 0.26 0815 0.36 0642 0.44 9 24 9 0730 0752 1.31 0849 1.37 0933 1.47 0826 1.41 10 25 25 25 10 10 25 0800 1.85 0900 1.79 0923 2.04 0948 1.73 0903 2.00 0919 1.65 0922 1.69 0901 1.47 10 25 10 25 10 25 10 10 10 25 25 10 25 25 1016030033 10 250213 25 1.49TH 1522 0326 25 25 101434 2500570.450.40 10FR 0.34 25 25 1338 1.81 1.84 1.75 1.73 1339 1.68 SA WE SU 1311 10 0.60 TH 1319 13220032 1425 0.46 0.45 0144 1.56 0128 0157 1.54 1.42 TU SA 1359 12101.46 27 12 1545 0.39 0.15 161512 0.40 153427 0.16 1519 15330.41 0.45 15201459 0.37 1445 1.50 0.57 12 WE 1451 TH0.60 SA0241 SU 0.44 MO WETU TH 01251.79 0.58 0407 0.31 27 2052 0221 0.52 0.24SU MO 0241 0318 0.22 0330 0.29 1908 0.70 2022 0.75 2007 0.82 0.71 1919 0.83 9 24 9 24 9 9 24 2053 1.86 2141 1.76 1957 1.81 1956 2.07 2033 2.02 0916 0746 0.26 0724 0.37 0815 0.36 0745 0.34 0629 0.26 0642 0.44 2042 1.33 2138 1.31 2200 1.52 2216 1.45 2137 1.68 2144 1.58 2141 1.95 2114 1.80 12 27 12 27 12 27 201945 27 25 25 10 10 25 10 25 0719 1.51 0656 1.67 1013 1.47 0812 1.36 0837 1.46 0832 1.32 0915 1.42 0929 1.41 1459 1.84 WE 1434 1.73 1602 13380.62 1.81 SU 1339 1.68 SU 1557 TU TH 1522 FR 1456 SA 13200.52 0.54 12560.24 0.37 0211 TH 0.46 1.73 0259 1345 1411 0.48 1401 0.59 1449 0.45 1.750409 1509 0.45 MO TU WE 0214 SU TU0230 1.55 1.48 1.49 0123 1.58 0115 1.45 0407 0330 0.29 0221 0241 0241 0.44 0318 0.22 0402SA 0.50 0.30 2052 0345 0.71 0.50 0.50 0306 0.70 0.55 FR 0343 0.32 03320.75 0.27 03450.31 0.50 2151 2022 2007 0.82 2027 0.67 1908 1919 0.83 1924 1.98 2218 1.65 2133 1.85 1943 1.71 2019 1.82 2047 2.09 2035 1.84 2121 1.98 10 25 10 10 10 25 25 10 25 26 11 26 11 26 11 11 26 11 1.42 110952281.9726 11 26 0.30 0804 0.36 0859110.41 0720 0.20 0718 0.39 1013 0929 1.41 0812 11 1.36 0837 1.46 11 0832 26 1.32 102113 1.70 11 10140833 1.55 0942 1.41 0849 1.94 0938 1.79 0915 1012 2.05 26 26 09521.47 1.61 11 26 11 26 26 11 11 26 11 26 11 28 13 13 28 13 26 26 1642 0.42 0230 16001544 0.48 0259 0.61 1618 1.58 0.39 1646 0.13 1.45 16151.55 0.17 1602 0.46 1.48 1509 0.45 0.6228FR 1411 0.48 1401 0.45 1.80 1.76 1.53 1.70 1.87 1416 1.73 MOSU TH FR 1518 1.49 TH 1538 FR0.59 SU MO TU 16000.46 WE TU 1430 SA 0.25 SU 1449 WE TH 1515 FR 1600 0405 MO 0123 0214 0246 0115 28 28 13 3 1345 13 28 13 0202 0.55 0407 0.28 0441 0.38 0259 0.50 0334 0.23 0318 0.42 0403 0.25 0153 0.31 22471957 1.48 0833 1.93 0.72 2149 1.80 2047 2130 10 1.37 2213 0.20 1.33 25 2247 1.58 0.39 2222 1.76 2218 22141.65 1.63 0.3622272107 2133 1.85 1.82 2047 2.09 20350720 1.84 1.98 0.77 0.35 2136 0.67 0.68 0.80 10 0952 10 25 25 0831 0718 12019 26 1051 262121 261957 0757 1.48 26 0751 1.63 11 1011 0859 1.45 0.41 1.47 0852 1.35 0932 1.44 11 0912 1.330.30 10020804 1.42 11 10 1624 1430 1.87 1544 1.80 1515 1.76 1600 1.70 1535 1.73 1416 1.73 MO SU WE TH FR SA MO 13490.50 0.56 WE 1554 0.45 1645 1.49 0.52 29 0343 1.46 14220.42 0.64 1503 0.51 0438 14421.59 0.58 1539 0.48 0.40 0301 FR 0.51 05050315 0.37 0429 0.51 0344 0.54 SA 0436 0.25 0.31 042529 0.26 04210.38 0.49 TU TH14 SU MO 0441 0259 0334 0.23 0318 0403 0407 0.28 14 14 14120.77 29 1.52 0209 0156 1.47 121957 27 12 12 27 27 12WE 120.45 270.68 12 2113 122225 1957 2107 0.72 2047 2136 0.67 0.80 2727 120258 27270.58 12 27 12 12 27 12 2727 12 1212 27 271343 27 27 10530809 1.64 11060918 1.41 102526 1.36 0938 2.01 1014 1.78 1100 1.99 104126 1.8727 10261.47 1.56 2255 1.52 201512 1.7626 0932 2215 1.80 2056 1.83 2139 2.07 2115 1.85 2207 1.90 20131.44 2.06 11 11 26 1051 1.35 0912 1.33 1002 1.42 1011 1.45 11 11 11 0.36 0845 0.37 0939 0.47 0.19 0755 0.37 14 29 14 29 14 29 4 0852 29 0.44 0.59 SA 1554 0.66 1650 0.40 MO 1730 0.48 0.17 TU 1709 1554 0.24 1645 0.49 FR 16431625 SA0.58 TU 1656 TH WE 16260.52 1422 0.64 SA 1503 0.51 FR 1624 14420209 0.45 SU 0.20 MO 1539 WE 1.74 1.74 1.66 1.87 1454 1.76 TH FR 1556 SA 1633 0444 MO TU 0315 0258 1.59 0156 1.47 0512 0335 0.45 1.55 0446 0.31 1.49 0.29 02492.07 0.26 2220 03381.85 0.49 0428 0.27 0357 0.41 02391.83 0.52 23181517 1.51 2314 0446 1.86 0343 2229 1.46 1.79 1.40 2246 1.34 2207 2335 1.62 23081.52 1.80 2255 22441.52 1.66 2056 2139 2115 1.90 2215 1.80 2152 0.71 2129 0.72 2217 0.64 2043 0.67 2033 0.78 11 11 26 11 26 11 26 12 27 27 27 2 0834 1.44 27 0848 1.57 0353120.420932 1027 0918 0.36 0845 0.37 0939 0.47 0918 0.40 08091.33 0.19 0755 0.3712 1130 1.46 1048 1.41 1055 1.48 1027 1.41 0953 1.34 150.54TH 30 15 1.74 3028 15 30 15 0516 0605 0.46 0515 0.54 0420 0.54 0530 0.33 0519 0.29 0500 0.51 1653 1625 1.74 1556 1633 1.66 1614 1.71 1517 1.87 1454 1.76 1730 0.58 1627 0.53 1644 0.47 1430 0.45 1500 0.66 1557 0.56 1523 0.58 1419 0.58 13 13 13 28 28 28 13 TU FR SA SU MO TU 13SA2.04 280.67 280.50 0426132258 28 13 2159 FR TU TH0400 TH SU MO WE 28 28 28 28 13 13 13 13 0446 0.29 0512 0.45 0.49 0428 0.271313 0357 0.41 0446 0.31 13 28 28 28 28 13 28 28 13 13 28 0254 1.58 1.48 0343 1.49 1.43 0236 1.48 1126 1.56 1202 1.29 1112 1.30 1027 1047 1.75 1148 1.87 1130 1.72 1101 1.48 30 15 30 15 30 15 5 0338 30 2152 0.71 2129 0.72 2217 0.64 2043 2033 0.78 2332 1.39 2250 1.78 2300 1.72 2102 2.10 2133 1.83 2229 1.99 2154 1.84 2046 1.78 12 1055 1.48 27 113016541.46 0932 1.33 27 1027 1.41 12 0953 1.34 27 1048 1.41 12 12 12 1016 0.54 17360856 0.48 0.21 0.71 0.44 0.71 0929 0.40 0.54 0.36 SA 17271000 SU 163527 SA 1712 0.18 SU 1721 0.41 TU 1813 0.25 WE WE 1737 0.34 0830 TH 1644 0.47 1500 0.66 SU 1557 0.56 1523 0.58 1627 0.53 TH FR MO 1.43 TU 2352 1.52 2314 1.43 1.75 2310 2321 1.35 23551.48 1.81 1730 23160.58 1.67 1603 1.82 1.68 1.71 1.61 1532 1.75 TU FR 1704 SA 1634 SU 1704 0524 WE 0544 0425 0.52 1.56 0528 0.38 1.49 0527 0426 0.33 0345 0.25 0417 0.50 0519 0.32 0437 0.40 0316 0.51 0254 1.58 2250 0236 0343 1.48 2300 0400 31 31 2332 1.39 1.72 2133 1.83 2229 1.99 2154 1.84 1.78 13 28 13 28 13 28 3 0913141.41 28 2127 0.67 2235 0.70 2212 0.66 2256 0.62 2110 0.76 12 27 12 12 27 27 12 1210 1.45 1133 1.40 1142 1.51 0945 1.50 0445 1015 1.32 1120 1.39 1036 1.35 0856 0.21 1000 0.44 0929 0.40 1016 0.54 0830 0.36 1006 0.47 1102 0024 1.65 2931 0557 0.57 14 14 0616 0.362929 054131 0.54 14140004 1.76 0610 0.58 0.41 0458 0.56 14 29 14 29 29 14 29 29 14 29 14 29 29 14 14 29 2915210.320.51 14 29 31 FR0519 1820 0.64 1715 0.59 1737 0.50 1540 0.68 1649 0.61 1608 0.59 14500.50 0.62 1603 1.82 1704 1.68 1634 1.71 1704 1.61 1532 1.75 1652 1.68 1724 SA WE FR SU MO TU TH 0527 0.33 0544 0.52 0417 0437 0.40 0528 0.38 14 29 14 29 14 29 14 29 TU FR 1.55 SA SU 1.42 WE MO 1.49 WE 1.40 0627 0.40 12000338 1.47 1221 1.54 0315 11391.48 1.40 07080446 0.55 1206 1.26 0430 1116 2.01 1120 1.69 0510 2331 1.64 0.66 2347 1.60 21541.39 2.08 2213 1.81 2318 1.87 2235 21191.32 1.7928 1120 28 WE 13 2127 0.67 2235 0.70 2212 0.62 2110 0.76 2245 0.43 2331 1.51 1015 1036 1.35 1133 1.40 1238 1.69 1804 1142 0.53 181728 0.47 1210 17241.45 0.60 1.20 2256 172528 0.76 1759 0.19 1751 0.44 TH TH 1.81 FR SU 13031042 MO SU 13 MO 13 28 13 13 0942 0.28 0906 0.37 0.52 1014 0.46 1053 0.62 © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Bureau of Meteorology 1737 0.50 1540 0.68 MO 1649 0.61 0.59 1855 0.59 0.36 23520.64 1.66 1818 0.80 2356 1.37 FR 1647 SA 1820 TU 1608 WE 1715 0015 1.28 0609 0.38 0500 0.51 0610 0.40 0518 0.41 0606 0.45 0355 0.52 0443 0.28 1.75 1611 1.73 1743 1.61 1714 1.68 1735 1.56 WE 2347 TH SA SU MO 0338 1.55 2331 0315 1.48 0519 1.55 0607 1.42 0430 Astronomical 1.49 0510 1.40 Datum0446 of Predictions is Lowest Tide 1.60 2213 1.81 2318 1.87 2235 1.81 1.64 29 29 29301044 of1.43 14 29 4Copyright 30 30 15 150906 3014 15 Commonwealth Australia 2020, Bureau Meteorology 300.28 300.55+11:00) 30 15 151141 1513 30 1514 0619 0.59 1232 1.54 1059 1.30 1213 1.37 1122 1.36 1218 1.40 0952151.37 30 30 15 30 30 15 15 15 2209 0.67 2146 0.75 2318 0.70 2257 0.61 2332 0.60 30 15 0100 1.65 0006 0.62 1.71 0000 1.46 0114 1.64 0043 1.77 06261014 0.58 0537 0.59of 30 28 13 28 13 28 13 0942 0.37 1053 1042 0.52 0.46 1053 Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC when in 15Moon 15 30 15 15 301804 1.43 1.63 0.55 1622 0.71 1744 0.67 1656 0.61 0.66 1.68 1524 0.66 0.59 atum of 0.51 Predictions is1614 Lowest Astronomical Tide 0816 0.62 30 0713 1.56 0.59 0540MO 0.43 0727 0.48 07161.61 0.46TH 12211.28 1.32 1154 1.62 TU SU 1254 SA 1838 FR SA 0015 0500 0610 0.40 0518 0.41 0606 0.45 0609 0.38 1647 1.75 1611 1.73 WE 1730 1759 1743 1714 1735 WE TH TU TH SA SU MO Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon New First Quarter 0421 1.50 0355 1.46 1.37 1.47 1919 2331 0.69 0.39 0558 1.37 2254 1.78 2319 2155 22461.37 2.01 1.17 2332 1.24 0521 1206+10:00) 1.93 1.49 (UTC 131529 1.36 0.66 0.61 1821 0.47 14+11:00) 29standard 14 29savings MO 14160534 TU 1310 0.60 MO TH 1330 FR 1.76 SA 17570.59 TUor mes are1.30 in1.78 local time (UTC daylight time when in effect 0619 1059 1213 1122 1.36 1218 1.40 1232 1.54 2209 0.67 2146 0.75 2318 0.70 2257 14 14 1131 0.70 19241120 0.86 0.61 182729 0.80 1101 0.54 1845 0.24 1939 0.66 0.48 14 190029 0.60 1254 1025 0.36 0943 Last 0.39 1.43 1622 0.71Symbols 1744 0.67 1656 0.61 First 1804 1838Moon 0.55 SU TU WE TH SA New Moon Quarter Quarter oon Phase Full 004131 1.46 1.37 0007 1.74 0013 1.50 1.47 0542 0.34 0545 0.53 0601 0.421.37 04351.78 0.54 0106 0620 1.17 1731 1.67 1650 1.69 1819 1.55 1754 1.63 1.51 31 31 31 31 TH FR SU MO TU 1806 0006 31 31 1919 0.69 2254 2319 1.76 0421 1.50 0355 1.46 1.53 0534 0521 0558 31 31 31 0032 1.64 1.3830 0658 0.47 15 5 1033 1.32 30 1143 1.38 15 0657 0.45 30 2344 0645 0.52 15 14 1146 0033 1.29 12110.69 1.39 30 0703 0.65 2252 2225 0.74 0.56 14 29 14 29 29 14 1025 0.36 0943 0.39 1141 0.65 0658 1120 0.61 1101 0.54 1131 0.70 31 31 0717 0.62 0619 0.64 WE 1305 1.36 1.56 MO 1346 1.42 1304 1.40 17091.74 0.66 17100.42 0.73 17491.46 0.64 FR 16000.53 0.71 SU SU 1328 1806 TU SA 0013 1.50 1.69 TH 0041 0545 0007 0601 1.17 1731 1.67 1650 1.55 0106 TH FR WE 1813 FR 1220 SU 1819 MO TU 0.70 13101754 1.24 1229 1.53 SU WE 1948 0.57 1.51 0622 1839 0.73 15 0507 1859 0.72 1.63 0001 23410.47 1.91 15 1211 2339 1.73 22321.29 1.7530 0658 2030 0.70 1.58 0010 30 30 1.43 0437 1.44 1.46 0.59 0645 0.52 0657 0.45 1146 1.39 0703 0.65 2252 2225 0.74 1836 2344 0.56 1838 0.73 1853 0.69 0.51 15 30 15 15 1107 0.45 1023 0.43 0630 1.32 30 1151 0.64 Commonwealth 0650of Austr 1.35 1304 1.40 Commonwealth 1328 of 1.56 1710 0.73 WE 1305 1.36 1749 0.64 1346 1.42 FR SU TH MO © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2023, Bureau Meteorology © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia © Copyright © Copyright of Australia 2023, Bureau of Meteorology 0642 0.42 0058 1.37 0213 1.10 eau of Meteorology Meteorology 1859 0437 0.72 1.44 1948 0001 0.57 0.70 2339 1.73 0.73 2030 1815 1.58 1731 0.70 1.64 1.46 1200 0010 0.70 0.59 1838 0018 1.58 0.37 1212 0045 0.79 FR SA MO TU WE 0507 1.43 0622 311839 31 31 1244 1.34 07230.72 0.58 0.70 Datum ofofPredictions isisof Lowest Astronomical Tide Datum Predictions Lowest Astronomical Datum0726 of Predictions is1842 Lowest Astro Datum of 2023, Predictions is15 Lowest Astronomical Tide © Copyright Commonwealth Australia Bureau of Meteorology 2336 0.71 2305 1857 1.49 1.35 0800 1.47 15 30 30 15 30 15 1107 0.45 1023 0.43 0630 1.32 0650 1.51 0753 1151 0.64 1807 0.73 1353 1.41 1.42 TU 1448 0058 1.37 0213 1.10 Times are ininlocal standard time (UTC or daylight savings when intime effect Times are local standard time1731 (UTC +10:00) timeSA (UTC +11:00) when in effect Times are in local standardSA time1304 (UTC Times are in+10:00) local standard time (UTC 0.70 +10:00) or daylight savings (UTC +11:00) effect aylight savings time (UTC inin effect time MO (UTC +11:00) +11:00) when when effect 1815 1.64 1200 1212 when 0.79in 2148 1230 0.75 1838 1.58 Datum of Predictions is1.58 Lowest Astronomical Tide FR SA MO WE TH TU 2001 0.76 0.68 31 31 0723New0.58 0800 0.70 0526 Full 1.42 Moon Phase Symbols Moon Moon First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Moon Moon Phase Symbols New Moon Last Quarter New Mo New Moon First Quarter Last Quarter Moon Phase Symbols Full Moon 2336 0.71 2305 0.72 1857 1.49 1842 1.47 1900 1.52 1921 Full First Quarter Last Quarter Full Moon MoonTimes are Last Quarter in local standard (UTC1.41 +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect 1353 1448 1.42 31 SAtime TU 1107 0.49 2001 0.76 2148 0.68 Moonof Phase Symbols 2020,New Moon Moon First Quarter SU 1815Full1.59 Last Quarter 0526 of1.42 0.37 © Copyright Commonwealth Australia Bureau Meteorology 2351 0.69 31 31 0110 0832 1.50 Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide 1107 0.49 0554 0.36

0519 0.58

0037 1.78

0633 0.53

0057 1.60

0452 0006 1.681.41

0557 1.26 1.36 0150

06231.34 1.40 0145

0046 0.69

0034 0.51

2019 0.82

1906 0.77

2045 0.81

1957 0.67

1947 0.72 1.44 2227

19590.50 1.51 2230

2019 1.40

2023 1.50

2009 1.38

2129 0.81

2015 0.75

2155 0.79

1930 2114 0.641.47

2036 0.65 1.38 2330

20580.41 1.48 2341

2108 1.37

2124 1.47

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SU 1815 1.59 FR 1324 0.84 ustralia 2020, Bureau of Meteorology Times Tide arepredictions in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time Australian (UTC +11:00) in effect 2351 0.69 1954 is1.47 Tidal Centre, Bureau of when Meteorology, Copyright reserved.

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BREAM SERIES presented by

Amos uses East coast tactics to win Albany It’s a rare occasion for a boater to win their very first ABT boater event. It’s an ever rarer occurrence for a boater to travel to the other side of the country to do it.

New South Welshman Adam Amos did just that at the ZipBaits round of the Daiwa BREAM Series at Albany in Western Australia’s south western corner.

A native of the Central Coast, Amos used the techniques that he employs in his home lakes of Lake Macquarie and Tuggerah Lakes to get the job done and take home the win.

“I did fish an ABT event many years ago as a non-boater, and I double-donuted at that,” Adam explained, but the combination of having family in WA and a relationship with Force Lures meant that the trip Scan the QR code to watch the Boater Winner’s Interview

to Albany made sense to him.

Day 1: 5/5, 2.30kg Day 2: 5/5, 3.15kg Total: 10/10, 5.45kg He spent all of his fishing time in the main lake, which, to him, felt like his home waters and he used a combination of topwater and soft plastic presentations to assemble his winning limits.

His anchor fish was a cracking 1.39kg brute that ate a cast between two patches of cockle weed and made it to the net. He took home $2,000 for his efforts.

Amos rotated between a Bent Minnow 76mm peach face colour that he fished on a Millerods TwitchFreak rod matched with a Daiwa Luvias Airity LT reel, 10lb Gosen braid and 6lb Sunline V-Hard leader. He also used a custom painted Bent by Jamie Bowden.

His plastics outfit was a Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 98 JULY 2024

Adam Amos and Blake Liddelow are both keen to take advantage of their automatic Grand Final qualifications at Lake Macquarie later this year.

Duffrods Crank-n-Bones 6’11” 1-4kg rod with another Luvias Airity. Amos rotated between a Gulp Shrimp in Camo, an Ecogearaqua in salt n pepper and a Force FLT Grub in motor oil.

He reported around 50 fish for the boat on the Saturday and another 40 on the Sunday, so quantities of bream weren’t an issue - just extracting the

bigger fish from the schools.

The win also resulted in Amos getting an instant qualification to the Daiwa BREAM Series Grand Final later in the year that offers an Alloycraft/Mercury/Oceanic trailer package fully kitted out with Green Marine Lithium and Garmin - valued at over $60,000.

He will definitely be

one to watch.

CROMPTON SNARES SECOND Day 1: 5/5, 2.32kg Day 2: 5/5, 2.98kg Total: 10/10, 5.30kg 2023 BREAM Grand Final Champion, Mark Crompton led the event after Day One and slipped to second place on Day 2, but was still stoked with his

Adam Amos used proven techniques from home to work out the Albany black bream.

BOATER RESULTS Angler Fish Adam Amos 10/10 Mark Crompton 10/10 Joseph Gardner 10/10 Callum Dowell 8/10 Alex Griesdorf 9/10 Jarrad Stevens 10/10 Richard Raynham 9/10 Matthew DeBoer 7/10 Kim McIntyre 9/10 Adrian Barbour 6/10

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 5.45kg 5.30kg 4.620kg 4.41kg 3.65kg 3.63kg 3.10kg 3.07kg 2.97kg 1.74kg

Payout $1,500 + $500 Big Bream $700 Rapala pack Cranka + TT pack $250 Merc + Ecogear & OBB pack $125 Merc bonus $75 Merc bonus

achievements out west. The 99 AOY points helped him take a mid-season lead in the BREAM Boater Angler of the Year race.

Although he spent a little bit of time in the rivers, he saw the fish and the weed that he thought would win the event in the main lake.

He ended up spending a majority of his time in Albany’s oyster racks, catching cricket scores of smaller bream while

BREAM SERIES presented by trying to target the smarter, larger fish that schooled with the small ones.

“The hardest part was to get the lure to the bigger fish without a smaller one racing in to get it first,” he said, “you could see the bigger ones in there, but they were definitely not the first to eat.”

Crompton used his favourite AGS INFEET flats rod (742L+XS-S) coupled with a new Certate 2500-S, 0.6PE Expedition braid and 4lb J-Thread Finesse FC leader.

He’d make long casts with three soft plastics - all jighead rigged, because he likes the head-down sink.

One was a Daiwa BaitJunkie motor oil grub, the

Second placed boater, Mark Crompton has made no secret that he is hungry to take out the 2024 Angler of the Year - a title he has come very close to but never claimed at ABT. Scan the QR code to watch the Non-Boater Winner’s Interview

main tool and he fished it on a Daiwa INFEET 722 ULFS rod paired with a 2500 Shimano Stella reel, 6lb braid and 6lb leader.

“My big fish on Day 2 wasn’t really committing to the bent minnow and I tried to hand it off to Joey Gardner to switchbait it with a plastic, but it turned around and committed before Joey could make the cast,” Blake said.

That fish was 1.21kg and sealed the win for the native

BIG BREAM PRIZE

Blake Liddelow spent the weekend in Albany working a top water pattern to land his limits. second was on old-style green Juro Firebait and the third a Hurricane Sprat.

“We also had a couple of hours where we fished topwater (mainly the Daiwa Slippery Dog in a variety of colours). We’d cast the lure as far as possible, burn it for a few metres after splashdown and then stop it dead. The bream would climb all over it,” Crommo continued.

The performance meant that the top two anglers in the Boater division were from the eastern states - something that we’re sure the locals will be keen to remedy come the Blackwood River round.

BLAKE BAGS NB WIN Western Australia’s Blake Liddelow dropped a giant bag onto the scales on the Sunday to emphatically win the non-boater

section of the competition.

Anchored by a 1.21kg kicker fish that ate a Bent Minnow up the Kalgan River, Liddelow fished topwater all weekend.

Day 1: 3/3, 1.61kg Day 2: 3/3, 2.31kg Total: 6/6, 3.92kg The ubiquitous P74 colour in the 76mm version was his

Adam Amos added $500 cash and a sweet pair of Maui Jims to his hoard by landing the event’s big bream. It weighed 1.39kg and ate a Camo Gulp Shrimp rigged on a 1/28oz, 1/0 TT HWS hook in around 2 feet of crystal clear water.

NON - BOATER RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Angler Blake Liddelow Jon Fitzgibbon Michael Sammut Steve Newborough Ben Oakes Thomas Guest Jenny Gardner Didier Blanquart Bill Bland Craig Doherty

Fish 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 6/6 4/6 5/6 4/6 3/6 3/6

Full results at abt.org.au

Weight(kg) 3.92kg 3.15kg 2.80kg 2.53kg 2.32kg 1.79kg 1.69kg 1.46kg 1.16kg 0.96kg

Payout Daiwa pack Daiwa pack Daiwa pack Cranka pack

JULY 2024 99

FMM

TOURNAMENT NEWS

Mick Slade triumphs again The 2024 INDT World Sooty Championship hosted by MAFSA Inc. in May set plenty of records at Eungella Dam. MAFSA Inc reports that a record number of entries (120) were received, and they included a junior record of 34 young competitors eager to try for the Junior Champion trophy. Additionally, 73 boats took part in the tournament which again set a new high point.

Weather leading up to the event was not looking too promising with the Mackay area experiencing strong gusty winds and intermittent showers and driving rain. Eungella Dam however, was to everyone’s surprise having much better conditions than on the coast at Mackay.

MAFSA members set up the control tent, the above ground pool, pumps etc and the catering area on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, as competitors started to roll into the camping area. Sunwater had the facilities ready for the large numbers and the dam and campground were looking really good due to recent rains.

Registration and briefing were completed Friday evening, thus allowing for a revised earlier start time to the tournament on Saturday morning. Competitor’s feedback from previous years events prompted the earlier start on the Saturday morning.

As usual, the more powerful tournament style boats were out of the blocks quickly and the race was on to

get to the timbers first. The staggered start provides an exciting spectacle as the boats take off and cope with the swell from the first groups.

John Davies started the scoring within 30 minutes when he presented a very solid 494mm sooty to get first points on the board for Session 1.

Session 1 (0630-1200) saw fish regularly coming in and Scorer Brandon Ford and his helpers were kept busy with some high scoring fish. Regulars like Dan Curry (446 and 458mm) and Dan Grech (405 and 436mm) started their scoring and Dan Curry followed up later in the session with a 385 and 434mm sooty.

Other notable captures from Session one included William Dowton

Winners are grinners: Mick Slade and Xavier Chivers with their well-earned trophies.

Brisbane Valley Anglers/Yak Hunters fundraiser On 19 May the Brisbane Valley Anglers stocking group with the assistance of Yak Hunters Queensland ran a kayak fishing event on Brisbane’s Lake Manchester. The event was to raise awareness of this waterway as a fishery and to raise funds for the stocking group to purchase fingerlings to be placed in the waterway later in 2024.

SEQ Water was kind enough to allow access to a by the water launch site and Rapala Australia supported the event with prizes for the various category winners.

26 competitors hit the water in various types of kayaks and got to enjoy this beautiful waterway and the fishing that it can offer.

Suntag was also on hand to tag some of the captures to assist with

Trolling was a popular technique used by many competitors and through Suntag the stocking group managed to tag 27 fish to assist with information on the fishery down the track. the high 40s.

Most people had never fished the waterway before, so trolling was a popular technique amongst the

competitors, while others chose to cast hard body lures, lipless crankbaits or hop blades from the lily pad lined edges.

Although not all anglers managed to catch a fish, the general consensus of all that attended was that they would love to see this type of access to Lake Manchester on a regular basis and that it is a beautiful place to fish.

Thanks to further donations on the day and proceeds from the event $1,500 was raised for the stocking group. All money raised will go towards stocking more fish into Lake Manchester.

The Brisbane Valley Anglers stocking group would like to thank all the anglers, Phil Bradley (event organiser), Yak Hunters and club members that attended on the day and we look forward to hopefully putting together more of these opportunities. – Peter Jung , Brisbane Valley Anglers Stocking Group

Competitors were impressed by the condition of the fish in Lake Manchester. There were some quality fish caught. data collection for future reference in the hope that one day Lake Manchester will be part of the SIPS scheme and receive regular 100 JULY 2024

stocking via that program.

There were 82 bass caught with the largest going 50.5cm, with a number of other fish also in

Rapala Australia supported the event with various prize packs for category winners to receive.

FMM

TOURNAMENT NEWS

(439mm), Shane Snell with 3 fish including a massive 507mm fish, and junior angler Cooper Holly with a first Eungella dam sooty at 315mm. Mick Slade was also right in the running with 7 fish including a solid 477mm fish. 62 fish were presented to the Scorer during Session 1.

Session 1 finished with Mick Slade leading on 2440 points from Daniel Curry on 1723, Dan Grech 1640, Nick Moore 1628 with Shane Snell rounding out the top 5 on 1349 points. Finn Gee headed the Juniors with 3 fish and 1271 points to place him in 6th position overall.

Saturday afternoon Session 2 saw the wind pick up and the fish were not co-operating, with only 39 fish coming in to the control tent in the 4 hour session. The big improver in this session was Peter Behrens who rocketed from 31st position to head the leaderboard by catching 10 fish with the largest at 446mm. Trent Power also came right into 6th spot from 30th with 3 fish. Mick Slade had a donut

this session and dropped to 2nd place behind Peter Behrens on 2471 points.

Nick Moore, Dan Grech and Daniel Curry rounded out the top 5 after Session 2.

In the Juniors, Finn Gee also had a donut for the session but still headed the pack on 1271 points. Isaac McFarlane and Xavier Chivers both increased their scores to 1125 and 1008 points respectively to put them withi n striking distance of Finn.

Sunday was another 0630 start and to add interest to the event, scoring fish for Session 3 are not displayed on the leaderboard. Again, the fishing was challenging with only 43 fish being presented to the Scorer, even though conditions were the best of the weekend, with clear skies and by mid-morning the dam was a “glass out”.

The top 5 anglers presented fish in this session with Mick Slade (2) Nick Moore (3), Peter Behrens (2), Dan Curry and Dan Grech (2 each), while many anglers missed out completely.

The Juniors also struggled although

Xavier Chivers got 4 fish, and Finn Gee and Isaac McFarlane both bought in a fish each and Eliot Fry bagged 2 scorers.

Final results were checked and double checked before presentations of plaques, trophies and goods took place, hosted by local radio personality Dave Perkins who has been an enthusiastic supporter of MAFSA for a couple of decades.

Mick Slade scored back-toback victory with 2680 points from placegetters, Nick Moore, Peter Behrens, Dan Curry and Daniel Grech.

Presentation of the Senior Division of the 2024 INDT World Sooty Championship to the ever popular Mick Slade was handled by Craig Birkett of INDT the naming rights sponsor.

In the Junior division Xavier Chivers staged a come-from-behind win with 2157 points from Finn Gee, Isaac McFarlane, Eliot Fry and Lachlan Swann rounded out the top 5.

Shane Snell took out the award for the biggest sooty from the tournament

with his 507mm sooty from Session 1.

The successful technique used by Mick Slade was fairly conservative using Gulp grubs in Pepper Prawn colour in the tree tops. Vibes and Spinnerbaits were popular and scored fish with many fish coming from the weed edges. Junior winner Xavier Chivers used Evoke shads and Brown Dog TN50’s mainly along the weed edges to secure his win.

144 fish were presented to the Scorer with a total length of 56,143mm giving an average of 389.9mm.

Chairman of MAFSA Tim Swann summed up “Fish numbers were down but quality has remained of a high standard and it is pleasing to see the growth of the tournament with record numbers nominating for the event. The tournament continues to be popular with 6 past Champions competing this year and next year will be the 20th Anniversary of the event so we look forward to seeing you all in 2025.”

Tim wrapped up by thanking all sponsors and wishing everyone a safe trip home. – MAFSA

Tournament Calendar 2024 DATE

Tournament

Location

State

Contact

July 20-21 Jul 23-24 Jul

Daiwa BREAM Series R8 Daiwa BREAM Series R9

Richmond River Tweed River

NSW NSW

abt.org.au abt.org.au

August 17-18 Aug 26-27 Aug 29-30 Aug

Vic Bream Classics R4 13Fishing BASS Pro R5 13Fishing BASS Pro R6

Mallacoota Somerset Dam Wivenhoe Dam

VIC QLD QLD

www.vicbreamclassics.com.au abt.org.au abt.org.au

September 13-14 Sep 15 Sep 16-18 Sep 28-29 Sep

Zerek BARRA Series R1 ECBS Round 5 Zerek BARRA AUS OPEN 13Fishing BASS Pro AUS OPEN

Monduran Dam Botany Bay Lake Awoonga Glenbawn Dam

QLD NSW QLD VIC

abt.org.au wsbb.com.au abt.org.au abt.org.au

October 1-3 Oct 12-13 Oct 13-14 Oct 15 Oct 20 Oct

13Fishing BASS Pro GF Vic Bream Classics R5 Zerek BARRA Series R2 Zerek BARRA Series R3 ECBS Grand Final

Lake St Clair Marlo Lake Tinaroo Lake Tinaroo Sydney Harbour

NSW VIC QLD QLD NSW

abt.org.au www.vicbreamclassics.com.au abt.org.au abt.org.au Sydney Harbour

November 11 Nov 12Nov 14 Nov 16-17 Nov 23-24 Nov 29 Nov-1 Dec

Zerek BARRA Series R4 Zerek BARRA Series R5 Zerek BARRA Series R6 Zerek BARRA Series R7 Vic Bream Classics GF Daiwa BREAM Series GF

Teemburra Dam Teemburra Dam Peter Faust Dam Peter Faust Dam Nelson Lake Macquarie

QLD QLD QLD QLD VIC NSW

abt.org.au abt.org.au abt.org.au abt.org.au www.vicbreamclassics.com.au abt.org.au

Add your tournament or competition to this list by emailing jthomas@fishingmonthly.com.au Just supply a date, venue, tournament name, telephone number and contact name.

JULY 2024 101 NOVEMBER 2023 2

WHAT’S NEW FISHING

RAPALA SHAD RAP ELITE 55

1

The Shad Rap Elite 55 catches a wide range of salt and freshwater species, including bass and bream.

Featuring a heavy-duty construction and a highly responsive balsa body, the Shad Rap Elite behaves differently from other lures on the market. This lure can be used like a traditional crankbait on a slow, steady retrieve, letting the bib bounce and deflect around snags. Add a few rod twitches and a quicker pace, and the lure starts to behave like a jerkbait, darting and twitching, drawing in strikes from even the wariest of predators.

This lure comes in a wide range of HD printed colour patterns to suit both fresh and saltwater, and is fitted out with quality, sticky sharp VMC inline trebles.

Price: SRP $26.95 www.rapala.com.au

••••••••••••••••••••••••••

DAIWA 24 STEEZ SV TW

2

The 24 Steez from Daiwa makes the perfect cast a reality with Ultimate Casting Design. The four pillars of Ultimate Casting Design are Magforce + Variable Inductor, TWS T-Wing System, Zero Adjust and G1 Duralumin spool.

Daiwa’s Magforce magnetic cast control system goes to another level in the 24 Steez, with its two-stage variable inductor providing optimum control of spool rotation for outstanding casting performance for lightweight lures, versatility, and super long casting.

Daiwa’s Zero Adjuster has been present for many years. By mastering the main brake (Magforce) the 24 Steez eliminates the need for the second-stage mechanical braking, which allows the angler to only need to adjust the mag dial to make that perfect cast. Ultimate Casting Design has eliminated this ability, simplifying setup and use and eliminating the possibility of accidental adjustment.

The 3rd generation TWS further increases line flow; a 4.9% casting distance increase is achieved when performing test casts against 2nd generation TWS. The lightweight spool is made from G1 Duralumin, which is twice as strong as magnesium and 1.3 times as strong as Super Duralumin.

The 24 Steez is available in left- and right-hand configuration and two speeds (7.8:1 and 8.5:1). www.daiwafishing.com.au

••••••••••••••••••••••••••

3 SHIMANO ZODIAS TRAVEL RODS

Designed with a carbon monocoque grip, Zodias Travel Rods offer a higher level of sensitivity than traditional rods, allowing anglers to feel even the most subtle strike. The rod’s hollow structure ensures unparalleled lightness, further enhancing its responsiveness and manoeuvrability.

Hi-Power X construction suppresses unwanted twisting in the blank during casting and fighting. By utilizing carbon tape in an X-shaped pattern, the rod maintains its intended bend and maximizes the performance of the blanks. This ensures that anglers can exert precise control over their casts and enjoy a seamless fishing experience.

Zodias Travel Rods incorporate CI4+RD technology, an evolution of Shimano’s unique CI4 material, reinforced by carbon fibre. This material provides exceptional strength while significantly reducing the weight of the rod. www.shimanofish.com.au

PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY 102 JULY 2024

LOWRANCE EAGLE FISHFINDER

1

4

The Lowrance Eagle fishfinder features newly-designed high-definition enhanced sonar, with FishReveal technology and detailed C-MAP charting, including Genesis Live.

TripleShot HD and SplitShot HD offer improved clarity, depth performance and sensitivity, while FishReveal on DownScan continues to make it simple to identify fish from structure.

Simple autotuning sonar gives anglers optimal settings from the start, eliminating the hassle of needing to constantly configure settings. An improved twistlocking connector allows for easy and reliable installation and removal – simply connect and cast.

Eagle has a rugged design featuring a new IPS screen that offers improved resolution, clarity, and visibility, even with polarized sunglasses in direct sunlight.

Eagle’s C-MAP embedded inland and coastal charts for Australia allow anglers to spend more time fishing than searching.

It also lets you create custom half-foot contour maps of local lakes or unchartered water – in real time – with Genesis Live.

The Eagle fishfinder is available in 4”, 5”, 7” and 9” display sizes. The 4” model provides total flexibility with portrait orientation and true-scroll sonar, but is incompatible with enhanced sonar features or mapping. www.lowrance.com

4

••••••••••••••••••••••••••

TT SPLIT FOAM TACKLE TRAYS

5

TT Fishing has released four new Split Foam Tackle Trays – strong, locking lure trays with high-density slitted foam inserts.

Constructed from UV-stabilised, impact-resistant materials, with secure locking tabs to prevent accidental spills, the included high-density foam inserts feature deep slits designed to securely hold hooks, preventing them from rattling loose and tangling.

The small and medium shallow models are ideal for storing jigheads, blades, small soft vibes, hardbodies, and other smaller lure options. The unique lid design can be opened from either side or removed completely for loading and accessing more finesse presentations.

The large model has increased depth, making it a go-to for storing larger jigheads, soft vibes and hardbodies, while the X-Large Deep model steps storage capacity up another level for large stickbaits, poppers, paddles and other larger presentations that can often be difficult to store. The X-Large Deep option is also ideal for storing leader, scent, tools and other accessories in your boat or tackle bag.

Price: SRP $13.95-$24.95 www.ttfishing.com

2

3

5

••••••••••••••••••••••••••

SAMAKI VORTEX IRON

6

6

The Vortex Iron is the ultimate spinning lure, whether you’re casting from the rocky shoreline, a boat on open waters, or the beach into the surf.

This one-piece construction, injected stainless steel spinning lure is effective on a wide range of species, including tailor, mackerel and tuna. Its streamlined design and impeccable balance make it a precision tool for long, accurate casts. The lifelike motion and realistic appearance of the Vortex Iron mimics the natural prey of your target species.

What truly sets it apart, however, is the printed finish, which ensures longevity and resilience, even in the most demanding conditions.

The Vortex Iron is available now in a range of sizes and fish-catching colours. www.samaki.com.au Please email contributions to: nicole@fishingmonthly.com.au

DROP IN TO YOUR LOCAL STACER DEALER!

QUEENSLAND

BRISBANE

WYNNUM MARINE

31 Fox St WYNNUM Ph (07) 3396 9777 info@wynnummarine.com.au

www.wynnummarine.com.au

BRISBANE

STACER MEMORIES COME AT YOU FAST, BUT NEVER LEAVE.

NORTHSIDE MARINE

2294 Sandgate Rd BOONDALL Ph (07) 3265 8028 info@nsmarine.com.au

www.northsidemarine.com.au

ROCKHAMPTON RIFEN BOATS

6 Dooley Street NORTH ROCKHAMPTON Ph (07) 4927 9150 rifen.boats@bigpond.com

www.rifenboats.com.au

NEW SOUTH WALES

CENTRAL COAST IN TUNE MARINE

425 The Entrance Rd, Long Jetty Ph (02) 4333 3444 stacerboats1@aol.com

www.intunemarine.com.au

COFFS HARBOUR THWAITES MARINE

30 Industrial Drive, Coffs Harbour Ph (02) 6651 7810 shop@thwaitesmarine.com.au

For more than 50 years we’ve been building strong, reliable, aluminium boats you can depend upon, right here in Australia.

www.thwaitesmarine.com.au

SYDNEY WEST BLAKES MARINE

1 Railway Rd North, Mulgrave Ph (02) 4577 6699 sales@blakesmarine.com.au

Whether for fishing or family fun, the Stacer range has an enviable reputation for not just affordability but

www.blakesmarine.com.au

also great re-sale value. Have a talk to your local dealer – and start creating your very own Stacer memories.

MARINA BAYSIDE

SYDNEY SOUTH 1-13 Mangrove Lne, Taren Point Ph (02) 9524 0044 sales@marinabayside.com.au

www.marinabayside.com.au

PORT MACQUARIE HASTINGS MARINE

185 Hastings River Dr, Port Macquarie Ph (02) 6583 5511 sales@hastingsmarine.com.au

www.hastingsmarine.com.au

VICTORIA

GIPPSLAND

CRAWFORD MARINE

71-77 Chickerell Street, Morwell Ph (03) 5134 6522 sales@crawfordmarine.com.au

www.crawfordmarine.com.au

MELBOURNE

DIPTECH PERFORMANCE

15 Miller Street, Epping Ph (03) 8401 3956 sales@diptech.com.au

www.diptechperformance.com.au

MELBOURNE STFMMFastDealer 001

MELBOURNE MARINE CENTRE

Stacer.

Memories for a Lifetime.

Creating Stacer Memories is easy with the all NEW boat packages.

Build your perfect boat in just three easy steps.

393-399 South Gippsland Hwy, Dandenong South Ph (03) 9703 2003 info@melbournemarine.com.au

www.melbournemarine.com.au

GEELONG

GEELONG MARINE WORLD

401-409 Portarlington Road, Geelong Ph (02) 5248 1752 info@geelongmarineworld.com.au

www.geelongmarineworld.com.au

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

BUNBURY See stacer.com.au for details.

BLUEWATER MARINE

18 Hawkins Street, East Bunbury Ph (08) 9791 1499 bluwater@bigpond.net.au

www.bluewatermarine.com.au

BOATING NEWS

ADVERTORIAL

FMM

Sea Jay Aluminium Boats celebrates 35 years Since 1989, Sea Jay Boats has been a family-run enterprise, proudly owned by Col, Janelle, and Troy Glass.

Starting out in East Bundaberg, the business moved to a new 10,000m2 factory in Maddison Court’s Industrial Estate in 1993.

Troy, just 6yo when the business began, officially joined the company in 1999. After completing his apprenticeship, he took on the R&D role in 2010, becoming a part owner.

By 2013, Troy had become Managing Director, and in 2022, Col and Janelle retired from daily operations, leaving Troy and his wife Brooke to capably run Sea Jay Boats.

to 9.2m in the Plate Xtreme range.

This diverse line up includes over 90 models, featuring Open and Speciality Dinghies, V-Nose Punts, Runabouts, Consoles, and Cabins, with the Plate Xtreme models sold directly from the factory. Sea Jay models are distributed through a nationwide dealer network.

Sea Jay employs 32 staff members, including qualified tradespeople, nine apprentices, and trades assistants.

Training is provided on-site by recognised organisations, ensuring quality and pride in every boat built.

Many employees are boating enthusiasts themselves, instilling a high standard of craftsmanship in every vessel.

to innovation and customisation.

Supporting and sponsoring various community groups, Sea Jay gives back through local and interstate initiatives.

Continuous innovation, high standards of workmanship, and investment in infrastructure and personnel drive the company’s growth and reputation.

Boating has always been central to the Glass family, with activities such as recreational fishing, water skiing, and ski racing. The transition to manufacturing aluminium boats was a natural progression, and the Sea Jay Aluminium Boats brand has since become a household name and is available through 34 marine retailers across Australia.

The first boat they produced was a 3.7m square nose punt in June 1989. Over the past 35 years, Sea Jay has expanded its range to include a variety of models, from 3.15m to 6.7m in the Sea Jay range, and from 5.5m 1104NOVEMBER JULY 20242023

Modern production techniques at Sea Jay include fully equipped paint booths, a computerised print machine for graphics and boat wraps, CNC routers, and a state-of-the-art press for material preparation. A 4x10m test tank ensures compliance testing is conducted on-site, enhancing the boat-building process to meet today’s customer needs.

Custom builds and specialisations remain a significant part of Sea Jay’s offerings, ensuring individual customer needs are met. The company’s extensive model range covers most customer wishes, reflecting Sea Jay’s commitment

Troy’s expertise in boat building is highly regarded in the marine industry, making him a leader in his field. As Sea Jay looks to the future, the next generation, including grandchildren, who are loyal Sea Jay supporters and keen fishers, promise to continue the family’s boating legacy.

Top and insert: The original shed built in 1993.

Above: The entire premises now covers 10,000m2.

THERE ARE 15 LOGOS HIDDEN THROUGHOUT THE PAGES OF FISHING MONTHLY. FILL IN THE ENTRY FORM BELOW WITH THE PAGE NUMBER OF EACH LOGO LOCATION AND GO INTO THE DRAW TO WIN!

TROPHY HUN TERS

FIND THE LOGO COMP +

=

Join the Rapala community as you collect all 17 Trophy species badges and compete to be Rapala’s Trophy Hunter Angler of the Year.

Step 1: Download the App from the App Store Step 2 : Create a profile Step 3 : Start casting some Rapala lures Step 4 : Lodge your catch to the App. Step 5 : Recieve your Limited Edition Rapala Trophy Hunter badge.

$5K+ IN PRIZES

UP FOR GRABS

With a $200 Rapala Pack available for winner of each category and a $2000 Rapala pack for the angler with the most badges by the end of the year it’s time to get out there and target some ‘Trophy Fish’ on Rapala lures.

MONTHLY

1ST

MAJOR PRIZE PAGE NO: 1

2

3

www.rapala.com.au

Rapala Australia

2ND

$300 CRUSHCITY / RAPALA PACK 4

5

6

7

3RD

$200 CRUSHCITY / RAPALA PACK 8

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@rapalaaustralia

$100 CRUSHCITY / RAPALA PACK 12

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NAME ADDRESS VIC

TAS

WA

MAIL ENTRIES TO:

SUBURB

PO BOX 3172, Loganholme QLD 4129 Entries must be received by 31 July, 2024 Original entries only. NO PHOTOCOPIES.

PHONE

FMM Find the TROPHY HUNTERS Logo Competition,

EMAIL

P/CODE

JULY 2024

QLD NSW

NEW RELEASE

Honda’s new 350hp V8 outboard FISHING MONTHLY

Steve Morgan

It’s been a while since we’ve heard much from Honda Marine, but last month on the Gold Coast they held the Australian product launch of their all new 5 litre V8, 350hp outboard. And it looks a lot different from the Hondas you know.

“The BF350 5-litre V8 engine offers the most formidable power amongst our outboard engines. The BF350 offers Honda’s revolutionary BLAST (Boosted Low Speed Torque) mode, ECOmo economy mode for optimised fuel efficiency and when extra power is required, VTEC will boost peak power, providing a positive surge of acceleration,” says the press release.

“In addition to its power and torque, the engine provides improved comfort through its low-vibration design with low fuel consumption and reliability,” it continues.

Honda have been selling 4-stroke outboards since 1964, yet this is the very first production V8 that they have made - across all platforms, excluding their racing team engines, however it uses their established

JULY 20242023 106 1 NOVEMBER

VTEC technology that already in their product line from 100hp and upwards.

NMEA 2000 protocols allow engine data to be interfaced with on-board systems and displays, integrating information with systems such as SONAR or GPS. “This engine is designed to meet the needs of today’s families, commercial users and government agencies who require larger boats and the ability to journey farther

from shore,” says Honda’s release.

Indeed, their warranty is impressive – 7 years (transferrable) for recreational users and 3 years for commercial duty cycles.

Two colours are available, silver and white.

They’re particularly proud of their crankshaft technology.

“The BF350 crankshaft is manufactured using the same materials and tested to the same strength specifications as Acura’s

SPECIFICATIONS Type.............................................................................4-Stroke,.SOHC,.60°.V8,.32.Valve.

Displacement......................................................4952cc.(302.cubic.ins.)

Bore & Stroke......................................................89x99.5mm/3.5x3.9in.

Full Throttle RPM Range.............................5000-6000rpm Rated Power.........................................................350hp.at.5500rpm Cooling System..................................................Water.Cooled Fuel Delivery.........................................................Programmed.Fuel.Injection Ignition System..................................................MicroComputer.Programmed Starting System.................................................Electric Exhaust.....................................................................Through.Hub Lubrication............................................................Wet.Sump Trim Range.............................................................-4°.to.+15° Tilt Range................................................................68° Fuel Type.................................................................86.Octane Gear Ratio...............................................................1.79:1 Battery Charging Power..............................70.Amps Cruise Control Range....................................650-6000rpm.in.50rpm.Increments Overall Width.......................................................650mm/25.6.in Transom Weight.................................................347-352kg

Main photo: When Honda owners want to triple rig, Optimus steering is the option for joystick operation. famed NSX high-performance sports supercar.

“Various technologies have been applied to the crankshaft to achieve

NEW RELEASE higher output/ higher torque, quieter operation, and increased strength, contributing to a comfortable and smooth onboard experience.

“The fully balanced, 60° offset crankshaft eliminates the need for counter balancing; it seamlessly integrates with 60° engine design and nonlinear engine mount to provide exceptional performance with minimal vibration. Crankpin offset angle reduces vibration and noise generated by the crankshaft.

Also, the BF350 has reintroduced the use of an oxygen sensor which

contributes to Honda’s superior fuel economy. effective combustion on a leaner air-to-fuel mixture. At cruising speed, Honda engines claim to run on up to 20% less fuel than other comparably sized outboards.

NEW CONTROL BOX “Accompanying the V8 outboard is the all-new BF350 controller. The controller comes in an ergonomic form to support various grips and operations, has an intuitive 5-button multi-function panel, and a high visibility neutral position indicator, all enhanced in a leather grain for exceptional comfort.

“Incorporating DBW (Drive By Wire) owners have precise electronic engine response to control multiple

way it’s headed, the staff and dealers are excited.

Pricing is very competitive with other outboards of the same power on the market today, but it’s best to check with your local Honda dealer for the up-to-date options.

You can also watch the Fishing Monthly video by scanning the QR code hereby.

VIDEO

Left and above: From the back, the new Honda 350hp V8 outboard has a whole lot going on and the look is distinctive.

engines with a single lever, providing simple operation for smooth, stressfree boating.

Honda’s alternator is also large enough to cope with modern electronic demands - 30a at idle and 70a at 6,000rpm.

OPTIMUS OPTIONS To date, there’s no proprietary Honda steering system – you can run them on standard aftermarket steering options. Honda have partnered with Optimus to offer a joystick option for multiple outboard rigs.

We got to ride in several boats on the test day and subjectively, these are a smooth and relatively quiet offering.

What is exciting is Honda’s apparent commitment to revamping their outboard range. We couldn’t tell if this was to be more larger engines or a refurbishment of their smaller offerings, but whichever

Scan this QR code to watch the new Honda 350hp V8 in action.

NOVEMBER 2023107 JULY 2024 2

BOATING TEST

SCAN THE QR CODE FOR EXTRA CONTENT

FMM

MORE ONLINE

Whittley 2800 Heritage Cruiser with Volvo 350hp FMG

Steve Morgan s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

For all of the Whittley tests we’ve done over the years, I’ve never set foot in the biggest cruiser in the range – the 28 footer. This legally trailerable craft is pretty close to the ultimate family cruiser and packs a lot into the available hull length.

Maybe one of the reasons I haven’t tested one is because it’s definitely NOT the ultimate fishing boat in their range.

That status would sit somewhere in their SL series – models that are designed for serious fishing with an elevated comfort aspect. The cruiser (CR) range are skewed towards some serious comfort for multi-day trips on the water.

You’ll see what I mean throughout this test.

Gary Honeychurch from Whittley calls it the “Waterbago”, which alludes to the fact that you can live on it just as

SPECIFICATIONS Length Overall ................................. 9m Beam ................................................ 2.49m Length on trailer .........................10.1m Height in trailer............................ 3.3m Transom deadrise........................... 19° Fuel ........................................................210L Water ....................................................100L Dry tow weight ..................... 3,200kg Max HP......................350hp Volvo V8 comfortably on the land as you can on the water. Indeed, many Whittley customers live on their boats in transit, you just pull up to the caravan park and plug in!

The cabin has a fully solid, lockable door, which helps with peace-of-mind when you take the car out to do some shopping or eat out on the road.

You can see the whole interview with Gary and the video boat test by scanning the QR code at the top of this page.

The 2800 is powered by a Volvo Penta 350hp V8 inboard motor. Nowadays,

inboards aren’t the flavour of the month, but they are an ideal choice for this rig, opening up a massive duckboard area over the DuoProp that has wet-gear storage incorporated and effectively acts as a swimming deck and BBQ area simultaneously. Couple this with the inbuilt freshwater shower at the transom door and you can keep the salt out where it needs to be.

When the boat is on the trailer, you board here with the fold-away ladder, just as you would when the boat is in the water.

Moving forward to the main cockpit area and there’s a lot of comfortable seating, dedicated to providing a space for multiple people to sit and entertain.

And as if magically, a table top drops from the hard top here, solving the problem of where to actually store a table top when it’s not in use.

This is a great place to enjoy a meal.

Moving for’ard again and there’s the helm with most of the controls for the motor and accessories on boat. As is the standard nowadays, this is flush mounted and has all of the switching in easy reach.

The real comfort and appointment, however, is inside of the lockable door.

As you enter, there’s a full kitchen on the port side, complete with sink, fridge and induction cooktops, which are powered by some of the three lithium batteries.

PERFORMANCE RPM Speed

(km/h)

Main: Here she is! The biggest Whittley Cruiser in their range in its element on the Gold Coast.

Above: The 2800 is surprisingly economical. Between 3500 and 5000rpm uses around a litre per kilometre.

Best was 4000rpm with 1.15km/L at 46km/h.

108 JULY 2024

Economy

(km/L)

600 ............................ 6 ........................2.0 1000 .......................... 9 .........................1.5 2000 ........................15 .......................... 1.1 3000 ....................... 27 ........................0.9 3500 .......................37 .........................1.0 4000 .......................46 ....................... 1.15 4500 .......................55 ...................... 1.05 5000 .......................65 ..................... 0.95 5800 .......................78 ........................0.8

It’s a two person operation to comfortably get the boat on and off the trailer.

The lithiums definitely help save on towing weight.

There’s a fully private shower and toilet as well as a second, indoor dining area that converts to a queen sized berth.

The outdoor dining area also converts to a queen sized berth, allowing the 2800 to sleep four people comfortably.

There’s even a telly in the main cabin, so you don’t miss any of the footy (or comforts of home).

On the water, I’d expected the Volvo 350 to be thirsty and unresponsive. How wrong I was! The V8 offered plenty of power to propel this rig to just under 80km/h with a significantly wide range of economical cruising speeds.

Anywhere between 3000 and 5000rpm gives you around that 1km/L economy at speeds between 27 and 65km/h.

As Gary says in the interview, “It’s 28 foot of caravan that will tow a water skiier.”

The Heritage Edition 2800 that we tested is limited to 10 boats, with six of them already sold as at the close of the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show 2024. One of those boats had a drive away price of $339,990. For more information, contact your local Whittley dealer or visit www.whittley.com.au.

FMM

BOATING TEST

Top: The helm is simple and easily fits your MFD with all of the gauges and switches for the accessories. Above: The advantage of a freshwater cooled inboard is that it opens up the aft duckboard for swimming, BBQing and it adds to the available length.

On the trailer and on the water, access is by the folding rear ladder.

Top: The trailer can handle 4.4t and has electric over hydraulic braking. You’ll need a big car to tow it, though. Above: From the waterline, the 2800 is an imposing hull.

The rear saloon uses a table that fits in a fold down hatch from the hard top.

The cabin door is lockable for when you’re overnighting on the road or the water.

Top Left: Here’s the front cabin and seating area. It will be perfect for winter evenings on the water. Top and Bottom Right: Here’s the full kitchen setup with fridge, induction cooktops, sink and plenty of storage.

Bottom Left: There’s your stereo controls and secure drink storage in this area.

Left: The head has full shower facilities and a solid privacy door.

Top Right: You’ll hear your chosen music all around the boat.

Bottom Right: The Volvo Penta V8 350HP features their DuoProp design.

JULY 2024 109

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